The Path of Devotionभक्तियोग

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

evaṁ satata-yuktā ye bhaktās tvāṁ paryupāsate,
ye cāpy akṣaram avyaktaṁ teṣāṁ ke yoga-vittamāḥ.

Some devotees, ever steadfast, worship you in this way, while others worship the imperishable and unmanifest. Which of them have the better knowledge of yoga?

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

mayy āveśya mano ye māṁ nitya-yuktā upāsate,
śraddhayā parayopetās te me yuktatamā matāḥ.

Those who fix their minds on me and worship me, ever steadfast and filled with the highest faith, I consider the most perfect in yoga.

Live it todayBring your whole mind and faith to prayer, even for a few minutes.

ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते।
सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यं च कूटस्थमचलं ध्रुवम्॥

ye tv akṣaram anirdeśyam avyaktaṁ paryupāsate,
sarvatra-gam acintyaṁ ca kūṭa-stham acalaṁ dhruvam.

But there are those who worship the Imperishable: the indefinable, the unmanifest, all-pervading, beyond thought, unchanging, unmoving and eternal.

संनियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः।
ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः॥

saṁniyamyendriya-grāmaṁ sarvatra sama-buddhayaḥ,
te prāpnuvanti mām eva sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ.

Holding all their senses in check, even-minded toward everything and delighting in the good of all beings, they too reach me.

Live it todayFind joy in the good of others; that too leads to the Divine.

क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम्।
अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दुःखं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते॥

kleśo ‘dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām,
avyaktā hi gatir duḥkhaṁ dehavadbhir avāpyate.

The struggle is greater for those whose minds are set on the unmanifest, for the unmanifest goal is reached only with difficulty by those who live in a body.

Live it todayNeeding a form to love is natural; let it help you.

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

ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi mayi saṁnyasya mat-parāḥ,
ananyenaiva yogena māṁ dhyāyanta upāsate.

But there are those who offer all their actions to me, hold me as their highest goal, and worship me, meditating on me with undivided devotion.

Live it todayOffer each task to the Divine before you begin it.

तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात्।
भवामि नचिरात्पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम्॥

teṣām ahaṁ samuddhartā mṛtyu-saṁsāra-sāgarāt,
bhavāmi nacirāt pārtha mayy āveśita-cetasām.

For those whose hearts are absorbed in me, O Arjuna, I soon become the one who lifts them out of the ocean of death and rebirth.

Live it todayKeep your heart turned to the Divine; help comes sooner than you think.

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

mayy eva mana ādhatsva mayi buddhiṁ niveśaya,
nivasiṣyasi mayy eva ata ūrdhvaṁ na saṁśayaḥ.

Fix your mind on me alone and let your understanding rest in me. From then on you will dwell in me; of this there is no doubt.

Live it todayGive the Divine both your feeling and your thinking.

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

atha cittaṁ samādhātuṁ na śaknoṣi mayi sthiram,
abhyāsa-yogena tato mām icchāptuṁ dhanañjaya.

If you cannot hold your mind steadily on me, then seek to reach me through the yoga of practice, O Arjuna.

Live it todayIf focus slips, gently bring it back; practice itself is the path.

अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्मपरमो भव।
मदर्थमपि कर्माणि कुर्वन् सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि॥

abhyāse ‘py asamartho ‘si mat-karma-paramo bhava,
mad-artham api karmāṇi kurvan siddhim avāpsyasi.

If you are not able even to practice, make work done for me your highest aim. Even by doing actions for my sake, you will reach perfection.

Live it todayCannot sit still to pray? Let your work become the prayer.

अथैतदप्यशक्तोऽसि कर्तुं मद्योगमाश्रितः।
सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं ततः कुरु यतात्मवान्॥

athaitad apy aśakto ‘si kartuṁ mad-yogam āśritaḥ,
sarva-karma-phala-tyāgaṁ tataḥ kuru yatātmavān.

If you cannot do even this, then take refuge in my yoga, master yourself, and give up the fruits of all your actions.

Live it todayIf nothing else, do your work and let the results go.

श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते।
ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम्॥

śreyo hi jñānam abhyāsāj jñānād dhyānaṁ viśiṣyate,
dhyānāt karma-phala-tyāgas tyāgāc chāntir anantaram.

Knowledge is better than practice, and meditation is better than knowledge. Better than meditation is giving up the fruits of action, for peace follows that giving up at once.

Live it todayLoosen your grip on the outcome, and peace arrives right away.

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

adveṣṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca,
nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣamī.

One who hates no being, who is friendly and compassionate, free from the sense of mine and from ego, even in sorrow and joy, and forgiving.

Live it todayThe test of practice is how you treat the person in front of you.

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

santuṣṭaḥ satataṁ yogī yatātmā dṛḍha-niścayaḥ,
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ.

Always content, steady in yoga, self-controlled and firm in resolve, with mind and understanding offered to me: such a devotee of mine is dear to me.

Live it todayContentment and firm resolve can live in the same heart.

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

yasmān nodvijate loko lokān nodvijate ca yaḥ,
harṣāmarṣa-bhayodvegair mukto yaḥ sa ca me priyaḥ.

One by whom the world is not disturbed, and who is not disturbed by the world, freed from joy, envy, fear and anxiety, is dear to me.

Live it todayBe easy to be around, and hard to shake.

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

anapekṣaḥ śucir dakṣa udāsīno gata-vyathaḥ,
sarvārambha-parityāgī yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ.

Expecting nothing, pure, capable, impartial and free from distress, having renounced all undertakings: such a devotee of mine is dear to me.

Live it todayWork skillfully, expect nothing, and stay untroubled.

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

yo na hṛṣyati na dveṣṭi na śocati na kāṅkṣati,
śubhāśubha-parityāgī bhaktimān yaḥ sa me priyaḥ.

One who neither rejoices nor hates, neither grieves nor craves, who has let go of both the auspicious and the inauspicious, and who is full of devotion, is dear to me.

Live it todayLet joy and sorrow come and go without taking the wheel.

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

samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca tathā mānāpamānayoḥ,
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu samaḥ saṅga-vivarjitaḥ.

One who is the same toward enemy and friend, the same in honor and insult, steady in cold and heat, in pleasure and pain, and free from attachment.

Live it todayStay the same person whether you are honored or insulted.

तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येन केनचित्।
अनिकेतः स्थिरमतिर्भक्तिमान्मे प्रियो नरः॥

tulya-nindā-stutir maunī santuṣṭo yena kenacit,
aniketaḥ sthira-matir bhaktimān me priyo naraḥ.

One who is the same in blame and praise, sparing with words, content with whatever comes, not tied to any home, steady in mind and full of devotion: that person is dear to me.

Live it todayBe content with what comes, and quiet when words add nothing.

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

ye tu dharmyāmṛtam idaṁ yathoktaṁ paryupāsate,
śraddadhānā mat-paramā bhaktās te ‘tīva me priyāḥ.

But those devotees who follow this nectar of dharma just as I have taught it, full of faith and holding me as their highest goal, are exceedingly dear to me.

Live it todayDo not just admire these qualities; live them, one at a time.