Chapter 7.1 Jnana Vijnana Yoga (Yoga of knowledge and wisdom) - Slokas 1-15
The seventh chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is called “Jnana Vijnana Yoga” (Yoga of Knowledge and Wisdom or Realization). In this chapter, Bhagavan Sri Krishna explains to Arjuna about the difference between the “matter” (Lower Prakriti) and “His life-element” (Higher Prakriti). He further declares that “All these are strung in Me, as clusters of gems on a string” (“Sutre maniganaa iva”). Lord Krishna describes in detail about how he is in every being, both living and nonliving. He describes the four kinds of virtuous people who worship Him and among those, who is the noblest. Bhagavan also tells Arjuna the reason as to why the “foolish” people perceive Him incorrectly and how the “wise” people with faith perceive Him.
Sloka 1 – 3
1. The Blessed Lord said, “With the mind fixed on Me, O Partha, practicing yoga and taking refuge in Me, listen how you will know me fully, without doubt.”
2. “I will declare to you in full this knowledge combined with experience, nothing more remains to be known”.
3. “Among thousands of people, very few strive for perfection. Even among those successful strivers, only a rare few knows Me in essence”.
Bhagavan Krishna, having exhaustively discussed how to integrate the mind by the yoga of meditation (in Chapter 6), now tells Arjuna how a person can know Him “fully”. Sri Krishna says that it is only a very few, who strive to know Him fully and among those, only very few get to know Him “in essence” (“tattvatah”). This should be viewed positively. This is a call for immediate action to Arjuna (and to us) to listen to what Sri Krishna has to say as to how to get this Knowledge first and then to “experience” it. Sri Krishna further reiterates that once a person gets this Knowledge and then practices it, then for that person, nothing more remains to be known.
Knowledge (Jnaanam) and wisdom (Vijnaanam) are both essential for the total understanding of any subject. Theoretical knowledge is acquired by reading or listening to other people’s experiences. Similarly, scriptural knowledge is acquired either by reading or learning from a guru (teacher) about scriptures. When that knowledge is practiced, and a person Realizes that spiritual Knowledge, it is called wisdom (or Realization). In short, “experiential knowledge” is wisdom. Sri Krishna calls such people as “wise”.
The Lord created the earth and the other elements and also the human beings.
What is their relationship to Him?
Sloka 4
“Bhumiraapo nalo vaayuhu kham mano buddhireva ca
Ahamkaara itiyam me bhinnaa prakrti ashtadhaa”
4. “Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect and egoism – these are my eightfold Prakriti”
5. “This is My lower Prakriti but different from it, know, O mighty armed, My higher Prakriti, the very life-element, by which this world is upheld”
6. “Know that these two (Prakritis) are the womb of all beings. I am the source and the dissolution of all beings”.
“Prakriti” is matter. “Purusha” is the spirit that enlivens this matter. The relationship between these two will be explained extensively in Chapter 13. Here, Lord Krishna is explaining to Arjuna that there are two types of Prakriti. His “lower Prakriti” are the five great elements viz. earth, water, fire, air, ether (akasa) and also includes the mind, the intellect and the ego. A total of these eight Prakriti constitute His “lower Prakriti”. His “Higher Prakriti” is the life-element (Purusha), which keeps the body of all beings functioning with life.
How did these five great elements come into existence?
What is their relationship to the origin of human beings?
The answers for these questions are found in the following verses in Taittiriya Upanishad:
“Aakhaashaad vayuhu Vaayor agnihi Agner aapaha Adbhya prithvi
Prthivyaa oshadhayaha Oshadhibhyonnam Annaat purushaha”
From “Taittiriya Upanishad - (“Brahmaananda Valli”)
“From that (which is) this Atman, akasa (space) is born, from akasa (space) came air; from air came fire; from fire came water; from water came earth; from earth came the osadhis (herbs); from herbs, food; and from food, humans”, declares Taittiriya Upanishad explaining the creation of humans from Atman, as ordained by the Lord.
Let us now discuss the other three factors that make up The Lord’s “lower Prakriti”. They are the mind (“manas”), the intellect (“buddhi”) and the ego (“ahamkaaraa”).
The “mind” is defined as the “flow of thoughts” as we discussed earlier (Refer to Chapter 6, sloka 25). The “Intellect” is that which directs the human mind as to what is right and what is wrong. Animals don’t have it. Animals act on instincts. Intellect is what separates the human beings from animals. “Egoism” is the sense of “I”- ness and “my”- ness. In simple terms, the thought that “I am this body” or “I am an engineer or scientist” or “I am an uncle or aunt”, etc. are, in scriptural language, considered as egoistic. Sri Krishna tells us that we need to drop our ego and change our thinking to “I have this body which is enlivened by the Purusha” (Higher Prakriti). In fun terms, we need to “minus the I-ness”.
Sri Krishna also declares that He is the source and He is also the one who dissolves all beings.
Sloka 7
Mattah parataram naanyathu kimcit asti dhananjaya
Mayi sarvam idam protam sutre maniganaa iva
“There is nothing whatsoever higher than Me, O Dhananjaya (Arjuna).
All this is strung in Me, as clusters of gems on a string”.
This is a beautiful sloka and a powerful statement from Bhagavan. He asserts that He is the Highest authority and everything in this world is strung in Him. The Lord is the string that holds all the gems together. To an observer, the clusters of gems (Prakriti - material world) are seen but not the string (the Purusha). The Lord is the substratum of “all this” (the entire universe). “Maniganaa” means clusters of gems. “Sutra” in Sanskrit means string. The Lord is therefore called the “Sutratman”.
In the next several slokas, Lord Krishna describes in detail that He is the essence of everything
Sloka 8 – 11
In short, Bhagavan Krishna says that He is the essence of everything. Of the fourteen listed here, the first 12 are self-explanatory. The last two need a little more explanation. He is the “strength” of the powerful people who work detached without desire and not attached to the fruits of actions. That makes them infinitely powerful and selfless like Lord Hanuman. Also, He is the “desire” where Dharma is followed and not compromised. Examples of Dharmic desires are worship of the Lord (yajnas), charity (dhaanam) and austerity (tapas), where the goal should be for the benefit of humanity and not to fulfil selfish desires.
Sloka 12-15
12. “Whatever beings (and objects) that are pure, active and inert, know them to rise from Me; yet, I am not in them, they are in Me”.
“I am not in them but they are in Me” is a very powerful statement. The waves are born, dance about and disappear in the ocean. The waves are in the ocean. The ocean is not in the waves. The ocean here is Bhagavan. The waves are all the creations of the Lord. The entire world of beings are born, dance about and perish in Bhagavan.
Why don’t the world of human beings understand the Lord?
13. “Deluded by these natures (states or things) composed of the three gunas (of prakriti), all this world knows Me not as immutable and distinct from them”.
There are three types of gunas
(eg. Kamsa, Duryodhana)
Most human beings are a mixture of the above in various percentages. Human beings also may attribute different gunas during different times of the day and different stages of their lives. Sage Valmiki was tamasic during his early days when he was a robber and became a great sage and poet and exhibited pure Sattvic qualities later in life.
Sri Krishna says that these three gunas delude the human being from seeing the Lord in His true form, that He is “immutable” (changeless) and distinct from His lower Prakriti.
How can human beings overcome this “Divine illusion”?
14. Daivi hyesha gunamayi mama maayaa duraatyayaa
Maameva ye prapadyante maayaa metaam taranti te
“Verily, this divine illusion of Mine made up of gunas, is difficult to cross over; those who take refuge in Me, they alone can cross over”.
Sri Krishna says it is difficult but not impossible to cross over this “Divine Maya” (God created illusion). The solution is to take total refuge in The Lord to overcome the illusion created by the gunas and go beyond the gunas.
What happens to those who don’t seek Bhagavan?
15. “The evil doers, the deluded, the lowest of men do not seek Me; they, whose discrimination has been destroyed by their own delusions, follow the ways of the demons”.
Each action produces results based on what was done by the actor. You will reap what you sow. Sri Krishna here says that those who act indiscriminately due their delusion, and do not seek Bhagavan, will only follow the way of the asuras. (We shall see how the asuras behave in Chapter 16).
In the rest of Chapter 7, Bhagavan Krishna discusses the four types of virtuous people who worship Him and who among them, He considers as the noblest. He describes the destination of the different type of worshippers. He also explains why all of humanity is subject to delusion at birth and how “foolish” people perceive Him. Finally, Bhagavan describes how people who strive for liberation from old age and death perceive Him.
We will see those details in Chapter 7.2
Hari Om!
Dr.Shanmugam