BHAGAVAD-GITA 9:1

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 9:1

 

sri-bhagavan uvaca

idam tu te guhyatamam

pravaksyamy anasuyave

jnanam vijnana-sahitam

yaj jnatva moksyase 'subhat

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

sri-bhagavan uvaca--the Supreme Personality of Godhead said;

idam--this; tu--but; te--unto you; guhya-tamam--the most confidential;

pravaksyami--I am speaking; anasuyave--to the nonenvious;

jnanam--knowledge; vijnana--realized knowledge; sahitam--with;

yat--which; jnatva--knowing; moksyase--you will be released;

asubhat--from this miserable material existence.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Arjuna, because you

are never envious of Me, I shall impart to you this most confidential

knowledge and realization, knowing which you shall be relieved of the

miseries of material existence.

 

PURPORT

 

As a devotee hears more and more about the Supreme Lord, he becomes

enlightened. This hearing process is recommended in the

Srimad-Bhagavatam:

"The messages of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are full of potencies,

and these potencies can be realized if topics regarding the Supreme

Godhead are discussed amongst devotees. This cannot be achieved by the

association of mental speculators or academic scholars, for it is

realized knowledge."

 

The devotees are constantly engaged in the Supreme Lord's service. The

Lord understands the mentality and sincerity of a particular living

entity who is engaged in Krsna consciousness and gives him the

intelligence to understand the science of Krsna in the association of

devotees. Discussion of Krsna is very potent, and if a fortunate

person has such association and tries to assimilate the knowledge,

then he will surely make advancement toward spiritual realization.

Lord Krsna, in order to encourage Arjuna to higher and higher

elevation in His potent service, describes in this Ninth Chapter

matters more confidential than any He has already disclosed.

 

The very beginning of Bhagavad-gita, the First Chapter, is more or

less an introduction to the rest of the book; and in the Second and

Third chapters, the spiritual knowledge described is called

confidential. Topics discussed in the Seventh and Eighth chapters are

specifically related to devotional service, and because they bring

enlightenment in Krsna consciousness, they are called more

confidential. But the matters which are described in the Ninth Chapter

deal with unalloyed, pure devotion. Therefore this is called the most

confidential. One who is situated in the most confidential knowledge

of Krsna is naturally transcendental; he therefore has no material

pangs, although he is in the material world. In the

Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu it is said that although one who has a sincere

desire to render loving service to the Supreme Lord is situated in the

conditional state of material existence, he is to be considered

liberated. Similarly, we shall find in the Bhagavad-gita, Tenth

Chapter, that anyone who is engaged in that way is a liberated person.

 

Now this first verse has specific significance. The words idam jnanam

("this knowledge") refer to pure devotional service, which consists of

nine different activities: hearing, chanting, remembering, serving,

worshiping, praying, obeying, maintaining friendship and surrendering

everything. By the practice of these nine elements of devotional

service one is elevated to spiritual consciousness, Krsna

consciousness. When one's heart is thus cleared of material

contamination, one can understand this science of Krsna. Simply to

understand that a living entity is not material is not sufficient.

That may be the beginning of spiritual realization, but one should

recognize the difference between activities of the body and the

spiritual activities of one who understands that he is not the body.

 

In the Seventh Chapter we have already discussed the opulent potency

of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His different energies, the

inferior and superior natures, and all this material manifestation.

Now in Chapter Nine the glories of the Lord will be delineated.

 

The Sanskrit word anasuyave in this verse is also very significant.

Generally the commentators, even if they are highly scholarly, are all

envious of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even the most

erudite scholars write on Bhagavad-gita very inaccurately. Because

they are envious of Krsna, their commentaries are useless. The

commentaries given by devotees of the Lord are bona fide. No one can

explain Bhagavad-gita or give perfect knowledge of Krsna if he is

envious. One who criticizes the character of Krsna without knowing Him

is a fool. So such commentaries should be very carefully avoided. For

one who understands that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead,

the pure and transcendental Personality, these chapters will be very

beneficial.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.