Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12, Verse 7 (BG 12.7) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

12.7 तेषाम् for them? अहम् I? समुद्धर्ता the saviour? मृत्युसंसारसागरात् out of the ocean of the mortal Samsara? भवामि (I) become? नचिरात् ere long? पार्थ O Arjuna? मयि in Me? आवेशितचेतसाम् of those whose minds are set.Commentary Mortal Samsara The round of birth and death. The devotee who does total? unconditional? and ungrudging selfsurrender to the Lord? who places himself completely at the mercy of the Lord? and who fixes of actions by offering them to the Lord and who thus destroys any power in the actions to bear fruit? and who has abandoned even the idea of liberation? is soon lifted by the Lord from the mortal plane to the abode of Immortality.I redeem such persons who have become Macchitta i.e.? mind united with Me? from the ocean of the mortal world or worldly life? without delay. (Cf.X.10.11XII.6and7)

Commentaries

Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.

This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

Modern

# BG 12.7 — English Translation of Meaning Here, the Blessed Lord Krishna offers assurance to those who worship the Divine with attributes, describing the virtues and disciplines that devoted practitioners must cultivate with reverence. He promises that steadfast seekers shall be delivered by Him Himself from this ocean of worldly existence. Through careful study of these principles, one comes to understand how the seeker's mind gradually unfolds and ascends to the divine and supreme state, after which there remains no need for external assistance. In the beginning, the practitioner requires confidence and encouragement from the Teacher to gain the self-trust necessary for spiritual practice. Those who offer all their actions to Me—to surrender all actions to an institution, ideal, or governing authority means to dissolve one's personal limitations and identify oneself with that ideal. Just as an ordinary citizen, when serving as an ambassador of their nation abroad, possesses a powerful presence because they represent the entire nation through their speech, conduct, and thought—similarly, when a devotee completely surrenders themselves to the feet of the Divine and thereafter acts as the Divine's messenger or representative of the Divine Will, they become endowed with divine power. In every action, they remain conscious of the Divine's presence and grace. Those who regard Me as the supreme goal—just as a dancer never loses awareness of the rhythm and tempo of the accompanying drum, and a musician always maintains consciousness of the pitch of the stringed instrument—so too should a devotee be taught to regard the Divine as the supreme goal of life and ever strive to attain Him. One must not view dharma as mere entertainment in spare moments or as a temporary escape from daily duties. In essence, we are taught that to ascend the higher peaks of cultural perfection, we must use our life's relationships, interactions, and experiences for the attainment of that Supreme Self whom we worship in His manifest form with attributes. Through yoga without division—all efforts are called yoga by which we can establish the identity of our mind with the goal of our perfection. To elevate the mind from its present distractions and wasteful tendencies toward the higher goal of vast joy and complete knowledge—this is yoga. This power dwells within us all, and we are constantly employing it. Yet the fruit of yoga depends upon which goal we are pursuing. Unfortunately, our goal is often not divine. Mere striving for worldly pleasure is indulgence, not yoga. Generally, our goal constantly shifts, and despite continuous struggle, we reach no definite destination. If a person has two places in mind for a holiday but cannot decide which to visit, they will reach neither. They will waste their energy and time in vain. The term "yoga without division" here means that the seeker's goal is fixed and stable, with no conflicting inclinations toward the goal—that is, complete unity between the seeker and the sought. It is noteworthy that the mind's fragmentation may arise from conflicting inclinations toward the goal, or from the mind wandering into other subjects after abandoning the object of meditation. Thus, those devotees who (a) surrender all actions to Me, (b) regard Me alone as the supreme goal, and (c) practice worship and meditation through yoga without division—they are My supreme devotees. It has been said before that the true meaning of worship is to become one with the goal through the effort of identification. This is the seeker's aim, and therein lies their fulfillment. The Blessed Lord Krishna assures that practitioners endowed with these qualities need not worry during meditation about how they might transcend their suffering, distractions, and incompleteness, for I shall be their Liberator. This is the Divine's own promise. It is possible that after years of prolonged practice, if the seeker has not come near direct experience of the Self, they may become discouraged. Therefore, the Divine's assurance is necessary. The Lord also promises here that soon I shall become their Liberator. Those whose mind is established in Me—generally, the mind takes the form of its object of meditation. When, as a result of continuous practice, the seeker gains the capacity to completely abandon contrary tendencies and maintain a flow of kindred inclinations, then their mind itself becomes infinite Brahman. It is the mind that creates the illusion of the boundaries of individual existence, and it is this same mind that directly experiences its own infinite nature as the Self. Both bondage and liberation belong to the mind. The Self is eternally free and never bound.