Bhagavad-gita Notes 1

Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9
THE MOST CONFIDENTIAL KNOWLEDGE

Connection between Chapter 8 and Chapter 9

 In Chapter 8 Krishna has explained that an ananya (unalloyed) devotee surpasses the path of light and
darkness. Now Krishna will explain how to become such a devotee
 Chapter 8 concludes that bhakti is the best form of yoga. Chapter 9 supplies the specific knowledge
required for performing that most confidential yoga
 Chapter 7 and Chapter 9 are virtually identical. Chapter 8 can be seen as a tangent in the conversation
between Krishna and Arjuna, clearing up some important points before continuing on in the same line

BREAKDOWN OF CHAPTER 9

SECTION I (9.1 – 9.3) — HEARING: QUALIFICATIONS AND DISQUALIFICATIONS

 Non-envious and faithful will attain Krishna by hearing this most confidential knowledge about
Him
 Faithlessness forces one to return to the path of birth and death in this material world

SECTION II (9.4 – 9.10) — AISVARYA–JNANA: KRISHNA’S RELATIONSHIP TO THE MATERIAL

WORLD
 Krishna pervades, creates and annihilates entire cosmos through His material energy
 Although He is the supreme director, yet the material world nevertheless moves independently
and Krishna thus remains neutral and detached

SECTION III (9.11 – 9.25) — FOOLS NEGLECT BHAKTI: THE DIVINE DON’T
 Duratmas – Fools who think Krishna’s form is ordinary are defeated in their endeavours (9.11 –
9.12)
 Mahatmas – Those who know that Krishna has a transcendental form take shelter of Him and
worship Him (9.13 – 9.14)
 Indirect worshippers – All who take shelter of a conception of Supreme and worship it, are
ultimately worshipping Krishna, but they worship Him indirectly – These are of 3 types:
o Ekatvena – the monist, the lowest, worships himself as one with the Supreme (9.11 – 9.12)
o Visvato-mukham – a worshiper of the material, universal form is the best (9.16 – 9.19)
o Prthakvena – a demigod worshiper, is situated higher than the ‘ekatvena’ (9.20 – 9.25)

SECTION IV (9.26 – 9.34) — THE GLORIES OF DEVOTIONAL SERVICE TO KRISHNA

 Pure devotional service – If one worships Krishna with devotion or even offers Him the fruit of
his work, one becomes free from reactions and comes to Him. Worship is simple and result is
super excellent (9.26 – 9.28)
 Krishna shows favouritism to His devotee. He considers a devotee saintly, even if he’s
committed a horrible act, and He quickly purifies the devotee (9.29 – 9.31)
 Devotional Service purifies all. By thinking of Krishna, offering Him obeisances and being
absorbed in Him, one goes back to Godhead, regardless of his position (9.32 – 9.34)

Page 1 of 25
 Bhagavad-gita Notes 2
Chapter 9

SECTION I (9.1 – 9.3)

HEARING: QUALIFICATIONS AND DISQUALIFICATIONS

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF TEXTS 9.1 – 9.3

 Most intimate knowledge of Absolute Truth is obtainable through proper hearing
 ‘Non-enviousness’ and ‘faith’ are the two qualifications to receive most confidential knowledge

Text 9.1*
THEME: Qualification and means to achieve ‘most confidential knowledge’ and benefit of achieving this
knowledge are mentioned here:
 Qualification – Because Arjuna is free from envy, therefore he qualifies to hear the most confidential
knowledge (anasuyave – non-envious)
 Means – Proper hearing is the means to obtain most confidential knowledge
 Benefit – Relief from miseries of material existence

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.1

(a) Non-envious (Anasuyave) is the qualification to hear properly / “Envy is the root of
misinterpretation” – This sets the qualification for anyone who wants to comment on Bhagavad-
gita
 Useless commentary – High academic scholars but give inaccurate commentaries because
they are envious
o One who criticizes the character of Krishna without knowing Him is foolish
o Recommended approach – Avoid such commentaries
 Bona-fide commentary – Only possible by a devotee
(b) Two benefits of hearing about Krishna
 Spiritual advancement – Ref. SB: One who hears becomes more and more enlightened. This
process works as follows:
o Potent Messages – Messages of Supreme Lord are full of potencies
o How to realise these potencies – By discussion among devotees
▪ Not by association of mental speculators and scholars, because it is realised
knowledge
o Lord helps us to understand – He sees the mentality and sincerity of a particular living
entity who is engaged in Krishna Consciousness and gives him intelligence to
understand Krishna
o e.g. Krishna is telling Arjuna more confidential matters to encourage Arjuna in higher
and higher elevations in His potent service
 Freedom from material miseries (9.2) – One who is situated in most confidential knowledge
is naturally transcendental and has no material pangs – 2 references :
o Ref. Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu: “Iha yasya harer...” – Even in the conditional state of
material existence, one can considered to be liberated if one is sincerely engaged in
trying to render loving devotional service
o Ref. Bg. Chapter 10: Anyone engaged thus is a liberated person

Page 2 of 25
 Bhagavad-gita Notes 3
Chapter 9

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.1 continued…

(c) Why Chapter 9 is called most confidential knowledge

 Confidential: Chapter 2 and 3 – Explains the knowledge of spirit soul and body; useful for
liberation
 More confidential: Chapter 7 and 8 – Knowledge which brings about enlightenment about
Krishna consciousness, Supreme Lord and His energies
 Most confidential: Chapter 9 – Because it deals with pure unalloyed devotion and delineates
the glories of the Lord
(d) Idam Jnanam – Refers to ‘‘nine-fold process of devotional service by which’’:
 One’s heart becomes cleansed of material contamination
 One understands the science of Krishna and elevates to spiritual consciousness
 One understands spiritual activities – Simply knowing that living entity is not material is not
sufficient – one must understand difference between activities of the body and the spiritual
activities

Text 9.2*
THEME: Further glorification of the most confidential knowledge (7 characteristics mentioned)

 PLEASE NOTE: All points of the purport are covered under the numbered points below, therefore there is no
separate ‘Focus of Learning’ section for this verse.

1. ‘Raj vidya’ – ‘King of all knowledge’

 Because it is the essence of all doctrines and philosophies explained before
 Different philosophers: Gautama, Kanaada, Kapila, Yajnavalkya, Shandilya and Vaishvanara. And
finally there is Vyasadeva, the author of the Vedanta-sutra
2. ‘Raj guhyam’ – ‘Most confidential knowledge’
 This talks about the eternal activities of the soul and thus gives positive information
 Just ‘Confidential knowledge’ explains spirit soul as imperishable and immutable but does not give
positive information about the soul
o Lack of complete knowledge leads to misconception of impersonalism or voidism
o Soul is always active
 Modern educational system – Deals only with external knowledge (bodily platform)
3. ‘Pavitram idam uttamam’ – ‘Purest form of all activities’, purifying potency of devotional service is very
strong:
 Sinful reaction has four stages
o Analogy: Growth of a tree from a seed has different stages – study purport (Ref. Padma
Purana)
 Pavitram – Implies all the four stages can be purified
o Ref. Bg. 7.28: – Only those purified can engage in devotional service
 Uttamam – Implies ‘beyond tamas’ (material activities) – Devotional service is never
contaminated by modes, although sometimes devotees appear to be engaged like ordinary men;
therefore devotional service is transcendental

Page 3 of 25
 Bhagavad-gita Notes 4
Chapter 9

4. ‘Pratyaksavagamam’ – ‘Direct perception of self by realisation’.

 How one gets ‘direct perception of the self’ – By practising devotional service in the association of
advanced devotees
 Example of ‘direct perception’: By chanting Hare Krishna Maha-mantra without offence – One
feels transcendental pleasure and gets purified quickly
o If one further helps in the mission – one makes spiritual progress
 Qualification: Advancement is irrespective of previous education or qualification
o Ref. Vedanta Sutra: “Prakasas ca...” – Devotional Service is very powerful, simply by
engaging one becomes enlightened, irrespective of qualification
o e.g. Narada Muni – served great souls
5. ‘Dharmyam’ – ‘Perfection of religion’
 Highest goal of all religion – Devotional service (Ref. SB: “Sa vai pumsam…”; Bg. 8.28)
 Potency of Devotional service – So potent that without performing regular religious processes one
can be raised to highest perfection – How?
o Possible simply ‘by association’ of great acaryas
o e.g. Narada Muni (Ref. Vedic literatures)
6. ‘Su sukham’ – ‘Blissful’ – Why? Because:
 Positive engagement for senses
 Simple to perform e.g. hearing, chanting, prasadam
 Sastric example: Sanat Kumar became devotee by tasting Tulasi leaves of Lord’s lotus feet
 God accepts only love
o ‘Anything’ can be offered – “Patram puspam phalam toyam” (Bg. 9.26) – Leaf, flower, fruit
or water
o ‘Any person’ regardless of social position can offer
7. ‘Avyayam’ – ‘Eternally everlasting’
 Refutes Mayavadis – who say that “we perform devotional service to become one with the Lord
after liberation”
 Other References on this aspect
o Actual devotional service begins after liberation (Ref. Bg. 18.54)
o Only by devotional service one can understand Supreme Personality of Godhead – Only
when heart is cleaned by hearing Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam (Ref. SB 1.2.20
“Evam prasanna…”)

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 9.2 & 9.3: QUESTION: If Bhakti is so joyful, who will still continue in material
existence (Material existence is referred to as the word ‘Samsaara’ in Text 9.3). ANSWER: Only the
faithless disqualify and continue in this ‘Samsaara’ (9.3)

Text 9.3
THEME: Faithless cannot attain Krishna – ‘Faith’ is a most important factor for progress in Krishna
Consciousness (purport)
 Faithless people return to the path of birth and death in this material world

Page 4 of 25
 Bhagavad-gita Notes 5
Chapter 9

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.3

(a) Development of that faith is the process of Krishna consciousness

(b) Definition of faith – Simply by serving Krishna one can achieve all perfection (Ref. Caitanya
Charitamrta)
 Analogy: Watering the root of the tree satisfies the whole tree; Feeding the stomach
satisfies all the body parts. (Ref. SB 4.31.14)
(c) “How faith is created” – By association of devotees
(d) Three types of Krishna conscious men on the basis of ‘faith’
 3rd Level (lowest)
o Have no good faith/no knowledge of scriptures – easily falldown
o May officially be engaged in devotional service but cannot achieve highest
perfectional stage
o e.g. People coming to Krishna Consciousness with hidden motives
 2nd Level – firm faith
o But not very advanced in devotional scriptures
o Simply trying to follow by association and simplicity
 1 Level (highest)
st

o Firm faith and well versed in devotional scriptures

o No chance of falldown
(e) Faithless find this path very difficult
 Even after hearing about Krishna and excellence of devotional service, they think it to be
simply eulogy, even if supposedly engaged in devotional service
 Fate – Very little hope of perfection
(f) Destiny of faithless – Return to the path of birth and death
(g) Expected conclusion after reading Bhagavad-gita
 Give up all other engagements and adopt the service of the Lord with full faith

SECTION II (9.4 – 9.10)

AISHVARYA-JNANA: KRISHNA’S RELATIONSHIP TO THE WORLD

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION II

 Krishna explains His own ‘achintya-bhedabheda’ (inconceivable) relationship with the material
world
 Purpose: This gives us ‘aishvarya-jnana’ (Knowledge of His opulences) “to stimulate our
reverence and devotion”
o Because of His unique and Supreme position in relation with material creation, Lord
Krishna is the Supreme object of worship

LINK BETWEEN SECTION I & SECTION II: Krishna has completed His glorification of the knowledge He will
speak. In the next group of verses (9.4 – 9.10), He begins describing His own ‘achintya-bhedabheda’
relationship with the material world

Page 5 of 25
 Bhagavad-gita Notes 6
Chapter 9

Text 9.4
THEME: The Lord supports and pervades the entire universe through His energies
 The all pervading aspect of the Lord is described as ‘avyakta-murtina’, His unmanifested form
 Also the Lord says: “All beings are in Me, but I am not in Them”

 PLEASE NOTE: Some points as given in the translation are included under the point headings of the ‘Focus of
Learning’ section for this verse

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.4

PLEASE NOTE: The points headings below are related to the translation and the points of the purport are explained
in their subpoints

(a) “All Pervading” – Lord pervades the entire universe

(b) “How He is all pervading”
 ‘Avyakta-murtina’ – indicates “In unmanifested form” – This implies that we cannot see the
Lord by our gross material senses
 The Lord is unmanifest to material senses but can be perceived by one whose senses are
purified by the practice of devotional service
 Only way to see the Lord – Practice pure devotional service under proper guidance. 2
Scriptural quotes to support this:
o Ref. Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu 1.2.234: “Atah Sri Krishna…”
o Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.38: “Premanjana…”
(c) “All beings are in Me” – This implies that everything rests in Him
 Ref. Bg. Chapter 7: Entire cosmic manifestation is a combination of superior and inferior
energies of the Supreme Lord (Ref. Bg. 7.5 and 7.6)
 Analogy: Sunshine spread all over the creation / All universes are resting in sunshine;
similarly all creation is resting in His energy
(d) “I am not in them” – This Implies that the Lord by all pervasiveness does not lose His personal
existence
 Refutes that “Since God is all pervading, He has lost His personal existence”
 Analogy: King heads the government and is present in all the departments by his energies
 Supporting Ref. Bg. 10.42: “Vistabhyam...”

Text 9.5
THEME: Yogam-aisvaram explained – After explaining that all beings rest in Him, Lord says the opposite; that
they do not rest in Him. This contradictory language is meant to show that He is personally aloof from the
workings of the universe and that such functions are carried out by His energies

Page 6 of 25
 Bhagavad-gita Notes 7
Chapter 9

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.5

(a) “Yogam-aisvaram” – This term describes the inconceivable mystic opulences of the Lord i.e.
Everything that is created does not rest in Me. It implies:
 Implies that although everything rests in Him as per 9.4, still “He is aloof” and not directly
concerned with maintenance etc.
 Not like ATLAS – tired of holding globe
(b) How “He is aloof” – Examples of “inconceivable opulences”
 e.g. Planetary systems floating in space, and space is the energy of the Lord. But He is
different from space
 e.g. His potencies are exemplified by His determination – No difference between His mind
and Himself, because He is Absolute Spirit. All activities are performed just by His willing.
 Ref. Nirukti dictionary: ‘Yujyate...’ – Inconceivable pastimes are performed by His energy
(c) Refutes the argument: “Since God has expanded in everything, then everything we worship is
God”
 Refutation: Krishna is everywhere, everything is in Him, but still He is aloof

Text 9.6*
THEME: Lord gives an analogy of the sky and wind to explain the concept of “yogam-aisvaram” (9.5) of how
Krishna maintains and still remains unaffected

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.6

(a) Krishna gives an analogy for yogam-aisvaram – Analogy: Sky and the wind
 Sky is the biggest manifestation to conceive. In that sky, wind is the biggest to conceive
 Wind is great and influences all the movements. But wind is never beyond sky, it is always
subordinate to the sky
 All wonderful cosmic manifestations (compared here to the movements of the wind) exist
by the will of the Lord (Lord compared to sky) – Still the Lord is aloof and unaffected just like
the sky is aloof and not affected by movements of wind
(b) Other examples of Lord’s supreme will as the Ultimate control over wonderful material
manifestations
 e.g. Taittiriya Upanisad – Wind blowing under the will of Supreme Lord
 e.g. Brahma Samhita 5.52 / Brhad Aranyaka Upanisad – Sun, moon and other planets
moving under the Supreme order of the Lord

Texts 9.7 – 9.8

COMMON THEME: Inconceivable potency” in terms of creation and destruction – Now Krishna after
explaining His role in maintenance, explains His relationships with creation and destruction
 Under the will of the Supreme Lord, all the material manifestations are automatically created and
annihilated again and again

Page 7 of 25
 Bhagavad-gita Notes 8
Chapter 9

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORTS 9.7 – 9.8

a) “At the end of millennium” – This indicates the time of Brahma’s death
 At this time all energy is wound up in the Lord Himself
 At manifestation – He expands Himself in material energy (Ref. Chandogya Upanisad:
“Bahu syam” – “I become many”)
b) Refutes the modern concept of evolution –
 Modern concept: There is gradual evolution of species, from one to another, beginning
from creation
 Our Understanding of evolution based on this purport – All species of life are created
immediately along with the universe at the beginning of creation (and not one after
another); based on desires and past deeds of living entities
c) If Krishna as Paramesvara is aloof, then how does material world continue – This is answered as:
 “Supreme will” is always present – Everything is definitely under Supreme will of the
Lord
o Because “He enters as three Vishnu forms into the Mahat-tattva to create”
 But no direct involvement of the Lord – He does not Himself create or destroy but:
o Material nature acts by His desire – Term “automatically manifested (avasam) ”.
In Text 9.8 points out to Krishna’s detachment, which implies Krishna has no
direct involvement but acts through material nature
o “Basis of Creation” – Creation takes place to accommodate inclinations or the
desires of the various living entities

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 9.8 & 9.9 Although the Lord creates and annihilates but all this work cannot bind
Him. It implies that the Lord is not directly responsible for all good and evil done in this world.

Text 9.9
THEME: The Lord is not directly responsible for all good and evil done in this world. Lord says:
 All this work cannot bind Me
 I am ever detached from all these material activities

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.9

(a) ‘Udasina-vat’ – Implies the Lord “As neutral”
 Lord is always neutral in the material activities in the created world
 Material activities is carried out by His different potencies
 Still He has control over every minute detail
(b) Analogy for neutrality: High court judge giving so many decisions, but he is neutral and unaffected
with the gain and loss
(c) Reference for neutrality: Ref. Vedanta Sutra: “Vaisamya Nairghrnye na…”
 This reference implies Lord is transcendental to all material dualities
 Based on past deeds and desire, living entities take on different forms
 Lord does not interfere
(d) Does it mean Lord has no engagement? – He is always engaged in blissful pastimes in spiritual
world (Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.6)

Page 8 of 25
 Bhagavad-gita Notes 9
Chapter 9

Text 9.10*
THEME: Ultimately 9.10 emphasizes the Lord’s Supreme will and thus proves that without the
superintendence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, material nature cannot do anything
 The Lord is neutral and aloof and He simply sanctions the material energy
 Management is done by material nature on His behalf and Lord is detached

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.10 - Srila Prabhupada gives references on relationship between the
Lord and material nature

(a) Ref. Bg. 14.4:

 Analogy: Lord is Father and Material Nature is Mother
 Lord glances, but species are decided based on past deeds and desire of living entity
(b) Ref. Smrti:
 Analogy: Fragrance of a flower touched by the smelling power of a person (yet the smelling
and the flower are detached):
o Similar connection is there between material world and Supreme Personality of
Godhead

SUMMARISED THEME 9A
SUMMARY OF LORD’S AISHVARYA-JNANA

His inconceivable potency in terms of creation, maintainence and destruction

A) Krishna’s role in maintenance
 Lord pervades the entire universe by His energies
 He pervades in His unmanifested form, which can only be revealed by devotional service
 Everything rests in Him, but still He does not lose His personal existence
 Inconceivable mystic opulence – He is aloof from all the material creation and everything
happens just by His will
 Analogy of sky and wind
o Sky is the biggest manifestation to conceive. In that sky, wind is the biggest to
conceive
o Wind is great and influences all the movements. But wind is never beyond sky, it is
always subordinate to the sky
o All wonderful cosmic manifestations (compared here to the movements of the wind)
exist by the will of the Lord (Lord compared to sky) – Still Lord is aloof and unaffected
just like sky is aloof and not affected by movements of wind
B) Krishna’s role in creation and destruction
 Under the influence of the Lord’s energy, material world is automatically created and
destroyed again and again
 At the end of the millennium all material manifestations enter into My nature
 Maha-Vishnu is the resting place of all material
 It is Lord Krishna Himself who controls this process as the purusha-avartaars
 At the beginning of another millennium, the Lord again creates by His potencies
C) Lord is neutral – The Lord is not directly responsible for any of the activities of material existence.
He simply sanctions the material energy based on the past deeds and desires of the living entities

Page 9 of 25
 Bhagavad-gita Notes 10
Chapter 9

SECTION III (9.11 – 9.25)

FOOLS NEGLECT BHAKTI: THE DIVINE DON’T

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF TEXTS 9.11 – 9.15

Different people will appreciate Krishna in different ways
according to their level of devotional consciousness

LINK BETWEEN SECTION II & SECTION III: After hearing the Lord describe how He is the Supreme object
of worship in terms of the material creation, one may ask, “Why then do some people not respect Him?”
Krishna answers this question here.

Text 9.11*
THEME: Fools think of Krishna’s form as ordinary human and do not consider Aishvarya-Jnana of Text 9.4 –
9.10
 Fools do not consider His transcendental nature as the Supreme Lord of all that be

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.11

(a) First half of the purport establishes that Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, although
appearing ordinary but He is not a common man
 Based on 9.4 – 9.10 (Yogam-Aishvaram) – One who conducts such inconceivable acts of
creation, cannot be a common man
 Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.1 – Krishna is the Supreme Ishvara – Supreme Controller
 Ref. Gopala-Tapani Upanisad and Brahma Samhita – His body is sac-cid-ananda and not
like a common man
 If Bg. 7.14 (“daivi hy...”) says: ‘A soul surrendered unto Krishna can get out of material
energy’ – Then how can Lord who conducts creation, etc., and controls material energy,
have a material body like us
 Mudhas – Great scholars, who may be born as extra-ordinary man due to good karma,
deride Him because of poor fund of knowledge – They are called Mudhas
o What knowledge they lack? – They do not know Krishna’s transcendental knowledge
like...
▪ Confidential activities of Supreme Lord and His different energies
▪ His eternal body is of complete bliss and knowledge
▪ He is Supreme proprietor
▪ He can award liberation to anyone
▪ His manifestation in material world is a manifestation of internal energy
▪ He controls infinite (biggest) and finite (smallest) and still He is aloof
▪ This can be established by ‘Yogam-Aishvaram’ (9.4 – 9.10)
 Who accepts Krishna ‘yogam-aishvaram’ easily
o Pure devotee who know Krishna as the Supreme personality of Godhead
o Result of this knowledge – Complete surrender in devotional service

Page 10 of 25
 Bhagavad-gita Notes 11
Chapter 9

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.11 continued…

(b) Solution to controversies between impersonalists and personalists on lord’s appearance as a

human being – Solved on the basis of authoritative texts like Bhagavad-gita and Srimad
Bhagavatam
 Superhuman acts of Krishna and Balarama (Ref. SB 1.1.20) – Krishna and Balarama played
like human beings but performed many superhuman acts which no human can perform
 Two examples of the Lord’s appearance – Lord’s appearance as human is one of His
features of His transcendental body
o Krishna appears as four-armed form and then two-armed form in front of Vasudev
and Devaki
o Universal form and four-armed-form in front of Arjuna (Ref. Bg. Chapter 11)
 Mayavadis quote Srimad Bhagavatam to prove Krishna as ordinary man. They say
everyone is God
o Argument: They use Text SB 3.29.21 – “Supreme is present in every living entity” – to
establish Krishna as an ordinary man or ‘Everyone is God’
o Refutation: Based on Srila Jiva Goswami and Srila Visvanath Chakravathi Thakura
▪ Jiva Goswami says: Krishna is present as Paramatma in all the hearts. To give
attention to Archa Murti in temple and not to respect other living entities is
neophyte mentality and is useless worship. Visvanath Chakravathi Thakur
warns about this mentality
▪ Conclusion: Devotees vision – “Krishna is present is everyone’s heart as
Paramatma, therefore everyone is embodiment or temple of the Lord, so
everyone should be given proper respect.”
 Impersonalists deride temple worship
o Argument: Since God is everywhere why restrict ourselves to Deity worship
o Refutation: If God is everywhere then why not also in the temple or in the Deity
o Knowledge of Perfect Devotee in Krishna Consciousness:
▪ Knows that “Although Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is all-
pervading by His energies and plenary expansions” (Ref. Brahma Samhita)

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 9.11 & 9.12:

What happens to those, who in bewilderment, disrespect Krishna’s form

Text 9.12*
THEME: Duratmas – “Fate” of those who out of bewilderment disrespect Krishna’s form
 They are attracted by demoniac and atheistic views
 Hopes for liberation, fruitive activities and culture of knowledge are all defeated

Page 11 of 25
 Bhagavad-gita Notes 12
Chapter 9

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.12

(a) Example of the category of people mentioned here (Duratmas)
 Many devotees who assume themselves to be in Krishna consciousness and devotional
service, but at heart do not accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, as the
Absolute Truth
 Those engaged in fruitive pious activities and ultimately hoping to be liberated, but they
mock Krishna and deride Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead
(b) People jeer at Krishna because they are envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
(c) Supporting Ref. Bg. 7.15 “na mam...” – Such demoniac miscreants never surrender to Krishna
(d) Thoughts and convictions of such Duratmas
 Their mental speculations about the Absolute Truth bring them to the false conclusion that
the ordinary living entity are one and the same
 They think that the body of any human being is now simple covered by material nature and
that as soon as one is liberated from the material body, there is no difference between God
and Himself
(e) Destiny of such Duratmas – They take shelter of the material energy and are attracted by
demoniac and atheistic views
 Never surrender to Krishna – Never taste the fruit of Devotional Service (Back to Godhead)
 Destiny – Birth after birth gets species of demoniac life
o Real knowledge remains under delusion Gradually regress to darkest regions of
creation
(f) It is a great offence to consider Krishna as an ordinary man (Ref. Brhad Vishnu Smrti) – (study
purport)

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 9.12 & 9.13:

What about those who do respect Krishna as He has revealed Himself

Texts 9.13 – 9.14*

COMMON THEME: Mahatamas – Those who do accept Krishna as He revealed Himself (c.f. Duratmas Bg. 9.12)

 PLEASE NOTE: All signs and symptoms of ‘Mahatmas’ as given in the translation are included under various themes
of the ‘Focus of Learning’ section for these verses

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORTS 9.13 – 9.14

(a) Various signs of ‘Mahatmas’

 He is already situated in the protection of the Divine Nature
o By surrender unto Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is situated in the divine
nature (Ref. Bg. 7.14)
o ‘Guidance of spiritual nature’ is called ‘Daivi-prakrti’
 Does not divert his attention to anything outside Krishna. How?
o Because he knows Krishna to be original Supreme person
o Attracted by His two-handed form – Performs unswerving service – may not even be
interested in four-armed Vishnu form

Page 12 of 25
 Bhagavad-gita Notes 13
Chapter 9

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORTS 9.13 – 9.14 continued…

(b) Further symptoms of ‘Mahatmas’ (9.14):

 Always engaged in chanting the glories of the Lord
o Refutes impersonalism – Because mahatma is attached to the personal form of the
Lord and glorifies personal attributes
 Endeavouring with determination
o Determined to achieve Lord’s association in one of five rasas
o Engaged in certain activities called “Determined” e.g. fasting on Ekadasi’s,
Appearance days etc.
o Following the rules and regulations of great acharyas
 Always bowing down before Me
o No severe austerity or penance required
o Can perform “in any social condition or ashram”
o “Only thing” is under the guidance of expert spiritual master
 Perpetually worshiping Krishna with devotion
o Implies engaging all mental, bodily and vocal functions in service of the Lord
o By the nine processes of devotion (devotion means activity)
(c) How do ‘Mahatmas’ develop – By association with other Mahatmas

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 9.14 & 9.15: Now Krishna mentions three types of worshipers who worship Him
indirectly

Text 9.15*
THEME: Indirect worshipers – 3 Kinds of worshipers, worship Krishna indirectly, without knowing that it is only
Krishna whom they are worshiping.
 ‘Ekatvena’ – Worships himself as one with the Supreme
 Lowest and most predominant
 Destiny is given in Texts 9.11 – 9.12
 ‘Prthaktvena’ – Concocts some form of the Supreme and worships that form
 Includes demigod worshippers
 Discussed in Texts 9.20 – 9.25
 ‘Visvato-mukham’ – Accepts the Universal form as the Supreme
 Best of all these three
 Considers universe to be Supreme organism and worship that.
 Cannot conceive of anything beyond this material manifestation.
 Discussed in Texts 9.16 – 9.19

Page 13 of 25
 Bhagavad-gita Notes 14
Chapter 9

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.15

(a) Why ‘Ekatvena’ is considered God worship, although they worship themselves as one with
Supreme (as ‘God’ )
 Because at least they have the sense, that we are not the material body but spirit soul
(b) 3 Levels of Krishna worshipers
 ‘Mahatmas’ – Topmost (9.13 – 9.14)
 4 Types of Sukrtinas (7.16)
 3 Types of Jnanis discussed here in Text 9.15 – ‘Ekatvena’, ‘Prthaktvena’ and ‘Visvato-
mukham’

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 9.15 & 9.16: Krishna has already discussed the results gained by the ‘ekatvena’
worshiper in Texts 9.11 – 9.12. In the next four verses, He will explain how to recognize and worship Him
in His universal form. Further on in this chapter, Krishna will also discuss the results of demigod worship.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF TEXTS 9.16 – 9.25

 Seeing Lord Krishna’s superiority in terms of the ‘material world’ as well as ‘over demigods’, will
lead one to worship him directly
 Since Krishna is both matter and spirit, the gigantic universal form comprising all material
manifestations is also Krishna and His Vrindavana pastimes as two-handed Shyamasundara,
playing on a flute, are those of the Supreme Personality of Godhead

Texts 9.16 – 9.19

COMMON THEME: Mentions “How to recognise Krishna in His universal form”. Seeing that Krishna is the
personality behind all material phenomena, the worshipper of the universal form will turn to Him

Text 9.16
THEME: Vedic sacrifices of ‘Karma-kanda’ division are in total also Krishna
 Those in devotional service are to be understood to have performed all sacrifices recommended in the
Vedas
 Study translation for all the components of sacrifice

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.16

Of all the components of sacrifice, only the important terms are clarified here:

(a) ‘Ritual’ – Vedic Sacrifice known as Jyotistoma is also Krishna

(b) ‘Sacrifice’ – Maha-yajna mentioned in Smrti is also Krishna
(c) ‘Oblations’ – “Offerings to Pitraloka”
(d) ‘Fire’ – One of the five material elements; therefore separated energy of Krishna

Page 14 of 25
 Bhagavad-gita Notes 15
Chapter 9

Text 9.17
THEME: Krishna as all the relationships: In the material existence, we create different relationships with
different living entities who are nothing but Krishna’s marginal energy; under the creation of ‘praktrti’, some of
them appear as our father, mother, grandfather, creator etc. But actually they are parts and parcels of Krishna
 Study translation for all points

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.17

Only the important terms are clarified here:

(a) Father, Mother, Support and Grandsire – All these relationships in the material world are part and
parcel of Krishna which implies they are all Krishna.
(b) Dhata – implies creator or supporter
(c) Purifier – That subject matter which helps us purify our constitution position is also Krishna
(d) Omkara – A transcendental sound vibration in all Vedic mantras, is therefore Krishna
(e) All the Vedas – Because all the hymns have ‘Omkara’, therefore it is Krishna

Text 9.18
THEME: All the terms mentioned in the translation indicate Krishna to be the eternal cause of all causes
 Study translation for all points

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.18

Only some important terms are clarified here:

(a) ‘Gati’ – ‘Ultimate goal is Krishna’, although people do not know it

 Many make their destination to different demigods
 Thus perform rigid rituals
 But all such demigod planets, being creations of Krishna, are simultaneously Krishna and not
Krishna – How:
o Being manifestation of Krishna’s energy they are Krishna, but
o They serve only a step forward for realising Krishna
o To approach different energies of Krishna is an indirect approach
o Better to have direct approach which saves time and energy
o Analogy: Elevator vs staircase
(b) ‘Sustainer’ – Because everything is resting on Krishna’s energy
(c) ‘Master’ – Krishna is the Supreme ruler and everything belongs to Him
(d) ‘Witness’ – He is in everyone’s heart
(e) ‘Abode’ – Residences, countries or planets on which we live
(f) ‘Ultimate goal of our shelter’ – Take shelter of Krishna for any distress
(g) ‘Suhrta’ (Best friend) – Because He is the cause of our generation and Supreme Father

Page 15 of 25
 Bhagavad-gita Notes 16
Chapter 9

Text 9.19
THEME: For Krishna, there is no distinction between matter and spirit; He is both matter and spirit.
In advanced stages of consciousness one can see Krishna in everything
 Study translation for all the points

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.19 – Only the important term is clarified here:

(a) ‘Immortality’ – The energy which sustains us and which prolongs the duration of life

Texts 9.20 – 9.25

Demigod Worshippers (‘Prthaktvenas’)

Texts 9.20 – 9.21

COMMON THEME: Result of Demigod worship mentioned here
 Demigod worshippers worship Krishna only, but indirectly
 They study the Vedas, drink the Soma juice, seeking the heavenly planets
 Path of demigod worshipers
 Purified of sinful reactions, they take birth on the pious, heavenly planet of Indra where they
enjoy Godly delights
 After exhausting the result of their pious activity, they return to this mortal planet again
 Thus this path only offers repeated birth and death

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORTS 9.20 – 9.21

(a) Ultimate goal for Tri-vedis is Krishna only (9.20)

 Actual Tri-vedis take shelter of lotus feet of Krishna and engage in devotional service
o By chanting Hare Krishna,
o And by cultivating knowledge of Krishna
(b) Simply official students of Vedas are only interested in sacrifice to demigods
 Have not attained the perfection of knowledge which is to know the “Source of all”
(‘Janmady asya yatah’)
 Only benefits achieved:
o Gets purified of lower modes
o Elevation to heavenly planets with longer life and better sense gratification
(c) Disadvantage of heavenly planets as the goal
 Comes back to the earth – Cycle of birth and death ‘after exhausting pious deeds’
 Analogy: “Ferris wheel” compared to “Cycle of birth and death” (study 9.21 purport)
 Solution offered to avoid repeated birth and death: Make spiritual world as your goal

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 9.21 & 9.22: Texts 20 – 21 explains : “How demigods obtain the necessities of life”
Text 22 explains: “How unalloyed devotees are maintained and receive their necessities”

Page 16 of 25
 Bhagavad-gita Notes 17
Chapter 9

Text 9.22*
Yoga-Ksemam verse

THEME: Direct worship of Krishna achieves complete perfection by Krishna’s grace

 Krishna says: “For those who worship Me with exclusive devotion”
 “For them I carry what they lack”
 “I preserve what they have”

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.22

a) A devotee is “Perfect in self-Realization” – It is because:

 His only desire is to associate with Supreme Personality of Godhead
 He always worships with ‘exclusive’ devotion
o Unable to live without Krishna even for a moment
 Such Krishna conscious activities are “All-auspicious” and “Full of spiritual potencies”
b) ‘Yoga’ – Implies such a devotee undoubtedly approaches Lord without difficultly
 Helps the devotee achieve Krishna consciousness by yoga
c) ‘Ksema’ – Refers to “the merciful protection” of the Lord
 When one becomes fully Krishna consciousness, the Lord protects him from falling down
to miserable conditional life

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 9.22 & 9.23: Because demigod worshipers are ultimately worshipping Krishna, do
they achieve the same result as Krishna’s unalloyed devotees? In the next verse, Krishna does not
approve the unnecessary worship of demigods.

Text 9.23
THEME: Demigod worship without knowledge of Krishna’s supremacy is called “Avidhi-purvakam” – It is a
sign of less intelligence because such worship is offered to ‘Me’ only, but indirectly

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.23

(a) Three Analogies for indirect worship of Krishna as the improper method
 Pouring water on leaves and branches and not the roots
 Feeding different parts of the body and not the stomach
 Not to follow the laws of the government and offering a bribe to the officers

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 9.23 & 9.24: What happens to such worshipers as mentioned in Text 9.23?
– “They simply fall down”

Page 17 of 25
 Bhagavad-gita Notes 18
Chapter 9

Text 9.24
THEME: Krishna as the only enjoyer and master of all sacrifices:
 Demigod worshipers, after great endeavour to follow Vedas, simply fall down to material existence
and do not achieve the desired goal of life (because they do not know Krishna as the only enjoyer and
master of all sacrifices)
 Krishna says “Those who do not recognize My transcendental nature, fall down”

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.24

(a) Vedas recommend different Yajnas: Actually ‘Yajna’ means Vishnu

 Ultimately beneficiary of all Yajnas is ‘Vishnu’ (Ref. Bg. 3.9)
 Goal of Varnasrama is to please Vishnu
(b) Demigod worship is for temporary benefit. Therefore demigod worshipers fall down and do not
achieve the desired goal of life – less intelligent people take to this path
(c) Final conclusion – Even if one has material desires, better to worship the Supreme Lord

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 9.24 & 9.25:To contrast the destination of demigod worshipers and Krishna
bhaktas, Krishna speaks the next verse (9.25)

Text 9.25
THEME: Relative destination of different worshipers explained (Study Translation for all points)

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.25

(a) Refutation: This verse refutes the philosophy – “Worship of any form or any path leads to the
same goal”
(b) Basis of Destination – Destination depends on faith reposed
 e.g. Darsha-paurnamasi – ‘A process of karma-kanda rituals to go to the moon or sun etc.’
(c) Role of Krishna conscious movement – A sublime process of simply chanting Hare Krishna and
going back to Godhead – devotional service can take one to Krishna’s planet

SECTION IV (9.26 – 9.34)

THE GLORIES OF DEVOTIONAL SERVICE TO KRISHNA

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF TEXTS 9.26 – 9.34

 Worship of Lord Krishna is superior because Supreme Lord takes direct interest in the life of His
devotees
 Understanding Truth about Krishna and His Devotees and Their intimate relationships, one
should absorb himself in Krishna Consciousness
 The most essential quality of bhakti which stands out in Text 9.29 – 9.34 is that the Lord
personally reciprocates with His devotees, bringing them closer to Him

Page 18 of 25
 Bhagavad-gita Notes 19
Chapter 9

LINK BETWEEN SECTION III & SECTION IV: To encourage us to make the correct choice, He speaks the
final nine verses of this chapter. These verses plead with us, for our own benefit, to become His exclusive
devotees.

COMMON THEME: Krishna pleads to us to choose the right path, which is – "To become exclusive devotees”
(Highest perfection of life)

Text 9.26*
THEME: Bhakti is a very simple process
 Sign of an intelligent person – Engages in Krishna’s loving service to achieve permanent bliss in abode
for eternal happiness
 Krishna accepts anything offered in love – a leaf, flower, fruit or water

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.26

(a) Bhakti is easy and universal

 Only qualification required is – To be a pure devotee
 No other qualification required – Can be attempted by poorest of the poor, no matter
where one is or what one is
(b) Compared to other processes – Simplest process and highest perfectional stage offered
 Krishna wants only loving service and nothing more, irrespective of quantity or type of
object
o Even a little flower or leaf, fruit or flower from a pure devotee will do
o But no offering is accepted, however big may be, from a non-devotee – Because the
Lord is self sufficient and not in need of anything
 Importance of word Bhakti –“Bhakti” is mentioned twice in this verse – to declare
emphatically that Bhakti is the only means to approach Krishna
o ‘No other condition’– being a brahmana / rich man / scholarship / philosopher
o None of these conditions can induce the Lord to accept any offering
 Bhakti is never causal
o It is an eternal process
o It is a direct action in service to the Absolute Whole
(c) Link to the previous verse – Krishna after establishing Himself as the only enjoyer, primeval Lord
and real object of all sacrificial offerings, now He tells, what type of sacrifice He desires to be
offered
(d) Prohibited Items : If you love Krishna – Offer Krishna whatever He wants / Avoid offering that
which is undesirable and unasked for
 Find out the Lord’s desire, if you want to engage in devotional service and want to get
purified and to reach life’s goal
 Practical application – No meat, fish or eggs, only patram, pushpam, phalam, toyam (leaf,
flower, fruit or water)
(e) Why offer – To enjoy without offering is sinful (Ref. Bg. 3.13)
(f) Attitudes in offering – Most important element in preparation, serving, and offering is Love

Page 19 of 25
 Bhagavad-gita Notes 20
Chapter 9

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.26 continued…

(g) Refutes impersonalists philosophers who cannot comprehend this verse because they maintain
that “the Absolute Truth is without senses”
 Our understanding: Krishna has senses and His senses are interchangeable
 Lacking senses would mean Krishna is not full in all opulences
 3 examples of ‘omnipotency’ – His senses are interchangeable and can perform the
function of each other
o Lord impregnates by His glance
o Krishna eats by hearing the devotee’s words of Love
o Also speaks by breathing and gives Vedas (Ref. Bg. 3.15 purport)
 Who can understand: Only the devotee who accepts Krishna as described in the Bhagavad-
gita, without interpretation can understand that the Supreme Absolute Truth can eat food
and enjoy it.

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 9.26 & 9.27: Texts 9.14, 9.22 and 9.26 describe advanced stages of devotion. In
the next verse, according to Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura, Krishna describes a step below this:
“Niskama-karma-yoga” – For those who are not yet able to practice pure devotional service
Text 9.27*
THEME: Recommends Niskama-karma-yoga – You can even offer fruits of what you are already doing. One
can do any of the following as an offering to Krishna
 Whatever you do
 Whatever you eat
 Whatever you offer or give away
 Whatever austerities you perform

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.27

(a) Duties of everyone – To mold one’s life in such a way as not to forget Krishna in any circumstance
(b) Work needed even for bodily maintenance – Therefore better to work for Krishna e.g.
 Eat – Only prasadam
 Religious duties – Do it only for Krishna (Archana)
 Charity – Utilise for furthering Krishna consciousness
 Austerity – Greatest meditator and greatest yogi is one who meditates on Krishna 24 hours
by chanting on his beads (Ref Bg. 6.47)

Text 9.28*
THEME: Result of acting with Mind fixed on ‘Me’ in this principle of renunciation as explained in Text 9.27
 Liberation – Freedom from bondage to work and its auspicious and inauspicious results (“moksyase
karma-bandhanaih”)
 Realisation of Krishna – “Liberation and one comes to Me” (“vimukti” and “mam upaisyasi”)

Page 20 of 25
 Bhagavad-gita Notes 21
Chapter 9

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.28

(a) ‘Yukta’ – One who acts in Krishna consciousness under superior direction.
(b) ‘Yukta-vairagya’ - To perform actions and give the fruits to Krishna
(c) ‘How does this process work?’ – when one is situated in such renunciation, the following effects
are seen:
 Cleansing - Such activities clear the mirror of mind
 Progress - Gradual progress in spiritual realisation
 Surrender - Complete surrender to Supreme Personality of Godhead
 Liberation - At the end becomes liberated
 “Come to Me” indicates the “Kind of liberation” – Not brahmajyoti but entering into Lord’s
planet (Indicated by the word Mam-upaisyasi)
(d) Who is a real sannyasi – A Krishna conscious person – because of the following characteristics:
 Niskama – No other interest but to dedicate life in service of the Lord
 Servitude – Always thinks of himself as eternal servant
 Dependence – Depends on Supreme will of the Lord
 Beyond Vedic Rituals – Does not give serious attention to fruitive activities or prescribed
ritualistic duties of the Vedas
o PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Prescribed duties are obligatory for ordinary persons
▪ But a pure devotee who is completely engaged in Lord’s service may sometimes
appear to go against prescribed duties but actually it is not so
o Ref. CC Madhya-lila – One cannot understand the plans and activities of a pure
devotee
o A pure devotee is above all material criticisms just like Krishna

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 9.28 & 9.29: Krishna stated earlier that He delivers His devotees and annihilates
the miscreants, but shouldn’t the Supreme Lord, who is the father of all living entities, treat all – both the
good and bad – equally? Is Krishna partial?

Text 9.29
THEME: But Krishna is not partial, He is equal to everyone, He envies no one
 But whoever renders service unto Me is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to Him

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.29

QUESTION: If Krishna is equal to all and no-one is His special friend then why does He take special
interest in devotees who are always engaged in his transcendental service
ANSWER: This is not discrimination but “natural”

(a) Analogy: Any man in material world may be charitably disposed, but has special interest in own
children
(b) But one may say: Lord says all living entities are His children –
 Our response – Yes, therefore He supplies everyone with generous supply of all necessities
o Analogy: Like a cloud pours water all over the earth: rock, land or water

Page 21 of 25
 Bhagavad-gita Notes 22
Chapter 9

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.29 continued…

(c) But for devotees – “He gives specific attention” – Such devotees are
 Transcendentally situated in Krishna
o The phrase “Krishna consciousness” indicates that they are “Living
Transcendentalists”
 Lord says “Mayi te” – They are in Me. Naturally Lord is also in them reciprocally
 Ref. Bg. 4.11 – “Ye Yatha...” – Lord reciprocates according to one’s surrender
 This transcendental reciprocation exists because the Lord and His devotees are conscious
(d) Analogy: Lord and living entity eternally glitter – When living entity is in service of diamond like
Lord, he looks like Gold (Diamond on gold ring)
(e) Personalism – If reciprocal relationship not present between Lord and devotees, there is no
personalist philosophy
(f) Analogy: Lord is like a desire tree – supplies whatever one wants
 Lord’s reciprocation should not be considered under the law of karma
o It belongs to transcendental situation in which Lord and His devotees function
o Devotional service is not an activity of the material world, but a part of the spiritual
world where eternity, bliss and knowledge predominates

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 9.29 & 9.30: Krishna personally maintains and cares for His devotees. Even if His
devotee were to perform a heinous act, Krishna would nevertheless protect and purify him.

Text 9.30
THEME: Even if a devotee is imperfect, Krishna takes him as saintly – Why:
 Because he is properly situated in his determination (9.30)
 And he quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace (9.31)

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.30

(a) ‘Su-duracharah’ – Very significant word
 Two kinds of Activities: Conditioned living entity has 2 kinds of activities – conditional and
constitutional
o Conditional – Those ‘for protecting the body’ or ‘for my abiding by the rules of society
and state’
o Constitutional/Transcendental – Activities of living entities, being conscious of
spiritual nature (Engagement in devotional service)
 Activities may be parallel or opposed: In conditioned state, sometimes devotional and
conditional acts parallel each other and sometimes they oppose each other
 Devotee tries to balance: Devotee tries his best not to disrupt his wholesome condition
knowing that perfection in his activities depend upon progressive realisation of Krishna
consciousness
(b) Abominable acts does not disqualify
 Sometimes a Krishna conscious person acts abominably socially or politically
 Such temporary fall-down does not disqualify him
 Ref. SB – If such a person is whole heartedly engaged in transcendental service of Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Lord in the heart purifies him and excuses him for that act

Page 22 of 25
 Bhagavad-gita Notes 23
Chapter 9

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.30 continued…

(c) “Sadhur eva” – Emphatic expression of “He is saintly”
 A person situated in Krishna consciousness engages with determination in chanting Hare
Krishna
 Should be considered transcendental – Not to deride for accidental falldown
(d) “Mantavyah” – Makes it still more emphatic – If we deride someone like this, then we are
disobeying the Lord’s order
(e) Ref. Nrsimha Purana – Analogy: Compares accidental fallen or abominable acts of a devotee to be
like mark of a rabbit on the moon – Such spots do not impede diffusion of the bright moonlight
(f) In that perspective only qualification of a devotee is – To be unflinchingly and exclusively engaged
in devotional service
(g) CAUTION! Do not take it as allowance to act in all abominable ways
 Only for Accidental Falldown – Only refers to accident due to strong power of material
connections
 Devotional Service and War: Devotional service is declaring war against illusory energy
(h) WARNING! Till we are not strong enough – there may be accidental falldowns
 Do not take free license: If one does not improve in his character by devotional service, it is
to be understood he is not a high devotee

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 9.30 & 9.31: Still, the question may be raised: “How can a person who is “su-
duracara” (committing highly improper activities) be regarded as saintly?”

Text 9.31*
THEME: Krishna purifies him (A devotee who succumbs to his conditionings and engages abominably as
explained in 9.30)
1. He quickly becomes righteous
2. He attains lasting peace
3. Promise of Krishna:“My devotee never perishes”

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.31

ARGUMENT: How can a person acting abominably by accident or intention can be a pure devotee?
Because Chapter 7 declares “only one free from mischievous acts can become a devotee of the Lord”.
(Ref. Bg. 7.28)
EXPLAINED AS FOLLOWS:
(a) Cleansing going on – Devotee engaged in nine kinds of devotional service is
 In process of cleaning heart
 Puts Lord in the heart
 All contaminations naturally washed away
(b) No need of ritualistic processes – One who falls down from exalted position – No need to undergo
certain ritualistic processes for purification
 Purification process is already there in the heart – Continue remembering Krishna by
chanting without stoppage
 All protection assured for accidental fall-downs

Page 23 of 25
 Bhagavad-gita Notes 24
Chapter 9

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 9.31 & 9.32:

Krishna continues to glorify the path of bhakti

Text 9.32
THEME: Even unqualified classes also achieve Krishna by His mercy
 e.g. Women, Vaisyas and Sudras

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.32

(a) No distinction in different classes – This verse establishes that in devotional service, there is no
distinction between higher and lower classes as opposed to the material conception of life. (Ref.
SB 2.4.18)
(b) Indicates ‘Power of devotional service and pure devotees’ – Most simple man taking shelter of a
pure devotee can be purified by proper guidance, even the lowest of men chandalas (Ref. SB
2.4.18)
(c) Importance of shelter (‘Vyapashritya’) – One has to take complete shelter of Krishna – Then one
can become greater than great jnanis and yogis; pure devotees can enable people of lower classes
to attain highest perfection.

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 9.32 & 9.33:

The next verse describes those who have taken higher birth

Text 9.33
THEME: Then what to speak of qualified righteous brahmanas, devotees and saintly kings – Krishna definitely
helps them.
 Conclusion: Having come to temporary miserable world, one must engage in loving service unto ‘Me’

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.33

(a) ‘Anityam asukham lokam’ – Indicates ‘world is not a happy place but temporary and full of
misery’ – “Whoever you may be”
(b) Refutes Mayavadis who say that ‘this world is false’, but our philosophy is “this world is not false
but temporary”
(c) ‘Rajarsis’ – “Saintly royal families” – Indicates Arjuna is also motivated to take to devotional
service
(d) Conclusion: Devotional service is the only process to solve all problems of life for all people at all
times

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 9.33 & 9.34: Krishna concluded Text 9.33 with the words “bhajasva mam”,
“Engage in loving service unto Me.” In the next text, Krishna will clearly tell us how to do so.

Page 24 of 25
 Bhagavad-gita Notes 25
Chapter 9

Text 9.34
THEME: Worship Krishna directly – This verse points out clearly that “Krishna consciousness is the only means
for deliverance from material world.”
 How to worship Krishna directly
 Engage your mind always in thinking of Me
 Become My devotee
 Offer obeisances to Me
 Worship Me

FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 9.34

(a) How to engage one’s mind

 Engage in His eternal form, the primal form of Krishna
 With conviction that Krishna is the Supreme
 Engage body, mind and activities in His service without deviation – Nine activities
 Benefit: Transfer to Krishna-loka
(b) Srila Prabhupada refutes unscrupulous commentators
 Unscrupulous commentators defined
o Make profit and mislead: Make profit out of misleading people. Divert their mind to
that which is not at all feasible
o They refer to Krishna’s mind: They do not know that there is no difference between
Krishna’s mind and Krishna
 Our Response is:
o Krishna is not an ordinary human but Absolute (Body, Mind and Himself are Absolute
One)
o Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati quotes from Caitanya Charitamrta: “No difference between
Krishna and His body”
(c) Demoniac Mentality – They do think of Krishna but always unfavourably and enviously e.g. Kamsa
(d) Real bhakti defined based on correct understanding
 One should “Think of Krishna as a person”
 Favourably in devotional love
 Cultivate knowledge of Krishna continuously
 What is that favourable cultivation – Learn from bona-fide spiritual master
 What are the bona-fide teachings of such a Spiritual Master – Krishna is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead and His body is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge and we are His
eternal servants

 END OF CHAPTER 9 

Page 25 of 25
 Bhagavad Gita Notes  1 
Chapter 9 Appendix 
 
CHAPTER 9 Appendix
Selected Texts extracted from “Surrender unto Me”

Introduction
Chapter Seven and Chapter Nine share various themes: hearing from Kåñëa (7.1-2 / 9.1-2); the rela-
tionship between Kåñëa and material nature (7.4-7, 7.12 / 9.4-10); Kåñëa’s potency manifested
within matter (7.8-11 / 9.16-19); worship of demigods contrasted with worship of Kåñëa (7.20-23 /
9.20-28); and the impersonalists’ knowledge of Kåñëa contrasted with that of devotees (7.24-26 /
9.11-15)

Text 9.1
The first three verses of this chapter glorify its contents. Later, Kåñëa will describe His inconceivable
opulence, which will help fix a nonenvious soul in unswerving devotional service by increasing his
knowledge, appreciation and awe.

Text 9.2
Su-sukham indicates that this knowledge will bring us great happiness and that its application, devo-
tional service, is joyfully performed. Bhakti-yoga is joyfully performed because it entails using our
senses in Kåñëa’s service. Bhakti-yoga does not require, as jïäna-yoga does, that we renounce all
activities. Renouncing sense activities does not bring joy, but, rather, dryness and misery.

Çréla Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa asserts that räja-vidyä räja-guhyaà indicates “the knowledge of kings,
the secret of kings.” It is “the knowledge, or more exactly, the meditational worship, of those who,
like kings, have magnanimous, compassionate hearts. They are unlike the cripple-hearted karmés,
who worship demigods with the desire to attain sons and other material benefits. Kings, even when
they fail to hide their treasures of gems and other valuables, keep their private counsel very hidden.
In the same way, even when My devotees do not conceal other kinds of knowledge, they keep this
knowledge concealed.”

Text 9.6
Although all living entities are within Kåñëa, are dependent on Kåñëa and are supported by Kåñëa,
they nevertheless act independently. How can one who is completely dependent act independ-
ently? This is an inconceivable feature of the relationship between the living entities and Kåñëa.

Kåñëa provides an analogy to help us understand. The sky, like an upside-down bowl, contains the
wind. In the same way, “all created beings rest in Me.” Just as the sky is detached from the wind,
the wind, though in the sky, blows freely and independently. The sky restricts only the area of
movement, not the movement itself.

Kåñëa thus limits the activities of the conditioned living entities, regardless of the extent of their
power, to the circumference of the material world. Within the material sphere they are free, and
Kåñëa is detached from their independently enacted activities and from the reactions their activities
generate. The living entities are thus simultaneously fully dependent on Kåñëa and independent of
Him.

Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura raises a question: Because Kåñëa has described, by an analo-
gous example, His acintya-çakti, or inconceivable mystic power, hasn’t His explanation made the
inconceivable conceivable? He writes: “But then how is the Lord’s mystic power inconceivable,

Page 1 of 7 
 
 Bhagavad Gita Notes  2 
Chapter 9 Appendix 
 
which He claimed it to be in His statement, ‘Just see My mystic power’? After all, we now have a
conceivable example explaining His mystic power.”

He then answers:“The sky is nonattached to the wind, which is contained within it, because the sky
and wind are unconscious matter [and matter does not form attachments]. However, only in one
case does living spirit remain nonattached while living in this world and controlling it, and that is in
the case of the supreme controller. In this way the inconceivability [of the supreme controller’s be-
ing nonattached] is established. The example of the nonattached sky is nonetheless offered in order
to give ordinary people an opportunity to begin to understand this subject.”

Kåñëa began His explanation of His inconceivable relationship with the material world in Chapter
Five (texts 14-15) by saying, “I do nothing. The material nature is the doer.” As Çréla Prabhupäda
confirms in his purport to this verse, however, Kåñëa is nevertheless the cause of the material nature
and “not a blade of grass moves without the will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Çréla
Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura concludes by saying, “This is Kåñëa’s inconceivable potency, and we
can only fold our hands and offer respects to His greatness.”

Text 9.10
Mayä means “by My,” adhi means “from above” and akña means “eyes.” Thus, mayädhyakñeëa
means “under My eyes.” Everything is done under Kåñëa’s supervision.

Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura gives an analogous example to explain Kåñëa’s words: “The
governmental business of a king, like Ambaréña Mahäräja, is carried out by his ministers (prakåtis),
while the uninvolved king merely remains present. All the same, unless the king is present on his
throne, the ministers are incapable of doing anything. In the same way, unless I give My support as
the supervisor, material nature (prakåti) cannot do anything.”

Text 9.11
That Kåñëa, who appears in a humanlike form, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is even
higher than the four-armed Viñëu form is not easy to accept. Even Lord Brahmä became bewil-
dered about Kåñëa’s identity. After Kåñëa killed Aghäsura, Brahmä saw Him as a cowherd boy sur-
rounded by His friends, with a lump of food held in His left hand. Brahmä could not accept this boy
as his master, the Supreme Lord, the source of innumerable universes.

Rather than accepting Him as He is, some consider Him simply a powerful man. Others think He
has acquired His wonderful form and qualities by karma and tapasya. Still others consider the Su-
preme to be impersonal and devoid of attributes. They think that since absolute oneness cannot be
understood, it assumes a form and descends as Kåñëa, Räma and other avatäras through contact
with the material mode of goodness.

Kåñëa’s opinion about such speculations is expressed in this verse. Avajänanti mäà müòhä mänuñéà
tanum äçritam: “Fools deride My descent, thinking that I have assumed this human form.”

Text 9.12
Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura explains that if one is practicing añöäìga-yoga for liberation, or
if one is practicing karma-käëòa rituals for material well-being or if one is practicing jïäna-yoga for
knowledge and Brahman realization, all his aspirations will be crushed if he misunderstands Kåñëa’s
form to be material. No success is awarded to those refusing to accept Kåñëa’s transcendental
form.

Page 2 of 7 
 
 Bhagavad Gita Notes  3 
Chapter 9 Appendix 
 
One modern politician wrote a commentary on the Rämäyaëa and said that Lord Räma, by acting
as a kñatriya and fighting to protect Sétädevé, proved the omnipotence of the modes of material na-
ture. How? Because by acting in that way, claimed the author, the Lord revealed that even when
God descends into the material world, He becomes controlled by the modes of nature. How fool-
ish! How can God be controlled by His own energies?

The hopes, knowledge and fruitive desires of one who thinks in that way are destroyed by such in-
appropriate, illogical and demoniac conclusions. Mäyävädés, who say that Brahman affected by the
mode of goodness becomes éçvara, an incarnation, are particularly ruined.

Text 9.14
Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura explains: “A mahätmä always serves and glorifies Kåñëa, regard-
less of time and place. He offers his obeisances and chants a fixed number of rounds with great de-
termination. The word mäm is used twice in this verse. The repetition emphasizes that these
activities are offered to Kåñëa and to no one else.”

Text 9.15
The first type of jïäné mentioned is the one who worships himself as one (ekatvena) with the Su-
preme. This person is the lowest of the three. Although he is a monist, he is still considered to be
performing worship of God because he understands that he is eternal and is not his material body.
Those in this category are the most predominant.

Above them are the demigod worshipers who imagine a favorite demigod as the Supreme Lord
(påthaktvena bahudhä).

The best of the three is one who, considering the universe as the supreme entity, conceives of the
Lord’s universal form within the manifest universe (viçvataù-mukham) and worships that.

Text 9.22
Paryupäsate (properly worship) and nityäbhiyuktänäm (always fixed in devotion) indicate a devo-
tee’s absorption in pure Kåñëa consciousness. Çréla Prabhupäda writes: “One who is unable to live
for a moment without Kåñëa consciousness cannot but think of Kåñëa twenty-four hours a day, be-
ing engaged in devotional service by hearing, chanting, remembering, offering prayers, worshiping,
serving the lotus feet of the Lord, rendering other services, cultivating friendship and surrendering
fully to the Lord.”

With such determination in their practice of sädhana, the devotees neglect even their own mainte-
nance and do not care for liberation. They leave both responsibilities to Kåñëa, and thus Kåñëa per-
sonally delivers them. (This contrasts with the description given of the yogé in Bg. 8.24, where it is
said that the demigods, in shifts, arrange for the soul’s passage higher and higher through the mate-
rial realm to the ultimate destination of the brahmajyoti.)

One may ask, “What kind of devotee would give his worshipful Deity, Kåñëa, such a burden?”
However, Kåñëa does not consider maintaining His devotee a burden. He wants to serve His devo-
tee. Kåñëa is so powerful that simply by exerting His will, He can create unlimited universes; main-
taining His devotees is not a burden. Rather, it is His pleasure.

When the brähmaëa, Arjunäcärya, was writing his commentary on the Gétä, he saw this verse and
thought it a mistake to believe that the Lord would personally carry whatever was needed to each
devotee. Arjunäcärya therefore scratched out vahämi (I carry) and inserted karomi (I have it done).

Page 3 of 7 
 
 Bhagavad Gita Notes  4 
Chapter 9 Appendix 
 
Arjunäcärya was extremely poor. After making the change in the text, he, as he did every day,
went out begging.

While he was gone, his wife heard a knock at the door. Two beautiful boys fearfully insisted that
she quickly accept the food that her husband had forced them to bring. These beautiful boys were
anxious to get away from her house because, They told her, the great brähmaëa scholar, Ar-
junäcärya, would probably beat Them again. When Arjunäcärya’s wife expressed disbelief that her
husband had beat such boys, one said, “See?” And the dark boy turned to show her the marks on
His back where He had been struck. Then They both dashed away.

Arjunäcärya’s wife was bewildered, and she began to cook and eat the food the boys had brought.
Upon Arjunäcärya’s return, he saw his wife eating. He was shocked. According to the Vedic sys-
tem, a wife never eats before she has fed her husband.

When he challenged her, she replied, “Äcärya, why have you acted so inappropriately and become
so cruel?” She then told him that two beautiful boys had come, left a bountiful supply of food, and
after the dark boy had showed her the marks on His back, They had rushed away. The äcärya
thought for a few moments and then asked what the boys looked like. Upon hearing that one had
a beautiful darkish complexion and that the other was white, he could understand that his fortunate
wife had been blessed with the darçana of Kåñëa and Balaräma. The “beating” marks on the beauti-
ful dark boy’s back were the result of the äcärya’s having scratched out the word vahämi. Kåñëa
had been forced to come personally to prove the truth of His words, “I carry what they lack.”

Text 9.26
To worship the demigods properly, one is required to perform elaborate sacrifices governed by in-
tricate rules. Numerous pure and trained priests, and huge amounts of ghee and other difficult-to-
obtain ingredients are needed before one can perform such yajïas.

Worshiping Kåñëa is simple. Patram, puñpam, phalam and toyam are all in the singular. Kåñëa asks
only for a leaf, a flower, water or a piece of fruit. His request is not even for all of them! His actual
desire is to taste the bhakti of His devotee’s offering. Therefore He mentions bhakti twice in this
verse for emphasis. The demigods are pleased by the offering; Kåñëa is pleased by devotion.

A devotee not only offers these items to Kåñëa with devotion but he bases his entire life on render-
ing pleasing service to Kåñëa. Therefore, the essential ingredients of an offering (the sentiments of
bhakti) are not only evoked at the time of the offering but are cultivated throughout a devotee’s
life. The garden in which the grains, vegetables, fruits and flowers are sown and grown is watered
with devotion to Kåñëa. The flowers are picked and the food cooked with devotion. Finally, the
items are served and offered to Kåñëa. Kåñëa says that He accepts (açnämi) such offerings because
His devotee’s bhakti has given Him an appetite.

Text 9.27
Niñkäma-karmés are attached to the specific work they perform. To them Kåñëa therefore says that
whatever you are already doing, “do that as an offering to Me.” First perform the activity and then
surrender its fruit to Kåñëa.

Bhakti is different. In bhakti, we first surrender to the order of guru and Kåñëa and then act. We
make no distinction between the activity and its fruit. Everything is offered in surrender to Kåñëa’s
lotus feet.

Page 4 of 7 
 
 Bhagavad Gita Notes  5 
Chapter 9 Appendix 
 
Çréla Prabhupäda confirmed that this verse refers to karma-yoga, technically different from bhakti-
yoga, in a lecture on the prayers of Queen Kunti, given in Mayapura in 1974:

Kåñëa is meant for the paramahaàsa and muni, very, very exalted persons. Yoga means “contact” or
“having connection.” Bhakti-yoga means directly connecting with Kåñëa, or God. Other yogas are not directly
connected. When there is karma-yoga, it is adulterated. It is not pure. Karma-yoga means yat karoñi yad
açnäsi yaj juhoñi dadäsi yat. In the beginning one cannot take to pure bhakti-yoga. Therefore karma-yoga is
recommended. People are interested in different types of work. So therefore Kåñëa says, yat karoñi: “Never
mind, whatever you are doing.” So how does it become karma-yoga? Now, kuruñva tad mad-arpaëam: “You
give it to Me.” Kåñëa says, “All right, go on. You are attached to business. You go on doing that. But the
money earned out of your business, you give to Me.” This is karma-yoga. “It doesn’t matter, whatever you
are doing, but the ultimate result, you give to Me.”

Text 9.28
Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura explains: “He [the person described in the previous verse] not only be-
comes liberated but also achieves vimukti. He becomes exceptional (viçiñöa) among those who are liberated
and comes into My proximity in order to serve Me directly.”

Çréla Baladeva Vidyäbhuñaëa explains: “The consequence of such devotion is described in the verse beginning
çubhä [text 28]. When you engage in the kind of devotional service characterized by offering all works to Me
under My order, then you become freed from the bondage of material activities. You not only become
mukta, liberated from material activities, but vimukta, and come to Me. You become exceptional among
those who are liberated and come near Me in order to serve Me directly.”

Devotees of the Lord are so special. Näräyaëa-paräù sarve na kutaçcana bibhyati / svargäpavarga-narakeñv
api tulyärtha-darçinaù: “Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Näräyaëa, never fear any condition of life. For them the heavenly planets, liberation and the hellish
planets are all the same, for such devotees are interested only in the service of the Lord.” (Bhäg. 6.17.28)

9.29: Kåñëa is compared to rain. Trees absorb rainwater and then grow and produce fruits. Some trees pro-
duce bitter fruits, and others produce sweet ones. Does this mean the rain is partial? No. Similarly, regardless
of a living entity’s situation, Kåñëa nourishes everyone equally. Çréla Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa explains the
Lord’s mood, described in the first half of this verse, as the mood of the Supersoul, the Paramätmä: “Sending
forth and maintaining all kinds of beings among the demigods, humans, animals, nonmoving creatures and so
on, I, the Lord of all, am equal. I am just like a cloud pouring rain on all kinds of seeds. Among all these crea-
tures, none are My enemies, and none are especially dear to Me.”

The second half of this verse, however, confirms Kåñëa’s partiality to His devotee in His feature as Bhagavän.
Earlier in this chapter, Kåñëa described that although the material world rests on Him, He remains aloof from
it. Here, on the contrary, we find that Kåñëa does not remain aloof from His devotees.

Kåñëa vowed ye yathä mäà prapadyante täàs tathaiva bhajämy aham: “As all surrender to Me, I reward
them accordingly.” Here He confirms that He reciprocates even more personally with His devotees who love
Him. He is not like a kalpa-våkña tree, who responds equally to all requests. Rather, He is willing to become
the enemy of His devotee’s enemy. As Kåñëa told Duryodhana, “Anyone who is envious of the Päëòavas is
envious of Me and is My enemy.”

Text 9.31:
Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura comments on verses 30-31 as follows:

One might ask, “But if someone is corrupted by such bad behavior, how can he be a sädhu?”

This is answered: “He should be considered as such and thought of as a sädhu.” “He should be considered” is
an injunctive statement. If this injunction is disobeyed, there will be unfavorable consequences. In other words, “The evi-
dence for the truth of this is that it is simply My command.”

Page 5 of 7 
 
 Bhagavad Gita Notes  6 
Chapter 9 Appendix 
 
“Well,” someone might say, “one may be considered a sädhu partially, to the extend that he is worshiping You.
But to the extent that he is usurping other men’s wives and property, he is not to be considered a sädhu.”

This is answered by the word eva, only: “He should only be considered a sädhu, in all ways, completely.”

We should never view him as not a sädhu. His determination is completely fixed: “I may go to hell or obtain an
animal birth because of my unavoidable sinful reactions, but I will never give up my exclusive worship of Çré Kåñëa.” Such
determination is praiseworthy.

“But,” one might ask, “why do You accept the worship of such an irreligious person? Why do you consume the
food and drink offered by one whose heart is contaminated by lust, anger and other faults?”

In response, the Lord says, “He quickly becomes religious.” This is not expressed as “He is going to quickly be-
come” or “He will soon achieve peace.” Rather, the present tense is used: “he becomes” and “he attains.”

The Lord continues, “This means that immediately after he commits impiety, he remembers Me and feels re-
morse. He thus quickly becomes religious. He thinks, ‘Alas! Alas! There is no person more fallen than me. I defile the
reputation of the community of devotees. Damn me!’ Again and again feeling remorse like this, he achieves complete
peace and detachment.”

“Well,” one may say, “if he actually becomes religious, there can be no argument about such a person. But
what about a devotee whose behavior is wicked and who fails to give up his bad behavior throughout his whole life?
What can be said about him?”

Always affectionate to His devotees, the Lord responds to this doubt with complete confidence and with some
anger, in the words beginning kaunteya: “My devotee never perishes. Even when he dies, he never falls down.”

To encourage Arjuna, who is disturbed with sorrow and apprehension over the thought that hard-hearted quibblers who
indulge in false logic will not accept this, the Lord says, “O Kaunteya, go to the assembly of these disputants, and making
a loud sound with drums and cymbals, raise your arms fearlessly and declare My promise: ‘I, Kåñëa, am the Supreme
Lord, and even if My devotee is wicked in his behavior, he will never perish. On the contrary, such a devotee is sure to
become successful.’ Their bad logic will be shattered by this confident declaration. They will certainly take shelter of you
as their guru.” Such is the interpretation given by Çrédhara Svämé in his commentary.

Someone may ask, “But why doesn’t the Personality of Godhead Himself make this promise? Why does he in-
stead deputize Arjuna to promise? In the same way as the Lord will later say, ‘Without a doubt you will come to Me. I
promise you this because you are very dear to Me,’ why doesn’t He now say, ‘Kaunteya, I promise that My devotee will
never perish’?”

Here is the answer. At that moment, the Lord was thinking, “I am very affectionate to My devotees and cannot
tolerate their being discredited at all. I will often even break My own promise and let Myself be discredited to protect My
devotee’s promise. For example, I will soon fight with Bhéñma and discard My own promise in order to protect Bhéñma’s
promise. Thus atheistic, logical quibblers will only laugh if I now offer My own promise, but they will have to acknowl-
edge Arjuna’s promise as if it were written in stone. Therefore I will have Arjuna make this promise.”

9.34: First, Kåñëa tells us to always think of Him. It is not sufficient to work hard for Kåñëa while our minds
wander. Çréla Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa comments that here Kåñëa says to Arjuna: “A so-called ‘devotee’ of a
king, the king’s servant, actually is thinking about his own wife and so on. His thoughts are not fixed upon the
king. Thus he is not actually the king’s devotee. You, however, in contrast with such a person, should be ab-
sorbed in thinking of Me and should be My devotee. Your mind should always be fixed, like an uninterrupted
flow of honey, on Me, the son of Vasudeva. You should think of Me as your own master and as the very
goal of your life.”

The Bhagavad-gétä is the essence of all Vedic literature. The middle six chapters are the essence of the Gétä,
and the Ninth and Tenth Chapters are the essence of the middle six chapters. Finally, the last verse of this
chapter, which is exactly in the middle of the Gétä, and which will be repeated practically verbatim at the end
of the Gétä, is the most confidential and essential çloka. It is the essence of the essence of the essence and
the most confidential of all knowledge: Become a pure devotee of Lord Kåñëa.

Page 6 of 7 
 
 Bhagavad Gita Notes  7 
Chapter 9 Appendix 
 
One may question whether this verse beginning man-manä bhava mad-bhakto is actually the essence of the
Gétä. Noting that almost the same verse appears again as Bg. 18.65, one may think that Bg. 18.66, sarva-
dharmän parityajya , is actually the essence, not 18.65. Actually, both verses are the same in that, in both,
Kåñëa offers the same instruction. Text 18.66 expresses Kåñëa’s desire that Arjuna surrender, and text 18.65
explains the components of that surrender.

In Bg. 18.64, just before these essential verses, Kåñëa states, sarva-guhyatamaà bhüyaù çrëu me paramaà
vacaù: “I am speaking My supreme instruction, the most confidential knowledge of all.” Sarva-guhyatamaà
means “the most confidential of all.” Bhüyaù means “again.” Kåñëa speaks the verse here in Chapter Nine and
again as text 18.65. Kåñëa also clearly says that these verses, 18.65 and 18.66, are the most confidential
knowledge of all and are His supreme instruction. Srila Prabhupada has many times explained this same point.
In his purport to Bg. 18.65, he writes: “The most confidential part of knowledge is that one should become a
pure devotee of Kåñëa and always think of Him and act for Him. Concentration of the mind on the form of
Kåñëa constitutes the most confidential part of knowledge, and this is disclosed to Arjuna because Arjuna is
the most dear friend of Kåñëa’s.”

Çréla Prabhupäda writes in his purport to Çrémad-Bhägavatam 3.24.32: “In Bhagavad-gétä Lord Kåñëa advised
Arjuna many times to surrender unto Him, especially at the end of the Ninth Chapter—man-manä bhava
mad-bhakto: ‘If you want to be perfect, just always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer
your obeisances to Me. In this way you will understand Me, the Personality of Godhead, and ultimately you
will come back to Me, back to Godhead, back home.’”

In his purport to Çrémad-Bhägavatam 5.26.37, Çréla Prabhupäda says:

The complete purpose of this material world will be fulfilled when we resume our spiritual identities and go back
home, back to Godhead. The very simple method for doing this is prescribed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Sarva-dharmän parityajya mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja. One should be neither pious nor impious. One should be a devotee
and surrender to the lotus feet of Kåñëa. This surrendering process is also very easy. Even a child can perform it. Man-
manä bhava mad-bhakto mad-yäjé mäà namaskuru. One must always simply think of Kåñëa by chanting Hare Kåñëa, Hare
Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare. One should become Kåñëa’s devotee,
worship Him and offer obeisances to Him. Thus one should engage all the activities of his life in the service of Lord Kåñëa.

In a lecture on Çrémad-Bhägavatam 1.15.51, Çréla Prabhupäda said:

And the very simple thing is, ya idaà paramaà guhyaà mad- bhakteñv abhidhäsyati: this confidential service,
preaching of Bhagavad-gétä—what is that? Bhagavad-gétä preaching—the essence is: sarva-dharmän parityajya mäm ekaà
çaraëaà vraja. Simply go and preach. This very thing. Kåñëa says, man-manä bhava mad-bhakto mad-yäjé mäà namas-
kuru. This is Kåñëa’s desire. Preach to the world: “Just be Kåñëa conscious.” Man-manä. “Just become Kåñëa’s devotee.”
Man-manä bhava mad-bhakto mad-yäjé. “Just worship Kåñëa.” Namaskuru. “Just offer your obeisances to Kåñëa.” Four
words. Then you become a preacher. It is not a very difficult to become a preacher and to become a spiritual master.
How? Very simple thing. Go and speak what Kåñëa says. That’s all. (Lecture, Los Angeles, December 28, 1973)

Page 7 of 7