Thus concluding, Bhagavān himself says that the one who teaches this knowledge is the most beloved to him. Further, the one who studies this, or even just repeats the verses of Gītā is praised here.
adhyeṣyate ca ya imaṁ dharmyaṁ saṁvādamāvayoḥ । jñānayajñena tenāham iṣṭaḥ syāmiti me matiḥ ॥ 18-70॥
The one who studies or recites this dialogue of ours, that is unopposed to dharma, through that ritual in the form of knowledge, I would be worshipped. This is My conclusion.
adhyeṣyate - one who studies or recites this dialogue - saṁvāda, wherein the knowledge of Brahman - brahma-vidyā, and karma-yoga are discussed, is praised here. Even though he is only studying Gītā, but he is worshipping Īśvara by the ritual of knowledge - jñānayajñena tenāham iṣṭaḥ.
At the end of śāstra, generally the result of listening to śāstra - phala-śruti is told. Having praised the person who studies or recites this dialogue, Bhagavān now praises the result for the one who listens to Gītā.
śraddhāvānanasūyaśca śṛṇuyādapi yo naraḥ । so'pi muktaḥ śubhān lokān prāpnuyāt puṇyakarmaṇām ॥ 18-71॥
The person who has trust (in this śāstra), and who does not find fault with (this śāstra), even if he merely listens (to this teaching), he also, being freed (from the body), would gain the auspicious worlds of those who do good karma.
The person under discussion here who listens to Gītā is one who has śraddhā - śraddhāvān, who looks upon Krsna not as an individual, but as Parameśvara, the Lord. Further, he does not try to find fault with this gītā-śāstra - anasūya. Here Bhagavān says that he would go to those auspicious worlds - śubhān lokān prāpnuyāt, which are born of punya-karma. It means he gains punya by simply listening, without even understanding the meaning. Here Śankarācāya says, even just mere listening one gets such a good place, what to talk of the one who has this knowledge! If he has knowledge, he is totally liberated.
Now, as a teacher who wants to know whether Arjuna has understood all that has been taught or not, Lord Krsna asks questions.
kaccidetacchrutaṁ pārtha tvayaikāgreṇa cetasā । kaccidajñānasammohaḥ pranaṣṭaste dhanañjaya ॥ 18-72॥
Has this been “listened to” by you, Pārtha (Arjuna)! with a single pointed mind? Is your delusion that is caused by ignorance destroyed, Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)?
Lord Krsna asks Arjuna here, has this śāstra been listened by you - kaccidetacchrutaṁ. He wants to know not only if śātra has been listened to, but if it has been listened to properly, with the mind which is single pointed - ekāgreṇa cetasā, that is attentive. Then he asked the second question, is your delusion caused by ignorance gone - kaccidajñānasammohaḥ pranaṣṭaste. In delusion there is confusion, things are not seen as they are, ātmā is not seen as ātmā, anātmā is not seen as anātmā, between them, there is confusion which is always due to a mix-up between two things.
With this question, Lord Krsna’s words are over. He ends his dialogue by calling Arjuna as Dhanañjaya, which means the one who wins all wealth, means he is the one who wins over the spiritual wealth. And now Arjuna answers the question.
arjuna uvāca |
naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtirlabdhā tvatprasādānmayācyuta । sthito'smi gatasandehaḥ kariṣye vacanaṁ tava ॥ 18-73॥
Arjuna said:
By your grace, (my) delusion is gone; and I have gained recognition (of myself).
O Lord Acyuta (Krsna)! I remain as one from whom all doubts have gone. I will do what you say.
Addressing Krsna as Acyuta - the one who is free from any kind of change, Arjuna says that his delusion is gone, he has gained recognition - smṛtirlabdhā of himself, that is knowledge of ātmā. How? By Bhagavān’s grace - tvatprasādāt, in the form of Krsna’s teaching. And further, he says that he remains as a person from whom all doubts have disappeared - gatasandehaḥ. Now he is ready to do what is to be done just because it is to be done. Even though he has gained knowledge, he does not lose anything by being active, but is merely fulfilling his prārabdha-karma, and if he has not gained the knowledge, then he had better do what is to be done as yoga. Now that he says to Krsna, I will do what you have said - kariṣye vacanaṁ tava.
Thus his delusion which is born of ignorance is gone - naṣṭo mohaḥ. The destruction of the delusion takes place by knowledge. This is the result of the study of śāstra. In Chāndogyopanisad, Sanatkumāra says to Nārada who requests teaching from him, “you know everything except one thing which makes the difference between sorrow and joy, and that is indeed ātmā which is limitless, bhūmā.”
The scene now shifts from the battlefield to the palace. The whole dialogue between Krsna and Arjuna was reported by Sañjaya to Dhrtarāstra, the blind king. Gītā opens with him asking, “What did my people and Pāndava do assembled and armed for battle in Kuruksetra, the place of dharma, Sañjaya?” And Sañjaya answer was the whole Gītā. Now at the end, he again addresses the king directly.
sañjaya uvāca ।
ityahaṃ vāsudevasya pārthasya ca mahātmanaḥ । saṃvādamimamaśrauṣam adbhutaṁ romaharṣaṇam ॥18.74॥
Sañjaya said:
Thus, I have heard this dialogue between Krsna and Arjuna, of great mind and heart, which is wonderful and makes one’s hair stand on end.
Here Sañjaya used the adjective mahātmā - the one whose mind is great for both Krsna and Arjuna. Previously Arjuna was a samsārī, now becasue he has said that his delusion is gone, he is now mahān. This dialogue between teacher and student, makes Sañjaya’s hair stand on end - romaharṣaṇam. This teaching is a wonder - adbhuta, because it is something that never happened before. It covers the entire vedānta-śāstra and also yoga.