Bhagavad Gita · 7.18 · Self-Knowledge and Enlightenment·18 of 30
उदाराः सर्व एवैते ज्ञानी त्वात्मैव मे मतम्।आस्थितः स हि युक्तात्मा मामेवानुत्तमां गतिम् ॥
udārāḥ sarva evaite jñānī tvātmaiva me matam
āsthitaḥ sa hi yuktātmā mām evānuttamāṁ gatim
Sanskrit recitation
Why people seek · 7.15–7.19 · Teaching
Translation
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.
Meaning
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)
After Swami Sivananda
Why people seek· 7.15–7.19→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 7.15The evil-doers and the deluded, who are the lowest of men, do not seek Me; those whose knowledge is destroyed by illusion follow the ways of demons.
- 7.16Four kinds of virtuous men worship Me, O Arjuna, and they are the distressed, the seekers of knowledge, the seekers of wealth, and the wise, O Lord of the Bharatas.
- 7.17Of them, the wise who are ever steadfast and devoted to the One, excel; for I am exceedingly dear to the wise, and they are dear to Me.
7.18Indeed, 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.
- 7.19At the end of many births, the wise man comes to Me, realizing that all this is Vaasudeva (the innermost Self); such a great soul (Mahatma) is very hard to find.
Word-by-word→
- hi
- certainly
- me
- my
- tu
- but
- ete
- these
- eva
- certainly
- mām
- in me
- gatim
- goal
- matam
- opinion
- sarve
- all
- saḥ
- he
- jñānī
- those in knowledge
- anuttamām
- the supreme
- udārāḥ
- noble
- ātmā eva
- my very self
- āsthitaḥ
- situated
- yukta-ātmā
- those who are united
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