BG 12.9
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Devanagari
अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम् ।
अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाप्तुं धनञ्जय ॥ ९ ॥
Verse text
atha cittaṁ samādhātuṁ
na śaknoṣi mayi sthiram
abhyāsa-yogena tato
mām icchāptuṁ dhanaṣ-jaya
Synonyms
atha
—
if, therefore
;
cittam
—
mind
;
samādhātum
—
to fix
;
na
—
not
;
śaknoṣi
—
you are able
;
mayi
—
upon Me
;
sthiram
—
steadily
;
abhyāsa-yogena
—
by the practice of devotional service
;
tataḥ
—
then
;
mām
—
Me
;
icchā
—
desire
;
āptum
—
to get
;
dhanam-jaya
—
O winner of wealth, Arjuna.
Translation
My dear Arjuna, O winner of wealth, if you cannot fix your mind upon Me without deviation, then follow the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga. In this way develop a desire to attain Me.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
9. Otherwise, if you are not able to concentrate your mind on Me steadily, then seek to attain Me by the method of repetition of fixing your mind on Me, O conqueror of wealth.
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
9. Otherwise, if you are not able to concentrate your mind on Me steadily, then seek to attain Me by the method of withdrawing the mind from sense objects and fixing it on Me, O conqueror of wealth.
Purport
In this verse, two different processes of bhakti-yoga are indicated. The first applies to one who has actually developed an attachment for Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by transcendental love. And the other is for one who has not developed an attachment for the Supreme Person by transcendental love. For this second class there are different prescribed rules and regulations one can follow to be ultimately elevated to the stage of attachment to Kṛṣṇa.
Bhakti-yoga is the purification of the senses. At the present moment in material existence the senses are always impure, being engaged in sense gratification. But by the practice of bhakti-yoga these senses can become purified, and in the purified state they come directly in contact with the Supreme Lord. In this material existence, I may be engaged in some service to some master, but I don’t really lovingly serve my master. I simply serve to get some money. And the master also is not in love; he takes service from me and pays me. So there is no question of love. But for spiritual life, one must be elevated to the pure stage of love. That stage of love can be achieved by practice of devotional service, performed with the present senses.
This love of God is now in a dormant state in everyone’s heart. And, there, love of God is manifested in different ways, but it is contaminated by material association. Now the heart has to be purified of the material association, and that dormant, natural love for Kṛṣṇa has to be revived. That is the whole process.
To practice the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga one should, under the guidance of an expert spiritual master, follow certain principles: one should rise early in the morning, take bath, enter the temple and offer prayers and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then collect flowers to offer to the Deity, cook foodstuffs to offer to the Deity, take prasādam, and so on. There are various rules and regulations which one should follow. And one should constantly hear Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from pure devotees. This practice can help anyone rise to the level of love of God, and then he is sure of his progress into the spiritual kingdom of God. This practice of bhakti-yoga, under the rules and regulations, with the direction of a spiritual master, will surely bring one to the stage of love of God.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The Lord then speaks of a method to attain the state of remembrance mentioned above, if one is unable to remember the Lord with no preparation. Repeatedly withdrawing the mind when it goes here and there, and fixing the mind on Me is called abhyāsa. By this method of abhyāsa (abhyāsa-yogena), endeavor to attain Me.
In common words, this means, “Stop the movement of mind, which like a river cannot be controlled, and which gravitates to vulgar sense objects such as taste, and establish the mind’s movement in My beautiful form and taste. O Dhanaṣjaya, having conquered many enemies, you have taken much wealth. Now, conquering the mind, you can take the treasure of meditation.”
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
“Those who can check the movements of the mind which are like the Gaṅgā will certainly attain You quickly. But I do not have such abilities. How can I attain such such power of mind?”
If you cannot offer (ādhātum) your full consciousness with complete ease (sam) to Me in such a way that it is steady (sthiram), then try (iccha) to attain Me by the fixation method. Withdrawing the mind which wanders to other objects, gradually fix it in Me, and practice this repeatedly (abhyāsa yogena) When your mind becomes devoted to Me by this method, attaining Me will be easy.
Surrender Unto Me
There are different ways to explain these progressions. These one means that if one cannot fix one's mind upon Krsna without deviation, always be practicing, engaged in sadhana, in such that one is always practicing to fix his mind upon Krsna without deviation.
There is perfection and then practice ‑ 'abhyasa‑yogena'.
(DS) 'Abhyasa‑yogena', the practice of the regulative principles of bhakti‑yoga. This doesn't mean the practice of the four regulative principles, but the practice of fixing one's mind upon Krsna without deviation.
The first stage is out of spontaneous love for Krsna. The second stage is by practicing fixing the mind upon Krsna. This means to fight with the mind: never forget Krsna and always remember Him.
In B.r.s. an example is given to show how love for Krsna is something that is already there in the heart, is inherent. Like the child and his propensity for walking. That capacity is in the child and will come out by practice.
Devotional service is not the practice of something that one don't know, like practicing to learn musical instruments. Rather it is a practice of something that is inherent within oneself. In the same way the capacity to love Krsna is there within one's heart and it will come out by practicing to serve Krsna.
Practice means with mind, body and words.
In B.r.s. it is explained that the 'svarupa laksana' or the prime symptoms of bhakti are: 'Krsnanusilanam' and 'anukulyena'. Krsna means Krsna, His expansions ‑ the object of love. 'Anusilanam' means 'activity' for Krsna with body mind and words. And with practice one comes to the stage of constantly thinking of Krsna without deviation.
This second stage is 'sadhana bhakti' where all activities are meant to stimulate thoughts of Krsna.
[3. Surrendering one's work to Krsna. (10) ]