Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12, Verse 2

Chapter 12 – Bhakti Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते ।
श्रद्धया परयोपेताः ते मे युक्ततमा मताः ॥

Transliteration

śrībhagavānuvāca .
mayyāveśya mano ye māṃ nityayuktā upāsate .
śraddhayā parayopetāḥ te me yuktatamā matāḥ ॥

Meaning

The Blessed Lord said: Those who, fixing the mind on Me, ever steadfast and endowed with supreme faith, worship Me, are held by Me to be the best in yoga.

Word meanings

मयि – in Me
मनः – the mind
आवेश्य – having fixed
ये – those who
माम् – Me
नित्ययुक्ताः – ever steadfast
उपासते – worship
श्रद्धया परया – with supreme faith
उपेताः – endowed
ते – they
मे – in My view
युक्ततमाः – the best in yoga
मताः – are held to be

Anvaya (word order)

श्रीभगवान् उवाच — ये मयि मनः आवेश्य नित्ययुक्ताः परया श्रद्धया उपेताः मां उपासते, ते मे युक्ततमाः मताः ।

Explanation

Arjuna had asked at the start of the chapter which kind of seeker is better established in yoga: those who worship the Lord with devotion, or those who meditate on the imperishable unmanifest. The Lord answers the first half at once. "Those who, fixing their mind on Me, worship Me, ever steadfast and endowed with supreme faith, I consider them the most perfect in yoga." Notice that the Lord does not compare them casually; He declares them yuktatama, most united.

Three qualities mark these devotees. Mayy aveshya mano: they have entered, caused their mind to rest in the Lord. Nitya-yukta: they are constantly attached, not only on special days but as a continuous habit. Shraddhaya parayopeta: they are endowed with supreme faith. The Gita always puts faith at the centre of devotion; 17.3 will say that a person is made of his faith.

Why does devotion to the personal Lord earn such praise? The reasoning lies in how the human mind works. The mind needs an object to love, a face to turn toward, a presence to speak with. When that object is the Lord with form and qualities, the heart, which is our strongest faculty, joins the intellect in the quest. Devotion makes love, rather than effort alone, the engine of spiritual life, and love carries one through the dry stretches of practice.

Shankara regards both paths as leading to the same Brahman, but he accepts that the Lord's declaration is here a praise of the devotees who meditate on the Lord as Ishvara, whose minds are fixed on Him with faith, as those superior in yoga to those who work only on the unmanifest. Ramanuja takes this as the central teaching of the chapter: loving meditation on the Lord is the highest form of yoga. Madhva too holds that devotion to the Supreme, with knowledge of His glory, is the most perfect path.

In daily life this suggests that spiritual life should not be dry. A person who chants, serves, remembers and speaks to the Lord with trust grows in warmth, and this warmth helps in dealing with family, colleagues and strangers. It is also a practical guide for those who find abstract thought too thin: one may begin with a name, an image or a story, and let the heart open.

The verse should be read with 12.1, Arjuna's question, and 12.3 to 12.4, where the Lord speaks of those who worship the unmanifest and also reach Him. It echoes 6.47, in which the Lord declares the devotee the best of all yogis, and 9.22, where He carries the needs of those who think of Him alone.

Context

In 12.1 Arjuna asked which of the saguna and nirguna worshippers is better. This is the Lord's first answer, calling saguna devotees yuktatama; the next verses (12.3-4) will describe the formless worshippers.

Life lesson

The essence of practice lies in three things: turning the mind to God, keeping it continuous, and having deep faith. Even a small regular practice with these three can change a life.

Key terms

मय्यावेश्य मनः: settling the mind wholly in the Lord
नित्ययुक्त: ever united with the Lord
परा श्रद्धा: supreme faith, deep and unshakable
युक्ततम: best established in yoga