But those men of virtuous deeds whose sins have come to an end, and who are freed from the delusion of the pairs of opposites, worship Me, steadfast in their vows.
In simple words
Krishna describes who breaks free: "But people who have lived good lives, whose wrongdoings have come to an end, who have broken free from the illusion of opposites — they worship Me with steady devotion."
Word-by-word meanings
येषाम्of whomतुbutअन्तगतम्is at the endपापम्sinजनानाम्of menपुण्यकर्मणाम्of men of virtuous deedsतेtheyद्वन्द्वमोहनिर्मुक्ताःfreed from the delusion of the pairs of oppositesभजन्तेworshipमाम्Meदृढव्रताःmen steadfast in vows
7.28 येषाम् of whom? तु but? अन्तगतम् is at the end? पापम् sin? जनानाम् of men? पुण्यकर्मणाम् of men of virtuous deeds? ते they? द्वन्द्वमोहनिर्मुक्ताः freed from the delusion of the pairs of opposites? भजन्ते worship? माम् Me? दृढव्रताः men steadfast in vows.Commentary By the performance of good deeds the heart is slowly purified Sattva increases Rajas and Tamas are gradually thinned out. The mind becomes serene and calm. The little selfarrogating personality slowly dies. You grow in spirituality. The divine flame becomes brighter and brighter. You become impersonal.Sin To forget ones identity with the Supreme Soul is the greatest sin. To see difference is sin. To take the body as the Self? to believe that this world is real is sin. Selfishness is sin. Egoism is sin. Ignorance is sin.Steadfast in vows The man steadfast in vows entertains a firm resolve I must realise the Self now I will not budge an inch from my seat till I attain Selfrealisation. He has the firm conviction that Brahman is the only Reality. This world is unreal. It is like a mirage. I can attain immortality and eternal bliss if I realise the Self only. There is not an iota of happiness in the sensual objects. Therefore the Lord says? Those persons of pure deeds worship Me steadfast in vows.
Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.
This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.
Modern
# BG 7.28
It is essential to understand correctly what is meant by the statement that the sins of virtuous souls have been destroyed. According to Vedanta, sin is not the inherent nature of man; rather, it is the consequence of wrong judgment and perverted knowledge committed by man, which has veiled the consciousness of the atman. The root cause of sin is the craving and longing of our mind for base sensory pleasures in the external material world. A sinful person is one whose time and attention are devoted almost entirely to the gratification of bodily comfort. In such a person, the body becomes the master and the atman becomes its servant. An outward-turned nature, the desire for worldly pleasures, and the satisfaction of every base impulse that arises in the mind—this is the way of life of a sinful person. Such a lustful, bestial existence generates corresponding vasanas (latent desires) in the heart. Thoughts follow according to vasanas. Actions follow according to thoughts, and these actions in turn strengthen the vasanas. To break the chain of vasana-thought-action that destroys man's peace and contentment, man is instructed to begin a new life of virtuous deeds. Since virtuous action is opposed to sin, it encompasses all those thoughts, feelings, and deeds that are dedicated to the Divine—that is, those whose aim is the attainment of God. When one acts with the firm knowledge "I am the atman" instead of "I am the body," such actions will not create new impressions. Within some time, as these virtuous impressions become firmly established, the sinful vasanas will be destroyed. Such a person, freed from sin, becomes liberated from all dualities such as pleasure and pain. Then he develops the capacity to meditate on the atman with a concentrated and resolute mind—with unwavering determination. For what purpose does a sadhak (spiritual aspirant) who has perfected his practice meditate on the atman? The answer is...