Chapter 6 · Shloka 47— The Yoga of Meditation / Self-Control

yoginām api sarveṣhāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā śhraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

yoginām

— of all yogis

api

— however

sarveṣhām

— all types of

mat-gatena

— absorbed in me (God)

antaḥ

— inner

ātmanā

— with the mind

śhraddhā-vān

— with great faith

bhajate

— engage in devotion

yaḥ

— who

mām

— to me

saḥ

— he

me

— by me

yukta-tamaḥ

— the highest yogi

mataḥ

— is considered

"Yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana, sraddhavan bhajate yo mam sa me yuktatamo matah." — Of all yogis, the one who worships Me with faith, with his inner self absorbed in Me — that one I regard as the most deeply united (the highest yogi). Krishna closes Chapter 6 — the chapter on meditation — with a verse that elevates loving devotion (bhakti) to the very summit of the yogic path, and serves as a perfect bridge into the bhakti-centered teachings of the chapters that follow. Having just declared the yogi supreme among practitioners (6.46), he now identifies, among all yogis, who stands highest. 'Mad-gatena antar-atmana' — with the inner self (antar-atman) absorbed in, gone into, established in Me. 'Sraddhavan bhajate yo mam' — who worships Me with faith (sraddha). Such a one, Krishna says, 'sa me yuktatamo matah' — is in My view the most perfectly united, the supreme yogi of all. Shankaracharya highlights the superlative 'yuktatamah' (most united, most yoked): among all the yogis described — the meditators, the disciplined, the realized — the very highest is the loving devotee whose innermost being is merged in the Divine through faith. This is a teaching of profound importance and beauty. After an entire chapter on the demanding discipline of meditation — posture, breath, restraining the wild mind, the long road across lifetimes — Krishna reveals that the most direct and complete path is loving absorption in the Divine. Faith and devotion, with the heart fully given, constitute the highest yoga. The difficult ascent of meditation finds its crown in the warmth of loving union. This sets the stage perfectly for the great teachings on bhakti that fill the chapters to come.

After an entire demanding chapter on meditation — posture, breath control, taming the wild mind, the long multi-life road — Krishna ends with a surprising and beautiful twist: the very highest yogi is the loving devotee whose heart is fully given to the Divine in faith. The crown of all that disciplined effort turns out to be warmth and love, not just technique. The deeper principle strikes home universally: the highest fulfillment isn't reached by discipline alone but by discipline infused with love and devotion. Whatever you're committed to, the technical mastery matters — but it's the love poured into it that elevates it to its highest form. Heart completes the discipline.

After an entire demanding chapter on meditation — posture, breath control, taming the feral mind, the long multi-life road — Krishna ends with a surprising, beautiful twist: the absolute highest yogi is the loving devotee whose heart is fully given to the Divine in faith. The crown of all that disciplined effort turns out to be warmth and love, not just technique. The deeper principle hits universally: the highest fulfillment isn't reached by discipline alone, but by discipline infused with love. Whatever you're committed to, technical skill matters — but it's the LOVE poured into it that elevates it to its highest form. Heart completes the discipline. And this perfectly sets up the devotion-heavy chapters coming next.

Krishna ends this big chapter on meditation with a beautiful surprise! After teaching all about sitting still, breathing, and calming the mind, he says: of ALL the yogis, the very best one is the person who loves God with all their heart and worships with faith! So the secret crown on top of all that practice is LOVE. The most important thing isn't just doing the techniques perfectly — it's filling your heart with love and devotion! Love makes everything complete and beautiful.