BhG 12.12

syntax

abhyāsāt hi (indeed than practice) jñānam (knowledge) śreyaḥ [asti] (is better),
jñānāt (than knowledge) dhyānam (contemplation) viśiṣyate (is distinguished),
dhyānāt (than contemplation) karma-phala-tyāgaḥ (abandonment of the fruit of activities) [śreṣṭhaḥ asti] (is the best),
tyāgāt (than renunciation) anantaraṁ (immediately) śāntiḥ (tranquility) [asti] (it is).

grammar

śreyaḥ	–	śreyas 1n.1 n. – better, higher, perfect, the auspiciousness, the welfare (comparative of: śrī – śreyas, śreṣṭha);
hi	–	av. – because, just, indeed, surely;
jñānam	–	jñāna 1n.1 n. – knowledge, wisdom, intelligence (from: √jñā – to know, to understand);
abhyāsāt	–	abhyāsa 5n.1 m. – than practice (from: abhi-√as – to repeat, to study, abhy-āsa – repetition, practice, discipline);
jñānāt	–	jñāna 5n.1 n. – than knowledge, wisdom, intelligence (from: √jñā – to know, to understand);
dhyānam	–	dhyāna 1n.1 n. – meditation, contemplation (√dhyai – to think);
viśiṣyate	–	vi-√śiṣ (to distinguish) Praes. pass. 1v.1 – he is distinguished, the best;
dhyānāt	–	dhyāna 5n.1 n. – than meditation, contemplation (√dhyai – to think);
karma-phala-tyāgaḥ	–	karma-phala-tyāga 1n.1 m.; TP: karmaṇāṁ phalasya tyāga iti – abandonment of the fruit of activities (from: √kṛ – to do, karman – activity and its result; √phal – to ripen; phala – fruit, result; √tyaj – to abandon, to give up, tyāga – leaving, abandonment);
tyāgāt	–	tyāga 5n.1 m. – than leaving, than renunciation (from: √tyaj – to abandon, to give up);
śāntiḥ	–	śānti 1n.1 f. – tranquility, peace, satisfaction, end, death (from: √śam – to calm, to put to an end, to destroy);
anantaram	–	av. – immediately, after (from: antara – inside; anantara – uninterrupted, continuous);

textual variants

śreyo hi jñānam → śreyo ‘bhi-jñānam (better ascertainment);
anantaram → anaṁtarā / niraṁtarā ([tranquility] unbroken / constant);

Śāṃkara

idānīṃ sarva-karma-phala-tyāgaṃ stauti—
śreyo hi praśasyataraṃ jñānam | kasmāt ? viveka-pūrvakād abhyāsāt | tasmād api jñānāj jñāna-pūrvakaṃ dhyānaṃ viśiṣyate | jñānavato dhyānād api karma-phala-tyāgo viśiṣyata ity anuṣajyate | evaṃ karma-phala-tyāgāt pūrva-viśeṣaṇavataḥ śāntir upaśamaḥ sa-hetukasya saṃsārasyānantaram eva syāt, na tu kālāntaram apekṣate |
ajñasya karmaṇi pravṛttasya pūrvopadiṣṭopāyānuṣṭhānāśaktau sarva-karmaṇāṃ phala-tyāgaḥ śreyaḥ-sādhanam upadiṣṭam, na prathamam eva | ataś ca śreyo hi jñānam abhyāsād ity uttarottara-viśiṣṭatvopadeśena sarva-karma-phala-tyāgaḥ stūyate, saṃpanna-sādhanānuṣṭhānāśaktau anuṣṭheyatvena śrutatvāt | kena sādharmyeṇa stutitvaṃ ? yadā sarve pramucyanta iti sarva-kāma-prahāṇād amṛtatvam uktam | tat prasiddham | kāmāś ca sarve śrauta-smārta-karmaṇāṃ phalāni | tat-tyāge ca viduṣo dhyāna-niṣṭhasyānantaraiva śāntir iti sarva-kāma-tyāga-sāmānyam ajña-karma-phala-tyāgasyāstīti tat-sāmānyāt sarva-karma-phala-tyāga-stutir iyaṃ prarocanārthā | yathāgastyena brāhmaṇena samudraḥ pīta itīdānīṃtanā api brāhmaṇā brāhmaṇatva-sāmānyāt stūyante, evaṃ karma-phala-tyāgāt karma-yogasya śreyaḥ sādhanatvam abhihitam

Rāmānuja

atyarthaprītivirahitāt karkaśarūpāt smṛtyabhyāsād akṣarayāthātmyānusandhānapūrvakaṃ tadāparokṣyajñānam eva ātmahitatvena viśiṣyate / ātmāparokṣyajñānād apy aniṣpannarūpāt tadupāyabhūtātmadhyānam evātmahitatve viśiṣyate / taddhyānād apy aniṣpannarūpāt tadupāyabhūtaṃ phalatyāgenānuṣṭhitaṃ karmaiva viśiṣyate / anabhisaṃhitaphalād anuṣṭhitāt karmaṇo ‚nantaram eva nirastapāpatayā manasaś śāntir bhaviṣyati; śānte manasi ātmadhyānaṃ saṃpatsyate; dhyānāc ca tadāparokṣyam; tadāparokṣyāt parā bhaktiḥ iti bhaktiyogābhyāsāśaktasyātmaniṣṭhaiva śreyasī / ātmaniṣṭhasyāpi aśāntamanaso niṣṭhāprāptaye antargatātmajñānānabhisaṃhitaphalakarmaniṣṭhaiva śreyasītyarthaḥ

Śrīdhara

tam imaṃ phala-tyāgaṃ stauti śreya iti | samyag-jñāna-rahitād abhyāsāt yukti-sahitopadeśa-pūrvakaṃ jñānaṃ śreṣṭham | tasmād api tat-pūrvaṃ dhyānaṃ viśiṣṭam | tatas tu taṃ paśyati niṣkalaṃ dhyāyamāna iti śruteḥ | tasmād apy ukta-lakṣaṇaḥ karma-phala-tyāgaḥ śreṣṭhaḥ | tasmād evaṃbhūtāt karma-phala-tyāgāt karmasu tat-phaleṣu cāsakti-nivṛttyā mat-prasādena ca samanantaram eva saṃsāra-śāntir bhavati

Madhusūdana

idānīm atraiva sādhana-vidhāna-prayavasānād imaṃ sarva-phala-tyāgaṃ stauti śreya iti | śreyaḥ praśasyataraṃ hi eva jñānaṃ śabda-yuktibhyām ātma-niścayo ‚bhyāsā jñānārtha-śravaṇābhyāsāt | jñānāc chravaṇa-manana-pariniṣpannād api dhyānaṃ nididhyāsana-saṃjñaṃ viśiṣyate ‚tiśayitaṃ bhavati sākṣātkārāvyavahita-hetutvāt | tad evaṃ sarva-sādhana-śreṣṭhaṃ dhyānaṃ tato ‚py atiśayitatvenājña-kṛtaḥ karma-phala-tyāgaḥ stūyate |
dhyānāt karma-phala-tyāgo viśiṣyata ity anuṣajyate | tyāgān niyata-cittena puṃsā kṛtāt sarva-karma-phala-tyāgāc chāntir upaśamaḥ sa-hetukasya saṃsārasyānantaram apy avadhānena na tu kālāntaram apekṣate | atra –
yadā sarve pramucyante kāmā ye ‚sya hṛdi sthitāḥ |
atha martyo ‚mṛto bhavaty atra brahma samaśnute ||
ity ādi śrutiṣu prajahāti yadā kāmān sarvān ity ādi-sthita-prajña-lakṣaṇeṣu ca sarva-kāma-tyāgasyāmṛtatva-sādhanatvam avagatam | karma-phalāni ca kāmās tat-tyāgo ‚pi kāma-tyāgatva-sāmānyāt sarva-kāma-tyāga-phalena stūyate | yathāgastyena brāhmaṇena samudraḥ pīta iti, yathā vā jāmadagnyena brāhmaṇena niḥkṣatrā pṛthivī kṛteti bāhmaṇatva-sāmānyād idānīntanā api brāhmaṇā aparimeya-parākramatvena stūyante tadvat

Viśvanātha

athoktānāṃ smaraṇa-mananābhyāsānāṃ yathā-pūrvaṃ śraiṣṭhyaṃ spaṣṭīkṛyāha śreyo hīti | abhyāsāj jñānaṃ mayi buddhiṃ niveśayety uktaṃ man-mananaṃ śreyaḥ śreṣṭham | abhyāse saty āyāsata eva dhyānaṃ syāt | manane sati tv anāyāsata eva dhyānam iti viśeṣāt tasmāt jñānād api dhyānaṃ viśiṣyate śreṣṭham ity arthaḥ | kuta ity ata āha – dhyānāt karma-phalānāṃ svargādi-sukhānāṃ niṣkāma-karma-phalasya mokṣasya ca tyāgas tat-spṛhā-rāhityaṃ syāt | svataḥ prāptasyāpi tasyopekṣā | niścala-dhyānāt pūrvaṃ tu bhaktānām ajāta-ratīnāṃ mokṣa-tyāgecchaiva bhavet | niścala-dhyānavatāṃ tu mokṣopekṣā | saiva mokṣa-laghutā-kāriṇī | yad uktaṃ bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhau – kleśa-ghnī śubhadā [BRS 1.1.7] ity atra ṣaḍbhiḥ padair etan-māhātmyaṃ kīrtitam iti | yad uktaṃ –
na pārameṣṭhyaṃ na mahendra-dhiṣṇyaṃ
na sārvabhaumaṃ na rasādhipatyam |
na yoga-siddhīr apunar-bhavaṃ vā
mayy arpitātmecchati mad vinānyat || [BhP 11.14.14] iti |
mayy arpitātmā mad-dhyāna-niṣṭhaḥ | tyāgād vaitṛṣṇyād anantaram eva śāntir mad-rūpa-guṇādikaṃ vinā sarva-viṣayeṣv evendriyāṇām uparatiḥ | atra pūrvārdhe śreyaḥ iti viśiṣyate iti pada-dvayenānvayād uttarārdhe tu anantaram ity anenaivānvayād eṣaiva vyākhyā samyag upapadyate nānyety avadheyam

Baladeva

sukaratvād apramādatvāj jñāna-garbhatvāc cānibhisaṃhitaṃ phalaṃ karma-yogaṃ stauti śreyo hīti | abhyāsān mat-smṛti-sātatya-rūpād aniṣpannāj jñānaṃ svātma-sākṣātkṛti-rūpaṃ śreyaḥ praśastataram | paramātmopalabdhi-dvāratvāt jñānāc ca tasmād aniṣpannāt sādhana-bhūtaṃ dhyānaṃ svātma-cintana-lakṣaṇaṃ viśiṣyate sva-hitatve śreyo bhavati | dhyānāc ca tasmād aniṣpannāt karma-phala-tyāgād anantaraṃ śāntis tyakta-phalād anuṣṭhitā karmaṇo ‚nantaraṃ manaḥ-śuddhir ity arthaḥ | tathā ca śuddhe manasi dhyānaṃ niṣpadyate | niṣpanne dhyāne sva-sākṣātkṛti-rūpaṃ jñānaṃ | jñāne niṣpanne tat-phala-bhūtaṃ paramātma-jñānam | tena parā bhaktis tayiśvarya-pradhānasya mama prāptir iti durgamo ‚yam upāya iti bhāvaḥ | na cāyam arjunaṃ praty upadeśas tasyaikāntitvāt | san-niṣṭhā niṣkāma-karma-ratā hari-dhyāyinaś ca svātmānam anubhūya tato ‚bhyuditayā hari-viṣayakatyā pāramaiśvarya-guṇayā parayā bhaktyā hariṃ premāspadam anubhavanto vimucyanta iti gītā-śāstrārtha-paddhatiḥ | kintv ekāntitvāsaktaṃ pratīti-bodhyam