मच्चित्ता मद्गतप्राणा बोधयन्त: परस्परम् |
कथयन्तश्च मां नित्यं तुष्यन्ति च रमन्ति च || 9||
mach-chittā mad-gata-prāṇā bodhayantaḥ parasparam
kathayantaśh cha māṁ nityaṁ tuṣhyanti cha ramanti cha
mat-chittāḥ—those with minds fixed on me; mat-gata-prāṇāḥ—those who have surrendered their lives to me; bodhayantaḥ—enlightening (with divine knowledge of God); parasparam—one another; kathayantaḥ—speaking; cha—and; mām—about me; nityam—continously; tuṣhyanti—satisfaction; cha—and; ramanti—(they) delight; cha—also
Translation:
With their thought fixed on Me, with their life absorbed in Me, enlightening one another about Me, and always conversing about Me, they derive satisfaction and delight.
Commentary:
The life of the true devotee is beautifully described in this verse. The life and mental functions of the ignorant are wholly devoted to the world, and they live and die entangled in the meshes of samsara. But the real devotee consecrates his body, mind and life to the Lord. His mind thinks of the Lord; his limbs do the work of the Lord; his eyes see the Lord; his reason understands the presence of the Lord everywhere. His whole life is thus absorbed in the Lord. His whole life is a continued worship. When the devotees meet together they only talk of God, His power, and Yoga. God’s glory is infinite. Everywhere, in everything, God’s power is manifesting itself. So the devotee goes on thinking and speaking of God’s Glory. Such holy company is the highest spiritual education that man can get. All doubts are cleared by mutual enlightenment. There is a powerful current, spiritual thought, and emotion, circulating among them. The very air they breathe is full of knowledge and bliss.
Do we not see how worldly people talk of worldly matters endlessly? That is their samskara. If anyone mentions the name of God in such a company he is ridiculed and condemned. The true aspirant should not mix in such a company.
The devotee is like a ripe fruit full of sweet juice. Sweet juice comes out of it always. The devotee is again like a full-blown flower. Sweet fragrance envelopes the whole flower. So also, the whole life and thought of the devotee is blessed with divine contemplation and action.
A group of devotees thinking of God and His ways and exchanging intimate thoughts and experiences is verily a Heaven on earth. They receive knowledge from one another, derive inspiration and encouragement, test and confirm their views, attitudes and angles of vision. Such mutual enlightenment increases one’s faith in God, and draws him nearer the Truth,
The devotees feel satisfied and delighted. The contemplation of the Divine is an end in itself, and joy derived from it is pure and perfect. When a person begins to feel this joy which is unlike any other sensual pleasure, he finds no attraction for anything else. He sings the name of the Lord in ecstatic joy, he laughs, he speaks out of the fullness of joy, and gets himself lost in divine intoxication. For him, the whole world is transfigured and defined. He sees the Lord everywhere and he sees nothing other than the Lord anywhere.
The devotee’s life is dedicated and consecrated to the Lord. His one and only aim is to know the Lord and be with Him. He is ready to sacrifice his life for realising his aim. Such a resolute spirit is necessary for God-realisation. Life is nothing if God is not realised. We find great idealists giving up everything for attaining their ideal. So also the believers in God are ready to give up their life in their effort to reach Him. Lukewarm-faith does not lead to the goal quickly. The sacrifice should be complete and unconditional. Then the Lord is pleased, and immortality is attained. That is why it is said “tyagennike amritatvamanasuh.” – by sacrifice alone, immoratality is obtained. Great souls surrender their all to the Lord.
This verse gives a vivid picture of the daily life and work of the devotee dedicated to the realisation of the Supreme.
Question: How does the true devotee live?
Answer:
- His mind, senses and life are fixed in the Lord.
- The devotees enlighten one another in mutual company.
- They are thus satisfied and delighted.
Question: In what does the devotee find pleasure and delight?
Answer: In talking of God, and being absorbed in Him.
Question: What should the true devotees talk of?
Answer: They should talk of God alone and mutually enlighten one another.
Question: In what should the mind be fixed?
Answer: In the contemplation of Paramatma.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 10 🔻 (42 Verses)
