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Study a Verse
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Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 7.14
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
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.ioWhat this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.
3 study points
Kṛṣṇa’s divine material energy has three modes and is hard to overcome, but those who surrender to Him can easily cross beyond it.
Prabhupāda explains that we cannot free ourselves from material bondage. Only Kṛṣṇa or His genuine representative, the spiritual master, can release us.
Practice devotional service and surrender to Kṛṣṇa, relying on His mercy to become free from material nature.
Explains how to get free of modes and how to understand Krishna
Difficult by own endeavour
Easy by surrender to Krishna
Conditioned souls are called Nitya-baddha, because
Material energy, like spiritual energy, is an eternal divine energy
No one can trace out the history of being conditioned
Difficult to overcome — because controlled by Supreme will
“Divine Nature” — Material energy is called so because of divine connection and movement by divine will (Ref. Vedas “nayam…”)
Analogy of ‘Guna as rope’ — Only a liberated person can rescue one who is bound
Only Krishna or His bona-fide representative can rescue one
Devotional service can help one gain release
Causeless mercy on surrendered soul – Krishna, out of paternal affection for the living entity, can order His energies to release the conditioned soul
“Mam-eva” indicates surrender to only Krishna and not Brahma / Shiva (Because they are also under material energy) etc. Only Vishnu is the master of maya
Ref. Vedas: One can transcend the modes only by understanding Krishna
Ref. Lord Shiva says: “Vishnu is the deliverer of liberation for everyone”
Why Brahma / Shiva cannot help
They are almost on the level of Vishnu but they are incarnations of Rajo-guna and Tamo- guna
Brahma and Shiva are also under the influence of maya, only Vishnu is the master of Maya
Texts 7.14 & 7.15
If surrender is the solution to cross material laws, then why educated philosophers, scientists, businessmen, administrators and all leaders don’t surrender unto the lotus feet.
Dependence and hope
Those who surrender to Krishna (the controller of the modes) will cross beyond the delusion caused by three modes and come to know Him
Learn the Sanskrit words of the 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.
Take one thing from this verse into your day.
What am I trying to overcome by willpower alone?
Pair sincere effort with prayerful dependence on Krishna.
Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.
Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.
Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.