तेषामेवानुकम्पार्थमहमज्ञानजं तमः ।
नाशयाम्यात्मभावस्थो ज्ञानदीपेन भास्वता ॥
teṣām evānukampārtham aham ajñānajaṁ tamaḥ |
nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva-stho jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 10.11)
“For the sake of favoring them specifically, I, situated within the cognition of the mind, cause the destruction of the darkness born of ignorance with the shining lamp of knowledge.”
Commentary
buddhi-yogaṁ dattvā ca tasyānubhava-paryantaṁ tam āviṣkṛtyāvidyā-kṛtaṁ saṁsāraṁ nāśayāmīty āha—teṣām iti | teṣām anukampārtham anugrahārtham evājñānāj jātaṁ tamaḥ saṁsārākhyaṁ nāśayāmi | kutra sthitaḥ san kena vā sādhanena tamo nāśayasi? ata āha ātma-bhāva-stho buddhi-vṛttau sthitaḥ san bhāsvatā visphuratā jñāna-lakṣaṇena dīpena nāśayāmi |
(Subodhinī-ṭīkā)
“‘And having given the means of understanding, I reveal that up to the extent of one’s experience [i.e., I reveal that means of understanding to such an extent that my bhakta comes to experience me in full] and cause the destruction of [my bhakta’s] saṁsāra based on ignorance (avidyā).’ Thus, he says teṣām … [i.e., he speaks this verse]. ‘I cause the destruction of the darkness (tamaḥ) known as saṁsāra born of ignorance only for the sake of favoring (anukampa) them.’ [A question is raised:] ‘Being situated where and by what means do you cause destruction of [that] darkness?’ Thus, he says, ‘Situated within the cognition of the mind’ (ātma-bhāva-sthaḥ), that is, being situated in the functions (vṛttis) of the intellect (buddhi), I cause destruction [of that darkness] with the shining (bhāsvatā) lamp the nature of which is knowledge.”
nanu ca vidyādi-vṛttiṁ vinā kathaṁ tvad-adhigamaḥ? tasmāt tair api tad-arthaṁ yatanīyam eva? tatra nahi nahīty āha—teṣām eva na tv anyeṣāṁ yoginām anukapārthaṁ mad-anukampā yena prakāreṇa syāt tad-artham ity arthaḥ | tair mad-anukampā-prāptau kāpi cintā na kāryā yatas teṣāṁ mad-anukampā-prāpty-artham aham eva yatamāno varta eveti bhāvaḥ | ātma-bhāva-sthas teṣāṁ buddhi-vṛttau sthitaḥ | jñānaṁ mad-eka-prakāśyatvān na sāttvikaṁ nirguṇatve’pi bhakty-uttha-jñānato’pi vilakṣaṇaṁ yat tad eva dīpas tena | aham eva nāśayāmīti taiḥ kathaṁ tad-arthaṁ prayatanīyam? ‘teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy ahaṁ’ iti mad-uktes teṣāṁ vyavahārikaḥ pāramārthikaś ca sarvo’pi bhāro mayā voḍham aṅgīkṛta eveti bhāvaḥ |
śrīmad-gītā-sarva-sāra-bhūtā bhūtāpatāpa-hṛt |
catuḥ-ślokīyam ākhyātā khyātā sarva-niśarma-kṛt ||
(Sārārtha-varṣiṇī-ṭīkā)
“[A question is raised:] ‘Well, without the functions (vṛttis) of knowledge and so on [arising in their mind], how does understanding of you occur [for them]? Is an effort for the sake of that thus necessary to be made by them as well?’ To that, he says, ‘Certainly not. Certainly not.’ For the sake of favoring them specifically, and not, rather, other yogīs [is the intention], meaning, my favor shall occur by some means for the sake of that [i.e., somehow or another I will see to it that they specifically, my bhaktas in particular, come to understand me]. No sort of worry need be done by them in regard to attaining my favor since I myself certainly remain engaged in striving for the sake of their attaining my favor. This is the purport. ‘Situated within the cognition of the mind’ (ātma-bhāva-sthaḥ), that is, situated in the functions (vṛttis) of their intellects, with the lamp of that knowledge which is not sāttvika because of [its] being revealable only by me and distinct even from the knowledge (jñāna) produced by bhakti although it [i.e., that knowledge (jñāna) produced by bhakti] is nirguṇa, I myself cause destruction [of the darkness born of ignorance for them]. Why would sustained exertion for the sake of that be necessary for them? As per my statement [in BG 9.22], ‘I [personally] provide the acquisition and protection [of the necessities] of those who are ever-absorbed [in me],’ indeed the entirety of their practical and spiritual (pāramārthika) responsibility is certainly accepted to be carried by me. This is the purport.
“This group of four verses [i.e., BG 10.8–11] well-known to be the existent essence of the entirety of Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā are said to be a remover of the miseries encountered by living beings.”
nanu cirantanasyāvidyā-timirasya sattvāt teṣāṁ hṛdi kathaṁ tat-prakāśaḥ syād iti cet tatrāha—teṣām eveti | teṣām eva māṁ vinā prāṇān dhartum asamarthānāṁ mad-ekāntinām eva, na tu saniṣṭhānām anukampārthaṁ mat-kṛpā-pātratvārtham aham evātma-bhāva-stho’ravinda-koṣe bhṛṅga iva tad-bhāve sthito divya-svarūpa-guṇāṁs tatra prakāśayaṁs tad-viṣayaka-jñāna-rūpeṇa bhāsvatā dīpena jñāna-virodhy-anādi-karma-rūpājñānajaṁ mad-anya-viṣaya-spṛhā-rūpaṁ tamo nāśayāmi | teṣām ekānta-bhāvena prasādito’haṁ yoga-kṣemavad buddhi-vṛtter udbhāvanaṁ tad-varti-tamo-vināśaṁ ca karomīti tat-sarva-nirvāha-bhāro mamaiveti na taiḥ kutrāpy arthe prayatitavyam ity uktam |
(Gītā-bhūṣaṇa-ṭīkā)
“[A question is raised:] ‘Well, in the presence of the long-standing darkness of ignorance (avidyā), how can that illumination in their hearts [i.e., your giving them that means of understanding by which they can come to you] come about?’ To this, he says teṣām eva … [i.e., he speaks this verse]. For the sake of favoring them specifically, that is, for the sake specifically of they who are one-pointed upon me and unable to hold on to their prāṇas [i.e., sustain their lives] without me being fit recipients of my grace, and not rather, [for the sake of favoring] the saniṣṭhas, I myself, ‘situated within the cognition of the mind’ (ātma-bhāva-sthaḥ), that is, situated in the midst of their bhāva like a bee in interior of a lotus, reveal [my] divine essential nature and qualities there, and with the shining light of knowledge related to them cause the destruction of darkness in the form of desire for objects other than me born of ignorance in the form of the beginningless karma that is obstructing of knowledge [of my]. I, who am propitiated by one-pointed bhāva, cause the appearance of a function (vṛtti) of [their] intellect [that gives them the understanding by which they can come to me], like [I bring about the] acquisition and protection [of their necessities], and [I cause] the destruction of the darkness lurking there [i.e., in their hearts]. Therefore, responsibility for the entirety of their sustenance is mine alone, and thus it has been stated [in BG 9.22] that no struggle need by taken up by them for any [such] purpose at all.”