Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12, Verse 8 (BG 12.8) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

12.8 मयि in Me? एव only? मनः the mind? आधत्स्व fix? मयि in Me? बुद्धिम् (thy) intellect? निवेशय place? निवसिष्यसि thou shalt live? मयि in Me? एव alone? अतः ऊर्ध्वम् hereafter? न not? संशयः doubt.Commentary Fix thy mind means thy purposes and thoughts in Me the Lord in the Cosmic Form. Give up entirely all thoughts of sensual objects. Fix in Me thy intellect also -- the faculty which resolves and determines.What will be the result then Thou shalt undoubtedly live in Me as Myself. O Arjuna? of this there is no doubt whatsoever.The Yoga of meditation is described in this verse. (Cf.VIII.7X.9XI.34XVIII.65)

Commentaries

Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.

This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

Modern

Meditation is not a physical activity, but rather a subtle art developed through the inner personality of a human being. Every practitioner experiences this: what the intellect accepts, the heart cannot understand or take interest in; and what the heart yearns for, the intellect ridicules. Therefore, the secret of uniting both intellect and heart in that one captivating form of supreme bliss—this is the mystery of engaging the inner personality with spiritual endeavor. In this verse, the practice of this art is beautifully described. **Fix your mind upon Me** The mind cannot meditate upon objects imperceptible to the senses. Therefore, by meditating upon the enchanting form of the flute-bearer, the cowherd Krishna, the mind can be easily absorbed at the feet of the Lord. Because the Lord is all-pervading, He is the divine foundation of all names and forms at one and the same time. Thus, the devotee's meditation cannot wander to any place that does not remind him of the gentle smile of Krishna, the cowherd, crowned with the peacock feather. Merely contemplating the adorned marble image of the child Krishna is not sufficient for the inner personality of a human being. Although the heart becomes satisfied by sitting near the lotus feet of the Lord, the intellect's inquiry remains unquenched. The development of only one aspect gives birth to deformity; harmony and equal development alone is perfection. Therefore, from the scriptural perspective, the Gita's teaching is appropriate: the devotee should, through his discriminating intellect, pierce through the stone image and realize that conscious principle which the image represents. **Establish your intellect in Me** This means: unite your individual intellect with the universal intellect, which is the Lord's attribute. Each of us, in any given moment, is the sum total of all our feelings and thoughts. When our mind is fixed upon the Lord and the intellect enters the depths of the infinite, then our individual existence itself ceases, and we, becoming absorbed in the all-pervading, infinite Supreme Self, become one with that nature. Therefore, the Lord has said: thereafter, you shall dwell in Me. At the threshold of the temple of Truth, a mortal being standing with distraction and hesitation in the mind may find this statement of the Lord to be an exaggeration. His own daily experience is that he is a limited mortal person, surrounded by thousands of restrictions, afflicted by countless faults, and tormented by an army of despairs. Therefore, he cannot believe that he can ever actually realize the nature of his own divinity. Thus, as a compassionate teacher, Lord Sri Krishna gives clear assurance: there is no doubt in this matter. If this practice seems difficult, the Lord, offering an alternative means, says: