Bhagavad Gita Chapter 8: Akshara Brahma Yoga

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 8 Verse 14

|| श्रीमद्भगवद्‌ गीता  8.14 ||

Chapter 8 · Akshara Brahma Yoga · Bhakti Yoga

Sanskrit verse

अनन्यचेताः सततं यो मां स्मरति नित्यशः। तस्याहं सुलभः पार्थ नित्ययुक्तस्य योगिनः।।8.14।।

Transliteration

ananya-chetāḥ satataṁ yo māṁ smarati nityaśhaḥ tasyāhaṁ sulabhaḥ pārtha nitya-yuktasya yoginaḥ

Word meanings

ananya-chetāḥ—without deviation of the mind; satatam—always; yaḥ—who; mām—me; smarati—remembers; nityaśhaḥ—regularly; tasya—to him; aham—I; su-labhaḥ—easily attainable; pārtha—Arjun, the son of Pritha; nitya—constantly; yuktasya—engaged; yoginaḥ—of the yogis

English translation

I am easily attainable by that ever-steadfast yogi who constantly and daily remembers me for a long time, not thinking of anything else with a single-minded or one-pointed focus, O Partha.

Translation by Swami Sivananda

Hindi meaning

।।8.14।। हे पार्थ ! जो अनन्यचित्त वाला पुरुष मेरा स्मरण करता है, उस नित्ययुक्त योगी के लिए मैं सुलभ हूँ अर्थात् सहज ही प्राप्त हो जाता हूँ।।  

Hindi rendering by Swami Tejomayananda

English meaning

To him who constantly thinks of Me and nothing else, to such an ever-faithful devotee, O Arjuna, I am ever accessible.

Shri Purohit Swami

And whoever constantly bears Me in mind, never attached to any other object—for this yogi, ever devoted, I am easy to attain, O son of Prtha!

Dr. S. Sankaranarayan

Detailed explanation

I am easily attainable by that eversteadfast Yogi who constantly and daily remembers Me (for a long time), not thinking of anything else (with a single mind or onepointed mind), O Partha (Arjuna).Commentary Constantly remembering the Lord throughout the life is the most easy way of attaining Him.Ananyachetah He has no attachment for any other object. He will not think of any other object save his IshtaDevata or tutelary deity.Nityasah For a long time, i.e., till the end of life.He who remembers the Lord by fits and starts or he who remembers Him for six montsh and then leaves the practice and then again remembers Him for six months and so on cannot attain Him. (Cf.IX.22?34)

Commentary by Swami Sivananda

Hindi commentary

।।8.14।। उस नित्ययुक्त योगी के लिए आत्मप्राप्ति सहज साध्य होती है जो मुझ चैतन्यस्वरूप आत्मा का अनन्यभाव से नित्यप्रतिदिन स्मरण करता है। पूर्व श्लोकों में कथित सिद्धान्त को ही यहाँ संक्षेप में किन्तु स्पष्ट एवं प्रभावशाली भाषा में कहा गया है।प्रार्थना कोई कीटनाशक दवाई नहीं कि जिसका यदकदा छिड़काव करना ही पर्याप्त है उसी प्रकार पूजागृह को स्नानगृह के समान नहीं समझना चाहिये जिसमें हम अशुद्ध प्रवेश करते हैं और फिर स्वच्छ होकर बाहर आते हैं यहाँ श्रीकष्ण अत्यन्त सावधानी से विशेष बल देकर आग्रह करते हैं कि यह आत्मानुसंधान या ईश्वर स्मरण नित्य निरन्तर और अखण्ड होना चाहिये।उपर्युक्त गुणों से सम्पन्न योगी को हे अर्जुन मैं सुलभ हूँ। भगवान् का यह कथन विशेष महत्व एवं अभिप्राय रखता है क्योंकि इन गुणों के अभाव में ध्यान में सफलता की आशा नहीं की जा सकती।आत्मप्राप्ति के लिए प्रयत्न क्यों किया जाय इस पर कहते हैं --

Swami Chinmayananda

।।8.14।। व्याख्या--[सातवें अध्यायके तीसवें श्लोकमें जो सगुण-साकार परमात्माका वर्णन हुआ था, उसीको यहाँ चौदहवें, पंद्रहवें और सोलहवें श्लोकमें विस्तारसे कहा गया है।]

Swami Ramsukhdas

Spiritual significance

In Akshara Brahma Yoga (Path of the Eternal God), this verse belongs to the Gita’s teaching on bhakti yoga. Here the text presents that teaching through these words: I am easily attainable by that ever-steadfast yogi who constantly and daily remembers me for a long time, not thinking of anything else with a single-minded or one-pointed focus, O Partha.

This verse sits inside Chapter 8: Akshara Brahma Yoga, part of the Gita’s Bhakti Yoga section.

Questions about this verse

What is Bhagavad Gita Chapter 8 Verse 14 about?

Chapter 8, verse 14 is part of Akshara Brahma Yoga. In the English translation used on this page, it says: I am easily attainable by that ever-steadfast yogi who constantly and daily remembers me for a long time, not thinking of anything else with a single-minded or one-pointed focus, O Partha.

What is the spiritual context of this verse?

It appears in Akshara Brahma Yoga, a chapter associated with Bhakti Yoga. The last thought at death.