Gita 10.9
Vibhuti Yoga
मच्चित्ता मद्गतप्राणा बोधयन्तः परस्परम् । कथयन्तश्च मां नित्यं तुष्यन्ति च रमन्ति च ॥९॥
mac-cittā mad-gata-prāṇā bodhayantaḥ parasparam | kathayantaś ca māṁ nityaṁ tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca ||9||
In essence: True devotees find their greatest joy in spiritual communion - thinking of God, talking of God, and awakening each other to God.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "I don't have a community of devotees. I practice alone. My family doesn't share my spiritual interests. Does this verse mean I'm missing something essential?"
Guru: "Tell me - when you read spiritual texts, are you alone?"
Sadhak: "Physically, yes. But I suppose the author is there in some sense..."
Guru: "When you read the Gita, Vyasa is enlightening you. When you read Shankara's commentary, he's bodhayantaḥ - awakening you. When you listen to a spiritual talk, that teacher is kathayantaḥ - speaking of God to you. The 'parasparam' - mutual enlightening - happens across time and space. You're part of a sangha that spans millennia."
Sadhak: "But that's not the same as having living companions on the path..."
Guru: "True, and if living sangha becomes available, embrace it. But consider: your practice alone IS preparation for that sangha. 'Mac-cittā mad-gata-prāṇā' - mind and life absorbed in God - this you can cultivate now. And something mysterious happens: those with similar absorption tend to find each other. The universe responds to sincere seeking. Your 'alone' practice may be the gestation period before you find or attract your spiritual community."
Sadhak: "And the joy described - 'tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca' - I've tasted it in glimpses but not consistently. How do I make it stable?"
Guru: "Notice the verse's structure: the joy comes AFTER 'mac-cittā, mad-gata-prāṇā, bodhayantaḥ, kathayantaḥ.' It's not that you become joyful and then devotional; you become devotional and the joy follows. Your glimpses confirm the connection is real. Consistency comes from consistent practice. The more your mind dwells on God, the more your life-energy flows toward God, the more you engage with teachings and teachings engage with you - the more tuṣyanti and ramanti become your baseline, not your peak."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Mac-cittā practice: Begin the day with 5 minutes of deliberately directing your mind toward God. Not forcing away other thoughts, but choosing where attention goes first. Ask: 'If my mind were naturally absorbed in You, what would this morning feel like?' Let the answer guide your first hour. Set intention: 'Today, let my thoughts naturally return to You.'
Kathayantaḥ opportunity: Find one way to engage spiritually with another person today. This could be: discussing something meaningful with a friend, sharing an insight online, writing in a journal (dialogue with your future self), reading and mentally responding to a spiritual text (dialogue with the author). If no human is available, speak to God directly - kathayantaḥ includes talking TO God, not just ABOUT God.
Tuṣyanti-ramanti audit: Before sleep, check both forms of happiness: Tuṣyanti - did you feel satisfied, needing nothing more, at any point today? When? What were the conditions? Ramanti - did you feel delight, active joy, at any point today? When? What sparked it? Notice any connection between these moments and your spiritual practice. Let gratitude for moments of both arise naturally. Rest in the possibility of these becoming your constant state.