Jnana Vijnana Yoga
The Yoga Of Knowledge And Realization

7:1: The Blessed One said: With the mind attached to Me, O child of Partha, by practicing yoga to take refuge in Me, absolutely free from doubt, you will know how to attain Me, so listen attentively.

7:2: Unto you I will declare this knowledge, along with understanding, in its entirety, knowing which there will remain nothing else in this world to know.

7:3: Out of thousands of people one may endeavor for perfection; among those who have achieved perfection, one may know Me in truth.

7:4-6: My eightfold nature is divided as earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect and false ego.
This [nature] is subjacent, O mighty armed one. Know My other, superior nature to be the source of all living entities. By it this entire universe is sustained.
These two natures are the wombs of all living entities. Know that I am the source as well as the dissolution of the universes.

7:7: Nothing is superior to Me, O Dhananjaya; in Me all this is strung as jewels on a thread.

7:8-11: I am the taste in water, O son of Kunti, the light of the moon and sun, I am the sacred syllable Om contained in the Vedas, I am the sound in ether and the virility in men.
I am the sacred fragrance in the earth, I am the brilliance in fire, I am the life in all living entities, I am the austerity in penitents.
Know Me to be the seed [from which] all living entities [arise], O child of Partha. Of the intelligent I am the eternal intellect, of the brilliant I am the brilliance.
I am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion and attachment. I am desire in all beings, which is not opposed to dharma, O best of the Bharatas.

7:12: Whether in the nature of goodness, passion or ignorance, everything thus comes from Me, but know that although I am not in them, they are all in Me.

7:13, 14: This entire universe is deluded by the three qualities of material nature [goodness, passion and ignorance] and hence does not know Me who is supreme and immutable.
This extraordinary power of Mine, consisting of the qualities of material nature, is difficult to transcend, but those who take refuge in Me pass beyond it.

7:15: Those who are sinful and foolish do not take refuge of Me. Due to illusion these lowest of people are deluded and bereft of knowledge, thus they accept a demonic nature.

7:16-18: O Arjuna, O best of the Bharatas, four kinds of righteous people worship Me: those who are distressed, those who are inquisitive, those who seek material prosperity and those who are wise.
Of these, the one who has knowledge and who is always yoked by one-pointed devotion surpasses them all. To such a wise person I am very dear and indeed such a person is dear to Me as well.
All these are indeed exalted, but the one who has knowledge of the Self, in My opinion, is established in Me; being self-controlled, this one maintains Me as the supreme goal.

7:19: After many births one who has knowledge takes refuge of Me, Vasudeva, as thus being everything. Such a great soul is rarely seen.

7:20: Others, by their various desires, have their knowledge taken away; they seek refuge of other gods whose regulations are in agreement with their own natures.

7:21, 22: Whoever [the deva may be], and in whichever form, [when] a faithful devotee desires to worship, I make that person's faith immovable.
Endowed with that faith, such a one engages in worship and obtains his desires, though certainly everything is arranged by Me.

7:23: Those who lack intelligence worship the devas [gods] and receive perishable fruits [results] from them. In the end they go to the devas, but those who worship Me come to Me.

7:24: Less intelligent people think I was unmanifested and then became manifest. They don't understand that I, the Source of all existence, am immutable and supreme.

7:25: I do not reveal Myself to everyone. Due to the illusory veil of the mystic union of the three qualities of material nature, this foolish world does not know Me who is unborn and imperishable.

7:26: O Arjuna, I know the past, present and future of all beings, but no one knows Me.

7:27: Desire and hatred arise from duality which is due to delusion, O child of Bharata. All beings are born into delusion, O chastiser of enemies.

7:28: Those pious people whose sins have come to an end, whose actions are free from duality and delusion, worship Me with determined vows.

7:29: Those who take refuge in Me and endeavor for liberation from old age and death know the nature of Brahman, the self and action entirely.

7:30: I am the source of all primal elements; the source of all gods as well as the source of all sacrifices. With the mind absorbed in Me, they [intelligent persons] know me even at the time of death.

Here Ends Chapter Seven.

Go to: Chapter Eight

Go to: Setting the Stage: My Introduction.

Go to: Notes and References.