तेषां ज्ञानी नित्ययुक्त एकभक्तिर्विशिष्यते ।
प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थमहं स च मम प्रियः ॥१७॥
बहूनां जन्मनामन्ते ज्ञानवान्मां प्रपद्यते ।
वासुदेवः सर्वमिति स महात्मा सुदुर्लभः ॥१९॥
In verse 17, Sri Krishna praises The Gyani as Ekatha bhaktha, Nitya yuktha, and says, he will be united with me. Then why in verse 19, Shrikrishna says
The Gyani after so many births will surrender and understand vasaudeva sarvam? So a Gyani Bhakta won’t go to Shrikrishna’s feet to get Mukthi in that Janma itself? Will he be born many times to realize Bhagavan or get salvation? Why there’s contradiction in the 2 slokas? I saw iskcon interpretation, not satisfying.Please clarify
What Sri Krishna says here is that a gnani who can see the Divine in all things and everywhere is indeed very rare or rarest of rare. In gnana too there are several categories. There is the gnani who is forever united with Him. This itself implies he has achieved Moksha. But gnana need not be limited to this. There is a further development of the gnani that is very rare, one among those born a thousand times (implying he has not rushed towards mukti) is the gnani who has discovered mukti not only within himself by union with the Divine within himself, but in everyone and everywhere. He sees the Divine in all creatures.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
