Gita 07.17 – Jnana favorable to bhakti intensifies our connection with Krishna
teṣāṁ jñānī nitya-yukta
eka-bhaktir viśiṣyate
priyo hi jñānino ’tyartham
ahaṁ sa ca mama priyaḥ (Bg 7.17)
Word-for-word:
teṣām — out of them; jñānī — one in full knowledge; nitya-yuktaḥ — always engaged; eka — only; bhaktiḥ — in devotional service; viśiṣyate — is special; priyaḥ — very dear; hi — certainly; jñāninaḥ — to the person in knowledge; atyartham — highly; aham — I am; saḥ — he; ca — also; mama — to Me; priyaḥ — dear.
Translation:
Of these, the one who is in full knowledge and who is always engaged in pure devotional service is the best. For I am very dear to him, and he is dear to Me.
Explanation:
Kṛṣṇa is referring here to the four categories of people whom He mentioned in the previous verse (7.16). These four are: ārtaḥ (the distressed); jijñāsuḥ (the inquisitive); arthārthī (the seeker of wealth); and jñānī (the man of knowledge).
Among these, Kṛṣṇa now highlights one in particular. He says:
teṣāṁ jñānī nitya-yukta: Among these four categories, the jñānī, who is always engaged in devotion,
eka-bhaktir viśiṣyate: and who worships Me with exclusive devotion, is the best.
priyo hi jñāninaḥ atyartham: Such a wise devotee is very dear to Me,
ahaṁ sa ca mama priyaḥ: and I am very dear to him.
What kind of jñānī is Kṛṣṇa referring to here? He describes two qualities:
nitya-yukta — one who is constantly engaged or continuously connected with Him.
The word ‘yukta’ is a variant of yoga, meaning “to link.” It indicates a person who remains steadily engaged in yoga.
eka-bhaktir — one who practices single-pointed devotion.
This means devotion that is focused solely on Kṛṣṇa, not distracted by any other goal or object of worship.
Kṛṣṇa uses the word viśiṣyate, meaning special or superior. He has used this word earlier as well, while making comparisons. In 6.8, Kṛṣṇa describes how the yogī sees all objects with equal vision: sama-loṣṭrāśma-kāñcanaḥ—whether it is a lump of earth, a stone, or gold. Then He explains that a more advanced yogī extends this equal vision to people:
suhṛn-mitrāry-udāsīna- madhyastha-dveṣya-bandhuṣu
sādhuṣv api ca pāpeṣu sama-buddhir viśiṣyate (Bg 6.9)
Such a person who sees not only objects equally but also people with equal composure is viśiṣyate—he is considered better, higher, and truly superior.
Kṛṣṇa uses the word ‘viśiṣyate’ in the sense of comparison. Kṛṣṇa has used the same word even earlier in 3.7:
yas tv indriyāṇi manasā niyamyārabhate ’rjuna
karmendriyaiḥ karma-yogam asaktaḥ sa viśiṣyate
Here, Kṛṣṇa compares two types of practitioners: on one side, the mithyācārī—the pretender who outwardly renounces but inwardly dwells on sense objects; and on the other, the householder who regulates the senses, controls the mind, and practices karma-yoga with detachment. Kṛṣṇa says that such a karma-yogī sa viśiṣyate—he is better, he is superior.
Similarly, in this verse (7.17), Kṛṣṇa says that the jñānī is viśiṣyate —better than the other categories of people. What makes the jñānī special is that he is eka-bhaktir and nitya-yukta: his devotion is one-pointed and constant. Such a jñānī is not simply a knower in the intellectual sense. Kṛṣṇa describes an intimate relationship with him because this jñānī has, through the path of knowledge, come to the platform of bhakti.
The jñānī here is one who understands the ephemerality of matter and the eternality of spirit. Because of this understanding, he turns away from matter and orients his life toward spirit. And within the realm of spirit, he fixes his attention on the supreme personal spiritual reality—Kṛṣṇa.
Kṛṣṇa further says priyo hi jñāninaḥ atyartham—for the jñānī, I am the supremely valuable goal. The word ‘artha’ means value, meaning, or purpose. So, for such a wise soul, Kṛṣṇa is the highest purpose, the deepest meaning, and the supreme value of life. In turn, Kṛṣṇa declares that this jñānī is also very dear to Him (ahaṁ sa ca mama priyaḥ). Thus, Kṛṣṇa describes a deeply intimate relationship between Himself and the jñānī: the jñānī holds Kṛṣṇa as his most cherished treasure, and Kṛṣṇa holds the jñānī as especially dear.
Krsna speaks of a similar intimate relationship with His devotees in 9.29: samo ’haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo ’sti na priyaḥ; ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā mayi te teṣu cāpy aham. Here, Krsna again uses the word ‘bhajanti,’ just as He did earlier in 7.16, catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ.
In this verse, Krsna expresses a particularly tender closeness when He says mayi te teṣu cāpy aham: they are in Me, and I am in them. Kṛṣṇa conveys a deeply endearing intimacy when He says mayi te teṣu cāpy aham: I am in them, and they are in Me. This reflects a closeness comparable to the bond between loving companions. Kṛṣṇa does not merely state that He is connected with His devotees; He says that He resides within them. He is present in the hearts of His devotees, and they, in turn, dwell in Him.
This verse (7.17) expresses a similar mood: priyo hi jñāninaḥ atyartham ahaṁ sa ca mama priyaḥ—I am very dear to the jñānī, and the jñānī is very dear to Me. We usually think of Kṛṣṇa as bhakta-vatsala—the Lord who is especially loving and affectionate toward His devotees. In some places He is also described as kṛpana-vatsala. For instance, in the Seventh Canto, Chapter 9, when Prahlāda Mahārāja offers prayers to Him, Kṛṣṇa is addressed as kṛpana-vatsala (merciful to the miserly) and dīna-bandhu (the friend of the fallen).
It is indeed rare to hear Kṛṣṇa describe Himself as the lover of the jñānīs. We commonly know Him as bhakta-vatsala, the one who is especially affectionate to His devotees, but we do not usually hear of Him as jñāna-vatsala. This does not mean that Kṛṣṇa dislikes the jñānīs. In fact, in the Uddhava Gītā, Kṛṣṇa tells Uddhava that although bhakti is the best means for liberation, if for some reason one is unable to practice bhakti, then jñāna is a respectable and meaningful second path, because it also leads to detachment from the material world. Thus, Kṛṣṇa does acknowledge and honor the path of jñāna in the Uddhava Gītā.
In this verse, 7.17, Kṛṣṇa is not speaking about the entire system of jñāna-yoga or about jñāna-yogīs in general. Rather, He refers specifically to those who come to Him through knowledge. Having understood through their discernment that material objects are temporary, they do not approach Him with material motives. Their desire is purely spiritual: they simply want to know Kṛṣṇa and love Him.
In this way, their devotion is selfless—nitya-yukta and eka-bhaktir. Because they desire nothing apart from Kṛṣṇa, they are nitya-yukta, constantly engaged. They are not disturbed by the presence or absence of material acquisitions, and thus their devotion does not become interrupted. Neither the hope of gaining something material nor the fear of losing it can divert them from Kṛṣṇa.
Once they approach Kṛṣṇa and begin rendering devotion to Him (bhajante mām), as mentioned in the previous verse (7.16), they gradually realize that Kṛṣṇa is the highest spiritual reality and that there is no truth superior to Him. As this understanding deepens, they dedicate themselves more exclusively to Kṛṣṇa and thus become eka-bhaktir, devoted to Him alone.
They understand that there is no true spiritual substance apart from Kṛṣṇa, that He is the ultimate reality, and that loving and serving Him is the most auspicious course of action for the soul. In this way, their devotion becomes concentrated and enduring.
To such jñānīs, Kṛṣṇa says that they are very dear to Him, and He is very dear to them. In our own practice of bhakti, if we ground our devotion in knowledge—not the abstract, impersonal knowledge sought by the impersonalists, but the knowledge that is favorable to devotion, the knowledge of Kṛṣṇa’s glory and sweetness—then our devotion becomes steadier and more focused. This kind of knowledge inspires us to worship Kṛṣṇa with sincerity and concentration.
These qualities develop in our bhakti when we become jñānī in the devotional sense—not by becoming jñāna-yogīs, nor even jñāna-miśra-bhaktas, but by using our understanding of Kṛṣṇa’s aiśvarya (His majesty) and mādhurya (His sweetness) to deepen our remembrance of Him. Such knowledge reminds us of who Kṛṣṇa is and why serving Him is the most fulfilling choice. In this way, knowledge becomes a source of inspiration that strengthens our motivation to remember and devote ourselves to Him more and more.
Thank you.
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