Chapter 12. Bhakti-yoga: The Path of Devotion
अर्ज्जुन उवाच ।
एवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्य्युपासते ।
ये चाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमाः ॥१॥
arjuna uvācha॥
evaṁ satata-yuktā ye bhaktās tvāṁ paryupāsate
ye chāpy akṣaram avyaktaṁ teṣāṁ ke yoga-vittamāḥ [1]
arjunah uvacha–Arjuna said: ye bhaktah–Those devotees who; evam–thus; satata-yuktah–constantly with exclusive devotion; paryupasate–worship; tvam–You, Syamasundar; cha api–or; ye–those who; (paryupasate)–worship; avyaktam–the unmanifest, impersonal; aksaram–imperishable, Brahma; tesam–of these two types of yogis (jnana-yogi and bhakti-yogi); ke–who; yoga-vittamah–is the best knower of yoga? [1]
Translation:
1 Arjuna inquired: Of those devotees who are constantly engaged in worshipping You (as Syamasundar, Your original humanlike form) with exclusive devotion, and those who worship the impersonal Brahma, who is the best knower of yoga?
श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते ।
श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मताः ॥२॥
śrī-bhagavān uvācha॥
mayy āveśya mano ye māṁ nitya-yuktā upāsate
śraddhayā parayopetās te me yuktatamā matāḥ [2]
sri-bhagavan uvacha–The Supreme Lord said: ye–Those who; sraddhaya upetah–with faith; paraya–transcendental to the mundane; avesya–have absorbed; manah–the mind; mayi–in thought of Me, Syamasundar; nitya-yuktah–always engaged in exclusive devotion; (iti)–thus; upasate–worship; mam–Me; te–they; yuktatamah–are the best knowers of yoga. (iti)–This is; me–My; matah–opinion. [2]
Translation:
2 The Supreme Lord said: In My opinion, those who with faith in the divine are absorbed in thought of Me, Syamasundar, and worship Me constantly with exclusive devotion, are the superior knowers of yoga.
ये त्वक्षरमनिर्द्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्य्युपासते ।
सर्व्वत्रगमचिन्त्यञ्च कूटस्थमचलं ध्रुवम् ॥३॥
सन्नियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्व्वत्र समबुद्धयः ।
ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्व्वभूतहिते रताः ॥४॥
ye tv akṣaram anirdeśyam avyaktaṁ paryupāsate
sarvatra-gam achintyañ cha kūṭastham achalaṁ dhruvam [3]
sanniyamyendriya-grāmaṁ sarvatra sama-buddhayaḥ
te prāpnuvanti mām eva sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ [4]
ye tu–But those who; sanniyamya–fully control; indriya-gramam–all the senses; sama-buddhayah–with equanimity; sarvatra–for everything; ratah–(who are) dedicated; sarva-bhuta-hite–to the welfare of all beings; (iti)–and thus; paryupasate–worship; (me)–My; anirdesyam–indefinable; avyaktam–unmanifest, impersonal; sarvatra-gam–all-pervading; achintyam–inconceivable; kuta-stham–unchanging; achalam–immovable; dhruvam–eternal; aksaram cha–attributeless aspect of Brahma; te eva–they, too; prapnuvanti–attain; mam–Me (as My Brahma effulgence). [3–4]
Translation:
3–4 However, those who fully control their senses, who are equal-minded towards everything, who are dedicated to the welfare of all beings and thus worship My indefinable, impersonal, all-pervading, inconceivable, unchanging, immovable, eternal, attributeless aspect of Brahma — they, too, attain Me (as Brahma).
Commentary
The Lord’s statement, «The worshippers of Brahma also reach Me,» should not be misconstrued to mean that the impersonalists are on an equal footing with the devotees. The clue as to how the impersonalists can also reach Krishna has been given in the writings of Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur.
A person may progress on the path of selfless action up to the stage of meditation, as described in the first six chapters of the Gita. Then he may undergo great difficulty in searching for the Lord on the path of impersonalism. But when he progresses to the stage of dedicating himself to perform welfare work for others (sarva-bhuta-hite ratah), he may get the chance to render service to a pure devotee.
For example, if one engages in the general public welfare work of opening or running a hospital, if some service is even unknowingly rendered to a devotee of the Lord, a Vaisnava, one’s devotional merit begins (ajnata-sukrti). By association with a devotee (sadhu-sanga), one develops faith in the divine personal form of the Lord, and automatically abandons the attempt of attaining to the impersonal Brahma.
With such faith, one takes shelter of a bona fide Guru, engages in the devotional practices based on hearing and chanting the Holy Name and glories of the Lord, and progresses on the path back to home, back to Godhead. Thus Lord Krishna indicates: «I am the ultimate goal, and Brahma is only a relative position. It is not the final absolute, because the absolute position is Mine. Only if the impersonalists serve others they may thereby come to Me — because the only way to come to Me is through a Vaisnava.»
रहूगणैतत्तपसा न याति
न चेज्यया निर्व्वपणाद्गृहाद्वा ।
न च्छन्दसा नैव जलाग्निसूर्य्यैर्
विना महत्पादरजोऽभिषेकम् ॥
(भा: ५/१२/१२)
rahūgaṇaitat tapasā na yāti
na chejyayā nirvapaṇād gṛhād vā
na chchhandasā naiva jalāgni-sūryair
vinā mahat-pāda-rajo ’bhiṣekam॥
(The sage Jad Bharat said to King Rahugan:) «O Rahugan, without bathing in the dust of the holy feet (service) of the pure devotees (Mahabhagavat Vaisnavas), one cannot know the Supreme Lord by adopting the religious life of brahmacharya, grhastha, vanaprastha, or sannyas, or by worshipping the gods of water, fire, and sun, etc.»
नैषां मतिस्तावदुरुक्रमाङ्घ्रिं
स्पृशत्यनर्थापगमो यदर्थः ।
महीयसां पादरजोऽभिषेकं
निष्किञ्चनानां न वृणीत यावत्
(भा: ७/५/३२)
naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghriṁ
spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad arthaḥ
mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo ’bhiṣekaṁ
niṣkiñchanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat॥
(Prahlad Maharaj said:) «As long as persons of mundane mentality have not been bathed by the dust of the feet of Lord Krishna’s surrendered devotees who are free from mundane attachment, they cannot have a touch of Krishna’s lotus feet, which are the destroyer of all obstacles.»
Translation:
To consider that the Lord has taken the personal and impersonal aspects to be equal is a very commonly committed mistake. In reply to Arjuna’s doubt in this respect, the Lord has clearly stated that the personalists are superior to the impersonalists — yet, the impersonalists are also given a chance to reach Him, because without Him, no ultimate goal exists. Without coming to the path of devotion, the worshippers of impersonal Brahma will reach Brahma, the dazzling effulgence of the divine form of Lord Sri Krishna.
क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् ।
अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दुःखं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते ॥५॥
kleśo ’dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-chetasām
avyaktā hi gatir duḥkhaṁ dehavadbhir avāpyate [5]
tesam–For those; avyakta-asakta-chetasam–of minds attached to the unmanifest; (bhavati)–there is; adhikatarah–greater; klesah–struggle; hi–as; avyakta gatih–the way of attaining the unmanifest, the impersonal Brahma; avapyate–is attained; duhkham–with difficulty; dehavadbhih–by the embodied soul. [5]
Translation:
5 Persons whose minds are attached to the impersonal Brahma must undergo a greater struggle, as the path of attaining the impersonal Brahma is difficult for the embodied soul.
ये तु सर्व्वाणि कर्म्माणि मयि सन्न्यस्य मत्पराः ।
अनन्येनैव योगेन मां ध्यायन्त उपासते ॥६॥
तेषामहं समुद्धर्त्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात् ।
भवामि नचिरात्पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम् ॥७॥
ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi mayi sannyasya mat-parāḥ
ananyenaiva yogena māṁ dhyāyanta upāsate [6]
teṣām ahaṁ samuddhartā mṛtyu-saṁsāra-sāgarāt
bhavāmi na chirāt pārtha mayy āveśita-chetasām [7]
ye tu–But those who; sannyasya–offering; sarvani–all; karmani–actions; mayi–to Me; mat-parah–taking refuge in Me; mam dhyayantah–meditating on Me; ananyena yogena eva–with exclusive devotion; upasate–thus worship (Me); (he) partha–O Arjuna; aham–I; na chirat–without delay; bhavami–become; samuddharta–the deliverer; mrtyu-samsara-sagarat–from the deathly ocean of material suffering; tesam–of those persons; avesita-chetasam–whose hearts are absorbed in thought; mayi–of Me. [6–7]
Translation:
6–7 But those who offer all their actions to Me, take refuge in Me, their hearts absorbed in thought of Me in pure devotion and who thus worship and adore Me — O Partha, I swiftly deliver such dedicated souls from the deathly ocean of material suffering.
मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय ।
निवसिष्यसि मय्येव अत ऊर्ध्वं न संशयः ॥८॥
mayy eva mana ādhatsva mayi buddhiṁ niveśaya
nivasiṣyasi mayy eva ata ūrdhvaṁ na saṁśayaḥ [8]
adhatsva–Steady; manah–your mind; mayi eva–in Me alone. nivesaya–Repose; buddhim–your intelligence; mayi (eva)–in Me alone. nivasisyasi–You will abide; mayi eva–in Me; atah urdhvam–hereafter; na samsayah–there is no doubt. [8]
Translation:
8 So fix your mind in Me always and repose your intelligence in Me, Syamasundar, and you will ultimately abide in Me. Of this there is no doubt.
अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम् ।
अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाप्तुं धनञ्जय ॥९॥
atha chittaṁ samādhātuṁ na śaknoṣi mayi sthiram
abhyāsa-yogena tato mām ichchhāptuṁ dhanañjaya [9]
(he) dhananjaya–O Arjuna; atha–if; na saknosi–you are unable; samadhatum–to establish; chittam–your mind; sthiram–resolutely; mayi–in Me; tatah–then; ichchha–seek; aptum–to attain; mam–Me; abhyasa-yogena–by the yoga of constant practice. [9]
Translation:
9 O Dhananjaya, and if you are unable to firmly fix your mind in Me, try to attain Me by the repeated practice of remembering Me.
अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्म्मपरमो भव ।
मदर्थमपि कर्म्माणि कुर्व्वन्सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि ॥१०॥
abhyāse ’py asamartho ’si mat-karma-paramo bhava
mad-artham api karmāṇi kurvan siddhim avāpsyasi [10]
(yadi)–If; (tvam) asi–you are; asamarthah–unable; abhyase api–to practise remembering Me, too; (tarhi)–then; mat-karma-paramah bhava–concentrate on offering your actions to Me. kurvan api–Also by performing; karmani–actions; mat-artham–for Me; avapsyasi–you will attain; siddhim–perfection. [10]
Translation:
10 If you cannot do that either, concentrate on offering your actions to Me. You will attain perfection through actions performed for Me.
अथैतदप्यशक्तोऽसि कर्त्तुं मद्योगमाश्रितः ।
सर्व्वकर्म्मफलत्यागं ततः कुरु यतात्मवान् ॥११॥
athaitad apy aśakto ’si kartuṁ mad-yogam āśritaḥ
sarva-karma-phala-tyāgaṁ tataḥ kuru yatātmavān [11]
atha–And if; etat api–this, too; asi–is; asaktah–not possible; kartum–to do; tatah–then; mat-yogam asritah (san)–taking shelter in My yoga; yata-atmavan (bhutva)–controlling your mind; sarva-karma-phala-tyagam kuru–give up, for Me, the fruits of all your actions. [11]
Translation:
11 And if you cannot do that, then resolve to give up, for Me, the fruits of your actions.
श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते ।
ध्यानात्कर्म्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम् ॥१२॥
śreyo hi jñānam abhyāsāj jñānād dhyānaṁ viśiṣyate
dhyānāt karma-phala-tyāgas tyāgāch chhāntir anantaram [12]
hi–For; jnanam–Knowledge of Me; sreyah–is better; abhyasat–than practice; dhyanam–meditation on Me; jnanat visisyate–is better than knowledge. karma-phala-tyagah–Giving up, for Me, the fruits of action; dhyanat–comes from meditation. tyagat–From giving up, for Me, the fruits of action; santih–peace ensues; anantaram–thereafter. [12]
Translation:
12 For knowledge of Me is superior to mere practice, and meditation on Me is superior to knowledge alone; from meditation comes the selflessness of giving up, for Me, the fruits of action, following which peace ensues.
अद्वेष्टा सर्व्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च ।
निर्म्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी ॥१३॥
सन्तुष्टः सततं योगी यतात्मा दृढनिश्चयः ।
मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः ॥१४॥
adveṣṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ maitraḥ karuṇa eva cha
nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣamī [13]
santuṣṭaḥ satataṁ yogī yatātmā dṛḍha-niśchayaḥ
mayy-arpita-mano-buddhir yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ [14]
yah–One who is; advesta–without hatred; maitrah–friendly; karunah eva cha–and compassionate; sarva-bhutanam–towards all beings; nirmamah–free from possessiveness; nirahankarah–free from ego; sama-duhkha-sukhah–equipoised in unhappy and happy circumstances; ksami–forgiving, tolerant; satatam santustah–ever content; yogi–a yogi; yata-atma–self-controlled; drdha-nischayah–of firm resolve; arpita-mano-buddhih–who has given his mind and intelligence; mayi–to Me; sah–such a person is; mat-bhaktah–My devotee; me priyah–dear to Me. [13–14]
Translation:
13–14 One who is without hatred, who is friendly and compassionate towards all, free from possessiveness and ego, equipoised in unhappy and happy circumstances, forgiving, always content, a self-controlled yogi of firm resolve who has given his mind and intelligence to Me — such a person is My devotee, and he is dear to Me.
यस्मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च यः ।
हर्षामर्षभयोद्वेगैर्मुक्तो यः स च मे प्रियः ॥१५॥
yasmān nodvijate loko lokān nodvijate cha yaḥ
harṣāmarṣa-bhayodvegair mukto yaḥ sa cha me priyaḥ [15]
yasmat–He by whom; lokah–anyone; na udvijate–is not disturbed; yah cha–and he who; na udvijate–is not disturbed; lokat–by anyone; yah cha–and who; muktah–is free; harsa-amarsa-bhaya-udvegaih–from elation, anger, fear, and grief; sah–he is; priyah–dear; me–to Me. [15]
Translation:
15 One who causes no disturbance to anyone and who is not disturbed by anyone, who is free from elation, anger, fear, and grief — he is dear to Me.
अनपेक्षः शुचिर्दक्ष उदासीनो गतव्यथः ।
सर्व्वारम्भपरित्यागी यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः ॥१६॥
anapekṣaḥ śuchir dakṣa udāsīno gata-vyathaḥ
sarvārambha-parityāgī yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ [16]
yah–One who is; anapeksah–without expectation; suchih–clean hearted; daksah–able; udasinah–impartial; gata-vyathah–fearless; sarva-arambha-parityagi–and a renouncer of all selfish undertakings; sah–he is; mat-bhaktah–My devotee; me priyah–dear to Me. [16]
Translation:
16 One who is without expectation, clean hearted, able, impartial, fearless, and a renouncer of all selfish undertakings — he is My devotee, he is dear to Me.
यो न हृष्यति न द्वेष्टि न शोचति न काङ्क्षति ।
शुभाशुभपरित्यागी भक्तिमान्यः स मे प्रियः ॥१७॥
yo na hṛṣyati na dveṣṭi na śochati na kāṅkṣati
śubhāśubha-parityāgī bhaktimān yaḥ sa me priyaḥ [17]
yah–One who is; na hrsyati–neither elated; na dvesti–nor resentful; na sochati–neither laments any loss; na kanksati–nor hankers for the unattained; subha-asubha-parityagi–a renouncer of both auspicious and inauspicious acts; yah bhaktiman–and who is endowed with devotion; sah me priyah–he is dear to Me. [17]
Translation:
17 One who is neither elated nor resentful, who neither laments nor hankers as he has renounced both auspicious and inauspicious endeavours, and who is endowed with devotion — he is dear to Me.
समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयोः ।
शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु समः सङ्गविवर्ज्जितः ॥१८॥
तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येन केनचित् ।
अनिकेतः स्थिरमतिर्भक्तिमान्मे प्रियो नरः ॥१९॥
samaḥ śatrau cha mitre cha tathā mānāpamānayoḥ
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu samaḥ saṅga-vivarjitaḥ [18]
tulya-nindā-stutir-maunī santuṣṭo yena kenachit
aniketaḥ sthira-matir bhaktimān me priyo naraḥ [19]
(yah) narah–A person who; samah–sees with equality; satrau cha–an enemy; mitre cha–and a friend; tatha–and similarly; samah–is equipoised; mana-apamanayoh–in honour and dishonour; sita-usna-sukha-duhkhesu–and in the presence of cold, heat, pleasure, and pain; sanga-vivarjitah–who has given up all attachment; tulya-ninda-stutih–and who considers abuse and praise equally; mauni–who is contemplative or of controlled speech; santustah–satisfied; yena kenachit–in any eventuality; aniketah–who has no attachment to hearth and home; sthira-matih–whose mind is peaceful; bhaktiman–and who is endowed with devotion; (sah) me priyah–he is dear to Me. [18–19]
Translation:
18–19 A person who sees with equality an enemy and friend; who is equipoised in honour and dishonour, and in the presence of cold, heat, pleasure, and pain; who has given up all attachment; who considers abuse and praise equally; who is contemplative; who is satisfied in all circumstances; who has no attachment to hearth and home; whose mind is peaceful, and who is endowed with devotion — he is dear to Me.
ये तु धर्म्मामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्य्युपासते ।
श्रद्दधाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रियाः ॥२०॥
ye tu dharmāmṛtam idaṁ yathoktaṁ paryupāsate
śraddadhānā mat-paramā bhaktās te ’tīva me priyāḥ [20]
ye tu sraddadhanah–Those faithful persons who; paryupasate–adore and follow; idam–this; dharma-amrtam–neatarean path; yatha-uktam–as described; mat-paramah–knowing Me as the supreme goal; te bhaktah–such devotees; ativa–are very; priyah–dear; me–to Me. [20]
Translation:
20 Those faithful devotees who, knowing Me as the supreme goal of life, wholeheartedly follow the neatarean path I have described, are very dear to Me.
इति श्रीमहाभारते शतसाहस्र्यां संहितायां वैयासिक्या भीष्मपर्व्वणि
श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे
श्रीकृष्णार्ज्जुनसंवादे भक्तियोगो नाम द्वादशोऽध्यायः ॥१२॥
iti sri-mahabharate sata-sahasryam samhitayam vaiyasikyam
bhisma-parvani srimad-bhagavad-gitasupanisatsu brahma
vidyayam yoga-sastre sri-krsnarjuna-samvade
bhakti-yogo nama dvadaso ’dhyayah [12]
End of Chapter Twelve
The Path of Devotion
from the conversation
of Sri Krishna and Arjuna
in Srimad Bhagavad-gita Upanisad
the yoga scripture of transcendental knowledge
in Bhisma Parva of Sri Mahabharata, the holy scripture
revealed by Srila Vyasadev in a hundred thousand verses.