In the Bhagavad-gita’s fifteenth chapter, Krishna declares (15.19) that those who know him truly know everything. What does this statement mean for Arjuna?
First, to know everything doesn’t mean literal omniscience — that’s impossible for us as finite beings with finite cognitive capacities. It means knowing everything that we essentially need to know: everything about what the purpose of our life is and how we can pursue it amid all circumstances.
How can we know our purpose? It arises from our very identity. We all are parts of Krishna (15.07). And he is our ultimate sustainer (15.12-14 ) and our greatest benefactor (15.15, 05.29). As parts of the one who is supremely benevolent, our highest purpose is to harmonize with his will, thereby finding the deepest satisfaction internally and making the greatest contribution externally.
What does harmonizing with Krishna mean? It means that we, being his parts, play our part in his plan — just as a screw plays its part in a machine. Simultaneously, because he is a conscious being with free will, we as his parts are also conscious beings with free will. Our part-whole relationship is based not on mechanical involuntary co-functioning like screw and machine, but on personal voluntary affection between the loving soul and the loving whole.
In Arjuna’s case, he just needs to do his part in the impending war. Even if he doesn’t know things such as what karma from which life has brought him to the painful perplexity of fighting against his relatives, he needs to focus on lovingly serving Krishna even in this situation. That single-minded purposefulness will make his endeavors supremely successful (15.20).
One-sentence summary:
When we know Krishna truly, we realize that our essential purpose is to lovingly harmonize with him and we resolve to always stay true to that purpose.
Think it over:
- What does knowing everything in Gita 15.19 mean?
- How is our relationship with Krishna like and unlike a screw and a machine?
- What does knowing everything mean for Arjuna?
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15.19: Whoever knows Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without doubting, is the knower of everything. He therefore engages himself in full devotional service to Me, O son of Bharata.
To know more about this verse, please click on the image
Hare Krishna,
…Vedic knowledge is called sruti, learning by aural reception. One should actually receive the Vedic message from authorities like Krishna and His representatives. Here Krishna distinguishes everything very nicely, and one should hear from this source. Simply to hear like the hogs is not sufficient; one must be able to understand from the authorities. It is not that one should simply speculate academically. One should submissively hear from Bhagavad-gita that these living entities are always subordinate to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Anyone who is able to understand this, according to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, knows the purpose of the Vedas; no one else knows the purpose of the Vedas…
Ys,
Apt quote, thanks.
Kr8ishna guides Arjuna for war