Reference: Course on The Bhagavad Gita
NOTE: The following translation of the Sanskrit verses into English is obtained from Srimad Bhagavad Gita, SADHAKA SANJIVANI by Swami Ramsukhdas, published by Govind Bhawan Karyalaya, Gita Press, Gorakhpur, INDIA. For original comments please consult the above book. Abbreviated comments in color are provided by Vinaire.]
.
Chapter 7
श्रीभगवानुवाच
मय्यासक्तमनाःपार्थयोगंयुञ्जन्मदाश्रयः।
असंशयंसमग्रंमांयथाज्ञास्यसितच्छृणु।।7.1।।
Listen, O Partha (Arjuna), how with your mind attached to Me, and taking refuge in Me and practicing Yoga, you will without any doubt know Me in full. (VII-1)
ज्ञानंतेऽहंसविज्ञानमिदंवक्ष्याम्यशेषतः।
यज्ज्ञात्वानेहभूयोऽन्यज्ज्ञातव्यमवशिष्यते।।7.2।।
I shall unfold to you in full this knowledge (wisdom) along with real knowledge of manifest Divinity, having known which nothing more remains to be known. (VII-2)
मनुष्याणांसहस्रेषुकश्िचद्यततिसिद्धये।
यततामपिसिद्धानांकश्िचन्मांवेत्तितत्त्वतः।।7.3।।
Among thousands of men scarcely one strives for perfection and of those who strive, scarcely one knows Me in reality. (VII-3)
A Yogi who is worshipping the Universal Viewpoint (“Me”), ultimately, acquires that Viewpoint himself. With that Viewpoint all knowledge opens up to him. But very few strive with enough concentration to arrive at this point.
भूमिरापोऽनलोवायुःखंमनोबुद्धिरेवच।
अहङ्कारइतीयंमेभिन्नाप्रकृतिरष्टधा।।7.4।।
अपरेयमितस्त्वन्यांप्रकृतिंविद्धिमेपराम्।
जीवभूतांमहाबाहोययेदंधार्यतेजगत्।।7.5।।
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect, ego—these constitute My nature (Prakrti) eightfold divided. This is my lower (insentient) nature; but different from it, O mighty armed, is My higher (sentient) nature—the life element by which this universe is sustained. (VII-4, 5)
एतद्योनीनिभूतानिसर्वाणीत्युपधारय।
अहंकृत्स्नस्यजगतःप्रभवःप्रलयस्तथा।।7.6।।
Know that all beings have evolved from this twofold Prakrti (the insentient and the sentient nature) and I am the origin (source) of the entire creation and again it dissolves in Me. (VII-6)
The above is reflected in the following three postulates:
POSTULATE # 1: The universe is not just physical; it is metaphysical too. The universe includes everything whether physical, metaphysical, real, imaginary, postulated or speculated. Nothing is excluded from the universe.
COROLLARY: The universe includes everything that we observe and experience as body, mind and spirit and more.
POSTULATE # 2: The universal fabric is both physical and metaphysical in nature. We may call the physical aspect “energy”, and the metaphysical aspect “impulse”. We, therefore, see energy pervaded with innate impulse.
COROLLARY: All things are made of energy, and are pervaded with innate impulse. This is evident in light and its propagation.
POSTULATE # 3: The universe manifest itself and then unmanifests itself in a cyclical fashion.
COROLLARY: The universe has neither an absolute beginning, nor an absolute end.
मत्तःपरतरंनान्यत्किञ्चिदस्तिधनञ्जय।
मयिसर्वमिदंप्रोतंसूत्रेमणिगणाइव।।7.7।।
O Arjuna, there is nothing else besides Me. Like clusters of Yarn-beads formed by knots on a thread, all this is threaded on Me. (VII-7)
रसोऽहमप्सुकौन्तेयप्रभास्मिशशिसूर्ययोः।
प्रणवःसर्ववेदेषुशब्दःखेपौरुषंनृषु।।7.8।।
O son of Kuntī, I am sapidity in water, radiance in the moon and the sun; I am the sacred syllable Om in the Vedas, sound in ether and manliness in men. (VII-8)
पुण्योगन्धःपृथिव्यांचतेजश्चास्मिविभावसौ।
जीवनंसर्वभूतेषुतपश्चास्मितपस्विषु।।7.9।।
I am sweet fragrance in earth, combustion in fire; I am life in all beings and austerity in ascetics. (VII-9)
There is nothing else beside the universe. The fundamental impulse and energy of the universe forms everything in the universe.
बीजंमांसर्वभूतानांविद्धिपार्थसनातनम्।
बुद्धिर्बुद्धिमतामस्मितेजस्तेजस्विनामहम्।।7.10।।
O Partha, know me as the eternal seed of all beings; I am the intelligence of the intelligent, the glory (splendor) of the glorious (splendid). (VII-10)
बलंबलवतामस्मिकामरागविवर्जितम्।
धर्माविरुद्धोभूतेषुकामोऽस्मिभरतर्षभ।।7.11।।
I am the strength of the strong devoid of desire and passion (attachment); in beings I am desire not in conflict with virtue or scriptural injunction. (VII-11)
येचैवसात्त्विकाभावाराजसास्तामसाश्चये।
मत्तएवेतितान्विद्धिनत्वहंतेषुतेमयि।।7.12।।
Whatever other entities there are born of Sattva (the mode of goodness or purity), of Rajas (the mode of activity or passion) and Tamas (the mode of inertia or ignorance) know them all as evolved from Me; still neither I am in them, nor are they in Me. (VII-12)
It is the basic impulse that evolves into intelligence, splendor, strength, and detached observation. All things with their properties of goodness, purity, activity, passion, inertia or ignorance are evolved from fundamental impulse and energy.
त्रिभिर्गुणमयैर्भावैरेभिःसर्वमिदंजगत्।
मोहितंनाभिजानातिमामेभ्यःपरमव्ययम्।।7.13।।
Deluded by these threefold dispositions of Nature, the world does not know Me, who am above them and imperishable. (VII-13)
दैवीह्येषागुणमयीमममायादुरत्यया।
मामेवयेप्रपद्यन्तेमायामेतांतरन्तिते।।7.14।।
This Divine illusion of Mine consisting of the three gunas (modes of Nature) is hard to surmount; however, those who take refuge in Me alone cross it. (VII-14)
नमांदुष्कृतिनोमूढाःप्रपद्यन्तेनराधमाः।
माययापहृतज्ञानाआसुरंभावमाश्रिताः।।7.15।।
The evil-doers, the deluded, the lowest of men, deprived of discrimination (wisdom), having embraced the demoniac nature do not take refuge in Me. (VII-15)
The play of impulse and energy evolves into all the dispositions of nature, whether good or bad. Most people look at these dispositions and are not aware of the play beyond them. Deluded by these dispositions people lose their ability to discriminates and commit evil deeds. They are lost in their unawareness of the fundamentals.
चतुर्विधाभजन्तेमांजनाःसुकृतिनोऽर्जुन।
आर्तोजिज्ञासुरर्थार्थीज्ञानीचभरतर्षभ।।7.16।।
Four type of virtuous men worship Me, O Arjuna; the distressed, the seeker of knowledge, the seeker of wealth and the man of wisdom. (VII-16)
तेषांज्ञानीनित्ययुक्तएकभक्ितर्विशिष्यते।
प्रियोहिज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थमहंसचममप्रियः।।7.17।।
Of these the best is the man of wisdom ever steadfast and exclusively devoted to Me; for extremely devoted am I to the wise and he is extremely dear to me. (VII-17)
उदाराःसर्वएवैतेज्ञानीत्वात्मैवमेमतम्।
आस्थितःसहियुक्तात्मामामेवानुत्तमांगतिम्।।7.18।।
All these are noble, but the man of wisdom is verily My own self; this is My view. For this devotee who is steadfast in mind, is established in Me alone, as the supreme goal. (VII-18)
The man who who exclusively seeks wisdom, evolves most rapidly.
बहूनांजन्मनामन्तेज्ञानवान्मांप्रपद्यते।
वासुदेवःसर्वमितिसमहात्मासुदुर्लभः।।7.19।।
In the very last of all births viz; in this human birth, the man of wisdom takes refuge in Me, realizing that all this is God. Such a great soul is very rare indeed. (VII-19)
कामैस्तैस्तैर्हृतज्ञानाःप्रपद्यन्तेऽन्यदेवताः।
तंतंनियममास्थायप्रकृत्यानियताःस्वया।।7.20।।
Those whose discrimination has been led astray by various desires, constrained by their own nature, take refuge in other gods undertaking vows relating to each. (VII-20)
योयोयांयांतनुंभक्तःश्रद्धयार्चितुमिच्छति।
तस्यतस्याचलांश्रद्धांतामेवविदधाम्यहम्।।7.21।।
Whatever celestial form a devotee seeks to worship with faith, I make the faith of that devotee in that form steady. (VII-21)
The human form is the peak of evolution, in which wisdom can be manifested. The peak of wisdom is the awareness of the innate impulse that inhabits everything. There are all sorts of impulses that determine a person’s nature but all are different forms of the same innate impulse. It is the awareness of the impulse driving one that counts.
सतयाश्रद्धयायुक्तस्तस्याराधनमीहते।
लभतेचततःकामान्मयैवविहितान्हितान्।।7.22।।
Endowed with that faith he worships that god and obtains his desired enjoyment as ordained by Me. (VII-22)
अन्तवत्तुफलंतेषांतद्भवत्यल्पमेधसाम्।
देवान्देवयजोयान्तिमद्भक्तायान्तिमामपि।।7.23।।
The fruit gained by these people of meagre intellect is perishable. The worshippers of the gods attain the gods; whereas My devotees attain Me alone. (VII-23)
अव्यक्तंव्यक्ितमापन्नंमन्यन्तेमामबुद्धयः।
परंभावमजानन्तोममाव्ययमनुत्तमम्।।7.24।।
Men of poor understanding think of Me, the unmanifest as an ordinary human being not knowing My supreme state immutable and unsurpassed. (VII-24)
When a person dedicatedly follows the impulse driving him, he achieves the goal of that impulse. But men of poor understanding achieve considerably lesser goals than those who are driven toward ultimate wisdom.
नाहंप्रकाशःसर्वस्ययोगमायासमावृतः।
मूढोऽयंनाभिजानातिलोकोमामजमव्ययम्।।7.25।।
Veiled by My divine potency (Yoga Maya) I am not manifest to all. Hence these ignorant folk do not recognize Me as the unborn and imperishable Supreme-Spirit. (VII-25)
वेदाहंसमतीतानिवर्तमानानिचार्जुन।
भविष्याणिचभूतानिमांतुवेदनकश्चन।।7.26।।
I know, O Arjuna, the beings of the past, the present and the future, but no one knows Me. (VII-26)
इच्छाद्वेषसमुत्थेनद्वन्द्वमोहेनभारत।
सर्वभूतानिसंमोहंसर्गेयान्तिपरन्तप।।7.27।।
By the delusions of the pairs of opposites arising from desire and aversion, all beings, O scorcher of foes in Bharata family, are subject to illusion viz; birth and death. (VII-27)
Not everybody is aware of the ultimate innate impulse. It is that awareness that makes you aware of everything else. The pair of opposites are actually the continuous dimensions of the universe that extend to infinity in either direction. Lack of understanding of dualities as dimensions create delusions and the illusion of birth and death. (see POSTULATE #11).
येषांत्वन्तगतंपापंजनानांपुण्यकर्मणाम्।
तेद्वन्द्वमोहनिर्मुक्ताभजन्तेमांदृढव्रताः।।7.28।।
But those men of virtuous deeds whose sins have come to an end, being freed from the delusion of the pairs of opposites, worship Me with a firm resolve in every way. (VII-28)
जरामरणमोक्षायमामाश्रित्ययतन्तिये।
तेब्रह्मतद्विदुःकृत्स्नमध्यात्मंकर्मचाखिलम्।।7.29।।
Those who having taken refuge in Me, strive for deliverance from old age and death, know Brahma (the Infinite), the individual self and entire field of action. (VII-29)
साधिभूताधिदैवंमांसाधियज्ञंचयेविदुः।
प्रयाणकालेऽपिचमांतेविदुर्युक्तचेतसः।।7.30।।
Those, who realize Me in the Adhibhuta (the field of matter), in Adhidaiva (Brahma) and in Adhiyajna (the unmanifest divinity), having steadfast mind realize Me even at the hour of death. (VII-30)
A person who has nothing to hide about himself from himself is free of all sins. He is not deluded by the pair of opposites once he sees them as the dimensions of the universe. Using the universal viewpointe he is firmly resolved to evolve to higher levels. He steadfastly studies both physics and metaphysics to the end to realize the ultimate principles.
.
