📿 Shloka Collection

Mayyeva Mana Adhatsva

Gita 12.8 Bhagavad Gita
📖 Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 12 — Bhakti Yoga
मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय ।
निवसिष्यसि मय्येव अत ऊर्ध्वं न संशयः ॥
Mayyeva mana adhatsva mayi buddhim niveshaya
Nivasisyasi mayyeva ata urdhvam na samshayah
मयि एव
in Me alone
मनः
the mind
आधत्स्व
fix, place, steady
मयि
in Me
बुद्धिम्
the intellect
निवेशय
place within, direct into
निवसिष्यसि
you will dwell, you will reside
मयि एव
in Me alone
अतः ऊर्ध्वम्
from then on, hereafter
न संशयः
no doubt, there is no question

With this shloka, Krishna begins a ladder of practice — four steps descending from the highest to the most accessible. This is the topmost rung. Fix your mind in Me. Direct your intellect toward Me. Do just this much, and from that point onward, you will live in Me. No doubt about it.

The instruction is startlingly simple: mind and intellect, both in Krishna. When a grandchild holds a grandfather's hand while crossing a busy road, the child stops worrying about traffic and direction. The hand is enough. That is what Krishna offers here — hold on to Me with your mind and your understanding, and the rest takes care of itself.

This shloka begins the 'practice ladder' that runs from 12.8 to 12.12. Krishna lays out the highest standard first — fix both mind and intellect in Me. If that is not possible, the next step comes in 12.9. If that fails, 12.10. And if even that is beyond reach, 12.11.

Traditional commentaries call shlokas 12.8-12 the 'abhyasa-yoga ladder' — a graduated path that opens a door for every level of seeker. No one is left without a way forward.

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