Bhagavad Gita BG 7.16
Chapter 7, Verse 16 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जनाः सुकृतिनोऽर्जुन । आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ ॥
catur-vidha bhajante mam janah sukrtino 'rjuna arto jijnasur artharthi jnani ca bharatarshabha
Meaning
Four kinds of virtuous people worship Me, O Arjuna: the distressed (arta), the seeker of knowledge (jijnasu), the seeker of wealth (arthaarthi), and the man of wisdom (jnani), O Best of the Bharatas.
Understanding
The four types who turn to the Divine: (1) arta — the distressed, the suffering one who cries to God in crisis. (2) Jijnasu — the genuine seeker, curious about truth. (3) Artharthi — the one seeking material benefit from God. (4) Jnani — the man of wisdom, who worships from knowledge. All four are sukrtinah (virtuous — all have some spiritual merit to turn Godward at all). Krishna does not condemn the lower motives — all four are welcomed. But the jnani is the highest.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| चतुर्विधाः | catur-vidhah | four kinds, four types |
| सुकृतिनः | sukrtinah | virtuous, meritorious, of good deeds |
| आर्तः | artah | the distressed, the suffering, the afflicted |
| जिज्ञासुः | jijnasuh | seeker of knowledge, one who wishes to know |
| अर्थार्थी | arthaarthi | seeker of wealth/benefit, one who wants material gain |
| चतुर्-विधाः | catur-vidhāḥ | four kinds |
| भजन्ते | bhajante | worship, serve |
| माम् | mām | Me |
| जनाः | janāḥ | people, persons |
| सुकृतिनः | sukṛtinaḥ | the virtuous, the pious |
| अर्जुन | arjuna | O Arjuna |
| आर्तः | ārtaḥ | the distressed |
| जिज्ञासुः | jijñāsuḥ | the seeker of knowledge |
| अर्थार्थी | arthārthī | the one seeking wealth |
| ज्ञानी | jñānī | the wise one |
| च | ca | and |
| भारतर्षभ | bhārataṛṣabha | O best of the Bharatas |