Chapter 7 · Verse 5

Self-Knowledge and Enlightenment

अपरेयमितस्त्वन्यां प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम्। जीवभूतां महाबाहो ययेदं धार्यते जगत्

apareyam itas tvanyāṁ prakṛitiṁ viddhi me parām jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat

Word Meanings

aparā — inferior; iyam — this; itaḥ — besides this; tu — but; anyām — another; prakṛitim — energy; viddhi — know; me — my; parām — superior; jīva-bhūtām — living beings; mahā-bāho — mighty-armed one; yayā — by whom; idam — this; dhāryate — the basis; jagat — the material world

Language:

Translation

This is My inferior nature; but know, O mighty-armed one, My other, higher nature — the living soul — by which this entire world is sustained.

Commentary

अपरा lower? इयम् this? इतः from this? तु but? अन्याम् different? प्रकृतिम् nature? विद्धि know? मे My? पराम् higher? जीवभूताम् the very lifeelement? महाबाहो O mightyarmed? यया by which? इदम् this? धार्यते is upheld? जगत् world.Commentary The eightfold Nature described in the previous verse is the inferior Nature. It constitutes the Kshetra or the field or matter. It is impure. It generates evil and causes bondage. But the superior Nature is pure. It is My very Self? Kshetrajna (knower of the field or Spirit) by which life is sustained? and that which enters within the whole world and upholds it. It is the very lifeelement or the principle of Selfconsciousness? by which this universe is sustained.