śrī-bhagavān uvāca
paraḿ bhūyaḥ pravakṣyāmi
jñānānāḿ jñānam uttamam
yaj jñātvā munayaḥ sarve
parāḿ siddhim ito gatāḥ
Translation of Bhagavad Gita 14.1
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Again I shall declare to you this supreme wisdom, the best of all knowledge, knowing which all the sages have attained the supreme perfection.
Commentary by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
From the Seventh Chapter to the end of the Twelfth Chapter, Sri Krishna in detail reveals the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Now, the Lord Himself is further enlightening Arjuna. If one understands this chapter through the process of philosophical speculation, he will come to an understanding of devotional service. In the Thirteenth Chapter, it was clearly explained that by humbly developing knowledge one may possibly be freed from material entanglement. It has also been explained that it is due to association with the modes of nature that the living entity is entangled in this material world. Now, in this chapter, the Supreme Personality explains what those modes of nature are, how they act, how they bind and how they give liberation. The knowledge explained in this chapter is proclaimed by the Supreme Lord to be superior to the knowledge given so far in other chapters. By understanding this knowledge, various great sages attained perfection and transferred to the spiritual world. The Lord now explains the same knowledge in a better way. This knowledge is far, far superior to all other processes of knowledge thus far explained, and knowing this many attained perfection. Thus it is expected that one who understands this Fourteenth Chapter will attain perfection.
Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
In the fourteenth chapter, the bondage caused by the gunas and the symptoms are described. The many symptoms of the disappearance of the gunas, and the cause of disappearance, bhakti, is also described.
In the previous chapter it was described that the contact of the jiva with the body made of gunas is the cause of his taking repeated births: karanam guna-sango ‘sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu. What types of results come from contact with the gunas? What are the symptoms of those associated with the gunas? How is one liberated from the gunas? In anticipation of these questions, the Lord promises to speak about the above topics while praising them. Knowledge here means teachings by which one gains knowledge.
Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:
14.1 The Lord said — I shall declare again another kind of knowledge which is distinct from what was taught earlier concerning Gunas such as Sattva, falling within the sphere of Prakrti and Purusa. This knowledge going to be revealed is the best of all forms of knowledge concerning the Prakrti and the self. Having gained this knowledge, all sages, namely, those given to meditation, have attained perfection, beyond this world, the sphere of Samsara, having attained the essential and pure form of the self. He further extols this knowledge, distinguishing it by its fruits:
Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:
In the previous chapter the Supreme Lord Krishna explained the reality of prakriti or the material substratum pervading physical existence and the purusa or the Supreme Being as eternal consciousness. He also clarified how the everything manifesting in existence is a combination of the ksetra asphere of activity and the ksetrajna the knower of the sphere of activity and confirmed that this does not happen independently; but it is by the will of the Supreme Lord. Now in this chapter He delineates at length the unlimited, phenomenal existence of the atma or immortal soul manifesting from its association with the three gunas of material nature as passion, goodness and nescience. He declares that he will reveal the supreme knowledge, the best knowledge which leads to moksa or liberation from material existence which comes from devotion, penance and meditation. Knowing which great sages have achieved release from samsara the perpetual cycle of birth and death ascended to attain the ultimate goal.
Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:
Hari OM! After elaborately explaining in detail the reality of the ksetra or sphere of activity and the ksetrajna or knower of the sphere of activity in the previouis chapter. Now Lord Krishna discourses on the binding effects of the three fold qualities of material nature and the means for deliverance from it.
Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:
Extolling the topic of highest wisdom to be presented the Supreme Lord Krishna glorifies it in this verse and the next differentiating it as more advanced then what He had discoursed previously. This is in regard to the by products of prakriti or the material substratum pervading physical existence which are the gunas or three modes of material nature known as sattva guna or mode of goodness, raja guna or mode of passion and tama guna or mode of ignorance. By acquiring this wisdom and imbibing it into the consciousness the great munayah or sages and seers ascended to the highest felicity and achieved moksa or liberation from material existence and release from samsara or the perpetual cycle of birth and death.
Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:
14.1 Param etc. Knowledge has been described earlier; the same I shall again explain thoroughly, i.e., in detail in order to examine individually the nature of the Strands. By knowing which etc.: By this [the Bhagavat] proclaims the tested trustworthiness and the popularity of this knowledge.
Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:
14.1 Param etc. Knowledge has been described earlier; the same I shall again explain thoroughly, i.e., in detail in order to examine individually the nature of the Strands. By knowing which etc.: By this [the Bhagavat] proclaims the tested trustworthiness and the popularity of this knowledge.
Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:
sri-bhagavan uvaca
param bhuyah pravaksyami
jñananam jñanam uttamam
yaj jñatva munayah sarve
param siddhim ito gatah
Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; param — transcendental; bhūyaḥ — again; pravakṣyāmi — I shall speak; jñānānām — of all knowledge; jñānam — knowledge; uttamam — the supreme; yat — which; jñātvā — knowing; munayaḥ — the sages; sarve — all; parām — transcendental; siddhim — perfection; itaḥ — from this world; gatāḥ — attained.
