Chapter 7
Jnana Vijnana Yoga
ज्ञानविज्ञानयोग
The Yoga of Knowledge and Realization · 30 verses
Summary · Path of Devotion
Now the deeper teaching: know My glories. All creation rests on the Lord like pearls on a string — earth, water, fire, air, mind, intellect and ego are His lower nature; the conscious Self is the higher. Four kinds of virtuous people worship Him, but only the jnani — the knower in continuous union — is truly His own.
two naturesdivine gloriesthe jnani
1 Jnana Vijnana Yoga श्रीभगवानुवाच |
मय्यासक्तमनाः पार्थ योगं युञ्जन्मदाश्रयः |
असंशयं समग्रं मां यथा ज्ञास्यसि तच्छृणु ||७-१|| 7.1 The Lord said With your mind focussed on Me, having Me for your support and practising Yoga - how you can without doubt know Me fully, hear, O Arjuna. ›2 Jnana Vijnana Yoga ज्ञानं तेऽहं सविज्ञानमिदं वक्ष्याम्यशेषतः |
यज्ज्ञात्वा नेह भूयोऽन्यज्ज्ञातव्यमवशिष्यते ||७-२|| 7.2 I will declare to you in full, this knowledge (of God) along with the knowledge which makes it distinguished (Vijnana), knowing which nothing else remains to be known. ›3 Jnana Vijnana Yoga मनुष्याणां सहस्रेषु कश्चिद्यतति सिद्धये |
यततामपि सिद्धानां कश्चिन्मां वेत्ति तत्त्वतः ||७-३|| 7.3 Among thousands of men, some one strives for perfection; even among those who strive for perfection, some one only knows Me; and among those who know Me, some one only knows Me in reality. ›4 Jnana Vijnana Yoga भूमिरापोऽनलो वायुः खं मनो बुद्धिरेव च |
अहंकार इतीयं मे भिन्ना प्रकृतिरष्टधा ||७-४|| 7.4 Earth, water, fire, air, ether, Manas, Buddhi and ego-sense - thus My Prakrti is divided eightfold. ›5 Jnana Vijnana Yoga अपरेयमितस्त्वन्यां प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम् |
जीवभूतां महाबाहो ययेदं धार्यते जगत् ||७-५|| 7.5 This is My lower Prakrti. But, O mighty-armed One, know that My higher nature is another. It is the life-principle (Jiva-bhuta), by which this universe is sustained. ›6 Jnana Vijnana Yoga एतद्योनीनि भूतानि सर्वाणीत्युपधारय |
अहं कृत्स्नस्य जगतः प्रभवः प्रलयस्तथा ||७-६|| 7.6 Know that all beings have these two for the source of their birth. Therefore, I am the origin and the dissolution of the whole universe. ›7 Jnana Vijnana Yoga मत्तः परतरं नान्यत्किञ्चिदस्ति धनञ्जय |
मयि सर्वमिदं प्रोतं सूत्रे मणिगणा इव ||७-७|| 7.7 There is nothing higher than Myself, O Arjuna. All this is strung on Me, as rows of gems on a thread. ›8 Jnana Vijnana Yoga रसोऽहमप्सु कौन्तेय प्रभास्मि शशिसूर्ययोः |
प्रणवः सर्ववेदेषु शब्दः खे पौरुषं नृषु ||७-८|| 7.8 I am the taste in the waters, O Arjuna! I am the light in the sun and the moon; the sacred syllable Om in all the Vedas; sound in the ether; and manhood in men am I. ›9 Jnana Vijnana Yoga पुण्यो गन्धः पृथिव्यां च तेजश्चास्मि विभावसौ |
जीवनं सर्वभूतेषु तपश्चास्मि तपस्विषु ||७-९|| 7.9 I am the pure smell in the earth; I am the brilliance in the fire; I am the life-principle in all beings, and austerity in ascetics. ›10 Jnana Vijnana Yoga बीजं मां सर्वभूतानां विद्धि पार्थ सनातनम् |
बुद्धिर्बुद्धिमतामस्मि तेजस्तेजस्विनामहम् ||७-१०|| 7.10 Know Me to be, O Arjuna, the primeval seed of all beings. I am the intelligence of the discerning, and the brilliance of the brilliant. ›11 Jnana Vijnana Yoga बलं बलवतां चाहं कामरागविवर्जितम् |
धर्माविरुद्धो भूतेषु कामोऽस्मि भरतर्षभ ||७-११|| 7.11 In the strong, I am strength, devoid of desire and passion. In all beings, I am the desire which is not forbidden by law (Dharma), O Arjuna. ›12 Jnana Vijnana Yoga ये चैव सात्त्विका भावा राजसास्तामसाश्च ये |
मत्त एवेति तान्विद्धि न त्वहं तेषु ते मयि ||७-१२|| 7.12 Know that all those states of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas are from Me alone. But I am not in them; they are in Me. ›13 Jnana Vijnana Yoga त्रिभिर्गुणमयैर्भावैरेभिः सर्वमिदं जगत् |
मोहितं नाभिजानाति मामेभ्यः परमव्ययम् ||७-१३|| 7.13 The entire universe is deluded by these three states originating from the Gunas (of Prakrti), and fails to recognise Me, who am beyond them and immutable. ›14 Jnana Vijnana Yoga दैवी ह्येषा गुणमयी मम माया दुरत्यया |
मामेव ये प्रपद्यन्ते मायामेतां तरन्ति ते ||७-१४|| 7.14 (a) For this divine Maya or Mine consisting of the three Gunas (assumed for purposes of sport) is hard to overcome৷৷.
(b) ৷৷. But those who take refuge in Me (Prapadyante) alone shall pass beyond the Maya. ›15 Jnana Vijnana Yoga न मां दुष्कृतिनो मूढाः प्रपद्यन्ते नराधमाः |
माययापहृतज्ञाना आसुरं भावमाश्रिताः ||७-१५|| 7.15 The evil-doers, the foolish, the lowest of men, those persons deprived of knowledge by delusion (Maya) and those who are dominated by demoniac nature - they do not seek refuge in Me. ›16 Jnana Vijnana Yoga चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जनाः सुकृतिनोऽर्जुन |
आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ ||७-१६|| 7.16 Four types of men of good deeds worship Me, O Arjuna, These are the distressed, the seekers after knowledge, the wealth-seekers, and the men of knowledge. ›17 Jnana Vijnana Yoga तेषां ज्ञानी नित्ययुक्त एकभक्तिर्विशिष्यते |
प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थमहं स च मम प्रियः ||७-१७|| 7.17 Of these, the man of knowledge, being ever with Me in Yoga and devoted to the One only, is the foremost; for I am very dear to the man of knowledge and he too is dear to Me. ›18 Jnana Vijnana Yoga उदाराः सर्व एवैते ज्ञानी त्वात्मैव मे मतम् |
आस्थितः स हि युक्तात्मा मामेवानुत्तमां गतिम् ||७-१८|| 7.18 All these are indeed generous (udarah), but I deem the man of knowledge to be My very self; for he, integrated, is devoted to Me alone as the highest end. ›19 Jnana Vijnana Yoga बहूनां जन्मनामन्ते ज्ञानवान्मां प्रपद्यते |
वासुदेवः सर्वमिति स महात्मा सुदुर्लभः ||७-१९|| 7.19 At the end of many births, the man of knowledge finds refuge in Me, realising that 'Vasudeva is all.' It is very hard to find such a great-souled person. ›20 Jnana Vijnana Yoga कामैस्तैस्तैर्हृतज्ञानाः प्रपद्यन्तेऽन्यदेवताः |
तं तं नियममास्थाय प्रकृत्या नियताः स्वया ||७-२०|| 7.20 Controlled by their inherent nature, and deprived of knowledge by various desires, worldly-minded men resort to other gods, observing various disciplines. ›21 Jnana Vijnana Yoga यो यो यां यां तनुं भक्तः श्रद्धयार्चितुमिच्छति |
तस्य तस्याचलां श्रद्धां तामेव विदधाम्यहम् ||७-२१|| 7.21 Whichever devotee seeks to worship with faith whatever form, I make that very faith steadfast. ›22 Jnana Vijnana Yoga स तया श्रद्धया युक्तस्तस्याराधनमीहते |
लभते च ततः कामान्मयैव विहितान्हि तान् ||७-२२|| 7.22 Endowed with that faith, he worships that form and thence gets the objects of his desire, granted in reality by Me alone. ›23 Jnana Vijnana Yoga अन्तवत्तु फलं तेषां तद्भवत्यल्पमेधसाम् |
देवान्देवयजो यान्ति मद्भक्ता यान्ति मामपि ||७-२३|| 7.23 But limited is the fruit gained by these men of small understanding. The worshippers of the gods will go to the gods but My devotees will come to Me. ›24 Jnana Vijnana Yoga अव्यक्तं व्यक्तिमापन्नं मन्यन्ते मामबुद्धयः |
परं भावमजानन्तो ममाव्ययमनुत्तमम् ||७-२४|| 7.24 Not knowing My higher nature, immutable and unsurpassed, the ignorant think of Me as an unmanifest entity who has now become manifest. ›25 Jnana Vijnana Yoga नाहं प्रकाशः सर्वस्य योगमायासमावृतः |
मूढोऽयं नाभिजानाति लोको मामजमव्ययम् ||७-२५|| 7.25 Veiled by My Maya, I am not manifest to all. This deluded world does not recognize Me as the unborn and immutable. ›26 Jnana Vijnana Yoga वेदाहं समतीतानि वर्तमानानि चार्जुन |
भविष्याणि च भूतानि मां तु वेद न कश्चन ||७-२६|| 7.26 I know all beings, O Arjuna, past, present and those to come; but no one knows Me. ›27 Jnana Vijnana Yoga इच्छाद्वेषसमुत्थेन द्वन्द्वमोहेन भारत |
सर्वभूतानि सम्मोहं सर्गे यान्ति परन्तप ||७-२७|| 7.27 By the delusion of the pairs of opposites springing from desire and hate, O Arjuna, all beings are deluded as soon as they are born. ›28 Jnana Vijnana Yoga येषां त्वन्तगतं पापं जनानां पुण्यकर्मणाम् |
ते द्वन्द्वमोहनिर्मुक्ता भजन्ते मां दृढव्रताः ||७-२८|| 7.28 But the doers of good deeds, whose sins have come to an end, are freed from the delusion of the pairs of opposites. They worship Me, steadfast in their vows. ›29 Jnana Vijnana Yoga जरामरणमोक्षाय मामाश्रित्य यतन्ति ये |
ते ब्रह्म तद्विदुः कृत्स्नमध्यात्मं कर्म चाखिलम् ||७-२९|| 7.29 Those who take refuge in Me and strive for deliverance from old age and death, know brahman (or the self) all about the nature of that self, and the entire Karma (or activities leading to rirth). ›30 Jnana Vijnana Yoga साधिभूताधिदैवं मां साधियज्ञं च ये विदुः |
प्रयाणकालेऽपि च मां ते विदुर्युक्तचेतसः ||७-३०|| 7.30 And those who know Me with the Adhibhuta, Adhidaiva and the Adhiyajna, they too, with their minds fixed in meditation, know Me even at the hour of death. ›