Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9, Verse 14

Chapter 9 – Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

सततं कीर्तयन्तो मां यतन्तश्च दृढव्रताः ।
नमस्यन्तश्च मां भक्त्या नित्ययुक्ता उपासते ॥

Transliteration

satataṃ kīrtayanto māṃ yatantaśca dṛḍhavratāḥ .
namasyantaśca māṃ bhaktyā nityayuktā upāsate ॥

Meaning

Ever singing My glories, striving with firm resolve, bowing down to Me in devotion, they worship Me, always united with Me.

Word meanings

सततम् – always
कीर्तयन्तः – singing the glories of
माम् – Me
यतन्तः – striving
च – and
दृढव्रताः – firm in their vows
नमस्यन्तः – bowing down to
च – and
माम् – Me
भक्त्या – with devotion
नित्ययुक्ताः – ever united
उपासते – they worship

Anvaya (word order)

(ते) सततं मां कीर्तयन्तः च दृढव्रताः यतन्तः च भक्त्या मां नमस्यन्तः च नित्ययुक्ताः उपासते ।

Explanation

Having described the nature of the great souls, Krishna now describes their practice. Four limbs of devotion appear in this verse: kirtana, effort, prostration and constant union.

The first is satatam kirtayantah, ever glorifying the Lord. Kirtana is not only loud singing; speaking of God, reading about Him, hearing and sharing His stories are all kirtana. When speech is given to God, the mind gradually follows. The word satatam, ‘always’, shows that this is not confined to fixed hours.

The second is yatantash cha dridha-vratah, striving with firm vows. Devotion is not mere sentiment; it has discipline. Such devotees do not abandon their commitments, truthfulness, restraint, regular japa, service, when difficulties arise. Ramanuja explains that they labour unceasingly at the acts that form part of worship of the Lord.

The third is namasyantash cha mam bhaktya, bowing to Him in love. Prostration is the outward sign of surrendering the ego; as the body bends, the mind learns to bend too. The fourth is nitya-yuktah upasate, worshipping as those ever united. Upasana literally means ‘sitting near’: the devotee sits inwardly near the Lord at all times, whatever the body is engaged in.

Thus the verse shows that bhakti means offering speech, effort, body and mind together to God. It is not a ritual for one hour of the day but the orientation of a whole life.

Context

Verse 13 introduced the great souls of divine nature. This verse describes their mode of devotion. The next verse speaks of other seekers who worship Him through the sacrifice of knowledge in various ways.

Life lesson

To live devotion, combine remembrance in speech, firm daily disciplines, humble reverence and steady inner connection. Even small daily practices, kept faithfully, can transform a life.

Key terms

Kirtana: glorifying the Lord’s names, qualities and deeds
Dridha-vrata: firm in spiritual vows
Namaskara: bowing in reverence, offering of ego
Nitya-yukta: ever united with the Lord
Upasana: worship, literally ‘sitting near’