Bhagavad Gita · 7.13 · Self-Knowledge and Enlightenment·13 of 30
त्रिभिर्गुणमयैर्भावैरेभिः सर्वमिदं जगत्।मोहितं नाभिजानाति मामेभ्यः परमव्ययम् ॥
tribhir guṇa-mayair bhāvair ebhiḥ sarvam idaṁ
jagat mohitaṁ nābhijānāti māmebhyaḥ param avyayam
Sanskrit recitation
The divine inside ordinary nature · 7.1–7.14 · Teaching
Translation
Deluded by these Natures, composed of the three qualities of Nature, all this world does not know Me as distinct from them and immutable.
Meaning
Persons of this world are deluded by the three alities of Nature or Maya. Affection, attachment and infatuated love are all modifications of these alities. On account of delusion created by these three alities they are not able to break the worldly ties and to turn the mind towards the Supreme Soul, the Lord of the three alities.Avyayam Immutable or unchangeable or inexhaustible or imperishable. The Self is of one homogeneous essence. It has not got the six changes or modifications (Shad Bhava Vikaras) which the body has, viz., existence, birth, growth, modification, decay and death. (Cf.VII.25)
After Swami Sivananda
The divine inside ordinary nature· 7.1–7.14→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 7.1The Blessed Lord said, "O Arjuna, hear how you shall, without doubt, know Me fully, with your mind intent on Me, practicing Yoga and taking refuge in Me."
- 7.2I will declare to you in full this knowledge combined with realization, after knowing which nothing else remains to be known here.
- 7.3Among thousands of men, one may perchance strive for perfection; even among those successful strivers, only one may perchance know Me in essence.
- 7.4Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect, and egoism—thus is My Nature divided eightfold.
- 7.5O mighty-armed Arjuna, this is the inferior Prakriti; know it as distinct from My higher Prakriti, the very life-element, by which this world is upheld.
- 7.6Know that these two are the womb of all beings; thus, I am the source and dissolution of the whole universe.
- 7.7There is nothing higher than Me, O Arjuna. All this is strung on Me, like clusters of gems on a string.
- 7.8I am the flavor in water, O Arjuna; I am the light in the moon and the sun; I am the syllable Om in all the Vedas, sound in the ether and virility in men.
- 7.9I am the sweet fragrance in the earth and the brilliance in the fire, the life in all beings, and I am the austerity of ascetics.
- 7.10Know Me, O Arjuna, as the eternal seed of all beings; I am the intelligence of the intelligent, and the splendour of the splendid objects.
- 7.11Of the strong, I am the strength devoid of desire and attachment, and in all beings, I am the desire in accordance with Dharma, O Arjuna.
- 7.12Whatever beings (and objects) that are pure, active, and inert, know that they proceed from Me. They are in Me, yet I am not in them.
7.13Deluded by these Natures, composed of the three qualities of Nature, all this world does not know Me as distinct from them and immutable.
- 7.14Verily, this divine illusion of Mine, composed of the three qualities, is difficult to cross over; those who take refuge in Me alone, can cross over this illusion.
Word-by-word→
- tribhiḥ
- by three
- guṇa-mayaiḥ
- consisting of the modes of material nature
- bhāvaiḥ
- states
- ebhiḥ
- all these
- sarvam
- whole
- idam
- this
- jagat
- universe
- mohitam
- deluded
- na
- not
- abhijānāti
- know
- mām
- me
- ebhyaḥ
- these
- param
- the supreme
- avyayam
- imperishable
Related verses
- 3.28But he who knows the Truth, O mighty-armed Arjuna, about the divisions of the qualities…
- 5.3He should be known as a perpetual Sannyasi who neither hates nor desires; for, free from…
- 7.2I will declare to you in full this knowledge combined with realization, after knowing…
- 7.3Among thousands of men, one may perchance strive for perfection; even among those…