BHAGAVAD GITA
CHAPTER 7
JNANA VIJNANA YOGA
Bhagavad Gita is Lord Krishna's own advice to the Confused Arjuna. Each chapter in it is designated as a YOGA. Here is a summary of Chapter.7. Jnana Vijnana Yoga. There are totally 30 Slokas in it and I have given here a faithful description of what each Sloka says. Overall, it is a description of what Prakriti or Maya is, how it envelops all beings and how to come out of it with the Lord's blessings.
Now, the slokawise description :
1. Lord Krishna says : O Arjuna, Be devoted to me; Have full focus on me; Be always immersed in Yoga; Surrender to me totally: Remain doubtless: Listen to me, and know me fully the way (I am going to describe herein), in which you can really know me.
2. By knowing that, nothing else really remains to be known.
That wisdom, that knowledge, in totality, I will tell you.
3. Only one in thousand people actually try to know me. Among them also, a very rare person only truly learns my real nature.
4. My nature or Prakriti, is differentiated into eight individual parts -
The Pancha Bhutas consisting of earth, water, fire, air and aakasa (emptiness surrounding all of these), and
Manas (Mind), Buddhi(intellect) and Ahankara (Egoism)
5. Apart from this lower Prakriti or lower Nature, there is a higher Prakriti or nature which actually gives shape to the lower prakriti and runs it. Lower Nature is called Aparaa Prakriti and Higher Nature is called Paraa Prakriti
6. O Arjuna, Know that all beings are born by the combination of this Aparaa Prakriti and Para Prakriti (lower and higher parts of Nature). But, I am the cause of the birth and death (creation and destruction) of everything in the entire Universe.
7. O Arjuna, there is nothing in the Universe, which is superior to me. All things are joined in me - like pearls and diamonds which get joined tightly together by a thread into a single garland.
8. I am the liquid content (Rasa) in water. I am the light (Prabha) in the Sun and the Moon. I am the OM in the Vedaas. I am the sound (Sabda) in all Universe. I am the manliness (Paurusham) in all humans.
9. I am the most sacred smell in the earth. I am the brightness in the fire. I am the life in all living beings. I am the Tapas-sakthi (or Power of focus) in all sages.
10. O Arjuna, Know that I am the root cause (seed) of all beings. I am the intellect in all wise people. I am the brightness (bravery) in all bright (brave)persons.
11.O Arjuna, I am the strength in all strong persons, such strength being devoid of desires and the dualities of likes (and dislikes). But I am in them all - as that desire which is compliant with and not against Dharma or righteousness.
12. The three Gunas (or characteristics) of Sathva, Rajas and Thamas occur everywhere, at all times because of me. But, Know that I am beyond the three Gunas and I am not in them.
13. This world (with all beings) is completely dominated and influenced by the three Gunas of Sathva, Rajas and Thamas. Therefore, they are not able to know me who is beyond the three Gunas.
14. My(Godly) creation of the three Gunas together, form my Maya (Illusion) which is very difficult to go beyond. Only those who surrender to me totally, can go beyond them.
15. Fools, scoundrels(Bad fellows), people who have lost their intellect(or wisdom), Cruel people, wild people, those who indulge in sinful acts - they do not surrender to me.
16. Four types of people pray to me (and surrender) : People who are in deep sorrow ( or those who are filled with Bhakti), People who seek wisdom, People who seek wealth and People who are already wise (wise people) - such people pray deeply to me.
17. Among them also, Those who are focused always on me, with focused devotion and great wisdom - they are the best. For them, I am very dear and they are very dear to me.
18. All the four types of people are good. But, amongst them, the wise Bhakta actually becomes my embodiment. He fully focuses his mind and intellect on me and attains to the best of life (that is, attains to me).
19. After a great number of births and deaths, such a wise person comes to know that everything is actually Me (Lord Krishna) and he is totally devoted to me. Such a person is very rare and difficult to find.
20. Because, they (the Others) are governed by the characteristics of their own three Gunas (Prakriti), their three Gunas take away their wisdom; therefore, according to their own Gunas(Natures), they worship all sorts of other lower deities.
21. Whoever desires to devote to whichever Image of God, in him, I create devotion and attention towards those images of Gods.
22. Such Bhakta or Devotee, with his devotion and attention, will pray to such God (whom he has chosen to devote) and through such God, he will fulfill his desires.
23. Those devotees who pray to such lower gods will get impermanent fruits. But, my devotees attain myself(who is endless and permanent).
24.Fools lacking intellect think that I who am unknowable to the five indriyas, is a visible entity who is getting into frequent problems. But, I am the permanent, the greatest, the one beyond the mundane universe.
25. Because of my Yogic illusion (yoga maya), I am invisible and unknowable to all in this world.
Therefore, filled with my Yoga maya, the unwise people of this world cannot know me as the permanent one, the one without any end.
26. I know all beings who lived in the past, who are living in the present and those who are going to live in the future. But, none of them Know me.
27. All beings, right from birth, are getting into endless illusions because of the Likes and dislikes and the resultant love-hate dualities in them.
28. Those people who perform Punya karmas (righteous, compassionate deeds), they come out of these Likes and dislikes and Love-hate dualities with firm conviction in me and they become my devotees.
29. Those who surrender and devote to me, they try to come out of the birth-death cycle, they get to know the Para-brahman (the omnipotent,omnipresent,omniscient Brahman), the all pervading Pratyagathma and the entire Karma cycle.
30. Those who realize me as Adhibhuta (beyond all beings), Adhidaiva (Beyond all lower Gods) and Adhi Yajna (Beyond all Karmas), they will always know me even after death, being firmly fixed in Yoga.
Conclusion : This is Jnana Vijnana Yoga Chapter of the Yoga sastra which is part of the Brahma Vidya in Bhagavad Gita Upanishad.
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