8.14 ananyachEthA: sathatham

SrI:  SrImathE SatakOpAya nama:  SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:  SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

Chapter 8

<< Chapter 8 verses 12-13

SlOkam – Original

ananyachEthA: sathatham yo mAm smarathi nithyaSa: |
thasyAham sulabha: pArtha nithyayukthasya yOgina: ||

word-by-word meaning

pArtha – Oh son of kunthI!
nithyaSa: – from the time the upAsanam (worship) starts
sathatham – at all times
ananya chEthA: – without having his heart focussed on anything else
mAm – me
ya: smarathi – one who thinks about me (as pleasing)
nithya yukthasya thasya yOgina: – for such upAsaka (devotee) who desires to be together (with me) always
aham – I am
sulabha: – easily attainable.

Simple Translation

Oh son of kunthI! One who thinks about me (as pleasing) from the time the upAsanam (worship) starts, at all times, I am easily attainable for such upAsaka (devotee) who desires to be together (with me) always.

Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam

‘Whoso, with undivided mind, and constantly, ever ponders on Myself, to such a Yogi, Pārtha! ambitious of eternal union (with Me,) I am easy[1. Sulabhaḥ=I am easy, or I am easily accessible. This is the 823rd name of god. The easy accessibility is further proved by verse IX-26: ‘Patram phushpam phalam toyam &c.’].’

Nityaśaḥ=ever, means: ever since the time the aspirant devoted himself to Me as his Aim.

Satatam=constantly, means: at all times.

Whoso ponders on Me, implies: that I have become to him the Object of intense impassioned Love, so much so that the moment I am absent from his thoughts, his very life is in jeopardy.

Hence does he constantly ruminate on Me.

Nitya-yukto yogi: is the man who yearns for eternal union with Me, —the jñāni—the God-lover. To him, I am easily accessible.

What this postulant, jñāni, seeks, —i.e, his Goal— is Myself, meaning that it is not simply the state like unto Mine in wealth etc., —or what the fortune-seeker attains,— but he gains Myself

I am, again, happily accessible to him this-wise:— I, on My part, would not be able to bear separation of them (My lovers) from Me; and therefore I Myself elect him (vṛiṇe). I carry to fruition the Meditation he adopts for reaching Me; I ward off for him the obstacles which may hamper him in his progress in Meditation; I generate in him the intense love and affection for Me, etc., etc.

Śruti so declares:—

‘He is attainable by him alone whom He elects.’[2. Kath: Up°: II-23. (Yam evai-sha vṛiṇute tena labhyah &c.) also vide, Mund: Up: III-2-3]

And further on, in Gītā itself, it is declared:—

‘Them, ever athirst for union, I, in love, endow with that illumination (buddhi-yoga), by which they may reach Me’ (Bh: Gī: X-10)[3. The Mode of Meditation for the God-seeker, is explained away at full length in Lectures IX, X and XII (read verses IX-14, 15 for example). Read Bhāg: III-25-35.].

Out of feeling grace for them, I occupy the stream of their thoughts; and, by the shining light of knowledge, destroy ignorance-born darkness’ (Bh: Gī: X-II).[4. The Mode of Meditation for the God-seeker, is explained away at full length in Lectures IX, X and XII (read verses IX-14, 15 for example). Read Bhāg: III-25-35.]

Now the remaining part of the Lecture is devoted to show that there is no return for the God-lover (jñāni), and soul-lover (kaivaly-ārthi), but there is return for the fortune-lover (aiśvary-ārthi).

>> Chapter 8 verse 15

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