Gita 9.22
Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga
अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जनाः पर्युपासते । तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम् ॥
ananyāś cintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ paryupāsate teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham
In essence: The most intimate promise in the Gita: to those who think of Me alone with undivided attention, I personally carry what they lack and protect what they have.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "This sounds too good to be true. Krishna will personally take care of all my needs if I just think of Him? What about effort, responsibility, karma?"
Guru: "Tell me - when a child is completely absorbed in play, does the mother stop caring for the child's food, clothing, and safety because the child isn't actively managing these things?"
Sadhak: "No, the mother takes care of everything precisely because the child is innocent and absorbed."
Guru: "This is Krishna's promise. The devotee absorbed in divine remembrance is like that innocent child. Effort does not disappear - it becomes spontaneous and natural, guided by grace rather than driven by anxiety. What drops away is not action but worry about results."
Sadhak: "But I know many devotees who suffer, who face poverty and hardship. How does this promise apply to them?"
Guru: "What is 'yoga' - what one lacks? And what is 'kṣema' - what must be preserved?"
Sadhak: "I assumed it means material needs..."
Guru: "Sometimes it does, and providence provides. But 'yoga-kṣema' at the deepest level means spiritual union and its preservation. Krishna guarantees that nothing will obstruct the devotee's ultimate welfare. Sometimes hardship IS the yoga-kṣema - the very thing needed for spiritual growth. The devotee trusts that whatever comes is precisely what is required for the soul's journey, even if the mind cannot comprehend it."
Sadhak: "The word 'ananyāḥ' - thinking of no other - seems impossible. My mind constantly thinks of a hundred things."
Guru: "When you love someone deeply, do you stop thinking about them even when doing other things?"
Sadhak: "No, they're always in the background of my mind..."
Guru: "This is ananya-bhakti. Not that you stop functioning in the world, but that beneath all activity runs an undercurrent of remembrance. The foreground may change; the background remains constant. When that background becomes Krishna, every thought is suffused with divine presence. This is not concentration strain but love's natural gravity."
Sadhak: "So the promise is not about becoming carefree but about becoming care-free - free of care because care has been handed over?"
Guru: "Precisely. The devotee does not become irresponsible; they become unburdened. Action continues, often with greater effectiveness, but without the weight of existential anxiety. This is the freedom the verse offers - not from effort but from fear."
Did this resonate with you? Share it with someone who needs to hear this.
🌅 Daily Practice
Upon waking, before engaging any worry about the day ahead, pause and consciously hand over your concerns to the Divine. Say, either aloud or silently: 'I trust that what I need will be provided, and what I have will be protected. I dedicate this day to remembrance.' Then carry that trust as an undercurrent through morning activities.
When anxiety arises about acquiring something (job, relationship, success) or protecting something (health, money, reputation), use it as a reminder of this verse. Instead of fighting the anxiety, acknowledge it: 'This is my signal to remember who carries my yoga-kṣema.' Then consciously release the grip of worry, not by pretending you don't care, but by trusting the carrier of your care.
Before sleep, review the day. Notice where providence moved - perhaps in ways you didn't expect. Recognize how 'yoga' (what you received) and 'kṣema' (what was preserved) manifested. Let gratitude arise naturally. Then rest in the assurance that even in sleep, you are being carried.