Chapter 12

सन्तुष्ट: सततं योगी यतात्मा दृढनिश्चय: | मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्यो मद्भक्त: स मे प्रिय: ॥14॥ Transliteration santuṣhṭaḥ satataṁ yogī yatātmā dṛiḍha-niśhchayaḥ mayy arpita-mano-buddhir yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ Word Meanings santuṣhṭaḥ—contented; satatam—steadily; yogī—united in devotion; yata-ātmā—self-controlled; dṛiḍha-niśhchayaḥ—firm in conviction; mayi—to me; arpita—dedicated; manaḥ—mind; buddhiḥ—intellect; yaḥ—who; mat-bhaktaḥ—my devotees; saḥ—they; me—to me; priyaḥ—very dear Translation He who is ever content,…

अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्र: करुण एव च | निर्ममो निरहङ्कार: समदु:खसुख: क्षमी ॥13॥ Transliteration adveṣhṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ maitraḥ karuṇa eva cha nirmamo nirahankāraḥ sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣhamī Word Meanings adveṣhṭā—free from malice; sarva-bhūtānām—toward all living beings; maitraḥ—friendly; karuṇaḥ—compassionate; eva—indeed; cha—and; nirmamaḥ—free from attachment to possession; nirahankāraḥ—free from egoism; sama—equipoised; duḥkha—distress; sukhaḥ—happiness; kṣhamī—forgiving; Translation He who is not hateful towards…

श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते | ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम् ॥12॥ Transliteration śhreyo hi jñānam abhyāsāj jñānād dhyānaṁ viśhiṣhyate dhyānāt karma-phala-tyāgas tyāgāch chhāntir anantaram Word Meanings śhreyaḥ—better; hi—for; jñānam—knowledge; abhyāsāt—than (mechanical) practice; jñānāt—than knowledge; dhyānam—meditation; viśhiṣhyate—better; dhyānāt—than meditation; karma-phala-tyāgaḥ—renunciation of the fruits of actions; tyāgāt—renunciation; śhāntiḥ—peace; anantaram—immediately Translation Knowledge is surely superior to practice; meditation surpasses knowledge. The renunciation…

अथैतदप्यशक्तोऽसि कर्तुं मद्योगमाश्रित: | सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं तत: कुरु यतात्मवान् ॥11॥ Transliteration athaitad apy aśhakto ’si kartuṁ mad-yogam āśhritaḥ sarva-karma-phala-tyāgaṁ tataḥ kuru yatātmavān Word Meanings atha—if; etat—this; api—even; aśhaktaḥ—unable; asi—you are; kartum—to work; mad-yogam—with devotion to me; āśhritaḥ—taking refuge; sarva-karma—of all actions; phala-tyāgam—to renounce the fruits; tataḥ—then; kuru—do; yata-ātma-vān—be situated in the self Translation If you are…

अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्मपरमो भव | मदर्थमपि कर्माणि कुर्वन्सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि ॥10॥ Transliteration abhyāse ’py asamartho ’si mat-karma-paramo bhava mad-artham api karmāṇi kurvan siddhim avāpsyasi Word Meanings abhyāse—in practice; api—if; asamarthaḥ—unable; asi—you; mat-karma paramaḥ—devotedly work for me; bhava—be; mat-artham—for my sake; api—also; karmāṇi—work; kurvan—performing; siddhim—perfection; avāpsyasi—you shall achieve Translation If you are unable even to practise, be intent on…

अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम् | अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाप्तुं धनञ्जय ॥9॥ Transliteration atha chittaṁ samādhātuṁ na śhaknoṣhi mayi sthiram abhyāsa-yogena tato mām ichchhāptuṁ dhanañjaya Word Meanings atha—if; chittam—mind; samādhātum—to fix; na śhaknoṣhi—(you) are unable; mayi—on me; sthiram—steadily; abhyāsa-yogena—by uniting with God through repeated practice; tataḥ—then; mām—me; ichchhā—desire; āptum—to attain; dhanañjaya—Arjun, the conqueror of…