Question

Does Krishna say in the Bhagavad Gita that he alone can grant liberation?

Answer

This actually depends on the commentator or the one who is reading it. This link shows that Sri Adi Shankaracharya means the Real Self by 'Me' here, whereas some others mean Narayana. And this link shows it means Lord Krishna: https://asitis.com/18/66.html

It is very cllear that Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti and Surya are just the altrnative forms of the Supreme Godhead according to Mahabharat and Gita , because:

  1. In Gita, Arjuna refers to Sri Krishna as Vishnu so many times and so equality of Vishnu and Krishna is well established.

  2. We get Adityas in plural number while Surya is used always in the ekavachana meaning He is One. In the Vishnusahasranama, which is a part of the Mahabharata as is the Gita, the name ‘Surya’ has been mentioned. This means the equlity of Surya and Krishna is established in the Mahabharata.

  3. Different names of Shiva like Swambhu, Sambhu and also also Shiva are mentioned in the Vishnusahasranama. This establishes the equality of Vishnu and Shiva. By the way, the name “Rudra” is not mentioned even in the Shivasahasranama in Mahabharata, meaning that the eleven Rudra were considered a devata and not God.

  4. Sri Krishna asks Arjuna to pray to Mother Durga before the Kurukshetra war starts (Bhishmaparva, 23/2). In Arjuna’s parayer, Durga has been mentioned as “Janani” (Universal Mother) and “Swadha”(a sacred mantra). In Gita, Sri Krishna says that He Himself is the Universal Mother and Swadha. So the unity of Durga and Krishna is established in Mahabharata and so Gita.

At the same time, the Gita accepts the four words of the Absolute forms : Brahman(chapter 8, sloka 13), Atma(chapter 10, sloka 20), Ishwar(chaper 18, sloka 61), and Bhagavan(He is always referred to as Sri Bhagavan in Gita). So Gita is a Scripture of Synthesis: (i) Of the forms of Yogas (Karmayoga(chapter 3,sloka 19) jnanayoga (chapter12,sloka 3&4) Rajayoga (chapter 5, sloka 27 & 28) and Bhaktiyoga(chapter 11,sloka 54), and (ii) Of all the names of the Absolute forms and (iii) Of all the names of the Hindu Godheads.

Quite naturally, it has been the treasure of all the sects belonging to the Sanatana Dharma.

Sri Ramakrishna has explained the equality of God the Self beautifully. He says one's Ishtadevata is His or Her real Self.(Ref: Sriramkrishnake jerup dekhiyachhi, udbodhan karyalaya).According to Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath,a great saint of the modern time, who actually belonged to the Ramanuja-Ramanandi sect, says that all mantras ultimately merges in OM and its the Para Pranava Who is the Real Self.(Reference: Sudhar Dhara,Sri Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath).He has written the Pranava Prema Pijusha Vashya of Gita which has been published by the Mahamilan Math.

To conclude, this "Me" of Gita is the God or the Ultimate for any spiritual seeker.

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