Chapter 7 : Gyan-Vigyan Yog
1
The Supreme
Personality of Godhead said: Now hear, O son of Prtha, how by practicing
yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know
Me in full, free from doubt.
2
I shall
now declare unto you in full this knowledge, both phenomenal and numinous.
This being known, nothing further shall remain for you to know.
3
Out of many
thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who
have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.
4
Earth, water,
fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego -- all together these
eight constitute My separated material energies.
5
Besides these,
O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is another, superior energy of Mine, which
comprises the living entities who are exploiting the resources of this
material, inferior nature.
6
All created
beings have their source in these two natures. Of all that is material
and all that is spiritual in this world, know for certain that I am both
the origin and the dissolution.
7
O conqueror
of wealth, there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me,
as pearls are strung on a thread.
8
O son of Kunti,
I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable
om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.
9
I am the original
fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all
that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics.
10
O son of Prtha,
know that I am the original seed of all existences, the intelligence of
the intelligent, and the prowess of all powerful men.
11
I am the strength
of the strong, devoid of passion and desire. I am sex life which is not
contrary to religious principles, O lord of the Bharatas [Arjuna].
12
Know that
all states of being -- be they of goodness, passion or ignorance -- are
manifested by My energy. I am, in one sense, everything, but I am independent.
I am not under the modes of material nature, for they, on the contrary,
are within Me.
13
Deluded by
the three modes [goodness, passion and ignorance], the whole world does
not know Me, who am above the modes and inexhaustible.
14
This divine
energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult
to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond
it.
15
Those miscreants
who are grossly foolish, who are lowest among mankind, whose knowledge
is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons
do not surrender unto Me.
16
O best among
the Bharatas, four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service
unto Me -- the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and
he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.
17
Of these,
the one who is in full knowledge and who is always engaged in pure devotional
service is the best. For I am very dear to him, and he is dear to Me.
18
All these
devotees are undoubtedly magnanimous souls, but he who is situated in knowledge
of Me I consider to be just like My own self. Being engaged in My transcendental
service, he is sure to attain Me, the highest and most perfect goal.
19
After many
births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me,
knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great
soul is very rare.
20
Those whose
intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods
and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to
their own natures.
21
I am in everyone's
heart as the Supersoul. As soon as one desires to worship some demigod,
I make his faith steady so that he can devote himself to that particular
deity.
22
Endowed with
such a faith, he endeavors to worship a particular demigod and obtains
his desires. But in actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me alone.
23
Men of small
intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary.
Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My
devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet.
24
Unintelligent
men, who do not know Me perfectly, think that I, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, Krishna, was impersonal before and have now assumed this personality.
Due to their small knowledge, they do not know My higher nature, which
is imperishable and supreme.
25
I am never
manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My
internal potency, and therefore they do not know that I am unborn and infallible.
26
O Arjuna,
as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I know everything that has happened
in the past, all that is happening in the present, and all things that
are yet to come. I also know all living entities; but Me no one knows.
27
O scion of
Bharata, O conqueror of the foe, all living entities are born into delusion,
bewildered by dualities arisen from desire and hate.
28
Persons who
have acted piously in previous lives and in this life and whose sinful
actions are completely eradicated are freed from the dualities of delusion,
and they engage themselves in My service with determination.
29
Intelligent
persons who are endeavoring for liberation from old age and death take
refuge in Me in devotional service. They are actually Brahman because they
entirely know everything about transcendental activities.
30
Those in full
consciousness of Me, who know Me, the Supreme Lord, to be the governing
principle of the material manifestation, of the demigods, and of all methods
of sacrifice, can understand and know Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
even at the time of death.
Gyan-Vigyan Yog |