Chapter 12 · Verse 16 · Bhakti Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 12.16
Sanskrit
अनपेक्षः शुचिर्दक्ष उदासीनो गतव्यथः।सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः।।12.16।।
Transliteration
anapekṣhaḥ śhuchir dakṣha udāsīno gata-vyathaḥ sarvārambha-parityāgī yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ
In plain words
You are exhausted from gripping—gripping for the outcome you need, gripping against the pain you fear, gripping to prove you matter. Krishna says: the moment you stop demanding life bend to your will, and instead offer your full effort without clinging to results, you become free. This is not giving up; it is giving over, and that surrender is where peace lives.
Word by Word
Krishna reveals the deepest mark of true devotion—not ecstatic experiences or elaborate rituals, but the quiet freedom of a heart unbound by worldly hunger and inner turbulence. The devotee who has released all grasping, maintained inner purity, and acts with skillful detachment becomes the very mirror of Krishna's own nature.
This is not cold renunciation but warm surrender: you remain fully engaged in life while holding nothing as yours, transforming every action into an offering. In our modern struggle between ambition and authenticity, this verse invites us to ask: Can I pursue my responsibilities with full presence while releasing the need to own the results?
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Bhagavad Gita 12.16 — BG 12.16
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