Shankaracharya's commentary, trans. Alladi Mahadeva Sastry (1897)
[1]This is My lower nature. But know My other, higher nature — the jīva-bhūtā, O mighty-armed — by which this world is sustained.
BG 7.5
अपरेयमितस्त्वन्यां प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम् | जीवभूतां महाबाहो ययेदं धार्यते जगत् ||५||
apareyam itas tv anyāṃ prakṛtiṃ viddhi me parām | jīva-bhūtāṃ mahābāho yayedaṃ dhāryate jagat || 5 ||
"Know My higher nature — the life-element (jīva-bhūtā) distinct from the lower — by which this world is sustained."
All public-domain translations
6 translations · all pre-1928 or released to public domain · sources
Swami Swarupananda, Srimad Bhagavad Gita (1909)
[4]This is the lower (Prakriti). But different from it, know thou, O mighty-armed, My higher Prakriti — the principle of self-consciousness, by which this universe is sustained.
Annie Besant & Bhagavan Das, The Bhagavad Gītā (1905)
[5]This is my lower nature. Know my other, higher Nature — the life-element — O mighty-armed, by which this universe is sustained.
William Quan Judge, The Bhagavad Gita (1890)
[6]This is my lower nature; but know that my higher nature is different from this, O mighty-armed, and is the chief principle which sustains this universe.
Sir Edwin Arnold, The Song Celestial (1885)
[7]Know that my lower Nature is this; but different from it, learn my Higher Nature, the Life by which the universe is sustained.
K.T. Telang, Sacred Books of the East Vol. 8 (1882)
[9]This is my lower nature. But know that my other nature — the highest — O you of mighty arms, is this: it is the life-principle, by which this universe is upheld.