Gita Bhashya (Sri Ramanujacharya) 7.17
Gita Bhashya (Sri Ramanujacharya) 7.17 · 7 · Verse 17
Sanskrit Original
।।7.17।।तेषां ज्ञानी विशिष्यते कुतः नित्ययुक्त एकभक्तिः इति च। तस्य हि मदेकप्राप्यस्य मया योगो नित्यः। इतरयोस्तु यावत्स्वाभिलषितप्राप्ति मया योगः। तथा ज्ञानिनो मयि एकस्मिन् एव भक्तिः इतरयोः तु स्वाभिलषिते तत्साधनत्वेन मयि च। अतः स एव विशिष्यते। किं च प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थम् अहम् अत्र अत्यर्थशब्दो अभिधेयवचनः ज्ञानिनः अहं यथा प्रियः तथा मया सर्वज्ञेन सर्वशक्तिना अपि अभिधातुं न शक्यते इत्यर्थः प्रियत्वस्य इयत्तारहितत्वात्। यथा ज्ञानिनाम् अग्रेसरस्य प्रह्लादस्य स त्वासक्तमतिः कृष्णे देश्यमानो महोरगैः। न विवेदात्मनो गात्रं तत्स्मृत्याह्लादसंस्थितः (वि0 पु0 1।17।39) इति सः अपि तथा एव मम प्रियः।
7.17 Of these four, 'the man of knowledge' is the foremost. Why? Because of being ever with Me in Yoga and devoted to the One only. To the man of knowledge the attainment of Myself being the only end in view, he is ever with Me. As for the others, they contemplate on Me only until the fulfilment of their desires. But to the man of knowledge, there is single-minded devotion to Me only. Unlike him, the others, want only the objects of their desire and they are devoted to Me only as a means for gaining them. Hence he, the man of knowledge, alone is the foremost. Further I am very dear to the man of knowledge. Here the term 'artha' in relation to the expression 'athyartham' denotes 'what cannot be expressed adeately.' That is, even I, the omniscient and omnipotent, is unable to express how much I am dear to the Jnanin, since there is no such limit as 'this much' for this love. Such is the meaning. As in the case of Prahlada, the foremost among men of knowledge, it is said: 'But he with his thoughts firmly fixed on Krsna while being bitten by the great serpents, felt no pain from the wounds, being immersed in rapturous recollections of Him' (V. P., 1.17.39). I reciprocate this love infinitely.