Chapter 7 · Verse 1

Self-Knowledge and Enlightenment

श्री भगवानुवाच मय्यासक्तमनाः पार्थ योगं युञ्जन्मदाश्रयः। असंशयं समग्रं मां यथा ज्ञास्यसि तच्छृणु

śhrī bhagavān uvācha mayyāsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśhrayaḥ asanśhayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tach chhṛiṇu

Word Meanings

śhrī-bhagavān uvācha — the Supreme Lord said; mayi — to me; āsakta-manāḥ — with the mind attached; pārtha — Arjun, the son of Pritha; yogam — bhakti yog; yuñjan — practicing; mat-āśhrayaḥ — surrendering to me; asanśhayam — free from doubt; samagram — completely; mām — me; yathā — how; jñāsyasi — you shall know; tat — that; śhṛiṇu — listen

Language:

Translation

The Supreme Lord said: O Arjuna, with your mind attached to Me, practicing yoga and taking refuge in Me, hear now how you shall come to know Me fully and without doubt.

Commentary

मयि on Me? आसक्तमनाः with mind intent? पार्थ O Partha? योगम् Yoga? युञ्जन् practising? मदाश्रयः taking refuge in Me? असंशयम् without doubt? समग्रम् wholly? माम् Me? यथा how? ज्ञास्यसि shall know? तत् that? श्रृणु hear.Commentary He who wishes to attain some result or reward performs the ritual known as Agnihotra or does charity? sinks wells? builds hospitals? resting places? etc.? with Sakama Bhavana (with an inner profit motive) and attains them. But the Yogi on the contrary practises Yoga with a steadfast mind and takes refuge in the Lord alone? with the mind wholly fixed on Him? on His lofty attributes such as omnipotence? omniscience? omnipresence? infinite love? beauty? grace? strength? mercy? inexhaustible wealth? ineffable splendour? pristine glory and purity.The servant of a king? though he constantly serves the king? has not got his mind fixed on him. The mind is ever fixed on his wife and children. Unlike the servant? fix your mind on Me? (the allpervading One)? and take refuge in Me alone. Practise control of the mind in accordance with the instructions given in chapter VI. Then you will know Me and My infinite attributes in full.If you sing the glory and the attributes of the Lord? you will develop love for Him and then your mind will be fixed on Him. Intense love for the Lord is real devotion. You must get full knowledge of the Self without any doubt.He who has taken refuge in the Lord? and he who is trying to fix or has fixed his mind on the Lord cannot bear the separation from the Lord even for a second.