Verse 7.19

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 7.19:

बहूनां जन्मनाम् अन्ते ज्ञानवान् मां प्रपद्यते ।
वासुदेवः सर्वम् इति स महात्मा सुदुर्लभः ॥ १९ ॥

bahūnāṃ janmanām ante jñānavān māṃ prapadyate |
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ || 19 ||

bahūnām–of many; janmanām–births; ante–at the end; jñānavān–one who has knowledge; mām–of Me; prapadyate–takes shelter; vāsudevaḥ–Vāsudeva; sarvam–is everything; iti–that; saḥ–that; mahā-ātmā–great soul; sudurlabhaḥ–extremely rare.

After many births, the jñānī who is endowed with the knowledge that everything, both conscious and inert, is related to Vāsudeva fully takes shelter of Me. Such a great soul is extremely rare.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

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

The following question may be raised: “Since the jñānī-bhaktas accept Your shelter as the supreme destination, they certainly attain You, but how long will it take for such jñānīs to become qualified to enter bhakti?” In answer to this, Śrī Bhagavān speaks this verse beginning with bahūnām.

“Vāsudevaḥ sarvam means that those jñānīs take shelter of Me when, after many, many births, they see Vāsudeva everywhere. Such sādhus surrender to Me due to the influence of good association, which is arranged by My will. That is, they surrender to Me according to the spiritual sentiments received in such association. Among thousands and thousands of men, such a jñānī-bhakta, whose thoughts are fixed in Me, is very rare, what to speak of the exclusive (aikāntika) bhaktas, who are far more rare.”

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

“Of the four types of devotees (such as the distressed), the jñānīs who have fixed faith in Me, Kṛṣṇa, are the best.” A jñānī who has spiritual fortune (sukṛti) attains the association of pure Vaiṣṇavas after many, many lifetimes, and he thus becomes aware of the transcendental form, or svarūpa, of Śrī Vāsudeva. He sees Bhagavān Vāsudeva everywhere, which means that he sees everything as being related to Him. Thus he obtains pure devotion to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Such great souls are extremely rare.

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa has given the following comment on this verse: “The bhaktas who are distressed (ārta), inquisitive (jijñāsu) and in search of wealth (arthārthī) enjoy the highest type of material happiness for many lifetimes as a result of devotion to Me. Finally, they become detached from such material pleasure, and in some lifetime, they come in contact with Vaiṣṇavas who know the fundamental principles of My svarūpa. In that association, they attain knowledge of My svarūpa. Knowing only Me, Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva and the Absolute Truth, they take shelter of Me.”

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura quotes Kṛṣṇa as saying, “After performing sādhana for many, many lifetimes, the jīvas attain pure knowledge and become steadfast in transcendental consciousness. In the beginning of such spiritual practice, when they are trying to give up their mundane identification, they take support of impersonal monism to some extent. During this stage, they develop disgust for the material world, but they also remain indifferent toward spirituality, especially regarding the variegated nature of spiritual life. When they have become a little advanced in the eternal, conscious existence of the self and in understanding the special nature of spiritual life, which consists of variegated activities, they become attracted to it and surrender to Me, who am the Supreme Conscious Form. At that time, they understand that this mundane world is not independent but rather a perverted reflection of the conscious reality, the transcendental realm, and that a relationship with Lord Vāsudeva also exists in this world. Therefore, everything is in relationship with Vāsudeva. Those great souls (mahātmās), who have such a surrendered attitude towards Me, are very rare.”