The text discusses devotion to the Guru but also self-reliance. Who is ultimately responsible for achieving the spiritual goal?

Chapter 45 presents a nuanced view where devotion to the Guru is essential, but ultimate responsibility for spiritual liberation rests with the individual. The text argues that worldly relations like parents, spouses, and children are unreliable companions for the spiritual goal. Therefore, a seeker must give up hope in others and cultivate strong self-confidence. As Chapter 45 states, upon final reflection, "only one’s own self remains at the end." The blessed seeker is one who practices discrimination, renounces worldly attachments, and achieves virtues like self-control. They must "gird up his own loins" to achieve the spiritual goal, using devotion to the Guru as the primary means.