Gita 07.17 – Jnana favorable to bhakti intensifies our connection with Krishna

Bhagavad Gita 7.17 In Isha, Krishna is referring here to the four categories of people whom we mentioned in the previous verse, 7.16. These four categories are Artho, Jijnasur, Artharthi and Jnani. Respectively, these are the distressed, the well seekers, the inquisitive and the knowledgeable. So, Krishna says in this verse, among these four categories of people, Jnani, Vishishti.

The Jnani is special. Now, what is the kind of Jnani that Krishna is referring to? He gives two characteristics of this Jnani. Nityayukta, Ekabhaktir.

Nityayukta, is constantly engaged, constantly harmonized. The word Yukta is a variant of Yoga and indicates one who is constantly engaged in Yoga. Ekabhaktir.

And the person is engaged in singular devotion, one-pointed devotion, undistracted devotion. And what is the nature of the relationship of the two? Of this Jnani with Krishna? So, what else? Krishna says Vishishti is special. Krishna has used the word Vishishti earlier also in a in comparison several times.

So, so after telling about in 6.8 about how the Yogi looks equally at things Samaloshkarashmakanchena, then the further advanced Yogi looks equally at people. So, one who can see not just things equally but also people equally is better, is superior, is higher. Vishishti.

So, Krishna has used the word Vishishti in the comparative sense there. And he has used it again prior to that also in 3.7 So, here Krishna is comparing the engaged householder who regulates senses and engages in Karma Yoga with the hypocritical renunciate, the pretending renunciate who dwells in sense objects who is Mithyacharya. So, as compared to that Krishna says the Karma Yogi is Vishishti, is better.

Now, so similarly Krishna is saying Vishishti. The Jnani is better than the other categories of people. So, the Jnani is Ekabhaktir and Ittayukta.

And then Krishna says that he has an intimate relationship with Jnani who is practically a Bhakta and essentially Jnani is a person who through the process of Jnana has come to the level of Bhakti. So, the Jnani refers to a person who understands that this who has Jnana in terms of knowing the ephemerality of matter and the eternality of spirit. And thus the Jnani turns away from matter and turns towards spirit and in spirit the Jnani focuses on the supreme personal spiritual reality that is Krishna.

So, Priyohi Jnani no Atyartham Priyohi suddenly is dear, I am dear. Atyartham Jnani no for the Jnani Atyartham I am the supremely valuable thing for him. Artha is value or meaning or purpose.

So, I am the highest purpose. I impart the deepest meaning. I am the supreme value.

Sacchamamapriya So, I am very valuable. I am very dear to this Jnani Sacchamamapriya and this Jnani is very dear to me. So, Krishna here talks about a very intimate relationship between himself and the Jnani wherein he states that he is dear to the Jnani and the Jnani is dear to him.

Krishna talks about talks in similar vein of an intimate relationship with respect to his devotees in 9.29 Those who worship me with devotion Krishna has used the word bhajanti which he is using there in 9.29 He has used it here also in the previous verse 7.6 in Chaturvidha bhajante mam ye bhajanti tumam bhaktya maite te shuchapyam So, Krishna conveys a very endearing level of intimacy when he says maite I am in them and they are in me So, it's akin to a very intimate union among lovers where Krishna is saying that maite it's not that just I am connected with them Krishna says I am in them So, he refers to how he is present in the heart of the devotees te shuchapyam and they are in me So, this is a this verse 7.17 talks about something similar when it states how priyo hi jnani na vatyartham aham sache mama priya The jnani is very dear to me and I am very dear to the jnani and the jnani is very dear to me So, now normally we think of Krishna as bhaktavatsal He is very merciful and loving to his devotees Now, of course, some places it is also said that Krishna is krpanavatsal in the 7th canto, 9th chapter when Prahlad Maharaj offers prayers to Supreme Lord it is said that he is krpanavatsal or we may say that he is he says dina bandhu So, he is the he is merciful to the miserly also krpanavatsal dina bandhu He is the friend of the fallen Now, it's rare to see Krishna saying that I am the I am the lover of the jnanis bhaktavatsal jnana jnani vatsal we don't see So, it is not that Krishna dislikes jnanis In fact, in the Uddhava Gita Krishna says to Arjuna that or to Uddhava that bhakti is the best method for liberation but if bhakti cannot be practiced for some reason then jnana is a commendable second option because jnana also needs disentanglement from this world So, Krishna does give due respect to jnana in the Uddhava Gita and here Krishna talks about jnana jnana not so much as a whole process he is not talking about jnana yoga and the pursuers of jnana yogi of that path who are jnana yogis he is not talking about them over here he is talking about those people who come to him through knowledge and because they have already because by their knowledge they have understood the ephemerality of material things how material things are temporary so they approach him not with any tainted material desires but with pure spiritual desires simply want to know God and love God and thus their devotion is selfless so because they do not desire anything other than Krishna so they are nitya-yukta they are constantly engaged they it's not that because they are not too they are too obsessed with material things so they do not get distracted if they don't get the material things and their bhakti does not get interrupted that practice of yoga nitya-yukta doesn't get interrupted because they are not obsessed with material things which for gaining which they may leave Krishna or the fear of losing which may cause them to leave Krishna and thinking that oh I have to protect these things no material things these are the hope of gain not the threat of loss this can distract them ek bhaktir now once they approach Krishna and start rendering bhakti to him bhajante ma as mentioned in the 16th verse in this verse then they start realizing that Krishna is the highest spiritual principle that there is no truth higher than Krishna and thus they start devoting themselves to Krishna and thus they become elevated and they become ek bhaktir they understand that there is no spiritual substance other than Krishna that Krishna is the highest reality and loving him and serving him is the most auspicious course of action for us and thus they become devoted to Krishna now such jnanis Krishna says that they are very dear to me I am very dear to them and generally when we practice our bhakti if we keep it founded on jnan not in terms of the impersonal jnan of the impersonalists but the jnan of the bhaktas or jnan of the bhaktas in terms of the jnan that is uncool to bhakti the jnan of Krishna's glory, the jnan of the sweetness of Krishna that then we feel more inspired to devote ourselves to Krishna steadily and concentratedly so ek bhaktir and nikita our bhakti also these characteristics in turn if we become jnani not in the sense of becoming jnani yogis not even in the sense of becoming jnana mishra bhaktas but in terms of using the Aishwarya and Madhurya jnana of Krishna to not only remember Krishna but also to increase our inspiration and motivation to connect with him and to remember him because his jnana can remind us of his glory and thus inspire us to become more and more devoted to him thank you.