Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7, Verse 1

Chapter 7 – Jnana Vijnana Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

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

Transliteration

śrībhagavānuvāca .
mayyāsaktamanāḥ pārtha yogaṃ yuñjanmadāśrayaḥ .
asaṃśayaṃ samagraṃ māṃ yathā jñāsyasi tacchṛṇu ॥

Meaning

The Blessed Lord said: Hear, O Partha, how, with your mind attached to Me, taking refuge in Me and practising yoga, you shall know Me completely and without any doubt.

Word meanings

मयि – in Me
आसक्तमनाः – with mind attached
पार्थ – O son of Pritha
योगम् – yoga
युञ्जन् – practising
मदाश्रयः – taking refuge in Me
असंशयम् – without doubt
समग्रम् – completely, in full
माम् – Me
यथा – how
ज्ञास्यसि – you shall know
तत् – that
शृणु – hear

Anvaya (word order)

श्रीभगवान् उवाच — पार्थ, मयि आसक्तमनाः मदाश्रयः योगं युञ्जन् (त्वम्) असंशयं समग्रं मां यथा ज्ञास्यसि, तत् शृणु ।

Explanation

The seventh chapter is called Jnana-Vijnana Yoga, the yoga of knowledge and realisation. At the close of the sixth chapter Krishna said that the best of all yogis is the one who worships Him with faith, his mind absorbed in Him. A natural question follows: who is this Lord, and what is His nature, in whom the mind is to be absorbed? The seventh chapter answers that question. Here begins the Gita's second group of six chapters (7–12), which dwells especially on the nature of the Lord and on devotion.

In this first verse Krishna gives three conditions under which He can be known. First, mayy asakta-manah — the mind attached to Me. Ordinarily the mind is attached to worldly things; here that same attachment is to be turned toward the Lord. Second, mad-ashrayah — taking refuge in Me alone, relying not on one's own strength, wealth or intellect but on the Lord. Third, yogam yunjan — continuing the practice of yoga, as taught in the sixth chapter.

With these conditions, Krishna promises: asamshayam samagram mam — you shall know Me without doubt and in My entirety. The word samagra is important. To know the Lord only as the formless Absolute, or only as a personal God, is partial. Shankara explains samagra as endowed with glory, strength, power, sovereignty and other qualities. Ramanuja says: to know Me with My whole nature, attributes, manifestations and deeds.

In this chapter Krishna will describe His two natures, His all-pervasiveness, His maya and the kinds of devotees — all of which are parts of that complete knowledge.

Context

The last verse of Chapter 6 (6.47) declared the devoted yogi to be supreme. Chapter 7 continues from there, explaining the complete nature of the Lord who is to be worshipped. In the next verse (7.2) Krishna promises to impart both knowledge and realisation.

Life lesson

To truly know someone, love and trust are needed. The path to knowing God, likewise, is not argument alone but the mind's attachment, taking refuge in Him, and regular practice.

Key terms

Asakta-manah: one whose mind is attached (to the Lord)
Mad-ashraya: one who takes refuge in the Lord alone
Samagra: complete — the Lord's full nature
Asamshaya: free of doubt