Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18, Verse 70

Chapter 18 – Moksha Sanyasa Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

अध्येष्यते च य इमं धर्म्यं संवादमावयोः ।
ज्ञानयज्ञेन तेनाहमिष्टः स्यामिति मे मतिः ॥

Transliteration

adhyeṣyate ca ya imaṃ dharmyaṃ saṃvādamāvayoḥ .
jñānayajñena tenāhamiṣṭaḥ syāmiti me matiḥ ॥

Meaning

And whoever studies this sacred dialogue of ours, by him I shall be worshipped through the sacrifice of knowledge; such is my conviction.

Word meanings

अध्येष्यते – will study
च – and
यः – who
इमम् – this
धर्म्यम् – sacred, full of dharma
संवादम् – dialogue
आवयोः – of us two
ज्ञानयज्ञेन – by the sacrifice of knowledge
तेन – by him
अहम् – I
इष्टः – worshipped
स्याम् – shall be
इति – thus
मे – my
मतिः – conviction

Anvaya (word order)

यः च आवयोः इमं धर्म्यं संवादम् अध्येष्यते, तेन ज्ञानयज्ञेन अहम् इष्टः स्याम् इति मे मतिः ।

Explanation

The previous two verses praised the one who teaches the Gita. Now Krishna speaks of those who study it themselves. Adhyeshyate cha ya imam dharmyam samvadam avayoh — whoever studies this sacred dialogue of ours. The word avayoh, 'of us two', carries a lovely intimacy. Krishna calls this dialogue not merely his own teaching but a conversation shared between Arjuna and himself. Without Arjuna's questions this teaching would never have been revealed.

Dharmyam — full of dharma — this dialogue is filled with righteousness and illumines the path of dharma. Of one who studies it, Krishna says that he worships him through jnana-yajna, the sacrifice of knowledge. In Chapter 4 (4.33) he said, shreyan dravyamayad yajnaj jnana-yajnah parantapa — 'the sacrifice of knowledge is superior to sacrifice performed with material things.' Studying the Gita is thus itself a high form of worship.

Here 'study' means not merely recitation but understanding, reflection and the effort to live it. Shankara says the sacrifice of knowledge is like the highest of the four kinds of sacrifice — ritual, audible repetition, whispered repetition and mental — namely the mental. When one studies the Gita with faith, the mind naturally becomes absorbed in the Lord's thoughts.

Iti me matih — such is my conviction. This is the Lord's own assurance that study of the Gita is never in vain. Reading even one verse a day with understanding is worship of the Lord. That is why the tradition of Gita recitation and Gita study is so rich in India.

Context

The previous two verses described the glory of one who teaches the Gita. This verse describes the glory of one who studies it — such study is worship through the sacrifice of knowledge. The next verse (18.71) describes the fruit for one who merely listens with faith.

Life lesson

Regular, reflective study of the Gita or any great scripture is itself an act of worship. Read a little each day, but with understanding and reflection. The sacrifice of knowledge surpasses outward ritual, because it joins the mind directly to God.

Key terms

Dharmya samvada: A dialogue full of dharma — the Krishna–Arjuna dialogue
Adhyayana: Study, understanding and reflection
Jnana-yajna: Worship offered through knowledge
Avayoh: Of us two