Surrender is the path beyond maya.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
दैवी ह्येषा गुणमयी मम माया दुरत्यया |मामेव ये प्रपद्यन्ते मायामेतां तरन्ति ते ||७-१४||
daivī hyeṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā . māmeva ye prapadyante māyāmetāṃ taranti te ||7-14||
Use this verse when maya feels overwhelming.
Meaning
This divine maya of Mine, made of the gunas, is difficult to cross. Those who surrender to Me alone cross over it.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Surrender to Krishna helps cross maya.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna does not say maya is easy. It is crossed through surrender, not egoic cleverness alone.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna names the power that holds beings spellbound: maya, His own divine, guna-woven energy. It is duratyaya — hard, almost impossible, to cross by one's own effort. The very faculties we would use to escape — mind and intellect — are themselves part of the illusion, so struggling against maya with the mind is like trying to lift oneself by one's own hair.
Then comes the radiant solution. Those who take refuge in Him alone — 'mam eva ye prapadyante' — cross beyond it. Surrender, not cleverness, is the way through. When we stop relying solely on our limited ego and turn wholeheartedly to the Divine, a higher power lifts us over what we could never climb ourselves. This is the Gita's tender promise: the door that effort cannot force, devotion opens.
In daily life
When trapped in confusion, return to Krishna refuge.
A person stuck in overthinking can pray, breathe, and choose dharma.
Try this today
Offer one confusing situation to Krishna.
I cross maya by taking refuge in Krishna.Reflect
Where do I need surrender instead of control?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘गुणमयी’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on refuge, in other chapters
- Verse 15.4After releasing what binds you, seek refuge in the eternal source from which all life flows.
- Verse 18.66Surrender wholly to the Divine, release anxious self-reliance, and trust completely that grace will free you.
- Verse 12.7Fix your mind on God, and He Himself will swiftly lift you out of the ocean of birth and death.
- Verse 4.10Release attachment, fear, and anger; let knowledge purify you — and union with the divine becomes not rare but attainable.
Swipe left for 7.15 · Wrong orientation blocks surrender.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 7.14
Who says Bhagavad Gita 7.14, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 7.14, in Chapter 7, Jnana Vijnana Yoga (Jnana Vijnana Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 7.14 mean?
This divine maya of Mine, made of the gunas, is difficult to cross. Those who surrender to Me alone cross over it. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 7.14 for daily life?
When trapped in confusion, return to Krishna refuge. A person stuck in overthinking can pray, breathe, and choose dharma.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 7.14 mean?
दैवी हि एषा — verily this divine; गुणमयी — made up of the gunas; मम माया — My Maya (illusion); दुरत्यया — difficult to cross over; माम् एव ये प्रपद्यन्ते — those who take refuge in Me alone.
Where does verse 7.14 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 14 of 30 in Chapter 7, Jnana Vijnana Yoga. The next verse is 7.15.