Lecture (Chapter) 12: Of Serving the Deity in His Visible and Invisible Forms.

(Numbers in parentheses refer to the numbered notes below them, also enclosed in parentheses.)


Ărjŏŏn.

Of those thy servants who are always thus employed, which know their duty best? those who worship thee as thou now art; or those who serve thee in thy invisible and incorruptible nature?

Krĕĕshnă.

Those who having placed their minds in me, serve me with constant zeal, and are endued with steady faith, are esteemed the best devoted. They too who, delighting in the welfare of all nature, serve me in my incorruptible, ineffable, and invisible form; omnipresent, incomprehensible, standing on high fixed and immoveable, with subdued passions and understandings, the same in all things, shall also come unto me. Those whose minds are attached to my invisible nature have the greater labour to encounter; because an invisible path is difficult to be found by corporeal beings. They also who, preferring me, leave all works for me, and, free from the worship of all others, contemplate and serve me alone, I presently raise them up from the ocean of this region of mortality, whose minds are thus attached to me. Place then thy heart on me, and penetrate me with thy understanding, and thou shalt, without doubt, hereafter enter unto me. But if thou shouldst be unable, at once, stedfastly to fix thy mind on me, endeavour to find me by means of constant practice. If after practice thou art still unable, follow me in my works supreme; for by performing works for me, thou shalt attain perfection. But shouldst thou find thyself unequal to this task, put thy trust in me alone, be of humble spirit, and forsake the fruit of every action. Knowledge is better than practice, meditation is distinguished from knowledge, forsaking the fruit of action from meditation, for happiness hereafter is derived from such forsaking.

He my servant is dear unto me, who is free from enmity, the friend of all nature, merciful, exempt from pride and selfishness, the same in pain and pleasure, patient of wrongs, contented, constantly devout, of subdued passions, and firm resolves, and whose mind and understanding are fixed on me alone. He also is my beloved of whom mankind are not afraid, and who of mankind is not afraid; and who is free from the influence of joy, impatience, and the dread of harm. He my servant is dear unto me who is unexpecting, just and pure, impartial, free from distraction of mind, and who hath forsaken every enterprize. He also is worthy of my love, who neither rejoiceth nor findeth fault; who neither lamenteth nor coveteth, and, being my servant, hath forsaken both good and evil fortune. He also is my beloved servant, who is the same in friendship and in hatred, in honor and in dishonor, in cold and in heat, in pain and pleasure; who is unsolicitous about the event of things; to whom praise and blame are as one; who is of little speech, and pleased with whatever cometh to pass; who owneth no particular home, and who is of a steady mind. They who seek this Amrĕĕtă (101) of religion even as I have said, and serve me faithfully before all others, are, moreover, my dearest friends.

(101 Amrĕĕtă.—The water of immortality, the Ambrosia of the Hindoo Gods.—See the story of churning the ocean. [presented at end—gdw])