Conversation 12
Bhakti Yoga
Arjuna said:
12:1. Who is more successful in yoga: they who are full of love to You or those who worship the Incognizable Unmanifest?
The Blessed Lord said:
12:2. They who fix the mind on Me, devoted to Me, and constantly aspire to Me — they are more successful in yoga.
12:3. They who worship Indestructible, Untold, Unmanifest, Omnipresent, Incognizable, Immutable, Unmovable, Eternal,
12:4. who conquered their indriyas, who equally calm about everything, who are happy about the good of others — they too come to Me.
12:5. But for those who direct thoughts to the Unmanifest this achievement is more difficult; it is harder for them to progress.
12:6. They who renounced the maya for the sake of Me and keep concentration on Me, practicing yoga, O Partha,
12:7. — them I promptly rise above the ocean of births and deaths, for they dwell with their souls in Me.
12:8. Direct your thoughts to Me, submerge yourself as a consciousness into Me — verily, then you will live in Me.
12:9. But if you are not able to fix your thoughts steadily on Me — try to reach Me by practicing yoga, O Dhananjaya.
12:10. If you are not capable of doing constantly yoga exercises then dedicate yourself to serving Me, performing only those actions which are needful to Me — then you will reach the Perfection.
12:11. If you are not able of doing even this then seek Merging with Me by renouncing the personal profit of your activity; restrain yourself in this way.
12:12. Knowledge is more important then exercises. Meditation is more important then knowledge. But renouncing personal profit is more important then meditation, because after such renunciation peace comes.
12:13. He who is hostile to no living being, who is friendly and compassionate, without earthly attachments and egoism, even-minded among joy and sorrow, all-forgiving,
12:14. ever content, seeking unity with Me, resolutely cognizing the Atman, devoted mind and consciousness to Me — such a loving Me disciple is dear to Me.
12:15. He who does not injure people and does not suffer from them, who is free from anxiety, elation, anger, fear — such a one is dear to Me.
12:16. He who requires nothing from others, who is pure, knowing, passionless, selfless, who has abandoned all undertakings — such a loving Me disciple is dear to Me.
12:17. He who neither falls in love nor hates, who neither grieves nor desires, who has transcended good and bad, who is full of love — such a one is dear to Me.
12:18. Equal to a friend and to a foe, the same to glorification and disgrace, in warmth and in cold, among joy and sorrow, free from earthly attachments,
12:19. regarding equally praise and blame, laconic, content with everything what happens, not attached to home, determined in decisions, full of love — such a person is dear to Me.
12:20. Verily, all who share this life-giving wisdom, who are imbued with faith, for whom I am the Supreme Goal — such ones, loving Me, are dear to Me above all.
Thus in the upanishads of the blessed Bhagavad Gita, the Science of Eternal, the Scripture of yoga, says the twelfth conversation between Shri Krishna and Arjuna, entitled:
Bhakti Yoga.
