Gita Bhashya -Sankara 843

Shri Sankara's Gita Bhashya

(Sri Sankaracharya's Commentary on the Gita)

CHAPTER -18

Now this is the good which accrues to the hearer: Śraddhāvsn-anasūyaśca śrnuyād-api yo narah So(cr)pi mitkiah śuhhāmllokāii-prāpnuyāt- punya-karmanām 71. And the man, who, full of śraddhā, and free from malice, merely hears, even he, liberated, shall attain to the happy worlds of those of righteous deeds. And the man, who, being full of śraddhā, faith, and free from malice, merely hears this work-the word 'merely' ("api") signifies that much more so will be the case with one who understands the Teaching-, even he, liberated from sin, shall attain to the happy, auspicious, worlds of those of righteous deeds, who have performed the Agnihotra and such rites. With a view to knowing whether his pupil has understood or not the Teaching of the (Gitā) Śāstra, the Lord (now) questions him. The object of the questioner (the Lord) is this: "If I find that he has not grasped it, Ī shall make him understand it even through some other means.,I By this, it is made known that the duty of the teacher (ācārya) is to resort to diverse attempts (to make the pupil understand the teaching) and enable the pupil to attain his object (become accomplished).