Verse 1:
The Blessed Lord said :
With the mind fixed on Me, O Pārtha, practising yoga and taking refuge in Me, listen how you will know Me wholly without doubt.
In the beginning, mere scholarly students of the literature of Vedānta. This is an unavoidable stage in the path of Knowledge. The science of Vedānta exhaustively deals with this problem and tries to explain how the mind, when made to meditate upon the Infinite, comes to transcend its own limitations and comes to experience the Infinite.
From this chapter onwards, the term ‘mind’ is to be understood, not as a debilitated and disintegrated mind but as an integrated mind properly tutored to walk the path, implicitly obeying the will of the discriminative intellect.
Chinmayananda, Swami. Shrimad Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 7 (p. 11)
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To realize infinite, meditate upon the infinite. Lot of times we assume meditation as focus or concentration. But know that meditation is just making intention and waiting for this infinite state to come into being naturally. If the intention is there it will happen. To get to that intention of course shravanam(reading) and mananam (contemplation) helps. Then we start with self-interest to get there. Slowly surely longing for this higher states sets in. So, every meditation starts with this sankalpa(to be in this higher state of infinity, we do not have to know about it) and a mere waiting makes it happen. But not by just ruminating over the learnings/teaching.
Another wonderful point Gurudev Chinmaya mentioned the mind obeying the will of the discriminative intellect. Here the discriminative ability of the mind is not just to recognize the real vs unreal. Real and unreal both are inconsequential in this journey. Here truly this ability gives the mind to grasp this journey of infinite as its moving through several stages. It develops the ability to see the next stage even before the mind gets there.
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Ch 7 Verse 2: I shall tell you completely this knowledge combined with experience, having known which, nothing here more remains to be known.
According to Śaṅkarācārya, speculative knowledge is jñāna, and actual experience of the perfection is vijñāna.
If an individual student is perfectly integrated inwardly and if he can continuously maintain his adventurous thirst to experience the reality, then he, in his attempt to identify himself with the thought in and the spirit of his teacher’s discourses, can ultimately come to revel in the experience of the very goal that is indicated by Vedānta.
Self-realization is instantaneous during the understanding of the scriptures, gained through the teacher-taught discussions.
Chinmayananda, Swami. Shrimad Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 7 (p. 14)
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It’s very interesting to read Shankaracharya’s statement Jnana as speculative Knowledge and actual experience of the perfection is Vijnana.
Fortunately, no one asked Bhagavan who is the experiencer -😊
But the real question is experience, how?
Why JNANA is speculative when it's actually, the teaching of a Vijnani(the one who has experienced) who has all the experience? It is evident from the last paragraph in Gurudev’s commentary what I deduced is a Guru(Vijnani) when he is verbalizing that infinite state, needs to be brought to a level of intellectual(speculative) cognition. It becomes speculative because it needs to be explained in the words you understand. If you are saying Gulab Jamun to a person who never ate gulab jamun or sasw it, you are giving some speculative idea. But the not the real taste. That is why Knowledge in verbal form only can be speculative.
That is why satsangha with the Guru is not just the teaching but with all his love and grace he is imparting that experience, that state of being(Vijnani). So, experience in this case is not some tangible awareness but there is this inner awakening made possible to have grasp of this unknown, this infinite.
Ch 7 Verse 3:
मनुष्याणां सहस्रेषु कश्चिद्यतति सिद्धये।
यततामपि सिद्धानां कश्चिन्मां वेत्ति तत्त्वतः॥३॥
manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaṣcidyatati siddhaye,
yatatāmapi siddhānāṁ kaścinmāṁ vetti tattvataḥ. (3)
मनुष्याणाम् - of men; सहस्रेषु - among thousands; कश्चित् - someone; यतति - strives; सिद्धये - for perfection; यतताम् - of the striving ones; अपि - even; सिद्धानाम् - of the successful ones; कश्चित् - someone; माम् - Me; वेत्ति - knows; तत्त्वतः - in essence
Among thousands of men, one perchance strives for perfection; even among those successful strivers, only one perchance knows Me in essence.
Kṛṣṇa has, therefore, to explain why in spite of the fact that Self-realisation was so simple and easy, it is not within the experience of everyone. This stanza explains why the majority still choose to remain in the area of ignorance to weep and to sigh, and are not able to walk into the lit-up arena of perfect Knowledge and inward equanimity.
Chinmayananda, Swami. Shrimad Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 7 (pp. 15-16). Central Chinmaya Mission Trust. Kindle Edition.
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I remember a story, where a seeker, a shishya goes to the guru while he is bathing in Ganga, requests I am an ardent seeker of Brahma Jnana can you please teach me. The Guru calls the shishya near him and holds his head and pushes into the water. The shishya was gasping for breath and a minute later guru takes his hand off. Shishya clamors are you trying to kill me. Guru responds when you were gasping for breath how much you really wanted it. If you seek this esoteric knowledge with the same need please come back to me.
So this is the problem. While realization is a simple business, we are given the exact opposite direction. If the Guru is a bhakta of particular deity will say, take the name of this deity everyday you will attain perfection. Why not , all roads lead to Rome, is it not. My apologies for being sarcastic.
Because we are all informed about perfection, never needed perfection, never given the method of perfection. How can an informed being really seek it or needs it. It is treated as another learning. another achievement, another possession. Never seen it as an absolute need.
Unless its an absolute need, we cannot even make a first step towards it. Where there is a need there is a way. The way is simple , easy and short. But we are not in a state to accept if it is so simple. How can it be, let me understand all the information in the world and implement them in life , then i will think about this perfection. Then we surely belong to the Millions who did not make it as mentioned by the Bhagawan. The choice is ours.
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Ch 7 Verse 4:
भूमिरापोऽनलो वायुः खं मनो बुद्धिरेव च।
अहङ्कार इतीयं मे भिन्ना प्रकृतिरष्टधा॥४॥
bhūmirāpo’nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhireva ca,
ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me bhinnā prakṛtiraṣṭadhā. (4)
भूमिः - earth; आपः - water; अनलः - fire; वायुः - air; खम् - space; मनः - mind; बुद्धिः - intellect; एव - even; च - and; अहङ्कारः - egoism; इति - thus; इयम् - these; मे - my; भिन्ना - divided; प्रकृतिः - nature; अष्टधा - eightfold
*4. Earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, intellect, egoism; these are My eightfold prakṛti.*
Bhagwan is indicating the primordial elements at the seed/subtle form which constitute all manifestation. All manifested embodied soul(Jiva Atma) consists of all these elements which subjected to the principles of Prakriti. The first five elements represent the physical constitution and the last three mind(manas), intellect(buddhi) , Ego(ahamkara) represent the spirit.
Interestingly Consciousness is not mentioned here, we may infer consciousness is above the Prakriti.
As soon as we are born, we start to identify with the surroundings. Slowly we identify with our name. My son when he was toddler used to say "Yayu (Rahul) like this or that." Later they become possessive about their toys. As we age and as circumstances change, forms many layers of identities. All this is the function of Ego.
*Identification is not bad. It is the Prakriti Dharma(principle)* The principle has to survive; dharma means sustenance of life. Otherwise, why would Bhagwan say these are my eightfold Prakriti.
The EGO plays a key role in the evolution of the Jiva. Without Ego all the functions of life pretty much come to a halt. Ego is the one which prompts us to do things. Of-course the consciousness is the base.
If someone subjects to the understanding of spirituality(purusha) which prompts the Ego to look beyond its Prakriti. Slowly through this prakriti it can gain understanding of the essence behind its constitution. Once it starts understanding the divine nature which is known as Purusha slowly it tries to identify with the divine nature, that does not mean it loses its touch with the Prakriti. As long as we are embodied existence, we cannot lose touch with neither the external self nor the inner self;
*It's a very false idea to say that we have to lose one for the other* Body has its own cycle. It goes through the exuberance of energy; it has its own down moments and goes through sickness. No one can escape this.
Yes, the external identity including the bodily identity is the cause of suffering. But suffering is a choice, pain is inevitable. Suffering because of non-acceptance, pain we must go through whether we accept it or not.
Sometimes we assume, if we are immersed in the higher nature, we can avoid pains of life. I don't think so, there are umpteen stories which are popular of Gurus who endured severe painful situations. They just did not complain about it, for example Jesus. On the cross he cries Oh GOD! why have you forsaken me. At that moment he surrenders to the almighty and says thy wish must prevail. You see suffering is very much a choice. A matured mind which realizes the divine effulgence endures, does not lament about it.
We should not fantasize the enlightened states. It’s a natural process of Ego identification once it embarks on the journey of perfection. When it realizes the finer states becomes sublime by itself. Slowly it gets immersed totally in that divine state. Yet it must function at both existential and in sublime divine state.
*Ch 7 Verse 5:*
*अपरेयमितस्त्वन्यां प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम्।*
*जीवभूतां महाबाहो ययेदं धार्यते जगत्॥५॥*
apareyamitastvanyāṁ prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām,
jīvabhūtāṁ mahābāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat. (5)
अपरा - lower; इयम् - this; इतः - from this; तु - but; अन्याम् - different; प्रकृतिम् - nature; विद्धि - know; मे - my; पराम् - higher; जीवभूताम् - the very life element; महाबाहो - O mighty-armed; यया - by which; इदम् - this; धार्यते - is upheld; जगत् - world
5. This is the lower prakṛti; different from it, know thou, O mighty-armed, is My higher prakṛti, the very life element, by which this world is upheld.
The spiritual factor is that entity in contact with which the equipments function, and without which the equipments become dull and unintelligent. If Consciousness were not in us, we will not be able to experience either the world outside or the world within us. It is the Consciousness that maintains, nourishes and sustains all the possibilities in us. Without this spiritual spark functioning in us, in our intellect or mind we would have been no more intelligent or divine than the ‘stone-world’.
Chinmayananda, Swami. Shrimad Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 7 (pp. 22-23). Central Chinmaya Mission Trust. Kindle Edition.
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Bhagavan indicating the existential elements or manifestation as the lower and essence of this existence as higher. Here we should not be thinking lower as something unwanted or valueless. What if this lower is not there at all then there is no existence. There are no scriptures nothing to grow into it. All this should be understood as a principal which functions according the laws of nature.
Consciousness the higher element provides the awareness to the lower. But the lower if it does not subject to this higher essence, this awareness shrinks. Because to discriminate(function of intelligence & ego) between tangible objects does not require a high level of consciousness. Basically that means available consciousness shrinks. When the EGO and INELLECT is directed towards the higher the available consciousness is not enough to grasps this higher, as this essence is more and more subtle. Hence the consciousness expands. In this expansion of consciousness the Ego identifies with the real essence and becomes more and more sublime to an extent it almost becomes insignificant.
So here i re-emphasize from the previous verse summary, realizing the need to reach this state and taking interest are the only key aspects in this journey. Dhyana is recommended approach by Bhagavan to make all this possible. All the rest of the verses and the chapters become a mere intellectual stimulation if we do not apply Dhyana.
*Ch 7 Verse 6:*
*एतद्योनीनि भूतानि सर्वाणीत्युपधारय।*
*अहं कृत्स्नस्य जगतः प्रभवः प्रलयस्तथा॥६॥*
etadyonīni bhūtāni sarvāṇītyupadhāraya,
ahaṁ kṛtsnasya jagataḥ prabhavaḥ pralayastathā. (6)
एतद्योनीनि - these (two prakṛtis), are the womb of; भूतानि - beings; सर्वाणि - all; इति - thus; उपधारय - know; अहम् - I; कृत्स्नस्य - of the whole; जगतः - of the world; प्रभवः - source; प्रलयः - dissolution; तथा - also
6. Know that these (two prakṛtis) are the womb of all beings. So, I am the source and dissolution of the whole universe.
Keeping this idea in mind, Lord Kṛṣṇa declares here that: “These two are the womb of all beings”. It is not very difficult for an intelligent student to understand what it actually means. Not only that the pluralistic world of objects, feelings and ideas rise from and stay in the Spirit but it dissolves into it, to again become the higher nature. Thus, the lower nature is, in its essential constitution, nothing other than the higher in its essential implications. The higher, forgetting its own divinity, identifies itself with the lower and comes to the egocentric sorrows and imperfections. The higher seemingly suffers, at present, in its own delusions, the sorrows of the lower. Its own rediscovery of its natural divine glory is the redemption of matter. The idea that the lower has risen from the higher is likened to the way in which pots of different shapes and colours have all arisen from the mud.
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Here Bhagavan is alluding to the underlying principle of the manifestation(creation) and the dissolution by the same essence into the same essence. Lower manifestation dissolves into itself. When the body dies it dissolves into the same lower prakriti. If we observe this carefully the intellect & ego which is associated with the higher nature remains. Hence it has to manifest again as it did not let go its lower tendencies, its identification with it. You can see the principle of samsara or samsaranam ( transmigratory life) how and why its taking place.
But at the end everything had to dissolve into the higher essence. There is no escape from this. That basically implying the lower is always striving to reach the higher nature and the higher nature striving for its dissolution or merger into the essence.
There is so much discussion about the Sakshi bhava , whatever is seen, perceived, become aware of , truly speaking is other than YOU(SELF), or the ESSENCE. The eye cannot see itself. Going inwards or spiritual journey really means dissolution of all lower tendencies which are engaged with the Prakriti(lower nature). All intellect and Ego is engaged with the lower nature. This dissolution begins to happen only when one recognizes (feel the need) the real principle of nature striving to merge with the higher. That is the natural flow.
For the life to be in tune with the nature is to subject life to this natural flow. But unknowingly and knowingly we are always going against it.
The real enquiry is on how to get out of this compulsive behavior of life and subject to the right process to subject the self to be in the path of dissolution.
Verse 13
If god created why there is evil?
Is because of appearance of maya in supreme brahman. Why danavas are there in yoga vasista. In the process of self realization must adhere to dharma and acheive chitta shuddhi and move towards jnana
In brahma there can not be any chnage , no modification. I am not in them.
Glass water, glass gives support to the water but not the water gives support to the glass. That is how the concept of they are in me but i am not in them
Verse 14
Deva - god Daivi - maya