jñÄna-vijñÄna-saá¹siddhÄḥ
padaṠśreṣṭhaṠvidur mama
jñÄnÄ« priyatamo 'to me
jñÄnenÄsau bibharti mÄm

 jñÄna - in scriptural knowledge; vijñÄna - and realized spiritual understanding; saá¹siddhÄḥ - completely perfected; padam - the lotus feet; Å›reṣṭham - the supreme object; viduḥ - they know; mama - My; jñÄnÄ« - a learned transcendentalist; priya-tamaḥ - most dear; ataḥ - thus; me - to Me; jñÄnena - by spiritual knowledge; asau - that learned person; bibharti - maintains (in happiness); mÄm - Me.


Text

Those who have achieved complete perfection through philosophical and realized knowledge recognize My lotus feet to be the supreme transcendental object. Thus the learned transcendentalist is most dear to Me, and by his perfect knowledge he maintains Me in happiness.

Purport

The words padaá¹ Å›reṣṭhaá¹ vidur mama (“they recognize My lotus feet to be supremeâ€) certainly eliminate the impersonalist philosophers from the category of saá¹siddhÄḥ, or completely perfected philosophers. Lord Kṛṣṇa here refers to such great transcendental scholars as the four KumÄras, Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ«, ÅšrÄ« VyÄsadeva, ÅšrÄ«la BhaktisiddhÄnta SarasvatÄ« ṬhÄkura and ÅšrÄ«la A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupÄda. The Lord similarly states in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (7.17-18):

teá¹£Äm jñÄnÄ« nitya-yukta
 eka-bhaktir viÅ›iá¹£yate
priyo hi jñÄnino ’ty-artham
 ahaá¹ sa ca mama priyaḥ

“Of these, the wise one who is in full knowledge in union with Me through pure devotional service is the best. For I am very dear to him, and he is dear to Me.â€

udÄrÄḥ sarva evaite
 jñÄnÄ« tv Ätmaiva me matam
Ästhitaḥ sa hi yuktÄtmÄ
 mÄm evÄnuttamÄá¹ gatim

“All these devotees are undoubtedly magnanimous souls, but he who is situated in knowledge of Me I consider verily to dwell in Me. Being engaged in My transcendental service, he attains Me.â€

JñÄna refers to an authorized philosophical and analytic perception of reality, and when such knowledge is clearly realized through the sanctification of consciousness the resultant comprehensive experience is called vijñÄna. Speculative, impersonal knowledge does not actually purify the heart of the living entity but rather merges him ever deeper into forgetfulness of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just as a father is always proud of his son’s education, similarly, Lord Kṛṣṇa becomes very happy to see the living entities acquiring a sound spiritual education and thus making progress on the way back home, back to Godhead.