Chapter 9Confidential Knowledge of the Ultimate TruthVerse 1

Chapters

Sanskrit Vocal

Transliteration

Anvaya

Translation



Audio
Hindi
Bengali
English
Dutch
German
Greek
Chinese
Japanese
French
Spanish
Italian
Portuguese
Hebrew
Arabic
Serbian
Russian


Commentaries of the Four Authorized Vaisnava Sampradayas

as confirmed in the Garga Samhita Canto 10, Chapter 61, Verses 23, 24, 25, 26
Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya:


Visnuswami

Sridhara Swami's Commentary

In the previous chapter Lord Krishna has established that the Supreme Lord can only be attained by bhakti or pure loving devotion. Now in this chapter the Supreme Lord's most marvelous and phenomenal glories will be expounded. Lord Krishna having first explained in the seventh and eighth chapters how the Supreme Lord is easily attainable solely by bhakti alone and by no other means is it possible, He delineates the incomprehensible glory and extraordinary power of pure loving devotion. Lord Krishna uses the word anasuvaye meaning one who is not subject to envy and malice which He specifies is Arjuna and He also uses the compound word vijnana-sahitam meaning direct realisation of Him. Lord Krishna is infinitely merciful. One who through the greatest ignorance finds any fault in the Supreme Lord, thinking that He is not expounding the factual reality and thinking that He is repeatedly expounding His own greatness in this treatise and merely glorifying Himself is a gross offender. To neutralise the possibility of such foolish mentalities Lord Krishna emphasises what is to come by a metaphor with the word guhyatamam meaning most secret treasure. Factual knowledge about spiritual matters is confidential. Even more confidential than that is knowledge about the atma or the eternal soul which resides within the subtle and physical body of all sentient beings. But the most confidential knowledge is actual knowledge about the Supreme Lord which is the greatest mystery and by achieving realisation of one is never again subjected to maya or illusory impressions superimposed upon the mind and is immediately liberated from samsara the perpetual cycle of birth and death and attains the immortal spiritual worlds in eternal association with Him.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya:


Madhvacarya

Madhvacarya's Commentary

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya:


Ramanuja

Ramanuja's Commentary

The fundamental principles distinguishing the different kinds of devotees of the Supreme Lord were discussed in the previous chapter. Now Lord Krishna reveals in this chapter:

The glorious magnificence and greatness of the object of devotion, the Parama Purusa or Supreme Being will be delineated.

The importance of the saintly devotees of the Supreme Lord will be explained.

The nature of bhakti or pure love in devotion will be examined.

Lord Krishna uses the word anusuyave which means without duplicity. Such a sincere person is naturally honest and of a spiritual disposition is also trusting. When such a person hears of the unlimited glories and matchless attributes of the Supreme Lord Krishna even though they are being revealed by Him; such persons have full unadulterated faith, trust and confidence that His words apply eternally and are undoubtedly without question the absolute reality. Such persons are qualified to comprehend this knowledge by which realising and then implementing it into one's everyday life they shall be relieved of all reactions and impurities which are obstacles in the path to attainment of the Supreme Lord.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya:


Nimbaditya

Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary

In the seventh and eighth chapters Lord Krishna described: 1) The paramount position of the Supreme Lord. 2) The various types of devotees of the Supreme Lord. 3) Bhakti or pure loving devotion as the only way to attain the Supreme Lord. 4) That atma tattva or soul realisation is a prerequisite for attaining the Supreme Lord. 5) Only the devotees who have achieved the above attain liberation and the Supreme Lord. 6) Those who lack sufficient knowledge and soul realisation are reborn again and again.

In this chapter Lord Krishna begins revealing confidential information about the Supreme Lord as well as the glory and extraordinary power of the devotees. Now in order to express the greatness of spiritual knowledge and to censure those in ignorance with little or no faith in Him; Lord Krishna uses the word anasuyave meaning to those without envy and duplicity He will reveal this guhyatamam or confidential knowledge. The wisdom of righteousness by which the atma or soul is known as distinct from the physical body which is even more confidential and the most confidential of all is knowledge about the Supreme Lord because such wisdom is only attained solely by pure, loving devotion which gives direct perception of the Supreme Lord in reality. Once this wisdom is incorporated into one's everyday life experience, wisdom of the Supreme Lord, His method of worship and the daily regulated practice that follows such wisdom frees one from the dross and impurities o material existence and removes all the obstacles and things antagonistic to attaining the Supreme Lord Krishna.

Thus ends commentaries of chapter 9, verse 1 of the Srimad Bhagavad-Gita.

Verse 1


Copyright © Bhagavad-Gita Trust 1998-2015