Shloka
त्रिभिर्गुणमयैर्भावैरेभिः सर्वमिदं जगत् |
मोहितं नाभिजानाति मामेभ्यः परमव्ययम् ||७-१३||Transliteration
tribhirguṇamayairbhāvairebhiḥ sarvamidaṃ jagat .
mohitaṃ nābhijānāti māmebhyaḥ paramavyayam ||7-13||Translations
Dr.S.Sankaranarayan
7.13. Being duluded by these three beings of the Strands, this entire world does not recognise Me Who am eternal and transcending these [Strands].
Shri Purohit Swami
7.13 The inhabitants of the world, misled by those natures which the Qualities have engendered, know not that I am higher than them all, and that I do not change.
Sri Abhinav Gupta
7.12-13 Ye ca etc. Tribhih etc. The [Strands] Sattva etc., are derived from Me, and not I from them. That is why he who has achieved his identity with the Bhagavat (the Absolute), properly realises all [objects] as being the Bhagavat [Himself]. On the other hand, the person who is established in the knowledge of objects of umpteen varieties does not understand the reality of the Bhagavat. This krama (traditional order) pleases the mind of all. With this idea only the Lord is going to declare presently ‘Vasudeva is all’. There the meaning is this : He, whose internal organ is favoured by the descent of the Supreme Energy or grace (Sakti-pata) that arises after [teaching the stage of] eableness of effects of actions (karma-samata) that is brought about by the enjoyment [of effects] through many births; and who realises the reality of Bhagavat, with conviction ‘verily all is Vasudeva’ - that person is the great Soul and he is difficult to find. But, not knowing in this manner and, on the contrary, being duluded by the Strands, Sattva etc., this world, fails to perceive the reality of Vasudeva, transcending the Strands. [The Lord] declares why the persons established exclusively in the Sattva etc. (Strands), are not conscious of the real nature of the Bhagavat :
Sri Ramanuja
7.13 Now, in this way, the whole universe, consisting of animate and inanimate entities belonging to Me, evolves from time to time from Me only, is absorbed in Me, and abides in Me alone. It constitutes My body and has Me for its self. Whether in the causal state or in the state of effect, it is I who have all these entities as My modes, because all entities form My body. Thus, in regard to all these modes, I am superior to them, as I am their cause, principal, and as I possess a complex of countless auspicious attributes like knowledge, strength etc. In every way I remain as the highest being. There exists none higher than Myself.
Such being the case, I am superior to these entities composed of the alities of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas - superior to them by My extraordinary attributes and by having these various modes for My enjoyment. I am the highest and immutable, i.e., I form a unity in Myself. This world constituted of gods, men, animals and immovables, and deluded by the three Gunas of Prakrti and its evolutes are inferior and transient. The forms of bodies, senses and objects of enjoyment comprising the world are there in accordance with their past Karmas. No one in the world knows Me.
How is it possible that all experiencing beings think as enjoyable objects which are inferior, constituted of the Gunas and are transient, while You exist - You who are of the nature of unbounded and abundant bliss, who has an eternal unchanging form and who is the source of the enjoyableness of even the objects of the world? Sri Krsna replies:
Sri Shankaracharya
7.13 Sarvam, all; idam, this; jagat, world, the aggregate of creatures; mohitam, deluded as it is-made to have indiscrimination; hih, by these; aforesaid tribhih, three; bhavaih, things, in the forms of attachment, repulsion, delusion, etc; and gunamayaih, made of the gunas, of the transformations of the gunas; na abhijanati, does not know; mam, Me; who am param, transcendental to, distinct, different; hyah, from these gunas as referred to above; and am avyayam, undecaying, i.e. free from all (the six kinds of) changes in things, viz birth etc. [See note on p.38.-Tr.] How, again, do they cross over this divine Maya of Visnu, constituted by the three gunas? That is being stated:
Swami Adidevananda
7.13 The entire universe is deluded by these three states originating from the Gunas (of Prakrti), and fails to recognise Me, who am beyond them and immutable.
Swami Gambirananda
7.13 All this world, deluded as it is by these three things made of the gunas (alities), does not know Me who am transcendental to these and undecaying.
Swami Sivananda
7.13 Deluded by these Natures (states or things) composed of the three alities of Nature all this world does not know Me as distinct from them and immutable.
Commentaries
Swami Sivananda
7.13 त्रिभिः by three? गुणमयैः composed of Gunas? भावैः by natures? एभिः by these? सर्वम् all? इदम् this? जगत् world? मोहितम् deluded? न not? अभिजानाति knows? माम् Me? एभ्यः from them? परम् higher? अव्ययम् immutable.Commentary Persons of this world are deluded by the three alities of Nature or Maya. Affection? attachment and infatuated love are all modifications of these alities. On account of delusion created by these three alities they are not able to break the worldly ties and to turn the mind towards the Supreme Soul? the Lord of the three alities.Avyayam Immutable or unchangeable or inexhaustible or imperishable. The Self is of one homogeneous essence. It has not got the six changes or modifications (Shad Bhava Vikaras) which the body has? viz.? existence? birth? growth? modification? decay and death. (Cf.VII.25)