Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7, Verse 14

Chapter 7 – Jnana Vijnana Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

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

Transliteration

daivī hyeṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā .
māmeva ye prapadyante māyāmetāṃ taranti te ॥

Meaning

This divine maya of Mine, made of the gunas, is indeed very hard to cross. But those who take refuge in Me alone cross over this maya.

Word meanings

दैवी – divine
हि – indeed
एषा – this
गुणमयी – made of the three gunas
मम – My
माया – maya, the power of illusion
दुरत्यया – very hard to cross
माम् – Me
एव – alone
ये – those who
प्रपद्यन्ते – take refuge
मायाम् – maya
एताम् – this
तरन्ति – cross over
ते – they

Anvaya (word order)

हि एषा गुणमयी दैवी मम माया दुरत्यया; ये माम् एव प्रपद्यन्ते, ते एतां मायां तरन्ति ।

Explanation

This is one of the most important verses of the Gita, for here for the first time maya is clearly named, along with the one way to cross it — prapatti, surrender.

Krishna gives three attributes of His maya. First, daivi — divine. This maya is no ordinary illusion; it is the Lord's own supernatural power, and so its influence too is extraordinary. Second, gunamayi — made of the three gunas. It weaves the fabric of the world in the form of sattva, rajas and tamas. Third, duratyaya — very hard to cross. No one can cross this maya by the strength of his own intellect, power or practice, because the mind and intellect with which we try are themselves parts of maya. It is like trying to lift oneself up by one's own hair.

Then comes the message of hope: mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te — those who take refuge in Me alone cross over this maya. The maya belongs to the Lord; therefore only its master can release us from it — just as only the magician can release one from his spell, or only the owner of a fortress can open its gate. The words mam eva, 'Me alone', stress exclusiveness — not half-hearted but complete surrender.

Shankara says that those who, giving up all reliance on their own works, take refuge wholly in Me, the Lord of maya and their own Self, cross this maya. Ramanuja regards this verse as a foundation of the doctrine of prapatti: the Lord's grace alone is the means of release from maya, and surrender is the doorway to receiving that grace. Madhva too holds the Lord to be the controller of maya and the giver of liberation.

The practical message is deep: along with our own effort, humility is essential. When we accept that our strength alone will not suffice and place full trust in God, the real path to freedom opens.

Context

Verse 7.13 said that the world, deluded by the three gunas, does not know the Lord. This verse describes the nature of that delusion (maya) and the means to cross it. In the next verse (7.15) Krishna describes those who do not take refuge in Him.

Life lesson

Some of life's tangles cannot be undone by cleverness alone. Along with full effort, keep an attitude of surrender to God. Replace the pride of 'I will manage everything' with the humility of 'by Your grace it will be done' — this is the key to crossing maya.

Key terms

Maya: the Lord's power that holds the soul in illusion
Daivi: divine, belonging to the Lord
Duratyaya: very hard to cross
Prapatti: complete surrender, taking refuge