Verse 8.8

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 8.8:

अभ्यास-योग-युक्तेन चेतसा नान्य-गामिना ।
परमं पुरुषं दिव्यं याति पार्थानुचिन्तयन् ॥ ८ ॥

abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena cetasā nānya-gāminā |
paramaṃ puruṣaṃ divyaṃ yāti pārthānucintayan || 8 ||

abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena–engaged in yoga practice; cetasā–with mind; na anya-gāminā–undeviating; paramam–that Supreme; puruṣam–Person; divyam–divine; yāti–one attains; pārtha–O Arjuna, son of Pṛthā; anucintayan–while continuously contemplating.

O Pārtha, by engaging in this yoga practice of constantly contemplating the Supreme Divine Person and not permitting the mind to wander elsewhere, one will surely attain Me.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

“In this way, he who practises remembering Me during his life will naturally remember Me at the time of death, and he will achieve Me. Thus, remembrance of Me alone is the supreme yoga of the mind.” To explain this, Śrī Bhagavān is speaking this verse beginning with abhyāsa-yoga. “Abhyāsa means ‘to practise continuous remembrance of Me’, and yoga means ‘to fix the mind in such practice, not hankering for different sense objects’. When one constantly remembers Me with such undeviating attention, he will be able to conquer the nature of the mind.”

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

It is necessary to engage in constant practice in order to attain unbroken continuity in bhajana (like the unbroken flow of a stream of oil). One will be able to engage the mind in remembering Śrī Bhagavān by continuous practice and by withdrawing it from other sense objects. By continually practising remembrance of Śrī Kṛṣṇa throughout one’s life, a person will be able to conquer the distracted mind, thus enabling him to remember Kṛṣṇa at the time of death. This is also stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.20.18): “abhyāsenātmano yogī dhārayed acalaṃ manaḥ–a yogī should make his mind steady by practice.” One may refer to Gītā 12.9 to study this topic further.