12.8
मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय ।
निवसिष्यसि मय्येव अत ऊर्ध्वं न संशयः ॥
mayy eva mana ādhatsva mayi buddhiṃ niveśaya
nivasiṣyasi mayy eva ata ūrdhvaṃ na saṃśayaḥ
Kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण) continues. The comparison is over, and the command begins.
The verse
Set the mind on me alone, settle the understanding in me, and you will dwell in me alone from then on; there is no doubt.
नेपालीमा
मन ममा नै लगाऊ, बुद्धि ममा बसाल। त्यसपछि तिमी ममा नै बस्नेछौ, शङ्का छैन।
Where it sits
This is the top of the ladder, said as an order. 12.2 had already called this placing of the mind the most yoked worship. The next verses are for the person who cannot yet do this one.
Split: मयि + एव + मनः + आधत्स्व + मयि + बुद्धिम् + निवेशय + निवसिष्यसि + मयि + एव + अतः + ऊर्ध्वम् + न + संशयः
mayi + eva + manaḥ + ādhatsva + mayi + buddhim + niveśaya + nivasiṣyasi + mayi + eva + ataḥ + ūrdhvam + na + saṃśayaḥ
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| देवनागरी | Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| मयि | mayi | locative | in me. |
| एव | eva | indeclinable | alone. |
| मनः | manaḥ | accusative of manas (मनस्) | the mind. |
| आधत्स्व | ādhatsva | imperative, 2nd singular, middle | set. From ā-dhā (आ-धा), "place." |
| मयि | mayi | locative | in me. |
| बुद्धिम् | buddhim | accusative | the understanding. |
| निवेशय | niveśaya | imperative, 2nd singular, causative | make it enter. Settle it. From ni-viś (नि-विश्). |
| निवसिष्यसि | nivasiṣyasi | future, 2nd singular | you will dwell. From ni-vas (नि-वस्). |
| मयि | mayi | locative | in me. |
| एव | eva | indeclinable | alone. |
| अतः | ataḥ | indeclinable | from this. Thereafter. |
| ऊर्ध्वम् | ūrdhvam | accusative, adverbial | upward. After, further on. |
| न | na | indeclinable | not. |
| संशयः | saṃśayaḥ | nominative | doubt. |
The phrases
mayi eva manaḥ ādhatsva (मयि एव मनः आधत्स्व) is the first command. Set the mind in me alone. The middle imperative ādhatsva (आधत्स्व) is his own act on his own mind. मयि + एव mayi + eva is mayy eva (मय्येव). मनः + आधत्स्व manaḥ + ādhatsva is mana ādhatsva (मन आधत्स्व): aḥ (अः) before ā (आ) is taken up into the ā (आ).
mayi buddhim niveśaya (मयि बुद्धिम् निवेशय) is the second command. Make the understanding enter me. niveśaya (निवेशय) is causative, aimed at buddhim (बुद्धिम्). The mind is set; the understanding is made to go in.
निवसिष्यसि मयि एव अतः ऊर्ध्वं न संशयः nivasiṣyasi mayi eva ataḥ ūrdhvam na saṃśayaḥ is what follows the two commands. You will dwell in me alone from then on. Doubt is not in it. ataḥ ūrdhvam (अतः ऊर्ध्वम्) keeps a space: aḥ (अः) before ū (ऊ) drops the visarga and the vowels do not merge.
Sanskrit in this line
इ + ए i + e becomes ye (ये). mayi eva (मयि एव) is recited mayy eva (मय्येव), and the verse does it twice, once on the command and once on the dwelling. eva (एव) is the word that keeps the mind from being set on a second place. Lose it and mayi (मयि) is only "in me," not "in me alone."
Say it back
Cover the English. The two commands, then where you will dwell. If mayi (मयि) is missing and the mind is set on the avyakta (अव्यक्त), stay here.