The Lord instructs Arjuna in the Gita on the nature of jnana or wisdom and vijnana or realisation.
He tells Arjuna that among thousands of individuals, only a few attempt to know the Absolute and among the few who try, even fewer reach Him. This perhaps is why man’s propensity to do evil far exceeds his propensity to do good.
The Lord explains that He has two types of nature, one immanent (prakriti) and the other transcendental (purusha). Sri Krishna explains that the eight aspects of his primordial nature include the five elements of earth, fire, water, space, ether, mind, intelligence and ego. His transcendental form takes the form of individual souls.
In other words, He is the origin and the dissolution of the universe and there is nothing in this universe that is beyond Him. It is His transcendental form that sustains the entire universe.
In Swami Rama’s translation: “I am the flavour of the waters O son of Kunti and the radiance of the moon and the sun, I am pranava (AUM) in all the Vedas, the sound in space and the manliness in men/I am the beautiful fragrance of the earth and the brilliance in the sun, the living force in all beings and I am the asceticism in the ascetics/Know Me to be the ancient seed of all beings O Son of Pritha/I am the wisdom in the wise and the splendour of the splendid/ I am the strength in the strong, free of desire and attachment/I am that desire in beings which is not opposed to righteousness/All the three states of rajas and tamas originate from Me/I am not in them but they are in Me.
It is precisely because the entire world is consumed by these three attributes of purity, activity and indolence that it is not able to recognise Him as the Primal Cause. The Lord is the cause of this cosmic illusion. It cannot be ordinarily transcended. It is Divine Grace alone that is capable of lifting the veil behind this maya.
The Lord teaches Arjuna that there are four kind of seekers who attempt to know Him including (a) the distressed (b) seekers of knowledge (c) persons looking to fulfil desires and (d) those who have gained knowledge of the Absolute.
While all four are dear to the Lord, “I am the most beloved of the one endowed with wisdom and he is also My beloved. Such a mahatma is very difficult to find.”
Finally, the Lord assures Arjuna of the truth that those who worship the gods go to the gods, those who worship their ancestors go to their ancestors and those who worship Him undoubtedly come to Him.
