Verse 15.15

Verse 15.15: “And I am enshrined within the heart of every one. From Me (proceeds) memory, knowledge, and their frustration. Of all the Vedas I am the sole subject of treatment. I make the Vedas’ end, and also find the Vedas (anew). (421)

Commentary called Jnaneshwari by Jnaneshwar:

The consciousness that throbs day and night in the heart region that “I am a particular individual” is myself. The association with the saints, the practising of the Yoga discipline, and the worshipping at the feet of the preceptor with mind detached from all worldly affairs,—all these secure complete removal of nescience and make the egotism in one take (final) rest in my own self. Such ones come to know me automatically and become ever happy by getting to know my own self. Who else is there to bring about such a state? The Sun is seen with his own light at sunrise, Oh Dhananjaya; in that way I am the means of attaining knowledge in regard to myself.

(On the other hand) those, whose egotism has been merged in their own body on account of their having embraced conceit for their body, and on account of their ever hearing the praise of the worldly affairs—such ones, as they set about taking to activism for securing happiness here as also in the other world, come to share only misery. But of knowledge and ignorance also, I am solely the cause, Oh Arjuna, just as wakeful condition is at the root of both sleep and dream. A cloud makes day-light dim, yet that cloud itself can be seen on account of the day-light; in that way it is on account of my-self only that the being perceives the worldly affairs (as real), being oblivious of my presence.

In short I am the root cause of knowledge or ignorance on the part of the beings, in the way sentiency is the cause of slumber or wakefulness. The rope, Oh Dhanurdhara, is the root cause of the illusion of the rope being taken as a serpent as also of the knowledge that it is only the rope (and not a serpent); in that way, I am the root cause of knowledge or ignorance on which the (fiction of) worldly existence is based. Therefore, not knowing the (real) nature of my form the Vedas made an attempt to know Me. But the result was that (instead of knowing me), different branches blossomed forth from them (Vedas). Yet, these only impart knowledge in regard to myself, since rivers going eastwards or westwards have only one end viz. the sea.

The Shrutis (Vedas) lose their power of speech, and are reduced to a nonplus at the point, “I am myself Supreme Brahman,” in the way the fragrant breeze gets extinguished in the sky. In this manner, when the Shrutis, as if overwhelmed by the sense of shame, are transfixed I reveal myself, helping them (Shrutis) to explain My nature correctly, I am the knower of that pure knowledge, at the advent of which the Shrutis together with the entire universe are reduced to zero. Nothing seen in a dream remains stuck up (to the dreamer) when one wakes up from sleep and he realizes that he is all alone (in regard to it): in that way, I realise my own monistic (non-dualistic) state without any delusion and I am myself the cause of self-realization. When this state arises there remains nothing like existence or non-existence, the knowledge which destroys all nescience having itself ceased to exist, in the way there remains neither snuff nor fire when camphor is burnt out. How is it possible to trace the thief that has taken away the entire universe, leaving behind no trail whatsoever? There exists such a thing viz, the pure state (of knowledge) and I am that state.

While describing in this way, the universal permeation of the inanimate as also of the animate things, the Lord of the Absolute preached his own state which is totally attributeless. (Were one to ask) how far this preaching got itself impressed on Arjuna’s mind, (the answer is): as the rising Moon in the sky is reflected in the sea or as the picture reflects itself in a polished and glistening wall in front. So Sri Krishna’s teaching was transplanted to the mind of Arjuna. The knowledge of the Supreme Self is so wonderful that—the more it is attained (tasted) the greater is the liking felt for it.

Consequently Arjuna,—the king amongst those that have realized the Self—said, “Oh God, while discoursing on the magnitude of your pervasion, you referred to some attributeless form: do make that form clear to me once for all in (comprehensible), unambiguous terms.

On this the Lord of Dvaraka [Dvaraka] said,

“Well done (asked): We (I) also like always to talk with fervour on this topic, but feel handicapped as we (I) do not get clean (?ure [pure?]) seekers (eager to know like you) anywhere. To-day my wish has borne fruit in you, who are asking me ‘mouthful’ (to your heart’s content) questions with a free mind. You have made me supremely happy by seeking information about the clean and attributeless form which can be realized only after attaining monism. I have found today, Oh you—the head (crest-jewel) amongst the pure—one with whom to converse is as delightful as seeing one’s own eye (reflected in a mirror placed in front.) There is no formality, in our relation, that you should through ignorance, ask me, and then I should settle down in a pose to teach you, Oh beloved one.”

Speaking, in this way, Lord Krishna embraced Arjuna, looked at him with a fond eye and then said,

“Although (there are) two lips, the talk coming out of them is one and the same; so also although (there are) two feet, yet the act of walking is one and indivisible; of that type is the questioning and answering between us. In short, yourself and myself should look forward only to one object, so that the one asking and the other answering would both be only one.”

While talking in this way the Lord got infatuated with great affection and embraced Arjuna and remained still in that position. Experiencing a bit of fear, he thought to himself that such an (exhibition of) affection on his part was not proper.

While preparing jaggery-lump from sugar-cane juice, salt is added to prevent it from spoiling; in that way this, (infatuation) if not checked, will only spoil the sweetness of the talk. Lord Krishna further said, “Although there exists no room for any distinction between us, we being (in former times) Nara and Narayana, I must absorb within myself this effusion of love.”

Placing this consideration promptly before him (his mind) Lord Krishna asked, “Oh Arjuna (the best of warriors), what was your question (pretending he did not grasp it fully)? Arjuna, who having dissolved his separate personality, was on the point of merging into the personality of Lord Krishna, revived (regained his personality) and turned to hear the question.

He replied in words, whose tone was modified owing to his tearful throat—being swayed by powerful love “Oh Master, I said, ‘Tell me about your attributeless form’”.

Hearing this Lord Sharangadhar [Sharngadhara?] (Krishna) started discoursing on the theme of attributes (classifying them) in two categories. One might wonder why he (Lord Krishna) talked of attributes when he was asked about the attributeless form. Here is the answer. To separate essence from the (churned) buttermilk is called taking out butter: to bum out alloy (from the gold) is purifying the gold itself: one can reach water only after pushing aside the moss gathered over it: there remains behind the clear sky, when the clouds have passed away from it: it causes no delay in securing the grain once the husk is removed. In the same way, it hardly needs telling that “attributeless” is what remains behind after removing the attributes from a thing (having attributes).

A young girl (while repeating whatever names she is asked to repeat) just stops and remains silent (when there comes the turn of a particular name being repeated) and thereby makes (indirectly) known her husband’s name. In that way the faculty of speech displays, by remaining mute, the unmanifested (indescribable) form of the Supreme Self. Narayana first started with the discussion of attributes since he has had to discourse on that which could not be discoursed upon. The arc of the New Moon has (on account of its very small and dim size) to be pointed out against the background of some tree-branch: in that way the discourse on attributes would be helpful in the discourse on the attributeless.