Chapter 9

(Revision 02 Oct 20 09)
BHAGAVAD GITA
CHAPTER 09
9. 1 Going to tell you who is free from jealousy, the most important secret, Knowledge and its Practice, knowing which you will be liberated from the evil(of worldly existence)
9. 2 This knowledge is sovereign science and sovereign secret, holy, excellent, directly enjoyable, virtuous, easy to practise and imperishable
9. 3 People having no faith in this Dharma, failing to reach ME, revolve in the path of world of death
PURPORT:
Free from jealousy means, free from ego, I am body etc feeling; which means someone who does not start comparing oneself to the world around.
Such a person is fit to receive the Sovereign Knowledge.
Royal secret means a secret known only to topmost few people in the court of the King, something which cannot be disclosed to all and sundry
In a word, answer to all our problems and royal highway to Realization
Don't believe? Fine. such of these fail to reach HIM and revolve in the cycle of birth and death. Disbelief is expensive. All our education from birth is based on belief!
9. 4 This whole universe is permeated by ME, as unmanifest Divinity, and all beings rest in ME, I am not in them(as visible divinity.)
9. 5 No, all those beings abide not in ME; but look at the wonderful power of MY Yoga. Though the sustainer and Creator of all beings, Myself in reality dwells not(theoretically) in them.
9. 6 The ever present Air in ether moves everywhere; likewise know that all beings abide in ME
9. 7 During Final dissolution, all enter MY Prakriti; at the beginning of creation, I send them forth again.
9. 8 Wielding My Nature I release, again and again, multitude of beings subject to the influence of their own nature.
9. 9 Those actions do not bind ME, Unattached as I am to such actions.
9. 10 Presided by ME,the Nature brings forth creation of sentient and insentient beings. It is due to this cause the world revolves.
PURPORT:
Why we should trust what the Lord said of Sovereign Knowledge and Royal secret ? Who is HE?
Shlokas 4-10 give HIS vastness, unlimited powers, omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence.
He now tells about how HIS mysterious Maya operates and baffles our powers of comprehension " Universe is permeated by ME, all rest in ME, I am not in them." In next shloka # 5, HE says, "No, they do not abide in ME, Look at my wonderful divine Yoga, Myself, in reality dwells not in them!"
8th shloka makes it clear, according to our own nature, looks like catch22 situation. Not so, 'will' is gvien, road map is given, a number of times. Responsibility for my change is only on me.
9. 11 Fools, not knowing my supreme nature, think of ME low, as having assumed a human form
9. 12 Those bewildered persons with vain hopes, futile actions and fruitless knowledge have embraced a fiendish, demoniacal and delusive nature
PURPORT:
Reading the meaning of these shlokas, we start looking for fools, Ravana, etc among our relatives or friends..
No, HE is talking about you and me, because it is we who have
Vain hopes,(name, fame and wealth will make us happy finally!)
Futile actions: actions without Viveka; (without satsangh no viveka- Tulsidas);Look at the 100's of wasteful outdated and modern gaudy ceremonies.
Futile knowledge: from 100s of newspapers and magazines and #1 best seller Listed novels that we read, are all knowledge which take us away from the Lord and rivet us to sense pleasures
9. 13 However, Mahatmas being of divine nature worship with single pointed mind, knowing ME to be imperishable and the source of all lives
9. 14 Constantly glorifying ME, striving for Realization, those devotees of steadfast mind, identifying with ME prostrate and worship ME.
9. 15 Others worship ME with Sacrifice(spreading) of Knowledge, some in themselves and some other in Universal form with faces(forms) everywhere.
PURPORT:
Who are the great souls;
not the advertised ones,
nor the elected ones, nor by popular opinion on SMS poll,
nor the known vested interest sponsored, not the spiritual Gurus floating around
the three shlokas describe these Mahatmas, and generally it is always presumed to be the other satsanghi and not me!
these mahatmas are unsung, unpraised, often unknown, simple, living in poverty an unlettered often. You can see some of them in Maharashtra
On Ashad Ekadasi day or other days too, you will find them on the lines to visit Vittal at Pandarpur, or Aalandi or Ganagapur, or the mumbai's varkhari dabbavalas
9. 16 I am the Vedic riutual, the sacrifice, the offering to the departed. I am the medicine, the mantra,the ghee, the sacred fire, and the act of offering oblations to fire.
9. 17 I am the sustainer, and ruler of this Universe, its father mother, its grandfather, the one worth knowing, the purifier, the sacred syllable OM, the Vedas Rik, Saama, Yajus
9. 18 I am the Supreme Goal, supporter,lord, witness,abode, refuge,well wisher seeking no return, origin and end, resting place, store house, and imperishable seed.
9. 19 I radiate heat as the sun, hold back as send forth rain, I am immortality, and death. Even so, I am being and non-being both
PURPORT:
Who is this Lord? everything you can think of, and beyond your thoughts
Where is HE: everywhere you can think of, and where your mind cannot go.
The goal, refuge, supporter, well wisher, origin ... think of more words, HE is that and more too .
Also doer of everything which we cannot do and which cannot imagine. 50-100 yrs ago did you imagine 100s of items you are using and you cannot live without SMS :)
9. 20 Those who perform action with some interested motive, as laid down in the three Vedas and drink the sap of the soma plant, and have thus been purged of the sin, worshipping Me through sacrifices, seek access to heaven; attaining Indra's paradise as the result of their virtuous deeds, they enjoy the celestial pleasures of gods in heaven.
9. 21 Having enjoyed the extensive heavens, they return to this world of mortals when merits are exhausted. Thus devoted to the the ritual with interested motive, recommended by the three Vedas (as the means of attaining heavenly bliss) and seeking worldly enjoyments, they repeatedly come and go forever.
PURPORT:
Actions with selfish motive bring us back rebirth.
This means even the great Indra has to be born again.
When we do rituals with a desire, we forget these shlokas. and imagine we did a great 'spiritual' act :)
Nothing wrong in asking for immediate desires,
but witness how you are getting trapped into an avalanche of desires
And keep performing rituals all of which will bring you back to unknown strange new families as now yours! (if you are now an Iyyengar, imagine yourself being born as an Iyyer or chettiyar)
and some country as yours, some language as yours (all of which in this life you hate)
9. 22 The devotees, who think of ME to the exclusion of all and worship ME, to those ever united with ME, I bring full security and personally attend to their needs.
9. 23 Those who worship other gods with faith, worship ME alone, although improper method.
9. 24 For I am the enjoyer, and lord of all sacrifices; but they do not know ME in reality(as the Supreme Deity) hence they fall.
9. 25 Worshippers of gods go to manes, worshippers of manes will go to manes, those who adore the spirits, go to spirits, and those who worship ME, come to Me alone.
PURPORT:
An assurance to take care of you: conditions are simple:
Think of ME to the exclusion of every other desire. Worship ME, Ever united with ME
Worshiping of other gods is mainly for desires. Rebirth cannot be avoided because of non Knowledge of Reality
In short, Worship Lord without desires; Acquire correct Knowledge from Gita and other scriptures.
9. 26 Whoever offers ME with love, a leaf,flower,a fruit, even water, I accept that which has been offered with a sinless mind.
9. 27 What you do, or eat, or sacrifice, give, or do penance, offer it all to ME.
9. 28 With your mind established in the yoga of renunciation, you will be freed from the bond of Karma in the shape of good and evil consequences. Freed from them, you will attain ME.
9. 29 I am equally present in all. None hateful or dear to ME. However, those who worship ME with devotion, abide in ME, I too stand revealed in them.
PURPORT:
Lord is easily pleased with a drop of water or a leaf, or simply by mental offering.
We give our mind to our spouse, to boss, to children, to all and sundry, and also offer one fruit to Lord. Not happy!
He wants my mind, my intellect, my thoughts, my intention, my heart and not my any other thing
9. 30 Even if a vilest sinner worships ME with exclusive devotion, he should be considered as saint; for he has rightly resolved.
9. 31 Soon he becomes virtuous, and secures lasting peace. Know it for certain, MY devotee never falls.
9. 32 Women(the deprived and down trodden class), Vaisyas, Sudras(labour, uneducated, uninformed), and those born of even of sinful source,(illegitimate, illicit, red light) taking refuge in ME, they too attain the Supreme Goal.
9. 33 How much more, then holy Brahmins and royal sages devoted to ME. Therefore, having obtained this joyless and transient human life, constantly worship ME.
PURPORT:
Intent of exclusive devotion today and now is vital not one's past sins.
The deprived, the distraught, the weak, the meek, the women, all can reach him;
Th message is also for all evangelists, speakers on scriptures, priests, and those who behave as if the Lord is their private property and they know better than anyone else, the Trustees of temples, and other religious places. Those who do not know scriptures, cannot read, cannot afford to do anything can reach HIM still, with one single sincere prayer of their soul.
9. 34 Fix your mind on ME, Be devoted to ME, worship ME and make obeisance to ME, thus linking yourself with ME and entirely depending on ME, you shall come to ME.
PURPORT:
The conclusion and essence of Chapter
The Supreme Secret and the Royal Knowledge
Mind, Intellect, Dependence, identifying totally, worship, obeisance, devotion
Dedication: To One who was reading this chapter daily, who taught me to cry in prayers, who suffered for me, whom I could have loved more, my mother