Bhakti Yoga — The Yoga of Devotion

एवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्युपासते। ये चाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमाः॥

Arjuna said: Those devotees who are ever steadfast and worship You in Your personal form, and those who worship the Imperishable Unmanifest — of these, who are the better knowers of yoga?

मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते। श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मताः॥

The Supreme Lord said: Those who fix their minds on Me and worship Me, ever steadfast and endowed with supreme faith — they are considered by Me to be the most perfect in yoga.

ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते। सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यं च कूटस्थमचलं ध्रुवम्॥

But those who worship the Imperishable, the Indefinable, the Unmanifest, the All-pervading, the Inconceivable, the Unchanging, the Immovable, the Eternal —

सन्नियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः। ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः॥

— controlling all the senses, with equal vision everywhere, engaged in the welfare of all beings — they also attain Me alone.

क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम्। अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दुःखं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते॥

Greater is the difficulty for those whose minds are attached to the Unmanifest, for the path of the Unmanifest is very hard for embodied beings to attain.

ये तु सर्वाणि कर्माणि मयि सन्न्यस्य मत्पराः। अनन्येनैव योगेन मां ध्यायन्त उपासते॥

But those who dedicate all their actions to Me, regarding Me as the Supreme goal, and worship Me by meditating on Me with exclusive devotion —

तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात्। भवामि नचिरात्पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम्॥

— for them whose minds are absorbed in Me, O Partha, I become the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.

मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय। निवसिष्यसि मय्येव अत ऊर्ध्वं न संशयः॥

Fix your mind on Me alone, place your intellect in Me. You shall dwell in Me hereafter — of this there is no doubt.

अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम्। अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाप्तुं धनञ्जय॥

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

अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्मपरमो भव। मदर्थमपि कर्माणि कुर्वन्सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि॥

If you are unable even to practice, then be devoted to performing actions for My sake. Even by performing actions for My sake, you shall attain perfection.

अथैतदप्यशक्तोऽसि कर्तुं मद्योगमाश्रितः। सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं ततः कुरु यतात्मवान्॥

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

श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते। ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम्॥

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

अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च। निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी॥

He who is free from hatred toward all beings, friendly and compassionate, without possessiveness and ego, equal in pleasure and pain, forgiving —

सन्तुष्टः सततं योगी यतात्मा दृढनिश्चयः। मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः॥

— always content, self-controlled, of firm resolve, with mind and intellect dedicated to Me — such a devotee of Mine is dear to Me.

यस्मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च यः। हर्षामर्षभयोद्वेगैर्मुक्तो यः स च मे प्रियः॥

He by whom the world is not disturbed and who is not disturbed by the world, who is free from joy, anger, fear, and anxiety — he too is dear to Me.

अनपेक्षः शुचिर्दक्ष उदासीनो गतव्यथः। सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः॥

He who is free from expectations, pure, skillful, impartial, free from distress, and who renounces all selfish undertakings — such a devotee of Mine is dear to Me.

यो न हृष्यति न द्वेष्टि न शोचति न काङ्क्षति। शुभाशुभपरित्यागी भक्तिमान्यः स मे प्रियः॥

He who neither rejoices excessively nor hates, neither grieves nor desires, who renounces both good and bad — that devotee full of devotion is dear to Me.

समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयोः। शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु समः सङ्गविवर्जितः॥

He who is equal toward enemies and friends, in honor and dishonor, in cold and heat, in pleasure and pain, and who is free from attachment —

तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येनकेनचित्। अनिकेतः स्थिरमतिर्भक्तिमान्मे प्रियो नरः॥

— equal in blame and praise, contemplative, content with whatever comes, without attachment to home, steady-minded, and full of devotion — such a person is dear to Me.

ये तु धर्म्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते। श्रद्दधाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रियाः॥

Those who follow this immortal path of dharma as declared, endowed with faith, regarding Me as the Supreme goal — such devotees are exceedingly dear to Me.