Bhagavad Gita · Bhakti YogaChapter 12, Shloka 8 (12.8)
Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्
मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय
निवसिष्यसि मय्येव अत ऊर्ध्वं न संशयः
॥ 12.8 ॥
mayyeva mana ādhatsva mayi buddhiṃ niveśaya
nivasiṣyasi mayyeva ata ūrdhvaṃ na saṃśayaḥ
Translation
"Fix your mind on me alone, let your intellect rest in me alone — after this you will dwell in me alone; of this there is no doubt."
Interpretation
Shankaracharya. mayi eva viśvarūpe īśvare manaḥ saṃkalpavikalpātmakaṃ ādhatsva; adhyavasāyaṃ kurvatīṃ buddhim — the intellect that makes decisions; ataḥ śarīrapātāt ūrdhvam — after the body falls away.
Acharya Ramanuja. atiśayitapuruṣārthatvāt sulabhatvād aciralabhyatvāt ca — because I am the highest goal, easy to reach and quickly attained; aham eva paramaprāpya iti adhyavasāyaṃ kuru; adhyavasāyapūrvakamanoniveśanānantaram eva mayi nivasiṣyasi — the very moment (immediately) you resolve and fix your mind, you will dwell in me.
Shridhar Swami. saṃkalpavikalpātmakaṃ mana ādhatsva sthirīkuru — make steady in me the mind that wills and doubts; buddhim api vyavasāyātmikāṃ — and the resolute intellect too. And matprasādena labdhajñānaḥ san — having gained knowledge by my grace.
Madhusudana Saraswati. Here a ladder begins: saguṇopāsanāṃ stutvedānīṃ sādhanātirekaṃ vidhatte — after praising worship of the Lord with qualities, now comes the sequence of practices. 12.8 is the highest rung: sarvā manovṛttīr madviṣayā eva kuru — let me alone be the object of every movement of the mind.
Abhinavagupta (12.6–12.8). He calls this the uttamo yogaḥ, because it is akṛtrimatvāt — not artificial, but natural.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.