“If you want to know, then just see through a spiritual master. Serve him humbly and ask from him submissively. This self-realized soul can give you knowledge because he has seen the truth.”

Context of the Verse:

            In the earlier verses, he had mentioned the significance of Gyana (knowledge) over Yagna (ritualistic sacrifice or sacrificial offerings). Now in this verse, he is imparting that spiritual knowledge as to how to get there.

            Krishna introduces/mentors Arjuna in the process of learning: not out of arrogance or blind obedience, but out of respect for inquiry, humility, and devoted service to a qualified teacher.

Key Teachings from This Verse:

• Get into the presence of a genuine Guru: Spiritual knowledge must be sought from those who have realised it (Tattva-Darsinah).
• Threefold Approach:

1. Pranipata – surrender/humility
2. Pariprasna – sincere inquiry
3. Seva – service with devotion

• Wisdom is Entrusted: Real wisdom is not learnt, it is handed down – between people who trust and respect one another.
• Meaning of Realised Souls: It is only the perception of that truth which can enlighten another person.

Relevance to Arjuna:

• And Arjuna is being advised to not exist in confusion, not depend upon his own reasoning.
• Krishna is the point where self-realized knowledge must be humbly learned from enlightened beings.
• This instruction is pertinent since simply relying on reason is not enough to quell Arjuna’s inner conflict – what is needed is a higher spiritual insight, and this is what Krishna is going to supply.

Explanation:

            The sacrifice of knowledge, as Krishna has said, is better than the sacrifice of material possessions. The sacrifice of knowledge is the Hindu way of saying that one must have the “right teacher” for each “spiritual” lesson, meaning that one must be willing to learn. So, the sacrifice made is to know. We can acquire knowledge either by listening, or by reading, or by discussing. All of these sacrifices are of knowledge. It is more than the sacrifice of renouncing your riches. And how does someone acquire this knowledge? Do I have to be talking to people, reading or any sort of formal process? Instead, there is a three-step formula. So, don’t think that you’re going to understand this from just reading. Well, for that, one has to approach Tatwa Darshi and how one has to approach Tatwa Darshi to know the symptoms of the absolute truth. To begin, one must have a very low opinion of one’s own work. When a person humbles themselves before a spiritual master, it is a sign of their humility. That I am fully given. Anything you say to do, I will do. So, this humility is required. So, the sacrifice made is to know. That is not the way here. As the Bible says, the kingdom of God is for the meek and the humble. Therefore, one must be very humble and willing to serve. When approaching a saintly person, the first thing to ask is a spiritual question directly. Ideally, one’s first question should be, “What can I do for you?” The moment even a king comes to meet the sages, the first thing the king will do is announce or any other person can say, “Please tell me, how can I serve you?”

            You have only to put me in the service. And do Seva and through Seva we attain the qualification to receive and to digest that knowledge. Otherwise, even if you speak transcendental knowledge, without Seva, we will not be able to digest or realize, understand that. So, Seva is really, really critical. The form of the name cannot be seen, nor heard, or can we comprehend about Krishna. But if someone serves Krishna, when one serves Him, to serve Krishna in the beginning one has to use one’s own tongue for chanting Krishna’s name, Krishna’s this science and that science, then, Krishna Himself is so pleased that He reveals Himself. The form is the person and the person can see, hear and understand Krishna.

            So Seva is very serious, so every word has to be taken very, very carefully. This is the method to realise the Bhagavad Gita. And we should come to a Guru, a person who knows this knowledge and be very, very humble and we have to give some service. In the end, we have to become an approachable I to attain knowledge. So, inquiry is also important. One should be thirstful for knowledge, but let thirstfulness not lead to absurd questions. One should not become audacious, and one should not try to cheat and ask only without serving. So blind faith is a bad idea. Inquiry is very important. Some say scriptures are fanatical. They’re not at all dogmatic. In this place, the word inquiry is introduced. Who else will do it? Again, I will say after delivering to Arjuna the whole Gita, Krishna will say: “you meditate on it… whatever was the message I gave you… and then you do: anything you can do.” So, it is a philosophical spiritual life, is not the brainwash, and is not dogma, because it’s not in the real spiritual life. All of the passages invite questions, to be asked the way Arjuna is asking here and Krishna is answering. All this Vedic knowledge is nothing but the discussion between the spiritual master and disciple in various times, in various places, in various planets, in various circumstances. It’s all discussion. So, inquiry is very important. Both, blind trust and absurd questions are denied here. One should ask, the other should serve. If one follows the three steps of Samarpana, Seva and Viveka, then who have seen may disclose the welfare path.