mac-cittā mad-gata-prāṇā
bodhayantaḥ parasparam
kathayantaś ca māḿ nityaḿ
tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca
Translation of Bhagavad Gita 10.9
The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and conversing about Me.
Commentary by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
Pure devotees, whose characteristics are mentioned here, engage themselves fully in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Their minds cannot be diverted from the lotus feet of Krishna. Their talks are solely on the transcendental subjects. The symptoms of the pure devotees are described in this verse specifically. Devotees of the Supreme Lord are twenty-four hours daily engaged in glorifying the qualities and pastimes of the Supreme Lord. Their hearts and souls are constantly submerged in Krishna, and they take pleasure in discussing Him with other devotees.
In the preliminary stage of devotional service they relish the transcendental pleasure from the service itself, and in the mature stage they are actually situated in love of God. Once situated in that transcendental position, they can relish the highest perfection which is exhibited by the Lord in His abode. Lord Caitanya likens transcendental devotional service to the sowing of a seed in the heart of the living entity. There are innumerable living entities traveling throughout the different planets of the universe, and out of them there are a few who are fortunate enough to meet a pure devotee and get the chance to understand devotional service. This devotional service is just like a seed, and if it is sown in the heart of a living entity, and if he goes on hearing and chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, that seed fructifies, just as the seed of a tree fructifies with regular watering. The spiritual plant of devotional service gradually grows and grows until it penetrates the covering of the material universe and enters into the brahmajyoti effulgence in the spiritual sky. In the spiritual sky also that plant grows more and more until it reaches the highest planet, which is called Goloka Vrindavana, the supreme planet of Krishna. Ultimately, the plant takes shelter under the lotus feet of Krishna and rests there. Gradually, as a plant grows fruits and flowers, that plant of devotional service also produces fruits, and the watering process in the form of chanting and hearing goes on. This plant of devotional service is fully described in the Caitanya-caritamrita (Madhya-lila, Chapter Nineteen). It is explained there that when the complete plant takes shelter under the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, one becomes fully absorbed in love of God; then he cannot live even for a moment without being in contact with the Supreme Lord, just as a fish cannot live without water. In such a state, the devotee actually attains the transcendental qualities in contact with the Supreme Lord.
The Srimad-Bhagavatam is also full of such narrations about the relationship between the Supreme Lord and His devotees; therefore the Srimad-Bhagavatam is very dear to the devotees, as stated in the Bhagavatam itself (12.13.18). Srimad-bhagavatam puranam amalam yad vaishnavanam priyam. In this narration there is nothing about material activities, economic development, sense gratification or liberation. Srimad-Bhagavatam is the only narration in which the transcendental nature of the Supreme Lord and His devotees is fully described. Thus the realized souls in Krishna consciousness take continual pleasure in hearing such transcendental literatures, just as a young boy and girl take pleasure in association.
Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
Such ananya bhaktas, who have attained buddhi yoga by my mercy, attain that knowledge of me mentioned previously, which is hard to understand. Their minds are greedy for my form, name, qualities pastimes and the taste of sweetness (mac cittah). They are unable to maintain their life without me (mad gata pranah), just as men are completely dedicated to food (anna gata prana nara), since they depend on it to live. They explain to each other with friendliness about the types of bhakti and the real nature of bhakti (bodhayantah). They talk about me, a great ocean of very sweet form, qualities and pastimes (kathayantah). They glorify me by narrating about my form, qualities and pastimes. Since smarana (mac cittah), sravana (bodhayantah) and kirtana (kathayantah) are best among all types of bhakti, they have been specifically mentioned. Thus these bhaktas are satisfied and enjoy. This is private or internal experience.
Or the meaning of “satisfaction and enjoyment” can be as follows. They are satisfied even at the stage of sadhana, by continual performance of their worship brought about by good fortune, and they take pleasure in thinking of their future attainment of prema, and enjoy with their Lord through the mind. This indicates raganuga bhakti.
Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:
10.9 They live with their minds ‘focussed’ on Me, namely, with their minds fixed on Me; with their ‘Pranas’, i.e., life, centred on Me — the meaning is that they are unable to sustain themselves without Me. They ‘inspire one another’ by speaking about My attributes which have been experienced by them and narrating My divine and adorable deeds. They live in contentment and bliss at all times. The speakers are delighted by their own speech, because it is spontaneous, without any ulterior motive; the listeners too feel the speech to be unsurpassingly and incomparably dear to them. They thus live in bliss.
Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:
The worship being explained here is bhakti or exclusive loving devotion. The words mac-citta means those who hearts are dedicated unto the Supreme Lord alone. Whose mind and senses are also totally directed to Him solely. The word mad-gatah-pranah means those who have dedicated their lives to the Supreme Lord Krishna. Such spiritually intelligent beings reflect upon His phenomenal glories, incessantly relishing His lilas or divine pastimes and enlightening each other of their reflections and experiences in their internal mood of loving devotion to Him and enjoy sublime, transcendental bliss.
Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:
The words mad-gata-prana means that one surrenders their very life to Lord Krishna, meaning that all their thoughts and actions are directed for His satisfaction exclusively.
Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:
Here Lord Krishna elaborates on the great souls method of worship with the words mac-citta or their minds dedicated to Him and mad-gata-prana or their life airs surrendered fully to Him inferring also the presiding demigods and their function over their respective sense organs such as ear and eye, etc. This denotes using the eyes to see the Supreme Lord, using the ear to hear His praises, using the tongue to chant His glories, etc. all for propitiating Him as the goal. Enlightening one another about their realisations about Him, exchanging ecstasies with each other about their realisations and experiences with Him. Also discoursing with the appropriates logical and introspective reasoning propounded in the Vedic scriptures and the commentaries of the previous acarya’s in disciplic succession about Lord Krishna’s supreme absolute position as the sole cause, maintainer and sustainer of all creation. Of one mind and heart discussing His transcendental qualities and attributes they grow in true friendship and admiration for each other relating whatever knowledge they have of Him, great or small it is all mutually relished whether they speak of His virtues, His mercy, His avatars or incarnations or His phenomenal extraordinary lila’s or divine pastimes or just by hearing about them. From both a wonderful feeling of indescribable contentment arises and they become completely satisfied within.
Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:
10.9 Maccittah, with minds fixed on Me; mad-gata-pranah, with lives (pranas) dedicated to Me, or having their organs, eyes etc. absorbed in Me, i.e. having their organs withdrawn into Me; bodhayantah, enlightening; parasparam, each other; and nityam, always; kathayantah, speaking of; mam, Me, as possessed of qualities like knowledge, strength, valour, etc; tusyanti, they derive satisfaction; and ramanti, rejoice, get happiness, as by coming in contact with a dear one.
Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:
10.9-11 Maharsaya etc., upto bhasvata. Through the process of mutual enlightening, the wisdom-shock is transmitted to each other. On account of that, they get the all-inclusive [knowledge] ‘Indeed all sentient subjects are only a single Absolute Lord’. By means of this extensive pervasion, they easily come to realise their own Self as Omnipotent and omnipresent and by that they attain the Absolute Lordship. This is the idea here.
Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:
mac-citta mad-gata-prana
bodhayantah parasparam
kathayantas ca mam nityam
tusyanti ca ramanti ca
Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:
mat-cittāḥ — their minds fully engaged in Me; mat-gata-prāṇāḥ — their lives devoted to Me; bodhayantaḥ — preaching; parasparam — among themselves; kathayantaḥ — talking; ca — also; mām — about Me; nityam — perpetually; tuṣyanti — become pleased; ca — also; ramanti — enjoy transcendental bliss; ca — also.
