Essentials of Hinduism - Bhagavad Gita

Essentials of Hinduism

Bhagavad Gita

Chapter 7 - Knowledge and Wisdom

The logic of inward development is the theme of this Chapter. Starting from this Chapter 7 to the Chapter 12, explains the term “That” (Tat) in the Mahavakya “Tat Tvam Asi”.

Stanza 3:

Among thousands of Men, one perchance strives for Perfection; even among those successful strivers, only one perchance knows Me in essence. Krishna says the entire responsibility for not realizing the Self lies with the individual seeker and attributes it entirely to the Sadhaka’s lack of self application. The Sadhaka may raise himself up to perhaps the very gates of Truth, but he may bar his own entry into the Sanctum within. Unless the Mind is perfectly naked (free of Vasanas), it has no entry into the Bliss of Truth.

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Stanza 4:

Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect, egoism – these are My eight-fold Prakriti. The five great Cosmic Elements described are represented in the microcosm by the five Sense Organs by which the individual comes to experience and live in the world of Sense-Objects.

Stanza 19:

At the end of many Births, the Wise Man comes to Me, realizing that all this is Vasudeva (the innermost Self); such a Great Soul (Mahatma) is very hard to find. Only a rare few can ever reach the goal of evolution and come to discover their true Divine Nature of Perfection. It takes an infinitely large number of lives in different manifestations to scrape off all his ignorance, and reach the Perfect Knowledge. A little more sincere and steady self-application can take him to the highest state of his Evolution.

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Stanza 20:

Desire for the Sense-Objects of the World and the urge for sense gratification are the great factors which cloud the discriminative potentialities in the human intellect. When the Mind is thus disturbed, that individual becomes incapable of distinguishing in his understanding, the Real from the Unreal. However, true men of action, withdraws from all these ultimately unprofitable fields, and seeks the path to the Real.

Stanza 26:

I know, O Arjuna, the beings of the past, and present and the future, but no one knows Me. The Self can be considered as the knower of everything, in everyone, at all times, and in all places. However, He is known by none at any place or at any time – BUT ME NONE KNOWS.

Stanza 28:

Those men of virtuous deeds whose sins have come to an end, who are freed from the delusion (misunderstanding) of the pairs-of-opposites and are steadfast in vows, Worship Me. All introvert actions undertaken in the cognition of “THE SELF I AM” would create new impressions and wipe out papa Vasanas. Such an individual is free from all delusions and can, with a single-pointed steadfastness and firm resolve, Meditate upon the Self.

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This is the end of YOGA OF KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM.

This article is a snippet from the Book Essentials of Hinduism, Authored by G.S Nilakantan. Hinduism for All is available online at www.giri.in and across Giri Trading Agency Private Limited, A chain of Speciality Stores dealing in all kinds of products needed in Indian Culture and Tradition.