Chapter 7: Jñāna-vijñāna-yoga: – Knowledge and its Actualization

From the seventh to twelfth chapter, Krishna’s focus is on devotion, its wholesome cultivation. 

To guide the seeking mind, Krishna provides a graded process of expansion and refinement. He first describes the whole Creation as a display of the One. All objects, big and small, are verily strung in the Supreme, like the beads in a single thread. The beads are not made of any material different from the thread; they are like knots in the same thread.

Krishna begins with the gross and slowly takes the seeker’s mind to the subtle, showing the fabric of the Supreme in each of the illustrations. He explains in detail how the one Soul manifests many things with manifold properties. All the gross and subtle existences, mobile and immobile creations of the universe, have sprung from the Soul, which embodies the inferior and superior facets of Nature.

Explaining the intricacies of life, world, and interactions in finer and deeper levels, Krishna takes the seeker to the truth of Oneness. The entire Creation is interwoven with the Supreme; the essence of everything is the Supreme alone. Krishna urges all seekers to take refuge implicitly in the Supreme Reality, recognizing it as the ultimate source and support of all existence.

श्रीभगवानुवाच।

मय्यासक्तमना: पार्थ योगं युञ्जन्मदाश्रय: ।
असंशयं समग्रं मां यथा ज्ञास्यसि तच्छृणु  ॥

śrī bhagavān-uvāca

mayy-āsakta-manā: pārtha yogaṃ yuñjan-mad-āśraya:
asaṃśayaṃ samagraṃ māṃ yathā jñāsyasi tacchṛṇu – 7.1

Lord Krishna said: Hear now, O Partha, how with your mind riveted to Me, pursuing Yoga taking refuge in Me wholesomely, you will know Me in entirety without doubt.

ज्ञानं तेऽहं सविज्ञानमिदं वक्ष्याम्यशेषत: ।
यज्ज्ञात्वा नेह भूयोऽन्यज्ज्ञातव्यमवशिष्यते  ॥

jñānaṃ te’haṃ savijñānam-idaṃ vakṣyāmy-aśeṣata:
yaj-jñātvā neha bhūyo’nyaj-jñātavyam-avaśiṣyate – 7.2

I am telling you in full, this knowledge along with its experiential dimension, knowing which, there will be nothing left here to be known further.

मनुष्याणां सहस्रेषु कश्चिद्यतति सिद्धये ।
यततामपि सिद्धानां कश्चिन्मां वेत्ति तत्त्वत:  ॥

manuṣyāṇāṃ sahasreṣu kaścid-yatati siddhaye
yatatām-api siddhānāṃ kaścin-māṃ vetti tattvata: – 7.3

One in thousands takes up and pursues spiritual seeking. Amongst such striving seekers, very rare is the one who understands Me, the Supreme, in essence.

भूमिरापोऽनलो वायु: खं मनो बुद्धिरेव च ।
अहङ्कार इतीयं मे भिन्ना प्रकृतिरष्टधा  ॥

bhūmir-āpo’nalo vāyu: khaṃ mano buddhir-eva ca
ahaṅkāra itīyaṃ me bhinnā prakṛtir-aṣṭadhā – 7.4

Earth, water, fire, air and space; and then mind, intelligence and ego – thus is divided My eight-fold nature.

अपरेयमितस्त्वन्यां प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम् ।
जीवभूतां महाबाहो ययेदं धार्यते जगत्  ॥

apareyam-itastvanyāṃ prakṛtiṃ viddhi me parām
jīva-bhūtāṃ mahābāho yayedaṃ dhāryate jagat – 7.5

This is My lower nature. The higher nature represents sentience, consciousness, the life element, by which this whole Universe is sustained.

एतद्योनीनि भूतानि सर्वाणीत्युपधारय ।
अहं कृत्स्नस्य जगत: प्रभव: प्रलयस्तथा  ॥

etadyonīni bhūtāni sarvāṇītyupadhāraya
ahaṃ kṛtsnasya jagata: prabhava: pralayastathā – 7.6

All existence and forms are but emanations from this womb. Thus, I am the origin as well as the dissolution of the whole Universe.

मत्त: परतरं नान्यत्किञ्चिदस्ति धनञ्जय ।
मयि सर्वमिदं प्रोतं सूत्रे मणिगणा इव  ॥

matta: parataraṃ nānyat-kiñcid-asti dhanañjaya
mayi sarvam-idaṃ protaṃ sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva – 7.7

There is nothing besides and superior to Me, O Dhananjaya (Arjuna). In Me, all this is interwoven, like beads in a thread.

रसोऽहमप्सु कौन्तेय प्रभास्मि शशिसूर्ययो: ।
प्रणव: सर्ववेदेषु शब्द: खे पौरुषं नृषु  ॥

raso’ham-apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayo:
praṇava: sarva-vedeṣu śabda: khe pauruṣaṃ nṛṣu – 7.8

O Kaunteya (Arjuna), I am the taste in waters, brilliance in the sun and the moon, the praṇava (Om) in all the Vedas, the primordial sound in space, and will power in humans.

पुण्यो गन्ध: पृथिव्यां च तेजश्चास्मि विभावसौ ।
जीवनं सर्वभूतेषु तपश्चास्मि तपस्विषु  ॥

puṇyo gandha: pṛthivyāṃ ca tejaścāsmi vibhāvasau
jīvanaṃ sarva-bhūteṣu tapaścāsmi tapasviṣu – 7.9

I am the divine fragrance of the earth, brilliance of fire, life in all beings and austerity in ascetics.

बीजं मां सर्वभूतानां विद्धि पार्थ सनातनम् ।
बुद्धिर्बुद्धिमतामस्मि तेजस्तेजस्विनामहम्  ॥

bījaṃ māṃ sarva-bhūtānāṃ viddhi pārtha sanātanam
buddhir-buddhimatām-asmi tejas-tejasvinām-aham – 7.10

Know Me, O Partha, as the eternal seed of all beings. I am the intelligence of the intelligent. I am the brilliance of the brilliant.

बलं बलवतां चाहं कामरागविवर्जितम् ।
धर्माविरुद्धो भूतेषु कामोऽस्मि भरतर्षभ  ॥

balaṃ balavatām cāhaṃ kāma-rāga-vivarjitam
dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo’smi bharatarṣabha – 7.11

I am the vigour of the vigorous, devoid of greed and possessiveness. O bull among Bharatas, in all beings I am the desire that does not violate dharma.

ये चैव सात्त्विका भावा राजसास्तामसाश्च ये ।
मत्त एवेति तान्विद्धि न त्वहं तेषु ते मयि  ॥

ye caiva sāttvikā bhāvā rājasās-tāmasāśca ye
matta eveti tān-viddhi na tv-ahaṃ teṣu te mayi – 7.12

Whatever features or expressions sattva (goodness and purity), rajas (activity and passion) or tamas (ignorance and inertia) arouse, know them all as having emerged from Me alone. However, I am not in them; they are in Me.

त्रिभिर्गुणमयैर्भावैरेभि: सर्वमिदं जगत् ।
मोहितं नाभिजानाति मामेभ्य: परमव्ययम्  ॥

tribhir-guṇamayair-bhāvair-ebhi: sarvam-idaṃ jagat
mohitaṃ nābhijānāti mām-ebhya: param-avyayam – 7.13

This whole world is deluded by the mystic potential and display of the three guṇas, and as a result, it does not know Me, the supreme Presence, which, transcending these guṇas, remains imperishable.

दैवी ह्येषा गुणमयी मम माया दुरत्यया ।
मामेव ये प्रपद्यन्ते मायामेतां तरन्ति ते  ॥

daivī hy-eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā
mām-eva ye prapadyante māyām-etāṃ taranti te – 7.14

This, My divine illusion in the nature of the three guṇas, is hard to overcome. Those who take refuge in Me alone, cross over this illusion.

न मां दुष्कृतिनो मूढा: प्रपद्यन्ते नराधमा: ।
माययापहृतज्ञाना आसुरं भावमाश्रिता:  ॥

na māṃ duṣkṛtino mūḍhā: prapadyante narādhamā:
māyayāpahṛtajñānā āsuraṃ bhāvamāśritā: – 7.15

Fools, the lowly people, given to evil, with their discrimination stolen by Māyā, resorting to āsuric tendencies, do not seek refuge in Me.

चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जना: सुकृतिनोऽर्जुन ।
आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ  ॥

catur-vidhā bhajante māṃ janā: sukṛtino’rjuna
ārto jijñāsur-arthārthī jñānī ca bharatarṣabha – 7.16

Four kinds of virtuous people worship Me – the afflicted, the enquiring, the one yearning for some specific gain, and the Knower, O great amongst the Bharatas.

तेषां ज्ञानी नित्ययुक्त एकभक्तिर्विशिष्यते ।
प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थमहं स च मम प्रिय:  ॥

teṣāṃ jñānī nitya-yukta eka-bhaktir-viśiṣyate
priyo hi jñānino’ty-artham-ahaṃ sa ca mama priya: – 7.17

Of these four, the Knower with his singular devotion is unbrokenly united with Me. He verily excels. For the Knower I am extremely dear, and he too is extremely dear to Me.

उदारा: सर्व एवैते ज्ञानी त्वात्मैव मे मतम् ।
आस्थित: स हि युक्तात्मा मामेवानुत्तमां गतिम्  ॥

udārā: sarva evaite jñānī tvātmaiva me matam
āsthita: sa hi yuktātmā mām-evānuttamāṃ gatim – 7.18

All of them are noble indeed. I regard the Knower as my very Self. Remaining always integrated with the Soul, the Knower attains Me, the supreme state.

बहूनां जन्मनामन्ते ज्ञानवान्मां प्रपद्यते ।
वासुदेव: सर्वमिति स महात्मा सुदुर्लभ:  ॥

bahūnāṃ janmanām-ante jñānavān-māṃ prapadyate
vāsudeva: sarvam-iti sa mahātmā sudurlabha: – 7.19

At the end of many lives, the man of knowledge attains Me. Extremely rare is the great soul who knows all that exists is Vāsudeva (Krishna).

कामैस्तैस्तैर्हृतज्ञाना: प्रपद्यन्तेऽन्यदेवता: ।
तं तं नियममास्थाय प्रकृत्या नियता: स्वया  ॥

kāmais-tais-tair-hṛta-jñānā: prapadyante’nya-devatā:
taṃ taṃ niyamam-āsthāya prakṛtyā niyatā: svayā – 7.20

Led by their own inherent nature, robbed of wisdom by their own various desires, men worship other divine agencies, observing the disciplines related to each.

यो यो यां यां तनुं भक्त: श्रद्धयार्चितुमिच्छति ।
तस्य तस्याचलां श्रद्धां तामेव विदधाम्यहम्  ॥

yo yo yāṃ yāṃ tanuṃ bhakta: śraddhayārcitum-icchati
tasya tasyācalāṃ śraddhāṃ tām-eva vidadhāmy-aham – 7.21

Whoever, with assiduousness, desires to worship whichever form he relishes, I make that devotional affinity of his firm, unswerving.

स तया श्रद्धया युक्तस्तस्याराधनमीहते ।
लभते च तत: कामान्मयैव विहितान् हि तान्  ॥

sa tayā śraddhayā yuktas-tasyārādhanam-īhate
labhate ca tata: kāmān-mayaiva vihitān hi tān – 7.22

Imbued with the śraddhā (faith) of his kind, he is engrossed in worshipping his choice deity. And he gets the desired objects, but ordained by Me.

अन्तवत्तु फलं तेषां तद्भवत्यल्पमेधसाम् ।
देवान्देवयजो यान्ति मद्भक्ता यान्ति मामपि  ॥

antavat-tu phalaṃ teṣāṃ tad-bhavaty-alpa-medhasām
devān-deva-yajo yānti mad-bhaktā yānti mām-api – 7.23

The results these short-sighted, indiscriminate people attain are short-lived, fleeting. Those worshipping devas go to them, and those worshipping Me, the Supreme, come to Me.

अव्यक्तं व्यक्तिमापन्नं मन्यन्ते मामबुद्धय: ।
परं भावमजानन्तो ममाव्ययमनुत्तमम्  ॥

avyaktaṃ vyaktim-āpannaṃ manyante mām-abuddhaya:
paraṃ bhāvam-ajānanto mamāvyayam-anuttamam – 7.24

Not knowing My imperishable transcendental nature, which is par supreme, unintelligent people consider Me, the invisible spiritual presence, as limited by the visible body.

नाहं प्रकाश: सर्वस्य योगमायासमावृत: ।
मूढोऽयं नाभिजानाति लोको मामजमव्ययम्  ॥

nāhaṃ prakāśa: sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛta:
mūḍho’yaṃ nābhijānāti loko mām-ajam-avyayam – 7.25

Enveloped in my yoga-māyā (caused by the projection of Nature’s guṇas), I am not revealed to all. This deluded world does not rightly know Me, the unborn and the inexhaustible.

वेदाहं समतीतानि वर्तमानानि चार्जुन ।
भविष्याणि च भूतानि मां तु वेद न कश्चन  ॥

vedāhaṃ samatītāni vartamānāni cārjuna
bhaviṣyāṇi ca bhūtāni māṃ tu veda na kaścana – 7.26

I know all beings that are gone, those that are present and those that will appear in future. But, none knows Me at all.

इच्छाद्वेषसमुत्थेन द्वन्द्वमोहेन भारत ।
सर्वभूतानि सम्मोहं सर्गे यान्ति परन्तप  ॥

icchā-dveṣa-samutthena dvandva-mohena bhārata
sarva-bhūtāni sammohaṃ sarge yānti parantapa – 7.27

All beings in the world, O Bhārata, O Parantapa, are, at the very time of birth, subjected to the delusion of duality arising from likes and dislikes.

येषां त्वन्तगतं पापं जनानां पुण्यकर्मणाम् ।
ते द्वन्द्वमोहनिर्मुक्ता भजन्ते मां दृढव्रता:  ॥

yeṣāṃ tvantagataṃ pāpaṃ janānāṃ puṇya-karmaṇām
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā bhajante māṃ dṛḍha-vratā: – 7.28

Those, who by virtuous deeds, get their sins attenuated, become freed from the delusion of duality and take to worshipping the Supreme with steadfastness.

जरामरणमोक्षाय मामाश्रित्य यतन्ति ये ।
ते ब्रह्म तद्विदु: कृत्स्नमध्यात्मं कर्म चाखिलम्  ॥

jarā-maraṇa-mokṣāya mām-āśritya yatanti ye
te brahma tad-vidu: kṛtsnam-adhyātmaṃ karma cākhilam – 7.29

Those who, taking refuge in Me, strive to be free of the torments of old age and death, come to know the Brahman, the supreme Reality, all about adhyātma (nature of spiritual Self), and the truth about cosmic activity in its entirety.

साधिभूताधिदैवं मां साधियज्ञं च ये विदु: ।
प्रयाणकालेऽपि च मां ते विदुर्युक्तचेतस:  ॥

sādhibhūtādhi-daivaṃ māṃ sādhiyajñaṃ ca ye vidu:
prayāṇa-kāle’pi ca māṃ te vidur-yukta-cetasa: – 7.30

Those who know Me together with My extensive material and divine manifestation (ādhibhūtā and adhidaiva), and also as the Lord of sacrifices (adhiyajña), will know Me well even at the time of leaving the body, united as they are always with Me.

ओं तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादे ज्ञानविज्ञानयोगो नाम सप्तमोऽध्याय:।

oṃ tat-sad-iti śrīmad-bhagavad-gītāsūpaniṣatsu brahma-vidyāyāṃ yoga-śāstre śrīkṛṣṇārjuna-saṃvāde jñāna-vijñāna-yogo nāma saptamo’dhyāya:

Om – the symbol of Brahman, tat – that singular Reality (Brahman), sat – the ever abiding presence (Brahman).

Thus ends the seventh chapter entitled Jñāna-vijñāna Yoga, during the Srikrishna-Arjuna dialogue in Śrīmad Bhagavad Gita, constituting Yoga-śāstra, which falls within Brahmavidya as presented in the Vedic Upanishads.