अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जनाः पर्युपासते ।
तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम् ।। ९.२२ ।।

ananyāś-cintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ paryupāsate |
teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy-aham || 9.22 ||

The real possession of a devotee

Now follows the summary of the whole analysis and description:

For those who take to the thoughts of the Supreme exclusively, making such exclusiveness itself the core and content of their worship, the Supreme itself ensures their welfare and prosperity.

Compare this statement with the many Vedic prescriptions on rituals and ceremonies. Is mind with its attitudinal involvement deeper and greater, or the physical body with the various acts it instruments? The religious effect of any action is in the performer’s inner being. It is this inner being that is meant here, as taking to the Supreme in a spirit of exclusive devotion, reliance and linkage. ‘Ananyas-cintayantah, nitya-abhiyuktanam’ (exclusiveness of thoughts and ceaselessly engaged in this worship) are the key words here.

Should one be engrossed in mere rituals? Or should he engage his mind directly in the thought of the Supreme and reliance on It? Even the best of yajnas and y¡gas are meant to propitiate the Lord of Sacrifices, the Supreme. That Lord, says Krishna, is most pleased by the exclusive reliance and thoughts of the devotees. When exclusiveness fills the mind and intelligence, it makes one worthy of full attention and care from the Supreme. The Supreme Itself directly looks after his whole welfare, bringing whatever should enrich his life, ensuring the upkeep of whatever he has already with him. Yoga denotes things to be further had, and kshema implies the welfare of whatever the devotee already has now. Yoga-kshema covers all that is needed to make life prosperous, peaceful and fulfilled.

But here is a warning, a caution, a reminder: What are the yoga and kshema of a true devotee? Do they consist of any physical or material things from the external, gross world, or do they verily mean the deepening and enhancement of his devotion itself? If some gross additions are imperative, no doubt, they will be furnished. But the real focus must be to make the mind free, pure and pious to the core. So the earnest seeker should not get confused and misunderstand this promise to be one of making him materially richer or more resourceful, or even ensuring the physical upkeep of all that he has.

Take for instance what happened during the Kurukshetra war itself. For Arjuna, with Krishna close by, was it all a gainful ride through the 18 days of war? Or had he too to suffer severe losses? Imagine the scene when his dear son Abhimanyu, the matchless hero of the unprecedented battle, meeting death in an encounter, when all the warriors of the enemy side encircled him to bring about his downfall! Could Arjuna console his mind? How severe was his agony?

So it is not sensory, physical or gross well-being that the devotee should aim at as a reward for his devotional pursuit. Devotion is aimed at making his mind more and more devotionally reliant, and such reliance will itself make him content, confident and fulfilled. If he does not intercept the process with any confusion, greed or delusion, then ananya bhakti (exclusive devotion), as Krishna speaks of in this verse, will have its full meaning and relevance.

Like the other assurances of Bhagavad Gita, this too is a very important one. In our land, everywhere, one can find this particular verse sung so often by the people traditionally. Over 5000 years ago, a Sage wrote Mahabharata. And – ah! – from then on its content and message began to spread in the society. And even after thousands of years, it is still echoing in the hearts and minds of our people. What is the power and scope of writing! When and how do writing and writers reach such an undying, immortal dimension?