Gita 07.02 – Understand the appearance and the substance of everything
jñānaṁ te ’haṁ sa-vijñānam
idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ
yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo ’nyaj
jñātavyam avaśiṣyate
(BG 07.02)
Word-for-word
jñānam — phenomenal knowledge; te — unto you; aham — I; sa — with; vijñānam — numinous knowledge; idam — this; vakṣyāmi — shall explain; aśeṣataḥ — in full; yat — which; jñātvā — knowing; na — not; iha — in this world; bhūyaḥ — further; anyat — anything more; jñātavyam — knowable; avaśiṣyate — remains.
Translation
I shall now declare unto you in full this knowledge, both phenomenal and numinous. This being known, nothing further shall remain for you to know.
Explanation
In this verse, Krishna speaks about the glory of the knowledge He is about to reveal in the seventh chapter. In the previous verse (7.1), He explained that by this knowledge one’s mind would become attached to Him — and that such attachment to Krishna is the perfection of yoga. Now, in this verse, He continues to glorify that knowledge, Krishna says, jñānaṁ te ’haṁ sa-vijñānam — “I am giving you knowledge (jñāna) along with realization (vijñāna).”Different ācāryas explain these terms in nuanced ways. Broadly, jñāna refers to theoretical understanding, while vijñāna refers to realised knowledge, or knowledge that is experienced and lived. Together, they represent complete understanding — not merely information about the truth, but realization of it in one’s life and consciousness.
Krishna further states, idam vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ — “I shall speak this without leaving anything aside,” and yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo ’nyaj jñātavyam avaśiṣyate — “after knowing this, nothing more remains to be known.”
This doesn’t mean Krishna is going to reveal every possible fact about the universe. Even in the tenth chapter, He says that His vibhūtis, or divine opulences, are unlimited, and that He will speak of them only in brief as examples.
Rather, Krishna here means that He will give complete understanding of the essential principles of existence — knowledge of the fundamental categories of reality — through which everything else can be comprehended in principle.
The Upanishads describe three foundational truths (tattva-traya) underlying all existence:
– Jīva — the individual soul.
– Jagat — the material world.
– Īśvara (Jagadīśa) — the Supreme Lord, the controller.
If one understands these three — the self, the world, and the Supreme — and their interrelationship, then one has understood the essence of all knowledge. Details may be infinite, but these principles encompass the totality of reality.
In this chapter, Krishna will describe:
– His material energy (prakṛti) in verse 7.4,
– His spiritual energy (parā prakṛti) in verse 7.5, and
– His own supreme position as the source and sustainer of both.
Thus, aśeṣataḥ — “completely” — means that Krishna will reveal knowledge of everything essential to be known: the Lord, the soul, and matter — their nature, relationship, and ultimate purpose.
Different ācāryas offer varied insights into jñāna and vijñāna, but all agree that together they represent theoretical understanding and realized wisdom — knowledge that not only informs but transforms.
Some ācāryas explain that jñāna and vijñāna here refer to knowledge of Aiśvarya and Mādhurya — that is, knowledge of Krishna’s greatness and also of His sweetness. Krishna’s mādhurya, His sweetness, shines beautifully in this chapter, especially when He says that those who surrender unto Him will be delivered, that those who take shelter of Him will cross beyond māyā.
Śrīla Prabhupāda generally explains jñāna and vijñāna as knowledge and realization — theoretical and practical understanding. However, interestingly, in this verse he also translates these words as phenomenal and numinous or we can say phenomenal and noumenal knowledge.
The terms noumenal and phenomenal are often used in Western philosophy, but the underlying principles are universal. Phenomenal refers to that which is perceivable to our senses, the world of appearances. Noumenal, by contrast, refers to the underlying reality — that which exists beyond the reach of the senses.
Philosophers have long debated whether what we perceive through our senses truly represents reality, or whether it merely represents how reality appears to us. In other words: do we encounter things as they are, or only the appearances of things?
As one famous scientist remarked, “We can never know nature itself; we can only know nature as it is revealed through our methods of observation.” Or, to put it humorously, “If you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” This means that we tend to equate our perception of reality with reality itself — but this can be misleading.
For example, when we see a mirage, it appears that there is water, but in fact, there is none. Our senses, though useful, often deceive us. Recognizing this limitation helps us become open to higher, non-sensory means of perception.
The scriptures offer such higher perception through śāstra-cakṣuḥ — “seeing through the eyes of scripture.” While the term extra-sensory is often used in the modern world for paranormal or mystical experiences, here it refers to a spiritual way of knowing — a way of perceiving reality that transcends the fallible senses.
Thus, when Krishna says He will give both jñāna and vijñāna, and Śrīla Prabhupāda translates these as noumenal and phenomenal, it means that Krishna will reveal both the appearance of things (phenomena) and the essence or substance behind them (noumena). In other words, through divine knowledge, we will come to understand both how things appear and what they truly are in relation to Krishna.
This means that, as we go through this chapter, we will understand that it is because of the three modes of material nature that things appear in so many different ways. Their variety of appearances arises from the interplay of these modes.
We, as finite beings, cannot know everything about everything. However, we can understand this fundamental truth — that all appearances, all varieties within this material world, are ultimately products of the three modes of nature. Realizing this helps us remain free from undue attachment or infatuation with the temporary forms and attractions of this world.
On the other hand, the substance of everything is Krishna. There is no reality higher than Him. As Krishna will later declare in this very chapter — sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva — “I am like the thread that holds together the pearls on a necklace.” He underlies all of existence.
Because Krishna pervades and sustains everything, He is not only the Supreme Transcendent Truth, existing beyond all, but also the Supreme Immanent Reality, present within everything. In this way, Krishna is both the foundation and the essence of all that exists — the ultimate substance behind all appearances.
When Krishna says that He will explain everything “completely,” it does not mean He will describe every detail exhaustively. Rather, it means He will reveal the complete set of principles — the fundamental truths by which everything can be understood. Once these principles are known, there remains nothing essential left to know.
This means that no new appearance or experience in the material world can arise that falls outside these categories or confuses our understanding. We will recognize that whatever we encounter is merely a manifestation of the three modes, and thus, we need not become captivated or deluded by it.
By staying focused on our transcendental purpose — our relationship with Krishna — we can rise above the influences of these modes and live in spiritual consciousness.
Of course, all these points will unfold in greater detail as we continue exploring the profound message of the Bhagavad Gita.
Thank you very much.
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