Chapter 7: Jñāna Vijñāna Yoga – Knowledge and its Actualization: Verse 4
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.
Chapter 7: Jñāna Vijñāna Yoga – Knowledge and its Actualization - Verse 4
Ma Gurupriya
Krishna represents Guru, the Teacher, the last word in spiritual revelation and exposition. He has the visible physical body, animated by the inner spiritual presence. In fact, the body itself is formed by the inner presence. Likewise, the visible world is formed by the spiritual presence within it.
Human personality thus depicts the entire creation, a fact Krishna reveals with exquisite clarity. These decisive spiritual words of the Teacher are paramount.
Krishna says his nature is divided into eight distinct constituents – five external and three internal. To begin with is the solid earth. Three quarters of it are enveloped by water, the endless seas. Around the earth and water is extensive air. The three constitute the three forms of matter. Then comes fire, made up of heat and brilliance, both energy. The fifth is the endless space, which cannot be classified as matter or energy. The three internal constituents are the mind, intelligence and ego.
