Yad aksharam veda-vido vadanti vishanti yad yatayo vita-ragah, yad icchanto brahma-caryam caranti tat te padam sangrahena pravakshye
Persons learned in the Vedas speak of the indestructible imperishable Brahman. The great sages, freed from attachment, enter into it. Those who seek this goal practice celibacy (brahmacharya). I shall now explain to you concisely this imperishable goal. Krishna prepares to describe Om and the method of attaining the imperishable Brahman, connecting Vedic wisdom to direct practice.
- •The imperishable Brahman is the supreme goal described in the Vedas
- •Brahmacharya (celibacy/spiritual discipline) supports the highest spiritual pursuit
- •Sages freed from attachment naturally merge into the Absolute
Na me viduh sura-ganah prabhavam na maharshayah, aham adir hi devanam maharshiphinam ca sarvasha
Neither the hosts of gods nor the great sages know My origin or opulences, for in every respect I am the source of the gods and the great sages. Even the most exalted beings — gods and sages — cannot fully comprehend the infinite nature and origin of the Supreme Lord.
- •The Supreme transcends the comprehension of even gods and sages
- •God is the source of all exalted beings and cannot be known by them fully
- •Humility before the infinite is the mark of true wisdom
Ahus tvam rishayah sarve devarshir naradas tatha, asito devalo vyasah svayam caiva bravishi me
All the sages, as well as the divine sage Narada, Asita, Devala, and Vyasa, proclaim You as the Supreme, and now You Yourself are telling me the same. Arjuna validates Krishna's divine nature by pointing to the unanimous testimony of great sages — a convergence of inner experience and outer authority.
- •Great sages unanimously testify to the supreme nature of God
- •Both scripture and direct revelation confirm the Lord's supremacy
- •Validation from multiple sources of wisdom strengthens genuine faith
Ami hi tvam sura-sanghah vishanti kechid bhitah pranjalayo grinanti, svastity uktva maharshi-siddha-sanghah stuvanti tvam stutibhih pushkalabhih
Hosts of gods are entering You; some, frightened, are praising You with folded hands. Multitudes of great sages and perfected beings are glorifying You with hymns of praise.
- •Even gods are in awe of the supreme cosmic form
- •Fear and praise coexist before the divine
- •All beings instinctively worship the source of all
Rishibhir bahudha gitam cchandobhir vividhaih prithak, brahma-sutra-padaish chaiva hetumadbhir vinishchitaih
This knowledge of the field and its knower has been sung by the sages in various ways, in different Vedic hymns, and in the Brahma-sutra with all its reasonings and conclusions. The wisdom is thus well-established across sacred traditions.
- •Vedic wisdom is corroborated across multiple scriptures
- •Sages have expounded this truth in many ways
- •Reasoning and revelation together confirm spiritual truth
Shri bhagavan uvaca: Param bhuyah pravakshyami jnananam jnanam uttamam, yaj jnatva munayah sarve param siddhim ito gatah
The Supreme Lord says: I shall again declare that supreme knowledge, the best of all knowledge, knowing which all the sages have attained the highest perfection. Krishna introduces the teaching on the three gunas as the supreme knowledge leading to perfection.
- •Knowledge of the gunas is supreme among all teachings
- •This knowledge has led all sages to perfection
- •Repeated teaching of the same truth deepens understanding