Bhagavad-gita As It Is
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
CHAPTER TWELVE
Bg12.12
TEXT 12
sreyo hi jnanam abhyasaj
jnanad dhyanam visisyate
dhyanat karma-phala-tyagas
tyagac chantir anantaram
sreyah—better; hi—certainly; jnanam—knowledge; abhyasat—by practice; jnanat—better than knowledge; dhyanam—meditation; visisyate—especially considered; dhyanat—from meditation; karma-phala-tyagah—renunciation of the results of fruitive action; tyagat—by such renunciation; santih—peace; anantaram—thereafter.
TRANSLATION
If you cannot take to this practice, then engage yourself in the cultivation of knowledge. Better than knowledge, however, is meditation, and better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of action, for by such renunciation one can attain peace of mind.
PURPORT
As mentioned in the previous verses, there are two kinds of devotional service: the way of regulated principles, and the way of full attachment in love to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For those who are actually not able to follow the principles of Krsna consciousness, it is better to cultivate knowledge because by knowledge one can be able to understand his real position. Gradually knowledge will develop to the point of meditation. By meditation one can be able to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead by a gradual process. There are processes which make one understand that one himself is the Supreme, and that sort of meditation is preferred if one is unable to engage in devotional service. If one is not able to meditate in such a way, then there are prescribed duties, as enjoined in the Vedic literature, for the brahmanas, vaisyas, and sudras, which we shall find in a later chapter of Bhagavad-gita. But in all cases, one should give up the result or fruits of labor; this means to employ the result of karma for some good cause. In summary, to reach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the highest goal, there are two processes: one process is by gradual development, and the other process is direct. Devotional service in Krsna consciousness is the direct method, and the other method involves renouncing the fruits of one’s activities. Then one can come to the stage of knowledge, then to the stage of meditation, then to the stage of understanding the Supersoul, and then to the stage of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One may either take the step by step process or the direct path. The direct process is not possible for everyone; therefore the indirect process is also good. It is, however, to be understood that the indirect process is not recommended for Arjuna because he is already at the stage of loving devotional service to the Supreme Lord. It is for others who are not at this state; for them the gradual process of renunciation, knowledge, meditation and realization of the Supersoul and Brahman should be followed. But as far as Bhagavad-gita is concerned, it is the direct method that is stressed. Everyone is advised to take to the direct method and surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. Bg12.13-14 TEXTS 13–14 advesta sarva-bhutanam maitrah karuna eva ca nirmamo nirahankarah sama-duhkha-sukhah ksami santustah satatam yogi yatatma drdha-niscayah mayy arpita-mano-buddhir yo mad-bhaktah sa me priyah advesta—not envious; sarva-bhutanam—for all living entities; maitrah—friendly; karunah—kindly; eva—certainly; ca—also; nirmamah—with no sense of proprietorship; nirahankarah—without false ego; sama—equally; duhkhah—distress; sukhah—happiness; ksami—forgiving; santustah—satisfied; satatam—satisfied; yogi—engaged in devotion; yata-atma—endeavoring; drdhaniscayah—with determination; mayi—upon Me; arpita—engaged; manah—mind; buddhih—intelligent; yah—one who; mat-bhaktah—My devotee; sah me priyah—he is dear to Me. TRANSLATION One who is not envious but who is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor, who is free from false ego and equal both in happiness and distress, who is always satisfied and engaged in devotional service with determination and whose mind and intelligence are in agreement with Me—he is very dear to Me. PURPORT Coming again to the point of pure devotional service, the Lord is describing the transcendental qualifications of a pure devotee in these two verses. A pure devotee is never disturbed in any circumstances. Nor is he envious of anyone. Nor does a devotee become his enemy’s enemy; he thinks that one is acting as his enemy due to his own past misdeeds. Thus it is better to suffer than to protest. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated: tat te ’nukampam su-samiksyamano. Whenever a devotee is in distress or has fallen into difficulty, he thinks that it is the Lord’s mercy upon him. He thinks: “Thanks to my past misdeeds I should suffer far, far greater than I am suffering now. So it is by the mercy of the Supreme Lord that I am not getting all the punishment I am due. I am just getting a little, by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Therefore he is always calm, quiet and patient, despite many distressful conditions. A devotee is also always kind to everyone, even to his enemy. Nirmama means that a devotee does not attach much importance to the peace and trouble pertaining to the body because he knows perfectly well that he is not the material body. He does not identify with the body; therefore he is freed from the conception of false ego and is equiposed both in happiness and distress. He is tolerant, and he is satisfied with whatever comes by the grace of the Supreme Lord. He does not endeavor much to achieve something with great difficulty; therefore he is always joyful. He is a completely perfect mystic because he is fixed in the instructions received from the spiritual master, and because his senses are controlled, he is determined. He is not swayed by false argument because no one can lead him from the fixed determination of devotional service. He is fully conscious that Krsna is the eternal Lord, so no one can disturb him. All his qualifications enable him to depend entirely on the Supreme Lord. Such a standard of devotional service is undoubtably very rare, but a devotee becomes situated in that stage by following the regulative principles of devotional service. Furthermore, the Lord says that such a devotee is very dear to Him, for the Lord is always pleased with all his activities in full Krsna consciousness. Bg12.15 TEXT 15 yasman nodvijate loko lokan nodvijate ca yah harsamarsa-bhayodvegair mukto yah sa ca me priyah yasmat—from whom; na—never; udvijate—agitates; lokah—persons; lokat—persons; na—never; advijate—disturbed; ca—also; yah—anyone; harsa—happiness; amarsa—distress; bhaya—fearfulness; udvegaih—with anxiety; muktah—freed; yah—who; sah—anyone; ca—also; me—My; priyah—very dear. TRANSLATION He for whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not dirturbed by anxiety, who is steady in happiness and distress, is very dear to Me. PURPORT A few of a devotee’s qualifications are further being described. No one is put into difficulty, anxiety, fearfulness, or dissatisfaction by such a devotee. Since a devotee is kind to everyone, he does not act in such a way to put others into anxiety. At the same time, if others try to put a devotee into anxiety, he is not disturbed. It is by the grace of the Lord that he is so practiced that he is not disturbed by any outward disturbance. Actually because a devotee is always engrossed in Krsna consciousness and engaged in devotional service, all such material circumstances cannot woo him. Generally a materialistic person becomes very happy when there is something for his sense gratification and his body, but when he sees that others have something for their sense gratification and he hasn’t, he is sorry and envious. When he is expecting some retaliation from an enemy, he is in a state of fear, and when he cannot successfully execute something he becomes dejected. But a devotee is always transcendental to all these disturbances; therefore he is very dear to Krsna. Bg12.16 TEXT 16 anapeksah sucir daksa udasino gata-vyathah sarvarambha-parityagi yo mad-bhaktah sa me priyah anapeksah—neutral; sucih—pure; daksah—expert; udasinah—free from care; gata-vyathah—freed from all distress; sarva-arambha—all endeavors; parityagi—renouncer; yah—anyone; mat-bhaktah—My devotee; sah—he; me—Me; priyah—very dear TRANSLATION A devotee who is not dependant on the ordinary course of activities, who is pure, expert, without cares, free from all pains, and who does not strive for some result, is very dear to Me. PURPORT Money may be offered to a devotee, but he should not struggle to acquire it. If automatically, by the grace of the Supreme, money comes to him, he is not agitated. Naturally a devotee takes bath at least twice in a day and rises early in the morning for devotional service. Thus he is naturally clean both inwardly and outwardly. A devotee is always expert because he fully knows the sense of all activities of life, and he is convinced of the authoritative scriptures. A devotee never takes the part of a particular party; therefore he is carefree. He is never pained because he is free from all designations; he knows that his body is a designation, so if there are some bodily pains, he is free. The pure devotee does not endeavor for anything which is against the principles of devotional service. For example, constructing a big building requires great energy, and a devotee does not take to such business if it does not benefit him by advancing his devotional service. He may construct a temple for the Lord, and for that he may take all kinds of anxiety, but he does not construct a big house for his personal relations. Bg12.17 TEXT 17 yo na hrsyati na dvesti na socati na kanksati subhasubha-parityagi bhaktiman yah sa me priyah yah—one who: na—never; hrsyati—takes pleasure; na—never; dvesti—grieves; na—never; socati—laments; na—never; kanksati—desires; subha—auspicious; asubha—inauspicious; parityagi—renouncer; bhaktiman—devotee; yah—one who; sah—he is; me—My; priyah—dear. TRANSLATION One who neither grasps pleasure or grief, who neither laments nor desires, and who renounces both auspicious and inauspicious things, is very dear to Me. PURPORT A pure devotee is neither happy nor distressed over material gain and loss, nor is he very much anxious to get a son or disciple, nor is he distressed by not getting them. If he loses anything which is very dear to him, he does not lament. Similarly, if he does not get what he desires, he is not distressed. He is transcendental in the face of all kinds of auspicious, inauspicious and sinful activities. He is prepared to accept all kinds of risks for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. Nothing is an impediment in the discharge of his devotional service. Such a devotee is very dear to Krsna. Bg12.18-19 TEXTS 18–19 samah satrau ca mitre ca tatha manapamanayoh sitosna-sukha-duhkhesu samah sanga-vivarjitah tulya-ninda-stutir mauni santusto yena kenacit aniketah sthira-matir bhaktiman me priyo narah samah—equal; satrau—to the enemy; ca—also; mitre—to friends; ca—also; tatha—so; mana—honor; apamanayoh—dishonor; sita—cold; usna—heat; sukha—happiness; duhkhesu—distress; samah—equiposed; sanga-vivarjitah—free from all association; tulya—equal; ninda—defamation; stutih—repute; mauni—silent; santustah—satisfied; yena—somehow; kena—or other; cit—if; aniketah—having no residence; sthira—fixed; matih—determination; bhaktiman—engaged in devotion; me—My; priyah—dear; narah—a man. TRANSLATION One who is equal to friends and enemies, who is equiposed in honor and dishonor, heat and cold, happiness and distress, fame and infamy, who is always free from contamination, always silent and satisfied with anything, who doesn’t care for any residence, who is fixed in knowledge and engaged in devotional service, is very dear to Me. PURPORT A devotee is always free from all bad association. Sometimes one is praised and sometimes one is defamed; that is the nature of human society. But a devotee is always transcendental to artificial fame and infamy, distress or happiness. He is very patient. He does not speak of anything but the topics about Krsna; therefore he is called silent. Silent does not mean that one should not speak; silent means that one should not speak nonsense. One should speak only of essentials, and the most essential speech for the devotee is to speak of the Supreme Lord. He is happy in all conditions; sometimes he may get very palatable foodstuffs, sometimes not, but he is satisfied. Nor does he care for any residential facility. He may sometimes live underneath a tree, and he may sometimes live in a very palatial building; he is attracted to neither. He is called fixed because he is fixed in his determination and knowledge. We may find some repetition in the descriptions of the qualifications of a devotee, but this is just to give an illustration of the fact that a devotee must acquire all these qualifications. Without good qualifications, one cannot be a pure devotee. One who is not a devotee has no good qualification. One who wants to be recognized as a devotee should develop the good qualifications. Of course he does not extraneously endeavor to acquire these qualifications, but engagement in Krsna consciousness and devotional service automatically helps him develop them. Bg12.20 TEXT 20 ye tu dharmamrtam idam yathoktam paryupasate sraddadhana mat-parama bhaktas te ’tiva me priyah ye—one who; tu—but; dharmya—generosity; amrtam—understanding; idam—this; yatha—as; uktam—said; paryupasate—completely engages; sraddadhanah—with faith; mat-paramah—taking the Supreme Lord as everything; bhaktah—devotees; te—such persons; ativa—very, very; me—Me; priyah—dear. TRANSLATION He who follows this imperishable path of devotional service and who completely engages himself with faith, making Me the supreme goal, is very, very dear to Me. PURPORT In this chapter the religion of eternal engagement, the explanation of the process of transcendental service for approaching the Supreme Lord, is given. This process is very dear to the Lord, and He accepts a person who is engaged in such a process. The question who is better—one who is engaged in the path of impersonal Brahman or one who is engaged in the personal service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead—was raised by Arjuna, and the Lord replied to him so explicitly that there is no doubt that devotional service to the Personality of Godhead is the best of all processes of spiritual realization. In other words, in this chapter it is decided that through good association, one develops attachment for pure devotional service and thereby accepts a bona fide spiritual master and from him begins to hear and chant and observe the regulative principles of devotional service with faith, attachment and devotion and thus becomes engaged in the transcendental service of the Lord. This path is recommended in this chapter; therefore there is no doubt that devotional service is the only absolute path for self-realization, for the attainment of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The impersonal conception of the Supreme Absolute Truth, as described in this chapter, is recommended only up to the time one surrenders himself for self-realization. In other words, as long as one does not have the chance to associate with a pure devotee, the impersonal conception may be beneficial. In the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth one works without fruitive result, meditates and cultivates knowledge to understand spirit and matter. This is necessary as long as one is not in the association of a pure devotee. Fortunately, if one develops directly a desire to engage in Krsna consciousness in pure devotional service, he does not need to undergo step by step improvements in spiritual realization. Devotional service, as described in the middle six chapters of Bhagavad-gita, is more congenial. One need not bother about materials to keep body and soul together because by the grace of the Lord everything is carried out automatically. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Twelfth Chapter of the Srimad-Bhagavad-gita in the matter of Devotional Service.