Knowledge of the Absolute

When will I take shelter of Mahāprabhu’s feet, which are a sweet ocean of mercy, made of eternal bliss? Then, somehow or other, I will attain the nectar of prema through the path of bhakti, which shuns liberation.

The seventh chapter describes the powers of Kṛṣṇa, the powers of the Lord who is most worthy of worship. The four types of persons who worship and do not worship Kṛṣṇa are also described.

In the first six chapters of the Gītā, jñāna and aṣṭāḍga-yoga which lead to liberation, and depend upon niṣkāma-karma-yoga which first purifies the heart, have been described. In the middle six chapters, two types of bhakti will be described: that bhakti which yields sālokya and other types of liberation by being either without desire or with desire, because of mixture of karma, jñāna or other elements; and the 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, jñāna or other processes, and, moreover, independently yields all goals such as Svarga and mokṣa without performance of any other process. Though easy to perform for all people, it is most rare.

yat karmabhir yat tapasā jñāna-vairāgyataś ca yat

yogena dāna-dharmeṇa śreyobhir itarair api

sarvaṁ mad-bhakti-yogena mad-bhakto labhate ’ñjasā

svargāpavargaṁ mad-dhāma kathañcid yadi vāñchati

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

“But the śruti says tam eva viditvā ati mṛtyum eti: knowing it, one surpasses death (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.15). How can you then say that without knowledge, just by bhakti, one attains liberation?”

This is not a correct conclusion. The meaning of that śruti statement is: knowing Paramātmā (tam), having direct realization of Paramātmā (the word tat refers to Paramātmā, not jīva), one surpasses death. It does not mean “Knowing the individual soul (tvaṁ padārtham), or prakṛti 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. It is possible to grasp the Brahman which is beyond the guṇas only by the process of bhakti which is also beyond the guṇas, and not by sattvic knowledge of the ātmā being different from the body (ātma-jñāna). This is understood from the Lord’s statement bhaktyāham ekayā grahyaḥ: I am obtained only by bhakti. (SB 11.14.11) And I will elaborate on this in the commentary on the verse bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yas cāsmi tattvataḥ: I can be known as I am only by bhakti. (BG 18.55)

And the accomplishment of liberation through jñāna and aṣṭāḍga-yoga is brought about only through the influence of bhakti which is a subordinate element within those practices. It is stated in many places in the scriptures that without bhakti, those two processes are insignificant.

Moreover, because of the absence of the word eva (only) after viditvā, there is another meaning. This sentence without eva does not indicate that exclusively by knowing Paramātmā, one attains liberation. Rather, knowing Paramātmā or not knowing, one attains liberation. Therefore, one can get liberation by knowledge beyond the guṇas--knowledge of Paramātmā, which arises through bhakti; and sometimes also, one can attain liberation without Paramātmā knowledge arising from bhakti--by bhakti alone. It is just like eating matsyaṇòika which cannot be tasted, due to malfunction of the tongue. But gradually taste is restored and as well, the sickness is destroyed (one action accomplishes two results). According to Amara Kośa, matsyaṇòika is a transformation of sugar.

nanv īśvaro 'nubhajato 'viduṣo 'pi sākṣāc

chreyas tanoty agada-rāja ivopayuktaḥ

It is true that the Supreme Lord Himself awards His blessings even to an ignorant worshiper, just as the best medicine works even when taken by a person ignorant of its ingredients. SB 10.47.59

In the Mokṣa Dharma, there is a statement made about Nārāyaṇa:

yo vai sādhana sampattiḥ puruṣārtha catuṣṭhaye

tayā vinā tad āpnoti naro nārāyaṇāśrayaḥ

Even without performing actions for attaining the four puruṣārthas (artha, dharma, kāma and mokṣa), the person who surrenders to Nārāyaṇa attains the goal.

As quoted above already, Bhāgavatam says:

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

yan-nāma sakṛc chravaṇāt pukkaśo ’pi vimucyate saṁsārāt

Not to speak of seeing You personally, merely by hearing the holy name of Your Lordship only once, even caṇòālas, men of the lowest class, are freed from saṁsāra. SB 6.16.44

Thus, according to many such statements in the scriptures, liberation can be attained by bhakti alone.

Now, let us return to the verse.

“In Your statement at the end of the last chapter (yoginām api sarveṣām), I have understood that You have indicated the unique quality of Your own devotee who absorbs his mind in You (mad gatenāntarātmanā) and has faith in You. But what type of devotee is he? One would expect that he is qualified with knowledge (jñāna) and realization (vijñāna).” The Lord then answers in two verses.

Realization will occur gradually in proportion to the intensity of the worship.

bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir

anyatra caiṣa trika eka-kālaḥ

prapadyamānasya yathāśnataḥ syus

tuṣṭiḥ puṣṭiḥ kṣud-apāyo 'nu-ghāsam

Devotion, direct experience of the Supreme Lord, and detachment from other things—these three occur simultaneously for one who has taken shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the same way that pleasure, nourishment and relief from hunger come simultaneously and increasingly, with each bite, for a person engaged in eating. SB 11.2.42

Just as by eating a handful of food one does not attain satisfaction or nourishment but by taking a lot of food one does get satisfaction and nourishment, when you have attained the stage of attachment to Me (mayy āsakta manāḥ) in My form of Śyāmasundara with yellow cloth, you will know Me. Hear how (yathā) you will realize Me clearly.

What type of yoga is this? You will gradually attain a relationship with Me (saṁyogam yuñjan). You will take shelter of Me alone, not karma or jñāna (mad-āśrayaḥ), since you are My ananya-bhakta. You will be absolutely without doubt about which is better--My impersonal aspect or My personal aspect, as indicated later in chapter 12 with My words:

kleśo ’dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām

avyaktā hi gatir duḥkhaṁ dehavadbhir avāpyate

Those who are attached to the impersonal aspect endure great difficulties. The impersonal goal gives difficulties for one a body. BG 12.5

Moreover, that Brahman is just an expression of My greatness, as I, in the form of Matsya, say to Satyavrata:

madīyaṁ mahimānaṁ ca paraṁ brahmeti śabditam

vetsyasy anugṛhītaṁ me sampraśnair vivṛtaṁ hṛdi

You will be thoroughly advised and favored by Me, and because of your inquiries, everything about My glories, which are known as paraṁ brahma, will be manifest within your heart. SB 8.24.38

In the Gītā I will later say, brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham: I am the basis of Brahman. Thus, in comparison to knowledge about Me in My personal form, which is complete (samagram), this knowledge of impersonal Brahman is incomplete. Therefore you will know Me completely (samagraṁ mām), without doubt.

Before attaining the stage of attachment to Me, the devotee understands (jñānam) about My powers. After that, he realizes (vijñānam) My sweetness. Hear about both of these. Knowing this, nothing else remains to be known, for knowledge and realization of My impersonal aspect are included in it.

Knowledge of Me and realization of Me are rare for the jñānīs and yogīs who were described in the previous six chapters. First, the Lord speaks of the rarity of realizing the sweetness of the Lord (vijñāna) among those persons.

Among the countless jīvas, one may be a human being. Among thousands of humans, one of them may work for spiritual progress. Among thousands who work for spiritual progress, only one will know Me. Only one person will directly realize Me, truly, in the form of Śyāmasundara. This implies that the bliss from realization of personal Brahman is thousands of times greater than the bliss from realization of the impersonal Brahman.

And, knowledge in relation to bhakti also means knowledge of the Lord’s powers, not knowledge of the ātmā being separate from the body (which is knowledge in relation to the process of jñāna). In defining knowledge of the Lord’s powers, the Lord speaks of His two energies (prakṛti), superior and inferior, in two verses. By the listing of the five gross elements beginning with earth, the subtle elements, known as the sense objects smell, taste, form, touch and sound, are understood to be included as well. By the word false ego, the ten senses which arise from it, and the mahat-tattva, its cause, are also understood to be included. Mind and intellect are listed separately to show their greater importance among all the elements.

This prakṛti is called the external energy. As it is not conscious, it is inferior (aparā). Know also the other energy, tataṣṭha-śakti, which gives rise to the jīvas, which is superior (parām), because it is conscious. Why is the jīva considered superior? The unconscious matter (idam jagat) is employed (dhāryate) by this conscious jīva, for jīva’s own enjoyment.

The Lord is the cause of the world, by these two energies. Know that all moving and non-moving entities arise from these two energies, māyā-śakti and jīva-śakti, kṣetra and kṣetra-jña. I alone am the creator of all this universe, since these two energies arise from Me, and I alone am the destroyer of the universe, since it merges into Me, the possessor of these two energies.

Because of this, I am everything. That is expressed in this verse.

There is nothing superior to Me, because I am both the cause and the effect, and I am the śakti and śaktimān. As the śruti says, ekam evādvitīyaṁ brahma: there is only one Brahman and nothing else (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.2.2); and neha nānāsti kiñcana: there is no variety at all. (Bṛhad Āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.4.19)

Having thus spoken about His own identity with everything, the Lord then speaks about His entrance into everything. The whole universe (sarvam idam), composed of conscious and unconscious prakṛti, is identical with Me, because it is My effect. Still, everything is pervaded by the Paramātmā (I am in everything), as pearls are strung on a thread. Madhusūdana Sarasvatī says that being strung like pearls means only that everything is pervaded by the Lord, and does not refer to material causality. A suitable example of material causality would be gold and gold earrings.

Just as I have entered into the universe, My effect, in the form as Paramātmā, also I exist in the form of the cause of those effects (as sound in ether), or in the form of the essence of those things (as in success in man). This is expressed in four verses. The water’s taste, which is its cause, is a manifestation of My power (vibhūti). Likewise one can find a similar meaning in the items following. I am light itself which gives light to the sun and moon. I am oṁkāra, the source of the Vedas. I am sound in the ether, as sound is the cause of the ether. I am the distinguishing efforts (pauruṣam) of men, since effort is the essence of humans.

Puṇya means “pleasing” or “natural” according to Amara Kośa. I am the natural fragrance of earth element. Ca indicates that this statement applies to all the elements. Thus, I am the pleasing taste of water, the pleasing form of fire as well as the natural fragrance of the earth element. I am the power of fire, the essence—that which can burn, illuminate, and relieve cold in all things. I am the life span of all entities—their essence. I am the toleration of suffering, the essence of those performing austerities.

Bija or seed means the cause before transformation, the pradhāna. Sanātana means eternal. Intelligence is the essence of the intelligent persons. I am that intelligence.

I am the strength of the strong, not displayed out of anger or used with the desire to maintain to ones own lifestyle. I am lust not contrary to dharma, directed towards one’s wife only for the production of children.

The expressions of My powers (vibhūti), being the cause of things or the essence of things and being the living entities such as Rākṣasas have thus been mentioned to some degrees. There is no need to list these more extensively. All things are dependent on Me, and are an expression of My power. Those things (bhāvā) in the mode of goodness, like sense and mind control and the devatās; those things in the mode of passion, such as lust and pride, and the asuras like Hiraṇyakaśipu; and those things in the mode of ignorance like lamentation, illusion and the Rākṣasas--these are all the products of the guṇas of prakṛti belonging to Me. I do not exist in them: I do not depend on them like the jīvas. But they exist in Me: they are dependent on Me.

“Then if You are all things, why do people not know You, the Supreme Lord?”

All the jīvas born in the universe (sarvam idaṁ jagat), being bewildered by the states such as sense and mind control in the mood of goodness, jubilation in the mode of passion, and lamentation in the mode of ignorance, stemming from the nature of the guṇas, do not know Me, who am superior to them (param) and without change (avyayam), since I am beyond the guṇas.

“Then how will they be delivered from this bewilderment of the three modes?”

The word daivī comes from deva, which means “those who sport with sense enjoyment.” It refers to the jīvas. Thus daiva makes it possessive: that belonging to the jīvas for their pleasure. Daivī therefore means that which bewilders the jīvas.

This māyā is the bewilderer of the jīvas who enjoy sense objects (daivī). It is made of the guṇas, and by implication, it is a great noose of three strands (guṇa means rope). This māyā, the external energy, belongs to Me, the Supreme Lord. It is difficult to surpass. As a noose, it is impossible for anyone to untie or to cut it. Touching His chest, the Lord says, “Have faith in My words. Anyone who surrenders unto Me, the form of Śyāmasundara, crosses over this māyā.”

“Do not the wise then surrender unto You?”

Yes, those who are wise surrender to Me but those who only think themselves wise do not. Duṣṭa means evil or spoiled, and kṛtinah means clever. Those who have evil intelligence (duskṛtinaḥ) are of four types. One is the mūòhaḥ, the fool equal to an animal. He pursues only (animalistic) enjoyment through his work. It is said:

nūnaṁ daivena nihatā ye cācyuta-kathā-sudhām

hitvā śṛṇvanty asad-gāthāḥ purīṣam iva viò-bhujaḥ

Because they are averse to the nectar of the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are compared to stool-eating hogs. They give up hearing the transcendental activities of the Lord and indulge in hearing of the abominable activities of materialistic persons. SB 3.32.19

mukundaṁ ko vai na seveta vinā naretaraḥ

Who would not serve Mukunda except a non-human?

Others are narādhamas. For some time, they attain the status of a human by accepting the process of bhakti, but they then reject it by their own will, thinking that it is not useful as a practice for attaining their goals. They become the lowest beings (adhama) because of giving up bhakti (after attaining it).

Others, though having studied the scriptures, have their knowledge stolen by māyā. They think that Nārāyaṇa residing in Vaikuṇṭha is obtainable by constant bhakti, but not Kṛṣṇa or Rāma, whom they consider humans. It is said, avajānanti māṁ mūòhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). These fools think that I have a human body. This means that though they surrender to Me (in some forms), they actually do not surrender to Me.

Others take shelter of the mood of the asuras. Asuras like Jarāsandha, seeing My form, attack it with arrows. They even try to destroy My form in Vaikuṇṭha by their bad arguments, based on faulty logic such as insisting on visible proof. They do not surrender at all.

“Then, who worships You?”

Four types worship Me. Those who follow the rules of varṇāśrama (sukṛtinaḥ), worship Me. Among them some desire relief from affliction, from calamities like sickness; some desire knowledge of ātmā or desire knowledge of scriptures with grammar; and some desire enjoyment in this life and the next with land, elephants, horses, women, gold and other such things. These persons worship Me. These three are sakāma gṛhasthas. The fourth type, the jñānī, a sannyāsī with pure heart who worships Me with devotion, is niṣkāma, without material desire.

These four types of devotees, qualified for pradhānī bhūtā bhakti (in which bhakti is the principle component), have been enumerated. The first three types of persons have karma-miśra-bhakti. The fourth type has jñāna-miśra-bhakti. Later in the book, yoga-miśra-bhakti will also be described in verse like sarva dvārāni saṁyamya (BG 8.12).

But kevalā bhakti, unmixed with karma or jñāna, was also described in the beginning of this chapter with the words mayyāsakta manaḥ pārtha (BG 7.1). Kevalā bhakti will also be described in the eighth chapter with ananya cetāḥ satatam (BG 8.14), in the ninth with mahātmānas tu mām pārtha (BG 9.13) and with ananyāś cintayanto mām (BG 9.22). The Lord describes these two types of bhakti, pradhānī bhūtā and kevalā bhakti, in the middle six chapters of the Gītā.

A third type of bhakti, guṇī bhūtā bhakti (processes in which bhakti is a secondary element) is seen in the karmīs, jñānīs and yogīs, who predominantly desire results for their actions (bhukti and mukti). Because of the lack of predominance of bhakti, and instead a predominance of karma, jñāna or yoga, this guṇī bhūtā bhakti it is not classed as bhakti. As things should be classed by predominance of quality, these processes are classed as karma, jñāna and yoga, and the practitioners are not classed as bhaktas, but as karmīs, jñānīs or yogīs.

The result of sakāma-karma is Svarga, the result of niṣkāma-karma is jñāna-yoga, and the result of jñāna and aṣṭāḍga-yoga is nirvāṇa mokṣa, impersonal liberation. The results of the two types of pradhānī bhūtā bhakti are described as follows. Among the types of pradhānī bhūtā bhakti, the first three are karma-miśra-bhakti, or sakāma-bhakti. The result of this bhakti is attainment of the respective desires (deliverance from suffering, attainment of scriptural knowledge with materialistic method, gain of material benefits). And after that, because the superior nature of their object of worship (the Lord), those devotees attain liberation in the form of sālokya (attaining the same planet) with predominance of happiness and powers (sukha and aiśvarya). And there is no fall down as in the case of exhausting enjoyment in Svarga as a result of karma. It will be said, “Those who worship Me come to Me.” (BG 9.25)

The result of jñāna-miśra-bhakti, which is superior to the other three types, is śānta rati (bhāva), as in the case of Sanaka and others. Sometimes, because of exceptional mercy of the Lord and His devotee, the result of jñāna-miśra-bhakti is the supreme position of prema, as in the case of Śukadeva.

If sakāma-bhakti (the first three types) becomes niṣkāma, without desires, the result is jñāna-miśra-bhakti, and the result of that jñāna-miśra-bhakti is as stated above (śānta-rati). Sometimes, those who have jñāna-miśra-bhakti or karma-miśra-bhakti attain prema in dāsya and higher rasas on their own (with no apparent association of devotees in this life), because of influence of association with devotees in previous lives. However, that prema is predominated by a mood of reverence (aiśvarya).

The result of pure bhakti unmixed with jñāna, karma or yoga, called ananyā bhakti akiñcanā bhakti or uttamā bhakti, which has many types, is that one becomes an associate of the Lord with dāsya, sākhya, and other rasas. This is explained elaborately in the commentaries on the Bhāgavatam. As it is a matter related to the topic at hand, the distinctions in perfected bhakti have been briefly discussed.

Among these four types who are qualified with bhakti (those with pradhānī bhūtā bhakti), who is the best? Among them the jñānī is the best. He is absorbed in Me constantly (nitya-yukta). This means that because his consciousness has been brought under control by practice of jñāna, he has full concentration in the mind. The other three types do not have this quality.

“But does the jñānī just worship you out of fear that his jñāna will be ineffective without bhakti?”

No, he has a predominance of bhakti (eka-bhaktiḥ), not like other jñānīs who have a predominance of jñāna; or the meaning can be “He has great attachment to the process of bhakti alone, and is a jñānī in name only.” I, in the form of Śyāmasundara, am exceedingly (atyartham) dear to such a jñānī. He cannot give Me up either in the stage of sādhana or perfection. I also hold him very dear. This is according to the reasoning that I respond to the devotee in proportion to his amount of surrender to Me.

“Then, that means that the other three are not dear to You?”

No, they are all dear to Me. Those who worship Me, accepting objects they have desired, but which I wanted to give them anyway, are certainly dear to Me, who have affection for My devotees. This is because I give generously to them. But the jñānī is Myself. He worships Me and does not desire anything at all from Me, neither Svarga nor mokṣa. Thus I am dependent on him: he is My soul. This is My opinion. This is because he is firmly convinced (asthitaḥ) that I alone in the form of Syāmasundara, not My impersonal aspect as brahma-nirvāṇa, am the highest goal (anuttamāṁ gatim) to be attained. The jñānī, who has a predominance of bhakti and no material desires, is considered by the affectionate Lord as His own self. But the kevalā bhakta, the pure devotee, is considered by the Lord to be dearer than His very self.

na tathā me priyatama ātma-yonir na śaḍkaraḥ

na ca saḍkarṣaṇo na śrīr naivātmā ca yathā bhavān

My dear Uddhava, neither Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Lord Saḍkarṣaṇa, the goddess of fortune nor indeed My own self are as dear to Me as you are.

SB 11.14.15

nāham ātmānam āśāse mad-bhaktaiḥ sādhubhir vinā

O best of the brāhmaṇas, without saintly persons for whom I am the only destination, I do not desire to enjoy My transcendental bliss and My supreme opulences. SB 9.4.64

ātmārāmo ’py arīramat

Smiling upon hearing these despondent words from the gopīs, Lord Kṛṣṇa, the supreme master of all masters of mystic yoga, mercifully enjoyed with them, although He is self-satisfied. SB 10.29.42

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate | vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ 19|| “You say that this jñānī is fixed in You as the supreme goal. Consequently this jñānī bhakta attains You. But after how long does a jñānī become qualified as a devotee?”

He who possesses knowledge, seeing Vāsudeva everywhere, after many births surrenders to Me. Such a saintly person surrenders to Me through chance association with devotees. That jñānī-bhakta has a very steady mind (mahātmā), and is very rare. As I have said, manuṣyānāṁ sahasreṣu, out of thousands, one person may know Me in truth. What to speak of the rarity then, of the kevala or ekānta bhakta? Such a person is even rarer.

“It is understood from what you have said that the sakāma-bhaktas, because they worship You, the Lord, who responds to them, become somewhat successful. But what happens to those who have material desires and worship the devatās with the desire to remove their suffering or gain material pleasure?”

Four verses answer this question. These people, having no intelligence (hṛta-jñāna), think that the devatās like Sūrya will give immediate relief from afflictions like sickness, whereas Viṣṇu will not. They therefore surrender to the devatās. They are under the control of their natures (prakṛtyā niyatā svayā), which are corrupted, averse to surrender to Me.

You should not say that the devatā, pleased with being worshiped, will produce faith in worshipping the Supreme Lord, in order to give benefit of the worshipper. As those devatās cannot even produce faith in their followers to worship the devatās, how then can they produce faith in their followers to worship Me? When those people desire to worship forms (tanum) such as Sūrya, which are actually My forms since they are My vibhūtis, I, as Paramātmā, give the faith in those forms of devatās. The devatās do not give the faith.

That person, endowed with that faith, performs (īhate) worship of that devatā. He obtains the results of that worship (kāmān) from the worship of that particular devatā. But those devatās cannot fulfill those desires. It is I who fulfill those desires.

“But then You give the devotees of the devatā temporary results, whereas You give Your devotees permanent results. It is unjust for You to do that, since You are the Supreme Lord.”

No, it is not unjust. Those who worship the devatās attain (yānti) the devatās. Those who worship Me attain Me. The meaning is this. It is very logical that a person attains what he worships. Thus if the devatā are temporary, how can their devotees become permanent, and how can the results of worship be permanent? Thus it is said here that the devotees of those devatā are not intelligent (alpa-medhasām). The Supreme Lord however is eternal, and therefore His devotees are also eternal. Their bhakti and all the results of their bhakti are eternal.

What to speak of the worshippers of the devatā being foolish and not recognizing Me, even those who study all the scriptures such as the Vedas do not know the truth about Me. Lord Brahmā has said to Me:

athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-

prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hijānāti tattvaṁ bhagavan mahimno

na cānya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan

My Lord, if one is favored by even a slight trace of the mercy of Your lotus feet, he can understand the greatness of Your personality. But those who speculate to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead are unable to know You, even though they continue to study the Vedas for many years. SB 10.14.29

Thus, apart from My devotees, everyone else is foolish regarding knowledge of Me. With this intention He speaks this verse.

The unintelligent think that the formless Brahman beyond the material world (avyaktim) has taken birth as Myself in the house of Vasudeva (vyaktim) with an illusory form: what is now visible is just an illusory form. This is because they do not know My transcendental state. They do not know that My form, birth, activities, and pastimes are beyond māyā (mama paraṁ bhāvam). What type of state is this? It is eternal (avyayam) and most excellent (anuttamam).

According to Medinī, bhāva means existence, nature, intention, endeavor, self, birth, action, pastime and meaning of a word. Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Bhāgavatāmṛta has described this eternal nature of the Lord: the Lord’s form, qualities, birth, actions, and pastimes are eternal since they have no beginning and no end. Śrīdhara Svāmī has also said, “Bhāvam means form, and avyayam means eternal. …It is a pure form of sattva endowed with great power.”

“If You have eternal form, qualities and pastimes, then why do we not see these things at all times?”

“I am not manifest to all people living at all times and places. I am always present with My associates, qualities and pastimes in some universe, at some time, but just as the sun is not visible to all people at all times, but only sometimes, since it gets covered by Mount Meru, I also am not visible at all times, being covered by yoga-māyā. Though the sun is situated within the zodiac and is always present there for all the living beings, it is not visible to all people at all times and places. Similarly I am not visible to all people at all times in the various sections of Bhārata.”

“But as the sun is always visible in its own abode, why is Kṛṣṇa not always visible to all the people presently dwelling in His abodes such as Mathurā and Dvārakā?”

“Since Meru is present in the middle of the zodiac, then the sun, when covered, is not visible. In the same way, within Kṛṣṇa’s effulgent abodes, yoga-māyā is always present like Meru. Kṛṣṇa, like the sun, covered by that Meru in the form of yoga-māyā, is not visible constantly, but only sometimes. This is all without fault. As well, the foolish people do not understand that I, in My form as Śyāmasundara (mām), though appearing as Vasudeva’s son (ajam), am free from material birth (ajam avyayam). Thus, finally rejecting Me, the ocean of auspicious qualities, they worship My impersonal aspect, Brahman.”

But My own knowledge is not covered by external māyā or the internal yoga-māyā, since I cannot be bewildered by that to which I give shelter. I know everything. But no one, whether material or spiritual, not even Śiva or the most omniscient person, knows Me completely, since knowledge of Me is covered by either māyā or yoga-māyā according to the qualification of the person.

When do the jīvas become bewildered by Your māyā? At the beginning of the creation of this universe (sarge), all the jīvas (sarva-bhūtāni) become bewildered. How? Desire for objects favorable to the senses, and hatred for things which obstruct the pleasure of the senses, arising from previous actions, give rise to illusion of duality--of respect and disrespect, hot and cold, happiness and distress, and woman and man. A person thinks “I am happy, being respected.” “I am sad, being disrespected.” “This is my wife.” “This is my husband.” This duality gives rise to complete ignorance (moha). That in turn gives rise to complete bewilderment (saṁmoham)--extreme attachment to wife and sons.

Those who are extremely attached are not qualified for devotion to Me. I will explain this to Uddhava:

Then who is qualified for bhakti? This verse answers. Those who have puṇya karma, who have destroyed sins partially, develop a predominance of sattva-guṇa and diminished tamo-guṇa. The result of this is a decrease in illusion. Consequently they become less attached. Then they have chance association with My devotees. They then become completely free of sin by practice of worship. Being freed completely of illusion (dvandva-moha-nimuktā), they become steady (dṛòha-vratāh) in worshipping Me. Thus, one should not consider that puṇya karma is the cause of any type of bhakti.

For the Lord has said:

yaṁ na yogena sāḍkhyena dāna-vrata-tapo-'dhvaraiḥ | vyākhyā-svādhyāya-sannyāsaiḥ prāpnuyād yatnavān api || Even though one engages with great endeavor in the mystic yoga system, philosophical speculation, charity, vows, penances, ritualistic sacrifices, teaching of Vedic mantras to others, personal study of the Vedas, or the renounced order of life, still one cannot achieve Me. SB 11.12.9

In many places, it is stated that puṇya-karmas are dependent on kevalā bhakti, and not its cause.

It has been said that the three types of sakāma-bhaktas who worship Me become successful, but the worshippers of devatās (also sakāma) fail. Those who are not qualified for worshipping the Lord have also been described. Now the Lord speaks about a fourth type of sakāma-bhakta.

Those yogīs who strive to destroy old age and death (jarā-maraṇa-mokṣāya yatanti), who desire liberation (mokṣa-kāmī), and consequently worship Me, know all about the famous Brahman (the Lord). They know about the jīva (adhyātmam), present as the controller (adhi) of the body (ātmānam), and the repeated bodies of the jīva generated from all types of actions (karma akhilam), due to the power of devotion to Me.

Those who develop such knowledge of Me by the influence of devotion to Me maintain that knowledge even at the time of death. It is not like the intelligence of others, established by karma, which varies according to the future body. The terms adhibhūta, adhidaiva and adhiyajña will be explained in the next chapter.

The devotees alone, enumerated as six types,who know the truth about the Lord, cross over māyā. This has been presented as the meaning of the chapter.

Thus, the commentary on the seventh chapter of the Gītā has been completed for the pleasure of the devotees’ minds, through the mercy of the ācāryas.