Chapter 7 · Shloka 27— The Yoga of Knowledge & Realization

ichchhā-dveṣha-samutthena dvandva-mohena bhārata sarva-bhūtāni sammohaṁ sarge yānti parantapa

ichchhā

— desire

dveṣha

— aversion

samutthena

— arise from

dvandva

— of duality

mohena

— from the illusion

bhārata

— Arjun, descendant of Bharat

sarva

— all

bhūtāni

— living beings

sammoham

— into delusion

sarge

— since birth

yānti

— enter

parantapa

— Arjun, conqueror of enemies

"Iccha-dvesa-samutthena dvandva-mohena bharata, sarva-bhutani sammoham sarge yanti parantapa." — By the delusion of the pairs of opposites, arising from desire and aversion, O Bharata, all beings fall into bewilderment at birth, O scorcher of foes. Krishna explains the root cause of why beings are deluded and unable to know Him (continuing from 7.24–26). The source of delusion is 'dvandva-moha' — the bewilderment caused by the pairs of opposites (dvandvas: pleasure/pain, gain/loss, heat/cold, like/dislike). And these pairs arise from 'iccha-dvesa-samuttha' — desire (iccha) and aversion (dvesa). Shankaracharya traces the mechanism precisely: from the primal movements of desire (wanting what is pleasant) and aversion (rejecting what is unpleasant) arise all the dualities of experience. Caught between attraction and repulsion, the mind is perpetually pulled in opposite directions, and this constant push-pull generates 'sammoha' — total bewilderment, a fundamental confusion that clouds clear perception. This delusion grips 'sarva-bhutani sarge' — all beings from the very moment of birth (sarga). It is not an occasional disturbance but the basic condition into which embodied beings are born. From the start, the dual reactions of liking and disliking structure our entire experience, and this very structure is what veils the unitary reality of the Divine. This verse pinpoints the psychological root of spiritual blindness: it is the reactive duality of desire-and-aversion that bewilders us and keeps us from seeing the one reality. To see clearly, one must work precisely with this fundamental push-pull — the constant 'I want this / I don't want that' that colors and distorts all perception.

Krishna pinpoints the psychological root of our confusion: the constant push-pull of desire and aversion — 'I want this / I don't want that' — generates all the dualities that bewilder us, and it grips us from birth. This is remarkably precise. Notice how much of your mental life is exactly this: pulled toward what you want, pushing away what you don't, swinging between attraction and repulsion all day long. This relentless reactivity is so constant we don't even see it — it's the water we swim in. And it's precisely this push-pull that clouds clear perception and keeps us from seeing reality as it is. The practical takeaway: clarity begins by noticing this fundamental pattern in yourself. Watch the wanting and the not-wanting arise; see how they color everything. That noticing is the first crack in the bewilderment.

Krishna pinpoints the psychological ROOT of our confusion: the constant push-pull of desire and aversion — 'I want this / I don't want that' — generates all the dualities that bewilder us, and it grips us from birth. This is remarkably precise. Notice how much of your mental life is literally this: pulled toward what you want, shoving away what you don't, swinging between attraction and repulsion all day. This relentless reactivity is so constant we don't even see it — it's the water we swim in. And it's exactly this push-pull that clouds clear perception and keeps us from seeing reality as it actually is. The takeaway: clarity STARTS with noticing this pattern in yourself. Watch the wanting and not-wanting arise; see how they tint everything. That noticing is the first crack in the fog.

Krishna explains what confuses everyone from the time they're born: we're always being pulled two ways — wanting things we like and pushing away things we don't like! This constant 'I want this, I don't want that' tug-of-war makes our minds confused and stops us from seeing clearly. It's like trying to see a calm reflection in water that's always being splashed! The first step to seeing clearly is just noticing this happening inside you — watching how you're always wanting and not-wanting. Once you see it, the confusion starts to clear!