Verse 9.14

Verse 9.14: “Ever proclaiming My glory and, steady of purpose striving for attainment, rendering homage unto Me, with constant application, they in devotion meditate upon Me. (197)

Commentary called Jnaneshwari by Jnaneshwar:

Such devotees dance with the joy of devotion to God while singing My praise, and make all the talk of penance empty, since not a trace of sin is left in them. Control of body and mind is bereft of all meaning. Yama (punisher of the wicked), and places of sacred waters are unhoused and thus the door is shut upon the region of Yama, God of death; going thither and coming thence cease; Yama wonders whom to judge and to restrain! Dama wonders whom to subdue! The sacred waters are at a loss to find out what to wash out and cleanse, for not a jot of sin remains! In this way, the high-souled ones, merely by singing My praise heal the miseries of the world and make it resound with the purest bliss of the self. They give light without a dawn, bestow everlasting life without ambrosia, and confer God’s vision without Yoga-practice. They heal the rich and the poor alike. They do not make any distinction between the high and the low and open freely the whole kingdom of pure bliss to all creatures.

Hardly, if ever, a soul reaches the abode of God Vishnu (Vaikuntha), but these devotees have brought Vaikuntha (absolute freedom of Bliss) within the reach of all. Thus have they flooded with light the entire universe by virtue of the singing of the Lord’s Name. The Sun is brilliance itself and yet suffers from the drawback of setting; these, Gods’ favourites are perfect and ever shine. The Moon appears full on full-moon nights only; but these devotees are perfect at all times. Merciful are the clouds indeed, but they are emptied ere long, and hence cannot match the unending treasures of mercy.

The great souls are as strong as lions and as free as birds. The glory of uttering My name even once, is the reward earned at the end of a cycle of meritorious lives: yet that name is ever dancing on their tongue to their breath’s tune. For this or that even the Vaikuntha or the region of the Sun may for once be without Me. I may even pass by the minds of the Yogins. Yet, if ever I appear to be missing, I may unmistakably be spotted out in that abode where my devotees are singing devoutly My praise. They are so enrapt in (singing) My praise, that they forget the place and the time, when absorbed in the supreme bliss. There is constant and unbroken stringing together of the names—Krishna, Vishnu, Hari, Govinda, accompanied by holy and open talk about My divine Self-essence and they sing songs of My praise to their hearts’ content. But enough of this.

Thus singing My praise these Saints live and move in the world: and then, O Arjuna, they gain complete mastery over the mind and the five life-winds and keep them under control. Outside, they enclose and hedge in, with the restraint of the senses, the bodily acts, and inside, building a fort in the form of the posture named ‘Vajrasana’, (they) fix on it guns in the form of control of breath.

In this state, and in the brilliance of the rushing power named Kundalini, the mind and the life-breaths remaining favourable, the lake, full of nectar in the form of Knowledge of the Self—of the seventeenth phase of the moon—(satarābiyece) gets turned on one side. The concentration, and the withdrawal of the senses from their objects reach their culmination, and then all the talk of disorders such as passions, etc., comes to an end, and all the senses are dragged in and kept bound up in the heart. Then the cavalry in the form of well-developed sustenance of mind rushes out, with the result that the five gross elements get together and get extinguished into the sky, while the four-fold army formed of diverse ideas and fancies is all destroyed. Then follows the victory cry, “The victory is gained” accompanied by the beatings of big kettles in the form of meditation and rapt concentration of spiritual realisations, and the flag of union with the Supreme Brahman begins to flutter and glitter.

The Goddess in the form of rapt concentration in spiritual meditation is installed on the throne (paṭṭābhiṣeka) of the Empire of the full Realisation of the Self. So deep and mystic is, Oh Arjuna, the song of My praise, and the devotees that sing it realise,—that I am the one complete and entire being in the universe, in the way the thread pervades the fabric from end to end and that there is nothing else but Myself (in the universe). From God Brahmadev [Brahmadeva] down to the very fly and the aggregate of beings between them, it is all but My own life; and acting in this knowledge they remain fully balanced. They therefore make no distinction such as big or small, with life or without life, but bow straight to every visible creation, considering all as My own form. They forget their own greatness and they have likewise no notion as regards the worthiness or otherwise of others; they love to bow and show humble regard to each and every being alike.

The waterfall on a higher level, of course, flows down to the bottom; in the same way to bow to each and every being seen is their nature; or just as the branch of a tree laden with fruit bends low (with the weight of the fruit) to the very ground-level; in that way, they bow down their heads to the entire class of beings. They are ever without self-conceit, while their humility is their wealth, and they dedicate it to Me accompanied by the recital of the incantation “Jaya-Jaya” (Hail to Thee O God). Having got rid of the (false sense of) honour and dishonour by bowing before all beings they easily become absorbed in Me and remain satisfied there, ever worshipping Me. I told you so far about the order of high devotion; now hear (what I tell you) about those that worship (Me) by performing sacrifices (consisting) in knowledge. Yet you know, Oh Kiriti, their way of worship, since I spoke to you about it once before.”

To this Arjuna answered,

“Yes Lord, I have once had the good nectarous dish of this divine grace, yet how can one say, ‘I have had enough of it’, when fortune is being served over and over again.”

The Lord hearing this, understood that Arjuna was eager to listen and was already beside himself (swaying backwards and forwards) by the ecstatic joy of internal bliss of knowledge. Lord Krishna then said,

“Well done, Oh Partha, you have well said; otherwise this was not the proper occasion for this theme. Yet the deep love I bear to you in My heart makes Me talk about it.”

On this Arjuna said,

“Is the moonlight intended only for the bird Chakora? No, it is the moon’s nature to give cooling relief to the entire universe. The bird Chakora, with great delight, turns his beak upwards towards the moon; in that way I also make a small prayer to you. You are the very ocean of mercy. The clouds out of their munificence give relief to the afflicted. How heavy the down-pour of the clouds, and how tiny is the thirst of the (mere) Chakora? And yet even for the small mouthful or handful of water one has to go as far as the bank of the river Ganges; even so whether the desire is insignificant or not, it should be satisfied by you, O Lord”.

At this the Lord said,

“Enough of your saying; I am fully pleased and there remains no necessity of further praise. That you do listen attentively to what I say, is (in itself) an encouragement to Me to go on”

With this interlude Shrihari said further: