Chapter 7 – Jnana Vijnana Yoga

What a name! Jñāna means acquired knowledge – by reading, listening etc. Vijñāna means experiential knowledge – what you experience by applying the acquired knowledge. This chapter onwards, the updēsha goes on to build the narrative for Arjuna to understand and experience THE supreme being/energy, in other words, the LORD! 

What is this supreme energy all about?
How to know it, in its entirety?

Drawing analogy with a science experiment, any experiment involves – 

• A premise that you have conviction in
• An experiment (process) that leads to proving the premise
• Ability to observe the process throughout, that helps in asserting or refuting the premise

Rewriting the same 3 points above:

• This positive conviction on the premise of Supreme being – Bhakthi.
• The process of engaging body and mind, by which you can learn and prove it, the practice of Karma Yoga (performing all actions dedicated to Lord, and accepting the result as his blessings)
• The observations you make and continually refine the above process to make progress in acquiring the knowledge – Dhyāna (leads to Vijñāna)

In the first five chapters, the Lord extensively spoke about the process – Karma Yoga. Throughout these chapters, the Lord also emphasized the importance of conviction in the premise – Bhakthi. One needs keen observation and mental fortitude to seek the truth with firm determination, because the subject of our research is extremely elusive. It is elusive because our very existence is part of the subject – so learning to think ‘out of the box’ comes only through practice.
In Chapter 6, the Lord explained the nuances of this process of observation, From this chapter onwards, the Lord explains the subject of our research – its characteristics, what this supreme being is made of, its role in our existence, and how and why it is all-pervasive.

The truth, to be experienced – Vijñāna

The Lord states that it is such a concept that, if truly understood, nothing more remains to be known!

What does this mean? It’s like learning the Periodic Table, which helps you understand how electron/proton configurations in atoms give each chemical element its unique characteristics. Or like understanding every aspect of a computer operating system, which allows you to know how any program runs on it. Once the fundamentals are known, the rest falls into place.
The continuous rigor required in perfecting the art of experimentation and observation, with unfailing conviction, makes this practice difficult. The Lord states that only one in a thousand strives to achieve perfection, and of those, only one in a thousand succeeds. This is not to discourage, but to give a practical insight into the rigor required.

There are easier methods – Bhakthi. If you have complete conviction in the premise, you don’t need to prove it. Like using apps on a computer without knowing the operating system in detail.
If, however, you are curious to know the supreme energy fully, listen to the Lord:

Eight components make up the lower nature (Prakriti) of His existence – the Pancha Mahābhūthas (five basic elements) – Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether; along with the Mind, Intellect, and Ego (identification aspect).

Beyond this lies the raw, dynamic, pure energy that sustains all of the lower nature explained above – that is, all things in the universe!

This entire existence (universe) originates from Me and also dissolves in Me. There is nothing beyond this energy – it is what holds and sustains the entire existence, like the unseen string that holds a pearl necklace together.

How is the LORD all-pervasive – the ‘unseen string’ of the necklace?

"I am the taste in water, the radiance of the Sun and Moon, the essence of all Vedas (ॐ kara), the sound in
ether, the energy in beings, the fragrance of earth, the brilliance in fire, the life in all beings, the penance in
ascetics. I am the origin of all seeds that turn into beings, the intelligence of the intelligent, the brilliance of all brilliant, the strength in the strong who are devoid of passion and desire, and the desire itself in those within the framework of Dharma."

This is something to ponder. The supreme energy is the cause of all - the subject for your Dhyāna. Through these enumerations, the Lord asserts that He is the essence of everything. The unique quality of each being arises from the presence of the supreme, divine being – like atoms in beings, or electrons in atoms. The fundamental truth defines existence itself.
While there is divine commonality in all beings, significant differences exist within similar or dissimilar beings. Why?

The Gunas and their sphere of influence Another aspect of existence (Prakriti) is the Gunas. Briefly, Gunas are like colored lenses - they influence perspective, and the ability to differentiate right from wrong. There are three Gunas:

Satva – purity/divinity
Rajo – desire/passion
Tamo – inactivity/ignorance

All beings have these Gunas in varying proportions. The Gunas originate from the supreme being, but the Lord is beyond them. For example, fire emanates light, heat, and smoke. Light can loosely represent Satva, heat Rajo, and smoke Tamo. But none of these influences the fire itself – fire remains independent.

The Gunas make our perception of the supreme energy elusive. The only way to overcome them is complete conviction in the Lord – Bhakthi. No matter how much heat or smoke exists, persistent seekers eventually see the truth, like perceiving fire. (Figurative example – don’t experiment with fire literally!)

People unaware of the supreme being remain in delusion and may gradually tend toward Āsuri (demonic – Tamo predominance). This isn’t about mythical demons - it’s about anyone who disrespects or abuses nature, leading to existential imbalance.

The Lord categorizes seekers into four types:
Ārta – seeks the Lord in times of need
Arthārthi – seeks the Lord always to fulfill needs
Jignāsu – seeks to understand the Lord in search of truth
Jñāni – firmly established in the awareness of the truth

These represent stages of evolution, helping you gauge your journey. The Lord again emphasizes that true Jñānis are rare and may take many lifetimes to emerge. Simply reading scriptures or performing rituals doesn’t make one a Jñāni.

People unaware of the supreme often worship lower energies, deriving limited benefits. For example, fire provides light and heat, but not taste or fragrance. Recognize the source of all energies – THE changeless, supreme source.
Go beyond trivial desires and dualities, act with the spirit of Yajna (Karma Yoga), and seek truth with conviction (Bhakthi). This leads to experiencing the supreme within you!

May the Lord grace us all with the experience of the supreme!

DISCLAIMER: 

This is our sincere attempt to summarize the Gitopadesha through short blogs. This is not a full translation or commentary of the divine book. We seek forgiveness from the reader and the Lord for inevitable omissions. The write-ups include personal opinions and summarized shlokas from the Bhagavad Gita. The intent is not to provide commentary but to inspire readers to study the Bhagavad Gita in its entirety. The writer is neither a scholar nor a hermit -somewhere in between – believing that the Lord guides his actions, though he may still err. Please forgive any mistakes.

Sarvam Krishnarpanamasthu!