Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12, Verse 14

Chapter 12 – Bhakti Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

सन्तुष्टः सततं योगी यतात्मा दृढनिश्चयः ।
मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः ॥

Transliteration

santuṣṭaḥ satataṃ yogī yatātmā dṛḍhaniścayaḥ .
mayyarpitamanobuddhiryo madbhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ ॥

Meaning

One who is always content, a yogi, self-controlled, of firm resolve, with mind and intellect offered to Me, such a devotee of Mine is dear to Me.

Word meanings

सन्तुष्टः – content
सततम् – always
योगी – the yogi, ever united
यतात्मा – self-controlled
दृढनिश्चयः – of firm resolve
मयि अर्पितमनोबुद्धिः – with mind and intellect offered to Me
यः मद्भक्तः – who is My devotee
सः – he
मे प्रियः – is dear to Me

Anvaya (word order)

यः सततं सन्तुष्टः, योगी, यतात्मा, दृढनिश्चयः, मयि अर्पितमनोबुद्धिः मद्भक्तः (अस्ति), सः मे प्रियः ।

Explanation

The sentence that began in the previous verse is completed here, and the central line comes: madbhaktah sa me priyah. In the first verse the qualities were of character; in this verse they are of inner state.

The first is santushtah satatam, always content. This contentment comes not from fulfilment of desires but from the hunger for them dropping away. One who has found the Lord is satisfied with whatever comes. The second is yogi, joined with the Lord. The third, yatatma, who has the mind and senses in control. The fourth, dridhanishchayah, whose resolve is firm. According to Shankara this resolve is about the truth: a certainty about the Supreme so firm that no argument can shake it. Ramanuja calls it an unwavering resolve on the way to attaining the Lord.

At the end comes the deepest quality: mayy arpita-mano-buddhih, mind and intellect both offered to Me, the same thing said in 12.8. So the devotee who earlier climbed the steps of practice is now adorned with the qualities dear to the Lord.

The word priya does not mean merely favourite; it is a relation of mutual love between the Lord and the devotee. Because of this love the devotee acquires all these qualities naturally. The Lord does not say that qualities must come first and love afterwards; he says that as love grows, the qualities blossom along with it.

Context

Verse 12.13 began the list of the devotee's qualities of character, which finishes here on sa me priyah. In the next three verses (12.15-17) the Lord gives more marks of the dear devotee.

Life lesson

True contentment comes not from fulfilling desires but from loosening the grip of desires. Offering mind and intellect daily to one high aim makes life steady and cheerful.

Key terms

सन्तुष्ट: content with what comes, free from craving
दृढनिश्चय: one whose resolve about the truth is unshakable
मद्भक्त: My devotee
प्रिय: dear to the Lord, the devotee's greatest honour