Bhagavad-Gita
Chapters seven to nine
The Blessed lord said:
Hear then, O Partha (Arjuna), how, practising yoga, with the mind
clinging to Me as thy refuge, thou shalt know Me in full, without
any doubt.
I will declare to thee in full this wisdom together with
knowledge by knowing which there shall remain nothing more here
left to be known.
Among thousands of men scarcely one strives for perfection, and
of those who strive and succeed, scarcely one knows Me in truth.
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind and understanding and
self-sense -- this is the eightfold division of my nature.
This is my lower nature. Know My other and higher nature which is
the soul, by which this world is upheld, O mighty-armed (Arjuna).
Know that all beings have their birth in this. I am the origin of
all this world and its dissolution as well.
There is nothing whatever that is higher than I, O Winner of
wealth (Arjuna). All that is here is strung on me as rows of gems
on a string.
I am the taste in the waters, O Son of Kunti (Arjuna), I am the
light in the moon and the sun. I am the syllable Aum in all the
Vedas; I am the sound in ether and manhood in men.
I am the pure fragrance in earth and brightness in fire. I am the
life in all existence and the austerity in ascetics.
Know Me, O Partha (Arjuna), to be the eternal seed of all
existences. I am the intelligence of the intelligenct, I am the
splendour of the spledid.
I am the strength of the strong, devoid of desire and passion. In
beings am I the desire which is not contrary to law, O Lord of
the Bharatas (Arjuna).
And whatever states of being there may be, be they harmonious
(sattvika), passionate (rajasa), slothful (tamasa) --know thou
that they are all from Me alone. I am not in them, they are in
Me.
Deluded by these threefold modes of nature (gunas) this whole
world does not recognise Me who am above them and imperishable.
This divine maya of Mine, consisting of the modes is hard to
overcome. But those who take refuge in Me alone cross beyond it.
The Evil doers who are foolish, low in the human scale, whose
minds are carried away by illusion and who partake of the nature
of demons do not seek refuge in Me.
The virtuous ones who worship Me are of four kinds, the man in
distress, the seeker for knowledge, the seeker for wealth and the
man of wisdom, O Lord of the Bharatas (Arjuna)
Of these the wise one, who is ever in constant union with the
Divine, whose devotion is single-minded, is the best. For I am
supremely dear to him and he is dear to Me.
Noble indeed are all these but the sage, I hold, is verily
Myself. For being perfectly harmonized, he resorts to Me alone as
the highest goal.
At the end of many lives, the man of wisdom resorts to Me,
knowing that Vasudeva (the Supreme) is all that is. Such a great
soul is very difficult to find.
But those whose minds are distorted by desires resort to other
gods, observing various rites, constrained by their own natures.
Whatever form any devotee with faith wishes to worship, I make
that faith of his steady.
Endowed with that faith, he seeks the propitiation os such a one
and from him he attains his desires, the benefits being decreed
by Me alone.
But temporary is the fruit gained by these men of small minds.
The worshippers of the gods go to the gods but My devotees come
to Me.
Men of no understanding think of Me, the unmanifest, as having
manifestation, not knowing My higher nature, changeless and
supreme.
Veiled by My creative power (yogamaya) I am not revealed to all.
This bewildered world knows Me not, the unborn, the unchanging.
I know the beings that are past, that are present, O Arjuna, and
that are to come but Me no one knows.
All beings are born to delusion O Bharata (Arjuna), overcome by
the dualities which arise from wish and hate, O Conqueror of the
foe (Arjuna).
But those men of virtuous deeds in whom sin has come to an end
(who have died to sin), freed from the delusion of dualities,
worship Me steadfast in their vows.
Those who take refuge in Me and strive for deliverance from old
age and death, they know the Brahman (or Absolute) entire (they
know) the Self and all about action.
Those who know Me as the One that governs the material and the
divine aspects, and all sacrifices, they, with their minds
harmonized, have knowledge of Me even at the time of their
departure (from here).
Arjuna said:
What is Brahman (or the Absolute)? What is the Self and what is
action, O the Best of persons? What is said to be the domain of
the elements? What is called the domain of the gods?
What is the domain (part) of sacrifice in this body and how, O
Madhusudana (Krsna). How again art Thou to be known at the time
of departure by the self-controlled?
The Blessed Lord said: Brashman (or the Absolute) is the
indestructable, the Supreme (higher than all else), essential
nature is called the Self. Karma is the name given to the
creative force that brings beings into existence.
The basis of all created things is the mutable nature: the basis
of the divine elements is the cosmic spirit. And the basis of all
sacrifices, here in the body is Myself, O Best of embodied beings
(Arjuna).
And whoever, at the time of death, gives up his body and departs,
thinking of Me alone, he comes to My status (of being); of that
there is no doubt.
Thinking of whatever state (of being) he at the end gives up his
body, to that being does he attain, O Son of Kunti (Arjuna),
being ever absorbed in the thought thereof.
Therefore at all times remember Me and fight. When thy mind and
understanding are set on Me, to Me alone shalt thou come without
doubt.
He who meditates on the Supreme Person with his thought attuned
by constant practice and not wandering after anything else, he, O
Partha (Arjuna), reaches the Person, Supreme and Divine.
He who meditates on the Seer, the ancient, the ruler, subtler
than the subtle, the supporter of all, whose form is beyond
conception, who is suncoloured beyond the darkness.
He who does so, at the time of his departure, with a steady mind,
devotion and strength of yoga and setting well his life force in
the centre of the eyebrows, he attains to this Supreme Divine
Person.
I shall briefly describe to thee that state which the knowers of
the Veda call the Imperishable, which ascetics freed from passion
enter and desiring which they lead a life of self-control.
All the gates of the body restrained, the mind confined within
the heart, one's life force fixed in the head, established in
concentration by yoga.
He who utters the single syllable Aum (which is) Brahman,
remembering Me as he departs, giving up his body, he goes to the
highest goal.
He who constantly meditates on Me, thinking of none else, by him
who is a yogin ever disciplened (or united with the Supreme), I
am easily reached.
Having come to me, these great souls do not get back to rebirth,
the place of sorrow, impermanent, for they have reached the
highest perfection.
From the realm of Brahma downwards, all worlds are subject to
return to rebirth, but on reaching Me, O Son of Kunti (Arjuna),
there is no return to birth again.
Those who know that the day of Brahma is of the duration of a
thousand ages and that the night (of Brahma) is a thousand ages
long, they are the knowers of day and night.
At the coming of day, all manifested things come forth from the
unmanifested and at the coming of night they merge in that same,
called the unmanifested.
This very same multitude of existences arising again and again
merges helplessly at the coming of night, O Partha (Arjuna), and
streams forth into being at the coming of day.
But beyond this unmanifested, there is yet another Unmanifested
Eternal Being who does not perish even when all existences
perish.
This Unmanifested is called the Imperishable. Him they speak of
as the Supreme Status. Those who attain to Him return not. That
is My supreme abode.
This is the Supreme Person, O Partha (Arjuna), in whom all
existences abide and by whom all this is ervaded (who) can,
however, be gained by unswerving devotion.
Now I shall declare to thee, O Best of Bharatas (Arjuna), the
time in which yogins departing, never return and also that
wherein departing they return.
Fire, light, day, the bright (half of the month), the six months
of the northern path (of the sun), then going forth the men who
know the Absolute go to the Absolute.
Smoke, night, so also the dark (half of the month), the six
months of the southern part (of the sun), then going forth, the
yogi obtains the lunar light and returns.
Light and darkness, these paths are thought to be the world's
everlasting (paths). By the one he goes not to return, by the
other he returns again.
The yogin who knows these paths, O Partha (Arjuna), is never
deluded. Therefore, at all times, O Arjuna, be thou firm in yoga.
The yogin having known all this, goes beyond the fruits of
meritorious deeds assigned to the study of the Vedas, sacrifices,
austerities and gifts and attains to the supreme and primal
status.
The Blessed Lord said:
To Thee, who dost not cavail, I shall declare this profound
secret of wisdom combined with knowledge, by knowing which thou
shalt be released from evil.
This is sovereign knowledge, sovereign secret, supreme sanctity,
known by direct experience, in accord with the law, very easy to
practise and imperishable.
Men who have no faith in this way, not attaining to Me, O
Oppressor of the foe (Arjuna), return to the path of mortal
living (samsara).
By Me all this universe is pervaded through My unmanifested form.
All beings abide in Me but I do not abide in them.
And (yet) the beings do not dwell in Me; behold My divine
mystery. My spirit which is the source of all beings sustains the
beings but does not abide in them.
As the mighty air, moving everywhere, ever abides in the etheric
space (akasa), know thou that in the same manner all existences
abide in Me.
All beings, O Son of Kunti (Arjuna), pass into nature which is My
own at the end of the cycle; and at the beginning of the (next)
cycle, I send them forth.
Taking hold of nature which is My own, I send forth again and
again all this multitude of beings which are helpless, being
under the control of nature (prakrti).
Nor do these works bind Me, O winner of wealth (Arjuna), for I am
seated as if indifferent, unattached in those actions.
Under My guidance, nature (prakrti) gives birth to all things,
moving and unmoving and by this means, O Son of Kunti (Arjuna),
the world revolves.
The deluded despise Me clad in human body, not knowing My higher
nature as Lord of all existences.
Partaking of the deceptive nature of fiends and demons, their
aspirations are vain, their actions vain and their knowledge vain
and they are devoid of judgement.
The great-souled, O Partha (Arjuna), who abide in the divine
nature, knowing (me as) the imperishable source of all beings,
worship Me with an undistracted mind.
Always glorifying Me, strenuous and steadfast in vows, bowing
down to Me with devotion, they worship Me, ever disciplened.
Others again sacrifice with the sacrifice of wisdom and worship
Me as the one, as the distinct and as the manifold, facing in all
directions.
I am the ritual action, I am the sacrifice, I am the ancestral
oblation, I am the (medicinal) herb, I am the (sacred) hymn, I am
also the melted butter, I am the fire and I am the offering.
I am the father of this world, the mother, the supporter and the
grandsire. I am the object of knowledge, the purifier. I am the
syllable Aum and I am the rk, the sama and the yajus as well.
I am the goal, the upholder, the lord, the witness, the abode,
the refuge and the friend. (I am) the origin and the dissolution,
the ground, the resting place and the imperishable seed.
I give heat; I withhold and send forth the rain. I am immortality
and also death, I am being as well as non-being, O Arjuna.
The knowers of the three Vedas who drink the soma juice and are
cleansed of sin, worshipping Me with sacrifices, pray for the way
to heaven. They reach the holy world of Indra (the lord of
heaven) and enjoy in heaven the pleasures of the gods.
Having enjoyed the spacious world of heaven, they enter (return
to) the world of mortals, when their merit is exhausted; thus
conforming to the doctrine enjoined in the three Vedas and
desirous of enjoyments, they obtain the changeable (what is
subject to birth and death).
But those who worship Me, meditating on Me alone, to them who
ever persevere, I bring attainment of what they have not and
security in what they have.
Even those who are devotees of other gods, worship them with
faith, they also sacrifice to Me alone, O Son of Kunti (Arjuna),
though not according to the true law.
For I am the enjoyer and lord of all sacrifices. But these men do
not know Me in My true nature and so they fall.
Worshippers of the gods go to the gods, worshippers of the manes
go to the manes, sacrificers of the spirits go to the spirits and
those who sacrifice to Me come to Me.
Whosoever offers to Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit,
or water, that offering of love, of the pure of heart I accept.
Whatever thou doest, whatever thou eatest, whatever thou
offerest, whatever thou givest away, whatever austerities thou
dost practise--do that, O Son of Kunti (Arjuna), as an offering
to Me.
Thus shalt thou be freed from the good and evil results which are
the bonds of action. With thy mind firmly set on the way of
renunciation, thou shalt become free and attain to Me.
I am the same in (alike to) all beings. None is hateful nor dear
to Me. But those who worship Me with devotion they are in Me and
I also them.
Even if a man of the most vile conduct worships me with
undistracted devotion, he must be reckoned as righteous for he
has rightly resolved.
Swiftly does he become a soul of righteousness and obtains
lasting peace. O Son of Kunti (Arjuna), know thou for certain
that My devotee perishes never.
For those who take refuge in Me, O Partha (Arjuna), though they
are lowly born, women, Vaisyas, as well as Sudras, they also
attain to the highest goal.
How much more then, holy Brahmins and devoted royal saints;
having entered this impermanent sorrowful world, do thou worship
Me.
On Me fix thy mind; to Me be devoted; worship Me; revere Me; thus
having disciplened thyself, with Me as thy goal, to Me shalt thou
come.