Bhagavad Gita · 7.19 · Self-Knowledge and Enlightenment·19 of 30
बहूनां जन्मनामन्ते ज्ञानवान्मां प्रपद्यते।वासुदेवः सर्वमिति स महात्मा सुदुर्लभः ॥
bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ
Sanskrit recitation
Why people seek · 7.15–7.19 · Teaching
Translation
At the end of many births, the wise man comes to Me, realizing that all this is Vaasudeva (the innermost Self); such a great soul (Mahatma) is very hard to find.
Meaning
Vaasudeva is a name of Lord Krishna as He is the son of Vasudeva. He is the allpervading Brahman.The aspirant gradually evolves through Yogic practices, selfless service, devotion and constant meditation in many births and ultimately attains the inner Self. He realises that all is Vaasudeva. It is very difficult to find such a great soul, who has attained to perfection. No one is eal to him. That is the reason why the Lord has said, One in a thousand perchance strives for perfection even among those successful strivers, only one perchance knows Me in essence. (Cf.VII.3.)
After Swami Sivananda
Why people seek· 7.15–7.19→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 7.15The evil-doers and the deluded, who are the lowest of men, do not seek Me; those whose knowledge is destroyed by illusion follow the ways of demons.
- 7.16Four kinds of virtuous men worship Me, O Arjuna, and they are the distressed, the seekers of knowledge, the seekers of wealth, and the wise, O Lord of the Bharatas.
- 7.17Of them, the wise who are ever steadfast and devoted to the One, excel; for I am exceedingly dear to the wise, and they are dear to Me.
- 7.18Indeed, all these are noble; however, I consider the wise man as My very Self; for, he is steadfast in mind and established in Me alone as the supreme goal.
7.19At the end of many births, the wise man comes to Me, realizing that all this is Vaasudeva (the innermost Self); such a great soul (Mahatma) is very hard to find.
Word-by-word→
- iti
- that
- ante
- after
- mām
- unto me
- saḥ
- that
- sarvam
- all
- bahūnām
- many
- janmanām
- births
- prapadyate
- surrenders
- jñāna-vān
- one who is endowed with knowledge
- mahā-ātmā
- great soul
- vāsudevaḥ
- Shree Krishna, the son of Vasudev
- su-durlabhaḥ
- very rare
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