Chapter 18 Shloka 64

सर्वगुह्यतमं भूय: शृणु मे परमं वच:।

इष्टोऽसि मे दृढमिति ततो वक्ष्यामि ते हितम्।।६४।।

You are infinitely dear to Me!

Therefore I will speak only in your interest.

Listen once more to My supreme dictum,

which reveals the most mysterious

depths of all knowledge.

Chapter 18 Shloka 64

सर्वगुह्यतमं भूय: शृणु मे परमं वच:।

इष्टोऽसि मे दृढमिति ततो वक्ष्यामि ते हितम्।।६४।।

After narrating the entire knowledge of the Gita to Arjuna, the Lord, summarising that knowledge for his dear friend, says:

You are infinitely dear to Me! Therefore I will speak only in your interest. Listen once more to My supreme dictum, which reveals the most mysterious depths of all knowledge.

The Lord reveals once again the subtleties of this most mysterious knowledge:

a) which is the sole mainstay of the spiritual aspirant;

b) which is capable of making the spiritual aspirant akin to the Lord Himself;

c) which is capable of making the aspirant’s dharma akin to the Lord’s dharma;

d) which can unite him with the Truth;

e) which can turn him into the epitome of knowledge;

f) which can establish him in the Supreme;

g) which can unite him with his Lord;

h) which can liberate him from the fetters of life and death;

i)  which can purify him;

j)  which can free him from sin;

k) which can rid him of the intellect which is subjugated to the body-self;

l)  which can void him of doership;

m)   which can turn him into an Atmavaan;

n) which can, in a moment, cut asunder the knotted complexities of his mind;

o) which can ensure that not a vestige of ignorance remains in that aspirant of the Truth;

p) which can turn him into a sthit pragya or one who is established in equanimity;

q) which can grant him the state of the gunatit or one who is uninfluenced by all attributes;

r)  which can, in an instant, adorn him with the treasures of divinity.

Such is the mysterious knowledge which the Lord now reiterates.

Little one, the Lord is now about to bestow that divine knowledge which can assure one’s union with the Supreme.

–  What else can the Lord say to His beloved?

–  What else can the Lord give to His loved one?

He Who is the embodiment of Truth, Consciousness and Bliss – Who is SatChitAnand, can only endow a similar benediction upon His devotee. He is cajoling His dearly loved one to partake of His divine Essence! What greater gift can He bestow?

My little love, these words of the Lord thrill one’s mind – and also fill one with sorrow. The Lord Himself is beseeching the mortal being – seeing this Grace of the Lord the heart overflows with gratitude. He is reiterating the mysterious depths of the knowledge which is so vital for the mortal being. Let us pay heed to His words this once!

The Lord defines this knowledge as ‘goohya’ or mysteriously deep, in order to awaken the aspirant’s vigilance. He repeats again:

1. It is His ordinary life that establishes His divinity.

2. His life is a proof for one and all.

3. It is only in one’s ordinary life that the qualities of the Supreme can flow. That is, it is only in a mortal being that the qualities of divinity can prevail.

Look little one, with what loving words the Lord is beckoning to Arjuna! These words prove the Lord’s great love for Arjuna.

He calls Arjuna:

1. Anagh, that is, one who is sinless;

2. Ansooya, that is, one who is devoid of a carping mind and rid of jealousy;

3. Shuchit, or one who is possessed of a pure mind-stuff;

4. Gudakesh or one who has gained control over sloth and sleep;

5. Dehabhritambar or the most superior amongst embodied souls;

6. Dhananjaya or one who has gained victory over all wealth;

7. Parantap or the great ascetic who sears the enemy;

8. Purusharbha or the greatest of all men.

The Lord addresses Arjuna with these and many other such endearing epithets.

1. Many of these endearments were made in identification with Arjuna’s essential core.

2. Many were made in identification with Arjuna’s manifest form.

3. Several words were said in order to pacify Arjuna’s distress.

4. Several others were used to restore his courage.

Then the Lord embraced Arjuna by calling him His ‘friend’. And at times, He addressed Arjuna as ‘Loved one’.

He also said ‘You too are verily Me!’

–  All this is proof of the Lord’s love.

–  This is evidence of the Lord’s protective eye on the spiritual aspirant.

–  This is the Lord’s injunction to the spiritual aspirant.

–  This is the Lord’s method of explaining to the spiritual aspirant.

–  This is the way the Lord uplifts the mind of the dejected sadhak.

–  This is the Lord’s method of establishing one who has surrendered his all unto Him, on the path of Truth.

Remember,

1. First the Lord rebuked Arjuna as foolish while saying “You talk like a pandit.” (Chp.2, shloka 11)

2. He bade Arjuna relinquish all trace of cowardice. (Chp.2, shloka 3)

3. He called Arjuna ignorant. (Chp.2, shloka 2)

4. He also described Arjuna as feeble hearted. (Chp.2, shloka 3)

This too is the Lord’s love. He first showed Arjuna his prevalent state of mind. Thereafter, when Arjuna understood his foolishness and sought refuge in the Lord:

1. The Lord began to lift him up with great love.

2. The Lord made all efforts to extinguish Arjuna’s moha.

3. The Lord endeavoured thereafter to establish Arjuna in the Truth.

4. Such is the relationship of the Spiritual Master or Guru and his disciple.

5. This is the method whereby the Guru enlightens the disciple about the Truth.

The Gita establishes one in the Life Supreme.

Having said all this, let us hear what the Lord says next to Arjuna.