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 separated
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 to
them, while those who are My devotees as well attain to
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 cannot 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 of all living beings, but Me nobody 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