Chapter 12 Devotional Service

Outline of Chapter 12• BHAKTI OVER IMPERSONALISM (1‑7)

• PROGRESSIVE STAGES OF DEVOTION (8‑12) 1. Living within Krsna by continuously fixing one's

mind and intelligence upon Him. (8)

2. Practicing the regulative principles of bhakti‑yoga to increase one's desire and ability to remember and obtain Krsna. (9)

3. Surrendering to Krsna one's work. (10)

4. Surrendering to Krsna the results of one's work. (11)

5. Cultivating meditation of knowledge. (12)

• QUALITIES THAT ENDEAR ONE TO KRSNA

(13‑20)

Which is better? Your devotional service or worshipping the impersonal Brahman?

For the devotee not a single moment passes without serving Krishna!!

Those who fix their minds on My personal form and are always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith are considered by Me to be most perfect. BG 12:2

Saguna- with form, qualities. etc.Saguna- with form, qualities. etc.

Possesses inconceivable potenciesPossesses inconceivable potencies

All pervading via His energies All pervading via His energies & as the Supersoul& as the Supersoul

Unchanging, fixed and unmovableUnchanging, fixed and unmovable

Possessor of six opulences in fullPossessor of six opulences in full

Success is guaranteed, nothing isSuccess is guaranteed, nothing isever lost and Krsna helps!ever lost and Krsna helps!

Realizes eternity, knowledge andRealizes eternity, knowledge andbliss (includes Brahman andbliss (includes Brahman andParamatma realization)Paramatma realization)vs 5-7)vs 5-7)

Nirguna (without qualities)Nirguna (without qualities)

InconceivableInconceivable

All pervadingAll pervading

Unchanging, fixed & unmovableUnchanging, fixed & unmovable

Risk of not realizing the AbsoluteRisk of not realizing the AbsoluteTruth at the end. Must advance onTruth at the end. Must advance ontheir own.their own.

Unable or unwilling to give up falseUnable or unwilling to give up falseego therefore no personal exchangeego therefore no personal exchange

May only realize the eternity andMay only realize the eternity andknowledge aspects of one’s originalknowledge aspects of one’s originalnature (Partial realization)nature (Partial realization)

But those who worship Me, giving up all their activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, having fixed their minds upon Me, O son of Prthä—for them I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death. BG 12:6-7

Just fix your mind upon Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage all your intelligence in

Me. Thus you will live in Me always, without a doubt. BG 12:8

PROGRESSIVE STAGES

OF DEVOTION

The result

12.8

12.9

12.10

12.11-12

TOP MOSTSTAGES

LOWERSTAGES

DIRECT

INDIRECT

Mind Fixed on Krishnawithout deviation

Will live in relationship with Krishna

Follow regulative principles of sadhana-bhakti Develop desire to attain Krishna

Work for Krishna

Will come to the stage of devotional service

Renunciation, cultivation of knowledge, meditation

Purification, peace, gradual elevation

BG 12 8-12

The qualities that make a devotee Very dear to Krishna BG 12 14-15 1. Kind friend to all living entities

2. Doesn’t think himselfthe proprietor and free from false ego3.Equal in happiness and distressfear and anxiety4.Tolerant5.Always satisfied and selfcontrolled6. Engaged in Devotional servicewith determination7. Mind and intelligence fixed onKrishna8.For whom no one is put intodifficulty and who is not disturbed byanyone.

Those who follow this imperishable path of devotional service and who completely engage themselves with faith, making Me the supreme goal, are very, very dear to Me. BG 12:20