108 = Raja-vidya: The King of Knowledge

iti matva bhajante mam
budha bhava samanvitah

“I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds.
Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know
this perfectly engage in My devotional service and
worship Me with all their hearts.” (Bg. 10.8)

The well-versed person or budhah is one who has
understood that Krsna is the origin of all emanations.
Whatever we happen to see is but an emanation of
Krsna. For millions and millions of years sunshine
has been emanating from the sun, and yet the sun is
as it is. Similarly, all material and spiritual energies
are coming from Krsna. As a result of knowing this,
one becomes a devotee of Krsna.

Thus one who knows that he must work in Krsna
consciousness, who no longer desires to enjoy this
material world, is actually learned. Everyone is
working in the material world due to lust (kama), but
the wise man is free from the dictations of this lust
(kama-sankalpa-varjitah). How is this possible?
Jiianagni-dagdha-karmanam: the fire of knowledge
burns up all reactions of sinful activities. It is the
most potent of purifiers. Our lives have meaning and
direction only in so far as we strive to attain this
transcendental knowledge of Krsna consciousness,

raja-vidya, which is the king of all knowledge.
