UB: श्री भगवानुवाच

इदं तु ते गुह्यतमं प्रवक्ष्याम्यनसूयवे। ज्ञानंविज्ञानसहितं यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात्।।9.1।

9.1. The भगवान् said Whereas (तु) (apart from that travelling to various लोक), I will tell (प्रवक्ष्यामि) to you (ते), who is not inclined towards jealousy, (अन् असूयवे) this (इदं) most secret (गुह्यतमं ) knowledge (ज्ञानं), together with its assimilation (विज्ञान सहितं), by knowing which (यद् ज्ञात्वा) you shall be free (मोक्ष्यसे) from the unpleasant (अशुभात्).

राजविद्या राजगुह्यं पवित्रमिदमुत्तमम्। प्रत्यक्षावगमं धर्म्यं सुसुखं कर्तुमव्ययम्।।9.2।।

9.2. This (इदं) is the king of all विद्या (राजविद्या); the king of all secrets (राजगुह्यं); it is a supreme purifier (उत्तमम् पवित्रम्), it is comprehensible by immediate perception (प्रत्यक्ष अवगमं), is keeping with धर्म (धर्म्यं), easy to attain (सुसुखं कर्तुम्) and imperishable (अव्ययम्).

अश्रद्दधानाः पुरुषा धर्मस्यास्य परन्तप। अप्राप्यमां निवर्तन्ते मृत्युसंसारवर्त्मनि।।9.3।।

9.3. O परन्तप! Persons (पुरुषा) having no श्रद्धा (अश्रद्दधानाः) in this धर्म (अस्यधर्मस्य) do not attain Me (मां अप्राप्य) and return (निवर्तन्ते) in the path (वर्त्मनि) of संसार, wrought with death (मृत्यु).

UB: 9:1/3 (1) – Before we embark on a new topic, 4 aspects need to be established – the विषय (topic), the अधिकार (qualification of the student), the लक्ष्य (purpose) and प्रयोजनम् (benefit from learning the विषय). All four are covered in the first 3 verses.  First the विषय viz अध्यात्म विद्या is called as गुह्यतमं ज्ञानं and also as राजविद्या राजगुह्यं. गुह्यं means secret or hidden.  But अध्यात्म विद्या is not hidden in the sense that it is to be kept away from people.  It is hidden only to स्थूल minds since they do not have the ability to conceive the परा.  This विद्या is actually प्रत्यक्ष अवगमं meaning that it is available for immediate perception. However, just like a person standing just an inch away from a tall building cannot know its height, अध्यात्म विद्या requires the mind to develop a certain distance, an insight that can come only if the mind becomes सूक्ष्म. प्रह्लाद was surprised how his father हिरण्यकश्यप is unable to see नारयण everywhere while he can see नारयण as a प्रत्यक्ष अनुभव.

UB: 9:1/3 (2) – Why is this called as गुह्यतमं विद्या? Essentially, विद्या can be of two types – बाह्यविद्या & गुह्यविद्या?  How to cook, how to paint, how to sing, how to build a dam, alphabets & writing,  etc are types of विद्या where learning can happen through use of पञ्चेन्द्रिय. However, गुह्यविद्या refers to विद्या where the principles are hidden from direct sense perception – औषद विद्या is one such example, मंत्र is another such example.  The effects of why an औषद or मंत्र works can only be known to people who have gone through extensive specialized training on such disciplines.  Now, अध्यात्म विद्या is राजगुह्यतमं विद्या since it requires the HIGHEST level of सूक्ष्म बुद्धि – hence this विद्या is called as राजविद्या as well as राजगुह्यं, the Emperor of ज्ञान, the Emperor of all secrets.

UB: 9:1/3 (3) – Why is eligible for receiving राजविद्या, who has the अधिकार?  It is not education level, family pedigree or physical strength that gives one an अधिकार for this राजविद्या. It is the quality of अनसूय viz absence of jealousy. One experiences jealousy because of this disease of comparing with another. Owing to this comparison, the negative emotions of राग & द्वेष arise. But this राजविद्या is not ज्ञान that is comparable with other ज्ञान and it stands in the innermost centre of all ज्ञान and one who knows this is positioned suitably to know all other ज्ञान. So get rid of असूय quality in order to gain this अध्यात्म विद्या. Second, one must possess fantastic level of श्रद्धा – श्रद्धा, as well discussed earlier is full conviction in the वेद and words of a गुरु who is himself a ज्ञानी. This relentless conviction in the words of the वेद is an essential prerequisite to be able to derive benefit of learning the विद्या conveyed by the वेद.

UB: 9:1/3 (4) – Now that we have talked about the विषय viz अध्यात्म विद्या and अधिकार/ पात्रता (अनसूया & श्रद्धा), let us define लक्ष्य of this.  The लक्ष्य is मोक्ष, the full freedom or liberation. Fourth, what are the benefits of मोक्ष? This विद्या is the Supreme Purifier, it will make one free of मल or impurity. It will give सुसुखम् – सुखं alone may be interpreted as लौकिक सुखं and सुसुखम् may be taken as best or ultimate of all सुखं. Once someone attains मोक्ष स्थिति, one becomes eternal since the ज्ञान that one acquires is eternal,  the अव्ययं. Once you gain an insight of the Imperishable, you also turn Imperishable. श्रीकृष्ण then will talk about this अव्ययं as well as teach अर्जुन the विज्ञानम् viz the means to attain this विद्या.

VA: folks a question came up about destiny – i searched the archive and noticed destiny has not been discussed here – i wonder what Geeta says about destiny? is it pre-determined (based on my past karma of course) what form I will be born in? if i will live a good life or miserable life? when and where i will die? are those set in stone? if pre-determined, can they change during the lifetime? or is one lifetime used as the unit of judgement? enlighten O knowledgeable souls…:)

PA: Arey prabhoo what a question dear 👍🙏🙏. Or let us say a series of questions !

UB: मया ततमिदं सर्वं जगदव्यक्तमूर्तिना। मत्स्थानिसर्वभूतानि न चाहं तेष्व ।।9.4।।

9.4. This entire universe (इदं सर्वं) is pervaded (ततम्) by Me (मया) as an unmanifest (अव्यक्त) form (मूर्तिना); all beings (सर्वभूतानि) exist in Me (मत्स्थानि) but I (अहं च) am not (अवस्थितः) in them (तेषु).

न च मत्स्थानि भूतानि पश्य मे योगमैश्वरम्। भूतभृन्न च भूतस्थो ममात्मा भूतभावनः।।9.5।।

9.5. Yet, the beings (भूतानि) do not (न च) exist in Me (मत्स्थानि). Look at (पश्य) the Sovereign योग of Mine (मे ऐश्वरं). My (मम) आत्मा is the sustainer of the beings (भूत भृत्), does not (न च) exist in beings (भूत स्थ:), and causes beings to be born (भूत भावनः)

UB: 9:4/5 (1) – भगवान् makes two contradictory statements – ‘All beings exist in Me’ and then ‘All beings do not exist in Me’.  Only a classic and oft-used वैदिक analogy can help us here. So a person walking in the dark sees a rope but mistakes it for a snake.  He panicks,  sweats profusely,  runs as his heart beats fast. Then someone flashes a light on the snake and he realizes that it is a rope and becomes relieved.  Now,  is the snake in the rope?  We have to say – Yes and No.  YES because without the rope,  there would have been no snake.  NO because the snake is not in the rope.  So if one says that the world is real, it is as real as the ‘real’ emotions expressed by the one who sees a snake instead of the rope and suffers.  Why the seer mistooks a snake for a rope is a problem with the seer’s own vision and not rope’s fault. Equally,  if someone says that the world is an illusion,  one has to agree that illusion cannot come out of nothing but it is ‘something’ that is not being seen properly.  Without existence of a rope,  no illusion of a snake is possible.  However, this illusory Universe can be seen clearly if we are able the flash the light of अध्यात्म विद्या on IT. प्रह्लाद saw श्रीनारायण everywhere because he had अध्यात्म विद्या vision while his father did not even though both were looking at the same thing. People familiar with विष्णुसहस्रनाम must compare the names given there with Ch 9.

UB: 9:4/5 (2) – “All beings exist in Me but I do not exist in them”. What does this mean? भगवान् is the primal source of the Universe, the primal cause from which all beings (and non-beings) have emerged.  As the material cause as well as efficient cause,  He is both the Potter as well as the material used by the Potter to build the Universe. However,  He does not exist in the beings. What this means is that while He is unlimited and Imperishable, the limitedness that is the characteristic of the beings is not His trait. Hence,  He is not in the beings while beings are in Him.  Such type of verses are the reason why normal people are put off with अध्यात्म विद्या and even right thinking people get frustrated – welcome to the joys of अध्यात्म विद्या 😂

UB: VA – Gita does not dwell on destiny aspect in too much detail – this is covered in other texts. From my own limited reading,  destiny is seen as a logical extension of my own कर्म.  Thus,  since I go to office daily,  even my son will say that I am destined to go to office tomorrow or the day after or the day after that. If I thus eat unhealthy food,  my logical extension, I can say that I am destined to fall ill. Destiny is predictable owing to years and years of habitual orientations that do not change easily.  Death is also predictable in that sense. The logic is that if I take potent poison, my death is immediate. If I take poison in lesser measure,  I will die in six months,  etc. My habitual orientation makes me like a certain kind of lifestyle making death predictable since I continue to follow the lifestyle.  If I take Mumbai – Delhi highway, I will reach Delhi only. Now,  if I die mid-way,  भगवान् has said in Ch 8 that you continue from where you left off and eventually find your way to Delhi.  In the next life,  the goal to go to Delhi will appeal to you automatically because of previous कर्म. Over lives,  I tend to accumulate tons of कर्म (called as सञ्चित कर्म) and such a body is given to us that is most apt to discharge the accumulated सञ्चित. Unless all of सञ्चित is exhausted, one is condemned to be born again and again.

UB: Now Gita being a text of ब्रह्मविद्या does not go into these details because it is irrelevant beyond a point. Hence,  it focuses on questioning our current habitual patterns of behaviour asking us to mould them towards परमात्मा. Thus,  change is very much possible and destiny created by our own habitual orientations can be made useless.  Once ज्ञान dawns,  all our सञ्चित in the form of seeds gets burned up and we become seedless thus making way for our freedom from कर्मबन्धन:. This is my ‘spin’ 😂 of how I have understood the idea of कर्म though I will recommend you to read original texts and related commentaries to make sense of this idea more clearly.

VA: Great explanation UB very helpful..👋👋 My wife and I were reaching similar thoughts in our discussion this morning. Thanks from taking the time..it is hard to understand..at least for me..harder to explain..but starting to make sense to my logically inclined brain

UB: 👍👍

PA: This is really puzzling !  the perishable human form is something created by God and the imperishable changeless part inside human is part of Param or brahm or God. Our sole purpose only is to realize the changeless in the ever changing. In fact to be focused 24×7 on the changeless which is all around us and part of us. If he is not in Me how can I make a connection to Him ?

UB: Yes – this is puzzling. Can I request you to see the commentary by Yogananda on this?  It will be useful to get his insight into these verses.

PA: Sure will check that

PK: And the same compliment to you PA  🙏.., when I say no (not infrequently) and displease others (not infrequently) my metric tends to be the ” oxygen mask” philosophy .., first put your mask on and then help others .. if my oxygen is depleted I am of no service … even if others perceive it as my selfishness .., the same applies to happiness .., no one can make me happy.. if I choose to be happy , people close to me can sense that and so does my perception of their actions .., the reverse is also true .., the folks who think my action is not pleasing them need to introspection as to why They have given me this much unnecessary and wrong power … we love because we wish to .,, we are nice when we are honest even if we disagree .. civility is essential hence nice is critical .,, disagree without being disagreeable 😃😃

PK: Love your explanation UB – you bring a balance to pre-determinism  (fatalism) and free will/ choice … making it clear that it is not “either or ” but actually ” and” based on natural inclinations and choices we make … kudos 🙏🙏🙏🙏… for the longest time this used to puzzle me too z😃

UB: यथाऽऽकाशस्थितो नित्यं वायुः सर्वत्रगो महान्। तथा सर्वाणि भूतानि मत्स्थानीत्युपधारय।।9.6।।

9.6. Just as (यथा) the mighty (महान्) wind (वायुः) exists in the space (आकाश स्थित:), always (नित्यं) moving [in it] everywhere (सर्वत्र ग:), similarly (तथा) please understand (इति उपधारय) that all beings (सर्वाणि भूतानि) exist in Me (मत्स्थानि).

UB: 9:6 – भगवान् has chosen two सूक्ष्म substances to convey the idea.  वायु exists in आकाश. Without आकाश, वायु cannot exist and move about. आकाश can exist without वायु but वायु cannot exist without आकाश.  Similarly, all beings exist within Me but I will continue to exist even though there are no beings within Me. आकाश is a good example to give since आकाश is expansive because it is everywhere, आकाश is सूक्ष्म since it cannot be seen with eyes but no one can deny that it does not exist.  And while we can argue that वायु is moving,  we cannot say that आकाश is moving; आकाश is अचल. Similarly,  परा is also अचल,  सर्वगत: (means it is present everywhere), परा is सूक्ष्म and the entire moving/ changing Universe exists within परा.

UB: PA – What I am reading on this puzzle is that when भगवान् says that He does not exist in us,  it means He does not exist in us as जीवात्मा but retains His परमात्मा status. So if कृष्णदेवराय decides to wear the dress of a peasant and moves around his city with तेनालिराम as a commoner,  he does not become a peasant just because he wore the peasant dress. This line thus clears doubts as to whether भगवान् forgets His परा status when He is in humans or pigs. The Higher intelligence within us retains its purity within us and watches over us as a साक्षी and does not lose itself within us. I hope Yogananda gives a similar commentary.

PA: Yoganandas commentary : All this cosmic dream and its creatures are produced by the pure undistorted beam of God consciousness. Even though a beam of light conveys and sustains motion picture scenes yet the beam itself undergoes no transformations. Similarly the motion picture of creation do not disturb the lords originating beam.  As the wind wandering in all directions over the infinite sky is yet unable to affect the sky, so the colossal panorama of creation un-influentually abides in Gods eternal consciousness. Such is the paradox of creation that God exists as the Soul of all men creating and supporting them, yet does no Himself becomes entangled with them. And human beings although saturated with God are overcome by cosmic delusion and made subject to birth and death ! A mystery indeed ! In the end all speculations about the ultimate secret of God and creation are profit less. The fact is that man is here and now undergoing the painful tests human incarnation. Just as prisoner plot to regain their freedom the wise among men Endeavour to escape the confinement of mortality. In His good time from his own ineffable lips the Lord will reveal to his devotee all mysteries of heaven and earth. The last paragraphs answers some of the questions raised by VA

PA: Another example that I like is the idea of a dream and a dreamer: As the changing images of a dream do not alter the essential nature of a dreamers consciousness, so the evanescent scenes of the cosmic dream, with its hordes of tumultuous emotional beings that work and play do not involve the Divine Unchangeable Dreamer

UB: Much more poetic language used but very helpful in embedding the idea much more effectively 👍👍👏. Wonderful and Thanks

PA: You welcome ! Yeah very helpful; the example of motion picture always helps. The later verses are even more interesting; actually the key to solving this puzzle is again and again surrender  – sharanagadi- give up the Doership ! I mean it’s silly to think we are doing anything at all. So long as men enjoy riding the wheels of cosmic entertainment (I read as attachment) so long must they be bound to it, helplessly experiencing the scenes of birth and death pleasure and pains. The next line is priceless: The average man attaches great importance to the worldly spectacles but a yogi takes the dream show lightly and only God seriously !!

UB: Yes – this dialogue is slowly moving towards the Vishwaroopa Darshan in Ch 11 which is a wonderful culmination of these theoretical statements.

PA: Wonderful !

UB: सर्वभूतानि कौन्तेय प्रकृतिं यान्ति मामिकाम्।  कल्पक्षये पुनस्तानि कल्पादौविसृजाम्यहम्।।9.7।।

9.7. O कौन्तेय! at the end of the कल्प (the end of day of ब्रह्मा) (कल्पक्षये), all beings (सर्वभूतानि ) pass into (यान्ति) My (मामिकाम्) प्रकृति; I (अहं) project forth  (विसृजामि) them (तानि) again (पुन:) at the beginning of the [next] कल्प (कल्प आदौ).

प्रकृतिं स्वामवष्टभ्य विसृजामि पुनः पुनः। भूतग्राममिमं कृत्स्नमवशं प्रकृतेर्वशात्।।9.8।।

9.8. Taking control over (अवष्टभ्य:) My own प्रकृति (स्वां प्रकृतिं), I project (विसृजामि) forth again and again (पुनः पुनः) this entire (इमं कृत्स्नम्)  group of beings (भूत-ग्रामम्), without their (or my) will (अ-वशं) by the force of (वशात्) [My] nature (प्रकृते).

UB: 9:7/8 – This idea was covered earlier that one कल्प  is one day of ब्रह्मा at the end of which all of Universe becomes merged into the primal background material.  After another कल्प gets over and ब्रह्मा day begins again,  Universe manifests again.  This happens automatically without any intervention on the part of the परा.  She just watches.  And this new day merely begins from where it left off.  All beings thus have no free will in terms of when they are born, how they are born and when they die.  We may have some semblance of a free will while living if we are willing and are conscious of our ability to exercise it.  If we are on the path of अध्यात्म विद्या,  we can move towards freedom or else we merely live out our impulses from one कल्प to another without having any ability to influence or act on our own; we thus lack स्वतन्त्रता शक्ति if we stick to impulse living. Even She does not interfere in this continuous process of birth & death happens; unless a person wills to make a change,  भगवान् allows people to lead their lives as per their own choice and whims.

UB: न च मां तानि कर्माणि निबध्नन्ति धनञ्जय। उदासीनवदासीनमसक्तं तेषु कर्मसु।।9.9।।

9.9. O धनञ्जय ! These (तानि च) कर्म (कर्माणि) do not bind (न निबध्नन्ति) Me (माम्), who is seated (आसीनं) (as the basis of प्रकृति) as if unconcerned (उदासीनवत्) and unattached (अ-सक्तं) towards these (तेषु कर्मसु) कर्म.

मयाऽध्यक्षेण प्रकृतिः सूयते सचराचरम्। हेतुनाऽनेन कौन्तेय जगद्विपरिवर्तते।।9.10।।

9.10 Because of Me (मया) as the supervisor (अध्यक्षेण), the प्रकृति produces (सूयते) (the world) of the moving and the non-moving things (स चर-अ-चरम्). For this reason (अनेन हेतुना) O कौन्तेय! the world (जगत्) revolves (विपरिवर्तते).

UB: 9:9/10 (1) – This can be a little tough. भगवान् is actually unconcerned with the way the Universe is moving about. She is an अध्यक्ष – everything happens under HER jurisdiction but She looks as if She is not concerned. Imagine a disciplinarian mother at home who is full of love for kids while discharging her role with full responsibility – in her presence, the प्रवर्तन of kids is समयानुकूल – they get up on time,  brush teeth on time,  have स्नान, do पूज, do अध्ययन,  etc.  They do a lot of कर्म on their own without being told. Mother may be in other room or may be cooking but all people in the house act with discipline even though she may not be watching. Kids are also allowed to play with full knowledge that there is a fixed play time too and also that even if they extend their play time, the mother will give them a smack followed by many kisses.  All actions of प्रकृति also similarly happen on their own knowing the presence of पराशक्ति who is an अध्यक्ष though She may appear as being seemingly unconcerned. But nothing happens without Her.

UB: 9:9/10(2) – Thus,  with भगवान् as an अध्यक्ष,  at the ब्रह्माण्डं level,  all Galaxies,  Stars,  Solar,  Systems,  Planets, Satellites and other other forces (referred to as प्रकृति) act on their own in an organized and predictable manner.  “They revolve” – says भगवान्. Similarly,  at a पिण्डांड level, the various प्रकृति aspects within us – बुद्धि, मन, प्राण, पञ्च कर्मेन्द्रिय, पञ्च ज्ञानेन्द्रिय operate effectively under the अध्यक्षता of the आत्मा. However,  if these act in a truant manner unaware of or ignore the अध्यक्षता of the आत्मा, they will suffer owing to their own wayward प्रवर्तन. Coordinated predictable कर्म happens only if a coordinating principle is present that controls individual parts – Universe was and is never a chaos; Order is the स्वभाव of the Universe as well as ourselves owing to presence of the coordinating principle who is called as अध्यक्ष here.

UB: 9:9/10 (3) – But there is another idea here. भगवान् is असक्त: (detached). Usually, anyone doing कर्म should face a कर्मफल. But भगवान् does His कर्म as an असक्त: and He will therefore not be bound. How do we understand  this idea? In a normal parlance,  if I am hungry and I eat as much as I need to eat to satisfy my hunger,  my balance is restored. However, if काम comes into the act of eating,  I may eat more if काम is for food or I may eat less if काम is to my waistline. Such a कर्म then leads to कर्मफल in terms of health issues. But, as we discussed earlier, the कर्म of सृष्टि or projection of Universe may be seen as an act for knowing Himself.  There is no काम involved since the कर्म to know oneself cannot be seen as काम. Hence,  He will not experience a कर्मफल. He remains in a state of सत्-चित्-आनन्द while doing सृष्टि. Therefore, for us at an individual  level too,  if I do a job to know myself,  if I play to know myself,  if I eat to know myself,  if I study or fight with someone else to know myself and am therefore equally accepting of any कर्मफल (seemingly positive or negative) of my कर्म and continue to remain in a सत्-चित्-आनन्द state,  like भगवान्, our कर्म too becomes that of a निष्काम type. If not,  कर्मफल accrues leading to us getting involved into a spiral of more and more कर्म.  Do निष्काम कर्म is thus the key takeaway of these verses.

UB: Apologies to repeat but I would like to emphasize the importance to today’s verse as it conveys the essence or forms the nucleus of पराविद्या.  To skip this means one is gathering information on गीत but ignoring the essence of religion.

UB: There is a phrase “Be centered in oneself”. What does it mean?  The centre most essence within us is परा.  And the most fundamental expression of परा is to know Itself. The परा created अपरा only to know its सत्-चित्-आनन्द state.  For us to centre ourselves thus means that we fight with others to know us,  we argue with others to know us,  we go for a holiday to know us,  we pursue a career to know us. The अपरा (the world,  relations,  our body,  etc)  has no other value other than its utility in helping us know ourselves. Is this a selfish pursuit?  No – it is a pursuit where one is working to become “self-less” and become ‘Self-ful’ where “self” represents अपरा and Self represents परा. So get away from being immersed in self or अपरा, that is the idea. And when one gains the Self or परा,  one regains one’s centre,  one regains oneself and one becomes all.  That is the central idea of religion.

VG: Oxygen Mask Analogy is super PK. To make others happy, first you be happy

PK: How does one apply this practically UB? Surely , it had to be more than one saying this sincerely to oneself – I wonder if one can go thru life inadvertently in his self deception mode  ? What are marks of progress I wonder – loss of anger , attainment of calm. Attitude etc ? Such a long way to go for me as I still tend to get irritated / Lose my cool not infrequently at what later feels like minor aggravations .., does anyone talk about this in detail ? 🙏

PA: Agree with you PK such a long way to go 😊 Well what we could contemplate is that  incidents that used to Bother me or make me angry few years back still disturb my peace of mind or not to make a quick check

UB: PK – You write – I wonder if one can go thru life inadvertently in his self deception mode? I did not understand this question….

PK: UB : I was wondering that we can keep telling ourselves I am doing this (any activity over-eating , indulging) telling ourselves that ” I am doing this to find myself” so it’s all good ..  how do we know it is not self deception by our mind ? How do we assess our progress ?

UB: That is a tough one. Most scriptures insist that this is a pursuit that requires a Guru – and we have none. Or as they say,  Guru will come when we are ready. Or else, we are indeed exposed to self deception. Gita gives some clues from Ch 13 onwards. So let us wait for this.  Some of the Yoga texts give the signs of progress quite clearly. We can refer to them. But till a Guru comes or we get access to more difficult texts,  it is useful to join a group of like minded associates who are also in this journey (सत्संग) with whom we can jointly explore the journey and also get feedback from time to time.  Net net,  I do not have an immediate answer

UB: अवजानन्ति मां मूढा मानुषीं तनुमाश्रितम्। परंभावमजानन्तो मम भूतमहेश्वरम्।।9.11।।

9.11 Not knowing (अजानन्त:) My (मम) supreme nature (परं भावम्) as the Lord (महेश्वरम्) of all beings (भूत), foolish (मूढा) disregard (अवजानन्ति) Me (मां) who obtains (or is situated in) (आश्रितम्) this human (मानुषीं तनुम्) body.

मोघाशा मोघकर्माणो मोघज्ञाना विचेतसः। राक्षसीमासुरीं चैव प्रकृतिं मोहिनींश्रिताः।।9.12।।

9.12 Those whose hopes (आशा:) are in vain (मोघ), whose acts (कर्माण:) are in vain (मोघ) and whose knowledge (ज्ञाना) is in vain (मोघ) and who lack discernment (विचेतसः) – they tend towards (श्रिताः) a deluding (मोहिनीं) disposition (प्रकृतिं) that is राक्षसी or आसुरी.

UB: 9:11/12 – The परा is situated within us as the अध्यात्म principle and is the अध्यक्ष of our house (house here means our body).  However,  most people possess the प्रवृत्ति of an असुर or राक्षस. A राक्षस is one who derives joy from troubling others and is happy when others are unhappy. An असुर is selfish,  believes his limited body & mind as the only truth and thus a hardcore materialist. While he will not harm others in the normal course of events,  if a need of his obsesses him,  he will not think twice to sacrifice others for his personal gain.  Just like the मोहिनी was able to distract the असुर during सागर मंथन, both असुर & राक्षस are easily distracted. All their कर्म thus becomes मोघ or wasted,  all the type of ज्ञान they pursue is मोघ (reading fiction novels which do not add value,  watching movies which are more in the nature of pop fables, get attracted to Marathon at 50 to post pictures on Facebook,  etc). These कर्म are not done to add value to themselves but pursued with complete disregard to the eternal परा principle within themselves. Owing to their inability to focus on anything,  their चेतस् is मंद – hence they will continue to suffer.

PA: Beautiful !

PA: Very very nice VG. Loved the saying for gratitude!! I guess that’s about it if we somehow manage to not get our head (ego) in the way all the time we should be just fine ! Thanks for sharing 🙏

UB: महात्मानस्तु मां पार्थ दैवीं प्रकृतिमाश्रिताः। भजन्त्यनन्यमनसो ज्ञात्वाभूतादिमव्ययम्।।9.13।।

9.13 O पार्थ! whereas the  wise ones (महात्मान: तु), being possessed of (आश्रिताः) दैवी nature (प्रकृतिम्), surely seek Me (मां भजन्ति) with a mind that sees no other (अन् अन्य मनस:), knowing (ज्ञात्वा) Me  (माम्) as the changeless (अव्ययम्) source of all objects (भूत आदि).

सततं कीर्तयन्तो मां यतन्तश्च दृढव्रताः। नमस्यन्तश्च मां भक्त्या नित्ययुक्ताउपासते।।9.14।।

9.14 Always (सततं) glorifying (कीर्तयन्त:) Me (मां) and striving (यतन्त: च), the men whose commitment is firm (दृढव्रताः) worship Me (मां उपासते) by paying obeisance (नमस्यन्त:) to Me (मां च) and being ever united (नित्ययुक्ता) (with me)  with devotion (भक्त्या).

ज्ञानयज्ञेन चाप्यन्ये यजन्तो मामुपासते। एकत्वेनपृथक्त्वेन बहुधा विश्वतोमुखम्।।9.15।।

9.15. And still (च अपि) others (अन्ये), worshipping (यजन्त:) through यज्ञ that is knowledge (ज्ञानयज्ञेन), seek Me (उपासते) whose face (मुखम्) is everywhere (विश्वतस्), in many ways (बहुधा), as being One (एकत्वेन) and as being distinct (पृथक्त्वेन).

UB: 9:13/15 (1) – As against असुर/ राक्षस प्रवृत्ति, there are others with a दैवी प्रवृत्ति, the महात्मनः. The distinction between these two is laid out beautifully in Ch 16. भगवान् is already laying seeds of भक्ति here. He says that such people भजन्ति मां (Me) with भक्ति,  they are दृढव्रतः (firm mind), they are clear that there is one अव्ययम्  which is the goal of one’s life and they thus become a योगी who is नित्ययुक्त (connecting every moment of their life with the परा). Then there are ज्ञानी – Rumi used to quote a line from the Quran – “Wherever I turn, I see the face of Allah”. This verse also gives a similar sentiment. A ज्ञानी perceives भगवान् being विश्वतोमुखम्,  one whose face is everywhere.  He is always trying to see the One in many.  He sees distinctions,  recognizes the distinctions too but works hard to see the same One, same अध्यात्म principle lying within all. He thus is like a scientist trying to locate the single fundamental particle present in all.

UB: 9:13/15 (2) – This verse is a knuckle on the head by भगवान् for those who become ideological opponents taking side of Oneness Vs One God Vs Many God’s.  She can be conceived in three ways – एकत्वेन meaning “There is One only”, पृथक्त्वेन meaning “परा is distinct from the individual” and बहुधा viz “There are many देवता”.  भगवान् is stating clearly here – “All three are fine by Me”. Ideological skirmishes are infantile.  So we have this old man who is a proponent of अद्वैत. He goes to a temple town, does not get a place to stay. He lands up in the house of a वैश्णव who sees भगवान् as distinct from an individual. He proudly places images of महाविष्णु outside his house.  Our अद्वैत man sleeps outside the house that night. Next morning, he could not stop himself to write सोहम् (I am the One) on the wall next to the images and then leaves the house. Later,  the वैश्णव sees this and adds दा in front of सोहम् making it दासोहम् (I am the दास of the One). In the evening,  our अद्वैत hero returns,  sleeps overnight again and adds स before दासोहम् making it सदासोहम् (I am always सोहम्). Not to be left behind,  our वैश्णव adds the word दा again making it दासदासोहम् (दास of the दास of the One).  Thus foolishly clinging to an ideology,  they fight while भगवान् clearly states that He can be approached as एकत्वेन or as पृथक्त्वेन or बहुधा. The प्रवृत्ति to fight and defend an ideology without knowing truth fully is nothing else but a राक्षस or आसुरी प्रवृत्ति.