Lord Krishna
Divine TeacherThe Supreme Lord, the charioteer and divine guide of Arjuna. Krishna delivers the eternal wisdom of the Gita, revealing the nature of the soul, duty, and the path to liberation.
Speaking: Chapter 13, Verse 26
Verse 26
The Yoga of the Field and the Knower of the Field
And others, not knowing thus, worship upon hearing from others. Even they, devoted to what they have heard, certainly cross beyond death.
Context & Meaning
The most generous and inclusive verse in this section: even those who do not meditate, do not practise Sankhya, do not perform Karma Yoga — but who simply hear the teaching from others and worship accordingly — even they cross beyond death. Śruti-parāyaṇāḥ — those who are devoted to the heard word. This is the path of śravaṇa — listening, receiving, trusting. Faith in the testimony of the liberated is itself a valid path. This verse ensures that no sincere seeker, regardless of their capacity for independent practice, is excluded from liberation.
Scholar Commentaries
1 commentary · Public domainAdi Shankaracharya
AdvaitaŚruti-parāyaṇāḥ — those for whom hearing is the supreme refuge. Not all seekers can be meditators or philosophers. For them, the path of faithful hearing and devotion to the heard teaching is sufficient. The teaching has this remarkable quality: properly received with faith, even secondhand, it carries the power to liberate.