śrī-bhagavān uvāca
mayy āveśya mano ye māḿ
nitya-yuktā upāsate
śraddhayā parayopetās
te me yukta-tamā matāḥ
Translation of Bhagavad Gita 12.2
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Those who fix their minds on My personal form and are always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith are considered by Me to be most perfect.
Commentary by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
In answer to Arjuna’s question, Krishna clearly says that he who concentrates upon His personal form and who worships Him with faith and devotion is to be considered most perfect in yoga. For one in such Krishna consciousness there are no material activities, because everything is done for Krishna. A pure devotee is constantly engaged. Sometimes he chants, sometimes he hears or reads books about Krishna, or sometimes he cooks prasadam or goes to the marketplace to purchase something for Krishna, or sometimes he washes the temple or the dishes—whatever he does, he does not let a single moment pass without devoting his activities to Krishna. Such action is in full samadhi.
Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
Among them, my devotees are the best. Those who absorb their minds in me, Syamasundara, those who desire to be constantly united with me (nitya yukta), with faith which is beyond the gunas (paraya sraddhaya), they, my ananya bhaktas, are the best knowers of yoga (yuktatama). Concerning faith it is said:
sattviky adhyatmiki sraddha karma-sraddha tu rajasi tamasy adharme ya sraddha mat-sevayam tu nirguna
Faith directed toward spiritual life is in the mode of goodness, faith rooted in fruitive work is in the mode of passion, faith residing in irreligious activities is in the mode of ignorance, but faith in My devotional service is purely transcendental. SB 11.25.27
From this it should be inferred that inferior to these ananya bhaktas are those having bhakti mixed with jnana, karma or other processes, who are called yoga vittara. Thus, it is shown here that bhakti is better than jnana, and among the types of bhakti, ananya bhakti is the best.
Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:
12.2 The Lord said — I consider them to be the highest among the Yogins (i.e., among those striving for realisation) — them who worship Me focusing their minds upon Me as one exceedingly dear to them, who are endowed with supreme faith, and who are ever ‘integrated’ with Me, namely ever desirous of constant union with Me. Those who thus worship Me, focusing their minds on Me as their supreme goal, attain Me soon and easily. Such is the meaning.
Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:
3 In response to the question from verse one the Supreme Lord Krishna confirms that those endowed with faith who fix their consciousness on Him continuously and worship Him exclusively, performing all activities invariably for Him are yuktatamah the most superior.
Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:
Sri Madhvacharya did not comment on this sloka.
Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:
Lord Krishna confirms that those who with firm faith focus their consciousness exclusively upon Him without cessation are yuktatamah or the most superior of all as they worship Him, who is an ocean of divine attributes and qualities such as omniscience, omnipotence, compassionate, noble, etc. continuously within their minds which by contemplating eradicates any blemishes and imperfections such devotee may still possess.
Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:
12.2 Ye, those who, being devotees; upasate, meditate; mam, on Me, the supreme Lord of all the masters of yoga, the Omniscient One whose vision is free from purblindness caused by such defects as attachment etc.; avesya,by fixing, concentrating; their manah, minds; mayi, on Me, on God in His Cosmic form; nitya-yuktah, with steadfast devotion, by being ever-dedicated in accordance with the idea expressed in the last verse of the preceding chapter; and being upetah, endowed; paraya, with supreme; sraddhaya faith;-te, they; matah, are considered; to be yukta-tamah, most perfect yogis; me, according to Me, for they spend days and nights with their minds constantly fixed on Me. Therefore, it is proper to say with regard to them that they are the best yogis. ‘Is it that the others do not become the best yogis?’ No, but listen to what has to be said as regards them:’
Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:
12.2 Mayi etc. Those are considered by Me to be the best among the masters of Yoga, whose act of entering into (fixing the mind in) the Supreme Lordship is a spontaneous (unartificial) act of becoming one with Him. By this [statement] a solemn declaration is made [by the Lord].
Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:
sri-bhagavan uvaca
mayy avesya mano ye mam
nitya-yukta upasate
sraddhaya parayopetas
te me yukta-tama matah
Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; mayi — upon Me; āveśya — fixing; manaḥ — the mind; ye — those who; mām — Me; nitya — always; yuktāḥ — engaged; upāsate — worship; śraddhayā — with faith; parayā — transcendental; upetāḥ — endowed; te — they; me — by Me; yukta-tamāḥ — most perfect in yoga; matāḥ — are considered.
