Bhagavad Gita BG 12.3
Chapter 12, Verse 3 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यम् अव्यक्तं पर्युपासते । सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यं च कूटस्थमचलं ध्रुवम् ॥
ye tv aksharam anirdeshyam avyaktam paryupasate sarvatra-gam acintyam ca kuta-stham acalam dhruvam
Meaning
Those who worship the Imperishable, the Indefinable, the Unmanifest, the all-pervading, the inconceivable, the unchanging, the immovable and the constant —
Understanding
Krishna begins describing those who worship the formless Absolute. The verse piles up descriptions that each remove a limit: imperishable (akshara), indefinable (anirdeshya), unmanifest (avyakta), all-pervading (sarvatra-ga), inconceivable (acintya), unchanging like an anvil (kuta-stha), immovable (acala) and constant (dhruva). The sentence is not finished here: 12.4 gives the discipline of these worshippers and the result, that they too reach Krishna.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ये | ye | those who |
| तु | tu | but |
| अक्षरम् | aksharam | the imperishable |
| अनिर्देश्यम् | anirdeshyam | the indefinable, that which cannot be pointed to |
| अव्यक्तम् | avyaktam | the unmanifest |
| पर्युपासते | paryupasate | worship |
| सर्वत्रगम् | sarvatra-gam | all-pervading, going everywhere |
| अचिन्त्यम् | acintyam | inconceivable |
| च | ca | and |
| कूटस्थम् | kuta-stham | unchanging (standing like an anvil) |
| अचलम् | acalam | immovable |
| ध्रुवम् | dhruvam | constant, fixed |