Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7, Verse 30

Chapter 7 – Jnana Vijnana Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

साधिभूताधिदैवं मां साधियज्ञं च ये विदुः ।
प्रयाणकालेऽपि च मां ते विदुर्युक्तचेतसः ॥

Transliteration

sādhibhūtādhidaivaṃ māṃ sādhiyajñaṃ ca ye viduḥ .
prayāṇakāle.api ca māṃ te viduryuktacetasaḥ ॥

Meaning

Those who know Me together with the adhibhuta, the adhidaiva and the adhiyajna — they, with minds steadfast, know Me even at the hour of departure from this world.

Word meanings

साधिभूताधिदैवम् – together with the adhibhuta and adhidaiva
माम् – Me
साधियज्ञम् – together with the adhiyajna
च – and
ये – those who
विदुः – know
प्रयाणकाले – at the time of departure (death)
अपि – even
ते – they
युक्तचेतसः – with steadfast minds

Anvaya (word order)

ये साधिभूताधिदैवं साधियज्ञं च मां विदुः, ते युक्तचेतसः प्रयाणकाले अपि च मां विदुः ।

Explanation

This last verse of the seventh chapter completes the knowledge of the Lord's complete nature and, by pointing to a deeply important subject — remembrance at the time of death — opens the door to the eighth chapter.

Krishna adds three more terms. Adhibhuta — the principle concerning the material world; adhidaiva — the principle concerning the deities and the divine powers of creation; adhiyajna — the principle concerning sacrifice, that is, the enjoyer of all sacrifices and actions. Together with Brahman, adhyatma and karma of the previous verse, these six terms show that the Lord pervades and supports everything — the material world, the divine powers, the soul, action and the supreme reality. Krishna will explain them in 8.3–4.

Those who know the Lord in this complete way receive a great fruit: prayana-kale 'pi cha mam te vidur yukta-chetasah — they know Me even at the time of death. The moment of death is extremely difficult; the body is in pain, the senses fail, and the mind may be filled with fear and confusion. Remembering God at such a time is no small matter. But one who has seen the Lord in everything throughout life has a yukta-chetas, a steadfast awareness, that does not forget Him even at the end.

Shankara says that those whose minds are absorbed in Me know Me even at the time of death. The verse shows that remembrance at death does not come suddenly; it is the fruit of a lifetime's practice. This very theme becomes the centre of the eighth chapter, where Krishna will say that whatever one remembers at the end, that one attains (8.5–6).

Context

Verse 7.29 described devotees who know Brahman, adhyatma and karma. This verse adds adhibhuta, adhidaiva and adhiyajna and concludes the chapter. At the start of the eighth chapter (8.1–2) Arjuna asks about these seven subjects — Brahman, adhyatma, karma, adhibhuta, adhidaiva, adhiyajna, and knowing the Lord at the time of death.

Life lesson

Preparation for the last moment of life happens throughout life. What we practise daily is what surfaces in the mind in crisis and at the end. So, from today, give some time every day to the remembrance of God.

Key terms

Adhibhuta: the principle of the perishable material world
Adhidaiva: the principle of the deities and divine powers
Adhiyajna: the presiding Lord and enjoyer of all sacrifices
Prayana-kala: the time of death, of leaving the body
Yukta-chetas: one whose mind is steadfast in the Lord