(Image Courtesy Mahanidhiswami)

The Greatest Yogi Is One Who Practises Karma, Bhakti, And Jnana Yogas With Sraddha

योगिनामपि सर्वेषां मद्गतेनान्तरात्मना |
श्रद्धावान्भजते यो मां स मे युक्ततमो मत: || 6.47||

yoginām api sarveṣhāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā
śhraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yuktatamo mataḥ|| 6.47||

Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 6- Ver. 47:

I regard the highest yogis to be those whose minds are continually absorbed in me and who engage in devotion to me with tremendous faith.

Explanation

Shree Krishna is referring to people who, in addition to adoring him, serve him with loving devotion. They are thus set in the natural place of the soul as God’s servant, whilst other types of yogis are still in the process of realising their potential. They have made contact with God, but they have not yet realised that they are his eternal servants.
Most of us, like Arjuna, have worldly responsibilities and obligations. Even if we follow Shri Krishna’s advice and practise meditation, we must still engage in material world activities. What do we do when we are not meditating to ensure that we continue our spiritual journey until we reach a stage in life when meditation becomes our whole and soul? In other words, while we are not meditating, how can we maintain our connection to the eternal essence?

According to Shri Krishna, we should strive to achieve the highest attainable ideal to which we can devote all of our worldly actions. This goal, however, should not be limited to intellectual pursuits. Our efforts will be ineffective unless our souls are filled with dedication to this objective. However, we must establish a balance. Superstition is the product of emotion without intellect. Fanaticism is the outcome of intellect without feeling. Both are a bad idea. A combination of the two is required. We also need the ideal to be tangible and real, not something that our minds have a hard time grasping.

Shri Krishna urged us to worship the eternal essence in its universal form, which is Ishvara. We must begin to cultivate reverence and, eventually, complete devotion to Ishvara. Shri Krishna considers the finest yogi or meditator to be one who develops such devotion to Ishvara that his entire life becomes service and adoration of Ishvara.
develop devotion We will remain connected to Ishvara through devotion. To do so, we must first understand who Ishvara is, where he is located, what his accomplishments are, how we can contact him, and so on. Only then will we be able to establish true devotion.

Verse & what we can learn

The finest yogi is one who practises Karma, Bhakti, and Jnana Yogas with sraddha. Sraddha is an emotional surrender combined with intellectual conviction. It is the persistence with which one works toward a goal and does not give up until the goal is met.

When your spiritual practise is infused with intellectual attention and emotional yearning, you will be able to transcend the majority of wants and become introverted and meditative. You’re completely absorbed in Atman’s thought.This type of yogi is seen to be the most united. He achieves Nirvana, or Enlightenment, without exerting any effort.

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 are 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 chapter (Jnana-Vijnana Yoga), Shri Krishna tells Arjuna about Knowledge and devotion.

Let’s learn to live with “The Gita” via Meditation Affinity…