अर्जुन उवाच-एवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्युपासते ।ये चाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमाः ॥
Arjun inquired: Between those who are steadfastly devoted to Your personal form and those who worship the formless Brahman, who do You consider to be more perfect in Yog?
ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते।सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यं च कूटस्थमचलं ध्रुवम् ॥
But those who worship the formless aspect of the Absolute Truth—the imperishable, the indefinable, the unmanifest, the all-pervading, the unthinkable, the unchanging, the eternal,
क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् ।अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दुःखं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते ॥
For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifest, the path of realization is full of tribulations. Worship of the unmanifest is exceedingly difficult for embodied beings.
If you are unable to fix your mind steadily on Me, O Arjun, then practice remembering Me with devotion while constantly restraining the mind from worldly affairs.
If you cannot practice remembering Me with devotion, then just try to work for Me. Thus performing devotional service to Me, you shall achieve the stage of perfection.
श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्धयानं विशिष्यते ।ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम् ॥
Better than mechanical practice is knowledge; better than knowledge is meditation. Better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of actions, for peace immediately follows such renunciation.
(भगवत्-प्राप्त पुरुषों के लक्षण)अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च ।निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी ॥
Those devotees are very dear to Me who are free from malice toward all living beings, who are friendly, and compassionate. They are free from attachment to possessions and egotism, equipoised in happiness and distress, and ever-forgiving.
यस्मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च यः।हर्षामर्षभयोद्वेगैर्मुक्तो यः स च मे प्रियः॥
Those who are not a source of annoyance to anyone and who in turn are not agitated by anyone, who are equal in pleasure and pain, and free from fear and anxiety, such devotees of Mine are very dear to Me.
अनपेक्षः शुचिर्दक्ष उदासीनो गतव्यथः।सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः॥
Those who are indifferent to worldly gain, externally and internally pure, skillful, without cares, untroubled, and free from selfishness in all undertakings, such devotees of Mine are very dear to Me.
यो न हृष्यति न द्वेष्टि न शोचति न काङ्क्षति।शुभाशुभपरित्यागी भक्तिमान्यः स मे प्रियः॥
Those who neither rejoice in mundane pleasures nor despair in worldly sorrows, who neither lament for any loss nor hanker for any gain, who renounce both good and evil deeds, such persons who are full of devotion are very dear to Me.
समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयोः।शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु समः सङ्गविवर्जितः॥
Those, who are alike to friend and foe, equipoised in honor and dishonor, cold and heat, joy and sorrow, and are free from all unfavorable association; those who take praise and reproach alike,
who are given to silent contemplation, content with what comes their way, without attachment to the place of residence, whose intellect is firmly fixed in Me, and who are full of devotion to Me, such persons are very dear to Me.
ये तु धर्म्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते।श्रद्धाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रियाः॥
Those who honor this nectar of wisdom declared here, have faith in Me, and are devoted and intent on Me as the supreme goal, they are exceedingly dear to Me.