Chapter 5, Verse 25
labhante brahma-nirvāṇam
ṛṣayaḥ kṣīṇa kalmaṣāḥ
chinna-dvaidhā yatātmanaḥ
sarva bhūta hite ratāḥ
The sages whose minds are well directed within, who are free from the pairs of opposites, become cleansed of all impurities and attain the bliss of the Brahman; they are devoted to the welfare of all beings.
“The sages who are free from the pairs of opposites…” The sages are free from opposites ‘good’ and ‘bad’, pleasure and pain, free from ignorance, and “…are devoted to the welfare of all beings.” Here again, Lord Krishna reminds Arjuna that when the sages attain Realisation, when they perceive the inner Light of Brahman within their Self, they realise that Brahman is the only reality and become devoted to “the welfare of all beings”. They become a lantern which guides others out of this ocean of misery.
Having perceived the Light of Brahman within, you are “cleansed of all impurities”. You become like a lantern, who can save others, who can cleanse the impurities in others. You don’t only care about yourself, but you radiate this Light to show the way to people who are blinded by ignorance.
The God-realised souls, whose minds are steady, who are absolutely free from evil, are fully merged in God Consciousness, where all the distinctions of ‘mine’ and ‘thine’ disappear. They see all beings in their own Self. That’s why the Guru tells the disciple, “As I find you inside my heart, you should also find me inside your heart. There is no distinction between you and me.” King Ambarisha was a great devotee of the Lord. Once sage Durvasa came to Maha Vishnu saying, “Please save me, Lord!” The Lord said, “No, I can’t save you. Go to King Ambarisha. Only he can save you.” Sage Durvasa said, “Why? You are the Lord of the universe!” Then the Lord explained, “Well, My heart is not with Me, it is with my devotees!”
An ignorant person, who doesn’t have the knowledge of the Self, identifies himself with the body and engages in external activities, seeking external pleasures. The true yogis identify themselves with Brahman and keep themselves naturally engaged in the service of all beings. Even if they are living in the outside world, it doesn’t matter. They can even be in the middle of New York, but this won’t disturb them. They can be in New York and be centred in their Self, in complete equanimity. It’s the same to them if they are meditating in a quiet cave in the Himalayas or if they are on a busy street in New York or Calcutta. Since they are true yogis, they are free!
Bhagavad Gita
