Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7, Verse 7 (BG 7.7) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

# BG 7.7 When you accept the principle taught in the preceding verses, two perspectives emerge for viewing the world. One is the lower perspective—seeing the world as effects, as manifested forms. The other is the higher perspective—distinct from this, seeing the world as cause. Just as from the standpoint of clay, the various pots of different shapes and colors have no existence whatsoever, so too in the consciousness-nature of the Supreme Self, neither the gross world of objects nor the subtle world of thoughts exists. Nothing whatsoever exists apart from Me. When one awakens from sleep, the dream world holds no reality for the waking person. Countless waves appear to rise in the ocean, yet in truth, nothing exists there but the ocean itself. Their birth, existence, and dissolution all have the ocean as their substratum. In essence, no object can ever abandon its fundamental nature. You have been told that in every living being, one aspect is the lower nature—matter—which has united with the atman, the Self. Here, the inquiring mind may wonder: Is the atman within me different from the atman in another being? This thought would lead to the conclusion that different bodies contain different atmans—that we arrive at the principle of multiplicity of selves. To demonstrate the unity of the atman in all names and forms, the Blessed Lord declares that He is the foundation of this world. He sustains all forms as a single thread strings all the jewels in a necklace. This illustration is profoundly meaningful. Along with poetic beauty, it contains deep philosophical significance. In a necklace, all the jewels are visible and appear equal, yet the single thread that strings together all these large and small jewels remains invisible to us—and yet it is this thread alone that makes the garland radiant. Similarly, the substance from which jewels and pearls are made differs from the substance of which the thread is made. Just so, this world is a wondrous creation of countless names and forms, sustained in its entirety by one ultimate reality—the atman, the Self. Even in a single person, body, mind, and intellect, though distinct from one another, work together and produce the symphony of life. Only this atman is the fundamental cause of all this. This verse is an example wherein we behold the unparalleled genius of the sage Vyasa in both poetry and philosophy. Here poetry and philosophy are beautifully unified. Hear now how this world is strung within Me.