|| 8.7 ||
तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च। मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयः।।
tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu mām anusmara yudhya ca mayy arpita-mano-buddhir mām evaiṣyasy asaṁśayaḥ
Word by Word
tasmāt (therefore) sarveṣu (at all) kāleṣu (times) mām (Me) anusmara (remember) yudhya (fight) ca (and) mayi (unto Me) arpita (surrendered) manaḥ (mind) buddhiḥ (intelligence) mām (unto Me) eva (surely) eṣyasi (you will attain) asaṁśayaḥ (beyond a doubt)
Translation
Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Kṛṣṇa and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you will attain Me without doubt.
Meaning
Kṛṣṇa gives the practical instruction on how to live and die successfully. He tells Arjuna, “Therefore, at all times, remember Me and also perform your duty of fighting.” He does not say “Quit the world and meditate.” He says, “Fight, but keep your mind on Me.”
This is the art of ‘Dual Consciousness’. We must use our hands and brains for our work, but we must keep our heart anchored in the Divine. It is like a mother who is busy with household chores but never forgoes the awareness of her child playing in the room. This constant undercurrent of remembrance is the real yoga.
Kṛṣṇa promises that if our mind and intelligence are offered to Him, we will attain Him without any doubt. By practicing this ‘remembrance while working’, the transition at death becomes natural. We won’t have to struggle to think of God at the end, because we will have been thinking of Him all along. This is the path of total victory for a man of action like Arjuna.