Gita 07.01 – Hearing paves our way to the summit of yoga

Link: https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/gita-07-01-hearing-paves-our-way-to-the-summit-of-yoga/

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha
yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ
asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ
yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu
(BG 07.01)

Word-to-word
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Lord said; mayi — to Me; āsakta-manāḥ — mind attached; pārtha — O son of Pṛthā; yogam — self-realization; yuñjan — practicing; mat-āśrayaḥ — in consciousness of Me (Kṛṣṇa consciousness); asaṁśayam — without doubt; samagram — completely; mām — Me; yathā — how; jñāsyasi — you can know; tat — that; śṛṇu — try to hear.

Translation
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Now hear, O son of Pṛthā, how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt.

Explanation
Krishna now begins to describe an alternative process by which one can attain the perfection of yoga — the state where the mind becomes fully attached to Him. He says, “I will explain the process by which you can know Me beyond all doubt. By taking shelter of Me and engaging in yoga with your mind fixed upon Me, you can know me in full”
In the previous chapter, Krishna elaborated on the process of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga, and after describing it in detail, He brought that discussion to its culmination in 6.47, declaring:
yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā
śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yukta-tamo mataḥ
— “Of all yogis, those who always think of Me within themselves, who worship Me with faith and devotion — they are the most intimately united with Me.”
The word “Yukta” means connected, harmonized, or united; and “Tama” is the superlative form — the best, the highest. Thus, “Yukta-tama” means “the most perfectly united.”
The universal scope of this verse is evident in Krishna’s use of the words sarveṣāṁ and yukta-tamaḥ — meaning that among all yogis of every kind, not just among the sentimental or devotional types, those who are devoted to Krishna are the highest.
Krishna is unequivocal — the topmost yogis are those whose minds and hearts are fixed on Him, who worship Him with faith, love, and devotion.
This means that the true purpose and perfection of all yogic disciplines — of going to the forest, of practicing austerities, of controlling the mind and senses — is ultimately to arrive at the lotus feet of Krishna, to become completely absorbed in Him.
Since that is the ultimate goal, Krishna now begins, from the Seventh Chapter onward, to describe an alternative and more direct path to reach that same perfection. When the mind becomes mayy āsakta — deeply attached to Krishna — constant remembrance of Him arises naturally.
The process by which this attachment can be cultivated is what Krishna begins to reveal here, saying:
“tac chṛṇu — hear about it.”
From the Seventh Chapter onward, the mood of the Bhagavad Gita becomes much more positive and affirmative. In the earlier chapters, the emphasis was largely regulative — cultivating detachment, maintaining equanimity amid happiness and distress, and restraining the senses and mind. These are indeed essential disciplines, but now Krishna begins to speak of something higher and sweeter — mayy āsakta-manāḥ — “Become attached to Me.”
Thus, the Gita now moves from detachment from the negative to attachment to the positive — from renouncing the material to embracing the spiritual. The focus shifts from distancing oneself from illusion to connecting oneself with the Supreme Reality — with Krishna, the ultimate spiritual truth and highest object of love.
This shift marks the beginning of the central six chapters (Chapters 7–12), often described as the heart of the Gita. Just as a treasure chest has an upper and lower cover with the treasure secured within, the first six and last six chapters serve as the coverings, while these middle six chapters contain the treasure of divine love and devotion.
Right at the outset, Krishna establishes this affirmative tone of Bhakti Yoga, emphasizing that the goal is not merely to detach the mind from the world, but to attach it to Him. Arjuna had earlier expressed how difficult it was to achieve mental equanimity through the path of regulation alone:
yo ’yaṁ yogas tvayā proktaḥ sāmyena madhusūdana
etasyāhaṁ na paśyāmi cañcalatvāt sthitiṁ sthirām
(6.33)
He said, “O Madhusudana, this yoga of equanimity that You have described seems impossible for me to practice, because the mind is restless and unsteady.”
In response, Krishna, from the Seventh Chapter onward, begins to reveal a more accessible and joyful path — the path of Bhakti Yoga. Instead of struggling to maintain sāmyena (mental balance) by sheer discipline, one can naturally achieve inner steadiness by focusing the mind on Krishna.
When consciousness becomes fixed in Krishna, equanimity (samya) arises spontaneously as a by-product.
In this way, Bhakti Yoga provides an alternative, higher pathway — one where detachment and tranquility naturally flow from loving connection with the Supreme.
Moreover, verse 6.47, which concludes the previous chapter, can be seen as the bridge to 7.1. Both verses describe the culmination of yoga in Bhakti, where one’s consciousness becomes eternally and lovingly fixed in Krishna.
We can see this verse as outlining a clear, sequential process that begins with hearing.
1. Hearing (Śravaṇam):
The process begins with hearing about Krishna. Śravaṇam is the first and foremost of the nine processes of bhakti. By hearing, we come to know Krishna — His nature, His qualities, His activities. The more we hear, the more our doubts dissolve. As the doubts fade, realization dawns: Krishna is supremely wonderful, powerful, and loving. Understanding this inspires us to take shelter of Him.
2. Taking Shelter (Mad-āśrayaḥ):
This taking of shelter is not merely a matter of sentiment — “I surrender to Krishna, I depend on Him.” While the emotion of surrender is vital, for it to be sustainable, it must be grounded in a spiritual process. That process is described by Krishna as yogaṁ yuñjan — the disciplined practice of bhakti-yoga by which we take shelter of Him in a regulated and meaningful way.
3. Cultivating Attachment (Mayy āsakta-manāḥ):
Through this consistent practice of bhakti-yoga, our heart naturally develops attachment to Krishna. As the mind becomes increasingly drawn toward Him, we attain the same perfection that yogis laboriously strive for through other disciplines — by renouncing the world, practicing severe austerities, controlling the mind, and gradually progressing from Brahman to Paramatma to Bhagavan realization.
However, what they attain with great struggle, the devotee achieves with grace through hearing, understanding, and loving absorption in Krishna.
The Six Stages Outlined in This Verse:
Krishna’s verse subtly presents this progressive journey:
1. Śṛṇu — Hear about Me.
2. Jñāsyasi — You will come to know Me.
3. Asaṁśayaṁ — Your doubts will be removed.
4. Mad-āśrayaḥ — You will take shelter of Me.
5. Yogaṁ yuñjan — You will practice the process of yoga.
6. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ — Your mind will become attached to Me.
Thus, by following this natural, positive process of bhakti, one attains the same summit of realization that other yogis aim for — but with greater sweetness, intimacy, and joy.
This verse, therefore, serves as a vital transition point in the Gita — from the strenuous discipline of Ashtanga Yoga to the accessible and affectionate path of Bhakti Yoga, which Krishna will elaborate upon in this chapter and the next five chapters that form the very heart of the Gita.