उदारा: सर्व एवैते ज्ञानी त्वात्मैव मे मतम् |
आस्थित: स हि युक्तात्मा मामेवानुत्तमां गतिम् || 18||
udārāḥ sarva evaite jñānī tvātmaiva me matam
āsthitaḥ sa hi yuktātmā mām evānuttamāṁ gatim
udārāḥ—noble; sarve—all; eva—indeed; ete—these; jñānī—those in knowledge; tu—but; ātmā eva—my very self; me—my; matam—opinion; āsthitaḥ—situated; saḥ—he; hi—certainly; yukta-ātmā—those who are united; mām—in me; eva—certainly; anuttamām—the supreme; gatim—goal
Translation:
Noble indeed are they all; but the man endowed with wisdom I deem to be My very Self. For, steadfast in mind, he remains fixed in Me alone as the Supreme Goal.
Commentary:
It is declared here that the Jnani is verily God himself, because he considers the Lord to be the only supreme goal, and is established in Him with a steadfast mind. But the other devotees are also noble because they have faith in the Lord and worship Him sometime or other. These are certainly superior to the rest of mankind who have no faith in the Lord.
The knower of Brahman becomes Brahman. So is the Jnani, the Lord Himself. The others are dualistic in their attitude. They think of themselves as separate from the Lord and worship Him as a superior Being. This is quite natural in the early stages of Sadhana. When the aspirant is enthroned in yoga he knows that he is not separate from the Lord. That is why the Jnani is described as harmonised in mind, ‘yuktatma’. The Jnani knows that the Lord is his supreme goal. He has no desire and attachment for anything else. He has discovered the illusory nature of the world. And so, the Lord is the only Reality for him. With an unswerving mind, he thinks, lives, moves and has his being in the Lord. That is why the Jnani is worshipped as the Lord Himself. Vyasa is described as Vishnu Himself with two arms. Though such men dwell in a mortal body, they are verily God. Where is God to be found? The answer definitely is that –God is found in His devotee, the Jnani. Whatever path is followed – karma, bhakti, jnana or dhyana – the final goal is union with the Supreme Being. All Sadhana finds its ultimate fulfillment in the realisation of oneness with the Lord.
Question: Why is the jnani superior?
Answer: He is superior because there is no difference between him and the Lord. The jnani is God Himself.
Question: How does the jnani acquire that position?
Answer: With a steadfast mind, he thinks of the Lord as His supreme goal and is established in Him.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 7 🔻 (30 Verses)
