The astonishing qualities of bhakti, which is supreme and blissful, which can be practiced by all, and is easy to perform, have been explained in this chapter. Kṛṣṇa is controlled by persons devoted to Him alone, and by the persons devoted solely to the process of bhakti dedicated to Him. The most beautiful Kṛṣṇa is conquered completely by love. Though it has been shown that jñāna is bitter like nīma fruit and bhakti is sweet like grape juice, these two processes are taken up by their respective followers who crave that particular taste.
The astonishing qualities of bhakti, which is supreme and blissful, which can be practiced by all, and is easy to perform, have been explained in this chapter. Kṛṣṇa is controlled by persons devoted to Him alone, and by the persons devoted solely to the process of bhakti dedicated to Him. The most beautiful Kṛṣṇa is conquered completely by love. Though it has been shown that jñāna is bitter like nīma fruit and bhakti is sweet like grape juice, these two processes are taken up by their respective followers who crave that particular taste. 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.
The importance of Kṛṣṇa in this chapter:
12.1 – How yoga is construed with bhakti – those who are absorbed in yoga who fully worship you and those who worship the unmanifest, which of these know yoga
12.2 – How yoga is construed with bhakti -Those who are always absorbed in yoga worship me – nitya-yuktā upāsate
12.2 – Mind on Kṛṣṇa – mayy āveśya mano – directing the mind to me
12.4 – The impersonalists also attains Kṛṣṇa alone – te prāpnuvanti mām eva
12.6 – Meditating on Kṛṣṇa – mām dhyāyanta upāsate – Meditating one Me, they offer worship
12.6 – Intent on Kṛṣṇa – mat-parāḥ – devoted to me
12.6 – renouncing actions for Kṛṣṇa – sarvāṇi karmāṇi mayi sannyasya – giving up all actions unto me
12.7 – Kṛṣṇa lifts one from the ocean of the cycle of death
12.7 – Thought on Kṛṣṇa – mayy āveśita-cetasām – their thoughts has been drawn to enter into me
12.8 – Mind on Kṛṣṇa -mayy eva mana ādhatsva – Fix your mind upon me alone
12.8 – Intelligence on Kṛṣṇa – mayi buddhiṁ niveśaya
12.8 – Dwelling only in Kṛṣṇa – nivasiṣyasi mayy eva
12.9 – Thought on Kṛṣṇa – cittaṁ samādhātum – absorbing thought in me
12.9 – Practice yoga to attain Kṛṣṇa – yogena tato mām icchāptuṁ
12.10 – Immersed in Kṛṣṇa – mat karma paramo-bhava – become wholly devoted to me in action
12.11 – Relying on Kṛṣṇa thru yoga – kartuṁ mad-yogam āśritaḥ
12.14 – Mind on Kṛṣṇa -mayy arpita-mano-buddhir – whose mind and intelligence fixed on me
12.14 – How yoga is construed with bhakti -the fully satisfied yogī whose mind is offered to me is very dear to me
12.20 – Intent on Kṛṣṇa -mat-paramā – making me the supreme goal
Thus ends Chapter 12 of Bhagavad gita culled from ‘Bhagavad gita As it is’ by Srila Prabhupada, ‘As they surrender’ by Bhurijana Prabhu, ‘Sarartha Varsini’ by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and ‘Gita Bhusana’ by Baladeva Vidyabhusana.