Jnana Vijnana Yoga

The Blessed Lord (Śrī Bhagavān) said: With mind attached to Me, O son of Pritha (Pārtha), practicing discipline (yoga) and taking refuge in Me, How you will know Me completely without doubt, hear that.

I will declare to you this knowledge (jñāna) together with realization (vijñāna) in its entirety, Having known which, nothing else here remains to be known.

Among thousands of men, scarcely anyone strives for perfection (siddhi); Even of the striving perfected ones, scarcely anyone knows Me in truth (tattvataḥ).

Earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, and understanding (buddhi), And ego (ahaṅkāra); thus My nature (prakṛti) is divided eightfold.

This is the lower; but other than this, know My higher nature (prakṛti), Which has become the living soul (jīvabhūta), O Great-armed one (Mahābāho), by which this world is sustained.

Hold fast to this, that all beings have these as their womb (yoni). I am the origin of the entire world, and its dissolution as well.

There is nothing else whatsoever higher than Me, O Winner of wealth (Dhanañjaya). All this is strung on Me, like clusters of pearls on a thread.

I am the taste (rasa) in the waters, O son of Kunti (Kaunteya), I am the light in the moon and the sun; The sacred syllable Om (praṇava) in all the Vedas, sound in space, and manhood in men.

And I am the pure fragrance in the earth, and the brilliance in the fire; I am the life (jīvana) in all beings, and I am the austerity (tapas) in the ascetics (tapasviṣu).

Know Me as the eternal seed of all beings, O son of Pritha (Pārtha). I am the understanding (buddhi) of the intelligent, I am the brilliance of the brilliant.

I am the strength of the strong, devoid of desire (kāma) and passion (rāga). In beings, I am desire (kāma) not contrary to duty (dharma), O best of the Bharatas (Bharatarṣabha).

And whatever states of being are of goodness (sāttvika), and those of passion (rājasa) and darkness (tāmasa), Know them to be from Me alone; but I am not in them, they are in Me.

By these three states of being composed of the qualities (guṇas), this entire world Is bewildered, and does not recognize Me, who am supreme beyond them and imperishable.

For this divine mysterious power (māyā) of Mine, composed of the qualities (guṇas), is difficult to cross beyond. Those who take refuge in Me alone, they cross over this mysterious power (māyā).

The evildoers, the deluded, the lowest of men, do not take refuge in Me; Their knowledge (jñāna) carried away by mysterious power (māyā), having resorted to a demonic (āsura) state of being.

Four kinds of virtuous men worship Me, O Arjuna: The afflicted, the seeker of knowledge, the seeker of wealth, and the man of knowledge (jñānī), O best of the Bharatas (Bharatarṣabha).

Of them, the man of knowledge (jñānī), constantly disciplined (nityayukta), with single-minded devotion (bhakti), excels. For I am exceedingly dear to the man of knowledge, and he is dear to Me.

Noble are all these indeed, but the man of knowledge (jñānī) is My very self (ātman); this is My opinion. For with a disciplined self (yuktātmā), he is established in Me alone, the supreme goal.

At the end of many births, the man of knowledge (jñānavān) takes refuge in Me. "Vasudeva is all," that great soul (mahātmā) is very difficult to find.

Those whose knowledge (jñāna) is carried away by various desires (kāmāḥ), take refuge in other deities, Having resorted to various observances, constrained by their own nature (prakṛti).

Whatever form a devotee (bhakta) desires to worship with faith (śraddhā), Of that very one I make that faith (śraddhā) unswerving.

Disciplined (yukta) with that faith (śraddhā), he seeks the propitiation of that deity; And from that he obtains his desires (kāmān), which are indeed ordained by Me alone.

But that fruit of theirs has an end, for those of small intelligence. The worshippers of the gods go to the gods; My devotees (bhaktāḥ) go to Me as well.

The unintelligent think of Me, the unmanifest, as having come into manifestation, Not knowing My higher state of being, which is imperishable and supreme.

I am not manifest to everyone, concealed by My discipline-mystery (yogamāyā). This deluded world does not recognize Me, the unborn and imperishable.

I know the departed, and the living, O Arjuna, And the future beings; but no one knows Me.

By the delusion of the pairs of opposites, arising from desire and hatred, O descendant of Bharata (Bhārata), All beings fall into complete bewilderment at creation, O Scorcher of foes (Parantapa).

But those men of pure actions (puṇyakarma), whose sin (pāpa) has come to an end, Freed from the delusion of the pairs of opposites, they worship Me, firm in their vows.

Those who strive for liberation (mokṣa) from old age and death, having taken refuge in Me, They know that Brahman completely, the supreme Self (adhyātma), and all action (karma).

Those who know Me together with the domain of beings (adhibhūta) and the domain of gods (adhidaiva), and together with the domain of sacrifice (adhiyajña), Even at the time of death they know Me, with their minds disciplined (yukta).