Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7, Verse 7

Chapter 7 – Jnana Vijnana Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

मत्तः परतरं नान्यत्किञ्चिदस्ति धनञ्जय ।
मयि सर्वमिदं प्रोतं सूत्रे मणिगणा इव ॥

Transliteration

mattaḥ parataraṃ nānyatkiñcidasti dhanañjaya .
mayi sarvamidaṃ protaṃ sūtre maṇigaṇā iva ॥

Meaning

There is nothing whatsoever higher than Me, O Dhananjaya. All this is strung on Me, like clusters of gems on a thread.

Word meanings

मत्तः – than Me
परतरम् – higher, beyond
न – not
अन्यत् – other
किञ्चित् – anything
अस्ति – is
धनञ्जय – O winner of wealth (Arjuna)
मयि – in Me
सर्वम् – all
इदम् – this
प्रोतम् – strung, woven
सूत्रे – on a thread
मणिगणाः – clusters of gems
इव – like

Anvaya (word order)

धनञ्जय, मत्तः परतरम् अन्यत् किञ्चित् न अस्ति; सूत्रे मणिगणाः इव इदं सर्वं मयि प्रोतम् ।

Explanation

This is the central verse of the seventh chapter and holds one of the most beautiful images in the Gita. In the previous verse Krishna declared Himself the origin and dissolution of the world. Now he says something further: mattah parataram nanyat kinchid asti — there is nothing beyond Me, nothing above Me, nothing independent of Me.

The statement means that the Lord is the ultimate reality. There is no principle greater than He, none that causes Him, none that stands apart on its own strength. In the world we see many powers — laws of nature, time, karma, fate — but all of these are subject to the Lord and are His expressions. Shankara says: there is no cause of the world other than Me, the Supreme Lord; I alone am its cause.

Then comes the wonderful image: mayi sarvam idam protam sutre mani-gana iva — all this is strung on Me like gems on a thread. Picture a necklace. It holds gems of different colours, shapes and value — a diamond, a pearl, an ordinary stone. Yet one thread holds them all together. The thread is mostly hidden; we see only the gems. Still, without the thread the necklace would fall apart. Likewise, the variety of the world — people, animals, mountains, stars, thoughts and feelings — is visible, while the Lord who binds them together on one thread remains unseen, sustaining all.

The image carries several deep hints. First, the thread runs through the inside of every gem; the Lord is within every thing, not merely a controller from outside. Second, the thread is one and the same through all the gems; there is unity within multiplicity. Third, the differences among the gems do not change the thread; the Lord remains untouched by all variety. Ramanuja sees in this verse support for his doctrine of the body and its indweller: the whole world is the Lord's body, dependent on Him and upheld by Him.

Some thinkers have noted that no simile is perfect — a thread is not the material cause of the gems, whereas the Lord is also the material cause of the world. But the purpose of the image is to illuminate one aspect: the unseen support and the unity pervading everything. This vision brings peace: if all is strung on one thread, no one is alone, meaningless or disconnected.

Context

In 7.6 Krishna called Himself the origin and dissolution of the world. This verse expresses His supremacy and all-pervasiveness through the image of thread and gems. In the following verses (7.8–12) Krishna gives specific examples of how He is present as the essence of everything — the taste in water, the light of sun and moon, and so on.

Life lesson

Behind life's variety — different people, circumstances and experiences — lies an unseen unity. When life feels scattered, remember the invisible thread that holds everything together. In dealing with others, too, remember that we are all beads on the same necklace.

Key terms

Paratara: higher, beyond which there is nothing
Prota: strung, woven through
Sutra: thread — here the Lord who connects all
Mani-gana: clusters of gems — the varied things of the world
Dhananjaya: winner of wealth — Arjuna