Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 7

Self-Knowledge and Enlightenment

1. 7.1Krishna tells Arjuna (called Pārtha, "son of Prithā") to listen. He will explain how Arjuna can know him fully and without doubt by keeping his mind on Krishna, practicing yoga, and taking shelter in him.Krishna
2. 7.2Krishna promises to teach both knowledge and deep understanding completely. Once Arjuna knows this, nothing else will be left for him to learn.Krishna
3. 7.3Krishna says that out of thousands of people, hardly one really tries for spiritual perfection. Even among those who try and succeed, hardly one truly knows him as he really is.Krishna
4. 7.4Krishna lists eight parts of his nature: earth, water, fire, air, ether (space), mind, reason, and ego (the sense of "I").Krishna
5. 7.5Krishna says those eight parts are his lower nature. He also has a higher nature, the life force in all living beings, which holds up the whole universe.Krishna
6. 7.6Krishna says his two natures are where all beings come from. He is the source from which the whole universe begins and the place where it ends.Krishna
7. 7.7Krishna, called Dhananjaya's teacher here (Dhananjaya, "winner of wealth," is Arjuna), says nothing is higher than him. Everything is held together by him, like pearls strung on a thread.Krishna
8. 7.8Krishna says he is the taste of water and the light of the moon and sun. He is the sacred syllable Om in the Vedas (holy scriptures), the sound in space, and the strength in men.Krishna
9. 7.9Krishna says he is the sweet smell of the earth and the brightness of fire. He is the life in every being and the self-discipline of those who practice hardship for God.Krishna
10. 7.10Krishna tells Arjuna to know him as the eternal seed of all beings. He is the intelligence in the wise and the glory in all glorious things.Krishna
11. 7.11Krishna says he is the strength of the strong when it is free from greed and passion. He is also the desire in people that does not go against what is right.Krishna
12. 7.12Krishna says the three moods of nature—calm goodness, restless activity, and dull laziness—all come from him. They exist within him, but he is not controlled by them.Krishna
13. 7.13Krishna says the whole world is fooled by these three moods of nature. Because of this, people do not recognize him, who is beyond them and never dies.Krishna
14. 7.14Krishna says the illusion made by these three moods is his own divine power, and it is very hard to get past. But those who turn to him get beyond it.Krishna
15. 7.15Krishna says people who do evil, who are foolish, and who are the worst of humans do not come to him. Illusion has taken away their wisdom, and they have taken on a cruel, demon-like nature.Krishna
16. 7.16Krishna says four kinds of good people worship him: those who are suffering, those who want knowledge, those who want something for themselves, and the wise.Krishna
17. 7.17Krishna says the wise person is the best of these four, because they are always steady and devoted to him alone. He is very dear to the wise, and they are very dear to him.Krishna
18. 7.18Krishna says all four kinds of worshippers are good. But he sees the wise one as his very own self, because that person is united within and fixed on him as the highest goal.Krishna
19. 7.19Krishna says that after many lifetimes, the truly wise person comes to him, saying "Vāsudeva (Krishna) is everything." Such a great soul is very hard to find.Krishna
20. 7.20Krishna says people whose understanding is clouded by desires turn to other gods (Shining Ones). They follow various outward rituals, according to their own nature.Krishna
21. 7.21Krishna says that when people worship any god or divine form with faith, he is the one who makes their faith strong and steady.Krishna
22. 7.22With that faith, the person worships that god and gets what they wish for. But Krishna says he is the one who really grants those gifts.Krishna
23. 7.23Krishna says the rewards people get from worshipping lesser gods for their wishes do not last. Those who worship the gods go to the gods, but those devoted to Krishna come to him.Krishna
24. 7.24Krishna says people who do not understand think he is only a visible, limited form. They do not know his highest nature, which is beyond form and never dies.Krishna
25. 7.25Krishna says he is hidden from most people, covered by the magical power that makes the world. Confused people do not know him as the one who was never born and never dies.Krishna
26. 7.26Krishna tells Arjuna that he knows every being from the past, present and future, but no one truly knows him.Krishna
27. 7.27Krishna says all beings are confused because they get caught in opposites like pleasure and pain, which come from liking and disliking things. Arjuna is called Bharata (descendant of Bharata) and Parantapa (scorcher of enemies).Krishna
28. 7.28Krishna says people who act rightly and have left their wrongs behind become free from this confusion of opposites. They worship him steadily and keep their promises.Krishna
29. 7.29Krishna says those who take shelter in him and work to be free from the cycle of birth and death come to know the Eternal, the true Self, and the nature of all action.Krishna
30. 7.30Krishna says those who know him as the truth behind the physical world, the gods, and sacred offering keep a steady mind. They know him even at the moment of death.Krishna