BG 9.22
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Devanagari
अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जना: पर्युपासते ।
तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम् ॥ २२ ॥
Verse text
ananyāś cintayanto māṁ
ye janāḥ paryupāsate
teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ
yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham
Synonyms
ananyāḥ
—
having no other object
;
cintayantaḥ
—
concentrating
;
mām
—
on Me
;
ye
—
those who
;
janāḥ
—
persons
;
paryupāsate
—
properly worship
;
teṣām
—
of them
;
nitya
—
always
;
abhiyuktānām
—
fixed in devotion
;
yoga
—
requirements
;
kṣemam
—
protection
;
vahāmi
—
carry
;
aham
—
I.
Translation
But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form – to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
22. But I carry the burden of supply and maintenance of those who desire constant association with Me, and who, thinking only of Me, worship only Me.
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
22. But I carry the burden of supply and maintenance of those who desire constant association with Me, and who, thinking only of Me, worship only Me.
Purport
One who is unable to live for a moment without Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot but think of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours a day, being engaged in devotional service by hearing, chanting, remembering, offering prayers, worshiping, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, rendering other services, cultivating friendship and surrendering fully to the Lord. Such activities are all auspicious and full of spiritual potencies, which make the devotee perfect in self-realization, so that his only desire is to achieve the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a devotee undoubtedly approaches the Lord without difficulty. This is called yoga. By the mercy of the Lord, such a devotee never comes back to this material condition of life. Kṣema refers to the merciful protection of the Lord. The Lord helps the devotee to achieve Kṛṣṇa consciousness by yoga, and when he becomes fully Kṛṣṇa conscious the Lord protects him from falling down to a miserable conditioned life.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
On the other hand, the happiness of My ananya-bhaktas is given by Me. It is not obtained by pious acts. They are at all times (nityam) well versed in matters concerning Me (abhiyuktānām) and are always ignorant of all other things. Or the phrase can mean that they constantly desire to be in My association. For such persons, I take care of their attainment of wealth (yoga) and their maintenance (kṣemam), though they do not expect such things. It would be unsuitable for the Lord simply to say that he performs these acts. Thus the word vahāmi meaning “carry,” is used. The use of the word vahāmi indicates that the Lord bears the burden of maintaining their bodies, in the manner that the householder takes the responsibility for maintaining his own wife and children. Thus, one should not say that, like others, their attainment or preservation of bodily needs is due to karma.
“Still, since You are ātmārāma, enjoying within, and indifferent to all things as the Supreme Lord, where is the question of You bearing this responsibility?”
“The śruti says:
bhaktir asya bhajanaṁ tad ihāmutropādhi-nairāsyenāmuṣmin manaḥ-kalpanam etad eva naiṣkarmyam
Bhakti is worship of the Lord, concentrating the mind on Him, renouncing all material desires for enjoyment (upādhi) in this world and the next. It destroys all karmas. Gopāla Tāpanī Upaniṣad, 1.15
Because My ananya devotee has no karma due to lack of desire (naiṣkarmayam), his happiness is given by Me. Though I am indifferent to all else, I have great affection for My devotee. This is the cause. One should also not say that in giving the burden of their maintenance to their worshipable Lord, the devotees show lack of prema. In fact, they do not give to Me that burden. Rather, I, by My own will, accept it. It should also be understood that I am not bearing it as a duty, in the manner that I create and maintain the universe by My will alone. Rather, being attached to My devotees, I take the greatest pleasure in taking care of their needs, like carrying the weight of one’s lover.”
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
Now the Lord describes the details of His own devotees. I alone take responsibility for bringing and protecting food and other necessities for those people who take Me alone as the goal (ananyāḥ janāḥ), who meditate upon Me (cintayantaḥ), and who worship Me thoroughly (pari upasate) and who are always absorbed in Me (nitya abhiyuktānām), forgetting about their bodily maintenance. They worship Me as the reservoir of auspicious qualities, as the reservoir of variegated, astonishing ambrosial pastimes, as the reservoir of divine powers.
The Lord says here “I carry” rather than “I do.” I should carry the burden of their maintenance, just as the husband alone should bear the burden of supporting his family. The author of vedānta says svāminaḥ phala-śruter ity ātreyaḥ: from the Lord come all the necessities of the devotee, because these results are mentioned in the śruti. This is the opinion of Dattātreya. (Vedānta Sūtra 3.4.44)
Another meaning is as follows. For those who desire association with Me eternally (nitya abhiyuktānām), I alone bear the responsibility for their attaining Me (yoga) and prevent them from separating from Me (kṣemam). I alone take the responsibility of their attaining Me. The devatās such as the sun god do not do this.” [Note: In chapter 8 it was mentioned the deities of light and other elements conducted the devotee on the path. But they do so depending on the Lord.] The Lord will explain this again in two verses in the twelfth chapter:
ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi mayi sannyasya mat-parāḥ
ananyenaiva yogena māṁ dhyāyanta upāsate
teṣām ahaṁ samuddhartā mṛtyu-saṁsāra-sāgarāt
bhavāmi na cirāt pārtha mayy āveśita-cetasām
But those who worship Me, giving up all their activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, having fixed their minds upon Me, O son of Pṛthā—for them I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death. BG 12.6-7
The author of Vedānta says viśeṣaṁ ca darśayati: the pure devotees are a special case. (Vedānta Sūtra 4.3.16) The Lord, not the conducting deities, takes them to the spiritual world.
Surrender Unto Me
Srila Prabhupada says in his Purport: "One who is unable to live for a moment without Krsna consciousness cannot but think of Krsna twenty‑four hours a day, being engaged in devotional service by hearing, chanting, remembering, off prayers, worshiping, serving the lotus feet of the rendering other services, cultivating friendshi surrendering fully to the Lord."
Although pure devotees, they don't want anything from Krsna, the Lord supplies them anyhow ‑ He carries what they lack, He preserves what they have.
Krsna is personally interested in His devotees although His pure devotees don't want anything from Him. It could be asked: "You carry upon Your head the needs of Your devotees, but what kind of devotee is that, that makes You carry his needs like that?
Krsna answers: " They have not given Me this burden, I do it by My own sweet will. It is not a burden for Me. I can create universes, this is not a burden for Me. Because I have a feeling of personal desire to serve them, there is no burden."
But one could argue: "The worshipers of the demigods are worshiping Krsna indirectly, so they should have the same kind of results." Krsna answers to this,