jarā-maraṇa-mokṣāya
mām āśritya yatanti ye
te brahma tad viduḥ kṛtsnam
adhyātmaḿ karma cākhilam
Translation of Bhagavad Gita 7.29
Intelligent persons who are endeavoring for liberation from old age and death take refuge in Me in devotional service. They are actually Brahman because they entirely know everything about transcendental activities.
Commentary by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
Birth, death, old age and diseases affect this material body, but not the spiritual body. There is no birth, death, old age and disease for the spiritual body, so one who attains a spiritual body, becomes one of the associates of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and engages in eternal devotional service is really liberated. Aham brahmasmi: I am spirit. It is said that one should understand that he is Brahman, spirit soul. This Brahman conception of life is also in devotional service, as described in this verse. The pure devotees are transcendentally situated on the Brahman platform, and they know everything about transcendental activities.
Four kinds of impure devotees who engage themselves in the transcendental service of the Lord achieve their respective goals, and by the grace of the Supreme Lord, when they are fully Krishna conscious, they actually enjoy spiritual association with the Supreme Lord. But those who are worshipers of demigods never reach the Supreme Lord in His supreme planet. Even the less intelligent Brahman-realized persons cannot reach the supreme planet of Krishna known as Goloka Vrindavana. Only persons who perform activities in Krishna consciousness (mam asritya) are actually entitled to be called Brahman, because they are actually endeavoring to reach the Krishna planet. Such persons have no misgivings about Krishna, and thus they are factually Brahman.
Those who are engaged in worshiping the form or arca of the Lord, or who are engaged in meditation on the Lord simply for liberation from material bondage, also know, by the grace of the Lord, the purports of Brahman, adhibhuta, etc., as explained by the Lord in the next chapter.
Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
It has, been said that the three types of sakama bhaktas who worship me become successful, but the worshippers of devatas (also sakama) fall, Those who are not qualified for worshipping the Lord have also been described. Now the Lord speaks about a fourth type of sakama bhakta.
Those yogis who strive to destroy old age and death (jara marana moksaya yatanti), who desire liberation (moksa kami), and consequently worship me, know all about the famous brahman. They know about the jiva (adhyatmam), present as the controller (adhi) of the body (atmanam), and the repeated bodies of the jiva generated from all types of actions (karma akhilam), due to the power of devotion to me.
Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:
7.29 Those who take refuge in Me and strive for deliverance from old age and death, i.e., for the vision of the real nature of the self as distinct from the Prakrti, they know brahman (the pure individual self). They also know all about the individual self, and the whole of Karma. [This attainment is known as Kaivalya, which means the aloofness of the self in absorption in Its own bliss.]
Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:
Therefore those who have purified their consciousness after innumerable lifetimes performing meritorious spiritual activities get the association of a pure devotee of the Supreme Lord Krishna and have the opportunity to exclusively worship Him. Becoming His devotee they come to know all that is to be known are completely satisfied. This is being stated with the words jara-marana-moksaya meaning desiring freedom from old age and death. Knowledgeable of the supreme brahman or the spiritual substratum pervading all existence, cognisant of the atma or eternal soul and aware that it is distinct from the physical body of every sentient being; such people take exclusive shelter of the Supreme Lord Krishna and diligently apply themselves in His exclusive service following the instructions of the spiritual master in one of the four authorised Vaisnava parampara or disciplic succession.
Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:
Sri Madhvacharya did not comment on this sloka.
Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:
Thereafter worshipping the Supreme Lord Krishna such enlightened devotees become blessed and acquire knowledge of everything to be known. This is specified by the words te brahma tad viduh krtsnam meaning they get knowledge of the brahman the spiritual substratum pervading all existence and everything else of consequence. They with pure hearts who take complete refuge in the Supreme Lord being free from the sway of duality and any ideas of rewards for the actions they perform, even for moksa or liberation from the cycle of birth and death.. Such enlightened beings understand the entire field of action to be performed in the material manifestation meaning what is to be done and what is not to be done and the total purpose of embodied existence as a human being.
Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:
7.29 Ye, those who; yatanti, strive; asritya, by resorting; mam, to Me, the supreme God, by having their minds absorbed in Me; jara-marana-moksaya, for becoming free from old age and death; te, they; viduh, know; tat, that; brahma, Brahman, which is the Supreme; they know krtsnam, everything; about adhyatmam, the individual Self, that indwelling intity; ca, and; they know akhiliam, all; about karma, actions.
Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:
7.29 See Comment under 7.30
Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:
jara-marana-moksaya
mam asritya yatanti ye
te brahma tad viduh krtsnam
adhyatmam karma cakhilam
Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:
jarā — from old age; maraṇa — and death; mokṣāya — for the purpose of liberation; mām — Me; āśritya — taking shelter of; yatanti — endeavor; ye — all those who; te — such persons; brahma — Brahman; tat — actually that; viduḥ — they know; kṛtsnam — everything; adhyātmam — transcendental; karma — activities; ca — also; akhilam — entirely.
