Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 12: Bhakti Yoga (from Mahabharata)
Complete lyrics with original text, transliteration, and meaning, 20 sections
Mahabharata
Verse 1
Original
अर्जुन उवाच ये त्वेक्तान्तांनुपासते ये चाप्यक्षरमव्ययम् । ते मे युक्ततमा मताः योगिनस्तेवेदवित् ॥ १ ॥
Transliteration
arjuna uvāca ye tvektāntāmanupāsate ye cāpyakṣaramavyayam | te me yuktatamā matāḥ yoginaste vedavit || 1 ||
Meaning / Translation
Arjuna said: Those who, fixing their minds on You, worship You with supreme faith, and those who worship the imperishable, unmanifest Brahman — which of these yogis are considered more perfect?
Verse 2
Original
श्रीभगवानुवाच मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते । श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मताः ॥ २ ॥
Transliteration
śrībhagavānuvāca mayyāveśya mano ye māṁ nityayuktā upāsate | śraddhayā parayopetāste me yuktatamā matāḥ || 2 ||
Meaning / Translation
The Blessed Lord said: Those who, fixing their minds on Me, worship Me with supreme faith, ever steadfast — they are considered by Me to be the most perfect yogis.
Verse 3
Original
ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तमपर्युपासते । सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यं च कूटस्थमचलं ध्रुवम् ॥ ३ ॥
Transliteration
ye tvakṣaramanirdeśyamavyaktamaparyupāsate | sarvatra-gamacintyaṁ ca kūṭasthamacalaṁ dhruvam || 3 ||
Meaning / Translation
But those who worship the imperishable, indefinable, unmanifest, all-pervading, unthinkable, immovable, eternal Brahman —
Verse 4
Original
सन्नियाम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः । ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः ॥ ४ ॥
Transliteration
sanniyāmyendriyagrāmaṁ sarvatra samabuddhayaḥ | te prāpnuvanti māmeva sarvabhūtahite ratāḥ || 4 ||
Meaning / Translation
Restraining all the senses, even-minded everywhere, engaged in the welfare of all beings — they too attain Me alone.
Verse 5
Original
क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् । अव्यक्ता हि गतिः दुःखं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते ॥ ५ ॥
Transliteration
kleśo'dhikatarasteṣāmavyaktāsaktacetasām | avyaktā hi gatiḥ duḥkhaṁ dehavadbhiravāpyate || 5 ||
Meaning / Translation
Greater is their trouble whose minds are attached to the unmanifest; for the goal of the unmanifest is very hard to reach by embodied beings.
Verse 6
Original
ये तु सर्वाणि कर्माणि मयि संन्यस्य मत्पराः । अनन्येनैव योगेन मां ध्यायन्त उपासते ॥ ६ ॥
Transliteration
ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi mayi sannyasya matparāḥ | ananyenaiva yogena māṁ dhyāyanta upāsate || 6 ||
Meaning / Translation
But those who dedicate all actions to Me, regarding Me as the supreme goal, worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on Me —
Verse 7
Original
तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात् । भवामि न चिरात्पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम् ॥ ७ ॥
Transliteration
teṣāmahaṁ samuddhartā mṛtyusaṁsārasāgarāt | bhavāmi na cirāt pārtha mayyāveśitacetasām || 7 ||
Meaning / Translation
For them, whose minds are fixed on Me, I become the swift deliverer from the ocean of death and transmigration, O Partha.
Verse 8
Original
मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय । निवसिष्यसि मय्येव अत ऊर्ध्वं न संशयः ॥ ८ ॥
Transliteration
mayyeva mana ādhatsva mayi buddhiṁ niveśaya | nivasiṣyasi mayyeva ata ūrdhvaṁ na saṁśayaḥ || 8 ||
Meaning / Translation
Fix your mind on Me alone, place your intellect in Me; thereafter you shall live in Me alone — there is no doubt.
Verse 9
Original
अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम् । अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाप्तुं धनंजय ॥ ९ ॥
Transliteration
atha cittaṁ samādhātuṁ na śaknoṣi mayi sthiram | abhyāsayogena tato māmicchāptuṁ dhanaṁjaya || 9 ||
Meaning / Translation
If you are unable to fix your mind steadily on Me, then seek to attain Me through the yoga of constant practice, O Dhananjaya.
Verse 10
Original
अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्मपरमो भव । मदर्थमपि कर्माणि कुर्वन्सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि ॥ १० ॥
Transliteration
abhyāse'pyasamartho'si matkarmaparamo bhava | madarthamapi karmāṇi kurvansiddhimavāpsyasi || 10 ||
Meaning / Translation
If even practice is beyond you, then be intent on doing actions for My sake; performing actions for Me, you shall attain perfection.
Verse 11
Original
अथैतदप्यशक्योऽसि कर्तुं मद्योगमाश्रितः । सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं ततः कुरु यतात्मवान् ॥ ११ ॥
Transliteration
athaītadapyasakyo'si kartuṁ madyogamāśritaḥ | sarvakarmaphalatyāgaṁ tataḥ kuru yatātmavān || 11 ||
Meaning / Translation
If even this you cannot do, then taking refuge in My yoga, renounce the fruits of all actions, self-controlled.
Verse 12
Original
श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते । ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागात्शान्तिरनन्तरम् ॥ १२ ॥
Transliteration
śreyo hi jñānamabhyāsājjñānāddhyānaṁ viśiṣyate | dhyānāt karmaphalatyāgas tyāgāt śāntiranantaram || 12 ||
Meaning / Translation
Better indeed is knowledge than practice; better than knowledge is meditation; better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of action; peace follows renunciation immediately.
Verse 13
Original
अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च । निर्ममो निरहंकारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी ॥ १३ ॥
Transliteration
adveṣṭā sarvabhūtānāṁ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca | nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ samaduḥkhasukhaḥ kṣamī || 13 ||
Meaning / Translation
He who hates no creature, who is friendly and compassionate to all, free from possessiveness and egoism, balanced in pleasure and pain, forgiving —
Verse 14
Original
सन्तुष्टः सततं योगी यतात्मा दृढनिश्चयः । मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः ॥ १४ ॥
Transliteration
santuṣṭaḥ satataṁ yogī yatātmā dṛḍhaniścayaḥ | mayyarpitamanobuddhiryo madbhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ || 14 ||
Meaning / Translation
Ever content, steady in yoga, self-controlled, firm in resolve, with mind and intellect dedicated to Me — such a devotee is dear to Me.
Verse 15
Original
यस्मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च यः । हर्षामर्षभयोद्वेगैर्मुक्तो यः स च मे प्रियः ॥ १५ ॥
Transliteration
yasmān nodvijate loko lokān nodvijate ca yaḥ | harṣāmarṣabhayodvegair mukto yaḥ sa ca me priyaḥ || 15 ||
Meaning / Translation
He by whom the world is not agitated, and who is not agitated by the world, who is free from joy, envy, fear, and anxiety — he is dear to Me.
Verse 16
Original
अनपेक्षः शुचिर्दक्ष उदासीनो गतव्यथः । सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः ॥ १६ ॥
Transliteration
anapekṣaḥ śucirdakṣa udāsīno gatavyathaḥ | sarvārambhaparityāgī yo madbhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ || 16 ||
Meaning / Translation
He who is free from expectations, pure, expert, unconcerned, untroubled, renouncing all undertakings — such a devotee is dear to Me.
Verse 17
Original
यो न हृष्यति न द्वेष्टि न शोचति न काङ्क्षति । शुभाशुभपरित्यागी भक्तिमान्यः स मे प्रियः ॥ १७ ॥
Transliteration
yo na hṛṣyati na dveṣṭi na śocati na kāṅkṣati | śubhāśubhaparityāgī bhaktimān yaḥ sa me priyaḥ || 17 ||
Meaning / Translation
He who neither rejoices nor hates, neither grieves nor desires, renouncing both good and evil, full of devotion — he is dear to Me.
Verse 18
Original
समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयोः । शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु समः सङ्गविवर्जितः ॥ १८ ॥
Transliteration
samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca tathā mānāpamānayoḥ | śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkheṣu samaḥ saṅgavivarjitaḥ || 18 ||
Meaning / Translation
Equal to foe and friend, and in honor and dishonor; equal in cold and heat, pleasure and pain, free from attachment —
Verse 19
Original
तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येन केनचित् । अनिकेतः स्थिरमतिर्भक्तिमान्मे प्रियो नरः ॥ १९ ॥
Transliteration
tulyanindāstutir maunī santuṣṭo yena kenacit | aniketaḥ sthiramatir bhaktimān me priyo naraḥ || 19 ||
Meaning / Translation
He to whom censure and praise are equal, silent, content with anything, homeless, steady-minded, full of devotion — such a person is dear to Me.
Verse 20
Original
ये तु धर्म्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते । श्रद्धधाना मत्परमाः भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रियाः ॥ २० ॥
Transliteration
ye tu dharmyāmṛtamidaṁ yathoktaṁ paryupāsate | śraddadhānā matparamāḥ bhaktāste'tīva me priyāḥ || 20 ||
Meaning / Translation
Those who, with faith, follow this immortal dharma as declared, regarding Me as supreme — those devotees are exceedingly dear to Me.