Chapter 7 — The Yoga of Knowledge and Realization

Om

Reverence to the Supreme Self

The Blessed Lord said

With your mind absorbed in Me, Partha, practicing yoga and taking refuge in Me, hear how you will know Me wholly, beyond all doubt. ॥७- १॥

I will declare to you, without remainder, this knowledge together with its realization; once it is known, nothing further remains to be known here. ॥७- २॥

Among thousands of human beings, hardly one strives for perfection; and even among those who strive and attain perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth. ॥७- ३॥

Earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, understanding, and ego— this is My nature, divided into eight parts. ॥७- ४॥

This nature is lower. But beyond it, know My other nature, the higher— the living principle, mighty-armed one, by which this world is sustained. ॥७- ५॥

Understand that all beings have these as their womb. I am the source of the entire universe and also its dissolution. ॥७- ६॥

There is nothing whatever higher than Me, Dhananjaya. All this is strung upon Me like clusters of jewels upon a thread. ॥७- ७॥

I am the taste in water, Kaunteya, the radiance in moon and sun, the sacred Om in all the Vedas, sound in space, and human strength in humanity. ॥७- ८॥

I am the pure fragrance in the earth and the brilliance in fire; I am life in all beings and austerity in those who practice austerity. ॥७- ९॥

Know Me, Partha, as the eternal seed of all beings. I am the understanding of the discerning and the splendor of the splendid. ॥७- १०॥

I am the strength of the strong, free from desire and attachment; and in all beings I am desire that does not oppose dharma, bull of the Bharatas. ॥७- ११॥

Whatever states of being are sattvic, rajasic, or tamasic, know that they arise from Me alone; yet I am not in them—they are in Me. ॥७- १२॥

Deluded by these three states woven of the qualities of nature, the whole world does not recognize Me as beyond them and imperishable. ॥७- १३॥

For this divine māyā of Mine, woven of the qualities, is hard to cross. Those who take refuge in Me alone cross beyond this māyā. ॥७- १४॥

Wrongdoers, the deluded and the lowest among humanity, do not take refuge in Me; their knowledge has been carried away by māyā, and they have embraced a demonic disposition. ॥७- १५॥

Four kinds of virtuous people devote themselves to Me, Arjuna: the afflicted, the seeker of knowledge, the seeker of gain, and the one who knows, bull of the Bharatas. ॥७- १६॥

Of these, the one who knows excels— ever steadfast, devoted to the One. For I am exceedingly dear to the one who knows, and that one is dear to Me. ॥७- १७॥

All these are noble, but the one who knows is My very Self—such is My judgment. For with a self steadfast in yoga, that one rests in Me alone as the unsurpassed goal. ॥७- १८॥

At the end of many births, one who possesses knowledge takes refuge in Me, knowing, “Vāsudeva is all.” Such a great soul is exceedingly rare. ॥७- १९॥

Those whose knowledge has been carried away by various desires take refuge in other deities, each observing a particular discipline, constrained by their own nature. ॥७- २०॥

Whatever form a devotee desires to worship with faith, I make that very faith steady in that person. ॥७- २१॥

Endowed with that faith, the devotee seeks to worship that form and obtains from it the desired objects— though in truth they are granted by Me alone. ॥७- २२॥

But the fruit gained by those of little understanding comes to an end. Worshipers of the gods go to the gods; My devotees come to Me. ॥७- २३॥

Those without understanding think of Me, the unmanifest, as having come into manifestation, not knowing My supreme state— imperishable and unsurpassed. ॥७- २४॥

Veiled by My yoga-māyā, I am not manifest to everyone. This deluded world does not recognize Me as unborn and imperishable. ॥७- २५॥

I know all beings that have passed, those now present, Arjuna, and those yet to come; but no one knows Me. ॥७- २६॥

Through the delusion of duality arising from desire and aversion, Bharata, all beings fall into bewilderment at birth, scorcher of foes. ॥७- २७॥

But those people of virtuous action in whom wrongdoing has come to an end, freed from the delusion of duality, devote themselves to Me, firm in their vows. ॥७- २८॥

Those who strive for freedom from old age and death, taking refuge in Me, know Brahman, the whole reality of the Self, and action in its entirety. ॥७- २९॥

Those who know Me as present in the realm of beings, in the divine realm, and in sacrifice, know Me even at the hour of departure, their minds steadfast in yoga. ॥७- ३०॥

Om Tat Sat. Thus, in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita, in the knowledge of Brahman, in the scripture of yoga, in the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the seventh chapter, entitled “The Yoga of Knowledge and Realization.” ॥ ७ ॥

Om

Salutations to the glorious Supreme Self.

The Blessed Lord said:

With your mind attached to me, Partha, practicing yoga and taking refuge in me,hear how you will know me completely and without doubt. ॥७- १॥

I will tell you this knowledge, together with realized understanding, in full.Once you know it, nothing more remains here to be known. ॥७- २॥

Among thousands of people, perhaps one strives for perfection.Even among those who strive and attain perfection, perhaps one knows me as I truly am. ॥७- ३॥

Earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, understanding,and ego—these form my nature divided eight ways. ॥७- ४॥

But know that beyond this lower nature I have another, a higher nature,which becomes the living self, mighty-armed one, and by which this world is sustained. ॥७- ५॥

Understand that all beings have these two natures as their womb.I am the origin of the whole world and also its dissolution. ॥७- ६॥

There is nothing at all higher than me, Dhananjaya.All this is strung on me like clusters of jewels on a thread. ॥७- ७॥

I am the taste in water, son of Kunti, and the radiance in the moon and sun.I am Om in all the Vedas, sound in space, and manly vigor in men. ॥७- ८॥

I am the pure fragrance in the earth and the brilliance in fire.I am life in all beings and austerity in those who practice austerity. ॥७- ९॥

Know me, Partha, as the eternal seed of all beings.I am the understanding of those who understand and the brilliance of the brilliant. ॥७- १०॥

I am the strength of the strong, free from craving and attachment.And in all beings I am desire that does not conflict with dharma, bull of Bharata. ॥७- ११॥

Whatever states arise from goodness, passion, or darkness,know that they come from me alone. Yet I am not in them; they are in me. ॥७- १२॥

Deluded by these states made from the three qualities, this whole worlddoes not recognize me, who am beyond them and imperishable. ॥७- १३॥

For this divine Maya of mine, made from the qualities, is hard to cross.Those who take refuge in me alone cross over this Maya. ॥७- १४॥

Evildoers, the deluded, and the lowest among people do not take refuge in me.Their knowledge has been taken away by Maya, and they have embraced a demonic disposition. ॥७- १५॥

Four kinds of virtuous people worship me, Arjuna:the distressed, the seeker of knowledge, the seeker of gain, and the one who knows, bull of Bharata. ॥७- १६॥

Among them, the one who knows, always joined to me and devoted to me alone, excels.For I am exceedingly dear to the one who knows, and that person is dear to me. ॥७- १७॥

All these people are noble, but I consider the one who knows to be my very self.For that person, disciplined in self, is established in me alone as the unsurpassed goal. ॥७- १८॥

At the end of many births, one who possesses knowledge takes refuge in me,knowing, “Vasudeva is everything.” Such a great soul is very rare. ॥७- १९॥

Those whose knowledge has been carried away by various desires take refuge in other deities.They follow one practice after another, constrained by their own nature. ॥७- २०॥

Whichever form a devotee wishes to worship with faith,I make that person’s faith in that very form unwavering. ॥७- २१॥

Joined with that faith, the devotee seeks to worship that formand obtains from it the desired things that I alone have in fact granted. ॥७- २२॥

But the fruit gained by those of little understanding comes to an end.Worshipers of the gods go to the gods; my devotees also come to me. ॥७- २३॥

Those without understanding think that I, the unmanifest, have come into manifestation.They do not know my supreme nature, which is imperishable and unsurpassed. ॥७- २४॥

Veiled by Yoga-Maya, I am not manifest to everyone.This deluded world does not recognize me as unborn and imperishable. ॥७- २५॥

I know the beings that have passed, those now present, and those still to come, Arjuna.But no one knows me. ॥७- २६॥

Because of the delusion of opposites arising from desire and hatred, Bharata,all beings fall into complete delusion at birth, scorcher of foes. ॥७- २७॥

But those virtuous people whose wrongdoing has come to an end,freed from the delusion of opposites, worship me with firm vows. ॥७- २८॥

Those who take refuge in me and strive for freedom from old age and deathknow Brahman, the whole reality of the inner self, and all action. ॥७- २९॥

Those who know me together with what concerns beings, what concerns the gods,and what concerns sacrifice know me even at the time of death, with minds joined to me. ॥७- ३०॥

“Om, That, the Real”—thus, in the glorious Bhagavad Gita Upanishads, in the knowledge of Brahman, in the teaching of yoga,in the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the seventh chapter, named “The Yoga of Knowledge and Realized Understanding.” ॥ ७ ॥