Gita 12.8
Bhakti Yoga
मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय | निवसिष्यसि मय्येव अत ऊर्ध्वं न संशयः ||८||
mayy eva mana ādhatsva mayi buddhiṁ niveśaya | nivasiṣyasi mayy eva ata ūrdhvaṁ na saṁśayaḥ ||8||
In essence: The direct instruction: Fix your mind on Me alone. Place your intelligence in Me. Then you will live in Me forever—this is certain.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "How do I fix my mind on Krishna? It seems to have a mind of its own!"
Guru: "Indeed, the mind is famously restless—Krishna will call it harder to control than the wind. But 'fixing' does not mean forcing. It means creating conditions where the mind naturally stays, like water naturally flows downward. Make Krishna the most interesting, the most beloved, the most real thing in your inner world."
Sadhak: "What's the difference between fixing the mind and placing the intelligence?"
Guru: "The mind feels; the intelligence decides. Fixing the mind means your emotions flow toward Krishna—you love Him, miss Him, rejoice in Him. Placing intelligence means your reasoning orients toward Krishna—you understand His teachings, trust His guidance, decide based on His will. Both are needed: heart and head united in devotion."
Sadhak: "What does it mean to 'live in Krishna'? That sounds abstract."
Guru: "Not abstract at all. Right now, you live in your concerns—career, relationships, health. You wake up and these are immediately present. To live in Krishna means He becomes that constant presence. You wake up and He is there. You work and He is there. You suffer and He is there. Life is lived WITHIN His reality rather than alongside it."
Sadhak: "Krishna says there is 'no doubt.' But I have many doubts!"
Guru: "He says there is no doubt about the RESULT. If you do this, you will live in Him. Your current doubts are about whether you can do it, whether it's true, whether you're worthy. Those doubts belong to the beginning. His certainty belongs to the end. Trust the Teacher even while you struggle with the teaching."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Set a clear intention: 'Today I will practice fixing my mind on Krishna.' Choose a specific method—perhaps returning to His name or form whenever you notice the mind wandering. Decide that for this one day, you will experiment with this verse's instruction.
Practice 'buddhiṁ niveśaya'—placing intelligence in Krishna—by making at least one decision today from devotional rather than selfish criteria. When a choice arises, ask: 'What would please Krishna? What would a devotee choose?' Let this shape your action.
Evaluate honestly: For how much of the day was my mind actually fixed on Krishna? Don't despair at the answer—simply observe. This honest assessment is itself devotion. Then practice absorption for even five minutes before sleep, placing both mind and intelligence in Krishna. End with His promise: 'nivasiṣyasi mayy eva'—you will live in Me.