CH 9, Verse 1

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Atha Navamo'dhyaayah.

Raajavidyaa Raajaguhya Yogah

 

Chapter 9

The Yoga of Sovereign Science

and Sovereign Secret

 

 

Verse 1

 

Shree Bhagavaan uvaacha:

 

Idam tu te guhyatamam pravakshvaamy anasuuyave /

jnaanam vijnaana-sahitam yaj jnaatvaa

mokshyase'shubhaat //

 

 

Now I shall reveal to you who do not cavil, this

profoundest secret combined with realization, by

knowing which you shall be freed from all evil.

 

LESSONS FROM BHAGAVAD GITA – 84

As taught by Parama Pujya Sri Swamiji

 

Now begins the ninth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. The

title of this chapter is ‘Raja Vidya Rajaguhya Yoga,’

the Yoga of Sovereign Science and Sovereign Secret.

‘Raja Vidya’ means sovereign science and ‘Raja Guhya’

means sovereign secret. In short it means supreme

knowledge and supreme secret.

 

In the eighth chapter in verses 8 and 9, the Lord

spoke about the system of Yoga in which the Yogi has

to control the senses and confine the mind in the

heart. Then he has to fix his life-breath in the head

by making it pass through the middle chord – Sushumna.

Holding it there steadily and uttering the

monosyllabic ‘Aum,’ the Yogi leaves the body. Such a

Yogi reaches the Supreme Brahman in due course of time

by successively reaching the realms of deities of

fire, light etc. This attainment of liberation by

stages is called Krama Mukti (gradual liberation.)

 

In this connection, some people may think that the

attainment of Brahman is possible only through the

aforesaid process and not through any other. In order

to obviate such an apprehension the Lord said as

follows:

 

"Now I shall reveal to you who do not cavil, this

profoundest secret combined with realization, by

knowing which you shall be freed from all evil"

(Chapter 9, Verse 1).

 

Brahma Jnana, the knowledge of the Supreme Being, is

the profoundest secret (guhyatamam.) This knowledge,

combined with its direct experience, brings liberation

from all evils.

 

Theoretical knowledge obtained from the study of

scriptures is referred to as Jnana. This knowledge is

indirect. Vijnana is the direct experience of the

truth enshrined in the scriptures through intuition.

This direct experience is Aparoksha. When one learns

from others that sugar is sweet his knowledge is

indirect. But when he tastes the sugar and finds out

by himself that it is sweet, his knowledge is

‘Aparoksha’ (direct experience).

 

Brahma Jnana cannot be grasped by those who are not

pure at heart. To them, who are selfish and full of

jealousy, this knowledge is the supreme secret. It is

beyond their understanding. One may possess a lot of

intelligence and other qualifications, but unless one

is free from envy (Asuya,) one cannot realize the

truth. Of all the bad qualities, envy is the worst as

it is the source of all evils.

 

People generally take delight in finding fault with

others. They see evil even in good things. Arjuna did

not have this quality and so he was entitled to

receive this secret knowledge from the Lord. And the

Lord is going to reveal that to him.

 

 

 

 

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