Bhakti Yoga

अर्जुन उवाच |

Arjuna said: Those devotees who are ever devoted and worship You in Your personal form, and those who worship the imperishable unmanifest — of these, who are most perfect in yoga?

श्रीभगवानुवाच |

Those who fix their minds on My personal form and who always engage in worshipping Me with great and transcendental faith — I consider them to be most perfect in yoga.

ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते |

But those who worship the imperishable, the indefinable, the unmanifest — that which is all-pervading, inconceivable, unchanging, immovable, and eternal —

सन्नियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः |

Having controlled all their senses, being equal-minded everywhere, and devoted to the welfare of all beings — they also attain Me.

क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् |

For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifest, the difficulty is greater. The path of the unmanifest is very hard for embodied beings to reach.

ये तु सर्वाणि कर्माणि मयि सन्न्यस्य मत्पराः |

But those who surrender all actions to Me, who regard Me as the supreme goal, and who worship Me through undivided devotion, meditating on Me —

तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात् |

For those whose minds are fixed on Me, O Arjuna, I am soon their deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.

मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय |

Fix your mind upon Me, engage your intelligence in Me — you will live in Me alone hereafter, without a doubt.

अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम् |

If you are unable to fix your mind steadily upon Me, O Dhananjaya, then seek to reach Me by the yoga of regular practice.

अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्मपरमो भव |

If you are unable even to practice, then be devoted to working for Me. By performing actions for My sake, you will attain perfection.

अथैतदप्यशक्तोऽसि कर्तुं मद्योगमाश्रितः |

If you are unable even to do this, then take shelter of My yoga and renounce the fruits of all your actions, being self-controlled.

श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते |

Knowledge is better than mere practice; meditation is better than knowledge; renunciation of the fruits of action is better than meditation — for from such renunciation, peace immediately follows.

अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च |

One who hates no creature, who is friendly and compassionate to all, who is free from possessiveness and ego, who regards happiness and distress equally, and who is forgiving —

सन्तुष्टः सततं योगी यतात्मा दृढनिश्चयः |

Ever satisfied, always engaged in yoga, self-controlled, of firm conviction, with mind and intelligence offered to Me — such a devotee is very dear to Me.

यस्मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च यः |

He who does not cause distress to the world and is not disturbed by the world, who is free from joy, envy, fear, and anxiety — he is dear to Me.

अनपेक्षः शुचिर्दक्षो उदासीनो गतव्यथः |

He who is without expectations, pure, expert, free from cares, untroubled, and who has renounced all selfish undertakings — such a devotee of Mine is dear to Me.

यो न हृष्यति न द्वेष्टि न शोचति न काङ्क्षति |

He who neither rejoices nor hates, neither grieves nor desires, who renounces both good and evil — full of devotion, he is dear to Me.

समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयोः |

He who is equal toward friend and foe, equal in honor and dishonor, equal in cold and heat, in happiness and distress, and free from all attachment —

तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येन केनचित् |

Equal in blame and praise, silent and reflective, satisfied with anything, without a fixed abode, steady-minded, and full of devotion — such a person is dear to Me.

ये तु धर्म्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते |

Those who follow this immortal path of dharma as I have described, with faith, making Me their supreme goal — those devotees are exceedingly dear to Me.