Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

SELF-KNOWLEDGE AND ENLIGHTENMENT

Verse 7.01

Lord Krishna said:

O Arjuna, listen. I shall now tell you how you can know me, how can you be absorbed in me and how can you take refuge in me through self knowledge.

Verse 7.02

Self-knowledge is enlightenment and after comprehending that nothing more remains to be known in this world. That is realization and ultimate of wisdom.

Verse 7.03

Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth

Verse 7.04-05

Physically, the body consists of earth, water, fire, air and ether. The invisibles in the man are his intellect, mind and ego. All these are perishable. The imperishable element is the soul, which only sustains the world.

Verse 7.06-07

The Supreme Spirit is the source of origin as well as dissolution of the entire universe. There is nothing higher than the Supreme Being, i.e. Me. Everything in the universe is strung on the Supreme Being, like jewels are strung on the thread of a necklace.

Verse 7.08-13

O Arjuna, I am the sapidity in the water, I am the radiance in the sun and the moon, the sacred syllable OM in all the Vedas, the sound in the ether, and potency in human beings. I am the sweet fragrance in the earth. I am the heat in the fire, the life in all living beings, and the austerity in the ascetics. Know Me to be the eternal seed of all creatures. I am the intelligence of the intelligent, and the brilliance of the brilliant. I am the strength of the strong who is devoid of selfish attachment. I am the lust in human beings that is devoid of sense gratification, and is in accord with Dharma (for the sacred purpose of procreation after marriage). I am imperishable.

The human life is governed by three Gunas of goodness, passion, and ignorance. But I am not in them nor they in me. Human beings are deluded by various aspects [Maya] of these three modes of material Nature; therefore, they do not know Me, who is eternal and above these modes.
Verse 7.14

This Maya, consisting of three states of matter or mind, is very difficult to overcome. Only those who surrender unto Me easily cross over this Maya.

Verse 7.15-20

Those evil doers who are the lowest among mankind are those whose knowledge is prevented by Maya and ignorance and they have lost their power of discrimination. They part take in atheistic activities of demons and do not worship or seek Me.

Only four kinds of people seek Me. They are the distressed, the seeker of wealth, the inquisitive, and the enlightened one who has experienced the Supreme Being.

While all these seekers are indeed noble, those whose minds are distorted by desires resort to the celestial controllers, the other gods, observing various rites, constrained by their own natures.

Among the above, the enlightened devotee is single mindedly united with Me and steadfastly involved in devotional service and is the best. Being engaged in devotional service, he is like my own self. After many births and deaths the enlightened one resorts to Me. Such a soul is very rare. Because of this I am very dear to the enlightened and the enlightened is very dear to Me.

Verse 7.21-23

Whosoever worships whatever deity with faith get their wishes fulfilled. But in actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me alone. But all the material gains are temporary and those who seek them are less intelligent. My devotees surrender to me and attain Nirvana.

Verse 7.24-30

All beings in this world are in utter ignorance due to delusion of pairs of opposites born of likes and dislikes, these ignorant ones cannot understand my eternal and transcendental form. While I know them all of past, present and future, they do not know me and they cannot comprehend me. Because of this they fall victims to the Maya of this world.

But persons of unselfish deeds become free from of all delusion worship Me with firm resolve. By taking refuge in me, they fully comprehend my true nature and powers and attain freedom from the cycles of birth and death by attaining me.