Chapter 18 · Verse 65

Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender

मन्मना भव मद्भक्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु।मामेवैष्यसि सत्यं ते प्रतिजाने प्रियोऽसि मे

man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru mām evaiṣhyasi satyaṁ te pratijāne priyo ‘si me

Word Meanings

mat-manāḥ — thinking of me; bhava — be; mat-bhaktaḥ — my devotee; mat-yājī — worship me; mām — to me; namaskuru — offer obeisance; mām — to me; eva — certainly; eṣhyasi — you will come; satyam — truly; te — to you; pratijāne — I promise; priyaḥ — dear; asi — you are; me — to me

Language:

Translation

Fix your mind on Me, be My devotee, worship Me, and bow down to Me — you shall surely come to Me. This I promise you truly, for you are dear to Me.

Commentary

मन्मनाः with mind fixed on Me? भव be? मद्भक्तः devoted to Me? मद्याजी sacrifice to Me? माम् to Me? नमस्कुरु bow down? माम् to Me? एव even? एष्यसि (thou) shalt come? सत्यम् truth? ते to thee? प्रतिजाने (I) promise? प्रियः dear? असि (thou) art? मे of Me.Commentary Develop onepointedness of mind. Fix thy thought on Me. If the mind wanders bring it again and again to the centre or point or object of meditation? through constant practice. Offer all thy actions to Me. Let thy tongue utter My name. Let thy hands work for Me. Let thy feet move for Me. Let all thy actions be for Me. Give up hatred towards any living creature. Bow down to Me. Then thou wilt attain Me.The Lord gives Arjuna His definite word of promise or solemn declaration. Having received My grace thou wilt gain complete knowledge of Me and that in itself will indeed lead to thy absorption into My Being.O Arjuna? looking up to Me alone as thy aim and the sole refuge? thou shalt assuredly come to,Me.Have faith in the words of the Lord and make a solemn promise. Take the Lord as your sole refuge. You will attain final emancipation.The secret of devotion is to take the Lord as your sole refuge. In the next verse the Lord proceeds to speak of the gist of selfsurrender. (Cf.IX.34XII.8)