Gita chapter 7.16 Four types of devotees Aartha, Jijnasu, Arthaarth, Jnani.

1. BHAGVAD GITA Chapter 7, Verse 16
Compiled by
Dr. Medicherla Shyam Sunder Kumar
samc108@gmail.com

2. 2
http://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/

3. GITA Ch 7 , Verse 16

4. GITA Ch 7 , Verse 16

5. ONLY THOSE WHO ARE LAW-ABIDING, FAITHFUL MEN,
REVIVE THEIR GOD CONSCIOUSNESS
1-WHEN THEY ARE IN DIFFICULTY,
2-IN NEED OF MONEY,
3-INQUISITIVE,
4- ASPIRING AFTER GATHERING KNOWLEDGE. (7.16)
GITA Ch 7 , Verse 16
DIFFERENT KINDS OF DEVOTION
[7.16-19]

6. Sukrtinah janah - the people who
do good deeds
Among those sukrtins who recognise and worship Isvara, there are four types
TWO TYPES OF PUNYA
Those people who do good actions now, or did them in previous lives. He says, 'They
seek Me - bhajante mam. And it is because of the punya earned through their good
actions that they seek Me.'
GITA Ch 7 , Verse 16
the duskrtins who do not seek the
Lord
One gives wealth, pleasures, comfort,
parentage etc. For this you do not
require any culture or inner growth.
There is another type of punya which is
purely spiritual. And that punya-karma
expresses itself no matter where one is
born. Even if a person has a difficult
beginning, it does not deter him at all in
his seeking.
Those who have this type of punya-
karma, those sukrtins, worship
Isvara, mam bhajante. They recognise
Isvara.
http://knswamy.blogspot.com/2014/07/four-types-of-devotees-gita-ch7-verse16.html

7. The Lord mentions four types of His devotees.
GITA Ch 7 , Verse 16
I) All of them have sufficient recognition of Ishvara to be
devotees but among them there is a gradation.
The degree of recognition,
their attitude,
approach,
prayers, etc.,
all determine the four types.
And they are, he says, aartha, jijnasu, arthaarth, jnani.

8. The Lord mentions four types of His devotees.
GITA Ch 7 , Verse 16
1---Artah : Men in distress remember the Lord
Among ‘arta’ bhaktas we have the example of
Gajendra and Draupadi
2----Arlharthi: Men who seek for prosperity
among the 'Artharthi bhaktas Sugriva, Dhruva, etc
3----Jijnastth: These are people who are eager to know
Among the "jijnisi” bhaktas Parikshit, Uddhava,
and others;
4---- Jnani: The man of knowledge knows the real
nature of the Lord,
among the 'jnani' bhaktas Suka, Narada, Bhishma,
Prahlada and others.

9. The Lord mentions four types of His devotees.
GITA Ch 7 , Verse 16
But in order of their understanding
ārta and arthārthi are one group,
jijñāsu and jñāni, another.
The order in the verse ārta, jijñāsuþ, arthārthi is for the sake of meter.
The four grades mentioned here, it should be noted, have
nothing in common with the four varnas (colours or castes)nothing in common with the four varnas (colours or castes)
classified in xviii, 41, ff.
Here the grades refer to varieties in
contemplative life rather than to social orders,
although it is true that the degree of necessity enters as a
regulating factor even here.

10. T
GITA Ch 7 , Verse 16
All
https://hismessagehisvoice.blogspot.com/2013/03/swami-narrates-chnina-katha-parables.html

11. ARTHA ARTHARTHI JIJNASU JNANI
The Jijnasu is a
passenger who has
entered the ‘through
carriage’ who also does
not have to detrain and
board another train; butbut
the carriage will bethe carriage will be
detained and attached todetained and attached to
other trains en routeother trains en route
Jnana (wisdom) isJnana (wisdom) is
like thelike the ‘‘throughthrough
traintrain’’, the passenger
need not detrain and
board another train
to reach the
destination.
Ex- Draupadi and
Gajendra are
examples of Arta-
Bhaktas. When
Dussasana
dragged her before
the court of the
Kauravas
The seeker after wealth craves
for money, wife, children,
position, name and fame.
Sugriva and Dhruva were
Artharthi-Bhaktas. Sugriva
wanted to drive away Vali and
get his kingdom. Vibhishana
wanted to put an end to Ravana
and get Lanka. Dhruva wanted a
kingdom where his step mother
would not trouble and ill-treat
him
Ex-Uddhava was a
Jijnasu. He was
dissatisfied with the
world and got wisdom
from Sri Krishna. This is
recorded in the
Bhagavata
Ex-Suka-Maharshi was a
Jnani-Bhakta. He was a
Brahma-Jnani of the
highest type. He realised
that everything was his
own Self. He taught the
Srimad-Bhagavata to
Parikshit.
9/21/2017
The Aarthas and Arth-arthis board the ordinary
train, and will have to alight at a number of
places en route and wait until another train
comes by; they reach the goal by stages.
It is a long and arduous journey. But still it
can be accomplished if the devotee persists.
Thus the goal is attained by all;
only the process and the pace are different.
All seek the same high goal.
Do not limit your desires to the little.
Those who yearn for the Lord are generous and large-hearted.
– Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, from: Geetha Vahini, Chap 13.

12. https://auromere.wordpress.com/2009/03/22/gita-chapter-7-vers-16/
KARMA YOGI He also offers his
prayers; he also performs his daily and
occasional duties, nitya naimittika
karma. But he does all this to gain a
clear mind, antakarana shuddhi, and
the knowledge of Ishvara.he has
discrimination, viveka
The artha and arthaarthi are
kamis because theirs are
kamyakarmas.
When you are a jijnasu you
necessarily become a jnani,
one who knows the truth
of Lord Vishnu,
Parameshvara, as himself.
He is a real bhakta.
The enquirer
They are engaged in ‘ Yajna-dana-
tapas’; chanting various ‘mantras’
visiting pilgrim places.
engaged in
meditations.
striving for liberation.
Artha means that which is desired
Arti means any sorrow or grief.
Sadness, distress, discomfort,
trouble are all called arti.

13. I)I) ARTHAARTHA : Men in distress remember the Lord and pray to
Him for the removal of their difficulties and sorrows.
These form the largest majority of the devotees in the world. They seek
refuge in various Devas as for help and protection.
DESIRE PROMPTED KARMA (KAMYA KARMA)
Men suffering from painful diseases cry for the mercy of the Lord
to save them. So also, when attacked by dacoits or wild
animals, when harassed by wicked people, men call on the Lord
to protect them.
GITA Ch 7 , Verse 16

14. Whatever their nature may be, they
remember the Lord sometimes or other, and recognize Him as
the Higher power, and so, they are all virtuous - 'sukritanah’.
The
Draupadi did so when she was about
to be stripped naked in the Royal
Court o f Dhritarashtra. The
Lord did come down to protect them.
Gajendra cried for the protection of
the Lord when he was
caught by the sea-monster
GITA Ch 7 , Verse 16

15. 22)) Arlharthi:Arlharthi: Artha means what is desired. In this context it means wealth and things similar
to it – power, progeny and so on. Men who seek for prosperity are the second type of devotees
He thinks he cannot live happily without these things and so he makes use of various means to
get them. He uses local influence, money etc. – plus Bhagavan, because he recognizes that there is
always a factor over which he has no control.
Their object is to enjoy worldly prosperity in the various fields of human life. Naturally they seek
the benevolence of the Lord to confer prosperity on them.
GITA Ch 7 , Verse 16
He will perform rituals in order to invoke Īśvara's grace to help him gain whatever he wants. This is
kāmya-karma, a karma done with a desire to accomplish a given end within saüsāra. The one who
does kāmya- karma is an arthārthi. But he is also an ārta devotee. When he is in trouble he will, of
course, invoke the Lord. An ārtaþ, however, is not an arthārthi because only in distress can he think
of God. DESIRE PROMPTED KARMA (KAMYA KARMA)

16. 3) Jijnastth: These are people who are eager to know
and understand the Lord. He is a KARMA YOGI
The Lord has already declared that the
knowledge-seeker (jijnashu) transcends
sastraic knowledge and Vedic ritualism.
Such intense yearning to know the truth
is the effect of the good aone in several
births.
Great research is carried on into the objective world (Matter- material
persuits) Here and there we come across a research-worker in the field of
the Divine. He is not interesred in Padarta (matter) ,but Yadartha (the truth
behind the matter-God)
GITA Ch 7 , Verse 16

17. 3) Jijnastth: These are people who are eager
to know and understand the Lord.
jijñāsu is a great devotee. He does not use
Bhagavan as an accomplice for his small little
pursuits; he wants to know who is Īśvara. As a
bhakta he invokes Īśvara's grace for this.
He will try to find out
the ultimate cause of creation,
and the basic secret of their own personality.
GITA Ch 7 , Verse 16
They study the sastras
Examine their own nature
Seek the guidance of the Guru

18. 3) Jijnastth: These are people who are eager to know and understand
the Lord. There is only one reality and that the jijñāsu wants to know.
GITA Ch 7 , Verse 16
VASANA
PADARTHA (MATTER)
THE TRUTH BEHIND MATTER
YADARTHA (GOD)
VASANALESS
MANAVA (MAN)
DESIRE
DESIRELESS
MADHAVA (GOD)

19. 4) Jnani:4) Jnani: The man of knowledge knows the real nature
of the Lord, and is able to discriminate between the true and the
illusory.
Unlike the 'artha and 'artharthi he has no fears and no desires.
He loves the Lord because he knows that He is the only Reality in the
universe, that He is the repository of all wisdom and bliss.
He has nothing to gain for himself, and so his devotion to the Lord is a
spontaneous act of oneness with Him.
He has attained to
the Self-state and lives in
constant absorption in Atma
GITA Ch 7 , Verse 16

20. 4- Who is a JNANI ?

21. The jijñāsu, however, is a karma-yogi so his is a
different type of devotion. Because of his extra punya,
he has discrimination, viveka, and because of
that he is a jijñāsu.
The ārta and arthārthi are kāmis because theirs are kāmya- karmas.
THE DESIRE PROMPTED KARMAS
The fourth one's recognition is complete
so his identification is total. When you are
a jijñāsu you necessarily become a jñāni,
one who knows the truth of Lord Vishnu,
Parameśvara, as himself. He is a real
bhakta.
4
3
1& 2

22. JIJNASU
JNANI
4
3
Draupadi vastraharan
Gajendra's
Prayers of Surrender
2
1
ARTHARDHI-
DHRUVA
SUGREEVA
PRAHLADA
NARADA
PARIKSHIT
ARTHA
Men who seek for prosperity
Desire prompted actions
Men in distress Desire prompted actions
Eager to know and
understand the Lord.
KARMA YOGI
The man of knowledge of GOD

23. Questions and Answers (7.16)
GITA Ch 7 , Verse 16

24. 1) What are the four kinds of pious men who surrender to Krsna?
Answer: The distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisi tive, and he who is searching for
knowledge of the Absolute.
2) Define the term 'sukritinah'.
Answer: Refers to those who obey the rules and regulations of scriptures, the moral and
social laws, and are, more or less, devoted to the Supreme Lord.
3) Are these four kinds of pious men pure devotees? Explain your answer.
Answer: These persons come to the Supreme Lord for devotional service under different
conditions. These are not pure devotees, because they have some aspiration to fulfill in
exchange for devotional service.
4) Define pure devotional service, citing scriptural evidence.
Answer: Pure devotional service is without aspiration and without desire for material profit. The
Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.1.11) defines pure devotion thus:
anyabhilasita-sunyam
jnana-karmady-anavrtam
anukulyena krsnanu-
silanam bhaktir uttama
``One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Krsna
favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical
speculation. That is called pure devotional service.''
7:16 - "O best among the Bharatas, four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service
unto Me--the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for
knowledge of the Absolute."
AN ANALYSIS OF BHAGAVAD-GITA

25. Answer:
5) How can materially motivated devotees become pure?
Answer: When these four kinds of persons come to the Supreme Lord for devotional
service and are completely purified by the association of a pure devotee, they also become
pure devotees.
6) For which type of people is devotional service difficult?
Answer: As far as the miscreants are concerned, for them devotional service is very
difficult because their lives are selfish, irregular and without spiritual goals.
7) How can miscreants also become pure devotees?
Answer: Even some of them, by chance, when they come in con tact with a pure devotee,
also become pure devotees.
8) What does one have to understand if he wants to become a pure devotee?
Answer: When the distressed, the inquisitive, the seekers of knowledge, and those who are in
need of money are free from all material desires, and when they fully understand that material
remuneration has nothing to do with spiritual improvement, they become pure devotees.
9) How do the motivated devotees come to the stage of pure devotional service?
Answer: As long as such a purified stage is not attained, devotees in transcendental service to
the Lord are tainted with fruitive activities, the search for mundane knowledge, etc. So one has to
transcend all this before one can come to the stage of pure devotional service.
AN ANALYSIS OF BHAGAVAD-GITA

26. OM SHANTI
OM SHANTI
OM SHANTI