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TEXT 1 sri-bhagavan uvaca
SYNONYMS  sri-bhagavan
uvaca--the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; idam--this;
tu--but;
te--unto
you; guhya-tamam--the most confidential;
pravaksyami--I am
speaking; anasuyave--to the nonenvious;
jnanam--knowledge;
vijnana--realized
knowledge; sahitam--with;
yat--which;
jnatva--knowing;
moksyase--be released;
asubhat--from this miserable material
existence.
TRANSLATION The Supreme
Lord said: My dear Arjuna, because you are never envious of Me, I shall
impart to you this most secret wisdom, knowing which you shall be relieved
of the miseries of material existence.
PURPORT As a devotee
hears more and more about the Supreme Lord, he becomes enlightened. This
hearing process is recommended in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: "The messages
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are full of potencies, and these
potencies can be realized if topics regarding the Supreme Godhead are discussed
amongst devotees. This cannot be achieved by the association of mental
speculators or academic scholars, for it is realized knowledge."
The devotees
are constantly engaged in the Supreme Lord's service. The Lord understands
the mentality and sincerity of a particular living entity who is engaged
in Krsna consciousness and gives him the intelligence to understand the
science of Krsna in the association of the devotees. Discussion of Krsna
is very potent, and if a fortunate person has such association and tries
to assimilate the knowledge, then he will surely make advancement toward
spiritual realization. Lord Krsna, in order to encourage Arjuna to higher
and higher elevation in His potent service, describes in this Ninth Chapter
matters more confidential than any He has already disclosed.
The very
beginning of Bhagavad-gita, the First Chapter, is more or less an
introduction to the rest of the book; and in the Second and Third chapters,
the spiritual knowledge described is called confidential. Topics discussed
in the Seventh and Eighth chapters are specifically related to devotional
service, and because they bring enlightenment in Krsna consciousness, they
are called more confidential. But the matters which are described in the
Ninth Chapter deal with unalloyed, pure devotion. Therefore this is called
the most confidential. One who is situated in the most confidential knowledge
of Krsna is naturally transcendental; he therefore has no material pangs,
although he is in the material world. In the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu
it is said that although one who has a sincere desire to render loving
service to the Supreme Lord is situated in the conditional state of material
existence, he is to be considered liberated. Similarly, we shall find in
the Bhagavad-gita, Tenth Chapter, that anyone who is engaged in
that way is a liberated person.
Now this
first verse has specific significance. Knowledge (idam jnanam) refers
to pure devotional service, which consists of nine different activities:
hearing, chanting, remembering, serving, worshiping, praying, obeying,
maintaining friendship and surrendering everything. By the practice of
these nine elements of devotional service one is elevated to spiritual
consciousness, Krsna consciousness. At the time when one's heart is cleared
of the material contamination, one can understand this science of Krsna.
Simply to understand that a living entity is not material is not sufficient.
That may be the beginning of spiritual realization but one should recognize
the difference between activities of the body and spiritual activities
by which one understands that he is not the body.
In the Seventh
Chapter we have already discussed the opulent potency of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, His different energies, the inferior and superior natures,
and all this material manifestation. Now in Chapters Nine and Ten the glories
of the Lord will be delineated.
The Sanskrit
word anasuyave in this verse is also very significant. Generally
the commentators, even if they are highly scholarly, are all envious of
Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even the most erudite scholars
write on Bhagavad-gita very inaccurately. Because they are envious
of Krsna, their commentaries are useless. The commentaries given by devotees
of the Lord are bona fide. No one can explain Bhagavad-gita, or
give perfect knowledge of Krsna if he is envious. One who criticizes the
character of Krsna without knowing Him is a fool. So such commentaries
should be very carefully avoided. For one who understands that Krsna is
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the pure and transcendental Personality,
these chapters will be very beneficial.
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