FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

12 · Devotional Service

20 verses
1 2 3-4 5 6-7 8 9 10 11 12 13-14 15 16 17 18-19 20
Sanskrit Recitation
Reciter: His Grace Rādhā-Gopīnātha Prabhu

Audio hot-linked from bhagavadgitaclass.com — streamed from upstream, not stored.

Reading along — Chapter 12
12.1
arjuna uvāca
evaṁ satata-yuktā ye
bhaktās tvāṁ paryupāsate
ye cāpy akṣaram avyaktaṁ
teṣāṁ ke yoga-vittamāḥ
12.2
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
mayy āveśya mano ye māṁ
nitya-yuktā upāsate
śraddhayā parayopetās
te me yukta-tamā matāḥ
12.3-4
ye tv akṣaram anirdeśyam
avyaktaṁ paryupāsate
sarvatra-gam acintyaṁ ca
kūṭa-stham acalaṁ dhruvam
sanniyamyendriya-grāmaṁ
sarvatra sama-buddhayaḥ
te prāpnuvanti mām eva
sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ
12.5
kleśo ’dhika-taras teṣām
avyaktāsakta-cetasām
avyaktā hi gatir duḥkhaṁ
dehavadbhir avāpyate
12.6-7
ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi
mayi sannyasya mat-parāḥ
ananyenaiva yogena
māṁ dhyāyanta upāsate
teṣām ahaṁ samuddhartā
mṛtyu-saṁsāra-sāgarāt
bhavāmi na cirāt pārtha
mayy āveśita-cetasām
12.8
mayy eva mana ādhatsva
mayi buddhiṁ niveśaya
nivasiṣyasi mayy eva
ata ūrdhvaṁ na saṁśayaḥ
12.9
atha cittaṁ samādhātuṁ
na śaknoṣi mayi sthiram
abhyāsa-yogena tato
mām icchāptuṁ dhanañ-jaya
12.10
abhyāse ’py asamartho ’si
mat-karma-paramo bhava
mad-artham api karmāṇi
kurvan siddhim avāpsyasi
12.11
athaitad apy aśakto ’si
kartuṁ mad-yogam āśritaḥ
sarva-karma-phala-tyāgaṁ
tataḥ kuru yatātmavān
12.12
śreyo hi jñānam abhyāsāj
jñānād dhyānaṁ viśiṣyate
dhyānāt karma-phala-tyāgas
tyāgāc chāntir anantaram
12.13-14
adveṣṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ
maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca
nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ
sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣamī
santuṣṭaḥ satataṁ yogī
yatātmā dṛḍha-niścayaḥ
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir
yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ
12.15
yasmān nodvijate loko
lokān nodvijate ca yaḥ
harṣāmarṣa-bhayodvegair
mukto yaḥ sa ca me priyaḥ
12.16
anapekṣaḥ śucir dakṣa
udāsīno gata-vyathaḥ
sarvārambha-parityāgī
yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ
12.17
yo na hṛṣyati na dveṣṭi
na śocati na kāṅkṣati
śubhāśubha-parityāgī
bhaktimān yaḥ sa me priyaḥ
12.18-19
samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca
tathā mānāpamānayoḥ
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu
samaḥ saṅga-vivarjitaḥ
tulya-nindā-stutir maunī
santuṣṭo yena kenacit
aniketaḥ sthira-matir
bhaktimān me priyo naraḥ
12.20
ye tu dharmāmṛtam idaṁ
yathoktaṁ paryupāsate
śraddadhānā mat-paramā
bhaktās te ’tīva me priyāḥ
Chapter Overview — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Connection between Chapter 11 and Chapter 12
After hearing of Lord’s inestimable, impersonal opulences, Arjuna
Again wants to hear about ‘devotional service’
To clarify his ‘position as a devotee’, who works for Krishna, as opposed to a ‘jnani’ who renounces work
To clarify his position as being attached to the personal form of Krishna, as superior to the Universal Form or the Unmanifested Brahman
Because some persons might mistake the awe-inspiring universal form shown in Chapter 11 to be more significant than Krishna’s two-armed form
— Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Chapter Quiz · 12 questions
12 questions · Chapter 12
1. What does Arjuna ask at the start of Chapter 12?
BG 12.1 — Arjuna asks which path is superior: worship of the personal Lord or the impersonal akṣaram avyaktam.
Refs: 12.1
2. Whom does Kṛṣṇa consider most perfect per BG 12.2?
BG 12.2 — 'mayy āveśya mano ye māṁ ... te me yuktatamā matāḥ'.
Refs: 12.2
3. What does Kṛṣṇa say about the difficulty of impersonalism in BG 12.5?
BG 12.5 — 'kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām'.
Refs: 12.5
4. Who, per BG 12.7, does Kṛṣṇa quickly deliver from the ocean of birth and death?
BG 12.7 — 'teṣām ahaṁ samuddhartā mṛtyu-saṁsāra-sāgarāt'.
Refs: 12.7
5. What is the first method recommended in BG 12.8 to fix the mind on Kṛṣṇa?
BG 12.8 — 'mayy eva mana ādhatsva mayi buddhiṁ niveśaya'.
Refs: 12.8
6. If one cannot fix the mind, what does BG 12.9 recommend?
BG 12.9 — abhyāsa-yoga (regulative practice) is the next option.
Refs: 12.9
7. If even practice is too difficult, what is the next step per BG 12.10?
BG 12.10 — 'mad-artham api karmāṇi kurvan siddhim avāpsyasi'.
Refs: 12.10
8. If even that is too hard, what does BG 12.11 advise?
BG 12.11 — give up the results (sarva-karma-phala-tyāgaṁ) for inner steadiness.
Refs: 12.11
9. BG 12.12 establishes a hierarchy. Which is the topmost?
BG 12.12 — practice > knowledge > meditation > renunciation-of-fruits, which brings immediate śānti.
Refs: 12.12
10. Which qualities make a devotee dear to Kṛṣṇa per BG 12.13-14?
BG 12.13-14 list these qualities — 'sa me priyaḥ'.
Refs: 12.13, 12.14
11. Who is said in BG 12.15 to be dear to Kṛṣṇa?
BG 12.15 — 'yasmān nodvijate loko lokān nodvijate ca yaḥ' — he is dear to Me.
Refs: 12.15
12. What is the chapter's summarising point about the dharma it describes in BG 12.20?
BG 12.20 — 'ye tu dharmāmṛtam idaṁ ... śraddadhānā mat-paramā bhaktās te 'tīva me priyāḥ'.
Refs: 12.20
Breakdown of Chapter 12
Section 1 (12.1–12.7)
Section 2 (12.8–12.12) — PROGRESSIVE STAGES OF DEVOTION
One lives within Krishna by continuously fixing one’s mind and intelligence upon Him (12.8)
One practices the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga to increase one’s desire and ability to remember and obtain Krishna (12.9)
One surrenders one’s work to Krishna (12.10)
One gives up the result of one’s work to some good cause (12.11)
One cultivates meditation or knowledge (12.12)
Section 3 (12.13–12.20) — QUALITIES THAT ENDEAR ONE TO KRISHNA
Possessing divine qualities makes one dear to Krishna
One who faithfully follows the path of devotional service, making Krishna the supreme goal is very dear to Him
— Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Section 1 (12.1–12.7)
Section overview

Bhakti is superior to Impersonalism

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION I

Bhakti is the safest and surest path of self-realization

A worshipper of the ‘Impersonal feature’ is -
Less perfect
Undergoes more difficulty than one who worships Krishna with great faith and great attention
The path of devotion is recommended because
It is not only easier to follow but also,
Krishna personally takes charge of delivering His devotee

Bhagavad-gītā 12.1

↗
అర్జున ఉవాచ ఏవం సతతయుక్తా యే భక్తాస్త్వాం పర్యుపాసతే । యే చాప్యక్షరమవ్యక్తం తేషాం కే యోగవిత్తమా: ॥ ౧ ॥
arjuna uvāca
[arjuna uvaacha]
evaṁ satata-yuktā ye
[evam satata-yuktaa ye]
bhaktās tvāṁ paryupāsate
[bhaktaas tvaam paryupaasate]
ye cāpy akṣaram avyaktaṁ
[ye chaapy aksharam avyaktam]
teṣāṁ ke yoga-vittamāḥ
[teshaam ke yoga-vittamaah]
Word-for-word
arjunaḥ uvāca — Arjuna said evam — thus satata — always yuktāḥ — engaged ye — those who bhaktāḥ — devotees tvām — You paryupāsate — properly worship ye — those who ca — also api — again akṣaram — beyond the senses avyaktam — the unmanifested teṣām — of them ke — who yoga - vit - tamāḥ — the most perfect in knowledge of yoga. .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
arjuna uvāca
arjunaḥ uvāca
Arjuna said
evaṁ satata-yuktā ye
evam
thus
satata
always
yuktāḥ
engaged
ye
those who
bhaktās tvāṁ paryupāsate
bhaktāḥ
devotees
tvām
You
paryupāsate
properly worship
ye cāpy akṣaram avyaktaṁ
ye
those who
ca
also
api
again
akṣaram
beyond the senses
avyaktam
the unmanifested
teṣāṁ ke yoga-vittamāḥ
teṣām
of them
ke
who
yoga - vit - tamāḥ
the most perfect in knowledge of yoga. .
Important Words
  • satata — always, continuously
    Arjuna does not ask about occasional worshipers. He frames both options at their peak: continuous, unbroken engagement. The comparison is fair because the intensity is matched on both sides.
  • bhaktāḥ — devotees
    First time in the chapter the word appears, and it is set against akṣaram-upāsakas. The chapter will spend twenty verses unfolding the difference between bhakti as relation and brahman-meditation as absorption.
  • akṣaram — the imperishable, beyond the senses
    Technical term for the impersonal Absolute — that which does not perish, does not manifest in form. Arjuna names it precisely to make the dichotomy unambiguous.
  • avyaktam — the unmanifested
    From a-vi-añj — 'not made visible.' Pairs with akṣaram. Together the two words specify the niṣguṇa-brahman target, distinguishing it from any sa-guṇa form of the Lord.
  • paryupāsate — properly, completely worship
    Pari- prefix: 'all around, completely.' Arjuna uses it for the impersonalists too, conceding that their worship is also total. He is asking Kṛṣṇa to judge between two sincere wholehearted disciplines.
  • yoga - vit - tamāḥ — the most perfect knowers of yoga
    Superlative -tama. Arjuna does not ask 'which is acceptable' — he asks 'which is the most.' The whole chapter is Kṛṣṇa's answer to that superlative.
Arjuna inquired: Which are considered to be more perfect, those who are always properly engaged in Your devotional service or those who worship the impersonal Brahman, the unmanifested?
Purport

Kṛṣṇa has now explained about the personal, the impersonal and the universal and has described all kinds of devotees and yogīs . Generally, the transcendentalists can be divided into two classes. One is the impersonalist, and the other is the personalist. The personalist devotee engages himself with all energy in the service of the Supreme Lord. The impersonalist also engages himself, not directly in the service of Kṛṣṇa but in meditation on the impersonal Brahman, the unmanifested. We find in this chapter that of the different processes for realization of the Absolute Truth, bhakti-yoga, devotional service, is the highest. If one at all desires to have the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then he must take to devotional service. Those who worship the Supreme Lord directly by devotional service are called personalists. Those who engage themselves in meditation on the impersonal Brahman are called impersonalists. Arjuna is here questioning which position is better. There are different ways to realize the Absolute Truth, but Kṛṣṇa indicates in this chapter that bhakti-yoga, or devotional service to Him, is the highest of all. It is the most direct, and it is the easiest means for association with the Godhead. In the Second Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, the Supreme Lord explained that a living entity is not the material body; he is a spiritual spark. And the Absolute Truth is the spiritual whole. In the Seventh Chapter He spoke of the living entity as being part and parcel of the supreme whole and recommended that he transfer his attention fully to the whole. Then again in the Eighth Chapter it was said that anyone who thinks of Kṛṣṇa at the time of quitting his body is at once transferred to the spiritual sky, to the abode of Kṛṣṇa. And at the end of the Sixth Chapter the Lord clearly said that of all yogīs, one who always thinks of Kṛṣṇa within himself is considered the most perfect. So in practically every chapter the conclusion has been that one should be attached to the personal form of Kṛṣṇa, for that is the highest spiritual realization. Nevertheless, there are those who are not attached to the personal form of Kṛṣṇa. They are so firmly detached that even in the preparation of commentaries to Bhagavad-gītā they want to distract other people from Kṛṣṇa and transfer all devotion to the impersonal brahma-jyotir . They prefer to meditate on the impersonal form of the Absolute Truth, which is beyond the reach of the senses and is not manifest. And so, factually, there are two classes of transcendentalists. Now Arjuna is trying to settle the question of which process is easier and which of the classes is most perfect. In other words, he is clarifying his own position because he is attached to the personal form of Kṛṣṇa. He is not attached to the impersonal Brahman. He wants to know whether his position is secure. The impersonal manifestation, either in this material world or in the spiritual world of the Supreme Lord, is a problem for meditation. Actually, one cannot perfectly conceive of the impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth. Therefore Arjuna wants to say, “What is the use of such a waste of time?” Arjuna experienced in the Eleventh Chapter that to be attached to the personal form of Kṛṣṇa is best because he could thus understand all other forms at the same time and there was no disturbance to his love for Kṛṣṇa. This important question asked of Kṛṣṇa by Arjuna will clarify the distinction between the impersonal and personal conceptions of the Absolute Truth.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
1. Arjuna said: Who are the best knowers of yoga— those devotees who worship You as just described, with desire to constantly associate with You, or those who worship the unmanifest Brahman?
Commentary

In the twelfth chapter, the superiority of all types of devotees to the jṣānīs is described, and among the devotees those who are endowed with wonderful qualities like lack of hatred are praised. Arjuna heard the great superiority of bhakti at the beginning of the topic of bhakti in the following words: yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yuktatamo mataḥ But I consider he who worships Me with faith, with mind attached to Me, to be greater than all types of yogīs. BG 6.47 Arjuna, desiring to hear about the superiority of bhakti, even if it is in summary, asks a question. The devotees described as being constantly engaged, worship You as Śyāmasundara, mentioned at the end of the last chapter with - mat-karma-kṛn mat-paramaḥ (BG 11.55). Others worship the Brahman (akṣara) with no qualities (avyakta means nirviśeṣa) described in the śrutis with statements such as etad vai tad akṣaraṁ gārgi brāhmaṇā abhivadanty asthūlam anaṇv ahrasvam: O Gārgī, that akṣara, which is not wide, not small and not short, is called Brahman. (Bṛhad Āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.8.9) Among these two types of persons who know yoga, who are the best knowers of yoga (yoga-vittamaḥ)? Who know the best process for attaining You? Or, do they not know the process for attaining You? In a comparison involving two items, usually the form yoga-vittara (which of the two types know yoga better) would be used. The word yoga-vittama should be understood to suggest that among the better of the two types of knowers of yoga (yoga-vittarā), who are the best knowers of yoga (yoga-vittamā)?

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
1. Arjuna said: Who are the best knowers of yoga— those devotees who worship You as just described with desire to constantly associate with You, or those who first worship the ātmā?
Commentary

In the twelfth chapter, the Lord says that among all processes, pure bhakti, having the greatest power, enables one to quickly attain the Lord. In the second and consequent chapters, one particular path was described, in which after one understands about and realizes the jīvātmā, one then meditates on the Lord, the aṁśī. This is illustrated in verses like avināśi tu tad viddhi. (BG 2.17) A second path was shown in the seventh and consequent chapters, in which, after understanding that the jīva is an aṁśa of the Lord, one meditates upon the source of the aṁśa, the aṁśī, the Supreme Lord, by the process of bhakti with hearing and other activities. Verse such as mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha (BG 7.1) illustrate this. In those chapters, bhakti mixed with yoga was described in such verses as prayāṇa-kāle. (BG 8.10) Jṣāna mixed in the process of bhakti was described in such verses as jṣāna-yajṣena cāpy anye. (BG 9.15) At the end of the sixth chapter, before the middle six chapters, with the verse yoginām api sarveṣāṁ (BG 6.47) the pure bhakti of those exclusively attached to the Lord, who were also the best among all, was described. Arjuna now asks a question. There are those desiring paramātmā who, being constantly absorbed in You by the processes thus described (evam) in verses such as mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha (BG 7.1), worship You, Śyāmasundara Kṛṣṇa, with everything, such as body, senses and mind. There are also those desiring paramātmā who worship the jīva’s svarūpa, the akṣaram, invisible to the material senses and endeavor to realize the jīva akṣara by dhāraṇa, dhyāna and samādhi. Of these two types of people, which persons have the quickest process of reaching the goal (yoga vittamāḥ)?

The meaning is this. One choice is to attain the Lord by first realizing ātmā and then meditating on the Lord. Since the jīva is the source of bondage, by realizing ātmā one becomes free of obstacles, and can then attain the Lord. But because of the difficulty in meditating on the jīvātma which is very small and formless, can the goal be accomplished by meditation on the ātma? The other process is exclusive bhakti to the Lord, which quickly destroys all obstacles and yields realization of the Lord. They are completely absorbed in that bhakti. What is the best process of all the processes of these two types of persons (teṣām)? Please tell me.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

From the Purport: "Krsna has now explained about the personal, the impersonal and the universal and has described all kinds of devotees and yogis." This question of Arjuna may also be understood that after the universal form was seen, although it is not exactly an impersonal form but still is not exactly a personal form, Arjuna is also making sure that no one becomes confused and thinks that this universal form is Supreme. Therefore he asks Krsna again, which is considered to be the more perfect. What is his question? Which realization is higher or which is the better process? The question is: "Which is the better process and also which is the better realization?" Srila Prabhupada says in his Purport: "Krsna has now explained about the personal, the impersonal and the universal and has described all kinds of devotees and yogis. Generally, the transcendentalists can be divided into two classes. One is the impersonalist, and the other is the personalist. The personalist devotee engages himself with all energy in the service of the Supreme Lord. The impersonalist also engages himself, not directly in the service of Krsna but in meditation on the impersonal Brahman, the unmanifested. We find in this chapter that of the different processes for realization of the Absolute Truth, bhakti‑yoga, devotional service, is the highest. If one at all desires to have the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then he must take to devotional service. Those who worship the Supreme Lord directly by devotional service are called personalists. Those who engage themselves in meditation on the impersonal Brahman are called impersonalists. Arjuna is here questioning which position is better. There are different ways to realize the Absolute Truth, but Krsna indicates in this chapter that bhakti‑yoga, or devotional service to Him, is the highest of all. It is the most direct, and it is the easiest means for association with the Godhead. In the Second Chapter of Bhagavad‑gita, the Supreme Lord explained that a living entity is not the material body; he is a spiritual spark. And the Absolute Truth is the spiritual whole. In the Seventh Chapter He spoke of the living entity as being part and parcel of the supreme whole and recommended that he transfer his attention fully to the whole. Then again in the Eighth Chapter it was said that anyone who thinks of Krsna at the time of quitting his body is at once transferred to the spiritual sky, to the abode of Krsna. And at the end of the Sixth Chapter the Lord clearly said that of all yogis, one who always thinks of Krsna within himself is considered the most perfect. So in practically every chapter the conclusion has that one should be attached to the personal form of Krsna, for that is the highest spiritual realization. Nevertheless, there are those who are not attached to the personal form of Krsna. They are so firmly detached that even in the preparation of commentaries to Bhagavad‑gita they want to distract other people from Krsna and transfer all devotion to the impersonal brahmajyoti. They prefer to meditate on the impersonal form of the Absolute Truth, which is beyond the reach of the senses and is not manifest." When the universal form came out, it actually disturbed Arjuna's love for Krsna. But if one actually knows Krsna, then he has love for Krsna and Paramatma simultaneously. The two: being merged in the Brahman and serving Krsna with great 'priti' or affection, they are contradictory.

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Arjuna wants to clarify which is more perfect:

Those who always properly engage in devotional service, or
Worshipers of the impersonal Brahman, the unmanifested
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
12.1 The subject-matter stated in the immediately preceding verse, '৷৷.he who works for Me,' etc. is referred to by the word evam (thus). Ye bhaktah, those devotees who, seeking no other refuge; evam, thus; satata-yuktah, being ever-devoted, i.e., remaining unceasingly engaged in the works of the Lord, etc., intent on the aforesaid purpose; paryupasate, meditate; tvam, on You, in the Cosmic form as revealed earlier; ye ca api, and those others, again, who have renounced all desires, who have given up all actions; who meditate on Brahman as described (below), aksaram, on the Immutable; avyaktam, on the Unmanifested, which is so on account of being bereft of all limiting adjuncts, (and) which is beyond the comprehension of the organs-in the world, whatever comes within the range of the organs is said to be manifest, for the root anj conveys that sense; but this Immutable is the opposite of that and is endowed with alifications that are spoken of by the great ones; those again, who meditate on that-; tesam, of them, among the two (groups); ke, who; are the yoga-vit-tamah, best experiencers of yoga, i.e., who are those that are surpassingly versed in yoga? But leave alone those who meditate on the Immutable, who are fully enlightened and are free from desires. Whatever has to be said with regard to them, we shall say later on. As for those others-
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
12.1 Arjuna said These are two types of spiritual aspirants who are contrasted thus: (1) On the one hand there are those devotees who adore You 'thus'; namely, in the way taught in such text as 'Whosoever works for Me' (11.55), and who are desirous of being ever 'integrated' with You, namely, considering You as the supreme end. They adore You in utter devotion - You, the ocean of boundless attributes of limitless excellence like grace, affability, omniscience, true resolve etc., and endowed with all glory. (2) On the other hand there are those who meditate on the 'Imperishable', (Aksara) namely, the individual self in Its true nature, which is the same as the 'Unmanifest' (Avyakta), namely that whose nature cannot be grasped by organs such as the eye etc. The estion posed is: Which of these two classes of devotees have greater knowledge of Yoga? Who would reach their respective goals sooner? Such is the meaning of the estion. Sri Krsna clearly states later on, 'O Arjuna, I become before long their redeemer from the fatal sea of recurring births and deaths' (12.7), with reference to the speed with which the latter kind of devotees reach Him.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
12.1 Evam etc. The estion is for getting an explanation regarding the superiority among those who are the worshippers of the Absolute with Sovereign power, by the said method and those who worship the Self alone [without any attribute].
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
12.1 Arjuna said Those devotees who, ever steadfast, thus worship Thee and those also who worship the imperishable and the unmanifested which of them are better versed in Yoga?
Commentary

12.1 एवम् thus? सततयुक्ताः ever steadfast? ये who? भक्ताः devotees? त्वाम् Thee? पर्युपासते worship? ये who? च and? अपि also? अक्षरम् the imperishable? अव्यक्तम् the unmanifested? तेषाम् of them? के who? योगवित्तमाः better versed in Yoga.Commentary The twelfth discourse goes to prove that Bhakti Yoga or the Yoga of devotion is much easier than Jnana Yoga or the Yoga of knowledge. In Bhakti Yoga the devotee establishes a near and dear relationship with the Lord. He cultivates slowly and one of the five Bhavas (attitudes) according to his temperament? taste and capacity. The five attitudes are the Santa Bhava (the attitutde of peaceful adoration) Dasya Bhava (the attitude of servant towards the master) Sakhya Bhava (the attitude of a friend) Vatsalya Bhava (the attitude of a parent to the child) and Madhurya Bhava (the attitutde of the lover towards the beloved). The devotee adopts these attitudes towards the Lord. The last (Madhurya Bhava) is the culmination of devotion. It is merging or absorption in the Lord.The devotee adores the Lord. He constantly remembers Him (Smarana). He sings His Name (Kirtana). He speaks of His glories. He repeats His Name. He chants His Mantra (Japa). He prays and prostrates himself. He hears His Lilas (divine plays). He does total? ungrudging and unconditional selfsurrender? obtains His grace? hols communion wih? and eventually gets absorbed in Him.The devotee begins by worshipping the idols or the symbols of God. Then he performs internal worship of the Form. Ultimately he is led to the supreme worship of the allpervading Brahman (Para Puja).Thus As declared in the last verse of the previous chapter.Avyaktam The unmanifested? i.e.? incomprehensible to the senses? transcending all limiting adjuncts. The unmanifested Brahman is beyond all limitations. That which is visible to the senses is called Vyakta or manifest.The hearts of the devotees are wholly fixed on Thee. They worship Thee with all their heart and soul.There are others who worship the unmanifested Brahman which is beyond time? space and causation? which is attributeless? which is eternal and indefinable? which is beyond the reach of speech and mind. These are the wise sages.Of these two? the devotees and the men of knowledge -- who are the better knowers of Yoga (Cf.XI.55)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
12.1 Arjuna said Those devotees who, being thus ever dedicated, meditate on You, and those again (who meditate) on the Immutable, the Unmanifested-of them, who are the best experiencers of yoga [(Here) yoga means samadhi, spiritual absorption.] ?
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
12.1 "Arjuna asked: My Lord! Which are the better devotees who worship Thee, those who try to know Thee as a Personal God, or those who worship Thee as Impersonal and Indestructible?
Related values & verses
Related values
Prema (Divine Love)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)
Related verses
BG 7.1 BG 8.14 BG 12.2 SB 1.1.1 SB 1.2.11 SB 3.29.13 CC Ādi 2.11 CC Madhya 6.149 CC Madhya 8.261 Īśa Upaniṣad 15 BRS 1.2.22
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Arjuna asks the perennial question: which is better — worship of Your personal form, or of the impersonal unmanifest?
Practical Applications
  • Welcome the question rather than predetermining the answer.
  • Notice your own pull toward personal vs. impersonal worship.
  • Bring the question to scripture, not just preference.
Reflection Questions
  • Which way does my temperament tilt — personal or impersonal?
  • What does scripture's answer ask of that tilt?
Analogy

Two travelers ask the wise man at the crossroads: one points to a lamp shining in a near window; the other points to the unmapped sky. Both have come a long way, both are sincere — but Arjuna wants to know which road the road-maker himself prefers. The question itself is the lamp held up to the choice.

Stories
Saunaka's question at Naimiṣāraṇya

When the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya gathered around Sūta Gosvāmī, they did not begin with their own answers. They asked: of all that has been spoken, what is the essential good for humanity in this age?

Like Arjuna here, they trusted that the right question, asked of the right authority, brings the right answer. The Bhāgavatam's twelve cantos flow from that one humble interrogation.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

Bhagavad-gītā 12.2

↗
శ్రీభగవానువాచ మయ్యావేశ్య మనో యే మాం నిత్యయుక్తా ఉపాసతే । శ్రద్ధయా పరయోపేతాస్తే మే యుక్తతమా మతా: ॥ ౨ ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
[shree-bhagavaan uvaacha]
mayy āveśya mano ye māṁ
[mayy aaveshya mano ye maam]
nitya-yuktā upāsate
[nitya-yuktaa upaasate]
śraddhayā parayopetās
[shraddhayaa parayopetaas]
te me yukta-tamā matāḥ
[te me yukta-tamaa mataah]
Word-for-word
śrī - bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said mayi — upon Me āveśya — fixing manaḥ — the mind ye — those who mām — Me nitya — always yuktāḥ — engaged upāsate — worship śraddhayā — with faith parayā — transcendental upetāḥ — endowed te — they me — by Me yukta - tamāḥ — most perfect in yoga matāḥ — are considered .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
śrī - bhagavān uvāca
the Supreme Personality of Godhead said
mayy āveśya mano ye māṁ
mayi
upon Me
āveśya
fixing
manaḥ
the mind
ye
those who
mām
Me
nitya-yuktā upāsate
nitya
always
yuktāḥ
engaged
upāsate
worship
śraddhayā parayopetās
śraddhayā
with faith
parayā
transcendental
upetāḥ
endowed
te me yukta-tamā matāḥ
te
they
me
by Me
yukta - tamāḥ
most perfect in yoga
matāḥ
are considered .
Important Words
  • mayi — upon Me
    Locative of aham. Kṛṣṇa places Himself — personal, present, addressable — as the substrate of meditation. Not on brahman, not on the void: on Me.
  • āveśya — fixing, causing to enter
    From ā-viś, 'to enter into.' Absolutive form: 'having caused [the mind] to enter [Me].' The mind is not merely turned toward Kṛṣṇa — it is settled inside Him.
  • śraddhayā — with faith
    Instrumental case: faith is the means by which the engagement is sustained. Without śraddhā, fixity collapses into routine.
  • parayā — transcendental, supreme
    Qualifies śraddhayā. Not ordinary belief in something agreeable — para śraddhā is faith that has tasted its object enough to choose it over every alternative.
  • yukta - tamāḥ — most perfect in yoga
    Direct answer to Arjuna's question of verse 1. Yukta is 'yoked'; -tama is 'most.' Kṛṣṇa returns Arjuna's exact superlative back to him, settling the comparison.
  • matāḥ — are considered
    From man, 'to think.' Past participle: 'considered [by Me].' This is not a survey result — it is Kṛṣṇa's own verdict. The case is closed by His opinion.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Those who fix their minds on My personal form and are always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith are considered by Me to be most perfect.
Purport

In answer to Arjuna’s question, Kṛṣṇa clearly says that he who concentrates upon His personal form and who worships Him with faith and devotion is to be considered most perfect in yoga. For one in such Kṛṣṇa consciousness there are no material activities, because everything is done for Kṛṣṇa. A pure devotee is constantly engaged. Sometimes he chants, sometimes he hears or reads books about Kṛṣṇa, or sometimes he cooks prasādam or goes to the marketplace to purchase something for Kṛṣṇa, or sometimes he washes the temple or the dishes – whatever he does, he does not let a single moment pass without devoting his activities to Kṛṣṇa. Such action is in full samādhi.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
2. The Lord said: I consider those who worship Me, desiring to associate with Me constantly, absorbing their minds in Me, endowed faith beyond the guṇas, to be the best knowers of yoga. 3-4. But those who worship the unnamed, formless entity, all-pervading in space and time, the inconceivable, unchanging, eternal Brahman, completely subduing their senses, looking on all things equally, intent on the welfare of all, attain Me alone— in the form of impersonal Brahman.
Commentary

Among them, My devotees are the best. Those who absorb their minds in Me, Śyāmasundara, those who desire to be constantly united with Me (nitya-yuktā), with faith which is beyond the guṇas (parayā śraddhayā)—they, My ananya-bhaktas, are the best knowers of yoga (yuktatamā). Concerning faith, it is said: sāttviky ādhyātmikī śraddhā karma-śraddhā tu rājasī tāmasy adharme yā śraddhā mat-sevāyāṁ tu nirguṇā Faith directed toward spiritual life is in the mode of goodness, faith rooted in fruitive work is in the mode of passion, faith residing in irreligious activities is in the mode of ignorance, but faith in My devotional service is purely transcendental. SB 11.25.27 From this it should be inferred that inferior to these ananya-bhaktas are those having bhakti mixed with jṣāna, karma or other processes, who are called yoga-vittarā. Thus it shown here that bhakti is better than jṣāna, and that, among the types of bhakti, ananyā bhakti is the best.

Those who worship My impersonal svarūpa known as Brahman are inferior because of their state of suffering. This the Lord states in two verses. Those who worship the Brahman (akṣaram) which is not possible to designate (anirdeśyam), because it is without form or other qualities (avyaktam), which is spread everywhere (sarvatra-gam), beyond logic (acintyam) and extending over all time (kūṭa-stham), devoid of increase or other change (acalam) and eternal (dhruvam), attain Me in the form the impersonal Brahman. He says that they attain “Me” because the Brahman is non-different from the Lord. Amara Kośa says that kūṭasha means “that which pervades time with one form.”

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
2. The Lord said: I consider those who absorb their minds in Me, who desire to associate with Me constantly, and who with firm faith worship Me, to be the quickest attainers of Me. 3-4. But those who worship the ātmā, unnamable, beyond the senses, pervading the body, inconceivable, unchanging, unmoving and fixed, completely subduing their senses, looking on all things equally, intent on the welfare of all, attain Me alone.
Commentary

The Lord, being asked, answers. Those devotees who, continuously absorbing their minds in Me, svayam bhagavān, the son of Devakī having the complexion of a blue lotus as well as other qualities, worship Me with very firm faith (parayā śraddhayā), who worship Me by hearing and other methods, who desire eternal relationship with Me (nitya yuktā), are considered by Me to be the most qualified—they have the method for most quickly attaining Me (yuktatamā). Bg 12.3, Bg 12.4, Bg 12.3-4 Yae Tv+arMaiNadeRXYaMaVYa¢&- PaYauRPaaSaTae ) SavR}aGaMaicNTYa& c kU-$=SQaMacl&/ Da]uvMa( )) 3 )) SaiṁYaMYaeiNd]YaGa]aMa& SavR}a SaMabuṬYa" ) Tae Pa[aPanuviNTa MaaMaev SavR>aUTaihTae rTaa" )) 4 )) ye tv akṣaram anirdeśyam avyaktaṁ paryupāsate sarvatra-gam acintyaṁ ca kūṭa-stham acalaṁ dhruvam sanniyamyendriya-grāmaṁ sarvatra sama-buddhayaḥ te prāpnuvanti mām eva sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ ye—those who; tu—but; akṣaram—that which is beyond the perception of the senses; anirdeśyam—indefinite; avyaktam—unmanifested; paryupāsate—completely engage in worshiping; sarvatra-gam—all—pervading; acintyam—inconceivable; ca—also; kūṭa-stham—unchanging; acalam—immovable; dhruvam—fixed; sanniyamya—controlling; indriya—grāmam—all the senses; sarvatra—everywhere; sama-buddhayaḥ—equally disposed; te—they; prāpnuvanti—achieve; mām—Me; eva—certainly; sarva-bhūta-hite—for the welfare of all living entities; ratāḥ—engaged.

Those who do not worship Me while attempting realization of their ātmā will also attain Me, but with great suffering and after a long time. They are inferior to the devotees. This is explained in three verses. Those who first only worship their own ātmā (akṣaraṁ) undergo a great deal of suffering. The ideas presented in verse 3 are connected with the conclusion in verse 5 (kleśo’ dhikaratas teṣām). The ātmā (akṣaram) is described. It is impossible to define (anirdeśyam) by the words related to devas or men who have bodily designations, because it is different from the body. It is beyond the range of the senses (avyaktam). It spreads through the body, senses and prāṇas (sarvatra gam). It is not subject to logical analysis (acintyam). Thus, it is to be known only through śruti. Only by śruti is the ātma acknowledged as both cognition itself, and the knower of itself and other things (jṣāna-svarūpam eva jṣātṛ-svarūpam.) [Note: This phrase seems to indicate that it is a quotation from śruti, but I cannot find the source. Of course both statements are made separately in different places in the śruti. The advaitins argue that ātmā is jṣāna svarūpa, knowledge itself, with no consciousness of anything, even of itself, since there is a rule that the subject cannot be the object simultaneously in grammar: karma-kartṛ-bhāva-virodha.] It is at all times limited to enjoying a small form (kuṭastham). It is without movement (acalam), because of being knowledge itself (which can have no movement) and because of even being the knower (which distinguishes it from a body with gross movement). It is eternally fixed (dhruvam) in having paramātmā as its sole shelter. The process of worship of this ātmā is then described. Completely controlling all of the senses, withdrawing them from the sense objects, seeing the friend, well wisher, enemy and neutral person equally (sarvatra sama buddhayaḥ), (or seeing brahman situated in all living and non-living entities, and thus because they are the abodes of Brahman, not having enmity towards any of them), endeavoring for the auspiciousness of all beings, engaging in devotion to Me, in the form of offering their actions to Me, after attaining realization of their own ātmā—these persons also attain Me, in a form predominated by extreme majesty. There is no doubt about this.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

In his Purport, Srila Prabhupada says: "In answer to Arjuna's question, Krsna clearly says that he who concentrates upon His personal form and who worships Him with faith and devotion is to be considered most perfect in yoga. For one in such Krsna consciousness there are no material activities, because everything is done for Krsna. A pure devotee is constantly engaged. Sometimes he chants, sometimes he hears or reads books about Krsna, or sometimes he cooks prasadam or goes to the marketplace to purchase something for Krsna, or sometimes he washes the temple or the dishes‑‑whatever he does, he does not let a single moment pass without devoting his activities to Krsna. Such action is in full samadhi." Krsna immediatly answers the question of Arjuna: Those whose minds are fixed on Him with transcendental faith, they are considered the most perfect. In the next two verses, Krsna puts the impersonal in perspective.

[2. Worshipers of the impersonal make advancement only with great difficulty. (3‑5) ]

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Krishna answers – Those engaged in devotional service are most perfect because, they:

Fix their minds on ‘My’ personal form
Always engaged in worshipping ‘Me’
Worship ‘Me’ with great and transcendental faith LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 12.2 AND 12.3: Arjuna is happy to hear that devotional service is superior, but he wonders, “What is the attainment of an impersonalist, who, renouncing work, is able to ‘fully worship the unmanifested’?”

Focus of Learning

(a) Krishna conscious activities are not material – Because everything is done for Krishna

(b) A pure devotee is in ‘full samadhi’ –

Because of his constant engagement e.g. Chant, hears, cooks, shopping for Krishna, washes temple or dishes etc.
Does not pass a single moment without devoting his activities to Krishna

(a) Two classes of transcendentalists – Impersonalists and Personalists

Personalist – engages himself with all energy in service of Supreme Lord
Impersonalist – engages in meditation on impersonal Brahman, the unmanifested

(b) Only way to have association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead – Devotional Service

(c) Conclusion of every chapter of Bhagavad-gita – one should ‘attach to personal form’ e.g.

Chapter 2 – Living entity is spiritual spark. Absolute Truth is spiritual whole
Chapter 6 – 6.47 says bhakti-yoga is the best of all yogis
Chapter 7 – Living entity is part and parcel of the whole. Recommends one to transfer his full attention to the whole
Chapter 8 – Anyone who thinks of Krishna at the time of death at once goes to the spiritual sky, to the abode of Krishna

(d) What Arjuna thinks of other processes:

Worship of the Impersonal feature – Waste of time because one cannot perfectly conceive of the impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth
Experience in Chapter 11 – The personal form of Krishna is best because
All other forms could be understood
No disturbance to love for Krishna
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
12.2 Ye, those who, being devotees; upasate, meditate; mam, on Me, the supreme Lord of all the masters of yoga, the Omniscient One whose vision is free from purblindness caused by such defects as attachment etc.; avesya,by fixing, concentrating; their manah, minds; mayi, on Me, on God in His Cosmic form; nitya-yuktah, with steadfast devotion, by being ever-dedicated in accordance with the idea expressed in the last verse of the preceding chapter; and being upetah, endowed; paraya, with supreme; sraddhaya faith;-te, they; matah, are considered; to be yukta-tamah, most perfect yogis; me, according to Me, for they spend days and nights with their minds constantly fixed on Me. Therefore, it is proper to say with regard to them that they are the best yogis. 'Is it that the others do not become the best yogis?' No, but listen to what has to be said as regards them:'
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
12.2 The Lord said I consider them to be the highest among the Yogins (i.e., among those striving for realisation) - them who worship Me focusing their minds upon Me as one exceedingly dear to them, who are endowed with supreme faith, and who are ever 'integrated' with Me, namely ever desirous of constant union with Me. Those who thus worship Me, focusing their minds on Me as their supreme goal, attain Me soon and easily. Such is the meaning.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
12.2 Mayi etc. Those are considered by Me to be the best among the masters of Yoga, whose act of entering into (fixing the mind in) the Supreme Lordship is a spontaneous (unartificial) act of becoming one with Him. By this [statement] a solemn declaration is made [by the Lord].
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
12.2 The Blessed Lord said Those who, fixing their mind on Me, worship Me, ever steadfast and endowed with supreme faith, are the best in Yoga in My opinion.
Commentary

12.2 मयि on Me? आवेश्य fixing? मनः the mind? ये who? माम् Me? नित्ययुक्ताः ever steadfast? उपासते worship? श्रद्धया with faith? परया supreme? उपेताः endowed? ते those? मे of Me? युक्ततमाः the best versed in Yoga? मताः (in My) opinion.Commentary Those devotees who fix their minds on Me in the Cosmi Form? the Supreme Lord and worship Me? ever harmonised and with intense and supreme faith? regarding Me as the Lord of all the masters of Yoga? who are free from attachment and other evil passions -- these? in My opinion? are the best versed in Yoga.They spend their days and nights in worshipping Me. They have no other thoughts except those,of Myself. They live for Me only. Therefore it is indeed proper to say that they are the best Yogins.Are not the others? those who contemplate the imperishable? formless? attributeless? alityless Supreme Brahman? the best of Yogins Listen now to what I have to say regarding them.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
12.2 The Blessed Lord said Those who meditate on Me by fixing their minds on Me with steadfast devotion (and) being endowed with supreme faith-they are considered to be the most perfect yogis according to Me.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
12.2 Lord Shri Krishna replied: Those who keep their minds fixed on Me, who worship Me always with unwavering faith and concentration; these are the very best.
Related values & verses
Related values
Prema (Divine Love)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)
Related verses
BG 6.47 BG 9.22 BG 18.66 SB 1.2.14 SB 7.5.23 SB 11.14.20 CC Madhya 22.19 CC Madhya 22.107 CC Madhya 25.27 Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.23BRS 1.1.11
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Those who fix their minds on My personal form, with deep faith, ever engaged in worship — I consider them most perfect.
Practical Applications
  • Choose Kṛṣṇa's personal form as the explicit object.
  • Cultivate fixity over rotation of objects.
  • Trust Kṛṣṇa's verdict: this is the most perfect path.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I rotate objects of meditation instead of fixing on Him?
  • What single fixity could I commit to?
Analogy

A flame fed by a steady hand burns true; a flame whose wick the wind keeps catching gutters and recovers and gutters again. Kṛṣṇa says: those whose minds, day after day, are placed on My form as the hand places oil on a wick — they are yukta-tama, most yoked. Faith is the oil; fixity is the steady hand.

Stories
Ambarīṣa Mahārāja's mind on Kṛṣṇa's feet

Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, though emperor of the earth, fixed his mind on Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, his words on Kṛṣṇa's qualities, his hands on the temple service, his ears on Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, his eyes on the Deity, his body on the devotees — every faculty channeled to a single personal Object.

When Durvāsā Muni cursed him, the Sudarśana cakra defended him without his asking. Bhāgavatam offers him as the living portrait of the yukta-tama Kṛṣṇa praises here — mind fixed, faith total, worship continuous.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

Bhagavad-gītā 12.3-4

↗
యే త్వక్షరమనిర్దేశ్యమవ్యక్తం పర్యుపాసతే । సర్వత్రగమచిన్త్యం చ కూటస్థమచలం ధ్రువమ్ ॥ ౩ ॥ సన్నియమ్యేన్ద్రియగ్రామం సర్వత్ర సమబుద్ధయ: । తే ప్రాప్‍నువన్తి మామేవ సర్వభూతహితే రతా: ॥ ౪ ॥
ye tv akṣaram anirdeśyam
[ye tv aksharam anirdeshyam]
avyaktaṁ paryupāsate
[avyaktam paryupaasate]
sarvatra-gam acintyaṁ ca
[sarvatra-gam achintyam cha]
kūṭa-stham acalaṁ dhruvam
[koota-stham achalam dhruvam]
sanniyamyendriya-grāmaṁ
[sanniyamyendriya-graamam]
sarvatra sama-buddhayaḥ
[sarvatra sama-buddhayah]
te prāpnuvanti mām eva
[te praapnuvanti maam eva]
sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ
[sarva-bhoota-hite rataah]
Word-for-word
ye — those who tu — but akṣaram — that which is beyond the perception of the senses anirdeśyam — indefinite avyaktam — unmanifested paryupāsate — completely engage in worshiping sarvatra - gam — all-pervading acintyam — inconceivable ca — also kūṭa - stham — unchanging acalam — immovable dhruvam — fixed sanniyamya — controlling indriya - grāmam — all the senses sarvatra — everywhere sama - buddhayaḥ — equally disposed te — they prāpnuvanti — achieve mām — Me eva — certainly sarva - bhūta - hite — for the welfare of all living entities ratāḥ — engaged .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ye tv akṣaram anirdeśyam
ye
those who
tu
but
akṣaram
that which is beyond the perception of the senses
anirdeśyam
indefinite
avyaktaṁ paryupāsate
avyaktam
unmanifested
paryupāsate
completely engage in worshiping
sarvatra-gam acintyaṁ ca
sarvatra - gam
all-pervading
acintyam
inconceivable
ca
also
kūṭa-stham acalaṁ dhruvam
kūṭa - stham
unchanging
acalam
immovable
dhruvam
fixed
sanniyamyendriya-grāmaṁ
sanniyamya
controlling
indriya - grāmam
all the senses
sarvatra sama-buddhayaḥ
sarvatra
everywhere
sama - buddhayaḥ
equally disposed
te prāpnuvanti mām eva
te
they
prāpnuvanti
achieve
mām
Me
eva
certainly
sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ
sarva - bhūta - hite
for the welfare of all living entities
ratāḥ
engaged .
Important Words
  • anirdeśyam — indefinable
    Negative gerundive: 'not able to be pointed at, not able to be predicated.' Where Kṛṣṇa is nāma-rūpa-guṇa-rich, the akṣara is nāma-rūpa-vivarjita. This is the precise difficulty Kṛṣṇa is about to flag in v.5.
  • acintyam — inconceivable
    Negation of cintā — beyond what thought can frame. The mind has no handle on it, which is exactly why fixing the mind there is so 'troublesome.'
  • kūṭa - stham — unchanging, fixed at the summit
    Kūṭa = peak / anvil; stha = standing. A technical Vedāntic term for that which stands above all change — yet also above all relation. Unmoving, untouched, unembraceable.
  • sanniyamya — fully controlling
    Saṁ + ni + yam — triple intensification of 'restraint.' The impersonal path demands total sense-restraint, not partial. This is why Kṛṣṇa next calls it kleśa.
  • sama - buddhayaḥ — equally disposed
    Their cognition (buddhi) treats all beings the same. Because they see only the unmanifest substrate, no being is more dear, none less. Compare 13-14: the bhakta is also samaḥ, but his sameness flows from love of Kṛṣṇa, not from collapse of distinction.
  • sarva - bhūta - hite — in the welfare of all beings
    Compound: sarva (all) + bhūta (beings) + hita (welfare). Kṛṣṇa concedes — even this austere path is not selfish. The impersonalist who finishes his road is a friend to every creature.
  • prāpnuvanti — they attain
    Active present, 3rd plural, of pra-āp — 'they reach forth and attain.' Not 'they fail.' Kṛṣṇa is generous: the road is hard, but it ends at Him.
But those who fully worship the unmanifested, that which lies beyond the perception of the senses, the all-pervading, inconceivable, unchanging, fixed and immovable – the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth – by controlling the various senses and being equally disposed to everyone, such persons, engaged in the welfare of all, at last achieve Me.
Purport

Those who do not directly worship the Supreme Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, but who attempt to achieve the same goal by an indirect process, also ultimately achieve the same goal, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. “After many births the man of wisdom seeks refuge in Me, knowing that Vāsudeva is all.” When a person comes to full knowledge after many births, he surrenders unto Lord Kṛṣṇa. If one approaches the Godhead by the method mentioned in this verse, he has to control the senses, render service to everyone and engage in the welfare of all beings. It is inferred that one has to approach Lord Kṛṣṇa, otherwise there is no perfect realization. Often there is much penance involved before one fully surrenders unto Him. In order to perceive the Supersoul within the individual soul, one has to cease the sensual activities of seeing, hearing, tasting, working, etc. Then one comes to understand that the Supreme Soul is present everywhere. Realizing this, one envies no living entity – he sees no difference between man and animal because he sees soul only, not the outer covering. But for the common man, this method of impersonal realization is very difficult.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Arjuna becomes very happy to hear Krsna's glorification of devotional service in Text 2, but he wants to know about the others, about those jnanis and impersonalists. What is the result of their actions, what do they obtain? 'Prapnuvanti mam' , "achieve Me". 'Eva', "certainly". "They certainly achieve Me." What does that mean? That they achieve Krsna? Does that mean that someone who worships the impersonal Brahman, fully satisfied in the impersonal Brahman, will go to Krsna? Yes!, they go to Krsna but they go to the 'nirvisesa' aspect of Krsna, His impersonal aspect. But it is Him, but formless, qualityless, activityless. They achieve Krsna but not the form that the devotees are interested in. (DS) This verse explains those who don't directly worship Krsna and it also explains the process of worshiping the 'aksara' the unmanifested: controlling the senses, being equally disposed to everyone, etc...

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

COMMON THEME: Those who worship unmanifested will also reach Krishna eventually and surrender (Ref.

Bg. 7.19 – Vāsudeva realization after many births)

Characteristics of impersonal conception of Absolute Truth 1. Unmanifested 2. Beyond sense perception 3. All-pervading 4. Inconceivable 5. Unchanging 6. Fixed 7. Immovable
How to worship the Unmanifested 1. By controlling various senses 2. By being equally disposed to everyone 3. By engaging in welfare for all 4. Difficult for any common man, much penance involved before the ultimate realization of full surrender takes place LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 12.4 AND 12.5: Having replied that personal realization is superior, Krishna now informs Arjuna of the inferiority of the impersonalist’s process of realization.
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
Sri Shankaracharya did not comment on this sloka
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
Sri Ramanuja did not comment on this sloka
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
Sri Abhinavgupta did not comment on this sloka
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
Swami Sivananda did not comment on this sloka
Commentary

Swami Sivananda did not comment on this sloka

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
Swami Gambirananda did not comment on this sloka
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
Shri Purohit Swami did not comment on this sloka
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)
Related verses
BG 5.25 BG 13.8-12 BG 14.27 SB 1.2.11 SB 4.22.26 SB 10.87.21 CC Ādi 7.117 CC Madhya 6.269 CC Madhya 9.49 Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.1Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.4.22
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Those who worship the unmanifest, indefinable, all-pervading, immutable — controlled, equal-minded, engaged in welfare — they too attain Me, but with greater difficulty.
Practical Applications
  • Honor the impersonalist path while choosing the easier personal one.
  • Don't dismiss either; recognize both lead to Him with different difficulty.
  • Choose the path most suited to your nature, knowing convergence.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I dismiss one path to validate my own?
  • What does charitable view of both paths require?
Analogy

A traveler sets out to reach the sky. He climbs every mountain, controls his every step, refuses every detour, treats every region with equal kindness — and at the end of his long road he too arrives. The destination is the same; the road is brutal. Kṛṣṇa grants the impersonalist his goal but does not pretend his road is easy.

Stories
The Four Kumāras' turn

Sanaka, Sanātana, Sanandana, and Sanat-kumāra were born brahma-jñānīs — naked boys with the impersonal Absolute already in their grip. They wandered as paramahaṁsas, equal to all, restraining every sense.

Yet in the Bhāgavatam it is precisely they who, upon smelling the tulasī offered to Lord Viṣṇu's lotus feet at Vaikuṇṭha's gate, melted from impersonal absorption into personal devotion. Kṛṣṇa's words here — 'they also reach Me' — are literally fulfilled in their story: the imperishable path delivered them to the Person at last.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

Bhagavad-gītā 12.5

↗
క్ల‍ేశోఽధికతరస్తేషామవ్యక్తాసక్తచేతసామ్ । అవ్యక్తా హి గతిర్దు:ఖం దేహవద్భ‍ిరవాప్యతే ॥ ౫ ॥
kleśo ’dhika-taras teṣām
[klesho ’dhika-taras teshaam]
avyaktāsakta-cetasām
[avyaktaasakta-chetasaam]
avyaktā hi gatir duḥkhaṁ
[avyaktaa hi gatir duhkham]
dehavadbhir avāpyate
[dehavadbhir avaapyate]
Word-for-word
kleśaḥ — trouble adhika - taraḥ — very much teṣām — of them avyakta — to the unmanifested āsakta — attached cetasām — of those whose minds avyaktā — toward the unmanifested hi — certainly gatiḥ — progress duḥkham — with trouble deha - vadbhiḥ — by the embodied avāpyate — is achieved .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kleśo ’dhika-taras teṣām
kleśaḥ
trouble
avyaktāsakta-cetasām
avyaktā hi gatir duḥkhaṁ
dehavadbhir avāpyate
adhika - taraḥ
very much
teṣām
of them
avyakta
to the unmanifested
āsakta
attached
cetasām
of those whose minds
avyaktā
toward the unmanifested
hi
certainly
gatiḥ
progress
duḥkham
with trouble
deha - vadbhiḥ
by the embodied
avāpyate
is achieved .
Important Words
  • kleśaḥ — trouble, affliction
    The same word Patañjali uses for the five afflictions of the conditioned mind. Kṛṣṇa is not gentle here — He calls this path afflicting, not just challenging. Diagnosis, not insult.
  • adhika - taraḥ — very much greater
    Comparative -tara. Greater than what? Than the kleśa of the personal path, which has its own difficulties. Kṛṣṇa is making a relative judgment, not denying that bhakti has effort.
  • avyakta — to the unmanifested
    Picked up from verses 1 and 3-4 — the keyword of the rejected path. The whole verse hinges on the mismatch between this object and the embodied subject.
  • āsakta — attached
    Past participle of ā-sañj. Their minds cling to the avyakta — which, having nothing to grip, leaves the clinging mind exhausted. Attachment to the unattachable is the precise definition of kleśa.
  • gatiḥ — progress, going
    From gam, 'to go.' Spiritual gati is the journey itself. Kṛṣṇa says the journey, not just its end, is duḥkha for this class of practitioners.
  • deha - vadbhiḥ — by the embodied
    Compound: deha (body) + vat (possessing) + bhiḥ (by). The verse's quiet center. So long as one has a body, one's faculties are body-shaped — and a body-shaped instrument is built to relate, not to dissolve.
For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied.
Purport

The group of transcendentalists who follow the path of the inconceivable, unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme Lord are called jñāna-yogīs, and persons who are in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, engaged in devotional service to the Lord, are called bhakti-yogīs. Now, here the difference between jñāna-yoga and bhakti-yoga is definitely expressed. The process of jñāna-yoga, although ultimately bringing one to the same goal, is very troublesome, whereas the path of bhakti-yoga, the process of being in direct service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is easier and is natural for the embodied soul. The individual soul is embodied since time immemorial. It is very difficult for him to simply theoretically understand that he is not the body. Therefore, the bhakti-yogī accepts the Deity of Kṛṣṇa as worshipable because there is some bodily conception fixed in the mind, which can thus be applied. Of course, worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His form within the temple is not idol worship. There is evidence in the Vedic literature that worship may be saguṇa or nirguṇa – of the Supreme possessing or not possessing attributes. Worship of the Deity in the temple is saguṇa worship, for the Lord is represented by material qualities. But the form of the Lord, though represented by material qualities such as stone, wood or oil paint, is not actually material. That is the absolute nature of the Supreme Lord. A crude example may be given here. We may find some mailboxes on the street, and if we post our letters in those boxes, they will naturally go to their destination without difficulty. But any old box, or an imitation which we may find somewhere but which is not authorized by the post office, will not do the work. Similarly, God has an authorized representation in the Deity form, which is called arcā-vigraha. This arcā-vigraha is an incarnation of the Supreme Lord. God will accept service through that form. The Lord is omnipotent, all-powerful; therefore, by His incarnation as arcā-vigraha He can accept the services of the devotee, just to make it convenient for the man in conditioned life. So for a devotee there is no difficulty in approaching the Supreme immediately and directly, but for those who are following the impersonal way to spiritual realization the path is difficult. They have to understand the unmanifested representation of the Supreme through such Vedic literatures as the Upaniṣads, and they have to learn the language, understand the nonperceptual feelings, and realize all these processes. This is not very easy for a common man. A person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, engaged in devotional service, simply by the guidance of the bona fide spiritual master, simply by offering regulative obeisances unto the Deity, simply by hearing the glories of the Lord, and simply by eating the remnants of foodstuffs offered to the Lord, realizes the Supreme Personality of Godhead very easily. There is no doubt that the impersonalists are unnecessarily taking a troublesome path with the risk of not realizing the Absolute Truth at the ultimate end. But the personalist, without any risk, trouble or difficulty, approaches the Supreme Personality directly. A similar passage appears in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. It is stated there that if one ultimately has to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead (this surrendering process is called bhakti ), but instead takes the trouble to understand what is Brahman and what is not Brahman and spends his whole life in that way, the result is simply troublesome. Therefore it is advised here that one should not take up this troublesome path of self-realization, because there is uncertainty in the ultimate result. A living entity is eternally an individual soul, and if he wants to merge into the spiritual whole, he may accomplish the realization of the eternal and knowledgeable aspects of his original nature, but the blissful portion is not realized. By the grace of some devotee, such a transcendentalist, highly learned in the process of jñāna-yoga, may come to the point of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. At that time, long practice in impersonalism also becomes a source of trouble, because he cannot give up the idea. Therefore an embodied soul is always in difficulty with the unmanifest, both at the time of practice and at the time of realization. Every living soul is partially independent, and one should know for certain that this unmanifested realization is against the nature of his spiritual, blissful self. One should not take up this process. For every individual living entity the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which entails full engagement in devotional service, is the best way. If one wants to ignore this devotional service, there is the danger of turning to atheism. Thus the process of centering attention on the unmanifested, the inconceivable, which is beyond the approach of the senses, as already expressed in this verse, should never be encouraged at any time, especially in this age. It is not advised by Lord Kṛṣṇa.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
5. Those who are attached to the impersonal realization encounter extreme difficulties. The unmanifest goal brings suffering to those who have bodies. 6-7. O son of Pṛthā, I quickly deliver from the ocean of repeated birth and death those who meditate on Me and worship Me with ananyā bhakti, having surrendered to Me and given up all other processes for attaining Me.
Commentary

This verse describes a little of their inferior position. Those who are attracted to only Brahman (avyaktāsakta-cetasām), who desire only realization of Brahman, undergo excessive difficulties in attaining it, because (hi) by what means at all can something without qualities be made manifest? That goal is attained by the jīvas endowed with bodies (dehavadbhiḥ) only by undergoing suffering (duḥkham). The senses have the power for particular knowledge such as sound, not for something which does not possess particular qualities. Therefore, stopping of the senses is necessary for those who desire knowledge of the impersonal without particular qualities (nirviśeṣa). But stopping the senses is like stopping rivers. Stopping the senses is difficult. Sanat Kumāra says: yat-pāda-paṅkaja-palāśa-vilāsa-bhaktyā karmāśayaṁ grathitam udgrathayanti santaḥ tadvan na rikta-matayo yatayo’ pi ruddha- sroto-gaṇās tam araṇaṁ bhaja vāsudevam The devotees, who are always engaged in the service of the toes of the lotus feet of the Lord, can very easily overcome hard-knotted desires for fruitive activities. Because this is very difficult, the non-devotees—the jṣānīs and yogīs —although trying to stop the waves of sense gratification, cannot do so. Therefore you are advised to engage in the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva. SB 4.22.39 kṛcchro mahān iha bhavārṇavam aplaveśāṁ ṣaḍ-varga-nakram asukhena titīrṣanti tat tvaṁ harer bhagavato bhajanīyam aṅghriṁ kṛtvoḍupaṁ vyasanam uttara dustarārṇam The ocean of nescience is very difficult to cross because it is infested with many dangerous sharks. Although those who are non-devotees undergo severe austerities and penances to cross that ocean, we recommend that you simply take shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord, which are like boats for crossing the ocean. Although the ocean is difficult to cross, by taking shelter of His lotus feet you will overcome all dangers. SB 4.22.40 Furthermore, even that goal of impersonal Brahman which is attained by such suffering is attained only by having a mixture with bhakti. Without bhakti to the Lord, the worshippers of the impersonal Brahman obtain only suffering, and not Brahman. Brahmā says: teṣām asau kleśala eva śiṣyate nānyad yathā sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinām As a person who beats an empty husk of wheat cannot get grain, one who simply speculates cannot achieve self-realization. His only gain is trouble. SB 10.14.4

But the devotees, even without jṣāna, by kevalā bhakti alone, comfortably attain liberation from saṁsāra. Having given up (sannyasya means tyāga or renunciation) all other process for the purpose of attaining Me (mayi), they worship Me by ananyā bhakti-yoga (ananyena yogena)—which is devoid of karma, jṣāna, tapas or other elements. It is said: yat karmabhir yat tapasā jṣāna-vairāgyataś ca yat yogena dāna-dharmeṇa śreyobhir itarair api sarvaṁ mad-bhakti-yogena mad-bhakto labhate’ṣjasā svargāpavargaṁ mad-dhāma kathaṣcid yadi vāṣchati Everything that can be achieved by fruitive activities, penance, knowledge, detachment, mystic yoga, charity, religious duties and all other means of perfecting life is easily achieved by My devotee through loving service unto Me. If somehow or other My devotee desires promotion to heaven, liberation, or residence in My abode, he easily achieves such benedictions. SB 11.20.32-33 In the Mokṣa Dharma, Nārāyaṇīya portion it also says: yā vai sādhana m sampattiḥ puruṣārtha catuṣṭaye tayā vinā tad apnoti naro nārāyaṇāśrayaḥ Whatever among the four goals of human life can be achieved by various spiritual practices is automatically achieved without such endeavors by the person who has taken shelter of Lord Nārāyaṇa, the refuge of all persons. “Still, what is the method by which they cross saṁsāra?” “There is no question about the method by which they cross saṁsāra, because without even having a method, I take them over it. I quickly become their deliverer from the ocean of saṁsāra.” Implied here is that the Lord has affection for His devotees, but not for the jṣānīs.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
5. Those who are attached to the ātmā encounter extreme difficulties. Concentrating on the invisible ātmā brings suffering to those who have bodies. 6-7. But for those who, having surrendered to Me, having given up all activities for attaining Me, meditate on Me and worship Me with ananya bhakti yoga, I quickly become the deliverer from the ocean of repeated birth and death, O son of Pṛthā.
Commentary

“If the worshippers of ātmā also attain You, what is the foundation for your saying that the devotees are superior attainers of You?” Those whose minds are engaged in intense meditation (samādhi) on the jīvātmā, very subtle in form, endure greater difficulties. Even though the former category of persons (devotees) also endure difficulty in withdrawing the senses from objects other than Me and engaging in the various aṅgas of bhakti, because of the appearance of My blissful form, they do not experience the same suffering. Why has this greater suffering which is difficult to remove come about? The mind’s concentration on the invisible ātmā becomes difficult for those who think they are their bodies. How can those residing in bodies who for so long have been thinking they are their bodies cultivate thoughts of being a small conscious particle, which was for such a long time rejected? Others explain this section as follows. Brahman has two forms, with qualities and without qualities. [Note: The next section is a summary of Śaṅkara’s explanation of the verse.] Worship of the Lord with qualities is easily performed with attention because of having a form as the object of concentration. Worship of the Lord without qualities is difficult to perform and done without proper attention because of lack of an object. The brahman without qualities is called akṣaraṁ. For defining brahman without qualities, seven descriptions are given. It is beyond the scope of the Vedas or words (anirdeśyam), because it is devoid of class and other qualifications (avyaktam). It is pervasive (sarvatra gam), and not comprehended by the mind (acintyam). Śruti says: yato vāco nivartante aprāpya manasā saha: words along with the mind return without attaining it. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.4.1) The world is called false (kūṭam), since it appears real when it is actually illusory. The ātmā is situated within this false world (kūṭa stham). The usage is similar to the phrase kūṭa kārṣāpaṇa, meaning false weights. That ātmā is situated as the substratum for false attributes. The ātmā is without change (acalam). It is eternal (dhruvam). For those persons striving to know ātmā without qualities, there are great difficulties, in digesting the meaning of the upaniṣads after worshipping the guru, then ontemplating ātmā and then meditating on the ātmā. The first type of person (utilizing brahman with qualities), without undergoing these methods, attains vijṣāna from mercy of the Lord with qualities as described by guru, which wipes out ignorance and its effects. He then attains liberation in the form of oneness with the ātmā devoid of quality, which gave rise to the Lord’s form. The final result is the same, but one is filled with difficulty and therefore inferior, and the other is without difficulty and superior. This idea is foolish, because the Brahmā Sūtras reject the idea of the brahman having two forms with the words gati-sāmānyāt: only one conception of brahman is taught. (Vedānta Sūṭra 1.1.10) This one brahman is to be known by the Vedas: yayā tad akṣaram adhigamyate: the indestructible, the akṣara, is attained by that knowledge. (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.1.5) (Thus it is not anirdeśyam, in describable by the Vedas, as interpreted by the impersonalits.) Statements such as “words cannot describe it” (quoted above) apply to all aspects of brahman (and thus there is no reason to assume two brahmans, one of which, with form, can be approached by the senses.) The brahman without qualities cannot be observed anywhere, because it is impossible to prove the existence of the nirguṇa, since the word nirguṇa (without quality) has no power to denote anything, and because it is consequently a useless term. And we must accept that all scriptures are meant to describe that brahman. The word kūṭa cannot mean “false world” in this verse because kūṭastha is defined in the dictionary as that object which remains always in one state. (Thus it refers to the ātmā.) The world is not false but real according to the śrutis: kavir manīṣī paribhūḥ svayambhur yāthātathyato’rthān vyadadhāc chāśvatībhyaḥ samābhyaḥ He creates (vyadadhat) since time immemorial all real objects (yathatathyatah arthan), because He knows all ( kavi), is intelligent ( manisi), controls all (paribhuh), and is independent (svayam bhuh). By His own energy, He performs all acts. Īśopaniṣad 8 Since the śrutis testify that the form of the supreme brahman, full of knowledge and bliss, is Kṛṣ;na who drinks the milk from the breast of Yaśodā, the concoction of an akṣaraṁ devoid of qualities situated within the body of Kṛṣna must be considered a result of blind faith (it has no basis in proper reasoning or scriptural proof). Therefore is rejected. Bg 12.6, Bg 12.7, Bg 12.6-7 Yae Tau SavaRi<a k-MaaRi<a MaiYa SaNNYaSYa MaTPara" ) ANaNYaeNaEv YaaeGaeNa Maa& DYaaYaNTa oPaaSaTae )) 6 )) TaezaMah& SaMauṬTaaR Ma*TYauSa&SaarSaaGaraTa( ) >avaiMa Na icraTPaaQaR MaYYaaveiXaTaceTaSaaMa( )) 7 )) ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi mayi sannyasya mat-parāḥ ananyenaiva yogena māṁ dhyāyanta upāsate teṣām ahaṁ samuddhartā mṛtyu-saṁsāra-sāgarāt bhavāmi na cirāt pārtha mayy āveśita-cetasām ye—those who; tu—but; sarvāṇi—all; karmāṇi—activities; mayi—unto Me; sannyasya—giving up; mat—parāḥ—being attached to Me; ananyena—without division; eva—certainly; yogena—by practice of such bhakti-yoga; mām—upon Me; dhyāyantaḥ—meditating; upāsate—worship; teṣām—of them; aham—I; samuddhartā—the deliverer; mṛtyu—of death; saṁsāra—in material existence; sāgarāt—from the ocean; bhavāmi—I become; na—not; cirāt—after a long time; pārtha—O son of Pṛthā; mayi—upon Me; āveśita—fixed; cetasām—of those whose minds.

Those who perform exclusive bhakti to Me, the source of the jīvātmā, after hearing the real nature of ātmā, and who do not strive just for direct perception of ātmā, quickly attain Me alone, by that exclusive bhakti alone. This is explained in two verses. Those solely dedicated to Me, for the purpose of attaining Me (mayi), giving up all prescribed activities (sarvāni karmāṇi saṁnyasya), giving them up with the understanding that they are distractions from bhakti, taking Me as the only goal (mat parā), worship Me, Kṛṣṇa, by the one method (anyena yogena), characterized by hearing and other devotional activities. While practicing this method, even while hearing and chanting, they absorb their minds in Me (dhyāyantaḥ). For these devotees whose minds are attracted to Me (mayy āveśita cetasām), I am the deliverer from saṁsāra bringing about death, which is difficult to cross like an ocean. Not after a long time, but very quickly, not being able to bear delay in meeting them, I, putting them on the shoulders of Garuḍa, bring them to My dhāma. They attain My dhāma without going along the path of light and the waxing fortnight. [Note: This was mentioned in chapter eight.]

nayāmi paramaṁ sthānam arcir ādi-gatiṁ vinā garuḍa-skandham āropya yatheccham anivāritaḥ According to My desire, unchecked, I bring them to My dhāma, putting them on the shoulders of Garuḍa, without going via the path of light. Varāha Purāṇa Even though one disregards prescribed activities, bhakti brings one to the desired goal. yā vai sādhana-sampattiḥ puruṣārtha-catuṣṭaye tayā vinā tad āpnoti naro nārāyaṇāśrayaḥ He who takes shelter of Nārāyaṇa attains the goal of his practice without performing the duties of artha, dharma, kāma and mokṣa. Nārāyaṇīya sarva-dharmojjhitā viṣṇor nāma-mātraika-jalpakāḥ sukhena yāṁ gatiṁ yānti na tāṁ sarve’pi dhārmikāḥ Those who utter the name of Viṣṇu giving up all dharmas, easily attain the goal, whereas those who follow all rules of dharma do not attain it. Padma Puṛāna

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Here is the direct answer to Arjuna's question: Which path is superior? Why is the path of bhakti superior? Because this other path is full of difficulties, and the result also is not superior, rather is inferior. Is not complete as understanding, knowing, and loving Krsna. Why is the worship of Brahman, a difficult path? Because one cannot understand something ununderstandable. Because the renunciation of activity is so difficult since the senses are so demanding. One may say that it is also difficult for the devotees because they follow rules and regulations that restrain the activities of their senses too. But because the devotees have Krsna and feel His presence, their misery is mitigated by that. They have that understanding, that relationship with Krsna that makes them close to Him. Therefore their misery is extremely minimized, they feel happiness by not engaging their senses in maya. And because the mayavadis they don't have any engagements for their senses, they feel just misery and they can't feel that the impersonal Brahman is with them and giving them special attention, because Brahman doesn't do that. (DS) If bhakti‑yoga is so easy why people in different ages take to difficult processes? The process of bhakti‑yoga is easier because it is easier to meditate on a form. Because form is also the constitution of the living entity. In one's conditional state is easier to meditate in form than in the unmanifest. But the application is difficult, because the condition of the heart must be pure. It is difficult to surrender. In fact the most difficult thing to give up is one's false ego. It is harder to give up then the senses because it is so subtle. Because of the impure heart of the conditioned soul, even though the worship of the Lord is easier, due to envy, he cannot do it. Therefore in the initial state to transcend the material world, to get him detached from matter, he has to focus in something that is 'unmanifested, which doesn't threaten his false ego. But the only thing they get for their process is pain and difficulty. Note: the fact that the bhakti process is easier because one has the concept of form even in the conditioned state, doesn't make the form of the Deity to be material. It suits the embodied soul but remains spiritual.

[3. Krsna personally delivers the devotees who are indeviatedly devoted to Him. (6‑7) ]

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

But the path of Impersonalists is troublesome and very difficult

Focus of Learning

(a) Two groups of transcendentalists discussed

Jnana-yogis – Those who follow the path of inconceivable, unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme Lord
Bhakti-yogis – Those persons who are in full Krishna consciousness and engage in devotional service of the Lord

(b) Bhakti-yoga vs. Jnana-yoga

Same goal – Both ultimately bring one to the same goal
Process of Jnana-yoga is very troublesome – It is very difficult for him to simply theoretically understand that he is not this body
Process of Bhakti-yoga is direct – It is a process of being in direct service with the Supreme Personality of Godhead
The Bhakti-yoga accepts the Deity of Krishna as worshipable because there is some bodily conception fixed in the mind, which can thus be applied

(c) Deity worship is not idol worship

Ref. Vedic literatures – Worship may be ‘saguna’ or ‘nirguna’ of the Supreme ‘possessing’ or ‘not possessing’ attributes
Worship of the Deity in the temple is ‘saguna’ worship – because the Lord is represented by material qualities
Absolute nature of the Lord – The form of the Lord although represented by material qualities like stone, wood, etc. is not actually material
Analogy: Deity Worship compared to a mailbox
The Deity is the authorized representation of God, known as ‘arca-vigraha’
The Deity is a incarnation of Supreme Lord to accept service from the living entities
The Lord is omnipotent, all powerful – Therefore He can accept the services of the devotee in His ‘arca-vigraha’ form, just to make it convenient for the man in conditional life

(d) For an embodied soul, there is always a difficulty with the unmanifest, both at the time of

‘practice’ and at the time of ‘realization’

(e) Difficulties in the ‘practice’ for the Impersonalists

They have to understand the unmanifested representation of the Supreme
Process is difficult: e.g. Studying Vedic literatures like Upanisads, learning the language, understanding the non-perceptual feelings

(f) In contrast, Krishna consciousness provides simple ‘practice’

Simply chanting Hare Krishna
Guidance of bona-fide spiritual master, simply by offering regulative obeisances unto the Deity, hearing the glories of the Lord, eating the remnants of foodstuff offered to the Lord

(g) Difficulties in terms of ‘realizations’ –

Impersonalists – They take the risk of practicing difficult path and still do not realize the Absolute Truth in the ultimate end
Partial realisation – They can achieve only ‘sat’ and ‘cit’ realizations
Difficult to give up the idea – A jnani-yogi may come to the point of Bhakti-yoga by the grace of some devotee, but still long practice in impersonalism becomes a source of trouble, because he cannot give up this idea
Against one’s real nature – Every living soul is partially independent and therefore this unmanifested realisation is against the nature of his spiritual blissful self
Personalists – They have no risks, trouble or difficulty in approaching the Supreme Lord directly
Complete realisation – They realize ‘sat’, ‘cit’ and ‘ananda’ which implies even the blissful portion of the Absolute Truth is realized
Ref. SB – If surrender or Bhakti is the ultimate goal, then why to take the trouble to understand what is Brahman and what is not Brahman and spend one’s whole life in that way, when the result is anyway going to be troublesome

(h) Best solution – For every individual living entity, the process of Krishna consciousness, which

entails full engagement in devotional service is the best way

WARNING! – If one wants to ignore this devotional service, there is the danger of turning to ‘Atheism’

SUMMARIZED THEME 12A

COMPARISION OF IMPERSONALISTS & PERSONALISTS

S. NO

IMPERSONALISTS

PERSONALISTS

IN TERMS OF PRACTICE

Meditate on formless

difficult for embodied

Meditate on form of deity

easy for embodied

Unimanifested is beyond the senses

restricts the senses

Senses can percieve the Deity and sound of

mantra

engages the senses

Must understand the brahman through

Upanisads etc.

learn the language sanskrit
understand the non-perceptual feelings

Understands Krishna through devotional service

simple chanting hare krishna
guidance of bona-fide spiritual master, simply by offering regulative obeisances unto the deity, hearing the glories of the lord, eating the remnants of foodstuff offered to the lord

Long practice makes it difficult to take up

bhakti

Completely natural

Troublesome

no relationship with the lord

Miseries mitigated by relationship with Krishna

Depends on our own endeavour

Krishna delivers devotee from Maya. why?

because krishna himself recommends the process
out of paternal love
by his causeless mercy

IN TERMS OF REALISATION (Brahman vs Bhagavan)

Brahman

Bhagavan

Nirguna (without qualities)

Saguna (with form, qualities, etc.)

Inconcievable

Possess inconceivable potencies

All pervading

All pervading by energy and as supersoul

Unchanging, fixed and immovable

Unchanging, fixed and immovable

Cannot perceive any opulence because of lack

of activity

Possessor of six opulence’s in full

Risk of not realizing absolute truth at the end

Success is guaranteed as nothing is lost

May realize the eternal (sat) and knowledge

(cit) aspects of his original nature(partial

realization)

Realises eternity, knowledge and bliss (includes

brahman and paramatma realisation)

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 12.6 & 12.7:

The ease of attaining the desired goal by practicing true bhakti is next described

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
12.5 Tesam, for them; avyakta-asakta-cetasam, who have their minds attached to the Unmanifest; klesah,the struggle; is adhika-tarah, greater. Although the trouble is certainly great for those who are engaged in works etc. for Me, still owing to the need of giving up self-identification with the body, it is greater in the case of those who accept the Immutable as the Self and who kept in view the supreme Reality. Hi, for; avyakta gatih, the Goal which is the Unmanifest-(the goal) which stands in the form of the Immutable; that is avapyate, attained; duhkham, with difficulty; dehavadbhih, by the embodied ones, by those who identify themselves with the body. Hence the struggle is greater. We shall speak later of the conduct of those who meditate on the Unmanifest.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
12.3 - 12.5 The individual self meditated upon by those who follow the path of the 'Aksara' (the Imperishable) is thus described: It cannot be 'defined' in terms indicated by expressions like gods and men etc., for It is different from the body; It is 'imperceptible' through the senses such as eyes; It is 'omnipresent and unthinkable,' for though It exists everywhere in bodies such as those of gods and others, It cannot be conceived in terms of those bodies, as It is an entity of an altogether different kind; It is 'common to all beings' i.e., alike in all beings but different from the bodily forms distinguishing them; It is 'immovable' as It does not move out of Its unie nature, being unmodifiable, and therefore eternal. Such aspirants are further described as those who, 'subduing their senses' like the eye from their natural operations, look upon all beings of different forms as 'eal' by virtue of their knowledge of the sameness of the nature of the selves as knowers in all. Therefore they are not given 'to take pleasure in the misfortune of others,' as such feelings proceed from one's identification with one's own special bodily form. Those who meditate on the Imperishable Principle (individual self) in this way, even they come to Me. It means that they also realise their essential self, which, in respect of freedom from Samsara, is like My own Self. So Sri Krsna will declare later on: 'Partaking of My nature' (14.2). Also the Sruti says: 'Untainted, he attains supreme eality' (Mun. U., 3.1.3). Likewise He will declare the Supreme Brahman as being distinct from the freed self which is without modification and is denoted by the term 'Imperishable' (Aksara), and is described as unchanging (Kutastha). 'The Highest Person is other than this Imperishable' (15.16 - 17). But in the teaching in Aksara-vidya 'Now that higher science by which that Aksara is known' (Mun. U., 1.5) the entity that is designated by the term Aksara is Supreme Brahman Himself; for He is the source of all beings, etc. Greater is the difficulty of those whose minds are attached to the unmanifest. The path of the unmanifest is a psychosis of the mind with the unmanifest as its object. It is accomplished with difficulty by embodied beings, who have misconceived the body as the self. For, embodied beings mistake the body for the self. The superiority of those who adore the Supreme Being is now stated clearly:
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
12.3-5 Ye tu etc. upto avapyate. On the other hand, those, who contemplate on the Self as the motionless Brahman - by them also all the attributes of Absolute Lord are superimposed on the Self - the attributes that are indicated by the adjectives 'omni-present' etc. Therefore even the contemplators of the [attributeless] Brahman reach nothing but Me, of course. However, the trouble they undergo, is much more. For, they [first] superimposed on the Self the actonary of attributes like absence-of-sin etc., and then comtemplate on It. Thus, while without any effort [on the part of the contemplator] the Lord is readily available with the greatness due to the host of self-accomplished attributes, these persons undergo two-fold trouble.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
12.5 Greater is their trouble whose minds are set on the unmanifested; for the goal; the unmanifested, is very hard for the embodied to reach.
Commentary

12.5 क्लेशः the trouble? अधिकतरः (is) greater? तेषाम् of those? अव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् whose minds are set on the unmanifested? अव्यक्ता the unmanifested? हि for? गतिः goal? दुःखम् pain? देहवद्भिः by the embodied? अवाप्यते is reached.Commentary Worshippers of the Saguna (alified) and the Nirguna (unalified) Brahman reach the same goal. But the latter path is very hard and arduous? because the aspirant has to give up attachment to the body from the very beginning of his spiritual practice.The embodied Those who identify themselves with their bodies. Identification with the body is Dehabhimana. The imperishable Brahman is very hard to reach for those who are attached to their bodies. Further? it is extremely difficult to fix the resltess mind on the formless and attributeless Brahman. Contemplation on the imperishable? attributeless Brahman demands a very sharp? onepointed and subtle intellect. The Upanishad says Drisyate tu agraya buddhya sukshmaya sukshmadarsibhih -- It is seen by subtle seers through their subtle intellect.He who meditates on the unmanifested should possess the four means. Then he will have to approach a Guru who is well versed in the scriptures and who is also established in Brahman. He will have to hear the Truth from him? then reflect and meditate on It.He who realises the Nirguna (attributeless) Brahman attains eternal bliss or Selfrealisation or Kaivalya (Moksha) which is preceded by the destruction of ignorance with its effects. He who realises the Saguna Brahman (Brahman with attributes) goes to Brahmaloka and enjoys all the wealth and powers of the Lord. He then gets initiation into the mysteries of the Absolute from Hiranyagarbha and without any effort and without the practice of hearing? reflection and meditation attains? through the grace of the Lord alone? the same state as attained by those who have realised the Nirguna Brahman. Through the knowledge of the Self? ignorance and its effects,are destroyed in the case of the worshippers of the Saguna Brahman also.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
12.5 For them who have their minds attached to the Unmanifested the struggle is greater; for, the Goal which is the Unmanifest is attained with difficulty by the embodied ones.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
12.5 But they who thus fix their attention on the Absolute and Impersonal encounter greater hardships, for it is difficult for those who possess a body to realise Me as without one.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 7.3 BG 7.24 BG 12.7 SB 10.2.32 SB 10.14.4 SB 11.20.7 CC Ādi 7.67 CC Madhya 6.141 CC Madhya 25.29 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.14Īśa Upaniṣad 12
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Those whose minds are attached to the unmanifest progress with great difficulty — for the embodied being cannot easily reach the unmanifest.
Practical Applications
  • Recognize the natural difficulty of impersonal absorption for embodied beings.
  • Don't punish yourself for needing form; form is appropriate to embodiment.
  • Receive form-worship as compassionate accommodation.
Reflection Questions
  • Have I felt embarrassed about needing personal form?
  • How does this verse free me?
Analogy

Tell an embodied soul to embrace the unmanifest, and you are telling a person with hands to clap with no hands. The body is a form-shaped instrument; it knows how to bow, how to taste, how to listen. Asking it to grasp the formless is not impossible — it is just exquisitely awkward, like trying to hug the sky.

Stories
Śukadeva Gosvāmī's turning

Śukadeva left the womb already a brahma-jñānī, walking past Vyāsa's calls without looking back. He was the very portrait of one whose mind was attached to the avyakta.

Yet Vyāsa, his father, knew the kleśa Kṛṣṇa names here. He instructed disciples to sing a few verses about Kṛṣṇa's pastimes where Śukadeva would hear them. The form-rich sound caught the formless absorbed boy. Śukadeva turned, came back, and became the speaker of the Bhāgavatam — the impersonalist whose embodiment finally found its proper rest in personal līlā.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

Bhagavad-gītā 12.6-7

↗
యే తు సర్వాణి కర్మాణి మయి సన్న్యస్య మత్పరా: । అనన్యేనైవ యోగేన మాం ధ్యాయన్త ఉపాసతే ॥ ౬ ॥ తేషామహం సముద్ధర్తా మృత్యుసంసారసాగరాత్ । భవామి న చిరాత్పార్థ మయ్యావేశితచేతసామ్ ॥ ౭ ॥
ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi
[ye tu sarvaani karmaani]
mayi sannyasya mat-parāḥ
[mayi sannyasya mat-paraah]
ananyenaiva yogena
[ananyenaiva yogena]
māṁ dhyāyanta upāsate
[maam dhyaayanta upaasate]
teṣām ahaṁ samuddhartā
[teshaam aham samuddhartaa]
mṛtyu-saṁsāra-sāgarāt
[mrityu-samsaara-saagaraat]
bhavāmi na cirāt pārtha
[bhavaami na chiraat paartha]
mayy āveśita-cetasām
[mayy aaveshita-chetasaam]
Word-for-word
ye — those who tu — but sarvāṇi — all karmāṇi — activities mayi — unto Me sannyasya — giving up mat - parāḥ — being attached to Me ananyena — without division eva — certainly yogena — by practice of such bhakti-yoga mām — upon Me dhyāyantaḥ — meditating upāsate — worship teṣām — of them aham — I samuddhartā — the deliverer mṛtyu — of death saṁsāra — in material existence sāgarāt — from the ocean bhavāmi — I become na — not cirāt — after a long time pārtha — O son of Pṛthā mayi — upon Me āveśita — fixed cetasām — of those whose minds .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi
ye
those who
tu
but
sarvāṇi
all
karmāṇi
activities
mayi sannyasya mat-parāḥ
mayi
unto Me
sannyasya
giving up
mat - parāḥ
being attached to Me
ananyenaiva yogena
ananyena
without division
eva
certainly
yogena
by practice of such bhakti-yoga
māṁ dhyāyanta upāsate
mām
upon Me
dhyāyantaḥ
meditating
upāsate
worship
teṣām ahaṁ samuddhartā
teṣām
of them
aham
I
samuddhartā
the deliverer
mṛtyu-saṁsāra-sāgarāt
mṛtyu
of death
saṁsāra
in material existence
sāgarāt
from the ocean
bhavāmi na cirāt pārtha
bhavāmi
I become
na
not
cirāt
after a long time
pārtha
O son of Pṛthā
mayy āveśita-cetasām
mayi
upon Me
āveśita
fixed
cetasām
of those whose minds .
Important Words
  • sannyasya — giving up, fully renouncing
    Absolutive of sam-ni-as — 'casting down completely.' The same root as sannyāsa. Here it is not a robe one takes but an inner act of throwing every karma onto Kṛṣṇa as one casts a stone into a deep well.
  • mat - parāḥ — having Me as supreme
    Compound: mat (Me) + para (highest). The whole hierarchy of one's life is collapsed into one apex — Kṛṣṇa. Without this para-positioning, the casting of karmas would have nowhere to land.
  • ananyena — without division, without another
    Instrumental of an-anya. The yoga is undivided: no other object competes. Pair this with v.2's parayā śraddhayā — same intensity, different angle.
  • samuddhartā — the deliverer, the one who lifts up
    Sam + ud + hṛ — 'completely lifting up.' Future participle: 'I become the one who shall lift them out.' Kṛṣṇa names His own role: not coach, not witness — rescuer.
  • saṁsāra — material existence
    Literally 'flowing together' — the endless current of birth and death. Here paired with sāgarāt (from the ocean) and mṛtyu (death). The geography of bondage in three words.
  • cirāt — after a long time
    Ablative of cira, 'long.' Negated in the verse (na cirāt) — two short syllables that overturn every doctrine of slow self-effort. Kṛṣṇa makes the rescue swift; the bhakta is not condemned to a karmic ledger.
But those who worship Me, giving up all their activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, having fixed their minds upon Me, O son of Pṛthā – for them I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.
Purport

It is explicitly stated here that the devotees are very fortunate to be delivered very soon from material existence by the Lord. In pure devotional service one comes to the realization that God is great and that the individual soul is subordinate to Him. His duty is to render service to the Lord – and if he does not, then he will render service to māyā. As stated before, the Supreme Lord can be appreciated only by devotional service. Therefore, one should be fully devoted. One should fix his mind fully on Kṛṣṇa in order to achieve Him. One should work only for Kṛṣṇa. It does not matter in what kind of work one engages, but that work should be done only for Kṛṣṇa. That is the standard of devotional service. The devotee does not desire any achievement other than pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His life’s mission is to please Kṛṣṇa, and he can sacrifice everything for Kṛṣṇa’s satisfaction, just as Arjuna did in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. The process is very simple: one can devote himself in his occupation and engage at the same time in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Such transcendental chanting attracts the devotee to the Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Lord herein promises that without delay He will deliver a pure devotee thus engaged from the ocean of material existence. Those who are advanced in yoga practice can willfully transfer the soul to whatever planet they like by the yoga process, and others take the opportunity in various ways, but as far as the devotee is concerned, it is clearly stated here that the Lord Himself takes him. The devotee does not need to wait to become very experienced in order to transfer himself to the spiritual sky. In the Varāha Purāṇa this verse appears: nayāmi paramaṁ sthānam arcir-ādi-gatiṁ vinā garuḍa-skandham āropya yatheccham anivāritaḥ The purport of this verse is that a devotee does not need to practice aṣṭāṅga-yoga in order to transfer his soul to the spiritual planets. The responsibility is taken by the Supreme Lord Himself. He clearly states here that He Himself becomes the deliverer. A child is completely cared for by his parents, and thus his position is secure. Similarly, a devotee does not need to endeavor to transfer himself by yoga practice to other planets. Rather, the Supreme Lord, by His great mercy, comes at once, riding on His bird carrier Garuḍa, and at once delivers the devotee from material existence. Although a man who has fallen in the ocean may struggle very hard and may be very expert in swimming, he cannot save himself. But if someone comes and picks him up from the water, then he is easily rescued. Similarly, the Lord picks up the devotee from this material existence. One simply has to practice the easy process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and fully engage himself in devotional service. Any intelligent man should always prefer the process of devotional service to all other paths. In the Nārāyaṇīya this is confirmed as follows: yā vai sādhana-sampattiḥ puruṣārtha-catuṣṭaye tayā vinā tad āpnoti naro nārāyaṇāśrayaḥ The purport of this verse is that one should not engage in the different processes of fruitive activity or cultivate knowledge by the mental speculative process. One who is devoted to the Supreme Personality can attain all the benefits derived from other yogic processes, speculation, rituals, sacrifices, charities, etc. That is the specific benediction of devotional service. Simply by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa – Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare – a devotee of the Lord can approach the supreme destination easily and happily, but this destination cannot be approached by any other process of religion. The conclusion of Bhagavad-gītā is stated in the Eighteenth Chapter: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ One should give up all other processes of self-realization and simply execute devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That will enable one to reach the highest perfection of life. There is no need for one to consider the sinful actions of his past life, because the Supreme Lord fully takes charge of him. Therefore one should not futilely try to deliver himself in spiritual realization. Let everyone take shelter of the supreme omnipotent Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest perfection of life.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Krsna Himself says that although may be some difficulties for a devotee but because he knows, he trusts, he has faith in Krsna's promises, that Krsna will take care personally of His devotees, they therefore are happy. Srila Prabhupada explains in his Purport: "In the Varaha Purana this verse appears:

nayami paramam sthanam arcir‑adi‑gatim vina garuda‑skandham aropya yatheccham anivaritah

The purport of this verse is that a devotee does not need to practice astanga‑yoga in order to transfer his soul to the spiritual planets. The responsibility is taken by the Supreme Lord Himself. He clearly states here that He Himself becomes the deliverer. A child is completely cared for by his parents, and thus his position is secure. Similarly, a devotee does not need to endeavor to transfer himself by yoga practice to other planets. Rather, the Supreme Lord, by His great mercy, comes at once, riding on His bird carrier Garuda, and at once delivers the devotee from material existence. Although a man who has fallen in the ocean may struggle very hard and may be very expert in swimming, he cannot save himself. But if someone and picks him up from the water, then he is easily rescued. Similarly, the Lord picks up the devotee from this material existence. One simply has to practice the easy process of Krsna consciousness and fully engage himself in devotional service. Any intelligent man should always prefer the process of devotional service to all other paths. In the Narayaniya this is confirmed as follows:

ya vai sadhana‑sampattih purusartha‑catustaye taya vina tad apnoti naro narayanasrayah

The purport of this verse is that one should not engage in the different processes of fruitive activity or cultivate knowledge by the mental speculative process. One who is devoted to the Supreme Personality can attain all the benefits derived from other yogic processes, speculation, rituals, sacrifices, charities, etc. That is the specific benediction of devotional service. Simply by chanting the holy name of Krsna‑‑Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare‑‑a devotee of the Lord can approach the supreme destination easily and happily, but this destination cannot be approached by any other process of religion. The conclusion of Bhagavad‑gita is stated in the Eighteenth Chapter:

sarva‑dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja aham tvam sarva‑papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah

One should give up all other processes of self‑realization and simply execute devotional service in Krsna consciousness. That will enable one to reach the highest perfection of life. There is no need for one to consider the sinful actions of his past life, because the Supreme Lord fully takes charge of him. Therefore one should not futilely try to deliver himself in spiritual realization. Let everyone take shelter of the supreme omnipotent Godhead, Krsna. That is the highest perfection of life." The idea is clearly stated by Krsna and Srila Prabhupada, that the material energy is so powerful and is as vast as the ocean. And as one cannot swim across the ocean on his own, it is impossible, no matter how one's powerful ability for swimming is. Similarly it is impossible to deliver oneself from maya. It is impossible. Rather then attempting to become powerful and strengthen his abilities, so he can become free from maya, the devotee takes a different tactic: he simply devellops his love for Krsna and his greed for serving Krsna. And then he puts the responsability for freeing him from maya, on Krsna. The devotee actually he even looses his desire to become free from maya : 'janma janmanisvare ...',"all I want it is Your devotional service birth after birth". The devotee just cultivates his greed for serving Krsna and his attachment for Him, and then, when that attachment grows to a feverish pitch that he cannot live a moment without Krsna and he is undeviated in his affection for Krsna, he is 'ananya‑bhakta', without having his affection reposed in anything else. Then Krsna sees that taste and attraction of the devotee and He benedicts him. On the other hand, one can practice devotional service for births and births, but if he doesn't have that 'ruci' and 'asakti' (taste and attachment), Krsna will not benedict him with His pure devotional service. Therefore devotional service is called 'sudurlabhah' , very rare. Two reasons, Jiva Goswami gives to explain why it is so rare: (1) Krsna does not award pure devotional service easily because He becomes controlled by that pure devotional service. When one is 'ananya bhakta' and he is full of attachment to love and serve Krsna, then Krsna will award that, due to the taste and infliching devotion of His devotee. (2) Can only be achieved by 'sadhu‑sangah', no other practice. Krsna can give very easily any benediction, but to give pure devotional service is very, very rare. So we must hold out, making sure that we don't cultivate any other desires in our heart, other than to serve Krsna. (DS) The all process of Krsna consciousness is directed to dependence on the Supreme Lord, like a child is dependent on his mother. We don't need to become expert in anything, we don't need to become strong or powerful, to become a jnani ‑ we just have to become surrendered souls dependent on Krsna. Now in the next section Krsna directs Arjuna.

[B. PROGRESSIVE STAGES OF DEVOTION (12. 8‑12) 1. Living within Krsna by continuously fixing one's mind and intelligence upon Him. (8) ]

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

COMMON THEME: Devotional service is simple and easy because Krishna personally delivers His devotees

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
12.6 Tu, as for; ye, those who; sannyasya, having dedicated; sarvani, all; karmani, actions; mayi, to Me who am God; and matparah, having accepted Me as the supreme; upasate, meditate; dhyayantah, by thinking; mam, of Me; ananyena, with single-minded; yogena, concentration; eva, only-. That (yoga) is single-minded which has no other object than the Cosmic Deity, the Self. By thinking exclusively with that single-minded [The Ast. and the A.A. read 'kena, what?' in place of 'kevalena, exclusively'.-Tr.] (yoga)-. What comes to them?
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
12.6 - 12.7 But those who, with a mind 'focused on Me,' the Supreme Self, and 'intent upon Me,' namely, holding Me as their sole object, dedicating to Me all their actions - i.e., including all worldly actions like eating which are meant for supporting the body, as also Vedic rites like sacrifices, gifts, fire-offerings, austerities etc., generally done by worldly-minded people for other purposes - worship Me and meditate on Me with exclusive devotion, namely, with devotion without any other purpose, adoring Me by all such acts as meditation, worship, prostration, praises and hymns which are by themselves exceedingly dear to them and are eal to the end itself - to these I become soon their saviour from the sea of Samsara which, on account of its being antagonistic to the attainment of Myself, is deadly.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
12.6 See Comment under 12.8
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
12.6 But to those who worship Me, renouncing all actions in Me, regarding Me as the supreme gaol, meditating on Me with single-minded Yoga.
Commentary

12.6 ये who? तु but? सर्वाणि all? कर्माणि actions? मयि in Me? संन्यस्य renouncing? मत्पराः regarding Me as the supreme goal? अनन्येन singleminded? एव even? योगेन with the Yoga? माम् Me? ध्यायन्तः meditating? उपासते worship.Commentary Ananya Yoga Unswerving Yoga exclusive? having no other objects of worship or support save the Lord Samadhi.Even in Bhakti Yoga one should not abandon actions. He must perform actions but he will have to dedicate the merits or the fruits to the Lord. (Cf.IX.27)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
12.6 As for those who, having dedicated all actions to Me and accepted Me as the supreme, meditate by thinking of Me with single-minded concentration only-.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
12.6 Verily, those who surrender their actions to Me, who muse on Me, worship Me and meditate on Me alone, with no thought save of Me,
Related values & verses
Related values
Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Vinaya (Humility / Modesty)Santosha (Contentment)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Dhairya (Composure / Courage)
Related verses
BG 9.22 BG 9.34 BG 18.66 SB 1.7.10 SB 3.25.25 SB 10.14.58 CC Madhya 22.37 CC Madhya 22.100 CC Antya 4.194 Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.23BRS 1.2.11
Study Q&A referencing this verse
Sciences essays referencing this verse
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Those who renounce all activities into Me, take Me as their supreme goal, worship with undeviating devotion — for them I am quickly the deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.
Practical Applications
  • Renounce the doership of activities — offer them to Kṛṣṇa explicitly.
  • Make Him the supreme aim, not merely one among many.
  • Trust the 'quickly deliverer' promise.
Reflection Questions
  • What activity have I been doing 'for myself' that I should now offer?
  • What is my actual supreme aim?
Analogy

Two swimmers fall into the same ocean. One strikes out for the far shore with nothing but his own arms. The other has thrown all his weight onto a swift boat, and the boat's captain steers, rows, and bails. Kṛṣṇa says: throw every karma into Me, and I will be the boat. I myself will be the deliverer — not after long ages, but soon.

Stories
Draupadī's sārī

When Duḥśāsana dragged her into the Kuru sabhā and began to disrobe her, Draupadī first clutched her sārī with one hand. The sārī gave way. Only when she lifted both hands above her head — surrendering all activity, including the activity of self-defense — and called out, 'Govinda! Dvārakāvāsin! Hari! O Lord of the Yadus!' did Kṛṣṇa multiply the cloth without end.

The verse's two-handed surrender is Draupadī's exact posture: sarvāṇi karmāṇi mayi sannyasya. She gave up even the activity of protecting herself, and Kṛṣṇa became samuddhartā — the swift uplifter — na cirāt, not after a long time.

Gajendra's prayer

The elephant-king Gajendra, gripped by the crocodile for a thousand celestial years, exhausted every personal strategy. At the breaking point he lifted a lotus and called out — not to any specific form he had seen, but to the Lord of all who lift the fallen. Viṣṇu came at once, faster than any of His earlier incarnations had arrived for anyone.

The Bhāgavatam glosses His haste: a devotee who has thrown all his activities upon the Lord cannot be left to perish. This verse's na cirāt — 'not after long' — is Gajendra's deliverance in five syllables.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

Section 2 (12.8–12.12)
PROGRESSIVE STAGES OF DEVOTION
Section overview
One lives within Krishna by continuously fixing one’s mind and intelligence upon Him (12.8)
One practices the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga to increase one’s desire and ability to remember and obtain Krishna (12.9)
One surrenders one’s work to Krishna (12.10)
One gives up the result of one’s work to some good cause (12.11)
One cultivates meditation or knowledge (12.12)

LINK BETWEEN SECTION I & SECTION II: Having established the superiority of Bhakti, the question now

arises “How to perform devotional service?”. In the next five verses, Krishna, beginning with the highest

stage, describes levels of achievement in bhakti

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION II

Bhakti-yoga is a systematic process of cultivating attachment

towards Lord Krishna while becoming detached from the material world

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORTS 12.6 – 12.7

(a) Only way to appreciate Supreme Personality of Godhead – Devotional Service

(b) Fortunate position of devotee- delivered by the Lord very soon

(c) Realization in pure devotional service

God is great
Individual soul is subordinate to Him – duty is to render service to the Lord
If not serve the Lord – you will render service to Maya

(d) Principles

Mind – Completely fixed in devotion to Supreme Personality of Godhead
Standard of devotional service – One can do any work but work only for Krishna
Desire – Life’s only mission and desire is satisfaction of the Lord
e.g. Arjuna in battle – Can sacrifice all for Krishna’s satisfaction

(e) Process is simple – Just devote to your occupation and chant Hare Krishna – Thus attracts

Supreme Personality of Godhead

(f) Promise – Without delay, Lord will deliver the devotee from material ocean (Yogis have to

personally endeavor to go to other planets)

Ref. Varaha Purana – Devotee’s do not need Astanga-yoga
Lord takes responsibility like – Analogy: Child taken care by parents
Comes on Garuda to pick from the ocean – Analogy: Expert swimmer also needs help to be picked up from the ocean

(g) Sign of intelligence – To always prefer devotional service compared to other paths

(h) Specific benediction of devotional service – Ref. Narayaniya –

No need to perform fruitive acts or mental speculation
Attains all benefits of yogic processes, rituals, sacrifices, just by devotional service

(i) Conclusion of Bhagavad-gita: Simply Chant Hare Krishna and go to the Supreme destination easily

and happily (Ref. Bg. 18.66 – “sarva dharman…”)

Highest Perfection of Life – Take shelter of the Supreme Omnipotent Godhead, Krishna

Bhagavad-gītā 12.8

↗
మయ్యేవ మన ఆధత్స్వ మయి బుద్ధిం నివేశయ । నివసిష్యసి మయ్యేవ అత ఊర్ధ్వం న సంశయ: ॥ ౮ ॥
mayy eva mana ādhatsva
[mayy eva mana aadhatsva]
mayi buddhiṁ niveśaya
[mayi buddhim niveshaya]
nivasiṣyasi mayy eva
[nivasishyasi mayy eva]
ata ūrdhvaṁ na saṁśayaḥ
[ata oordhvam na samshayah]
Word-for-word
mayi — upon Me eva — certainly manaḥ — mind ādhatsva — fix mayi — upon Me buddhim — intelligence niveśaya — apply nivasiṣyasi — you will live mayi — in Me eva — certainly ataḥ ūrdhvam — thereafter na — never saṁśayaḥ — doubt .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
mayy eva mana ādhatsva
mayi
upon Me
eva
certainly
manaḥ
mind
ādhatsva
fix
mayi buddhiṁ niveśaya
mayi
upon Me
buddhim
intelligence
niveśaya
apply
nivasiṣyasi mayy eva
nivasiṣyasi
you will live
mayi
in Me
eva
certainly
ata ūrdhvaṁ na saṁśayaḥ
ataḥ ūrdhvam
thereafter
na
never
saṁśayaḥ
doubt .
Important Words
  • ādhatsva — fix, place
    Imperative middle of ā-dhā, 'to place upon, set down.' Same root as ādhāna — the laying of the sacred fire. The mind is to be installed in Kṛṣṇa the way a Vedic flame is installed on an altar: deliberately, ritually, once.
  • niveśaya — apply, settle, cause to enter
    Causative imperative of ni-viś — 'cause to dwell.' Same root as niveśa (settlement). The intelligence is not visiting Kṛṣṇa; it is being settled in Him as a colonist settles in new land.
  • buddhim — intelligence
    Distinct from manas (mind). Kṛṣṇa names both faculties separately — the mind to fix, the intelligence to absorb — because each binds the soul to a different layer of the inner instrument.
  • nivasiṣyasi — you will live
    Future of ni-vas, 'to dwell.' Same root as nivāsa (residence). Place mind and intelligence in Him, and you will not merely think of Him — you will reside in Him. The verse promises a change of address.
  • ataḥ ūrdhvam — thereafter, from this point upward
    Ataḥ (from this) + ūrdhvam (upward). A temporal vector: from the moment of fixing, time flows upward. The phrase brackets the act of placement as a watershed event.
  • saṁśayaḥ — doubt
    From sam-śī, 'to lie on both sides at once.' Negated in the verse (na saṁśayaḥ) — Kṛṣṇa's signature seal of certainty, used at the close of many crucial instructions in the Gītā. He does not soften this with 'perhaps.' The verse is short because nothing further needs to be added.
Just fix your mind upon Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in Me always, without a doubt.
Purport

One who is engaged in Lord Kṛṣṇa’s devotional service lives in a direct relationship with the Supreme Lord, so there is no doubt that his position is transcendental from the very beginning. A devotee does not live on the material plane – he lives in Kṛṣṇa. The holy name of the Lord and the Lord are nondifferent; therefore when a devotee chants Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa and His internal potency are dancing on the tongue of the devotee. When he offers Kṛṣṇa food, Kṛṣṇa directly accepts these eatables, and the devotee becomes Kṛṣṇa-ized by eating the remnants. One who does not engage in such service cannot understand how this is so, although this is a process recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā and in other Vedic literatures.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
8. Concentrate your mind only on Me. Fix your intelligence on Me. You will attain residence with Me after leaving the body, without doubt.
Commentary

“Since bhakti is the best, please perform only bhakti.” He teaches this bhakti in three verses. The word eva excludes the impersonal aspect of the Lord. Concentrate your mind on Me only, remember only Me (mayy eva mana ādhatsva), that form of Śyāmasundara, with yellow cloth and forest garland—and not the impersonal Brahman. And also, fix your intelligence, which has the power of discrimination, upon Me. This means to continually reflect on the statements of scripture using intelligence, which will result in meditation. Such contemplation is called manana. Thus, you will attain residence near Me. Nivasiṣyasi is a poetic form of nivatsyasi (future of nivas) for metrical purpose.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
8. Concentrate your mind only on Me. Fix your intelligence on Me. You will without doubt attain residence with Me after leaving the body.
Commentary

Since this is so, concentrate your mind upon Me alone, not upon your ātmā (mayi eva ādhatsva). Offer your intellect to Me. Doing this, you will live very close Me, Kṛṣṇa (mayi). You are not like the saniṣṭha devotee, who, after realizing the enjoyments of svarga, attains Me in a majestic form (but not close to Me).

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

"In Me", means "Near Me".

In jnana one fixes his mind on the fact that he is the soul. In Krsna consciousness one fixes his mind on Krsna. This is the ultimate process of bhakti according to Srila Rupa Goswami: 'never forget Krsna'. This is the first stage: fixing one's mind upon Krsna. The second stage is:

[2. Practicing the regulative principles of bhakti yoga to increase one's desire and ability to remember and obtain Krsna.(9)]

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Perform devotional service by thinking exclusively of Krishna

Fix mind upon Me
Engage all your intelligence in Me
Benefit – You will ‘live in Me’ always without a doubt
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
12.8 Adhatsva, fix manah, the mind-possessed of the power of thinking and doubting; mayi, on Me, on God as the Cosmic Person; eva, alone. Mayi, in Me; eva, alone; nivesaya, rest; the buddhim, intellect, which engages in determining (things). Listen to what will happen to you thery: Na samsayah, there is no doubt-no doubt should be entertained with regard to this; that atah urdhvam, hereafter, after the fall of the body; nivasisyasi, you will dwell; mayi, in Me, live in identity withMe; eva, alone.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
12.8 'Focus your mind on Me alone,' on account of My being the unsurpassed end of human endeavour and on My being easily attainable without delay. Focus your mind in meditation on Me alone. Let your Buddhi 'enter into Me,' strengthened by the conviction that I alone am the supreme object to be attained. Then you will 'live in Me alone,' i.e., You will live in Me alone immediately after focusing your mind on Me by forming the conviction that I alone am the supreme object to be attained.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
12.6-8 Ye tu etc. upto asthitah. Those who renounce all (all actions) in Me according to the instruction related above - of them I am the redeemer from all the afflictions like obstacles [on the way to realisation] etc. The act of causing the mind to enter [into the Supreme] has been explained (under XII, 2 above). Therefore, this alone is the highest form of Yoga, because it is natural. Hence [I have said] in my Hymn : 'If, during [one's] concentration, reflecting with high esteem and remaining in a [particular] posture, and the best process (karana), a person causes a certain awakening to shine forth, that is not the Consciousness of Yours (i.e. of the Goddess) that rises up perennially and flows with its own (unadulterated) taste; for, here (in the former) too the presence of the triad is distinctly felt. On the other hand, when [glowing] without fuel; holding to its independence; following horripilation, [bodily] shake and tears, [all] breaking forth spontaneously; and clearly assuming the indifference [even] to the body; the awakening fire of Consciousness suddely shines, on its own accord simultaneously; then alone, O Goddess, that body of Yours, the mightly Lord (Mahesa) is realised - a body which is devoid of [all] supports, and which breaks the bondage of the dependent.' And so on.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
12.8 Fix thy mind in Me only, thy intellect in Me, (then) thou shalt no doubt live in Me alone hereafter.
Commentary

12.8 मयि in Me? एव only? मनः the mind? आधत्स्व fix? मयि in Me? बुद्धिम् (thy) intellect? निवेशय place? निवसिष्यसि thou shalt live? मयि in Me? एव alone? अतः ऊर्ध्वम् hereafter? न not? संशयः doubt.Commentary Fix thy mind means thy purposes and thoughts in Me the Lord in the Cosmic Form. Give up entirely all thoughts of sensual objects. Fix in Me thy intellect also -- the faculty which resolves and determines.What will be the result then Thou shalt undoubtedly live in Me as Myself. O Arjuna? of this there is no doubt whatsoever.The Yoga of meditation is described in this verse. (Cf.VIII.7X.9XI.34XVIII.65)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
12.8 Fix the mind on Me alone; in Me alone rest the intellect. There is no doubt that hereafter you will dwell in Me alone. [For the sake of metre, eva and atah (in the second line of the verse) are not joined together (to form evatah).]
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
12.8 Then let thy mind cling only to Me, let thy intellect abide in Me; and without doubt thou shalt live hereafter in Me alone.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 8.7 BG 9.34 BG 18.65 SB 2.1.5 SB 2.9.36 SB 11.14.27 CC Madhya 22.31 CC Madhya 22.128 CC Antya 6.237 Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.2.3BRS 1.2.234
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Just fix your mind upon Me; let your intelligence be absorbed in Me — thus you will live in Me always; do not doubt this.
Practical Applications
  • Apply the simple instruction: fix the mind, absorb the intelligence.
  • Don't add complexity; the verse is direct.
  • Treat 'do not doubt' as Kṛṣṇa's specific reassurance.
Reflection Questions
  • Where have I added complexity to a simple instruction?
  • What does 'just fix your mind' actually look like today?
Analogy

A child setting up house in his father's mansion does not need to negotiate a lease or memorize the deeds. He simply walks in, lays down his head, and lives there. Kṛṣṇa says the mind is exactly such a tenant: place it in Me, place the intelligence beside it, and from then on you live in Me. That is not metaphor; that is residency.

Stories
Prahlāda in his father's hall

Whether Hiraṇyakaśipu's guards were beating him, snakes were biting him, or elephants were trampling him, Prahlāda's mind never left Viṣṇu. School lessons could not pull it away; threats could not pull it away; even the moment of his father's death could not pull it away.

This is mayi eva manaḥ ādhatsva in lived form: the mind so placed in the Lord that no external pressure can dislodge it. Prahlāda did not 'visit' Kṛṣṇa in meditation — he resided there, exactly as this verse promises: nivasiṣyasi mayi eva.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

Bhagavad-gītā 12.9

↗
అథ చిత్తం సమాధాతుం న శక్న‍ోషి మయి స్థిరమ్ । అభ్యాసయోగేన తతో మామిచ్ఛాప్‍తుం ధనఞ్జయ ॥ ౯ ॥
atha cittaṁ samādhātuṁ
[atha chittam samaadhaatum]
na śaknoṣi mayi sthiram
[na shaknoshi mayi sthiram]
abhyāsa-yogena tato
[abhyaasa-yogena tato]
mām icchāptuṁ dhanañ-jaya
[maam ichchaaptum dhanan-jaya]
Word-for-word
atha — if, therefore cittam — mind samādhātum — to fix na — not śaknoṣi — you are able mayi — upon Me sthiram — steadily abhyāsa - yogena — by the practice of devotional service tataḥ — then mām — Me icchā — desire āptum — to get dhanam - jaya — O winner of wealth, Arjuna .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
atha cittaṁ samādhātuṁ
atha
if, therefore
cittam
mind
samādhātum
to fix
na śaknoṣi mayi sthiram
na
not
śaknoṣi
you are able
mayi
upon Me
sthiram
steadily
abhyāsa-yogena tato
abhyāsa - yogena
by the practice of devotional service
tataḥ
then
mām icchāptuṁ dhanañ-jaya
mām
Me
icchā
desire
āptum
to get
dhanam - jaya
O winner of wealth, Arjuna .
Important Words
  • cittam — mind, consciousness
    Distinct from manas and buddhi — citta is the deeper substrate where impressions (saṁskāras) accumulate. Kṛṣṇa addresses Arjuna at the level where habit, not just thought, is formed.
  • samādhātum — to fix, to settle in samādhi
    Infinitive of sam-ā-dhā. Same root as samādhi. Kṛṣṇa is not asking for casual attention — He names the high state that v.8 demanded, then accepts that Arjuna may not yet be capable of it.
  • sthiram — steadily, fixedly
    Adverb. The fixing must be steady; flickering will not do. The verse's whole logic is built around this missing steadiness — and the remedy supplied below.
  • abhyāsa - yogena — by the practice of devotional service
    Compound: abhyāsa (repeated practice) + yoga. Echoes 6.35 where Arjuna heard the same word for mind-control. Here abhyāsa is specifically the regulated daily program of bhakti — chanting, hearing, deity service — repeated until habit becomes nature.
  • icchā — desire
    Striking word. Kṛṣṇa does not say 'attain Me' but 'develop the desire to attain Me.' Even the wanting is a fruit of practice. First we practice; then we want; then we attain.
  • dhanam - jaya — winner of wealth, O Arjuna
    Kṛṣṇa addresses Arjuna by an epithet of conquest — the one who won wealth at the Rājasūya. The implication: the same disciplined practice that brought you military and material victory will work for spiritual victory too.
My dear Arjuna, O winner of wealth, if you cannot fix your mind upon Me without deviation, then follow the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga. In this way develop a desire to attain Me.
Purport

In this verse, two different processes of bhakti-yoga are indicated. The first applies to one who has actually developed an attachment for Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by transcendental love. And the other is for one who has not developed an attachment for the Supreme Person by transcendental love. For this second class there are different prescribed rules and regulations one can follow to be ultimately elevated to the stage of attachment to Kṛṣṇa. Bhakti-yoga is the purification of the senses. At the present moment in material existence the senses are always impure, being engaged in sense gratification. But by the practice of bhakti-yoga these senses can become purified, and in the purified state they come directly in contact with the Supreme Lord. In this material existence, I may be engaged in some service to some master, but I don’t really lovingly serve my master. I simply serve to get some money. And the master also is not in love; he takes service from me and pays me. So there is no question of love. But for spiritual life, one must be elevated to the pure stage of love. That stage of love can be achieved by practice of devotional service, performed with the present senses. This love of God is now in a dormant state in everyone’s heart. And, there, love of God is manifested in different ways, but it is contaminated by material association. Now the heart has to be purified of the material association, and that dormant, natural love for Kṛṣṇa has to be revived. That is the whole process. To practice the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga one should, under the guidance of an expert spiritual master, follow certain principles: one should rise early in the morning, take bath, enter the temple and offer prayers and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then collect flowers to offer to the Deity, cook foodstuffs to offer to the Deity, take prasādam, and so on. There are various rules and regulations which one should follow. And one should constantly hear Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from pure devotees. This practice can help anyone rise to the level of love of God, and then he is sure of his progress into the spiritual kingdom of God. This practice of bhakti-yoga, under the rules and regulations, with the direction of a spiritual master, will surely bring one to the stage of love of God.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
9. Otherwise, if you are not able to concentrate your mind on Me steadily, then seek to attain Me by the method of repetition of fixing your mind on Me, O conqueror of wealth.
Commentary

The Lord then speaks of a method to attain the state of remembrance mentioned above, if one is unable to remember the Lord with no preparation. Repeatedly withdrawing the mind when it goes here and there, and fixing the mind on Me is called abhyāsa. By this method of abhyāsa (abhyāsa-yogena), endeavor to attain Me. In common words, this means, “Stop the movement of mind, which like a river cannot be controlled, and which gravitates to vulgar sense objects such as taste, and establish the mind’s movement in My beautiful form and taste. O Dhanaṣjaya, having conquered many enemies, you have taken much wealth. Now, conquering the mind, you can take the treasure of meditation.”

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
9. Otherwise, if you are not able to concentrate your mind on Me steadily, then seek to attain Me by the method of withdrawing the mind from sense objects and fixing it on Me, O conqueror of wealth.
Commentary

“Those who can check the movements of the mind which are like the Gaṅgā will certainly attain You quickly. But I do not have such abilities. How can I attain such such power of mind?” If you cannot offer (ādhātum) your full consciousness with complete ease (sam) to Me in such a way that it is steady (sthiram), then try (iccha) to attain Me by the fixation method. Withdrawing the mind which wanders to other objects, gradually fix it in Me, and practice this repeatedly (abhyāsa yogena) When your mind becomes devoted to Me by this method, attaining Me will be easy.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

There are different ways to explain these progressions. These one means that if one cannot fix one's mind upon Krsna without deviation, always be practicing, engaged in sadhana, in such that one is always practicing to fix his mind upon Krsna without deviation. There is perfection and then practice ‑ 'abhyasa‑yogena'. (DS) 'Abhyasa‑yogena', the practice of the regulative principles of bhakti‑yoga. This doesn't mean the practice of the four regulative principles, but the practice of fixing one's mind upon Krsna without deviation. The first stage is out of spontaneous love for Krsna. The second stage is by practicing fixing the mind upon Krsna. This means to fight with the mind: never forget Krsna and always remember Him. In B.r.s. an example is given to show how love for Krsna is something that is already there in the heart, is inherent. Like the child and his propensity for walking. That capacity is in the child and will come out by practice. Devotional service is not the practice of something that one don't know, like practicing to learn musical instruments. Rather it is a practice of something that is inherent within oneself. In the same way the capacity to love Krsna is there within one's heart and it will come out by practicing to serve Krsna. Practice means with mind, body and words. In B.r.s. it is explained that the 'svarupa laksana' or the prime symptoms of bhakti are: 'Krsnanusilanam' and 'anukulyena'. Krsna means Krsna, His expansions ‑ the object of love. 'Anusilanam' means 'activity' for Krsna with body mind and words. And with practice one comes to the stage of constantly thinking of Krsna without deviation. This second stage is 'sadhana bhakti' where all activities are meant to stimulate thoughts of Krsna.

[3. Surrendering one's work to Krsna. (10) ]

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study Key verse
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

If one cannot perform devotional service as per 12.8 (fixing one’s Mind on Krishna without deviation)

then practice ‘’Sadhana’’

Follow the regulative principles of Bhakti-yoga
Benefit – Develop a desire to attain ‘Me’
Focus of Learning

(a) Devotee is transcendental from very beginning – Lives in Krishna without a doubt

In devotional service one lives in direct relationship with Supreme Lord
Not lives on a material plane, but lives in Krishna
When one chants the Holy name (Holy Name and Krishna are non-different ), Krishna and internal potency dances on the tongue
When the devotee honours prasadam he becomes ‘Krishna-ized’

(b) Service gives realizations – One who does not engage in such service, cannot understand how it is

possible, although the process is there in the Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic literatures

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
12.9 Atha, if, however; na saknosi, you are unable; samadhatum, to establish, in this way as I have described; cittam, the mind; sthiram, steadily, unwaveringly; mayi, on Me; tatah, then; O Dhananjaya, iccha, seek, pray; aptum, to attain; mam, Me, as the Cosmic person; abhyasa-yogena, through the Yoga of Practice. Practice consists in repeatedly fixing the mind on a single object by withdrawing it from everything else. The yoga following from this, and consisting in concentration of the mind, is abhyasa-yoga.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
12.9 Now, if you are unable to focus your mind immediately on Me in deep meditation, then seek to reach Me by the 'practice of repetition (Abhyasa Yoga)'. By the repeated practice of remembrance full of immense love, concentrate your mind on Me the ocean of manifold attributes innate to Me like, beauty, affability, friendliness, affection, compassion, sweetness, majesty, magnanimity, heroism, valour, might, omniscience, freedom from wants, unfailing resolves, sovereignty over all, being the cause of all etc., and being antagonistic to all that is evil. All these attributes are of unlimited excellence in the Supreme Person.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
12.9 Atha etc. to cause the mind [to enter into the Lord] is hard to achieve without the descent of the Lord's Grace with greater force, and without the favour of the revered preceptors, pleased [by services etc.] for a considerable period of time. Hence, practice [is prescribed].
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
12.9 If thou art unable to fix thy mind steadily on Me, then by the Yoga of constant practice do thou seek to reach Me, O Arjuna.
Commentary

12.9 अथ if? चित्तम् the mind? समाधातुम् to fix? न not? शक्नोषि (thou) art able? मयि in Me? स्थिरम् steadily? अभ्यासयोगेन by the Yoga of constant practice? ततः them? माम् Me? इच्छ wish? आप्तुम् to reach? धनञ्जय O Arjuna.Commentary Abhyasa Yoga Abhyasa is constant practice to steady the mind and fix it on one point the practice of repeatedly withdrawing the mind from all sorts of sensual objects and fixing it again and again on one particular object or the Self. The constant effort to separate or detach oneself from the illusory five sheaths and identify oneself with the Atman is also Abhyasa. If you are not able to fix your mind and intellect wholly on the Lord all the time? then do it for some time at least. If your mind wanders much? try to fix it on the Lord through the continous practice of remembrance. Resort to the worship of the images of God? feeling His Living Presence in them. This will also help you.Why did Lord Krishna address Arjuna by the name Dhananjaya here Surely there is some significance. Arjuna conered many people and brought immense wealth for the Rajasuya Yajna performed by Yudhishthira. For such a man of great powers and splendour? it is not difficult to coner this mind? and obtain the spiritual wealth of knowledge of the Self. This is what Lord Krishna meant when He addressed Arjuna by the name Dhananjaya.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
12.9 If, however, you are unable to establish the mind steadily on Me, then, O Dhananjaya, seek to attain Me through the Yoga of Practice.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
12.9 But if thou canst not fix thy mind firmly on Me, then, My beloved friend, try to do so by constant practice.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 6.35 BG 8.8 BG 12.12 SB 7.5.23 SB 11.3.23 SB 11.11.32 CC Madhya 22.108 CC Madhya 22.128 CC Madhya 24.330 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.3BRS 1.2.2
Sciences essays referencing this verse
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
If you cannot fix the mind on Me without deviation, follow the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga — by which the desire to attain Me develops.
Practical Applications
  • Honor the gradation; if direct fixity fails, take the next step down.
  • Use regulated bhakti-yoga (chanting, deity-worship, hearing) as the means.
  • Don't despair at not yet being able to fix directly.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I despair instead of stepping down to a gentler practice?
  • What regulated practice am I underusing?
Analogy

If a child cannot yet write the letter in one sweep of the pen, the teacher hands him the dotted outline and tells him to trace it daily. The straight line will come, in time, from the patient retracing. Kṛṣṇa hands Arjuna the dotted outline of bhakti — its daily regulations — when the free hand is not yet steady.

Stories
Nārada Muni's previous life

In a former birth, the boy who would become Nārada was the son of a maidservant. When wandering Vaiṣṇavas spent the rainy season in his master's house, he served them their remnants and listened to their kīrtana. He could not 'fix his mind' on Kṛṣṇa freely — but the daily regulation of serving and hearing did the fixing for him.

By the next life he was Nārada, traveling the three worlds with the vīṇā. The Bhāgavatam tells the story precisely as Kṛṣṇa prescribes this verse: abhyāsa-yoga lifted a boy who could not yet hold the mind into the very Lord he could not yet see.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

Bhagavad-gītā 12.10

↗
అభ్యాసేఽప్యసమర్థోఽసి మత్కర్మపరమో భవ । మదర్థమపి కర్మాణి కుర్వన్సిద్ధిమవాప్స్యసి ॥ ౧౦ ॥
abhyāse ’py asamartho ’si
[abhyaase ’py asamartho ’si]
mat-karma-paramo bhava
[mat-karma-paramo bhava]
mad-artham api karmāṇi
[mad-artham api karmaani]
kurvan siddhim avāpsyasi
[kurvan siddhim avaapsyasi]
Word-for-word
abhyāse — in practice api — even if asamarthaḥ — unable asi — you are mat - karma — My work paramaḥ — dedicated to bhava — become mat - artham — for My sake api — even karmāṇi — work kurvan — performing siddhim — perfection avāpsyasi — you will achieve .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
abhyāse ’py asamartho ’si
abhyāse
in practice
mat-karma-paramo bhava
api
even if
mad-artham api karmāṇi
kurvan siddhim avāpsyasi
asamarthaḥ
unable
asi
you are
mat - karma
My work
paramaḥ
dedicated to
bhava
become
mat - artham
for My sake
api
even
karmāṇi
work
kurvan
performing
siddhim
perfection
avāpsyasi
you will achieve .
Important Words
  • abhyāse — in regulated practice
    Picks up the word from v.9 only to set it aside. Kṛṣṇa systematically descends a staircase of methods; each step names the previous and concedes that some hearers will not be able to climb it.
  • asamarthaḥ — unable
    Negation of samartha, 'capable.' Kṛṣṇa keeps acknowledging incapacity — and keeps offering a lower rung. The structure of the chapter is an act of mercy in grammar.
  • mat - karma — work for Me
    Compound: mat (Me, genitive sense) + karma (work). Not karma in general, but karma whose explicit recipient is Kṛṣṇa. The work is unchanged; the dative changes everything.
  • paramaḥ — dedicated, holding as supreme
    Same root as v.6-7's mat-parāḥ. The work must be one's supreme orientation — not a hobby alongside other allegiances. One supreme object, many possible activities.
  • mat - artham — for My sake
    Compound with -artham suffix, 'for the purpose of Me.' Sanskrit's clean way of pointing the action's purpose-arrow at Kṛṣṇa. The work is identified by where its arrow points.
  • siddhim — perfection
    From sidh — the same word used for the eight yogic siddhis and for liberation itself. Kṛṣṇa uses it without qualification: by working for Him, you will achieve siddhi. Not 'a kind of progress' — perfection.
If you cannot practice the regulations of bhakti-yoga, then just try to work for Me, because by working for Me you will come to the perfect stage.
Purport

One who is not able even to practice the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga, under the guidance of a spiritual master, can still be drawn to this perfectional stage by working for the Supreme Lord. How to do this work has already been explained in the fifty-fifth verse of the Eleventh Chapter. One should be sympathetic to the propagation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There are many devotees who are engaged in the propagation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and they require help. So, even if one cannot directly practice the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga, he can try to help such work. Every endeavor requires land, capital, organization and labor. Just as in business one requires a place to stay, some capital to use, some labor and some organization to expand, so the same is required in the service of Kṛṣṇa. The only difference is that in materialism one works for sense gratification. The same work, however, can be performed for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, and that is spiritual activity. If one has sufficient money, he can help in building an office or temple for propagating Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Or he can help with publications. There are various fields of activity, and one should be interested in such activities. If one cannot sacrifice the results of his activities, the same person can still sacrifice some percentage to propagate Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This voluntary service to the cause of Kṛṣṇa consciousness will help one to rise to a higher state of love for God, whereupon one becomes perfect.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
10. If you are unable to practice in this manner, then perform transcendental services for Me. Performing activities for My pleasure, you will attain perfection.
Commentary

“As the tongue contaminated by jaundice does not like sugar candy, so the mind contaminated by ignorance does not accept Your form, even though it is sweet. Therefore, it is not possible for me to combat this very strong, uncontrollable mind.” “If you should think in this way, then I answer with these words.” “Become engaged in My supreme activities, in activities meant for the highest benefit (mat-karma-paramaḥ). Doing services (karmāṇi kurvan) such as hearing and singing about Me, bowing to Me, worshiping Me, sweeping and washing My temple, picking flowers, [Note: These are external activities of bhakti.] even without remembrance of Me as previously described, you will attain perfection (siddhim), characterized by being one of My associates in prema.”

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
10. If you are unable to practice in this manner, then perform your activities for Me, taking that as the goal of your life. Performing activities for My pleasure, you will attain association with Me.
Commentary

“As the mind is fickle like the wind, I do not have the power to restrain it.” If you cannot gradually fix the mind by practice, be a person whose activities, being offered to Me, lead to the highest goal (mat karma paramaḥ). Such activities were previously described as building My temple and watering My flower garden. [Note: This was mentioned in chapter eleven, verse 55: mat karma kṛt.] When you do these activities which are easily performed on My behalf, by the power of directing all those activities to My very attractive form, your mind will become absorbed in Me, that attractive form, and you will attain a position close to Me (siddhim). By this method one can very easily attain Me.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

This stage is: just work for Krsna. Working for Krsna is when one gives up his work and do what Krsna wants him to do. If one does that, he will come to the perfect stage of always thinking about Krsna. If one is not advanced enough to be always thinking of Krsna, then he should practice thinking of Krsna. But if he cannot even do that then he should work for Krsna. This would be 'niskama karma‑yoga'

[4. Surrendering to Krsna the results of one's work. (11) ]

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

If you cannot practice 12.9 (practicing the regulations of Bhakti-Yoga) then

Engage all external senses for working for Krishna
Work for Krishna
Benefit – You will come to the perfect stage
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
12.10 If asamarthah asi, you are unable; api, even; abhyase, to practise; then, bhava, be; mat-karma-paramah, intent on works for Me-works (karma) meant for Me (mat) are mat-karma-i.e., you be such that works meant for Me become most important to you. In the absence of Practice, api, even; kurvan, by undertaking; karmani, works alone; madartham, for Me; avapsyasi, you will attain; siddhim, perfection-by gradually aciring purification of mind, concentration and Knowledge.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
12.10 If you are incapable of practising remembrance in the above manner, then devote yourself to 'My deeds.' Such devotional acts consist in the construction of temples, laying out temple gardens, lighting up lamps therein, sweeping, sprinkling water and plastering the floor of holy shrines, gathering flowers, engaging in My worship, chanting My names, circumambulating My temples, praising Me, prostrating before Me etc. Do these with great affection. Even performing such works which are exceedingly dear to Me, you will, before long, get your mind steadily focused on Me as through the practice of repetitions, and will gain perfection through attaining Me.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
12.10 Abhyase'pi etc. The constant practice too becomes impossible due to the predominance of the obstacles etc. In that case, in order to eradicate them, you should perform actions like worship, repetition [of the Lord's name etc.], recitation [of scriptures], offering oblations, etc.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
12.10 If thou art unable to practise even this Abhyasa Yoga, be thou intent on doing actions for My sake; even by doing actions for My sake, thou shalt attain perfection.
Commentary

12.10 अभ्यासे in practice? अपि also? असमर्थः not capable? असि (thou) art? मत्कर्मपरमः intent on doing actions for My sake? भव be? मदर्थम् for My sake? अपि also? कर्माणि actions? कुर्वन् by doing? सिद्धिम् perfection? अवाप्स्यसि thou shalt attain.Commentary Even if thou doest mee actions for My sake without practising Yoga thou shalt attain perfection. Thou shalt first attain purity of mind? then Yoga (concentration and meditation)? then knowledge and then ultimately perfection (Moksha or liberation). Serving humanity with Narayana Bhava (feeling that one is serving the Lord in all) is also doing actions for the sake of the Lord. such service should go hand in hand with worship of God and meditation.If you are not able to practise the Yoga of meditation mentioned in verse 8 or the Yoga of constant practice mentioned in verse 9? hear the glorious stories connected with the Lord by attending religious discourses? conducted by the devotees of the Lord? sing Kirtan and the praises of the Lord.Practise the nine kinds of Bhagavata Dharma (the nine modes of devotion). viz.? (1) hearing the Lilas (glorious and divine sports) of the Lord (Sravana)? (2) singing His Names (Kirtana)? (3) constant remembrance of the Lord and constant repetition of His Names or Mantras (Smarana)? (4) service of His feet (Padasevana)? (5) offering flowers in worship (Archana)? (6) doing prostrations to the Lord (Vandana)? (7) becoming His servant (Dasya)? (8) friendship with Him (Sakhya)? and (9) doing total selfsurrender to the Lord (Atmanivedana). (Cf.III.19XI.55)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
12.10 If you are unable even to practise, be intent on works for Me. By undertaking works for Me as well, you will attain perfection. [Identity with Brahman.]
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
12.10 And if thou are not strong enough to practise concentration, then devote thyself to My service, do all thine acts for My sake, and thou shalt still attain the goal.
Related values & verses
Primary values
Seva (Service / Selfless Action)
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)
Related verses
BG 3.19 BG 9.27 BG 18.46 SB 1.2.13 SB 11.14.21 SB 11.29.9 CC Madhya 19.170 CC Madhya 22.141 CC Antya 4.67 Īśa Upaniṣad 1 BRS 1.2.255
Concepts
Bhava
Sciences essays referencing this verse
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
If you cannot follow regulative principles, work for Me — by performing work for Me, you will come to perfection.
Practical Applications
  • Honor the next gradation: working for Kṛṣṇa.
  • Make even ordinary work an offering when meditation is hard.
  • Don't disqualify yourself; there is always a level open.
Reflection Questions
  • What work could I most easily reframe as 'for Kṛṣṇa'?
  • What stops me from doing so?
Analogy

A servant who cannot yet sit at his master's feet and contemplate his face can still polish his shoes, sweep his courtyard, prepare his food. The work itself, done for the master, draws the mind toward him. Kṛṣṇa lowers the rung again: if regulated practice is beyond reach, just work — for Me.

Stories
Hanumān's bridge

While Rāma sat in council and Lakṣmaṇa stood watch, Hanumān leapt the ocean, scouted Laṅkā, and led the vānaras who hauled boulders for the bridge. He did not meditate his way to Rāma; he carried stones for Him.

Every rock placed in the sea was japa for Hanumān. By the time the bridge was complete, his mind had no other content. This is mat-karma-paramaḥ in stone and sweat — perfection achieved not in spite of the work but precisely through the work, done for the Lord's sake.

Arjuna himself

Arjuna is being prescribed his own future on the battlefield. He cannot, this morning, fix his mind in samādhi; he cannot follow the full regulations of bhakti-yoga in the middle of an army. But he can fight for Kṛṣṇa — and that, Kṛṣṇa says, is enough for perfection.

The Gītā's whole denouement at 18.73 — 'I will do as You say' — is the ripening of this single verse's seed.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

Bhagavad-gītā 12.11

↗
అథైతదప్యశక్తోఽసి కర్తుం మద్యోగమాశ్రిత: । సర్వకర్మఫలత్యాగం తత: కురు యతాత్మవాన్ ॥ ౧౧ ॥
athaitad apy aśakto ’si
[athaitad apy ashakto ’si]
kartuṁ mad-yogam āśritaḥ
[kartum mad-yogam aashritah]
sarva-karma-phala-tyāgaṁ
[sarva-karma-phala-tyaagam]
tataḥ kuru yatātmavān
[tatah kuru yataatmavaan]
Word-for-word
atha — even though etat — this api — also aśaktaḥ — unable asi — you are kartum — to perform mat — unto Me yogam — in devotional service āśritaḥ — taking refuge sarva - karma — of all activities phala — of the results tyāgam — renunciation tataḥ — then kuru — do yata - ātma - vān — self-situated .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
athaitad apy aśakto ’si
atha
even though
etat
this
api
also
aśaktaḥ
unable
kartuṁ mad-yogam āśritaḥ
asi
you are
sarva-karma-phala-tyāgaṁ
kartum
to perform
mat
unto Me
yogam
in devotional service
āśritaḥ
taking refuge
sarva - karma
of all activities
phala
of the results
tyāgam
renunciation
tataḥ kuru yatātmavān
tataḥ
then
kuru
do
yata - ātma - vān
self-situated .
Important Words
  • aśaktaḥ — unable
    Same semantic field as v.10's asamarthaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is willing to use synonym after synonym for 'unable,' because the staircase of mercy must accommodate every grade of hearer.
  • yogam — devotional service unto Me
    Paired in the verse with mat ('unto Me') — Kṛṣṇa-yoga, not yoga abstractly. The verse acknowledges that even working-for-Me may be beyond a hearer, and offers a still-lower entry point.
  • āśritaḥ — taking refuge in
    Past participle of ā-śri, 'to take shelter.' Even at this lower rung, refuge is the operative word. The renunciation of fruits is itself a kind of shelter — one has stopped trying to be the one who guarantees outcomes.
  • sarva - karma — of all activities
    Compound: sarva (all) + karma (activities). The 'all' is essential. Pairs with phala in the verse: every fruit of every action is the object of tyāga — not selectively the bitter ones, not selectively the sweet.
  • phala — of the results
    The verse's hinge object. The activities (karma) continue; their phala is what gets renounced. Right placement of tyāga: not on the doing, but on the harvest.
  • tyāgam — renunciation
    Same root as tyāga, the operative word of chapter 18. Note the precise object: tyāga of phala, not tyāga of karma. The activity continues; only the proprietorship over its harvest is released.
  • yata - ātma - vān — self-controlled, possessing a restrained self
    Compound: yata (restrained) + ātma (self) + vat (possessing). The fruit-renouncer is not careless — he is self-restrained, because letting go of phala requires real inner work. This is not laziness in disguise.
If, however, you are unable to work in this consciousness of Me, then try to act giving up all results of your work and try to be self-situated.
Purport

It may be that one is unable even to sympathize with the activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness because of social, familial or religious considerations or because of some other impediments. If one attaches himself directly to the activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there may be objections from family members, or so many other difficulties. For one who has such a problem, it is advised that he sacrifice the accumulated result of his activities to some good cause. Such procedures are described in the Vedic rules. There are many descriptions of sacrifices and special functions for the full-moon day, and there is special work in which the result of one’s previous action may be applied. Thus one may gradually become elevated to the state of knowledge. It is also found that when one who is not even interested in the activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness gives charity to some hospital or some other social institution, he gives up the hard-earned results of his activities. That is also recommended here because by the practice of giving up the fruits of one’s activities one is sure to purify his mind gradually, and in that purified stage of mind one becomes able to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Of course, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not dependent on any other experience, because Kṛṣṇa consciousness itself can purify one’s mind, but if there are impediments to accepting Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one may try to give up the results of his actions. In that respect, social service, community service, national service, sacrifice for one’s country, etc., may be accepted so that some day one may come to the stage of pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord. In Bhagavad-gītā (18.46) we find it is stated, yataḥ pravṛttir bhūtānām: if one decides to sacrifice for the supreme cause, even if he does not know that the supreme cause is Kṛṣṇa, he will come gradually to understand that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme cause by the sacrificial method.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
11. If you cannot do this, take shelter of dedicating all prescribed actions to Me. While controlling your mind, act with detachment from the results of the work.
Commentary

If you are unable to do this, then taking shelter of the process of offering all your actions to Me (mad-yogam āśritaḥ), give up all the results of your actions as described in the first six chapters (karma-yoga). The meaning is this. In the first six chapters, the Lord spoke of niṣkāma-karma-yoga offered to the Lord, a method to attain liberation. In the second six chapters, the Lord spoke of bhakti-yoga, the method of gaining the Lord Himself. Bhakti-yoga has two types: being fixed in bhakti through internal senses, and being fixed in bhakti through external senses. The first type of bhakti, using internal senses, has three sub categories: smaraṇa ātmika and manana ātmika (mentioned in verse 8, using mind and intellect), and for those who desire remembrance, but cannot do continual remembrance, practice of the above, called abhyāsa-rūpa (verse 9). These three are difficult for a person with poor intelligence, and easy to perform for one with good intellect and no offenses. The second type, relying on external senses, is composed of hearing and chanting (verse 10). It is easy to perform for everyone. Those who are qualified for performing both methods (internal and external) are most outstanding. This was stated in the second six chapters. Those who cannot do this, who do not have faith in fixing the senses on the Lord, those who are qualified for niṣkāma-karma offered to the Lord as mentioned in the first six chapters of the Gītā , are in an inferior position to the devotees (verse 11).

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
11. If you cannot do this, take shelter of My protective nature. While controlling your mind, act with detachment from the results of the work.
Commentary

If you or others are not able to do these activities, such as cleaning My temple, which are very easy and pleasing to Me, if you are prevented by obstacles such as being the leader of a great family, take shelter of My protective nature (mad yogam āśritaḥ), and perform all activities which are to be performed with renunciation of the results, with controlled mind (yatātmavān). By performance of fire sacrifice and full moon sacrifices devoid of desire for results which are form of worship of Me, knowledge arises within the person like the lotus arising from the muddy water. One realizes ones position and paramātmā’s position as servant and master, and then realizes the supreme position of the Lord. Gradually supreme bhakti will manifest. The Lord will later say: yataḥ pravṛttir bhūtānāṁ yena sarvam idaṁ tatam sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya siddhiṁ vindati mānavaḥ By worship of the Lord, who is the source of all beings and who is all-pervading, through performing his own duties, a man can attain perfection. BG 18.46 mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām He will then attain supreme bhakti to Me. BG 18. 54

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

This means 'sakama karma'. One keeps the work that he is attached to but he gives the results to Krsna. (DS) The verses 8 and 9 deal with a more internal process of Krsna consciousness. Either always think of Krsna or try to think of Krsna. The verse 10 it is also for Krsna. Externally work for Krsna. The verse 11, if he cannot think always of Krsna or try to think of Him, or work externally for Him, then at least give Krsna the results of his work.

[5. Cultivating meditation or knowledge. (12) ]

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

If you cannot practice 12.10 (Working in consciousness of Krishna) then

Try to give up all results of your work and be self-situated

FOCUS OF LEARNING IN 12.11

(a) Reasons – One may be unable to sympathize for Krishna conscious acts because of social, familial,

religious considerations or any other impediments

(b) What is the hope/recommendation for them – Sacrifice the accumulated results to some good

cause

Focus of Learning

(a) How to perform work for Krishna – based on Bg. 11.55

Sympathetic to propagation to Krishna consciousness
e.g. Every endeavor needs land, capital, organization, labor like in any other business
e.g. Can build a temple / Help in publication

(b) If one cannot sacrifice results of his activities, at least sacrifice some percentage of his results

(a) Text 12.8 vs. Text 12.9 – Text 12.8 refers to those who have already developed attachment to

Krishna and 12.9 refers to those who have not developed

(b) Definition of ‘bhakti-yoga’ – bhakti-yoga is the “purification of the senses” by prescribed rules

and regulations

Material existence – Senses engaged in sense gratification
Bhakti-yoga – Senses when engaged in direct contact with Supreme Lord are purified.

(c) Service in spiritual existence is the ‘platform of pure love’

In contrast – Service in material existence – One serves some master but there is no love; only wants some salary

(d) How to achieve that stage of pure love – Practice devotional service with present senses

(e) Is “Love” an external imposition – No

Love is dormant in all
Heart is contaminated by material association

(f) How to follow regulations of devotional service – Guidance of spiritual master / rise early / enter

temple and offer prayers / chant Hare Krishna / offer flowers to Deities / cook for the Deities,

honour prasadam, constant hearing of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam from pure devotees

(g) Qualifications to practice –‘Anyone’ can practice;

(h) Guarantee of success – There is surity of love of Godhead

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
12.11 Atha, if, again; asaktah asi, you are unable; kartum, to do; etat api, even this-what was stated as being 'intent on doing works for Me'; in that case, mad-yogam-asritah, having resorted to the Yoga for Me-the performance of those works that are being done by dedicating them to Me is madyogah; by resorting to that Yoga for Me; tatah, thereafter; sarva-karma-phala-tyagam kuru, renounce, give up, the results of all works; by becoming yata-atmavan, controlled in mind. [In the earlier verse it was enjoined that all works, be they Vedic or secular, are to be considered as belonging to God and should be done for Him-not for oneself-, as a soldier would do for his king. In the present verse it is stated that the attitude should be, 'May this work of mine please God.' This very attitude involves dedicating of results to God. See S. According to M.S., mat-karma in the earlier verse means bhagavata-dharma, i.e. hearing, singing, etc. about God. In the present verse, sarva-karma means all works in general.-Tr.] Now the Lord praises the renunciation of the results of all works:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
12.11 If you are unable to do even this 'taking refuge in My Yoga,' i.e., if you are unable even to do actions for My sake, which forms the sprout of Bhakti Yoga, wherein through meditation I am made the exclusive and sole object of love - then you should resort to Aksara Yoga described in the first six chapters. It consists in contemplation on the nature of the individual self. This engenders devotion to the Lord. As a means for practice of this (Aksara Yoga), renounce the fruit of every action. The state of mind that holds Me as the only worthy object of attainment and love arises only when all the sins of an aspirant are destroyed without exception. 'One with a controlled mind' means one with the mind subdued. When the individual self is visualised to be of the nature of a Sesa (subsidiary) to the Lord, and when the veil of nescience consisting in identifying the self with the body is removed by contemplation on the self generated through the performance of works without attachment to the fruits and with My propitiation as the sole objective - then supreme Bhakti to Me will originate by itself. [The point driven home is this: It is nescience that stands between the Jiva and the Lord. This nescience consists in identification of the self with the body. It is through works done without an eye on their fruits but exclusively as an offering to the Lord, that this nescience is removed. Thus Karma Yoga is the sprout of self-realisation, and of Bhakti. On the nescience being removed, the knowledge that one (i.e., the Jiva) is a Sesa (an absolutely dependent liege) of the Lord, dawns on the Jiva. Such knowledge generates exclusive devotion or Bhakti accompanied by Prapatti. Or if the Jiva gets immersed in Its own bliss, It will attain Kaivalya.] In the same manner, Sri Krsna will further show in the text beginning with 'By worshipping Him with his work will a man reach perfection' (18.46) and ending with 'Forsaking the feeling of "I" and with no feeling of "mine" and tranil, one becomes worthy of the state of Brahman. Having realised the state of Brahman, tranil, he neither grieves nor craves. Regarding all beings alike, he attains supreme devotion to Me' (18.53-54).
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
12.11 Atha etc. In case due to ignorance, you do not know the method, enjoined in the scriptures and hence you are not able to perform actions for the Lord, then renounce (dedicate) all that to Me, through offering your own self [to Me]. This is the intention [here]. Holding the same intention, I have myself declared in the Laghuprakriya as : 'Whatever action I have done, whether it is incomplete or superfluous, not properly understood, bereft of a proper order of precedence, devoid of [good] care, and full of slip of intellect; O Lord of All ! Please, with mercy forgive all these of me, the afflicted and foolish devotee of Yours; for you are compassionate; With this prayer-Yoga, I offer myself to You [so that] I do not become a receptacle of miseries again unnecessarily.' the same idea may be observed in the scriptural texts of the Siddhanta [system] - that have the Supreme Lord as their subject matter - while they speak of offering oneself [to the Lord]. The same purport is summed up -
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
12.11 If thou art unable to do even this, then, resorting to union with Me, renounce the fruits of all actions with the self controlled.
Commentary

12.11 अथ if? एतत् this? अपि also? अशक्तः unable? असि (thou) art? कर्तुम् to do? मद्योगम् My Yoga? आश्रितः resorting to? सर्वकर्मफलत्यागम् the renunciation of the fruits of all actions? ततः then? कुरु do? यतात्मवान् selfcontrolled.Commentary This is the easiest path. If thou art unable to perform actions for My sake? if thou canst not even be intent on My service? if thou art unable to practise the Bhagavata Dharmas? if thous wishest to do actions impelled by personal desires? then do thou perform them (for your sake from a sense of duty) renouncing them all in Me and also abandon the fruits of all actions? at the same time practising selfcontrol.In verse 8 the Yoga of meditation is prescribed for advanced students in verse 9 the Yoga of constant practice if one finds that? too? to be difficult? the performance of actions for the sake of the Lord alone has been taught in verse 10 and those who cannot do even this are asked to abandon the fruits of all actions.Madyogam My Yoga. Surrendering all actions and their fruits to Me is My Yoga.Yatatmavan The man of discrimination who has controlled all the senses? who has withdrawn the senses from sound? touch? form? taste and smell.Now the Lord eulogises the renunciation of the fruits of all actions in order to encourage the aspirants to practise the Yoga of renunciation of the fruits of actions.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
12.11 If you are unable to do even this, in that case, having resorted to the Yoga for Me, thereafter renounce the results of all works by becoming controlled in mind.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
12.11 And if thou art too weak even for this, then seek refuge in union with Me, and with perfect self-control renounce the fruit of thy action.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)
Related verses
BG 2.47 BG 4.20 BG 5.12 SB 1.2.8 SB 3.32.34 SB 11.20.9 CC Madhya 19.149 CC Madhya 22.9 CC Madhya 24.87 Īśa Upaniṣad 2 BRS 1.2.261
Sciences essays referencing this verse
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
If you cannot work for Me, then take refuge in Me — renouncing the fruits of your work, with the self in equilibrium.
Practical Applications
  • Honor the most accessible step: renouncing fruits.
  • Make this your minimum daily commitment.
  • Trust that the lowest step still progresses.
Reflection Questions
  • What fruit am I gripping most tightly right now?
  • What would minimum-step renunciation look like?
Analogy

A merchant who cannot yet hand his entire shop to the Lord can at least stop checking his ledger at midnight. Begin by not pocketing tomorrow's outcome. Kṛṣṇa drops another rung: if you cannot work for Me, at least drop the fruits — turn the same activity into an offering by releasing what comes back.

Stories
Yudhiṣṭhira at the Aśvamedha

After the war, when Yudhiṣṭhira's brothers urged him to perform the Aśvamedha sacrifice, he had little appetite for kingdom or glory; the dead were still on his conscience. He performed the great yajña with all its splendor — and claimed nothing of its renown for himself.

The Bhāgavatam reports the famous mongoose at the close, whose half-golden body remained unchanged even by Yudhiṣṭhira's massive yajña, because earlier a poor brāhmaṇa family had given their last meal to a guest. The story illustrates this verse exactly: external scale matters less than internal phala-tyāga.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

Bhagavad-gītā 12.12

↗
శ్రేయో హి జ్ఞానమభ్యాసాజ్జ్ఞానాద్ధ్యానం విశిష్యతే । ధ్యానాత్కర్మఫలత్యాగస్త్యాగాచ్ఛాన్తిరనన్తరమ్ ॥ ౧౨ ॥
śreyo hi jñānam abhyāsāj
[shreyo hi jnaanam abhyaasaaj]
jñānād dhyānaṁ viśiṣyate
[jnaanaad dhyaanam vishishyate]
dhyānāt karma-phala-tyāgas
[dhyaanaat karma-phala-tyaagas]
tyāgāc chāntir anantaram
[tyaagaach chaantir anantaram]
Word-for-word
śreyaḥ — better hi — certainly jñānam — knowledge abhyāsāt — than practice jñānāt — than knowledge dhyānam — meditation viśiṣyate — is considered better dhyānāt — than meditation karma - phala - tyāgaḥ — renunciation of the results of fruitive action tyāgāt — by such renunciation śāntiḥ — peace anantaram — thereafter .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śreyo hi jñānam abhyāsāj
śreyaḥ
better
hi
certainly
jñānam
knowledge
abhyāsāt
than practice
jñānād dhyānaṁ viśiṣyate
jñānāt
than knowledge
dhyānam
meditation
viśiṣyate
is considered better
dhyānāt karma-phala-tyāgas
dhyānāt
than meditation
karma - phala - tyāgaḥ
renunciation of the results of fruitive action
tyāgāt
by such renunciation
śāntiḥ
peace
tyāgāc chāntir anantaram
anantaram
thereafter .
Important Words
  • śreyaḥ — better, more beneficial
    Comparative of śrī. The verse uses the word three times implicitly, ascending a ladder. Not 'good' but 'better' — the verse is built on relative ranking.
  • jñānam — knowledge
    First rung above mere mechanical practice. Better to understand what you are doing than to repeat it blindly. But Kṛṣṇa will pass it by.
  • dhyānam — meditation
    Second rung. Better to contemplate the known than to merely know it. Kṛṣṇa will pass this by too. The classical eight-limbed peak is being relativized.
  • karma - phala - tyāgaḥ — renunciation of the fruits of action
    Compound: karma + phala + tyāga. The verse's destination. Higher than meditation, because meditation can be inward absorption with the ego still pocketing its results; phala-tyāga reaches the ego directly.
  • tyāgāt — from renunciation
    Ablative — 'from such renunciation, peace.' Cause-and-effect is specified by case. Peace does not come from meditation alone; it follows the act of release.
  • śāntiḥ — peace
    The verse's promised harvest. Same word that closes the Upaniṣadic mantras and the Gītā itself (18.78). Here Kṛṣṇa makes peace the direct fruit of phala-tyāga — no other prerequisite remains.
  • anantaram — thereafter, with no interval
    From an-antara, 'without an inside-gap.' The instant the fruits are released, peace arrives — no waiting period, no advanced course required. The verse's hammer-blow word.
If you cannot take to this practice, then engage yourself in the cultivation of knowledge. Better than knowledge, however, is meditation, and better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of action, for by such renunciation one can attain peace of mind.
Purport

As mentioned in the previous verses, there are two kinds of devotional service: the way of regulative principles and the way of full attachment in love to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For those who are actually not able to follow the principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness it is better to cultivate knowledge, because by knowledge one can be able to understand his real position. Gradually knowledge will develop to the point of meditation. By meditation one can be able to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead by a gradual process. In the cultivation of knowledge there are processes which make one understand that one himself is the Supreme, and that sort of meditation is preferred if one is unable to engage in devotional service. If one is not able to meditate in such a way, then there are prescribed duties, as enjoined in the Vedic literature, for the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras, which we shall find in the last chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. But in all cases, one should give up the result or fruits of labor; this means to employ the result of karma for some good cause. In summary, to reach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the highest goal, there are two processes: one process is by gradual development, and the other process is direct. Devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the direct method, and the other method involves renouncing the fruits of one’s activities. Then one can come to the stage of knowledge, then to the stage of meditation, then to the stage of understanding the Supersoul, and then to the stage of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One may take either the step-by-step process or the direct path. The direct process is not possible for everyone; therefore the indirect process is also good. It is, however, to be understood that the indirect process is not recommended for Arjuna, because he is already at the stage of loving devotional service to the Supreme Lord. It is for others, who are not at this stage; for them the gradual process of renunciation, knowledge, meditation and realization of the Supersoul and Brahman should be followed. But as far as Bhagavad-gītā is concerned, it is the direct method that is stressed. Everyone is advised to take to the direct method and surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
12. Manana is better than practice, but meditation is better than manana. From meditation, one easily becomes detached from the results of work in the form of bhukti and mukti. From this detachment one finally attains lasting peace (absorbing his senses only in Me.) 13-14. That devotee who is without hatred towards any person, who is a friend to all living entities, who is merciful, without possessiveness, without false identification with his body, who is equal in happiness and distress, tolerant, satisfied with what comes of its own accord, constantly engaged in bhakti-yoga, restrained in mind, fixed in determination, and with mind and intelligence offered to Me, is dear to Me.
Commentary

In this verse, the Lord makes clear the successive superiority of abhyāsa, manana and smaraṇa (meditation) mentioned previously. Better than practice is fixing the intelligence on Me (jṣānam or mananam). By performing practice alone, it is difficult to achieve meditation. By performing manana, easily one can come to meditation. Therefore, by this distinction, it is concluded that meditation (mayi mana ādhatsva, or smaraṇa) is better than jṣāna (manana). Why? From meditation one becomes devoid of desire for fruits of sakāma-karma in the form of Svarga, and the fruits of niṣkāma-karma in the form of liberation. Even though Svarga and liberation are attained without his endeavor, the devotee becomes indifferent to them. Before the devotee reaches steady meditation, when he has not yet attained rati (bhāva), he has just a desire to give up liberation. But when he becomes fixed in meditation (at bhāva stage), he becomes disgusted with mokṣa. He takes liberation as insignificant. That meditation is the cause for indifference to mokṣa. This is stated in Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhu, where bhakti is glorified with six qualities: kleśa-ghnī śubhadā mokṣa-laghutākṛt sudurlabhā sāndrānanda-viśeṣātmā śrī-kṛṣṇākarṣaṇī ca sā Bhakti is characterized by destruction of suffering, bestowal of good qualities, disregard for liberation, rarity, intense spiritual bliss and attracting even Kṛṣṇa. [Note: The first two qualities appearing during sādhana-bhakti, the second two, including indifference to liberation, appear during bhāva-bhakti, or rati. The last two qualities appear in prema-bhakti. The state of meditation is equated with bhāva-bhakti. One is naturally detached from both bhukti and mukti at that stage, achieving karma-phala-tyāga mentioned in this verse.] Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhu 1.1.17 na pārameṣṭhyaṁ na mahendra-dhiṣṇyaṁ na sārvabhaumaṁ na rasādhipatyam na yoga-siddhīr apunar-bhavaṁ vā mayy arpitātmecchati mad vinānyat The devotee who has offered his soul to Me does not want anything if it is separate from Me—not the position of the supreme demigod of the universe, Brahmā, nor that of Lord Indra, nor kingship over the entire earth or over the lower planetary systems, nor the mystic perfections of yoga, nor even freedom from the cycle of rebirth. SB 11.14.14 In that verse, the phrase mayy arpita ātmā means “fixed in dhyāna on Me.” After developing distaste for the fruits of action, he then attains peace in the form of stopping the senses from dwelling on all objects except My form and qualities. This explanation directly links the succession of stages from the two words śreyaḥ and viśiṣyate in the first line to anantaram in the second line. No other explanation can be considered.

What is the description of the devotee who has attained such peace? In response to this question, the different natures of many types of devotees are described in eight verses. Adveṣṭa means that a person does not have hatred even for those who hate oneself. Rather one has friendliness towards them (maitraḥ). One is merciful to them, thinking that they should not end up in unfortunate circumstances (karuṇaḥ). “But by having what type of discriminating powers can one attain friendliness and mercy even to enemies?” “One should not make distinctions at all. By non-possessiveness of children and wife (nirmamaḥ), by not thinking of the body as the self (nirahaṅkāraḥ), My devotee never develops hatred towards others. Why should he accept such distinctions, if he wants to reduce suffering produced from hatred (a distinction)?” “But then one will be suffering pain in the body by getting punched or kicked by others.” “It is said by Siva: nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati svargāpavarga-narakeṣv api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, never fear any condition of life. For them the heavenly planets, liberation and the hellish planets are all the same, for such devotees are interested only in the service of the Lord. SB 6.17.28 Thus one should consider happiness and distress equally (sama-duḥkha-sukham). Moreover, that person thinks that he should necessarily endure his prārabdha-karmas. [Note: Prārabdha-karmas are those which will manifest results in this lifetime. Aprārabdha-karmas will manifest in future bodies, though the acts have been committed in past lives.] In being equal to happiness and distress, he should be tolerant of the suffering (kṣamī).” Kṣamī means having tolerance, coming from the root kṣam meaning to endure. “But how will such a devotee be able to maintain his life?” “He is satisfied to eat what comes of its own accord, or with very little effort (santuṣṭhaḥ).” “But since You have said that one should be equal in happiness and distress, then how can one express satisfaction (santuṣtḥaḥ) with getting something to eat?” “That person is constantly engaged in bhakti-yoga (satataṁ yogī). He is acting for the purpose of attaining perfection in bhakti. [Note: He will express satisfaction because it is helpful for him to execute bhakti-yoga.] It is said: āhārārthaṁ yatataiva yuktaṁ tat-prāṇa-dhāraṇam tattvaṁ vimṛśyate tena tad vijṣāya paraṁ vrajet If required, one should endeavor to get sufficient foodstuffs, because it is always necessary and proper to maintain one’s health. When the senses, mind and life air are fit, one can contemplate spiritual truth, and by understanding the truth one is liberated. SB 11.18.34 “Moreover, if by chance he does not attain his required food, his mind is restrained (yata ātmā); it is without agitation. Even if his mind happens to become disturbed, he does not resort to aṣṭāṅga-yoga or other processes to bring about peace. He remains convinced that he should only perform ananyā bhakti (dṛḍha-niścayaḥ). His devotion does not become weakened. The cause of all of this is mentioned: he is absorbed in meditating on and contemplating Me (mayy arpita mano buddhiḥ). Such a devotee greatly pleases Me (me priyaḥ).”

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
12. Realization of ātmā is preferable to practicing remembrance of the Lord, but practice of meditation on ātmā is preferable to realization of ātmā. Preferable to practice of meditation is renunciation of the results of work. From this detachment one finally gets purity. 13-14. That devotee who is without hatred to any person, friend to all living entities, merciful, without possessiveness, without false identification with his body, who is equal in happiness and distress, tolerant, satisfied with what comes of its own accord, constantly fixed in guru’s teaching, sense-controlled, fixed in determination, with mind and intelligence offered to Me, is dear to Me.
Commentary

This verse praises karma yoga without seeking results, because it is easy to perform, can be done with full attention, and contains the seeds of knowledge. Better than not accomplishing (the practice of) continuous remembrance of Me (abhyāsāt) is jṣāna, direct perception of your own ātmā. Better than unaccomplished realization of ātmā (jṣānāt) which is the door to realization of paramātmā, is the practice of meditation (dhyānām) on ones own ātmā. This is better, in the sense that it is beneficial for you for attaining realization of ātmā. But better than unsuccessful practice of meditation is renunciation of results, performing actions without seeking results. After giving up results in activities, one attains purification of the mind (śantiḥ). Then with a pure mind one can perform meditation. With proper meditation, one can realize ātmā. As a result of ātmā ṣāna, one gains knowledge of paramātmā. By that knowledge of paramātmā, one takes to pure bhakti. By that, one attains Me, in the mood of majesty. The meaning is that this method is difficult. Moreover, this is not an instruction for Arjuna, because he was an exclusive devotee. Those who are saniṣṭah, engaged in niṣkāma karma and meditating on the Lord, realize their own ātmā. Then para bhakti to the majestic form of the Lord arises, and by that bhakti, the devotee realizes Hari, the seat of prema, and become liberated. This is the method indicated in the Gītā. However, one should understand that this instruction is meant for those who are devoid of exclusive devotion. Bg 12.13, Bg 12.14, Bg 12.13-14 AŪeía SavR>aUTaaNaa& MaE}a" k-ṛ<a Wv c ) iNaMaRMaae iNarhªar" SaMadu"%Sau%" +aMaq )) 13 )) SaNTauí" SaTaTa& YaaeGaq YaTaaTMaa d*!iNaêYa" ) MaYYaiPaRTaMaNaaebuiṬYaaeR MaḤ¢-" Sa Mae iPa[Ya" )) 14 )) adveṣṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣamī santuṣṭaḥ satataṁ yogī yatātmā dṛḍha-niścayaḥ mayy arpita-mano-buddhir yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ adveṣṭā—nonenvious; sarva-bhūtānām—toward all living entities; maitraḥ—friendly; karuṇaḥ—kindly; eva—certainly; ca—also; nirmamaḥ—with no sense of proprietorship; nirahaṅkāraḥ—without false ego; sama—equal; duḥkha—in distress; sukhaḥ—and happiness; kṣamī—forgiving; santuṣṭaḥ—satisfied; satatam—always; yogī—one engaged in devotion; yata-ātmā—self-controlled; dṛḍha-niścayaḥ—with determination; mayi—upon Me; arpita—engaged; manaḥ—mind; buddhiḥ—and intelligence; yaḥ—one who; mat—bhaktaḥ—My devotee; saḥ—he; me—to Me; priyaḥ—dear.

Having described the difference in sādhana between the ekānta bhaktas such as the pariniṣḥa bhaktas (and the nirapekṣa bhaktas) and those who are not ekānta bhaktas, the saniṣṭhas, the Lord now presents the qualities common in all of them in seven verses. The devotee is devoid of hatred towards all living beings, understanding that those who are inimical towards himself show hatred which is arranged by the Lord in accordance with prārabdha karmas. He shows affection (maitraḥ) towards them since they are also the abode of the Supreme Lord. He is compassionate (karuṇaḥ), lamenting for persons who are suffering, thinking that no one should not have suffering for any reason. He is devoid of possessiveness of objects or body (nirmamaḥ), thinking that those things are transformations belonging to prakṛti, not to oneself. He does not think that any of these things are himself (nirahaṅkaraḥ). He is not agitated by joy at comfortable circumstances or by distress at miserable circumstances, because he is tolerant (kṣamī) of those circumstances. He has a peaceful heart whether he gains or loses these things (santuṣṭhaḥ), because he is fixed in the method taught by guru (satatam yogī). He has controlled all of the senses (yatātmā). He is firmly convinced (dṛḍha niścayaḥ), thinking constantly that he is the servant of Hari, so that challengers cannot defeat him with their bad logic. He offers his intelligence and mind to Me. My devotee who has such qualities inspires My love for him.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

This practice means, either 'karma phala tyaga', giving up the fruits of one's work to Krsna, or if one cannot take to the practice of just being detached from the fruits of one's work (it is one step lower). If one get to the renunciation of the fruit of one's work, specially if he can give that fruit to Krsna, then ultimately he will go through the other stages by the results of that purification and then attain to Krsna ‑ prema bhakti. In this Section, Krsna is emphasizing 'karma phala tyaga' or 'niskama karma'. That is the basic platform that we preach on. 'Do your duty but be detached from the results.' This is the platform that ordinary people should come to. But for the devotees, they should feel satisfied with just being attached to the work and being detached from the fruits of their work? ‑ This is not for the devotees. The devotees should come to the higher platform of being surrendered in their work and do whatever Krsna wants. The idea is to become elevated in our service mood, and ultimately we have to come to the point of loving Krsna because without love, service is not very tasteful to Krsna. Ultimately is the affection that is going to make the service attractive to Krsna. That will make Krsna to eat our offerings, or accept our service. Here were presented different stages and ultimately one has to come to the point when it will not be a struggle to put one's mind on Krsna. In this verse 'dhyanat' means meditation on the Supersoul which is higher than jnana. (DS) Krsna has been promoting through the all Bhagavad‑gita, work. Even a bhakti yogi is not recommended to take to the meditational process. Here is clearly shown that work with renunciation from the fruits is superior to meditation. A person who works hard for Krsna feels his mind very clear and easy to think about Krsna.

[C. QUALITIES THAT ENDEAR ONE TO KRSNA (12. 13‑20) 1. The following qualities make one dear to Krsna: non‑ enviousness, kindness, freedom from false ego, equality in happiness and distress, satisfaction, placing no one in difficulty, anxietylessness, independence from the ordinary course of activities, purity, expertise, freedom from lamentation, grasping of neither pleasure nor grief, equality with heat and cold, freedom from contamination, silence, establishment in knowledge, and satisfaction. (13‑19) ]

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study Key verse
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

If you cannot take to “this practice” (“This practice” refers to the following of the principles of

Krishna consciousness as recommended in Text 12.10)

Then engage yourself in ‘cultivation of knowledge’ (Knowledge here refers to Bramha-jnana –knowledge of soul different from the body)
Better than ‘knowledge’ however is ‘meditation’ – Yogic meditation by which one will realize the Supersoul
Better than ‘meditation’ is ‘renunciation of the fruits of action’
Benefit of such renunciation – “peace of mind”

FOCUS OF LEARNING IN 12.12

(a) Two kinds of devotional service

Way of regulative principles
Way of full attachment in Love of Godhead

(b) Cultivation of knowledge – For those unable to take to Krishna conscious path – It is better to

cultivate knowledge

(c) Result of knowledge – One understands his real position

(d) Knowledge will develop to meditation – Then one can gradually understands the Supreme

Personality of Godhead

Some processes make one understand that one himself is the Supreme, that sort of meditation is preferred if one is unable to engage in devotional service
If one is unable to meditate in such a way, then there are Vedic prescribed duties for different Varnas
But always one should give up the result of labor – Employ the result for some good cause

(e) Why ‘renunciation of fruits’ is mentioned as better than ‘meditation’ – Although karma-yoga is

the lowest on the yoga-ladder, Krishna says that it is better than meditation, because it is more

practical and it does not disturb the mind with harsh and impractical requirements for

renunciation

FOCUS OF LEARNING IN 12.11 continued…

(c) Authority for such matter – Such procedures are given in Vedic rules:

Many yajnas
Special functions of punya, etc.

(d) How that helps – One may gradually elevate to the state of knowledge

(e) Practical examples – Charity to hospitals / Social institutions – such sacrifices of hard earned

results purify the mind and one can gradually understand Krishna consciousness

(f) In what cases social service, community service, national service is recommended: Krishna

consciousness is not dependent on any other experience because Krishna consciousness itself

purify the mind, but if there are impediments to Krishna consciousness then one can try to give up

the results of his actions for some good causes

In that respect, social service, community service, national service etc. may be accepted

(g) Principle behind this philosophy - Ref. Bg. 18.46 – If one decides to sacrifice for the Supreme

cause, even if he does not know , that the Supreme Cause is Krishna, he will gradually understand

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
12.12 Jnanam, knowledge; [Firm conviction about the Self arrived at through Vedic texts and reasoning.] is hi, surely; sreyah, superior; -to what?-abhyasat, to practice [Practice-repeated effort to ascertain the true meaning of Vedic texts, in order to acire knowledge.] which is not preceded by discrimination. Dhyanam, meditation, undertaken along with knowledge; visisyate, surpasses even jnanat, that knowledge. Karma-phala-tyagah, renunciation of the results of works; excels even dhyanat, meditation associated with knowledge. ('Excels' has to be supplied.) Tyagat, from this renunciation of the results of actions, in the way described before; [By dedicating all actions to God with the idea, 'May God be pleased.'] santih, Peace, the cessation of transmigratory existence together with its cause; follows anantaram, immediately; not that it awaits another accasion. Should the unenlightened person engaged in works be unable to practise the disciplines enjoined earlier, then, for him has been enjoined renunciation of the results of all works as a means to Liberation. But this has not been done at the very beginning. And for this reason renunciation of the results of all works has been praised in, 'Knowledge is surely superior to practice,' etc. by teaching about the successive excellence. For it has been taught as being fit to be adopted by one in case he is unable to practise the disciplines already presented [Presented from verse 3 onwards.] Objection: From what similarly does the eulogy follow? Reply: In the verse, 'When all desires clinging to one's heart fall off' (Ka, 2.3.14), it has been stated that Immortality results from the rejection of all desires. That is well known. And 'all desires' means the 'result of all rites and duties enjoined in the Vedas and Smrtis'. From the renunciation of these, Peace surely comes immediately to the enlightened man who is steadfast in Knowledge. There is a similarity between renunciation of all desires and renunciation of the results of actions by an unenlightened person. Hence, on account of that similarity this eulogy of renunciation of the results of all actions is meant for rousing interest. As for instance, by saying that the sea was drunk up by the Brahmana Agastya, the Brahmanas of the present day are also praised owing to the similarity of Brahminhood. In this way it was been said that Karma-yoga becomes a means for Liberation,since it involves renunciaton of the rewards of works. Here, again, the Yoga consisting in the concentration of mind on God as the Cosmic Person, as also the performance of actions etc. for God, have been spoken of by assuming a difference between God and Self. In, 'If you are unable to do even this' (11) since it has been hinted that it (Karma-yoga) is an effect of ignorance, therefore the Lord is pointing out that Karma-yoga is not suitable for the meditator on the Immutable, who is aware of idenity (of the Self with God). The Lord is similarly pointing out the impossibility of a karma-yogin's meditation on the Immutable. In (the verse), 'they৷৷.attain Me alone' (4), having declared that those who meditate on the Immutable are independent so far as the attainment of Liberation is concerned, the Lord has shown in, '৷৷.I become the Deliverer' (7), that others have no independence; they are dependent on God. For, if they (the former) be considered to have become identified with God, they would be the same as the Immutable on account of (their) having realized non-difference. Conseently, speaking of them as objects of the act of deliverance will become inappropriate! And, since the Lord in surely the greatest well-wisher of Arjuna, He imparts instructions only about Karma-yoga, which involves perception of duality and is not associated with full Illumination. Also, no one who has realized his Self as God through valid means of knowledge would like subordination to another, since it involves a contradiction. Therefore, with the idea, 'I shall speak of the group of virtues (as stated in), "He hwo is not hateful towards any creature," etc. which are the direct means to Immortality, to those monks who meditate on the Immutable,who are steadfast in full enlightenment and have given up all desires,' the Lord proceeds:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
12.12 More than the practice of remembrance (of the Lord), which is difficult in the absence of love for the Lord, the direct knowledge of the self, arising from the contemplation of the imperishable self (Aksara), is conducive to the well-being of the self. Better than the imperfect knowledge of the self, is perfect meditation on the self, as it is more conducive to the well-being of the self. More conducive than imperfect meditation (i.e., meditation unaccompanied with renunciation), is the activity performed with renunciation of the fruits. It is only after the annihilation of sins, through the performance of works accompanied by renounciation of fruits, that peace of mind is attained. When the mind is at peace, perfect meditation on the self is possible. From meditation results the direct realisation of the self. From the direct realisation of the self results supreme devotion. It is in this way that Atmanistha or devotion to the individual self becomes useful for a person who is incapable of practising loving devotion to the Supreme Being. And for one practising the discipline for attaining the self (Jnana Yoga) without acisition of perfect tranillity of mind, disinterested activity (Karma Yoga), including in it meditation on the self, is the better path for the knowledge of the self. [Thus the steps are performance of works without desire for fruits, eanimity of mind, meditation on the self, self-realisation, and devotion to the Lord.] Now Sri Krsna enumerates the attributes reired of one intent on performance of disinterested activity:
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
12.12 Sreyah etc. Knowledge in the form of entering into [the Lord] is superior to practice; for practice bears that result. Due to the entering into the Lord, the meditation i.e., getting absorbed in the Bhagavat, becomes pre-eminent i.e., attains superiority, because of the achievement of what is desired. When meditation i.e., getting absorbed in the Bhagavat is accomplished, then it is possible to renounce fruits of actions. Otherwise how can there be a renunciation in what is unknown ? When renunciation of fruits of actions is achieved, there arises an uninterrupted peace. Therefore, being the root of all [these], the knowledge a'one, in the form of fixing the mind in the Lord is important.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
12.12 Better indeed is knowledge than practice; than knowledge meditation is better; than meditation the renunciation of the fruits of actions: peace immediately follows renunciation.
Commentary

12.12 श्रेयः better? हि indeed? ज्ञानम् knowledge? अभ्यासात् than practice? ज्ञानात् than knowledge? ध्यानम् meditation? विशिष्यते excels? ध्यानात् than meditation? कर्मफलत्यागः the renunciation of the fruits of actions? त्यागात् from renunciation? शान्तिः peace? अनन्तरम् immediately.Commentary Theoretical or indirect knowledge of Brahman gained from the scriptures is better than the practice (of restraining the modifications of the mind or worship of idols or selfmortification for the purpose of control of the mind and the senses) accompained with ignorance. Meditation is better than theoretical knowledge. Renunciation of the fruits of actions is bettern than meditation. Renunciation of the fruits of all actions as a means to the attainment of supreme peace or Moksha is merely eulogised here by the declaration of the superiority of one over the other to encourage Arjuna (and other spiritual aspirants) to practise Nishkama Karma Yoga? to create a strong desire in them to take up the Yoga of selfless action? in the same manner as by saying that the ocean was drunk by the Brahmana sage Agastya even the Brahmanas of this age are extolled because they are also Brahmanas.Desire is an enemy of peace. Desire causes restlessness of the mind. Desire is the source of all human miseries? sorrows and troubles. Stop the play of desire through discrimination? dispassion and eniry into the nature of the Self then you will enjoy supreme peace.Renunciation of the fruits of actions? is prescribed for the purification of the aspirants heart. It annihlates desire? the enemy of wisdom. The sage? too? renounces the fruits of actions. It has become natural to him to do so.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
12.12 Knowledge is surely superior to practice; meditation surpasses knowledge. The renunciation of the results of works (excels) meditation. From renunciation, Peace follows immediately.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
12.12 Knowledge is superior to blind action, meditation to mere knowledge, renunciation of the fruit of action to meditation, and where there is renunciation peace will follow.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Arjava (Simplicity / Straightforwardness)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)
Related verses
BG 2.49 BG 4.33 BG 6.46 SB 1.2.12 SB 3.32.26 SB 11.20.31 CC Madhya 19.149 CC Madhya 22.21 CC Madhya 24.87 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.24BRS 1.2.249
Concepts
Bhava
Sciences essays referencing this verse
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Knowledge is better than mechanical practice; meditation is better than knowledge; renunciation of the fruits of action is better than meditation — peace immediately follows.
Practical Applications
  • Honor the gradation but recognize fruit-renunciation as the immediate peace-bringer.
  • Treat fruit-renunciation as primary, not advanced.
  • Cultivate peace today by releasing fruits today.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I assume peace requires more advanced practice?
  • What fruit-renunciation today brings peace today?
Analogy

A gardener can study every book on roses, can practice his daily pruning, can sit beside the bush and contemplate it for hours — but the bush will not bloom in his hands until he stops weighing each rose for the market. Kṛṣṇa ranks the rungs and then says: of them all, fruit-renunciation is what brings peace immediately. The gardener exhales; the rose blooms.

Stories
King Janaka at his court

Mithilā's affairs passed across Janaka's table all day — military reports, marriages, taxes, judicial disputes. He gave each matter its full attention and then released the outcome the moment the decision left his hand. Sages who came to test him for spiritual depth found a king already at peace.

Kṛṣṇa's gradation here — knowledge, meditation, fruit-renunciation — collapses in Janaka into one practice. He is not contemplating the Absolute on a forest seat; he is renouncing fruits at the throne. The verse's anantaram, 'immediately,' was the air of his court.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

Section 3 (12.13–12.20)
QUALITIES THAT ENDEAR ONE TO KRISHNA
Section overview
Possessing divine qualities makes one dear to Krishna
One who faithfully follows the path of devotional service, making Krishna the supreme goal is very dear to Him

LINK BETWEEN SECTION II & SECTION III: Pointing out these qualities further substantiates the theme of

Chapter 12: That bhakti is the most efficacious method of spiritual advancement. One engaged in

bhakti-yoga exhibits transcendental qualities which mark him as a devotee. The Lord is pleased with such

a devotee

Bhagavad-gītā 12.13-14

↗
అద్వేష్టా సర్వభూతానాం మైత్ర: కరుణ ఏవ చ । నిర్మమో నిరహఙ్కార: సమదు:ఖసుఖ: క్షమీ ॥ ౧౩ ॥ సన్తుష్ట: సతతం యోగీ యతాత్మా దృఢనిశ్చయ: । మయ్యర్పితమనోబుద్ధిర్యో మద్భ‍క్త: స మే ప్రియ: ॥ ౧౪ ॥
adveṣṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ
[adveshtaa sarva-bhootaanaam]
maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca
[maitrah karuna eva cha]
nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ
[nirmamo nirahankaarah]
sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣamī
[sama-duhkha-sukhah kshamee]
santuṣṭaḥ satataṁ yogī
[santushtah satatam yogee]
yatātmā dṛḍha-niścayaḥ
[yataatmaa dridha-nishchayah]
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir
[mayy arpita-mano-buddhir]
yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ
[yo mad-bhaktah sa me priyah]
Word-for-word
adveṣṭā — nonenvious sarva - bhūtānām — toward all living entities maitraḥ — friendly karuṇaḥ — kindly eva — certainly ca — also nirmamaḥ — with no sense of proprietorship nirahaṅkāraḥ — without false ego sama — equal duḥkha — in distress sukhaḥ — and happiness kṣamī — forgiving santuṣṭaḥ — satisfied satatam — always yogī — one engaged in devotion yata - ātmā — self-controlled dṛḍha - niścayaḥ — with determination mayi — upon Me arpita — engaged manaḥ — mind buddhiḥ — and intelligence yaḥ — one who mat - bhaktaḥ — My devotee saḥ — he me — to Me priyaḥ — dear .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
adveṣṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ
adveṣṭā
nonenvious
sarva - bhūtānām
toward all living entities
maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca
maitraḥ
friendly
karuṇaḥ
kindly
eva
certainly
ca
also
nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ
nirmamaḥ
with no sense of proprietorship
nirahaṅkāraḥ
without false ego
sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣamī
sama
equal
duḥkha
in distress
sukhaḥ
and happiness
kṣamī
forgiving
santuṣṭaḥ satataṁ yogī
santuṣṭaḥ
satisfied
satatam
always
yogī
one engaged in devotion
yatātmā dṛḍha-niścayaḥ
yata - ātmā
self-controlled
dṛḍha - niścayaḥ
with determination
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir
mayi
upon Me
arpita
engaged
manaḥ
mind
buddhiḥ
and intelligence
yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ
yaḥ
one who
mat - bhaktaḥ
My devotee
saḥ
he
me
to Me
priyaḥ
dear .
Important Words
  • adveṣṭā — non-envious
    Negative agent-noun: 'one who does not hate.' The list opens not with positive virtue but with the removal of dveṣa. Envy is the first weed; nothing else grows until it is pulled.
  • maitraḥ — friendly
    Same root as maitrī. Friendliness is the active counterpart of non-enmity. Not neutrality — warm regard, extended to all beings (sarva-bhūtānām).
  • nirmamaḥ — without 'mine'-ness
    Negation of mama (my). Possessiveness pulled out at the root. The bhakta still uses things, still has relationships, but the silent label 'mine' has been peeled off.
  • nirahaṅkāraḥ — without false ego
    Negation of ahaṅkāra (I-maker). Paired with nirmama as the twin disease. Together they form the deepest knot of conditioned identity. Both must go.
  • kṣamī — forgiving, tolerant
    From kṣam, 'to be patient, to forgive.' Same root as kṣamā, the earth's signature virtue. The bhakta absorbs offense the way the earth absorbs the plow.
  • santuṣṭaḥ — always satisfied
    Sam + tuṣ — 'completely contented.' The chronic dissatisfaction that drives the conditioned soul has been extinguished; whatever comes is enough.
  • dṛḍha - niścayaḥ — with firm determination
    Compound: dṛḍha (firm) + niścaya (resolve). The list is not a soft character sketch — it is held together by an iron determination, without which the rest collapses.
  • priyaḥ — dear
    The chapter's signature word from here onward. Repeated like a refrain in vv. 13-20. Kṛṣṇa is not merely describing devotees; He is naming whom He loves. Affection, not approval.
One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor and is free from false ego, who is equal in both happiness and distress, who is tolerant, always satisfied, self-controlled, and engaged in devotional service with determination, his mind and intelligence fixed on Me – such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me.
Purport

Coming again to the point of pure devotional service, the Lord is describing the transcendental qualifications of a pure devotee in these two verses. A pure devotee is never disturbed in any circumstances. Nor is he envious of anyone. Nor does a devotee become his enemy’s enemy; he thinks, “This person is acting as my enemy due to my own past misdeeds. So it is better to suffer than to protest.” In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.8) it is stated: tat te ’nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam. Whenever a devotee is in distress or has fallen into difficulty, he thinks that it is the Lord’s mercy upon him. He thinks, “Thanks to my past misdeeds I should suffer far, far greater than I am suffering now. So it is by the mercy of the Supreme Lord that I am not getting all the punishment I am due. I am just getting a little, by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Therefore he is always calm, quiet and patient, despite many distressful conditions. A devotee is also always kind to everyone, even to his enemy. Nirmama means that a devotee does not attach much importance to the pains and trouble pertaining to the body because he knows perfectly well that he is not the material body. He does not identify with the body; therefore he is freed from the conception of false ego and is equipoised in happiness and distress. He is tolerant, and he is satisfied with whatever comes by the grace of the Supreme Lord. He does not endeavor much to achieve something with great difficulty; therefore he is always joyful. He is a completely perfect mystic because he is fixed in the instructions received from the spiritual master, and because his senses are controlled he is determined. He is not swayed by false arguments, because no one can lead him from the fixed determination of devotional service. He is fully conscious that Kṛṣṇa is the eternal Lord, so no one can disturb him. All these qualifications enable him to fix his mind and intelligence entirely on the Supreme Lord. Such a standard of devotional service is undoubtedly very rare, but a devotee becomes situated in that stage by following the regulative principles of devotional service. Furthermore, the Lord says that such a devotee is very dear to Him, for the Lord is always pleased with all his activities in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

This is a description of a pure devotee.

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

COMMON THEME: Takes all sufferings as Krishna’s kindness to avoid reaction

1. Tolerant – Never disturbed by any circumstances

2. Non-envious – Kind to everyone even to his enemy

Not become his enemies’ enemy – considers all reactions as result of one's past misdeeds (Ref. SB 10.14.8 “Tat te anukampa…”)
Takes distress as the Lord’s mercy: “I deserve much more”

3. ‘Nirmama’ (Free from Proprietorship) – Devotee does not attach much importance to the pains and

troubles of the body

Free from false-ego: Knows that “I am not the body”
Equipoised in happiness and distress

4. Satisfied – Whatever comes by Lord’s grace; does not over-endeavor to achieve something

5. Self-controlled/Completely perfect mystic – Because completely fixed in instructions of spiritual

master

6. Determined because of Sense control – Therefore fully determined and cannot be swayed by false

arguments

7. Mind and intelligence fixed entirely on the Supreme Lord – Because Fully conscious that Krishna is

the eternal Lord

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
12.13 Advesta, he who is not hateful; sarva-bhutanam, towards any creature: He does not feel repulsion for anything, even for what may be the cause of sorrow to himself, for he sees all beings as his own Self. Maitrah, he who is friendly-behaving like a friend; karunah eva ca, and compassionate: karuna is kindness, compassion towards sorrow-stricken creatures; one possessing that is karunah, i.e. a monk, who grants safety to all creatures. Nirmamah, he who has no idea of 'mine'; nirahankarah, who has no idea of egoism; sama-duhkha-sukhah, who is the same under sorrow and happiness, he in whom sorrow and happiness do not arouse any repulsion or attraction; ksami, who is forgiving, who remains unperturbed even when abused or assaulted;
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
12.13 - 12.14 In these and succeeding verses the Lord mentions the nature of the Karma Yogi who adores Him through his works. In other words the Bhakti element in Karma Yoga is emphasised. He never hates any being even though they hate him and do him wrong. For he thinks that the Lord impels these beings to hate him and do him wrong for atoning for his transgressions. He is 'friendly', evincing a friendly disposition towards all beings whether they hate him or do him wrong. He is 'compassionate', evincing compassion towards their sufferings. He is free from the 'feeling of mine,' i.e., he is not possessive with regard to his body, senses and all things associated with them. He is free from the feeling of 'I', i.e., is free from the delusion that his body is the self. Therefore, 'pain and pleasure are the same to him,' i.e., he is free from distress and delight resulting from pain and pleasure arising from his deeds. He is 'enduring', unaffected even by those two (i.e., pleasure and pain) due to the inevitable contact of sense-objects. He is 'content', namely, satisfied with whatever chance may bring him for the sustenance of his body. He 'ever meditates,' i.e., is constantly intent on contemplating on the self as separate from the body. He is 'self-restrained', namely, he controls the activities of his mind. He is of 'firm conviction' regarding the meanings taught in the science of the self. His 'mind and reason are dedicated to Me' i.e., his mind and reason are dedicated to Me in the form 'Bhagavan Vasudeva alone is propitiated by disinterested activities, and when duly propitiated, He wil bring about for me the direct vision of the self.' Such a devotee of mine, i.e., who works in this manner as a Karma Yogin, is dear to Me.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
12.13 See Comment under 12.14
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
12.13 He who hates no creature, who is friendly and compassionate to all, who is free from attachment and egoism, balanced in pleasure and pain, and forgiving.
Commentary

12.13 अद्वेष्टा nonhater? सर्वभूतानाम् of (to) all creatures? मैत्रः friendly? करुणः compassionate? एव even? च and? निर्ममः without mineness? निरहङ्कारः without egoism? समदुःखसुखः balanced in pleasure and pain? क्षमी forgiving.Commentary Lord Krishna gives a description of the nature of a Bhagavata or a sage in the following eight verses. These eight verses are called Amritashtakam.The devotee who is established in God bears illwill to none. He looks on all with love and great compassion. He regards all beings as himself. He does not hate even a single being? not even the creature which gives him intense pain. He who entertains mercy towards suffering people and tries to relieve their sufferings is a man of Karuna. He puts himself in the position of the sufferer and feels the pain himself. Mercy is a divine attribute. God is allmerciful. If you wish to hold communion with the Lord? and if you desire to attain Godhead? you must also become allmerciful.The perfect devotee offers full security of life (Abhayadana) to all beings. He is a Paramahamsa Sannyasi. The devotee only can really understand the mysterious ways of the Lord. He beholds the Lord everywhere. He sees the Lord in all creatures. That is the reason why he has eal vision. He is like the sun or the river. The sun sheds its light eally on a palace or a cottage. Anyone can drink the water of a river. A river enches the thirst of cows as well as tigers and lions. The idea of mineness and Iness never arises in the devotees mind. He has no sense of mine and thine. He is indifferent to pleasure and pain. He is not attached to pleasant objects. He does not hate the objects that give him pain. He is as forgiving as the earth. He is not affected a bit when anybody insults? abuses or beats him.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
12.13 He who is not hateful towards any creature, who is friendly and compassionate, who has no idea of 'mine' and the idea of egoism, who is the same under sorrow and happiness, who is forgiving;
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
12.13 He who is incapable of hatred towards any being, who is kind and compassionate, free from selfishness, without pride, equable in pleasure and in pain, and forgiving,
Related values & verses
Primary values
Titiksha (Forbearance / Endurance)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Daya (Compassion / Mercy)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)
Related values
Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Vinaya (Humility / Modesty)Kritajnata (Gratitude)Santosha (Contentment)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender to God)
Related verses
BG 2.55 BG 5.7 BG 6.32 SB 3.25.21 SB 5.18.12 SB 11.11.29 CC Madhya 22.78 CC Madhya 23.110 CC Antya 4.176 Īśa Upaniṣad 6 BRS 1.3.1
Stories
maitri_epic_primarykaruna_epic_primary
Study Q&A referencing this verse
Sciences essays referencing this verse
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
One who is non-envious, friendly to all, free from possessiveness, equal in pleasure and pain, forgiving, content, self-controlled, with mind and intelligence fixed on Me — that devotee is dear to Me.
Practical Applications
  • Audit each quality in this list as your weekly self-review.
  • Address the weakest quality with deliberate practice.
  • Treat 'dear to Me' as a real bond, not metaphor.
Reflection Questions
  • Which quality from this list is weakest in me?
  • What single discipline addresses it?
Analogy

Picture a still pond at dawn: no envy ripples its surface, no claim of ownership darkens its bed, no swing of pleasure and pain stirs it from below. A bird lands; a bird leaves; the pond reflects each and holds neither. Such a pond, Kṛṣṇa says, is the bhakta's heart — and that heart is dear to Him because His own face is reflected there without distortion.

Stories
Vidura's refusal

When Duryodhana invited Kṛṣṇa to a palace feast on the eve of war, Kṛṣṇa walked past the royal kitchens and went instead to Vidura's modest house, where he ate plain greens. Vidura, born of a maidservant, owned nothing, claimed nothing, was equal in honor and dishonor, friendly to every being including the cousins who had insulted him.

Kṛṣṇa's choice that night is His own commentary on this verse. Adveṣṭā, nirmamaḥ, nirahaṅkāraḥ, sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ — every qualifier the verse lists, Vidura embodied. So Kṛṣṇa came and ate at his table.

Haridāsa Ṭhākura under the lash

When the Kazi of Phulia ordered Haridāsa Ṭhākura beaten across twenty-two market places for chanting the holy name, Haridāsa felt no enmity. As the rods came down, he prayed for the soldiers and the Kazi himself, asking the Lord not to hold their offense against them.

Forgiving (kṣamī), nonenvious (adveṣṭā), friendly (maitra) even to executioners, equal in distress and happiness, his mind fixed on Kṛṣṇa with determination — Haridāsa is this verse standing upright in the marketplace. Caitanya Mahāprabhu would later name him nāmācārya for the same reason Kṛṣṇa here names such a soul 'priyaḥ.'

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Bhagavad-gītā 12.15

↗
యస్మాన్నోద్విజతే లోకో లోకాన్నోద్విజతే చ య: । హర్షామర్షభయోద్వేగైర్ముక్తో య: స చ మే ప్రియ: ॥ ౧౫ ॥
yasmān nodvijate loko
[yasmaan nodvijate loko]
lokān nodvijate ca yaḥ
[lokaan nodvijate cha yah]
harṣāmarṣa-bhayodvegair
[harshaamarsha-bhayodvegair]
mukto yaḥ sa ca me priyaḥ
[mukto yah sa cha me priyah]
Word-for-word
yasmāt — from whom na — never udvijate — are agitated lokaḥ — people lokāt — from people na — never udvijate — is disturbed ca — also yaḥ — anyone who harṣa — from happiness amarṣa — distress bhaya — fear udvegaiḥ — and anxiety muktaḥ — freed yaḥ — who saḥ — anyone ca — also me — to Me priyaḥ — very dear .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yasmān nodvijate loko
yasmāt
from whom
na
never
udvijate
are agitated
lokaḥ
people
lokān nodvijate ca yaḥ
lokāt
from people
na
never
udvijate
is disturbed
ca
also
yaḥ
anyone who
harṣāmarṣa-bhayodvegair
harṣa
from happiness
amarṣa
distress
bhaya
fear
udvegaiḥ
and anxiety
mukto yaḥ sa ca me priyaḥ
muktaḥ
freed
yaḥ
who
saḥ
anyone
ca
also
me
to Me
priyaḥ
very dear .
Important Words
  • udvijate — is agitated, is disturbed
    From ud-vij, 'to be unsettled, to start in alarm.' Used twice in the verse — both passively (no one is disturbed by him) and actively (he is not disturbed by anyone). The verb defines the verse's two-sided peace.
  • harṣa — elation, excitement
    From hṛṣ, 'to thrill.' First of the four disturbances named. Even pleasant excitement is a wave; the devotee is past wave-motion.
  • amarṣa — resentment, intolerance
    Negation of marṣa (forbearance). The grudge that festers when forbearance fails. The devotee has no such residue.
  • bhaya — fear
    The fundamental contraction of the conditioned soul. The Upaniṣads define mokṣa itself partly as abhayam — fearlessness. Here the bhakta has crossed into that condition.
  • udvegaiḥ — by anxieties
    Plural instrumental. Not one anxiety but the whole class — relational, financial, mortal. From all of them, muktaḥ.
  • muktaḥ — liberated, freed
    Past participle of muc, 'to release.' Same word the Upaniṣads use for the liberated soul. Kṛṣṇa applies the technical term not to a forest renunciate but to one who is simply free of these four agitations.
He by whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anyone, who is equipoised in happiness and distress, fear and anxiety, is very dear to Me.
Purport

A few of a devotee’s qualifications are further being described. No one is put into difficulty, anxiety, fearfulness or dissatisfaction by such a devotee. Since a devotee is kind to everyone, he does not act in such a way as to put others into anxiety. At the same time, if others try to put a devotee into anxiety, he is not disturbed. It is by the grace of the Lord that he is so practiced that he is not disturbed by any outward disturbance. Actually because a devotee is always engrossed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and engaged in devotional service, such material circumstances cannot move him. Generally a materialistic person becomes very happy when there is something for his sense gratification and his body, but when he sees that others have something for their sense gratification and he hasn’t, he is sorry and envious. When he is expecting some retaliation from an enemy, he is in a state of fear, and when he cannot successfully execute something he becomes dejected. A devotee who is always transcendental to all these disturbances is very dear to Kṛṣṇa.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
15. He who does not agitate others, nor is agitated by others, he who is free from material emotions such as joy, jealousy, fear and anxiety, is dear to Me.
Commentary

Moreover, it is said: yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiṣcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ One who has unflinching devotion for the Personality of Godhead has all the good qualities of the demigods. SB 5.18.12 By this statement it is understood that other qualities which please the Lord also automatically appear by the constant performance of bhakti to Me. Please hear about these. Five verses describe these qualities. The qualities mentioned here—being freed from material jubilation, anger, fear and anxiety—are mentioned again in verse 17 in order to show the difficulty in becoming free from those elements.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
15. He who does not agitate others, nor is agitated by others, he who is free from material emotions such as joy, jealousy, fear and anxiety, is dear to Me.
Commentary

From him no one receives disturbance due to fear. Because he is compassionate to all, he does not act to cause distress to others. Also, others do not act to cause distress to him, because they know he is not hostile to anyone. Joy, jealousy, fear and anxiety, causes of disturbance, give him up. He does not have to do anything himself to avoid them. Because he is absorbed in relishing the profundity of ātmā, he is not touched by these emotions at all. Joy (harṣa) means eagerness at the acquisition of something enjoyable for oneself. Envy (amarṣa) means intolerance of others attaining enjoyable items. Fear (bhaya) is alarm caused by seeing some unfortunate conditions. Anxiety (udvega) is the disturbance caused by thinking, “How can I survive without doing something?” These four are states of consciousness.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Translation
He for whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anyone, who is equipoised in happiness and distress, fear and anxiety, is very dear to Me.
Commentary

The devotees are detached so the demons don't have fear of them because the devotees will not take away whatever they posses.

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Never causes distress to others

8. Not get affected – Because a devotee is always engrossed in Krishna consciousness, material

circumstances cannot move him, not disturbed by anyone

Such a stage is obtained by grace of Lord to the Devotee

9. Does not affect others – No-one is put into anxiety, difficulty, fearfulness or dissatisfaction by such a

devotee, because he is kind to everyone

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION III

The characteristics mentioned here are not independent of Bhakti. They automatically result from

surrender to Krishna

These qualities fall in two categories – Essential (Svarupa-laksanam) and Ancillary (Tatastha-laksanam)
All the qualities mentioned are Ancillary, except the most important “Bhaktiman” – Devotional service to the Lord(Essential Quality)
Therefore all these qualities result from mind and intelligence fixed on Krishna (Devotional Service)
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
12.15 Sah ca, he too; yasmat, owing to whom owing to which monk; lokah, the world; na udvijate, is not disturbed, not afflicted, not agitated; so also, yah na udvijate, he who is not disturbed; lokat, by the world; muktah, who is free; harsa-amarsa-bhaya-udvegaih, from joy, impatience, fear and anxiety;-harsa is elation of the mind on aciring a thing dear to oneself, and is manifested as horripillation, shedding of tears, etc.; amarsa is non-forbearance; bhaya is fright; udvega is distress; he who is free from them-, is priyah, dear; me, to Me.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
12.15 That person who is engaged in Karma Yoga does not become the cause of 'fear to the world'; he does nothing to cause fear to the world. He has no cause to 'fear the world,' i.e., no action on the part of others can cause him fear because of the certainty that he is not inimical to the world. Therefore he is not in the habit of showing favour towards someone and intolerance towards others; he has no fear of some or repulsion for others. Such a person is dear to Me.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
12.15 See Comment under 12.20
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
12.15 He by whom the world is not agitated and who cannot be agitated by the world, and who is freed from joy, anger, fear and anxiety he is dear to Me.
Commentary

12.15 यस्मात् for whom? न not? उद्विजते is agitated? लोकः the world? लोकात् from the world? न not? उद्विजते is agitated? च and? यः who? हर्षामर्षभयोद्वेगैः by (from) joy? wrath? fear and anxiety? मुक्तः freed? यः who? सः he? च and? मे to Me? प्रियः dear.Commentary Harsha Joy? exhilaration of the mind when one obtains an object of desire. This is indicated by hair standing on end? tears flowing down the face? etc.Amarsha Anger. Some say that it is a mixture of jealousy and anger.Udvega Anxiety? worry? sorrow? discomfiture.The knower of Brahman or the devotee of the Lord never injures any creature in thought? word and deed. He gives security of life to all creatures. Therefore? no creature is afraid of him. The sage feels that the world is his body? his own Self. How can he be afraid of the world then He never hurts others and is not hurt by the words or deeds of others.The mental modifications of joy? envy? fear and anxiety leave the sage or devotee of their own accord? just as the beasts and birds leave the forest when it is on fire.Such a sage or devotee is dear to Me. How can I describe him

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
12.15 He, too, owing to whom the world is not disturbed, and who is not disturbed by the world, who is free from joy, impatience, fear and anxiety, is dear to Me.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
12.15 He who does not harm the world, and whom the world cannot harm, who is not carried away by any impulse of joy, anger or fear, such a one is My beloved.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Arjava (Simplicity / Straightforwardness)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 2.56 BG 5.20 BG 14.25 SB 4.22.24 SB 11.11.29 SB 11.26.27 CC Madhya 22.78 CC Madhya 22.79 CC Antya 20.21 Īśa Upaniṣad 6 BRS 1.3.25
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
He by whom the world is not disturbed and who is not disturbed by the world — free from joy, envy, fear, anxiety — is dear to Me.
Practical Applications
  • Audit the bidirectional flow: do I disturb others; am I disturbed by others?
  • Address whichever direction is more problematic.
  • Treat both as part of the same imbalance.
Reflection Questions
  • Whom in my life do I disturb without realizing?
  • Whose disturbances unsettle me?
Analogy

A great rock in a river: the water bends around it without harm, and the rock is not moved by the water. So the devotee — neither he troubles the world, nor does the world's turbulence shake him. Fear, anxiety, elation, resentment all flow past; he stands. Kṛṣṇa says: such a rock in My river is dear to Me.

Stories
Bhīṣma on the bed of arrows

Pierced by his own grand-disciple's arrows, lying on the field for fifty-eight days waiting for the auspicious moment to die, Bhīṣma neither cursed Arjuna nor lamented his fate. He spoke at length to Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma; he conversed with the assembled sages; he greeted Kṛṣṇa with steady eyes.

He disturbed no one; nothing disturbed him. Harṣa (elation at his great life), amarṣa (resentment at his wounds), bhaya (fear of death), udvega (anxiety about the future) — all four had released him. Kṛṣṇa Himself stood at his side as he departed, evidence enough of the priyaḥ this verse promises.

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Bhagavad-gītā 12.16

↗
అనపేక్ష: శ‍ుచిర్దక్ష ఉదాసీనో గతవ్యథ: । సర్వారమ్భపరిత్యాగీ యో మద్భ‍క్త: స మే ప్రియ: ॥ ౧౬ ॥
anapekṣaḥ śucir dakṣa
[anapekshah shuchir daksha]
udāsīno gata-vyathaḥ
[udaaseeno gata-vyathah]
sarvārambha-parityāgī
[sarvaarambha-parityaagee]
yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ
[yo mad-bhaktah sa me priyah]
Word-for-word
anapekṣaḥ — neutral śuciḥ — pure dakṣaḥ — expert udāsīnaḥ — free from care gata - vyathaḥ — freed from all distress sarva - ārambha — of all endeavors parityāgī — renouncer yaḥ — anyone who mat - bhaktaḥ — My devotee saḥ — he me — to Me priyaḥ — very dear .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
anapekṣaḥ śucir dakṣa
anapekṣaḥ
neutral
śuciḥ
pure
dakṣaḥ
expert
udāsīno gata-vyathaḥ
udāsīnaḥ
free from care
gata - vyathaḥ
freed from all distress
sarvārambha-parityāgī
sarva - ārambha
of all endeavors
parityāgī
renouncer
yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ
yaḥ
anyone who
mat - bhaktaḥ
My devotee
saḥ
he
me
to Me
priyaḥ
very dear .
Important Words
  • anapekṣaḥ — not depending, neutral
    Negation of apekṣā, 'expectation, regard for.' The devotee does not depend on the usual social or material apparatus to feel secure. The hinge of the verse — without this, the rest is performance.
  • śuciḥ — pure
    Internal and external purity together. Same word used in śuci-smita (pure-smiling) for Lakṣmī. Not the asceticism of avoidance but the cleanness of one who has stopped collecting residues.
  • dakṣaḥ — expert, skilled
    From dakṣ, 'to be able, to be competent.' The bhakta is not vague or impractical — he is sharp. Kṛṣṇa pairs spiritual qualification with hard competence.
  • udāsīnaḥ — indifferent, sitting above
    From ud-ās, 'to sit aloft.' Not coldness — elevation. The devotee sits above the petty currents that drag others; he is not dragged because he has climbed up.
  • gata - vyathaḥ — free from distress
    Compound: gata (gone) + vyathā (pain). The pain has departed — not been suppressed. Past participle paints completion, not effort.
  • sarva - ārambha — of all endeavors
    Compound: sarva (all) + ārambha (initiation, undertaking). Paired in the verse with parityāgī. The bhakta starts no new enterprises for his own sake; the engine of self-driven projects has been switched off.
  • parityāgī — renouncer
    Agent-noun from pari-tyaj, 'to release completely.' Pari- gives totality. Whatever needs doing for Kṛṣṇa, he does — but no fresh ārambha for himself.
My devotee who is not dependent on the ordinary course of activities, who is pure, expert, without cares, free from all pains, and not striving for some result, is very dear to Me.
Purport

Money may be offered to a devotee, but he should not struggle to acquire it. If automatically, by the grace of the Supreme, money comes to him, he is not agitated. Naturally a devotee takes a bath at least twice in a day and rises early in the morning for devotional service. Thus he is naturally clean both inwardly and outwardly. A devotee is always expert because he fully knows the essence of all activities of life and he is convinced of the authoritative scriptures. A devotee never takes the part of a particular party; therefore he is carefree. He is never pained, because he is free from all designations; he knows that his body is a designation, so if there are some bodily pains, he is free. The pure devotee does not endeavor for anything which is against the principles of devotional service. For example, constructing a big building requires great energy, and a devotee does not take to such business if it does not benefit him by advancing his devotional service. He may construct a temple for the Lord, and for that he may take all kinds of anxiety, but he does not construct a big house for his personal relations.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
16. He who is devoid of expectations from his work, is clean, skilful in all situations, detached from other persons, without distress, and who rejects all undertakings, is dear to Me.
Commentary

Anapekṣaḥ means devoid of expectations from material work. Udāsīnaḥ means to be unattached to material persons. He has the quality of giving up all material endeavors in the present and future, and even some spiritual endeavors such as teaching scripture (sarvārambha-parityāgī).

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
16. He who is devoid of expectations from his work, is clean, skilful in all situations, detached from other persons, without distress, and who rejects all undertakings, is dear to Me.
Commentary

He is without aspirations (niḥspṛhaḥ), enjoying what comes of its own accord, and is without expectations. He has internal and external purity (śuciḥ). He is skilful (dakṣaḥ), being able on his own to deliberate on the meaning of the scriptures. He is neutral (udāsīnaḥ), not taking sides. He is without distress (gata vyaṭhaḥ), even though wronged by others. He does not make any attempts which are contrary to his practice of devotion (sarvārambha parityāgī).

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Translation
My devotee who is not dependent on the ordinary course of activities, who is pure, expert, without cares, free from all pains, and not striving for some result, is very dear to Me. (cn\DS) The devotee knows the essence of everything ‑ its connection with Krsna. The essential knowledge of everything is that everything is Krsna's energy. The devotee is expert because he knows the scriptures, he has knowledge. The devotee may be put in some kind of difficult situation, that situation may be there but by his reactions he doesn't become morose. One of the first twenty items of devotional service is that one should not read too many books, construct big temples and should not take too many disciples. What this means is that the tendency is to do these things for prestige. Generally the devotee doesn't endeavor for these things but by the will of Krsna, someone gives him a big donation than he may build a big temple.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Detached from everything worldly

10. ‘Anapeksah’ (Neutral) – Not dependent on ordinary course of activities

Money may be offered to a devotee, but he does not struggle to acquire it
If it comes automatically by Lord’s grace he is not agitated

11. ‘Sucih’ (pure)

External: Bathing at least twice a day
Internal: Rising early for devotional acts

12. ‘Daksa’ (expert)

Fully knows the essence of all activities of life
Convinced of authoritative scriptures

13. ‘Udasina’ (without cares)

A devotee never takes the part of a particular party

14. ‘Gata-vyathah’ (painfree)

Because he is free from all bodily designations

15. ‘Sarvarambha Parityagi’ (free from all endeavors) – not striving for some fruit

Pure devotee doesn’t not endeavor for anything against the principles of devotional service
e.g. Constructing a big building requires great energy, a devotee takes such business only if it benefits him in devotional service e.g. constructing a big temple but not constructing a big personal house
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
12.16 Anapeksah, he who has no desires with regard to covetable things like body, organs, objects, (their inter-) relationship, etc.; sucih, who is pure, endowed with external and internal purity; daksah, who is dextrous, who is able to promptly understand in the right way the duties that present themselves; udasinah, who is impartial, the monk who does not side with anybody-friends and others; gatavyathah, who is free from fear; sarva-arambha-parityagi, who has renounced every undertaking-works under-taken are arambhah; sarva-arambhah means works undertaken out of desire for results to be enjoyed here or hereafter; he who is apt to give them up (pari-tyaga) is sarva-arambha-parityahi; he who is such a madbhaktah, devotee of Mine; he is priyah, dear; me, to Me. Further,
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
12.16 He who is free from 'desires', i.e., who has no longing for anything except the self; who is 'pure', namely, whose body is nourished on the food prescribed by the Sastras; who is an 'expert' namely, who is an expert in performing actions prescribed by the Sastras; who is 'indifferent', i.e., not interested in matters other than those enjoined by the Sastras; who is free from 'agony', i.e., of pain caused by heat, cold, contact with coarse things etc., which are inevitably associated with the performance of rites prescribed by the Sastras; who renounces all 'undertakings,' i.e., who renounces all undertakings except those demanded by the Sastras - the devotee who is like this is dear to Me.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
12.16 See Comment under 12.20
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
12.16 He who is free from wants, pure, expert, unconcerned, and free from pain, renouncing all undertakings or commencements he who is (thus) devoted to Me, is dear to Me.
Commentary

12.16 अनपेक्षः (he who is) free from wants? शुचिः pure? दक्षः expert? उदासीनः unconcerned? गतव्यथः free from pain? सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी renouncing all undertakings or commencements? यः who? मद्भक्तः My,devotee? सः he? मे to Me? प्रियः dear.CommentarY He is free from dependence. He is indifferent to the body? the senses? the objects of the senses and their mutual connections. He has external and internal purity. External purity is attained through earth and water (washing and bathing). Inner purity is attained by the eradication of likes and dislikes? lust? anger? jealousy? etc.? and through the cultivation of the virtues -- friendship (towards eals)? compassion (towards those who are inferior) and complacency (towards superiors).Daksha Prompt? swift and skilful in all actions expert. He is able to decide rightly and immediately in matters that demand prompt attention and action.Udasina He who does not take up the side of a friend and the like (in a controversy) he who is indifferent to whatever happens.Gatavyathah He who is free from pain. He is not troubled even if he is beaten by a wicked man. He is not pained or afflicted by any result of any action or any happening.Sarvarambhaparityagi He habitually renounces all actions calculated to secure the objects of enjoyment? whether of this world or of the next. He has abandoned all egoistic? personal and mental initiative in all actions? mental and physical. He has merged his will in the cosmic will. He allows the divine will to work through him. He has neither preference nor personal desire and so he is swift? prompt and skilful in all actions. The divine will works through him in a dynamic manner.Such a devotee is My own Self and so he is very dear to Me.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
12.16 He who has no desires, who is pure, who is dextrous, who is impartial, who is free from fear, who has renounced every undertaking-he who is (such) a devotee of Mine is dear to Me.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
12.16 He who expects nothing, who is pure, watchful, indifferent, unruffled, and who renounces all initiative, such a one is My beloved.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 2.71 BG 3.22 BG 6.18 SB 2.2.3 SB 7.15.16 SB 11.19.36 CC Madhya 22.79 CC Madhya 23.112 CC Antya 6.224 Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.2BRS 1.2.255
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
He who is impartial, pure, expert, unconcerned with worldly matters, free from worry, who has renounced personal undertakings — is dear to Me.
Practical Applications
  • Cultivate impartiality and renunciation of personal undertakings.
  • Reduce the number of self-initiated projects; serve Kṛṣṇa's projects instead.
  • Treat unconcern with worldly matters as a freedom, not aloofness.
Reflection Questions
  • What 'personal undertaking' could I lay down?
  • What would Kṛṣṇa's project for me be?
Analogy

A skilled lamp-trimmer does his work in the temple expertly, takes no commission, expects no notice, and feels no sting when his name is omitted from the day's records. The lamps burn; he is content. Kṛṣṇa says: such a one — pure, expert, undisturbed, not striving for any return — is dear to Me.

Stories
Sanātana Gosvāmī at Vṛndāvana

Once a high minister of the Bengal sultanate, Sanātana Gosvāmī fled to Vṛndāvana on Caitanya Mahāprabhu's order and lived under trees, begging mādhukarī each day. He was anapekṣa — needing nothing from the ordinary order; dakṣa — supremely expert (his Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta and Hari-bhakti-vilāsa testify); udāsīna — without care for himself; sarva-ārambha-parityāgī — refusing every fresh enterprise, even his own former lordship.

When the Lord wished to embrace him, Sanātana shrank back, afraid the Lord's pure body would touch his diseased skin. The Lord embraced him anyway. This verse names what Mahāprabhu held in His arms.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

Bhagavad-gītā 12.17

↗
యో న హృష్యతి న ద్వేష్టి న శోచతి న కాఙ్‍క్షతి । శ‍ుభాశ‍ుభపరిత్యాగీ భక్తిమాన్య: స మే ప్రియ: ॥ ౧౭ ॥
yo na hṛṣyati na dveṣṭi
[yo na hrishyati na dveshti]
na śocati na kāṅkṣati
[na shochati na kaankshati]
śubhāśubha-parityāgī
[shubhaashubha-parityaagee]
bhaktimān yaḥ sa me priyaḥ
[bhaktimaan yah sa me priyah]
Word-for-word
yaḥ — one who na — never hṛṣyati — takes pleasure na — never dveṣṭi — grieves na — never śocati — laments na — never kāṅkṣati — desires śubha — of the auspicious aśubha — and the inauspicious parityāgī — renouncer bhakti - mān — devotee yaḥ — one who saḥ — he is me — to Me priyaḥ — dear .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yo na hṛṣyati na dveṣṭi
yaḥ
one who
na
never
hṛṣyati
takes pleasure
na śocati na kāṅkṣati
na
never
dveṣṭi
grieves
na
never
śocati
laments
na
never
kāṅkṣati
desires
śubhāśubha-parityāgī
śubha
of the auspicious
aśubha
and the inauspicious
parityāgī
renouncer
bhaktimān yaḥ sa me priyaḥ
bhakti - mān
devotee
yaḥ
one who
saḥ
he is
me
to Me
priyaḥ
dear .
Important Words
  • hṛṣyati — rejoices, thrills
    From hṛṣ — the same root as harṣa in v.15. The devotee has crossed past the involuntary surge of pleasure at fortune.
  • dveṣṭi — hates, recoils
    From dviṣ — the same root as adveṣṭā in v.13. Recoiling from misfortune is the mirror of clinging to fortune; both are removed.
  • śocati — laments
    From śuc — 'to grieve over what has passed.' The mind's backward pull is cut.
  • kāṅkṣati — desires, yearns
    From kāṅkṣ — 'to long for what has not yet come.' The mind's forward pull is also cut. Together with śocati, the entire time-axis of attachment is severed.
  • śubha — the auspicious
    Paired with aśubha and parityāgī. The devotee does not chase the auspicious — the secret root of much religious life. Even the 'good' is released.
  • aśubha — the inauspicious
    Negation of śubha. The devotee does not flee the inauspicious either. Both belong to the dualistic frame he has left behind.
  • parityāgī — renouncer
    Pari-tyaj — total release. Same word as in v.16. Here the object is the entire śubha/aśubha pair, the dualistic axis under which most life is organized.
  • bhakti - mān — possessing devotion
    Compound with the -mat suffix: 'one in whom bhakti dwells.' The dispassion of the verse is not the dry detachment of an impersonalist — it is detachment held inside an active bhakti.
One who neither rejoices nor grieves, who neither laments nor desires, and who renounces both auspicious and inauspicious things – such a devotee is very dear to Me.
Purport

A pure devotee is neither happy nor distressed over material gain and loss, nor is he very much anxious to get a son or disciple, nor is he distressed by not getting them. If he loses anything which is very dear to him, he does not lament. Similarly, if he does not get what he desires, he is not distressed. He is transcendental in the face of all kinds of auspicious, inauspicious and sinful activities. He is prepared to accept all kinds of risks for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. Nothing is an impediment in the discharge of his devotional service. Such a devotee is very dear to Kṛṣṇa.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
17. The devotee who neither rejoices or hates, neither laments nor hankers, who gives up all sinful and pious actions, is dear to Me. 18-19. The devotee who is equal to enemy and friend, equal in respect or disrespect, in cold or heat, happiness or distress, who is free from attachments, equal in criticism or praise, silent, satisfied with whatever is there, unattached to his house, and steady in mind, is dear to Me.
Commentary

Aniketaḥ means that he is not attached to his material house.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
17. The devotee who neither rejoices or hates, neither laments nor hankers, who gives up all sinful and pious actions, is dear to Me. 18-19. The devotee who is equal to enemy and friend, equal in respect or disrespect, in cold or heat, happiness or distress; who does not associate with materialistic persons; who is equal in criticism or praise, controlled in speech, satisfied with whatever is there; who is unattached to his house and convinced in his knowledge, is dear to Me.
Commentary

He does not rejoice at gaining dear things, such as sons or students. He does not show hatred on attaining what is disagreeable. He does not lament on the destruction of what is dear to him. He does not hanker for what he does not have. He has given up both piety and sin because they are both causes of bondage. Bg 12.18, Bg 12.19, Bg 12.18-19 SaMa" Xa}aaE c iMa}ae c TaQaa MaaNaaPaMaaNaYaae" ) XaqTaaeZ<aSau%du"%ezu SaMa" Sa(r)ivviJaRTa" )) 18 )) TauLYaiNaNdaSTauiTaMaaŒNaq SaNTauíae YaeNa ke-NaicTa( ) AiNake-Ta" iSQarMaiTa>aRi¢-MaaNMae iPa[Yaae Nar" )) 19 )) samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca tathā mānāpamānayoḥ śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu samaḥ saṅga-vivarjitaḥ tulya-nindā-stutir maunī santuṣṭo yena kenacit aniketaḥ sthira-matir bhaktimān me priyo naraḥ samaḥ—equal; śatrau—to an enemy; ca—also; mitre—to a friend; ca—also; tathā—so; māna—in honor; apamānayoḥ—and dishonor; śīta—in cold; uṣṇa—heat; sukha—happiness; duḥkheṣu—and distress; samaḥ—equipoised; saṅga-vivarjitaḥ—free from all association; tulya—equal; nindā—in defamation; stutiḥ—and repute; maunī—silent; santuṣṭaḥ—satisfied; yena kenacit—with anything; aniketaḥ—having no residence; sthira—fixed; matiḥ—determination; bhakti-mān—engaged in devotion; me—to Me; priyaḥ—dear; naraḥ—a man.

The meaning of the first part of the verse is clear. He does not associate with materialistic persons (saṅga varijitaḥ). He does not become dejected on being criticized nor elated on being praised (tulya nindā stutiḥ). He is controlled in speech, or is contemplating only his Lord (maunī). He is satisfied with whatever comes by fate, whether it is coarse or agreeable—such as food. He has no fixed residence, or devoid of the illusions arising from possessing a house (aniketaḥ). He is convinced in his knowledge (sthira matiḥ). There is no fault in the repetition of qualities listed in these seven verses, as the purpose of repetition is to show the great rarity of these qualities. These qualities which appear in the three types of devotees (saniṣṭha, pariniṣṭha and nirapekṣa) are understood to appear proportionately according to the category of devotee. [Note: The qualities will appear to maximum in the nirapekṣa bhakta and least in the saniṣṭha bhakta.]

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Automatically the devotee devellops good qualities just by engaging in Krsna consciousness. Just by acting as a devotee, a person understands that he is not this body, that his real identity is to be an eternal servant of Krsna. Therefore automatically he becomes tolerant, free from anxieties, detached from happiness or distress...

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Unaffected by material emotions

16. Neither rejoices nor grieves over material gain or loss

17. Neither laments nor desires: Not anxious to get a son or a disciple / Not laments by not getting them

18. Transcendental in face of all kinds of auspicious, inauspicious and sinful acts

Prepare to accept all kinds of risks for Lord’s satisfaction
Nothing is an impediment in the discharge of devotional service
Bhaktiman (devotee) – The essential quality from which all other qualities appear
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
12.17 Yah, he who; na hrsyati, does not rejoice on getting a coveted object; na dvesti, does not fret on getting an undesirable object; na socati, does not lament on the loss of a dear one; and na kanksati, does not hanker after an object not acired; subha-asubha-parityogi, who gives up good and bad, who is apt to give up good and bad actions; bhaktiman, who is full of devotion-he is dear to Me.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
12.17 He who does not 'rejoice', i.e., that Karma Yogin, who, on obtaining things which cause joy to man, does not rejoice; who does not 'hate', does not hate on obtaining anything undesriable; who is not 'grieved' by common sorrows which cause grief among men, as the loss of wife, son, fortune etc.; who 'does not desire' anything like wife, son, fortune etc.; not already acired by him; who 'renounces good and evil,' i.e., who renounces both merit and demerit because, like demert, merit also causes bondage, there being no difference between them in this respect - he who is like this and devoted to Me is dear to Me.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
12.17 See Comment under 12.20
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
12.17 He who neither rejoices, nor hates, nor grieves, nor desires, renouncing good and evil, and who is full of devotion, is dear to Me.
Commentary

12.17 यः who? न not? हृष्यति rejoices? न not? द्वेष्टि hates? न not? शोचति grieves? न not? काङ्क्षति desires? शुभाशुभपरित्यागी renouncing good and evil? भक्तिमान् full of devotion? यः who? सः he? मे to Me? प्रियः dear.Commentary What is described in verse 13 is dealt with at length in this.He does not rejoice when he attains the desirable objects. He does not hate when he gets the undesirable objects. He does not grieve when he parts with his beloved objects. He does not desire the unattained.Subhasubhaparityagi Here is a further description of Sarvarambhaparityagi of verse 16. He who has renounced good and evil actions which produce pleasure and pain is a devotee of the Lord.Such a devotee or knower of Brahman? who is My own Self? is dear to Me. (Cf.VII.17IX.29)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
12.17 He who does not rejoice, does not fret, does not lament, does not hanker; who gives up good and bad, who is filled with devotion-he is dear to Me.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
12.17 He who is beyond joy and hate, who neither laments nor desires, to whom good and evil fortunes are the same, such a one is My beloved.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 2.56 BG 5.3 BG 14.22-25 SB 1.8.27 SB 6.17.28 SB 11.19.36 CC Madhya 22.78 CC Madhya 23.13 CC Antya 20.12 Īśa Upaniṣad 7 BRS 1.2.187
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
He who neither rejoices nor laments, neither hankers nor desires, who renounces both auspicious and inauspicious things — is dear to Me.
Practical Applications
  • Cultivate equipoise toward both auspicious and inauspicious.
  • Refuse to be jerked between rejoicing and lamenting.
  • Treat the equipoise itself as the practice.
Reflection Questions
  • Where does my rejoicing-and-lamenting consume my energy?
  • What does the equipoise feel like by contrast?
Analogy

A weaver at his loom does not cheer when the shuttle goes right nor weep when it goes left. He weaves. The cloth is the Lord's. The devotee likewise neither rejoices over fortune nor grieves over misfortune, neither yearns ahead nor mourns behind — and from both auspicious and inauspicious he stands at one remove. Such an even-handed weaver, Kṛṣṇa says, is dear.

Stories
Bharata Mahārāja in his three lives

First an emperor — he relinquished the throne without grief and entered the forest without rejoicing. Then a deer — born so because of a moment's attachment to a fawn, he carried the memory of his fall without lament. Then a slow-witted brāhmaṇa — Jaḍa Bharata — who endured insults and praise alike without flicker, who walked when ordered and stopped when ordered, in whom auspicious and inauspicious had collapsed into one steady flow toward the Lord.

The entire three-life arc of Bharata is the verse in narrative form: na hṛṣyati, na dveṣṭi, na śocati, na kāṅkṣati.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

Bhagavad-gītā 12.18-19

↗
సమ: శత్రౌ చ మిత్రే చ తథా మానాపమానయో: । శీతోష్ణసుఖదు:ఖేషు సమ: సఙ్గవివర్జిత: ॥ ౧౮ ॥ తుల్యనిన్దాస్తుతిర్మౌనీ సన్తుష్టో యేన కేనచిత్ । అనికేత: స్థిరమతిర్భక్తిమాన్మే ప్రియో నర: ॥ ౧౯ ॥
samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca
[samah shatrau cha mitre cha]
tathā mānāpamānayoḥ
[tathaa maanaapamaanayoh]
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu
[sheetoshna-sukha-duhkheshu]
samaḥ saṅga-vivarjitaḥ
[samah sanga-vivarjitah]
tulya-nindā-stutir maunī
[tulya-nindaa-stutir maunee]
santuṣṭo yena kenacit
[santushto yena kenachit]
aniketaḥ sthira-matir
[aniketah sthira-matir]
bhaktimān me priyo naraḥ
[bhaktimaan me priyo narah]
Word-for-word
samaḥ — equal śatrau — to an enemy ca — also mitre — to a friend ca — also tathā — so māna — in honor apamānayoḥ — and dishonor śīta — in cold uṣṇa — heat sukha — happiness duḥkheṣu — and distress samaḥ — equipoised saṅga - vivarjitaḥ — free from all association tulya — equal nindā — in defamation stutiḥ — and repute maunī — silent santuṣṭaḥ — satisfied yena kenacit — with anything aniketaḥ — having no residence sthira — fixed matiḥ — determination bhakti - mān — engaged in devotion me — to Me priyaḥ — dear naraḥ — a man .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca
samaḥ
equal
śatrau
to an enemy
ca
also
mitre
to a friend
ca
also
tathā mānāpamānayoḥ
tathā
so
māna
in honor
apamānayoḥ
and dishonor
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu
śīta
in cold
samaḥ saṅga-vivarjitaḥ
tulya-nindā-stutir maunī
santuṣṭo yena kenacit
uṣṇa
heat
sukha
happiness
duḥkheṣu
and distress
samaḥ
equipoised
saṅga - vivarjitaḥ
free from all association
tulya
equal
aniketaḥ sthira-matir
nindā
in defamation
stutiḥ
and repute
maunī
silent
santuṣṭaḥ
satisfied
yena kenacit
with anything
bhaktimān me priyo naraḥ
aniketaḥ
having no residence
sthira
fixed
matiḥ
determination
bhakti - mān
engaged in devotion
me
to Me
priyaḥ
dear
naraḥ
a man .
Important Words
  • samaḥ — equal, equipoised
    Repeated twice in the verse — first toward friends and enemies, then toward heat, cold, pleasure, pain. The hinge word of the chapter's character sketch. Sameness is not indifference; it is the devotee's even ground under shifting feet.
  • māna — in honor
    Paired in the verse with apamānayoḥ. The most tempting half of the duality for the spiritually accomplished — being respected. The devotee receives it as weather.
  • apamānayoḥ — and dishonor
    Locative dual of apamāna. The dual ending shows the verse explicitly pairing māna with its opposite. The devotee receives both as one weather.
  • saṅga - vivarjitaḥ — free from contaminating association
    Compound: saṅga (attachment, company) + vivarjita (avoided). The whole Gītā's diagnosis (saṅga in 2.62) and prescription in two words. The devotee keeps no company that pulls his mind sideways.
  • maunī — silent
    From mauna — 'silence,' especially the deliberate restraint of speech. Not muteness — disciplined economy. The bhakta speaks of Kṛṣṇa, and is otherwise still.
  • aniketaḥ — without fixed residence
    Negation of niketa (dwelling). Not homeless by misfortune — homeless by choice, because no place on earth has been allowed to become 'mine.'
  • sthira — fixed
    Paired in the verse with matiḥ. From sthā, 'to stand.' The character traits do not float free — they stand on settled ground.
  • matiḥ — determination, intelligence
    From man, 'to think.' Mati is the considered judgment of the buddhi. Sthira-mati is settled intelligence about Kṛṣṇa, without which all the equanimity collapses into mere stoicism.
  • bhakti - mān — possessing devotion
    Repeated from v.17. The whole list is held together by active bhakti — without it the qualities resemble Buddhist or Sāṅkhya equanimity. With it, they are the Vaiṣṇava signature.
One who is equal to friends and enemies, who is equipoised in honor and dishonor, heat and cold, happiness and distress, fame and infamy, who is always free from contaminating association, always silent and satisfied with anything, who doesn’t care for any residence, who is fixed in knowledge and who is engaged in devotional service – such a person is very dear to Me.
Purport

A devotee is always free from all bad association. Sometimes one is praised and sometimes one is defamed; that is the nature of human society. But a devotee is always transcendental to artificial fame and infamy, distress or happiness. He is very patient. He does not speak of anything but the topics about Kṛṣṇa; therefore he is called silent. Silent does not mean that one should not speak; silent means that one should not speak nonsense. One should speak only of essentials, and the most essential speech for the devotee is to speak for the sake of the Supreme Lord. A devotee is happy in all conditions; sometimes he may get very palatable foodstuffs, sometimes not, but he is satisfied. Nor does he care for any residential facility. He may sometimes live underneath a tree, and he may sometimes live in a very palatial building; he is attracted to neither. He is called fixed because he is fixed in his determination and knowledge. We may find some repetition in the descriptions of the qualifications of a devotee, but this is just to emphasize the fact that a devotee must acquire all these qualifications. Without good qualifications, one cannot be a pure devotee. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ: one who is not a devotee has no good qualification. One who wants to be recognized as a devotee should develop the good qualifications. Of course he does not extraneously endeavor to acquire these qualifications, but engagement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service automatically helps him develop them.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

COMMON THEME: Further qualities mentioned

19. Equal to friends and enemies

20. Equipoised in dualities

21. Always free from contaminating association

22. Silence – implies “to speak only of essentials”

Most essential speech – To speak of supreme lord

23. Satisfied – Happy in all conditions – Sometimes get palatable food and sometimes not

24. Does not care for any residence

25. Fixed in – Determination and knowledge

26. Engaged in devotional service

SUMMARISED THEME 12B

QUALITIES OF PURE DEVOTEES (2.13-12.19):
Classified summary of qualities that endear one to Krishna

A) Attitude towards one self

‘Nirmama’ – Free from sense of proprietorship
Free from false-ego : Knows that “I am not the body”
‘Gata-vyathah’ (Painfree)
‘Sarvarambha Parityagi’ (Free from all endeavors)

B) Dealings with other living entities

‘Non-envious’ – Kind to everyone even to his enemy
Equal to friends and enemies
‘Udasina’ (without cares)
Always free from contaminating association
Silence

C) Reaction when things happen to him –

Satisfied
Self-controlled/Completely perfect mystic
Tolerant
Equipoised in happiness and distress
Anapeksah (Neutral)
Sucih (pure)
Daksa (expert)
Neither rejoices nor grieves over material gain or loss
Neither Laments Nor Desires
Transcendental in face of all kinds of auspicious, inauspicious and sinful acts
Equipoised in dualities
Does Not Care For Any Residence

D) Dealings with the Lord

Determined
Mind and intelligence fixed entirely on the Supreme Lord
Engaged in devotional service
Fixed
Focus of Learning

(a) Practical application: Krishna consciousness and good qualifications

One who wants to be recognized as devotee should develop all good qualifications
Ofcourse one does not extraneously endeavor to acquire these qualifications because engagement in Krishna consciousness and devotional service automatically helps one develop them
One who is not a devotee has no good qualifications
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
Sri Shankaracharya did not comment on this sloka
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
Sri Ramanuja did not comment on this sloka
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
Sri Abhinavgupta did not comment on this sloka
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
Swami Sivananda did not comment on this sloka
Commentary

Swami Sivananda did not comment on this sloka

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
Swami Gambirananda did not comment on this sloka
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
Shri Purohit Swami did not comment on this sloka
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 2.15 BG 6.7 BG 14.25 SB 3.25.21 SB 4.11.13 SB 11.11.29 CC Madhya 22.78 CC Madhya 22.145 CC Antya 6.236 Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.2.4BRS 1.2.91
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Equal to friends and enemies, equal in honor and dishonor, in heat and cold, free from contamination and possessiveness, content with whatever happens — silent, taking shelter — is dear to Me.
Practical Applications
  • Test equality across the dualities: friend/enemy, honor/dishonor, heat/cold.
  • Cultivate content acceptance.
  • Honor silence and shelter-taking as practices.
Reflection Questions
  • Which duality most consistently breaks my equality?
  • What practice would steady it?
Analogy

A traveler on a long road carries no attachment to any inn, befriends those he meets without resenting those who pass him by, eats whatever the village offers, speaks little, and walks on. Honor and dishonor are roadside towns; heat and cold are weather; his destination is steady. Such a traveler, fixed in knowledge and engaged in bhakti, is dear to Kṛṣṇa.

Stories
Rūpa and Sanātana under the trees

Rūpa Gosvāmī and his brother Sanātana, once wealthy ministers, spent their later years in Vṛndāvana with no fixed residence. One night they slept beneath one tree; the next, beneath another. Friends and enemies, honor (the Mughal court had once bowed to them) and dishonor (Sanātana was once jailed by his old master), heat and cold — all became one weather.

They were maunī when not glorifying Kṛṣṇa, santuṣṭa with whatever mādhukarī the day brought, aniketa with no house of their own, and sthira-mati on Kṛṣṇa's līlā in Vraja. Caitanya Mahāprabhu loved them as Kṛṣṇa loves the man this verse describes.

Sudāmā walking to Dvārakā

Sudāmā the brāhmaṇa, Kṛṣṇa's childhood friend, walked to Dvārakā in rags, carrying only a small bundle of flat rice his wife had borrowed from neighbors. He cared neither for his own poverty nor for the splendor of Kṛṣṇa's palace when he arrived. He sought no honor and did not flinch at the guards' surprise; he asked for nothing and accepted whatever came.

When he returned home and found his hut transformed into a palace, his evenness did not change. Sama in distress, sama in fortune, mauni about his own deserts, santuṣṭa with whatever Kṛṣṇa arranged — Sudāmā is this verse walking on the road.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

Bhagavad-gītā 12.20

↗
యే తు ధర్మామృతమిదం యథోక్తం పర్యుపాసతే । శ్రద్దధానా మత్పరమా భక్తాస్తేఽతీవ మే ప్రియా: ॥ ౨౦ ॥
ye tu dharmāmṛtam idaṁ
[ye tu dharmaamritam idam]
yathoktaṁ paryupāsate
[yathoktam paryupaasate]
śraddadhānā mat-paramā
[shraddadhaanaa mat-paramaa]
bhaktās te ’tīva me priyāḥ
[bhaktaas te ’teeva me priyaah]
Word-for-word
ye — those who tu — but dharma — of religion amṛtam — nectar idam — this yathā — as uktam — said paryupāsate — completely engage śraddadhānāḥ — with faith mat - paramāḥ — taking Me, the Supreme Lord, as everything bhaktāḥ — devotees te — they atīva — very, very me — to Me priyāḥ — dear .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ye tu dharmāmṛtam idaṁ
ye
those who
tu
but
dharma
of religion
amṛtam
nectar
idam
this
yathoktaṁ paryupāsate
yathā
as
uktam
said
paryupāsate
completely engage
śraddadhānā mat-paramā
śraddadhānāḥ
with faith
mat - paramāḥ
taking Me, the Supreme Lord, as everything
bhaktās te ’tīva me priyāḥ
bhaktāḥ
devotees
te
they
atīva
very, very
me
to Me
priyāḥ
dear .
Important Words
  • dharma — of religion
    Paired in the verse with amṛtam. Kṛṣṇa calls this whole chapter dharma — and immediately calls it amṛta. Duty here is itself ambrosial, not a burdensome obligation.
  • amṛtam — nectar, the deathless
    Negation of mṛta (dead). Amṛta is what does not die — the gods' nectar, also a name for liberation. Kṛṣṇa labels the chapter's whole path with this word: it ends in deathlessness.
  • uktam — as said
    Past participle of vac, 'to speak.' The reference is to the entire chapter Kṛṣṇa has just delivered. Not part of it — the whole. The verse demands integral practice.
  • paryupāsate — completely worship
    Same word Arjuna used in v.1 for both classes of worshipers. Kṛṣṇa returns the word at the close, applying it now to those who follow His own prescription — settling the comparison His chapter began.
  • śraddadhānāḥ — with faith
    Present participle of śrad-dhā, 'to place faith.' Echoes parayā śraddhayā of v.2. Faith bookends the chapter: the practice opens and closes in śraddhā.
  • mat - paramāḥ — taking Me as supreme
    Compound: mat + parama (highest). Same construction as v.6-7's mat-parāḥ. Kṛṣṇa is positioned at the apex of all goals. Without this positioning, the practice has no center.
  • atīva — very, very, exceedingly
    Intensifier. Throughout verses 13-19 the bhakta is priyaḥ. Here, at the close, he is atīva priyaḥ — exceedingly dear. The chapter's affection climbs as it ends.
  • priyāḥ — dear
    Final word of the chapter, plural, intensified by atīva. The whole chapter's argument terminates not in metaphysical resolution but in declared love. Kṛṣṇa's last word is His own affection.
Those who follow this imperishable path of devotional service and who completely engage themselves with faith, making Me the supreme goal, are very, very dear to Me.
Purport

In this chapter, from verse 2 through the end – from mayy āveśya mano ye mām (“fixing the mind on Me”) through ye tu dharmāmṛtam idam (“this religion of eternal engagement”) – the Supreme Lord has explained the processes of transcendental service for approaching Him. Such processes are very dear to the Lord, and He accepts a person engaged in them. The question of who is better – one who is engaged in the path of impersonal Brahman or one who is engaged in the personal service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead – was raised by Arjuna, and the Lord replied to him so explicitly that there is no doubt that devotional service to the Personality of Godhead is the best of all processes of spiritual realization. In other words, in this chapter it is decided that through good association one develops attachment for pure devotional service and thereby accepts a bona fide spiritual master and from him begins to hear and chant and observe the regulative principles of devotional service with faith, attachment and devotion and thus becomes engaged in the transcendental service of the Lord. This path is recommended in this chapter; therefore there is no doubt that devotional service is the only absolute path for self-realization, for the attainment of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The impersonal conception of the Supreme Absolute Truth, as described in this chapter, is recommended only up to the time one surrenders himself for self-realization. In other words, as long as one does not have the chance to associate with a pure devotee, the impersonal conception may be beneficial. In the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth one works without fruitive result, meditates and cultivates knowledge to understand spirit and matter. This is necessary as long as one is not in the association of a pure devotee. Fortunately, if one develops directly a desire to engage in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in pure devotional service, he does not need to undergo step-by-step improvements in spiritual realization. Devotional service, as described in the middle six chapters of Bhagavad-gītā, is more congenial. One need not bother about materials to keep body and soul together, because by the grace of the Lord everything is carried out automatically. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Twelfth Chapter of the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā in the matter of Devotional Service.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
20. But those devotees who completely take up the nectar of these qualities just taught, who are full of faith and most devoted, are most dear to Me. 1. Arjuna said: O Keśava, I desire to know about prakṛti, puruṣa, the field and knower of the field, as well as the process of knowing and the object of knowledge. [Note: This verse is omitted in some editions.] 2. The Lord said: O son of Kuntī, this body is called the field. Those in knowledge call the person who knows this field the knower of the field.
Commentary

Summarizing the qualities fixed in various types of His devotees which He has just mentioned, the Lord now describes the result of hearing and deliberating on the these qualities by devotees desirous of obtaining all those qualities. Since these qualities arise from sense control (śānti, mentioned in verse 12), which in turn arises from bhakti, they are thus not material qualities. bhaktyā tuṣyati kṛṣṇo ṇa guṇaiḥ: Kṛṣṇa is pleased by bhakti, not by good material qualities. (Padyāvalī 8) Such statements are innumerable in the scriptures. Tu here indicates differentiation. The various devotees previously mentioned were fixed in their individual natures with certain qualities. But those practitioners who desire all of the qualities of all the types of devotees are superior to those just mentioned, who have attained only some of the qualities. Therefore, the word atīva (surpassingly) is used. Such devotees, who take up all the qualities, are even dearer to Me. [Note: Paryupāsate means “to completely take up.”] The astonishing qualities of bhakti, which is supreme and blissful, whose goal can be attained by all, and which is easy to perform, have been explained in this chapter. Though it has been shown that jṣāna is bitter like nīma fruit and bhakti is sweet like grape juice, still, these two processes are taken up their respective followers who crave that particular taste. Thus end the commentaries on the twelfth chapter of the Gītā, to give joy to the hearts of devotees, through the mercy of the ācāryas.

Let me offer my respects to the Lord’s bhakti, which, by its mercy, resides within jṣāna and other processes to a small degree in order to bring about success in those processes. In the last six chapters of the Gītā, jṣāna mixed with bhakti is delineated. Within these six chapters, kevalā bhakti also is shown indirectly to be supreme. In the thirteenth chapter, the body where jīva and Paramātmā reside, the practice of jṣāna, the jīva and prakṛti are described. In the middle six chapters, it was mentioned that by kevalā bhakti one attains the Lord, Bhagavān, and three other methods of worship, starting with worship of oneself, were then described. Liberation arising from jṣāna mixed with bhakti practiced by followers of niṣkāma-karma-yoga and the process of jṣāna were briefly described in the first six chapters. The third six chapters explain this jṣāna in detail by first examining the field, the knower of the field, the process of knowledge and the object of knowledge.

This verse answers the question “What is the field and who is the knower of the field?” This body with senses, the abode of enjoyment, is the field, since it is the basis for sprouting the tree of repeated births. He who knows that body in terms of “I and mine” in the conditioned state due his attachment to that body, and he who, being devoid of the conception of “I and mine” in the liberated state, knows that he is not attached to that body, is the jīva. He is called the knower of the field, situated in these two conditions. Like one who ploughs the field, he is the knower of the field, and is the enjoyer of the fruit. The Lord says: adanti caikaṁ phalam asya gṛdhrā grāme-carā ekam araṇya-vāsāḥ haṁsā ya ekaṁ bahu-rūpam ijyair māyā-mayaṁ veda sa veda vedam Those lusty after material enjoyment and dedicated to family life enjoy one of the tree’s fruits, and swanlike men in the renounced order of life enjoy the other fruit. One who with the help of the bona fide spiritual masters can understand this tree to be a manifestation of the potency of the one Supreme Truth appearing in many forms actually knows the meaning of the Vedic literature. SB 11.12.23 The meaning of this verse from Bhāgavatam is as follows. Gṛdhraḥ means “those who desire.” [Note: This word also means “vulture.”] Those who have desire and who move in society, the conditioned jīvas, eat one fruit of the tree called distress, because the tree has the ability to generate distress, even with its ripened fruits of Svarga. The swans, which live in the forest, the liberated jīvas, eat another fruit called happiness, because the tree has ability to generate happiness in the form of liberation. Thus, the one tree of saṁsāra has many forms since it has the capacity to let one attain hell, Svarga, and liberation. It is called māyā-mayam, made of māyā, because it is generated from the Lord’s māyā-śakti. He who knows this tree with the help of the worshipable gurus (ijyaiḥ) knows the Vedas. Tad-vidaḥ in the Gītā verse refers to persons who know the field and the knower of the field.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
20. But those devotees who take up completely the nectar of these qualities as just taught, who are full of faith and most devoted, are most dear to Me. 1. Arjuna said: O Keśava, I desire to know about prakṛti, puruṣa, the field and knower of the filed, as well as the process of knowing and the object of knowledge. [Note: This verse is omitted in some editions.] 2. The Lord said: O son of Kuntī, this body is called the field. Those in knowledge call the person who knows this field the knower of the field.
Commentary

Concluding the description of bhakti yoga, the Lord speaks of the results of that bhakti. Those devotees who take full shelter (paryupāsate) of the sweet means to attain Me which has just been described, starting with mayy āveśya mano ye mām (BG 12.2; those who take shelter of the process to attain Me, just as they take shelter of Me, who am to be attained by the method; devotees who are faithful to bhakti and who are absorbed in Me (mat paramā), are very dear to Me. Kṛṣṇa is controlled by the persons devoted to Him alone, and by the persons devoted solely to the process of bhakti dedicated to Him. The most beautiful Kṛṣṇa is conquered completely by love. This has been explained in the twelfth chapter. Chapter 13 Bg 13.1, Bg 13.2, Bg 13.1-2 AJauRNa ovac Pa[k*-iTa& Pauṛz& cEv +ae}a& +ae}ajMaev c ) WTaŪeidTauiMaC^aiMa jaNa& jeYa& c ke-Xav )) 1 )) ī[q>aGavaNauvacwd& Xarqr& k-aENTaeYa +ae}aiMaTYai>aDaqYaTae ) WTaÛae veita Ta& Pa[ahu" +ae}aj wiTa TaiŪd" )) 2 )) arjuna uvāca prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva kṣetraṁ kṣetra-jṣam eva ca etad veditum icchāmi jṣānaṁ jṣeyaṁ ca keśava śrī-bhagavān uvāca idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya kṣetram ity abhidhīyate etad yo vetti taṁ prāhuḥ kṣetra-jṣa iti tad-vidaḥ arjunaḥ uvāca—Arjuna said; prakṛtim—nature; puruṣam—the enjoyer; ca—also; eva—certainly; kṣetram—the field; kṣetra-jṣam—the knower of the field; eva—certainly; ca—also; etat—all this; veditum—to understand; icchāmi—I wish; jṣānam—knowledge; jṣeyam—the object of knowledge; ca—also; keśava—O Kṛṣṇa; śrī-bhagavān uvāca—the Personality of Godhead said; idam—this; śarīram—body; kaunteya—O son of Kuntī; kṣetram—the field; iti—thus; abhidhīyate—is called; etat—this; yaḥ—one who; vetti—knows; tam—he; prāhuḥ—is called; kṣetra-jṣaḥ—the knower of the field; iti—thus; tat—vidaḥ—by those who know this.

Arjuna said: O Keśava, I desire to know about prakṛti, puruṣa, the field and knower of the filed, as well as the process of knowing and the object of knowledge. [Note: This verse is omitted in some editions.]

The precise natures of the jīva, the Lord and matter, which were discussed in the previous six chapters will be further explained in the last six chapters. Jnāna serves as the door to bhakti, which was just taught. In the thirteenth chapter the Lord will speak detailed knowledge of the body, the jīva and the Lord. The first six chapters described knowledge of the jīvātmā which is attained through niṣkāma karma yoga, and which is useful to attain knowledge of paramātmā. In the second six chapters worship of paramātmā, called bhakti, was taught along with a description of the Lord’s powers. Only pure bhakti however brings the Lord under control and lets one attain the Lord. This worship of paramātmā destroys the suffering of those worshippers desiring relief from distress, wealth or knowledge. By association with the exclusive devotees, such mixed devotees become pure, and that pure bhakti allows them to attain the Lord. When the bhakti process is mixed with jṣāna or yoga, one attains perception of the majestic form of the Lord and this yields liberation. This has already been described. Now, in the last six chapters, the universe caused by the combination of prakṛti and puruṣa, the forms of the Lord, and the essential natures of karma, bhakti and jṣāna will be explained. In order to clarify jṣāna, in the thirteenth chapter the real natures of the body, the jīva, the Supreme Lord will be delineated. The cause of relation of the body with the jīva, who is distinct from his body, and the method of making the distinction will be considered. The Lord begins to speak in order to explain these things. O son of Kuntī, the wise call this body, along with its senses and prāṇa, the field, because it causes growth of experiences of happiness and distress for the jīva, the enjoyer. Those who know (tad vidaḥ) the real nature of the field and the knower of the field, define “the knower of the field” (who is a knower different from the body which it knows), as a person who, while sleeping, eating and performing other activities, knows that this body is not the ātmā, though it is perceived by the ignorant as themselves (as deva, man or object), and knows that the body is the means of both enjoyment and liberation for the ātmā. Bhāgavatām explains that the body is a means for enjoyment and liberation: adanti caikaṁ phalam asya gṛdhnā grāmecarā ekam araṇya-vāsā| comhaṁsā ya ekaṁ bahu-rūpam ijyair māyā-mayaṁ veda sa veda vedam Those lusty after material enjoyment and dedicated to family life enjoy one of the tree’s fruits, and swanlike men in the renounced order of life enjoy the other fruit. One who with the help of the bona fide spiritual masters can understand this tree to be a manifestation of the potency of the one Supreme Truth appearing in many forms actually knows the meaning of the Vedic literature. (SB 11.12.23) Thus those who think that the body is the self are not knowers of the field, since they do not know that real nature and function of the body.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Good association is necessary. One who executes sadhana bhakti is very dear to Krsna, but one who can actually have those qualities which are a manifestation of pure bhakti, he is very, very dear to Krsna.

Summary of this Chapter: In the beginning Arjuna has asked Krsna which is better. The conclusion is that devotional service is better. The goal is more complete and the process is simplier, it is joyfully performed. The process of impersonal meditation it is not joyfully performed, it is miserable because it involves abnegation which is practically a torture for the embodied soul. And if one wants to take the impersonal realization and yet engage in devotional service ‑ he is a muddha, a fool.

THUS ENDS THE STUDY OF CHAPTER TWELVE.

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura concludes this chapter: “These characteristics that arise in one

from devotion and from peacefulness are not material qualities. This is in accordance with the

statement ‘Kṛṣṇa is satisfied only by devotion, never by material qualities.’ The word ‘but’ (tu) in

this verse indicates the introduction of a new idea. The devotees described up to this point have

each perfectly cultivated one aspect of their personalities. Those mentioned in this verse, however,

are desirous of perfecting all these qualities. Therefore, even during the stage of sādhana, they are

superior to those on other paths even if those individuals have achieved the perfected stage of their

paths. For this reason the word atīva (‘extremely’ or ‘very, very’) is used in this verse.”

arjuna uväca

nañöo mohaù småtir labdhä

tvat-prasädän mayäcyuta

sthito 'smi gata-sandehaù

kariñye vacanaà tava

“My dear Kåñëa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my

memory by Your mercy. I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared

to act according to Your instructions.”

BG (18.73)

Bhagavad-gītā Notes

Part 3

Jñāna Yogā Section

Chapters 13 – 18

Based on “Bhagavad-gītā As It Is”

By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna

Consciousness

&

Supplemented by additional material from

- „Surrender Unto Me‟ by HG Bhūrījan Prabhu

- Notes from Vaishnava Training & Education (VTE)

- North America VIHE notes

Śrī Śrī Rādhā Gopīnāth Mandir

ISKCON Chowpatty Mumbai

India

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
12.20 Tu, but; ye bhaktah, those devotees of Mine, the monks who have resorted to the highest devotion consisting in the knowledge of the supreme Reality; mat-paramah, who accept Me as the supreme Goal, to whom I, as mentioned above, who am identical with the Immutable, am the highest (parama), unsurpassable Goal; and sraddadhanah, with faith; paryupasate, seek for, practise; idam, this; dharmyamrtam, ambrosia that is indistinguishable from the virtues-that which is indistinguishable from dharma (virtue) is dharmya, and this is called amrta (ambrosia) since it leads to Immortality-; yatha-uktam, as stated above in, 'He who is not hateful towards any creature,' etc.; te, they; are ativa, very; priyah, dear; me, to Me. After having explained what was hinted in, 'For I am very much dear to the man of Knowledge৷৷.'(7.17), that has been concluded here in, 'Those devotees are very dear to Me.' Since by seeking for this ambrosia which is indistinguishable from the virtues as stated above one becomes very dear to Me, who am theLord Vishnu, the supreme God, therefore this nectar which is indistinguishable from the virtues has to be diligently sought for by one who is a seeker of Liberation, who wants to attain the coveted Abode of Visnu. This is the purport of the sentence. [Thus, after the consummation of meditation on the alified Brahman, one who aspires after the unalified Brahman, who has the alifications mentioned in, 'He who is not hateful towards any creature,' etc., who is pre-eminently fit for this purpose, and who practises sravana etc. has the possibility of realizing the Truth from which his Liberation logically follows. Hence, the conclusion is that the meaning of the word tat (in the sentence tattvamasi) has to be sought for, since his has the power to arouse the comprehension of the meaning of that sentence, which is the means to Liberation.]
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
12.20 But those who follow Bhakti Yoga - 'which is a nectar of virtuous duty,' i.e., which is at once virtuous duty and nectar, and which even as a menas, is eal to its end in conferring bliss on those who follow is as stated above, i.e., in the manner taught in the stanza beginning with 'Those who, focusing their minds on Me' (12.2) - such devotees are exceedingly dear to Me.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
12.15-20 Yasmat etc. upto Me priyah. One who has no fixed thought : One who has no resolution, [in his mundane life] like 'This alone must be done by me'. He, who enjoys, with contentment, both pleasure and pain as they come, and has his mind completely absorbed in Supreme Lord - that person happily (or easily) attains the Supreme Isolation (Emancipation)
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
12.20 They verily who follow this immortal Dharma (law or doctrine) as described above, endowed with faith, regarding Me as their supreme goal, they, the devotees, are exceedingly dear to Me.
Commentary

12.20 ये who? तु indeed? धर्म्यामृतम् immortal Dharma (Law)? इदम् this? यथोक्तम् as declared (above)? पर्युपासते follow? श्रद्दधानाः endowed with faith? मत्परमाः regarding Me as their Supreme? भक्ताः devotees? ते they? अतीव exceedingly? मे to Me? प्रियाः dear.Commentary The Blessed Lord has in this verse given a description of His excellent devotee.Amrita Dharma Amrita is the lifegiving nectar. Dharma is righteousness or wisdom. Dharma is that which leads to immortality when practised. The real devotees regard Me as their final or supreme refuge.Above Beginning with verse 13.A great truth that should not go unnoticed is that the devotee? the man of wisdom and the Yogi have all the same fundamental characteristics.Priyo hi Jnaninotyartham (I am exceedingly dear to the wise man) (VII.12) has thus been explained at length and concluded here thus? Te ativa me priyah (they are exceedinlgy dear to Me).He who follows this immortal Dharma as described above becomes exceedingly dear to the Lord. Therefore? every aspirant who thirsts for salvation? and who longs to attain the Supreme Abode of the Lord should follow this immortal Dharma with zeal and intense faith.Thus in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita? the science of the Eternal? the scripture of Yoga? the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna? ends the twelfth discourse entitledThe Yoga of Devotion.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
12.20 But [Tu (but) is used to distinguish those who have attained the highest Goal from the aspirants.-Tr.] those devotees who accept Me as the supreme Goal, and with faith seek for this ambrosia [M.S.'s reading is dharmamrtam-nectar in the form of virtue. Virtue is called nectar because it leads to Immortality, or because it is sweet like nectar.] which is indistinguishable from the virtues as stated above, they are very dear to Me.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
12.20 Verily those who love the spiritual wisdom as I have taught, whose faith never fails, and who concentrate their whole nature on Me, they indeed are My most beloved."
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)
Related verses
BG 9.22 BG 11.55 BG 18.65 SB 1.2.6 SB 11.14.15 SB 11.14.20 CC Madhya 22.62 CC Madhya 22.83 CC Madhya 25.271 Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.23BRS 1.2.92
Concepts
DharmaMaya
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Those who follow this imperishable path of devotional service with full faith, making Me the supreme goal — are extremely dear to Me.
Practical Applications
  • Treat the chapter's full description as one path; commit to it integrally.
  • Don't pick and choose virtues.
  • Make Kṛṣṇa the explicit supreme goal.
Reflection Questions
  • Which virtues from this chapter have I been cherry-picking?
  • What integral commitment is being asked?
Analogy

A river that has been told the whole shape of its journey — every bend, every drop — and that now flows toward the sea with all its waters faithfully turned that way: such a river the ocean draws in with double love. Kṛṣṇa closes the chapter saying of those who follow this whole imperishable path with faith and Him as supreme: 'atīva me priyāḥ' — they are dear to Me beyond measure.

Stories
The gopīs at Kurukṣetra

When Kṛṣṇa met the gopīs again at the solar eclipse pilgrimage at Kurukṣetra, they had long since lost His outward company in Vṛndāvana — but they had followed this whole imperishable path: making Him the supreme goal, completely engaging with faith, dropping every other refuge. They asked for no reunion in Dvārakā's splendor; they wanted Him under the kadamba trees again.

Kṛṣṇa, in the Bhāgavatam, calls them the topmost of all His devotees. The chapter's closing superlative — atīva me priyāḥ — is fulfilled in them. Not 'dear' once, but 'very, very dear,' as the verse intensifies.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io