← All chapters · Chapter 7 / 18
The Yoga of Knowledge and Realization
ज्ञानविज्ञानयोगः · Jñāna-vijñāna-yoga · 30 verses
Krishna turns from the soul to its source. The whole world, he says, is his nature in two layers: the material one and the living one. He explains how his hidden power, maya, veils this from people, why four kinds of people turn to the divine, and why the wise one who loves without asking is dearest.
Traditionally linked with Ketu and the 8th house, the area of hidden things, sudden change and what lies beneath the surface. It is read during a Ketu Maha Dasha, or when transits pass through the 8th house, to stay steady when things feel confusing and the usual maps stop working. It is a reflective practice, not a prediction.
श्रीभगवानुवाच
मय्यासक्तमनाः पार्थ योगं युञ्जन्मदाश्रयः ।
असंशयं समग्रं मां यथा ज्ञास्यसि तच्छृणु ॥
śrībhagavānuvāca
mayyāsaktamanāḥ pārtha yogaṃ yuñjanmadāśrayaḥ |
asaṃśayaṃ samagraṃ māṃ yathā jñāsyasi tacchṛṇu ||
Krishna says: hear how, with your mind fixed on Me, practising yoga and taking refuge in Me, you will know Me fully and without doubt.
ज्ञानं तेऽहं सविज्ञानमिदं वक्ष्याम्यशेषतः ।
यज्ज्ञात्वा नेह भूयोऽन्यज्ज्ञातव्यमवशिष्यते ॥
jñānaṃ te’haṃ savijñānamidaṃ vakṣyāmyaśeṣataḥ |
yajjñātvā neha bhūyo’nyajjñātavyamavaśiṣyate ||
I will teach you this knowledge in full, together with direct realisation, and once it is known, nothing more remains to be known.
मनुष्याणां सहस्रेषु कश्चिद्यतति सिद्धये ।
यततामपि सिद्धानां कश्चिन्मां वेत्ति तत्त्वतः ॥
manuṣyāṇāṃ sahasreṣu kaścidyatati siddhaye |
yatatāmapi siddhānāṃ kaścinmāṃ vetti tattvataḥ ||
Among thousands of people, hardly one strives for perfection, and among those who strive, hardly one knows Me in truth.
भूमिरापोऽनलो वायुः खं मनो बुद्धिरेव च ।
अहंकार इतीयं मे भिन्ना प्रकृतिरष्टधा ॥
bhūmirāpo’nalo vāyuḥ khaṃ mano buddhireva ca |
ahaṃkāra itīyaṃ me bhinnā prakṛtiraṣṭadhā ||
अपरेयमितस्त्वन्यां प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम् ।
जीवभूतां महाबाहो ययेदं धार्यते जगत् ॥
apareyamitastvanyāṃ prakṛtiṃ viddhi me parām |
jīvabhūtāṃ mahābāho yayedaṃ dhāryate jagat ||
My nature has eight parts: earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, intellect and ego. This is the lower nature. Beyond it is a higher one, the living element, by which the whole universe is sustained.
एतद्योनीनि भूतानि सर्वाणीत्युपधारय ।
अहं कृत्स्नस्य जगतः प्रभवः प्रलयस्तथा ॥
etadyonīni bhūtāni sarvāṇītyupadhāraya |
ahaṃ kṛtsnasya jagataḥ prabhavaḥ pralayastathā ||
मत्तः परतरं नान्यत्किञ्चिदस्ति धनञ्जय ।
मयि सर्वमिदं प्रोतं सूत्रे मणिगणा इव ॥
mattaḥ parataraṃ nānyatkiñcidasti dhanañjaya |
mayi sarvamidaṃ protaṃ sūtre maṇigaṇā iva ||
Know that all beings arise from these two, and that I am the origin and the dissolution of the whole world. Nothing is higher than Me; everything is strung on Me like jewels on a thread.
रसोऽहमप्सु कौन्तेय प्रभास्मि शशिसूर्ययोः ।
प्रणवः सर्ववेदेषु शब्दः खे पौरुषं नृषु ॥
raso’hamapsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśisūryayoḥ |
praṇavaḥ sarvavedeṣu śabdaḥ khe pauruṣaṃ nṛṣu ||
पुण्यो गन्धः पृथिव्यां च तेजश्चास्मि विभावसौ ।
जीवनं सर्वभूतेषु तपश्चास्मि तपस्विषु ॥
puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṃ ca tejaścāsmi vibhāvasau |
jīvanaṃ sarvabhūteṣu tapaścāsmi tapasviṣu ||
I am the taste in water, the light in the moon and sun, the sacred sound Om in the Vedas, the sound in space, and the courage in people. I am the pure fragrance of earth, the brilliance of fire, the life in all beings, and the discipline of those who practise austerity.
बीजं मां सर्वभूतानां विद्धि पार्थ सनातनम् ।
बुद्धिर्बुद्धिमतामस्मि तेजस्तेजस्विनामहम् ॥
bījaṃ māṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ viddhi pārtha sanātanam |
buddhirbuddhimatāmasmi tejastejasvināmaham ||
बलं बलवतां चाहं कामरागविवर्जितम् ।
धर्माविरुद्धो भूतेषु कामोऽस्मि भरतर्षभ ॥
balaṃ balavatāṃ cāhaṃ kāmarāgavivarjitam |
dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo’smi bharatarṣabha ||
Know Me as the eternal seed of all beings, the intelligence of the intelligent and the splendour of the splendid. I am the strength of the strong when it is free of craving and attachment, and the desire that does not go against dharma.
ये चैव सात्त्विका भावा राजसास्तामसाश्च ये ।
मत्त एवेति तान्विद्धि न त्वहं तेषु ते मयि ॥
ye caiva sāttvikā bhāvā rājasāstāmasāśca ye |
matta eveti tānviddhi na tvahaṃ teṣu te mayi ||
त्रिभिर्गुणमयैर्भावैरेभिः सर्वमिदं जगत् ।
मोहितं नाभिजानाति मामेभ्यः परमव्ययम् ॥
tribhirguṇamayairbhāvairebhiḥ sarvamidaṃ jagat |
mohitaṃ nābhijānāti māmebhyaḥ paramavyayam ||
Whatever states of goodness, passion or inertia exist, know that they come from Me; yet I am not in them, they are in Me. Deluded by these three qualities of nature, the whole world fails to recognise Me, who am beyond them and unchanging.
दैवी ह्येषा गुणमयी मम माया दुरत्यया ।
मामेव ये प्रपद्यन्ते मायामेतां तरन्ति ते ॥
daivī hyeṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā |
māmeva ye prapadyante māyāmetāṃ taranti te ||
This divine power of Mine, made of the three qualities of nature, is hard to cross. Those who take refuge in Me alone cross beyond it.
न मां दुष्कृतिनो मूढाः प्रपद्यन्ते नराधमाः ।
माययापहृतज्ञाना आसुरं भावमाश्रिताः ॥
na māṃ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ |
māyayāpahṛtajñānā āsuraṃ bhāvamāśritāḥ ||
Those who do wrong, the confused, the lowest of people, whose understanding is taken away by illusion and who lean on a self-serving nature, do not turn to Me.
चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जनाः सुकृतिनोऽर्जुन ।
आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ ॥
caturvidhā bhajante māṃ janāḥ sukṛtino’rjuna |
ārto jijñāsurarthārthī jñānī ca bharatarṣabha ||
तेषां ज्ञानी नित्ययुक्त एकभक्तिर्विशिष्यते ।
प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थमहं स च मम प्रियः ॥
teṣāṃ jñānī nityayukta ekabhaktirviśiṣyate |
priyo hi jñānino’tyarthamahaṃ sa ca mama priyaḥ ||
Four kinds of good people turn to Me: the distressed, the seeker of knowledge, the seeker of wealth, and the wise. Of them, the wise one, always steady and devoted to the One alone, is the best; I am very dear to such a person, and they are dear to Me.
उदाराः सर्व एवैते ज्ञानी त्वात्मैव मे मतम् ।
आस्थितः स हि युक्तात्मा मामेवानुत्तमां गतिम् ॥
udārāḥ sarva evaite jñānī tvātmaiva me matam |
āsthitaḥ sa hi yuktātmā māmevānuttamāṃ gatim ||
बहूनां जन्मनामन्ते ज्ञानवान्मां प्रपद्यते ।
वासुदेवः सर्वमिति स महात्मा सुदुर्लभः ॥
bahūnāṃ janmanāmante jñānavānmāṃ prapadyate |
vāsudevaḥ sarvamiti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ ||
All of them are noble, but I regard the wise one as My very self, for with a steady mind that person rests in Me as the highest goal. After many births, the wise one comes to Me, seeing that the Divine is everything. Such a great soul is very rare.
कामैस्तैस्तैर्हृतज्ञानाः प्रपद्यन्तेऽन्यदेवताः ।
तं तं नियममास्थाय प्रकृत्या नियताः स्वया ॥
kāmaistaistairhṛtajñānāḥ prapadyante’nyadevatāḥ |
taṃ taṃ niyamamāsthāya prakṛtyā niyatāḥ svayā ||
यो यो यां यां तनुं भक्तः श्रद्धयार्चितुमिच्छति ।
तस्य तस्याचलां श्रद्धां तामेव विदधाम्यहम् ॥
yo yo yāṃ yāṃ tanuṃ bhaktaḥ śraddhayārcitumicchati |
tasya tasyācalāṃ śraddhāṃ tāmeva vidadhāmyaham ||
स तया श्रद्धया युक्तस्तस्याराधनमीहते ।
लभते च ततः कामान्मयैव विहितान्हि तान् ॥
sa tayā śraddhayā yuktastasyārādhanamīhate |
labhate ca tataḥ kāmānmayaiva vihitānhi tān ||
अन्तवत्तु फलं तेषां तद्भवत्यल्पमेधसाम् ।
देवान्देवयजो यान्ति मद्भक्ता यान्ति मामपि ॥
antavattu phalaṃ teṣāṃ tadbhavatyalpamedhasām |
devāndevayajo yānti madbhaktā yānti māmapi ||
Those whose understanding is carried off by desires turn to other deities, following various rules to suit their nature. Whatever form a devotee wishes to worship with faith, I make that faith steady in them. With that faith they seek that worship and receive their wishes, which are in truth granted by Me. But the fruit for those of small understanding is limited: worshippers of the gods go to the gods, My devotees come to Me.
अव्यक्तं व्यक्तिमापन्नं मन्यन्ते मामबुद्धयः ।
परं भावमजानन्तो ममाव्ययमनुत्तमम् ॥
avyaktaṃ vyaktimāpannaṃ manyante māmabuddhayaḥ |
paraṃ bhāvamajānanto mamāvyayamanuttamam ||
नाहं प्रकाशः सर्वस्य योगमायासमावृतः ।
मूढोऽयं नाभिजानाति लोको मामजमव्ययम् ॥
nāhaṃ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyāsamāvṛtaḥ |
mūḍho’yaṃ nābhijānāti loko māmajamavyayam ||
वेदाहं समतीतानि वर्तमानानि चार्जुन ।
भविष्याणि च भूतानि मां तु वेद न कश्चन ॥
vedāhaṃ samatītāni vartamānāni cārjuna |
bhaviṣyāṇi ca bhūtāni māṃ tu veda na kaścana ||
The unwise think I, the unmanifest, have taken on a form, not knowing My higher, unchanging nature. Veiled by My divine power, I am not revealed to everyone, and this confused world does not recognise Me as unborn and imperishable. I know all beings, past, present and future, but no one truly knows Me.
इच्छाद्वेषसमुत्थेन द्वन्द्वमोहेन भारत ।
सर्वभूतानि सम्मोहं सर्गे यान्ति परन्तप ॥
icchādveṣasamutthena dvandvamohena bhārata |
sarvabhūtāni sammohaṃ sarge yānti parantapa ||
येषां त्वन्तगतं पापं जनानां पुण्यकर्मणाम् ।
ते द्वन्द्वमोहनिर्मुक्ता भजन्ते मां दृढव्रताः ॥
yeṣāṃ tvantagataṃ pāpaṃ janānāṃ puṇyakarmaṇām |
te dvandvamohanirmuktā bhajante māṃ dṛḍhavratāḥ ||
Through the confusion of opposites, born of liking and disliking, all beings fall into delusion from birth. But those whose wrongdoing has come to an end, who act well and are freed from that confusion of opposites, worship Me with firm resolve.
जरामरणमोक्षाय मामाश्रित्य यतन्ति ये ।
ते ब्रह्म तद्विदुः कृत्स्नमध्यात्मं कर्म चाखिलम् ॥
jarāmaraṇamokṣāya māmāśritya yatanti ye |
te brahma tadviduḥ kṛtsnamadhyātmaṃ karma cākhilam ||
साधिभूताधिदैवं मां साधियज्ञं च ये विदुः ।
प्रयाणकालेऽपि च मां ते विदुर्युक्तचेतसः ॥
sādhibhūtādhidaivaṃ māṃ sādhiyajñaṃ ca ye viduḥ |
prayāṇakāle’pi ca māṃ te viduryuktacetasaḥ ||
Those who strive for freedom from old age and death by taking refuge in Me come to know the whole of Brahman, the self and action. Those who know Me as the one behind the elements, the gods and the sacrifice keep that knowledge steady even at the time of death.
The verses are the traditional Sanskrit text. The explanations are original summaries, not a particular translator's words. The astrology guide is a devotional, reflective practice, not a prediction and not a substitute for professional advice.