Verse 12.2

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 12.2:

श्री भगवान् उवाच–
मय्य् आवेश्य मनो ये मां नित्य-युक्ता उपासते ।
श्रद्धया परयोपेतास् ते मे युक्ततमा मताः ॥ २ ॥

śrī bhagavān uvāca–
mayy āveśya mano ye māṃ nitya-yuktā upāsate |
śraddhayā parayopetās te me yuktatamā matāḥ || 2 ||

śrī bhagavān uvāca–the all-opulent Lord said; mayi–within Me; āveśya–absorbing; manaḥ–minds; ye–who; mām–Me; nitya-yuktāḥ–always connected; upāsate–worship; śraddhayā–faith; parayā–with transcendental (free from the material modes of nature); upetāḥ–engaged; te–those;me–by Me; yuktatamāḥ–the best amongst those who know yoga;matāḥ–are considered.

Śrī Bhagavān said: Those yogīs whose faith is transcendental, or beyond the three binding influences of material nature, and who, fixing their mind on My Śyāmasundara form, constantly worship Me with exclusive devotion, are the best among those conversant with the science of yoga. This is My opinion.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

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

Śrī Bhagavān responds to Arjuna’s question in the previous verse by saying, “My devotees are the best of yogīs who, with faith that is free from the influence of the modes of material nature, fix their minds on My Śyāmasundara form, being ever-desirous to unite with Me.” As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.25.27), “Faith that focuses upon the self (ātmā) is in the material mode of goodness, sattva-guṇa;faith that has karma (action) as its focus is in the material mode of passion, rajo-guṇa; and faith that has irreligious activities as its focus is in the material mode of ignorance, tamo-guṇa. But that faith that has service to Me as its object and focus is nirguṇa, completely free from the material modes of nature.” The present verse states, “My exclusive devotees are yuktatamāḥ, the best of yogīs.” From this it can be concluded that, compared to exclusive devotees, others, such as those whose bhakti is mixed with jñāna or karma, are only classified as being yoga-vittara, those who know yoga. They are not yoga-vittamāḥ, the best of those who know yoga. Thus, bhakti is superior to jñāna, and within bhakti, ananyā-bhakti, or exclusive devotion, is supreme. This has been established here.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

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

Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa was greatly pleased to hear Arjuna’s question and said, “I accept as the best of yogīs only those who constantly worship Me with transcendental faith and unalloyed devotion, who fix their minds on My Śyāmasundara form.” In reality the topmost yogīs are the unalloyed devotees. The yogīs whose bhakti is mixed with jñāna and karma are a little inferior to them. Bhakti-yoga is therefore superior to jñāna-yoga because it is by bhakti-yoga alone that one performs pure and exclusive devotion. The word śraddhā mentioned in the original verse means ‘staunch faith in the statements of śāstra, guru and Bhagavān’.

As it is said in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā 22.62):

‘śraddhā’-śabde—viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya
kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya

Śraddhā is the staunch faith that merely by the performance of bhakti to Śrī Kṛṣṇa everything is accomplished.

Elsewhere it is also said, “śraddhā tv anyopāya-varjaṃ kṛṣṇonmukhī citta-vṛtti-viśeṣaḥ–the tendency of the mind that is directed only towards Kṛṣṇa and that is free from any desire to follow other processes is called śraddhā.”

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.25.27) describes four types of faith:

sāttviky ādhyātmikī śraddhā karma-śraddhā tu rājasī
tāmasy adharme yā śraddhā mat-sevāyāṃ tu nirguṇā

Faith in scriptures that deal with the science of the self is in the mode of goodness; faith related to fruitive activities is in the mode of passion; faith in sinful acts is in the mode of and faith in service to Me is beyond the modes of material nature.

Here it should be understood that the word nirguṇa means ‘transcendental and beyond material qualities (aprākṛta)’. It does not mean ‘bereft of all qualities’. Therefore, a bhakti-yogī endowed with faith that is beyond the modes of nature is the best. Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s intention is to give this understanding.