Rejoice in the Welfare of Others
Those who are constantly absorbed in me and faithfully worship me, they are my most perfect devotees (Verse 2)
Those who worship the imperishable, the formless, the indefinable, the all-permeating, the inconceivable, the constant, the steady, the eternal;
Those who have mastered their senses,
Are equanimous,
Rejoice in the welfare of others,
they attain me (Verse 3 & 4)
The path to worship the formless God is full of anxiety since it is difficult to worship that which one cannot visualize (Verse 5)
Those who surrender their actions to me,
Whose goal is to reach me,
Who single-mindedly concentrate on me and worship me,
they attain moksha, for they become me (Verse 6 & 7)
Moksha is liberation from the cycle of birth and death
Those who set their mind on me and relinquish their intellect to me, they abide in me (Verse 8)
Practice Makes Perfect
If you are unable to set your mind on me, then practice repeatedly to remember me; if you wish to attain me (Verse 9)
If you are incapable of practicing to remember me, then offer your actions to me (Verse 10)
If you are incapable of offering your actions to me, then renounce the fruits of your actions (Verse 11)
Knowledge is better than mechanically practicing,
Meditation is better than knowledge,
Renunciation of fruits of action is better than Meditation,
for after renouncing, one feels immediate peace (Verse 12)
A Perfect Devotee
Free from ill-will towards all,
Amiable,
Empathetic,
Without a sense of ownership,
Without arrogance,
Same in sadness and joy,
Forgiving,
Satisfied,
Steady in devotion,
Self-controlled,
Firm in belief,
Devoted to me with their mind and intellect;
such devotees are very dear to me (Verse 13 & 14)
Those not upsetting others nor getting upset by others,
Who are free from suffering, joy, fear and worry;
such devotees are very dear to me (Verse 15)
Those who are without expectations,
Are pure, wise, indifferent, untroubled,
Renouncing all undertakings;
such devotees are very dear to me (Verse 16)
Those who are neither elated nor dejected,
Neither moaning nor yearning for gain,
Relinquishing both good and bad;
such devotees are very dear to me (Verse 17)
Those who are same towards their friends and enemies,
Same in honor and dishonor, cold and heat, happiness and sadness, criticism and praise,
Free from associations,
Contemplate silently,
Content,
Not attached to their residence,
With their intellect firmly and completely devoted to me;
such devotees are very dear to me (Verse 18 & 19)
Those who honor this wisdom that I have divulged,
Who are single-mindedly devoted to me,
Have complete faith in me,
Consider me as their ultimate goal;
such devotees are very dear to me (Verse 20)
Total Verses in this Chapter: 20
Words of Import:
I, me, Absolute Truth, Supreme Being, God, Divine, Brahman,Universal Consciousness, Shri Krishna – are all used interchangeably.
YAGNA
has a symbolic as well as a literal meaning. Literally it means a ritual where offerings are made to fire, hymns are chanted and deities are invoked for fulfillment of personal or community desires; or to thank God or to seek God’s blessings. Symbolically, Yagna signifies that we have to do our part (offering/action) in other to obtain something (blessing or fulfillment), with the latter not being guaranteed.
YOGA
The word “Yog” is derived from a Sanskrit word “Yuj” which means to join. In Hindu scriptures, yoga means joining or uniting the soul within the individual with that of the universal soul (God). The common usage of yoga as physical exercise is just a subset of the practice of Yoga, which includes disciplines of meditation and mode of conduct among others. It is believed that practice of all these disciplines make a person ready for unification with the Supreme Being.
DHARMA
refers to our duty as it does to the intent behind our actions. According to Hinduism, every living being has their own personal dharma which may or may not be the same as of others. This dharma is based on one’s situation or circumstance in life.
KARMA
is action as well as the result of the action. Its meaning depends on its context.
MOKSHA
is liberation from the cycle of birth and death.
ReferenceS:
“Bhagavad Gita As It Is” by Swami Prabhupada
A Mothers Chronicle 