In Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7,the technique of meditation was explained, the question of who should be meditated upon remained. He offers concrete knowledge of absolute reality and says that only by surrender can one overcome the modes of material nature. There are two aspects of Ishwara, the lower and the higher. He pervades in all like a string that enters a bead. He says that he is the fragrance in earth and the brightness of fire. It is Maya that prevents us from unifying with the Lord. This is nothing but sattva or harmony, rajas or action and tamas or inertia. These energies pervade the Universe. Only by surrender, can one conquer Maya. Only persons who do good become devotees who are of four categories, distressed, inquisitive, seeker of liberation and the wise. There are four more that are opposed to divinity. In conclusion, the Lord reveals that the one with spiritual acumen takes exclusive refuge in Him without any reservation in godly service.
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha
yogaḿ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ
asaḿśayaḿ samagraḿ māḿ
yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu
Translation
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Now hear, O son of Pritha, how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of...View More
jñānaḿ te ’haḿ sa-vijñānam
idaḿ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ
yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo ’nyaj
jñātavyam avaśiṣyate
Translation
I shall now declare unto you in full this knowledge, both phenomenal and numinous. This being known, nothing further shall remain for ...View More
manuṣyāṇāḿ sahasreṣu
kaścid yatati siddhaye
yatatām api siddhānāḿ
kaścin māḿ vetti tattvataḥ
Translation
Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.
bhūmir āpo ’nalo vāyuḥ
khaḿ mano buddhir eva ca
ahańkāra itīyaḿ me
bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā
Translation
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego—all together these eight constitute My separated material energies.
View Moreapareyam itas tv anyāḿ
prakṛtiḿ viddhi me parām
jīva-bhūtāḿ mahā-bāho
yayedaḿ dhāryate jagat
Translation
Besides these, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is another, superior energy of Mine, which comprises the living entities who are exploiting the resources of t...View More
apareyam itas tv anyam´
prakr?tim´ viddhi me param
jiva-bhutam´ maha-baho
yayedam´ dharyate jagat
Translation
All created beings have their source in these two natures. Of all that is material and all that is spiritual in this world, know for certain that I am both the or...View More
mattaḥ parataraḿ nānyat
kiñcid asti dhanañ-jaya
mayi sarvam idaḿ protaḿ
sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva
Translation
O conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.
View Moreraso ’ham apsu kaunteya
prabhasmi sasi-suryayo?
pra?ava? sarva-vede?u
sabda? khe pauru?a? n??u
Translation
O son of Kunti, I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.
View Morepuṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāḿ ca
tejaś cāsmi vibhāvasau
jīvanaḿ sarva-bhūteṣu
tapaś cāsmi tapasviṣu
Translation
I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics.
View Morebijam mam sarva-bhutanam
viddhi partha sanatanam
buddhir buddhimatam asmi
tejas tejasvinam aham
Translation
O son of Pritha, know that I am the original seed of all existences, the intelligence of the intelligent, and the prowess of all powerful men.
View Morebalaḿ balavatāḿ cāhaḿ
kāma-rāga-vivarjitam
dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu
kāmo ’smi bharatarṣabha
Translation
I am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion and desire. I am sex life which is not contrary to religious principles, O lord of the Bharatas [Arjuna].
View Moreye caiva sāttvikā bhāvā
rājasās tāmasāś ca ye
matta eveti tān viddhi
na tv ahaḿ teṣu te mayi
Translation
Know that all states of being—be they of goodness, passion or ignorance—are manifested by My energy. I am, in one sense, everything, but I am independen...View More
tribhir guṇa-mayair bhāvair
ebhiḥ sarvam idaḿ jagat
mohitaḿ nābhijānāti
mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam
Translation
Deluded by the three modes [goodness, passion and ignorance], the whole world does not know Me, who am above the modes and inexhaustible.
daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī
mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāḿ taranti te
Translation
This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross...View More
na māḿ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ
prapadyante narādhamāḥ
māyayāpahṛta-jñānā
āsuraḿ bhāvam āśritāḥ
Translation
Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, who are lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic...View More
catur-vidhā bhajante māḿ
janāḥ su-kṛtino ’rjuna
ārto jijñāsur arthārthī
jñānī ca bharatarṣabha
Translation
O best among the Bharatas, four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service unto Me—the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisit...View More
te?a? jñani nitya-yukta
eka-bhaktir visi?yate
priyo hi jñanino ’tyartham
aha? sa ca mama priya?
Translation
Of these, the one who is in full knowledge and who is always engaged in pure devotional service is the best. For I am very dear to him, and he is dear to Me.
View Moreudārāḥ sarva evaite
jñānī tv ātmaiva me matam
āsthitaḥ sa hi yuktātmā
mām evānuttamāḿ gatim
Translation
All these devotees are undoubtedly magnanimous souls, but he who is situated in knowledge of Me I consider to be just like My own self. Being engaged in M...View More
bahūnāḿ janmanām ante
jñānavān māḿ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ
Translation
After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great s...View More
bahūnāḿ janmanām ante
jñānavān māḿ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ
Translation
Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according...View More
yo yo yāḿ yāḿ tanuḿ bhaktaḥ
śraddhayārcitum icchati
tasya tasyācalāḿ śraddhāḿ
tām eva vidadhāmy aham
Translation
I am in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul. As soon as one desires to worship some demigod, I make his faith steady so that he can devote hi...View More
sa tayā śraddhayā yuktas
tasyārādhanam īhate
labhate ca tataḥ kāmān
mayaiva vihitān hi tān
Translation
Endowed with such a faith, he endeavors to worship a particular demigod and obtains his desires. But in actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me alone.
View Moreantavat tu phalaḿ teṣāḿ
tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām
devān deva-yajo yānti
mad-bhaktā yānti mām api
Translation
Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary.Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigo...View More
avyaktaḿ vyaktim āpannaḿ
manyante mām abuddhayaḥ
paraḿ bhāvam ajānanto
mamāvyayam anuttamam
Translation
Unintelligent men, who do not know Me perfectly, think that I, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, was impersonal before and have now assumed this per...View More
nāhaḿ prakāśaḥ sarvasya
yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ
mūḍho ’yaḿ nābhijānāti
loko mām ajam avyayam
Translation
I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My internal potency, and therefore they do not know that I am unborn a...View More
vedāhaḿ samatītāni
vartamānāni cārjuna
bhaviṣyāṇi ca bhūtāni
māḿ tu veda na kaścana
Translation
O Arjuna, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I know everything that has happened in the past, all that is happening in the present, and all things that are y...View More
icchā-dveṣa-samutthena
dvandva-mohena bhārata
sarva-bhūtāni sammohaḿ
sarge yānti paran-tapa
Translation
O scion of Bharata, O conqueror of the foe, all living entities are born into delusion, bewildered by dualities arisen from desire and hate.
View Moreyeṣāḿ tv anta-gataḿ pāpaḿ
janānāḿ puṇya-karmaṇām
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
bhajante māḿ dṛḍha-vratāḥ
Translation
Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life and whose sinful actions are completely eradicated are freed from t...View More
jarā-maraṇa-mokṣāya
mām āśritya yatanti ye
te brahma tad viduḥ kṛtsnam
adhyātmaḿ karma cākhilam
Translation
Intelligent persons who are endeavoring for liberation from old age and death take refuge in Me in devotional service. They are actually Brahman becau...View More
sādhibhūtādhidaivaḿ māḿ
sādhiyajñaḿ ca ye viduḥ
prayāṇa-kāle ’pi ca māḿ
te vidur yukta-cetasaḥ
Translation
Those in full consciousness of Me, who know Me, the Supreme Lord, to be the governing principle of the material manifestation, of the demigods,...View More