Chapter 12, Verse 3 (Bhagavad Gita 12.3)
Chapter 12: Bhakti Yog – The Yoga of Devotion
Sanskrit Shloka
ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते।सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यं च कूटस्थमचलं ध्रुवम्
Transliteration
ye tv akṣharam anirdeśhyam avyaktaṁ paryupāsate sarvatra-gam achintyañcha kūṭa-stham achalandhruvam sanniyamyendriya-grāmaṁ sarvatra sama-buddhayaḥ te prāpnuvanti mām eva sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ
Word Meanings
ye—who; tu—but; akṣharam—the imperishable; anirdeśhyam—the indefinable; avyaktam—the unmanifest; paryupāsate—worship; sarvatra-gam—the all-pervading; achintyam—the unthinkable; cha—and; kūṭa-stham—the unchanging; achalam—the immovable; dhruvam—the eternal; sanniyamya—restraining; indriya-grāmam—the senses; sarvatra—everywhere; sama-buddhayaḥ—even-minded; te—they; prāpnuvanti—attain; mām—me; eva—also; sarva-bhūta-hite—in the welfare of all beings; ratāḥ—engaged
Translation
But those who fully worship the imperishable, the indefinable, the unmanifest, the all-pervading, the unthinkable, the unchanging, the immovable, and the eternal.
Meaning & Commentary
In this verse, Bhagwan Shri Krishna addresses the path of those who seek the formless Brahman. By describing the Divine as beyond conceptualization and senses, Shri Krishna delineates the intellectual and meditative rigor required to realize the absolute, attributeless reality. This path is arduous because it demands the total withdrawal of the mind from material form and attachment. Shri Krishna reveals that while the goal is the same, those who contemplate the unmanifest face a formidable challenge compared to the path of devotion. Ultimately, Shri Krishna invites the seeker to understand that even the most abstract truth finds its source and support within His supreme, eternal being.