BG 7.17
“
“
Devanagari
तेषां ज्ञानी नित्ययुक्त एकभक्तिर्विशिष्यते ।
प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थमहं स च मम प्रिय: ॥ १७ ॥
Verse text
teṣāṁ jṣānī nitya-yukta
eka-bhaktir viśiṣyate
priyo hi jṣānino ’tyartham
ahaṁ sa ca mama priyaḥ
Synonyms
teṣām
—
out of them
;
jṣānī
—
one in full knowledge
;
nitya-yuktaḥ
—
always engaged
;
eka
—
only
;
bhaktiḥ
—
in devotional service
;
viśiṣyate
—
is special
;
priyaḥ
—
very dear
;
hi
—
certainly
;
jṣāninaḥ
—
to the person in knowledge
;
atyartham
—
highly
;
aham
—
I am
;
saḥ
—
he
;
ca
—
also
;
mama
—
to Me
;
priyaḥ
—
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.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
17. Of these four types, the jṣānī, who is constantly engaged in thinking of Me, who is practicing bhakti alone, is the best. I am cherished by that jṣānī, and he is cherished by Me.
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
17. Of these four types, the jṣānī, who is constantly engaged in thinking of Me, who is practicing bhakti alone, is the best. This jṣānī loves only Me and I love only him.
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 Paramātmā. 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.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Among these four types who are qualified with bhakti (those with pradhānī bhūtā bhakti), who is the best? Among them the jṣānī is the best. He is absorbed in Me constantly (nitya-yukta). This means that because his consciousness has been brought under control by practice of jṣāna, he has full concentration in the mind. The other three types do not have this quality.
“But does the jṣānī just worship you out of fear that his jṣāna will be ineffective without bhakti?”
No, he has a predominance of bhakti (eka-bhaktiḥ), not like other jṣānīs who have a predominance of jṣāna; or the meaning can be “He has great attachment to the process of bhakti alone, and is a jṣānī in name only.” I, in the form of Śyāmasundara, am exceedingly (atyartham) dear to such a jṣānī. He cannot give Me up either in the stage of sādhana or perfection. I also hold him very dear. This is according to the reasoning that I respond to the devotee in proportion to his amount of surrender to Me.
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
Among these four, the jṣānī is considered the best. He is the best because he is nitya yuktaḥ and eka bhaktiḥ. Having given up desires such as getting relief from suffering, getting wealth or getting knowledge of ātmā, he is serving Me constantly (nitya yukta). The others engage in service as long as they attain their desires. The jṣānī has unmotivated devotion only to Me (eka bhaktiḥ). The others engage in devotion to Me because I fulfill their desires. Therefore the jṣānī is the best.
I am the object of love for the jṣānī. He, immersed in the nectar ocean of love for Me, does not seek anything else. The word atyartha (excessively) indicates that he limits himself only to love of Me, since I am endowed with qualities like omniscience and unlimited powers, which no one can completely describe. And this jṣānī is the object of affection for Me, according to the rule ye yathā mām prapadyante: as they surrender to Me I respond accordingly. (BG 4.11) I also am limited to loving only him.
Surrender Unto Me
The reason why the 'jnani' is the best is because those three: the artah, jijnasur and artharthi, they pretend to practice devotional service as long as their desires aren't fulfilled. But as soon as their desires are fulfilled, they have the tendency to turn their back on Krsna and give up devotional service. But the jnani has no material desires ‑ therefore, because his tendency is to be continuous, he is the best. He is 'eka‑bhakta' ‑ he is only interested in devotional service. Therefore he is special. And because he loves Krsna, Krsna loves him.
Baladeva Vidhyabhusana comments that the 'jnani' not only is the best but Krsna is not only satisfied to say that he is the best ‑ He further opens His heart and says: "Mama priyah!" ‑ "He is very dear to Me!" Because he has no other desires and is surrendering to Krsna in the mood of devotion.
One may think: ' O, the jnani is very wonderful, obvious he is taking to devotional service and the others three, they are low class.' Does that mean that the other three aren't dear to Krsna?
Krsna's answer is,