Bhagavad Gita BG 12.12
Chapter 12, Verse 12 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज् ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते । ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागः त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम् ॥
shreyo hi jnanam abhyasaj jnanad dhyanam vishishyate dhyanat karma-phala-tyagah tyagac chantir anantaram
Meaning
Better than practice (abhyasa) is knowledge; better than knowledge is meditation; better than meditation is renunciation of the fruit of action; upon renunciation, peace immediately follows.
Understanding
One of the most concentrated hierarchical teachings in the Gita. Shreyo hi jnanam abhyasat (better than [mechanical] practice is jnana/knowledge). Why? Practice without understanding is mechanical repetition; knowledge gives the practice its direction and purpose. Jnanad dhyanam vishishyate (better than knowledge is meditation/dhyana — vishishyate: is distinguished, is superior). Why? Knowledge is intellectual; meditation is the direct experiential engagement. Dhyanat karma-phala-tyagah (better than meditation is renunciation of the fruit of action). Why? Even meditation can become an object of attachment — 'my meditation,' 'my spiritual progress.' The renunciation of fruit is the most radical purification. Tyagac chantir anantaram (upon renunciation, peace immediately follows — anantaram: immediately, without interval). Shanti is the result, and it is instant upon genuine tyaga.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| श्रेयः | shreyah | better, the higher good (sreyas vs. preyas: the good vs. the pleasant) |
| विशिष्यते | vishishyate | is distinguished, is superior, excels |
| कर्मफलत्यागः | karma-phala-tyagah | renunciation of the fruit of action |
| त्यागात् | tyagat | from renunciation, upon renunciation |
| अनन्तरम् | anantaram | immediately, without interval, right after |
| श्रेयः | śreyaḥ | better |
| हि | hi | indeed |
| ज्ञानम् | jñānam | knowledge |
| अभ्यासात् | abhyāsāt | than practice |
| ज्ञानात् | jñānāt | than knowledge |
| ध्यानम् | dhyānam | meditation |
| विशिष्यते | viśiṣyate | is superior |
| ध्यानात् | dhyānāt | than meditation |
| कर्म-फल-त्यागः | karma-phala-tyāgaḥ | the renunciation of the fruits of action |
| त्यागात् | tyāgāt | from renunciation |
| शान्तिः | śāntiḥ | peace |