(From the discourses of Pujya Sri Swamiji)

Compiled by Swami Datta Pada Renu

We might have learnt that god is Omniscient. And, with the help of a dictionary we might have come to know that Omniscient means all-knowing. But this knowledge which is derived from books does not have the power to enlighten our soul. When our mind purified from the impurities of lust, greed and hatred communes with the self within, then alone we become enlightened and then we will be able to see the Omniscient and Omnipresent God-principle through our own intuitive eyes. This is Vijnana or realisation. But this knowledge is very difficult to acquire and it is this very knowledge that Sri Krishna intends to impart to Arjuna. Let us try to benefit by the Lord’s teachings.

Why is this knowledge difficult to acquire? It is because, our mind is not prepared for it as it is given to selfish earthly pleasures. A mind which is given to sensual enjoyments is always disturbed and distracted and it can not be one-pointed. This being the nature of ordinary human beings, it is difficult for them to realise the divinity dwelling within them. Therefore the Lord says:

"Just one man among thousands strives for perfection, and of those who strive and succeed, one perchance comes to know Me in truth". (3-VII)

It is not the intention of the Lord to discourage the lucky few who strive to master the divine knowledge and attain God -realisation. In fact, this knowledge of the Supreme Lord is easy of comprehension and can be easily obtained. But human nature is prone to be immersed in sensual enjoyments and thereby plunges in to misery and turmoil. As such, few are the persons who are inclined to lead a divine life and of those who strive and succeed one perchance comes to know the Lord in full. Therefore even a whole-hearted aspiration to know God and to put efforts to attain Him is itself a great achievement and is really greater than all scriptural learning. Thus arousing the listener’s interest the Lord goes on to speak about Jnana and Vijnana at full length.

"The earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, intellect and egoism: thus is my Prakriti (nature) divided eight-fold" (4-VII).

"This is the lower (Nature); but My higher Nature, know to be different from it. That constitutes, O Arjuna, the life-element by which the universe is upheld." (5-VII)

This whole cosmos is the manifestation of the power of the Lord. It is created by His Cosmic Power called Maya, the Primordial Nature. This Primordial Nature has an eight-fold form and from this springs the entire manifold created world. Out of the eight constituent parts, the first five are the five great elements called earth, water, fire, wind and ether and they have smell, taste, form (or colour), touch and sound as their Tanmatras or subtle essences respectively.

These five elements and their subtle essences form the sum and substance of the whole cosmos or the physical universe. Behind all these gross elements and their subtle essences is the cosmic Mind, which is the sum total of all individual minds. This is the sixth constituent of the Lord’s nature. The seventh is the Mahat or the Cosmic Intelligence and the eighth is the Ego-sense, which is the Unmanifest Primordial cause associated with Cosmic Ignorance. As food mixed with poison is called poison, even so, the Unmanifest Primordial Nature with the impression of ego-sense is called egoism. This egoism is the impelling cause of all activity in the world. Thus earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect and ego are the eight categories from which the whole material universe is evolved.

This eight-fold nature is the lower nature (Apara Prakriti) of the Lord and it is material in character, or, in other words, unconscious by nature. In contrast to this the Lord speaks of His, higher nature (Para Prakriti) which constitutes the life-element and which has taken the form of individual souls. This life-element (Jeeva) is the cause which leads to the assumption of the vital force and the world is sustained by it by permeating it . This higher element is the principle of the Lord Himself as it belongs to the Lord’s essential nature. It works in a mysterious way and makes the lifeless matter vibrant with life. The whole world and its objects are all sustained and supported by this very live energy of the Lord.