Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12, Verse 4

Chapter 12 – Bhakti Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

सन्नियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः ।
ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः ॥

Transliteration

sanniyamyendriyagrāmaṃ sarvatra samabuddhayaḥ .
te prāpnuvanti māmeva sarvabhūtahite ratāḥ ॥

Meaning

Those who, fully restraining the group of senses, are even-minded everywhere and engaged in the welfare of all beings, they too come to Me alone.

Word meanings

सन्नियम्य – having fully restrained
इन्द्रियग्रामम् – the whole group of senses
सर्वत्र – everywhere, in all situations
समबुद्धयः – even-minded
ते – they
प्राप्नुवन्ति – attain
माम् एव – Me alone
सर्वभूतहिते – in the welfare of all beings
रताः – engaged, delighting

Anvaya (word order)

(ये) इन्द्रियग्रामं सन्नियम्य सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः सर्वभूतहिते रताः, ते माम् एव प्राप्नुवन्ति ।

Explanation

The previous verse gave epithets for formless worship; this verse states three qualifications of its practitioners, and the fruit. First, sanniyamyendriyagramam: fully restraining the whole group of senses. To approach the formless, consciousness that goes outward through the senses must be turned inward, and this needs deep self-restraint. Second, sarvatra samabuddhayah: equal vision in every situation and toward every being; one who regards Brahman as all-pervading cannot discriminate among beings. Third, sarvabhuta-hite ratah: engaged in the welfare of all creatures.

The third qualification is especially significant. Formless worship is sometimes thought to be only a mental discipline, but the Lord makes clear that its practitioner's heart is full of compassion and concern for the world. Knowledge that does not turn into compassion is incomplete.

And the fruit? Te prapnuvanti mam eva: they too attain Me alone. Here the Lord's heart shows. Even the nirguna worshippers go nowhere else; they too reach him in the end. The statement is in the sense of api: these too, none is deprived.

Shankara takes this verse as confirming the liberation of nirguna worshippers. Ramanuja applies it to seekers of self-realisation who then reach the Lord. The next verse will shed light on the hardship of this path.

Context

Verse 12.3 listed the epithets of formless Brahman. This verse gives the qualifications and fruit of its worshippers; 12.5 will describe the difficulty of this path.

Life lesson

True practice makes a person generous, not narrow. If a knowledge or meditation does not give compassion and equanimity toward others, its direction should be reconsidered.

Key terms

इन्द्रियग्राम: the whole set of sense faculties
समबुद्धि: an equal-minded intellect
सर्वभूतहिते रताः: delighting in the welfare of all beings