ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते।सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यं च कूटस्थमचलं ध्रुवम्।।12.3।। संनियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः।ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः।।12.4।।
ye tv akṣharam anirdeśhyam avyaktaṁ paryupāsate sarvatra-gam achintyañcha kūṭa-stham achalandhruvam sanniyamyendriya-grāmaṁ sarvatra sama-buddhayaḥ te prāpnuvanti mām eva sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ sanniyamyendriya-grāmaṁ sarvatra sama-buddhayaḥ te prāpnuvanti mām eva sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ
Word Meanings
Translation
Those who worship the imperishable, the indefinable, the unmanifest, the omnipresent, the unthinkable, the immovable, and the eternal. Having restrained all the senses, being even-minded everywhere, and intent on the welfare of all beings, they verily come unto Me.
Commentary
12.3 ये who? तु verily? अक्षरम् the imperishable? अनिर्देश्यम् the indefinable? अव्यक्तम् the unmanifested? पर्युपासते worship? सर्वत्रगम् the omnipresent? अचिन्त्यम् the unthinkable? च and? कूटस्थम् the unchangeable? अचलम् the immovable? ध्रुवम् the eternal.Commentary Anirdesyam That which cannot be actually shown or which cannot be defined -- the Akshaa or Satchidananda Para Brahman is beyond the
reach of the mind and speech. Why can It not be defined Because It is unmanifested. It does not have the four alities of manifested beings? vi.z? Jati (caste such as Brahmana? Kshatriya? etc.)? Guna (attributes such as blueness? whiteness? tallness? shortness? etc.)? Kriya (reading? walking? etc.)? and Sambandha (like the relation between father and son).The unmanifest Incomprehensible by any of the
organs of knowledge not manifest to any of the organs of knowledge.Upasana (worship) means sitting near. It is approaching the chosen ideal or object of worship by meditating on it? in accordance with the teachings of the scriptures and the spiritual preceptor? and dwelling steadily in the current of that one thought like a threat of oil poured from one vessel to another. It means continous and uninterrupted
contemplation of God.The imperishable Brahman is omnipresent? pervading everything like the ether. It is unthinkable? because It is unmanifest. Whatever is visible to the senses can be thought of by the mind also. That which can be grasped by the organs of knowledge can be thought of by the mind also. But the Supreme Being is invisible to the senses and so cannot be grasped by the organs of knowledge
and is? therefore? unthinkable. All thoughts of God ultimately lead the aspirant to iescent meditation.It is Kutastha (unchangeable). Kutastha means remaining like a mass or a heap. Therefore It is immutable and eternal. Just as the anvil remains unchanged though the ironpieces which are beaten on the anvil change their shape? so also Brahman is unchanging though the forms are changing. Hence Brahman
is called Kutastha. Kuta also means a thing which appears to be good externally but which is full of evil within. Hence it refers to that seed of Samsara? viz.? ignorance? which is full of evil within and which is known as the Avyakrita (undifferentiated) in the Svetasvataropanishad (Mayam tu prakritim vidyat? Mayinam tu mahesvaram) and in the Gita (Mama maya duratyaya -- The illusion of Mine is
hard to pierce -- VII.14). Another interpretation for Kutastha is that which is at the root of everything. He Who is seated in Maya as its witness? as its Lord? is Kutastha.Achalam Immovable? that which is free from change. Therefore the imperishable Brahman is Dhruvam? eternal. (Cf.VIII.21) 12.4 संनियम्य having restrained? इन्द्रियग्रामम् the aggregate of the senses? सर्वत्र everywhere? समबुद्धयः
evenminded? ते they? प्राप्नुवन्ति obtian? माम् Me? एव only? सर्वभूतहिते in the welfare of all beings? रताः rejoicers.Commentary Those who are free from likes and dislikes (attraction and repulsion) can possess,eanimity of mind. Those who have destroyed ignorance which is the cause for exhilaration and grief? through the knowledge of the Self? those who are free from all kinds of sensual cravings
through the constant practice of finding the defects or the evil in sensual pleasures can have evenness of mind. Those who are neither elated nor troubled when they get desirable or undesirable objects can possess evenness of mind.The two currents of love and hatred (likes and dislikes) make a man think of harming others. When these two are destroyed through meditation on the Self? the Yogi is intent
on the welfare of others. He rejoices in doing service to the people. He plunges himself in service. He works constantly for the solidarity or wellbeing of this world. He gives fearlessness (Abhayadana) to all creatures. No creature is afraid of him. He becomes a Paramahamsa Sannyasi who gives shelter to all in his heart. He attains Selfrealisation. He becoes a knower of Brahman. The knower of Brahman
becomes Brahman.By means of the control of the senses the Yogi closes the ten doors (the senses) and withdraws the senses from the sensual objects and fixes the mind on the innermost Self. Those who meditate on the imperishable transcendental Brahman? restraining and subduing the senses? regarding everything eally? rejoicing in the welfare of all beings -- these also come to Me. It needs no saying
that they reach Myself? because I hold the wise as verily Myself (Cf.VII.18). Further it is not necessary to say that they are the best Yogins as they are one with Brahman Himself. (Cf.V.25XI.55)But --