35 verses
The Supreme Lord said: A person endowed with jñāna through the scriptures, who consequently understands ātmā, and has realization, on understanding that the world is produced through false identity, gives up the practice of jñāna in order to attain me.
For the jñānī, I am the object of worship, the expected result, the sādhana, and the means of realization. I am the cause of happiness and destruction of suffering. There is no one dearer than me for the jñānī.
Should the jñānī give up bhakti as one gives up jñāna? No. Not at all. I am the object of worship (iṣṭaḥ). How can one give up worshipping me? I alone am the expected result (svārthaḥ), and the cause, the sādhana. How can one give up bhakti to me? I am the means of realization (sammataḥ). I have said:
bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ
tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā viśate tad-anantaram ||55||
Only by bhakti can a person know me as Brahman. Then, knowing me as Brahman by that bhakti, he merges with me. BG 18.55
I will also say in verse 5 bhaja māṁ bhakti-bhāvataḥ: worship me with devotion. I am the cause of happiness (svargaḥ) and the cause of removal of suffering (apavargaḥ). According to Jīva Gosvāmī this verse means I make my appearance as the supreme sādhana (means) and sādhya (goal) for the jñānī.
Those who had previously achieved complete perfection through philosophical and realized knowledge recognized my lotus feet to be supreme. Such a jñānī, most dear to me, pleases me by his knowledge.
The Lord gives evidence of the realization of jñānīs from previous history. Those who had perfect knowledge and realization knew that my svarūpa, and knew that my lotus feet, not Brahman, were the best.
tasyāravinda-nayanasya padāravinda-
kiñjalka-miśra-tulasī-makaranda-vāyuḥ
antar-gataḥ sva-vivareṇa cakāra teṣāṁ
saḍkṣobham akṣara-juṣām api citta-tanvoḥ
The wind carrying the aroma of tulasī which had touched the filaments of the Lords toe nails on his lotus feet entered their minds through the nostrils and began to agitate their minds and bodies, even though they were fixed in Brahman. SB 3.15.43
Such a jñānī is most dear to me.
That perfection which is produced by a small fraction of jñāna cannot be duplicated by performing austerities, visiting holy places, chanting silent prayers, giving in charity or engaging in other pious activities.
Kalayā means by a small portion.
Therefore, O Uddhava, knowing your ātmā through jñāna, endowed with knowledge and realization, worship me with devotion.
Śrīdhara Svāmī says this means Worship me and give up all other processes.
Formerly, great sages, through the sacrifice of Vedic, worshiped me within themselves, knowing me to be the Supreme Lord of all sacrifice and Paramātmā. These sages thus achieved realization of me.
Who is endowed with knowledge and realization? The sages achieved perfection after worshipping me, as the master of all sacrifices and as Paramātmā, in themselves, by the sacrifice consisting of theoretical knowledge. Having attained perfection, the ancient sages were then endowed with knowledge and realization.
O Uddhava! The body, a transformation of the guṇas, the produce of avidyā, takes shelter of your ātmā and remains in your present condition. It is not your natural state because you are without birth and death. How can birth and death of the body belong to the ātmā? Even while perceiving illusions with a beginning and end, you actually remain separate.
The jñānī endowed with knowledge and realization then worships me as the highest goal. But that is a very distant goal. First, you should rise above ignorance, knowing you are tvam, ātmā. Taking Uddhava as his subject, he addresses people in general in this verse. O Uddhava! The transformations of the three guṇas, the imposition of the body, take shelter of you, the jīva. This imposition (adhyāsa) of the body, taking shelter of the ātmā, is the effect of avidyā (māyā). This is a state of attainment in the interim period (antarā). This means it is not your natural state, since the jīva has no beginning and end. You are spiritual and the body is material. The birth and death of the body does not belong to you, who are spiritual. How can you think that the ātmā is born, dies, or is happy or sad?
When I did not have a relationship with the body, and when the body is destroyed by jñāna, then I can remain separate from the body. But for now, I am the body. One continues existing as ātmā even when one perceives false objects with beginning and end by error, just as a person who thinks of a tiger continuously remains a person even while being conscious of a tiger. He does not become a tiger. It is also well known that the relationship of the jīva with avidyā is without beginning, through the power of māyā. One could argue that if the ignorance was without beginning it would mean this ignorant condition would be the svarūpa of the jīva, which could therefore not be removed even by jñāna. The jīvas svarūpa would have to be destroyed to destroy avidyā. But the idea that liberation means destruction of the jīvas svarūpa is not accepted by the authorities.
Uddhava said: Please explain to me more elevated knowledge, greater knowledge, endowed with detachment and realization, which is approved by previous jñānīs. O Lord of the universe! O form of the universe! Teach me about pure bhakti which is sought by the great sages.
Having heard about tvam, the ātmā, Uddhava asks about knowledge and realization of tat, Brahman, along with vairāgya, and asks about most rarely attained bhakti-yoga, since he is dissatisfied with jñāna. Tell me about pure knowledge (viśuddham), beyond knowledge of tvam, the jīva. Tell about knowledge which is greater, since it is about Brahman, tat. This knowledge is approved by the previous jñānīs. Uddhava addresses the Lord. O power of the universe! O form of the universe! By these names Uddhava implies that if the universe were false, talking about is power and form would be meaningless. The bhakti which is especially sought (vimṛgyam) by the great sages like Śuka and Sanaka is pure bhakti.
O Lord! For one who is being tormented on the terrible path of birth and death and is constantly overwhelmed by the threefold miseries, I do not see any shelter other than your two lotus feet, which are like a refreshing umbrella that pours showers of nectar.
Reach success by jñāna. Why as about pure bhakti? Your feet shower everywhere sweetness which gives happiness superior to the bliss of Brahman. It is said:
yā nirvṛtis tanu-bhṛtāṁ tava pāda-padma-
dhyānād bhavaj-jana-kathā-śravaṇena vā syāt
sā brahmaṇi sva-mahimany api nātha mā bhūt
kiṁ tv antakāsi-lulitāt patatāṁ vimānāt
The bliss for your servant available from meditating on your lotus feet or from hearing about your pastimes from the devotees is not available in your form of greatness, Brahman, what to speak of the happiness for those who fall from the pleasures of Svarga. SB 4.9.10
I ask about bhakti because from bhakti one gains release from saṁsāra even without jñāna, and one gains bliss greater than the bliss of Brahman.
O almighty Lord! Please be merciful and uplift this hopeless living entity, bitten by the snake of time, who has fallen into the dark hole of material existence, and still intensely hankers for insignificant material happiness. Sprinkle me with your liberating words.
So, reach success by pure bhakti-yoga. Why ask at all about jñāna? Uddhava answers with this verse. The meaning is this. Pure bhakti does not arise by human effort, since it can only be attained by chance mercy of great devotees. Jñāna-yoga is attained on its own by those who have understood tvam, the ātmā, by knowledge arising through niṣkāma-karma. It is attained by human effort. Those who do not attain pure bhakti should be delivered by this. For this reason I ask about jñāna. Please sprinkle me with the sweetness of your words which bestow liberation. The nectar of jñāna coming from your moon-like mouth produces liberation.
The Supreme Lord said: Just as you are now inquiring from me, in the past King Yudhiṣṭhira, who considered no one his enemy, inquired from the greatest of the upholders of religious principles, Bhīṣma, while all of us were carefully listening.
When the great Battle of Kurukṣetra had ended, King Yudhiṣṭhira was overwhelmed by the death of many beloved well-wishers, and thus, after listening to many instructions on dharma, he finally inquired about the path of liberation.
I will now speak unto you those topics filled with jñāna, detachment, self-realization, faith and bhakti that were heard directly from the mouth of Bhīṣmadeva.
I personally approve of that knowledge by which one sees the combination of nine, eleven, five and three elements in all living entities, and ultimately one element within those twenty-eight.
The nine are prakṛti, jīva, mahat-tattva, ahaḍkāra, and the five tan-mātras. The eleven are the eleven senses. The five are the five gross elements. The three are the three guṇas. I approve that knowledge by which one sees these twenty-eight elements in all beings from Brahmā to the plants, which are their products, and by which one sees Paramātmā in all the twenty-eight elements. That is knowledge by which, after seeing the world made of cause and effect, one sees the world as non-different from the supreme cause.
This jñāna becomes vijñāna when one does not see all the elements as one with Paramātmā but sees Paramātmā alone. At the stage of jñāna, one should see the temporary nature of all the material elements made of the three guṇas.
Vijñāna is defined in the first half of the verse. That jñāna (etat eva) becomes vijñānam. How? It is vijñāna when one does not see the universe as one with Paramātmā as before. The meaning is this. At the stage of jñāna one sees everything arising from Paramāṭmā who is not seen. At the stage of vijñāna, one sees only Paramātmā directly. Because of the bliss of realizing Paramātmā, one has no opportunity to see his products. This is realization of oneness. In the previous verse it was explained that at the stage of jñāna, one sees everything as Paramātmā because he is the supreme cause of all the effects. That is again repeated in the second part of this verse: one should see the creation, maintenance and destruction of the material products. This means one should see them as temporary.
That which is present at creation and destruction, which accompanies all the material phases from one creation to another and which remains alone at universal destruction is the one eternal Paramātmā.
There is only one entity, Paramātmā. That is again stated. That which exists during creation and, after transformation, during destruction--that which continues as the shelter while effect after effect is produced, and what remains after the final destruction, is the real and eternal cause. Though mahat-tattva is a cause of particular effects, it is not called the cause since it is not the cause of everything. The one Paramātmā is the final cause. Though these things exist, they are not eternal because they do not continue to exist during all phases of time. Paramātmā however exists at all times. At the stage of jñāna one should see this oneness of Paramātmā.
From the four types of evidenceVedic knowledge, direct experience, traditional wisdom and logical inductionone can understand the temporary nature of the material world, by which one will become detached from the duality of this world.
Jñāna and vijñāna have been explained. Vairāgya is explained in two verses. Śruti says yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante yena jātāni jīvanti yat prayanti: from the Lord all beings are born, by him they are maintained, and in him they dissolve. (Taittirīya Upanisād 3.1.1) By sense perception (pratyākśa) we see that a pot arises from clay and dissolves back into clay. Aitihyam is what is famous because of authorities. Statements like The world never changes are considered to be without authority. One can infer (anumāna) that because the universe has a beginning and end that it is temporary. Because the universe does not remain at all times according to the four types of proof, one because detached from the world of duality composed of heavenly enjoyment.
The wise man should see that, because of transformation of karma, even the happiness on the planet of Lord Brahma, what to speak of that experienced on earth, is temporary and inauspicious.
Though Svarga does not have eternal pleasure, it gives pleasure for some time. Since they are mere transformations of karma, one should see the happiness of even Brahma-loka, unseen, by us, as well as that of earthly kingdoms, which are seen by us, to be temporary and inauspicious, because of they are filled with competition and envy.
O sinless Uddhava! I previously explained to you bhakti-yoga. Now I will again explain the auspicious cause of bhakti dedicated to me, in order to increase your love.
In text 8, Uddhava asked Please explain bhakti which is sought by the great sages. Now the answer is given. I spoke this previously, but because you were not fully satisfied, you ask again. Therefore I will speak it again since you will develop love (prīyamāṇāya). This is because you are sinless (anagha). If there is offense, then love will decrease. There is no alternative. I will speak the most auspicious cause of my bhakti.
ādaraḥ paricaryāyāṁ sarvāḍgair abhivandanam mad-bhakta-pūjābhyadhikā sarva-bhūteṣu man-matiḥ
mad-artheṣv aḍga-ceṣṭā ca
vacasā mad-guṇeraṇam
mayy arpaṇaṁ ca manasaḥ
sarva-kāma-vivarjanam
mad-arthe rtha-parityāgo
bhogasya ca sukhasya ca
iṣṭaṁ dattaṁ hutaṁ japtaṁ
mad-arthaṁ yad vrataṁ tapaḥ
evaṁ dharmair manuṣyāṇām
uddhavātma-nivedinām
mayi sañjāyate bhaktiḥ
ko nyo rtho syāvaśiṣyate
Firm faith in the narration of my sweet pastimes, constant chanting of my glories, unwavering attachment to my worship, praising me through verses, great respect for serving the deity, offering obeisances with the entire body, performing extensive worship of my devotees, consciousness of me in all living entities, offering of ordinary bodily activities in my service, use of words to describe my qualities, offering the mind to me, rejection of all material desires, giving up wealth for my sake, renouncing material sense gratification and happiness, performing acts of charity, offering homa, and chanting japa, performing vows like Ekādaśī as austerity with the purpose of achieving meby these those human beings who have surrendered themselves to me develop bhakti for me. What other result could remain for my devotee?
One should have intense faith in topics which are nectar. Though all topics of the Lord are sweet, one should have faith in the very sweet topics related to the Lords rasas. One should worship the devotees extensively, since one understands that this is more pleasing than worshipping me. One offers bodily activities by understanding that one cleans the teeth or the body for service to the Lord. One can even use local languages or dialects to glorify or sing the Lords qualities. One should give up ones articles for use in my festivals. One can give to guru and devotees on these occasions. Or another meaning is that one should give up objects unfavorable for bhakti. One should give enjoying women (bhogasya) and happiness (sukhasya) derived from caring for children. One can perform sacrifice using sesame and ghee, or offer food to the brāhmaṇas and devotees as sacrifice. One should chant japa of the Lords mantra or names a thousand or hundred thousand times. Giving donations (dattam), performing sacrifice (hūtam) and chanting japa are three sacrifices (iṣṭam) of the devotees. In order to attain me, one should perform vows like Ekādaśī. That is the austerity of the devotee. What other result remains for the niṣkāma devotee? The result in future lives is simply more hearing and chanting. When the jñānī achieves his result he gives up his sādhana. When the devotee attains his goal, he does not give up the hearing and chanting of his sādhana. Rather, his bhakti of hearing and chanting increases a thousand times, as an anubhāva (conscious action motivated by prema) of the perfection of bhakti, which is prema.
When ones peaceful consciousness, strengthened by sattva, is fixed on Paramātmā, one achieves dharma, jñāna, vairāgya and aiśvarya.
What results remain to be obtained? The bhakti just described cannot be explained to be bhakti which is an aḍga of jñāna. Bhakti which is an aḍga of jñāna is different from that, and has the nature of sattva-guṇa. By that type of bhakti a devotee with material desires attains dharma, jñāna, vairāgya and aiśvarya. That is explained in this verse. When the peaceful mind absorbed in me, Paramātmā, concentrates on me with sattvika-bhakti, one achieves dharma, jñāna, vairāgya and aiśvarya.
When consciousness, fixed on the material body and home, pursues objects in the mode of rajas with the senses, one becomes attached to forbidden objects. Know that such a mind achieves opposite results.
The opposite action is described. When the mind, absorbed in body and house (vikalpe), pursues material objects in rajas, it becomes attached to forbidden objects. Know that it achieves opposite results. One achieves adharma, ajñāna, avairāgya, and anaiśvarya.
Actual dharma means what produces bhakti. Real jñāna is seeing Paramātmā everywhere. Real vairāgya is complete disinterest in sense objects. Real aiśvarya is acquisition of the siddhis.
Dharma and the other items are explained. Dharma is that which causes bhakti.
kiṁ dānaṁ kiṁ tapaḥ śauryaṁ kim satyam ṛtam ucyate kas tyāgaḥ kiṁ dhanaṁ ceṣṭaṁ ko yajñaḥ kā ca dakṣiṇā
puṁsaḥ kiṁ svid balaṁ śrīman
dayā1 lābhaś ca keśava
kā vidyā hrīḥ parā kā śrīḥ
kiṁ sukhaṁ duḥkham eva ca
kaḥ paṇòitaḥ kaś ca mūrkhaḥ
kaḥ panthā utpathaś ca kaḥ
kaḥ svargo narakaḥ kaḥ svit
ko bandhur uta kiṁ gṛham
ka āòhyaḥ ko daridro vā
kṛpaṇaḥ kaḥ ka īśvaraḥ
etān praśnān mama brūhi
viparītāṁś ca sat-pate
Uddhava said: O chastiser of the enemies! Please tell me how many types of yama and niyama exist. O Kṛṣṇa! What is śama and dama? O Lord! What is tolerance and determination? What are charity, austerity and heroism, and what is truth and speaking sweetly? What is renunciation, and what is respectable wealth? What is sacrifice, and what is religious remuneration? O Keśava, O most fortunate one! How am I to understand the strength, or mercy and profit of a particular person? What is the best education, what is humility, and what is real ornamentation? What are happiness and unhappiness? Who is learned, and who is a fool? What are the true and the false paths in life, and what are heaven and hell? Who is a true friend, and what is ones real home? Who is a rich man and who is a poor man? Who is wretched, and who is an actual controller? O Lord of the devotees! Please explain these matters of inquiry along with their opposites.
After hearing about dharma and other qualities and their opposites, in five verses Uddhava asks about the defining qualities of other items starting with yama. Iṣṭam dhanam means respectable wealth. Śrīḥ means ornamentation. Praśnān means the matters under question. After explaining the meaning of these items, I can understand their opposites naturally.
śaucaṁ japas tapo homaḥ śraddhātithyaṁ mad-arcanam tīrthāṭanaṁ parārthehā tuṣṭir ācārya-sevanam
ete yamāḥ sa-niyamā
ubhayor dvādaśa smṛtāḥ
puṁsām upāsitās tāta
yathā-kāmaṁ duhanti hi
The Supreme Lord said: Nonviolence, truthfulness, not stealing the property of others, detachment, humility, freedom from possessiveness, acceptance of scripture, celibacy, silence, steadiness, forgiveness and fearlessness are the twelve yamas. Internal cleanliness, external cleanliness, chanting the holy names of the Lord, austerity, sacrifice, faith, hospitality, worship of me, visiting holy places, acting and desiring only for the supreme interest, satisfaction, and service to guru are the twelve niyamas. These twenty-four elements bestow all desired benedictions upon those persons who devotedly cultivate them.
In two verses Kṛṣṇa defines twelve yama and then twelve niyama. Śaucam refers to two items: external cleanliness and internal cleanliness. The yamas and niyamas mentioned in the two verses supply all desires sufficiently (yathā). The yamas and niyamas mentioned by the Lord are the same as commonly mentioned by others in number and characteristics. The question and answer resolve the doubt whether the Lords opinion is different concerning the number and characteristics of the items.
Absorbing the intelligence in me constitutes śama, and complete discipline of the senses is dama. Tolerance means patiently enduring suffering, and steadfastness means conquering the tongue and genitals.
Now, the unique qualities of other items, which are different from the definitions given by other teachers, and which are to be accepted by persons performing sādhana, are described until the end of the chapter. Śamaḥ means fixing the intelligence in me. Mere peace without intelligence fixed in the Lord is rejected in this śama. Damaḥ means control of ones own senses. Without controlling ones senses one cannot hope to control ones disciples or others. Tolerance means tolerance of suffering prescribed by the scriptures or tolerance of suffering from other beings who are disrespectful. Other attempts such as tolerating suffering from cold and heat are foolish. Without controlling the tongue and genital other types of steadiness are useless.
Supreme charity is to give up aggression toward others, and real austerity is renunciation of enjoyment. Real heroism is to conquer ones natural tendency to enjoy material life, and truth is seeing all beings as ones self in happiness or distress.
Charity means giving up violence to all living entities, not just giving money. Austerity is performing vows with indifference to enjoyment, such as Ekādaśi or Kārtika-vrata, prescribed by scriptures. Real heroism is opposition to ones nature of rajas and tamas, lust and anger, or to advertising ones qualities such as learning. It is not merely prowess in battle. Truth means seeing equally everywhere. One should see others suffering as ones own, giving up harsh qualities like envy and hatred. Gītā says the same:
ātmaupamyena sarvatra samaṁ paśyati yo rjuna |
sukhaṁ vā yadi vā duḥkhaṁ sa yogī paramo mataḥ ||
I consider that practicing yogī who sees equally everything as equal to himself in all circumstances, whether in happiness or suffering, to be the topmost yogī. BG 6.32
Truth is not merely speaking the facts.
Ṛtam means to speak the truth in a pleasing way, as declared by great sages Cleanliness is detachment from material actions, and renunciation is the sannyāsa order of life.
Ṛtam means pleasant and truthful speech, not just speaking truthfully. Merely speaking truth includes announcing the faults of person who has faults. In doing that, one criticizes a person. But that criticism is not agreeable to the devotee listeners. That criticism lacks pleasing presentation of truth. But previous teachers have defined satyam as proper conduct and ṛtam as truthful words. Cleanliness means detachment from material actions, not just physical cleanliness. Uddhava did not ask about cleanliness in his question, but the gurus, being kind to the destitute, speak on subjects even if not asked. 2 This is the quality of cleanliness in Tretya-yuga. The definition of bhaga in verse 40 should be understood in the same way.3 Renunciation means complete renunciation, giving up possessiveness of wife and children sannyāsa, not just giving up enjoyment.
The respectable wealth for human beings is possessing dharma, and I, Svayam Bhagavān, am sacrifice. Religious remuneration (dakṣiṇā) is informing friends after a festival of ones realization of bliss, and the greatest strength is the prāṇāyāma system.
Respectable wealth is possession of dharma, not possessing cows and horses. I, the highest form of Bhagavān, the son of Vasudeva, am sacrifice. Therefore one should celebrate my appearance while thinking it is real sacrifice. One should not think that horse sacrifices which give temporary results are sacrifice. Giving donations means that, after a festival, one reveals to ones dear friends ones experience of bliss during kīrtana. It does not meaning giving money or jewels. Strength or balam means to control what is difficult to control. Thus prāṇāyāma is strength because it controls the mind which is most difficult to control.
Lordship means my controlling power. Gain means gaining bhakti. Knowledge is nullifying what is not ātmā in the jīva. Real modesty is dislike of sinful activities.
Mercy which is well known is not explained.4 Bhagaḥ means my lordship, not the jīvas like Indra or Brahmā controlling. Gain means gaining bhakti, not children or family. Knowledge means nullifying what is not ātmā (bhidā-bādhaḥ), caused by ignorance, in the jīva. It is said tri-guṇa-mayaḥ pumān iti bhidā yad abodha-kṛtā:
the dualistic conception that the living entity is produced from the three modes of nature is simply a product of ignorance. (SB 10.87.25) Knowledge does not mean learning grammar. Modesty is disgust for sinful acts, being disinclined because of public criticism, not just normal shyness.
Ornamentation is possessing good qualities such as detachment. Real happiness is to transcend material happiness and unhappiness, and real misery is expectation of enjoyment from material objects. A wise man is one who knows how to become liberated from bondage.
Ornamentation means good qualities such as detachment, not having a crown or jewels. Happiness is overcoming suffering and happiness, becoming indifferent to them. Happiness does not mean enjoying sense objects. Suffering is expecting enjoyment of objects, not suffering from burns. A learned person is he who knows how to be liberated from bondage, not he who lectures on scriptures.
A fool is he who identifies with his material body and mind. The real path in life is that which leads to me, and the wrong path is what causes agitation in the heart. Actual heaven is the predominance of sattva.
The path is that which gives definite attainment of mebhakti and jñāna, not a path merely free of thorns. The wrong path is the path which causes disturbance in the heart, pravṛtti-marga. Svarga means a predominance of sattva-guna, not the place of Indra.
Hell is the predominance of ignorance. I and the guru are the real friends. Ones home is the human body. One who is enriched with good qualities is said to be rich.
Hell is predominance of ignorance. The real friend is the guru, not ones brothers. The friend is also I.
One who is unsatisfied in life is actually poor. A wretched man is one who cannot control his senses, whereas one who is not attached to sense enjoyment is a real controller. One who attaches himself to sense gratification is not a controller.
One who is attached to material sense enjoyment is not a controller.
Thus, Uddhava, I have elucidated all of the matters of inquiry, which are suitable for liberation. There is no need for a more elaborate description of good and bad qualities, since to see good and bad is itself a bad quality. The best quality is to transcend seeing good and bad qualities.
Sādhu here means suitable for liberation. You have asked me to discern good and bad qualities. I will speak of their qualities in brief. Please listen: what is the use of describing them elaborately? This much should be described only, since it is fault to see good and bad qualities. The real quality is having a nature devoid of seeing good and bad qualities. This will be explained at the end of the next chapter.
Thus ends the commentary on the Nineteenth Chapter of the Eleventh Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.
In the Nineteenth Chapter, bhakti of the devotee who gives up sādhana of the jñānī, and the definitions of words like yama are described. In order to destroy beginningless ignorance, it has been explained that the jīva must practice jñāna, yoga and vairāgya without material actions. When ignorance is destroyed and knowledge is produced by those sādhanas, those sādhanas are not longer useful at all. A person, becoming absorbed in a snake, tiger or ghost, forgets himself and thinks he is a snake, tiger or ghost. Then gems, mantras and medicines are useful to help him. When the identity is broken by those means, and the person returns to his former identity, the gems, mantras and medicines are no longer used. That principle is described in this verse.
One should be endowed with knowledge (vidyā) which destroys ignorance, composed of sāḍkhya, yoga, austerity, vairāgya, learned through scriptures which teach those subjects. He then understands the nature of ātmā (ātmavān). He is not a possessor of theoretical knowledge (na ānumānikaḥ), but has direct realization. Understanding that the universe arises from ignorance through false identity with his body and related objects, or understanding that this world is temporary, he renounces all jñāna-sādhana for me. This means he gives up jñāna in order to attain me. This is called vidvat-sannyāsa.