Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that reaching His feet is simple. All one has to do is to surrender to Him. Arjuna has a doubt. If it is so easy, why doesn’t everyone surrender?
The Lord tells him there are four types of sinners, in increasing order of sinfulness, who never reach His feet. In the first category come those who are ignorant. They have the idea that all things have been created for their enjoyment, and they indulge their senses. In the second category come those who know about the Lord, but do not approach Him. In the third category come those who pay heed to misleading arguments of those who say that the world is illusory. In the last category come those who are fully aware of His greatness and yet nurse hatred towards Him.
The ignorant think that the atma belongs to them; they do not know that it belongs to Him. To think that the atma is ours is akin to a tenant assuming that a house, since he resides in it, belongs to him, said Valayapet Ramachariar in a discourse.
Out of fear, some do not approach Him. Of what use is it if we know of His qualities but do not seek Him out of fear? If we do not know that He is accessible, of what use is any other knowledge?
The Gopikas did not know of His Paratva and yet their minds were full of thoughts of Him. These uneducated Gopikas were far better than those who know of His Supremacy, but keep away from Him out of fear of that very quality.
Hiranyakasipu, Ravana etc knew of His Supremacy and yet abused Him. These are the worst sinners among the four categories.
