BHAGAVAD-GITA 7:17

[Guest guest]

> BHAGAVAD-GITA 7:17

> tesam jnani nitya-yukta

> eka-bhaktir visisyate

> priyo hi jnanino 'tyartham

> aham sa ca mama priyah

>

> 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.

 

A timely verse! It's notable that Srila Prabhupada's purport also

suggests that differing levels of individual adhikara determine the degree

to which jnana is to be embraced or rejected.

 

MDd

[Guest guest]

BHAGAVAD-GITA 7:17

 

tesam jnani nitya-yukta

eka-bhaktir visisyate

priyo hi jnanino 'tyartham

aham sa ca mama priyah

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

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.

 

TRANSLATION

 

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.

 

PURPORT

 

Free from all contaminations of material desires, the distressed, the

inquisitive, the penniless and the seeker after supreme knowledge can

all become pure devotees. But out of them, he who is in knowledge of

the Absolute Truth and free from all material desires becomes a really

pure devotee of the Lord. And of the four orders, the devotee who is

in full knowledge and is at the same time engaged in devotional

service is, the Lord says, the best. By searching after knowledge one

realizes that his self is different from his material body, and when

further advanced he comes to the knowledge of impersonal Brahman and

Paramatma. When one is fully purified, he realizes that his

constitutional position is to be the eternal servant of God. So by

association with pure devotees the inquisitive, the distressed, the

seeker after material amelioration and the man in knowledge all become

themselves pure. But in the preparatory stage, the man who is in full

knowledge of the Supreme Lord and is at the same time executing

devotional service is very dear to the Lord. He who is situated in

pure knowledge of the transcendence of the Supreme Personality of God

is so protected in devotional service that material contamination

cannot touch him.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.