Intro to Catūh-Slokī in Bhagavad-Gītā

Svāmī Bhakti Vedānta Varāha

O Tat Sat

Proclivity for profound revelatory reflection is very rare; but ultimately essential in ascertaining and determining the esoteric essence and eternal significance existing within the Vedic scriptures. Like veins of gold concealed deep within mountain cavities, the profound, crystalized, fundamental ontology and esoteric essence of Śrīmad Bhagavad-Gītā is known as catūh-slokī which like precious jewels upon discovery delights the soul by illuminating the authors special intention in arranging a unique, consecutive succession of four slokas which concisely epitomizes the essence of the entire scripture. Catūh-slokī encapsulates the theme and underlying foundation, defines the import and delineates the essence of an entire scripture by sublime revelation in condensed root form.

To accurately ascertain the eternal reality and profound significance of Śrīmad Bhagavad-Gītā, one must first be cognizant of the supreme, absolute truth of its source. This divine discourse originally spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa is the essence of all Vedic knowledge. If one was born into the Vedic culture or subsequently exposed to the Vedic philosophy and assimilated its knowledge into one’s life; one is a living testament to the Vedic culture in their words, deeds and actions.

If, however one is an avid student or eminent scholar who is intellectually attracted to Śrīmad Bhagavad-Gītā due to its inherent, philosophical, spiritual merit; then it is imperative that one has a clear, precise, authoritative understanding of paribhāā-sūtra which is Vedic śāstra validating an absolute reality essential to comprehend in order to realize the esoteric significance of an entire scripture. Lord Kṛṣṇa unequivocally substantiates this in Bhagavad-Gītā: chapter10:8 beginning: aham sarvasya prabhavo: I am the sole source of all. Everything emanates from Me.

A single paribhāā-sūtra may govern many scriptures with millions of slokas and statements. A paribhāā-sūtra governing many scriptures by illuminating its key fundamental premise follows:

vipratiedhe para kāryam

When rules of equal authority contradict each other, the latter rule always supersedes the previous and has priority.

Pāniī’s Aṣṭādhyāyi 1.4.2:

tad uktam aniyame niyama-kāriī paribhāsā iti

That aphorism which illuminates realization and gives the key to perceive absolute reality is known as paribhāā-sūtra.

Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha 1.29.8

Two examples of a paribhāā-sūtra illuminating the paramount position of Lord Kṛṣṇa are below:

kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam

Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord and the origin of all incarnations and plenary expansions of incarnations.

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.3.28

īśvara parama kṛṣṇa

Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Ultimate Personality and the supreme controller of all controllers.

Brahmā Sahitā 5.1

These two preceding examples exemplify prabhāā-sūtra and verily illuminates Lord Kṛṣṇa’s supreme, absolute, transcendental position. Comprehensively understanding this reality while hearing or reciting Śrīmad Bhagavad-Gitā evokes a sublime awareness in consciousness.

The statements of the Vedic scriptures can be interpreted in two ways: The direct, unequivocal, literal meaning or the indirect, ambiguous, allegorical meaning.

It is the direct, unequivocal meaning that ancient sages, rishis and previous ācarya’s such as līlā-avatāra Kṛṣṇa Dvaipayana Vyāsa, Śrīdhara Svāmī, Ramānujācarya, Nimbadityācarya, Madhvācarya all commented on the Vedic scriptures and is the ancient tradition honored by us in this treatise, The Three Catūh-Slokī in Bhagavad-Gītā.


History has duly witnessed that the greatest western minds such as Nikola Tesla, Karl Jung, Albert Einstein, Albert Schweitzer, Herman Hesse, Aldous Huxley, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and so many other great minds embraced the profound knowledge of Śrīmad Bhagavad-Gītā and assimilating its sublime philosophy greatly evolved themselves and immensely benefitted the world as well.

Albert Einstein said:“When I read the Bhagavad-Gītā and reflect upon how God created the universe everything else seems superfluous”.

Aldous Huxley declared: “The Bhagavad-Gītā is the most systematic statement of spiritual evolution of endowing value to mankind”.

In 2018 we celebrated the 20th anniversary of our website at www.bhagavad-gita.org. with this treatise: The Three Catuh-Slokī in Bhagavad-Gītā on the auspicious day of Moksāda Ekadasi, the renowned day that the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa spoke the Bhagavad-Gita in 3102 B.C. at the Battle of Kuruksetra.

Requests for catūh-slokī from thousands of visitors since 1998 out of the five million plus people who have visited our website has finally manifested this treatise from the virtual reality of cyber space with authoritative tattva verified by Vedic sastra. This siddhānta will be a veritable delight for both devotees and academians as well as incentive for neophytes and aspirants.


The Three Categories of Catūh-Slokī

Three categories of catūh-slokī are characterized by siddhānta which means conclusive truth. The first category of catūh-slokī in Śrīmad Bhagavad-Gītā manifests sambandha-siddhānta, presenting the essential ontology to establish a relationship with the ultimate, absolute reality. Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The second category of catūh-slokī in Śrīmad Bhagavad-Gītā manifests abhidheya-siddhānta, which bestows the essential ontology to cultivate and develop this factual relationship with the ultimate, absolute reality. Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The third category of catūh-slokī in Śrīmad Bhagavad-Gītā manifests prayojana-siddhānta, which awards the essential ontology to achieve the paramount attainment in all creation by communion with the ultimate, absolute reality. The transcendental, omniscient, omnipresent eternal, Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa.

This third category of catūh-slokī is being divulged for the first time in 2018 for the pleasure and edification of adherents of Śrīmad Bhagavad-Gītā. It was never revealed before.


The Three Catūh-Slokī in Bhagavad-Gītā

Sambandha-siddhānta reflects the first catūh-slokī in Śrīmad Bhagavad-Gītā revealed in chapter 10, slokas 8, 9, 10, 11. Lord Kṛṣṇa delineates in sloka 8 beginning: aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate. I am the source of all creation, absolutely everything emanates from me. In sloka 9 beginning: mac-cittä mad-gata-prana bodhayantaù parasparam. The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me and their lives are fully devoted to My service, In sloka 10 beginning: tena satata-yuktana bhajata preti-purvakam. To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give them the understanding by which they can come to Me. In sloka 11 beginning: tenam evanukampartham aham ajïäna-ja tamaù. To show them special mercy, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.

Śrīla Visvanatha Cakravarti in his Bhavanuvada commentary states that these four slokas are the essence of Śrīmad Bhagavad-Gītā. Śrīla Baladeva Vidyabhusana in his Gita Bhusana commentary states that these four slokas are its very womb. Śrīla Bhaktivinode Thakura concurs with both their opinions in each of his commentaries on those by the two afore mentioned authors.

Abhidheya-siddhānta reflects the second catūh-slokī in Śrīmad Bhagavad-Gītā revealed in chapter 15, slokas 16,17,18,19. Lord Kṛṣṇa discloses the confidential instructions of all the Vedic scripture by stating In sloka 16 beginning: dvau imau purusau loke ksarah sarvani bhutani. There are two classes of beings, the fallible and the infallible. In the material world every entity is fallible and in the spiritual world every entity is infallible. In sloka 17 beginning: uttamah purusas tv anyah paramatmety udarah. Along with these two is the ultimate personality, the Supreme Being Himself, who has entered into material existence maintaining everything. In sloka 18 beginning: yasmat ksaram atito ‘ham aksarad api cottamah. Because I am transcendental, beyond both the fallible and the infallible and because I am the greatest, I am celebrated in the worlds and in the Vedas as the Supreme Personality. In sloka 19 beginning: yo mam evam asammudho janati purusottama. Whoever knows me as the Supreme Ultimate Reality without doubt is to be understood as the knower of everything essential and therefore engages in exclusive devotional service unto Me. Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, confirms finally in sloka 20 beginning iti guyatamam sastram idam uktam mayanagha. The previous four slokas are the most confidential knowledge found in the Vedas.

Śrīla Madhvacārya commenting at the end of his treatise Mayavada Khandana concludes that slokas 16-19 in chapter 15 of Śrīmad Bhagavad-Gītā are sarva sastra artha: the treasure trove of all Vedic scriptures for they reveal the principle purport of all the Vedic scriptures duly confirmed by Lord Kṛṣṇa in concluding sloka 20.

Prayojana-siddhānta reflects the third catūh-slokī in Śrīmad Bhagavad-Gītā revealed in chapter 18, slokas 54, 55, 56, 57. The Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa divulges in sloka 54 beginning: brahma-bhutah prasannätmä na sococati na käìkñati: One who is free from desire is free from lamentation for such a joyful being equal to all living entities has realized the spiritual essence of all creation and is endowed with exalted loving devotion to God.

Free from desire means free from attachment. Free from attachment means free from lamentation because one is no longer dedicated to the temporal material existence. Being detached from material bodily conceptions automatically bestows joy in realization of their inherent spiritual nature and its relationship with all creation and with the Supreme.

In sloka 55 Lord Kṛṣṇa proclaims: bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yaç casmi tattvatah. Only by pure devotional service can I in truth be understood as I am and when one is in such full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by devotion, one may enter the kingdom of God. This sloka is the ultimate quintessence of all scriptures and verifies that exclusive, unconditional, loving devotion is essential and the sole way and means to realize and attain communion with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa.

In sloka 56 Lord Kṛṣṇa declares: beginning sarva-karmany api sada kurvano mad-vyapasrayah. Though engaged in all kinds of activities, My pure devotee, under My protection, reaches the eternal and imperishable abode by My grace. Surrendered to Him, protected by Him, nourished by Lord Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, blessing and grace one attains eternal life in the spiritual world. In sloka 57 Lord Kṛṣṇa concludes: beginning cetasa sarva-karmanii mayi sannyasya mat-parah. In all activities have full faith in Me and under My protection always render devotional service fully conscious of Me.


These four slokas are the most confidential and most esoteric of all spiritual knowledge; either hidden or revealed, ancient or contemporary, sacred or secular, empirical or experienced. Lord Kṛṣṇa unequivocally confirms this Himself subsequently in sloka 63 beginning: iti te jnanam akhyatam guhyad guhyataram maya. Thus I have explained to you the ultimate, most confidential, esoteric and sacred of all spiritual knowledge.

So in conclusion these three pristine siddhānta’s first revealed on Moksāda Ekadasi in 2018 are all authorized to be fully accepted as catūh-slokī.

Sambandha-siddhānta chapter 10: slokas 8-11 reveal the ontology of the essence of Śrīmad Bhagavad-Gītā. Abhideya-siddhānta chapter 15: slokas 16-19 reveal the ontology of the process of all Vedic scriptures. Prayojana-siddhānta chapter 18: slokas 55-58 reveal the key ontology to achieve the inconceivable reality. Communion with the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa in exclusive loving devotion. The ultimate, absolute, unparalleled, paramount, spiritual attainment in all creation.

This brief expose is my humble offering to the Vaiṣṇavas and all the worlds by extolling the magnificent glories of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa and the illustriousness of Śrīmad Bhagavad-Gītā.

O Tat Sat

Tridaṇdī Sannyāsī

Svāmī Bhakti Vedānta Varāha

Brahmā Madhva Gaudīyā Vaiṣṇava Sampradāya