Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9, Verse 34

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

Sanskrit verse

मन्मना भव मद्भक्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु ।
मामेवैष्यसि युक्त्वैवमात्मानं मत्परायणः ॥

Transliteration

manmanā bhava madbhakto madyājī māṃ namaskuru .
māmevaiṣyasi yuktvaivamātmānaṃ matparāyaṇaḥ ॥

Meaning

Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, worship Me, bow down to Me. Having thus united yourself with Me, taking Me as the supreme goal, you will come to Me alone.

Word meanings

मन्मनाः – with mind fixed on Me
भव – be
मद्भक्तः – My devotee
मद्याजी – My worshipper
माम् – to Me
नमस्कुरु – bow down
माम् – Me
एव – alone, surely
एष्यसि – you will come to
युक्त्वा – having united
एवम् – thus
आत्मानम् – yourself, your mind
मत्परायणः – taking Me as the supreme goal

Anvaya (word order)

मन्मनाः भव, मद्भक्तः (भव), मद्याजी (भव), मां नमस्कुरु; एवम् आत्मानं युक्त्वा मत्परायणः (सन्) माम् एव एष्यसि ।

Explanation

This verse is the summit and essence of the ninth chapter. Throughout it Krishna has unfolded the royal knowledge: His all-pervading presence, His role in creation, His grace towards devotees and the simplicity of devotion. Now He gathers everything into four short commands. The same verse returns almost word for word as 18.65, which shows how central it is.

The first command is man-mana bhava, ‘fix your mind on Me’. Devotion begins in the mind, and the mind becomes what it dwells upon. Make Me the centre of your thoughts, Krishna says, so that remembrance continues while sitting, standing and working. The second is mad-bhakto bhava, ‘be My devotee’. Thinking alone is not enough; the thought must be filled with love. Ramanuja describes the devotee as one to whom the Lord is supremely dear, for whom thinking of Him is itself joy.

The third is mad-yaji, ‘worship Me’. Love shows itself in action. Worship is not only ritual in a temple; as verse 27 taught, every act, eating, giving, working, can be an offering to the Lord. The fourth is mam namaskuru, ‘bow down to Me’. Prostration symbolises complete humility and surrender. When body, mind and ego all bow before the Lord, surrender is complete.

Thus the four commands engage mind, heart, action and ego alike. Then Krishna concludes: yuktvaivam atmanam mat-parayanah, having united yourself with Me in this way, making Me the supreme goal, mam evaishyasi, ‘you will come to Me alone’. The word eva conveys certainty: there is no doubt about it. Shankara notes that the Lord is the Self of all; whoever takes Him as the supreme refuge in this way attains Him.

In the first verse of the chapter Krishna promised to impart the most secret knowledge; in the last verse He gives its practical essence. The royal knowledge is finally not complicated philosophy but loving, total surrender to God, the greatest secret and the simplest path.

Context

In verse 33 Krishna urged Arjuna to worship Him in this fleeting life. Here He describes the complete form of that worship and concludes the chapter. In chapter 10 He will describe His divine manifestations, the vibhutis, to deepen Arjuna’s love so that he can remember the Lord everywhere.

Life lesson

Spiritual life can be lived through four simple principles: remember God with the mind, love Him with the heart, serve Him through action and bow to Him with the ego. Practise something of all four every day; this is the sure road to the Lord.

Key terms

Man-mana: one whose mind is fixed on the Lord
Mad-bhakta: one who loves the Lord
Mad-yaji: one who worships the Lord
Namaskara: bowing down, offering of the ego
Mat-parayana: one who takes the Lord as supreme goal and refuge