टीका

Commentary

The Lord has described the body, knowledge, and the object of knowledge in summary. This knowledge involves three things — the knower (gnaata), the process of knowing (gnaana), and the object of knowledge (gneya). Combined together, these three are called vignaana or complete science. This complete understanding can be directly realized by the unalloyed devotees of the Lord, while others may find it impossible to comprehend fully.

The monists (advaitavadis) contend that in the ultimate analysis, these three things merge into one, but devotees do not accept this view. Knowledge and its development mean understanding oneself in Krishna consciousness. We are being directed by material consciousness now, but as soon as we transfer all our consciousness to Krishna’s activities and realize that Krishna is everything, we can attain real knowledge.

In other words, knowledge is nothing but the preliminary stage of understanding devotion (bhakti) in its fullest sense. The fifteenth chapter has described this in greater detail. In summary, from verses six and seven — starting from mahabhootani up to chetana dhritih — the various physical elements and manifestations of life symptoms have been analyzed. These combine to form the body and the field of activities.

From verses eight to twelve — from amaanitvam through tattva-gnaanaartha-darshanam — the process of knowledge for understanding both the knowers of the field (individual soul and Supersoul) has been described. And from verses thirteen to eighteen — from anaadimatparam to hridi sarvasya vishthitam — the soul and the Supersoul have been described. Only devotees of the Lord can truly understand these three subjects and attain the desired fruit.