Jnana Vijnana Yoga
Krishna begins the second half of the Gita's teaching by promising to describe himself completely, distinguishing his lower nature — the eightfold material world of earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect and ego — from his higher nature, the very life-force by which the universe is sustained. He states plainly that all beings arise from him, that he is the essence within all things (the taste in water, the light in the sun and moon, the fragrance in earth), and that his divine power of maya is exceedingly difficult to cross except by those who take refuge in him. The chapter categorizes worshippers into four types drawn to him for different reasons — the distressed, the seeker of knowledge, the seeker of wealth, and the wise — while singling out the wise devotee as most dear to him, since that person loves Krishna as the self itself. It closes with the striking claim that after countless births, the rare soul who realizes 'Vasudeva is everything' finally takes refuge in him — and that such a great soul is very hard to find.
“Among thousands of people, scarcely one strives for perfection; and among those who strive and succeed, scarcely one knows me in truth.”
“There is nothing higher than me, Arjuna; all this is strung on me, as rows of gems are strung on a thread.”
“This divine power of mine, made of the three gunas, is difficult to cross; but those who take refuge in me alone cross beyond it.”
“Four kinds of virtuous people worship me: the distressed, the seeker of knowledge, the seeker of wealth, and the one who is wise.”
“After many births, the one who has true knowledge takes refuge in me, realizing that Vasudeva is all that is — such a great soul is very rare to find.”
Chapter summaries composed for MyBrahman; verse translations from the public-domain Kashinath Trimbak Telang translation (1882, Sacred Books of the East, vol. 8) where directly checkable, and/or widely-attested traditional renderings of famous verses, cited by standard chapter.verse numbering.