Shloka
उदाराः सर्व एवैते ज्ञानी त्वात्मैव मे मतम् |
आस्थितः स हि युक्तात्मा मामेवानुत्तमां गतिम् ||७-१८||Transliteration
udārāḥ sarva evaite jñānī tvātmaiva me matam .
āsthitaḥ sa hi yuktātmā māmevānuttamāṃ gatim ||7-18||Translations
Dr.S.Sankaranarayan
7.18. All these are noble persons, indeed. But the man of wisdom is considered as the very Soul of [Mine]. For, with his self (mind) that has mastered the Yoga, he has resorted to nothing but Me as his most supreme goal.
Shri Purohit Swami
7.18 Noble-minded are they all, but the wise man I hold as my own Self; for he, remaining always at peace with Me, makes me his final goal.
Sri Abhinav Gupta
7.18 See Comment under 7.19
Sri Ramanuja
7.18 Because they worship Me alone, all these are generous i.e., benefactors. For, those who receive from Me anything, however small they are, I consider them as contributing everything to Me (and thus as benefactors). But I deem the man of knowledge to be My very self. I consider Myself as depending on him for My support. Why is it so? Because this person considers Me to be the highest and finds it impossible to support himself without Me; I also find it impossible to be without him. Thus, verily, he is My self.
The attainment of this state of mind reires innumerable auspicious births. It is attained after gaining the knowledge of the real nature of the self and the self feels that Its happiness consists in being a dependant (Sesa) of Myself.
Sri Shankaracharya
7.18 Sarve, ete, all of these three, without exception; are eva, indeed, udarah, noble, i.e.; they are verily dear to Me. For, no devotee of Mine can become disagreeable to Me who am Vasudeva. But the man of Knowledge becomes very much dear. This is the difference. Why is this so? In answer the Lord says: Tu but; jnani, the man of Knowledge; is atma eva, the very Self, not different from Me. This is me, My; matam, opinion, conviction. Hi, for; yuktatma, with a steadfast mind-having his mind absorbed in the idea, ‘I am verily Vasudeva, the Lord, and none else’, that man of Knowledge asthitah, is set on the path leading to, he is engaged in ascending to, going to; mam eva, Me alone, to the supreme Brahman; who am the anuttamam gatim, super-excellent Goal to be reached. The man of Knowledge is being eulogized again:
Swami Adidevananda
7.18 All these are indeed generous (udarah), but I deem the man of knowledge to be My very self; for he, integrated, is devoted to Me alone as the highest end.
Swami Gambirananda
7.18 All of these, indeed, are noble, but the man of Knowledge is the very Self. (This is) My opinion. For, with a steadfast mind, he is set on the path leading to Me alone who am the super-excellent Goal.
Swami Sivananda
7.18 Noble indeed are all these; but I deem the wise man as My very Self; for, steadfast in mind he is established in Me alone as the supreme goal.
Commentaries
Swami Sivananda
7.18 उदाराः noble? सर्वे all? एव surely? एते these? ज्ञानी the wise? तु but? आत्मा Self? एव very? मे My? मतम् opinion? आस्थितः is established? सः he? हि verily? युक्तात्मा steadfastminded? माम् Me? एव verily? अनुत्तमाम्,the supreme? गतिम् goal.Commentary Are not the other three kinds of devotees dear to the Lord They are. They are all noble souls. But the wise man is exceedingly dear because he has a steady mind he has fixed his mind on Brahman. He does not want any worldly object? but only the Supreme Being. He seeks Brahman alone as the supreme goal. He practises Ahamgraha Upasana (meditation on the Self as the all). He tries to realise that he is identical with the Supreme Self. Therefore I regard a wise man as My very Self. (Cf.II.49)