 Ch 1-6: Have described jïäna and añöäìga-

yoga, which lead to liberation, and depend

upon the niñkäma-karma-yoga, which first
purifies the heart.
 Ch 7-12: Describes two types of bhakti
 1) That bhakti which yields sälokya and
other types of liberation by being either
with or without desire, because of mixture
of karma, jïäna or other elements;
 2) Main type of bhakti which yields
liberation in the form of becoming an
associate of the Lord with prema.
 This type of bhakti is independent of
karma, jïäna or other processes.
 It independently yields all goals such as
Svarga and mokña without performance of
any other process.
 Though easy to perform for all people, it
is most rare.
 yat karmabhir yat tapasä jïäna-vairägyataç ca yat
yogena däna-dharmeëa çreyobhir itarair api
sarvaà mad-bhakti-yogena mad-bhakto labhate ’ïjasä
svargäpavargaà mad-dhäma kathaïcid yadi väïchati
 Everything that can be achieved by fruitive
activities, penance, knowledge, detachment,
mystic yoga, charity, religious duties and all other
means of perfecting life is easily achieved by My
devotee through loving service unto Me. If
somehow or other My devotee desires promotion
to heaven, liberation, or residence in My abode,
he easily achieves such benedictions.(SB 11.20.32-33)
 çruti says tam eva viditvä ati måtyum eti:
 Knowing Paramätmä (tam - tat), having direct
realization of Paramätmä, one surpasses death.
 It does not mean “Knowing the individual soul
(tvaà padärtham), or prakåti or any existing
object at all, one surpasses death.”
 Just as the cause of tasting sugar is the tongue,
not the eye or ear, so the cause of tasting the
para-brahman, is bhakti, which is also beyond the
guëas, and not by sattvic knowledge of the ätmä
being different from the body (ätma-jïäna).
 bhaktyäham ekayä grahyaù (SB 11.14.11, BG 18.55)
 bhaktyä mäm abhijänäti yävän yas cäsmi tattvataù
 The first six chapters have spoken mainly of the
svarüpa of the jéva, the worshipper, and the
means to realize this (niñkäma-karma-yoga,
jïäna-yoga and añöäìga-yoga).
 The middle six chapters speak of the svarüpa of
Lord, the object of worship, and the means to
realize Him (bhakti-yoga).
 Though Arjuna did not ask about what type of
form should be worshipped and how to absorb
the mind in that object (mad gatena antar
ätmanä), the Lord eager to describe this out of
His merciful nature, now begins to speak.
 Ch 1: introduces the dialogue in the Gétä.
 Ch 2-4: deal with niñkäma-karma.
 Ch 5: deals with jïäna.
 Ch 6: deals with añöäìga-yoga.
 But the main topic is karma-yoga.
yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam sa me yuktatamo matah
 The last verse of chapter six is a concise
statement of bhakti which will be defined
in middle six chapters, and it is the thread-
like ornament on the neck of the devotees.
 The seventh chapter describes the powers
of Lord Kåñëa, the powers of the Lord
who is the most worthy of worship. And
the four types of persons who worship
and do not worship Lord Kåñëa are also
described.
 Bg 7.1-3: Just hear (knowing Lord Kåñëa by
hearing about Him)
 Bg 7.4-12: Knowing Lord Kåñëa’s material and
spiritual energies
 Bg 7.13-14: Lord Kåñëa Controls the modes: so
surrender onto Him.
 Bg 7.15-19: The impious never surrender, pious
do.
 Bg 7.20-25: Surrender to demigods &
impersonalism.
 Bg 7.26-30: Bewilderment and freedom by not-
knowing and by knowing Lord Kåñëa.
HEAD: Bhakti is the matter of Head & Heart
(engage HEAD to approach the Godhead)
H – Hearing (Verses 1-3)
 E – Everywhere (Verses 4-12)
 A – Accept or Reject (Verses 13-19)
 D – Devatā worship (Verses 20-30)
 “In Your statement at the end of the last
chapter (yoginäm api sarveñäm), I have
understood that You have indicated the
unique quality of Your own devotee who
absorbs his mind in You (mad
gatenäntarätmanä) and has faith in You.
 But what type of devotee is he? One would
expect that he is qualified with knowledge
(jïäna) and realization (vijïäna).” The Lord
then answers in two verses (7.1-2).
 TEXT 1
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha
yogaṁ yunjan mad-āśrayaḥ
asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ
yathā jnāsyasi tac chṛṇu
 Realization will occur gradually in proportion to
the intensity of the worship.
bhaktiù pareçänubhavo viraktir
anyatra caiña trika eka-kälaù
prapadyamänasya yathäçnataù syus
tuñöiù puñöiù kñud-apäyo 'nu-ghäsam
 You will gradually attain a relationship with Me
(saàyogam yuïjan). You will take shelter of Me
alone, not karma or jïäna (mad-äçrayaù), since
you are My ananya-bhakta.
 You will be absolutely w/t doubt about which is
better - My impersonal aspect or personal aspect.
 kleço ’dhikataras teñäm avyaktäsakta-cetasäm
avyaktä hi gatir duùkhaà dehavadbhir aväpyate
 Moreover, that Brahman is just an expression of
My greatness (Lord Matsya speaks to Satyavrata)
madéyaà mahimänaà ca paraà brahmeti çabditam
vetsyasy anugåhétaà me sampraçnair vivåtaà hådi
 brahmaëo hi pratiñöhäham: I am basis of Brahman
 Thus, in comparison to the knowledge of
impersonal Brahman, knowledge about Me in
My personal form is complete (samagram).
 Therefore you will know Me completely
(samagraà mäm), without doubt.
 The Lord praises the knowledge that He is about
to explain.
TEXT 2
jnānaṁ te ’haṁ sa-vijnānam
idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ
yaj jnātvā neha bhūyo ’nyaj
jnātavyam avaśiṣyate
I will speak or teach this knowledge in fullness
(açeñataù) - Jïäna (Lord’s svarüpa relating to His
spiritual and material energies - jéva and prakåti) &
vijïäna (Lor’s own svarüpa).
 Before attaining attachment (āsakta) to Me, the
devotee understands (jïänam) about My powers
 After that, he realizes (vijïänam) My sweetness.
 Knowing these two, nothing else remains to be
known, for knowledge and realization of My
impersonal aspect are included in it.
 Thus, understanding this knowledge about My
svarüpa, which should be the object of your
meditation, nothing else will remain to be
known by you, since everything else is included
in this knowledge.
Knowledge of Me and realization of Me are rare
for the jïänés and yogés who were described in
the previous six chapters. First, the Lord
speaks of the rarity of realizing the sweetness of
the Lord (vijïäna) among those persons.
TEXT 3
manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu
kaścid yatati siddhaye
yatatām api siddhānāṁ
kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ
 Many people, performing the scriptural goals,
after realizing their own ätmä as a minute
conscious particle, and paramätmä, My
expansion, become liberated. But one who
attains bhakti to Me after attaining association
with My devotees knows Me as I really am
(tattvataù) - Yaçodänandan & Pärthasärathi.
 Such a person realizes Me as the possessor of
unlimited, inconceivable energies, the cause of
everything, omniscient, omnipotent, suhrdha,
and the complete expression of brahman.
 sa mahätmä sudurlabhaù; mäà tu veda na kaçcana
Niñkäma-karma-yoga which gives rise to
jïäna and culminates in añöäìga-yoga is the
cause of liberation. This is the final result for
the fallen yogé. Having indicated this, 6.46
praises the yogé (who attained perfection).
TEXT 46
tapasvibhyo 'dhiko yogé
jïänibhyo 'pi mato 'dhikaù
karmibhyaç cädhiko yogé
tasmäd yogé bhavärjuna
 I consider this yogé who practices añöäìga-yoga
(perfection of niñkäma-karma-yoga and jïäna-
yoga) described by Me to be superior to those
dedicated to austerities (tapasvi), to the jïänis
who are knowledgeable of the meaning of
scriptures who do not worship the Lord, and to
the followers of sakäma-karma who perform
pious acts and sacrifice with personal desire.
 Having attained liberation through ätmä-jïäna,
he is superior to the performers of austerity, the
jïänés and karmis, who have not attained
liberation because of lack of ätmä-jïäna.
 Thus in the first six chapters, the Lord has
explained the process of niñkäma-karma-yoga
which contains within it jïäna, and culminates
in añöäìga-yoga, for the saniñöha devotee.
 Saniñöha is he who follows the prescribed duties
without personal attachment, as an offering to
the Lord, by which he attains ätmä-jïäna and
may practice añöaìga-yoga.
 In the middle six chapters, He will explain the
process of direct surrender to bhagavän meant
for the pariniñöhita devotee.
 They worship the Lord alone, and also do
prescribed duties but without much attachment.
Now in the last verse Lord introduces this idea
in abbreviated form (sutra) by announcing the
superiority of this devotee to all others.
TEXT 47
yoginäm api sarveñäà
mad-gatenäntar-ätmanä
çraddhävän bhajate yo mäà
sa me yuktatamo mataù
“He who worships Me I consider to be better
than all the yogés (niñkäma karma yogés, jïäna
yogés and añöaìga yogés).”
 He who has firm faith in the words of çruti
which indicate devotion to Me (çraddhavän),
whose mind (antar ätmanä) is completely
attached to Me alone (mad gatena), intolerant of
separation from Me for a fraction of second,
serves Me (bhajate mäm) through hearing, etc.
 He serves Me--that form with the complexion of
a blue lotus, with thick arms reaching the knees,
with lotus eyes opened by the hands of the sun,
with cloth shining like lightning; that form
brilliant with forest garland, crown, earrings,
bracelets, armlets, necklaces, kaustubha jewel
and anklets, which destroys darkness in all sides
 He serves Me, the original bhagavän, lord of all
beings, with eternal forms such as Nåsiàha and
Räma; full of knowledge & bliss in human form,
 who drinks Yaçodä’s milk, Yaçodänandan Kåñëa;
that form filled with jewel-like qualities of
beauty, sweetness and charm, with such
qualities as affection, which take shelter of My
form which is omniscience, omnipotence, satya
saìkalpa çakti personified.
 My devotee (pariniñöhita), who is dedicated only
to Me, is considered to be superior to all others
(karmés, jïänis, NKY, JY & AY) by Me, who see
all things simultaneously side by side.
 But no particular yogé is superior to the others.
 From comparing the successive yogas, karma
yogés are plentiful. Among all of them, he who
has attained the level of meditation is considered
proper (yuktaù - jïäna yogé). He who attains
samädhi is better (yuktataraù - añöaìga yogé).
 But one who has devotion, expressed in hearing,
chanting and other processes, is the best
(yuktatamaù - bhakti yogé).
 The service of hearing & chanting within bhakti
will reveal the svarupa of the Lord, who is the
very form of knowledge and bliss. Knowledge
and bliss aspects will be realized gradually.
 The word bhakti indicates service. The småti says:
bhaja ity eña vai dhätuù seväyäà parikértitaù
tasmät sevä budhaiù proktä bhakti-çabdena bhüyasé
 Since root bhaj indicates service, the intelligent
say that the word bhakti indicates service. (GP)
çraddhä-bhakti-dhyäna-yogäd avehi
 One brings the Lord close by faith, bhakti and
meditation. (Kaivalya Upaniñad 2)
yasya deve parä bhaktir yathä deve tathä gurau
tasyaite kathitä hy arthäù prakäçante mahätmanaù
 One should have as much devotion in guru as one
does in the Lord. The recited subjects of the
Vedas are revealed to that great person. (SU 6.23)
 bhaktir asya bhajanaà tad-ihämutropädhi-
nairäsyenämuñmin manaù-kalpanam etad eva naiñkarmyam
 Bhakti is worship of the Lord, concentrating the
mind on Him, by renouncing all material desires
for enjoyment (upädhi) in this world and the next.
It alone does not accrue karmas. (GTU 1.14)
ätmänam eva lokam upäséta
 One should worship this Supreme Lord (ätmä)
alone as the object. (BAU 1.4.15)
ätmä vä are drañöavyaù çrotavyo mantavyo
nididhyäsitavyo maitreyi
 This Lord, ätmä, should be seen, heard about,
contemplated and should become the object of
intense meditation, O Maitreyi. (BAU 2.4.5, 4.5.6)
 It should be understood that this bhakti arises from
the Lord’s svarüpa çakti.
vijïäna-ghanänanda-ghanä sac-cid-änandaika-rase
bhakti-yoge tiñöhati
 That form filled with spiritual knowledge and bliss
is present in bhakti yoga which is also filled with
eternity, knowledge and bliss. (GTU 2.79)
 Thus service of hearing and chanting within bhakti
will reveal the face and beautiful locks of hair as
well as other features of the lord of all beings, who
is the very form of knowledge and bliss.
 Knowledge in relation to bhakti also means
knowledge of the Lord’s powers, not knowledge
of the ätmä being separate from the body (which
is knowledge in relation to the process of jïäna)
 In defining knowledge of the Lord’s powers, the
Lord speaks of His two energies (prakåti),
superior and inferior, in two verses (7.4-5).
 The previous verse spoke of the Lord’s
sweetness (vijïänam). This and the next verse
describe the Lord’s powers (jïänam), by
describing His inferior and superior energies.