Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9, Verse 34

English Translation

Having your mind fixed on Me, be devoted to Me, sacrifice to Me, and bow down to Me. By concentrating your mind and accepting Me as the supreme Goal, you shall surely attain Me who am thus the Self.

Detailed Commentary

One speaks one's heart only where the listener harbors no fault-finding attitude towards the speaker, but rather reverence. Arjuna is devoid of a critical outlook, which is why the Lord called him Anasūyave (9.1). Therefore, the Lord is now revealing the confidential matters of His heart to Arjuna. 'Madbhaktaḥ' — Become My devotee. This means that you should only forge a relationship with Me, which is eternally established. It is merely through error that one has assumed a relationship with the body and the material world. Therefore, transforming this unreal ego, now accept that 'I am yours, and you are Mine.' 'Manmanā Bhava' — The mind engages where there is a sense of belonging or intimacy. I cannot forget your unbroken relationship with Me, but you should fix your mind on Me. 'Madyājī' — Worship Me. This means to consider whatever you do as My worship. 'Māṁ Namaskuru' — Remain pleased with My decisions. Even if My decisions are contrary to your mind, there should still be cheerfulness. Those who seek refuge in Me with a desire to gain something are not truly surrendered to Me. In truth, those are My surrendered ones who, letting go of their own desires, become absorbed in My decisions. An individual should not be saddened or worried by adverse events. They should remain joyful in them, because these occur by My will. If there were no auspiciousness in it, why would I do it? Therefore, Arjuna, you too remain pleased with My decisions. Just as an offender goes before someone and says, 'Whatever you do, my happiness lies in that.' Similarly, a devotee, having surrendered to the Lord, says, 'Prabho, my well-being is in Your decision.' This is the meaning of 'Māṁ Namaskuru'. 'Mām evaiṣyasi yuktvai-vamātmānaṁ matparāyaṇaḥ' — 'Evam' implies that by being a 'Madbhaktaḥ', you have offered yourself to Me. Upon such surrender, My attainment will surely come; there is no doubt about it. 'Matparāyaṇaḥ' means that nothing should happen without My will. Become a puppet in My hands. **Special Point** (1) By becoming a devotee of the Lord, a person quickly transforms. This transformation makes one's mind devoted to the Lord. One worships the Lord and remains pleased with His decisions. This is the completeness of Sharāṇagati. Primarily, it is about becoming a devotee of the Lord. (2) Those who become entirely the Lord's lose their individual self-assertion. All their possessions become the Lord's. By offering oneself, everything becomes the Lord's. **Unity of Chapters Seven and Nine** At the beginning of the seventh chapter, the Lord promised knowledge along with Vijñāna. In the eighth chapter, Arjuna's questions changed the flow. In the ninth chapter, the Lord again expounds knowledge along with Vijñāna. The subject matter discussed in the seventh chapter was elaborated upon in the ninth chapter. The flow of the Lord's discourse was continued in the ninth chapter. Both chapters move in the same direction. In the seventh chapter, it was stated that among many, hardly one truly knows the Lord in essence (Tattva). In the ninth chapter, it was explained that due to a lack of faith in this knowledge, people fall into the cycle of death. In the seventh chapter, the Lord described the origin (Prabhava) and dissolution (Pralaya) of the world. The same was stated in the ninth chapter. In the seventh chapter, verses eighteen, four types of devotees were described, and in the ninth chapter, seven distinctions of devotees were explained. In both chapters, knowledge with Vijñāna was promised, and a single fruit for both was stated — the attainment of the Lord. Here ends the ninth chapter, named Rājavidyārājaguhyayoga.