Shrimad Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 12: Bhakti Yogam Verse 10:
(Image Courtesy Mahanidhiswami)
If Devotee Is Unable To Do Repeated Practice, Then He Should Perform Actions For Divine This Shall Help Him Attain Success
अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्मपरमो भव |
मदर्थमपि कर्माणि कुर्वन्सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि || 12.10||
abhyāse ’py asamartho ’si mat-karma-paramo bhava
mad-artham api karmāṇi kurvan siddhim avāpsyasi|| 12.10||
Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 12- Ver. 10:
Perform actions for me if you are incapable of even performing repeated practise. You will succeed even if you do acts for me.
Explanation
The advice to practise remembering God is frequently easier said than done. The mind is made up of the material energy Maya, which naturally gravitates toward the world’s material items, but directing it toward God necessitates intentional and focused effort. We may hear the instruction to think of God and want to put it into practise, but when we get caught up in our work, God fades from our minds.
Those who find it difficult to remember God should just work for Him. They should nurture the intention that whatever labour they do is for the Lord’s joy. When we practise working for God’s pleasure, we will naturally stop engaging in selfish pursuits and move toward those that are more in the character of devotional service. Our mind will grow steady and we will soon be able to focus on Him if we execute all deeds for the sole satisfaction of the Supreme Lord Krishna. Then, over time, love for God will grow in the heart, and we will be able to think of Him continuously.
Verse & what we can learn
Shri Krishna suggested jnyana and abhyasa yoga, both of which are tough for us to practise. Our thirst for things keeps us from even attempting a few hours of regular meditation. We can’t stay in one place and position for long. If we do so, we will become sidetracked from time to time. Even if we are able to meditate, we must remain attuned to Ishvara for the majority of the day, even if we are not doing so. How are we going to do it? It’s through devotional yoga.
Every act should be turned into an act of worship in order to serve Ishvara. Shravana is the practise of constantly listening to Ishvara’s glories; kirtanam is the practise of singing Ishvara’s names; smaranam is the practise of constantly remembering Ishvara; paadasevanam is the practise of adoring Ishvara’s feet; archanam is the practise of worshipping Ishvara in temples or in our own homes; vandanam is the practise of offering prayers; To view ourselves as servants of Ishvara is daasyam; to consider ourselves as friends of Ishvara is sakhyam; and to entirely offer ourselves to Ishvara is aatmanivedana.
What happens if we live our lives in this manner? We gradually lose our sense of doership when every action, including our work in the office, our tasks at home, our schoolwork, and our interactions with friends and family, becomes an act of worship. We begin to act with the thought that “Ishvara is doing everything,” rather than “I am doing this.” We sacrifice our ego at Ishvara’s altar. We become qualified to practise abhyasa yoga and, eventually, jnyana yoga as our feeling of ego evaporates. As a result, bhakti yoga is bringing Ishvara into every part of our lives.
To acquire knowledge and to implement that knowledge in life one needs to be mentally and physically active and healthy and for that daily meditation is a great tool.
There are various types of meditation like Buddhist meditation, heartfulness meditation, mindfulness meditation, meditation for stress, and each meditation benefits are countless. There is also numerous meditation techniques for beginners which help in practicing daily meditation so go ahead and start your journey towards a peaceful and balanced life.
In the next shloka Shri Krishna tells Arjuna what he should do if one is unable to do this also.
Let’s learn to live with “The Gita” via Meditation Affinity…