Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7 Verse 1 (7.1)
Reflective Prompt:
When trying to understand a complex subject like science, art, or the universe, is it enough to read books about it, or do we need direct experience and practice to truly know it?
- ▪ Option 1: Reading books is enough — knowledge is knowledge.
- ▪ Option 2: Only direct experience matters — books just describe what someone else felt.
- ▪ Option 3: Both together — study the maps AND walk the terrain yourself.
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7 Verse 1 (7.1)
श्रीभगवानुवाच
मय्यासक्तमनाः पार्थ योगं युञ्जन्मदाश्रयः । असंशयं समग्रं मां यथा ज्ञास्यसि तच्छृणु | | ७-१ | |
śhrī bhagavān uvācha mayyāsaktamanāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjanmadāśhrayaḥ asaṁśhayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tachchhṛiṇu
Word-by-word guide:
Line 0:
- श्री
(shri)— श्री(honorific) - भगवान्
(bhagavan)— भगवान(the Blessed Lord) - उवाच
(uvacha)— कहा(said)
Line 1:
- मयि
(mayi)— मुझमें(in Me) - आसक्तमनाः
(asakta-manah)— आसक्त मन वाला(with the mind attached) - पार्थ
(partha)— हे पार्थ(O Partha) - योगम्
(yogam)— योग को(yoga) - युञ्जन्
(yunjan)— अभ्यास करते हुए(practicing) - मदाश्रयः
(mad-ashrayah)— मेरे आश्रय होकर(taking refuge in Me)
Line 2:
- असंशयम्
(asamshayam)— संशयरहित(without doubt) - समग्रम्
(samagram)— पूर्ण रूप से(completely) - माम्
(mam)— मुझको(Me) - यथा
(yatha)— जिस प्रकार(how) - ज्ञास्यसि
(jnasyasi)— जानोगे(you shall know) - तत्
(tat)— उसको(that) - शृणु
(shrunu)— सुनो(listen)
English: Krishna said: Listen, Arjuna, And I will tell you how you will know Me in my Full perfection, practising meditation with your mind devoted to Me, and having Me for your refuge.
Learnings from Shloka 1:
- Devotion precedes knowledge:: Attachment to the Divine is the starting condition, not the result.
- Practice must have direction:: Yoga without refuge in the Divine is discipline without destination.
- Complete knowing leaves nothing unsought:: When knowledge and realization join, the seeking ends.
Gita/Sanskrit Language Quiz
Practice this shloka vocabularyMatch Sanskrit words from shloka 7.1 with their Hindi and English meanings.
Practice vocabulary
With the mind attached to Me" is the key phrase. Krishna says devotion (asakti) is the prerequisite for complete knowledge. True knowing of the Divine requires not just study but turning the whole mind toward the Divine. The chapter opens not with a rule but with a relationship.