O Pandava, he who works for Me, has Me for his highest goal, is devoted to Me, is free from attachment and bears enmity towards no creature, he comes unto Me. (Bhagavad Gita Chapter XI – Verse 55)
This is the secret, Arjuna. When My bhakta works for Me as for one whom he dearly loves, without expectation of personal advantage, doing everything pleasant and painful alike cheerfully for My sake, ready to sacrifice everything for Me, attached to Me alone and free from all feeling of enmity towards even those who have done injury to him – then he enters into Me. All distinction between us falls away. We become one Being, one Consciousness.
The method seems so simple, so easy, that we cannot believe that that will really end all our trouble. Our rajasic nature tells us all the time, ‘Do something great’. But is it so easy to love Bhagavan? Let us try it and we will see how much is contained in that simple command. It looks simple until we try it. Then we will see how great a task it is to love God and Him alone. It is the message of all holy men. But even great spiritual men could not always understand it. Even Buddha had to discover it after experiencing the futility of other methods. All ascetics finally discover that not their asceticism but love is the secret of success.
This last verse of the eleventh chapter is a wonderful revelation of Truth. It contains the essence of the whole Gita. And the Gita itself is the essence of all the Vedas. This verse is the very jewel of wisdom, the very ‘pearl of great price.’ It contains the theme that runs through the whole Gita. On this theme the Song Celestial is constructed. It is the melody that runs through every chapter. We cannot escape it. ‘Work for Me, be devoted to Me, worship Me and unto Me will you come.’ We will be eternally united. Make Me your goal and your guiding star. Work with the highest motive. Not as a slave of your senses but for Me. It matters little what you do. Perform your duty that is all. Do it not to please yourself but to please Me. Let that be your motive. That will make you pure. Thus, your love and attachment for Me will increase. You will be drawn close to Me. You will partake of My nature, which is love. You will not be able to cherish hatred towards any one. I am your highest goal. But remember Me in My Universal Form. Do not make of Me a little god with human attributes. Know Me in truth, as the Self of all. See Me wherever your eyes wander; hear Me in whatever sound strikes your ear. I alone exist. And this entire universe, with all its wonderful manifestations, is only a portion of Myself. ‘Without feet, I go everywhere; lying down, I reach all quarters’. See Me in all and your life will be blessed; your life will be hidden in Me.