Chapter 7 · Verse 25

Self-Knowledge and Enlightenment

नाहं प्रकाशः सर्वस्य योगमायासमावृतः। मूढोऽयं नाभिजानाति लोको मामजमव्ययम्

nāhaṁ prakāśhaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛitaḥ mūḍho ’yaṁ nābhijānāti loko mām ajam avyayam

Word Meanings

na aham prakāśhaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā samāvṛitaḥ mūḍhaḥ ayam na abhijānāti lokaḥ mām ajam avyayam

Translation

Veiled by My divine Maya, I am not manifest to all. This deluded world does not recognize Me, the unborn and imperishable.

Commentary

न not? अहम् I? प्रकाशः manifest? सर्वस्य of all? योगमायासमावृतः veiled by YogaMaya? मूढः deluded? अयम् this? न not? अभिजानाति knows? लोकः world? माम् Me? अजम् unborn? अव्ययम् imperishable.Commentary I am not manifest to all the people? but I am certainly manifest to the chosen few who are My devotees? who have taken sole refuge in Me alone. I am not visible to those who are deluded by the three Gunas and the pairs of opposites? and who are screened off by this universe which is a manifestation of the alities of Nature? My YogaMaya or My creative illusion. This veils the understanding of the worldlyminded people. So they are not able to behold the Lord Who keeps Maya under His perfect control.YogaMaya is the union of the three alities of Nature. The illusion or veil spread thery is called YogaMaya. The worldly people are deluded by the illusion born of the union of the three alities. Therefore? they are not able to know the Lord Who is unborn and immutable.This YogaMaya is under the perfect control of the Lord. Isvara is the wielder of Maya. Therefore it cannot obscure His own knowledge? just as the illusion created by the juggler cannot obstruct his,own knowledge or deceive him. The illusion which binds the worldly people cannot in the least affect the Lord Who has kep Maya under his perfect subjugation. (Cf.VII.13IX.5X.7XI.8)