B.G 7.07
मत्तः परतरं नान्यत् किञ्चिदस्ति धनञ्जय। मयि सर्वमिदं प्रोतं सूत्रे मणिगणा इव ॥७॥
mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcidasti dhanañjaya। mayi sarvamidaṁ protaṁ sūtre maṇigaṇā iva ॥7॥
[मत्तः परतरं न अन्यत् किञ्चित् अस्ति धनञ्जय। मयि सर्वम् इदं प्रोतं सूत्रे मणिगणा इव॥
मत्तः (mattaḥ) - Compared to Me; परतरं (parataraṁ) - superior; न (na) - not; अन्यत् (anyat) - anything else; किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - even a little, nothing; अस्ति (asti) - exists; धनञ्जय (dhanamjaya) - O Dhananjaya (Arjuna); मयि (mayi) - in Me; सर्वम् (sarvam) - all; इदं (idaṁ) - this; प्रोतं (protaṁ) - is strung; सूत्रे (sūtre) - on a thread; मणिगणाः (maṇigaṇāḥ) - beads of gems; इव (iva) - like;]
O Dhananjaya (Arjuna), there is nothing else whatsoever superior to Me. All this (creation) is strung in Me, like beads of gems on a thread.
Gīta Bhāshya 7.07
The Lord alone is superior. Nothing else whatsoever is superior compared to Him.
अहमेव परतरः। मत्तः अन्यत् परतरं न किञ्चिदपि ॥७॥
ahameva parataraḥ। mattaḥ anyat parataraṁ na kiñcidapi ॥7॥
[अहम् (aham) - I; एव (eva) - indeed; परतरः (parataraḥ) - the superior; मत्तः (mattaḥ) - compared to Me; अन्यत् (anyat) - anything else; परतरं (parataraṁ) - superior; न (na) - not; किञ्चिदपि (kiñcidapi) - even a little;]
The words in the sentences are split and rephrased to show it means - "I alone am the superior. Nothing else whatsoever is superior compared to Me."
Gīta Tātparya 7.07
Lord Vishnu alone is superior compared to everything else. There is gradation among the superiority of other principles and living beings based on the bliss and suffering they experience. Therefore, lord Vishnu is the primary to be known, while the speciality of others is to be known according to one's capacity. The usage of words 'para', 'paratama', 'paratara', and 'avara' from ancient texts is quoted to clarify their meaning.
मत्तोऽन्यत् परतरं नास्ति। परतरस्त्वहमेवेत्यर्थः। अन्यथा अन्यदिति व्यर्थम्।
matto'nyat parataraṁ nāsti। paratarastvahamevetyarthaḥ। anyathā anyaditi vyartham।
[मत्तः (mattaḥ) - From Me; अन्यत् (anyat) - anything else; परतरं (parataraṁ) - superior; नास्ति (nāsti) - does not exist; परतरः (parataraḥ) - the superior; तु (tu) - but; अहम् (aham) - I; एव (eva) - indeed; इति (iti) - thus; अर्थः (arthaḥ) - the meaning; अन्यथा (anyathā) - otherwise; अन्यत् (anyat) - anything else; इति (iti) - thus; व्यर्थम् (vyartham) - meaningless;]
"No other exists that is superior to Me", means I alone am the superior. (It doesn't mean nothing exists other than Me.) Otherwise, to say 'anything else' would be meaningless.
"अवरा दुःखसम्बन्धात् जीवा एव प्रकीर्तिताः। नित्यनिर्दुःखरूपत्वात् परा श्रीरेकलैव तु॥ दुःखासम्पीडितत्वात्तु मध्यमो वायुरुच्यते। अनन्याधीनरूपत्वादसमाधिकसौख्यतः॥
"avarā duḥkhasambandhāt jīvā eva prakīrtitāḥ। nityanirduḥkharūpatvāt parā śrīrekalaiva tu॥ duḥkhāsampīḍitatvāttu madhyamo vāyurucyate। ananyādhīnarūpatvādasamādhikasaukhyataḥ॥
[अवराः (avarāḥ) - the inferior; दुःखसम्बन्धात् (duḥkha-sambandhāt) - due to the connection with suffering; जीवाः (jīvāḥ) - the living beings; एव (eva) - indeed; प्रकीर्तिताः (prakīrtitāḥ) - are proclaimed; नित्यनिर्दुःखरूपत्वात् (nitya-nirdhukh-rūpatvāt) - due to the eternal nature of being free from suffering; परा (parā) - the superior; श्रीः (śrīḥ) - Shri (Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity); एका (ekā) - alone; एव (eva) - indeed; तु (tu) - but; दुःखासम्पीडितत्वात् (duḥkhāsaṁpīḍitatvāt) - due to being untouched by suffering; मध्यमः (madhyamaḥ) - the middle one; वायुः (vāyuḥ) - Vayu (the deity of wind or air); उच्यते (ucyate) - is said to be; अनन्याधीनरूपत्वात् (ananya-adhīna-rūpatvāt) - due to not being dependent on others; असमाधिकसौख्यतः (asāmādhika-saukhyataḥ) - due to the unparalleled bliss;]
"The inferior are indeed the living beings, proclaimed as such due to their connection with suffering ('avara'). The superior is Shri (Lakshmi), who alone is eternally free from suffering ('para'). Vayu (the deity of wind) is said to be the middle one, as he does not suffer, and is dependent on no other (than the goddess Shri) experiencing unparalleled bliss.
तत्तन्त्रत्वाच्च सर्वस्य स विष्णुः परतमो मतः। अभावादन्तराऽन्यस्य त्विहैकार्थौ तरप्तमौ॥ यस्याः सम्बन्धयोग्यत्वात् जीवा अप्यवरा मताः। तस्या जडायाः प्रकृतेरवरत्वे क्व संशयः॥
tattantratvācca sarvasya sa viṣṇuḥ paratamo mataḥ। abhāvādantarā'nyasya tvihaikārthau taraptamau॥ yasyāḥ sambandhayogyatvāt jīvā apyavarā matāḥ। tasyā jaḍāyāḥ prakr̥teravaratve kva saṁśayaḥ॥
[तत्तन्त्रत्वात् (tat-tantratvāt) - due to being the basis of all; च (ca) - and; सर्वस्य (sarvasya) - of everything; सः (saḥ) - He; विष्णुः (viṣṇuḥ) - Vishnu; परतमः (paratamaḥ) - is said to be the highest, 'paratama'; मतः (mataḥ) - is considered; अभावात् (abhāvāt) - due to the non-existence; अन्तरा (antarā) - intermediary; अन्यस्य (anyasya) - of anything else; तु (tu) - but; इह (iha) - here; एकार्थौ (ekārthau) - one meaning; तरप्तमौ (taraptamau) - the two (paratara and paratama) mean the highest; यस्याः (yasyāḥ) - whose; सम्बन्धयोग्यत्वात् (sambandha-yogyatvāt) - due to the capability of association; जीवाः (jīvāḥ) - the living beings; अपि (api) - even; अवराः (avarāḥ) - are considered inferior; तस्या (tasyāḥ) - of that; जडायाः (jaḍāyāḥ) - inert; प्रकृतेः (prakṛteḥ) - Prakriti (Nature); अवरत्वे (avaratve) - in the inferiority; क्व (kva) - where; संशयः (saṁśayaḥ) - is the doubt;]
Vishnu is considered as 'paratama', the highest, due to being the basis of all, and of everything. Here, the two ('paratara' and 'paramata') are of one meaning, the highest, because of the absence of an intermediary. Due to the capability of association with living beings who are inferior ('avara'), where is the doubt in the inferiority of inert insentient?
अथावरतरा ये तु विमुखाश्चेतना हरेः। नित्यदुःखैकयोग्यत्वात् न ह्येतत् स्यादचेतने॥ अतः परतरं विष्णुं यो वेत्ति स विमुच्यते। मुक्तस्तु स्यात् पराभासः सुनित्यसुखभोजनात्॥
athāvaratarā ye tu vimukhāścetanā hareḥ। nityaduḥkhaikayogyatvāt na hyetat syādacetane॥ ataḥ parataraṁ viṣṇuṁ yo vetti sa vimucyate। muktastu syāt parābhāsaḥ sunityasukhabhojanāt॥
[अथ (atha) - However; अवरतरा (avarataraḥ) - even more inferior, 'avaratara'; ये (ye) - those who; तु (tu) - but; विमुखाः (vimukhāḥ) - turned away; चेतनाः (cetanāḥ) - sentient beings; हरेः (hareḥ) - from Hari (Vishnu); नित्यदुःख (nitya-duḥkha) - perpetual suffering; एकयोग्यत्वात् (eka-yogyatvāt) - due to being suitable for only one thing; न (na) - not; हि (hi) - indeed; एतत् (etat) - this; स्यात् (syāt) - can be; अचेतने (acetane) - in the non-sentient; अतः (ataḥ) - therefore; परतरं (parataraṁ) - superior, 'parataraṁ'; विष्णुं (viṣṇuṁ) - Vishnu; यः (yaḥ) - who; वेत्ति (vetti) - knows; स (saḥ) - he; विमुच्यते (vimucyate) - is liberated; मुक्तः (muktaḥ) - liberated; तु (tu) - but; स्यात् (syāt) - becomes; पराभासः (parābhāsaḥ) - 'parābhāsa' the experiencer of the Supreme; सु-नित्यसुख-भोजनात् (su-nityasukha-bhojanāt) - due to the enjoyment of eternal bliss;]
However, those sentient beings who turn away from lord Hari (Vishnu) are considered even more inferior ('avaratara') because they are suitable only for perpetual suffering, which cannot be said of the non-sentient. Therefore, whoever knows Vishnu as the superior ('parataraṁ') is liberated. The liberated one becomes 'parābhāsa' the experiencer of the Supreme, due to the enjoyment of eternal bliss.
तत्रापि तारतम्यं स्यात् तेषु ब्रह्माऽधिको मतः। विष्णोराधिक्यसंवित्तिः सर्वस्मात् ज्ञानमुच्यते॥ एवं विविच्य तज्ज्ञानं विज्ञानमिति कीर्तितम्। एतच्च तारतम्येन वर्तते केशवादिषु॥"
tatrāpi tāratamyaṁ syāt teṣu brahmā'dhiko mataḥ। viṣṇorādhikyasaṁvittiḥ sarvasmāt jñānamucyate॥ evaṁ vivicya tajjñānaṁ vijñānamiti kīrtitam। etacca tāratamyena vartate keśavādiṣu॥"
[तत्र (tatra) - there; अपि (api) - also; तारतम्यं (tāratamyaṁ) - gradation; स्यात् (syāt) - exists; तेषु (teṣu) - among them; ब्रह्मा (brahmā) - Brahma; अधिकः (adhikaḥ) - greater; मतः (mataḥ) - considered; विष्णोः (viṣṇoḥ) - of Vishnu; अधिक्यसंवित्तिः (ādikhya-saṁvittiḥ) - awareness of superiority; सर्वस्मात् (sarvasmāt) - above all; ज्ञानम् (jñānam) - knowledge; उच्यते (ucyate) - is called; एवं (evaṁ) - thus; विविच्य (vivicya) - by discerning; तत् (tat) - that; ज्ञानम् (jñānam) - knowledge; विज्ञानम् (vijñānam) - realization; इति (iti) - thus; कीर्तितम् (kīrtitam) - is proclaimed; एतत् (etat) - this; च (ca) - and; तारतम्येन (tāratamyena) - with gradation; वर्तते (vartate) - exists; केशवादिषु (keśavādiṣu) - in Kesava (Vishnu) and others;]
Even among them, there is gradation, where lord Brahma is considered superior. The awareness of Vishnu’s superiority, above all, is regarded as knowledge. That knowledge is declared as special knowledge which enables one to discern the existence of gradation among others, starting from lord Kesava (Vishnu)."
(- states the testimonial.)
मुख्यविज्ञान्यतो विष्णुः किञ्चिद्विज्ञानिनोऽपरे ॥७॥
mukhyavijñānyato viṣṇuḥ kiñcidvijñānino'pare ॥7॥
["मुख्यविज्ञानी (mukhya-vijñānī) - the primary to be known; अतः (ataḥ) - therefore; विष्णुः (viṣṇuḥ) - Vishnu; किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - smaller, in variance; विज्ञानिनः (vijñāninaḥ) - to be known specially; अपरे (apare) - others;]
Therefore, lord Vishnu is the primary to be known, while the speciality of others is to be known according to one's capacity.
