"Whether He/She be Vishnu or Mahadeva, Brahma or Indra, the Sun or the Moon, whether He be Lord Buddha or Mahavir, one who is free from delusion (moha) arising from the pain of poison in the form of attraction (attachment) and aversion, one who is, full of compassion for all creatures and who is well endowed with all divine virtues (16:1-3) deserves my salutations forever."

This prayer is important to us because it summarizes the Gita's true message and the message of all the holy scriptures when they are properly and generously meditated upon. It is a Universal Prayer that leads us from the Lord with a name, form, time, place and circumstance to a Lord with the virtues mentioned.

All true messengers, prophets, saints and servants of God possess characteristics mentioned in the prayer. We should worship such a Lord, Priest or Guru that is free from duality such as attractions and aversions, favors and denials, mine and thine in the form of "my religion and your religion, my God and your God." Only then are we safe and free from conflicts among major religions or denominations.

Worship, of course, means practicing the virtues we admire in a holy person or God similar to a child imitating a parent's virtues. We should keep in mind that no human being can be truly free from duality or maya. However, one can come close to being perfect through detachment and love. He is the one to be admired and worshipped as God, a Saint or a true Guru.

Institutionalized religions will find it almost impossible to free themselves from attractions and aversions in this world. Only true messengers are to a large degree free from this delusion. Gitaji exhorts us to be full of compassion for other creatures, to practice divine virtues with attention, and to be free from the dualities of this world to the best of our ability.

-- Swami Radhanandaji