Make Krishna the goal, not only the means.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
उदाराः सर्व एवैते ज्ञानी त्वात्मैव मे मतम् |आस्थितः स हि युक्तात्मा मामेवानुत्तमां गतिम् ||७-१८||
udārāḥ sarva evaite jñānī tvātmaiva me matam . āsthitaḥ sa hi yuktātmā māmevānuttamāṃ gatim ||7-18||
Use this verse when devotion is becoming deeper.
Meaning
All these devotees are noble, but the wise one is My very self, established in Me as the supreme goal.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
All sincere devotees are noble, but the wise sees Krishna as the supreme goal.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna inclusively honors all devotees while showing the highest maturity: seeking Krishna not only as helper, but as the final goal.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna affirms that all four kinds of devotees are udarah — noble, generous-hearted. None is despised; each is precious. Yet of the wise one He says something astonishing: 'jñani tu atmaiva me matam' — the wise devotee is My very Self. So complete is their union that the distinction between worshipper and worshipped nearly dissolves.
This is the consummation of bhakti. The devotee who, with steadfast mind, has made the Divine their sole and supreme goal becomes, in Krishna's own words, inseparable from Him. Love taken to its depth does not merely bring one near to God; it merges the heart into God. The verse honours every sincere seeker while revealing the destination toward which all devotion tends — not nearness alone, but oneness.
In daily life
Let devotion mature from asking to belonging.
A devotee may move from asking Krishna for success to offering success to Krishna.
Try this today
Reflect on what it means for Krishna to be your highest goal.
Krishna is my highest goal.Reflect
Do I seek Krishna as a means or as the goal?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘माम् एव अनुत्तमाम् गतिम्’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on goal, in other chapters
- Verse 9.34Offer your mind, heart, actions, and reverence wholly to the Divine, and you are drawn inevitably toward union.
- Verse 6.30See the Divine in all things and in everyone, and you will never be separated from God, nor God from you.
- Verse 11.54Only wholehearted, single-minded devotion opens the path to truly know, see, and unite with the Divine.
- Verse 13.19Understanding these truths with a devoted heart, not just a sharp mind, is what lifts you into the Divine.
Swipe left for 7.19 · Vasudeva is everything.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 7.18
Who says Bhagavad Gita 7.18, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 7.18, in Chapter 7, Jnana Vijnana Yoga (Jnana Vijnana Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 7.18 mean?
All these devotees are noble, but the wise one is My very self, established in Me as the supreme goal. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 7.18 for daily life?
Let devotion mature from asking to belonging. A devotee may move from asking Krishna for success to offering success to Krishna.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 7.18 mean?
उदाराः — noble / generous-hearted; सर्वे एव एते — all these indeed; ज्ञानी तु आत्मा एव — but the wise one is My very Self; मे मतम् — is My view / opinion; आस्थितः सः हि — for he is established.
Where does verse 7.18 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 18 of 30 in Chapter 7, Jnana Vijnana Yoga. The next verse is 7.19.