Gita 10.09 – Devotion means to center our emotion, action and discussion on Krishna

Thank you here this is Bhagavad Gita 10.9 9 and Krishna is speaking here about the process by which one can act at the level of knowing that one is the soul and one is a part of Krishna and Krishna is the source of everything so the previous this 10.8 to 11 is a part of chatushloki bhagavad gita chatushloki bhagavad gita is primarily a set of words or four words which give the essence of the gita so in this particular verse Krishna is stating that the previous verse stated that those who understand that Krishna is the source of everything become devoted to him and this verse carries on from that point and explains how they become devoted to him so machitta their consciousness becomes fixed on me Bhagavad sometimes translate this as their thoughts dwell in me its not just that they think of him but their thoughts reside in him Krishna becomes their home a home for their thoughts machitta madgata prana madgata prana he becomes the goal of their life their whole life becomes dedicated to him bodhayantah parasparam and they bodhayantah they illuminate each other about him about Krishna kathayantashyama nityam they constantly speak about his glory speak his katha nityam tushyanti cha ramanti cha tushyanti cha they are satisfied in this in fact they delight in this ramanti cha satisfaction is considered to be more peaceful yes I am satisfied now where as delight ramanti is more exuberant more effusive more expressive and ramanti also has a is often associated with amorous love so the intensity of the affection that one experiences in amorous relationships Krishna is saying one can experience that level of devotion and sweetness in one's relationship with him and thus one can stay devoted to him if one practices bhakti in the association of devotees so the critical thing here is that when one associates with other devotees and strives to practice bhakti in their association there is an extraordinary level of animation there is an incredible level of fulfillment that one experiences through the practice of bhakti and that is the source of the greatest fulfillment so usually our life has this the mental side the physical side the social side so all these sides are devoted to Krishna are centered on Krishna for the serious devotees for the advanced devotees for those who are budha machitta their emotional their mental their inner world is completely centered on Krishna Krishna is their home that means that whatever happens they are always focused on Krishna they don't think about other things it's not that they avoid thinking about other things it's just that naturally their thoughts gravitate towards Krishna because they understand that he is the all attractive supreme person that they don't need anyone other than him and they understand that as compared to the unlimited fulfillment that is available in thinking about Krishna thinking about other things can give only very meager and insubstantial pleasure in comparison and that's why these exalted devotees focus on always thinking about Krishna and not thinking about anyone else or anything else and even if they of course when we live in this world we have to think of many other things but such thoughts are not their default thought this is not what they want to think about this is what they may think for functional requirements for doing a particular service for doing a particular job but as soon as it is done they immediately gravitate their thoughts towards Krishna and they become thus satisfied in Krishna so Sukha Taram Aparam Naja Tu Jaane Hari Charana Smarana Amrute Na Tuliyam it is said in the Kula Shekhar Maharaj Kundwala Soto that Sukha Taram Aparam Naja Tu Jaane that I do not know any happiness greater than the happiness of remembering Krishna Hari Charana Smarana Amrute Na Tuliyam Hari Charana Smarana the remembrance of the lotus feet of Hari that gives incredible happiness incomparable happiness Hari Charana Smarana Amrute Na Tuliyam nothing is equivalent to this and after that Machitta Madgata Prana in their practical actions also they are devoted to Krishna their Bhakti is not just theoretical Bhakti is tangible, it is transformational it is manifest in their actions Machitta Madgata Prana their whole life is devoted to Krishna so Bhakti is not uncritical emotion it is committed engagement engagement of one's entire life Madgata Prana Madgata Prana may say oh I am devoted to God but most of the time that person is spending in earning money, in seeking money and doing such things and then really not much of devotion that will be really deep or transformational or authentic yes there may be some devotion but devotion is expressed through action as is every emotion expressed through action so to the extent we understand that there is authentic emotion we understand that authentic emotion has to be expressed through tangible action so Madgata Prana and Bodhayantah Parasparam Krishna's glories are unlimited and even the pure devotee cannot know Krishna's glories fully even the pure devotee knows Krishna only partially only fragmentally and that's why even the pure devotee needs to is longs for associating with other sadhakas not only sadhakas even other siddhas so those advanced devotees associate with other advanced devotees and by such association they move constantly closer and closer to Krishna and eventually they attain Krishna so now the attainment of Krishna is of course at one level one becomes transported to the spiritual world to be with Krishna but attainment of Krishna is also at another level where one becomes absorbed in Krishna even in this world and as Krishna will tell later in 12.8 that Krishna says if your mind and intelligence are situated in me then you yourself are situated in me that's the amazing thing about bhakti that Krishna is a presence in our heart and that presence in our heart becomes present for us when we recognize his omnipresence, when we recognize his omnibenevolence, when we connect with him through devotion so devotees when they hear about Krishna from other devotees then they feel enlivened because they appreciate that omnipresence and omnibenevolence of Krishna through the perspective of others who are also devoted to Krishna and thus the sadhakas move closer and closer to Krishna and eventually they attain Krishna therefore the important thing for us is to recognize that we are at our core always connected with Krishna nothing that we can seek which is outside of Krishna and how everything is connected with Krishna how all our aspirations can be fulfilled in devotion to Krishna that we understand when we associate with different people, different devotees who are also appreciating Krishna from different perspectives and then whatever intense attachment and affection we may have for the things of this world, all the attachment and affection will be redirected towards Krishna and therein we will find the supreme fulfillment in our devotion to Krishna that is life's purpose and that is life's perfection and that is attained through the practice of sincere devotion in the association of other sincere devotees Thank you.