Chapter 9.

Chapter 9: The Most Confidential Knowledge
TEXT 1
sri-bhagavan uvaca
idam tu te guhyatamam
pravaksyamy anasuyave
jnanam vijnana-sahitam
yaj jnatva moksyase 'subhat
SYNONYMS
çré bhagavan uväca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; idam—this; tu—
but; te—unto you; guhyatamam—most confidential; pravakñyämi—I am
speaking; anasüyave—to the nonenvious; jïänam—knowledge; vijïäna—realized
knowledge; sahitam—with; yat—which; jïätvä—knowing; mokñyase—be
released; açubhät—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 Çrémad-Bhägavatam: "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
Kåñëa consciousness and gives him the intelligence to understand the science of
Kåñëa in the association of the devotees. Discussion of Kåñëa 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 Kåñëa, 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-gétä, 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 Kåñëa 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 Kåñëa is naturally transcendental; he therefore has no
material pangs, although he is in the material world. In the Bhakti-rasämåta-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-gétä, Tenth Chapter, that anyone who
is engaged in that way is a liberated person.
Now this first verse has specific significance. Knowledge (idaà jïänam) 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, Kåñëa consciousness. At the time when
one's heart is cleared of the material contamination, one can understand this science of
Kåñëa. 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 anasüyave in this verse is also very significant. Generally the
commentators, even if they are highly scholarly, are all envious of Kåñëa, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Even the most erudite scholars write on Bhagavad-gétä very
inaccurately. Because they are envious of Kåñëa, their commentaries are useless. The
commentaries given by devotees of the Lord are bona fide. No one can
explain Bhagavad-gétä, or give perfect knowledge of Kåñëa if he is envious. One who
criticizes the character of Kåñëa without knowing Him is a fool. So such commentaries
should be very carefully avoided. For one who understands that Kåñëa is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, the pure and transcendental Personality, these chapters will be
very beneficial.

Chapter 9.

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Chapter 9: The Most Confidential Knowledge

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