Lonely

Indeed, all these are noble; however, I consider the wise man as My very Self; for, he is steadfast in mind and established in Me alone as the supreme goal.

Are not the other three kinds of devotees dear to the Lord They are. They are all noble souls. But the wise man is exceedingly dear because he has a steady mind he has fixed his mind on Brahman. He does not want any worldly object, but only the Supreme Being. He seeks Brahman alone as the supreme goal. He practises Ahamgraha Upasana (meditation on the Self as the all). He tries to realise that he is identical with the Supreme Self. Therefore I regard a wise man as My very Self. (Cf.II.49)

The Blessed Lord said, "I shall now declare to thee, who does not cavil, the greatest secret—the knowledge combined with experience (Self-realisation). Having known this, thou shalt be free from evil."

Idam (this) alludes to knowledge of the Self.Jnana Theoretical knowledge of Brahman through the study of the Upanishads, also known as Paroksha Brahma Jnana.Vijnana Direct intuitive perception of Brahman or AtmaSakshatkara, also known as Aparoksha Brahma Jnana.This alone forms the direct means of attaining to liberation from evil or the bondage of Samsara, freedom from birth and death.The knowledge of the Self is the most profound secret. It can hardly be described in words. It can be realised only through direct experience or spiritual intuition. Atman or Brahman or the selfluminous, eternal, Supreme Purusha is ever shining in the chambers of the hearts of men. Throughout the ages there have always been a few who have trodden the spiritual path and found out this secret or the spiritual treasure of the precious pearl of the Self. Knowledge of the Self is the only direct means for attaining liberation, Karma Yoga purifies the heart and leads to the dawn of the knowledge of the Self.Lord Krishna says, O Arjuna, I shall teach you this profoundest secret knowledge combined with realisation as you are free from jealousy. From this we can clearly understand that freedom from jealousy is an important qualification for an aspirant. Knowledge can only dawn in a mind which is free from all forms of jealousy which causes great distraction of the mind and produces intense heartburning

To those who are ever steadfast, worshipping me with love, I give the yoga of discrimination, by which they come to me.

The devotees who have dedicated themselves to the Lord, who are ever harmonious and selfabiding, who are ever devout and who adore Him with intense love (not for attaining any selfish purpose), obtain the divine grace. The Lord gives them wisdom or the Yoga of discrimination or understanding by which they attain the knowledge of the Self. The Lord bestows on these devotees who have fixed their thoughts on Him alone, devotion of right knowledge. (Buddhi Yoga) by which they know Him in essence. They know through the eye of intuition in deep meditaion the Supreme Lord, the One in all, the Self of all, as their own Self, destitue of all limitations. Buddhi here is the inner eye of intuition by which the magnificent experience of oneness is had. Buddhi Yoga is Jnana Yoga. (Cf.IV.39XII.6and7)Why does the Lord impart this Yoga of knowledge to His devotees What obstacles does the Buddhi Yoga remove on the path of the aspirant or devotee The Lord gives the answer in the following verse.

Out of mere compassion for them, I, dwelling within their selves, destroy the darkness born of ignorance with the luminous lamp of knowledge.

Luminous lamp of knowledge The Lord dwells in the heart of the devotees who constantly think of Him and destroys the veil or the darkness born of ignorance due to the absence of discrimination, by the luminous lamp of knowledge fed by the oil of pure devotion, fanned by the wind of profound meditation on Him, provided with the wick of right intuition, generated by the constant cultivation of celibacy, piety and other divine virtues held in the chambers of the heart free from worldliness, placed in the innermost recesses of the mind free from the wind of senseattractions (withdrawn from the objects of the senses) and untainted by likes and dislikes, and shining with the light of knowledge of the Self caused by the constant practice of meditation.The lamp is not in need of an instrument or means or any sort of practice for the removal of darkness. The generation of the light itself is ite sufficient to remove the darkness. As soon as the darkness is removed by the light, the pot, the chair and the other articles are seen. Even so the dawn of knowledge of the Self itself is ite sufficient to remove ignorance. No other Karma or,practice is necessary. After the ignorance is removed by the knowledge of the Self, Brahman alone shines in Its pristine glory.

He who does all actions for Me, who regards Me as the Supreme, who is devoted to Me, who is free from attachment, who bears no enmity towards any creature, he comes to Me, O Arjuna.

This is the essence of the whole teaching of the Gita. He who practises this teaching will attain Supreme Bliss and Immortality. This verse contains the summary of the entire philosophy of the Gita.He who performs actions (duties) for the sake of the Lord, who consecrates all his actions to Him, who serves the Lord with his heart and soul, who regards the Lord as his supreme goal, who lives for Him alone, who works for Him alone, who sees the Lord in everything, who sees the whole world as the Cosmic Form of the Lord and therefore cherishes no feeling of hatred or enmity towards any creature even when great injury has been done by others to him, who has no attachment or love to wealth, children, wife, friends and relatives, and who seeks nothing else but the Lord, realises Him and enters into His Being. He becomes one with Him.

He who, undeluded, knows Me as the highest Purusha, he, knowing all, worships Me with his whole being (heart), O Arjuna.

The glory of the knowledge of the Self is described in this verse.Asammudhah Undeluded, free from delusion. The undeluded does not identify himself with the physical body. He never looks upon the physical body, the lifeforce, senses, mind, intellect and the causal body as the Self or as belonging to himself, because he is resting in his own essential nature as ExistenceKnowledgeBliss Absolute and because he identifies himself with Brahman or the Supreme Being.That aspirant who knows that Sri Krishna is not a human being and that He is the highest Purusha or the Supreme Being is undeluded. Such an aspirant or devotee alone worships Him with his whole being. He is the Sarvavit or Sarvajna, allknower. He knows and realises that Lord Krishna, the supreme Lord, is the Inner Self of all beings. He beholds the One in the many, and the many in the One. For him there is neither high nor low, neither pleasure nor pain, neither virtue nor vice, neither good nor evil, neither likes nor dislikes.Me The Lord as specified above.Sarvavit One who knows everything in detail.Knows that I am He.Sarvabhavena With all his heart, with his whole being, wholeheartedly with his whole thought devoted exclusively to the Self of all with his whole mind centred on the Supreme Self alone.

The objects of the senses turn away from the abstinent man, leaving the longing behind; but his longing also turns away upon seeing the Supreme.

Knowledge of the Self alone can destroy in toto the subtle Vasanas (latent tendencies) and all the subtle desires, all subtle attachments and even the longing for objects. By practising severe austerities, by abandoning the sensual objects, the objects of the senses may turn away from the ascetic but the relish or taste or longing for the objects will still remain.

But for that man who rejoices only in the Self, who is satisfied with the Self and is content in the Self alone, indeed there is nothing to do.

The sage does not depend on external objects for his happiness. He is ite satisfied with the Self. He finds his joy, bliss and contentment within his own Self. For such a sage who has knowledge of the Self, there is nothing to do. He has already done all actions. He has satisfied all his desires. He has complete satisfaction. (Cf.II.55).

Know that the wise who have realized the truth will instruct thee in that knowledge through long prostration, supplication, and service.

Go to the teachers (those who are well versed in the scriptures dealing with Brahman or Brahmasrotris, and who are established in Brahman or Brahmanishthas). Prostrate yourself before them with profound humility and perfect devotion. Ask them questions, O venerable Guru What is the cause of bondage How can I get liberation What is the nature of ignorance What is the nature of knowledge What is the AntarangaSadhana (inward spiritual practice) for attaining Selfrealisation Serve the Guru wholeheartedly. A teacher who is versed in the scriptures (Sastras) but who has no direct Selfrealisaiton will not be able to help you in the attainment of the knowledge of the Self. He who has knowledge of the scriptures and who is also established in Brahman will be able to instruct thee in that knowledge and help thee in the attainment of Selfrealisation. Mere prostrations alone will not do. They may be tinged with hypocrisy. You must have perfect faith in your Guru and his teaching. You must serve him wholeheartedly with great devotion. Now hypocrisy is not possible.

He who does actions, offering them to Brahman and abandoning attachment, is not tainted by sin, just as a lotus leaf is not tainted by water.

Chapter IV verses 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 37, 41 Chapter V verses 10, 11 and 12 all convey the one idea that the Yogi who does actions without egoism and attachment to results or fruits of the actions, which he regards as offerings unto the Lord, is not tainted by the actions (Karma). He has no attachment even for Moksha. He sees inaction in action. All his actions are burnt in the fire of wisdom. He escapes from the wheel of Samsara. He is freed from the round of births and deaths. He gets purity of heart and through purity of heart attains to the knowledge of the Self. Through the knowledge of the Self he is liberated. This is the gist of the above ten verses. (Cf.III.30)

But to those whose ignorance is destroyed by knowledge of the Self, like the sun, knowledge reveals the Supreme Brahman.

When ignorance, the root cause of human sufferings, is annihilated by the knowledge of the Self, this knowledge illuminates the Supreme Brahman or that highest immortal Being, just as the sun illumines all the objects of this gross, physical universe.

Their intellect absorbed in That, their self being That, established in That, with That as their supreme goal, they go whence there is no return, their sins dispelled by knowledge.

They fix their intellects on Brahman or the Supreme Self. They feel and realise that Brahman is their self. By constant and protracted meditation, they get established in Brahman. The whole world of names and forms vanishes for them. They live in Brahman alone. They have Brahman alone as their supreme goal or sole refuge. They rejoice in the Self alone. They are satisfied in the Self alone. They are contented in the Self alone. Such men never come back to this Samsara, as their sins are dispelled by knowledge (BrahmaJnana). (Cf.IX.34)

Resting in Brahman, with a steady intellect and undeluded, the knower of Brahman neither rejoices upon obtaining what is pleasant nor grieves upon obtaining what is unpleasant.

This is the state of a Jivanmukta or a liberated sage or a Brahmana who identifies himself with the Self or Atman. He always has a balanced mind. He is never deluded. He has abandoned all actions as he rests in Brahman. He who has an unbalanced mind, who identifies himself with the body and mind feels pleasure and pain, exhilaration of spirits when he gets a pleasant object and grief when he obtains an unpleasant object. (Cf.VI.21,27,28XIII.12XIV.20)

One should raise oneself by one's own self alone; let not one lower oneself; for the self alone is one's own friend, and the self alone is one's own enemy.

Practise Yog. Discipline the senses and the mind. Elevate yourself and become a Yogarudha. Attain to Yoga. Shine gloriously as a dynamic Yogi. Do not sink into the ocean of Samsara (transmigration). Do not become a wordlyminded man. Do not become a slave of lust, greed and anger. Rise above worldliness, become divine and attain Godhead.You alone are your friend you alone are your enemy. The socalled worldly friend is not your real friend, because he gets attached to you, wastes your time and puts obstacles on your path of Yoga. He is very selfish and keeps friendship with you only to extract something. If he is not able to get from you the object of his selfish interest, he forsakes you. Therefore he is your enemy in reality. If you are attached to your friend on account of delusion or affection, this will become a cause of your bondage to Samsara.Friends and enemies are not outside. They exist in the mind only. It is the mind that makes a friend an enemy and an enemy a friend. Therefore the Self alone is the friend of oneself, and the Self alone is the enemy of oneself. The lower mind or the Asuddha Manas (impure mind) is your real enemy because it binds you to the Samsara, and the higher mind or the Sattvic mind (Suddha Manas or the pure mind) is your real friend, because it helps you in the attainment of Moksha.

From whatever cause the restless and unsteady mind wanders away, let him restrain it from that and bring it under the control of the Self alone.

In this verse the Lord gives the method to control the mind. Just as you drag the bull again and again to your house when it runs out, so also you will have to drag the mind to your point or centre or Lakshya again and again when it runs towards the external objects. If you give good cotton seed extract, sugar, plantains, etc., to the bull, it will not turn away but will remain in your house. Even so if you make the mind taste the eternal bliss of the Self within little by little by the practice of concentration, it will gradually abide in the Self only and will not run towards the external objects of the senses. Sound and the other objects only make the mind restless and unsteady. By knowing the defects of the objects of sensual pleasure, by understanding their illusory nature, by the cultivation of discrimination between the Real and the unreal and also dispassion, and by making the mind understand the glory and the splendour of the Self you can wean the mind entirely away from sensual objects and fix it firmly on the Self.

The Blessed Lord said, "O Arjuna, this body is called the field; he who knows it is called the knower of the field by those who know them."

Kshetra literally means field. The body is so called because the fruits (harvest) of actions in the form of pleasure and pain are reaped in it as in a field. The physical, the mental and the causal bodies go to constitute the totality of the field. It is not the physical body alone that forms the field.He who knows the field and he who beholds it as distinct from himself through knowledge is the knower of the field or matter.Those who know them The sages.

Constancy in Self-knowledge, the perception of the end of true knowledge—this is declared to be knowledge, and what is opposed to it is ignorance.

The liberated sage has constant awareness of the Self. He knows that knowledge of the Self alone is permanent and all other learning relating to this world is ignorance. He knows that the knowledge which leads to the realisation of the Self is the only truth.These attributes beginning with humility are declared to be knowledge, because they are conducive to knowledge they are the means to knowledge. They are secondary or auxiliary causes of knowledge. The fruit of this knowledge of the Self is deliverance from the round of births and deaths. The spiritual aspirant should always keep the end of knowledge in view. Only then will he attempt to develop the various virtues which are conducive to the attainment of knowledge of the Self. What is opposed to knowledge, viz., lust, anger, greed, pride, hypocrisy, attachment, cunningness, diplomacy, injuring others, is ignorance. These evil traits which are the products of ignorance bind a man to Samsara. If you wish to attain the knowledge of the Self you will have to eradicate these evil traits which stand as stumbling blocks on the path of salvation. If you cultivate the opposite virtues, the evil traits will die by themselves just as the plants which are deprived of water in a garden die by themselves. It is difficult to eradicate the evil traits by fighting against them.

He who sees the Supreme Lord existing truly in all beings, the imperishable within the perishable, sees indeed.

He who beholds the Supreme Lord through the inner eye of wisdom, Him Who is seated in all beings from the Creator down to the unmoving objects and Who is not destroyed even when all beings are destroyed, he is said to have realised the Self.In different kinds of fire, the heat is the same. Gold is the same in different forms of ornaments. The light from many lamps is the same. So also in all living being,s the soul is the same. The soul or the Self is uniform everywhere. The Self is the same in ants, elephants, kings, beggars, saints and rogues.The Self is indestructible all living beings are perishable. It is the Supreme Lord when compared to the body, senses, mind, intellect, the Unmanifested Nature and the individual soul.Birth is the root cause of the BhavaVikaras or the modifications, viz., change, growth, decay and death. The other changes of state manifest themselves after the birth of the body.The Supreme Lord is one and changeless as He is birthless, decayless and deathless. He is the one common consciousness in all beings. He sees rightly who sees the Supreme Lord as now described. He is a Jivanmukta. He has knowledge of the knower of the field or the immortal Self. He is the real seer or a liberated sage.The sage alone sees properly on account of knowledge. The whole world sees erroneously on account of ignorance

He sees, who sees that all actions are performed solely by Nature and that the Self is without action.

Nature is responsible for all activities. The Self is beyond all action. It is the silent witness only. He who experiences thus is the real seer or sage.He who knows that all actions proceeding from the five organs of knowledge, the five organs of action, the mind and the intellect are prompted by Nature and that the Self is actionless, really sees. He alone sees. He who identifies himself with the body, the mind and the senses and foolishly thinks that the Self is the actor is an ignorant man. He sees only with the physical eyes. He has no inner eye of intuition. The sky remains motionless but the clouds move across the sky. Even so the Self is actionless but Nature does everythin. The Self is destitute of any limiting adjunct. Just as there is no variety in ether, so also there is no variety in the Self. It is one homogeneous essence. It is free from any kind of characteristics. (Cf.III.27XIV.19XVIII.16)

When a person sees all beings as resting in the One and emanating from the One alone, they then become Brahman.

A man attains to unity with the Supreme when he knows or realises through intuition that all these manifold forms are rooted in the One. As waves in water, atoms in the earth, rays in the sun, organs in the body, emotions in the mind, sparks in the fire, so verily are all forms rooted in the One. Wherever he turns his gaze he beholds only the one Self and enjoys the bliss of the Self.When he beholds the diversity of beings rooted in the One in accordance with the teachings of the scriptures and the preceptor, he realises through intuitive experience that all that he beholds is nothing but the Self and that the origin and the evolution of all is from That One alone. Compare with the Chhandogya Upanishad, 7.26.1.आत्मतः प्राण आत्मत आशा आत्मतः स्मरआत्मत आकाश आत्मतस्तेज आत्मत आपःआत्मत आविर्भावतिरोभावावात्मतोऽन्नम्।।Atmatah prana atmata asa atmatah smaraAtmata akasa atmatasteja atmata apahAtmata avirbhavatirobhavavatmatonnam.From the Self is life from the Self is desire from the Self is love from the Self is ether from the Self is light from the Self are the waters from the Self is appearance and disappearance from the Self is food.

And he who serves Me with unwavering devotion, he, crossing beyond the dualities, is fit for becoming Brahman.

A Sannyasi or even a Karma Yogi who serves Him (the Isvara, Narayana Who abides in the hearts of all beings) with unswerving devotion, is endowed with the knowledge of the Self. He then goes beyond the three alities and becomes fit to become Brahman, for attaining liberation or release from birth and death.He attains to the knowledge of the Self through the grace and mercy of the Lord. To these everharmonious devotees worshipping Me in love, I give the Yoga of discrimination by which they come unto Me. Out of pure compassion for them, dwelling within their Self, I destroy the ignorancorn darkness by the shining lamp of wisdom. (Chapter X. 10 and 11)Avyabhicharini Bhakti The devotee constantly meditates on the Lord. He has exclusive devotion to the Lord alone. He has no other thought save that of his Lord. His mind is filled with the thoughts of the Lord. His thoughts flow towards the Lord like the continuous flow of oil from one vessel to another. There is Sajatiya Vritti Pravaha, i.e., unbroken flow of the one thought of God. There is total abandonment of thoughts of sensual objects. Constant thinking of God is the sure means for crossing beyond the three alities of Nature.

The Blessed Lord said: They (the wise) speak of the indestructible peepul tree, with its roots above and branches below, whose leaves are the meters or hymns; he who knows it is a knower of the Vedas.

The description of the universe as a peepul tree is only metaphorical. This peepul is said to be eternal because it cannot be cut except by the axe of knowledge.All persons depend upon the Lord for the fruits of their actions, because He alone knows the right relation between the actions and their fruits. He alone is the dispenser of the fruits of actions of human beings. The wise persons also depend upon the Lord for the fruit of their knowledge. The Lord alone removes the veil of ignorance through His grace and mercy. The inclination for Advaita Vedantic Sadhana arises through the Lords grace. The desire for the realisation of the Oneness is produced in the minds of wise men by the grace of the Lord, which is the antidote to all fears. (Avadhuta Gita, I.1)Those who serve the Lord with unswerving or singleminded devotion go beyond the three alities of Nature through His grace. They attain knowledge of the Self through the grace of the Lord and get release from the round of birth and death. Those who have a right understanding of the real nature of Brahman or the Supreme Being also get emancipation easily.The Lord teaches Arjuna in this discourse about the real nature of Brahman or the Supreme Self and the path that leads the soul to union with Him

The yogis striving for perfection behold Him dwelling in the Self; but, the unrefined and unintelligent, even though striving, do not see Him.

The description of the evolution of the individual soul is now complete.The Yogins who strive with an iron determination, fiery resolve, faith, earnestness and wellbalanced mind, see Him established in their hearts. They behold Him dwelling in their own mind or intellect. They recognise Him -- This I am. But those who are of full intellect and without proper discipline of the mind and the senses, who have not been purified by austerity, selfless service and charity, who have not subdued their senses, who have not practised regular meditation, who have not given up their evil ways, who have not eradicated lust, pride, egoism, anger, greed and hypocrisy, who have not developed true discrimination between the Real and the unreal, however hard they may struggle to know Him by means of the study of the sacred scriptures, do not behold Him. They are not able to attain Selfrealisation. Mere study of scriptues alone cannot help one who has an impure mind to attain Selfrealisation. The aspirant should have a calm and pure mind. He should practise constant, protracted and profound meditation on the Self

A person who is liberated from these three gates of darkness, O Arjuna, practices what is beneficial for them and thus goes to the Supreme Goal.

When these gates to hell are abandoned, the path to salvation is made clear for the aspirant. He gets the company of sages, which leads to liberation. He gets spiritual instructions and practises them. He hears the scriptures, reflects, meditates and attains Selfrealisation.Tamodvara Gate to darkness leading to hell which is full of pain and delusion.

That which is like poison at first but in the end like nectar—that happiness is declared to be sattvic, born of the purity of one's own mind due to self-realization.

Agree vishma iva In the beginning it is attended with much pain as one has to abandon the sensual objects and comforts and practise severe austerities and rigorous Sadhana. He has to undergo a severe ordeal when he practises Yama, Niyama, Tapas and various other vows. He has to cultivate dispassion or indifference to sensual pleasures. This gives him much pain at first. The practice of concentration and meditation also gives pain the beginning. Subjugation of the senses is also very troublesome. Nux vomica is very bitter. One feels much discomfort when he takes a mixture that contains nux vomica. But he derives much pleasure in the end when he gets vigour and good appetite and when his dyspepsia is cured. Even so the aspirant drinks the nectar of immortality in the end, attains the highest knowledge, rejoices in the,Self to his hearts content and enjoys supreme peace and eternal bliss.Proktam It is declared by the wise.Atmabuddhiprasadajam Born as purity of ones own intellect or born of the direct, perfect and clear knowledge of Brahman or the immortal, selfluminous, eternal and supreme Self or the Absolute. The individual self experiences Sattvic happiness when it realises union with the highest Self.The pleasure so born is Sattvic. (Cf.VI.1,2)

The one who is full of faith, devoted to it, and has subdued their senses obtains this knowledge; and upon obtaining the knowledge, they attain the supreme peace immediately.

He who is full of faith, who constantly serves his Guru and hears his teachings, who has subdued the senses surely gets the knowledge and quickly attains the supreme peace or salvation (Moksha). All the above three qualifications are indispensable for an aspirant if he wants to attain to the supreme peace of the Eternal quickly. One alifiaction alone will not suffice. (Cf.X.10,11)

The Blessed Lord said, "O Arjuna, hear how you shall, without doubt, know Me fully, with your mind intent on Me, practicing Yoga and taking refuge in Me."

He who wishes to attain some result or reward performs the ritual known as Agnihotra or does charity, sinks wells, builds hospitals, resting places, etc., with Sakama Bhavana (with an inner profit motive) and attains them. But the Yogi on the contrary practises Yoga with a steadfast mind and takes refuge in the Lord alone, with the mind wholly fixed on Him, on His lofty attributes such as omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, infinite love, beauty, grace, strength, mercy, inexhaustible wealth, ineffable splendour, pristine glory and purity.The servant of a king, though he constantly serves the king, has not got his mind fixed on him. The mind is ever fixed on his wife and children. Unlike the servant, fix your mind on Me, (the allpervading One), and take refuge in Me alone. Practise control of the mind in accordance with the instructions given in chapter VI. Then you will know Me and My infinite attributes in full.If you sing the glory and the attributes of the Lord, you will develop love for Him and then your mind will be fixed on Him. Intense love for the Lord is real devotion. You must get full knowledge of the Self without any doubt.He who has taken refuge in the Lord, and he who is trying to fix or has fixed his mind on the Lord cannot bear the separation from the Lord even for a second.

There is nothing higher than Me, O Arjuna. All this is strung on Me, like clusters of gems on a string.

There is no other cause of the universe but Me. I alone am the the cause of the universe. This illustration of gems and thread illustrates only the idea that all beings and the whole world are threaded on the Lord. The thread is not the cause of the gems. As Brahman is all in all there is nothing whatever higher than It.

Verily, this divine illusion of Mine, composed of the three qualities, is difficult to cross over; those who take refuge in Me alone, can cross over this illusion.

Maya is the Upadhi or the causal body (Karana Sarira) of Isvara. It is the material cause of this universe. It is inherent in the Lord. It is constituted of the three alities, viz., Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Those who completely devote themselves to the Lord alone after renouncing all formal religion (Dharma) cross over this illusion which deludes all beings. They attain liberation or Moksha.Isvara is the Lord of Maya (illusion). He has perfect control over it. Avidya is the Upadhi (limiting adjunct) of the Jiva (individual soul). The Jiva is a slave of this ignorance. Ignorance is the veil that has screened the Jiva from Satchidananda Brahman or the ExistenceKnowledgeBliss Absolute. When the veil is removed by the dawn of knowledge of the Self the Jiva loses his characteras a Jiva or an individual soul and becomes identical with Brahman. (Cf.XV.3and4)

Endowed with that faith, he engages in the worship of that form and obtains his desired outcome, which is ordained by Me alone.

The last two words Hi and Tan are taken as one word, Hitan meaning benefits. This is another interpretation. The devotee who worships the lesser gods attains the objects of his desire (minor psychic powers, etc.). Those objects are ordained by the Lord only as He alone knows exactly the relation between the actions and their results or rewards and as He is the Inner Ruler of all beings. Unwise or undiscriminating people only take recourse to the means of getting these finite rewards which can hardly give entire satisfaction. Pitiable indeed is their lot They have,no power of enquiry (VicharaSakti) or right understanding. They get hold of pieces of glass instead of attaining the jewel of the Self, of incalculabe value.

Verily, the reward (fruit) that accrues to those men of small intelligence is finite. The worshippers of the gods go to them, whereas My devotees come to Me.

The exertion in the two kinds is the same and yet people do not attempt to worship the Supreme Being in order to attain the maximum benefits or the infinite reward (liberation or Moksha). The reward obtained by men of small understandng and petty intellect who worship the minor deities is small, perishable and temporary.Yajnas (Vedic rituals), Homas (rituals in which oblations are offered into the sacred fire) and Tapas (penance) of various sorts can bestow only temporary rewards on the performer. Liberation from the wheel of transmigration alone will give everlasting bliss and eternal peace.Those who worship Indra and others are Sattvic devotees those who worship Yakshas and Rakshasas (demoniacal beings) are Rajasic devotees and those who worship the Bhutas and Pretas (discarnate spirits) are Tamasic devotees.The knowledge of those who worship the small deities is partial and incomplete. It cannot lead to liberation. (Cf.IX.25)

I am not manifest to all, veiled as I am by the Yoga-Maya. This deluded world does not know Me, who am unborn and imperishable.

I am not manifest to all the people, but I am certainly manifest to the chosen few who are My devotees, who have taken sole refuge in Me alone. I am not visible to those who are deluded by the three Gunas and the pairs of opposites, and who are screened off by this universe which is a manifestation of the alities of Nature, My YogaMaya or My creative illusion. This veils the understanding of the worldlyminded people. So they are not able to behold the Lord Who keeps Maya under His perfect control.YogaMaya is the union of the three alities of Nature. The illusion or veil spread thery is called YogaMaya. The worldly people are deluded by the illusion born of the union of the three alities. Therefore, they are not able to know the Lord Who is unborn and immutable.This YogaMaya is under the perfect control of the Lord. Isvara is the wielder of Maya. Therefore it cannot obscure His own knowledge, just as the illusion created by the juggler cannot obstruct his,own knowledge or deceive him. The illusion which binds the worldly people cannot in the least affect the Lord Who has kep Maya under his perfect subjugation. (Cf.VII.13IX.5X.7XI.8)

Arjuna said, "What is Brahman? What is Adhyatma? What is action, O best among men? What is Adhibhuta declared to be? And, what is Adhidaiva said to be?"

In the last two verses of the seventh chapter Lord Krishna had used certain philosophical and technical terms such as Adhyatma, Adhibhuta, Adhidaiva and Adhiyajna. Arjuna does not understand the meaning of these terms. So he proceeds to ask the Lord the above questions for their elucidation. Lord Krishna gives the answers succinctly to the above questions in their order.Some treat this chapter as Abhyasa Yoga because in this chapter verses 7, 8, 10, 12, 13 and 14 deal with spiritual practices. Verse 7 treats of Karma and Bhakti Yoga combined (giving the hands to the service of humanity or society and fixing the mind on the Lord). Verse 8 deals with Abhyasa Yoga. Verses 10, 12 and 13 treat of Hatha Yoga (how to raise the lifeforce t the Ajna Chakra and the Sahasrara and the Brahmarandhra). Verse 14 treats of the easy Yoga of constant Namasmarana or remembering the names of the Lord constantly. This alone will help the spiritual aspirant to approach the Lord easily.The nature of Brahman, the individual Self (Adhyatma), the nature of action, the nature of the objective universe or phenomena (Adhibhuta), knowledge of the shining ones (Adhidaiva), and the secret of sacrifice (Adhiyajna) are described in this discourse. The perfect sage will have perfect knowledge

Adhibhuta—knowledge of the elements—pertains to My perishable nature, and the Purusha, or the Soul, is the Adhidaiva; I alone am the Adhiyajna here in this body, O best among the embodied.

Adhibhuta the perishable nature the changing universe of the five elements with all its objects all the material objects everything that has birth the changing world of names and forms.Adhidaiva Purusha literally means that by which everything is filled (pur to fill). It may also mean that which lies in this body. It is Hiranyagarbha or the universal soul or the sustainer from whom all living beings derive their sensepower. It is the witnessing consciousness.Adhiyajna Consciousness the presiding deity of sacrifice. The Lord of all works and sacrifice isVishnu. Lord Vishnu identifies Himself with all sacrificial acts. Yajna is verily Vishnu, says the Taittiriya Samhita of the Veda. Lord Krishna says, I am the presiding deity in all acts of sacrifice in the body. All sacrifices are done by the body and so it may be said that they rest in the body.

That highest Purusha, O Arjuna, is attainable by unswerving devotion to Him alone, within Whom all beings dwell and by Whom all this is pervaded.

All the beings (effects) dwell within the Purusha (the Supreme Person, the cause) because every effect rests within its cause. Just as the effect, pot, rests within its cause, the clay, so also all beings and the worlds rest within their cause, the Purusha. Therefore the whole world is pervaded by the Purusha.Sri Sankara explains exclusive devotion as Jnana or knowledge of the Self.Purusha is so called because everything is filled by It (derived from the Sanskrit root pur which means to fill) or because It rests in the body of all (derived from the Sanskrit root pur). None is higher than It and so It is the Supreme Person. (Cf.IX.4XI.38XV.6and7)

Those who have no faith in this Dharma, O Parantapa, return to the path of this world without attaining Me.

Arjuna asks, O Lord, why do people not attempt to attain this knowledge of the Self when it can be easily attained, when it is the highest of all things, and when it gives the greatest benefits All should certainly attain this knowledge. The Lord replies, O My beloved disciple, people have no faith in this Dhrama or knowledge and so return to the path of this world of death. Even if they strive with the help of the means of their own imagination they cannot attain Me as they are not endowed with the right means prescribed by the scriptures.Dharma means law, religion, knowledge of the Self.This faith is not mere intellectual belief in certain dogmas or principles. It is not merely belief in the statement of another. It is unshakable firm inner conviction that the knowledge of the Self alone can give one supreme peace, immortality and eternal bliss. It was this strong and unflinching faith of Sri Sankara that goaded him to leave his mother and take shelter under the kind protection of his Guru Sri Govindapada for attaining this knowledge which is the supreme purifier, intuitional, accordig to righteousness, very easy to perform, and imperishable. It was the strong faith of Lord Buddha that induced him to have that iron determination which he expressed in these words, I will not budge an inch from my seat till I get illumination

They are possessed of the deceitful nature of demons and undivine beings, filled with vain hopes, vain actions, and vain knowledge that is senseless.

They entertain vain hopes, for there can be no hope in perishable forms. It is vain hope because they run after transient objects and miss the Eternal. It is vain action, because it is not performed by them as sacrifice unto the Lord. The Agnihotra (a ritual) and other actions performed by them are fruitless, because they insult the Lord. They are senseless. They have no,discrimination. They have no idea of the eternal Self. They worship their body only. They behold no self beyond the body. They neglect their own Self. They do atrocious crimes and cruel actions. They rob others property and murder people. They partake of the nature of the demons and the undivine beings.The Rakshasa are Tamasic and the Asuras are Rajasic.Prakriti means here Svabhava (ones own nature).They see the external human body only. They have no knowledge of the Self that dwells within the body. They do not behold God in the universe. They life for eating and drinking only.He who entertains hope of getting the rewards of actions through mere Karma alone, without the grace of the Lord is one of empty hope and empty deed. Karmas are insentient. They cannot give rewards independently. The omniscient Lord Who knows the relationship between Karmas and their fruits can dispense them

For those men who worship Me alone, thinking of no one else, for those ever-united, I secure what they have not already possessed and preserve what they already possess.

Ananyah Nonseparate. This is another interpretation. Persons who, meditating on Me as nonseparate, worship Me in all beings -- to them who are ever devout, I secure gain and safety. They consider themselves as nonseparate, i.e., they look upon the Supreme Being as nonseparate from their own Self they look upon the Supreme Being as their own Self.Those devotees who behold nothing as separate from themselves have no selfish interests of their own. They certainly do not look for their own gain and safety. They have no desire for life or death. They have taken sole refuge in the Lord. They have nothing to lose, because there is nothing they call their own. Their very bodies become Gods. They have no desire for acisition because all their desires are gratified by their communion with the Lord. They have eternal satisfaction as they possess all the divine Aisvarya, the supreme wealth of the Lord.They entertain no other thoughts than those of the Lord. Conseently the Lord Himself looks after their bodily wants, such as food and clothing (this is known as Yoga), and preserves what they already possess (this is known as Kshema). He does these two acts. Just as the father and mother attend to the bodily needs of their children, so also the Lord attends to the needs of His devotees.They direct their whole mind with full faith towards the Lord

Even those devotees who, endowed with faith, worship other gods, worship Me alone, O Arjuna, but by the wrong method.

They worship Me in ignorance. Their mode of worship is contrary to the ancient,rule. Hence they return to this world.People worship Agni, Indra, Surya, Varuna, the Vasus, etc. Even they attain Me, because I am everywhere. But their devotion is not pure. It is vicarious. Water should be given to the root and not to the branches. If the root is satisfied, the whole tree must be and is satisfied. Even so, if I (the root of this world and all the gods) am satisfied, all the gods must be and are satisfied. Though the messages from the five organs of knowledge reach the one consciousness, will it be right and useful to place a sweetmeat in the ear and a flower in the eyes The function of eating must be done by the mouth alone and the function of smelling by the nose alone. Therefore I should be worshipped in My own nature. They should know Me as the Self in all beings. They should recognise Me in other worship. I am the root. I am the source of all the gods and of this whole world. (Cf.IV.11VII.20)

For I alone am the enjoyer and Lord of all sacrifices; but they do not know Me in reality, and thus they return to this mortal world.

They do not know that I, the Supreme Self, am the enjoyer of all sacrifices enjoined in the Vedas and the Smritis (the codes of right conduct) and the Lord of all sacrifices. As I am the inner Ruler of this world I am the Lord of all sacrifices (Vide chapter VIII. 4 -- Adhiyajnohamevatra I am the presiding deity of the sacrifice). I am at the beginning and at the end of every sacrifice and yet these people worship other gods. Therefore they worship in ignorance. As they worhsip other gods without recognising Me, and as they have not consecrated their actions to Me, they return to this mortal world after their merits are exhausted from the plane to which they had attained as the result of their sacrifices.Those who are devoted to other gods and who worship Me in ignorance (Avidhipurvakam) also get the fruit of sacrifice. How (Cf.V.29XV.9)