Yathora

The Gita · Chapter 12

Bhagavad Gita 12.10

अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्मपरमो भव।मदर्थमपि कर्माणि कुर्वन् सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि॥

abhyāse ’py asamartho ’si mat-karma-paramo bhava mad-artham api karmāṇi kurvan siddhim avāpsyasi

Translation

If also thou art not equal to constant practice, be intent on My service; performing actions for My sake, thou shalt attain perfection.

What it means

If you are unable even to practice, then devote yourself to work for My sake; even doing actions for Me, you will attain perfection. Service is the next rung. When meditation fails, duty in the right spirit carries the same person forward.

Try this today

Second fallback: if repetition fails, serve. Work done for the object counts as practice.

Something to reflect on

If practice fails, can I serve instead - and call that practice?

Read it in Yathora
← 12.912.11 →

Translation by Annie Besant (1905, public domain). The meanings are original to Yathora, drawn from Shankara’s commentary.