एवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्युपासते ।ये चाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमाः ॥
Evam satatayukta ye bhaktastvam paryupasateYe chapyaksharamavyaktam tesham ke yogavittamah
Arjuna asks a question. Some devotees are always joined to Krishna in this way, as described at the end of chapter 11, and worship him. Others worship the Imperishable (akṣara), the Unmanifest (avyakta). Which of the two knows yoga better? The commentators explain the two groups in different ways (see the views).
Explanation written for this site and checked against the cited edition. Free to quote with credit.
मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते ।श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मताः ॥
Mayyaveshya mano ye mam nityayukta upasateShraddhaya parayopetaste me yuktatama matah
Krishna answers. Those who fix their mind on him, worship him while always joined to him, and are full of the highest faith (śraddhā) are, in his view, the most devoted in yoga (yuktatama).
ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते ।सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यं च कूटस्थमचलं ध्रुवम् ॥
Ye tvaksharamanirdeshyamavyaktam paryupasateSarvatragamachintyam cha kutasthamachalam dhruvam
Krishna now speaks of the other group, those who worship the Imperishable (akṣara). He describes it as beyond words, unmanifest, present everywhere, beyond thought, unchanging (kūṭastha), unmoving and constant. The sentence continues in the next verse.
संनियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः ।ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः ॥
Sanniyamyendriyagramam sarvatra samabuddhayahTe prapnuvanti mameva sarvabhutahite ratah
Such people hold all their senses in check, keep an even mind towards everything, and delight in the good of all beings. Krishna says that they, too, reach him. The schools explain “reach him” in different ways (see the views).
क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् ।अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दुःखं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते ॥
KleshodhikatarasteshamavyaktasaktachetasamAvyakta hi gatirduhkham dehavadbhiravapyate
Krishna adds that those whose minds are set on the Unmanifest face greater difficulty, because embodied beings reach the unmanifest goal only with hardship.
ये तु सर्वाणि कर्माणि मयि संन्यस्य मत्पराः ।अनन्येनैव योगेन मां ध्यायन्त उपासते ॥
Ye tu sarvani karmani mayi sannyasya matparahAnanyenaiva yogena mam dhyayanta upasate
Krishna turns back to those who worship him. They offer all their actions to him, hold him as their highest goal, and worship him, meditating on him with a devotion that rests on nothing else (ananya yoga). The sentence continues in the next verse.
तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात् ।भवामि न चिरात्पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम् ॥
Teshamaham samuddharta mrityusansarasagaratBhavami na chiratpartha mayyaveshitachetasam
Krishna says that for these people, whose minds are fixed on him, he soon becomes the one who lifts them out of the ocean of death and repeated birth (saṃsāra). He calls Arjuna Partha, son of Pritha.
मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय ।निवसिष्यसि मय्येव अत ऊर्ध्वं न संशयः ॥
Mayyeva mana adhatsva mayi buddhim niveshayaNivasishyasi mayyeva ata urdhvam na sanshayah
Krishna tells Arjuna to place his mind (manas) on him alone and to let his understanding (buddhi) enter into him. Then, Krishna says, Arjuna will dwell in him from that time on, without doubt.
अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम् ।अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाप्तुं धनञ्जय ॥
Atha chittam samadhatum na shaknoshi mayi sthiramAbhyasayogena tato mamichchhaptum dhananjaya
If Arjuna cannot keep his mind (citta) steadily on him, Krishna says, he should seek to reach him through the yoga of practice (abhyāsa-yoga), that is, by steady and repeated effort. Krishna calls Arjuna Dhananjaya, winner of wealth.
अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्मपरमो भव ।मदर्थमपि कर्माणि कुर्वन्सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि ॥
Abhyasepyasamarthosi matkarmaparamo bhavaMadarthamapi karmani kurvansiddhimavapsyasi
If Arjuna is not able even to practise, Krishna says, he should make work done for Krishna's sake his highest aim. Even by doing actions for Krishna's sake, he will reach perfection (siddhi).
अथैतदप्यशक्तोऽसि कर्तुं मद्योगमाश्रितः ।सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं ततः कुरु यतात्मवान् ॥
Athaitadapyashaktosi kartum madyogamashritahSarvakarmaphalatyagam tatah kuru yatatmavan
If he cannot do even this, Krishna says, he should take refuge in union with Krishna (mad-yoga), keep himself under control, and give up the fruit of all his actions.
श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते ।ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम् ॥
Shreyo hi jnanamabhyasajjnanaddhyanam vishishyateDhyanatkarmaphalatyagastyagachchhantiranantaram
Krishna says that knowledge (jñāna) is better than practice (abhyāsa), meditation (dhyāna) is better than knowledge, and giving up the fruit of action is better than meditation. From such giving up, he says, peace follows at once. The commentators explain this ladder in different ways (see the views).
अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च ।निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी ॥
Adveshta sarvabhutanam maitrah karuna eva chaNirmamo nirahankarah samaduhkhasukhah kshami
From here to the end of the chapter, Krishna describes the devotee who is dear to him. Such a person hates no being, is friendly and compassionate, has no sense of “mine” and no ego, stays the same in pain and pleasure, and is forgiving. The sentence continues in the next verse.
सन्तुष्टः सततं योगी यतात्मा दृढनिश्चयः ।मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः ॥
Santushtah satatam yogi yatatma dridhanishchayahMayyarpitamanobuddhiryo madbhaktah sa me priyah
Such a person is always content, steady in yoga, self-controlled and firm in resolve, with mind and understanding offered to Krishna. Krishna says that such a devotee is dear to him.
यस्मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च यः ।हर्षामर्षभयोद्वेगैर्मुक्तो यः स च मे प्रियः ॥
Yasmannodvijate loko lokannodvijate cha yahHarshamarshabhayodvegairmukto yah sa cha me priyah
Krishna says that the person who does not disturb the world, and whom the world does not disturb, who is free from elation, anger (amarṣa), fear and agitation, is dear to him.
अनपेक्षः शुचिर्दक्ष उदासीनो गतव्यथः ।सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः ॥
Anapekshah shuchirdaksha udasino gatavyathahSarvarambhaparityagi yo madbhaktah sa me priyah
Krishna says that the devotee who wants nothing, who is pure and capable, impartial (udāsīna, one who sits apart), untroubled, and who has given up every undertaking (sarvārambha), is dear to him.
यो न हृष्यति न द्वेष्टि न शोचति न काङ्क्षति ।शुभाशुभपरित्यागी भक्तिमान्यः स मे प्रियः ॥
Yo na hrishyati na dveshti na shochati na kankshatiShubhashubhaparityagi bhaktimanyah sa me priyah
Krishna says that the one who neither rejoices nor hates, neither grieves nor craves, who has given up both the pleasant and the unpleasant (śubha and aśubha), and who is full of devotion, is dear to him.
समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयोः ।शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु समः सङ्गविवर्जितः ॥
Samah shatrau cha mitre cha tatha manapamanayohShitoshnasukhaduhkheshu samah sangavivarjitah
Krishna continues. Such a person is the same towards enemy and friend, in honour and dishonour, in cold and heat, in pleasure and pain, and is free from attachment. The sentence continues in the next verse.
तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येनकेनचित् ।अनिकेतः स्थिरमतिर्भक्तिमान्मे प्रियो नरः ॥
Tulyanindastutirmauni santushto yenakenachitAniketah sthiramatirbhaktimanme priyo narah
Such a person takes blame and praise alike, speaks little (maunī), is content with whatever comes, has no fixed home or is not tied to one (aniketa), and has a steady mind. Krishna says that such a person, full of devotion, is dear to him.
ये तु धर्म्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते ।श्रद्दधाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रियाः ॥
Ye tu dharmyamritamidam yathoktam paryupasateShraddadhana matparama bhaktastetiva me priyah
Krishna closes the chapter. Those devotees who follow this life-giving teaching of dharma (dharmyāmṛta) as he has set it out, with faith and holding him as their highest goal, are exceedingly dear to him. The schools differ on what “this” teaching refers to (see the views).