Chapter 12

Bhakti Yoga

The twelfth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is "Bhakti Yoga". In this chapter, Krishna emphasizes the superiority of Bhakti Yoga (the path of devotion) over all other types of spiritual disciplines and reveals various aspects of devotion. He further explains that the devotees who perform pure devotional service to Him, with their consciousness, merged in Him and all their actions dedicated to Him, are quickly liberated from the cycle of life and death. He also describes the various qualities of the devotees who are very dear to Him.

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Shloks in this chapter

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Verse 01

Verse 12.1

अर्जुन उवाचएवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्युपासते।येचाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमाः।।12.1।।

Arjuna said: Which of these has greater knowledge of yoga—those devotees who meditate on You, ever integrated, or those who meditate on the Imperishable and the Unmanifest?

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Verse 02

Verse 12.2

श्री भगवानुवाचमय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते।श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मताः।।12.2।।

The Lord said, "Those who, ever integrated with Me and possessing supreme faith, worship Me, focusing their minds on Me—these are considered by Me to be the highest among the yogis."

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Verse 03

Verse 12.3

ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते।सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यं च कूटस्थमचलं ध्रुवम्।।12.3।।

But those who meditate on the Imperishable, the indefinable, the unmanifest, omnipresent, unthinkable, common to all beings, immovable, and constant—

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Verse 04

Verse 12.4

संनियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः।ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः।।12.4।।

Having subdued all the senses, being even-minded, and engaged in the welfare of all beings, they too come to Me only.

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Verse 05

Verse 12.5

क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम्। अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दुःखं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते।।12.5।।

Greater is the difficulty for those whose minds are thus attached to the unmanifest, for the way of the unmanifest is hard to reach for embodied beings.

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Verse 06

Verse 12.6

ये तु सर्वाणि कर्माणि मयि संन्यस्य मत्पराः।अनन्येनैव योगेन मां ध्यायन्त उपासते।।12.6।।

For those who dedicate all their actions to Me, hold Me as their supreme goal, are intent on Me, and worship Me, meditating on Me with exclusive devotion;

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