Chapter 7 Verse 19
Jñāna Vijñāna Yog
बहूनां जन्मनामन्ते ज्ञानवान्मां प्रपद्यते। वासुदेवः सर्वमिति स महात्मा सुदुर्लभः।।7.19।।
bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ
Word Meanings
| bahūnām | many |
| janmanām | births |
| ante | after |
| jñāna-vān | one who is endowed with knowledge |
| mām | unto me |
| prapadyate | surrenders |
| vāsudevaḥ | Shree Krishna, the son of Vasudev |
| sarvam | all |
| iti | that |
| saḥ | that |
| mahā-ātmā | great soul |
| su-durlabhaḥ | very rare |
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.
Philosophical Significance
Core Meaning
This verse says that a person with true spiritual knowledge, after many lifetimes of learning, finally surrenders to the divine. That surrender comes from inner knowing that the same sacred presence (Vasudeva) pervades all things.
Surrender here is not weakness. It is a clear, steady recognition that ego and separate identity are limited, and that life makes sense when seen as part of a larger, living whole.
Such a heart — humble, wise, and fully surrendered — is rare. It is the result of steady inner work: learning, practice, honesty, and letting go.
Life Application
- Spend a few minutes each day in quiet or prayer to remember you are part of something larger; let that calm your reactions.
- Do your duties with care, but release tight grip on outcomes—offer results as service rather than personal gain.
- Look for the good in others and act with kindness; treating people as expressions of the same life helps build inner surrender.
Reflection Question
What small action today would help me remember that I and others share the same inner life?