Bhagavad Gita chapter 7, Jnana Vijnana Yoga. 30 verses.
ज्ञानविज्ञानयोग
In chapter 7 of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna teaches knowledge and its realisation: who he is, and how he can be known. He names his lower nature of eight parts, from earth to the sense of “I”, and his higher one, life itself (7.4–7.5). All this, he says, is strung on him like gems on a thread; he is the taste in water and the light of sun and moon (7.7–7.8). Deluded by states made of the three gunas, he says, the world does not know him, but those who take refuge in him cross his maya (7.13–7.14). Four kinds of good people worship him, he says, and the wise one is the best of them (7.16–7.17). Whatever form people worship with faith, he says, he makes their faith firm (7.21). The last verses name terms that Arjuna asks about in chapter 8. Commentators read several verses differently.
A summary written for this site from this chapter’s verses and our explanations of them. It is not a translation.
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मय्यासक्तमनाः पार्थ योगं युञ्जन्मदाश्रयः ।असंशयं समग्रं मां यथा ज्ञास्यसि तच्छृणु ॥
Mayyasaktamanah partha yogam yunjanmadashrayahAsanshayam samagram mam yatha jnasyasi tachchhrinu
Krishna begins a new teaching. He tells Arjuna (Partha) to listen: with his mind attached to Krishna, practising yoga and taking refuge in him, Arjuna will come to know him fully and without doubt.
Explanation written for this site and checked against the cited edition. Free to quote with credit.
ज्ञानं तेऽहं सविज्ञानमिदं वक्ष्याम्यशेषतः ।यज्ज्ञात्वा नेह भूयोऽन्यज्ज्ञातव्यमवशिष्यते ॥
Jnanam teham savijnanamidam vakshyamyasheshatahYajjnatva neha bhuyonyajjnatavyamavashishyate
Krishna promises to explain fully both knowledge (jñāna) and its realisation in experience (vijñāna). Once this is known, he says, nothing else remains to be known here. These two words give the chapter its name.
मनुष्याणां सहस्रेषु कश्चिद्यतति सिद्धये ।यततामपि सिद्धानां कश्चिन्मां वेत्ति तत्त्वतः ॥
Manushyanam sahasreshu kashchidyatati siddhayeYatatamapi siddhanam kashchinmam vetti tattvatah
Among thousands of people, Krishna says, hardly one strives for perfection; and even among those who strive and succeed, hardly one knows him as he truly is.
भूमिरापोऽनलो वायुः खं मनो बुद्धिरेव च ।अहङ्कार इतीयं मे भिन्ना प्रकृतिरष्टधा ॥
Bhumiraponalo vayuh kham mano buddhireva chaAhankara itiyam me bhinna prakritirashtadha
Krishna names the eight parts of his nature (prakṛti): earth, water, fire, air, space (ether), mind (manas), intellect (buddhi) and the sense of "I" (ahaṅkāra). The commentators explain this list in different ways (see the views).
अपरेयमितस्त्वन्यां प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम् ।जीवभूतां महाबाहो ययेदं धार्यते जगत् ॥
Apareyamitastvanyam prakritim viddhi me paramJivabhutam mahabaho yayedam dharyate jagat
This eightfold nature, Krishna says, is the lower one. He has another, higher nature, which is life itself (jīva-bhūtā), and by which this whole world is held up. The two schools read this higher nature differently (see the views).
एतद्योनीनि भूतानि सर्वाणीत्युपधारय ।अहं कृत्स्नस्य जगतः प्रभवः प्रलयस्तथा ॥
Etadyonini bhutani sarvanityupadharayaAham kritsnasya jagatah prabhavah pralayastatha
All beings come from these two natures, Krishna says. He himself is the origin of the whole world and also its dissolution.
मत्तः परतरं नान्यत्किञ्चिदस्ति धनञ्जय ।मयि सर्वमिदं प्रोतं सूत्रे मणिगणा इव ॥
Mattah parataram nanyatkinchidasti dhananjayaMayi sarvamidam protam sutre manigana iva
Nothing at all is higher than him, Krishna tells Arjuna (Dhananjaya). Everything is strung on him like gems on a thread.
रसोऽहमप्सु कौन्तेय प्रभाऽस्मि शशिसूर्ययोः ।प्रणवः सर्ववेदेषु शब्दः खे पौरुषं नृषु ॥
Rasohamapsu kaunteya prabhasmi shashisuryayohPranavah sarvavedeshu shabdah khe paurusham nrishu
Krishna begins to name what he is in the world: the taste in water, the light of the moon and the sun, the syllable Om (praṇava) in all the Vedas, sound in space, and strength in human beings.
पुण्यो गन्धः पृथिव्यां च तेजश्चास्मि विभावसौ ।जीवनं सर्वभूतेषु तपश्चास्मि तपस्विषु ॥
Punyo gandhah prithivyam cha tejashchasmi vibhavasauJivanam sarvabhuteshu tapashchasmi tapasvishu
Krishna says he is the pure fragrance of the earth and the brightness of fire, the life in all beings, and the discipline (tapas) of those who practise discipline.
बीजं मां सर्वभूतानां विद्धि पार्थ सनातनम् ।बुद्धिर्बुद्धिमतामस्मि तेजस्तेजस्विनामहम् ॥
Bijam mam sarvabhutanam viddhi partha sanatanamBuddhirbuddhimatamasmi tejastejasvinamaham
Krishna tells Arjuna to know him as the eternal seed of all beings. He is the understanding of those who understand and the brilliance of the brilliant.
बलं बलवतां चाहं कामरागविवर्जितम् ।धर्माविरुद्धो भूतेषु कामोऽस्मि भरतर्षभ ॥
Balam balavatam chaham kamaragavivarjitamDharmaviruddho bhuteshu kamosmi bharatarshabha
Krishna says he is the strength of the strong that is free of craving and attachment. And in all beings, he says, he is desire (kāma) that does not go against dharma.
ये चैव सात्त्विका भावा राजसास्तामसाश्च ये ।मत्त एवेति तान्विद्धि न त्वहं तेषु ते मयि ॥
Ye chaiva sattvika bhava rajasastamasashcha yeMatta eveti tanviddhi na tvaham teshu te mayi
All states of being that are sāttvic (calm and clear), rājasic (active and restless) or tāmasic (dull and heavy) come from him alone, Krishna says. Yet he is not in them; they are in him.
त्रिभिर्गुणमयैर्भावैरेभिः सर्वमिदं जगत् ।मोहितं नाभिजानाति मामेभ्यः परमव्ययम् ॥
Tribhirgunamayairbhavairebhih sarvamidam jagatMohitam nabhijanati mamebhyah paramavyayam
Krishna says that, deluded by these three kinds of states, made of the three guṇas (sattva, rajas and tamas), the whole world does not recognise him, who is beyond them and does not change.
दैवी ह्येषा गुणमयी मम माया दुरत्यया ।मामेव ये प्रपद्यन्ते मायामेतां तरन्ति ते ॥
Daivi hyesha gunamayi mama maya duratyayaMameva ye prapadyante mayametam taranti te
Krishna says that this divine māyā of his, made of the guṇas, is hard to get past. Those who take refuge in him alone cross over it. The schools understand māyā here differently (see the views).
न मां दुष्कृतिनो मूढाः प्रपद्यन्ते नराधमाः ।माययाऽपहृतज्ञाना आसुरं भावमाश्रिताः ॥
Na mam dushkritino mudhah prapadyante naradhamahMayayapahritajnana asuram bhavamashritah
Krishna says that those who do wrong and are deluded, the lowest among people (narādhama), do not come to him: people whose understanding has been carried away by māyā, and who have taken on the nature of the asuras (the opponents of the gods in the old stories).
चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जनाः सुकृतिनोऽर्जुन ।आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ ॥
Chaturvidha bhajante mam janah sukritinorjunaArto jijnasurartharthi jnani cha bharatarshabha
Four kinds of good people worship him, Krishna tells Arjuna: the one in distress (ārta), the one who wants to know (jijñāsu), the one who seeks wealth (arthārthī), and the wise one (jñānī). The commentators describe the four in different ways (see the views).
तेषां ज्ञानी नित्ययुक्त एकभक्तिर्विशिष्यते ।प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थमहं स च मम प्रियः ॥
Tesham jnani nityayukta ekabhaktirvishishyatePriyo hi jnaninotyarthamaham sa cha mama priyah
Of these four, Krishna says, the wise one is the best: always steady in yoga and devoted to the One alone. He is very dear to the wise one, and the wise one is dear to him.
उदाराः सर्व एवैते ज्ञानी त्वात्मैव मे मतम् ।आस्थितः स हि युक्तात्मा मामेवानुत्तमां गतिम् ॥
Udarah sarva evaite jnani tvatmaiva me matamAsthitah sa hi yuktatma mamevanuttamam gatim
All four are noble, Krishna says, but he holds the wise one to be his very self, because the wise one, with mind steady in yoga, has taken him as the highest goal.
बहूनां जन्मनामन्ते ज्ञानवान्मां प्रपद्यते ।वासुदेवः सर्वमिति स महात्मा सुदुर्लभः ॥
Bahunam janmanamante jnanavanmam prapadyateVasudevah sarvamiti sa mahatma sudurlabhah
At the end of many births, Krishna says, the person who has knowledge comes to him, knowing that "Vasudeva is all". Vasudeva is a name of Krishna, the son of Vasudeva. Such a great soul (mahātmā) is very rare.
कामैस्तैस्तैर्हृतज्ञानाः प्रपद्यन्तेऽन्यदेवताः ।तं तं नियममास्थाय प्रकृत्या नियताः स्वया ॥
Kamaistaistairhritajnanah prapadyantenyadevatahTam tam niyamamasthaya prakritya niyatah svaya
People whose understanding is carried away by this or that desire turn to other deities, Krishna says, following various rules and practices, as their own nature leads them.
यो यो यां यां तनुं भक्तः श्रद्धयाऽर्चितुमिच्छति ।तस्य तस्याचलां श्रद्धां तामेव विदधाम्यहम् ॥
Yo yo yam yam tanum bhaktah shraddhayarchitumichchhatiTasya tasyachalam shraddham tameva vidadhamyaham
Whatever form a devotee wishes to worship with faith (śraddhā), Krishna says, he makes that very faith firm.
स तया श्रद्धया युक्तस्तस्याराधनमीहते ।लभते च ततः कामान्मयैव विहितान्हि तान् ॥
Sa taya shraddhaya yuktastasyaradhanamihateLabhate cha tatah kamanmayaiva vihitanhi tan
With that faith, Krishna says, the devotee worships that form and gains what he wishes for. But, he adds, those good things are in truth granted by him.
अन्तवत्तु फलं तेषां तद्भवत्यल्पमेधसाम् ।देवान्देवयजो यान्ति मद्भक्ता यान्ति मामपि ॥
Antavattu phalam tesham tadbhavatyalpamedhasamDevandevayajo yanti madbhakta yanti mamapi
But the fruit gained by those of small understanding has an end, Krishna says. Those who worship the gods go to the gods; his devotees come to him.
अव्यक्तं व्यक्तिमापन्नं मन्यन्ते मामबुद्धयः ।परं भावमजानन्तो ममाव्ययमनुत्तमम् ॥
Avyaktam vyaktimapannam manyante mamabuddhayahParam bhavamajananto mamavyayamanuttamam
People without discernment, Krishna says, think that he, the unmanifest, has merely become manifest, because they do not know his highest nature, which never changes and has nothing above it.
नाहं प्रकाशः सर्वस्य योगमायासमावृतः ।मूढोऽयं नाभिजानाति लोको मामजमव्ययम् ॥
Naham prakashah sarvasya yogamayasamavritahMudhoyam nabhijanati loko mamajamavyayam
Veiled by his yoga-māyā, Krishna says, he is not revealed to everyone. This confused world does not know him as unborn and unchanging.
वेदाहं समतीतानि वर्तमानानि चार्जुन ।भविष्याणि च भूतानि मां तु वेद न कश्चन ॥
Vedaham samatitani vartamanani charjunaBhavishyani cha bhutani mam tu veda na kashchana
Krishna tells Arjuna that he knows all beings, those that have been, those that are and those still to come, but no one knows him.
इच्छाद्वेषसमुत्थेन द्वन्द्वमोहेन भारत ।सर्वभूतानि सम्मोहं सर्गे यान्ति परन्तप ॥
Ichchhadveshasamutthena dvandvamohena bharataSarvabhutani sammoham sarge yanti parantapa
From the moment they are born, Krishna says, all beings are confused by the pairs of opposites (dvandva), such as pleasure and pain, which arise from liking and disliking.
येषां त्वन्तगतं पापं जनानां पुण्यकर्मणाम् ।ते द्वन्द्वमोहनिर्मुक्ता भजन्ते मां दृढव्रताः ॥
Yesham tvantagatam papam jananam punyakarmanamTe dvandvamohanirmukta bhajante mam dridhavratah
But people of good deeds, whose wrongdoing has come to an end, are freed from this confusion of the opposites, Krishna says, and they worship him, firm in their vows.
जरामरणमोक्षाय मामाश्रित्य यतन्ति ये ।ते ब्रह्म तद्विदुः कृत्स्नमध्यात्मं कर्म चाखिलम् ॥
Jaramaranamokshaya mamashritya yatanti yeTe brahma tadviduh kritsnamadhyatmam karma chakhilam
Those who take refuge in him and strive to be free from old age and death, Krishna says, come to know Brahman, the whole of adhyātma (what concerns the self) and all of karma (action). These terms are explained in chapter 8.
साधिभूताधिदैवं मां साधियज्ञं च ये विदुः ।प्रयाणकालेऽपि च मां ते विदुर्युक्तचेतसः ॥
Sadhibhutadhidaivam mam sadhiyajnam cha ye viduhPrayanakalepi cha mam te viduryuktachetasah
Krishna says that those who know him together with adhibhūta (what concerns beings), adhidaiva (what concerns the gods) and adhiyajña (what concerns sacrifice), with minds steady in yoga, know him even at the time of leaving the body. Arjuna asks about these terms at the start of chapter 8.