Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7, Verse 19

Chapter 7 – Jnana Vijnana Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

बहूनां जन्मनामन्ते ज्ञानवान्मां प्रपद्यते ।
वासुदेवः सर्वमिति स महात्मा सुदुर्लभः ॥

Transliteration

bahūnāṃ janmanāmante jñānavānmāṃ prapadyate .
vāsudevaḥ sarvamiti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ ॥

Meaning

At the end of many births, the one who has realised knowledge takes refuge in Me, knowing that 'Vasudeva is all'. Such a great soul is very rare.

Word meanings

बहूनाम् – of many
जन्मनाम् – births
अन्ते – at the end
ज्ञानवान् – one endowed with knowledge
माम् – Me
प्रपद्यते – takes refuge in, attains
वासुदेवः – Vasudeva — the Lord who dwells in all
सर्वम् – all, everything
इति – thus
सः – he
महात्मा – great soul
सुदुर्लभः – very rare

Anvaya (word order)

बहूनां जन्मनाम् अन्ते ज्ञानवान् ‘वासुदेवः सर्वम्’ इति (ज्ञात्वा) मां प्रपद्यते; सः महात्मा सुदुर्लभः ।

Explanation

This is one of the deepest and most celebrated verses of the seventh chapter. In the preceding verses Krishna declared the excellence of the wise devotee. Now he explains how such a wise one comes to be, what his knowledge is, and how rare he is.

First: bahunam janmanam ante — at the end of many births. Spiritual maturity is the fruit of a long journey. In the sixth chapter (6.45) Krishna said that the yogi reaches the supreme goal 'perfected through many births'. Through the experiences, joys and sorrows, practice and grace of life after life, the mind is gradually purified, and at last this supreme knowledge dawns. It also means that whoever is drawn to this knowledge today has already travelled far.

Second: what is the knowledge of that wise one? Vasudevah sarvam — Vasudeva is all. This single phrase is the essence of the entire chapter. In 7.7 Krishna said that all is strung on Him; in 7.8–12 He showed that He is the essence of every thing. The wise one does not know this merely as doctrine; he lives it in every moment. The name Vasudeva is itself meaningful — the One who dwells (vasa) in all and in whom all dwell, and who is deva, the shining one.

The acharyas interpret this phrase according to their philosophies. For Shankara it means that Vasudeva is the Self of all and nothing exists apart from Him — the realisation of the identity of the individual Self and the Supreme. For Ramanuja it means that for the wise one Vasudeva is everything — his very life-breath, his food, his joy, his mother and father and highest goal; as food is everything to the hungry, so the Lord is all in all to him. Madhva sees it as the Lord being the support and controller of all — everything is dependent on Him and governed by Him.

Third: sa mahatma sudurlabhah — such a great soul is very rare. A mahatma is one whose self has grown vast, who has risen above his small 'I' and sees all in God. Such people are few in the world. This completes the thought of 7.3: one in thousands strives, and of those, scarcely one knows the Lord in truth.

The verse gives the seeker both patience and inspiration — patience because this is a long journey, inspiration because the goal is surely attainable and every birth, every day, is a step toward it. From today itself we can begin practising the vision of 'Vasudeva is all' in every experience.

Context

Verses 7.16–18 declared the wise devotee supreme among the four and the very Self of the Lord. This verse says that after many births such a wise one takes refuge in the Lord, realising that 'Vasudeva is all'. From the next verse (7.20) Krishna describes those who, driven by desires, worship other deities.

Life lesson

Practise seeing God in every person, event and thing — 'Vasudeva is all'. This vision does not come in a day; it is the practice of a lifetime, even of many lives. But every small effort today is a precious step on that journey.

Key terms

Vasudeva: the Lord who dwells in all and in whom all dwell — Krishna
Vasudevah sarvam: Vasudeva is all — the formula of supreme knowledge
Mahatma: a great soul who sees God in all
Sudurlabha: very rare
Prapadyate: takes refuge