Gita 07.16 – Approaching Krishna for any reason is auspicious

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catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ
janāḥ su-kṛtino ’rjuna
ārto jijñāsur arthārthī
jñānī ca bharatarṣabha (Bg 7.16)

Word-for-word:
catuḥ-vidhāḥ — four kinds of; bhajante — render services; mām — unto Me; janāḥ — persons; su-kṛtinaḥ — those who are pious; arjuna — O Arjuna; ārtaḥ — the distressed; jijñāsuḥ — the inquisitive; artha-arthī — one who desires material gain; jñānī — one who knows things as they are; ca — also; bharata-ṛṣabha — O great one amongst the descendants of Bharata.

Translation:
O best among the Bhāratas, four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service unto Me – the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.

Explanation:
In this verse, Kṛṣṇa describes four categories of su-kṛtinaḥ — people of pious merit — who turn to Him in devotion.
catur-vidhā bhajante mām: Four kinds of people worship Me.
janāḥ su-kṛtinaḥ arjuna: O Arjuna, they are considered pious:
ārtaḥ: the distressed,
jijñāsuḥ: the inquisitive,
artha-arthī: the seeker of wealth, and
jñānī ca bharatarṣabha: the person of knowledge, O best of the Bhāratas.

In this section of the Gītā, Kṛṣṇa has previously spoken about those who do not surrender to Him, and now He describes those who do. This is connected with 7.14 as well, where He says that people who surrender can go beyond illusion. Kṛṣṇa had used the word “duṣkṛtinaḥ” in the previous verse (7.15)—na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ. Here, He uses the word “su-kṛtinaḥ”. Kṛṣṇa says that those who surrender to Him are su-kṛtinaḥ; those who do not are duṣkṛtinaḥ.

The word “su-kṛtinaḥ” refers to those who do good and have accumulated pious credits. Interestingly, Śrīla Prabhupāda translates duṣkṛtinaḥ not simply as those who perform bad activities, but he highlights the root “kṛti”, meaning the capacity to act. Duṣkṛtinaḥ are those who use their abilities for improper purposes.

By contrast, su-kṛtinaḥ, as explained by Śrīla Prabhupāda and previous ācāryas, are understood primarily as those who have performed some puṇya—pious activities. In this sense, Śrīla Prabhupāda’s translation of duṣkṛtinaḥ in 7.15 is a contextual translation, emphasizing that people may be talented yet still misdirected away from Kṛṣṇa. His focus on su-kṛtinaḥ highlights that those who approach Kṛṣṇa have some previous pious background.

Now, the question arises: Are pious activities alone enough to bring one to Kṛṣṇa? Can anyone come to Kṛṣṇa simply through general sukṛti? The answer is no. Our ācāryas explain that the sukṛti referred to here is not just ordinary pious merit, but bhakti-unmukha-sukṛti—pious activities that gradually incline a person toward devotion to Kṛṣṇa. These are impressions that soften the heart and make one receptive to turning toward Him.

For example, such pious activities may include accidentally watering the tulasī plant, unintentionally serving a Vaiṣṇava, or unknowingly offering some respect to the Lord or His devotees. These pious credits gradually accumulate and lead a person toward Kṛṣṇa. When a person has a predominantly sattvic (good) nature, turning toward Kṛṣṇa becomes more likely. In contrast, if a person is strongly influenced by tamasic or sinful tendencies, then when suffering comes, the solutions they turn to are also degraded. Instead of seeking spiritual upliftment, they may resort to alcohol, illicit sex, or other forms of escapism. This is often the default response for those whose consciousness is steeped in sin.

However, a pious person looks for a constructive solution. That positive direction is expressed in the phrase “bhajante mām”—they begin to worship Kṛṣṇa. It is noteworthy that while Kṛṣṇa used the expression na prapadyante—“they do not surrender to Me”—for the duṣkṛtinaḥ in the previous verse, here He does not use prapadyante for the su-kṛtinaḥ. Instead, He uses bhajante mām.

Prapadyante refers to full surrender, whereas bhajante indicates worship or serving, which constitutes the beginning of surrender. Kṛṣṇa elaborates on complete surrender later in 7.19, where He says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate—after many lifetimes, the truly wise surrender unto Me.

Hence, surrender is actually a more advanced stage, and the beginning of surrender is to start the process of devotion. Kṛṣṇa explains here that these four categories of people approach Him to begin that devotional process. By doing so, they gradually progress toward Him.

Kṛṣṇa lists four reasons why people approach Him. They are:

ārtaḥ : Those who are distressed. We may wonder: since this world is duḥkhālayam, as Kṛṣṇa will state in the next chapter (8.15), a place of misery, does that not mean everyone is distressed? Yet Kṛṣṇa identifies distress as only one specific category.

The answer is that although this world is indeed filled with suffering, it is not that everyone is in misery all the time. Much of the distress here becomes tolerable due to habituation. For example, one may have to commute to work every day through heavy traffic. Initially, this may be irritating, but over time one becomes accustomed to it, and it no longer feels like severe distress. However, if a traffic jam becomes extreme and nothing moves for hours, then the discomfort may intensify into acute agony.

Thus, while suffering is a feature of material existence, not everyone experiences it at the same level or with the same immediacy. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa classifies ārtaḥ as a distinct group—those whose distress has become pressing enough to turn their attention toward Him.

The ācāryas give the example of Gajendra as representing the ārtaḥ. When Gajendra was caught by the crocodile and found himself helpless, unable to free himself despite all his strength, he called out to Kṛṣṇa. It is quite common that many people come to God in this way—distress pushes them, impels them, and turns their attention toward Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa acknowledges this and accepts it as good. In 7.18 He says udārāḥ sarva evaite —all of them are noble. Somehow or the other, if a person comes to Him, that is ultimately beneficial.

jijñāsuḥ : The second category includes those who are inquisitive. Their inquisitiveness is not necessarily metaphysical; it is not exactly athāto brahma jijñāsā. That level of inquiry is more aligned with the fourth category, the jñānī. Here, jijñāsuḥ refers to those who have questions—general or practical.

Their curiosity may be quite simple: “Why do you worship Kṛṣṇa? Why do you chant? Why do you dress like this?” Even such casual curiosity can open the door to spiritual understanding. When such a person comes to know something about Kṛṣṇa or the process of bhakti, they may find something appealing—either in the practices themselves, in the devotees, or in Kṛṣṇa—and then they begin to worship Him. So the jijñāsuḥ thinks, let me try this out. It is more of a surface curiosity than a deep existential search for truth, yet it still brings one toward Kṛṣṇa.

The example given for this category is that of Śaunaka and the other sages at Naimiṣāraṇya . They asked sincere questions, came to know about Kṛṣṇa, and through that knowledge they became elevated. Many among them ultimately surrendered to Kṛṣṇa.

artha-arthī : The third category refers to those who approach Kṛṣṇa because they are in need of wealth or material improvement. The classic example is Dhruva Mahārāja . When he desired a kingdom greater than that of his father—greater than anyone in his dynasty—he was guided by Nārada Muni to worship the Supreme Lord.

Significantly, Kṛṣṇa does not forbid such people from coming to Him. He does not say that those who come to Him for material gain are unwelcome. Rather, they are included among those who begin devotional life. Although approaching Kṛṣṇa for wealth is not the ideal form of devotion—and is not recommended as the goal of pure bhakti—the important point is that even such a beginning is auspicious . Kṛṣṇa calls them sukṛtinaḥ — pious souls. And as He will say in the next verse, all such devotees are udārāḥ — broad-minded, magnanimous — because at least they are turning toward Kṛṣṇa and not away from Him.

Thus, even if the starting motivation is material, the very act of approaching Kṛṣṇa places one on the path of purification and spiritual elevation.

jñānī : The fourth category consists of those who have knowledge. They have come to understand that the Absolute Truth is ultimately a person and, therefore, they approach Him to develop a relationship with Him. Because such seekers already have foundational spiritual understanding — that I am not the body but the soul, and that this material world is not a place for lasting enjoyment — their practice of bhakti tends to be steadier and more stable.

The example typically given is that of the four Kumāras. They were already pure-hearted renunciants. When they happened to smell the fragrance of tulasī from the Lord’s lotus feet, they became fully captivated by His beauty and sweetness, and thus they surrendered to Him with devotion.

In this way, Kṛṣṇa explains that people may come to Him from different starting points and with different motivations — whether out of distress, curiosity, material aspiration, or philosophical understanding. But by beginning the process of devotion, each of them gradually progresses toward Him.

Thank you.