Chapter Summary
Arjuna asks which path is superior: worshiping the personal form of God or the impersonal Brahman. Lord Krishna declares that worshiping His personal form with faith is the highest path. He describes the qualities of His pure devotees, who are dear to Him, such as being non-envious, friendly, compassionate, and equal-minded in happiness and distress.
Verses
Verse 12.2
श्रीभगवानुवाच |
मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते |
श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मताः ||
śrī-bhagavān uvāca |
mayy āveśya mano ye māṁ nitya-yuktā upāsate |
śraddhayā parayopetās te me yukta-tamā matāḥ ||
Translation: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Those who fix their minds on My personal form and are always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith are considered by Me to be most perfect.
Verse 12.5
क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् |
अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दुःखं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते ||
kleśo ’dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām |
avyaktā hi gatir duḥkhaṁ dehavadbhir avāpyate ||
Translation: 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 12.13-14
अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च |
निर्ममो निरहंकारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी ||
सन्तुष्टः सततं योगी यतात्मा दृढनिश्चयः |
मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः ||
adveṣṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca |
nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣamī ||
santuṣṭaḥ satataṁ yogī yatātmā dṛḍha-niścayaḥ |
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ ||
Translation: One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor and is free from false ego, who is equal in both happiness and distress, who is tolerant, always satisfied, self-controlled, and engaged in devotional service with determination, his mind and intelligence fixed on Me—such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me.