अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च ।
निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी ॥ १२-१३॥

सन्तुष्टः सततं योगी यतात्मा दृढनिश्चयः ।
मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः ॥ १२-१४॥

यस्मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च यः ।
हर्षामर्षभयोद्वेगैर्मुक्तो यः स च मे प्रियः ॥ १२-१५॥

अनपेक्षः शुचिर्दक्ष उदासीनो गतव्यथः ।
सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः ॥ १२-१६॥

यो न हृष्यति न द्वेष्टि न शोचति न काङ्क्षति ।
शुभाशुभपरित्यागी भक्तिमान्यः स मे प्रियः ॥ १२-१७॥

समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयोः ।
शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु समः सङ्गविवर्जितः ॥ १२-१८॥

तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येन केनचित् ।
अनिकेतः स्थिरमतिर्भक्तिमान्मे प्रियो नरः ॥ १२-१९॥

ये तु धर्म्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते ।
श्रद्दधाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रियाः ॥ १२-२०॥

advēṣṭā sarvabhūtānāṁ maitraḥ karuṇa ēva ca .
nirmamō nirahaṅkāraḥ samaduḥkhasukhaḥ kṣamī .. 12-13..

santuṣṭaḥ satataṁ yōgī yatātmā dr̥ḍhaniścayaḥ .
mayyarpitamanōbuddhiryō madbhaktaḥ sa mē priyaḥ .. 12-14..

yasmānnōdvijatē lōkō lōkānnōdvijatē ca yaḥ .
harṣāmarṣabhayōdvēgairmuktō yaḥ sa ca mē priyaḥ .. 12-15..

anapēkṣaḥ śucirdakṣa udāsīnō gatavyathaḥ .
sarvārambhaparityāgī yō madbhaktaḥ sa mē priyaḥ .. 12-16..

yō na hr̥ṣyati na dvēṣṭi na śōcati na kāṅkṣati .
śubhāśubhaparityāgī bhaktimānyaḥ sa mē priyaḥ .. 12-17..

samaḥ śatrau ca mitrē ca tathā mānāpamānayōḥ .
śītōṣṇasukhaduḥkhēṣu samaḥ saṅgavivarjitaḥ .. 12-18..

tulyanindāstutirmaunī santuṣṭō yēna kēnacit .
anikētaḥ sthiramatirbhaktimānmē priyō naraḥ .. 12-19..

yē tu dharmyāmr̥tamidaṁ yathōktaṁ paryupāsatē .
śraddadhānā matparamā bhaktāstē’tīva mē priyāḥ .. 12-20..

13. Bearing no animosity toward any being, amiable as well as compassionate, free of ‘I’, free of ‘mine’, holding pain and pleasure as equal, forgiving,

14. Always satisfied, with a controlled nature, of firm resolve, a yogi who has surrendered his mind and intelligence unto Me, who is My devotee, he is My beloved.

15. He from whom the world does not become excited, and he who does not become excited from the world, liberated from the agitations or exhilaration, intolerance, and fear, he is My beloved.

16. Free of expectation, pure, dextrous, neutral, free of insecurities, he who renounces expectations of fruits from all acts that he initiates, who is My devotee, he is My beloved.

17. He who neither rejoices nor hates, neither grieves nor desires, he who renounces all that is attractive or unattractive, whosoever is endowed with devotion, he is My beloved.

18. A like toward foe or friend, similarly toward honor or dishonor, alike toward cold and heat as well as pain and pleasure, devoid of attachment,

19. Equal to praise and censure, maintaining silence, satisfied with whatever; homeless, with stable intelligence, whosoever is endowed with devotion, that man is My beloved.

20. Those who follow this virtuous nectar of immortality that I have taught, maintaining faith, holding Me supreme, those devotees are My deeply beloved.

These verses explain the characteristics of the best of devotees. Such a one hates none and loves all, is kind to all and treats everyone alike. For him there is no attachment to any particular person. He has no pride, regards misery and pleasure alike, forgives all, and practices spiritual sadhana regularly. Through his spiritual discipline he is able to control his senses. It is important to control the senses, for they distract and dissipate the mind. Without control over the mind and senses, sadhana is not possible. One who is not motivated by desire for sense enjoyment, who performs his duty with full determination, and who dedicates his skills to the Lord’s work is dear to the Lord. He who does not despise anyone and whom no one despises is not affected by success or failure, anger or fear. He who is single-mindedly devoted to his duty and remains equally non-attached to gain and loss is dear to the Lord. One who is able to attain the state of tranquility, not caring for honor or dishonor, who is free from the pairs of opposites, who maintains silence, does not have any home for himself, whose mind is always one-pointed, and whose heart is full of faith regards the Lord as his own Self. Such a one who has secured the highest of knowledge is a blessed one.

To be perfect is to remove all the imperfections in mind, action, and speech. Verses 13 through 20 describe the following virtues, which an aspirant should acquire on the path of perfection: (1) Hatred is the root cause of all misery, for by hating others one isolates himself from the whole; therefore learn to love and give. (2) One should be a friend to all; he should not feel animosity toward anyone. (3) Kindness teaches one to be merciful and is a practical way of expressing one’s love; therefore be kind and give. (4) “Mine and thine” are traps of maya that bind one with strong chains of attachment; do not become attached. (5) Do not possess anything, even a house of your own; preoccupation with accumulating wealth is hoarding and is a reflection of greed. (6) Egoism and pride reduce one to nothingness, for the ego makes one petty and separates him from the whole; full effort should be made to purify the ego. (7) When reaping the fruits of his actions, one should learn to be content; contentment is the highest of all wealth, and without it one remains unsatisfied and frustrated. (8) Expectation is a longing for enjoyment, and whether it is fulfilled or not, it creates dependency and robs the human dignity; expectation should be abandoned. (9) One should practice self-control, without which the mind cannot be made one-pointed and the energies cannot be concentrated. (10) A tranquil mind is undisturbed in all situations, favorable or unfavorable; one who has developed tranquility never grieves and is never deluded. (11) Determination builds courage and will power and leads to success in all spheres of life. (12) Firmness is a virtue that leads to fearlessness and self-reliance. (13) Non-attachment helps one to attain spiritual heights; it is the total absence of the desire for enjoyment. (14) Negative emotions lead one to extremes; positive emotions can be substituted, for example love in place of hate. (15) Giving up the fruits of one’s actions brings great joy, freedom, and peace; one who gives up everything is the greatest lover of mankind. (16) One should remain a witness, a seer, not identifying himself with the seen. (17) With mind, action, and speech, one should be pure, free from stains and faults. (18) One should be vigilant, for carelessness becomes a stumbling block. (19) The desire for fruits is a hindrance in the path of skillful actions; give up that desire. (20) One who loves all receives love from all; the expression of love should be practiced in daily behavior by giving the best one has. (21) One who has totally dedicated his mind, heart, and intellect is a true yogi. (22) One who is courageous can face any calamity of life; he remains even in all conditions. (23) Faith is the greatest of all virtues provided it is based on pure reason and not mere belief. All of these virtues are the signs and symptoms of the great devotees of the Lord. Blessed are they who work hard to acquire these virtues and attain perfection.

This chapter is devoted to the path of bhakti yoga, the path of love and devotion. Many students think that this is the easiest path, and many consider it to be a path of emotionalism, but that is not the case. To love and to be in love is not easy. The path of devotion and love is as difficult as the paths of jnana and karma yoga. In fact it is more difficult because it requires single-pointed devotion toward the Lord alone, with purity of mind and heart. It is a conscious dissolution of one’s individuality in the love of God. The path of love is full of giving without any expectation of reward whatsoever. It is not mere emotionalism but the height of ecstasy where the lover and beloved become one and inseparable. In this path there is no duality; there is no place for two. As the river meets the ocean, they become inseparably one. So it is in the path of devotion. Fortunate are those who are in love with the mighty Lord and remember His name in every breath. They remain free from the pangs of death. They are free from the rounds of births and deaths, for they remain wedded with the Eternal.

Editor’s Note:

This article has been shared as part of the ‘Book of the Month’ study in honour of Gurudeva Swami Rama’s Birth Centenary Celebrations. We will study the Perennial Psychology of the Bhagavad Gita by Swami Rama during April 2025.