10.17 O Yogi, [Here yoga stands for the results of yoga, viz omniscience, omnipotence, etc.; one possessed of these is a yogi. (See Comm. on 10.7)] how shall I know You by remaining ever-engaged in meditation? And through what objects, O Lord, are You to be meditated on by me?

10.17 How can I, Your devotee, know You by constantly meditating on You? And in what modes, O Lord, are you to be meditated upon by Me.

।।10.17।। हे योगिन् ! हरदम साङ्गोपाङ्ग चिन्तन करता हुआ मैं आपको कैसे जानूँ ? और हे भगवन् ! किन-किन भावोंमें आप मेरे द्वारा चिन्तन किये जा सकते हैं अर्थात् किन-किन भावोंमें मैं आपका चिन्तन करूँ ?

।।10.17।। व्याख्या--'कथं विद्यामहं योगिंस्त्वां सदा परिचिन्तयन्'--सातवें श्लोकमें भगवान्ने कहा कि जो मेरी विभूति और योगको तत्त्वसे जानता है, वह अविचल भक्तियोगसे युक्त हो जाता है। इसलिये अर्जुन भगवान्से पूछते हैं कि हरदम चिन्तन करता हुआ मैं आपको कैसे जानूँ?      'केषु केषु च भावेषु चिन्त्योऽसि भगवन्मया'--आठवें अध्यायके चौदहवें श्लोकमें भगवान्ने कहा कि जो अनन्यचित्त होकर नित्य-निरन्तर मेरा स्मरण करता है, उस योगीको मैं सुलभतासे प्राप्त हो जाता हूँ। फिर नवें अध्यायके बाईसवें श्लोकमें कहा कि जो अनन्य भक्त निरन्तर मेरा चिन्तन करते रहते हैं, उनका योगक्षेम मैं वहन करता हूँ। इस प्रकार चिन्तनकी महिमा सुनकर अर्जुन कहते हैं कि जिस चिन्तनसे मैं आपको तत्त्वसे जान जाऊँ, वह चिन्तन मैं कहाँ-कहाँ करूँ किस वस्तु, व्यक्ति, देश, काल, घटना, परिस्थिति आदिमें मैं आपका चिन्तन करूँ? [यहाँ चिन्तन करना साधन है और भगवान्को तत्त्वसे जानना साध्य है।]यहाँ अर्जुनने तो पूछा है कि मैं कहाँ-कहाँ, किसकिस वस्तु, व्यक्ति, स्थान आदिमें आपका चिन्तन करूँ, पर,भगवान्ने आगे उत्तर यह दिया है कि जहाँजहाँ भी तू चिन्तन करता है, वहाँ-वहाँ ही तू मेरेको समझ। तात्पर्य यह है कि मैं तो सब वस्तु, देश, काल आदिमें परिपूर्ण हूँ। इसलिये किसी विशेषता, महत्ता, सुन्दरता आदिको लेकर जहाँ-जहाँ तेरा मन जाता है, वहाँ-वहाँ मेरा ही चिन्तन कर अर्थात् वहाँ उस विशेषता आदिको मेरी ही समझ। कारण कि संसारकी विशेषताको माननेसे संसारका चिन्तन होगा, पर मेरी विशेषताको माननेसे मेरा ही चिन्तन होगा। इस प्रकार संसारका चिन्तन मेरे चिन्तनमें परिणत होना चाहिये।

O Kṛṣṇa, O supreme mystic, how shall I constantly think of You, and how shall I know You? In what various forms are You to be remembered, O Supreme Personality of Godhead?

As it is stated in the previous chapter, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is covered by His yoga-māyā. Only surrendered souls and devotees can see Him. Now Arjuna is convinced that his friend, Kṛṣṇa, is the Supreme Godhead, but he wants to know the general process by which the all-pervading Lord can be understood by the common man. Common men, including the demons and atheists, cannot know Kṛṣṇa, because He is guarded by His yoga-māyā energy. Again, these questions are asked by Arjuna for their benefit. The superior devotee is concerned not only for his own understanding but for the understanding of all mankind. So Arjuna, out of his mercy, because he is a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee, is opening for the common man the understanding of the all-pervasiveness of the Supreme Lord. He addresses Kṛṣṇa specifically as yogin because Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the master of the yoga-māyā energy, by which He is covered and uncovered to the common man. The common man who has no love for Kṛṣṇa cannot always think of Kṛṣṇa; therefore he has to think materially. Arjuna is considering the mode of thinking of the materialistic persons of this world. The words keṣu keṣu ca bhāveṣu refer to material nature (the word bhāva means “physical things”). Because materialists cannot understand Kṛṣṇa spiritually, they are advised to concentrate the mind on physical things and try to see how Kṛṣṇa is manifested by physical representations.