- B.G 9.01 and 02
śrībhagavānuvāca -
idaṁ tu te guhyatamaṁ pravakṣyāmyanasūyave। jñānaṁ vijñānasahitaṁ yajjñātvā mokṣyase'śubhāt ॥1॥
The Blessed Lord said:
I shall now declare to you the most secret knowledge, along with its realization, knowing which you shall be freed from all inauspiciousness (bondage).
rājavidyā rājaguhyaṁ pavitramidamuttamam। pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyaṁ susukhaṁ kartumavyayam ॥2॥
This is the king of knowledge and the king of secrets, the most sacred and supreme. It enables one to perceive directly the Dharma, easy to practice, and imperishable.
Bhā.:
The subject of 7th chapter is further clarified in this chapter. 'rājavidyā' - the foremost knowledge. Brahman is directly perceived by such knowledge, hence, 'pratyakṣa-avagamaṁ'. The lord is called 'Pratyakṣa' as he resides in each of the senses. He is called 'Dharma' as Dharma is that which sustains the entire universe.
Tāt.: 9th chapter is an elaboration of 7th chapter.
- B.G 9.03
aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasyāsya parantapa। aprāpya māṁ nivartante mr̥tyusaṁsāravartmani ॥3॥
O Parantapa (Arjuna), those who lack faith in this 'Dharma', failing to attain Me, return to the cycle of birth and death.
- B.G 9.04
mayā tatamidaṁ sarvaṁ jagadavyaktamūrtinā। matsthāni sarvabhūtāni na cāhaṁ teṣvavasthitaḥ ॥4॥
This entire universe is pervaded by Me in My unmanifest form. All beings exist in Me, but I do not dwell in them.
Bhā.:
That Kingly knowledge is revealed stating - the Universe is pervaded by the Lord, 'mayā' (By Me). It is also the kingly secret because it is not perceived by the ordinary as it is in an unmanifest form, 'avyakta-mūrtinā'.
- B.G 9.05
na ca matsthāni bhūtāni paśya me yogamaiśvaram। bhūtabhr̥nna ca bhūtastho mamātmā bhūtabhāvanaḥ ॥5॥
And yet, beings do not exist in Me - behold My divine mystical power! Though I sustain all beings, My self does not dwell in them, for I am the source of all beings.
Bhā.:
The secret phenomenon is unlike ordinary phenomenon perceived on earth. Even though all beings exist in the Lord, He is not in them. That entity is neither visible to the eye nor perceivable by touch. Comes to awareness and at the same time unaware. His very body is 'mahat', the manifest form of the universe.
Tāt.:
The phrase 'mama ātmā' indicates the non-difference between the body and ātmā (the essence) of the Lord.
- B.G 9.06
yathā'kāśasthito nityaṁ vāyuḥ sarvatrago mahān। tathā sarvāṇi bhūtāni matsthānītyupadhāraya ॥6॥
Just as the great wind, continually situated in sky, moves everywhere, so too understand that all beings exist in me.
Bhā.:
The concept - "they exist in me and yet do not exist in me", is illustrated by giving an example of air that pervades all the atmosphere. Though others can feel the touch of air, air itself does not possess a sense of touch.
- B.G 9.07
sarvabhūtāni kaunteya prakr̥tiṁ yānti māmikām। kalpakṣaye punastāni kalpādau visr̥jāmyaham ॥7॥
O Arjuna, all beings merge into my owned insentient ('prakṛti') at the end of a cosmic cycle, and at the beginning of the next cycle, I create them again.
Bhā.:
With the purpose of further revealing the secret knolwedge, the process of dissolution and creation of the universe is elaborated in following verses.
- B.G 9.08
prakr̥tiṁ svāmavaṣṭabhya visr̥jāmi punaḥ punaḥ। bhūtagrāmamimaṁ kr̥tsnaṁ avaśaṁ prakr̥tervaśāt ॥8॥
Through My consort Prakrti, I repeatedly create this entire multitude of beings, who are helpless, being swayed under the influence of Prakrti.
Bhā.:
Prakrti is that which controls and is under the control of. Dependence of the Lord on Prakrti is like someone who, though capable of walking with his foot, playfully leans on a staff to walk. Indeed, the Lord alone, endowed with infinite power, creates all actions through his own Prakrti.
- B.G 9.09
na ca māṁ tāni karmāṇi nibadhnanti dhanañjaya। udāsīnavadāsīnamasaktaṁ teṣu karmasu ॥9॥
O Dhanañjaya, those actions do not bind me, as I remain 'like an indifferent one', not willfully seeking those actions.
Bhā.:
'Like an indifferent one' - is not the same as truly indifferent. He who governs actions - how can action bind Him?
- B.G 9.10
mayādhyakṣeṇa prakr̥tiḥ sūyate sacarācaram। hetunānena kaunteya jagad viparivartate ॥10॥
O Kaunteya, under my supervision, Prakrti gives birth to all moving and non-moving beings. Due to this cause, the world cyclically evolves.
Bhā.:
Earlier it was said 'like an indifferent one' because lord operates by overseeing the Prakrti.
Tāt.:
'adhyakṣaḥ' - the lord who is above the senses.
- B.G 9.11
avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanumāśritam। paraṁ bhāvamajānanto mama bhūtamaheśvaram ॥11॥
The ignorant disregard me, seeing me as having assumed a human form, not knowing my supreme nature as the great Lord of all beings.
Bhā.:
Fate of those who disregard the lord is explained starting from 'avajānanti' verse. The ignorant perceive the Lord as human, but he is only made up of divine attributes. The Lord is without beginning, infinite, possesses a fully complete form, and is the divine power even of the greatest ones. He is addressed as 'Bhūta-maheśvara' because He is the great Lord of all beings.
- B.G 9.12
moghāśā moghakarmāṇo moghajñānā vicetasaḥ। rākṣasīmāsurīṁ caiva prakr̥tiṁ mohinīṁ śritāḥ॥12॥
Vain are their hopes, actions, and knowledge — undiscerning, they take refuge in a delusive, demoniac and asuric nature.
Bhā.:
Hating the Lord never results in a beneficial outcome. Kings like Śiśupāla, Pauṇḍra, and Śālva crossover the darkness because of their earlier devotion to the Lord, and not because of their constant hatred. Kind Lord never forsakes his devotees.
- B.G 9.13 and 14
mahātmānastu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakr̥timāśritāḥ। bhajantyananyamanaso jñātvā bhūtādimavyayam ॥13॥
But the great souls, O Pārtha, taking refuge in the divine Prakṛti, worship Me with undivided minds, having known Me as the imperishable origin of all beings.
satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaśca dr̥ḍhavratāḥ। namasyantaśca māṁ bhaktyā nityayuktā upāsate ॥14॥
Always glorifying Me, striving with firm vows, bowing to Me in devotion, they worship Me, ever steadfast.
Bhā.:
To explain non-devotees as haters of the Lord, attributes of the devotees are described beginning with 'mahātmānaḥ'.
Tāt.:
The Lord is the most superior, independent, defectless, and has a body of pure consciousness, in all his incarnations. Any other understanding is faulty.
- B.G 9.15
jñānayajñena cāpyanye yajanto māmupāsate। ekatvena pr̥thaktvena bahudhā viśvatomukham ॥15॥
Others too, worship Me through the sacrifice of knowledge, viewing Me as the only one (present everywhere), as different (from all others), and in manifold forms as the face of the Universe.
Bhā.:
'ekatvena' - the one who alone is present everywhere. 'pṛthaktvena' - different from all others. 'bahudhā' - refers to different ways of worship as indicated in 4-25.
Tāt.:
The lord is worshipped by the wise in multiple forms.
- B.G 9.16 and 17
ahaṁ kraturahaṁ yajñaḥ svadhā'hamahamauṣadham। mantro'hamahamevājyam ahamagnirahaṁ hutam ॥16॥
I am the ritual, I am the sacrifice, I am the offering to the ancestors, I am the medicinal herb; I am the mantra, I am the clarified butter, I am the fire, I am the act of offering.
pitā'hamasya jagato mātā dhātā pitāmahaḥ। vedyaṁ pavitramoṅkāra r̥k sāma yajureva ca ॥17॥
I am the father of this universe, the mother, the sustainer, and the grandfather; I am the object to be known, the purifier, the sacred syllable Om, and also the Rigveda, the Sāmaveda, and the Yajurveda.
Bhā.:
The lord declares the realized knowledge, that He is everything! 'kratus' - sacrificial rites like Agniṣṭoma. 'yajña' - offering of materials directed toward the gods.
- B.G 9.18
gatirbhartā prabhuḥ sākṣī nivāsaḥ śaraṇaṁ suhr̥t। prabhavaḥ pralayaḥ sthānaṁ nidhānaṁ bījamavyayam ॥18॥
He is the ultimate goal, the sustainer, the lord, the witness, the abode, the refuge, the friend; the origin, the dissolution, the resting place, the repository, the seed, and the imperishable.
Bhā.:
'gatiḥ' - the ultimate goal, as He is sought after by even the seekers of liberation; 'sākṣī' - it is He who directly perceives and witnesses all phenomena in the universe; 'Śaraṇam' - the refuge for one who is fearful of worldly existence; 'nidhānam' - the repository, because at the time of dissolution, the world is kept here by the Prakrti;
- B.G 9.19
Bhā.:
Tāt.:
- B.G 9.20
Bhā.:
Tāt.:
- B.G 9.21
Bhā.:
Tāt.:
