Bhagavad-Gita: Chapter 7, Verse 30

Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Visnuswami

Sridhara Swami's Commentary

For such enlightened beings there is not the slightest anxiety nor is there any lapse in their yoga or perfection of the science of the individual consciousness attaining communion with the ultimate consciousness even when afflicted by death. This is what Lord Krishna means by the words prayana- kale api meaning even at the time of death, those who know Him as the Ultimate Personality, the Supreme absolute controller of all existence material and spiritual. The meaning of sa adhibhuta-adhidaivam is Lord Krishna's magnificent rulership of all phases of phenomena and creation and will be explained in detail in chapter eight. Those who know the Supreme Lord Krishna together with what concerns adhibhutas or all embodied beings, with what concerns adhidaivam or the 33 crores equalling 330 million demi-gods throughout creation in charge of universal management in the millions of myriad of universes; and what concerns adhiyagna or worship and propitiation to the Supreme Lord; such elevated and enlightened beings focusing their minds solely on Lord Krishna in one-pointed meditation. So much so that they are one with Him even at the time of passing away during the moment of death. Even at the exact moment of death Lord Krishna's devotees are not bewildered and perplexed and do not forget Him even for a half a second. Therefore there is no question of His devotees forgetting Him in normal circumstances. There is never a lapse during their yoga for Him because every action in which they perform is a meditation to and for Him exclusively so much do they depend upon Him. This is the purport.

The knowledge of the brahman or spiritual substratum pervading all existence is attained without effort by the devotees of the Supreme Lord Krishna is clearly elucidated in this the seventh chapter entitled Paramahamsa Vijnana Yoga, Knowledge of the Ultimate Truth.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Madhvacarya

Madhvacarya's Commentary

For the deliverance of old age and death this verse is being spoken and not for other desires. This is the purport. Attachment to moksa or the achieving liberation from the cycle of birth and death is commendable; but surely in no way is it prescribed or should it ever be construed that one should worship the Supreme Lord Krishna merely for the sake of moksa. This would be folly and erroneous as moksa is an insignificant aspiration compared to the aspiration for bhakti which is one pointed loving devotion to the Supreme Lord Krishna. The Narada Purana has elucidated on this point and confer that this verse does not apply to those who seek moksa only. This may be explained in a contrary way as follows: The knowledge of all the Vedas for the sake of the demigods, the knowledge of all the 330 million demigods for the sake of Lord Krishna and the knowledge of Lord Krishna for the sake of moksa, then moksa has no purpose at all. Such misconceptions belong to the fledgling intermediates who are just beginning their first lifetime as an aspirants. But for the mature devotees of many lifetimes there is nothing in all existence superior or more glorious then the Supreme Lord Krishna.

Sublime devotion to the Supreme Lord Krishna without distraction and cessation, without desires and expectations, seeking nothing in return, when performed with concentrated meditation with awareness of the inherent eternal nature of the atma or soul within all sentient beings as being part of Him has been established down through the millenniums as the single most superior endeavour in a being's life. Thus is how the essence of communion with the Supreme Lord in bhakti has been eruditely explained in the Bhagavat Purana.

Now begins the summation.

The words te vidur mean those who know. This refers to the ekantins or those who by dint of their spiritual wisdom are singularly devoted to the Supreme Lord Krishna. He is the ultimate one to be aware of, the one without a second and the one who beyond a doubt is the Supreme and Ultimate Personality of all creation and created beings. In the Katha Upanisad I.II.XXIII it states: Only to that being who is singularly and exclusively devoted to the Supreme Lord does He reveal Himself to.

The elevated and enlightened living entities who are singularly and exclusively devoted to the Supreme Lord Krishna are not in the least concerned about the old age and death of the physical body. But what they are very concerned about is the destination of the soul at the time of departure from the physical body which is known as death. Old age and death have reference only to the physical body and can never be applied to the atma or the immortal soul. The eternal atma being purely spiritual is what departs the physical body and has the inherent ability to transcend mortality.

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Ramanuja

Ramanuja's Commentary

Here the words ye viduh meaning those who know repeats the plural pronoun ye in order to show that it does not apply to the votaries previously mentioned by ye in verse 29 because they are different. In this verse ye has an independent sense in as much as it is indicative of another class of aspirants.

The aisvarya-arthi or those seeking fortune who know the Supreme Lord Krishna as identified with adhibhuta or all embodied beings as well as knowing Him the presiding diety of all adhidauiva or the 330 million demigods are requisite and verse 29 has no allusion.

The knowledge of Lord Krishna as identified with adhi-yagna or propitiation in worship is knowledge which all three classes of aspirants have to acquire in general; because after Vedic initiation it is natural and obvious that the obligation to perform daily devotional duties as well as occasional special devotional duties falls upon all three classes equally. All three classes must also be able to remember Lord Krishna at the time of death. The quality of their remembrance being firmly fixed in their mind in accordance with the ideal which each class of aspirant considers to be the goal of their desires.

That the class of aspirants who strive for liberation from old age and death referred to in verse 29 also are included in striving to remember Lord Krishna at the time of death is indicated by the conjunctive particle ca meaning and, which denotes all of them. The conclusion to be accepted from the mood and meaning of verses 29 and 30 is that it is a requisite that the jnani who is mature in spiritual wisdom will have his own cherished goal compatible with the goal of attaining the Supreme Lord Krishna and to know Him to be the presiding deity identified with adhi- yagna or the ultimate goal of all worship and propitiation. Then it is natural that one who constantly meditated upon Him in life will certainly have divine remembrance of Him at the time of death.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Nimbaditya

Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary

Speaking of all other knowledge and the results such knowledge, Lord Krishna concludes chapter seven beginning with the words: sa-adhibhuta- adhidaivam meaning that the essence of all embodied beings and the demigods, must be known. Whoever by mercy of the authorised spiritual master in disciplic succession knows Lord Krishna, be they originating from those seeking fruitive desires or they originate from those with spiritual wisdom. If they know Him as the integral essence of all existence within as prakriti or the substratum pervading material existence, as the brahman or the spiritual substratum pervading all existence and as the sole origin of all creation. Along with knowing Him as paramatma or the Supreme Soul within the etheric heart of each and every sentient being throughout creation witnessing their every thought and action. Such elevated and enlightened beings of purified heart and cleansed minds will be immersed in relishing the remembrance of Lord Krishna up to and even during the moment of death. In the next chapter after being questioned by Arjuna, the intrinsic meanings of the terms brahman, adhibhuta, adhyatma and adhidaivata will be elucidated further by Lord Krishna.

In the seventh chapter Lord Krishna illuminated His supremacy, He showed the superiority of His devotees above all others and explained the root cause of bondage to the cycle of birth and death as well as the root cause of moksa or liberation from the cycle of birth and death. He magnanimously revealed these things to the world out of compassion for His devotees.