B.G 12.12
श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासात् ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते। ध्यानात् कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम् ॥१२॥
śreyo hi jñānam abhyāsāt jñānād dhyānaṃ viśiṣyate। dhyānāt karmaphalatyāgas tyāgāc chāntir anantaram ॥12॥
[श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - better; हि (hi) - indeed; ज्ञानम् (jñānam) - knowledge; अभ्यासात् (abhyāsāt) - than practice; ज्ञानात् (jñānāt) - than knowledge; ध्यानम् (dhyānam) - meditation; विशिष्यते (viśiṣyate) - is superior; ध्यानात् (dhyānāt) - than meditation; कर्मफलत्यागः (karmaphalatyāgaḥ) - renunciation of the fruits of actions; त्यागात् (tyāgāt) - from renunciation; शान्तिः (śāntiḥ) - peace / liberation; अनन्तरम् (anantaram) - immediately follows;]
Indeed, knowledge is considered better than mere practice. Meditation surpasses knowledge, and the renunciation of the fruits of actions is even higher than mere meditation. From such renunciation (of fruits of action resulting from meditation possessed with right knowledge), liberation immediately follows.
Gīta Tātparya 12.12
'śāntiḥ' - liberation. The liberation arises from knowledge and renunciation, i.e. relinquishment of the fruits of the actions, combined with meditation.
"विष्णोरन्यं न स्मरेद् यो विना तत्परिवारताम्। तदधीनतां वाऽनन्ययोगी स परिकीर्तितः॥"
"viṣṇoranyaṃ na smared yo vinā tatparivāratām। tadadhīnatāṃ vā'nanyayogī sa parikīrtitaḥ॥"
[विष्णोः (viṣṇoḥ) - of Vishnu; अन्यम् (anyam) - other; न (na) - not; स्मरेत् (smaret) - should remember; यः (yaḥ) - who; विना (vinā) - without; तत् (tat) - that; परिवारताम् (parivāratām) - entourage; तत् (tat) - that; अधीनताम् (adhīnatām) - subordination; वा (vā) - or; अनन्ययोगी (ananyayogī) - exclusive devotee; सः (saḥ) - he; परिकीर्तितः (parikīrtitaḥ) - is declared;]
"He who remembers lord Vishnu alone, without his entourage, is known as an exclusive devotee."
इति च।
iti ca।
[इति (iti) - thus; च (ca) - and;]
-stated thus.
अन्तवत्तु फलं तेषाम्" इत्यादिना अन्यदेवतोपासनायाः पूर्वं निन्दितत्वात् लक्ष्म्यास्तु अतिसामीप्यात् विशेषमाशङ्क्य तदुपासनाविषय एव प्रश्नः कृतः।
Antavattu phalaṁ teṣām" ityādinā anyadevatopāsanāyāḥ pūrvaṁ ninditattvāt lakṣmyāstu atisāmīpyāt viśeṣamāśaṅkya tadupāsanāviṣaya eva praśnaḥ kṛtaḥ|
[अन्तवत्तु (antavattu) - having an end; फलं (phalaṁ) - fruit; तेषाम् (teṣām) - their; इत्यादिना (ityādinā) - thus; अन्यदेवतोपासनायाः (anyadevatopāsanāyāḥ) - of worship of other deities; पूर्वं (pūrvaṁ) - before; निन्दितत्वात् (ninditattvāt) - due to being criticized; लक्ष्म्यास्तु (lakṣmyāstu) - of Lakshmi, however; अतिसामीप्यात् (atisāmīpyāt) - due to proximity; विशेषम् (viśeṣam) - special; आशङ्क्य (āśaṅkya) - suspecting; तदुपासनाविषय (tadupāsanāviṣaya) - regarding that worship; एव (eva) - only; प्रश्नः (praśnaḥ) - question; कृतः (kṛtaḥ) - was made;]
"Their fruits are limited" (7.23) - by stating thus the worship of other deities was previously criticized. Suspecting a special proximity to Lakshmi, the current question was specifically about that worship.
"वैष्णवान्येव कर्माणि यः करोति सदा नरः। जपार्चामार्जनादीनि स्वाश्रमोक्तानि यानि च॥
"vaiṣṇavānyeva karmāṇi yaḥ karoti sadā naraḥ। japārcāmārjanādīni svāśramoktāni yāni ca॥
[वैष्णवानि (vaiṣṇavāni) - related to Vishnu; एव (eva) - only; कर्माणि (karmāṇi) - actions; यः (yaḥ) - who; करोति (karoti) - does; सदा (sadā) - always; नरः (naraḥ) - man; जप (japa) - chanting; अर्चा (arcā) - worship; मार्जन (mārjana) - cleaning; आदीनि (ādīni) - and others; स्व (sva) - own; आश्रम (āśrama) - hermitage; उक्तानि (uktāni) - prescribed; यानि (yāni) - which; च (ca) - and;]
"A man who consistently engages in activities dedicated to lord Vishnu, like chanting, worship, and service as prescribed for his own ashrama, lives a life of devotion.
स तत्कर्मेति विज्ञेयो योऽन्यदेवादिपूजनम्। कृत्वा हरावर्पयति स तु तद्योगमात्रवान्॥
sa tatkarmeti vijñeyo yo'nyadevādipūjanam। kṛtvā harāvarpayati sa tu tadyogamātravān॥
[स (sa) - he; तत् (tat) - that; कर्म (karma) - action; इति (iti) - thus; विज्ञेयः (vijñeyaḥ) - to be known; यः (yaḥ) - who; अन्यदेव (anyadeva) - other gods; आदि (ādi) - etc.; पूजनम् (pūjanam) - worship; कृत्वा (kṛtvā) - having done; हरे (hare) - to Hari; अर्पयति (arpayati) - offers; स (sa) - he; तु (tu) - but; तत् (tat) - that; योग (yoga) - union; मात्रवान् (mātravān) - possessor;]
He who worships other gods and offers the results to lord Hari is known to possess only "that connection" (tadyogamātravān).
तत्र पूर्वो विशिष्टः स्यादादिमध्यान्ततः स्मृतेः। अवान्तरे च नियमात् विष्णोः तद्दासतास्य यत्॥
tatra pūrvo viśiṣṭaḥ syādādimadhyāntataḥ smṛteḥ| avāntare ca niyamāt viṣṇoḥ taddāsatāsya yat||
[तत्र (tatra) - there; पूर्वः (pūrvaḥ) - former; विशिष्टः (viśiṣṭaḥ) - distinguished; स्यात् (syāt) - may be; आदि (ādi) - beginning; मध्य (madhya) - middle; अन्ततः (antataḥ) - end; स्मृतेः (smṛteḥ) - of memory; अवान्तरे (avāntare) - in the interval; च (ca) - and; नियमात् (niyamāt) - by rule; विष्णोः (viṣṇoḥ) - of Vishnu; तत् (tat) - that; दासतास्य (dāsatāsya) - servitude; यत् (yat) - which;]
There, the former is distinguished and superior, as he remembers the servitude of lord Vishnu in the beginning, middle, in the end, and also in the interval in-between.
मनसा वर्ततेऽन्योपि यथाशक्ति हरिस्मृतेः। पूर्वोक्तयोग्यो भवति यदि नित्यं तदिच्छति। असम्यग् ज्ञानिनो ध्यानात् ज्ञानमेव विशिष्यते। ज्ञात्वा ध्यानं ततस्तस्मात् तत् फलेच्छाविवर्जितम्॥
manasā vartate'nyopi yathāśakti harismṛteḥ। pūrvoktayogyo bhavati yadi nityaṃ tadicchati। asamyag jñānino dhyānāt jñānameva viśiṣyate। jñātvā dhyānaṃ tatastasmāt tat phalecchāvivarjitam॥
[मनसा (manasā) - by mind; वर्तते (vartate) - exists; अन्यः (anyaḥ) - another; अपि (api) - also; यथा (yathā) - according to; शक्ति (śakti) - ability; हरि (hari) - Hari; स्मृतेः (smṛteḥ) - of remembrance; पूर्वोक्त (pūrvokta) - previously mentioned; योग्यः (yogyaḥ) - suitable; भवति (bhavati) - becomes; यदि (yadi) - if; नित्यम् (nityam) - always; तत् (tat) - that; इच्छति (icchati) - desires; असम्यक् (asamyak) - improper; ज्ञानिनः (jñāninaḥ) - of the wise; ध्यानात् (dhyānāt) - than meditation; ज्ञानम् (jñānam) - knowledge; एव (eva) - indeed; विशिष्यते (viśiṣyate) - excels; ज्ञात्वा (jñātvā) - having known; ध्यानम् (dhyānam) - meditation; ततः (tataḥ) - then; तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore; तत् (tat) - that; फलेच्छा (phalecchā) - desire for fruit; विवर्जितम् (vivarjitam) - devoid of;]
A person is measured according to their ability to remember Hari in their mind. If one always desires that which is previously mentioned as suitable, they become so. For the wise, knowledge excels over improper meditation. Hence, one must understand meditation that is devoid of the desire for results.
तस्माद् ज्ञानाद् भवेद् मुक्तिः त्यागाद् ध्यानयुतात् स्फुटम्॥"
tasmād jñānād bhaved muktiḥ tyāgād dhyānayutāt sphuṭam॥"
[तस्माद् (tasmād) - therefore; ज्ञानाद् (jñānād) - from knowledge; भवेद् (bhaved) - arises; मुक्तिः (muktiḥ) - liberation; त्यागाद् (tyāgād) - from renunciation; ध्यानयुतात् (dhyānayutāt) - with meditation; स्फुटम् (sphuṭam) - clearly;]
Therefore, liberation arises clearly from knowledge and renunciation combined with meditation."
इति च।
iti ca।
[इति (iti) - thus; च (ca) - and / as well;]
-stated thus as well.
शान्तिः मुक्तिः ॥४-१२॥
śāntiḥ muktiḥ ॥4-12॥
[शान्तिः (śāntiḥ) - peace; मुक्तिः (muktiḥ) - liberation;]
In the context, the word 'śāntiḥ' means liberation.
