The Yoga of Devotion

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

evaṃ satatayuktā ye bhaktāstvāṃ paryupāsate |ye cāpyakṣaramavyaktaṃ teṣāṃ ke yogavittamāḥ ||

Arjuna said: There are devotees who, always steady, worship you in this way, and others who worship the imperishable, the unmanifest. Which of them knows yoga best?

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

mayyāveśya mano ye māṃ nityayuktā upāsate |śraddhayā parayopetāste me yuktatamā matāḥ ||

Krishna said: Those who fix their minds on me and worship me, always steady and filled with the highest faith, I consider the most perfect in yoga.

ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते ।सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यं च कूटस्थमचलं ध्रुवम् ॥

ye tvakṣaramanirdeśyamavyaktaṃ paryupāsate |sarvatragamacintyaṃ ca kūṭasthamacalaṃ dhruvam ||

But those who worship the imperishable, which cannot be described, the unmanifest, all-pervading, beyond thought, unchanging, unmoving and constant,

संनियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः ।ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः ॥

saṃniyamyendriyagrāmaṃ sarvatra samabuddhayaḥ |te prāpnuvanti māmeva sarvabhūtahite ratāḥ ||

controlling all their senses, even-minded everywhere, and glad to work for the good of all beings, they too come to me.

क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् ।अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दुःखं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते ॥

kleśo'dhikatarasteṣāmavyaktāsaktacetasām |avyaktā hi gatirduḥkhaṃ dehavadbhiravāpyate ||

But the struggle is greater for those whose minds are set on the unmanifest, for the goal of the unmanifest is hard for embodied beings to reach.

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

ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi mayi saṃnyasya matparāḥ |ananyenaiva yogena māṃ dhyāyanta upāsate ||

But those who give all their actions to me, hold me as their goal, and worship me, meditating on me with undivided yoga,

तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात् ।भवामि नचिरात्पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम् ॥

teṣāmahaṃ samuddhartā mṛtyusaṃsārasāgarāt |bhavāmi nacirātpārtha mayyāveśitacetasām ||

for them, whose minds have entered into me, I soon become the one who lifts them out of the ocean of death and rebirth, Arjuna.

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

mayyeva mana ādhatsva mayi buddhiṃ niveśaya |nivasiṣyasi mayyeva ata ūrdhvaṃ na saṃśayaḥ ||

Fix your mind on me alone, and let your understanding rest in me. Then you will live in me from now on. Of this there is no doubt.

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

atha cittaṃ samādhātuṃ na śaknoṣi mayi sthiram |abhyāsayogena tato māmicchāptuṃ dhanaṃjaya ||

If you cannot keep your mind steadily on me, then seek to reach me through the yoga of practice, Arjuna.

अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्मपरमो भव ।मदर्थमपि कर्माणि कुर्वन्सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि ॥

abhyāse'pyasamartho'si matkarmaparamo bhava |madarthamapi karmāṇi kurvansiddhimavāpsyasi ||

If you are not able even to practise, then make working for me your highest aim. Even by doing actions for my sake, you will reach perfection.

अथैतदप्यशक्तोऽसि कर्तुं मद्योगमाश्रितः ।सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं ततः कुरु यतात्मवान् ॥

athaitadapyaśakto'si kartuṃ madyogamāśritaḥ |sarvakarmaphalatyāgaṃ tataḥ kuru yatātmavān ||

If you cannot do even this, then, taking refuge in me and with self-control, give up the fruits of all your actions.

श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते ।ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम् ॥

śreyo hi jñānamabhyāsājjñānāddhyānaṃ viśiṣyate |dhyānātkarmaphalatyāgastyāgācchāntiranantaram ||

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

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

anapekṣaḥ śucirdakṣa udāsīno gatavyathaḥ |sarvārambhaparityāgī yo madbhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ ||

One who expects nothing, is pure, capable, unconcerned, free from worry, and has given up all self-centred undertakings: that devotee of mine is dear to me.

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

yo na hṛṣyati na dveṣṭi na śocati na kāṅkṣati |śubhāśubhaparityāgī bhaktimānyaḥ sa me priyaḥ ||

One who neither rejoices nor hates, neither grieves nor craves, and has given up both good and bad outcomes, full of devotion, is dear to me.

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

samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca tathā mānāpamānayoḥ |śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkheṣu samaḥ saṅgavivarjitaḥ ||

One who is the same toward enemy and friend, in honour and dishonour, in cold and heat, in pleasure and pain, and is free from attachment,

तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येन केनचित् ।अनिकेतः स्थिरमतिर्भक्तिमान्मे प्रियो नरः ॥

tulyanindāstutirmaunī santuṣṭo yena kenacit |aniketaḥ sthiramatirbhaktimānme priyo naraḥ ||

who takes blame and praise alike, speaks little, is content with whatever comes, has no fixed home, is steady in mind and full of devotion: that person is dear to me.

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

ye tu dharmyāmṛtamidaṃ yathoktaṃ paryupāsate |śraddadhānā matparamā bhaktāste'tīva me priyāḥ ||

But those who follow this nectar of dharma just as I have taught it, with faith and holding me as their highest goal, those devotees are exceedingly dear to me.