Bhagavad-gītā 7.19
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
बहूनां जन्मनामन्ते ज्ञानवान्मां प्रपद्यते। वासुदेवः सर्वमिति स महात्मा सुदुर्लभः।।7.19।।
bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ
At the end of many births, the man of wisdom takes refuge in Me, realising that all this is Vâsudeva (the innermost Self). Very rare is that great soul.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| bahūnām | many |
| janmanām | births |
| ante | after |
| jñāna-vān | one who is endowed with knowledge |
| mām | unto me |
| prapadyate | surrenders |
| vāsudevaḥ | Shree Krishna, the son of Vasudev |
| sarvam | all |
| iti | that |
| saḥ | that |
| mahā-ātmā | great soul |
| su-durlabhaḥ | very rare |
Use the word map to follow the relation among bahūnām (many), vāsudevaḥ (Shree Krishna, the son of Vasudev), and su-durlabhaḥ (very rare). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to knowledge of Krishna and his energies. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 7.19.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Map material and conscious energies, knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, māyā, approaches to divinity and the rarity of full knowledge.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
At the end of many births, the man of wisdom takes refuge in Me, realising that all this is Vâsudeva (the innermost Self)
- 2
Very rare is that great soul
- 3
bahūnām: many
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 7.19, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 7.19 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 7.19 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 7.19 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 7.19, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
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