Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12, Verse 2

English Translation

The Blessed Lord said Those who meditate on Me by fixing their minds on Me with steadfast devotion (and) being endowed with supreme faith-they are considered to be the most perfect yogis according to Me.

Detailed Commentary

12.2 Commentary— [The Lord had already given this verdict in the forty-seventh verse of the Sixth Chapter, even without Arjuna asking. However, Arjuna could not grasp that decision because the question was not his. For this very reason, he posed such a question in the first verse of this chapter. Sadhakas often have a similar experience: they lack the desire to know, and thus fail to comprehend what they hear as being for themselves. They believe that the teachings of the Shastras are not for them. If there is no eagerness to know a subject, they often forget it. However, when they ask a question and are given an answer, they accept it with shraddha (faith). Therefore, sadhakas should strive to understand whatever they read in the Shastras as meant for them and endeavor to embody it in their lives. 'Mayyāveśya mano ye mām nityayuktāḥ upāsate' — The mind is drawn only where there is love. Where there is love, contemplation happens spontaneously. 'Nityayuktāḥ' means that the sadhaka should himself become absorbed in Bhagavan. To be absorbed in Bhagavan means: 'Bhagavan alone is mine, and I belong to Bhagavan.' If our sole objective is Bhagavat-prāpti (attainment of God), then the mind and intellect will remain engaged in Bhagavan. But if the objective is not clear, then even with effort, the mind and intellect will not engage in Bhagavan. This is why sadhakas complain that their mind and intellect do not engage in Bhagavan. Concentration of mind and intellect can lead to siddhi (accomplishment), but true welfare (kalyan) comes from attachment to Bhagavan. Upāsanā means to offer oneself to Bhagavan, affirming, "I belong to Bhagavan." By this, everything becomes for Bhagavan alone. Understanding the truth that the body belongs to Prakriti (nature) and the Jīva (individual soul) is an amsha (part) of Paramatma, one can declare, "I belong to Bhagavan." The conscious Jīva and Bhagavan have a self-evident, intrinsic relationship, but the Jīva has assumed a relationship with Prakriti, which is unreal. Therefore, as long as there is a relationship with Prakriti, the recognition of a relationship with Bhagavan is essential. When the connection with Prakriti is severed, the relationship with Bhagavan becomes spontaneously clear. If the sadhaka's objective is not the accumulation of material pleasures but the attainment of Paramatma, then he has recognized his relationship with Bhagavan. Upon recognizing this relationship, desires connected with the world cease. The sadhaka should turn away from Prakriti and consider himself to belong to Bhagavan. 'Shraddhayā parayopetāste ye yuktatamā matāḥ' — Shraddha is that which the sadhaka considers supreme. When one has shraddha, one lives according to one's principles and does not deviate from them. In love, association is important, and in shraddha, obedience is paramount. In the love for Bhagavan, the bhakta (devotee) experiences a continuous connection with Bhagavan, not separation. Therefore, in Bhagavan's view, such devotees are the best yogis. The same has been stated in the forty-seventh verse of the Sixth Chapter. Connection — In the previous verse, Bhagavan described Saguna-upāsakas (devotees of the Personal God) as the best yogis. This might raise the question: are Nirguna-upāsakas (devotees of the Impersonal Absolute) not the best yogis? In response, Bhagavan says.