Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 12: Bhakti Yoga
The Yoga of Devotion - Krishna teaches that the path of devotion is the most direct and accessible means to realize the supreme. Love for God, offered without expectation, leads to liberation.
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Chapter 12: Bhakti Yoga - The Path of Devotion
Arjuna asks: “Which is better - those who worship you as a personal God or those who worship the formless Brahman?” Krishna answers clearly.
The Path of Devotion
Krishna says that those who worship him with devotion, fixing their minds on his personal form, are the most established in yoga. The path of the formless is harder for embodied beings who naturally relate to a personal divine.
The Qualities of the Devotee
Krishna describes the qualities of one who is dear to him:
- Free from agitation
- Equanimous in pleasure and pain
- Content with whatever comes
- Without attachment or hatred
- Same toward friend and foe
- Beyond praise and blame
The one who possesses these qualities is extremely dear to Krishna.
Key Verses
Verse 7: For those who fix their minds on me, I become the savior from the ocean of death-bound existence.
Verse 13: One who is free from malice toward all beings, friendly and compassionate, free from possessiveness and ego - such a one is dear to me.
Verse 20: Those who follow this immortal dharma described above, endowed with faith and with me as their supreme goal - such devotees are exceedingly dear to me.