Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12, Verse 20

Chapter 12 – Bhakti Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

ये तु धर्म्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते ।
श्रद्दधाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रियाः ॥

Transliteration

ye tu dharmyāmṛtamidaṃ yathoktaṃ paryupāsate .
śraddadhānā matparamā bhaktāste.atīva me priyāḥ ॥

Meaning

But those who, full of faith and holding Me as their supreme goal, follow this dharmic nectar as declared, those devotees are exceedingly dear to Me.

Word meanings

ये तु – but those who
धर्म्यामृतम् – this dharmic nectar of immortality
इदम् – this
यथोक्तम् – as declared
पर्युपासते – follow and practise with devotion
श्रद्दधानाः – full of faith
मत्परमाः – regarding Me as their supreme goal
भक्ताः – devotees
ते – they
अतीव – exceedingly
मे प्रियाः – are dear to Me

Anvaya (word order)

ये तु श्रद्दधानाः मत्परमाः भक्ताः यथोक्तम् इदं धर्म्यामृतं पर्युपासते, ते अतीव मे प्रियाः ।

Explanation

This last verse of chapter twelve is the auspicious close of the whole teaching. The Lord gives the qualities listed in the preceding verses a name: dharmyamritam, the dharmic nectar. It is nectar because one who follows it crosses beyond the fear of death, and dharmya because it is endowed with dharma, that is, right conduct and truth. This teaching is therefore not mere doctrine but a way of living.

Three conditions are given for following it: yathoktam, exactly as stated and not altered for convenience; shraddadhanah, with faith, without doubt; and matparamah, holding Me as the supreme goal. Without faith the qualities become outward acting, and only by taking the Lord as the goal do they flow into the stream of devotion. Good conduct alone is good, but with devotion it carries one to the Lord.

The promised fruit is ativa me priyah, exceedingly dear to Me. The sa me priyah of earlier verses grows here into ativa. According to Shankara it speaks of those endowed with the qualities such as non-hatred and with supreme devotion to the Lord, who are dearer than even the saguna and nirguna worshippers as such. Ramanuja says the Lord's dearest is one who joins devotion with all these qualities.

With this, chapter twelve gives the full answer to its opening question: the best is one who fixes the mind in the Lord, but the test lies in character, how free of hatred, how compassionate, how even and how peaceful.

The devotee's highest honour is thus to be dear to the Lord, and that dearness comes through love, humility and living this nectar.

Context

In 12.13-19 the Lord listed the marks of his dear devotee. This is the last verse of the chapter, calling those who follow those qualities exceedingly dear. In chapter 13 the discussion of the field and the knower of the field begins.

Life lesson

The way to become dear to God lies not in difficult rituals but in a life of qualities: faith, compassion, equanimity and God as the aim of life. Trying to live them is the greatest worship.

Key terms

धर्म्यामृत: the dharma-filled nectar that leads beyond death
श्रद्धा: faith in the teaching and in the Lord
मत्परम: one whose supreme aim is the Lord
अतीव प्रिय: exceedingly dear, the devotee's highest reward