योगिनामपि सर्वेषां मद्गतेनान्तरात्मना |
श्रद्धावान्भजते यो मां स मे युक्ततमो मत: || 47||
yoginām api sarveṣhāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā
śhraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
yoginām—of all yogis; api—however; sarveṣhām—all types of; mat-gatena—absorbed in me (God); antaḥ—inner; ātmanā—with the mind; śhraddhā-vān—with great faith; bhajate—engage in devotion; yaḥ—who; mām—to me; saḥ—he; me—by me; yukta-tamaḥ—the highest yogi; mataḥ—is considered
Translation:
Even among yogis, he who worships Me with mind fixed in Me, full of faith, is deemed by me to be the most devout.
Commentary:
In the previous verse, the superiority of the yogi to the ascetics, the learned men, and men of Vedic works is declared. In this verse, the Lord states that the yogi who worships Him, the Absolute, with faith, is the greatest of all yogis. Lord Krishna is himself the supreme in-dwelling Self of all, and so when the Lord says “Worship Me,” it is taken to mean “be united with Me, the Self, the Absolute.” Or from the point of view of the devotee (Bhakta), the Lord as the divine form of Krishna may be taken as the object of worship. In any way, the yogi who worships the Lord, the Absolute, is greater than those who worship the Devas.
The purpose of all sadhana is to free the mind from impure tendencies binding it to the material world. In this process, devotion to the Lord is of primary importance. It is the Lord’s grace that leads man to success in any yoga – Karma yoga, Jnana yoga or Dhyana yoga. That seed which is watered sprouts into life and grows. Devotion to God is the water that soaks the mind of the aspirant and bears fruit in the ultimate success of all his endeavours. Is the conquest of Maya an easy task? What is man before the power of Maya? With weak and troubled mind filled with all the filth of sensual pleasures, how can man hope to conquer Maya? Can he hope to do so by his own efforts? He cannot, except with the support of the Lord. The worship of the Lord is the only guarantee of success in any yoga. Therefore, all great spiritual giants who come to teach mankind have taken refuge in Him and have worked as His instruments. It is to be noted that whatever the subject of the particular Discourse, the Lord does make a reference to devotion, to remind the seeker to have faith in Him and perform his work. Devotion thus forms the final note in this Discourse on Dhyana Yoga.
God, the Absolute, should be worshipped with faith. The Gita emphasises faith in many places. What is done without faith does not bear fruit. It is as good as not having done anything at all. Along with ‘Sama’ and ‘Dama’, Sraddha (faith) is the chief ingredient in spiritual practice.
The mind should be merged in Him. Possessing faith, the seeker should turn the mind inwards and become united with the Absolute. Such a yogi is most devout (Yukta tamah).
The Lord declares that this is His doctrine. From this, we can understand the importance of faith and devotion to Him, as the foundation of all Yogas.
Question: Who according to the Lord is the best of yogis?
Answer: He who is full of faith, who worships the Lord, the Absolute, and merges his mind in Him, is the greatest of yogis.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 6 🔻 (47 Verses)
