Gita 9.13

Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga

महात्मानस्तु मां पार्थ दैवीं प्रकृतिमाश्रिताः। भजन्त्यनन्यमनसो ज्ञात्वा भूतादिमव्ययम्॥

mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ | bhajanty ananya-manaso jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam ||

In essence: Great souls, rooted in divine nature, worship Krishna with undivided hearts, knowing Him as the imperishable source of all existence.

A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply

Sadhak-Guru Dialogue

Sadhak: "I want to be a mahātmā, but my mind is anything but undivided. I sit for worship and a hundred desires arise. Am I disqualified?"

Guru: "Tell me - in those hundred desires, is there not one underlying want?"

Sadhak: "Perhaps... they all seem to be about finding happiness, security, meaning."

Guru: "Exactly. Your mind appears divided, but at its root is one seeking - for what cannot be lost. This is the beginning of knowing Him as avyayam. The mahātmā is simply one in whom this recognition has matured."

Sadhak: "But they have 'divine nature' - I have very human nature. I get angry, jealous, afraid."

Guru: "And what do you do with that anger and fear?"

Sadhak: "I try to suppress it... or I act on it and regret later."

Guru: "The āsuric way is to be identified with these movements - to be the angry one, the fearful one. The daivī way is to witness them as movements in consciousness without being determined by them. Have you never observed your anger from a place of stillness?"

Sadhak: "Rarely, but yes. In those moments, the anger loses its grip."

Guru: "That witnessing place is your own daivī prakriti. You don't acquire it - you recognize it was always there. The mahātmā simply lives from that recognition. Your work is not to become something new but to stop abandoning what you already are."

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🌅 Daily Practice

🌅 Morning

Begin the day by reflecting: 'Today, may I recognize that every desire arising in me is ultimately a desire for the Imperishable.' This reframes all wanting as spiritual seeking in disguise. When you catch yourself desiring something, pause and ask: 'What am I really looking for through this?' Trace it to its root - usually peace, love, or wholeness. Acknowledge that you are already seeking the Divine, even clumsily.

☀️ Daytime

When you encounter someone you consider 'great' or 'saintly,' don't worship them from afar but inquire: 'What in them do I recognize?' The mahātmā is not a different species but your own potential made visible. Similarly, when you encounter someone difficult, ask: 'What in me is being reflected here?' This practice dissolves the sense of fundamental separation that keeps the mind divided.

🌙 Evening

Before sleep, honestly assess: 'Where was my mind divided today? What did I place alongside God as equally real?' Not as self-criticism but as clarity. Then consciously offer those divided allegiances to Krishna: 'I placed my security in money, my identity in reputation, my happiness in others' opinions. I offer all these false refuges to You.' Sleep in the intention to take refuge in daivī prakriti - to wake as a mahātmā in training.

Common Questions

Is divine nature something we're born with or something we develop?

The Gita suggests both are true at different levels. All beings have divine nature as their essence - this is the parā prakriti (higher nature) mentioned earlier. However, most are veiled by identification with the lower nature (aparā prakriti). The process is less about developing something new and more about 'taking refuge' - shifting one's identification from the ego-bound self to the divine ground. This shift can happen gradually through practice or suddenly through grace, but the divine nature was never absent, only unrecognized.

What's the difference between a mahātmā and an ordinary devotee?

The key distinction is in the phrase 'ananya-manasaḥ' - undivided mind. An ordinary devotee may be sincere but still divides attention between God and worldly concerns, worships with expectation, or uses devotion as insurance against misfortune. The mahātmā has passed through the fire of discrimination and no longer sees anything as truly separate from the Divine. Their devotion is not one activity among many but the fragrance of their being. It's not that they try to keep their mind on God; rather, wherever their mind goes, it finds only God.

How do I know if I'm approaching devotion with a divided or undivided mind?

Notice what happens when your prayers seem unanswered, when circumstances turn against you, when God appears absent. Does your devotion waver? Do you feel betrayed, angry, or begin to doubt? The divided mind depends on God performing according to expectations; when He doesn't, faith crumbles. The undivided mind has understood that the very circumstances that seem to deny God are themselves His gift - invitations to deeper surrender. Test your devotion in difficulty, not in comfort.

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