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A simple, modern translation and explanation of the Bhagavad Gita with shloka (verse) meaning

~ Gita Journey is a straightforward, modern, contemporary, basic explanation and commentary of the Bhagawat Gita, with Sanskrit to English word meanings. Each shloka (verse) is explained in detail. An introduction to the Bhagavad Gita along with study resources can also be found here. A summary of each chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is also included. It does not matter whether you are a student, a retiree, a professional, a mom, a dad or a housewife – no prior knowledge is needed.

A simple, modern translation and explanation of the Bhagavad Gita with shloka (verse) meaning

Category Archives: jagat

Bhagavad Gita Verse 8, Chapter 16

03 Wednesday Apr 2013

Posted by skr_2011 in 16.8, aahuhu, aneeshvaram, anyat, aparasparasambhootam, apratishtham, asatyam, chapter 16 verse 8, jagat, kaamahaitukam, kim, te

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asatyamapratishtham te jagadaahuraneeshvaram |
aparasparasambhootam kimanyatkaamahaitukam || 8 ||

 
They say that this world is unreal, without a basis, without a god. It is born of mutual union, desire is its only cause, what else.
 
asatyam : unreal
apratishtham : without basis
te : they
jagat : world
aahuhu : say
aneeshvaram : without a god
aparasparasambhootam : born of mutual union
kim : what
anyat : else
kaamahaitukam : desire is the only cause
 
Any philosophy, any world view has to answer some fundamental questions – who am I, what is the nature of this world, where did it come from, is there a god, and what is the relationship between the I, the world and god. In the fifteenth chapter, Shri Krishna described his worldview by answering all these questions. Here, he proceeds to describe the materialistic worldview, the worldview of the asuras, those with devilish qualities.
 
At its core, the materialistic viewpoint views everything as comprised of the five elements, or in today’s times, atoms and molecules. So then, the answer to the questions, who am I, and what is the cause of this world, is the same. I am nothing but a combination of the five elements, and the world is also nothing but a combination of the five elements. Both are caused by the union of elements, either through chemical or biological reactions that happen due to forces of attraction, forces of desire.
 
Now, if the world is comprised of nothing but inert matter, one will concluded that there is no truth to it, no basis to it, nothing higher to it. A divide starts to arise between the I and the world. If the world is an inert, unreal entity, why should I treat it with care? Anything, including lying, cheating and murder, is then justified. Materialists go one step further and assert that there is no governing principle in this world, no god. So I can get away with whatever I want, because there is no law.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 12, Chapter 15

17 Sunday Mar 2013

Posted by skr_2011 in 15.12, aadityagatam, agnau, akhilam, bhaasayate, chandramasi, chapter 15 verse 12, jagat, maamakam, tejaha, viddhi, yat

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yadaadityagatam tejo jagadbhaasayatekhilam |
yachhandramasi yacchaagnau tattejo viddhi maamakam || 12 ||

 
That splendour which resides in the sun and illumines the entire world, that which is in the moon and in fire, know that splendour to be mine.
 
yat : that
aadityagatam : resides in sun
tejaha : splendour
jagat : world
bhaasayate : illumines
akhilam : entire
yat : that
chandramasi : in the moon
yat : that
cha : and
agnau : in fire
tat : that
tejaha : splendour
viddhi : know
maamakam : mine
 
So far we learned about the nature of the individual soul, the jeeva. But if that is all we focus on, we will have incomplete knowledge about our true nature. When we look around us, we see the world in all its beautiful yet complex glory. We need to investigate into the true nature of the world, and realize our identity and connection with that as well. With this view in mind, Shri Krishna now begins to explain his connection with the world around us.
 
He starts this topic by asserting that the splendour of the sun, the moon, and of fire is possible only because of Ishvara’s splendour. We have tremendous awe for the sun’s energy, without which life on this earth will not be possible. Shri Krishna says that the sun’s splendour is not its own. It comes from the splendour of Ishvara. Symbolically, the sun represents the organs of perception such as the eyes, ears, nose and so on. Therefore, whenever any sentient being in this world, from a single celled amoeba to a human being becomes aware of something, that awareness, that consciousness, is the power of Ishvara at work.
 
So whenever we see awareness manifest itself in any organism, we should remind ourselves that the one Ishvara giving awareness to us is the same Ishvara giving awareness to the organisms in the world. In this manner, we can realize the identity of our nature with the world through the common link of awareness.
 
Furthermore, both the moon and fire derive their energy and splendour from the sun. The moon reflects the light of the sun. Fire also is the manifestation of the sun’s energy on a much smaller scale. Therefore, energy in any form, whether it is dazzling like the sun, cooling like the moon, or warm like fire, is nothing but Ishvara’s energy. How does this energy manifest itself in the world? Shri Krishna explains that in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gite Verse 36, Chapter 11

19 Monday Nov 2012

Posted by skr_2011 in 11.36, anurajyate, bheetaani, cha, chapter 11 verse 36, dishaha, dravanti, hrisheekesha, jagat, namasyanti, prahrashyati, prakreertyaa, rakshaamsi, sarve, sidhhasanghaahaa, sthaane, tava

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Arjuna uvaacha:
sthaane hrisheekesha tava prakreertyaa jagatprahrashyatyanurajyate cha |
rakshaamsi bheetaani disho dravanti sarve namasyanti cha sidhhasanghaahaa || 36 ||

 
Arjuna said:
Rightly, O Hrisheekesha, the universe is elated and enamoured by your glories. Demons run in all directions out of fear, and the hosts of siddhas bow to you.

 
sthaane : rightly
hrisheekesha : O Hrisheekesha
tava : your
prakreertyaa : glories
jagat : universe
prahrashyati : elated
anurajyate : enamoured
cha : and
rakshaamsi : demons
bheetaani : out of fear
dishaha : directions
dravanti : run
sarve : all
namasyanti : bow
cha : and
sidhhasanghaahaa : hosts of siddhas
 
Having understood the workings of Ishvara’s universe, Arjuna responds with the powerful word “sthaane”, which means everything that is going on is right, everything is in its place. As we saw earlier, we tend to question Ishvara every time there is a massive calamity, either at a personal level or at a global level. Or, we sometimes ask Ishvara to let things be a certain way. But when we understand that Ishvara is behind it all, and is orchestrating events for the benefit of the entire universe and not just a subset, we too, are compelled to say “sthaane”, it is all right.
 
With this knowledge, we now know why people in our world are happy and unhappy at the same time. Those who view the world through Ishvara, those who have the vision of Ishvara, take delight in everything and hence they are happy. But those who view the world through their ego-driven vision fear Ishvara’s destructive process, and then become unhappy. Rakshasaas or demons run in fear, while siddhas or perfected beings salute Ishvara.
 
Furthermore, Arjuna understands a wonderful technique by which we can gain immense dispassion towards the world. A child drops his attachment to his toys when he becomes an adult and gets attached to something higher than toys, like his career for instance. So when we develop a strong attachment to Ishvara, when we are enamoured, “anurajjyate”, by Ishvara, we automatically drop our worldly attachments. All we need to do is to direct our senses to Hrisheekesha, the master of the senses.
 
This shloka and the upcoming ten shlokas are one of the most beautiful prayers to Ishvara ever written.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 30, Chapter 11

13 Tuesday Nov 2012

Posted by skr_2011 in 11.30, apoorya, bhaasaha, chapter 11 verse 30, grasmaanaha, jagat, jvalabhdihi, lelihyaase, lokaan, prapanti, samagraan, samagram, samantaat, tava, tejobhihi, ugraahaa, vadanaihi :, vishno

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lelihyaase grasmaanaha samantaallokaansamagraanvadanairjvalabhdihi |
tejobhiraapoorya jagatsamagram bhaasastavograahaa prapanti vishno || 30 ||

 
Devouring everyone from all sides, through your fiery mouths, you are licking (your lips). Your terrible rays, filling the universe with brilliance, are burning everything, O Vishnu.
 
lelihyaase : licking
grasmaanaha : devouring
samantaat : from all sides
lokaan : people
samagraan : all
vadanaihi : through mouths
jvalabhdihi : fiery
tejobhihi : with brilliance
apoorya : filling
jagat : universe
samagram : everything
bhaasaha : rays
tava : your
ugraahaa : terrible
prapanti : burning
vishno : O Vishnu
 
When we are enjoying a particulary tasty meal, we cannot resist licking our fingers and lips. It is a sign that we would like to have more. Also in Indian culture, wasting of food is not allowed, so we lick our fingers to ensure that nothing goes to waste. In the same way, Ishvara in his cosmic form thoroughly enjoys the process of destruction. He also ensures that nothing is spared, nothing goes to waste. Everything and everyone ultimately is destroyed.
 
Now, we may ask, isn’t it cruel to derive pleasure from destruction? It may be true from a relative standpoint, but not from the absolute standpoint. If old trees and animals do not die in a jungle, new ones cannot be created. If old businesses aren’t allowed to fail, new startups cannot bring innovative products to the market. If no one dies, the earth is unable to sustain the needs of an infinitely growing population.
 
Destruction is a necessary part of life. If we think like an individual, destruction is painful. If we think like Ishvara, destruction is enjoyable. It also creates dispassion towards the miseries of our human body, since we know it will eb destroyed to create something new.
 
Arjuna continues to describe what he sees. He says that the rays of fire that are emitted by Shri Krishna are burning up the universe with their heat. He wants to take those fiery rays away. Since Shri Krishna has not yet listened to him, he asks him a question with the hope of gaining attention, and potentially, bringing back the form of Shri Krishna that he loves.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 13, Chapter 11

27 Saturday Oct 2012

Posted by skr_2011 in 11.13, anekadhaa, apashyat, chapter 11 verse 13, devedasya, ekastham, jagat, kritsnam, paandavaha, pravibhaktam, shareere, tadaa, tatra

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tatrakastham jagatkritsnam pravibhaktamanekadhaa |
apashyaddevedasya shareere paandavastadaa || 13 ||

 
Then, the Paandava saw the entire universe with many divisions located in one place in the body of that lord of lords.
 
tatra : that
ekastham : located in one place
jagat : universe
kritsnam : entire
pravibhaktam : with many divisions
anekadhaa : several
apashyat : saw
devedasya : lord of lords
shareere : in the body
paandavaha : the Paandava
tadaa : then
 
Previously, Arjuna was overwhelmed by the sheer vastness of Ishvara’s cosmic form. There was so much going on, so many shapes and forms, that he did not know where to look. He took some time to get accustomed to the radiance emitted from that form. Now that his vision became a little clearer, he saw the entire universe with the earth, the sky, the oceans, animals, plants, trees and humans in one tiny corner of that vast cosmic form.
 
Sant Jnyanadeva provides some illustrations to convey the how small the universe looked. It was like a few atoms on Mount Meru, a few bubbles in the vast ocean and an ant-hill on planet earth. Such was the vastness of the cosmic form that even our universe looked puny. In the Srimad Bhagavatam, we see a similar description. Yashoda saw herself and her village in a tiny corner of the universe that was situated in the yawning toddler Shri Krishna’s mouth.
 
In this shloka, Arjuna quite literally saw “the big picture”. Like us, he was concerned and preoccupied with his problems, his challenges and his worries. He now came face to face with “ananta koti brahmanda naayaka”, the lord of an infinite number of universes. When Arjuna saw Ishvara’s cosmic form, he realized that the universe is nothing but a small fraction of Ishvara’s creation. The tiny wave realized how huge the ocean really is.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 7, Chapter 11

22 Monday Oct 2012

Posted by skr_2011 in 11.7, adya, anyat, cha, chapter 11 verse 7, dehe, drishtum, gudaakesha, icchasi, iha : this ekastham, jagat, kritsnam, mama, pashya, sacharaacharam, yat

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ihaikastham jagatkritsnam pashyaadya sacharaacharam |
mama dehe gudaakesha yachchaanyaddrishtumicchasi || 7 ||

 
Behold this entire universe now, with moving and non-moving (entities), in one place. Also, besides this, O Gudaakesha, see whatever else you desire in my form.
 
iha : this
ekastham : in one place
jagat : universe
kritsnam : entire
pashya : behold
adya : now
sacharaacharam : with moving and non-moving
mama : my
dehe : form
gudaakesha : O Gudaakesha
yat : whatever else
cha : also
anyat : besides
drishtum : see
icchasi : you desire
 
Nowadays, it is common for families to capture a wedding with a video as well as with photographs. So when a guest drops by a family that has just concluded a wedding, he is hit with a barrage of photos and a DVD of the wedding that could last three to four hours. The guest cannot refuse this demand because the family wants him to experience the entire wedding “right here, right now”.
 
So by using the words “now” and “in one place”, Shri Krishna is pointing out the power of the Vishwa roopa or cosmic form. Arjuna is able to view the entire universe in one place, without leaving his chariot. Moreover, he is also able to view events that take millions of years in a split second. And what is he able to view? Everything including entities that move, and entities that are stable.
 
Now, if someone were to offer us the outcome of all the events that were to take place tomorrow, and if our favourite team was contesting a match tomorrow, we would be most interested in learning the outcome of the match. Knowing that Arjuna was most interested in the outcome of the Mahaabhaarata war, Shri Krishna suggested that even that would be visible in his cosmic form. He refers to Arjuna as “Gudaakesha”, one who has conquered sleep, so that Arjuna would remain alert while watching the cosmic form.
 
However, with all this going on, there seemed to be no response from Arjuna. What could be the reason? We shall see next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 10, Chapter 9

05 Sunday Aug 2012

Posted by skr_2011 in 9.19, adhyakshena, anena, chapter 9 verse 10, hetu, jagat, kaunteya, mayaa, prakritihi, sacharaacharam, sooyate, viparivartate

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mayaadhyakshena prakritihi sooyate sacharaacharam |
hetunaanena kaunteya jagadviparivartate || 10 ||

 
Under my supervision, Prakriti generates this universe of moving and motionless (beings). With that purpose, O Kaunteya, the universe revolves.
 
mayaa : my
adhyakshena : supervision
prakritihi : Prakriti
sooyate : generates
sacharaacharam : moving and motionless universe
hetu : purpose
anena : in this manner
kaunteya : O Kaunteya
jagat : universe
viparivartate : revolves
 
Shri Krishna concludes the topic of Prakriti and its mechanisms by re-asserting that Prakriti is subservient to Ishvara. He describes Ishvara as the supervisor, the “adhyaksha”. He says that Ishvara does not physically have to “do” anything in order to create, sustain and dissolve the universe. Ishvara’s mere presence enables Prakriti to function, just like electricity enables a television to function. Without his presence, Prakriti remains inert and is incapable of doing anything whatsoever.
 
From Ishvara’s standpoint, there is no notion of “doing work” or “obtaining the result”; he knows that ultimately it is Prakriti that runs the show, and therefore he remains detached. He is like the owner of a theatre that has employed a magician to perform a show. The owner is unconcerned whether the magician cuts a woman in half with a saw, or pulls a rabbit out of a hat.
 
Let us now look at the practical implication this shloka. If we substitute the word Ishvara in the previous statement with the word “jeeva” or individual, we come to the same conclusion from the previous chapters on karma yoga. Only through disassociation with the notion that “I am the doer” and “I obtain the result” can we truly be liberated from the cycle of creation and dissolution.
 
The key question is : who controls whom? If we let Prakriti control us, if we let our lower nature drag us towards sense pleasure, we can never be liberated. We should re-assert our control of our lower self through our higher self.
 
Furthermore, Shri Krishna also gives us a technique to deal with life’s ups and downs with this shloka. Whenever we encounter a sorrowful or hurtful situation, all we need to do is to know that (a) we have obtained this situation through our own actions and (b) it is yet another name and form that Prakriti has created.
 
Once we know that something is a name and form, we will immediately know that it is Prakriti’s handiwork, just like we know that something is an April fool’s joke or a magician’s trick. This will enable us to pierce through Prakriti’s pranks and to know that Ishvara the supervisor is behind everything.
 
So then, Shri Krishna has explained to us “how the universe revolves”, in other words, how the magic trick works. This is how we should develop our vision of the world. However, instead of trying to see Ishvara behind everything, many people still try to box Ishvara into a finite concept. More on this is taken up in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 4, Chapter 9

30 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by skr_2011 in 9.4, aham, avasthitaha, avyakta, bhootaani, cha, chapter 9 verse 4, idam, jagat, matsthaani, mayaa, moortinaa, na, sarva, sarvam, tatam, teshu

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mayaa tatamidam sarvam jagadavyaktamoortinaa |
matsthaani sarva bhootaani na chaaham teshvavasthitaha || 4 ||

 
This entire universe is pervaded by my unmanifest state. All beings are based in me, I am not based in them.
 
mayaa : my
tatam : pervaded
idam : this
sarvam : entire
jagat : universe
avyakta : unmanifest
moortinaa : state
matsthaani : based in me
sarva : all
bhootaani : beings
na : not
cha : and
aham : I
teshu : in them
avasthitaha : based
 
This shloka and the next are the crux of the teaching in this chapter. Shri Krishna makes three core points: that the entire universe is pervaded by his unmanifest state, that all beings are based in him, and that he is not based in them. Let us first take a step back to understand the context of this teaching before we delve into these three points.
 
The eighth chapter described meditative techniques that we had to follow throughout our lives in order to attain Ishvara, so that we can be liberated from the cycle of creation and dissolution. Now, Shri Krishna reveals a secret that will enable us to immediately gain access to Ishvara 24/7. And unlike other techniques described so far, we do not have to do any action. We just have to know.
 
What is this secret knowledge? Let us start with the first point. Shri Krishna says that Ishvara is present in every living and non-living being within this universe. If that’s the case, then we do not need to put in any extra effort. Once we train ourselves to view Ishvara in everything, we will gain access to him 24/7. We will not need to do any extra physical or mental activity to make that happen. But if it were that simple, why cannot we put it into practice immediately? It is because we have been preconditioned since time immemorial to see everything but Ishvara. Removing this preconditioning is the topic of the Gita.
 
The second point made by Shri Krishna is that all beings are based in him. Let us bring up the example of the ocean and the waves to understand this point. A five year old girl sitting on the beach will look at the waves, the foam and the ripples and conclude that they are independent things. But her mother knows that all of those shapes are created because of the ocean. Also, the girl who has to inquire about where these shapes come from. The mother does not have to do anything. She just knows that everything is nothing but water in the ocean. So the mother will tell her, “that’s just the ocean”.
 
Now, let’s say the girl sees a ripple in a lake instead of the ocean. She points to it and says “that’s the ocean”. The mother will now enhance her statement slightly by saying “that is not the ocean, that is a ripple. It is just a shape taken by water, which is in the ocean and in the lake”. Water is an abstract concept which a child slowly learns by example.
 
Similarly, we may begin to think that Ishvara is resident in an idol, or a saint, or a holy place. Like the ripple, they are names and forms. Even Arjuna would have found it hard to believe that Shri Krishna, who is in front of him, can pervade the entire universe. So therefore, Shri Krishna says that no visible entity can ever contain Ishvara who is beyond name and form. The true nature of Ishvara is formless. This is the third point in this shloka.
 
Still, a question remains. Just like we still see waves in the ocean even after knowing that they are water, we still come across thousands of names and forms everyday. Many of those names and forms are people that we interact with, speak with, work with and so on. Aren’t those people “real”? How do we reconcile this? Shri Krishna addresses this confusion in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 13, Chapter 7

09 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by skr_2011 in 7.13, abhijaanaati, avyayam, bhaavaihi, chapter 7 verse 13, ebhihi, ebhyaha, gunamaiyaihai, idam, jagat, maam, mohitam, na, param, sarvam, tribhihi

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tribhirgunamayairbhaavairebhihi sarvamidam jagat |
mohitam naabhijaanaati maamebhyaha paramavyayam || 13 ||

 
This entire universe, deluded by these three modes in the form of gunaas, does not know me to be beyond these (gunaas) and imperishable.
 
tribhihi : three
gunamaiyaihai : in the form of gunaas
bhaavaihi : modes
ebhihi : these
sarvam : entire
idam : this
jagat : universe
mohitam : deluded by
na : do not
abhijaanaati : know me
maam : me
ebhyaha : these (gunaas)
param : beyond
avyayam : imperishable
 
So far in this chapter, Shri Krishna indicated that Ishvara is the ultimate cause, that he pervades everything, the entire universe is a play of the three gunaas, and that he supports all the three gunaas but they do not impact him. In theory, if we know this, then we should be a hundred percent clear about the true nature of Ishvara, which is the objective of this chapter. But there is still more to come. Why is that? It is because there is something in these three gunaas or aspects of nature that prevents us from accessing Ishvara.
 
Shri Krishna says that most people are deluded or confused about the true nature of Ishvara due to the overpowering effect of the three gunaas. This overpowering effect is our tendency to get carried away by name and form. It is our tendency to judge a book by its cover. We are so dazzled by the diversity of various forms of gold jewellery (the effect) that we fail to recognize that everything is ultimately gold (the cause).
 
Each gunaa or mode of nature has the ability to overpower us. Imagine a vendor at a vegetable market that has to haggle with his customers in order to turn a profit. A taamasic vendor can resort to any tactic including fraud to dupe unsuspecting customers, and potentially get caught doing so. A raajasic vendor can use fair, but aggressive negotiating tactics with even the shrewdest of his customers, eventually shrinking his customer base to zero. Now, we typically think that a saatvic vendor would follow the correct strategy, but this is not the case. Even saatva can overpower the vendor if he always gives in to the customer’s negotiations and goes into a loss.
 
Now, let us see what exactly happened with each of the vendors. The taamasic vendor could only see the most tangible thing in front of him – the crisp note that he can keep in his pocket as soon as the sale is made. He did not have the ability to think one step beyond the note, that he would get caught for fraud.
 
The raajasic vendor thought one step ahead and knew that he should not resort to anything illegal. But by always focusing on his personal gain, he missed the big picture in that he would eventually lose all his customers.
 
The saatvic vendor understood the big picture to some extent. But he forgot that he had to support a family at home, and therefore had to strike the right balance of maximizing his profit and making the customer happy.
 
So what does all this have to do with Ishvara? All three vendors were deluded or overpowered by gunaas. This is because our mind and senses is made up of the very “stuff” of the gunaas, as we saw in a previous shloka in chapter 3. They run after prakriti or nature which is also made up of the gunaas. We are helpless because our senses and our mind is wired to focus on names and forms, and not the underlying essence or cause. We get so carried away by names and forms that we cannot comprehend that Ishvara who is beyond any name and form, any attribute or modification.
 
So then, how do we develop this ability to pierce through the three gunaas and understand the real nature of Ishvara? Shri Krishna tackles this topic next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 5, Chapter 7

30 Wednesday May 2012

Posted by skr_2011 in 7.5, anyaam, aparaa, chapter 7 verse 5, dhaaryate, idam, itaha, iyam, jagat, jeevabhootam, mahaabaaho, me, paraam, prakritim, tu, viddhi, yayaa

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apareyamitastvanyaam prakritim viddhi me paraam |
jeevabhootam mahaabaaho yayedam dhaaryate jagat || 5 ||

 
But, know this lower (nature as) different than my life-giving higher nature, O mighty-armed, by which this universe is upheld.
 
aparaa : lower
iyam : this
itaha : than
tu : but
anyaam : different
prakritim : nature
viddhi : know
me : my
paraam : higher
jeevabhootam : life-giving
mahaabaaho : O mighty-armed
yayaa : by which
idam : this
dhaaryate : upheld
jagat : universe
 
In the previous shloka, Shri Krishna described his nature that was made up of 8 factors: 5 physical elements and 3 subtle elements. Now, he says that those 8 factors comprise the lower, or inferior, type of nature. It is different than the higher or superior nature, that is the life force of the universe. It functions as a force that holds the universe together.
 
A house is built out of bricks, wood, iron rods and so on. But the building blocks by themselves do not make a house. There has to be an integrating or unifying principle in the form of cement that holds the house together. Shri Krishna says that his higher nature is the cohesive force that upholds the universe. By using the word “jeeva-bhootam”, he is saying that he becomes the universal jeeva or being that makes the universe as a single entity rather than a disjointed chaotic mess.
 
Furthermore, it is this higher nature that becomes the experiencer of the entire universe as a subject. What does the word “subject” mean? Whenever we see something, two things are required: the subject (one who sees) and the object (that which is seen by the subject). If I see a sofa, then I am the subject, and the sofa is the object. The sofa can never become the subject because it is an inert object. Only conscious entities can become subjects. There is a spark in us, a conscious principle, that enables us to see, hear, touch, taste and smell, in other words, to become a subject.
 
Throughout our life, we seek knowledge about the world though several sources. But those studies only cover the world of objects, which is indicated here by the term “lower nature”. Only spirituality provides us knowledge about the subject, which is nothing but our own self.
 
So then, why are we talking about subject and object here? It is because Shri Krishna’s lower nature creates the world of objects, and his higher nature creates the world of subjects. When the universe originated, it split, as it were, into two aspects: the lower and the higher nature. The lower nature or prakriti is what we generally describe as the universe that we can see with our eyes and with our telescopes, in both its visible and invisible aspects.
 
That was the lower nature. The higher nature further split itself into subsets. Each subset became a jeeva, which is the conscious principle operating within each of us. That jeeva principle within us makes us a subject, an experiencer.
 
Therefore, with these two shlokas, Shri Krishna has covered everything in the world – subject and object, inert and conscious, experiencer and experienced, building blocks and unifying force. But what is common between them? This is taken up next.

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  • Summary Of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1
  • Bhagavad Gita Verse 1, Chapter 1
  • Bhagavad Gita Verse 62-63, Chapter 2
  • Summary of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 16
  • Bhagavad Gita Verse 6, Chapter 6
  • Summary of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15
  • Bhagavad Gita Verse 7, Chapter 13
  • Bhagavad Gita Verse 14, Chapter 6
  • Bhagavad Gita Verse 17, Chapter 13
  • Bhagavad Gita Verse 1, Chapter 3

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