Hari OM!

Gītā Chanting Yajña  - Chapter of the Year 2026 : Chapter 12  : Bhakti Yogaḥ - Yoga of Devotion

Chapter 12 emphasizes on the importance of love and devotion to God as the most accessible and effective path to spiritual realization.. It encourages individuals to cultivate love and surrender to God, assuring that this devotional path, which may involve a  binary approach of worshiping God in a personal form (saguna bhakti) or meditating on the unmanifested, formless Divine (nirguna Brahman), totally depending on an individual's stage of development, ultimately leading to liberation and a loving relationship with the Divine. It further elaborates on the different levels of worship - The ladder of Devotion, ; Fixing the mind on Him alone and surrendering the intellect; If this proves difficult, practice remembering God with devotion while restraining the mind from worldly attachment; If this is still challenging, engage in actions dedicated to God and perform duties as an offering; If even that is impossible, renounce the fruits of actions, detaching from expectations of reward.

The eight shlokas starting from the thirteenth shloka to the end of the Chapter, are one of the most famous and beloved shlokas in the Gita. An accomplished devotee essentially is convinced of two things: that everything in this world is not different from Ishvara, and that the devotee himself is also not different from Ishvara. Losing all sense of “I-ness” and “mine-ness” and with such a universal sense of oneness with everything, he is free from malice and hatred towards all living beings, friendly and compassionate, free from possessiveness and ego; remain balanced in happiness and distress; forgiving and hold no grudges.It further elaborates on the devotee's state of mind and actions: Content and satisfied; self-control over their mind and senses;firm resolve in their spiritual practice, dedicating their mind and intellect to Krishna. 

Question arises as to Why it matters in daily life; It shifts the focus from outer acts of devotion to inner qualities of the heart. It provides a practical checklist for anyone wanting to grow spiritually.It connects directly with mental peace, healthy relationships, and emotional resilience.Such vivid descriptions of the traits of Saints and perfect devotees help us to easily to comprehend and transform into  goals for us all to strive towards.

Chapter 12 Lyrics:     Sanskrit      English      Sanskrit & English side-by-side 

Instruction Videos:

Reference Documents:

• Gītā Chanting Pronunciation Guide - Generic
• Sanskrit Chanting Pronunciation Guide - Primer 1
• Sanskrit Chanting Pronunciation Guide - Primer 2

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For Nation-wide Gītā Chanting program and the list of all participating Chinmaya Centers and Co-ordinators, please visit Chinmaya Mission West.