Shloka 18.65
Key verseKrishna speaks to Arjuna
मन्मना भव मद्भक्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु |मामेवैष्यसि सत्यं ते प्रतिजाने प्रियोऽसि मे ||१८-६५||
manmanā bhava madbhakto madyājī māṃ namaskuru . māmevaiṣyasi satyaṃ te pratijāne priyo.asi me ||18-65||
Meaning
Dedicate thyself to Me, worship Me, sacrifice all for Me, prostrate thyself before Me, and to Me thou shalt surely come. Truly do I pledge thee; thou art My own beloved.
Translation: Shri Purohit Swami, The Geeta: The Gospel of the Lord Shri Krishna (1935). Public domain.
Word-by-word meaning
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Explanation
Here is the most secret word, the essence of all devotion in a single line: fix your mind on Me, be My devotee, worship Me, bow to Me — and you shall surely come to Me. Krishna seals it with a solemn promise and a reason of pure love: I promise truly, for you are dear to Me.
This fourfold instruction — remember, love, offer, revere — is the whole of bhakti yoga distilled to its core. It asks not for extraordinary feats but for a heart turned wholly toward the Divine. And the promise is unconditional: such a soul will reach the Lord without fail.
That Krishna gives His word and names the devotee 'dear' reveals the warm reciprocity at the heart of devotion: we turn to God, and God has already turned to us in love.
In daily life
Turn your whole heart to the Divine in remembrance, love, and reverence, and you will surely reach it.
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Reflect
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Quick check
What does ‘मद्याजी’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on bhakti, in other chapters
- Verse 11.54Only wholehearted, single-minded devotion opens the path to truly know, see, and unite with the Divine.
- Verse 15.19To truly know the Supreme is to love and worship Him with your whole heart.
- Verse 6.47The highest of all yogis is the one who worships the Divine with faith and a heart wholly given in love.
- Verse 12.20Living this teaching with faith, holding God as your supreme goal, makes you exceedingly dear to Him.
Swipe left for 18.66 · Surrender wholly to the Divine, release anxious self-reliance, and trust completely that grace will free you.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 18.65
Who says Bhagavad Gita 18.65, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 18.65, in Chapter 18, Moksha Sannyas Yoga (Moksha Sannyas Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 18.65 mean?
Dedicate thyself to Me, worship Me, sacrifice all for Me, prostrate thyself before Me, and to Me thou shalt surely come. Truly do I pledge thee; thou art My own beloved. (Translation: Shri Purohit Swami, The Geeta: The Gospel of the Lord Shri Krishna (1935). Public domain.)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 18.65 for daily life?
Turn your whole heart to the Divine in remembrance, love, and reverence, and you will surely reach it.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 18.65 mean?
मन्मनाः भव — fix thy mind on Me; मद्भक्तः — be devoted to Me; मद्याजी — sacrifice to Me / worship Me; मां नमस्कुरु — bow down to Me; माम् एव एष्यसि — thou shalt come to Me.
Where does verse 18.65 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 65 of 78 in Chapter 18, Moksha Sannyas Yoga. The next verse is 18.66.