After explaining in detail the paths of karma, jnana, bhakti, karma sanyasa yoga, kshetrajna yoga, etc, to Arjuna, Krishna finally says that if one is still not able to practise any or even one of these, there is still hope for the jivatma caught in the cycle of birth. The Lord promises: “Leave aside all other dharma and take refuge in Me alone. Do not feel anxious and be reassured that I will release you from all sins and bondage.” This utterance coming directly from the Lord is venerated as the Charama Sloka and is the crux of the teaching in the Gita. It requires much effort to comprehend the depth of this promise that seems to discount the very spiritual practices that Krishna had painstakingly expounded in the battlefield. In a lecture, Srimati Bhooma Venkatakrishnan drew attention to the views of interpreters who make it clear that karma, jnana or bhakti are to be understood as means to salvation and should not be confused as the end in themselves. Mere practice of karma, jnana or bhakti without seeking Him will be futile. The Lord is to be sought through these practices. Moreover, each of these yogic practices might appeal to various individuals endowed with diverse skills, propensities and levels of understanding. To Yudhishtira’s question about man’s highest duty or dharma, Bhishma echoes the truth of the scriptures that the Supreme Lord is the very embodiment of dharma and hence He is the goal. Andal takes up this core message of the Charama Sloka in the Tiruppavai to emphasise that He is the means and the goal. She persuades all to seek Him alone with single-mindedness. The practice of the vow and penance she undertakes is to instil Jnana and Vairagya.
