Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 6, Verse 31: Krishna to Arjuna — Dhyāna-Yoga
The yogi who worships Me as one self dwelling in all beings, however he moves through the world, lives in Me.
Bhāṣyakāra purports
- Śaṅkaraadvaita
The yogin who abides in oneness (ekatva) perceives Me as seated in all beings and worships accordingly. Such a one of right vision (samyagdarśin) dwells in the supreme Vaiṣṇava station (paramaṁ padam) whatever the outer circumstance — not because outer action is perfected, but because no obstacle to liberation (mokṣa-pratibandha) can arise for one who sees non-difference. He is eternally free (nitya-mukta) already.
divergence: Śaṅkara: 'sarvathā sarvaprakāraiḥ vartamāno'pi samyagdarśī yogī mayi vaiṣṇave parame pade vartate nitya-mukta eva saḥ' — right vision dissolves the problem; conduct is irrelevant to one already at the summit.
- Rāmānujaviśiṣṭādvaita
The yogin who has abandoned the conventional distinction between beings (prākṛta-bheda-parityāga) and beholds Me pervading all with undimmed, unshrunk cognition (asaṁkucita-jñāna-ekākāratā) — even when he rises from formal meditation (vyutthāna-kāla) and moves through ordinary life — still sees Me and only Me in himself and in every creature. He perceives My sameness (mat-sāmyam) everywhere without interruption.
divergence: Rāmānuja: 'vyutthāna-kāle'pi yathā tathā vartamānaḥ svātmānaṁ sarva-bhūtāni ca paśyan mayi vartate — sarvadā mat-sāmyam eva paśyati' — the vision is continuous; it does not require the seated posture.
- Madhvadvaita
One who stands firm in the recognition that there is one undivided Īśvara present everywhere (sarvatra eka eva Īśvaraḥ iti sthitaḥ) and in that aparokṣa (direct, non-inferential) vision worships Me — that devotee truly abides in Me whatever his outward conduct. The fruit of such direct vision is certain (niyata). Even so, the Dvaita-knowing devotee virtually never falls into adharma (unrighteousness); should a small lapse occur through inadvertence, it is incinerated like a seed in fire.
divergence: Madhva: 'ekatvaṁ āsthitaḥ sarvatra eka evēśvara iti sthitaḥ… aparokṣaṁ paśyato jñāna-phalaṁ niyatam' and the appended verse: 'kadācid api nādharme buddhir Viṣṇu-dṛśāṁ bhavet / pramādāt tu kṛtaṁ pāpaṁ svalpaṁ bhasmī-bhaviṣyati.'
- Vallabhaśuddhādvaita
One who, even while established in this ekatva-vision, still turns his heart toward Vāsudeva and serves (bhajati, sevate) Him — making his mind flowing toward Me (mat-pravaṇa cetaḥ) — that yogin becomes grounded in Me (mad-ādhāra) entirely. He becomes My servant (mat-kiṅkara) as Śuka became, as Uddhava became. For the jñānin who also worships Kṛṣṇa, there is no higher station than this.
divergence: Vallabha: 'mat-pravaṇaṁ cetaḥ karoti sa yogī mad-ādhāro bhavati — mat-kiṅkaraḥ Śuka iva Uddhava iva bhavatīty arthaḥ' and the cited verse 'jñānī ced bhajate Kṛṣṇaṁ tasmān nāsty adhikaḥ paraḥ.'
- Śrīdharabhakti
The jñānin-yogin who has taken refuge in non-difference (abheda) — recognizing Me as abiding in all beings — and who worships from that stance: even if he moves through life by abandoning all ritual prescription (karma-tyāga), he remains with Me and is liberated (mucyate). He does not fall away (na bhraśyate). He is not a mere functionary of injunction (vidhi-kiṅkara); his freedom is already secured.
divergence: Śrīdhara: 'sarvathā karma-tyāgena'pi vartamāno mayi eva vartate mucyate na tu bhraśyatīty arthaḥ' — the non-fall guarantee is the distinctive Śrīdhara emphasis.
- Madhusūdanaadvaita-bhakti
Having recognized the tvam-pada (the empirical I) and the tat-pada (Brahman) each in their purified, upādhi-free form, the yogin collapses them into absolute non-difference (atyanta-abheda) — as the jar-ākāśa (space enclosed by a pot) merges with the mahā-ākāśa (infinite space) when the vessel is removed. That direct realization (aparokṣī-karaṇa) is itself liberation-while-living (jīvan-mukti). Whatever the prārabdha-karma then compels — whether complete renunciation like Yājñavalkya, prescribed duty like Janaka, or unconventional conduct like Dattātreya — no action can constitute bondage. Even gods cannot obstruct such a one's freedom.
divergence: Madhusūdana: 'ghaṭākāśo mahākāśa ity atreva upādhi-bheda-nirākaraṇena niścinvan… sarvathā tasya mokṣaṁ prati nāsti pratibandha-śaṅkā — devā mahā-prabhāvā api tasya mokṣābhavanāya neśate.'