Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7, Verse 25 (BG 7.25) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

# BG 7.25 — Translation of Meaning When a seeker of spiritual knowledge studies the principles expounded by Vedanta, naturally such questions arise in their mind: If there exists a divine principle that is the foundation of all existence, why is it not experienced everywhere and at all times by everyone? Why do we conduct ourselves as limited beings and fail to recognize our infinite nature? In essence, what veil stands between myself and my true nature? The Lord responds: This deluded world does not know Me, the unborn and imperishable, for I remain veiled by My yoga-maya, the divine illusion composed of the three gunas. When a beginning student of Vedanta attempts to understand maya as an external object, great difficulty arises. Yet when they contemplate from a spiritual perspective—examining how maya operates within their own inner consciousness—the principle of maya becomes clear. Maya is like a prism: a medium through which the formless, non-dual reality, when expressed, appears as the manifold creation, like white light dispersing into seven colors. The maya operating within the individual is called avidya, ignorance. The sages have made a subtle study of this ignorance, which is the cause of all suffering, and have revealed that it comprises three gunas—sattva, rajas, and tamas—which affect human consciousness. These three gunas function like a prism, through which we experience this diverse creation. Rajas causes distraction; tamas creates a veil over the intellect. A person deluded and confused by the modifications of the three gunas does not attain direct knowledge of the Self. For that knowledge of the Self, the teachings of a guru and one's own spiritual practice are necessary. Just as an uneducated villager perceives no electricity in a bulb because it remains unmanifest, so too must one have both theoretical knowledge and direct experience to perceive its flow. Once one understands the nature of electricity, and sees light in that same bulb, immediate knowledge of the invisible current is gained. Similarly, through self-discipline, hearing, reflection, and meditation, when the seeker's agitated mind becomes tranquil, then—free from the veil—they recognize Me, the unborn and imperishable. The ignorant being seeks endless pleasure in sense-objects only until the veil and distraction are removed. In minds tormented by the fire of desire, gripped by despair, crushed by discontent, and troubled by fear of self-destruction—in such frenzied and afflicted hearts, equanimity and concentration can never arise, nor can they experience even for a moment the pure nature of the Self. This world, deluded by yoga-maya, does not know Me, the imperishable. It is as though name and form have veiled the Self—just as mirages veil the desert, and waves veil the ocean. Contrary to this state of ignorance in life, Sri Krishna, describing His own nature, declares His truth.