Chapter 7
Paramahamsa Vijnana Yoga: Realization of the Ultimate
Truth
In chapter seven Lord Krishna reveals absolute knowledge of the
ultimate truth as well as theopulence of divinity.He described the
illusory energy in the material existence known as mayaand declared
how extremely difficult it is to surmount it. Further He describes
the four types of people who are attracted to God and the four types
of people who are opposed to God. In conclusion He reveals that the
best for those with spiritual intelligence is to take exclusive
refuge in God in all circumstances without reservation. Thus chapter
seven is entitled: Paramahamsa Vijnana Yoga or Realization of the
Ultimate Truth.
Verse 1
Lord Krishna said: O Arjuna hear how that with your
consciousness absorbed in Me, taking complete shelter of Me,
executing the science of uniting the individual consciousness with
the Ultimate Consciousness, you will be able know I completely free
from doubt.
Verse 2
I shall now explain to you fully this phenomenal knowledge along
with its realization; whichby knowing nothing further remains to be
known in this world.
Verse 3
Out of many thousands of men hardly one endeavors for the
perfection of self-realization, and of those so endeavoring hardly
one has achieved the perfection of self-realization and of those
hardly one knows I in truth.
Verse 4
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, spiritual intelligence and
false ego; thus these are the eight fold divisions of My external
energy.
Verse 5
O mighty armed one, this external energy is inferior; but
superior to this, you should know another, My marginal energy
comprising the embodied souls of all living entities by which this
material world is utilized.
Verse 6
Be aware that everything living are manifested by these two
energies of Mine; I am the creatorthe sustainer and the destroyer of
all the worlds.
Verse 7
O Arjuna there is nothing superior to Me; everything existing is
connected to I like pearls on a thread.
Verse 8
O Arjuna, I am the sweetness of flavor in water; the radiant
luster of the sun and the moon; the primordial root syllable Oê
within all the Vedas; the subsonic element of sound in ether and the
ability in man.
Verse 9
I am the original fragrance in the Earth, the heat in fire and
the vitality of all beings; also I am tolerance in those who perform
austerities.
Verse 10
O Arjuna, try to understand I as the eternal origin of all
living entities. I am the wisdom of the spiritually intelligent and
the prowess of the powerful.
Verse 11
O Arjuna, I am the strength of the strong devoid of attachment
and passion and the energy of procreation in all beings which is not
contrary to righteousness.
Verse 12
Know that all states of beings in the mode of goodness, the mode
of passion and whatever is in the mode of ignorance as being
manifested by I alone; but I am not within them, they arewithin Me.
Verse 13
This complete universe is deluded by the threefold condition of
the modes of the external energy; certainly no one knows Me, who is
beyond them, immutable and Supreme.
Verse 14
This divine illusion of Mine, consisting of the three modes of
the external energy, certainly isdifficult to overcome; but those
who surrender unto Me, they only are able to surmount this illusory
energy.
Verse 15
The depraved, the foolish, the lower levels of humanity, do not
surrender unto Me; their discrimination degraded by the illusory
energy they betake to the nature of the demoniac.
Verse 16
O best of the Bharatas, four types of pious persons render
devotional service unto Me; the distressed, the seeker of knowledge,
desirers of wealth and men of wisdom.
Verse 17
Among them the man of wisdom always engaged exclusively in
devotional service is superior; since to the cultivator of wisdom I
am extremely dear and he is dear to Me.
Verse 18
All these persons are certainly worthy; but in My opinion the
man of wisdom is one with Me;because he is situated solely in
self-realization of I as the highest attainment.
Verse 19
Thus after innumerable births one perfected in wisdom,
understanding fully the Supreme Lord as the ultimate cause of all
cause, surrenders unto Me; such a great soul is very rare.
Verse 20
Those deprived of discrimination by various desires impelled by
their particular natures worship the lesser demigods adapting to the
applicable rites and rituals.
Verse 21
Whichever demigod a particular devotee desires with faith to
worship, I surely sustain firmly that faith in him.
Verse 22
Endowed with that firm faith the devotee executes worship of
this demigod and sanctioned by I solely; obtains that which he
desired from that demigod.
Verse 23
The result of those of insufficient understanding is temporary;
the votaries of the demigods obtain the demigod; but My devotees
obtains Me.
Verse 24
Unable to comprehend My imperishable, exalted and supreme state
of being; the spiritually deficient regard Me, the unmanifest as
coming into existence.
Verse 25
I am not manifest to everyone, being veiled by My illusory
potency in the external energy. The ignorant in this world cannot
understand Me, the unborn and imperishable.
Verse 26
O Arjuna, I know equally the past, present and future and all
living life forms but no one knows Me.
Verse 27
O Arjuna, at the commencement of universal creation all forms of
life are in delusion by the illusions of duality born of desire and
aversion, O conqueror of enemies.
Verse 28
But those persons performing virtuous activities whose sins have
been completely eradicated;they being free from the delusion of
duality conscientiously and determinedly engage in devotional
service unto Me.
Verse 29
Those who endeavor for liberation from old age and death take
shelter of Me; such persons learn the Ultimate Truth, the embodied
self and the entire subject of action and reaction.
Verse 30
Those who know Me, the Ultimate Personality as the governing
principle of the phenomenal existence, as the underlying foundation
of all the demigods and as unmitigated sustainer of the performance
of all sacrifices; they with their minds absorbed in I can know I
even at the moment of death.
Thus ends the Bhagavad-Gita Trust translation of the
Bhagavad-Gita, chapter seven, entitled: Paramahamsa Vij±Çna
Yoga:Realization of the Ultimate Truth.
Chapter 8
Aksara-Parabrahman Yoga: Attainment of Salvation
In chapter eight Lord Krishna emphasizes the paramount importance
of what one thinks at the moment of death revealing that one becomes
what one contemplates at the last breath of life. He also gives
pertinent information regarding the creation of the material worlds
and the distinction between them and the spiritual worlds. The paths
of light are also summarized and their position regarding salvation
is given. thus chapter eight is entitled: Aksara- Parabrahman Yoga
or Attainment of Salvation.
Verse 1
Arjuna said: O Krishna, what is the Ultimate Truth? What is the
embodied self? What is fruitive action? What is described as the
governing principle of the phenomenal existence and what is declared
the underlying foundation of all the demigods?
Verse 2
O Krishna, who is the Lord of sacrifice within the body? How is
it situated and how can this be known at the moment of death by the
self controlled?
Verse 3
Lord Krishna said: the supreme indestructible reality is declared
the Ultimate Truth. Its eternal nature is the embodied self.
Procreation and the desired devlopement in the material existence of
the physical bodies of all living entities is delineated as fruitive
actions.
Verse 4
Perishable objects are of the phenomenal existence; the
omnipresent transcendental personality is the underlying foundation
of all the demigods and I within the body certainly am the Lord of
all sacrifices, O best of beings.
Verse 5
One who remembers I at the moment of death, relinquishing the
body ascends and achieves My nature. There is certainly no doubt
about this.
Verse 6
O Arjuna, one who at the final moment gives up their body
remembering any idea whatsoever certainly becomes the object of that
idea being absorbed in it by constant contemplation.
Verse 7
Therefore constantly remember I at all times and fight,
offering your mind and spiritual intelligence unto I and certainly
you shall attain I without doubt.
Verse 8
O Arjuna, remembering at every moment the effulgent Supreme
Personality with an undeviated mind, perfected in the science of
uniting the individual consciousness with the Ultimate
Consciousness; one achieves unto Him.
Verses 9
One meditates on the omniscient, primordial, the controller,
smaller than the atom, yet the maintainer of everything; whose form
is inconceivable, resplendent like the sun and totally
transcendental to the material nature. Verse 10
One who at the moment of death with an undeviating mind, by the
power of the science of uniting the individual consciousness with
the Ultimate Consciousness, engaged in devotionalservice, properly
establishes the life breath between the eyebrows achieves the
effulgent Supreme Personality. Verse 11
That path which the learned knowers of Vedic scriptures declare
imperishable into which thegreat renounced ascetics devoid of
sensual desires enters and that which striving to reach thevow of
celibacy is maintained; I shall explain unto you in summation.
Verses 12
Withdrawing from sense objects all the senses of the body and
steadying the mind within theheart, fixed in self-realization with
the life breath in the head is being established perfectly inthe
science of uniting the individual consciousness with the Ultimate
Consciousness.
Verse 13
Anyone uttering the indestructible mono syllable Oê, the
transcendental sound vibration of the Ultimate Truth, remembering I
continuously; thus relinquishing their body in this wayachieves the
supreme goal.
Verse 14
O Arjuna, for such a one perfecting the science of uniting the
individual consciousness with the Ultimate Consciousness, without
deviation, always engaged in constantly remembering I continuously;
to him I am very easily attainable.
Verse 15
The great souls having achieved ultimate perfection take refuge
of Me, never again assume this transitory birth full of misery.
Verse 16
The residents of all the worlds, O Arjuna, from Brahmas world
the most evolved material planet in all the trillions of universes,
downwards are subject to the cycle of repeated birth and death; but
by taking refuge of Me, O Arjuna, repeated rebirth ceases.
Verse 17
Those who know Brahma's day which comprises the duration of four
billion three hundred and twenty million years and his night also
the duration of four billion three hundred and twenty million years
are knowers of day and night.
Verse 18
With the advent of his day all living entities are produced from
the unmanifest and at the arrival of his night dissapear again
thereinto that which is designated as the unmanifest.
Verse 19
O Arjuna, these very same innumerous living entities repeatedly
taking birth with the adventof his day, dissapear on the arrival of
his night manifesting again automatically on the adventof his day.
Verse 20
But another unmanifest which is eternal, of a superior nature
from the unmanifest of Brahma that is never destroyed when all
living entities perish.
Verse 21
That unmanifest is described as imperishable and proclaimed to
be the supreme goal, having reached never returns to the material
existence; that is My supreme abode.
Verse 22
O Arjuna, that Supreme Personality, by whom nothing is greater,
situated within all living entities and by whom everything is
pervaded can be achieved only by unalloyed devotion.
Verse 23
The exact time for passing from this world for those perfected
in the science of uniting the individual consciousness with the
Ultimate Consciousness to receive liberation and the time at which
one receives rebirth; I shall now describe, O Arjuna.
Verse 24
Persons knowledgeable of the Ultimate Truth who pass from this
world by Agni the demigod of fire, by Jyoti the demigod of light, by
Aha the demigod of daytime; by Sukla the demigod of the waxing moon
and Uttataryam the presiding demigod for the six months of the suns
progression between winter solstice and summer solstice; they attain
the Ultimate Truth.
Verse 25
One perfecting the science of uniting the individual
consciousness with the Ultimate Consciousness who passes from this
world by the demigod of smoke, the demigod of night; the demigod of
the waning moon and also the presiding demigod of the six months for
the suns progression between summer solstice and winter solstice,
after reaching the heavenly illuminated lunar spheres undergoes
rebirth.
Verse 26
These light and dark paths are beginningless and certainly as
eternal as the material universes; by one liberation is attained and
by the other one repeatedly returns again.
Verse 27
O Arjuna, coming to know about these two paths, anyone
perfecting the science of uniting theindividual consciousness with
the Ultimate Consciousness is never deluded; therefore O Arjuna
always be engaged in the science of uniting the individual
consciousness with the Ultimate Consciousness.
Verse 28
Whatever the meritorious rewards indicated in the Vedic
scriptures by ritualistic sacrifices, rigorous asceticism or by
philanthropic charity; one perfected in the science of uniting the
individual consciousness with the Ultimate Consciousness transcends
them all and achieves the supreme, primordial abode.
Thus ends the Bhagavad-Gita Trust translation of the
Bhagavad-Gita, chapter eight, entitled: Aksara-Parabrahman
Yoga:Attainment of Salvation.
Chapter 9
Raja-Vidya-Guhya Yoga: Confidential Knowledge of the
Ultimate Truth
Chapter nine Lord Krishna reveals the sovereign science and the
sovereign secret. he explainshow the entire material existence is
created, pervaded, maintained and annihilated by His external
energyand how all beings are coming in and going out of existence by
His auspices. The subject matters covered are are primarily
concerned with devotional service which the Lord explains as being
most confidential. Thus chapter nine is entitled: Raja-Vidya-Guhya
Yoga or Confidential Knowledge of the Ultimate Truth.
Verse 1
Lord Krishna said: I am expounding unto you who are unnenvious,
this most confidential, secret wisdom, the knowledge of devotion,
which when in realization after knowing which you will be liberated
from this miserable material existence.
Verse 2
This knowledge is the king of all wisdom; the king of all thats
confidential, the topmost in righteousness, purifying, able to be
perceived by direct realization, very joyous to perform and
everlasting.
Verse 3
O Arjuna, persons devoid of faith in the righteousness of this
devotion, unable to obtain Me; undergo repeated rebirth on the
deadly path of this miserable material existence.
Verse 4
All of the universes are prevaded by Me, in an imperceptibly
subtle manifestation and all living entities find their support in
Me; but I am not supported in them.
Verse 5
Behold my extraordinary and unparalleled majestic transcendental
opulence; My omniscient Self is the maintainer of all living
entities and the protecter of all living entities but never
influenced by them or by the material nature.
Verse 6
Understand just as the mighty wind blowing everywhere is always
situated within space; similarly all created beings thus are
situated in Me.
Verse 7
O Arjuna, all created beings enter into My nature at the end of
a four billion, 320 million year cycle; and after another four
billion, 320 million year cycle, I generate them all again.
Verse 8
Presiding over My external potency the material energy, I
generate again and again all these innumerable living entities;
inaccordance to the implications of their material natures.
Verse 9
O Arjuna, these universal activities never bind Me; I am
situated neutrally and unattached to all these activities.
Verse 10
Superintended by I the illusory external energy manifests all
moving and non-moving entities; for this reason O Arjuna, the
universal manifestation is created repeatedly.
Verse 11
Fools deride I in My divine human form, unable to comprehend My
supreme nature as theUltimate Controller of all living entities.
Verse 12
These bewildered fools of futile desires, futile endeavours,
futile knowledge and futile understanding; certainly assume the
nature of the athiestic and demoniac.
Verse 13
But the great souls having taken refuge of the divine nature, O
Arjuna, render devotional service unto I with undeviated mind
knowing I as the imperishable origin of all creation.
Verse 14
Always eulogizing My divine glories, resolutely endeavoring with
unfailing determination and humbly offering obeisances; desirers for
an eternal relationship worship I in loving devotion.
Verse 15
And by the sacrifice of cultivating spiritual knowledge others
performing offerings of sacrifice worship I in non-seperated
oneness, in distinctive duality, in differentiated diversity and as
the universal manifestation.
Verse 16
I am the seven Vedic fire rituals, I am the five daily acts of
sacrifice, I am the oblations offeredto the departed anscestors, I
am the healing herb; I am the transcendental incantation; I am
clarified cow ghee; I am the fire and I am the act of offering.
Verse 17
I am the father of this universe, the mother, the grandfather,
the progenitor, the essence to be known, the purifying
transcendental sound vibration Om; also the the Rig Veda, the Sama
Veda and the Yajur Veda.
Verse 18
I am the goal, the sustainer, the master, the witness, the
refuge, the guardian, the well-wisher, the creation, the
dissolution, the preservation, the resevoir and the imperishable
cause.
Verse 19
O Arjuna I give heat, I send forth and withhold the rain, I
alone am immortality and death and all that exists in the manifest
present as well as all that exists in the unmanifest past and the
unmanifest future.
Verse 20
Knowers of the prescribed rituals of the three Vedas, purified
of sins by remnants of the heavenly elixir, worship I indirectly by
such offerings of sacrifice to the demigods; they aspire for entry
to the heavenly spheres, where after reaching as their reward the
world of Indra, enjoy the celestial pleasures of the demigods in
heaven.
Verse 21
Having enjoyed extensively the heavenly spheres, the results of
their pious activities being exhausted , return to the worlds of
mortals; thus following the doctrine of righteousness in thethree
Vedas, desirers of sense enjoyment receive only the cycle of birth
and death.
Verse 22
Those who desire My eternal association precluding all else
meditate on I with exclusive devotion; those persons, I insure the
uniting of their individual consciousness with the Ultimate
Consciousness perpetually.
Verse 23
O Arjuna, those who worship devotedly different demigods,
although faithfully; they also worship I only; but in an
unauthorised manner.
Verse 24
I am the enjoyer and Ultimate Master of all performace of
sacrifice; but they do not know I in reality, consequently they
revolve in the cycle of rebirth.
Verse 25
Worshipers of the demigods go the demigods, worshipers of the
anscestors go to the anscestors, worshipers of the ghosts and
spirits go to the ghosts and spirits and My worshipers certainly
come to Me.
Verse 26
Whoever with loving devotion offers unto I a leaf, a flower, a
fruit, or water, I affectionatelyaccept that devotional offering
from that pure hearted being.
Verse 27
O Arjuna, whatever action you do, whatever you eat, whatever you
offer in sacrifice, whateveryou give in charity, whatever
austerities you perform, all that you do; make as an offering
untoMe.
Verse 28
In this way you will become free from auspicious and
inauspicious reactions from the bondage of actions; having fixed the
mind in renunciation by the science of uniting the individual
consciousness with the Ultimate Consciousness, being so endowed you
will proceed unto Me.
Verse 29
I am equally disposed to all living entities; there is neither
friend nor foe to Me; but those whowith loving sentiments render
devotional service unto Me, such persons are in I and I am in them.
Verse 30
Even if one committing the most abominable actions renders
service only unto I exclusivelywithout deviation; one is to be
considered saintly because one is correctly resolved and properly
situated.
Verse 31
One swiftly becomes endowed with righteousness and justly
obtains everlasting peace. O Arjuna declare it boldly, My devotee
never perishes.
Verse 32
O Arjuna, even those who may be born from the wombs of degraded
women, merchants andmenials; if they take full shelter of Me, they
also reach the supreme goal.
Verse 33
What then again of devotees, virtuous brahmanas and saintly
kings having achieved this transient world full of misery, engage in
devotional service unto Me.
Verse 34
Be ever conscious of Me, be My devotee, worship Me, offer
obeisances unto Me; in this way completely dedicating mind and body
unto Me, having I for the supreme goal you will certainly reach Me.
Thus ends the Bhagavad-Gita Trust translation of the
Bhagavad-Gita, chapter nine, entitled: Raja-Vidya-Guhya Yoga:
Confidential Knowledge of the Ultimate Truth