who is a "gnyAni"?

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Sri M.K. Sudarshan <lucasfie "R.Balaji" wrote:

> Those of you who have even a passing acquaintance with the

> "Bhagavath-gita" would certainly have come across a very famous line

in

> Ch.VII.Ver.17 : "priyo hi gnyAninO-athyartham-aham sa cha mama

priya-ha

> I".

> [...]

> The Lord says, "I am very dear to the "gnyAni" and he too is very dear

> to me!!". A little later in the same Chapter in Verse 18 the Lord

> further heaps encomiums on the "gnyAni" by identifying him/her as a

> biological rarity ... a virtual "mahAtmA" --- "mahAtmA sudurlaBha-ha",

> is the term He uses for the "gnyAni"!! There is no doubt at all that

the

> Lord thought no end of the "gnyAni"; He puts him/her on a

> more-than-human pedestal and glorifies him/her as verily the Jewel in

> the Crown of His own Creation!

>

> Now we must ask ourselves the following questions: (a) would we all

> really qualify as "gnyAni-s" going by the yardstick of the "loukika"

> world? (b) Would we all be so fortunate enough to be so "dear" to the

> Lord that He hails us as ""mahAtmA sudurlaBha-ha"? © Do we all

belong

> to the great "gnyAni-varga" which Sri.Mukkur Swamy casually referred

to

> in my last meeting with him?

>

> [...]

> (1)what are the qualities and traits of a true "gnyAni"?

 

When Sri KrshNa says "priyo hi gnyAninO-athyartham-aham sa cha mama

priya-ha", [bh G 7.17] what kind of jnAni is He referring to ?

Well, He clarifies that in the first half of the same verse -

"tesam jnani nitya-yukta eka-bhaktir visisyate" - jnani (one who is in

full knowledge of the Absolute) who is constantly enganged in

_devotional service only_ !

 

Let us also look at verses 7.16 thru 7.19 together:

 

.. catur-vidha bhajante mam janah sukrtino 'rjuna

arto jijnasur artharthi jnani ca bharatarsabha [bh. G 7.16]

 

catuh-vidhah -- four kinds of; bhajante -- render services; mam -- unto

Me;

janah -- persons; su-krtinah -- those who are pious; arjuna -- O

Arjuna;

artah -- the distressed; jijnasuh -- the inquisitive;

artha-arthi -- one who desires material gain;

jnani -- one who knows things as they are; ca -- also;

bharata-rsabha -- O great one amongst the descendants of Bharata.

 

" O best among the Bharatas, four kinds of pious men begin to render

devotional service unto Me -- the distressed, the desirer of wealth,

the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the

Absolute. "

 

-

 

.. tesam jnani nitya-yukta eka-bhaktir visisyate

priyo hi jnanino 'tyartham aham sa ca mama priyah [bh. Gita 7.17]

 

tesam -- out of them; jnani -- one in full knowledge;

nitya-yuktah -- always engaged; eka -- only;

bhaktih -- in devotional service; visisyate -- is special;

priyah -- very dear; hi -- certainly;

jnaninah -- to the person in knowledge;

atyartham -- highly; aham -- I am; sah -- he; ca -- also; mama -- to

Me;

priyah -- dear.

 

" Of these, the one who is in full knowledge and who is always

engaged in pure devotional service is the best. For I am very dear

to him, and he is dear to Me.

 

-

.. udarah sarva evaite jnani tv atmaiva me matam

asthitah sa hi yuktatma mam evanuttamam gatim [bh. G 7.18]

 

udarah -- magnanimous; sarve -- all; eva -- certainly; ete -- these;

jnani -- one who is in knowledge; tu -- but;

atma eva- just like Myself; me -- My; matam -- opinion;

asthitah -- situated; sah -- he; hi -- certainly;

yukta-atma -- engaged in devotional service; mam -- in Me;

eva -- certainly; anuttamam -- the highest; gatim -- destination.

 

"All these devotees are undoubtedly magnanimous souls, but he who is

situated in knowledge of Me I consider to be just like My own self.

Being engaged in My transcendental service, he is sure to attain Me,

the highest and most perfect goal. "

 

-

.. bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate

vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma su-durlabhah [bh. Gita 17.19]

 

bahunam -- many; janmanam -- repeated births and deaths;

ante -- after; jnana-van -- one who is in full knowledge;

mam -- unto Me; prapadyate -- surrenders;

vasudevah -- the Personality of Godhead, Krishna;

sarvam -- everything; iti -- thus; sah -- that;

maha-atma -- great soul; su-durlabhah -- very rare to see.

 

" After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge

surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and

all that is. Such a great soul is very rare. "

 

 

 

--

 

Also, later in chapter 13.3, the Lord defines what jnAnam is:

 

.. ksetra-jnam capi mam viddhi sarva-ksetresu bharata

ksetra-ksetrajnayor jnanam yat taj jnanam matam mama [bh. G 13.3]

 

ksetra-jnam -- the knower of the field; ca -- also; api -- certainly;

mam -- Me; viddhi -- know; sarva -- all;

ksetresu -- in bodily fields; bharata -- O son of Bharata;

ksetra -- the field of activities (the body);

ksetra-jnayoh -- and the knower of the field; jnanam -- knowledge of;

yat -- that which; tat -- that; jnanam -- knowledge;

matam -- opinion; mama -- My.

 

"O scion of Bharata, you should understand that I am also the knower

in all bodies, and to understand this body and its knower is called

knowledge. That is My opinion. "

 

--

 

 

- Ram