Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7 Verse 13 — Jnana Vijnana Yoga
Sanskrit
त्रिभिर्गुणमयैर्भावैरेभिः सर्वमिदं जगत् | मोहितं नाभिजानाति मामेभ्यः परमव्ययम् ||७-१३||
Transliteration
tribhirguṇamayairbhāvairebhiḥ sarvamidaṃ jagat . mohitaṃ nābhijānāti māmebhyaḥ paramavyayam ||7-13||
Hindi Meaning
।।7.13।। त्रिगुणों से उत्पन्न इन भावों (विकारों) से सम्पूर्ण जगत् (लोग) मोहित हुआ इन (गुणों) से परे अव्यय स्वरूप मुझे नहीं जानता है।।
English Meaning
Deluded by the three modes [goodness, passion and ignorance], the whole world does not know Me, who am above the modes and inexhaustible.
Commentary
The whole world is enchanted by the three modes of material nature. Those who are bewildered by these three modes cannot understand that transcendental to this material nature is the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. Every living entity under the influence of material nature has a particular type of body and a particular type of psychological and biological activities accordingly. There are four classes of men functioning in the three material modes of nature. Those who are purely in the mode of goodness are called brāhmaṇas. Those who are purely in the mode of passion are called kṣatriyas. Those who are in the modes of both passion and ignorance are called vaiśyas. Those who are completely in ignorance are called śūdras. And those who are less than that are animals or animal life. However, these designations are not permanent. I may be either a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or whatever – in any case, this life is temporary. But although life is temporary and we do not know what we are going to be in the next life, by the spell of this illusory energy we consider ourselves in terms of this bodily conception of life, and we thus think that we are American, Indian, Russian, or brāhmaṇa, Hindu, Muslim, etc. And if we become entangled with the modes of material nature, then we forget the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is behind all these modes. So Lord Kṛṣṇa says that living entities deluded by these three modes of nature do not understand that behind the material background is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There are many different kinds of living entities – human beings, demigods, animals, etc. – and each and every one of them is under the influence of material nature, and all of them have forgotten the transcendent Personality of Godhead. Those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance, and even those who are in the mode of goodness, cannot go beyond the impersonal Brahman conception of the Absolute Truth. They are bewildered before the Supreme Lord in His personal feature, which possesses all beauty, opulence, knowledge, strength, fame and renunciation. When even those who are in goodness cannot understand, what hope is there for those in passion and ignorance? Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental to all these three modes of material nature, and those who are truly established in Kṛṣṇa consciousness are actually liberated.
Hinglish Commentary
Puri duniya teen prakriti ke gunon se mohit hai. Jo log in teen gunon se uljhan mein hain, wo yeh nahi samajh paate ki is material nature ke paar, Kṛṣṇa, jo Supreme Lord hain, unka astitv hai. Har jeev, jo material prakriti ke prabhav mein hai, uska ek khaas sharir aur uske hisaab se vishesh manasik aur sharirik gatividhiyan hoti hain. Teen prakriti ke gunon ke tahat chaar prakar ke log kaam karte hain. Jo log sirf goodness ke gun mein hain, unhe brāhmaṇas kehte hain. Jo log sirf passion ke gun mein hain, unhe kṣatriyas kehte hain. Jo log passion aur ignorance dono ke gunon mein hain, unhe vaiśyas kehte hain. Aur jo log poori tarah se ignorance mein hain, unhe śūdras kehte hain. In sabhi se neeche jo hain, wo jaanwar ya jaanwaron ki zindagi kehlate hain. Lekin yeh pehchaan permanent nahi hai. Main kabhi brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya ya kuch aur bhi ho sakta hoon – par yeh zindagi to temporary hai. Aur jab tak hum is maya ke jaal mein uljhe rahte hain, tab tak hum apne aap ko is sharirik soch ke hisaab se samajhte hain, aur isliye sochte hain ki hum American, Indian, Russian, ya brāhmaṇa, Hindu, Muslim hain, etc. Agar hum in material gunon ke saath bandhe rahenge, toh hum Supreme Personality of Godhead ko bhool jaate hain, jo in sab gunon ke peeche hain. Isliye Bhagwan Kṛṣṇa kehte hain ki jo jeev in teen gunon se bhatak gaye hain, wo nahi samajhte ki is material background ke peeche Supreme Personality of Godhead hai. Bahut tarah ke jeev hain – insaan, demi-gods, jaanwar, etc. – aur sabhi in material prakriti ke prabhav mein hain, aur in sabne transcendent Personality of Godhead ko bhool diya hai. Jo log passion aur ignorance mein hain, aur jo goodness mein hain, wo bhi Absolute Truth ke impersonal Brahman conception se aage nahi ja sakte. Jab goodness mein hone wale log bhi samajh nahi paate, toh passion aur ignorance mein hone walon ke liye kya ummeed hai? Kṛṣṇa consciousness in teen gunon se transcendental hai, aur jo log sach mein Kṛṣṇa consciousness mein sthapit hain, wo asal mein liberated hain.
Chinmaya Commentary
प्रश्न यह है कि यदि त्रिगुणों से परे कोई परम अव्यय तत्त्व है तो सामान्य मनुष्य उसे क्यों नहीं जान पाता है पूर्ण साक्षात्कार न भी सहज हो तब भी कम से कम उसके अस्तित्व के विषय में तो उसे शंका नहीं होनी चाहिए इसका उत्तर इस श्लोक में दिया गया है।त्रिगुणों से उत्पन्न राग द्वेषादि विकारों के कारण मनुष्य अपने दिव्य स्वरूप को भूलकर उपाधियों के साथ तादात्म्य स्थापित करके केवल विषयोपभोग का ही जीवन जीते हैं। स्वाभाविक है कि इस आसक्ति के कारण स्वस्वरूप की ओर इनका ध्यान तक नहीं जाता। एक बार स्तम्भ में प्रेत का आभास होने पर वह स्तम्भ उससे आच्छादित हो जाता है। यह एक तथ्य है कि जब तक यह आभास बना रहता है तब तक स्तम्भ का एक इञ्च भाग भी मोहित व्यक्ति को नहीं दिखाई देता इसी प्रकार माया से उत्पन्न उपाधियों के साथ तादात्म्य के कारण आत्मा को मानो जीवभाव प्राप्त हो जाता है। यह जीव बाह्य जगत् में व्यस्त और आसक्त होकर अपने शुद्ध स्वरूप को पहचानने में स्वयं को असमर्थ पाता है। स्वयं में स्वयं के साथ स्वयं का चल रहा लुकाछिपी का यह खेल विचित्र एवं रहस्यमय है जिसके कारण यह अपने लिए और जगत् के लिए अनन्त दुख और विक्षेप उत्पन्न करता रहता है।अगले श्लोक में इस आवरण शक्ति की परिभाषा का वर्णन किया गया है