The Path of Devotion

In earlier chapters (5, 6, and 8), Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa elaborated on the worship of the Absolute as devoid of all material form and attributes. He then laid emphasis on the importance of the worship of the very same Absolute as the Supreme God, who is endowed with unlimited transcendental form and attributes, by the repeated use of the pronouns aham (I) and mām (Me). Finally, in Chapter 11, He glorified exclusive devotion and its rewards.
In the present chapter, Śrī Kṛṣṇa describes the principles of bhakti. It consists of 20 verses, one spoken by Arjuna and the rest by Kṛṣṇa. Having understood Kṛṣṇa’s glories, Arjuna asks Him, “Between those devotees who are always devoted in this manner and who exclusively worship You, and those who worship the unmanifest imperishable Brahman, who are the topmost realizers of yoga?” (1)
Kṛṣṇa replies, “Those whose minds are absorbed in Me, who are ever united with Me, and who worship Me, being endowed with transcendental faith, I regard as the topmost realizers of yoga.” The other practitioners will ultimately also attain Him alone, but their path is exceedingly difficult, because it is very hard to fix the mind on the unmanifest Brahman. Kṛṣṇa further states, “The misery of those whose minds are attached to the unmanifest is greater, because the goal of the unmanifest is attained with difficulty by embodied beings” (2–5).
Kṛṣṇa personally delivers those who worship Him, uplifting them from the ocean of death. He, therefore, recommends becoming absorbed in Him (6–7). For those who are unable to do so, He advises regulated practice to fix the mind on Him. If, however, one is incapable even of that, one should simply act for Him. One who is unable to do so should renounce the fruits of all his actions. Kṛṣṇa thus offers alternative practices in accordance with the capacity and eligibility of different practitioners (9–12).
In the final verses of this chapter, Kṛṣṇa speaks about the qualities of His dear devotees, confirming repeatedly that they are very dear to Him (13–19). He concludes by saying, “Moreover, those devotees who devoutly adhere to this immortal wisdom path as described by Me, who are endowed with faith and intent exclusively on Me, are extremely dear to Me” (20).

All Verses

  1. Verse 1Arjuna inquired: Between those devotees who are always devoted in this manner and who exclusively worship You, and those who worship the unmanifest imperishable Brahman, who are the topmost realizers of yoga?
  2. Verse 2Śrī Bhagavān said: Those whose minds are absorbed in Me, who are ever united with Me, and who worship Me, being endowed with transcendental faith, I regard as the topmost realizers of yoga.
  3. Verse 3-4But those who have regulated their senses, who are equally disposed toward all living beings, who are engaged in the welfare of all beings, and who worship the inexpressible, unmanifest, all-pervading, inconceivable, immutable, immovable, eternal, and imperishable Brahman — they also attain Me.
  4. Verse 5The misery of those whose minds are attached to the unmanifest is greater, because the goal of the unmanifest is attained with difficulty by embodied beings.
  5. Verse 6-7But those who have dedicated all actions to Me, who are attached to Me, and who worship Me, meditating on Me through the yoga of exclusive devotion alone — O Pārtha, I quickly uplift such individuals, whose minds are absorbed in Me, from the ocean of deathly material existence.
  6. Verse 8Fix your mind exclusively on Me, and let your intelligence be absorbed in Me. Thereafter, you will live only in Me. There is no doubt about this.
  7. Verse 9But if you cannot fix your mind steadily on Me, O Dhanañjaya, then seek to attain Me by repeated practice.
  8. Verse 10If, however, you are unable even to practice steadily in this manner, then be devoted to working for Me. Even by engagement in actions for My sake, you will attain perfection.
  9. Verse 11But if you cannot do even this, then taking shelter of My yoga and being self-controlled, offer the fruits of all your actions to Me.
  10. Verse 12Mindfulness of Me is certainly better than practice [devoid of such awareness], and meditation is better than mindfulness, because through meditation, renunciation of the fruits of action occurs automatically, and thereafter by renunciation of the desire for fruits one attains peace.
  11. Verse 13-14My devotee, who is devoid of enmity toward all living beings, who is friendly, compassionate, devoid of the notions of “I” and “mine,” equipoised in sorrow and happiness; who is forgiving, content, ever engaged in the yoga of devotion, self-regulated, firmly resolved, and whose mind and intellect are consecrated unto Me, is dear to Me.
  12. Verse 15A person who does not cause aggrievement to anyone, who is not aggrieved by others, and who is free from delight, anger, fear, and anxiety — such a person is also dear to Me.
  13. Verse 16My devotee who is free from desire, who is pure both internally and externally, proficient, impartial, undisturbed, and who gives up all undertakings [antagonistic to devotion], is dear to Me.
  14. Verse 17A person who neither rejoices in the pleasant nor detests the unpleasant, who neither grieves nor hankers, who abandons all meritorious and unmeritorious actions [devoid of devotion], and who is endowed with devotion, is dear to Me.
  15. Verse 18-19One who regards alike both an enemy and a friend, as well as honor and dishonor, who is equal in heat and cold, and in happiness and misery, who is free from attachment, equal toward praise and reproach, contemplative, content with whatever comes of its own accord, devoid of the sense of ownership over any dwelling place, and of steady mind, such a person, who is endowed with devotion, is dear to Me.
  16. Verse 20Moreover, those devotees who devoutly adhere to this immortal wisdom path as described by Me, who are endowed with faith and intent exclusively on Me, are extremely dear to Me.