इति ते ज्ञानमाख्यातं गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं मया |
विमृश्यैतदशेषेण यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु || 63||
iti te jñānam ākhyātaṁ guhyād guhyataraṁ mayā
vimṛiśhyaitad aśheṣheṇa yathechchhasi tathā kuru
iti—thus; te—to you; jñānam—knowledge; ākhyātam—explained; guhyāt—than secret knowledge; guhya-taram—still more secret knowledge; mayā—by me; vimṛiśhya—pondering; etat—on this; aśheṣheṇa—completely; yathā—as; ichchhasi—you wish; tathā—so; kuru—do
Translation:
Thus, I have explained to you this knowledge that is more secret than all secrets. Ponder over it deeply, and then do as you wish.
Commentary:
The Lord describes the Gita-Sastra as the most secret of all knowledge. The teachings of this wisdom should be communicated only to such disciples who are qualified to receive it. Arjuna was qualified to receive it by virtue of his great devotion to Krishna, and the virtuous qualities (Daivisampat) that he possessed. Lord Krishna has thereby done a great service to mankind. Even for learning any worldly skill or art, a great deal of preparation is necessary for the student. When that is so, what amount of internal and external preparation is necessary for receiving this highest wisdom, one can easily understand. So the Lord declares that he has taught the most secret wisdom to Arjuna, just because he is fit to receive it, and finds it most necessary in the circumstances in which he is placed.
Vimrisyaita daseshena: Fully reflecting over it. It is the practice of all great teachers to give all that the disciple wants by way of teaching and instruction, and finally leave it to the disciple to decide what he should do, and how he should act. Only the narrow-minded teacher insists on the disciple to accept what he says without doubt or question. On the other hand, the great teachers give complete freedom of thought and reflection to the disciples. Man has to make a free choice of his course of action according to his own nature. The disciple should Know and feel the truth of what was taught to him. Then only he derives the full benefit of the master’s teaching. We see in this context how broad-minded the Lord was when he left the freedom of choice to Arjuna himself. Arjuna was one of the greatest devotees of Krishna. Krishna’s word was law unto him. If Lord Krishna wanted Arjuna to fight in the form of a command, Arjuna would have immediately acted up without any hesitation. But the Lord takes a different view. After giving the full message of wisdom, the Lord asks Arjuna to reflect over it, think well and deeply, and come to a voluntary decision. Such a decision would ultimately benefit him much more than a mere verbal command from the teacher. The final decision is left entirely to the individual.
Yadhecchasi tadha Kuru: Act as you wish. The Lord simply explained the position to Arjuna. That is all. He has nothing more to say. The disciple is free to take it or leave it. Here is a great example of Nishkama-karma. Having taught the Gita Sastra, the Lord leaves it without a thought of the fruit of his action. Although the main objective of the Lord is to make Arjuna fight the battle, He remains unconcerned about the result of his message. The Lord seems to say “you may fight or you may not. That is your decision, not mine. I have taught you the essence of all the Vedas, and it is your duty in the present situation, to take it or leave it. I am unconcerned”. Such is the way how great teachers act in respect of their disciples. Their message is delivered in a simple and powerful way. They pass on, leaving it to the people to think about it, draw their own conclusions and come to their own decision. This is an example of Nishkama-karma with which the scripture comes to a close.
Jnanam akhyyatam: Although in the Gita Sastra, the Lord has dealt with Karma, Bhakti, Dhyana, etc., they are all implied in the simple word wisdom (Jnana). The various paths culminate in Jnana. They are all intended to purify the mind gradually, and the mind so purified by the practice of Karma and Bhakti etc., acquires Jnana by which man attains the highest goal of Moksha. Karma and Bhakti are stepping stones to Jnana. Jnana is the peak point of realisation.
Question: How is the Gita Sastra described?
Answer: As the most secret of all secrets.
Question: Having delivered the message of wisdom, what should be the attitude of the teacher?
Answer: He should leave it to the disciple to reflect over it deeply, and act according to his own wish.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 18 🔻 (78 Verses)
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| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 |
| 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 |
| 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 |
| 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 |
| 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 |
