GITA Summary, Chapter - 7 of 18

July 30, 2005

Hare Krishna. Pranam to all Vaishnavas,

I surrender unto the lotus feet of Bhagavan Sri Krishna, begging for His merciful blessings to, advise Gita-rahasya to His Bhaktas of this group.

GITA Summary of Chapter – 7 (Jnana-vjnana Yoga)

(Yoga Through Realization of Transcendental Knowledge)

Preface

In this Chapter ,Krishna’s original nature is fully described. Also, the types of fortunate people who become attached to Krishna and unfortunate people who never take to Krishna are described in this chapter.

In the previous six chapters , the living entity has been described as non-material spirit soul capable of elevating himself to self-realization by different types of yogas . At the end of the Sixth Chapter, it has been clearly stated that, the steady concentration of the mind upon Bhagavan Krishna, is the highest form of all yoga. By concentrating one's mind upon Krishna, one is able to know the Absolute Truth completely, but not otherwise.

Bhagavan therefore says to Arjuna "Hear from Me." No one can be a greater authority than Krishna, and therefore by hearing from Him one receives the greatest opportunity to become a perfect devotee. One has therefore to learn from Krishna directly or from His pure devotee -- and not from a non-devotee upstart, puffed up with academic education.

In the Srimad-Bhagavatam this process of understanding the Absolute Truth, is described in the First Canto’s second chapter as follows :

"To hear about Krishna from Vedic scriptures, or to hear from Him directly through the Bhagavad-gita, is itself righteous activity. And for one who hears about Him, Bhagavan Krishna, who is dwelling in everyone's heart, acts as a best-wishing friend and purifies the devotee who constantly engages in hearing of Him. In this way, a devotee naturally develops his dormant Jnana-vijnana ( realization of transcendental knowledge). He becomes freed from the modes of passion and ignorance, and thus material affection is diminished. When these impurities are wiped away, the devotee attains

the understanding of the Supreme Absolute Truth”.

Bhagavan confirms the following in this Chapter :

I alone am the sole cause of the creation and destruction of the entire universe.

There is nothing superior to Me. This whole universe is dependent on Me, like pearls strung on a thread .

I am the eternal seed of all beings .

The divine energy (Yoga-maya) of Mine, consisting of the three material modes (goodness, passion and ignorance) , is difficult to overcome. But , those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it .

The miscreants and fools of the atheistic nature of demons do not surrender unto Me .

Four kinds of pious men worship Me--the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive (jijnasu), and Jnani .

The Jnani whose thoughts are always fixed on Me is the best. I am very dear to him, and he is dear to Me .

Those men whose wisdom had been carried away by various desires, worship other ‘Devatas’ . But, the fruits attained so are limited and temporary. Such men go to the planets of those Devatas, but My devotees come to My own planet .

Unintelligent men, who do not know Me perfectly, think that I, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, was impersonal before and have now born as an ordinary human being.

I am not manifest to the foolish and unintelligent . To them I am covered by My Maya-sakti (internal potency).

I know very well each one of the living beings ; but no one knows Me.

Those whose sinful actions are completely eradicated engage themselves in My service with determination.

Those who know Me the Supreme Lord, to be the governing principle of Devatas, material manifestation and sacrifices , can know Me, even at the time of death.

Summary

Sloka 1sri bhagavan uvaca :

mayy asakta-manah partha / yogam yunjan mad-asrayahasamsayam samagram mam / yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu(Sri Bhagavan said : O Partha , now hear, how you will know Me in full by practicing the yoga with your mind attached to Me, with absolute dependence on Me alone, being free from all doubt . )Sloka 2jnanam te'ham sa-vijnanam / idam vaksayamy asesatahyaj jnatva neha bhuyo' nyaj / jnatavyam avasisyate(I shall reveal to you in full this jnana ( transcendental knowledge), enriched with vijnana (realization). When you know this, nothing further shall remain for you to know .)

Sloka 3manusyanam sahasresu / kascid yatati siddhayeyatatam api siddhanam / kascin mam vetti tattvatah(Among thousands of men, one may endeavour for perfection. And among those who have attained perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth)

Sloka 4bhumir apo' nalo vayuh / kham mano buddhir eva caahankara itiyam me / bhinna prakrtir astadha(My external material energy has eight divisions: earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego.)

Sloka 5apareyam itas tv anyam / prakrtim viddhi me paramjiva-bhutam maha-baho / yayedam dharyate jagat(Besides these, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is another, superior energy of Mine, which comprises the living entities who are exploiting the resources of this material world).Sloka 6etad yonini bhutani / sarvanity upadharayaaham krtsnasya jagatah / prabhavah pralaya tatha(Know that all created beings have been born from these two natures. I alone am the sole cause of the creation and destruction of the entire universe.)

Sloka 7mattah parataram nanyat / kincid asti dhananjayamayi sarvam idam protam / sutre mani-gana iva(O Dhananjaya, there is nothing superior to Me. This whole universe is dependent on Me, like pearls strung on a thread.)

Sloka 8raso' ham apsu kaunteya / prabhasmi sasi-suryayohpranavah sarva-vedesu / sabdah khe paurusam nrsu(O Kaunteya, I am the taste in water, the radiance of the moon and sun and the syllable ‘Om !’ in all Vedic mantras. I am the sound in ether and the ability in man.)Sloka 9punyo gandhah prthivyanca / tejas casmi vibhavasaujivanam sarva-bhutesu / tapas casmi tapasvisu(I am the pure fragrance of the earth, the

heat in fire, the life in all beings and the penances of the Sanyasins (ascetics.)

Sloka 10

bijam mam sarva-bhutanam / viddhi partha sanatanambuddhir buddhimatam asmi / tejas tejasvinam aham(O Partha, know Me to be the eternal seed of all living beings. I am the intelligence of the intelligent, and the prowess of the powerful.)

Sloka 11balam balavatam caham / kama-raga-vivarjitamdharmaviruddho bhutesu / kamo' smi bharatarsabha( I am the strength of the strong, free from attachment and desire. In all beings I am sexual desire which is not contrary to virtue or scriptural principles . O Lord of the Bharatas [Arjuna].

Sloka 12ye caiva sattvika bhava / rajasas tamasas ca yematta eveti tan viddhi / na tv aham tesu te mayi(Know that all states of existence : sattva [goodness], rajas [passion] and tamas [ignorance], are manifested by the modes of My material nature. I am not under these modes of material nature, but they controlled by My energy.)

Sloka 13tribhir guna-mayair bhavair / ebhih sarvam idam jagatmohitam nabhijanati / mam ebhyah param avyayam(Deluded by the three modes [goodness, passion and ignorance] ,the whole world does not know Me, who is standing above these modes and imperishable.)Sloka 14daivi hy esa gunamayi / mama maya duratyayamam eva ye prapadyante / mayam etam taranti te(This divine energy(Yoga-maya) of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.)Sloka 15na mam duskrtino mudhah / prapayante naradhamahmayayapahrta-jnana / asuram bhavam

asritah(Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, who are lowest among human beings, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who are having the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me.)Sloka 16catur-vidha bhajante mam / janah sukrtino' rjunaartto jijnasur atharthi / knani ca bharatarsabha(O best among the Bharatas, four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service unto Me--the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive (jijnasu), and Jnani ( the man having transcendental knowledge.)Sloka 17tesam jnani nitya-yukta / eka-bhaktir visisyatepriyo hi jnanino' ty-artham / aham sa ca mama priyah(Of these, the Jnani who is my exclusive devotee and whose thoughts are always fixed on Me, is the best . I am

very dear to him, and he is dear to Me.)Sloka 18udarah sarvah evaite / jnani tv atmaiva me matamasthitah sa hi yuktatma / mam evanuttamam gatim(Though these are all certainly great souls, I consider the jnani to be as dear to Me as My own self. Since his thoughts dwell always in Me, he is sure to attain Me, the highest and most perfect goal.)

Sloka 19bahunam janmanam ante / jnanavan mam prapadyatevasudevah sarvam iti / sa mahatma sudurlabhah(After many births of spiritual practice, the jnani who is endowed with knowledge that everything both conscious and inert is related to Vasudeva surrenders himself fully to Me, and performs worship to Me. Such a great soul is very rare).

Sloka 20kamais tair tair hrta-jnanah / prapadyante' nya-devatahtam tam niyamam asthaya / prakrtya niyatah svaya(Those whose wisdom had been carried away by various desires, being prompted by their own nature, worship other ‘Devatas’ adopting rules relating to each. )

Sloka 21yo yo yam yam tanum bhaktah / sraddhayarcitum icchatitasya tasyacalam sraddham / tam eva vidadhamy aham(I am in everyone's heart as the Supersoul. As soon as one desires to worship a particular Devata , I make his faith steady so that he can devote himself to that Devata.)Sloka 22sa taya sraddhaya yuktas / tasyaradhanam ihatelabhate ca tatah kaman / mayaiva vihitan hi tan(Endowed with such a faith, he endeavors to worship the chosen Devata and obtains his desires. But in actuality all these benefits are bestowed by Me alone.)Sloka 23antavat tu phalam tesam / tad bhavaty alpa-medhasamdevan deva-yajo yanti / mad-bhakta

yanti mam api(Men of small intelligence worship other Devatas, and the fruits attained so are limited and temporary. Those who worship the Devatas go to the planets of the Devatas, but My devotees come to My abode (Vaikunta).Sloka 24avyaktam vyaktim apannam / manyante mam abuddhayahparam bhavam ajananto / mamavyayam anuttamam(Unintelligent men, who do not know Me perfectly, think that I, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, was impersonal before and have now born as an ordinary human being. Due to their little knowledge, they do not know My higher nature, which is imperishable and the Supreme.)Sloka 25naham prakasah sarvasya / yoga-maya-samavrtahmudho' yam nabhijanati / loko mam ajam avyayam( I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent . For them I am

covered by My Maya-sakti (internal potency), and therefore they do not know that I am unborn and infallible.)Sloka 26vedaham samatitani / varttamanani carjunabhavisyani ca bhutani / mam tu veda na kascana(O Arjuna, I know everything that has happened in the past, all that is happening in the present, and all things that are yet to come. I also know very well each one of the living beings ; but no one knows Me.)Sloka 27iccha-dvesa samutthena / dvandva-mohena bharatasarva-bhutani sammoham / sarge yanti parantapa( O scion of Bharata, all living beings are born into delusion, bewildered by dualities arisen from desire and hate.)Sloka 28yesam tv anta-gatam papam / jananam punya-karmanamte dvandva-moha-nirmukta / bhajante mam drdha-vratah(Those

Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life and whose sinful actions are completely eradicated are freed from the dualities of delusion, and they engage themselves in My service with determination.)Sloka 29jara-marana-moksaya / mam asritya yatanti yete brahma tad viduh krtsnam / adhyatmam karma cakhilam(Those Intelligent persons who strive for liberation from old age and death by taking refuge of Me, attain knowledge of the Brahman , of the pure constitutional nature of the living entities , and an understanding of the principle of karma, which is the cause of their bondage to the material world.)

Sloka 30sadhibhutadhidaivam mam / sadhiyajnanca ye viduhprayana-kale' pi ca mam / te vidur yukta-cetasah(Those who know Me the Supreme Lord, to be the governing principle of the material manifestation, the underlying of the ‘Devatas’ and all methods of sacrifice, can understand and know Me, even at the time of death.)Thus ends Srimad Bhagavad-gita ,Chapter Seven Jnana-vijnana Yoga, which givespleasure to the bhaktas and is accepted by all saintly persons .

Ohm Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya!!!

SriKrishnaDasa Rajeev

(To Continue in next part ..)

NB - : Chapters 1 to 7 are saved in the Folder, ‘Gita’ in ’s FILES. The remaining (11) chapters of Bhagavad Gita , will be posted in (11) parts, in the coming days.

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