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Chapter Nine: King of Secrets; God's Personal Revelation and the Path of Love
In our last chapter, Lord Krishna taught us about remembering God at the time of death and the different paths souls take. Now, He's going to share the most secret knowledge of all—something so special, it's hidden even from many wise people! This chapter is like God Himself opening His heart and revealing His deepest mysteries.
Get ready to discover powerful truths about God's direct relationship with everything, His amazing energies, and why loving Him is the ultimate secret!
Krishna Shares the Most Secret Knowledge¹
Śrī Bhagavān, God Himself, began: "Idam tu te guhya-tamam pravakṣyāmi anasūyave jñānam vijñāna-sahitam yat jñātvā mokṣyase aśubhāt."¹ He said: "But, tu, I am speaking, pravakṣyāmi, this most confidential, guhya-tamam, knowledge, jñānam, with full understanding, vijñāna-sahitam, to you, te, because you are not envious, anasūyave! Knowing which, yat jñātvā, you will be released, mokṣyase, from this miserable material existence, aśubhāt!"
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Guhya-tamam is a super important Sanskrit word, kids! It means 'the most confidential' or 'most secret.' Krishna is saying this knowledge is so special, He only tells it to someone like Arjuna, who isn't jealous or critical. It's like a secret treasure map only shared with trusted friends!
"Rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyam pavitram idam uttamam pratyakṣa-avagamam dharmyam su-sukham kartum avyayam."² "This knowledge is the king of education, rāja-vidyā! It is the king of confidential secrets, rāja-guhyam! It is the purest, pavitram, and transcendental, uttamam! It is understood by direct experience, pratyakṣa-avagamam, and it is the principle of religion, dharmyam! It is very joyful to execute, su-sukham kartum, and it is everlasting, avyayam!"
"Aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣāḥ dharmasya asya param-tapa aprāpya mām nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani."³ "O subduer of enemies, param-tapa! Those persons, puruṣāḥ, who are faithless, aśraddadhānāḥ, towards this process of religion, dharmasya asya, without obtaining Me, aprāpya mām, return, nivartante, to the path of death in material existence, mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani!"
God Holds Everything, Yet Stays Apart⁴
Krishna explains a profound mystery: the entire universe is filled with Him, yet He remains separate and unaffected by it all. It's His incredible mystical power!
"Mayā tatam idam sarvam jagat avyakta-mūrtinā mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni na ca aham teṣu avasthitaḥ."⁴ "This entire cosmic manifestation, idam sarvam jagat, is pervaded by Me, mayā tatam, in My unmanifested form, avyakta-mūrtinā! All living entities, sarva-bhūtāni, are situated in Me, mat-sthāni, but I, aham, am not situated in them, na ca aham teṣu avasthitaḥ!"
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: This is a tricky and amazing idea, kids! Imagine a giant net, and God is the net itself, and all the fish are in the net. So, the fish are in the net, but the net isn't in the fish! Or, even better, imagine sunshine: the whole world is filled with sunshine, but the sun itself is far away, not mixed up with the dust or dirt on Earth. God is like that sunshine—He's everywhere, everything is in Him, but He's still separate and untouched!
"Na ca mat-sthāni bhūtāni paśya me yogam aiśvaram bhūta-bhṛt na ca bhūta-sthaḥ mama ātmā bhūta-bhāvanaḥ."⁵ "And yet, na ca, all creation is not truly situated in Me, mat-sthāni bhūtāni! Just see My inconceivable mystic power, paśya me yogam aiśvaram! I am the maintainer of all living entities, bhūta-bhṛt, and the source of all manifestations, bhūta-bhāvanaḥ, but My Self, mama ātmā, is never in the cosmic manifestation, na ca bhūta-sthaḥ!"
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: This yogam aiśvaram (yo-gam aish-va-ram) means 'inconceivable mystic power.' It's God's incredible, unimaginable ability to be both everything and separate from everything at the same time. It's beyond our normal thinking!
"Yathā ākāśa-sthitaḥ nityam vāyuḥ sarvatra-gaḥ mahān tathā sarvāṇi bhūtāni mat-sthāni iti upadhāraya."⁶ "Just as the great wind, mahān vāyuḥ, is always situated in the sky, ākāśa-sthitaḥ nityam, and blows everywhere, sarvatra-gaḥ—similarly, tathā, understand that all created beings, sarvāṇi bhūtāni, are situated in Me, mat-sthāni iti upadhāraya!"
"Sarva-bhūtāni kaunteya prakṛtim yānti māmikām kalpa-kṣaye punaḥ tāni kalpa-ādau visṛjāmi aham."⁷ "O son of Kunti, kaunteya! All created entities, sarva-bhūtāni, enter My nature, māmikām prakṛtim yānti, at the end of the millennium, kalpa-kṣaye! Again, punaḥ, at the beginning of the next millennium, kalpa-ādau, I, aham, create all of them, visṛjāmi tāni!"
"Prakṛtim svām avaṣṭabhya visṛjāmi punaḥ punaḥ bhūta-grāmam imam kṛtsnam avaśam prakṛteḥ vaśāt."⁸ "Entering into My own material nature, prakṛtim svām avaṣṭabhya, I create again and again, visṛjāmi punaḥ punaḥ, this entire mass of cosmic manifestations, imam kṛtsnam bhūta-grāmam! They are created automatically, avaśam, under the power of nature, prakṛteḥ vaśāt!"
"Na ca mām tāni karmāṇi nibadhnanti dhanaṁjaya udāsīna-vat āsīnam asaktam teṣu karmasu."⁹ "And yet, na ca, O conqueror of riches, dhanaṁjaya! All those activities, tāni karmāṇi, do not bind Me, na mām nibadhnanti! I am situated as if neutral, udāsīna-vat āsīnam, and without attachment, asaktam, to those activities, teṣu karmasu!"
"Mayā adhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa cara-acaram hetunā anena kaunteya jagat viparivartate."¹⁰ "Under My supervision, mayā adhyakṣeṇa, material nature, prakṛtiḥ, manifests all moving and nonmoving beings, sūyate sa cara-acaram! For this reason, hetunā anena, O son of Kunti, kaunteya, the cosmic manifestation, jagat, is working, viparivartate!"
Who Sees God and Who Just Mocks Him¹¹
Krishna explains why some foolish people don't recognize Him when He appears in human form, while great souls understand His divine nature and worship Him with pure devotion.
"Avajānanti mām mūḍhāḥ mānuṣīm tanum āśritam param bhāvam ajānantaḥ mama bhūta-mahā-īśvaram."¹¹ "Foolish men, mūḍhāḥ, deride Me, avajānanti mām, when I appear in a human form, mānuṣīm tanum āśritam! They do not know My supreme nature, param bhāvam ajānantaḥ, as the supreme owner of everything, mama bhūta-mahā-īśvaram!"
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Mūḍhāḥ (moo-dhaah) means 'foolish men.' Krishna is saying that some people are so foolish, they see God acting like a human and think He's just an ordinary person. They don't understand His true, ultimate power!
"Mogha-āśāḥ mogha-karmāṇaḥ mogha-jñānāḥ vicetasaḥ rākṣasīm āsurīm ca eva prakṛtim mohinīm śritāḥ."¹² "Such foolish people have baffled hopes, mogha-āśāḥ, baffled activities, mogha-karmāṇaḥ, and baffled knowledge, mogha-jñānāḥ! They are bewildered, vicetasaḥ, and take shelter of a demonic, rākṣasīm, and atheistic, āsurīm, nature, prakṛtim, which is bewildering, mohinīm śritāḥ!"
"Mahā-ātmānaḥ tu mām pārtha daivīm prakṛtim āśritāḥ bhajanti ananya-manasaḥ jñātvā bhūta-ādim avyayam."¹³ "But great souls, mahā-ātmānaḥ, O son of Pritha, pārtha, take shelter of My divine nature, daivīm prakṛtim āśritāḥ! They worship Me, bhajanti mām, without deviation of the mind, ananya-manasaḥ, knowing Me as the origin of all creation, bhūta-ādim, and as inexhaustible, avyayam!"
"Satatam kīrtayantaḥ mām yatantaḥ ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ namasyantaḥ ca mām bhaktyā nitya-yuktāḥ upāsate."¹⁴ "They always, satatam, chant about Me, kīrtayantaḥ mām, and fully endeavor with determination, yatantaḥ ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ! They offer obeisances to Me, namasyantaḥ ca mām, with devotion, bhaktyā, and perpetually engage in My worship, nitya-yuktāḥ upāsate!"
"Jñāna-yajñena ca api anye yajantaḥ mām upāsate ekatvena pṛthaktvena bahudhā viśvataḥ-mukham."¹⁵ "And others, anye, also worship Me, mām upāsate, by cultivating knowledge as a sacrifice, jñāna-yajñena! They worship Me in oneness, ekatvena, in duality, pṛthaktvena, in diversity, bahudhā, and in My universal form, viśvataḥ-mukham!"
God Is Everything You Can Imagine¹⁶
Krishna now makes an incredible declaration: He is everything that exists, the ultimate source, the very essence of all being, in every aspect of life and creation.
"Aham kratuḥ aham yajñaḥ svadhā aham aham auṣadham mantraḥ aham aham eva ājyam aham agniḥ aham hutam."¹⁶ "I, aham, am the Vedic ritual, kratuḥ! I am the smriti sacrifice, yajñaḥ! I am the oblation, svadhā! I am the healing herb, auṣadham! I am the transcendental chant, mantraḥ! I am certainly, eva, the melted butter, ājyam! I am the fire, agniḥ! And I am the offering, hutam!"
"Pitā aham asya jagataḥ mātā dhātā pitāmahaḥ vedyam pavitram oṁ-kāra ṛk sāma yajuḥ eva ca."¹⁷ "I, aham, am the father, pitā, of this universe, asya jagataḥ! I am the mother, mātā, the supporter, dhātā, and the grandfather, pitāmahaḥ! I am what is to be known, vedyam, that which purifies, pavitram, the syllable Om, oṁ-kāra, and certainly, eva ca, the Rig Veda, ṛk, the Sama Veda, sāma, and the Yajur Veda, yajuḥ!"
"Gatiḥ bhartā prabhuḥ sākṣī nivāsaḥ śaraṇam su-hṛt prabhavaḥ pralayaḥ sthānam nidhānam bījam avyayam."¹⁸ "I am the goal, gatiḥ! I am the sustainer, bhartā! I am the Lord, prabhuḥ! I am the witness, sākṣī! I am the abode, nivāsaḥ! I am the refuge, śaraṇam! I am the most intimate friend, su-hṛt! I am the creation, prabhavaḥ! I am the dissolution, pralayaḥ! I am the ground of existence, sthānam! I am the resting place, nidhānam! I am the imperishable seed, bījam avyayam!"
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Avyayam (a-vya-yam) is that important Sanskrit word again, kids! It means 'imperishable' or 'never-ending.' Krishna is saying He is the eternal, unbreakable seed from which everything grows! He is literally everything in the universe, from its smallest seed to its biggest purpose.
"Tapāmi aham aham varṣam nigṛhṇāmi utsṛjāmi ca amṛtam ca eva mṛtyuḥ ca sat asat ca aham arjuna."¹⁹ "I, aham, give heat, tapāmi! I send forth and withhold rain, varṣam nigṛhṇāmi utsṛjāmi ca! I am immortality, amṛtam, and also, eva ca, death, mṛtyuḥ! And I am both spirit, sat, and matter, asat, O Arjuna, arjuna!"
Heaven is Temporary; God's Love is Forever²⁰
Krishna explains that those who follow rituals to go to heaven enjoy temporary pleasures but eventually fall back to Earth when their good karma runs out. He contrasts this with His pure devotees, who worship Him alone and achieve His eternal abode, never to return.
"Trai-vidyāḥ mām soma-pāḥ pūta-pāpāḥ yajñaiḥ iṣṭvā svaḥ-gatim prārthayante te puṇyam āsādya sura-indra-lokam aśnanti divyān divi deva-bhogān."²⁰ "Those who know the three Vedas, trai-vidyāḥ, who drink soma juice, soma-pāḥ, and whose sins are purified, pūta-pāpāḥ—they worship Me with sacrifices, yajñaiḥ iṣṭvā, and pray for passage to heaven, svaḥ-gatim prārthayante! They attain a pious world, puṇyam āsādya, the world of Indra, sura-indra-lokam, and enjoy celestial pleasures of the gods, aśnanti divyān divi deva-bhogān, in heaven!"
"Te tam bhuktvā svarga-lokam viśālam kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokam viśanti evam trayī dharmam anuprapannāḥ gata-āgatam kāma-kāmāḥ labhante."²¹ "Having enjoyed that vast heavenly world, te tam bhuktvā svarga-lokam viśālam, when their pious results are exhausted, kṣīṇe puṇye, they fall down to the mortal Earth, martya-lokam viśanti! Thus, evam, those who follow the rituals of the three Vedas, trayī dharmam anuprapannāḥ, desiring sense enjoyments, kāma-kāmāḥ, repeatedly attain birth and death, gata-āgatam labhante!"
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: This is a big lesson, kids! Krishna is saying that even going to heaven is temporary. It's like going on a super fun vacation; eventually, you have to come back home. Our good deeds (karma) can buy us a trip to heaven, but when those deeds are 'used up,' we have to be reborn on Earth.
"Ananyāḥ cintayantaḥ mām ye janāḥ paryupāsate teṣām nitya-abhiyuktānām yoga-kṣemam vahāmi aham."²² "But those persons, ye janāḥ, who worship Me, paryupāsate mām, concentrating on Me alone, ananyāḥ cintayantaḥ—for them, teṣām, who are always fixed in devotion, nitya-abhiyuktānām, I, aham, carry what they lack and preserve what they have, yoga-kṣemam vahāmi!"
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Ananyāḥ (a-nan-yah) means 'having no other object,' or 'undivided.' This is a huge promise from God, kids! He's saying, if you focus all your love and devotion on Him alone, He will personally take care of all your needs and protect you! Yoga-kṣemam vahāmi (yo-ga-kshe-mam va-haa-mee) means 'I carry what they lack and preserve what they have.' It's like God is saying, "I've got you covered!"
"Ye api anya-devatā-bhaktāḥ yajante śraddhayā anvitāḥ te api mām eva kaunteya yajanti avidhi-pūrvakam."²³ "O son of Kunti, kaunteya! Even those who are devotees of other gods, ye api anya-devatā-bhaktāḥ, and worship them with faith, yajante śraddhayā anvitāḥ—they also, te api, worship Me alone, mām eva, but in a wrong way, avidhi-pūrvakam!"
"Aham hi sarva-yajñānām bhoktā ca prabhuḥ eva ca na tu mām abhijānanti tattvena ataḥ cyavanti te."²⁴ "Indeed, hi, I, aham, am the only enjoyer, bhoktā, and the Lord, prabhuḥ, of all sacrifices, sarva-yajñānām! But, na tu, they do not know Me in reality, mām abhijānanti tattvena! Therefore, ataḥ, they fall down, cyavanti te!"
"Yānti deva-vratāḥ devān pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ bhūtāni yānti bhūta-ijyāḥ yānti mat-yājinaḥ api mām."²⁵ "Worshipers of gods, deva-vratāḥ, go to the gods, devān yānti! Worshipers of ancestors, pitṛ-vratāḥ, go to the ancestors, pitṝn yānti! Worshipers of ghosts and spirits, bhūta-ijyāḥ, go to the ghosts and spirits, bhūtāni yānti! But My devotees, mat-yājinaḥ, come to Me, api mām yānti!"
Offer Everything to God; He Accepts All Love²⁶
Krishna gives the ultimate, sweet secret of devotion: you don't need much to please God. Even a simple leaf, flower, fruit, or water, if offered with pure love, is accepted by Him. He then instructs Arjuna to offer all his actions—eating, sacrificing, giving, austerities—to Him, promising complete freedom from good and bad results. This path leads to God's eternal abode.
"Patram puṣpam phalam toyam yaḥ me bhaktyā prayacchati tat aham bhakti-upahṛtam aśnāmi prayata-ātmanaḥ."²⁶ "Whoever, yaḥ, offers Me, me, a leaf, patram, a flower, puṣpam, a fruit, phalam, or water, toyam, with devotion, bhaktyā prayacchati—that offering, tat, made with devotion, bhakti-upahṛtam, I, aham, accept, aśnāmi, from one in pure consciousness, prayata-ātmanaḥ!"
Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: This is a famous, beautiful verse, kids, and it's so encouraging! It shows that God doesn't need big, expensive things. He just wants your pure love (bhaktyā) and a sincere heart. Even something simple like a leaf or a sip of water, offered with genuine love, is accepted by Him!
"Yat karoṣi yat aśnāsi yat juhoṣi dadāsi yat yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kuruṣva mat-arpaṇam."²⁷ "O son of Kunti, kaunteya! Whatever you do, yat karoṣi, whatever you eat, yat aśnāsi, whatever you offer as sacrifice, yat juhoṣi, whatever you give away, dadāsi yat, and whatever austerities you perform, yat tapasyasi—do all of that as an offering to Me, tat kuruṣva mat-arpaṇam!"
"Śubha-aśubha-phalaiḥ evam mokṣyase karma-bandhanaiḥ sannyāsa-yoga-yukta-ātmā vimuktaḥ mām upaiṣyasi."²⁸ "Thus, evam, you will become free, mokṣyase, from the bondage of work, karma-bandhanaiḥ, which comes from good and bad results, śubha-aśubha-phalaiḥ! Having your mind firmly set on the yoga of renunciation, sannyāsa-yoga-yukta-ātmā, you will become liberated, vimuktaḥ, and attain Me, mām upaiṣyasi!"
"Samaḥ aham sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyaḥ asti na priyaḥ ye bhajanti tu mām bhaktyā mayi te teṣu ca api aham."²⁹ "I am equally disposed, samaḥ aham, to all living entities, sarva-bhūteṣu! No one is hateful to Me, na me dveṣyaḥ asti, nor dear, na priyaḥ! But, tu, those who serve Me with devotion, ye bhajanti mām bhaktyā, they are in Me, mayi te, and I am also in them, teṣu ca api aham!" This shows God's special love for His devotees.
"Api cet su-durācāraḥ bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhuḥ eva saḥ mantavyaḥ samyak vyavasitaḥ hi saḥ."³⁰ "Even if one commits the most abominable actions, api cet su-durācāraḥ, but serves Me, bhajate mām, without deviation, ananya-bhāk—he is to be considered truly a saint, sādhuḥ eva saḥ mantavyaḥ, for he is certainly perfectly situated in determination, samyak vyavasitaḥ hi saḥ!"
"Kṣipram bhavati dharma-ātmā śaśvat-śāntim nigacchati kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati."³¹ "He very soon, kṣipram, becomes righteous, dharma-ātmā, and attains lasting peace, śaśvat-śāntim nigacchati! O son of Kunti, kaunteya, declare, pratijānīhi, that My devotee, me bhaktaḥ, never perishes, na praṇaśyati!" This is a powerful promise from Krishna to Arjuna!
"Mām hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye api syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ striyaḥ vaiśyāḥ tathā śūdrāḥ te api yānti parām gatim."³² "O son of Pritha, pārtha! Indeed, hi, even those who might be born from lower families, pāpa-yonayaḥ, and women, striyaḥ, traders (vaiśyāḥ), and laborers (śūdrāḥ)—by taking particular shelter in Me, mām vyapāśritya, even they, te api, go to the supreme destination, yānti parām gatim!"
"Kim punaḥ brāhmaṇāḥ bhaktāḥ rāja-ṛṣayaḥ tathā anityam asukham lokam imam prāpya bhajasva mām."³³ "How much more certain is this for the brāhmaṇas, brāhmaṇāḥ, and saintly kings, rāja-ṛṣayaḥ, who are My devotees, bhaktāḥ! Having come to this temporary, anityam, and miserable, asukham, world, imam lokam prāpya—just engage in loving service to Me, bhajasva mām!"
"Mat-manāḥ bhava mat bhaktaḥ mat-yājī mām namas-kuru mām eva eṣyasi yuktvā evam ātmānam mat-parāyaṇaḥ."³⁴ "Always think of Me, mat-manāḥ bhava! Be My devotee, mat bhaktaḥ! Worship Me, mat-yājī! Offer obeisances to Me, mām namas-kuru! Being completely absorbed in Me, yuktvā evam ātmānam, and fully devoted to Me, mat-parāyaṇaḥ, you will certainly come to Me, mām eva eṣyasi!"