Bhagavad-gītā 12.2

Explain simply

Speaker: Śrī Kṛṣṇa

श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते ।
श्रद्धया परयोपेताः ते मे युक्ततमा मताः ॥२॥

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
mayy āveśya mano ye māṁ
nitya-yuktā upāsate
śraddhayā parayopetās
te me yuktatamā matāḥ

Word for word (synonyms)

śrī bhagavān uvāca
the Supreme Personality of Godhead said
mayi
unto Me
āveśya
fixing
manaḥ
mind
ye
one who
mām
unto Me
nitya
always
yuktāḥ
engaged
upāsate
worships
śraddhayā
with faith
parayā
transcendental
upetāḥ
engages
te
they
me
Mine
yuktatamāḥ
most perfect
matāḥ
I consider

Translation

The Blessed Lord said: He whose mind is fixed on My personal form, always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith, is considered by Me to be most perfect.

Purport

In answer to Arjuna's question, Kṛṣṇa clearly says that he who concentrates upon His personal form and who worships Him with faith and devotion is to be considered most perfect in yoga. For one in such Kṛṣṇa consciousness there are no material activities because everything is done by Kṛṣṇa. A pure devotee is constantly engaged—sometimes he chants, sometimes he hears or reads books about Kṛṣṇa, or sometimes he cooks prasādam or goes to the marketplace to purchase something for Kṛṣṇa, or sometimes he washes the temple or the dishes—whatever he does, he does not let a single moment pass without devoting his activities to Kṛṣṇa Such action is in full samādhi.

What this verse teaches

Pure devotees of Kṛṣṇa are most perfect in yoga

In thematic compilations 3

Bhakti, the Topmost Yoga

  • Those who fix their minds on the personal form of Kṛṣṇa are most perfect. For the impersonalists, advancement is troublesome. (12.2-5 mayy āveśya mano ye...)

Bhakti Throughout the Gītā

  • Bhakti is superior to impersonalism and Kṛṣṇa directly takes charge of His devotees (12.1-7 evaṁ satata-yuktā ye...)

Self-control

  • Direct service to Kṛṣṇa is better than impersonal meditation (12.2 mayy āveśya mano ye māṁ..., 12.6-8 ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi.)

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.