CHAPTER 7:
THE YOGA OF WISDOM
About knowing and
realizing oneself
(1) The Supreme
Lord said: 'Try to hear about, how attached to Me in the mind, o son of
Prithâ, practicing unification under My care, you can know that
complete of Me without any doubt. (2) I shall now in full explain to you this
knowledge together with its wisdom, knowing which leaves one nothing
further to be known in this world.
(3) Out of
thousands of men but a single one endeavors for perfection and of those
endeavoring thus there is indeed but a single one who really knows Me. (4) Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind,
intelligence and certainly false ego thus together are my eight
separate energies. (5)
Try to understand that besides these lower ones there is another energy
that is the superior of Me as the soul of the living entities, o mighty
armed one, which is sustaining this material world. (6) All created is rooted in these two; know
that of all included in this universe I am as well the source of
manifestation as its dissolution.
(7) Beyond the
superior of Me, there is nothing else to be found, o conquerer of
wealth; in Me is all that we see strung like pearls on a thread. (8) I am the taste of water, o son of
Kuntî, the light I am of the moon and the sun, the pranava in all
the Vedas, the sound in the sky and manhood in man. (9) Also the pure fragrance of the earth as well
as the heat of fire I am and the life in all living beings and the
penance in the repentant I am too. (10) Know, o son of Prithâ, that I am the
seed of all living beings, the original intelligence of the intelligent
I am; I am the prowess of the powerful. (11) I am the strength of the strong that is free
from desire and attachment and, o Lord of the Bhâratas, I am the
sex-life in all living beings that is consistent with its nature.
(12) And try to understand that of all which is
surely in the state of goodness, passion and slowness and thus all that
is certainly so of Me, you should not know Me as being in them but that
they are in Me. (13)
From all these three states consisting of the natural modes the whole
world is deluded not knowing Me as being situated above them as the
inexhaustible Supreme. (14)
This divine energy of Mine consisting of the
three modes is very difficult to overcome, but surely they who
surrender to Me will overcome this illusory of matter. (15) The ones who do evil and the foolish do not
surrender to Me; the lowest of mankind whose knowledge is stolen by
this mâyâ have adopted the atheistic nature.
(16) Of the pious
of men there are four kinds that are devoted to Me, o Arjuna: the
distressed, the inquisitive, the ones desiring material gain and the
ones who know things as they are as well, o great one of the
Bhâratas. (17)
Of these the one, who is always aligned in the sole devotion of knowing
things as they are, is specially dear, for certainly as with the person
of knowledge I am held high, he is also favored by Me. (18) All these of knowledge are undoubtedly all
very noble, but he who in his soul is connected to Me I consider to be
alike Myself, as in Me is certainly found the highest destination. (19)
After many lives one who knows Me surrenders to My universal reality,
knowing Me to be all that is - such a great soul is thus very rare.
(20) Because of
various desires those deprived of knowledge surrender themselves to the
demigods and their corresponding regulations, following them according
their own nature. (21)
Whoever is faithfully devoted to whatever form of a demigod in worship
as desired, him so I surely give a steady faith. (22) Endowed with that inspiration of that
demigod he for that worship obtains what he aspires and certainly is
that from his desires arranged by Me only. (23) But perishable are the fruits that become of
those who are less intelligent; those who go for the gods attain them,
while those who are My devotees as well attain Me. (24)
The less intelligent think that I manifested out of the unmanifested
without them knowing of My supreme existence that is imperishable and
the finest. (25)
I am not manifest to everyone, as the foolish are covered by illusory
concepts of union; they can not understand Me as being situated in the
unborn and inexhaustible. (26) I know all of
the past, the present and, o Arjuna, the future as well as of all
living beings, but Me nobody [really] knows. (27)
By the illusion of duality that arose from liking and disliking, o
scion of Bhârata, all the living entities are, from the
beginning, deluded, o conqueror of the foes. (28) The sins of those persons have come to an end whose previous
activities were pious; they are free from the delusion of duality and
engage with determination in the service of Me. (29)
For being liberated from birth and death all persons who so endeavor
take shelter of Me and are actually of the spiritual; they are fully
acquainted with everything about the individual transcendence of
material actions. (30)
Those who know Me as ruling all as well as the godly and the sacrifices
also; they with their minds connected in Me even know Me at the time of
their death too.
Spoken by Anand Aadhar Prabhu
to the text offered below