Chapter 7: With 30 verses or shlokas, the seventh chapter is of intermediate length (i.e.,<5%) and includes a monologue by Lord Bhagavan Sri Krishna.
Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Shloka 1-30): 30 shlokas
Brief Summary: In this chapter, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Shree Krishna fully reveals the knowledge and wisdom after knowing that nothing else remains to be known in this world.
Among a thousand --> hardly one/few strive(s) for perfection--> Among those who have perfection, hardly one person truly knows the lord.
Two types of energy in the lord through which all living beings are manifested:
- Material/inferior energy= sum of (Earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, intellect, and ego).
- Superior/soul energy= consists of embodied souls that form the basis of life in this world.
Lord Sree Krishna, the Supreme Personality of the Godhead, is analogous to the thread which holds all the beads together. Hence, the lord is the source of the entire creation into whom everything dissolves. The lord is also
- the taste of water
- radiance of the sun and the moon
- sacred syllable Om in Vedic mantras
- sound in ether
- ability in humans
- pure fragrance of the earth
- brilliance in fire
- life-force in all beings
- penance of the ascetics
- eternal seed of all beings
- the intellect of the intelligent
- the splendor of the glorious
- the strength (devoid of desire and passion) of the strong
- sexual activity not conflicting with virtue or scriptural injunctions
Three material states of existence/modes of Maya: goodness (sattva), passion (rajas) & ignorance (tamas).
Only by surrendering to the lord can one overcome Maya.
Four kinds of people that don't surrender to me:
- Those ignorant of the knowledge.
- Those who are lazy follow their lower nature though capable of knowing me.
- Those with deluded intellect.
- Those with a demonic nature.
- The distressed.
- The seekers after knowledge (inquisitive).
- The seekers of worldly possessions.
- Those who are situated in knowledge/ seek absolute truth. (Dearest to the Lord)
We tend to pray to different deities (demigods) to fulfill our material desires as per our nature. Even these desires are taken care of due to Lord Krishna's benediction. The different deities can be considered different parts of the Lord's body. However, the results obtained by praying to demigods are transient. The ultimate goal can be achieved by surrendering to Krishna.
Lord Krishna has absolute knowledge of the past, present, and future. Those who strive for liberation from the cycles of birth and death by surrendering to me realize the divine and achieve Krishna consciousness.
Favorite Shlokas:
Shloka 7:
mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñchid asti dhanañjaya
mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva
Shloka 17:
teṣhāṁ jñānī nitya-yukta eka-bhaktir viśhiṣhyate
priyo hi jñānino ’tyartham ahaṁ sa cha mama priyaḥ
