Arjuna said:
Of these devotees who worship You directly through meditation and performance of duties and of those who similarly worship Laksmi known as Imperishable, which have the greater knowledge of salvation?
12-1
Sri Bhagavan said:
Those who fixing their mind on me, worship me and deeply contemplate on me with supreme faith are regarded by me the most adept and perfect among those that follow the course of duty and contemplation, for the sake of liberation.
12-2
But those who worship Lakshmi known as the Imperishable, the indefinable, Omnipresent, Incomprehensible, Immanent, Immutable and Eternal, restraining all the senses, regarding that I as the supreme Lord am the same perfect being in all and everywhere and rejoicing, through good acts, in the welfare of all creatures also reach me only.
12-3,4
The strain on those whose mind is devoted to Lakshmi is very great indeed, for through the worship of Lakshmi alone it is well known that it is hard for souls to reach God.
12-5
But they who do all duties offering them to Me and intent on me, meditating on me, with single minded devotion. O Partha, they that have set their minds on me are saved and are long delivered by me from the ocean of transmigration.
12-6,7
Fix your mind on me, alone, let your thought abide in Me; therefore you will live in Me, i.e attain the state of perfect bliss and there is no doubt about it.
12-8
O Dhananjaya, if you are not able to fix your mind steadily on me, then by means of constant practice and concentration seek to know Me.
12-9
If you are not able even to practice constantly as aforesaid, let it be your chief aim to do duties relating to my worship; for even by performing duties for my sake, you will obtain the desired reward.
12-10
If you are not able to do even this, then dedicate to me, the actions you perform. Thus, with the mind under control, renounce the fruits of all actions.
12-11
Better indeed is knowledge than constant unintelligent practice, better than mere knowledge is meditation with knowledge, better than meditation with desire to reward is meditation renouncing the fruits of action, but direct realization of God is greater than this. Realization results in peace.
12-12
He who bears no ill-will to any being, is friend and compassionate, is without attachment and egoism, even minded in pain and pleasure, forgiving, ever content and practicing the Yoga of duties and contemplation with the mind restrained, firm in resolution, and who has mind and reason placed in me becomes my devotee and is dear to Me.
12-13,14
He whom the world is not afraid of, and who is not also afraid of the world and who is free from joy and anger, fear and agitation is also dear to me.
12-15
He who craves for nothing that is not pleasing to God Vishnu, is pure both internally and externally, able to discharge godly duties well, indifferent to good or bad that others may do, who does not feel the effects of the evil others may do, abandons every work that may not please Vishnu or renounce the fruit of every work he does, becomes my devotee and is dear to me.
12-16
He who neither loves nor hates nor grieves nor desires any one except God's devotees, who renounces good and evil except knowledge, devotion and Vairagya and is devoted to me, is dear to me.
12-17
He, who reacts alike to friends and foe, likewise to honor and ignominy, to cold and heat, pleasures and pains, and free from attachment to fruits of actions; He who regards with equal unconcern blame as well as praise, who does not talk about matters other than relate to God, is content with whatever is got unasked for, is without a fixed abode is of unshakeable convictions and full of devotion - that person is dear to me.
12-18,19
Those devotees who with faith follow this course set forth above grounded on Dharma and leading to immortality, regarding me as their Supreme Object are exceedingly dear to me.
12-20
Thus ends the twelfth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita entitled The Bhakti Yoga ( The Yoga of Devotion).
