Filognostic* understanding of the Bhagavad Gîtâ of Order

Text 1

The Supreme Lord said: 'Try to hear about, how attached to Me in the mind, o son of Prithâ, practicing unification under My care, you can know that complete of Me without any doubt.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

The fortunate one said: 'Now listen how you, o son of Prithâ, with your mind fixed on me in the unification that I care about, may move beyond doubt concerning this completeness of me. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 2

I shall now in full explain to you this knowledge together with its wisdom, knowing which leaves one nothing further to be known in this world.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Let me tell you in detail how, once you get the hang of this knowledge growing wise with it, that to you would be all you need to know in this world. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 3

Out of thousands of men but a single one endeavors for perfection and of those endeavoring thus there is indeed but a single one who really knows Me.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Among the thousands is but a single one interested in the perfection and of those is but a single one really aware of this integrity of mine. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 4

Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and certainly false ego thus together are My eight separated energies.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

What I consist of in a material sense are the energies of the earth, the water, the air, the ether, the mind, the intelligence and the ego. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 5

Try to understand that besides these lower ones there is another energy that is the superior of Me as the soul of the living entities, o mighty armed one, which is sustaining this material world.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Try to understand, o man of grip, that besides this lower energy of mine there is a superior one which, supporting all the world, is the self of me in which every living soul is situated. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 6

All created is rooted in these two; know that of all included in this universe I am as well the source of manifestation as its dissolution.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

All that is created roots in these two energies and as such you should know me to be as well as the eternal source of the manifestation as the fragmentation you find in the world. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 7

Beyond the superior of Me, there is nothing else to be found, o conquerer of wealth; in Me is all that we see strung like pearls on a thread.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Beyond this superior energy of mine, which is like the thread that connects all the pearls on a string, there is nothing else to be found, o winner of the wealth. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text8

I am the taste of water, o son of Kuntî, the light I am of the moon and the sun, the pranava [A.U.M.] in all the Vedas, the sound in the sky and manhood in man.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

In that am I the taste of water, o son of Kuntî, the light of the sun and the moon, the primal mantra AUM in all the holy books, the sound one finds in the ether and the prowess in men. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 9

Also the pure fragrance of the earth as well as the heat of fire I am and the life in all living beings and the penance in the repentent I am too.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

I am the original smell of the earth, the heat of the fire, the life in all living beings and the penance of the repentant I am. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 10

Know, o son of Prithâ, that I am the seed of all living beings , the original intelligence of the intelligent I am; I am the prowess of the powerful.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Know, o son of Prithâ, that I am the seed of all living beings, the original intelligence of the intelligent, and the command of the ones in power. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 11

I am the strenght of the strong that is free from desire and attachment and, o Lord of the Bhâratas, I am the sex-life in all living beings that is consistent with its nature [procreation].

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

I am of the strong the strength that is free from desire and attachment, and, o master of the dynasty, of the sex-life of the living being am I the consistency with nature. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 12

And try to understand that of all which is surely in the state of goodness, passion and slowness and thus all that is certainly so of Me, you should not know Me as being in them but that they are in Me.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

And remember of all the states of goodness, passion and darkness one may be in, that they are more a part of me, than that I am a part of them. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 13

From all these three states consisting of the natural modes the whole world is deluded not knowing Me as being situated above them as the inexhaustible Supreme.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

The whole world is under the influence of these states and is deluded by them not knowing me, the one who is situated above them as the inexhaustible supreme. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 14

This divine energy of Mine the way it is consisting of the three modes is very difficult to overcome, but surely they who surrender to Me will overcome this illusory of matter [mâyâ]

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

The divinity of this setup of mine in the sense of the natural modes, is a most difficult thing, but those who have accepted me as the integrity, are very well able to get overcome this illusory energy. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 15

The ones who do evil and the foolish do not surrender to Me; the lowest of mankind whose knowledge is stolen by this mâyâ have adopted the demoniac nature.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

The corrupted ones and the foolish⁵ whose âtmatattva is clouded by the bewildering effect of the modes, do, of their unenlightened state, not respect me. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 16

Of the pious of men there are four kinds that are devoted to Me, o Arjuna: the distressed, the inquisitive, the ones desiring material gain and the ones who know things as they are as well, o great one of the Bhâratas.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Arjuna, of the pious who respect me there are four types: the ones in trouble, the ones curious, the ones desiring my opulence, and the ones of âtmatattva. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 17

Of these the one, who is always aligned in the sole devotion of knowing things as they are, is specially dear, for certainly as with the person of knowledge I am held high, he is also favored by Me.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Of these is the one who in devotion is always connected in âtmatattva most dear to me, because the one loving the knowledge who holds me high, is held high by me. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 18

All these of knowledge are undoubtedly all very noble, but He who in his soul is connected to Me I consider to be alike Myself, as in Me is certainly found the highest destination.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

All âtmatattva persons are most certainly magnanimous souls, and I daresay that they, in their being connected in the soul, are equal to me, for in me is that highest destination found. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 19

After many lives one who knows Me surrenders to My Universal reality [Vâsudeva], knowing Me to be all that is - such a great soul is thus very rare.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

After so Kuru trials of life accepts the one of âtmatattva, he who loves to know equal-minded, me as the original divinity of all success, and such a one, you know, one rarely encounters. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 20

Because of various desires those deprived of knowledge surrender themselves to the demigods and their corresponding regulations, following them according their own nature.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

In their desires do the ones who lost the sight of the âtmatattva, according their own nature, abide by lesser gods and lesser regulations. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 21

Whoever is faithfully devoted to whatever form of a demigod in worship as desired, him so I surely give a steady faith.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

They who according their own desire faithfully adhere to whatever divinity, are by me confirmed in their faith though. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 22

Endowed with that inspiration of that demigod he for that worship obtains what he aspires and certainly is that from his desires arranged by Me only.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Inspired by such a form of connectedness achieve they what they aspire, for that is how I, and no one else, arranged the connectedness for them. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 23

But perishable are the fruits that become of those who are less intelligent; those who go for the gods attain to them, while those who are My devotees as well attain to Me.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

But, because it concerns a lesser intelligence⁶, are those fruits but temporary; they who want the gods go to them and they who want me come to me. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 24

The less intelligent think that I manifested out of the unmanifested without them knowing of My supreme existence that is imperishable and the finest.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Not knowing the supreme integrity of the duality of my invincible lower and imperishable higher existence, do the less intelligent assume that I acquired a form from the unapparent. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 25

I am not manifest to everyone, as the foolish are covered by illusory concepts of union; they cannot understand Me as being situated in the unborn and inexhaustible.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

I, in the sense of being that unborn and inexhaustible reality, am not that evident to everyone because the foolish, covered by illusory concepts of union, have no clue about my integrity. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 26

I know all of the past, the present and, o Arjuna, the future as well of all living beings, but Me nobody [really] knows.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

The past, the present and the future of all living beings is clear to me, Arjuna, but I am not that clear to them. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 27

By the illusion of duality that arose from liking and disliking, o scion of Bhârata, all the living entities are, from the beginning, deluded, o conqueror of the foes.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

O scion of Bharata, all de living beings who took their birth have to suffer under the illusion brought about by the deluding duality of likes and dislikes. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 28

The sins of those persons have come to an end who' s previous activities were pious; they are free from the delusion of duality and engage with determination in the service of Me.   

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

This illusory duality dissolves with persons who, pious in their activities, reached the end of their ulterior motives; they are the ones who, free from delusion and with determination to serve my cause, engage with devotion. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 29

For being liberated from birth and death all persons who so endeavor take shelter of Me and are actually of the spiritual; they are fully aquainted with everything about the individual transcendence of material actions.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

To be freed from the burden of old age and death are all the ones who take to my shelter, actually God-conscious people; they know everything about what to do in favor of the transcendence. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 30

Those who know Me as ruling all as well as the godly and the sacrifices also; they with their minds connected in Me even know me at the time of their death too.'

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Connected in the spirit do they, even when they are about to die, know me as the one sovereign over all the material manifestation, all divinity and all sacrifices.' (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

 

 

 

Versions consulted:

- A Song of Fortune One - A modern Gîtâ - the modern version of filognosy (also in mp3-audio).

- A Song of Fortune - A Classical Gîtâ - the classical version of filognosy.

- The Bhagavad Gîta-as-it-is by Swami Bhaktivedânta Prabhupâda (PDF-download).

- The Bhagavad Gîtâ-as-it-is: online (version 1.0).

- The Bhagavad Gita As It Is By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (pdf-download).

- The Bhagavad Gita by the Bhagavad Gita Trust.

- Bhagavad Gita by Sanderson Beck.

- Bhagavad Gita by Ramanad Prasad (American Gita society).

- Srimad Bhagavad-gita - The Hidden Treasure of the Sweet Absolute (from the Vaishnav' S'rî Caitanya Saraswath math).

Sanskrit dictionary: (Monier-Williams' 'Sanskrit-English Dictionary').

 

Production and copyright of this translation: Anand Aadhar Prabhu                   
The filognostic translations are of the same author.                   
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