Bhagavad Gita BG 12.1
Chapter 12, Verse 1 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
एवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्युपासते । ये चाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमाः ॥
evam satata-yukta ye bhaktas tvam paryupasate ye capy aksharam avyaktam tesham ke yoga-vittamah
Meaning
Those who are ever steadfast and worship You with devotion — and those who worship the imperishable, the unmanifest — of these, who are the better knowers of yoga?
Understanding
Arjuna's question crystallizes a perennial spiritual question: two paths to the Divine. (1) Satata-yukta bhaktas tvam paryupasate (those ever steadfastly devoted who worship You — the personal form). (2) Ye api aksharam avyaktam (those who worship the imperishable, the unmanifest — the nirguna Brahman, without attributes). Ke yoga-vittamah (which are the better knowers of yoga?). The question arises naturally from Ch11: after seeing the Cosmic Form and hearing about ananya-bhakti, Arjuna asks about the relative merits of the two approaches.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| सततयुक्ताः | satata-yuktah | ever steadfast/connected, always united |
| पर्युपासते | paryupasate | worship/upasana (sitting near, surrounding with devotion) |
| अक्षरम् | aksharam | the imperishable, the immutable |
| अव्यक्तम् | avyaktam | the unmanifest, the formless |
| योगवित्तमाः | yoga-vittamah | the best knowers of yoga, the most expert |
| अर्जुन उवाच | arjuna uvāca | Arjuna said |
| एवम् | evam | thus |
| सतत-युक्ताः | satata-yuktāḥ | always engaged |
| ये | ye | those who |
| भक्ताः | bhaktāḥ | devotees |
| त्वाम् | tvām | You |
| पर्युपासते | paryupāsate | worship, adore |
| ये | ye | and those who |
| च | ca | and |
| अपि | api | also |
| अक्षरम् | akṣaram | the imperishable |
| तेषाम् | teṣām | of them |
| के | ke | who |
| योग-वित्तमाः | yoga-vittamāḥ | the best knowers of yoga |