🪷 Krishna-Tattva — Knowledge of the Absolute
Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 7 · 30 verses · complete reader-led Jñāna-Vijñāna-Yoga study
BG 7 presents Krishna as the source and dissolution of the two prakṛtis, the thread on which all is strung, the presence named through the world, the refuge beyond māyā, and the goal of knowing and devotion.
BG 7.1-30 · The Complete Chapter Movement
Read all 30 received Sanskrit verses in order before the textual catalogues and connected reading paths.
1. BG 7.1-3 · Knowledge with realization and the rarity of full knowing
श्री भगवानुवाच
मय्यासक्तमनाः पार्थ योगं युञ्जन्मदाश्रयः।
असंशयं समग्रं मां यथा ज्ञास्यसि तच्छृणु।।7.1।।
ज्ञानं तेऽहं सविज्ञानमिदं वक्ष्याम्यशेषतः।
यज्ज्ञात्वा नेह भूयोऽन्यज्ज्ञातव्यमवशिष्यते।।7.2।।
मनुष्याणां सहस्रेषु कश्चिद्यतति सिद्धये।
यततामपि सिद्धानां कश्चिन्मां वेत्ति तत्त्वतः।।7.3।।
Textual movement: Krishna asks Arjuna to hear how, with mind attached to Him and taking refuge in Him, he may know Him fully and without doubt; He promises knowledge together with realization and names the rarity of one who knows Him in truth.
Reader reflection: Read the promise and rarity together; do not convert either into a self-awarded attainment.
2. BG 7.4-7 · The two prakṛtis, the source, and the thread
भूमिरापोऽनलो वायुः खं मनो बुद्धिरेव च।
अहङ्कार इतीयं मे भिन्ना प्रकृतिरष्टधा।।7.4।।
अपरेयमितस्त्वन्यां प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम्।
जीवभूतां महाबाहो ययेदं धार्यते जगत्।।7.5।।
एतद्योनीनि भूतानि सर्वाणीत्युपधारय।
अहं कृत्स्नस्य जगतः प्रभवः प्रलयस्तथा।।7.6।।
मत्तः परतरं नान्यत्किञ्चिदस्ति धनञ्जय।
मयि सर्वमिदं प्रोतं सूत्रे मणिगणा इव।।7.7।।
Textual movement: Krishna names earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, and ahaṅkāra as His eightfold separated prakṛti; distinguishes the life-bearing higher prakṛti; and declares Himself the origin, dissolution, and thread on which all is strung.
Reader reflection: Contemplate the two prakṛtis as Krishna teaches them. A horoscope does not identify the jīva, grade parā-prakṛti, or measure the eightfold prakṛti.
3. BG 7.8-12 · Krishna’s named presence and the eternal seed
रसोऽहमप्सु कौन्तेय प्रभास्मि शशिसूर्ययोः।
प्रणवः सर्ववेदेषु शब्दः खे पौरुषं नृषु।।7.8।।
पुण्यो गन्धः पृथिव्यां च तेजश्चास्मि विभावसौ।
जीवनं सर्वभूतेषु तपश्चास्मि तपस्विषु।।7.9।।
बीजं मां सर्वभूतानां विद्धि पार्थ सनातनम्।
बुद्धिर्बुद्धिमतामस्मि तेजस्तेजस्विनामहम्।।7.10।।
बलं बलवतां चाहं कामरागविवर्जितम्।
धर्माविरुद्धो भूतेषु कामोऽस्मि भरतर्षभ।।7.11।।
ये चैव सात्त्विका भावा राजसास्तामसाश्च ये।
मत्त एवेति तान्विद्धि नत्वहं तेषु ते मयि।।7.12।।
Textual movement: Krishna names Himself as taste, light, praṇava, sound, human capacity, fragrance, fire, life, tapas, eternal seed, intelligence, splendour, strength free of desire, and dharma-consistent desire; the guṇa-born states arise from Him, while He is not confined in them.
Reader reflection: Let the named manifestations return attention to Krishna without pretending that a calendar or placement makes one manifestation spiritually stronger for a person.
4. BG 7.13-15 · Guṇas, māyā, refuge, and misrecognition
त्रिभिर्गुणमयैर्भावैरेभिः सर्वमिदं जगत्।
मोहितं नाभिजानाति मामेभ्यः परमव्ययम्।।7.13।।
दैवी ह्येषा गुणमयी मम माया दुरत्यया।
मामेव ये प्रपद्यन्ते मायामेतां तरन्ति ते।।7.14।।
न मां दुष्कृतिनो मूढाः प्रपद्यन्ते नराधमाः।
माययापहृतज्ञाना आसुरं भावमाश्रिताः।।7.15।।
Textual movement: The three guṇa-made conditions veil the world from knowing Krishna as beyond them. His divine māyā is difficult to cross, while those who take refuge cross it; the next verse names modes of non-turning without authorizing a horoscope-based moral identity.
Reader reflection: Examine conduct and refuge in context; do not label another person deluded, demonic, or deprived of knowledge from birth data.
5. BG 7.16-19 · Four bhakta doorways and Vāsudeva as all
चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जनाः सुकृतिनोऽर्जुन।
आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ।।7.16।।
तेषां ज्ञानी नित्ययुक्त एकभक्ितर्विशिष्यते।
प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थमहं स च मम प्रियः।।7.17।।
उदाराः सर्व एवैते ज्ञानी त्वात्मैव मे मतम्।
आस्थितः स हि युक्तात्मा मामेवानुत्तमां गतिम्।।7.18।।
बहूनां जन्मनामन्ते ज्ञानवान्मां प्रपद्यते।
वासुदेवः सर्वमिति स महात्मा सुदुर्लभः।।7.19।।
Textual movement: Krishna names four kinds of virtuous worshippers, speaks especially of the ever-united jñānī, honors them all as noble, and culminates in the rare recognition vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti after many births.
Reader reflection: Use the four as honest reading mirrors, not fixed ranks or chart-derived identities.
6. BG 7.20-23 · Desire, devatā worship, faith, and finite fruit
कामैस्तैस्तैर्हृतज्ञानाः प्रपद्यन्तेऽन्यदेवताः।
तं तं नियममास्थाय प्रकृत्या नियताः स्वया।।7.20।।
यो यो यां यां तनुं भक्तः श्रद्धयार्चितुमिच्छति।
तस्य तस्याचलां श्रद्धां तामेव विदधाम्यहम्।।7.21।।
स तया श्रद्धया युक्तस्तस्याराधनमीहते।
लभते च ततः कामान्मयैव विहितान् हि तान्।।7.22।।
अन्तवत्तु फलं तेषां तद्भवत्यल्पमेधसाम्।
देवान्देवयजो यान्ति मद्भक्ता यान्ति मामपि।।7.23।।
Textual movement: Krishna explains desire-led recourse to other devatās, His stabilizing of the worshipper’s faith, the obtaining of desired fruit through His ordering, and the finite destination of finite worship in contrast with those devoted to Him.
Reader reflection: Preserve sampradāya and commentary differences around these verses; do not use them to denigrate living worshippers or predict their destination.
7. BG 7.24-30 · Yogamāyā, freedom from delusion, refuge, and the chapter’s final terms
अव्यक्तं व्यक्ितमापन्नं मन्यन्ते मामबुद्धयः।
परं भावमजानन्तो ममाव्ययमनुत्तमम्।।7.24।।
नाहं प्रकाशः सर्वस्य योगमायासमावृतः।
मूढोऽयं नाभिजानाति लोको मामजमव्ययम्।।7.25।।
वेदाहं समतीतानि वर्तमानानि चार्जुन।
भविष्याणि च भूतानि मां तु वेद न कश्चन।।7.26।।
इच्छाद्वेषसमुत्थेन द्वन्द्वमोहेन भारत।
सर्वभूतानि संमोहं सर्गे यान्ति परन्तप।।7.27।।
येषां त्वन्तगतं पापं जनानां पुण्यकर्मणाम्।
ते द्वन्द्वमोहनिर्मुक्ता भजन्ते मां दृढव्रताः।।7.28।।
जरामरणमोक्षाय मामाश्रित्य यतन्ति ये।
ते ब्रह्म तद्विदुः कृत्स्नमध्यात्मं कर्म चाखिलम्।।7.29।।
साधिभूताधिदैवं मां साधियज्ञं च ये विदुः।
प्रयाणकालेऽपि च मां ते विदुर्युक्तचेतसः।।7.30।।
Textual movement: Krishna rejects the idea that the unmanifest merely became manifest, names His Yogamāyā veiling, His knowledge of beings across time, desire-aversion delusion, purification and firm worship, and closes with those who know Him together with adhibhūta, adhidaiva, and adhiyajña even at departure.
Reader reflection: Carry the final terms into Arjuna’s questions at BG 8.1-2. A chart cannot certify freedom from delusion, knowledge of Brahman, or remembrance at death.
Truth boundary: Birth data and planetary placements do not identify parā-prakṛti, score the eightfold prakṛti, choose a BG 7.16 bhakta type, prove freedom from māyā or delusion, or measure knowledge, refuge, devotion, remembrance at death, liberation, divine favour, or spiritual worth.
Jñāna-Vijñāna-Yoga · Sources and Connected Readings
Open these optional pathways for Vidhyamitra's evidence boundaries and the wider spiritual context for complete BG 7 knowledge, prakṛti, māyā, refuge, bhakta, and final-term sequence.
Evidence and limitations · Divine Param-Vidyā
BG 7.4-5 · The Two Prakṛtis
Krishna divides reality into two energies — apara (separated material) and parā (higher, jīva-bhūtā). The chapter's own enumeration is preserved below:
Apara-Prakṛti (8 separated material energies · BG 7.4)
| Element | Sanskrit | Editorial orientation | Verse anchor |
|---|
| Pṛthivī (Earth) | पृथिवी | Solidity · grounding · stability · material structure | BG 7.4 · "bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ" (earth, water, fire, air) |
| Apas (Water) | आपः | Fluidity · taste · emotional flow · cohesion · life-juice (rasa) | BG 7.8 · "raso 'ham apsu" (I am the taste of water) |
| Tejas (Fire) | तेजस् | Light · heat · will · power · vitality · ātma-tejas | BG 7.9 · "tejaś cāsmi vibhāvasau" (I am the heat in fire) |
| Vāyu (Air) | वायु | Motion · breath · communication · subtle force | BG 7.4 · "vāyuḥ" (one of 8 separated energies) |
| Ākāśa (Ether) | आकाश | Space · vāk (sound) · expansion · pervasion | BG 7.8 · "śabdaḥ khe" (I am the sound in ether) · BG 7.4 (kham) |
| Manas (Mind) | मनस् | Volition · saṅkalpa-vikalpa (decisive-doubt cycle) · sensory integration | BG 7.4 · "mano buddhir" (mind, intelligence) · BG 10.22 "indriyāṇāṁ manaś cāsmi" |
| Buddhi (Intelligence) | बुद्धि | Discrimination · vivekaḥ · jñāna-tattva · the seat of dharma | BG 7.10 · "buddhir buddhimatām asmi" (I am the intelligence of the intelligent) |
| Ahaṅkāra (Ego) | अहङ्कार | I-maker · individuated identity · the doorway through which jīva acts | BG 7.4 · "ahaṅkāra" (8th of 8 separated) · BG 13.6 |
Parā-Prakṛti (the jīva · BG 7.5)
BG 7.5 names a higher prakṛti, jīva-bhūtā, by which the world is sustained. The precise metaphysical relation between jīva, prakṛti, and Bhagavān belongs to named Vedāntic commentary rather than a horoscope inference.
Boundary: BG 7.4 enumerates eight terms. It does not map them to grahas, assign each a 0-10 strength, or identify a reader's dominant or weakest prakṛti.
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BG 7.16 · The 4 Types of Devotees
Krishna says: catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ janāḥ sukṛtino 'rjuna · ārto jijñāsur arthārthī jñānī ca bharatarṣabha — "Four types of pious begin to serve Me, O Arjuna: the distressed, the inquisitive, the wealth-seeker, and the knower."
- आर्तः · Ārta — One who turns toward Krishna while distressed. Am I approaching this teaching because pain or fear has made refuge urgent?
- अर्थार्थी · Arthārthī — One who turns toward Krishna while seeking a desired end. Am I approaching with a material need or a particular result in view?
- जिज्ञासुः · Jijñāsu — One who turns toward Krishna through inquiry. Is sincere inquiry—Who am I? What is real? Who is Bhagavān?—my present doorway?
- ज्ञानी · Jñānī — One whose devotion is joined with knowledge of Vāsudeva. Is my present approach rooted in lived recognition that Vāsudeva is the source and whole?
Boundary: These four are reading mirrors, not fixed identities. A reader may recognize more than one motive, or a changing motive, and the birth chart does not choose among them.
Krishna says (BG 7.17): teṣāṁ jñānī nitya-yukta eka-bhaktir viśiṣyate — "Of these, the jñānī, ever yoked in eka-bhakti, is most distinguished."
BG 7.8-12 · Krishna's Named Presence
Krishna names Himself as taste in water, light in the sun and moon, praṇava in the Vedas, sound in space, human capacity, pure fragrance, fire's radiance, life, tapas, the eternal seed, intelligence, splendour, strength free of desire, and dharma-consistent desire.
Boundary: These manifestations are read from the chapter. A date, rāśi, nakṣatra, graha, or pañchāṅga does not select which vibhūti is spiritually active for a person or day.
Read the complete BG 10 Vibhūti-Yoga chapter → · Open the received BG 10 catalogue →
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Bhāgavata Sources and Krishna-Līlā Readings
After the central Krishna-tattva teaching, these Bhāgavata passages let readers continue directly into Vyāsa's declarations and the received Krishna-līlā corpus.
Skandha 10 Krishna-Līlā Reading Path
The Krishna-Tattva doorway carries the same twenty connected readings as the Bhāgavatam master index, leading from janma through Vraja, Govardhana, Rāsa, Dvārakā, and śravaṇa.
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