The previous verse defines the ‘path’ that is conducive to the best type of students (uttama adhikarins), and to the mediocres and weaklings (madhyama adhikarins). To the low class of aspirants too, the Geeta Acharya prescribes a ‘path’.

HAVING HEARD FROM OTHERS — There are some who are not capable of meditation. They have neither the intellectual capacity to follow the logical thoughts in any philosophy, nor the necessary inward equipoise to follow the “Path-of-Action.” Even such people can evolve, though they are ignorant of the ‘paths,’ if only they worship the Principle of Truth on the strength of what they have heard from others.

THEY TOO GO BEYOND DEATH — If such people are capable of constantly worshipping the Lord as they have been instructed by other devotees, they too can transcend the finite life of plurality and experience the Changeless. The term ‘DEATH’here, should not be understood as meaning only the phenomenon of death that happens to a personality expressed in a body. The term is used in its all-embracing significance, indicating in its expanse of meaning, the total principle-of-change as experienced by any given human mind-and-intellect. As long as we identify with the body — gross, subtle or causal — the experiences can only be of the finite. To experience the Infinite, is to enter the status of Immortality, beyond the thraldom of death.

This verse, while explaining the efficacy of prayer and worship, even when unscientifically performed, is not recommending that all the methods are equally efficient, but it is only emphasizing the idea that, in the practice of worship, correct knowledge shall surely provide a better guarantee of success. If seekers can progress upon the authority of others’ instructions, when they are themselves ignorant, Sankara exclaims: “How much more so then can they progress, who can independently appreciate the Shastra texts and discriminate?”THROUGH THESE VARIOUS ‘PATHS’ AVAILABLE, WHAT EXACTLY IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL TO BE REALISED? LISTEN:

Anye tu, others again; ajanantah, who do not know the Self as described above; evam, thus, even in one of these alternative ways; upasate, take to thinking, take to reflection, being imbued with faith; srutva, after hearing; anyebhyah, from others, from the teachers, having been told, ‘Think only of this.’ Te api ca, they, too; sruti-parayanah, who are devoted to hearing, to whom hearing is the supreme course, the best discipline for starting on the path to Liberation, i.e., those who, themselves lacking in discrimination, accept only others’ advice as most authoritative; eva, certainly; ati-taranti, overcome; mrtyum, death, i.e. the mundane existence which is fraught with death. The implication is; It goes without saying that those discriminating people who are idenpendent in the application of the valid means of knowledge, cross over death. That the knowledge of the identity of the Knower of the field and God leads to Liberation has been stated in, ‘…by realizing which one attains Immortality’ (12). For what reason is it so? To point out that reason the (next) verse is begun: