śhrī-bhagavān uvācha
mayy āveśhya mano ye māṁ nitya-yuktā upāsate
śhraddhayā parayopetās te me yuktatamā matāḥ
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha — the Blessed Lord said;
mayi — on me;
āveśhya — fix;
manaḥ — the mind;
ye — those;
mām — me;
nitya yuktāḥ — always engaged;
upāsate — worship;
śhraddhayā — with faith;
parayā — best;
upetāḥ — endowed;
te — they;
me — by me;
yukta-tamāḥ — situated highest in Yog;
matāḥ — I consider
In this verse, Lord Krishna is telling Arjuna that the best kind of person is the one who focuses their mind on Him and worships Him with strong faith and devotion. Let’s break this down:
1. **Fixing the Mind on Krishna:** This means that when someone thinks about Krishna and keeps their attention on His personal form – like picturing Him or remembering His qualities – they are putting their heart into their devotion. For example, if someone loves someone else, they often think about that person throughout the day. In the same way, being in love with God means thinking about Him regularly.
2. **Always Engaged in Worship:** Here, 'worshiping' doesn’t just mean praying or performing rituals; it means dedicating your daily activities to Krishna. A person can worship Krishna by doing various tasks with the mindset of pleasing Him. For instance, cooking a meal can be seen as an offering to God, or helping others can be viewed as serving Krishna in everyone.
3. **Great and Transcendental Faith:** This kind of faith is special; it means having a deep trust and belief in Krishna's guidance and presence in life. It’s like having confidence that your best friend is always there to support you, no matter what. This deep, unwavering trust helps people stay focused on their devotion.
4. **Most Perfect in Yoga:** Krishna is saying that this type of dedicated person, who combines their focus on Him with their daily actions, is considered the most perfected yogi, or person who practices spirituality. In simpler terms, if someone lives their life in such a devoted way, they are doing the best kind of spiritual practice.
5. **Living Life as Service:** Krishna mentions that true devotion means that everything you do is connected to Him. For instance, a devotee might spend time chanting devotional songs, reading scriptures about Krishna, or even doing tasks at a temple. They can be cooking for others and thinking of it as an offering to Krishna, or enjoying a moment of peace while recalling his stories. All activities are ways to connect with Krishna.
6. **Continuous Engagement:** A key point here is that this should be a constant effort. Just as we keep our loved ones in our hearts and minds throughout the day, similarly, a devotee tries to ensure that every moment is dedicated to Krishna. This full-time devotion puts them in a state of deep connection, which is known as 'samadhi' in yoga. It is a state of complete absorption where nothing else matters except the love and service to Krishna.
So, ultimately, this verse emphasizes that the best way to live is by making Krishna the core of your life, embracing Him in everything you do, nurturing a strong faith, and finding joy in that connection.