The Way of Devotion

एवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्युपासते ।
ये चाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमाः ॥1॥

Arjuna said: Of those devoted people who worship you, always joined to you, and those who worship the imperishable and unmanifest, which know the practice better?

मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते ।
श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मताः ॥2॥

The Lord said: Those who fix their minds on me and worship me, always joined to me and filled with the deepest trust, are in my view the most closely joined.

ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते ।
सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यञ्च कूटस्थमचलन्ध्रुवम् ॥3॥

But those who worship the imperishable, which cannot be pointed to, which is unmanifest, everywhere, beyond thought, unchanging, unmoving, fixed,

सन्नियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः ।
ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः ॥4॥

holding the whole crowd of senses in check, even-minded everywhere, taking joy in the good of all beings: they too come to me.

क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् ।
अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दुःखं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते ॥5॥

The trouble is greater for those whose minds are set on the unmanifest; a goal that does not show itself is hard for the embodied to reach.

ये तु सर्वाणि कर्माणि मयि संन्यस्य मत्पराः ।
अनन्येनैव योगेन मां ध्यायन्त उपासते ॥6॥

But for those who give all their actions over to me, who hold me as the highest, and who worship me, meditating on me with an undivided practice,

तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात् ।
भवामि नचिरात्पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम् ॥7॥

for those whose minds have entered me, Partha, I become before long the one who lifts them out of the sea of death and rebirth.

मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय ।
निवसिष्यसि मय्येव अत ऊर्ध्वं न संशयः ॥8॥

Set your mind on me alone, let your understanding rest in me. From then on you will live in me; of this there is no doubt.

अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम् ।
अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाप्तुं धनञ्जय ॥9॥

If you cannot hold your mind steadily on me, Dhananjaya, then seek to reach me through steady practice.

अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्मपरमो भव ।
मदर्थमपि कर्माणि कुर्वन्सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि ॥10॥

If you cannot even practise, then make work done for me your aim; doing your work for my sake, you will come to fulfilment.

अथैतदप्यशक्तोऽसि कर्तुं मद्योगमाश्रितः ।
सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं ततः कुरु यतात्मवान् ॥11॥

And if you cannot manage even this, then take refuge in my practice, hold yourself in hand, and let go of the fruit of everything you do.

श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते ।
ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम् ॥12॥

Knowledge is better than practice, meditation better than knowledge, letting go of the fruit of work better than meditation; and from that letting go, peace follows at once.

अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च ।
निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी ॥13॥

One who hates no living thing, who is friendly and kind, without "mine" and without "I", the same in pain and pleasure, patient,

सन्तुष्टः सततं योगी यतात्मा दृढनिश्चयः ।
मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः ॥14॥

always content, joined in practice, self-possessed, firm in resolve, with mind and understanding given to me: such a devotee is dear to me.

यस्मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च यः ।
हर्षामर्षभयोद्वेगैर्मुक्तो यः स च मे प्रियः ॥15॥

One by whom the world is not troubled and who is not troubled by the world, who is free of elation, impatience, fear and agitation: he too is dear to me.

अनपेक्षः शुचिर्दक्ष उदासीनो गतव्यथः ।
सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः ॥16॥

One who expects nothing, who is clean, capable, disinterested, untroubled, who has given up all self-serving undertakings: such a devotee is dear to me.

यो न हृष्यति न द्वेष्टि न शोचति न काङ्क्षति ।
शुभाशुभपरित्यागी भक्तिमान्यः स मे प्रियः ॥17॥

One who neither exults nor hates, neither grieves nor hankers, who lets go of both the pleasant and the unpleasant, and is full of devotion: he is dear to me.

समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयोः ।
शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु समः सङ्गविवर्जितः ॥18॥

The same towards enemy and friend, the same in honour and dishonour, the same in cold and heat, in pleasure and pain, free of attachment,

तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येन केनचित् ।
अनिकेतः स्थिरमतिर्भक्तिमान्मे प्रियो नरः ॥19॥

taking blame and praise alike, quiet, content with whatever comes, at home nowhere, steady of mind and full of devotion: such a person is dear to me.

ये तु धर्म्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते ।
श्रद्दधाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रियाः ॥20॥

And those who take in this nectar of dharma as I have told it, trusting it and holding me as the highest, those devotees are very dear to me.