Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7, Verse 18

English Translation

All of these, indeed, are noble, but the man of Knowledge is the very Self. (This is) My opinion. For, with a steadfast mind, he is set on the path leading to Me alone who am the super-excellent Goal.

Detailed Commentary

।।7.18।। Explanation—All devotees are *udāra* (magnanimous), possessing excellent sentiments. The Lord has used the word '*udāra*', which encompasses several meanings: (1) For instance, in the eleventh verse of the fourth chapter, the Lord states that just as devotees surrender unto Him, so too does He worship them (*bhajan*). Devotees desire the Lord, and the Lord desires the devotee. However, this relationship is first established by the devotee, and whoever initiates it first is *udāra*. This means that the devotee does not care whether the Lord establishes the relationship or not. He first establishes the connection from his side and offers himself, therefore he is *udāra*. (2) Devotees of *Devas* (demi-gods) perform *Yajnas* (sacrifices) and *Tapas* (austerities) for their desires. *Devas* have to grant things according to their wishes because they do not consider their ultimate welfare or harm. But if a devotee of the Lord asks for something, the Lord gives it if He deems it proper, otherwise not, because the Lord is the Supreme Father and well-wisher (*hitaishī*). Whether their desires are fulfilled or not, devotees remain engaged in the *bhajan* of the Lord; this is their *udāratā* (magnanimity). (3) The enjoyments of the world and wealth appear directly pleasurable, but immediate joy is not visible in the *bhajan* of the Lord. Yet, abandoning the craving for worldly pleasures and accumulation, they engage in the Lord's *bhajan*; this is their *udāratā*. (4) Even those who ask for things in the Lord's court are called *udāra* – some desire wealth, some wish to dispel sorrow. The Lord considers even such seekers as *udāra*; this is His special *udāratā*. (5) Devotees expect the fulfillment of their desires only from the Lord. This exclusive (*ananya*) devotion is their *udāratā*. In '*Jñānī tvātmaiva me matam*' (The wise one, verily, is My very Self, is My opinion), the word '*tu*' highlights the special characteristic of the *Jñānī* devotee. It is not entirely correct to call a *Jñānī* *udāra*; he is My very form. In love, the lover surrenders himself completely to the beloved, just as the beloved surrenders to the lover. This gives a special experience of the *advaita bhāva* (non-dual state) of love. The *advaita* of the path of *Jñāna* (knowledge) grants peace, but the *advaita* of love continuously grows moment by moment. The *advaita* of love means being two yet one, and being one yet two. Due to this, the essence of love is ineffable (*anirvachanīya*). Just as a river becomes one with the ocean upon meeting it, yet a flow continues, similarly, the flow of love also continues, where both are the beloved and both are the lover. This is the import of '*Jñānī tvātmaiva me matam*'. In '*Āsthitaḥ sa hi yuktātmā māmevānuttamāṁ gatim*' (He, indeed, is steadfast, a *yuktātmā*, devoted to Me alone as the supreme goal), his firm faith (*āsthā*) and devotion (*shraddhā*) are in the Lord. His consciousness never separates from the Lord under any circumstance, and he remains firm in the sentiment 'only the Lord is mine'. Relation: The reality of the *Jñānī* (wise), i.e., the loving devotee, mentioned in the previous verse, and the nature of his *bhajan* (devotion) will be described in the following verse.