Commentary on the Bhagavadgita : 51-2. - Swami Krishnananda.

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Friday, October 28, 2022. 07:00.

Discourse-51. The Eighteenth Chapter Concludes: The Bhagavadgita Concludes-2.

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Iti te jñānam ākhyātaṁ guhyād guhyataraṁ mayā, vimṛśyaitad aśeṣeṇa yathecchasi tathā kuru (18.63): 

“I have told you everything that is necessary. Is there anything left now? I have concluded by the word that God is supreme. Surrender to Him is the final word. Devotion to the Supreme Being is the ultimate sadhana. I have told you the secret of all secrets. Consider deeply the pros and cons and the various aspects of this wisdom that I have imparted to you, and then do what you like.” After having said this much, Sri Krishna does not compel Arjuna by saying, “Therefore, do this.” After saying all these things, Sri Krishna says, “Do whatever is proper according to your opinion.” There is freedom even then.

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Sarvaguhyatamaṁ bhūyaḥ (18.64): 

“A very great secret I have imparted hereby.” Śṛṇu me paramaṁ vacaḥ: “Again I shall tell you something, a very great secret indeed.” Iṣṭo'si me dṛḍham: “Because you are very dear to Me, you are devoted to Me, therefore I feel like telling you something more about this great secret of the love of God. Listen to Me.” Tato vakṣyāmi te hitam: “For your welfare I say this.”

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Repeatedly, again and again, these instructions are given in different places of the Gita. 

Manmanā bhava (18.65): 

“Let your mind be absorbed in Me.” Madbhaktaḥ: “Totally be devoted to Me.” Madyājī: “Offer everything to Me; sacrifice everything to Me. Whatever is there, including your own self, let that be offered to Me.” Māṁ namaskuru: “Prostrate yourself before Me.” Mām evaiṣyasi: “You shall attain Me.” Satyaṁ te: “This is the truth.” Pratijāne priyo'si me: “I promise that you are dear to Me and you shall certainly reach Me, if only you follow this advice in the letter, as well as in the spirit.”

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Sarvadharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, ahaṁ tvā sarvapāpebhyo mokṣyayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ (18.66): 

“The power of God is greater than the power of all the people in the world, in all creation. Renounce all the rules and regulations of the temporal world, which are temporary because they require transformation, change, emendation from moment to moment; but stick to the supreme dharma which is devotion to Me. Leave other dharmas which are characteristic of performance of work, etc., in the world of diversity, because all that variety of dharma is subsumed under this greatest of dharmas, that is, love of God. There is no dharma equal to that.”

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There are varieties of dharmas in this world: family dharma, individual dharma, social dharma, political dharma, Kshatriya dharma, Brahmana dharma, and so on. They are all good in their own way, in their own place, but they are all nothing before the utter surrender of the soul to God. And all these dharmas, these rules, these Smirtis, these law codes—these systems of operation of secular dharma—are all included in that highest of spiritual dharmas, namely, unity with God.

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To be continued 

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