CHAPTER VII

THE UNITIVE WAY OF WISDOM SYNTHESIS

JNANA-VIJNANA YOGA
[1]
Sribhagavan said:
Having a mind attached to Me, O Partha (Arjuna), and joining unitively through yoga, and
having Me as refuge, how you will know Me without any doubt, comprehensively, that do hear.
The same truth is reiterated again. The person should control his mind from getting astray and develop an
attachment to nothing else but God. He should try to attain closeness with God through yoga and having the God as
the refuge, he should attain the knowledge of God without an iota of doubt. But how can somebody remove the
doubts from his mind? Krishna gives the answer in the forthcoming verses!
[2]
I shall teach you this (pure) wisdom together with this (applied) knowledge, without any
omission, knowing which, there will be nothing more here left over that should be known.
What is being told here would remove all doubts from the mind. This knowledge is extremely important
because it is based on Krishnas claim that upon receiving this knowledge, the person will become all knowing and
by no chance will there remain anything that remains to be known.
[3]
Among thousands of men, one perchance strives for perfection. Even among the striving
who have attained, one perchance knows Me according to proper principles.
This verse further reveals the importance of the knowledge that Krishna is going to impart. He says categorically
that only a handful strive to achieve perfection and out of those handful there is again a small percentage that gets
to know God according to proper principles.
Another point that this verse makes clear is that perfection in this life is nothing else but knowing God according
to proper principles. This is a clear inference from Krishnas wordings here and all those who gauge success in life
on the basis of other achievements need to note this.
This also shows that only a handful gets to know the secret that is being told here. Though there may be a lot
many who would try to achieve perfection in their own way. The methodology of achieving perfection is important
and it is that that needs to be known. Answer is being given by Krishna here.
[4]
Earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, reason also, and consciousness of individuality, thus here is
divided My eightfold nature.
This verse too is one which, as per us, needs to be retranslated and re-understood. In verse two, God prepares
us to say that He will teach something, knowing which, there will be nothing more here left over that should be
known. Then he says that one in thousand strives for perfection. The percentage of one who obtains perfection
must be far lower. Even from amongst them, the likelihood of those who really know God is very negligible.
Ideally, after this, there ought to be a description of those who know Him, the way He ought to be known. But,
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instead of talking about such Absolute Men, there is this reference to earth, water, fire, air, sky, etc.
Is knowledge of earth, water, fire, air, sky, etc. enough to enable us to achieve perfection? Surely you will
realize that this is not the case. Krishnas wordings themselves suggest that only a few understood the real significance
of this verse.
Again, you will have to believe in our interpretation of Vedas to understand this. We have already said that the
war of Mahabharata had the Vedic teachings as the background. Krishna refers to the same Vedic concepts of
Agnideva, Vayudeva, etc. We have already proved in the Book, that these seven are not the names of five material
elements along with mind and reason but they are reference to the seven names of the devas, who are actually
fourteen in number. (You are invited to read the Book carefully to know more about these fourteen). The divine
personalities of the Vedas (like Vayu, Agni, etc.), we have shown in the Book, would come to live as Ali, Husain
and others. It is these personalities who are being identified here. These are men whose footsteps would lead us to
perfection. Very few are aware of this and even fewer achieve perfection according to proper principles.
A hint of this, unknowingly, has been given by Nataraj Guru himself, when he says that Gita has erred here as
well:
We find also in verses 8 and 9 that these actual gross aspects of nature are not viewed as matter but as values
to which human beings are related and which enter consciousness more directly. Thus the unitive nature of the
Absolute is established. But in this preliminary enumeration, the Gita wishes to err if at all, on the side of actuality,
rather than on the side of far-fetched theory.
The reference to me bhinna prakriti (my distinct divided nature) further confirms that the aforementioned
devas are distinct consequence of division of Gods power and their nature confirms with the nature of God.
Otherwise, the presence of God can be seen in innumerable things other than the ones mentioned here. (A look at
their personality will reveal that what all has been told as the nature of God, their personality is an exact replica of
the same and there is no dissimilarity with the nature of God). The gross earth too is referred to as pure fragrance
in verse 9, which we have shown in the Book, is reference to Fatima, Mohammads daughter married to Ali.
The verse 6 even tells us that we owe our life to them. With all material influences being denounced so vigorously
here in Gita, only a mind entrenched in materialism would believe that we owe our life to earth, water, fire, air and
sky. Even if we accept this as true, because these material things really have influence on our body, how could we
owe our life to mind and reason, which are inherent part of our lives.
[5]
This is the non-transcendental (apara=immanent). Know the other to be my nature, which is
transcendental, constituting life, O Mighty-Armed (Arjuna), by which the phenomenal world is
sustained.
Refer to the Brhad-aranyaka Upanishad in the Book or other similar examples through which we have shown
how the same non-transcendental devas become transcendental, constituting life, and take birth in human forms. It
is clearly stated in various Upanishads that the phenomenal world is sustained by these fourteen Manus or devas of
which one is the devi. Some Upanishads have even called them as lords of the fourteen spheres or as rulers of our
organs of senses and action. Can there be greater evidence required?
Also, we have seen in Vishnu Purana how this entire cosmos will wind up when the last of these devas will be
killed, thereby confirming that the sustenance of the world is dependent on their presence as human beings, in it.
The same is being mentioned by Krishna in the aforementioned verse.
[6]
Know that all beings have this as their common source (womb). I am the becoming as also
the dissolution of all this (phenomenal) world (jagat)
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This is the verse where God says that we all owe our life to the aforementioned names. The very fact that the
names are different in attributes confirms that there must be something other than the material names of these
things. For instance, we can owe our life due to earth and sky, but we cannot owe our life to mind, which is part of
the life itself. Or to reason, which is inherent in the mind. And to say so, when the entire previous discussion is to
lead us away from all material things and devote all our actions only to God.
Fact is that we all owe our lives to the devas, whose origin is due to the division of the Manifested Self of God
into fourteen powers similar to the original one.
Consequent to giving the devas their true importance, Krishna returns to the topic of God and declares in the
next line that God is Superior Most and even they owe their presence due to Him.
This was important as the cause of Mahabharata was to uphold the true position of the devas. People of the
period had either started worshipping the devas or left the devas altogether and started living in forests where they
tried to reach God directly through chants, etc.
The use of the world yoni (womb) in the first line suggest that it is not just a superficial statement but all lives
have emerged from them as a child is born out of womb. We have seen in Brhad Aranyaka Upanishad how the
Manifested Self became large as a womb and then divided to become more and once these fourteen devas were
created, the entire cosmos was created out of the powers of the fourteen. God is confirming to that here. Otherwise,
can life be born out of the womb of fire or water or mind or reason?
[7]
Nothing else is higher than Me, O Winner of Wealth (Arjuna). In Me all this is strung as a
classified series (ganah) of precious beads on a string.
God knew that people of the time had started considering these devas as gods. This can be understood by
looking at the beliefs of the common people today, many of whom still call Agni, Indra, etc. as gods. This belief
was been denied time and again even though the importance of the devas is retained. God also stresses that even
they (the devas) owe their origin due to Him and in Him alone all of them are strung as a classified series of
precious beads on a string.
This also explains the actions and deeds of the imams when they came to live on this earth. On several occasions
Ali or Hasan or Husain or others said that the earth, the sun and the moon, etc. were created because of them. Has
anybody else ever made a claim like this? We wont find anybody else in history, because this was too big a claim
for anybody to dare. Even those kings who called themselves as gods could not muster courage to claim so and we
find no such reference in the entire history.
A very profound example of this is found in the history of Moses when face to face with the Pharoah, who made
all people to worship him as god. Moses said that my God is one who makes the sun rise in the east and set in the
west. If you are the god, then you make it come out from the west and set in the east. Even then, the Pharoah had
no answer. On the other hand we find few of these devas being so powerful that they made the sun reverse its
direction or split the moon into two. Despite this they never allowed anybody to call themselves as god and their
entire life can be see as full of devotion and supplication to the Almighty God. Why wont it be when God Himself
has said here that they are the ones who have identified God in the manner He ought to be known?
It is sad part of history though that these devas came to be regarded as gods and people began to worship them.
Even at the time of Krishna, people had forgotten the Absolute God and it were these devas and others, who were
worshipped as gods. Krishna was sent as a messenger to redeliver the truth about their identity.
Also, we will find in the Islamic history that when a band of people started calling Ali as their god, Ali waged
the most severe war in which nearly most of them were killed. Many scholars are unable to give a proper explanation
to this stand as the same person who were calling him god were being killed by the one who was being worshipped
as god. Scholars might not know but Ali knew that this war was not being fought for the first time. Even on earlier
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occasions, such wars have been fought with those who had given them the stature of god. With great effort had the
Messengers of God been able to create a demarcation between Absolute God and the the devas Gods preferred
creations. And Ali would have been the last person to see the same starting all over again.
[8]
I am the taste in waters, O son of Kunti (Arjuna), I am the light of the moon and the sun, I am
Aum (numinous exclamation) in all the Vedas, sound in the sky and the human quality in men.
One thing that cannot escape attention is that God says that He is the human quality in men. That means that the
human quality is due to God and all those who perform in-human deeds are actually performing actions that are unGodly.
Moreover, reference to waters, moon and sun is significant. These are also the names of the devas in Vedas.
Since there is a clear reference to Vedas, it is clear that Krishna had those names in mind while uttering these
words. Aum too, we have shown in the Book, signify the devas leading us towards God.
Even if we take it to mean the material water, moon and sun, it has explicitly been stated in the Upanishads and
Vedas that these were created out of the Manifested Self of God, which comprises the fourteen devas. In spite of
this, it is clearly stated that their entire glimmer, all their shine, and all their virtues, are due to the power of
Absolute God.
[9]
I am the holy fragrance of the earth (divinity) and also the brilliance of the luminary (presence),
the vital principle in all beings, and the (essence of) austerity in all ascetics.
The purpose of this is to tell us that all those who are of such stature that we can be tempted to call them as god
are actually creations of God Himself. Those who have taken earth and the luminary things for material earth and
sun, moon and fire, are wrong.
For earth, gandhah (smell or perfume) and punyah (holy or pure) are used. That means earth is described as one
with pure or holy smell. Likewise, the term vibhavasu (luminary) is usually taken for fire, moon and sun. Says
NG: The object of the author is to refer here to the holy presences suggested in all bright objects, including fire.
The light itself is referred to as tejas (brilliance) which is related to that aspect of consciousness called taijasa (the
brilliant) which is at the basis of dreams.
Since the word brilliance and not brilliant is used, we are of the opinion that the brilliance of the luminary
persons is being talked about here. We should remember that God is telling a secret about attaining perfection and
these mundane references to material objects do not have the power to do anything, lest alone bestow perfection on
us. It has been clearly stated that only a few are able to know God in the manner He ought to be known. The
succeeding line, which talks of tapas (the burning of spiritual discipline, ascetism) further confirms our view as
there can be no relationship between material objects with spirituality. Even NG has agreed that the tapas being
mentioned is a human quality or a personal attitude. Says NG: A perfectly self-controlled man represents the
Absolute in essence.
The meaning here is so clear that the commentators have no choice but to say that it stands for certain men of
merit. Who are those men of merit? Answer is available only with us.
The succeeding verses too, we will notice, talk about the same subject.
[10]
Know Me, O Partha (Arjuna), to be the perennial seed of all beings; I am the reason of the
intelligent, and I am the brightness of (those who are) the brilliant.
Thankfully, the brightness and brilliance mentioned here has not been understood to be that of the shining
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objects.
Fact is that since the people of the time had begun to worship the devas and had removed God from their acts
of worship, the entire passage here is meant to tell them the real truth about the relationship between the devas and
the God. Even prior to Gita, we have seen several cases mentioned in the Upanishads where sages like Yajnavalkya
and others went to the congregations of priests and princes and tried to tell them the real purport of their various
actions. The fact that Yajnavalkya had to say this in the congregations of priests and the learned confirm that even
they had forgotten the true teachings and had begun to follow a ritualistic life.
Yajnavalkya is a contemporary of Krishna and was elder to Krishna. Krishna too tried to rectify the mistaken
beliefs of people. This led to a full-fledged war where there were those who found recluse in the Vedas and worshipped
the heroes of Vedas blindly as comprising one army and those who accepted Krishna as an avatar of God and yet
believed in the Vedas, in the other army. This apparently small difference between the believes of the two armies
was in fact such a great difference that Krishna has called it the war between truth and evil and made it obligatory
on Arjuna to kill those in the other camp or die fighting for this cause.
[11]
I am the strength of the strong, devoid of desire and passion. In beings I am desire which is
not contrary to righteousness (dharma), O Leader of the Bharatas (Arjuna).
We invite you to read the two lines carefully. The use of the word beings in the second line suggests that the
first line does not refer to those who come in the ambit of beings. They are strong and devoid of desire and
passion. This truly is reference to the devas, who are strong and were also believed to be strong by the people, and
were devoid of desire and passion even after they took birth as beings. God says clearly that the strength of those
strong devas too is due to Him. This was something that was matter of dispute between the two warring parties.
In the second line, God talks of the human beings and says that the desire inside them is also due to Him. A very
clear definition of desire has been given here. If you recall, desire had been seen as a negative trait earlier. Here, it
is clearly stated that desire, which is not contrary to righteousness (dharma), is in fact good. For instance, there can
be a desire in somebody to impart knowledge among all. There can be a desire to see that no body goes to sleep
without food. Such desires, in fact, have their origin in God.
[12]
Even those manifestations recognized as according with existence (sattviki), and active or
dominant (rajasi), and dark or inert (tamasi), know them even to be My own. I am not in them
but they are in Me.
Again, the God is being glorified here. Three terms sattviki, rajasi and tamasi are being introduced here. Be
prepared to read a lot more about them in the next chapters.
All these manifestations have their origin in God.
[13]
Deluded by these three manifestations (of value) this whole world is unable to know Me who
am beyond them and unexpended.
It is due to these three manifestations that the world gets confused and is unable to know God who is beyond
these manifestations and unexpended. That these have been created as illusions is mentioned in the next verse.
[14]
Verily this divine illusion of Mine (maya) made up of the manifestations (of value-gunah), is
hard to surmount. Those who seek Me alone, pass over this illusion.
It is stated that these illusions present in the world do not allow men to reach God. Those who seek God alone,
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pass over the illusion and attain Him.

[15]
Not Me do evil-doers, foolish, attain, lowest among men; their wisdom being distracted by
illusion (maya), affiliated as they are to the demonic (or non-intelligent) aspect of nature.
Those who perform evil acts have been described as foolish. If you see, this is the converse of wisdom. The
evil-doers, it has been clearly stated are the lowest among men and such people never attain God.
See that Krishnas definition of lowest among men is different from the definitions created by us. It is clearly
stated that evil-deeds are the basis of Krishnas standardization. Righteousness, on the other hand, has already been
described as having its origin in God. Thus one who performs evil-deeds distances himself from God and thus
becomes lowest. It has already been said that the true zenith of humanity is to attain union with God. Such a person
would be an epitome of righteousness and good deeds. (Read about the lives of Masooms on earth and you will
realize that they were the highest examples of righteousness.)
[16]
Four kinds of the (doers of the) good are intent on Me, Arjuna; the distressed, the seeker of
knowledge, the seeker of the goods of life, and the wise, O Leader of the Bharatas (Arjuna).
In this verse, Krishna says that there are four kinds of people who seek God. First category is that of the
distressed. This person is intent on seeking God so as to get relief from his misery. Once the misery has been
removed, it is not sure whether the person would still seek God with same intensity. The second is the seeker of
knowledge. This person too wants to know answers to certain questions and once those answers are known, his
interest wanes away and he might not seek God with the same fervour. The third is one who seek God because he
wishes to seek the goods of life. This person is selfish and is sure to forget God once he has obtained the goods. The
fourth is the wise person. He realizes through wisdom that the purpose of his creation is to get united with God.
This would ensure his eternal life. This person continues to seek God at all times good and bad. This fourth state
is the best of all.
[17]
Of these the wise men, forever united and unitively affiliated with the Absolute excels, for
dear to the utmost limit am I to the wise, and he is dear to Me.
Wisdom has been held in so much esteem. It is unfortunate that men blind to wisdom relinquishes the path of
God and seek refuge in wayside faqirs and other men like themselves, even when they have the capability to reach
far higher levels of spirituality than those faqirs themselves.
Wise person is always dear to God. And the wise holds the God dearest to him. He remains united and unitively
seeks God through the path shown by Him.
[18]
Honourable are all these, but My firm opinion is that the wise one is the Self itself. He of
unitively established Self indeed remains in My path which has nothing higher.
All those who seek God are honourable but the best of these is one who seeks God with wisdom. Wise one
realizes the self and its relationship with the Manifested Self and thus becomes the Self itself. This person remains
on the only one straight path (the sirat-e-mustaqeem) and reaches the highest levels.
[19]
After many births the wise man attains Me. Such a great Self, thinking Vasudeva to be all is
rare indeed to find.
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The system of rebirth is again being endorsed here. Man who traverses on the Gods path keep taking birth in
conditions more suitable to attaining unity with the Absolute. Those who perform righteous deeds and have not
been able to attain the union sometimes even take birth in the family of the devas or yogis. Once they get to know
the true path through wisdom, they become united with the Absolute.
The second half of the verse again confirms the Selfs relationship with Vasudeva. We have seen that Vasudeva
is an oft-repeated name in the Vedas. This is the name of one of the fourteen devas. And Vasudeva is also the name
given to Krishna, who is an avatar of the Manifested Self. This substantiates our claim that the Vasudeva of the
Vedas took another avatar as Krishna.
One who realizes this relationship between Krishna and the devas and the devas and the Manifested Self and
the Manifested Self and the Absolute God is very rare to find.
[20]
Their wisdom distracted by such (or) such (other) desire (counterparts) they attain to other
divinities, committed to obligations such or such belonging to each, prompted by their own
particular nature (in each case).
Vasudeva was one of the divinity mentioned in the previous verse, through whom people realize their Self.
Since Krishna is the reincarnation of Vasudeva, this has been spoken separately. Now the other divinities are
mentioned.
It is clearly said that those trying to use their wisdom too are prone to getting distracted. Eventually they end up
worshipping one divinity or the other. Ultimate worship should be of the Absolute God and none else!
[21]
By whichever (particular) form such and such a devotee with faith wishes to worship, each to
his own faith I confirm.
Devotion is important. The person who tries to use his wisdom and yet gets distracted, even his efforts do not
go waste. Inherent message is that wisdom is paramount. This is an invitation to all of us to start applying our
wisdom in understanding our relationship with the God.
[22]
He, endowed with that faith, seeks the worship of such a one, and from him obtains his
desires, the benefits being decreed by Me.
Krishna is referring to the condition of the people of his time. Instead of believing all the fourteen devas as part
of the Manifested Self of God, they had started worshipping one or the other.
It is clearly stated that even if the person seeks the worship of only one of these devas, only condition being
faith, and desires his motives, his prayers are fulfilled by God, who holds these devas as dear.
We know now that the devas took birth as Mohammad, Ali, Fatima, Hasan, Husain and others. There are
several Shias who address their prayers directly to one of these or even to sons of these Masooms like Abbas and
others. You ask them and they would say that their prayers are being fulfilled by the Masooms. God here gives the
reason for this yet states clearly in the next verse that these are men of small intelligence and hence their wisdom
gets distracted under the influence of their desires.
[23]
Terminable indeed is the benefit (accruing) to these of small intelligence; sacrificers to the
divinities go to the divinities, by My devotees come to Me.
God clearly states that even though He grants benefits to people who worship these divinities individually, such
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people are men of small intelligence. Those who worship the God or His Manifested Self become united with him.
Alternatively, those who sacrifices to the divinities go to the divinities. What happens to them thereafter has not
been clearly told at this juncture.
[24]
Unreasoning persons consider Me as the unmanifest come to the manifestation; not knowing
My supreme (value), unexpended, with no superior.
There are people who believe that there was nothing and then the Manifest Self appeared. These people have
been described as unreasoning persons, who do not know that the Manifest Self of God has even a supreme value,
unexpended, with no superior. This is the Non-Manifest Absolute God.
This description confirms our viewpoint to the full. We have said that it is the Manifested Self of God who is
doing the talking and who has taken it as its responsibility to lead the entire world to the worship of the NonManifest Absolute God. This verse also confirms our view about the Absolute creating the Manifest and the Manifest
giving birth to the fourteen devas, who became the guardians of the fourteen spheres when the cosmos was created.
All our worship and all our acts should be dedicated to the Absolute God and none else. He alone is the Creator
of all, including the Manifest Self.
[25]
I am not revealed brightly to all; shrouded as I am by the illusive effect of negative reality
(yoga-maya) this deluded world does not know Me, unborn, unexpended.
It is not easy to understand the true nature of God. Innumerable people have tried to reach him and have got
confused. That is why it has been repeatedly said that one must reach God through the path shown by those who are
the most dear to Him. These are the devas.
We invite you to read some of the supplications to God that have been told to us by the Masooms. The sublime
nature of these supplications would give you an idea why these devas have been held as ideal for attainment of
unity with the Absolute. It is unfortunate that even the Shia Muslims, who claim to be the true adherents of the
Masooms, have not realized the true position of Masooms in relation to God and His Wish.
[26]
I know the beings that are past, present and to come, O Arjuna, but no one knows Me.
Manifest Self of God has only recently said that there is a power that is superior to It. Other than the Absolute
God, the Manifest Self is superior to all else. It has been bestowed the knowledge of the past, present and what is
to happen. Yet, people are unaware of Its true character.
The words of the Manifested Self themselves confirm the content of the hymns of the Vedas. It says that it
knows of the things to come. This is an answer to those who would show doubts regarding our commentary of the
Vedas.
[27]
From the delusion of the pairs of opposites arising from attraction and repulsion, O Bharata
(Arjuna), all beings, on being created, are subject to confusion (of values), O Burner of the Foe
(Arjuna).
Confusion is inherent in all of us. This is because of the delusion of the pairs of opposites arising from attraction
and repulsion in all the beings. The same self within us help us attaining union with the Manifested Self where as
the lower half of the same self seeks the pleasures of the world. Opposites have been put inside us. It is up to us to
seek the truth through applying our wisdom.
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[28]
But those persons of pure deeds whose sin has come to an end, freed from the conflict of
pairs of opposites, adore Me with a firm resolve.
Sin has come to an end is close to the tauba of the Muslims. Islam gives an opportunity to all who realize the
truth to seek forgiveness through tauba. Anyone who seeks forgiveness from the core of his heart is forgiven. Such
a persons sins come to an end. Alternatively, pure deeds too enable a person to subdue the sins. Once the person
gets freed from the conflict of the pairs of opposites and seeks unity with the Absolute Itself, he becomes a true
lover of God.
[29]
Whoever resorting to Me, strive for liberation from decay and death, they know That, that
Absolute, all that constitutes Self-knowledge, and everything pertaining to action.
Again, the loftier position of the Absolute in relation to the Manifested Self is mentioned. It is said that whoever
takes the help of the path shown by the Manifested Self to attain liberation from decay and death, has to realize the
Absolute. Self-knowledge too culminates in the Absolute. All actions too culminate in the Absolute. That - the
Absolute - is the Ultimate aim of us all.
Note that the words decay and death have been used here. Gita says on an occasion that our evil deeds are
leading to the decay of the world. Also, those in the camps of the Kauravas have already been called as dead. This
is an invitation to all of us to leave the path of death and decay and come to the worship of the Absolute.
[30]
Those who know Me, taking together what refers to existential (adhibhuta), hypostatic
(adhidaiva) and sacrificial (adhiyajna) aspects, they know Me in a unitive spirit, even at the time
of their departure.

Thus ends in the Upanishads of the Songs of God, in the Science of the Wisdom of the
Absolute, in the Dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, the Seventh Chapter entitled
Unitive Way of Wisdom Synthesis.

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