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Chapter 7 · Knowledge of the Absolute · 30 verses

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Nature & guṇasChapter 7 · Knowledge of the Absolute
7.137.15

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 7.14

Crossing beyond māyā

दैवी ह्येषा गुणमयी मम माया दुरत्यया ।

मामेव ये प्रपद्यन्ते मायामेतां तरन्ति ते ॥ १४ ॥

daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī

mama māyā duratyayā

mām eva ye prapadyante

māyām etāṁ taranti te

Translation

This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

What this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.

Freedom Through Surrender

  1. 1Kṛṣṇa’s divine material energy has three modes and is hard to overcome, but those who surrender to Him can easily cross beyond it.
  2. 2Prabhupāda explains that we cannot free ourselves from material bondage. Only Kṛṣṇa or His genuine representative, the spiritual master, can release us.
  3. 3Practice devotional service and surrender to Kṛṣṇa, relying on His mercy to become free from material nature.

Where we are

In the story

Chapter 7, Knowledge of the Absolute: the guṇas, illusion and divine energy.

What it teaches

Study note

Krishna contrasts material bondage with the power of surrender.

How it feels

Interpretive

Dependence and hope

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Key ideas in this verse

The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.

Illusory energy

The guṇa-made energy is difficult to cross without surrender.

Surrender

Surrender enables one to cross the material energy.

3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What am I trying to overcome by willpower alone?

Practice

Pair sincere effort with prayerful dependence on Krishna.

4

The story behind it

Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.

All stories for chapter 7 ›
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Related verses

Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.

BG 7.15Types of devotees and mature surrenderBG 18.73My illusion is goneBG 18.62Perform duty in surrender to KrishnaBG 18.66The heart of surrender

Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.

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Back to step 3The key ideasNext · Step 5 of 7 · 5 minLive the teachingsBring it into your day with a practice and a question, straight from Prabhupāda's purports.