🪷 Bhagavad-Gītā · 18.65
Chapter 18 · मोक्षसंन्यासयोग · Mokṣa-Sannyāsa-Yoga · "The Yoga of Liberation & Renunciation" · Verse 65 of 78
🪷 A foundational verse of the substrate
Priyo 'si Me · the Sakha-Bhāva
Krishna's declaration that Arjuna is dear to Him · the verse that anchors Vidhyāmitra's sakha-bhāva (friend-relation) as the Mitra in the name itself.
Themes: sakha-bhāva · friendship · priya · vidhya-mitra
मन्मना भव मद्भक्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु।मामेवैष्यसि सत्यं ते प्रतिजाने प्रियोऽसि मे।।18.65।।
🪷 English Translations
Five authentic English voices · each from a distinct sampradāya · together revealing the verse's full śabda-tattva.
Shri Purohit Swami · Poetic English · 1935 · public domain · Cosmo Press tradition
18.65 Dedicate thyself to Me, worship Me, sacrifice all for Me, prostrate thyself before Me, and to Me thou shalt surely come. Truly do I pledge thee; thou art My own beloved.
Swami Sivananda · Direct prose · Divine Life Society
18.65 Fix thy mind on Me, by devoted to Me, sacrifice to Me, bow down to Me. Thou shalt come even to Me; truly do I promise unto thee, (for) thou art dear to Me.
Swami Gambīrānanda · Word-key glosses · Advaita Ashrama · Śaṅkara-school
18.65 Bhava manmana, have your mind fixed on Me; be mad-bhaktah, My devotee; be a madyaji,sacrificer to Me, be engaged in sacrifices to Me; namaskuru, bow down; mam, to Me. Offer ever your salutations to Me alone. Continuing thus in them, by surrendering all ends, means and needs to Vasudeva only, esyasi, you will come; mam, to Me; eva, alone. (This) satyam, truth: do I pratijane, promise; te, to you, i.e. in this matter I make this true promise. For, asi, you are; priyah, dear; me, to Me.
The idea conveyed by the passage is: Having thus understood that the Lord is true in His pormise, and knowing for certain that liberation is the unfailing result of devotion to the Lord, one should have dedication to God as his only supreme goal.
Having summed up surrender to God as the highest secret of steadiness in Karma-yoga, there-after, with the idea that complete realization, which is the fruit of adherence to Karma-yoga and which has been enjoined in all the Upanisads, has to be spoken about, the Lord says:
Swami Ādidevānanda · Śrī-Vaiṣṇava perspective · Rāmānuja school
18.65 What is enjoined in Vedanta texts such as 'I know the Great Person of the radiance of the sun, who is beyond this Prakrti. Knowing Him thus, one becomes here immortal; there is no path for immortality' (Sve. U., 3.8); what is designated by words such as knowledge (Vedanta), meditation (Dhyana) and worship (Upasana); what is of the form of direct perception (Darsana) having the character of continuous succession of memory of a surpassingly loving nature to the worshipped - it is this that is enjoined herein by the words 'Focus your mind on Me,' 'Be My devotee.' It means, be one to whom I am incomparably dear. Since I am the object of superabundant love, meditate on Me, i.e., practise the succession of memory of unsurpassed love of Me. Such is the meaning. Be My worshipper (yaji). Here also the expression, 'Be My devotee' is applicable. Yajna is worship. Worship Me as one exceedingly dear to you. Worship (Aradhana) is complete subservience to the Lord. Prostrate before Me. Prostration means bowing down. The meaning is: Bow down humbly before Me with great love.
Renouncing thus all ego-centredness, you shall come to Me. I make this solemn promise to you. Do not take it as a mere flattery. For you are dear to Me. It has been already stated, 'For I am inexpressibly dear to the man of knowledge and dear is he to Me' (7.17). He in whom there is surpassing love for Me, I hold him also as surpassingly dear to Me. Conseently, not being able to bear separation from him, I myself will enable him to attain Me. It is this truth alone that has been solemnly declared to you in the expression that 'you shall come to Me alone.'
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan · Academic precision · modern scholarly
18.65. Be with your mind fixed in Me; be My devotee; offer oblation to Me and render salutation to Me; you shall come to Me alone. Really I promise you, (because) you are dear to Me.
🪷 English Commentaries · The Ācārya Voices
The classical commentary tradition rendered in English · each ācārya speaks from their own sampradāya · the seer chooses the depth of darśana.
Swami Sivananda · Verse-by-verse word-keys with Sanskrit anchors
18.65 मन्मनाः with mind fixed on Me? भव be? मद्भक्तः devoted to Me? मद्याजी sacrifice to Me? माम् to Me? नमस्कुरु bow down? माम् to Me? एव even? एष्यसि (thou) shalt come? सत्यम् truth? ते to thee? प्रतिजाने (I) promise? प्रियः dear? असि (thou) art? मे of Me.Commentary Develop onepointedness of mind. Fix thy thought on Me. If the mind wanders bring it again and again to the centre or point or object of meditation? through constant practice. Offer all thy actions to Me. Let thy tongue utter My name. Let thy hands work for Me. Let thy feet move for Me. Let all thy actions be for Me. Give up hatred towards any living creature. Bow down to Me. Then thou wilt attain Me.The Lord gives Arjuna His definite word of promise or solemn declaration. Having received My grace thou wilt gain complete knowledge of Me and that in itself will indeed lead to thy absorption into My Being.O Arjuna? looking up to Me alone as thy aim and the sole refuge? thou shalt assuredly come to,Me.Have faith in the words of the Lord and make a solemn promise. Take the Lord as your sole refuge. You will attain final emancipation.The secret of devotion is to take the Lord as your sole refuge. In the next verse the Lord proceeds to speak of the gist of selfsurrender. (Cf.IX.34XII.8)
Swami Gambīrānanda · Advaita-school commentary (Śaṅkara tradition)
18.65 Bhava manmana, have your mind fixed on Me; be mad-bhaktah, My devotee; be a madyaji,sacrificer to Me, be engaged in sacrifices to Me; namaskuru, bow down; mam, to Me. Offer ever your salutations to Me alone. Continuing thus in them, by surrendering all ends, means and needs to Vasudeva only, esyasi, you will come; mam, to Me; eva, alone. (This) satyam, truth: do I pratijane, promise; te, to you, i.e. in this matter I make this true promise. For, asi, you are; priyah, dear; me, to Me.
The idea conveyed by the passage is: Having thus understood that the Lord is true in His pormise, and knowing for certain that liberation is the unfailing result of devotion to the Lord, one should have dedication to God as his only supreme goal.
Having summed up surrender to God as the highest secret of steadiness in Karma-yoga, there-after, with the idea that complete realization, which is the fruit of adherence to Karma-yoga and which has been enjoined in all the Upanisads, has to be spoken about, the Lord says:
Swami Ādidevānanda · Rāmānuja Śrī-Vaiṣṇava commentary
18.65 What is enjoined in Vedanta texts such as 'I know the Great Person of the radiance of the sun, who is beyond this Prakrti. Knowing Him thus, one becomes here immortal; there is no path for immortality' (Sve. U., 3.8); what is designated by words such as knowledge (Vedanta), meditation (Dhyana) and worship (Upasana); what is of the form of direct perception (Darsana) having the character of continuous succession of memory of a surpassingly loving nature to the worshipped - it is this that is enjoined herein by the words 'Focus your mind on Me,' 'Be My devotee.' It means, be one to whom I am incomparably dear. Since I am the object of superabundant love, meditate on Me, i.e., practise the succession of memory of unsurpassed love of Me. Such is the meaning. Be My worshipper (yaji). Here also the expression, 'Be My devotee' is applicable. Yajna is worship. Worship Me as one exceedingly dear to you. Worship (Aradhana) is complete subservience to the Lord. Prostrate before Me. Prostration means bowing down. The meaning is: Bow down humbly before Me with great love.
Renouncing thus all ego-centredness, you shall come to Me. I make this solemn promise to you. Do not take it as a mere flattery. For you are dear to Me. It has been already stated, 'For I am inexpressibly dear to the man of knowledge and dear is he to Me' (7.17). He in whom there is surpassing love for Me, I hold him also as surpassingly dear to Me. Conseently, not being able to bear separation from him, I myself will enable him to attain Me. It is this truth alone that has been solemnly declared to you in the expression that 'you shall come to Me alone.'
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan · Modern academic scholarship
18.64-65 Sarva - etc. Manmanah etc, By the portion 'Be with your mind fixed in Me' etc., it is determined that in the scriptures the importance completely lies only in dedicating [everything] to the Brahman; and it is declared that this present scripture (the Holy Bhagavatgita) is of use [only] in the case of one who cultivates [the attitude of] dedication to the Brahman.
Also He says -
Swami Chinmayānanda · Chinmaya Mission · modern Vedantic teaching
।।18.65।। भगवत्प्राप्ति के लिए आवश्यक चार गुणों को बताकर? भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण अर्जुन को आश्वासन देते हैं? तुम मुझे प्राप्त होगे। जब कभी तत्त्वज्ञान के सिद्धांत को संक्षेप में ही कहा जाता है? तब वह इतना सरल प्रतीत होता है कि सामान्य विद्यार्थीगण उसे गम्भीरता से समझने का प्रयत्न नहीं करते अथवा उसकी सर्वथा उपेक्षा कर देते हैं। इस प्रकार की त्रुटि का परिहार करने के लिए भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण पुन विशेष बल देकर कहते हैं? मैं तुम्हें सत्य वचन देता हूँ।बारम्बार उपदेश देने का कारण यह है कि तुम मेरे प्रिय हो। आध्यात्मिक उपदेश देने में प्रेम की भावना ही समीचीन उद्देश्य है। शिष्य के प्रति प्रेम न होने पर? गुरु के उपदेश में न प्रेरणा होती है और न आनन्द। एक व्यावसायिक अध्यापक तो केवल वेतनभोगी होता है। ऐसा अध्यापक न अपने विद्यार्थी वर्ग को न प्रेरणा दे सकता है और न स्वयं अपने हृदय में कृतार्थता का आनन्द अनुभव कर सकता है? जो कि अध्यापन का वास्तविक पुरस्कार है।किंचित परिवर्तन के साथ यह श्लोक इसके पूर्व भी एक अध्याय में आ चुका है। यहाँ भगवान् स्पष्ट घोषणा करते हैं कि वे विशुद्ध सत्य का ही प्रतिपादन कर रहे हैं।मन्मना भव मन का कार्य संकल्प करना है। अत इसका अर्थ है तुम अपने मन के द्वारा मेरी प्राप्ति का ही संकल्प करो।मद्भक्त ईश्वर की प्राप्ति का संकल्प केवल संकल्प की अवस्था में ही नहीं रह जाना चाहिए। इस संकल्प को निश्चयात्मक भक्ति में परिवर्तित करने की आवश्यकता होती है अत तुम मेरे भक्त बनो।मद्याजी भक्ति प्रेमस्वरूप है। और जहाँ प्रेम होता है वहाँ पूजा का होना स्वाभाविक है। ईश्वर जगत् का कारण होने से सम्पूर्ण जगत् में व्याप्त है। इसलिए ईश्वर की पूजा का अर्थ है जगत् की निस्वार्थ भाव से सेवा करना। भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण यही उपदेश देते हुए कहते हैं? तुम मद्याजी अर्थात् मेरे,पूजक बनो।मां नमस्कुरु गर्व और अभिमान से युक्त पुरुष किसी को विनम्र भाव से प्रणाम नहीं कर सकता है। मुझे नमस्कार करो इस उपदेश का अभिप्राय कर्तृत्वादि अहंकार का त्याग करने से है।परमात्मा के गुणों को सम्पादित करने के लिए साधक में नम्रता? श्रद्धा? भक्ति जैसे गुणों का प्रचुरता होनी चाहिए। जल के समान ही ज्ञान का प्रवाह ऊंची सतह से नीची सतह की ओर बढ़ता है। इस श्लोक में वर्णित भक्ति से सम्पन्न कोई भी साधक भगवत्प्राप्ति का अधिकारी बन सकता है।तुम मुझे प्राप्त होगे यह भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण का सत्य आश्वासन है। श्री शंकराचार्य जी कहते हैं? कर्मयोग की साधना का परम रहस्य ईश्वरार्पण बुद्धि है। उस साधना के विषय का उपसंहार करने के पश्चात्? अब कर्मयोग के फलभूत आत्मदर्शन का वर्णन करना शेष है? जो समस्त उपनिषदों का सार है? अत भगवान् कहते हैं
🪷 Place in the Bhagavad-Gītā
- This is verse 65 of 78 in Chapter 18 · Mokṣa-Sannyāsa-Yoga (The Yoga of Liberation & Renunciation)
- Chapter theme: BG 18.66 sarva-dharmān parityajya · the Carama-Śloka · supreme refuge
- Ṣaṭka grouping: ANTYA-Ṣaṭka (BG 13-18 · the resolution)
- Chapter hub: /moksha-sannyasa
🪷 Related Ślokas · The Darśana-Neighborhood
These prominent ślokas share thematic resonance with the current verse · together they form the foundational web of the substrate's tattva-recognition.
🪷 Cited from These Pages on Vidhyāmitra
This verse is featured across the substrate as a foundational anchor · the non-dual interweaving means every page below contains an aperture into this exact śloka. Click any page to see the verse in its full dharmic-context.
🪷 ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय 🪷
सर्वम् कृष्णार्पणम् — this verse is one maṇi (jewel) on Krishna's thread (BG 7.7)