Chapter 7. Jnana-vijnana-yoga: Knowledge and Realisation of the Supreme

श्रीभगवानुवाच ।

मय्यासक्तमनाः पार्थ योगं युञ्जन्मदाश्रयः ।
असंशयं समग्रं मां यथा ज्ञास्यसि तच्छृणु ॥१॥

śrī-bhagavān uvācha

mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ
asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tach chhṛṇu [1]

sri-bhagavan uvacha–The Supreme Lord said: (he) partha–O Arjuna; srnu tat–hear; yatha–how; asakta-manah–with mind attached; mayi–to Me, the Supreme Lord; yunjan yogam–linking your consciousness with Me; mat-asrayah–taking refuge in Me alone (without any attempts of karma, etc.); asamsayam–without doubt; jnasyasi–you will be able to know; mam–Me; samagram–in full — along with My abode, My opulences, and My associates. [1]

Translation:

1 The Lord said: O Partha, hear from Me how, with mind attached to Me, the Supreme Lord, linking your consciousness with Me and taking refuge in Me alone, you will without doubt be able to know Me, My holy abode, My opulences, and My associates.

ज्ञानं तेऽहं सविज्ञानमिदं वक्ष्याम्यशेषतः ।
यज्ज्ञात्वा नेह भूयोऽन्यज्ज्ञातव्यमवशिष्यते ॥२॥

jñānaṁ te ’haṁ sa-vijñānam idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ
yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo ’nyaj jñātavyam avaśiṣyate [2]

aham–I; vaksyami–shall now describe; asesatah–completely; te–to you; idam jnanam–this knowledge of My absolute power (aisvaryamaya-jnan); sa-vijnanam–with the knowledge to be realised of My sweetness (madhurya-anubhav); jnatva–knowing; yat–which; bhuyah–again; anyat–any other; (tava) jnatavyam–thing to be known by you; na avasisyate–will not remain; iha–on this supreme path. [2]

Translation:

2 Now I shall reveal to you this knowledge of My absolute power as well as the realisation of My sweetness, knowing which, nothing will remain to be known, here on this supreme path.

मनुष्याणां सहस्रेषु कश्चिद्यतति सिद्धये ।
यततामपि सिद्धानां कश्चिन्मां वेत्ति तत्त्वतः ॥३॥

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaśchid yatati siddhaye
yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaśchin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ [3]

manusyanam sahasresu–Of thousands of men; kaschit–a rare one; yatati–endeavours; siddhaye–for self-realisation and Supersoul-realisation; yatatam siddhanam api–and of thousands who have attained such realisation; kaschit–a rare one; tattvatah–truly; vetti–knows; mam–Me, Syamasundar. [3]

Translation:

3 Of countless souls, few reach the human form; of thousands of human beings, very few may try to realise the soul and the Supersoul; and of thousands who have attained such realisation, hardly one can actually know Me, Syamasundar.

भूमिरापोऽनलो वायुः खं मनो बुद्धिरेव च ।
अहङ्कार इतीयं मे भिन्ना प्रकृतिरष्टधा ॥४॥

bhūmir āpo ’nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva cha
ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā [4]

bhumih–Earth; apah–water; analah–fire; vayuh–air; kham–ether; manah–mind; buddhih–intelligence; ahankarah eva cha–and ego; iti–thus; iyam–this; prakrtih–nature, maya-sakti, illusory potency; me–of Mine; bhinna–is divided; asta-dha–eightfold. [4]

Translation:

4 Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, and ego are the eight divisions of My illusory potency in this world.

Commentary

In this verse, it is expressed that jnan, or knowledge, in the true sense of the word and in accordance with the precepts of devotion, is actually Bhagavad-aisvarya-jnan, or knowledge of the supremacy of the Lord. The general seekers of knowledge may consider realisation of the soul — as distinct from the body and material elements — to be enlightenment, but this does not constitute ultimate knowledge.

Thus, to explain the conception of His Lordship, the Lord reveals His forms, His potencies, and their characteristics: «My different aspects are Brahma, Paramatma, and Bhagavan. Brahma is a non-differentiated, formless aspect of My potency. Paramatma, the Supersoul, is also an appearance of My potency (in relation to the cosmic manifestation), and this aspect of Mine is not eternally manifest. Only My form of Bhagavan, the Supreme Lord, is My eternal Self, and in this form My three eternal potencies exist as antaranga- or chit-shakti — the internal, divine potency; bahiranga- or maya-sakti — the external, illusory potency; and tatastha- or jiva-sakti — the marginal potency comprising the innumerable living beings.»

In this verse, the Lord has described His external, illusory potency.

 — Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur

अपरेयमितस्त्वन्यां प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम् ।
जीवभूतां महाबाहो ययेदं धार्य्यते जगत् ॥५॥

apareyam itas tv anyāṁ prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām
jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat [5]

(he) maha-baho–O mighty hero; iyam–this external nature, external potency; apara–is inferior; tu–but; param–superior; itah–to this; viddhi–you should know; anyam–another; prakrtim–nature, the marginal potency; me–of Mine; jiva-bhutam–in the form of the individual souls; yaya–the conscious potency by which; idam jagat–this world; dharyate–is adopted for enjoyment through fruitive actions. [5]

Translation:

5 O mighty hero, Arjuna, this external, worldly nature is inferior. But know that superior to this nature is My marginal potency, comprised of the individual souls. Worldly existence is adopted by the souls for enjoyment through fruitive actions. (The divine world emanates from My internal potency and the mundane world from My external potency. The potency of the living beings is known as marginal as they are constitutionally situated midway between these planes. They may choose to reside either in the mundane plane or the divine.)

एतद्योनीनि भूतानि सर्व्वाणीत्युपधारय ।
अहं कृत्स्नस्य जगतः प्रभवः प्रलयस्तथा ॥६॥

etad yonīni bhūtāni sarvāṇīty upadhāraya
ahaṁ kṛtsnasya jagataḥ prabhavaḥ pralayas tathā [6]

upadharaya–Understand; iti–that; sarvani bhutani–all living species, moving and stationary; etat yonini–are manifest from these two types of prakrti, or natures, as ksetra and ksetrajna (vide 13.12). aham prabhavah–I am the source of manifestation; tatha pralayah–and dissolution; krtsnasya–of the entire; jagatah–universe. [6]

Translation:

6 Know that all species, either moving or stationary, are manifest from these two natures as the field of action and the knower of the field; and I alone am the cause of the manifestation and dissolution of the entire universe.

मत्तः परतरं नान्यत्किञ्चिदस्ति धनञ्जय ।
मयि सर्व्वमिदं प्रोतं सूत्रे मणिगणा इव ॥७॥

mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñchid asti dhanañjaya
mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva [7]

(he) dhananjaya–O Dhananjaya, conqueror of riches; na anyat kinchit–nothing else; asti–is; parataram–superior; mattah–to Me. idam sarvam–This whole world; protam–is threaded; mayi–in Me; iva–like; mani-ganah–gems; sutre–strung on a thread. [7]

Translation:

7 O Arjuna, there is nothing superior to Me. All existence depends on Me, like gems strung on a thread.

रसोऽहमप्सु कौन्तेय प्रभास्मि शशिसूर्य्ययोः ।
प्रणवः सर्व्ववेदेषु शब्दः खे पौरुषं नृषु ॥८॥

raso ’ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ
praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu śabdaḥ khe pauruṣaṁ nṛṣu [8]

(he) kaunteya–O son of Kunti; aham asmi–I am present; rasah–by My power as the essential taste; apsu–of water. (aham asmi)–I am present; prabha–by My power of radiance; sasi-suryayoh–in the moon and sun. (aham asmi)–I am present; sarva-vedesu–in all the Vedas; pranavah–as the origin of the Vedas, Omkar. (aham asmi)–I am present; sabdah–as the element of sound; khe–in the ether. (aham asmi)–I am present; paurusam–as masculinity; nrsu–in men. [8]

Translation:

8 O son of Kunti, I am the taste of water, I am the radiance of the sun and the moon. I am Om, the fundamental vibration in all the Vedas, I am the sound in the ether, and I am the masculinity in men.

पुण्यो गन्धः पृथिव्याञ्च तेजश्चास्मि विभावसौ ।
जीवनं सर्व्वभूतेषु तपश्चास्मि तपस्विषु ॥९॥

puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāñ cha tejaś chāsmi vibhāvasau
jīvanaṁ sarva-bhūteṣu tapaś chāsmi tapasviṣu [9]

(aham)–I; asmi–am present; punyah gandhah–as the unmixed fragrance; prthivyam cha–in the earth; tejah vibhavasau cha–and as the force of radiance and heat in fire; asmi–(I) am present; jivanam–as the life-span; sarva-bhutesu–of all beings; cha–and; tapah–the power to endure duality, etc.; tapasvisu–in the performers of austerities. [9]

Translation:

9 I am the pure fragrance of the earth, and I am the radiance of fire. I am the life-span of all beings, and in ascetics, I am the power to endure duality such as cold and heat.

बीजं मां सर्व्वभूतानां विद्धि पार्थ सनातनम् ।
बुद्धिर्बुद्धिमतामस्मि तेजस्तेजस्विनामहम् ॥१०॥

bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ viddhi pārtha sanātanam
buddhir buddhimatām asmi tejas tejasvinām aham [10]

(he) partha–O Arjuna; viddhi–know; mam–Me; sanatanam bijam–as the eternal cause, known as pradhan; sarva-bhutanam–of all life-forms. aham asmi–I am present; buddhih–as the intelligence; buddhi-matam–of the intelligent; tejah–and as the prowess; tejasvinam–of the bold. [10]

Translation:

10 O Partha, know Me as the eternal, original cause of all life-forms. I am the intelligence of the intelligent, the power of the powerful.

बलं बलवतां चाहं कामरागविवर्ज्जितम् ।
धर्म्माविरुद्धो भूतेषु कामोऽस्मि भरतर्षभ ॥११॥

balaṁ balavatāṁ chāhaṁ kāma-rāga-vivarjitam
dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo ’smi bharatarṣabha [11]

(he) bharatarsabha–O best of the dynasty of Bharat; aham asmi–I am present; bala-vatam–for the strong; balam–as strength of sattvika quality, or goodness, which enables one to execute his religious duties; kama-raga-vivarjitam–without selfishness and attachment; cha–and; (aham asmi)–I am present; bhutesu–in the living beings; kamah–as the desire to procreate; dharma-aviruddhah–without crossing the universal principles of religion, i.e. to beget offspring only in one’s wife. [11]

Translation:

11 O Arjuna, I am the strength of the strong, without selfishness and attachment; and I am the desire for procreation in the living beings which does not contravene the universal principles of religion.

ये चैव सात्त्विका भावा राजसास्तामसाश्च ये ।
मत्त एवेति तान्विद्धि न त्वहं तेषु ते मयि ॥१२॥

ye chaiva sāttvikā bhāvā rājasās tāmasāś cha ye
matta eveti tān viddhi na tv ahaṁ teṣu te mayi [12]

ye ye bhavah eva–Whatever exists; sattvikah–of the nature of goodness; rajasah cha–and of the nature of passion; tamasah cha–and of the nature of ignorance; viddhi–know; tan (sarvan)–all these; iti–as; mattah eva–manifest from Me alone. aham na (varte)–I do not reside; tesu–within them; tu–but; te (vartante) mayi–they are in Me. [12]

Translation:

12 Furthermore, know that all things, of the nature of goodness, passion, and ignorance, are manifest from Me alone. Nevertheless, I am not in them. They, subordinate to Me, are in Me.

त्रिभिर्गुणमयैर्भावैरेभिः सर्व्वमिदं जगत् ।
मोहितं नाभिजानाति मामेभ्यः परमव्ययम् ॥१३॥

tribhir guṇamayair bhāvair ebhiḥ sarvam idaṁ jagat
mohitaṁ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam [13]

idam–This; sarvam–whole; jagat–living world; mohitam–is deluded; ebhih bhavaih tribhih gunamayaih–by this manifestation of the three modes of material nature. (atah)–Therefore; na abhijanati–no one knows; mam–Me, Krishna; ebhyah param–who am transcendental to these modes; avyayam–and immutable. [13]

Translation:

13 The entire world of living beings is deluded by the three modes of material nature. Therefore, no one can know Me, the Supreme Lord, who am transcendental to these modes and immutable.

दैवी ह्येषा गुणमयी मम माया दुरत्यया ।
मामेव ये प्रपद्यन्ते मायामेतां तरन्ति ते ॥१४॥

daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [14]

esa–This; daivi–supramundane (alluring); maya–external potency; mama–of Mine; guna-mayi–composed of the three modes of material nature; hi–certainly; duratyaya–is difficult to cross. (tathapi)–However; ye–those who; prapadyante–take shelter; mam eva–in Me alone; te–they; taranti–are able to cross; etam–this almost insurmountable; mayam–maya, illusion. [14]

Translation:

14 My alluring, ‘trimodal’, illusory potency is practically insurmountable. However, those who take shelter in Me can overcome this powerful obstacle.

न मां दुष्कृतिनो मूढाःप्रपद्यन्ते नराधमाः ।
माययापहृतज्ञाना आसुरं भावमाश्रिताः ॥१५॥

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ
māyayāpahṛta-jñānā āsuraṁ-bhāvam-āśritāḥ [15]

duskrtinah–These four kinds of wrongdoers or unfortunate persons; na prapadyante–do not surrender; mam–to Me; mudhah–(1) the karmis, or fruitive workers; nara-adhamah–(2) fallen persons, or those who take the path of devotion but later reject it, considering it inadequate or worthless; apahrta-jnanah–(3) those whose knowledge is covered; mayaya–by maya, illusion (despite their study of the scriptures, they consider that only the form of Lord Narayan is worshippable, and that Lord Krishna, Lord Rama, and other factual forms of the Supreme are merely mortal); asuram-bhavam-asritah–and (4) the demoniac (mayavadis, the impersonalists, who dismember My form by their arrows of false logic, resembling demons like Jarasandha). [15]

Translation:

15 These four kinds of wrongdoers do not surrender unto Me: fruitive workers, comparable to animals; fallen persons who take the highest path, devotion, but later reject it, considering it inadequate or worthless; those whose knowledge covered by illusion, Maya (despite their scriptural study, they consider that only the form of Lord Narayan is worshippable, and they think that Lord Krishna, Lord Rama and other factual forms are merely mortal); and the demoniac (impersonalists who dismember My form by their arrows of false logic, resembling demons like Jarasandha).

चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जनाः सुकृतिनोऽर्ज्जुन ।
आर्त्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ ॥१६॥

chatur-vidhā bhajante māṁ janāḥ sukṛtino ’rjuna
ārto jijñāsur arthārthī jñānī cha bharatarṣbha [16]

(he) bharatarsabha–O great scion of Bharat; (he) arjuna–O Arjuna; artah–one suffering from disease or other afflictions; jijnasuh–one seeking scriptural knowledge or knowledge of the soul; artha-arthi–one desiring earthly or heavenly happiness; cha and; jnani–the purified knower of the soul; (iti) chatuh-vidhah janah–these four kinds of persons; sukrtinah (santah)–being fortunate — influenced by devotion for Me; bhajante mam–worship Me (though their motives may be mixed with action or knowledge). [16]

Translation:

16 O Arjuna, best of the Bharatas, four kinds of persons have the fortune to worship Me: the afflicted, the seeker of knowledge, the seeker of happiness, and the self-realised.

तेषां ज्ञानी नित्ययुक्त एकभक्तिर्विशिष्यते ।
प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थमहं स च मम प्रियः ॥१७॥

teṣāṁ jñānī nitya-yukta eka-bhaktir viśiṣyate
priyo hi jñānino ’ty-artham ahaṁ sa cha mama priyaḥ [17]

tesam–Among them; jnani–the self-realised person; eka-bhaktih–My pure devotee; nityah-yuktah–whose consciousness is completely absorbed in Me; visisyate–is the best. hi–For; aham–I, Syamasundar; ati-artham–am very; priyah–dear; jnaninah–to that enlightened soul; sah cha priyah–and he, too, is dear; mama–to Me. [17]

Translation:

17 Of these four types of devotees, best is the self-realised person who is My pure devotee, and whose consciousnesss is fully absorbed in Me. For I, Syamasundar, am very dear to him, and he is dear to Me.

उदाराः सर्व्व एवैते ज्ञानी त्वात्मैव मे मतम् ।
आस्थितः स हि युक्तात्मा मामेवानुत्तमां गतिम् ॥१८॥

udārāḥ sarva evaite jñānī tv ātmaiva me matam
āsthitaḥ sa hi yuktātmā mām evānuttamāṁ gatim [18]

eva–Certainly; sarve–all; ete–these persons are; udarah–noble, unselfish souls dear to Me; tu–but; jnani–the spiritually self-realised soul; atma eva–is as dear to Me as My own self. (iti)–This is; me–My; matam–opinion; hi–since; yukta-atma eva (san)–having fully dedicated his heart unto Me; sah–that jnani; eva asthitah–has fully determined; mam–Me, Syamasundar; anuttamam–as the supreme; gatim–goal.[18]

Translation:

18 Certainly they are all noble souls, dear to Me, yet the spiritually self-realised soul is as beloved to Me as My own self, for he has given his heart to Me as his only shelter and ultimate goal of life.

बहूनां जन्मनामन्ते ज्ञानवान्मां प्रपद्यते ।
वासुदेवः सर्व्वमिति स महात्मा सुदुर्लभः ॥१९॥

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ [19]

ante–After; bahunam–many; janmanam–births; jnanavan–the enlightened person (by the fortune of sadhu-sanga, devotional association); iti–thus realising; sarvam–everything, the entire world of moving and stationary beings; vasudevah–is of the nature of Vasudev, Sri Krishna; prapadyate–he surrenders; mam–unto Me. sah–Such; mahatma–a great soul; su-durlabhah–is very rare. [19]

Translation:

19 After many births, the enlightened soul (blessed with devotional association) realises that everything is of the nature of (subordinate to) Vasudev, and thus he surrenders unto Me. Such a great soul is very rare.

कामैस्तैस्तैर्हृतज्ञानाः प्रपद्यन्तेऽन्यदेवताः ।
तं तं नियममास्थाय प्रकृत्या नियताः स्वया ॥२०॥

kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante ’nya-devatāḥ
taṁ taṁ niyamam āsthāya prakṛtyā niyatāḥ svayā [20]

hrta-jnanah–Persons whose intelligence is misled; taih taih kamaih–by particular worldly desires based on likes and dislikes; niyatah (santah)–being governed; svaya prakrtya–by their own natures; prapadyante–worship; anya-devatah–other godly personalities — the demigods — the sun-god, etc.; asthaya–after adopting; tam tam–the corresponding; niyamam–rituals of fasting, etc. [20]

Translation:

20 Persons misled by worldly desires, being governed by their own natures, worship other godly personalities like the sun-god and the many demigods, adopting the corresponding rituals to attain their objectives.

यो यो यां यां तनुं भक्तः श्रद्धयार्च्चितुमिच्छति ।
तस्य तस्याचलां श्रद्धां तामेव विदधाम्यहम् ॥२१॥

yo yo yāṁ yāṁ tanuṁ bhaktaḥ śraddhayārchitum ichchhat
tasya tasyāchalāṁ śraddhāṁ tām eva vidadhāmy aham [21]

yam yam–According to whichever; tanum–demigod, representing a form of Me; yah yah–a particular; bhaktah–devotee; ichchhati–desires; architum sraddhaya–to worship with faith; aham–I, as the Supersoul dwelling within his heart; eva–certainly; vidadhami–ordain; achalam–firm; sraddham–faith; tasya tasya–in that particular devotee; tam–for that form. [21]

Translation:

21 According to a person’s desire, as his faith grows to worship a particular demigod, I, as the Supersoul in his heart, make his faith strong in that demigod (representing a form of Me).

स तया श्रद्धया युक्तस्तस्याराधनमीहते ।
लभते च ततः कामान्मयैव विहितान्हि तान् ॥२२॥

sa tayā śraddhayā yuktas tasyārādhanam īhate
labhate cha tataḥ kāmān mayaiva vihitān hi tān [22]

yuktah (san)–Being linked; taya sraddhaya–with that firm faith; sah–that devotee; ihate–performs; aradhanam–worship; tasyah–of that demigod’s deity; cha–and; hi– actually; vihitan–arranged; maya eva–by Me alone, as the Supersoul of the demigod; labhate–(the devotee) attains; tan kaman–his desired results; tatah–from that deity. [22]

Translation:

22 His faith nourished by Me, such a devotee continues worshipping the deity of that demigod and attains all his desired objects from that deity. Again, this happens by My sanction alone, since I am the Supersoul, situated within the heart of the demigod, too.

अन्तवत्तु फलं तेषां तद्भवत्यल्पमेधसाम् ।
देवान्देवयजो यान्ति मद्भक्ता यान्ति मामपि ॥२३॥

antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām
devān deva-yajo yānti mad-bhaktā yānti mām api [23]

tu–But; tat phalam–that fruit; tesam alpa-medhasam–of those unwise worshippers of the demigods; bhavati–is; antavat–temporary. deva-yajah–The worshippers of the demigods; yanti–reach; devan–the respective demigods; mat-bhaktah api–and My devotees; yanti–reach; mam–Me. [23]

Translation:

23 But the fruit obtained by those unwise worshippers of the demigods is temporary. They reach the gods they worship, but My devotees come to Me.

अव्यक्तं व्यक्तिमापन्नं मन्यन्ते मामबुद्धयः ।
परं भावमजानन्तो ममाव्ययमनुत्तमम् ॥२४॥

avyaktaṁ vyaktim āpannaṁ manyante mām abuddhayaḥ
paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto mamāvyayam anuttamam [24]

ajanantah–Not knowing; mama–My; avyayam–eternal; anuttamam–superexcellent; param–transcendental; bhavam–nature–form, birth, qualities, activities, and Pastimes, etc.; abuddhayah–unwise persons; manyante–think; mam–of Me; avyaktam–as the impersonal or formless Brahma; apannam–which has accepted; vyaktim–birth in Vasudev’s cell as an ordinary human being. [24]

Translation:

24 My eternal superexcellent nature — My form, qualities, activities, and Pastimes — are all transcendental, but unwise persons cannot know the truth, and they think, «The formless Brahma took birth in Vasudev’s cell as an ordinary human being.»

नाहं प्रकाशः सर्व्वस्य योगमायासमावृतः ।
मूढोऽयं नाभिजानाति लोको मामजमव्ययम् ॥२५॥

nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ
mūḍho ’yaṁ nābhijānāti loko mām ajam avyayam [25]

aham–I; na (bhavami)–am not; prakasah–manifest; sarvasya–to all; yoga-maya-samavrtah–being concealed by My yogamaya potency; (atah)–therefore; ayam–these; mudhah lokah–foolish persons; na abhijanati–cannot know; mam–Me, Syamasundar, the son of Vasudev; ajam–birthless; avyayam–and immutable. [25]

Translation:

25 By My sweet will, remaining concealed by My own potency, I am not manifest to anyone and everyone. So the foolish cannot know Me, the son of Vasudev, unborn and ever-existent in My divine Syamasundar form of beautiful feature like a blackish rain-cloud.

वेदाहं समतीतानि वर्त्तमानानि चार्ज्जुन ।
भविष्याणि च भूतानि मां तु वेद न कश्चन ॥२६॥

vedāhaṁ samatītāni vartamānāni chārjuna
bhaviṣyāṇi cha bhūtāni māṁ tu veda na kaśchana [26]

(he) arjuna–O Arjuna; aham–I; veda–know; samatitani–all past; vartamanani–present; bhavisyani cha–and future; bhutani–mobile and immobile beings; tu–but; kaschana–anyone (either in this world or beyond it); na cha veda–cannot know; mam–Me (due to their knowledge being covered by maya and yogamaya, My external illusory potency and the internal potency of My will). [26]

Translation:

26 O Arjuna, I know all living beings of the past, present and future, but no one can know Me in truth.

इच्छाद्वेषसमुत्थेन द्वन्द्वमोहेन भारत ।
सर्व्वभूतानि सम्मोहं सर्गे यान्ति परन्तप ॥२७॥

ichchhā-dveṣa-samutthena dvandva-mohena bhārata
sarva-bhūtāni sammohaṁ sarge yānti parantapa [27]

(he) bharata (he) parantapa–O Arjuna, chastiser of the enemy; sarge–at the manifestation of the universe; sarva-bhutani–all beings; yanti–become; sammoham–deluded; dvandva-mohena–by the illusion of duality; ichchha-dvesa-samutthena–arising from likes and dislikes. [27]

Translation:

27 O Arjuna, chastiser of the enemy, at the manifestation of the universe, all beings become deluded by duality based on likes and dislikes.

येषां त्वन्तगतं पापं जनानां पुण्यकर्म्मणाम् ।
ते द्वन्द्वमोहनिर्म्मुक्ता भजन्ते मां दृढव्रताः ॥२८॥

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ [28]

tu–But; jananam–persons; punya-karmanam–who are performers of virtuous deeds; yesam–whose; papam–sins; anta-gatam–have been eradicated (by the fortune of association with My pure devotee); te–all such persons; dvandva-moha-nirmuktah–free from the illusion of duality; drdha-vratah–and fixed in consciousness of Me; bhajante–worship, serve; mam–Me. [28]

Translation:

28 But the performers of virtuous deeds are purified of all sin (by the fortune of association with My pure devotee). Thus freed from the illusion of duality, they worship Me with firm resolve.

जरामरणमोक्षाय मामाश्रित्य यतन्ति ये ।
ते ब्रह्म तद्विदुः कृत्स्नमध्यात्मं कर्म्म चाखिलम् ॥२९॥

jarā-maraṇa-mokṣāya mām āśritya yatanti ye
te brahma tad viduḥ kṛtsnam adhyātmaṁ karma chākhilam [29]

ye–Those who; yatanti–strive; jara-marana-moksaya–for freedom from disease and death; asritya–taking shelter, placing their trust and devotion; mam–in Me; te–they; viduh–know; tat brahma–that Brahma; adhyatmam–the individual soul; krtsnam–in full; cha–and; akhilam–all; karma–the action by which the souls are bound to worldly existence. [29]

Translation:

29 Those who strive for freedom from the world of disease and death, placing their trust and devotion in Me — they know Brahma, they know the soul, and they know karma, the action that binds the soul again and again to this mundane plane of suffering.

साधिभूताधिदैवं मां साधियज्ञञ्च ये विदुः ।
प्रयाणकालेऽपि च मां ते विदुर्युक्तचेतसः ॥३०॥

sādhibhūtādhidaivaṁ māṁ sādhiyajñañ cha ye viduḥ
prayāṇa-kāle ’pi cha māṁ te vidur yukta-chetasaḥ [30]

cha–And; ye–those who; viduh–know; mam–Me; sa-adhibhuta-adhidaivam–in relation to the worldly plane and to the celestial plane; sa-adhiyajnam cha–and in relation to sacrifice; te–those persons; yukta-chetasah–of consciousness absorbed in Me; viduh–know; mam–Me; prayana-kale api–even at the time of death. [30]

Translation:

30 And those who know Me in relation to the worldly plane, the celestial plane, and the plane of sacrifice — such persons, their consciousness absorbed in Me, know Me even at the time of death. (Afflicted in the face of fearful death, they do not forget Me.)

इति श्रीमहाभारते शतसाहस्र्यां संहितायां वैयासिक्या भीष्मपर्व्वणि
श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे
श्रीकृष्णार्ज्जुनसंवादे ज्ञानविज्ञानयोगो नाम सप्तमोऽध्यायः ॥७॥

iti sri-mahabharate sata-sahasryam samhitayam vaiyasikyam
bhisma-parvani srimad-bhagavad-gitasupanisatsu brahma
vidyayam yoga-sastre sri-krsnarjuna-samvade jnana-
vijnana-yogo nama saptamo ’dhyayah [7]

End of Chapter Seven
Knowledge and Realisation of the Supreme
from the conversation
of Sri Krishna and Arjuna
in Srimad Bhagavad-gita Upanisad
the yoga scripture of transcendental knowledge
in Bhisma Parva of Sri Mahabharata, the holy scripture
revealed by Srila Vyasadev in a hundred thousand verses.