Bhagavad-gītā As It Is

Bhagavad-gītā 9.1

Prabhupāda: [leads responsive chanting with devotees]

śrī-bhagavān uvāca idaṁ tu te guhyatamaṁ pravakṣyāmy anasūyave jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitaṁ yaj jñātvā mokṣyase 'śubhāt [Bg 9.1]

[The Supreme Lord said: My dear Arjuna, because you are never envious of Me, I shall impart to you this most secret wisdom, knowing which you shall be relieved of the miseries of material existence.]

[01:09]

Śrī-bhagavān uvāca. Now we will explain. So śrī-bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān, this word, I have explained many times. Bhagavān means the supreme authority. So far authoritative power is concerned, that is analyzed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. Cent per cent power, or cent per cent qualification, is in Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28].

[All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.]

There is... This is called saviśeṣa, personal analysis, not that... Even somebody is sometimes addressed as Bhagavān, that does not mean he is also equal to the Supreme Person. Just like sometimes Nārada Muni is also addressed as Bhagavān. Lord Śiva is also addressed as Bhagavān. Not only viṣṅu-tattva, but also others, sometimes they are addressed as Bhagavān. But in order to particularly point out Kṛṣṅa, it has been said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28].

Kṛṣṅa... Actually, Bhagavān is Kṛṣṅa because He has got cent per cent qualities of Bhagavān. That is analyzed in Caitanya-caritāmṛta. He is cent per cent Bhagavān. Others, they are also Bhagavān, viṣṅu-tattva. Nārāyaṅa, He is also Bhagavān. But Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has analyzed: He is 94%, not cent per cent. Or, in other words, you can take it that ṣaḍ-aiśvarya pūrṅaḥ, that is Kṛṣṅa. And there are also ṣaḍ-aiśvarya, but it is not displayed. Not that... Just like Lord Rāmacandra. Lord Rāmacandra... [indistinct] has approved, He, also Bhagavān. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan [Bs 5.39].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who manifested Himself personally as Kṛṣṅa and the different avatāras in the world in the forms of Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Vāmana, etc., as His subjective portions.]

Lord Kṛṣṅa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is existing as the Supreme Person along with Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, many thousands of avatāras. They are also Kṛṣṅa. Keśava dhṛta-rāma-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. Keśava dhṛta-mīna-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare.

So Keśava, Kṛṣṅa, He is existing with all the incarnation, not that He is existing as Kṛṣṅa. So when we speak of Kṛṣṅa, we take it that all His expansion and incarnation. Therefore it is said, rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā. They are kalā. Kalā means partial expansion, not full expansion. Full expansion means pūrṅa. So they are also Bhagavān. But kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān svayam means bhagavatva, the authority of Bhagavān, is fully expressed in Kṛṣṅa, not in others. Therefore in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said... After making the list of different incarnation, it is summarized that ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]:

"All these incarnations mentioned," rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan [Bs 5.39],

"they are partial expansion and expansion of the expansion, or expansion of His power, śaktyāveśa-avatāra." Just Lord Buddha. He is śaktyāveśa-avatāra. Many śaktyāveśa-avatāra. So in this way Kṛṣṅa is always existing along with His expansion and incarnation. But the real original Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā is being spoken by Kṛṣṅa. But in order to distinguish Him, Vyāsadeva is writing śrī bhagavān uvāca. He does not say, śrī kṛṣṅa uvāca, just to make it distinguished that kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān.

So we are pledged to receive knowledge from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is our mission, Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Here is knowledge given by Kṛṣṅa. Idaṁ tu te guhyatamaṁ pravakṣyāmy anasūyave: "Now I am giving you this knowledge, very confidential knowledge," guhyatamam. Guhya means confidential and guhyatama, more confidential. Comparative, superlative. Positive, comparative and superlative. Guhya is positive. Guhyatara is comparative. And guhyatamam. So this brahma..., brahma-jñāna, is guhya, is very confidential, because if you achieve brahma-jñāna, immediately you become the most important person within this material world. Brahma-bhūtaḥ. Brāhmaṅa. And brahma-bhūtaḥ means above brāhmaṅa or Brahman. So that is guhya. Guhya means confidential. To become brahma-bhūtaḥ, brahma-jñānī, that is guhya.

And brahmeti paramātmeti. When you understand Paramātmā... Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg 18.61].

[The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.]

Paramātmā means ātmā and Paramātmā. There are two different souls. One is... Paramātmā means He is present everywhere. That is Paramātmā. The Māyāvādīs say there is no difference between ātmā and Paramātmā, but that is not the fact. Ātmā means present within this body. I am ātmā; you are ātmā. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe [Bg 2.13].

[As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.]

Asmin dehe, "in this body." I am ātmā, you are ātmā, but I am not Paramātmā. Paramātmā is different thing. Paramātmā is Kṛṣṅa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, situated in everyone's heart. So that is guhyataram. First of all, to understand brahma-jñāna, or self-realization, that is very confidential. That is not ordinary knowledge. It is above ordinary knowledge. Therefore it is said guhya. Guhya means very confidential. Nobody understands, even ātma-tattva. Ātma-tattvam...

śrotavyādīni rājendra nṛṅāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām [SB 2.1.2]

[Those persons who are materially engrossed, being blind to the knowledge of ultimate truth, have many subject matters for hearing in human society, O Emperor.]

Gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. Those who are living within the family life, they cannot understand what is ātma-tattva. Apaśyatām. Apaśyata. Nṛṅāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ. Śukadeva Gosvāmī is advising to Parīkṣit Mahārāja that "There are many things they are busy." Just like ordinary man, worldly man, he purchases huge volumes of newspaper, and he is interested. But he is not interested to understand Bhagavad-gītā, where ātma-tattvam is described. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe [Bg 2.13]. They are not interested. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī said to Parīkṣit Mahārāja śrotavyādi, "subject matter for hearing." Nṛṅāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ. For ordinary man there are thousands and thousands of news. We can see so many magazines—technical, musical and cinema and ordinary news, and so many editions of every newspaper in every city. So this is a fact. Śrotavyādīni rājendra nṛṅāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ [SB 2.1.2]. Sahasraśaḥ means thousands and thousands and thousands. Why they are busy with so many newspapers, and why they are not interested in hearing Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam? Because apaśyatām ātma-tattvam [SB 2.1.2]: "They do not know that the real purpose of life is to understand ātma-tattva." Apaśyatām. Why you are forget? Gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. They have made it a vow, that to maintain the family and to have some enjoyment from family life.

Family life means society, friendship and love. That Vidyāpati's song... What is that? Can you remember? Tatala seikate vari-bindu-sama, suta-mitā-ramaṅi-samāje. Suta-mitā-ramaṅi-samāje. [Śrīla Vidyāpati Ṭhākura] The exact English equivalent is "society, friendship and love." Everyone is busy—society, family, friends, country, nation, community, in this way, suta-mitā-ramaṅi-samāje. And what is the composition? Now, children, suta; mitā means friends; and ramaṅi, some woman. If they are beautiful woman, that is also very nice. So they are busy. They are busy. The other day we had been guest in Hyderabad. He is very busy with this suta-mitā-ramaṅi-samāje. Everyone is. Everyone is busy with suta-mitā-ramaṅi-samāje.

So somebody can say, "Unless there is happiness, why people should be interested?" There is happiness, certainly. So that happiness is compared by Vidyāpati, the great Vaiṣṅava poet, that it is just like tatala seikate vari-bindu sama. [Śrīla Vidyāpati Ṭhākura] Just like desert. You have seen desert. Desert means it requires huge quantities of water. Nowadays, practically in every country, especially in India, every land is just like desert for want of water. So you see in Vṛndāvana so much land lying vacant, no agriculture. Why? There is want of water. There is no sufficient supply of water. So in this way, if there is scarcity of water, then gradually these places will be converted into desert. Converted into desert. So the "desert" word is used because it requires huge quantity of water. Similarly, we are, in this material world, we are trying to be happy in the society, friendship and love. Suta-mitā-ramaṅi-samāje. But the happiness we are getting, that is compared with a drop of water in the desert. If in the vast desert, Arabian desert, if we say that "We want water," and somebody brings a drop of water and take it, it will be very insignificant, has no meaning.

Similarly, we are... Our heart is desiring real pleasure, transcendental bliss. So if we are put into this desert, suta-mitā-ramaṅi-samāje, where is the benefit? This song is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that apaśyatām ātma-tattvam [SB 2.1.2].

[Those persons who are materially engrossed, being blind to the knowledge of ultimate truth, have many subject matters for hearing in human society, O Emperor.]

They do not know what is the aim of life. They are satisfied with this drop of water in the desert. It will never mitigate. Desert is very vast tract of land dry, and if somebody says, "All right, take one drop of water," then what is the meaning? It has no meaning. Similarly, we are spirit soul. We are hankering after Kṛṣṅa. That is our inner desire. And what happiness we shall get with this society, friendship or love? This is not possible. That is not possible. There is some happiness, temporary happiness, very small quantity, so-called happiness. It will never satisfy you.

Actually, we are trying to get because we are eternal. We are trying to get eternal happiness. That is Kṛṣṅa is speaking here. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānaṁ pravakṣyāmy anasūyave [Bg 7.2].

[I shall now declare unto you in full this knowledge both phenomenal and noumenal, by knowing which there shall remain nothing further to be known.]

Anasūyave. Asūya means envious. Envious. Everyone is envious of Kṛṣṅa. That is demon. Just like Kaṁsa. In this tract of land, Mathurā, there was Kaṁsa. He was so envious that he ordered to his servant that "As soon as Kṛṣṅa is born, please bring the child. I shall kill Him." This is asūya. So at the present moment, practically the whole world, they want to be godless. The scientists and the..., everyone is trying to prove that "There is no God. There is no Kṛṣṅa. This is all sentiment," especially in the Communist countries. So if you become demon, Communist, or in favor of them, then you are also infected with asūya, envious of Kṛṣṅa. Then you cannot understand. Then you cannot understand. Kṛṣṅa is very strict, but the devotees are very lenient. Kṛṣṅa doesn't want to speak even with demons. But the devotees are so kind, they go to the demons and pray, "Kindly hear. Kindly hear about Kṛṣṅa." This is...

Therefore a devotee is more merciful than Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa doesn't speak to the demons. Unless you are one who is bhakta... Just like Bhagavad-gītā was spoken to Arjuna, bhakto 'si, sakhā ceti. Kṛṣṅa never speaks. Kṛṣṅa was very strict. But the devotees, Kṛṣṅa has said, ya imaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ mad-bhakteṣu abhidhāsyati [Bg 18.68]. About Bhagavad-gītā He says, "One who speaks this confidential knowledge amongst the bhaktas..." He recommends the bhaktas. But the devotees, they are so merciful, they go to the abhaktas, transgressing the order of Kṛṣṅa, because they are so merciful: "All right, Kṛṣṅa has rejected them. Let me try. Let me try." This is the position of a bhakta. They are not only unenvious to God, but they are also unenvious... Therefore their name is kāruṅikāḥ, kāruṅikāḥ, most merciful.

They describe... What is that? Titikṣavaḥ kāruṅikāḥ suhṛdaḥ sarva-bhūtānām [SB 3.25.21].

[The symptoms of a sādhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime.]

Devotees are always tortured by the demons. They are prepared to torture even Kṛṣṅa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and their devotees also. So they tolerate all these tortures. Therefore the devotees are described as titikṣavaḥ. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu also teaches, tṛṅād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṅunā [Śikṣāṣṭaka 3]. A devotee should learn this śloka of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that he should be tolerant more than the trees. Kāruṅikāḥ. And they take the risk of preaching amongst the demons, nondevotees, because they are kāruṅikāḥ, very merciful, more merciful than Kṛṣṅa. More merciful than Kṛṣṅa.

Kṛṣṅa says, "Don't speak this Bhagavad-gītā to the nondevotees," because nondevotees will not accept. Kṛṣṅa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66]. Who will accept unless he is devotee? The Māyāvādī, karmī, jñānī, yogī, they cannot accept. They are envious: "I am Kṛṣṅa. I am God. Why I shall surrender to Kṛṣṅa? Why shall I accept Kṛṣṅa as God?" This is the position of the bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī. Therefore you will find so many yogīs, they can play jugglery, magic, but they are not devotees. They will not surrender to Kṛṣṅa. This is their... So such persons cannot understand Kṛṣṅa. They cannot understand the science of Kṛṣṅa. They cannot understand, because Kṛṣṅa does not disclose Himself to the nondevotees. So by their own attempt, however big yogī or jñānī or karmī he may be, he cannot understand Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa discloses, reveals Himself, to the anasūyave, one who is not envious. And that is devotee. Anasūyave means devotee, who does not..., who is not envious of Kṛṣṅa. Others, they are envious, karmī, jñānī, yogī.

The karmīs will say that "You work hard, and get the result and enjoy. Why you are going to the temple to pray?" This is the philosophy of the Communists. "Why should you go to the church? Why should you go to the temple? Forget all these things. Work hard, earn money and enjoy life." But that is demonic. Because there is envy against God, they are demons. So the science of God or science of Kṛṣṅa, kṛṣṅa-tattva, is never disclosed or revealed amongst the nondevotees, demons. It can be revealed, it can be understood, by a person like Arjuna. Therefore it is said, anasūyave, jñānaṁ te 'haṁ pravakṣyāmi. Anasūyave, this very word. We should never be envious to Kṛṣṅa and his devotee. If you think that "I will become... I am envious to the devotees, but I am not envious to Kṛṣṅa," no, no, Kṛṣṅa does not accept that kind of business. You... First of all, you should be nonenvious to the devotee. Mad-bhaktaḥ pūjābhyadhikā. "If you are envious to My devotee and if you become a devotee, that is not." That is stated, that one who is directly devotee of Kṛṣṅa, he is not devotee. One who is devotee through His devotee, he is devotee.

This philosophy you should learn. You cannot say, "But why shall I go through guru or through Vaiṣṅava to Kṛṣṅa? I can go directly. I am so qualified." No, you are not qualified. If you jump over like that, that is not... That is... In Bengal it is said, honar din ke ghaska[?]. There is grass before the horse. If you think that "I shall jump over the horse and eat the grass," that is not possible. So one should be devotee first of all. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet [Muṅḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12].

[To understand these things properly, one must humbly approach, with firewood in hand, a spiritual master who is learned in the Vedas and firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth.]

We must approach a bona fide guru in order to understand the science of Kṛṣṅa. Abhigacchet. This I have explained several times. So anasūyave. If you want to learn Kṛṣṅa, then you should be very much humble and submissive to Kṛṣṅa and His devotee, anasūyave.

Jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitam. Jñāna, this knowledge, most confidential knowledge, it is not sentiment. Vijñāna-sahitam. It is science. Just like in scientific knowledge you must know theoretically and practically. Not only that, you simply know that so much oxygen, so much hydrogen produces water by mixing... That is theoretical. You have to make water by mixing these two chemicals—that is practical. So in the B.A.C. examination they take examination, test, theoretical and practical. So theoretical is... Kṛṣṅa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66]. But when you really surrender, that is practical science. That is practical. If you decide to surrender—that is called śaraṅāgati—then you have to learn the science how to become surrendered. That is vijñāna. Jñāna means theoretical knowledge, and vijñāna means practical knowledge. So we have to do it practically, not that "I have read Bhagavad-gītā and Bhāgavata, so I have become a devotee." No. You should practically demonstrate in your life that you are actually devotee. That is called vijñāna-sahitam. Jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitam. And yaj jñātvā. If you learn this science, yaj jñātvā mokṣyase aśubhāt, the result is you become liberated from this aśubha, inauspicious condition of life, aśubha.

What is that inauspicious condition of life? This materialistic life. If you want to get out of this materialistic way... This is aśubha. There is no śubha. People are thinking, "We shall make it śubha." Śubha means auspicious by material adjustment, by having nice car, nice road, skyscraper building and so many machine and bodily comforts, which is known as material advancement. But the śāstra says it is all inauspicious. All inauspicious. If you want to become free from this inauspicious kind of life, then you should learn the science which Kṛṣṅa is teaching, jñānaṁ vijñāna, not this vijñāna, the so-called materialistic science. You should learn the real science, sa-vijñānam. That is how to surrender to Kṛṣṅa, how to become not envious to Kṛṣṅa. This is a great science. We have to learn. And that is spoken in this chapter, Ninth Chapter, the science of Kṛṣṅa consciousness. If you become expert in that science, then you become free from this inauspicious science, this material science.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. Haribol. [end]