In the previous chapters, Sri Krishna taught us about the nuances of atma, the tenets of Bhakti, Buddhi, Karma and Jnana yogas. In chapter 7 i.e. Jnana Vijnana yoga, Sri Krishna starts to unravel his magnificent cosmic form, by showcasing his existence in the universe around us. In this chapter, Sri Krishna continues to impart the divine knowledge to his creation through Arjuna. At the onset of the chapter, he explains the reasons for doing so:
श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
इदं तु ते गुह्यतमं प्रवक्ष्याम्यनसूयवे ।
ज्ञानं विज्ञानसहितं यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात् ॥ 9.1॥
The Supreme Lord said: O Arjun, because you are not envious of Me, I shall now impart to you this very confidential knowledge and wisdom, upon knowing which you will be released from the miseries of material existence.
The keyword is the one related to confidentiality and the infinite wisdom encapsulated in this knowledge. As observed from previous chapters of Srimad Bhagwad Gita, the focus is to elevate ourselves and escape from the cycle of births and deaths.
Similar to chapter 2 i.e. Sankhya Yoga, I have a huge problem at hand where I found atleast 3 verses that could be the representative verse for this chapter. There are many repeated and recurring themes across the chapters and hence, I am settling for this verse which I feel is very important.
राजविद्या राजगुह्यं पवित्रमिदमुत्तमम् ।
प्रत्यक्षावगमं धर्म्यं सुसुखं कर्तुमव्ययम् ॥ 9.2॥
This knowledge is the king of sciences and the most profound of all secrets. It purifies those who hear it. It is directly realizable, in accordance with dharma, easy to practice, and everlasting in effect.
Sri Krishna’s advice on why this knowledge is very important and implications thereof. The details about the knowledge provide the path towards the realisation but the motivation i.e. why should one learn or study this Vidya is the more critical one. The existence of the universe is based on enquiry. One always wants to know or rather should know the reasons and Sri Krishna gives us the complete clarity on why we should pursue this Vidya.
In this chapter, we observe the recurrence of certain themes. For example, in the previous chapter, we study the essence of time. Sri Krishna further expands on that concept in this chapter.
सर्वभूतानि कौन्तेय प्रकृतिं यान्ति मामिकाम् ।
कल्पक्षये पुनस्तानि कल्पादौ विसृजाम्यहम् ॥ 9.7॥
प्रकृतिं स्वामवष्टभ्य विसृजामि पुन: पुन: ।
भूतग्राममिमं कृत्स्नमवशं प्रकृतेर्वशात् ॥ 9.8॥
At the end of one kalp, all living beings merge into My primordial material energy. At the beginning of the next creation, O son of Kunti, I manifest them again. Presiding over My material energy, I generate these myriad forms again and again, in accordance with the force of their natures.
This verse not only provides the clarity on the cycle of creation and annihilation of the universe, but also provides another reference to the omnipresent nature of the Parabrahma Swaroopa. Personally, I find this is yet another extension of the unraveling of his cosmic form which is further accentuated by this wonderful verse from Sri Krishna. This was my preferred verse for this chapter, until I decided the objective or motivation is slightly more important.
पिताहमस्य जगतो माता धाता पितामह: ।
वेद्यं पवित्रमोङ्कार ऋक्साम यजुरेव च ॥ 9.17॥
Of this universe, I am the Father; I am also the Mother, the Sustainer, and the Grandsire. I am the purifier, the goal of knowledge, the sacred syllable Om. I am the Ṛig Veda, Sāma Veda, and the Yajur Veda.
In fact the preceding verse is yet another example of the ongoing Yajna called the universe where every single form is a reflection of him i.e. Parabrahma
अहं क्रतुरहं यज्ञ: स्वधाहमहमौषधम् ।
मन्त्रोऽहमहमेवाज्यमहमग्निरहं हुतम् ॥ 9.16॥
It is I who am the Vedic ritual, I am the sacrifice, and I am the oblation offered to the ancestors. I am the medicinal herb, and I am the Vedic mantra. I am the clarified butter, I am the fire and the act of offering.
This is very similar to the preferred verse of Chapter 4 i.e. ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ .. Both these verse 9.16 and 9.17 are encapsulated in these beautiful verses from Vishnu Sahasranama.
भूर्भुवः स्वस्तरुस्तारः सविता प्रपितामहः ।
यज्ञो यज्ञपतिर्यज्वा यज्ञाङ्गो यज्ञवाहनः ॥ VSN.104 ॥
He is the one who transcends the 3 lokas, makes us tide over the cycle of births, grandfather of everyone, protects, conducts and carries forward Yajna.
Specifically 9.16 is best captured in this verse from Vishnu Sahasranama
यज्ञभृद् यज्ञकृद् यज्ञी यज्ञभुक् यज्ञसाधनः ।
यज्ञान्तकृद् यज्ञगुह्यमन्नमन्नाद एव च ॥ VSN.105 ॥
The meaning of this verse almost matches the meaning of verse 9.16 above.
As I am writing this series, I am now more and more convinced that Vishnu Sahasranama is perhaps distilled form of Srimad Bhagwad Gita where we are celebrating the omnipresence of the cosmic consciousness, Parabrahman. Verses 9.18 and 9.19 further expand on this concept about the manifestations of cosmic form of Sri Krishna in the physical realm.
Verses 9.20 - 9.21 encapsulate and reaffirm the knowledge about how one attains certain births, expend their karmas and take rebirths.
However, one of my preferred verses of this chapter is reaffirming yet another concept from previous chapter i.e. Chapter 5. Do everything as a sacrifice to the almighty and absolve yourself about the same.
यत्करोषि यदश्नासि यज्जुहोषि ददासि यत् ।
यत्तपस्यसि कौन्तेय तत्कुरुष्व मदर्पणम् ॥ 9.27॥
Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer as oblation to the sacred fire, whatever you bestow as a gift, and whatever austerities you perform, O son of Kunti, do them as an offering to Me.
In other words, Sri Krishna continues to advises us to perform karma with a simple thought: This is part of an ongoing sacrifice to the all-pervading Parabrahman. This concept is part of our daily / regular anushtana where we mean that every single action of ours is offered at the lotus feet of Narayana
कायेन वाचा मनसेन्द्रियैर्वा बुद्ध्यात्मना वा प्रकृतेः स्वभावात् ।
करोमि यद्यत्सकलं परस्मै नारायणयेति समर्पयामि ॥
1: (Whatever I do) with my Body, Speech, Mind or Sense Organs,
2: ... or using my Intellect, Feelings of Heart or (unconsciously) through the natural tendencies of my Mind,
3: All those, I do for the Supreme Being (without sense of attachment to the results),
4: (And) I Surrender them to the Lotus Feet of Sri Narayana.
This is reaffirmed by Sri Krishna in the last verse of the chapter.
मन्मना भव मद्भक्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु ।
मामेवैष्यसि युक्त्वैवमात्मानं मत्परायण: ॥ 9.34॥
Always think of Me, be devoted to Me, worship Me, and offer obeisance to Me. Having dedicated your mind and body to Me, you will certainly come to Me.
To summarise the chapter, Sri Krishna continues to unravel his cosmic form, reaffirm that all actions should be done as a sacrifice and surrender to the all-pervading supreme Parabrahman while amplifying the need to understand and implement the knowledge to elevate ourselves out of this cycle of births.
Please do share your view on the choice of shloka and my interpretations thereof. I would like to get your thoughts and feedback and maybe we discover something hidden in Srimad Bhagwad Gita.
Sarvam Sri Krishnaarpanamastu
Verses and meanings from:
- https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/
- https://greenmesg.org/
Previous Chapters:
- Arjuna Vishada Yoga
- Sankhya Yoga
- Karma Yoga
- Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga
- Karma Sanyasa Yoga
- Dhyana Yoga
- Jnana Vijnana Yoga
- Akshara Brahma Yoga
Comments
What makes this knowledge supreme? While other paths require complex rituals, austere renunciation, or intricate philosophical understanding, the path revealed here is direct and accessible. Krishna accepts even the simplest offering—a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water—when given with love (verse 9.26). This democratization of spirituality is the chapter's revolutionary message.
Key Verses from Chapter 9
राजविद्या राजगुह्यं पवित्रमिदमुत्तमम् ।
प्रत्यक्षावगमं धर्म्यं सुसुखं कर्तुमव्ययम् ॥ 9.2
"This is the king of knowledge, the king of secrets, the supreme purifier, directly perceivable, righteous, easy to practice, and imperishable."
Krishna describes this knowledge with seven attributes: raja-vidya (sovereign
knowledge), raja-guhyam (sovereign secret), pavitram uttamam (supreme purifier), pratyaksavagamam (directly perceivable), dharmyam (in accordance with dharma), su-sukham kartum (joyful to practice), and avyayam (eternal, never diminishing). This verse assures seekers that the path of devotion is both practical and profound.
Following verse is the jist of Raja Vidya and Raja Guhyam. Thus this verse is the most important verse of this chapter.
मया ततमिदं सर्वं जगदव्यक्तमूर्तिना ।
मत्स्थानि सर्वभूतानि न चाहं तेष्ववस्थितः ॥9.4
"This entire universe is pervaded by Me in My unmanifest nature. All beings abide in Me, yet I do not abide in them."
Brahman does not merely exist as one object among other objects. Brahman is the very reality because of which anything can be said to exist at all.
The last line is the key. Krishna first declares that everything depends on Him, then denies that He is contained within the things that depend on Him.
How can both statements be true?
To understand this, we must distinguish the existence of an object (anitya) from the reality (nitya) that makes its existence possible. More on this can be understood from Aparoksha Anubhooti by Shankara.
Brahman is not merely that which exists. Brahman is Sat — the very reality of existence. Chit is that self-revealing consciousness, and Ananda is its limitless fullness. These are not three separate properties, but three pointers to the one non-dual reality.
अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जनाः पर्युपासते ।
तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम् ॥9.22
"For those who worship Me with exclusive devotion, constantly thinking of Me, I personally carry what they lack and preserve what they have."
This is one of the most beloved verses in the Gita. Yoga means acquiring what one doesn't have, and kshema means protecting what one already has. For devotees who worship with ananya (exclusive, undivided) devotion, Krishna personally (indicated by "aham" - I myself) takes responsibility for their welfare. The word "vahami" (I carry) suggests Krishna personally bears the burden of His devotees' needs—like a parent caring for a child.
पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति ।
तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मनः ॥9.26
"If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water, I will accept it."
This famous verse reveals that Krishna values the bhakti (devotion) behind an offering, not its material value. The four items mentioned—leaf (patram), flower (puṣpam), fruit (phalam), and water (toyam)—are available to everyone regardless of wealth or status. The key words are "bhaktya" (with devotion) and "prayatatmanah" (with pure heart). Krishna "eats" (asnami) not the physical offering but the love with which it's given.
A realised soul sees God in the very offerings he is offering to God.
यान्ति देवव्रता देवान् पितृ़न्यान्ति पितृव्रताः।
भूतानि यान्ति भूतेज्या यान्ति मद्याजिनोऽपि माम्।।9.25।।
The devotees of the gods (Devate) attain the gods; the devotees of the ancestors (Pitru) attain the ancestors; those who perform sacrifices for the spirits (Pretha) attain the spirits; and those who perform sacrifices for Me (Bramhan) attain Me.
(theme reiterated from previous chapter)
Taittiriya Upanishad talks about 5 koshas (sheaths). Namely annamaya (Physical), Pranamaya (Vital), Manomaya (Mental), Vignanamaya (Intellectual), aanandamaya (Blissful). ದೇಹ -> ಪ್ರಾಣ -> ಮನಸ್ಸು -> ಬುದ್ಧಿ -> ಅಹಂಕಾರ. As one can see, there is no mention of Chitta here. Chitta doesn't belong to any of the 5 koshas. It belongs to Lalitha (Universal Kundalini)
What causes rebirth:
as long as there is something stored in Chitta, and if you associate yourself to this stored memory, you will have rebirth.
One who is in physical body - Manushya.
One who is in Vital body - Pretha
One who is in Mental body - Pitru
One who is in Intellectual body - Devate
One who is in Blissful body - Rushi
Beyond this is bramhamaya kosha
Moksha is a personal choice. Thus, even devates have to work for the moksha or wait for natural disintegration of the respective kosha.
समोऽहं सर्वभूतेषु न मे द्वेष्योऽस्ति न प्रियः ।
ये भजन्ति तु मां भक्त्या मयि ते तेषु चाप्यहम् ॥ 9.29
"I am equal to all beings; no one is hateful or dear to Me. But those who worship Me with devotion are in Me, and I am in them."
This verse explains the paradox of divine equality and divine intimacy. Krishna is sama (equal, impartial) to all—He has no hatred or special favor based on external factors. Yet devotion creates a unique relationship. The phrase "mayi te tesu capy aham" describes mutual indwelling—devotees are in Krishna and Krishna is in them. This isn't favoritism but the natural result of love: as the sun equally shines but is reflected only in clear surfaces, Krishna responds specially to those who turn toward Him.
मन्मना भव मद्भक्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु ।
मामेवैष्यसि युक्त्वैवमात्मानं मत्परायणः ॥ 9.34
"Fix your mind on Me, become My devotee, worship Me, and bow to Me. Thus, engaging yourself fully and taking Me as the supreme goal, you will surely come to Me."
This concluding verse summarizes the entire chapter's teaching in four practices: man-mana (fix mind on Krishna), mad-bhakta (become His devotee), mad-yaji (worship Him), and mam namaskuru (bow to Him). These four—mental focus, devotion, worship, and humility—constitute the complete path of bhakti. The promise is certain: "mam evaisyasi"—you will surely come to Me.
ॐ तत् सत् ।