SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
SlOkam – Original
yOginAmapi sarvEshAm madhgathEnAntharAthmanA |
SradhdhAvAn bhajathE yO mAm sa mE yukthathamO matha: ||
word-by-word meaning
yOginAm – greater than the previously mentioned yOgis
api sarvEshAm – and all others such as thapasvis (those who are engaged in penance)
madhgathEna antharAthmanA – with heart engaged in me
SradhdhAvAn – having desire (to reach me)
ya: mAm bhajathE – one who meditates upon me
sa: – he
yukthathama: – greatest
mE matha: – considered by me
Simple Translation
One who has his heart engaged in me, has the desire to reach me and meditates upon me is considered as the greatest by me as he is greater than the previously mentioned yOgis and all others such as thapasvis (those who are engaged in penance).
Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam
‘Even more beyond the yogis and of all, is he said to be the most superior who, in faith, and with his inmost manas immersed in Me, worships Me.[4. See Introduction to Lect. III; this verse is introductory to the 2nd Division of Bhagavad-gita, the Bhakti-yoga, Lectures (VII to XII). See introduction to Lect: XII and XII-2.]’
The genitive case of the word yoginām has the force of the ablative case yogibhyaḥ; yoginām thus meaning not of the yogis, but beyond the yogis. (The ablative case gives the sense that the yogi of this verse is not one amongst the four kinds of yogis described (in the twenty-ninth verse, ff. ante), but is the fifth above and beyond, and superior to, the four kinds.
The description of the four kinds of the yogis is as contained in verse (sarva-bhūtastham etc.,):—
‘Perceives Ātma abiding in all beings’ etc., (vi-29.) and following verses: (vi-30, 31 and 32).
As the yogi referred to in this verse, does not fall as one of this four-fold classification, the genitive case has not the force of specifying a class among those already mentioned.
Api sarveshām=‘and of all’, refers to those mentioned in verse forty-six[2. Mentioned as “forty-seven” in printed book.], viz the tapasvīs etc. Likewise here, as of the word yoginām, the genetive case of the word sarveshām, has the ablative force, for reasons the same as stated above; in this case meaning that this yogi (described in this verse and the following lectures, vii to xii, viz., the bhakta, the Lover of God) is greater than all the yogīs (verses 29 to 32) and the tapasvīs etc., (verse 46);
In comparison with this yogi, they are all, by inferiority, to be grouped into one class. The comparison between him and them is as between the Mount of Meru[6. This is the golden mountain, according to the Purāṇās, in the centre of Jambu-dvīpa. Its height is eighty-four thousand yojanas (yojana=9 miles); its depth below the surface of the earth sixteen thousand; its diameter at the summit is thirty two thousand and at its base sixteen thousand.], and a handful of mustard seed. Between one seed and another, differences certainly do exist, but that difference is impalpable when compared with that which subsists between the seed and the huge Mount Meru[7. This is the golden mountain, according to the Purāṇās, in the centre of Jambu-dvīpa. Its height is eighty-four thousand yojanas (yojana=9 miles); its depth below the surface of the earth sixteen thousand; its diameter at the summit is thirty two thousand and at its base sixteen thousand.].
‘The inmost manas immersed in Me’ means: that out of his overflowing love for Me, all his manas (‘heart, life and soul’) is merged in Me. His nature is thus unique, singling him out from all other kinds of yogīs.
Antar-ātma,=‘inmost manas’ is so called from its being the receptacle of all internal and external experiences.
So drunk in (God-)Love is this yogi, that he is unable, without Me, to support his very existence. In this way he is merged in Me as one.
Śraddhāvān: is one full of earnestness or faith. The earnestness in worshipping Me, comes from the inordinate desire which impels him to find Me, for, the intensity of yearning Love that he has for Me is such that he is unable to tolerate a moment’s separation from Me,—
Me, to Whom, the emanations, sustentations, and immanations of the Kosmos, abounding in objects of enjoyment, enjoyers, and enjoying instruments —viz; body and senses— are but sport.
Me, the Treasury of the countless groups of glorious attributes, —antidotal to evil,— such as wisdom or omniscience (jñāna)[7. jñāna=‘of Himself, He, all things, in every respect, and at every moment, cognizes directly.’], power (bala)[8. Bal-aiśvarya = ‘All things thus cognized, He ever supports and controls.’], dominion (aiśvarya)[9. Bal-aiśvarya = ‘All things thus cognized, He ever supports and controls.’], energy (vīrya)[10. ‘Nevertheless, is never exhausted.’] capacity (śakti)[11. Śakti=‘Works miracles, or transcends our very conception.’], lustre (tejas)[12. Tejas=Overpowers all, Himself being unaided or undaunted, by anything. P. 64. Sri Pārthasārathi Aiyangār’s English Trans: of Tatva-traya.] etc., etc.,
Me, whose Divine Figure is a synthesis of every thing beautiful, becoming Me, inconceivable, transcendent, mirific, imperishable, invulnerable, super-excellent etc., —such as radiance (aujjvalya), loveliness (soundarya), fragrance (sau-gandhya), softness (sau-kumārya), grace (lāvaṇya), and youth (yauvana);
Me, in essence and in attributes, beyond mind to conceive, and speech to extol;
Me, the unbounded majestic Ocean of compassion (kāruṇya), condescension (sauśīlya), love (vātsalya), bounty (audārya) etc.,
Me, the Saviour or the Impartial Asylum of all the worlds;
Me, the Reliever of the distresses of my supplicants;
Me, the sole Object of passionate Love for My postulants;
Me, Who become theophanous, or become ocularly demonstrable to all men;
Me, incarnate in Vasudevā’s house, without laying aside my true (Divine) nature (on that account);
Me, illumining all the Universe by My infinitely sublime glory;
Me, the Promoter of the well-being of, or the Filler with gladness, the whole Universe, by the resplendent glory of My Divine Self;
Whoso meditates on Me in this-wise, I hold him to be the nearest to Me, the most estimable to Me above all others.
Because, I am Omnipresent and Omniscient in Eternity, I know all this : (that what I say is the Truth).
OM TAT SAT
Thus closes The Sixth Discourse,
named Abhyāsa-Yoga, or the Practice of Meditation,
with Śri Rāmānuja’s commentary thereon,
in the colloquy between Śri Kṛishṇa and Arjuna,
In the Science of Yoga,
in the Divine knowledge of the Upanishads,
or the Chants of Śrī Bhagavān,
the Bhagavad Gītā.
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