47. Listen, Cognize And Radiate

All living beings are caught in the duality of attachment and aversion. the greatest Master, Krsna explains how to move out of this bondage. He reveals the knowledge of associating with the Divine to radiate the Divine. ...

Jñānavijñāna Yogaḥ

śrībhagavānuvāca mayyāsaktamanāḥ pārtha yogaṃ yuñjanmadāśrayaḥ I asaṃśayaṃ samagraṃ māṃ yathā jñāsyasi tacchṛṇu II 7.1

7.1 Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa says, Arjuna, Listen to Me, you can know Me completely and without doubt by practicing yoga in true consciousness of Me, with your mind attached to Me.

jñānaṃ te'haṃ savijñānam idaṃ vakṣyāmyaśeṣataḥ I yajjñātvā neha bhūyo'nyaj jñātavyamavaśiṣyate II 7.2

7.2 Let Me explain to you in detail this phenomenal and absolute knowledge along with its realization; by knowing which, there shall remain nothing further to be known.

manuṣyāṇāṃ sahasreṣu kaścidyatati siddhaye I yatatāmapi siddhānāṃ kaścinmāṃ vetti tattvataḥ II 7.3

7.3 Out of many thousands of men, hardly one endeavors or strives to achieve perfection of self-realization; of those so endeavoring, hardly one achieves the perfection of self-realization and of those, hardly one knows Me in truth or reaches that state of oneness with Me.

bhūmirāpo'nalo vāyuḥ khaṃ mano buddhireva ca I ahankāra itīyaṃ me bhinnā prakṛtiraṣṭadhā II 7.4

7.4 Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego all together these eight constitute My separated external energies.

apare'yamitastvanyāṃ prakṛtiṃ viddhi me parām I jīvabhūtāṃ mahābāho yayedaṃ dhāryate jagat II 7.5

7.5 Besides these external energies, which are inferior in nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine. This comprises all the embodied souls of all the living entities by which this material world is being utilized or exploited.

etadyonī ni bhūtāni sarvāṇītyupadhāraya I ahaṃ kṛ tsnasya jagataḥ prabhavaḥ pralayastathā II 7.6

7.6 Know for certain that everything living is manifested by these two energies of Mine. I am the Creator, the Sustainer and the Destroyer of them.

mattaḥ parataraṃ nānyat kiñcidasti dhanañjaya I mayi sarvamidaṃ protaṃ sūtre maṇigaṇā iva II 7.7

7.7 O Dhanañjaya (conqueror of wealth), there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.

raso'hamapsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśisūryayoḥ I praṇavaḥ sarvavedeṣu śabdaḥ khe pauruṣaṃ nṛṣu II 7.8

7.8 O Kaunteya (son of Kuntī), I am the taste of water, the radiance of the sun and the moon, the sacred syllable 'Om' in the vedic mantras. I am the sound in ether and ability in man.

puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṃ ca tejaścāsmi vibhāvasau I jīvanaṃ sarvabhūteṣu tapaścāsmi tapasviṣu II 7.9

7.9 I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all living beings, and I am the penances of all ascetics.

bījaṃ māṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ viddhi pārtha sanātanam I buddhirbuddhimatāmasmi tejastejasvināmaham II 7.10

7.10 O Pārtha (son of Prithā), I am the eternal source of all creatures, the intelligence of the intelligent, and the brilliance of all those who are brilliant.

balaṃ balavatāṃ cāhaṃ kāmarāgavivarjitaṃ I dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo'smi bharatarṣabha II 7.11

7.11 I am the strength of the strong, and I am procreative energy in living beings, devoid of lust and in accordance with religious principles, O Bharatarṣabha (Lord of Bhārata).

ye caiva sāttvikā bhāvā rājasāstāmasāśca ye I matta eveti tānviddhi na tvahaṃ teṣu te mayi II 7.12

7.12 All states of being—be they of goodness, passion or ignorance—all emanate from Me. I am independent of them but they are dependent on Me.

tribhirguṇamayair bhāvairebhiḥ sarvamidaṃ jagat I mohitaṃ nābhijānāti māmebhyaḥ paramavyayam II 7.13

7.13 The whole world is deluded by the three modes (goodness, passion and ignorance), and thus does not know Me. I am above the modes and unchangeable

daivī hyeṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā I māmeva ye prapadyante māyāmetām taranti te II 7.14

7.14 My divine energy, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who surrender unto Me can cross beyond it with ease.

na māṃ duṣkṛ tino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ I māyayāpahṛtajñānā āsuraṃ bhāvamāśritāḥ II 7.15

7.15 Those miscreants who are foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by māyā (that which is not real), and who have taken shelter in demonic nature, do not surrender unto Me.

caturvidhā bhajante māṃ janāḥ sukṛtino'rjuna I ārto jijñāsurarthārthī jñānī ca bharatarṣabha II 7.16

7.16 O Bharatarṣabha, best among Bhārata, four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service unto Me. They are: the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and those searching for knowledge of the Absolute.

teṣāṃ jñānī nityayukta eka-bhaktir viśiṣyate I priyo hi jñānino'tyartham ahaṃ sa ca mama priyaḥ II 7.17

7.17 Of these, the wise one who is in full knowledge and ever united with Me through single-minded devotion is the best. I am very dear to him, and he is dear to Me

udārāḥ sarva evaite jñānītvātmaiva me matam I āsthitaḥ sa hi yuktātmā māmevānuttamāṃ gatim II 7.18

7.18 All these devotees are indeed noble; one who knows Me, dwells in Me. Being engaged in My mission, he attains Me.

bahūnāṃ janmanām ante jñānavānmāṃ prapadyate I vāsudevaḥ sarvamiti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ II 7.19

7.19 After many births and deaths, he who knows Me surrenders to Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.

kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante'nyadevatāḥ I taṃ taṃ niyamamāsthāya prakṛtyā niyatāḥ svayā II 7.20 7.20 Those whose discrimination has been distorted by various desires, surrender unto deities. They follow specific rules and regulations of worship according to their own nature.

yo yo yāṃ yāṃ tanuṃ bhaktaḥ śraddhayārcitumicchati I tasya tasyācalāṃ śraddhāṃ tāmeva vidadhāmyaham II 7.21

7.21 I am in everyone's heart as the Super Soul. As soon as one desires to worship some deity, I make his faith steady so that he can devote himself to that particular deity.

sa tayā śraddhayā yuktas tasyārādhanamīhate I labhate ca tataḥ kāmān mayaiva vihitānhi tān II 7.22

7.22 Endowed with such a faith, he endeavors to worship a particular demigod and obtains his desires; In reality, these benefits are granted by Me alone.

antavattu phalaṃ teṣāṃ tadbhavatyalpamedhasām I devāndevayajo yānti madbhaktā yānti māmapi II 7.23

7.23 Men of limited intelligence worship the demigods and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go only to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees reach My supreme planet.

avyaktaṃ vyaktimāpannaṃ manyante māmabuddhayaḥ I paraṃ bhāvamajānanto mamāvyayam anuttamam II 7.24

7.24 Unintelligent men, who do not know Me perfectly, think that I, the Supreme Divinity, Bhagavān, who was unmanifest before, have assumed an embodied form now. They do not know that I am imperishable and Ultimate, even when I assume the body.

nāhaṃ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyāsamāvṛtaḥ I mūḍhoyaṃ nābhijānāti loko māmajamavyayam II 7.25

7.25 I am never revealed to the foolish and unintelligent, covered as I am by My divine power [yogamāyā]; the ignorant do not know Me, the unborn and eternal.

vedāhaṃ samatī tāni vartamānāni cārjuna I bhaviṣyāṇi ca bhūtāni māṃ tu veda na kaścana II 7.26

7.26 O Arjuna, as the Supreme Divinity, I know all that has happened in the past, all that is happening in the present, and all that is to happen in the future. I also know all living entities; but no one knows Me.

icchādveṣasamutthena dvandvamohena bhārata I sarvabhūtāni saṃmohaṃ sarge yānti parantapa II 7.27

7.27 O scion of Bhārata (Arjuna), all living entities are born into delusion, overcome by the dualities of attachment and aversion, Parantapa, conqueror of foes.

yeṣāṃ tvantagataṃ pāpaṃ janānāṃ puṇyakarmaṇām I te dvandvamohanirmuktā bhajante māṃ dṛḍhavratāḥ II 7.28

7.28 Persons who have acted virtuously, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the duality of reality and unreality, engage themselves in My worship with firm resolve.

jarāmaraṇa mokṣāya māmāśritya yatanti ye I te brahma tadviduḥ kṛtsnam adhyātmaṃ karma cākhilam II 7.29

7.29 Persons, who are striving for liberation from the cycle of birth, old age and death, take refuge in Me. They are actually Brahman, Consciousness, because they entirely know everything about conscious activities that transcend these.

sādhibhūtādhidaivaṃ māṃ sādhiyajñaṃ ca ye viduḥ I prayāṇakāle 'pi ca māṃ te vidur yuktacetasaḥ II 7.30

7.30 Those who know Me as the Supreme Lord, as the governing principle of the material manifestation [adhibhūtam], who know Me as the one essence of all Gods [adhidaivam] and as the one sustaining all enriching sacrifices [adhiyajñam], can with mind engaged in me, understand and know Me, even at the time of death.

iti śrīmad bhagavadgītāsūpaniṣatsu brahmavidyāyāṃ yogaśāstre śrīkṛṣṇārjuna saṃvāde jñānavijñāna yogo nāma saptamo'dhyāyaḥ II

In the Upaniṣad of Śrimad Bhagavad Gītā, the scripture of yoga dealing with Brahmavidyā Yogaśāstra, the science of Brahman, in the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇārjuna saṁvād, dialogue between Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Arjuna, this is seventh chapter named, Jñānavijñāna Yogaḥ**,**

'The Yoga of Knowledge and Conscious Realization.

Listen! Let us see why Kṛṣṇa has given us this chapter. Again and again Kṛṣṇa speaks the same Truth. Understand, if you have already listened even once, Kṛṣṇa will not repeat it. Anything you listen from Kṛṣṇa, understand you are listening now, for the first time!

If you have done śravana, listening authentically and manana, intranalyzing, you will be radiating authentically. When Arjuna listens to himself, he becomes a disciple; when Kṛṣṇa speaks into the listening of Arjuna, Arjuna becomes enlightened, Radiating Enlightenment!

First thing you need to learn to radiate, nididhyāsana is: Learn to think and speak with the same cognition you arrive at by intranalyzing.

Authentic listening, śravana leads to clarity. And intranalyzing, manana leads to cognitive shift. If you don't live that cognitive shift powerfully, you will lose it. Powerfully living the cognitive shift is what I call radiating, nididhyāsana.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the personification of all these three—śravana, manana, nididhyāsana. Because Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the complete Incarnation, He directly transmits the space of radiating, nididhyāsana to Arjuna without the need for manana, intranalyzing*.* When you are in the space of authentic listening to an Incarnation, who is also your Master, He can directly transmit the energy and experience of Enlightenment into you. Parabrahma Kṛṣṇa does this transmission in Vibhūti Yogaḥ and Viśvarūpa Darśana Yogaḥ to Arjuna.

In this chapter, Jñānavijñāna Yogaḥ, Kṛṣṇa speaks so we now learn to listen, śravana, we intranalyze to have the cognitive shift, manana, and we radiate the space of completion, nididhyāsana. He takes the complete responsibility for all three—śravana, manana, and nididhyāsana.

One In a Billion Reaches Me (7.1-7.5)

Kṛṣṇa says, 'Listen Arjuna, by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, without doubt.' In this statement, Kṛṣṇa uses the word 'Me' three times. Again and again, He declares, 'Surrender to Me. I am Everything.' He is expressing His glory. The person who hates Kṛṣṇa, thinking He is egoistic, misses the truth of Gītā. People who love Kṛṣṇa are caught in His form and think they should surrender to the embodied personality called Kṛṣṇa. Only a person who experiences Kṛṣṇa, realizes the Gītā.

Approach Divine the Right Way

This chapter is about how human beings approach the Divine, why they approach the Divine, and at what level they approach the Divine. At what level do we approach the Divine? How do we grow in maturity? Kṛṣṇa gives the answers to these questions in this chapter.

'Among millions of men, one man may endeavor for perfection, and out of those who achieve perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth (7.3).'

Beautiful! Out of His deep compassion Kṛṣṇa says, 'Please listen to Me and realize your Self and be liberated.' Remember that He is talking about Self-realization, about understanding who we are.

Kṛṣṇa explains who He is. Kṛṣṇa explicitly separates Himself from His manifested energies in these verses. What we perceive as manifested energies—the five natural elements that are earth, water, fire, air and ether, and the three inner elements of mind, intelligence and ego—are His energies no doubt, yet they are not Him.

The Manifest and The Unmanifest

Puruṣa and prakṛti are the operative principles of the Universe in the Hindu philosophical systems of Sāṅkhya and Vedānta. Puruṣa and prakṛti are unmanifest energy sources, puruṣa being inactive and prakṛti capable of being active. Everything else arises from these two elements when they operate together.

Prakṛti gives rise to the Cosmic and individual intelligence and the five natural elements. The Taittreya Upaniṣad explains that the Cosmic energy gave rise to the energy of space, ākāṣa, which pervades the Universe. This is the largest and subtlest quantum of energy that pervades the Universe. From etheric energy the energy of air arises. It is this energy of air, or vāyu, that sustains us in our body-mind system as the carrier of pranic or life energy.

Meditation is the key to imbibe the etheric energy of the Cosmos, the largest, subtlest energy source. Vedic fire rituals are mass meditation processes—meditation for dummies! We just need to be there to absorb the energy, even if we do not have the capacity to meditate.

The Cosmic intelligence is reflected in the human as the mind. The mind in turn uses the senses to access the external world. Each of the senses, sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch are related to the natural elements. Ether is linked to sound or the ears; air is linked to touch and the skin; fire is linked to color and form, and hence to sight and the eyes; water is linked to taste and the tongue; earth is linked to smell or the nose.

I Am The Thread, Sūtra (7.6-7.9)

'I am the thread,' He says. 'I am the thread, the sūtra, the technique on which all Existence is strung.'

'O Dhanañjaya, there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.' He declares powerfully—'mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ—In Me is strung everything. sūtre maṇi gaṇā iva (7.7)—Everything rests on Me as pearls strung on a thread.' He declares with complete clarity that He is the thread of everything.

He says He is the unseen ultimate energy without which there can be no Universe—mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (7.7).

What a beautiful analogy! That is why He is the sūtradhāra, the controller and director of the Cosmic play! Nothing moves, nothing can move without Him. Nothing can be created, sustained or destroyed in the absence of His energy.

Kṛṣṇa, the great Master says, I am not what you see. I am not the energy that is manifested. It is not this six-feet Kṛṣṇa with a flute that makes things happen. It is the formless energy beyond Vāsudeva Kṛṣṇa. It is Parabrahma Kṛṣṇa (the Cosmic energy).

Life, any form of life in this and any other planet, cannot exist without this energy of Cosmic Kṛṣṇa. But living within this energy field we lose sight of this energy. We become energy-unconscious. It is for us that Kṛṣṇa goes into such depths to explain that He is everything and above everything. He is the Creator–Brahma, the Sustainer–Viṣṇu and the Rejuvenator–Śiva. He is not either or; He is all and above all.

I Am Eternal (7.10-7.15)

I am the procreative energy,' says the Lord. 'I am the seed of all living beings (7.11).' He makes no excuses, no apologies. Kṛṣṇa talks about the guṇas, the natural attributes.

Prakṛti, the energy that manifests in the Universe, has three elements called guṇas. When prakṛti is in equilibrium, it is pure potential energy. When it is disturbed, the guṇas come into operation. They combine in many ways and create, sustain and destroy. The three guṇas that Kṛṣṇa refers to are satva, rajas and tamas. The interplay of these guṇas creates the functioning of the mind and activity.

Remember that Bhagavad Gītā is by Parabrahma Kṛṣṇa, the Cosmic Kṛṣṇa. So He boldly says, I am beyond the guṇas. He says, I am the Param Puruṣa, the supreme being, who sets prakṛti into play, and I am beyond its influence. Kṛṣṇa is the creator of Nature, which is even beyond prakṛti, and is therefore beyond the plays of Nature.

Four Pious Men (7.16-7.19)

Kṛṣṇa now goes deeper. He talks about the Indian community system. I bow down to the system created by the Ṛṣis (perfected sages), which has made the whole spiritual science a reality. I bow down to the community system, which kept our scriptures alive, the spiritual science alive.

Let me describe the spirit with which the whole system was created. First, the whole system is not based upon our birth. It is based upon our character or guṇa. The Vedic Ṛṣis created the community system based on intelligence and wisdom. In other cultures, the community system was created based upon money and power. in India, the more wisdom a person carries, the more spiritual he is, the more he is respected. The whole social system was created based upon sharing from an Enriching Consciousness.

Kṛṣṇa says again and again that it is based upon our guṇas (nature).

A person who works driven by fear, is śūdra. A person who works out of greed, belongs to the merchant or business class, vaiśya. A person who works to get attention, belongs to the kṣatriya community. A person who works out of gratitude from the Enriching Consciousness, expressing his bliss, is a brāhmaṇa.

Everybody must contribute something to enrich the society. This division is completely based upon our role in the community. In no way is it related to our birth. Here nobody is higher and nobody is lower.

'Four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service unto Me, caturvidhā bhajante māṁ–the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who searches for knowledge of the Absolute (7.16).' Here, Kṛṣṇa talks about those who approach the Divine and the ways in which they approach the Divine. He explains the four types as four communities, who experience Him in different ways, according to their maturity.

He Is Very Dear To Me

'The person who approaches Me out of love and gratitude, is the best person, for I am dear to him and he is dear to Me (7.17).' By this one verse, Kṛṣṇa ends the whole conversation.

Kṛṣṇa says, 'Starting at different levels is ok, but don't stop there.' We can start or take off from any level. However we should not stop and stagnate there.

Kṛṣṇa says: ahaṁ sa ca mama priyaḥ (7.17)—He is dear to Me, and I am dear to him. He is in Me and I am in him. The moment you understand this ultimate Truth, the moment you approach the Divine with the right attitude, you become the Divine. All you need to do is change your attitude. Over! Change your inner space.

The Master or the Divine is in you only when you engage yourself in enriching service to Him. When you devote yourself to the Divine mission, you become a devotee. That is when you become dear to Him. Your worship is no longer selfish. It is towards the mission of the Divine, in whatever form. Here Kṛṣṇa says clearly, 'one who knows Me, dwells in Me. Being engaged in My mission, he attains Me, āsthitaḥ sa hi yuktātmā

mām evānuttamāṁ gatim (7.18).'

Kṛṣṇa says: sa mahātmā sūdurlabhaḥ (7.19)—indeed, very rare is it to see such great souls who have achieved that maturity. Connecting with dead Masters is easy because they don't demand our ego. We don't need to surrender. But with a Living Enlightened Master, we need to transform our life. He will not let us sleep or rest. He will haunt us until we realize the Truth. Living Masters are nightmares. Only a person who has understood, after many, many births and deaths, who has matured, surrenders to Me, surrenders to the living Master, says Kṛṣṇa.

Kṛṣṇa says, 'One who understands that the cause of all causes is Me, realizes the ultimate divine. 'The person who has understood, who has knowledge of this truth, surrenders unto Me, surrenders to the Master, jñānavān māṁ prapadyate, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all there is. Such a great soul is rare—vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sūdurlabhaḥ (7.19).'

Only if you go with an attitude of love and gratitude, with maturity, only then do you see a living Enlightened Master. The moment you see an Enlightened being as He is, you will become enlightened. There's no doubt about it.

I Am In Your Heart (7.20-7.23)

Kṛṣna says: I am in everyone's heart as the Paramātman (super soul). As soon as one desires to worship a particular deity, I make his faith steady so that he can devote himself to that particular deity.

When He says 'deity' or 'demigod', He doesn't mean the Supreme. Even if you approach Kṛṣṇa out of fear or greed, you approach only a demigod. With the right approach, even if you approach a demigod, he will be Supreme! He will give you Enlightenment. With the wrong approach, even if you approach Kṛṣṇa, you will have only material benefits.

Here Kṛṣṇa says, 'Because I reside in everyone's heart as the Super Soul, when somebody desires to worship a demigod, I make his faith steady, so that he can devote himself to that particular deity.' When you approach the Divine, He enriches you without doubt. You may give up on yourself, but He never gives up on you. One of the biggest qualities of an Incarnation is that He never gives up on you!

Kṛṣṇa says, 'Even if you approach Me with fear or greed, I fulfill your needs. It is My own energy which fulfills them, so that you grow, and you come up to the next level of completion.'

If you receive boons through demigods, do not think that those deities are responsible for granting your prayers. All these are granted by the Ultimate energy, Existential energy. But you are not expected to stop with these boons. You are expected to grow further levels of completion.

I always tell people, when you approach the Divine, first all your dreams, desires will become reality. The Divine will bless you. Later on, the Divine will give you the understanding that the reality you perceive is itself a dream! First God gives the śakti (energy) to turn your dreams into reality. Then, He gives the buddhi (intelligence) to realize that reality itself is a dream! That is what Kṛṣṇa says here: I bless you, according to your maturity, as per your level of completion, based on the way you approach the Divine; I give everything.

Because we don't have buddhi, wisdom, we ask God to give us śakti, energy. If we get śakti without buddhi, it will only be temporary. That is what Kṛṣṇa says: If we get śakti without buddhi, it is temporary. It will not remain with us. That is why He says that boons derived from demigods are temporary, not permanent.

He makes one more statement: *madbhaktā yānti mām api (7.23)—*My devotees attain Me. If you approach Me with the ultimate attitude of love and gratitude, you achieve Me. If you approach Me with gratitude, you experience Me.

No One Knows Me (7.24-7.27)

Kṛṣṇa declares His Divinity openly, 'Unintelligent men, think I am just this form. Only an intelligent man understands that I am immortal. Even when I assume this form, I am that Consciousness. I have not become a human by assuming a human form.'

This statement is made to declare His enlightenment. He makes a

clear statement again, so that Arjuna understands. Understand two important truths. First, the formless energy of Kṛṣṇa defines His Divinity. Second, in whatever form the formless is expressed, it is Divine. It is the awareness of that Divinity in Him that makes Kṛṣṇa Divine, the Supreme Master. If that awareness happens in you, you will be in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, immersed in Him; and you will be Divine too. And, only when we are aware of our Divinity, we appreciate the Divine.

How To Recognize Divinity?

Kṛṣṇa asks: How can you recognize Divinity when you are covered in ignorance? In Mahābhārat, the Pāṇḍava princes could recognize the reality, the Divinity of Kṛṣṇa. No one needed to coach them for it. On the other hand, their cousins, the Kaurava, denied Kṛṣṇa.

'No one knows Me, māṁ tu veda na kaścana (7.26)', says the Master. How true! 'Don't take me for granted,' says Kṛṣṇa. 'Do not put Me in a frame for I shall not stay there,' He says. The compassion of the Master is beyond our frames of time and space. That is our delusion that leads us away from Him. Attachment and aversion, rāga and dveṣa, form the duality, the polarity of human life. Shedding attachment and aversion is the first step to completion.

It Is Never Too Late To Reach Me (7.28-7.30)

Kṛṣṇa ends this chapter with the prescription for how to know and understand Him and reach Him.

Even at the time of death, He says, even if all your life you lived a dissolute life, if you realize the futility of the psychodrama that you have enacted, that is enough to liberate you. The mere recognition of that can save you. His compassion is unlimited. He promises: Knowing me at the time of death, will lead you to Me.

If we want to die with the thought of the Divine uppermost in our mind, we must be remembering Him now. We should start knowing and understanding Him, now. Then and only then will understand Him at the time of death.

Kṛṣṇa is not talking about the physical Kṛṣṇa or even the Cosmic

Consciousness that He is. He speaks about our knowing ourselves, who we are. The ultimate Master resides within us, not anywhere else. The external Master, be He Kṛṣṇa or Nithyānanda, is a guide to make us know the Master within us. Kṛṣṇa in His deep compassion says, 'Even if that happens at the point of death, I shall redeem you.' He does not rule out the possibility, even if we have not been seeking all our lives.

Meditation is a technique for surrendering one's identity. Completion is the process of surrendering one's root patterns. Throughout the Gītā, Kṛṣṇa gives Arjuna the techniques and process, sūtras that lead to liberation.

Dropping one's identity requires a deep cognition, and completion which brings the merger of the Self, World and God. Simply put, we accept our Divinity and become one with the Divine. We become complete, whole! So, it is not the mere intellectual understanding of what we read in the verses, but the authentic listening, śravana, authentic intranalying, manana and powerfully living and radiating, nididhyāsana of what Kṛṣṇa speaks into our listening, that can complete us.

So, let us pray to the Ultimate Kṛṣṇa to give us the intelligence and awareness to cognize, realize the truth about ourselves, to give us this experience of eternal bliss, Nityānanda

May you reach Kṛṣṇa consciousness and realize eternal bliss, Nityānanda!