Bhagwad Gita (English) | Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Devotional Service

Arjuna asks Lord Krishna whether worshiping the formless, unmanifested Brahman or the personal, manifested form of God is superior. Krishna explains that while both paths lead to liberation, the path of devotion (Bhakti Yoga) is more accessible and joyful for most people. He describes the qualities of a true devotee—one who is compassionate, forgiving, free from envy, detached from desires, and remains calm in both joy and sorrow. Krishna assures that those who practice sincere devotion, surrendering fully to him and trusting in his guidance, are especially dear to him and quickly attain peace and divine union. This chapter highlights the simplicity and profound beauty of devotion as a path to experiencing the divine.

Verse 1

Arjuna inquired: Which is considered to be more perfect: those who are properly engaged in Your devotional service, or those who worship the impersonal Brahman, the unmanifested?

Verse 2

The Blessed Lord said: He whose mind is fixed on My personal form, always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith, is considered by Me to be most perfect.

Verse 3

Those who worship the imperishable, the indefinable, the unmanifest, the omnipresent, the unthinkable, the immovable, and the eternal.

Verse 4

Having restrained all the senses, being even-minded everywhere, and intent on the welfare of all beings, they verily come unto Me.

Verse 5

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.

Verse 6

But to those who worship Me, renouncing all actions in Me, regarding Me as the supreme goal, meditating on Me with single-minded yoga.

Verse 7

To those whose minds are set on Me, O Arjuna, verily I soon become the savior out of the ocean of Samsara.

Verse 8

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.

Verse 9

My dear Arjuna, O winner of wealth, if you cannot fix your mind upon Me without deviation, then follow the regulated principles of bhakti-yoga. In this way you will develop a desire to attain to Me.

Verse 10

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.

Verse 11

If, however, you are unable to work in this consciousness, then try to act giving up all results of your work and try to be self-situated.

Verse 12

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.

Verse 13

He who hates no creature, is friendly and compassionate to all, is free from attachment and egoism, is balanced in pleasure and pain, and is forgiving.

Verse 14

Ever content, steady in meditation, self-controlled, possessing firm conviction, with the mind and intellect dedicated to Me, he, My devotee, is dear to Me.

Verse 15

He for whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anxiety, who is steady in happiness and distress, is very dear to Me.

Verse 16

A devotee who is not dependant on the ordinary course of activities, who is pure, expert, without cares, free from all pains, and who does not strive for some result, is very dear to Me.

Verse 17

One who neither grasps pleasure or grief, who neither laments nor desires, and who renounces both auspicious and inauspicious things, is very dear to Me.

Verse 18

He who is the same to foe and friend, and also in honor and dishonor, who is the same in cold and heat, in pleasure and pain, and who is free from attachment.

Verse 19

He to whom censure and praise are equal, who is silent, content with anything, homeless, of a steady mind, and full of devotion; that man is dear to me.

Verse 20

He who follows this imperishable path of devotional service and who completely engages himself with faith, making Me the supreme goal, is very, very dear to Me.

Chapter 12 Devotional Service