Jnana Vijnana Yoga
Knowledge of the divine comes in two forms: the manifest and the unmanifest. Why few seek, fewer find, and rarer still understand.
All 30 verses of this chapter on one page. Read straight through, or press play and follow each verse as it is recited.
श्री भगवानुवाच मय्यासक्तमनाः पार्थ योगं युञ्जन्मदाश्रयः । असंशयं समग्रं मां यथा ज्ञास्यसि तच्छृणु ॥
The Blessed Lord said: Arjuna, fix your mind on Me, take refuge in Me, and practice yoga. Hear how you will know Me fully, without doubt.
ज्ञानं तेऽहं सविज्ञानमिदं वक्ष्याम्यशेषतः । यज्ज्ञात्वा नेह भूयोऽन्यज्ज्ञातव्यमवशिष्यते ॥
I will reveal to you knowledge together with direct realization in full. Knowing that, nothing more remains to be known here.
मनुष्याणां सहस्रेषु कश्चिद्यतति सिद्धये । यततामपि सिद्धानां कश्चिन्मां वेत्ति तत्त्वतः ॥
Among thousands of people, one may strive for perfection; among those striving, one may know Me in truth.
भूमिरापोऽनलो वायुः खं मनो बुद्धिरेव च । अहङ्कार इतीयं मे भिन्ना प्रकृतिरष्टधा ॥
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect, and ego: this is My eightfold lower nature.
अपरेयमितस्त्वन्यां प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम् । जीवभूतां महाबाहो ययेदं धार्यते जगत् ॥
Know My higher nature, which is different from this lower nature, O mighty-armed one. By that living nature, this world is sustained.
एतद्योनीनि भूतानि सर्वाणीत्युपधारय । अहं कृत्स्नस्य जगतः प्रभवः प्रलयस्तथा ॥
Know that all beings are born from these two natures. I am the source and the dissolution of the entire universe.
मत्तः परतरं नान्यत्किञ्चिदस्ति धनञ्जय । मयि सर्वमिदं प्रोतं सूत्रे मणिगणा इव ॥
O Dhananjaya, nothing exists higher than Me. All this world is strung on Me like pearls on a thread.
रसोऽहमप्सु कौन्तेय प्रभास्मि शशिसूर्ययोः । प्रणवः सर्ववेदेषु शब्दः खे पौरुषं नृषु ॥
O son of Kunti, I am the taste in water, the light in the moon and sun, the syllable Om in all the Vedas, the sound in space, and the valor in human beings.
पुण्यो गन्धः पृथिव्यां च तेजश्चास्मि विभावसौ । जीवनं सर्वभूतेषु तपश्चास्मि तपस्विषु ॥
I am the pure fragrance in the earth, the radiance in fire, the life in all beings, and the austerity in ascetics.
बीजं मां सर्वभूतानां विद्धि पार्थ सनातनम् । बुद्धिर्बुद्धिमतामस्मि तेजस्तेजस्विनामहम् ॥
Know Me, O Partha, as the eternal seed of all beings. I am the intelligence of the intelligent and the brilliance of the brilliant.
बलं बलवतामस्मि कामरागविवर्जितम् । धर्माविरुद्धो भूतेषु कामोऽस्मि भरतर्षभ ॥
Among the strong, I am strength free from desire and attachment. In beings, I am desire that does not oppose dharma, O best of the Bharatas.
ये चैव सात्त्विका भावा राजसास्तामसाश्च ये । मत्त एवेति तान्विद्धि नत्वहं तेषु ते मयि ॥
Know that all states of being—sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic—arise from Me. I am not in them; they are in Me.
त्रिभिर्गुणमयैर्भावैरेभिः सर्वमिदं जगत् । मोहितं नाभिजानाति मामेभ्यः परमव्ययम् ॥
Deluded by these three qualities, the whole world does not know me, who am beyond them and imperishable.
दैवी ह्येषा गुणमयी मम माया दुरत्यया । मामेव ये प्रपद्यन्ते मायामेतां तरन्ति ते ॥
My divine illusion, made of the three qualities, is hard to cross. Only those who take refuge in Me go beyond it.
न मां दुष्कृतिनो मूढाः प्रपद्यन्ते नराधमाः । माययापहृतज्ञाना आसुरं भावमाश्रिताः ॥
The deluded, the lowest among people, the wrongdoers, and those whose understanding has been stolen by the veil do not turn to me. They take refuge in a shadowed nature instead.
चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जनाः सुकृतिनोऽर्जुन । आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ ॥
Four kinds of virtuous people worship Me, Arjuna: the distressed, the seeker of knowledge, the seeker of wealth, and the wise one, O best of the Bharatas.
तेषां ज्ञानी नित्ययुक्त एकभक्तिर्विशिष्यते । प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थमहं स च मम प्रियः ॥
Among those four, the wise devotee who is ever united and one-pointed is श्रेष्ठ. For I am exceedingly dear to the wise one, and the wise one is dear to me.
उदाराः सर्व एवैते ज्ञानी त्वात्मैव मे मतम् । आस्थितः स हि युक्तात्मा मामेवानुत्तमां गतिम् ॥
All these are noble indeed, but the wise devotee is My very self. Established in yoga, that person is steadfast in Me as the unsurpassed goal.
बहूनां जन्मनामन्ते ज्ञानवान्मां प्रपद्यते । वासुदेवः सर्वमिति स महात्मा सुदुर्लभः ॥
After many births, the wise one surrenders to Me, knowing that Vasudeva is everything. Such a great soul is very rare.
कामैस्तैस्तैर्हृतज्ञानाः प्रपद्यन्तेऽन्यदेवताः । तं तं नियममास्थाय प्रकृत्या नियताः स्वया ॥
Driven by desire, people whose understanding has been taken away turn to other radiant beings. They follow the rules of each, shaped by their own nature.
यो यो यां यां तनुं भक्तः श्रद्धयार्चितुमिच्छति । तस्य तस्याचलां श्रद्धां तामेव विदधाम्यहम् ॥
Whatever form a devotee wants to worship with faith, I make that faith firm in that very form.
स तया श्रद्धया युक्तस्तस्याराधनमीहते । लभते च ततः कामान्मयैव विहितान् हि तान् ॥
Endowed with that faith, that person seeks that worship, and receives those desires, granted by Me alone.
अन्तवत्तु फलं तेषां तद्भवत्यल्पमेधसाम् । देवान्देवयजो यान्ति मद्भक्ता यान्ति मामपि ॥
But the reward gained by those of limited understanding is finite. Those who worship the radiant beings go to the radiant beings; my devotees come to me.
अव्यक्तं व्यक्तिमापन्नं मन्यन्ते मामबुद्धयः । परं भावमजानन्तो ममाव्ययमनुत्तमम् ॥
The unwise think I have taken a visible form from the unseen. They do not know my imperishable, supreme nature.
नाहं प्रकाशः सर्वस्य योगमायासमावृतः । मूढोऽयं नाभिजानाति लोको मामजमव्ययम् ॥
Veiled by yoga-maya, I am not visible to everyone. Deluded people do not recognize me as unborn and imperishable.
वेदाहं समतीतानि वर्तमानानि चार्जुन । भविष्याणि च भूतानि मां तु वेद न कश्चन ॥
Arjuna, I know all beings of the past, the present, and the future. No one knows me.
इच्छाद्वेषसमुत्थेन द्वन्द्वमोहेन भारत । सर्वभूतानि संमोहं सर्गे यान्ति परन्तप ॥
O descendant of Bharata, all beings fall into delusion at birth, from the confusion born of desire and aversion, O scorcher of foes.
येषां त्वन्तगतं पापं जनानां पुण्यकर्मणाम् । ते द्वन्द्वमोहनिर्मुक्ता भजन्ते मां दृढव्रताः ॥
But those whose wrongdoing has been cleared away, and whose good deeds have matured, are freed from confusion and worship me with firm resolve.
जरामरणमोक्षाय मामाश्रित्य यतन्ति ये । ते ब्रह्म तद्विदुः कृत्स्नमध्यात्मं कर्म चाखिलम् ॥
Those who, seeking release from old age and death, take refuge in me, come to know Brahman, the whole field of the inner life, and all action.
साधिभूताधिदैवं मां साधियज्ञं च ये विदुः । प्रयाणकालेऽपि च मां ते विदुर्युक्तचेतसः ॥
Those who know me together with the physical realm, the radiant powers, and the inner sacrifice know me even at the time of death.