Next Shlok Previous Shlok
Bhagwad Gita (English) | Chapter 12 | Verse 9

Chapter 12, Verse 9

Devotional Service

My dear Arjuna, O winner of wealth, if you cannot fix your mind upon Me without deviation, then follow the regulated principles of bhakti-yoga. In this way you will develop a desire to attain to Me.

Verse

अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम्।अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाप्तुं धनञ्जय।।12.9।।


atha chittaṁ samādhātuṁ na śhaknoṣhi mayi sthiram
abhyāsa-yogena tato mām ichchhāptuṁ dhanañjaya

Meaning of each word

atha — if;
chittam — mind;
samādhātum — to fix;
na śhaknoṣhi — (you) are unable;
mayi — on me;
sthiram — steadily;
abhyāsa-yogena — by uniting with God through repeated practice;
tataḥ — then;
mām — me;
ichchhā — desire;
āptum — to attain;
dhanañjaya — Arjun, the conqueror of wealth

Interpretation

In this verse, Lord Krishna is speaking to Arjuna and offering guidance on how to connect with God, particularly when focusing on God is difficult. He acknowledges that some people struggle to keep their minds fixed on Him. This could be because they are easily distracted or have not yet developed a strong, heartfelt connection with God.

Krishna suggests a solution: if someone finds it hard to concentrate on Him directly, they should follow certain established practices of bhakti-yoga, which is a way of devotional service. Bhakti-yoga includes specific actions and routines that can help a person gradually build their connection with God. Think of it like forming a new habit; at first, it can be tough, but with regular practice, it becomes easier and more natural.

Essentially, what Krishna is saying is that there are two paths in this journey toward God.

1. **The First Path**: This is for those who feel a deep love and attachment to God already. They have developed a close relationship with Krishna out of pure love, making it easier for them to focus on Him. They can connect with Him through prayer, meditation, and devotion.

2. **The Second Path**: This is for those who have not yet experienced that closeness or love for God. For these individuals, Krishna advises following the structured guidelines or rules of bhakti-yoga. These might include activities like chanting, serving others, participating in community worship, or studying sacred texts. By consistently practicing these activities, a person can gradually cultivate love for Krishna and improve their ability to focus on Him.

In simpler terms, if you struggle to feel close to God, don't worry. Just start by doing the things that will help you get there. Over time, as you engage in these practices, you'll find that your heart opens up, and your desire to connect with God grows stronger.

Other Verses of Chapter 12
Verse 1
Arjuna inquired: Which is considered to be more perfect: those who are properly engaged in Your devotional service, or those who worship the impersonal Brahman, the unmanifested?
Verse 2
The Blessed Lord said: He whose mind is fixed on My personal form, always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith, is considered by Me to be most perfect.
Verse 3
Those who worship the imperishable, the indefinable, the unmanifest, the omnipresent, the unthinkable, the immovable, and the eternal.
Verse 4
Having restrained all the senses, being even-minded everywhere, and intent on the welfare of all beings, they verily come unto Me.
Verse 5
For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied.
Verse 6
But to those who worship Me, renouncing all actions in Me, regarding Me as the supreme goal, meditating on Me with single-minded yoga.
Verse 7
To those whose minds are set on Me, O Arjuna, verily I soon become the savior out of the ocean of Samsara.
Verse 8
Just fix your mind upon Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in Me always, without a doubt.
Verse 10
If you cannot practice the regulations of bhakti-yoga, then just try to work for Me, because by working for Me you will come to the perfect stage.
Verse 11
If, however, you are unable to work in this consciousness, then try to act giving up all results of your work and try to be self-situated.
Verse 12
If you cannot take to this practice, then engage yourself in the cultivation of knowledge. Better than knowledge, however, is meditation, and better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of action, for by such renunciation one can attain peace of mind.
Verse 13
He who hates no creature, is friendly and compassionate to all, is free from attachment and egoism, is balanced in pleasure and pain, and is forgiving.
Verse 14
Ever content, steady in meditation, self-controlled, possessing firm conviction, with the mind and intellect dedicated to Me, he, My devotee, is dear to Me.
Verse 15
He for whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anxiety, who is steady in happiness and distress, is very dear to Me.
Verse 16
A devotee who is not dependant on the ordinary course of activities, who is pure, expert, without cares, free from all pains, and who does not strive for some result, is very dear to Me.
Verse 17
One who neither grasps pleasure or grief, who neither laments nor desires, and who renounces both auspicious and inauspicious things, is very dear to Me.
Verse 18
He who is the same to foe and friend, and also in honor and dishonor, who is the same in cold and heat, in pleasure and pain, and who is free from attachment.
Verse 19
He to whom censure and praise are equal, who is silent, content with anything, homeless, of a steady mind, and full of devotion; that man is dear to me.
Verse 20
He who follows this imperishable path of devotional service and who completely engages himself with faith, making Me the supreme goal, is very, very dear to Me.
Download as Image