6-47

योगिनाम् अपि सर्वेषाम् मद्गतेन अन्तरात्मना ।
श्रद्धावान् भजते यो माम् स मे युक्ततमो मतः ॥ ४७ ॥

yoginAm api sarveSAm madgatena antarAtmanA |
zraddhAvAn bhajate yo mAm sa me yuktatamo mataH || 47 ||

यो माम् भतते [yo mAm bhatate] The person who worships Me, मद्गतेन अन्तरात्मना [madgatena antarAtmanA] having placed himself within Me श्रद्धावान् [zraddhAvAn] with complete trust, स मे युक्ततमो मतः [sa me yuktatamo mataH] I consider him to be the most focused, योगिनाम् अपि सर्वेषाम् [yoginAm api sarveSAm] even in comparison to all those who persevere to realize the Self.

We spoke about realizing the Self within us. What about its intimacy with the Lord?

In this Shloka, the Lord says that the people described till now pale in comparison with a person who surrenders to Him. This person is not one among them; he is in a different league.

A little about grammar, to understand this commentary: Literally, योगिनाम् [yoginAm] means ‘of all yogis’. Does it mean he is one among them? Or does he move to a different league? The commentary says he’s in an other league. Normally, the षष्ठी [SaSThI] (genitive case) would imply that he is one among them. However, this commentary uses the पन्चमी [pancamI] (ablative case), which says that he is distinct from the rest.

The Shloka describes a person who is different from all those who persevere, even those who pursue the Self. Here the genitive word योगिनाम् [yoginAm] expresses an ablative meaning, which means comparison and distinction – the पन्चमि विभक्ति [pancamI vibhakti]

People who persevere to realize the Self were described at progressive stages of maturity, starting with 6-26 till 6-30. The person who is going to be described now is distinct from all these four types.

The genitive case (denoting ‘belongingness’ – the षष्ठी विभक्ति [SaSThI vibhakti] ) is not used, since this person is not merely a special one among others. The phrase ‘even in comparison to all those who persevere to realize the Self’ has been used in this Shloka. The word ‘all’ over here includes the people who perform penance and the others mentioned previously (4-28). Even here, the पन्चमी [pancamI] case is to be grasped, by the same logic mentioned before- the practitioner who is going to be described now has focused his mind the most. He is distinct in comparison to all those people.

In comparison to this person, the distinction between people mentioned previously (4-28) is insignificant. It is like comparing a huge mountain and minute mustard seeds. Even though the mustard seeds have a perceptible difference and inequality among themselves, their insignificance is obvious when placed in perspective with the mountain.

This person has placed himself in Me by extreme affection and with the conviction that there is no protector other than Me. This person worships Me with strong intent and a sense of urgency to attain me, since he cannot tolerate even a moment of separation from Me – again, by an overload of affection towards Me.

Affection towards Me distinguishes a person- ‘Me’ refers to Lord Krishna, whose playing field is the creation, evolution and destruction of the entire universe, which is endowed with a variety of things that are to be experienced, various species of beings that experience it, things that help in experiencing it and places where it can be experienced.

This is The Lord, whom no flaw can influence, who is an abode of unlimited amount of great knowledge, power, wealth, courage, strength, brilliance and uncountable other auspicious qualities, whose form is exactly the way He wishes, a form that is unthinkable in its entirety – divine, extraordinary, eternal, flawless, with limitless brilliance, beauty, aroma, tenderness, charm, youthfulness and is an abode to infinite such qualities.

His form and nature cannot be broken-down and understood either through speech or thought. He is a vast ocean of compassion, character, affection, generosity and protects all beings of the universe without exception, without regard to any of their peculiarities.

He takes away the pain from anyone who bows and submits to Him. He is a sea of affection to them. He is not visible to any human and never moves away from his true nature.

This is Krishna, who has taken birth in the house of Vasudeva, who brightens the world with his continuous and unsurpassed brilliance, who fills the universe with his splendor – is the kind of Lord worshipped by this person.

Lord Krishna concludes this chapter- I, the Lord who always brings everything everywhere into realization in its true form, consider this person to be the most focused, the best of the best among all beings.