Bhagavad-Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 8

Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Visnuswami

Sridhara Swami's Commentary

The method of practice that is the direct means to ensure constant remembrance is being revealed with the words cetasa nanya gamina meaning with an undeviating mind. This method means one's thoughts finely focused on one thing. That in itself is the meditated state of yoga or the science of the individual consciousness attaining communion with the ultimate consciousness. To the mind that has become habituated to this yoga and is fixed and concentrated on the divine and resplendent, ultimate being and reality the Supreme Lord Krishna, never deviating their consciousness to anything else attains Him excluisvely.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Madhvacarya

Madhvacarya's Commentary

In this verse Lord Krishna reveals the methodology of remaining fixed in the divine, transcendental nature. The words abhyasa yoga yuktena meaning engagement in yoga, is what leads to purity of mind and equanimity. Therefore it is practically the practice of eqanimity. The Purusa or supreme being is divine and dwells within the puri or city of the human body with nine gates being two eyes, two ears two nostrils, one mouth etc., in entirety. The Purusa is never enveloped by anything internally not is He ever enveloped by anything externally. The word divyam means divine and denotes reveling in all species of creation along with their activities. The word divyam indicates this having for its root the word div which means to revel.

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Ramanuja

Ramanuja's Commentary

By the daily practice of regulated meditation the mind becomes fixed and does not wander or meander away from the point of focused attention. With the mind so habituated and properly trained in meditation, the Supreme Lord Krishna is to be fixed in one's mind as the final thought at the time of death up to and including the last moment. So thinking of the Supreme Lord at such a crucial moment as death is the pivotal point in human existence for one can thus attain Him in the spiritual worlds. This will be explained in more detail in the next two verses.

It should be clearly understood that by thought alone one achieves whatever one desires, whether it is the Supreme Lord or dominion over the worlds or great fortune, etc. Whereas Jada Bharata left the human species and became an animal due to reflecting upon the welfare of a deer; a person by the power of their meditation will be born with qualities comparable to the Supreme Lord by meditating upon Him at the moment of death. The word abhyasa is the habituating and training of the mind to meditate upon the focused object of attention in a regulated manner. Whereas yoga or the science of the individual consciousness attaining communion with the ultimate consciousness is a mode of meditation with fixed procedures and fixed times everyday abhyasa is a mode of meditation beyond the times one's set aside for regular daily and special occasions; abhyasa mode of meditation is more of a continuous phenomena in all activities of life.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Nimbaditya

Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary

In this way Lord Krishna answered Arjuna's seven questions and as well revealed the way to attain the Supreme Lord Himself. Now in order to elaborate on the precise type and methodology He speaks the words cetasa nanya gamina or with an undeviating mind. One who with their mind disciplined and firmly established in yoga or the science of the individual consciousness attaining communion with the ultimate consciousness, by the practice of meditation. Contemplating in one's mind daily the qualities and attributes of the desired and cherished Supreme Lord; at fixed times and at times that are not fixed, thinking of nothing else then the object of one's focused meditation is recognised by the resplendent and effulgent Supreme Lord Himself residing in the core of one's heart and attains Him in the eternal spiritual worlds at the moment of death.