(From the discourses of Pujya Sri Swamiji)

Compiled by Swami Datta Pada Renu

Now, we will begin the seventh chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. In the first six chapters Sri Krishna explained the true nature of the divinity within us. He described that man is the soul and not the body, which is subject to decay and death. And the death of the body is not the death of the soul as the soul is immortal. Thus after explaining the immortality of the soul, the Lord gave necessary directions and guidance to the individual as to how the should proceed and what practices he should do in order to realise the higher values of life. By the time we reach the seventh chapter, this task of self-integration gets completed and we are made ready to leap into the beyond and see how the Lord remains a Transcendental Being while being immanent in everything in the world.

But, in order to understand the Lord in His entirety it is imperative that the seeker should possess intense faith and devotion to Him. it is worthwhile in this connection to remember the last verse of the previous chapter in which Sri Krishna said, "Even among all the Yogis, he who worships Me, full of faith, is my opinion, the most steadfast." In this verse the Lord has sown the seed of Bhakti Yoga which is of paramount importance to understand the Lord fully. Bhakti Yoga will be explained in detail in the 12th chapter. But, in this chapter also which is under discussion) the Lord stresses the importance of Bhakti to realise fully the nature of the Lord and the power of his manifestation.

The seeker of God should fix his mind on God alone and he should resort to Him alone. He should not resort to anything else. He should not allow his mind to wander about here and there. This, in short, is Bhakti Yoga. If this Yoga or discipline is resorted to, one can attain to the highest knowledge of the Lord in its fullness. Therefore the Lord says, "with the mind intent on Me, taking refuge in Me, and practising Yoga, O Arjuna, hear how you will know Me fully, without any doubt whatsoever". (1-VII)

One can not understand the true nature of the divinity of the Supreme Lord through intelligence or scholarship. It is through love and love alone that one gets the realisation of the divinity in the real sense. Love means attraction and attachment which bring two souls together. And when an individual soul gets attracted to the Supreme Soul then takes place the highest expression of Love. This love, unlike the earthly love, is pure and unselfish. That is why it is called Bhakti or devotion. Bhakti is constant remembrance of the Lord with intense love. In this love if the lover (devotee) by chance forgets for a moment to think of his Beloved (the Lord) that would suffice to impair his existence. This kind of devotion is necessary to understand and realise the true nature of the Lord. Therefore the Lord wants Arjuna to keep his mind intent on Him, that means fully absorbed in love for Him and to take refuge in Him, that means to resign to Him totally and then alone by the practice of Yoga he would understand the Lord fully.

"I shall tell you in full that knowledge together with its realisation, knowing which nothing more remains to be known here".(2-VII)

In this verse the Lord extols the knowledge of his glory, power and the lordliness in order to attract the attention of the listener. He says once this knowledge is grasped nothing else remains here to be known. He promises to give that knowledge (Jnana) along with realisation (Vijnana). The knowledge that we get by reading books can give us only some intellectual grasp of the subject. But when it is accompanied by realisation we become enlightened due to attainment of divine wisdom. Once you attain this wisdom, then all your doubts disappear, all your questions vanish and there remains nothing else to be known in this world. You become omniscient.
Jnana (knowledge) in this verse refers to the knowledge derived from learning scriptural texts and Vijnana (realisation) means direct experience of Godhead in one’ own heart. This happens when one’s mind comes in touch with the soul within. Then one becomes a Brahma Jnani. Brahma Jnana is the source of all knowledge and when that supreme knowledge is gained, all other knowledge are fulfilled.