Chapter 7 Verse 5
Jñāna Vijñāna Yog
अपरेयमितस्त्वन्यां प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम्। जीवभूतां महाबाहो ययेदं धार्यते जगत्।।7.5।।
apareyam itas tvanyāṁ prakṛitiṁ viddhi me parām jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat
Word Meanings
| aparā | inferior |
| iyam | this |
| itaḥ | besides this |
| tu | but |
| anyām | another |
| prakṛitim | energy |
| viddhi | know |
| me | my |
| parām | superior |
| jīva-bhūtām | living beings |
| mahā-bāho | mighty-armed one |
| yayā | by whom |
| idam | this |
| dhāryate | the basis |
| jagat | the material world |
Translation
O mighty-armed Arjuna, this is the inferior Prakriti; know it as distinct from My higher Prakriti, the very life-element, by which this world is upheld.
Philosophical Significance
Core Meaning
Krishna tells Arjuna there are two kinds of nature. The first is the ordinary, changing material world—our body, senses, and desires. This is the "inferior" prakriti that binds us to change and worry.
The second is Krishna's higher prakriti, the life principle that upholds and guides all beings. It is steady, inner, and supports the whole world from within.
Spiritually this means we can learn to see the difference between quick impulses and a deeper guiding presence. When we connect with the higher nature, we act with balance and do not get lost in every urge or fear.
Life Application
- Pause before reacting: name the feeling (fear, anger, desire) and choose a steady, kind response instead.
- Treat people and life with care, seeing them as supported by the same life-force, not just as objects.
- Do your work responsibly but without clinging to the result, trusting a wider support beyond the immediate outcome.
Reflection Question
Which choices today came from quick desires, and which came from a steadier, life-giving sense of purpose?