श्रद्धावाननसूयश्च शृणुयादपि यो नरः | सोऽपि मुक्तः शुभाँल्लोकान्प्राप्नुयात्पुण्यकर्मणाम् ||१८-७१||
śraddhāvānanasūyaśca śṛṇuyādapi yo naraḥ .
so.api muktaḥ śubhā.Nllokānprāpnuyātpuṇyakarmaṇām ||18-71||
Also the man who hears this, full of faith and free from malice, he, too, liberated, shall attain to the happy worlds of those of righteous deeds.
In simple words
Krishna says: "Even someone who simply listens to this teaching with faith and an open mind — that person too is freed, and reaches the good worlds earned by righteous action."
Word-by-word meanings
श्रद्धावान्full of faithअनसूयःfree from maliceचandश्रृणुयात्may hearअपिalsoयःwhoनरःmanसःheअपिalsoमुक्तःliberatedशुभान्happyलोकान्worldsप्राप्नुयात्shall attainपुण्यकर्मणाम्of those of righteous deeds
18.71 श्रद्धावान् full of faith? अनसूयः free from malice? च and? श्रृणुयात् may hear? अपि also? यः who? नरः man? सः he? अपि also? मुक्तः liberated? शुभान् happy? लोकान् worlds? प्राप्नुयात् shall attain? पुण्यकर्मणाम् of those of righteous deeds.Commentary Liberated from sin.Punyakarmanam Of those who have done Agnihotra and such other sacrifices.He too Much more so who understands the teachings of the Gita? lives in its spirit and who practises the most valuable spiritual instructions contained in it.
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
The subject of the Bhagavad Gita is not merely worthy of admiration when observed from a distance. For the seeker to be fully benefited by the knowledge imparted through the Gita, it is essential that the practitioner's personality be harmoniously developed at all levels. Therefore, the Blessed Lord Sri Krishna here makes special mention of two qualities, and the listener endowed with these shall derive the greatest joy from hearing.
**The Quality of Shraddha (Faith)**
Shraddha does not mean blind belief. It is that capacity of the intellect through which a person (1) can understand the subtle meaning of scriptural words, (2) can retain and hold what is understood, (3) becomes capable of fully assimilating it into one's being, and (4) in this manner, can shape one's life according to the knowledge thus acquired. It is natural that a person possessed of shraddha benefits most from the teachings of the Teacher. To gain knowledge of the unknown, appropriate means of knowledge are necessary, and faith in the validity of those means is also required. Without such faith, one cannot turn toward knowledge. This faith in the means of knowledge is called shraddha.
**The Quality of Anasuya (Freedom from Fault-Finding)**
As has been stated in many places, anasuya means that person who does not find fault in virtues. This does not mean that in Hindu dharma, students of philosophy are not granted the freedom to examine and critique. It simply means that before hearing or studying the scriptures, we should not form prejudices about them. An intellect corrupted by prejudices can never attain true knowledge of reality.
The listener endowed with both these qualities shall derive the greatest benefit. Freed from sins, such a person attains the exalted worlds of the virtuous. This means that such a listener, liberated from desires, experiences inner peace and bliss. The kingdom of joy dwells within our own heart. There is no need to journey to some distant heaven to attain it. Here and now—the attainment of bliss—this is the eternal truth of Vedanta.
It is the duty of the Teacher to see whether the student has properly received the knowledge. If the prescribed path of practice is not conducive or sufficient for the student's progress, the Teacher should assist such a student so that he may regain his balance.
Therefore, the Blessed Lord Sri Krishna asks Arjuna: