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Chapter Twelve: The Yoga of Love; Becoming God's Dearest
In our last chapter, Arjuna saw God's amazing Universal Form, which was both awe-inspiring and terrifying. Now, he has an important question: what's the best way to worship God? Is it better to focus on His personal form, like Krishna, or on the unseen, absolute truth?
This chapter is super important because Krishna is going to tell us the easiest and most powerful way to connect with Him, and what kind of person becomes truly dear to Him!
Arjuna Asks: Who Worships God Best?¹
The chapter begins with Arjuna asking Krishna a fundamental question about the two main ways people worship God. He wants to know which method is superior for reaching the ultimate goal.
graph TD B[Arjuna asks Krishna: Who is the most perfect Yogi?] B --> C[Is it those who always worship Your personal form?] C --> D[Or those who worship the imperishable, unmanifested truth?]
"Arjunaḥ uvāca: evam satata-yuktāḥ ye bhaktāḥ tvām paryupāsate ye ca api akṣaram avyaktam teṣām ke yoga-vit-tamāḥ."¹ Arjuna said: "O Krishna! Those devotees, ye bhaktāḥ, who are always engaged, satata-yuktāḥ, and worship You, tvām paryupāsate, in Your personal form—and also, ca api, those who worship the imperishable, akṣaram, unmanifested, avyaktam, truth—which of them are the most perfect knowers of yoga, ke yoga-vit-tamāḥ?"
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Akṣaram (ak-sha-ram) means 'imperishable' or 'beyond the senses,' referring to the unseen, impersonal aspect of God. Avyaktam (a-vyak-tam) means 'unmanifested.' Arjuna is asking if it's better to worship God as a person (like Krishna) or as a formless, invisible truth. This is a big question for many spiritual seekers!
Krishna Explains Why Personal Devotion is Easiest²
Lord Krishna gives His direct answer, stating that those who fix their minds on His personal form with great faith are the most perfect. He also explains that while worshiping the unmanifested truth is possible, it's a much harder path for embodied beings.
"Śrī-bhagavān uvāca: mayi āveśya manaḥ ye mām nitya-yuktāḥ upāsate śraddhayā parayā upetāḥ te me yukta-tamāḥ matāḥ."² Lord Krishna said: "Those who fix their minds, manaḥ āveśya, upon Me, mayi, and always, nitya, worship Me, mām upāsate, being engaged, yuktāḥ, with transcendental, parayā, faith, śraddhayā upetāḥ—they are considered by Me, te me matāḥ, to be the most perfect in yoga, yukta-tamāḥ!"
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Yukta-tamāḥ (yuk-ta-maa-hah) means 'most perfect in yoga.' This is Krishna's clear answer: loving devotion to His personal form, with faith, is the best path for most of us!
"Ye tu akṣaram anirdeśyam avyaktam paryupāsate sarvatra-gam acintyam ca kūṭa-stham acalam dhruvam sanniyamya indriya-grāmam sarvatra sama-buddhayaḥ te prāpnuvanti mām eva sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ."³⁻⁴ "But those who completely engage in worshiping that which is beyond the senses, akṣaram, indefinite, anirdeśyam, unmanifested, avyaktam—that which is all-pervading, sarvatra-gam, inconceivable, acintyam, unchanging, kūṭa-stham, immovable, acalam, and fixed, dhruvam—by controlling all their senses, sanniyamya indriya-grāmam, and being equally disposed everywhere, sarvatra sama-buddhayaḥ, engaged in the welfare of all living entities, sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ—they also certainly achieve Me, te prāpnuvanti mām eva!"
"Kleśaḥ adhika-taraḥ teṣām avyakta-āsakta-cetasām avyaktā hi gatiḥ duḥkham deha-vadbhiḥ avāpyate."⁵ "For those whose minds, cetasām, are attached to the unmanifested, avyakta-āsakta, the trouble, kleśaḥ, is very much greater, adhika-taraḥ! Indeed, hi, the path to the unmanifested, avyaktā gatiḥ, is achieved with difficulty, duḥkham avāpyate, by those who have a body, deha-vadbhiḥ!"
God Promises to Rescue His Devotees Swiftly⁶
Krishna gives a powerful and direct promise to His devotees: He will personally rescue them from the terrifying ocean of birth and death if they surrender all their actions to Him and fix their minds on Him.
"Ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi mayi sannyasya mat-parāḥ ananyena eva yogena mām dhyāyantaḥ upāsate."⁶⁻⁷ "But those who surrender all activities, sarvāṇi karmāṇi mayi sannyasya, to Me, mayi, being attached to Me, mat-parāḥ, and worship Me, mām upāsate, by meditating on Me with undivided devotion, ananyena eva yogena mām dhyāyantaḥ—for them, teṣām, I, aham, become the swift deliverer, samuddhartā na cirāt, from the ocean of death in material existence, mṛtyu-saṁsāra-sāgarāt, O son of Pritha, pārtha, whose minds are fixed on Me, mayi āveśita-cetasām!"
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Samuddhartā na cirāt (sa-mud-dhar-taa na chi-raat) is a beautiful phrase, kids! It means 'the deliverer, not after a long time'—so, swiftly! Krishna is saying if you give Him everything and focus on Him, He'll personally pull you out of the ocean of suffering super fast!
"Mayi eva manaḥ ādhatsva mayi buddhim niveśaya nivasiṣyasi mayi eva ataḥ ūrdhvam na saṁśayaḥ."⁸ "Fix your mind, manaḥ ādhatsva, upon Me, mayi eva! Apply your intelligence, buddhim niveśaya, upon Me! You will surely, eva, live in Me, mayi nivasiṣyasi, thereafter, ataḥ ūrdhvam, without a doubt, na saṁśayaḥ!"
A Step-by-Step Path to God⁹
Krishna provides a step-by-step path for those who find it difficult to fix their minds directly on Him. He offers different methods of devotional practice, explaining that even if one can't achieve the highest step right away, they can still make great spiritual progress.
"Atha cittam samādhātum na śaknoṣi mayi sthiram abhyāsa-yogena tataḥ mām icchā āptum dhanaṁjaya."⁹ "Therefore, atha, O winner of wealth, dhanaṁjaya, if you are not able, na śaknoṣi, to fix your mind steadily, cittam samādhātum sthiram, upon Me, mayi—then desire to achieve Me, mām icchā āptum, by the practice of devotional service, abhyāsa-yogena!"
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Abhyāsa-yoga (ab-yaa-sa-yo-ga) means 'the practice of devotional service.' Krishna is being super kind here, kids! He knows it's hard for us to always focus on God. So, He gives us a step-by-step plan. If you can't jump to the top of the mountain, start with the first step!
"Abhyāse api asamarthaḥ asi mat-karma-paramaḥ bhava mat-artham api karmāṇi kurvan siddhim avāpsyasi."¹⁰ "Even if you are unable, asamarthaḥ asi, to perform this practice, abhyāse api, then become dedicated to My work, mat-karma-paramaḥ bhava! Even by performing work for My sake, mat-artham api karmāṇi kurvan, you will achieve perfection, siddhim avāpsyasi!"
"Atha etat api aśaktaḥ asi kartum mat-yogam āśritaḥ sarva-karma-phala-tyāgam tataḥ kuru yata-ātma-vān."¹¹ "Even though, atha, you may be unable, aśaktaḥ asi, to perform this (work for Me), taking refuge in My devotional service, mat-yogam āśritaḥ—then, tataḥ, being self-situated, yata-ātma-vān, simply renounce the results of all activities, sarva-karma-phala-tyāgam kuru!"
"Śreyaḥ hi jñānam abhyāsāt jñānāt dhyānam viśiṣyate dhyānāt karma-phala-tyāgaḥ tyāgāt śāntiḥ anantaram."¹² "Knowledge, jñānam, is certainly, hi, better, śreyaḥ, than mere practice, abhyāsāt! Meditation, dhyānam, is considered better, viśiṣyate, than knowledge, jñānāt! Renunciation of the results of work, karma-phala-tyāgaḥ, is better than meditation, dhyānāt! And peace, śāntiḥ, follows immediately, anantaram, from such renunciation, tyāgāt!"
Who is Very Dear to God?¹³
Krishna describes the many wonderful qualities of those who are truly dear to Him. These are the traits that make a person a pure devotee, someone very special to God.
"Adveṣṭā sarva-bhūtānām maitraḥ karuṇaḥ eva ca nirmamaḥ nirahaṅkāraḥ sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣamī santuṣṭaḥ satatam yogī yata-ātmā dṛḍha-niścayaḥ mayi arpita-manaḥ-buddhiḥ yaḥ mat-bhaktaḥ saḥ me priyaḥ."¹³⁻¹⁴ "One who is nonenvious, adveṣṭā, towards all living entities, sarva-bhūtānām, and who is friendly, maitraḥ, and certainly compassionate, karuṇaḥ eva ca! Who has no sense of ownership, nirmamaḥ, and no false ego, nirahaṅkāraḥ! Who is equal in distress and happiness, sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ, and forgiving, kṣamī! Who is always satisfied, santuṣṭaḥ satatam, a yogi, yogī, self-controlled, yata-ātmā, with firm determination, dṛḍha-niścayaḥ! One whose mind and intelligence are engaged upon Me, mayi arpita-manaḥ-buddhiḥ—that devotee of Mine, yaḥ mat-bhaktaḥ, he is dear to Me, saḥ me priyaḥ!"
"Yasmāt na udvijate lokaḥ lokāt na udvijate ca yaḥ harṣa-amarṣa-bhaya-udvegaiḥ muktaḥ yaḥ saḥ ca me priyaḥ."¹⁵ "One from whom no one is agitated, yasmāt na udvijate lokaḥ, and who is never disturbed by anyone, lokāt na udvijate ca yaḥ! One who is freed from happiness, harṣa, distress, amarṣa, fear, bhaya, and anxiety, udvegaiḥ muktaḥ—that person, yaḥ saḥ ca, is very dear to Me, me priyaḥ!"
"Anapekṣaḥ śuciḥ dakṣaḥ udāsīnaḥ gata-vyathaḥ sarva-ārambha-parityāgī yaḥ mat-bhaktaḥ saḥ me priyaḥ."¹⁶ "One who is neutral, anapekṣaḥ, pure, śuciḥ, expert, dakṣaḥ, free from care, udāsīnaḥ, and freed from all distress, gata-vyathaḥ! One who renounces all endeavors for personal gain, sarva-ārambha-parityāgī—that devotee of Mine, yaḥ mat-bhaktaḥ, he is very dear to Me, saḥ me priyaḥ!"
"Yaḥ na hṛṣyati na dveṣṭi na śocati na kāṅkṣati śubha-aśubha-parityāgī bhakti-mān yaḥ saḥ me priyaḥ."¹⁷ "One who never rejoices, na hṛṣyati, never grieves, na dveṣṭi, never laments, na śocati, and never desires, na kāṅkṣati! One who renounces both auspicious and inauspicious results, śubha-aśubha-parityāgī—that devotee, bhakti-mān yaḥ, he is dear to Me, saḥ me priyaḥ!"
"Samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca tathā māna-apamānayoḥ śīta-uṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu samaḥ saṅga-vivarjitaḥ."¹⁸ "One who is equal, samaḥ, to an enemy, śatrau, and also to a friend, mitre! And also, tathā, equal in honor and dishonor, māna-apamānayoḥ! Equal in cold and heat, śīta-uṣṇa, and in happiness and distress, sukha-duḥkheṣu! He is free from all association, saṅga-vivarjitaḥ!"
"Tulya-nindā-stutiḥ maunī santuṣṭaḥ yena kenacit aniketaḥ sthira-matiḥ bhakti-mān me priyaḥ naraḥ."¹⁹ "One who is equal in defamation and praise, tulya-nindā-stutiḥ, and is silent, maunī! Who is satisfied with anything, santuṣṭaḥ yena kenacit, having no fixed residence, aniketaḥ! Whose determination is fixed, sthira-matiḥ—such a devotee, bhakti-mān, is dear to Me, me priyaḥ!"
The Ultimate Goal: Being Dear to God²⁰
Krishna concludes the chapter by stating that those who faithfully engage in the path of devotion (the nectar of religion), making Him their ultimate goal, are extremely dear to Him.
"Ye tu dharma-amṛtam idam yathā uktam paryupāsate śraddadhānāḥ mat-paramāḥ bhaktāḥ te atīva me priyāḥ."²⁰ "But those who completely engage in worship, paryupāsate, this nectar of religion, dharma-amṛtam idam, as it is said, yathā uktam, with faith, śraddadhānāḥ—those devotees, bhaktāḥ, who make Me their ultimate goal, mat-paramāḥ—they are very, very dear to Me, te atīva me priyāḥ!"
Wow, kids! What an incredibly beautiful chapter! Lord Krishna revealed that the easiest and most perfect way to connect with God is through pure devotional service, or Bhakti-yoga—just loving Him with all your heart! He showed us that it's not about being super strict or performing big rituals, but about cultivating amazing qualities like kindness, detachment, and always remembering Him. And the biggest secret? That when you truly love God, He loves you back so much, He becomes your best friend and promises to take care of everything!
Next time, we'll dive into Chapter Thirteen, where Krishna will explain the field of activities and the knower of the field. Get ready for more amazing lessons!