Pujya Ramsukhdasji Maharaj

[Guest guest]

Merit of Exclusive Devotion in the Gita

 

Arjuna was in a dilemma whether to fight or not to fight in Gita

2:16. He thought that if he fought there would be destruction of his

family and sin would overtake the entire family. Lord Krishna asks

Arjuna to entrust the Lord (Krishna) with the task of taking the

decision about his duty, without being confused about it.

 

" mamekam saranam vraja " - Here the term " ekam " (alone) stands for

exclusive or undivided. In Gita 3:2 and Gita 5:1 also Arjuna by

using the term " ekam " (one) asked Lord Krishna, to reveal to him the

one discipline by which he can definitely attain bliss. So Lord

Krishna in response to his question says that exclusive (undivided)

refuge is the best discipline, to attain bliss or God Realization.

 

In the Gita, Lord Krishna has laid down time and again great

emphasis on the merit of exclusive devotion " those who take refuge

in Me alone, are able to cross over the divine delusion of Mine "

(Gita 7:14); " I am easily attainable to the Yogi (ascetic) who

always and constantly, thinks of Me, with undivided mind " (Gita

8:14). For those men who worship Me alone, I provide what is not

provided for and preserve what they already have (Gita 9:22).

Through single-minded devotion, I can be seen and known and even

entered into (Gita 11:54); " I speedily deliver from the ocean of

birth and death, those who meditate on Me, with single-minded

devotion " (Gita 12:6-7); Those who worship Me with exclusive

devotion, transcend the three modes of nature (Gita 14:26). Thus

having described the merit of exclusive devotion, the Lord gives the

quintessence of the entire gospel of the Gita by declaring, " Take

refuge in Me alone. " It means that the Lord is the means, as well

as, the end.

 

The sentence " mamekam saranam vraja " means that a spiritual aspirant

should take refuge in Him, not by mind and intellect, but by the

Self. When he takes refuge by the Self, his mind, body, senses and

intellect, etc., automatically take refuge in Him.

 

Simply speaking this all means - " I am only the Lord's and only the

Lord is mine " this is the quintessence of all spiritual disciplines.