Chapter 7: Knowledge of the Absolute
Bg 7.30
TEXT 30
sadhibhutadhidaivam mam
sadhiyajnam ca ye viduh
prayana-kale 'pi ca mam
te vidur yukta-cetasah
SYNONYMS
sa-adhibhüta—the governing principle of the material manifestation; adhidaivam—underlying all the demigods; mäm—Me; sa-adhiyajïam—sustaining all sacrifices; ca—and; ye—those; viduù—know; prayäëa—of death; käle—at the time; api—even; ca—and; mäm—Me; te—they; viduù—know; yukta-cetasaù—with steadfast mind.
TRANSLATION
Those who know Me as the Supreme Lord, as the governing principle of the material manifestation, who know Me as the one underlying all the demigods and as the one sustaining all sacrifices, can, with steadfast mind, understand and know Me even at the time of death.
PURPORT
Persons acting in Kåñëa consciousness are never entirely deviated from the path of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the transcendental association of Kåñëa consciousness, one can understand how the Supreme Lord is the governing principle of the material manifestation and even of the demigods. Gradually, by such transcendental association, one becomes convinced of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, and at the time of death such a Kåñëa conscious person can never forget Kåñëa. Naturally he is thus promoted to the planet of the Supreme Lord, Goloka Våndävana.
This Seventh Chapter particularly explains how one can become a fully Kåñëa conscious person. The beginning of Kåñëa consciousness is association of persons who are Kåñëa conscious. Such association is spiritual and puts one directly in touch with the Supreme Lord, and, by His grace, one can understand Kåñëa to be the Supreme God. At the same time one can really understand the constitutional position of the living entity and how the living entity forgets Kåñëa and becomes entangled in material activities. By gradual development of Kåñëa consciousness in good association, the living entity can understand that due to forgetfulness of Kåñëa he has become conditioned by the laws of material nature. He can also understand that this human form of life is an opportunity to regain Kåñëa consciousness and that it should be fully utilized to attain the causeless mercy of the Supreme Lord.
Many subjects have been discussed in this chapter: the man in distress, the inquisitive man, the man in want of material necessities, knowledge of Brahman, knowledge of Paramätmä, liberation from birth, death and diseases, and worship of the Supreme Lord. However, he who is actually elevated in Kåñëa consciousness does not care for the different processes. He simply directly engages himself in activities of Kåñëa consciousness and thereby factually attains his constitutional position as eternal servitor of Lord Kåñëa. In such a situation he takes pleasure in hearing and glorifying the Supreme Lord in pure devotional service. He is convinced that by doing so, all his objectives will be fulfilled. This determined faith is called dåòha-vrata, and it is the beginning of bhakti-yoga or transcendental loving service. That is the verdict of all scriptures. This Seventh Chapter of the Gétä is the substance of that conviction.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Seventh Chapter of the Çrémad-Bhagavad-gétä in the matter of Knowledge of the Absolute.