Reference: Course on The Bhagavad Gita
English Translation By Shri Purohit Swami
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Chapter 7
श्रीभगवानुवाच
मय्यासक्तमनाःपार्थयोगंयुञ्जन्मदाश्रयः।
असंशयंसमग्रंमांयथाज्ञास्यसितच्छृणु।।7.1।।
7.1 “Lord Shri Krishna said: Listen, O Arjuna! And I will tell thee how thou shalt know Me in my Full perfection, practising meditation with thy mind devoted to Me, and having Me for thy refuge.
ज्ञानंतेऽहंसविज्ञानमिदंवक्ष्याम्यशेषतः।
यज्ज्ञात्वानेहभूयोऽन्यज्ज्ञातव्यमवशिष्यते।।7.2।।
7.2 I will reveal to this knowledge unto thee, and how it may be realized; which, once accomplished, there remains nothing else worth having in this life.
मनुष्याणांसहस्रेषुकश्िचद्यततिसिद्धये।
यततामपिसिद्धानांकश्िचन्मांवेत्तितत्त्वतः।।7.3।।
7.3 Among thousands of men scarcely one strives for perfection, and even amongst those who gain occult powers, perchance but one knows me in truth.
भूमिरापोऽनलोवायुःखंमनोबुद्धिरेवच।
अहङ्कारइतीयंमेभिन्नाप्रकृतिरष्टधा।।7.4।।
7.4 Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect and personality; this is the eightfold division of My Manifested Nature.
अपरेयमितस्त्वन्यांप्रकृतिंविद्धिमेपराम्।
जीवभूतांमहाबाहोययेदंधार्यतेजगत्।।7.5।।
7.5 This is My inferior Nature; but distinct from this, O Valiant One, know thou that my Superior Nature is the very Life which sustains the universe.
एतद्योनीनिभूतानिसर्वाणीत्युपधारय।
अहंकृत्स्नस्यजगतःप्रभवःप्रलयस्तथा।।7.6।।
7.6 It is the womb of all being; for I am He by Whom the worlds were created and shall be dissolved.
मत्तःपरतरंनान्यत्किञ्चिदस्तिधनञ्जय।
मयिसर्वमिदंप्रोतंसूत्रेमणिगणाइव।।7.7।।
7.7 O Arjuna! There is nothing higher than Me; all is strung upon Me as rows of pearls upon a thread.
रसोऽहमप्सुकौन्तेयप्रभास्मिशशिसूर्ययोः।
प्रणवःसर्ववेदेषुशब्दःखेपौरुषंनृषु।।7.8।।
7.8 O Arjuna! I am the Fluidity in water, the Light in the sun and in the moon. I am the mystic syllable Om in the Vedic scriptures, the Sound in ether, the Virility in man.
पुण्योगन्धःपृथिव्यांचतेजश्चास्मिविभावसौ।
जीवनंसर्वभूतेषुतपश्चास्मितपस्विषु।।7.9।।
7.9 I am the Fragrance of earth, the Brilliance of fire. I am the Life Force in all beings, and I am the Austerity of the ascetics.
बीजंमांसर्वभूतानांविद्धिपार्थसनातनम्।
बुद्धिर्बुद्धिमतामस्मितेजस्तेजस्विनामहम्।।7.10।।
7.10 Know, O Arjuna, that I am the eternal Seed of being; I am the Intelligence of the intelligent, the Splendour of the resplendent.
बलंबलवतामस्मिकामरागविवर्जितम्।
धर्माविरुद्धोभूतेषुकामोऽस्मिभरतर्षभ।।7.11।।
7.11 I am the Strength of the strong, of them who are free from attachment and desire; and, O Arjuna, I am the Desire for righteousness.
येचैवसात्त्विकाभावाराजसास्तामसाश्चये।
मत्तएवेतितान्विद्धिनत्वहंतेषुतेमयि।।7.12।।
7.12 Whatever be the nature of their life, whether it be pure or passionate or ignorant, they are all derived from Me. They are in Me, but I am not in them.
त्रिभिर्गुणमयैर्भावैरेभिःसर्वमिदंजगत्।
मोहितंनाभिजानातिमामेभ्यःपरमव्ययम्।।7.13।।
7.13 The inhabitants of the world, misled by those natures which the Qualities have engendered, know not that I am higher than them all, and that I do not change.
दैवीह्येषागुणमयीमममायादुरत्यया।
मामेवयेप्रपद्यन्तेमायामेतांतरन्तिते।।7.14।।
7.14 Verily, this Divine Illusion of Phenomenon manifesting itself in the Qualities is difficult to surmount. Only they who devote themselves to Me and to Me alone can accomplish it.
नमांदुष्कृतिनोमूढाःप्रपद्यन्तेनराधमाः।
माययापहृतज्ञानाआसुरंभावमाश्रिताः।।7.15।।
7.15 The sinner, the ignorant, the vile, deprived of spiritual perception by the glamour of Illusion, and he who pursues a godless life – none of them shall find Me.
चतुर्विधाभजन्तेमांजनाःसुकृतिनोऽर्जुन।
आर्तोजिज्ञासुरर्थार्थीज्ञानीचभरतर्षभ।।7.16।।
7.16 O Arjuna! The righteous who worship Me are grouped by stages: first, they who suffer, next they who desire knowledge, then they who thirst after truth, and lastly they who attain wisdom.
तेषांज्ञानीनित्ययुक्तएकभक्ितर्विशिष्यते।
प्रियोहिज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थमहंसचममप्रियः।।7.17।।
7.17 Of all of these, he who has gained wisdom, who meditates on Me without ceasing, devoting himself only to Me, he is the best; for by the wise man I am exceedingly beloved and the wise man, too, is beloved by Me.
उदाराःसर्वएवैतेज्ञानीत्वात्मैवमेमतम्।
आस्थितःसहियुक्तात्मामामेवानुत्तमांगतिम्।।7.18।।
7.18 Noble-minded are they all, but the wise man I hold as my own Self; for he, remaining always at peace with Me, makes me his final goal.
बहूनांजन्मनामन्तेज्ञानवान्मांप्रपद्यते।
वासुदेवःसर्वमितिसमहात्मासुदुर्लभः।।7.19।।
7.19 After many lives, at last the wise man realises Me as I am. A man so enlightened that he sees God everywhere is very difficult to find.
कामैस्तैस्तैर्हृतज्ञानाःप्रपद्यन्तेऽन्यदेवताः।
तंतंनियममास्थायप्रकृत्यानियताःस्वया।।7.20।।
7.20 They in whom wisdom is obscured by one desire or the other, worship the lesser Powers, practising many rites which vary according to their temperaments.
योयोयांयांतनुंभक्तःश्रद्धयार्चितुमिच्छति।
तस्यतस्याचलांश्रद्धांतामेवविदधाम्यहम्।।7.21।।
7.21 But whatever the form of worship, if the devotee have faith, then upon his faith in that worship do I set My own seal.
सतयाश्रद्धयायुक्तस्तस्याराधनमीहते।
लभतेचततःकामान्मयैवविहितान्हितान्।।7.22।।
7.22 If he worships one form alone with real faith, then shall his desires be fulfilled through that only; for thus have I ordained.
अन्तवत्तुफलंतेषांतद्भवत्यल्पमेधसाम्।
देवान्देवयजोयान्तिमद्भक्तायान्तिमामपि।।7.23।।
7.23 The fruit that comes to men of limited insight is, after all, finite. They who worship the Lower Powers attain them; but those who worship Me come unto Me alone.
अव्यक्तंव्यक्ितमापन्नंमन्यन्तेमामबुद्धयः।
परंभावमजानन्तोममाव्ययमनुत्तमम्।।7.24।।
7.24 The ignorant think of Me, who am the Unmanifested Spirit, as if I were really in human form. They do not understand that My Superior Nature is changeless and most excellent.
नाहंप्रकाशःसर्वस्ययोगमायासमावृतः।
मूढोऽयंनाभिजानातिलोकोमामजमव्ययम्।।7.25।।
7.25 I am not visible to all, for I am enveloped by the illusion of Phenomenon. This deluded world does not know Me as the Unborn and the Imperishable.
वेदाहंसमतीतानिवर्तमानानिचार्जुन।
भविष्याणिचभूतानिमांतुवेदनकश्चन।।7.26।।
7.26 I know, O Arjuna, all beings in the past, the present and the future; but they do not know Me.
इच्छाद्वेषसमुत्थेनद्वन्द्वमोहेनभारत।
सर्वभूतानिसंमोहंसर्गेयान्तिपरन्तप।।7.27।।
7.27 O brave Arjuna! Man lives in a fairy world, deceived by the glamour of opposite sensations, infatuated by desire and aversion.
येषांत्वन्तगतंपापंजनानांपुण्यकर्मणाम्।
तेद्वन्द्वमोहनिर्मुक्ताभजन्तेमांदृढव्रताः।।7.28।।
7.28 But those who act righteously, in whom sin has been destroyed, who are free from the infatuation of the conflicting emotions, they worship Me with firm resolution.
जरामरणमोक्षायमामाश्रित्ययतन्तिये।
तेब्रह्मतद्विदुःकृत्स्नमध्यात्मंकर्मचाखिलम्।।7.29।।
7.29 Those who make Me their refuge, who strive for liberation from decay and Death, they realize the Supreme Spirit, which is their own real Self, and in which all action finds its consummation.
साधिभूताधिदैवंमांसाधियज्ञंचयेविदुः।
प्रयाणकालेऽपिचमांतेविदुर्युक्तचेतसः।।7.30।।
7.30 Those who see Me in the life of the world, in the universal sacrifice, and as pure Divinity, keeping their minds steady, they live in Me, even in the crucial hour of death.”
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Subject Clearing
ULTIMATE REFUGE
Not many know this ultimate refuge and arrive at it. The whole universe is its manifestation. It sustains the universe. It lies at the core of everything. It connects everything. All the attributes, qualities and powers come from it. The whole nature springs from it. All deceptions arise from it. It is the constant beyond all illusion. It is not easy to move past this illusion. It requires concentration and discipline to recognize it as Oneness. See Verses 7:1 – 7:15.
REFUGEES
These are the righteous who suffer, who desire knowledge, who thirst after truth, and who then attain wisdom. Of all of these, he who has gained wisdom, who continues to meditates without ceasing is the best. He is closest to attaining the refuge. It may take many lives, but he finally realizes that Oneness is the ultimate refuge. See Verses 7:16 – 7:19.
OBSTACLES
The are the distractions that obscure wisdom by one desire or the other, such as, worshipping the lesser Powers, practicing many rites which vary according to their temperaments. It amounts to a lack of faith in Oneness. See Verses 7:20 – 7:21.
WORSHIP
A person attains whatever form he worships with real faith. The fruit that comes to men of limited insight is, after all, finite. They who worship the Lower Powers attain them; but those who worship the ultimate Oneness attain that. The ignorant think of the ultimate refuge to be of human form. They do not understand that it is changeless and most excellent. See Verses 7:22 – 7:24.
ILLUSION
Man lives in a fairy world, deceived by the glamour of opposite sensations, infatuated by desire and aversion. The ultimate refuge is enveloped by the illusion of Phenomenon. This deluded world does not recognize the constant underlying all this changing phenomena. See Verses 7:25 – 7:27.
DISCIPLINE
Act righteously. Free yourself from the infatuation of the conflicting emotions. Seek oneness with firm resolution. Strive for liberation from decay and Death. The truth lies within you. It is the common denominator of everything. Keep your mind steady, and contemplate on Oneness even in the crucial hour of death. See Verses 7:28 – 7:30.
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