1 Bg 12: Devotional Service
2
3 Chapter 12
4
5 Devotional Service
6
7 Bg 12.1
8
9 TEXT 1
10
11 TRANSLATION
12
13 Arjuna inquired: Which are considered to be more perfect,
> those who are always properly engaged in Your devotional
> service or those who worship the impersonal Brahman, the
> unmanifested?
14
15 PURPORT
16
17 Krsna has now explained about the personal, the impersonal
> and the universal and has described all kinds of devotees
> and yogis. Generally, the transcendentalists can be divided
> into two classes. One is the impersonalist, and the other
> is the personalist. The personalist devotee engages himself
> with all energy in the service of the Supreme Lord. The
> impersonalist also engages himself, not directly in the
> service of Krsna but in meditation on the impersonal
> Brahman, the unmanifested.
18
19 We find in this chapter that of the different processes for
> realization of the Absolute Truth, bhakti-yoga, devotional
> service, is the highest. If one at all desires to have the
> association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then he
> must take to devotional service.
20
21 Those who worship the Supreme Lord directly by devotional
> service are called personalists. Those who engage
> themselves in meditation on the impersonal Brahman are
> called impersonalists. Arjuna is here questioning which
> position is better. There are different ways to realize the
> Absolute Truth, but Krsna indicates in this chapter that
> bhakti-yoga, or devotional service to Him, is the highest
> of all. It is the most direct, and it is the easiest means
> for association with the Godhead.
22
23 In the Second Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, the Supreme Lord
> explained that a living entity is not the material body;
> he is a spiritual spark. And the Absolute Truth is
> the spiritual whole. In the Seventh Chapter He spoke of
> the living entity as being part and parcel of the supreme
> whole and recommended that he transfer his attention fully
> to the whole. Then again in the Eighth Chapter it was
> said that anyone who thinks of Krsna at the time of
> quitting his body is at once transferred to the spiritual
> sky, to the abode of Krsna. And at the end of the Sixth
> Chapter the Lord clearly said that of all yogis, one
> who always thinks of Krsna within himself is considered
> the most perfect. So in practically every
> chapter the conclusion has been that one should
> be attached to the personal form of Krsna, for
> that is the highest spiritual realization.
24
25 Nevertheless, there are those who are not attached to
> the personal form of Krsna. They are so firmly detached
> that even in the preparation of commentaries to Bhagavad-
> gita they want to distract other people from Krsna and
> transfer all devotion to the impersonal brahmajyoti.
> They prefer to meditate on the impersonal
> form of the Absolute Truth, which is
> beyond the reach of the senses and is not manifest.
26
27 And so, factually, there are two classes of
> transcendentalists. Now Arjuna is trying to settle the
> question of which process is easier and which of
> the classes is most perfect. In
> other words, he is clarifying his own position because he
> is attached to the personal form of Krsna. He is not
> attached to the impersonal Brahman. He wants to know
> whether his position is secure. The impersonal
> manifestation, either in this material world or in the
> spiritual world of the Supreme Lord, is a problem for
> meditation. Actually, one cannot perfectly conceive of the
> impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth. Therefore Arjuna
> wants to say, "What is the use of such a waste of time?"
> Arjuna experienced in the Eleventh Chapter that to be
> attached to the personal form of Krsna is best because he
> could thus understand all other forms at the same time and
> there was no disturbance to his love for Krsna. This
> important question asked of Krsna by Arjuna will clarify
> the distinction between the impersonal and personal
> conceptions of the Absolute Truth.
28
29 Bg 12.2
30
31 TEXT 2
32
33 TRANSLATION
34
35 The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Those who fix
> their minds on My personal form and are always engaged in
> worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith are
> considered by Me to be most perfect.
36
37 PURPORT
38
39 In answer to Arjuna's question, Krsna clearly says that he
> who concentrates upon His personal form and who worships
> Him with faith and devotion is to be considered most
> perfect in yoga. For one in such Krsna consciousness there
> are no material activities, because everything is done for
> Krsna. A pure devotee is constantly engaged.
> Sometimes he chants, sometimes he hears or reads
> books about Krsna, or sometimes he cooks prasadam or goes
> to the marketplace to purchase something for Krsna, or
> sometimes he washes the temple or the dishes-whatever he
> does, he does not let a single moment pass without devoting
> his activities to Krsna. Such action is in full samadhi.
40
41 Bg 12.3-4
42
43 TEXTS 3–4
44
45 TRANSLATION
46
47 But those who fully worship the unmanifested, that which
> lies beyond the perception of the senses, the all-pervading,
> inconceivable, unchanging, fixed and immovable-the
> impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth-by controlling
> the various senses and being equally disposed to everyone,
> such persons, engaged in the welfare of all, at last
> achieve Me.
48
49 PURPORT
50
51 Those who do not directly worship the Supreme Godhead,
> Krsna, but who attempt to achieve the same goal by an
> indirect process, also ultimately achieve the same goal,
> Sri Krsna. "After many births the man of
> wisdom seeks refuge in Me, knowing that Vasudeva is all."
> When a person comes to full knowledge after many births, he
> surrenders unto Lord Krsna. If one approaches the Godhead
> by the method mentioned in this verse, he has to control
> the senses, render service to everyone and engage in the
> welfare of all beings. It is inferred that one has to
> approach Lord Krsna, otherwise there is no perfect
> realization. Often there is much penance involved before
> one fully surrenders unto Him.
52
53 In order to perceive the Supersoul within the individual
> soul, one has to cease the sensual activities of seeing,
> hearing, tasting, working, etc. Then one comes to
> understand that the Supreme Soul is present everywhere.
> Realizing this, one envies no living entity-he sees no
> difference between man and animal because he sees soul only,
> not the outer covering. But for the common man, this
> method of impersonal realization is very difficult.
54
55 Bg 12.5
56
57 TEXT 5
58
59 TRANSLATION
60
61 For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested,
> impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very
> troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always
> difficult for those who are embodied.
62
63 PURPORT
64
65 The group of transcendentalists who follow the path of the
> inconceivable, unmanifested, impersonal feature of the
> Supreme Lord are called jnana-yogis, and persons who are in
> full Krsna consciousness, engaged in devotional service to
> the Lord, are called bhakti-yogis. Now, here the difference
> between jnana-yoga and bhakti-yoga is definitely expressed.
> The process of jnana-yoga, although ultimately bringing one
> to the same goal, is very troublesome, whereas the path of
> bhakti-yoga, the process of being in direct service to the
> Supreme Personality of Godhead, is easier and is natural
> for the embodied soul. The individual soul is embodied
> since time immemorial. It is very difficult for him to
> simply theoretically understand that he is not the body.
> Therefore, the bhakti-yogi accepts the Deity of Krsna as
> worshipable because there is some bodily conception fixed
> in the mind, which can thus be applied. Of course, worship
> of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His form within
> the temple is not idol worship. There is evidence in the
> Vedic literature that worship may be saguna and nirguna-of
> the Supreme possessing or not possessing attributes.
> Worship of the Deity in the temple is saguna worship, for
> the Lord is represented by material qualities. But the form
> of the Lord, though represented by material qualities such
> as stone, wood or oil paint, is not actually material.
> That is the absolute nature of the Supreme Lord.
66
67 A crude example may be given here. We may find some
> mailboxes on the street, and if we post our letters in
> those boxes, they will naturally go to their destination
> without difficulty. But any old box, or an imitation which
> we may find somewhere but which is not authorized by the
> post office, will not do the work. Similarly, God has an
> authorized representation in the Deity form, which is
> called arca-vigraha. This arca-vigraha is an incarnation of
> the Supreme Lord. God will accept service through that form.
> The Lord is omnipotent, all-powerful; therefore, by His
> incarnation as arca-vigraha He can accept the services of
> the devotee, just to make it convenient for the man in
> conditioned life.
68
69 So for a devotee there is no difficulty in approaching
> the Supreme immediately and directly, but for those who are
> following the impersonal way to spiritual realization the
> path is difficult. They have to understand the unmanifested
> representation of the Supreme through such Vedic
> literatures as the Upanisads, and they have to learn the
> language, understand the nonperceptual feelings, and
> realize all these processes. This is not very easy
> for a common man. A person in Krsna consciousness, engaged
> in devotional service, simply by the guidance of the bona
> fide spiritual master, simply by offering regulative
> obeisances unto the Deity, simply by hearing the glories of
> the Lord, and simply by eating the remnants of foodstuffs
> offered to the Lord, realizes the Supreme Personality of
> Godhead very easily. There is no doubt that the
> impersonalists are unnecessarily taking a troublesome path
> with the risk of not realizing the Absolute Truth at the
> ultimate end. But the personalist, without any risk,
> trouble or difficulty, approaches the Supreme Personality
> directly. A similar passage appears in Srimad-Bhagavatam.
> It is stated there that if one ultimately has to
> surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead (this
> surrendering process is called bhakti), but instead takes
> the trouble to understand what is Brahman and what is not
> Brahman and spends his whole life in that way, the result
> is simply troublesome. Therefore it is advised here that
> one should not take up this troublesome path of self-
> realization, because there is uncertainty in the ultimate
> result.
70
71 A living entity is eternally an individual soul, and if he
> wants to merge into the spiritual whole, he may accomplish
> the realization of the eternal and knowledgeable aspects of
> his original nature, but the blissful portion is not
> realized. By the grace of some devotee, such a
> transcendentalist, highly learned in the process of jnana-
> yoga, may come to the point of bhakti-yoga, or devotional
> service. At that time, long practice in impersonalism also
> becomes a source of trouble, because he cannot give up the
> idea. Therefore an embodied soul is always in difficulty
> with the unmanifest, both at the time of practice and at
> the time of realization. Every living soul is partially
> independent, and one should know for certain that this
> unmanifested realization is against the nature of his
> spiritual blissful self. One should not take up this
> process. For every individual living entity the process of
> Krsna consciousness, which entails full engagement in
> devotional service, is the best way. If one wants to ignore
> this devotional service, there is the danger of turning to
> atheism. Thus the process of centering attention on the
> unmanifested, the inconceivable, which is beyond the
> approach of the senses, as already expressed in this verse,
> should never be encouraged at any time, especially in this
> age. It is not advised by Lord Krsna.
72
73 Bg 12.6-7
74
75 TEXTS 6–7
76
77 TRANSLATION
78
79 But those who worship Me, giving up all their activities
> unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged
> in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, having
> fixed their minds upon Me, O son of Prtha-for them I
> am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.
80
81 PURPORT
82
83 It is explicitly stated here that the devotees are very
> fortunate to be delivered very soon from material existence
> by the Lord. In pure devotional service one comes to the
> realization that God is great and that the individual soul
> is subordinate to Him. His duty is to render service to the
> Lord-and if he does not, then he will render service to
> maya.
84
85 As stated before, the Supreme Lord can be appreciated
> only by devotional service. Therefore, one should be fully
> devoted. One should fix his mind fully on Krsna in order to
> achieve Him. One should work only for Krsna. It does not
> matter in what kind of work one engages, but that work
> should be done only for Krsna. That is the standard of
> devotional service. The devotee does not desire any
> achievement other than pleasing the Supreme Personality of
> Godhead. His life's mission is to please Krsna, and he can
> sacrifice everything for Krsna's satisfaction, just as
> Arjuna did in the Battle of Kuruksetra. The process is very
> simple: one can devote himself in his occupation and engage
> at the same time in chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna
> Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare
> Hare. Such transcendental chanting attracts the devotee to
> the Personality of Godhead.
86
87 The Supreme Lord herein promises that without delay
> He will deliver a pure devotee thus engaged from the ocean
> of material existence. Those who are advanced in yoga
> practice can willfully transfer the soul to whatever planet
> they like by the yoga process, and others take the
> opportunity in various ways, but as far as the devotee is
> concerned, it is clearly stated here that the Lord Himself
> takes him. The devotee does not need to wait to become very
> experienced in order to transfer himself to the spiritual
> sky.
88
89 In the Varaha Purana this verse appears:
90
91 nayami paramam sthanam arcir-adi-gatim vina garuda-
> skandham aropya yatheccham anivaritah
92
93 The purport of this verse is that a devotee does not need
> to practice astanga-yoga in order to transfer his soul to
> the spiritual planets. The responsibility is taken by the
> Supreme Lord Himself. He clearly states here that He
> Himself becomes the deliverer. A child is completely cared
> for by his parents, and thus his position is secure.
> Similarly, a devotee does not need to endeavor to transfer
> himself by yoga practice to other planets. Rather, the
> Supreme Lord, by His great mercy, comes at once, riding on
> His bird carrier Garuda, and at once delivers the devotee
> from material existence. Although a man who has fallen
> in the ocean may struggle very hard and may be very expert
> in swimming, he cannot save himself. But if someone comes
> and picks him up from the water, then he is easily rescued.
> Similarly, the Lord picks up the devotee from this material
> existence. One simply has to practice the easy process of
> Krsna consciousness and fully engage himself in devotional
> service. Any intelligent man should always prefer the
> process of devotional service to all other paths. In the
> Narayaniya this is confirmed as follows:
94
95 ya vai sadhana-sampattih purusartha-catustaye taya vina tad
> apnoti naro narayanasrayah
96
97 The purport of this verse is that one should not engage in
> the different processes of fruitive activity or cultivate
> knowledge by the mental speculative process. One who is
> devoted to the Supreme Personality can attain all the
> benefits derived from other yogic processes, speculation,
> rituals, sacrifices, charities, etc. That is the specific
> benediction of devotional service.
98
99 Simply by chanting the holy name of Krsna-Hare Krsna, Hare
> Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama
> Rama, Hare Hare-a devotee of the Lord can approach the
> supreme destination easily and happily, but this
> destination cannot be approached by any other process of
> religion.
100
101 The conclusion of Bhagavad-gita is stated in the Eighteenth
> Chapter:
102
103 sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja aham tvam
> sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah
104
105 One should give up all other processes of self-realization
> and simply execute devotional service in Krsna
> consciousness. That will enable one to reach the highest
> perfection of life. There is no need for one to consider
> the sinful actions of his past life, because the Supreme
> Lord fully takes charge of him. Therefore one should not
> futilely try to deliver himself in spiritual realization.
> Let everyone take shelter of the supreme omnipotent Godhead,
> Krsna. That is the highest perfection of life.
106
107 Bg 12.8
108
109 TEXT 8
110
111 TRANSLATION
112
113 Just fix your mind upon Me, the Supreme Personality of
> Godhead, and engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you
> will live in Me always, without a doubt.
114
115 PURPORT
116
117 One who is engaged in Lord Krsna's devotional service lives
> in a direct relationship with the Supreme Lord, so there is
> no doubt that his position is transcendental from the very
> beginning. A devotee does not live on the material plane-he
> lives in Krsna. The holy name of the Lord and the Lord are
> nondifferent; therefore when a devotee chants Hare Krsna,
> Krsna and His internal potency are dancing on the tongue of
> the devotee. When he offers Krsna food, Krsna directly
> accepts these eatables, and the devotee becomes Krsna-ized
> by eating the remnants. One who does not engage in such
> service cannot understand how this is so, although this is
> a process recommended in the Bhagavad-gita and in other
> Vedic literatures.
118
119 Bg 12.9
120
121 TEXT 9
122
123 TRANSLATION
124
125 My dear Arjuna, O winner of wealth, if you cannot fix your
> mind upon Me without deviation, then follow the regulative
> principles of bhakti-yoga. In this way develop a
> desire to attain Me.
126
127 PURPORT
128
129 In this verse, two different processes of bhakti-yoga are
> indicated. The first applies to one who has actually
> developed an attachment for Krsna, the Supreme Personality
> of Godhead, by transcendental love. And the other is for
> one who has not developed an attachment for the Supreme
> Person by transcendental love. For this second class there
> are different prescribed rules and regulations one
> can follow to be ultimately elevated to the stage of
> attachment to Krsna.
130
131 Bhakti-yoga is the purification of the senses. At the
> present moment in material existence the senses are always
> impure, being engaged in sense gratification. But by the
> practice of bhakti-yoga these senses can become purified,
> and in the purified state they come directly in contact
> with the Supreme Lord. In this material existence, I may be
> engaged in some service to some master, but I don't really
> lovingly serve my master. I simply serve to get some money.
> And the master also is not in love; he takes service from
> me and pays me. So there is no question of love. But for
> spiritual life, one must be elevated to the pure stage of
> love. That stage of love can be achieved by practice of
> devotional service, performed with the present senses.
132
133 This love of God is now in a dormant state in everyone's
> heart. And, there, love of God is manifested in different
> ways, but it is contaminated by material association.
> Now the heart has to be purified of the
> material association, and that dormant, natural love for
> Krsna has to be revived. That is the whole process.
134
135 To practice the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga one
> should, under the guidance of an expert spiritual master,
> follow certain principles: one should rise early in the
> morning, take bath, enter the temple and offer prayers and
> chant Hare Krsna, then collect flowers to offer to the
> Deity, cook foodstuffs to offer to the Deity, take prasadam,
> and so on. There are various rules and regulations which
> one should follow. And one should constantly hear Bhagavad-
> gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam from pure devotees. This
> practice can help anyone rise to the level of love of
> God, and then he is sure of his progress into the spiritual
> kingdom of God. This practice of bhakti-yoga, under the
> rules and regulations, with the direction of a spiritual
> master, will surely bring one to the stage of love of God.
136
137 Bg 12.10
138
139 TEXT 10
140
141 TRANSLATION
142
143 If you cannot practice the regulations of bhakti-yoga, then
> just try to work for Me, because by working for Me you will
> come to the perfect stage.
144
145 PURPORT
146
147 One who is not able even to practice the regulative
> principles of bhakti-yoga, under the guidance of a
> spiritual master, can still be drawn to this perfectional
> stage by working for the Supreme Lord. How to do this work
> has already been explained in the fifty-fifth verse of the
> Eleventh Chapter. One should be sympathetic to the
> propagation of Krsna consciousness. There are many devotees
> who are engaged in the propagation of Krsna consciousness,
> and they require help. So, even if one cannot directly
> practice the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga, he can
> try to help such work. Every endeavor requires land,
> capital, organization and labor. Just as in business one
> requires a place to stay, some capital to use, some labor
> and some organization to expand, so the same is required in
> the service of Krsna. The only difference is that in
> materialism one works for sense gratification. The same
> work, however, can be performed for the satisfaction of
> Krsna, and that is spiritual activity. If one has
> sufficient money, he can help in building an office or
> temple for propagating Krsna consciousness. Or he can help
> with publications. There are various fields of activity,
> and one should be interested in such activities. If one
> cannot sacrifice the results of his activities, the same
> person can still sacrifice some percentage to propagate
> Krsna consciousness. This voluntary service to the cause of
> Krsna consciousness will help one to rise to a higher state
> of love for God, whereupon one becomes perfect.
148
149 Bg 12.11
150
151 TEXT 11
152
153 TRANSLATION
154
155 If, however, you are unable to work in this consciousness
> of Me, then try to act giving up all results of your work
> and try to be self-situated.
156
157 PURPORT
158
159 It may be that one is unable even to sympathize with the
> activities of Krsna consciousness because of social,
> familial or religious considerations or because of some
> other impediments. If one attaches himself directly to the
> activities of Krsna consciousness, there may be objections
> from family members, or so many other difficulties. For one
> who has such a problem, it is advised that he sacrifice the
> accumulated result of his activities to some good cause.
> Such procedures are described in the Vedic rules. There are
> many descriptions of sacrifices and special functions of
> punya, or special work in which the result of one's
> previous action may be applied. Thus one may gradually
> become elevated to the state of knowledge. It is also found
> that when one who is not even interested in the activities
> of Krsna consciousness gives charity to some hospital or
> some other social institution, he gives up the hard-earned
> results of his activities. That is also recommended here
> because by the practice of giving up the fruits of one's
> activities one is sure to purify his mind gradually, and in
> that purified stage of mind one becomes able to understand
> Krsna consciousness. Of course Krsna consciousness is not
> dependent on any other experience, because Krsna
> consciousness itself can purify one's mind, but if there
> are impediments to accepting Krsna consciousness, one may
> try to give up the results of his actions. In that respect,
> social service, community service, national service,
> sacrifice for one's country, etc., may be accepted so that
> some day one may come to the stage of pure devotional
> service to the Supreme Lord. In Bhagavad-gita (18.46) we
> find it is stated, yatah pravrttir bhutanam: if one decides
> to sacrifice for the supreme cause, even if he does not
> know that the supreme cause is Krsna, he will come
> gradually to understand that Krsna is the supreme cause by
> the sacrificial method.
160
161 Bg 12.12
162
163 TEXT 12
164
165 TRANSLATION
166
167 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.
168
169 PURPORT
170
171 As mentioned in the previous verses, there are two kinds of
> devotional service: the way of regulative 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,
> ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras, which we shall find in the
> last 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.
172
173 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 take
> either 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 stage; 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.
174
175 Bg 12.13-14
176
177 TEXTS 13–14
178
179 TRANSLATION
180
181 One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all
> living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor
> and is free from false ego, who is equal in both
> happiness and distress, who is tolerant, always satisfied,
> self-controlled, and engaged in devotional service with
> determination, his mind and intelligence fixed
> on Me-such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me.
182
183 PURPORT
184
185 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, "
> This person is acting as my enemy due to my own past
> misdeeds. So it is better to suffer than to protest." In
> the Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.8) it is stated: tat te '
> nukampam susamiksamano bhunjana evatma-krtam vipakam.
> 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 pains 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 equipoised 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 arguments, 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 these qualifications
> enable him to fix his mind and intelligence entirely on
> the Supreme Lord. Such a standard of devotional service is
> undoubtedly 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.
186
187 Bg 12.15
188
189 TEXT 15
190
191 TRANSLATION
192
193 He for whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not
> disturbed by anyone, who is equipoised in happiness and
> distress, fear and anxiety, is very dear to Me.
194
195 PURPORT
196
197 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
> as 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, such
> material circumstances cannot move 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. A devotee who is always
> transcendental to all these disturbances is
> very dear to Krsna.
198
199 Bg 12.16
200
201 TEXT 16
202
203 TRANSLATION
204
205 My devotee who is not dependent on the ordinary course of
> activities, who is pure, expert, without cares, free from
> all pains, and not striving for some result, is
> very dear to Me.
206
207 PURPORT
208
209 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 a 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 essence
> 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.
210
211 Bg 12.17
212
213 TEXT 17
214
215 TRANSLATION
216
217 One who neither rejoices nor grieves, who neither
> laments nor desires, and who renounces both auspicious and
> inauspicious things-such a devotee is very dear to Me.
218
219 PURPORT
220
221 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.
222
223 Bg 12.18-19
224
225 TEXTS 18–19
226
227 TRANSLATION
228
229 One who is equal to friends and enemies, who is equipoised
> in honor and dishonor, heat and cold, happiness and
> distress, fame and infamy, who is always free from
> contaminating association, always silent and satisfied with
> anything, who doesn't care for any residence, who is fixed
> in knowledge and who is engaged in devotional service-such
> a person is very dear to Me.
230
231 PURPORT
232
233 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 for the sake of the Supreme Lord.
> A devotee 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 emphasize the fact that
> a devotee must acquire all these qualifications. Without
> good qualifications, one cannot be a pure devotee. Harav
> abhaktasya kuto mahad-gunah: 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.
234
235 Bg 12.20
236
237 TEXT 20
238
239 TRANSLATION
240
241 Those who follow this imperishable path of devotional
> service and who completely engage themselves with faith,
> making Me the supreme goal, are very, very dear to Me.
242
243 PURPORT
244
245 In this chapter, from verse 2 through the end-from mayy
> avesya mano ye mam ("fixing the mind on Me") through ye tu
> dharmamrtam idam ("this religion of eternal engagement")-
> the Supreme Lord has explained the processes of
> transcendental service for approaching Him
> . Such processes are very dear to the Lord, and He
> accepts a person engaged in them. The
> question of 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.
246
247 Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Twelfth Chapter
> of the Srimad Bhagavad-gita in the matter of Devotional
> Service.
248