Chapter 7, Verse 3
मनुष्याणां सहस्रेषु कश्चिद्यतति सिद्धये | यततामपि सिद्धानां कश्चिन्मां वेत्ति तत्त्वतः ||७-३||
manuṣyāṇāṃ sahasreṣu kaścidyatati siddhaye . yatatāmapi siddhānāṃ kaścinmāṃ vetti tattvataḥ ||7-3||
Meaning
7.3 Among thousands of men, one perchance strives for perfection; even among those successful strivers, only one perchance knows Me in essence.
Word-by-Word Meaning
Explanation & Commentary
Krishna offers a sober reckoning of the spiritual path. Of countless people, only a few even feel the pull toward perfection; of those who strive, only a rare one truly knows Him tattvatah — in essence, as He actually is. This is not meant to discourage but to honour the rarity and preciousness of authentic spiritual realisation.
The verse quietly reframes ambition. Most human striving aims at wealth, comfort, or recognition; the seeker who turns toward self-realisation has already stepped out of the crowd. Yet Krishna reminds even the earnest aspirant that knowing Him in truth is subtler still than mere effort can guarantee — it asks for grace, depth, and surrender, not just diligence.
💡 Key Takeaway
To even seek the highest truth is rare; to know it in essence, rarer still — so treasure the longing when it stirs in you.
Related Verses
चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जनाः सुकृतिनोऽर्जुन | आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ ||७-१६||
caturvidhā bhajante māṃ janāḥ sukṛtino.arjuna . ārto jijñāsurarthārthī jñānī ca bharatarṣabha ||7-16||
7.16 Four kinds of virtuous men worship Me, O Arjuna, and they are the distressed, the seekr of knowledge, the seekr of wealth and the wise, O lord of the Bharatas.
बहूनां जन्मनामन्ते ज्ञानवान्मां प्रपद्यते | वासुदेवः सर्वमिति स महात्मा सुदुर्लभः ||७-१९||
bahūnāṃ janmanāmante jñānavānmāṃ prapadyate . vāsudevaḥ sarvamiti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ ||7-19||
7.19 At the end of many births the wise man comes to Me, realising that all this is Vaasudeva (the innermost Self); such a great soul (Mahatma) is very hard to find.
यो यो यां यां तनुं भक्तः श्रद्धयार्चितुमिच्छति | तस्य तस्याचलां श्रद्धां तामेव विदधाम्यहम् ||७-२१||
yo yo yāṃ yāṃ tanuṃ bhaktaḥ śraddhayārcitumicchati . tasya tasyācalāṃ śraddhāṃ tāmeva vidadhāmyaham ||7-21||
7.21 Whatsoever form any devotee desires to worship with faith that (same) faith of his I make firm and unflinching.