bhagavad-giitaa adhyaaya 7 (English)

In this chapter, Kr's'n'a starts to explain both spiritual and mundane knowledge. He says that among thousands of human beings, someone strives after perfection. This might be surprising, considering the fact that numerous people consider themselves religious in this world. However, many people have a superficial interest in religion, with other purposes that true perfection. This will be explained in more detail in later chapters. Even among perfected people, not everyone knows Kr's'n'a accurately, but only a few. Then, Kr's'n'a explains that the inferior nature is divided in eight parts. One of these eight parts is kha, which I have translated as air. Some other translators translate this as space or ether, but this is incorrect, because it is also said in the scriptures (including verse 8 in this chapter) that there is sound in kha. However, in space there is no sound, so space cannot be the correct translation, but in air there is sound, so air is the proper translation. This also means that vaayu can't be translated as air, but a more correct translation is wind, since there is touch in vaayu, and it is difficult to perceive touch in just air. The superior nature is the living beings, the pure souls. Thereafter, Kr's'n'a goes on to explain that everything is strung on him like pearls on a thread. Sometimes, it is difficult to perceive the thread but still the thread must be there. Similarly, sometimes it might be difficult to see the presence of the Supreme God but he must still be there. Kr's'n'a thereafter declares himself to be the essence of meny things in this world. This is a way to make Arjuna understand that Kr's'n'a really is the most important person in existence. People don't understand this because of illusion, which consists of the three gun'a, but this illusion can be overcome by a person who takes refuge with Kr's'n'a. Then, Kr's'n'a describes the peolpe who don't take refuge with him, and the ones who do. There are different people who take refuge with him, but he prefers the knowers because they are fixed, and their motives are not mixed. Other people who have desires for lesser things might worship different gods, but the results are temporary, and what those worshippers achieve is really supplied by Kr's'n'a. Towards the end of the chapter, Kr's'n'a again declares that virtuous people worship him, and they know him at the time of death as well.

Next adhyaaya

Â:iB:g:v:an:Øv:ac: m:yy:as:Vt:m:n:aH p:aT:ü y:<g:ö y:ØWj:nm:daÂ:y:H . As:öS:y:ö s:m:g:Òö m:aö y:T:a wasy:es: t:cCàN:Ø / 1 /	S''rii Bhagavaan spoke: Hear, o Pr'thaa's son^*, how you will know me, without doubt and completely, when uniting in a union with your mind fixed in me, and with me as your shelter! (1)
wan:ö t:ð\|hö s:ev:wan:em:dö v:xy:amy:S:ð\:t:H . y:jwatv:a n:ðh B:Üy:<\|ny:jwat:vy:m:v:eS:\y:t:ð / 2 /	I will speak this knowledge, with mundane knowledge, to you entirely. After knowing it, nothing more remains to be known in this world. (2)
m:n:Ø\y:aN:aö s:h+ð\:Ø keÁ:½t:et: es:¹y:ð . y:t:t:am:ep: es:¹an:aö keÁ:nm:aö v:ðe¶: t:¶v:t:H / 3 /	Among thousands of human beings someone strives after perfection. Someone of the perfected or even the striving knows me accuretely. (3)
B:Üem:rap:<\|n:l:< v:ay:ØH K:ö m:n:< b:Øe¹rðv: c: . Ah¢ar Et:iy:ö m:ð eB:Àa )káet:rÄD:a / 4 /	This is my divided nature in eight parts: earth, water, fire, wind, air, mind, and even intelligence, and egotism. (4)
Ap:rðy:em:t:stv:ny:aö )káet:ö ev:e¹ m:ð p:ram:Î . j:iv:B:Üt:ö m:hab:ah< y:y:ðdö D:ay:üt:ð j:g:t:Î / 5 /	This is inferior, but know my superior nature, different from it, endowed with life, o Mahaabaahu^*, by which this world is maintained! (5)
Ot:½<n:ien: B:Üt:aen: s:v:aüN:ity:Øp:D:ary: . Ahö kátsn:sy: j:g:t:H )B:v:H )l:y:st:T:a / 6 /	Reflect on this: all origins are living beings! I am the source as well as the annihilation of the entire world. (6)
m:¶:H p:rt:rö n:any:¡tk¡Wc:d¡st: D:n:Wj:y: . m:ey: s:v:üem:dö )<t:ö s:Ü*:ð m:eN:g:N:a Ev: / 7 /	There is not anything other higher than me, o Dhananjjaya^*. All this is strung on me, like a group of pearls on a thread. (7)
rs:<\|hm:ps:Ø k>nt:ðy: )B:a¡sm: S:eS:s:Üy:üy:<H . )N:v:H s:v:üv:ðdð\:Ø S:bdH K:ð p:>,\:ö n:à\:Ø / 8 /	I am the taste in waters, o Kuntii's son^. I am the light of the moon and the sun, the pran'ava^ in all Vedas, the sound in the air, the virility in men, (8)
p:ØNy:< g:nD:H p:àeT:vy:aö c: t:ðj:Á:a¡sm: ev:B:av:s:> . j:iv:n:ö s:v:üB:Üt:ð\:Ø t:p:Á:a¡sm: t:p:¡sv:\:Ø / 9 /	and the pleasant smell in the earth, and I am the brilliance in fire, life in all living beings, and I am the penance in the ascetics. (9)
b:ij:ö m:aö s:v:üB:Üt:an:aö ev:e¹ p:aT:ü s:n:at:n:m:Î . b:Øe¹b:Øüe¹m:t:am:¡sm: t:ðj:st:ðj:¡sv:n:am:hm:Î / 10 /	Know me to be the primeval seed of all living beings, o Pr'thaa's son^*! I am the intelligence of the intelligent. I am the energy of the powerful, (10)
b:l:ö b:l:v:t:aö c:ahö kam:rag:ev:v:ej:üt:m:Î . D:m:aüev:,¹< B:Üt:ð\:Ø kam:<\|¡sm: B:rt:\:üB: / 11 /	and I am the power of the powerful, which is devoid of affection and bias. I am the desire in living beings which is consistent with virtue, o most excellent of the Bharata^*, (11)
y:ð c:òv: s:a¡¶v:ka B:av:a raj:s:ast:am:s:aÁ: y:ð . m:¶: Ov:ðet: t:a¡nv:e¹ n: tv:hö t:ð\:Ø t:ð m:ey: / 12 /	and know in truth the conditions which are endowed with sattva, rajah', and tamah'^* to be really from me, but I am not in them. They are in me. (12)
e*:eB:g:ØüN:m:y:òB:aüv:òrðeB:H s:v:üem:dö j:g:t:Î . m:<eht:ö n:aeB:j:an:aet: m:am:ðBy:H p:rm:vy:y:m:Î / 13 /	Bewildered by conditions consisting of these three gun'as, this whole world doesn't perceive me to be imperishable beyond these gun'as, (13)
dòv:i Êð\:a g:ØN:m:y:i m:m: m:ay:a dØrty:y:a . m:am:ðv: y:ð )p:½nt:ð m:ay:am:ðt:aö t:r¡nt: t:ð / 14 /	for this my divine illusion, consisting of gun'as, is insurmountable. They, who take refuge with me alone, overcome this illusion. (14)
n: m:aö dØ\káet:n:< m:ÜZaH )p:½nt:ð n:raD:m:aH . m:ay:y:ap:Æt:wan:a Aas:Ørö B:av:m:aeÂ:t:aH / 15 /	Confused evil-doers, who are the lowest of men, whose knowledge is snatched by illusion, and who have resorted to the evil condition, don't take refuge with me. (15)
c:t:Øev:üD:a B:j:nt:ð m:aö j:n:aH s:Økáet:n:<\|j:Øün: . Aat:<ü ej:was:ØrT:aüT:iü wan:i c: B:rt:\:üB: / 16 /	Four sorts of well-doing people worship me, o Arjuna: the disturbed, the inquiring, the seeker of wealth, and the knower, o most excellent of the Bharata^*. (16)
t:ð\:aö wan:i en:ty:y:ØVt: OkB:¡Vt:ev:üeS:\y:t:ð . e)y:< eh waen:n:<\|ty:T:üm:hö s: c: m:m: e)y:H / 17 /	The knower, who is always united, is distinguished as superior among them through devotion to one object, for I am exclusively the favourite of the knower, and he is my favourite. (17)
udaraH s:v:ü Ov:òt:ð wan:i tv:atm:òv: m:ð m:t:m:Î . Aa¡sT:t:H s: eh y:ØVt:atm:a m:am:ðv:an:Ø¶:m:aö g:et:m:Î / 18 /	All these are really exalted, but my opinion is that the knower is truly himself, for he, the united self, is really dwelling with me as the unsurpassed path. (18)
b:hÞn:aö j:nm:n:am:nt:ð wan:v:anm:aö )p:½t:ð . v:as:Ødðv:H s:v:üem:et: s: m:hatm:a s:ØdØl:üB:H / 19 /	At the end of many births, one who has knowledge takes refuge with me, thinking that Vaasudeva^* is all. That great soul is very rare. (19)
kam:òst:òst:òÆüt:wan:aH )p:½nt:ð\|ny:dðv:t:aH . t:ö t:ö en:y:m:m:asT:ay: )káty:a en:y:t:aH sv:y:a / 20 /	Those who are deprived of knowledge by various desires take refuge with other divinities, after performing various restraints, restricted by their own character. (20)
y:< y:< y:aö y:aö t:n:Øö B:Vt:H Â:¹y:aec:üt:Øem:cCet: . t:sy: t:sy:ac:l:aö Â:¹aö t:am:ðv: ev:dD:amy:hm:Î / 21 /	I supply that particular immovable confidence, with which various worshippers desire to praise various forms with confidence, (21)
s: t:y:a Â:¹y:a y:ØVt:st:sy:araD:n:m:iht:ð . l:B:t:ð c: t:t:H kam:anm:y:òv: ev:eht:a¡nh t:an:Î / 22 /	for that united person aims at his homage with that confidence, and thereafter obtains those desires, which are supplied by me alone, (22)
Ant:v:¶:Ø Pl:ö t:ð\:aö t:»v:ty:lp:m:ðD:s:am:Î . dðv:andðv:y:j:< y:a¡nt: m:»Vt:a y:a¡nt: m:am:ep: / 23 /	but the result of the ignorant people is perishable. Those who sacrifice to gods reach the gods. Those devoted to me really reach me. (23)
Avy:Vt:ö vy:¡Vt:m:ap:Àö m:ny:nt:ð m:am:b:Ø¹y:H . p:rö B:av:m:j:an:nt:< m:m:avy:y:m:n:Ø¶:m:m:Î / 24 /	Unintelligent people think me to have changed the unmanifest to manifestation, not knowing my imperishable unsurpassed supreme appearance. (24)
n:ahö )kaS:H s:v:üsy: y:<g:m:ay:as:m:av:àt:H . m:ÜZ<\|y:ö n:aeB:j:an:aet: l:<k< m:am:j:m:vy:y:m:Î / 25 /	I am not visible for all, as I am concealed by yoga-maayaa^*. This confused world does not recognize me, who am unborn and imperishable. (25)
v:ðdahö s:m:t:it:aen: v:t:üm:an:aen: c:aj:Øün: . B:ev:\y:aen: c: B:Üt:aen: m:aö t:Ø v:ðd n: kÁ:n: / 26 /	I know past, present, and future living beings, o Arjuna, but noone knows me. (26)
EcCa¾ð\:s:m:ØtT:ðn: ¾n¾m:<hðn: B:art: . s:v:üB:Üt:aen: s:mm:<hö s:g:ðü y:a¡nt: p:rnt:p: / 27 /	O descendant of Bharata^, all living beings enter confusion in creation with the bewilderment of opposites produced from inclination and repugnance, o Parantapa^, (27)
y:ð\:aö tv:nt:g:t:ö p:ap:ö j:n:an:aö p:ØNy:km:üN:am:Î . t:ð ¾n¾m:<hen:m:ØüVt:a B:j:nt:ð m:aö dàZv:Òt:aH / 28 /	but the virtuous people, who are liberated from the bewilderment of opposites and whose vows are fixed, and whose mischief has ended, worship me. (28)
j:ram:rN:m:<x:ay: m:am:aeÂ:ty: y:t:¡nt: y:ð . t:ð b:ÒÉ t:e¾dØH kátsn:m:Dy:atm:ö km:ü c:aeK:l:m:Î / 29 /	They, who strive after liberation from old age and death, after seeking refuge in me, entirely know the brahma and completely know their own action. (29)
s:aeD:B:Üt:aeD:dòv:ö m:aö s:aeD:y:wö c: y:ð ev:dØH . )y:aN:kal:ð\|ep: c: m:aö t:ð ev:dØy:ØüVt:c:ðt:s:H / 30 /	The people with united consciousnesses, who know me with regards to nature, deity, and to sacrifice, know me at the time of death as well. (30)