BHAGAVAD-GITA 9:13

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 9:13

 

mahatmanas tu mam partha

daivim prakrtim asritah

bhajanty ananya-manaso

jnatva bhutadim avyayam

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

maha-atmanah--the great souls; tu--but; mam--unto Me; partha--O son of

Prtha; daivim--divine; prakrtim--nature; asritah--having taken shelter

of; bhajanti--render service; ananya-manasah--without deviation of the

mind; jnatva--knowing; bhuta--of creation; adim--the origin;

avyayam--inexhaustible.

 

TRANSLATION

 

O son of Prtha, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under

the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in

devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of

Godhead, original and inexhaustible.

 

PURPORT

 

In this verse the description of the mahatma is clearly given. The

first sign of the mahatma is that he is already situated in the divine

nature. He is not under the control of material nature. And how is

this effected? That is explained in the Seventh Chapter: one who

surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, at once

becomes freed from the control of material nature. That is the

qualification. One can become free from the control of material nature

as soon as he surrenders his soul to the Supreme Personality of

Godhead. That is the preliminary formula. Being marginal potency, as

soon as the living entity is freed from the control of material

nature, he is put under the guidance of the spiritual nature. The

guidance of the spiritual nature is called daivi prakrti, divine

nature. So when one is promoted in that way--by surrendering to the

Supreme Personality of Godhead--one attains to the stage of great

soul, mahatma.

 

The mahatma does not divert his attention to anything outside Krsna,

because he knows perfectly well that Krsna is the original Supreme

Person, the cause of all causes. There is no doubt about it. Such a

mahatma, or great soul, develops through association with other

mahatmas, pure devotees. Pure devotees are not even attracted by

Krsna's other features, such as the four-armed Maha-Visnu. They are

simply attracted by the two-armed form of Krsna. They are not

attracted to other features of Krsna, nor are they concerned with any

form of a demigod or of a human being. They meditate only upon Krsna

in Krsna consciousness. They are always engaged in the unswerving

service of the Lord in Krsna consciousness.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.