KING OF KNOWLEDGE

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In the first verse of this Ninth

Chapter, by the word guhyatamam, Sri Krsna intimates that He is

imparting the most confidential knowledge to Arjuna. Why is He proclaiming

this to Arjuna? It is because Arjuna is

anasuyu--non-envious. In the

material world if someone is greater than us, we are envious. We are not only

envious of one another, but of God. Also when Krsna says, "I am the

proprietor," we disbelieve it. But this

is not the case with Arjuna, who

listens to Krsna without envy. Arjuna does not cavil with Krsna but agrees

with whatever He says. This is his special qualification, and this is

the way of understanding Bhagavad- gita. It is not possible to

understand what God is by our own mental speculations; we have to hear, and

we have to accept.

Because Arjuna is not envious, Krsna

speaks this special knowledge to him. This is not only theoretical

knowledge but practical knowledge (vijnana-sahitam). Whatever

knowledge we receive from Bhagavad-gita

should not be taken for

sentimentality or fanaticism. The knowledge is both jnana and vijnana, theoretical

wisdom and scientific knowledge. If one becomes well-versed in this

knowledge, liberation is certain. Life

in this material world is by nature

inauspicious and miserable. Moksa means liberation, and the promise is

that by dint of understanding this knowledge one will attain liberation

from all miseries. It is important then to understand what Krsna says

about this knowledge.

raja-vidya raja-guhyampavitram idam uttamampratyaksavagamam dharmyamsusukham kartum avyayam

"This knowledge is the king of

education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge,

and because it gives direct perception of the self by

realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is

joyfully performed." (Bg. 9.2) According to Bhagavad-gita, the

topmost knowledge (raja-vidya rajaguhyam)

is Krsna consciousness because in

Bhagavad-gita we find that the symptom of one who is actually in

knowledge is that he has surrendered unto Krsna. As long as we go on

speculating about God but do not

surrender, it is understood that we

have not attained the perfection of knowledge. The perfection of

knowledge is: bahunam janmanam antejnanavan mam prapadyatevasudevah sarvam itisa mahatma sudurlabhah"After many births and deaths,

he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be

the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very

rare." (Bg. 7.19) As long as we do not surrender, we

cannot understand God. Surrender to God may take many births, but if

we accept that God is great, it is

possible to surrender unto Him

immediately. But generally this is not our position in the material world.

We are characteristically envious and consequently think, "Oh,

why should I surrender unto God? I am independent. I shall work

independently." Therefore in order to rectify this misgiving, we have to work for

many births. In this regard, the name of Krsna is especially

significant. Krs means "repetition of birth," and na means "one

who checks." Our repetition of birth can be checked only by God. No one can

check his repetition of birth and death

without the causeless mercy of God. The subject matter of the Ninth

Chapter is raja-vidya. Raja means

"king," and vidya means

"knowledge." In ordinary life we find one person king in one subject and another in

another subject. This knowledge, however, is sovereign over all

others, and all other knowledge is subject or relative to it. The word

raja-guhyam indicates that this sovereign knowledge is very

confidential, and the word pavitram means that it is very pure. This knowledge

is also uttamam; ud means "transcend," and tama

means "darkness," and that knowledge which surpasses this world and the

knowledge of this world is called uttamam.

It is the knowledge of light, and

darkness has been separated from it. If one follows this path of

knowledge, he will personally understand how far he has progressed down the path

of perfection (pratyaksavagamam dharmyam). Susukham kartum indicates

that this knowledge is very happy and joyful to execute. And avyayam

indicates that this knowledge is permanent. We may work in this

material world for education or riches,

but these things are not avyayam,

for as soon as this body is finished, everything else is also finished.

With death, our education, advanced degrees, bank balances,

family--everything--are all finished. Whatever

we're doing in this material world

is not eternal. However, this knowledge is not like that. nehabhikrama-naso 'sti

pratyavayo na vidyatesvalpam apy asya dharmasyatrayate mahato bhayat"In this endeavor there is no

loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect

one from the most dangerous type of fear." (Bg. 2.40) Knowledge in Krsna consciousness is

so perfect that if one performs

work in Krsna consciousness and yet

does not attain perfection, in his next life he takes up from wherever

he left off. In other words, actions performed in Krsna consciousness are

durable. On the other hand, material achievements, because they

pertain to the body, are vanquished at death. Knowledge that pertains to

designations does not endure. I am thinking that I am a man or a woman,

an American or Indian, a Christian

or Hindu--these are all designations

pertaining to the body, and when the body is finished, they will also

be finished. We are actually spirit, and therefore our spiritual

activities will go with us wherever we go.

Sri Krsna indicates that this king

of knowledge is also happily performed. We can easily see that

activities in Krsna consciousness are joyfully done. There is chanting and

dancing, eating prasadam (food that has been offered to Krsna) and

discussing Bhagavad-gita. These are the main processes. There are no

stringent rules and regulations that we have to sit so straight for so long

or do so many gymnastics, or control our breath. No, the process is very

easily and happily done. Everyone wants to dance, to sing, to eat and

to hear the truth. This process is truly susukham--very happy. In the material world there are so

many gradations of education.

Some people never finish grammar

school or high school, whereas others go on and receive a university

education, a BA, MA, PhD, and so on. But what is this raja-vidya, the king of

education, the summum bonum of knowledge? It is this Krsna

consciousness. Real knowledge is understanding "what I am."

Unless we come to the point of understanding what we are, we cannot attain real

knowledge. When Sanatana Gosvami left

his government post and came to Caitanya

Mahaprabhu for the first time, he asked the Lord, "What is

education?" Although Sanatana Gosvami knew a number of languages, including

Sanskrit, he still inquired about real education. "The general

populace calls me highly educated," Sanatana Gosvami told the Lord, "and I

am such a fool that I actually believe them." The Lord replied, "Why should

you not think you're well educated?

You're a great scholar in Sanskrit

and Persian.That may be," Sanatana

Gosvami said, "but I do not know what I am." He then went on to tell

the Lord: "I do not wish to suffer, but these material miseries are forced

upon me. I neither know where I've come from nor where I'm going, but

people are calling me educated. When

they call me a great scholar, I am

satisfied, but in truth I am such a great fool that I know not what I

am." Sanatana Gosvami was actually speaking for all of us, for this is

our present situation. We may be proud of our academic education, but

if asked what we are, we are not able to say. Everyone is under the

conception that this body is the self, but we learn from Vedic

sources that this is not so. Only after realizing that we are not these

bodies can we enter into real knowledge and understand what we actually are.

This then, is the beginning of knowledge.FOR THE COMPLETE BOOK "RAJA VIDYA: THE KING OF KNOWLEDGE" WRITE BACK TO ME.ALWAYS CHANT HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE/ HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE.

 

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