Gita 07.18 – Krishna is so hungry for love that he deems those who become his devotees charitable
udārāḥ sarva evaite
jñānī tv ātmaiva me matam
āsthitaḥ sa hi yuktātmā
mām evānuttamāṁ gatim (Bg 7.18)
Word-for-word:
udārāḥ — magnanimous; sarve — all; eva — certainly; ete — these; jñānī — one who is in knowledge; tu — but; ātmā eva — just like Myself; me — My; matam — opinion; āsthitaḥ — situated; saḥ — he; hi — certainly; yukta-ātmā — engaged in devotional service; mām — in Me; eva — certainly; anuttamām — the highest; gatim — destination.
Translation:
All these devotees are undoubtedly magnanimous souls, but he who is situated in knowledge of Me I consider to be just like My own self. Being engaged in My transcendental service, he is sure to attain Me, the highest and most perfect goal.
Explanation:
This verse continues Kṛṣṇa’s description of the four kinds of people who approach Him and begin practicing bhakti. He says:
udārāḥ sarva evaite: All of them are magnanimous; all of them are charitable; all of them are great souls.
Śrīpāda Rāmānujācārya, in his commentary, addresses an important question. Normally, it is the Lord who is known as udāra—He is truly magnanimous and infinitely merciful. So, how is it that Kṛṣṇa calls these souls udārāḥ, when most of them, except the jñānī, are not yet serious or deeply devoted? Many approach Kṛṣṇa with mixed motives—driven by distress, curiosity, or material desire. Their offering is not yet based on pure love.
Śrīpāda Rāmānujācārya explains that Kṛṣṇa is so hungry for devotion that He feels as though He is starving without it. When even a selfish soul turns toward Him and begins to offer some bhakti, Kṛṣṇa accepts it with deep gratitude. He appreciates that the soul has turned toward Him at all. Even if the offering is mixed, He values the step being taken. For this reason, He calls such individuals udāra—noble—because they are offering something precious to Him: the beginning of their devotion.
Kṛṣṇa, being hungry and thirsty for devotion, feels grateful when a soul turns toward Him. Although He is the supreme controller and everything is under His command, there is one thing He does not control: the heart. Devotion must be offered freely. When we offer even a little of our heart to Him, we are giving something He does not force or take for Himself. Because it is voluntary, He receives it with deep appreciation and calls such a devotee charitable.
Just as we feel grateful to someone who gives us a gift we could not otherwise obtain, yet deeply desire, we naturally regard that person as generous. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa says udārāḥ sarva evaite—“all of them are noble.” Those who are su-kṛtinaḥ, who have performed pious acts and thus turn to Him and begin bhajante mām—rendering devotion unto Him—are regarded by Him as magnanimous.
Kṛṣṇa sees them as generous because they are offering what He longs for yet never takes by force: the love of their heart. By understanding this usage, we gain an endearing glimpse into Kṛṣṇa’s heart. Seeing how He values even the smallest offering of devotion draws our own heart toward Him, attracting us to that tender and affectionate divine heart.
jñānī tv ātmaiva me matam: Here, Kṛṣṇa performs a balancing act. In 7.16, He lists all four types of people who approach Him without distinguishing any one as superior. In 7.17, He states that among them, the jñānī is especially dear to Him. In 7.18, He again affirms that all of them are udārāḥ, noble souls. Yet, He concludes by reiterating that even among the magnanimous, the jñānī remains distinguished (jñānī tv ātmaiva me matam).
This expresses an intimate level of connectedness: Kṛṣṇa says that the jñānī is like His own very self. Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura notes that elsewhere in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa states that His pure devotees are even more dear to Him than His own self. This reveals a progression of intimacy. The jñānīs are regarded as equal to His own self, while pure devotees are even dearer, surpassing that level. Thus, Kṛṣṇa honors the jñānī greatly, yet still reveals the special sweetness of pure devotion.
āsthitaḥ sa hi yuktātmā: Āstha means faith, and āsthitaḥ means one who is firmly situated by that faith. Therefore, āsthitaḥ sa hi yuktātmā refers to one engaged in yoga, connected with Kṛṣṇa through steady faith held in the heart.
mām evānuttamāṁ gatim: Here, Kṛṣṇa is the anuttama-gati—the unsurpassed, supreme goal. Eva means certainly. Uttama refers to that which is beyond tama, the darkness of material existence. Anuttama means the highest or transcendental. Thus, the jñānī strives to come closer to Him, making Him the ultimate destination.
Thus, Kṛṣṇa underscores that the jñānī is very dear to Him, and in doing so reveals the sweetness of love that reigns supreme in His heart. It is this love that moves Him to speak such endearing, tender, and heart-melting words—calling even the self-centered, immature, not-yet-pure devotees magnanimous. And He regards those who are sincerely progressing toward the highest devotion, the jñānīs, as dear to Him as His own very self.
For us, pure devotion may feel distant, but by hearing how Kṛṣṇa is so loving toward His devotees, we can at least nurture the aspiration for pure devotion. Why should we deprive ourselves of the tender world of love that Kṛṣṇa reveals through these words? We can enter Kṛṣṇa’s circle of love by trying to love and serve Him to the best of our ability. In time, we too will come to relish the endless, eternal, ecstatic love that awaits in His shelter.
Thank you.
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