Verse 4.36

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 4.36:

अपि चेद् असि पापेभ्यः सर्वेभ्यः पाप-कृत्तमः ।
सर्वं ज्ञान-प्लवेनैव वृजिनं सन्तरिष्यसि ॥ ३६ ॥

api ced asi pāpebhyaḥ sarvebhyaḥ pāpa-kṛttamaḥ |
sarvaṃ jñāna-plavenaiva vṛjinaṃ santariṣyasi || 36 ||

api–even; cet–if; asi–you are; pāpebhyaḥ–sinners; sarvebhyaḥ–of all; pāpa-kṛttamaḥ–the most sinful; sarvam–all; jñāna-plavena–by taking shelter of the boat of transcendental knowledge; eva–certainly; vṛjinam–ocean of sin; santariṣyasi–you will cross over completely.

Even if you are the most sinful of sinners, you will be able to completely cross over the ocean of all sins by taking shelter of this boat of transcendental knowledge.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

Now, by speaking this verse beginning with api cet, Śrī Bhagavān describes the glories of transcendental knowledge. The word pāpebhyaḥ indicates, “Even if you are the worst of sinners, this tattva-jñāna will liberate you from all past sins.” Here, a question arises. “How is it possible that the mind will become purified when so many sins exist in it? And if the mind is not pure, how will transcendental knowledge (jñāna) manifest? There is no possibility that a person in whom transcendental knowledge has appeared will misbehave, or commit any sin.”

Here, Śrīpāda Madhusūdana Sarasvatī explains, “The words api cet are spoken to indicate the possibility of the impossible by going against the rule. Although it is not possible, it has been spoken of as a promise, in order to explain the fruit, or glory, of jñāna. In other words, the impossible has also been mentioned as a possibility.”