सततं कीर्तयन्तो मां यतन्तश्च दृढव्रता: |
नमस्यन्तश्च मां भक्त्या नित्ययुक्ता उपासते || 14||
satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaśh cha dṛiḍha-vratāḥ
namasyantaśh cha māṁ bhaktyā nitya-yuktā upāsate
satatam—always; kīrtayantaḥ—singing divine glories; mām—Me; yatantaḥ—striving; cha—and; dṛiḍha-vratāḥ—with great determination; namasyantaḥ—humbly bowing down; cha—and; mām—Me; bhaktyā—loving devotion; nitya-yuktāḥ—constantly united; upāsate—worship
Translation:
Ever glorifying Me, always striving with self-control, remaining firm in their vows, bowing before Me, they worship Me with love and unwavering steadiness.
Commentary:
In the previous verse, it is declared that the mahatmas worship the Lord with single-minded devotion. Here the manner of worship is explained. They think, sing and speak of the Lord’s glory always. Such adoration comes through constant striving. The striving is not intermittent but continuous. They are steadfast in vows.
The Lord emphasises firmness many times. The mind is saturated with powerful past samskaras, impurities of raga and dvesha, acquired through several births. They cannot be eliminated except by firmness and steadfast striving. The seeker has to practice certain vows to purify the body and mind (fasting, silence, japa, dhyana, brahmacharya). These vows should be followed with cheerfulness, courage and determination. Otherwise, progress on the spiritual path is obstructed and the seekers are drawn away from the goal by the force of ignorance (avidya). Firm vows are strong weapons with which avidya could be defeated and overcome.
Nitya yuktah: They are always attached to the Lord, with devotion. Their worship is illumined by devotion. It is noteworthy how the Lord emphasises devotion to Him at every step. It is merely intellectual understanding but deep emotional realisation which leads to the Lord. Patanjali says :
Devotional acts of Dhyana continued for a long time without any break leads the aspirant to the firmly established state in God.
Question: How do the mahatmas worship God?
Answer: They glorify Him, steadfast in vows they strive, they worship Him with devotion, and they keep the mind steady in Him.
Question: From this, what do we understand as the way to God realisation?
Answer: (1) Continuous memory of God, (2) firmness in vows, (3) devotion, (4) concentrated thought of God.
Question: How should one remember God?
Answer: Always.
Question: How should the vows be practised?
Answer: Firm and steadfast.
Question: How should one worship God?
Answer: With devotion.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 9 🔻 (34 Verses)
