Chapter 7. "Jnana-Vihnana-Yoga, or The Path of Wisdom and Realization".
The Blessed Lord said:
1. O Partha, practising Yoga, with thy mind fixed on Me and taking refuge in Me, do thou hear how without doubt thou shalt know me fully.
2. I shall declare unto thee without reserve this knowledge (speculative) and wisdom (practical), having known which nothing more here (in this world) remains to be known.
3. Among thousands of human beings, scarcely one strives for perfection; and among (the thousands of) faithful strivers after perfection, scarcely one knows Me in truth.
4. Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect, egotism, thus my Prakriti (Nature) is divided eightfold.
5. This Prakriti is inferior; but different from this, know thou, mighty-armed, my higher Prakriti in the form of life-consciousness, by which this universe is supported.
6. Know that all beings are generated from these two (Prakritis). I am the origin and also the dissolution of the entire universe.
7. O Dhananjaya (Arjuna), there is naught else (existing) highest than I. Like pearls on a thread, all this (universe) is strung in Me.
8. O son of Kunti, I am the sapidity in waters and the radiance in sun and moon, I am Om in all the Vedas, sound in Akasha (ether), self-consciousness in mankind.
9. I am the sacred fragrance in earth and brilliance in fire; I am the life in all beings and austerity in ascetics.
10. Know Me, O Partha, as the eternal seed of all beings. I am the intellect of the intelligent and the prowess of the powerful.
11. O mighty of the Bharata race, of the strong I am the strength, devoid of desire and attachment; I am (also) desire in all beings, unopposed to Dharma (spiritual duty).
12. Whatever conditions there are pertaining to the states of Sattwa (quality of goodness), Rajas (passion), Tamas (ignorance, inertia), know them all to proceed from Me. I am not in them, but they are i Me.
13. Being deluded by these states, composed of the three Gunas (qualities), all this world does not know Me, who am beyond these and immutable.
14. Verily this divine Maya of mine (elusive mystery), composed of Gunas, is difficult to surmount; those who take refuge in Me alone, they cross over this Maya.
15. The deluded, evil-doers, the lowest of men, robbed of understanding by Maya and following demonic tendencies, do not attain unto Me.
16. O Prince of the Bharata race, O Arjuna, four kinds of virtuous men worship Me: the distressed, the seeker of knowledge, the seeker of material prosperity and the wise.
17. Among them the wise, ever steadfast, devoted to the One (to Me), excels; for I am supremely dear to the wise and he is dear to me.
18. Noble are all these, but I regard the wise as my very Self; for with soul ever steadfast, he is established in Me alone as his supreme goal.
19. At the end of many births the man of wisdom comes unto me, seeing that all this is (pervaded by) one Self. Such a great-souled one is very difficult to find.
20. Those whose discrimination is stolen away by diverse desires, worship other deities by observing various external rites (with the hope of gaining pleasure, power, etc.), being impelled by their own nature.
21. Whatever devotee seeks to worship whatever (Divine) form with faith, I make his faith unwavering.
22. Possessed with that faith, he engages himself in worship of (that deity); and from that he gains the desired results, those being granted by Me alone.
23. But the fruit (acquired) by these men of small understanding is limited and perishable. The worshippers of the Devas (bright ones) go to the Devas; but my devotees come unto Me.
24. The ignorant, not knowing my Eternal, Immutable and Supreme state, consider Me as the unmanifested coming into manifestation.
25. I am not manifest to all, being veiled by Yoga-Maya. This deluded world knows Me not, the Unborn and Immutable.
26. O Arjuna, I know the past, present and future of all beings, but no one knows Me.
27. O Bharata, terror of thy foes, all beings at birth fall into delusion, caused by the pairs of opposites, arising from desire and aversion.
28. But those men of virtuous deeds, whose sin has come to an end, freed from the delusion of the pairs of opposites, worship Me with firm resolve.
29. Those who, having taken refuge in Me, strive to attain freedom from old age and death, they know Brahman, the whole of the individual Self and the entire realm of Karma (action).
30. Those who know Me in the physical realm, in the Divine realm and in the realm of sacrifice, being steadfast in heart, they know Me even at the time of death.
Here ends the Seventh Chapter called "Jnana-Vihnana-Yoga, or The Path of Wisdom and Realization"
The Blessed Lord said:
1. O Partha, practising Yoga, with thy mind fixed on Me and taking refuge in Me, do thou hear how without doubt thou shalt know me fully.
2. I shall declare unto thee without reserve this knowledge (speculative) and wisdom (practical), having known which nothing more here (in this world) remains to be known.
3. Among thousands of human beings, scarcely one strives for perfection; and among (the thousands of) faithful strivers after perfection, scarcely one knows Me in truth.
4. Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect, egotism, thus my Prakriti (Nature) is divided eightfold.
5. This Prakriti is inferior; but different from this, know thou, mighty-armed, my higher Prakriti in the form of life-consciousness, by which this universe is supported.
6. Know that all beings are generated from these two (Prakritis). I am the origin and also the dissolution of the entire universe.
7. O Dhananjaya (Arjuna), there is naught else (existing) highest than I. Like pearls on a thread, all this (universe) is strung in Me.
8. O son of Kunti, I am the sapidity in waters and the radiance in sun and moon, I am Om in all the Vedas, sound in Akasha (ether), self-consciousness in mankind.
9. I am the sacred fragrance in earth and brilliance in fire; I am the life in all beings and austerity in ascetics.
10. Know Me, O Partha, as the eternal seed of all beings. I am the intellect of the intelligent and the prowess of the powerful.
11. O mighty of the Bharata race, of the strong I am the strength, devoid of desire and attachment; I am (also) desire in all beings, unopposed to Dharma (spiritual duty).
12. Whatever conditions there are pertaining to the states of Sattwa (quality of goodness), Rajas (passion), Tamas (ignorance, inertia), know them all to proceed from Me. I am not in them, but they are i Me.
13. Being deluded by these states, composed of the three Gunas (qualities), all this world does not know Me, who am beyond these and immutable.
14. Verily this divine Maya of mine (elusive mystery), composed of Gunas, is difficult to surmount; those who take refuge in Me alone, they cross over this Maya.
15. The deluded, evil-doers, the lowest of men, robbed of understanding by Maya and following demonic tendencies, do not attain unto Me.
16. O Prince of the Bharata race, O Arjuna, four kinds of virtuous men worship Me: the distressed, the seeker of knowledge, the seeker of material prosperity and the wise.
17. Among them the wise, ever steadfast, devoted to the One (to Me), excels; for I am supremely dear to the wise and he is dear to me.
18. Noble are all these, but I regard the wise as my very Self; for with soul ever steadfast, he is established in Me alone as his supreme goal.
19. At the end of many births the man of wisdom comes unto me, seeing that all this is (pervaded by) one Self. Such a great-souled one is very difficult to find.
20. Those whose discrimination is stolen away by diverse desires, worship other deities by observing various external rites (with the hope of gaining pleasure, power, etc.), being impelled by their own nature.
21. Whatever devotee seeks to worship whatever (Divine) form with faith, I make his faith unwavering.
22. Possessed with that faith, he engages himself in worship of (that deity); and from that he gains the desired results, those being granted by Me alone.
23. But the fruit (acquired) by these men of small understanding is limited and perishable. The worshippers of the Devas (bright ones) go to the Devas; but my devotees come unto Me.
24. The ignorant, not knowing my Eternal, Immutable and Supreme state, consider Me as the unmanifested coming into manifestation.
25. I am not manifest to all, being veiled by Yoga-Maya. This deluded world knows Me not, the Unborn and Immutable.
26. O Arjuna, I know the past, present and future of all beings, but no one knows Me.
27. O Bharata, terror of thy foes, all beings at birth fall into delusion, caused by the pairs of opposites, arising from desire and aversion.
28. But those men of virtuous deeds, whose sin has come to an end, freed from the delusion of the pairs of opposites, worship Me with firm resolve.
29. Those who, having taken refuge in Me, strive to attain freedom from old age and death, they know Brahman, the whole of the individual Self and the entire realm of Karma (action).
30. Those who know Me in the physical realm, in the Divine realm and in the realm of sacrifice, being steadfast in heart, they know Me even at the time of death.
Here ends the Seventh Chapter called "Jnana-Vihnana-Yoga, or The Path of Wisdom and Realization"
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Text source: Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita. Translated by Swami Paramananda.
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