Verse 18.56

Verse 18.56: “And even though-in dependence upon Me-he keeps on ever performing all activities, (nevertheless), through My favour, he wins the Eternal and Immutable Dwelling place. (1246)

Commentary called Jnaneshwari by Jnaneshwar:

Then the Lord said, “Oh Great Warrior, the Karmayogin (one taking to even-tempered activism) with firm faith in Me becomes my own self, and abides merged in Me. He worships Me with flowers in the form of performance of his duties, and secures as a favour (prasāda) in return of this worship, firm affection for knowledge. With this affection for knowledge in his grasp, his devotion towards Me flourishes and he becomes blessed through complete identity with my Personality, secured as a result of his devotion. He follows me - his own Soul - who sheds light on the universe, knowing full well that he is stuffed up everywhere.

The salt drops its separate existence and integrates itself with water; or the wind blows and (finally) rests quietly in the sky: in that way he abides in Me bodily, in speech as also mentally, and even were he on rare occasions to do any prohibited act, such acts whether auspicious or inauspicious would be invested with a uniform quality on account of realisation (on his part) of knowledge in regard to myself, in the way a flow of dirty street-water as also a big river both assume the same sanctity when they merge in the holy Ganges. The distinction such as sandalwood and other inferior sort of wood lasts only so long as they are not embraced and devoured by fire; or the distinction such as five points fine and sixteen points fine in gold remain so long as both do not come in contact with a Paris; in that way the distinction such as auspicious and inauspicious is felt so long as they do not secure my all-pervading light.

The distinction such as night and day is felt so long as we do not enter the region of the Sun. Therefore with his meeting with Me, all his actions, Oh Kiriti, disappear and he is installed on the ‘Sayujyapada’ (sāyujyapada—the status of the fourth of the four states of Mukti-absorption into the essence of the Brahman). He attains that imperishable state of mine, which never gets wasted on account of place, time or nature: Nay, Oh Son of Pandu, does there exist any lack of (covetable) gain where one has secured the favour of mine own viz, of the very Soul?