Krishna rescues the devoted heart.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात् |भवामि नचिरात्पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम् ||१२-७||
teṣāmahaṃ samuddhartā mṛtyusaṃsārasāgarāt . bhavāmi nacirātpārtha mayyāveśitacetasām ||12-7||
Use this verse as a rescue prayer.
Meaning
For those whose minds are fixed on Me, O Partha, I soon become the deliverer from the ocean of death and samsara.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Krishna personally lifts devoted souls from the ocean of samsara.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
This is one of the most comforting verses in Bhakti Yoga. Devotion is not only human effort; Krishna responds as rescuer when the mind is fixed on Him.
Read the traditional commentary
Here Krishna gives His promise. For those whose consciousness is wholly absorbed in Him (mayyāveśita-cetasām), He Himself becomes the rescuer (samuddhartā) from the ocean of death and rebirth (mṛtyu-saṃsāra-sāgarāt) — and not after long ages, but soon (na cirāt). The metaphor of saṃsāra as a vast, drowning sea captures the soul's struggle through endless lives; the devotee does not swim across alone but is lifted out by the Lord.
The verse offers profound reassurance. Where the path of the formless demands solitary effort, the path of devotion brings divine grace. The seeker's part is to fix the mind on God; the rescue is the Lord's own work.
In daily life
When overwhelmed, fix the mind on Krishna and ask for help.
A person in grief or anxiety can repeat Krishna, please lift me across.
Try this today
Use one rescue prayer during stress.
Krishna carries me across the ocean of samsara.Reflect
Where do I need Krishna to lift me?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘mṛtyu-saṃsāra-sāgarāt’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on grace, in other chapters
- Verse 18.66Surrender wholly to the Divine, release anxious self-reliance, and trust completely that grace will free you.
- Verse 9.22Turn your heart wholly to the Divine, and a deeper providence takes up the care of both your needs and your security.
- Verse 14.26Unwavering devotion to the Divine carries you beyond Nature's qualities more surely than struggle ever could.
- Verse 7.14You cannot out-think illusion with the very mind it deludes — but wholehearted refuge in the Divine carries you across.
Swipe left for 12.8 · Offer both heart and intellect to Krishna.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 12.7
Who says Bhagavad Gita 12.7, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 12.7, in Chapter 12, Bhakti Yoga (Bhakti Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 12.7 mean?
For those whose minds are fixed on Me, O Partha, I soon become the deliverer from the ocean of death and samsara. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 12.7 for daily life?
When overwhelmed, fix the mind on Krishna and ask for help. A person in grief or anxiety can repeat Krishna, please lift me across.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 12.7 mean?
teṣām — of those; aham — I; samuddhartā — the deliverer, rescuer; mṛtyu-saṃsāra-sāgarāt — from the ocean of death-bound worldly existence; bhavāmi — I become.
Where does verse 12.7 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 7 of 20 in Chapter 12, Bhakti Yoga. The next verse is 12.8.