Bhagavad-Gita: Chapter 9, Verse 31

Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Visnuswami

Sridhara Swami's Commentary

One may further ponder how can one of abominable behaviour be considered venerable merely by making the correct resolve? Lord Krishna referring to those who have dedicated themselves to Him addresses this with the words ksipram bhavati dharmatma meaning one swiftly becomes situated in eternal righteousness. Arjuna had some internal agitation by the doubt that intelligent people having discrimination will not accept this statement of the Supreme Lord. To encourage him more Lord Krishna instructs him to go far and wide to whoever opposes this statement and boldly proclaim that Lord Krishna's devotees are never vanquished even if they previously were extremely wicked for after subsequently taking shelter of the Supreme Lord they become blessed. Hence all those who opposed His words with their speculations and blasphemy uprooted by the ferocity of his boldness would undoubtedly surrender to him and accept him as their only spiritual preceptor.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Madhvacarya
There is no commentary for this verse.

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Ramanuja

Ramanuja's Commentary

By bhakti or loving devotion rendered exclusively to the Supreme Lord Krishna for His satisfaction alone without any thought of reward one becomes ecstatically transformed by such intense love and by this one is firmly fixed in sattva guna the mode of goodness with all traces of raja guna the mode of passion and tama guna the mode of ignorance rooted out. In this way one is ksiprin or speedily, divested of all sinful reactions and becomes dharmatma or a righteous soul, worthy of praise by all. Such is the position of one who becomes an unadulterated devotee of Lord Krishna worshipping Him exclusively. It is this exclusive devotion that was referred to in verse three of this chapter with the word dharmasyasya or pure eternal righteousness. A person performing bhakti goes to the sublime eternal state of the spiritual worlds from whence there is no return. A state where all energy and effort contrary to attaining the Supreme Lord ceases. Here Lord Krishna gives encouragement to Arjuna to boldly declare His statements with certitude that whoever is an unadulterated devotee of Lord Krishna never perishes or is ever vanquished even if such a one was possessed in the past with a demeaning character degraded by inimical actions. The paramount virtue of bhakti or loving devotion is that it completely destroys anything that is opposed to bhakti and having eradicated all karma or reactions to previous actions one achieves the eternal position of moksa or freedom from the material existence and thus such a devotee becomes irrevocably imbued with deep and lasting love and devotion to the Supreme Lord.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Nimbaditya

Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary

By the undeviating determination and firm resolve of one's own will power abandoning forever all sinful and unrighteous conduct one swiftly becomes virtuous, endowed with the auspicious qualities that are naturally found in the devotees of Lord Krishna such as humility and compassion and as such gradually attains everlasting peace with moksa or liberation from material existence and soon joins the Supreme Lords associates. Normally such sinful and unrighteous conduct embarked upon previously would disqualify one from peaceful existence and bring ruin to one's life in this world and the next. But such is not the case for Lord Krishna's devotee and to emphasise this He encourages Arjuna to be assured with the words kaunteya pratijanahi na me bhakta pranasyati meaning declare it boldly that Lord Krishna's devotee never comes to ruin.

The understanding is that the absolute devotee who has unflinching faith in the Supreme Lord Krishna never comes to ruin even if previously engaged in unrighteous conduct and bereft of all good qualities. Lord Krishna the Supreme Personality, the Supreme Controller, the Supreme Absolute Truth, who possesses an ocean of infinite auspicious attributes such as compassion, tolerance, forgiveness, affection and who is by nature extremely kind towards simple devotees whose only refuge is Him. Others who are not His devotee never attain Him but fall into the clutches of the servants of Yamaraj the demigod in charge of the realm of death to revolve endlessly in samsara the perpetual cycle of bith and death. But the devotees of Lord Krishna never fall into the clutches of the servants of Yamaraj and consequently are not subjected to the bondage of samsara. There are so many examples of the later in the Vedic scriptures such as the sinful Ajamila who at the moment of death called out his sons name Narayana and being the name of an expansion of Lord Krishna was instantly saved from the servants of Yamaraj sent to collect him. The elephant Gagendra who was being devoured alive by a ferocious crocodile when remembering Vishnu another expansion of Lord Krishna was saved from death. The hunter Valmiki whose mountain of sins was so high that he was unable to chant any of Lord Krishna's names so his guru Narada Muni had him chant Mara the name for water which is the name of Rama pronounced in reverse which purified his existence saving him from the servants of Yamaraj and enabling him to write the original Ramayana. The coutesan Cintamani who renounced her profession and chanting the holy names of Lord Krishna was saved as well. It is revealed in the Vedic scriptures that Yamaraj the fearsome lord of the realm of death carefully instructs his servants to never apprehend the Vaisnava devotees of Lord Krishna at their moment of death as they have a different destination then hell so his servants should stay far away from them. Yamaraj has jurisdiction over all mortals accept the Vaisnava devotees of Lord Krishna who chant His name incessantly and are surrendered totally to Him.

The Sattvata scriptures states that one whose conduct was previously unrighteous, who never offered anything to the Supreme Lord, who had abominable habits, who was ungrateful and cruel; but who eventually takes complete shelter of the Supreme Lord worshipping Him exclusively- Such a person is to be considered venerable due to the blessings of the Supreme Lord power. The Vaisnava Dharmottara states: Even though the devotees of Lord Krishna may have been previously inclined to committing great sins, as soon as they became His devotee they were relieved of all reactions to all previous actions like a lotus taken from water. As a chronic disease dissolves away as soon as one receives proper medical treatment from a physician. In the same way the enormous mountain of reactions to sinful activities are all dissolved as soon as one surrenders to the spiritual preceptor in one of the four authorised channels of disciplic succession taking complete shelter of Lord Krishna or any of His authorised expansions or incarnations. Thus it has been clearly elucidated that Lord Krishna's devotee are never subjected to inauspicious situations and circumstances-