तेषां ज्ञानी नित्ययुक्त एकभक्ितर्विशिष्यते।
प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थमहं स च मम प्रियः।।7.17।।
उदाराः सर्व एवैते ज्ञानी त्वात्मैव मे मतम्।
आस्थितः स हि युक्तात्मा मामेवानुत्तमां गतिम्।।7.18।।
Of them, the man of knowledge, endowed with constant steadfastness and one-pointed devotion, excels. For I am very dear to the man of knowledge, and he too is dear to me.
Indeed, all of these are noble, but the man of Knowledge is the Self itself. This is my opinion. For, with a steadfast mind, he is set on the path leading only to Me, who am the supreme Goal.
Osho’s Commentary
Of the four types of devotees, the jnani, the wise man, is the highest. All are noble, but he is my very Self. Why? Because his love is unconditional. The distressed loves God because he wants relief from pain. The seeker of wealth loves God because he wants prosperity. Their love is a means to an end. But the wise man loves God for no reason at all. His love is an end in itself. In such a love, the separation between the lover and the beloved disappears. They become one. There is an ekabhakti, a single-pointed devotion. There is no other desire. And when you love someone without any motive, you become one with them. Krishna says, “The wise man is my very soul.” This is the ultimate declaration of non-duality. The one who knows, becomes that which he knows. The journey ends in a total merger, a blissful union.