भोक्तारं यज्ञतपसां सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम् |
सुहृदं सर्वभूतानां ज्ञात्वा मां शान्तिमृच्छति || 29||
bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśhvaram
suhṛidaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śhāntim ṛichchhati
bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-maheshvaram
suhridam sarva-bhutanam jnatva mam shantim richchhati
Translation
BG 5.29: Having realized Me as the enjoyer of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all the worlds and the selfless friend of all living beings, My devotee attains peace.
Commentary
The ascetic sādhanā, explained in the previous two verses, can lead to ātma jñāna (knowledge of the self). But brahma jñāna (knowledge of God) requires the grace of God, which comes through devotion. The words sarva loka maheśhwaram mean “Sovereign Lord of all the worlds,” and suhṛidaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ means “benevolent well-wisher of all living beings.” In this way, He emphasizes that the ascetic path too is consummated in surrender to God, with the knowledge that the Supreme Lord is the enjoyer of all austerities and sacrifices. Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj has put this very nicely:
hari kā viyogī jīva govind rādhe, sañcho yog soī jo hari se milāde
(Rādhā Govind Geet)
“The soul is disconnected from God since eternity. True Yog is that which unites the soul with the Lord.” Hence, no system of Yog is complete without the inclusion of bhakti.
In His “Song of God,” Shree Krishna beautifully includes all the genuine paths of spiritual practice, but each time, at the end He qualifies them by stating that success in these paths also requires bhakti. For example, He uses this system of presentation in verses 6.46-47, 8.22, 11.53-54, 18.54-55, etc. Here too, Shree Krishna ends the topic revealing the necessity of devotion.
