Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7 Verse 5 — Jnana Vijnana Yoga
Sanskrit
अपरेयमितस्त्वन्यां प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम् | जीवभूतां महाबाहो ययेदं धार्यते जगत् ||७-५||
Transliteration
apareyamitastvanyāṃ prakṛtiṃ viddhi me parām . jīvabhūtāṃ mahābāho yayedaṃ dhāryate jagat ||7-5||
Hindi Meaning
।।7.5।। हे महाबाहो ! यह अपरा प्रकृति है। इससे भिन्न मेरी जीवरूपी पराप्रकृति को जानो, जिससे यह जगत् धारण किया जाता है।।
English Meaning
Besides these, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is another, superior energy of Mine, which comprises the living entities who are exploiting the resources of this material, inferior nature.
Commentary
Here it is clearly mentioned that living entities belong to the superior nature (or energy) of the Supreme Lord. The inferior energy is matter manifested in different elements, namely earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego. Both forms of material nature, namely gross (earth, etc.) and subtle (mind, etc.), are products of the inferior energy. The living entities, who are exploiting these inferior energies for different purposes, are the superior energy of the Supreme Lord, and it is due to this energy that the entire material world functions. The cosmic manifestation has no power to act unless it is moved by the superior energy, the living entity. Energies are always controlled by the energetic, and therefore the living entities are always controlled by the Lord – they have no independent existence. They are never equally powerful, as unintelligent men think. The distinction between the living entities and the Lord is described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.87.30) as follows: aparimitā dhruvās tanu-bhṛto yadi sarva-gatās tarhi na śāsyateti niyamo dhruva netarathā ajani ca yan-mayaṁ tad avimucya niyantṛ bhavet samam anujānatāṁ yad amataṁ mata-duṣṭatayā “O Supreme Eternal! If the embodied living entities were eternal and all-pervading like You, then they would not be under Your control. But if the living entities are accepted as minute energies of Your Lordship, then they are at once subject to Your supreme control. Therefore real liberation entails surrender by the living entities to Your control, and that surrender will make them happy. In that constitutional position only can they be controllers. Therefore, men with limited knowledge who advocate the monistic theory that God and the living entities are equal in all respects are actually guided by a faulty and polluted opinion.” The Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, is the only controller, and all living entities are controlled by Him. These living entities are His superior energy because the quality of their existence is one and the same with the Supreme, but they are never equal to the Lord in quantity of power. While exploiting the gross and subtle inferior energy (matter), the superior energy (the living entity) forgets his real spiritual mind and intelligence. This forgetfulness is due to the influence of matter upon the living entity. But when the living entity becomes free from the influence of the illusory material energy, he attains the stage called mukti, or liberation. The false ego, under the influence of material illusion, thinks, “I am matter, and material acquisitions are mine.” His actual position is realized when he is liberated from all material ideas, including the conception of his becoming one in all respects with God. Therefore one may conclude that the Gītā confirms the living entity to be only one of the multi-energies of Kṛṣṇa; and when this energy is freed from material contamination, it becomes fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, or liberated.
Hinglish Commentary
Yahan par bilkul saaf hai ki jeevatmaen, yaani living entities, Supreme Lord ki superior nature ka hissa hain. Inferior energy, yaani neeche ki shakti, wo hai jo matter mein dikhai deti hai, jaise ki prithvi, paani, aag, hawa, aakash, mann, buddhi, aur jhooti ahankaar. Dono tarah ki material nature, jo ki gross (jaise prithvi) aur subtle (jaise mann) hai, ye sab inferior energy ke products hain. Jeevatmaen, jo in inferior energies ka istemal kar rahi hain alag-alag maqsad ke liye, wo Supreme Lord ki superior energy hain, aur isi energy ki wajah se poora material world kaam karta hai. Cosmic manifestation khud se koi kaam nahi kar sakta jab tak ye superior energy, yani living entity, ise nahi chalata. Energies hamesha energetic dwara control hoti hain, isliye living entities hamesha Lord ke control mein hain – inka koi independent existence nahi hai. Ye kabhi bhi barabar nahi hote, jaise kuch samajhdaar log sochte hain. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam mein living entities aur Lord ke beech ka fark is tarah se bataya gaya hai: agar embodied living entities aapki tarah eternal aur all-pervading hote, toh wo aapke control mein nahi hote. Lekin agar inhe aapki minute energies maana jaye, toh ye turant aapke supreme control mein aajate hain. Isliye asli liberation ka matlab hai jeevatmaon ka aapke control mein surrender karna, aur ye surrender unhe khushi dega. Sirf isi constitutional position mein wo controllers ban sakte hain. Isliye, jo log monistic theory ko support karte hain, wo actually ghalat aur polluted opinion se prabhavit hain. Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, hi ek matra controller hain, aur sabhi living entities unke dwara control kiye jaate hain. Ye living entities unki superior energy hain kyunki inki existence ki quality Supreme ke sath ek jaisi hai, lekin ye kabhi bhi Lord ke power mein quantity mein barabar nahi hote. Jab ye superior energy (living entity) gross aur subtle inferior energy ka istemal karti hai, toh ye apne asli spiritual mann aur buddhi ko bhool jaati hai. Ye bhoolne ki wajah matter ka jeevatma par prabhav hai. Lekin jab jeevatma illusionary material energy ke prabhav se mukt hoti hai, toh wo mukti, yaani liberation, ki avastha ko prapt karti hai. Jhooti ahankaar, material illusion ke prabhav mein, sochta hai, “Main matter hoon, aur material acquisitions mere hain.” Uski asal position tab samajh aati hai jab wo sabhi material ideas se mukt hota hai, jismein God ke sath sabhi respects mein ek hone ka concept bhi shamil hai. Isliye, hum ye keh sakte hain ki Gītā ye confirm karti hai ki living entity sirf Kṛṣṇa ki multi-energies me se ek hai; aur jab ye energy material contamination se free hoti hai, toh ye poori tarah se Kṛṣṇa conscious, yaani liberated, ban jaati hai.
Chinmaya Commentary
अष्टधा प्रकृति अपरा जड़ है। उसे बताने के पश्चात् उससे भिन्न अपनी परा प्रकृति को भगवान् बताते हैं। वह परा प्रकृति जीवरूप अर्थात् चेतन रूप है जिसके कारण ही शरीर मन और बुद्धि अपनेअपने कार्य इस प्रकार करते हैं मानो वे स्वयं ही चेतन हों।इस चेतन की विद्यमानता में ही उपाधियाँ अपना व्यापार कर सकती हैं अन्यथा नहीं। चैतन्य के बिना हमें न बाह्य स्थूल जगत् का और न आन्तरिक सूक्ष्म विचार रूप जगत् का ही अनुभव और ज्ञान हो सकता है। वही जगत् को धारण किये हुए है। उसके अभाव में हमारी दशा एक पाषाण के समान हो जायेगी जिसमें न चेननता है और न बुद्धिमत्ता।भगवान् के इस कथन को कि परा प्रकृति जगत् का आधार है भौतिक विज्ञान की दृष्टि से विचार करके भी सिद्ध किया जा सकता है। हम अपने घर में रहते हैं जिसका आधार है भूमि। उस भूमिभाग का आधार है शहर शहर का राष्ट्र और राष्ट्र का आधार विश्व है विश्व घिरा हुआ है समुद्र के जल से जिसकी स्थिति वायुमण्डल पर निर्भर करती है। यह वायुमण्डल तो सौरमण्डल अथवा ग्रहमण्डल का एक भाग है। सम्पूर्ण विश्व आकाश में स्थित है और आकाश स्थित है मन में स्थित आकाश की कल्पना पर। मन का आधार है बुद्धि का निर्णय। और क्योंकि बुद्धिवृत्तियों का ज्ञान चैतन्य के कारण ही संभव है इसलिए यह चैतन्य ही सम्पूर्ण जगत् का आधार सिद्ध होता है। व्ाही जगत् का अधिष्ठान है।दर्शनशास्त्र में जगत् का अर्थ केवल इन्द्रियगोचर जगत् ही नहीं वरन् मन तथा बुद्धि के द्वारा अनुभूयमान जगत् भी उस शब्द की परिभाषा मे समाविष्ट है। इस प्रकार बाह्य विषय भावनाएं और विचार ये सब जगत् ही हैं। यह सम्पूर्ण जगत् चेतनस्वरूप परा प्रकृति के द्वारा धारण किया जाता है।