Lord Krishna addresses Arjuna:
To you, who are such a worthy recipient, I shall reveal the secret of profound knowledge and realization, knowing which you will be released from illusion. (IX; 1)
It is supreme knowledge, the secret of all secrets, supreme sanctity, known by inner experience, as expounded by the scriptures—pure, spontaneous, and infallible. (IX; 2)
O Arjuna! Those who have no faith in this path of dharma and are unable to attain Me keep revolving in this world, bound by death. (IX; 3)
Dharma has been described in the second chapter as akin to compassion. Compassion is the highest truth. Hence, everything is a lie to the one who does not wake up to this reality. And all liars know that lies are paid back in lies.
Tulsidas says:
“For those who have no knowledge either of the unqualified Hari’s Brahma or of qualified Divinity,
Who jabber lying words of various kinds,
And who wander astray in this world under the influence of Hari’s illusive power,
No assertion is too absurd to make.”
The universe is pervaded by My unmanifested form. All beings are contained in Me, but I am not contained in them. (IX; 4)
Just as cause is different from its effect, God is different from His creation. Physics teaches us that we cannot create energy out of nothing. Thus, it is not possible for cosmic laws to emerge out of nothing. Though the state of vacuum is devoid of any concrete manifestation of matter, yet it bubbles with the potential manifestation of everything in the universe. In the changeless vacuum lie the seeds of the cosmos. In the same way, all the seeds exist in God, though He is apart from it.
Know My Divine secret—all beings do not abide in Me; My Spirit, which is the source of all beings, sustains them but is not contained in them. (IX; 5)
The dynamic power of God is called Shakti. Though His Shakti creates the universe, He is not contained in it. His Shakti adorns it with myriads of beautiful jewels, but He is not dazzled by it. He remains aloof, an eternal witness to the creation of His Shakti—the Adi Shakti.
It is argued that if God is the creator, then He is responsible for creating both saints and Satan. Lord Krishna dispels this myth by revealing that He is not the arbiter of human will. God’s Shakti creates each being as an innocent babe, in the image of God the Father. Thereafter, each being has complete freedom to do what he likes. God has given freedom to human beings, but He does not infringe it.
In their freedom, human beings develop an ego and thus feel separate from God. But God’s compassion for His family is such that divorce is not an option.
Thus, human beings have complete freedom to ascend the path of evolution or go against it. By one’s deeds, one becomes a saint or a Satan. It is said that after giving freedom to human beings, God pondered what they might do with it and thus was ever robbed of His sleep!
Hence, to safeguard our evolution, He placed the valence of Dharma within us. As we rise in Dharma, we understand that freedom is not abandonment of morality. We have seen how, under the guise of freedom, many sinister designs have crawled into our society. If we don’t know what we are up against, they will get us unaware anyway.
Suppose we are crossing a narrow bridge and the enemy approaches from the opposite side. If, at the crossing point, we are not alert, he will throw us into the river.
Like air that moves swiftly everywhere but is contained in ether, similarly, all creation is contained within Me. (IX; 6)
Asks the Sufi mystic Yunus Emre:
“Where can I put You if You are already inside me?
I don’t say I am inside myself;
Wherever I am, You are there.”
O Arjuna!
All beings are absorbed in My divine nature at the end of a cycle (yuga). At the advent of the next cycle, I send them again. (IX; 7)
Manifesting my divine nature, according to their karmas, I send forth repeatedly all the collectives of beings who are helplessly bound by nature. (IX; 8)
Animals are very similar to us. For instance, our closest relations, the apes, share ninety-seven percent of DNA with us. However, what distinguishes us from animals is the fact that we have free will, whereas animals are bound by the path of evolution that has been assigned to them by nature.
In our free will, we choose to follow the ego. The ego, in pursuit of desires, falls under the spell of karma, and thus we are helplessly sucked into its momentum, an unending cycle of birth and death. Conversely, we have the option to use our free will to complete our evolution and thus bring closure to the file of birth and death.
O Arjuna! These actions do not bind me, for I am detached and distant from them. (IX; 9)
O Arjuna! With my blessings, Prakriti (Adi Shakti) creates all animate and inanimate beings, and moreover, because of this, the cosmos rotates. (IX; 10)
When the Adi Shakti is pleased, she showers a thousand blessings. Each blessing turns the tide of a thousand destinies. Her miracles occur each day. Whosoever does not see them is deprived of the most beautiful gift of life.
Ignorant of my Divine nature as the Lord of all beings, the deluded condemn my human incarnation. (IX; 11)
Those assuming the nature of fiends (Rakshasas) and demons (asuras) are deluded. Their aspirations, deeds, and knowledge are futile, and they are devoid of wisdom and discretion. (IX; 12)
The anti-evolution entities are described as Rakshasas and demons. Although the demons use their powers for destructive purposes, they also latch onto human beings and dominate them to satisfy their perversions. For instance, under their influence, sadists find pleasure in torturing. A maniac like Hitler must have been possessed by some demon, or perhaps he was himself a demon.
In our digital age, demons do not wear horns on their heads as shown in movies but can easily be discovered by their demonic deeds, such as murders, sadistic acts, terrorism, and rape. It is believed that in the Last Judgment, all the fiends and demons will be exposed and punished.
O Arjuna! The realized souls contained in the Divine nature, realizing me as the eternal and immutable source of all beings, worship me with single-minded devotion. (IX; 13)
Beholding my glory, fervent and constant in discipline, paying homage to me, they worship me with absolute devotion. (IX; 14)
Others, worshipping me as the unmanifest and pure Absolute with the sacrifice of knowledge, worship me as the all-pervading ‘One’ that has manifold manifestations. (IX; 15)
It is true that God is one, but like a multifaceted diamond, He has multiple dimensions. When light falls on a multiple-facet diamond, the sparkle of only that facet is seen which receives the light. In the same way, at different periods of human evolution, each facet reflected a divine aspect to show us the path.
For instance, Lord Rama reflected the facet of moral values. Though he was deprived of kingship and exiled for fourteen years at the instance of his stepmother, he bore no malice in his heart and, in fact, tried to comfort her. Lord Krishna reflected the facet of Dharma. Lord Jesus Christ reflected the facet of forgiveness. Moses, Zarathustra, Lao Tzu, Confucius, Socrates, Prophet Mohammad, and Guru Nanak reflected the facet of the Spirit. Lord Buddha and Mahavira gave the facet of compassion and non-violence their luster.
Lord Krishna states that though he is the Supreme Lord, he can be worshipped in any of his facets. We say “facet” and not “part” because we do not want to give the impression of something which can be divided into separate pieces.
We are like micro-cells that can see only a single facet. But to see the multiple divine facets, we have to humble down in our hearts. Unfortunately, fundamentalists have taken charge of God and dictate what He is and what He is not to serve their interests.
The Buddha did not waste time arguing about God. He said, “Better know yourself first; then you will know Him.”
But the ego is not content to leave God alone; it wants to show that its God is greater than the neighbor’s. Inversely, it claims its God is the real One, and the rest are fakes. It is not difficult to guess that the ego uses God as a scapegoat to assert its supremacy over others.
I am the ritual, I am the sacrifice, I am the ancestral offerings, I am the herb, I am the holy incantation, I am the ghee, I am the havan (fire), and I am the offering. (IX; 16)
I am the father of the world, the mother, the sustainer, and the grandparent. I am the syllable ‘AUM,’ I am the purpose of knowledge, I am the Rig, Sama, and Yajur Veda. (IX; 17)
These are the names of the various Vedas written 5000 years ago.
I am the destination, the supporter, the witness, the abode, the comforter, the counselor, and the redeemer. I am the source and the dissolution, the basis, the refuge, and the imperishable seed. (IX; 18)
O Arjuna! I give heat, I cause and withhold rain, I am the mortal and the immortal. I am being as well as non-being, O Arjuna. (IX; 19)
The knowers of the three Vedas, who are drenched with the Soma (Ambrosia) nectar, are purified of sin. Worshipping me with sacrifices and praying for heaven, they enter the abode of Indra (heaven) and are blessed with the heavenly delights of the Gods. (IX; 20)
Having enjoyed the delights of heaven, they return to their mortal realm when their merit expires. As propounded by the Vedas, the pursuit of desires attains only the transient, and they continue the cycle of going to heaven and returning to the mortal realm. (IX; 21)
We pray to God with the hope that we will attain heaven and escape the fire of hell. For sure, the mileage of good deeds earns a ticket to heaven. But what happens after the tourist visa expires? Entry into heaven or hell is not permanent. When the brownie points to heaven are exhausted, the tourist bounces back.
Conversely, there is always an opportunity given to the inmates of hell to redeem their sins in another birth. But why be a transiting tourist when we can enjoy the kingdom of heaven ensconced in our spirit? Why run after broken pieces of glass when the real diamond is at hand?
According to Lord Buddha, though a person praying for heaven may attain it, still, that is not enough for him. Though a person who has ended desire dwells on earth, still he is happy. No doubt, heaven is a dream holiday, and though it is not forbidden to dream, one does not evolve in dreams. We evolve through navigating the ground realities on earth.
After all, God does not have an address. But the Spirit does, and the one who logs on to it doesn’t need heaven anyway!
I take upon myself the concern for the welfare of those who worship me with undistracted devotion, who ever persevere. I increase what they have, and I give them what they do not have (Yogakshema). (IX; 22)
God the Father is ever anxious to bestow His treasures upon His children, but they don’t know how to ask. If they learn how to ask, He gives even before being asked. Whatever is good for us, whatever is good for our society and country, comes our way in miraculous ways. For instance, when a child is born, the mother spontaneously produces milk. Likewise, God takes care of our welfare (kshema).
It is interesting to note that Lord Krishna places union (yoga) first and welfare (kshema) later. It clearly indicates that one must get self-realization first. Welfare follows spontaneously.
Lord Krishna says that after the connection of yoga, we will get the well-being or kshema. Not before.
Many people wonder why India, which is Yoga Bhumi (spiritual land), suffers from poverty and deprivation. They are not seeking yoga; they are only seeking (kshema) welfare through westernized methods. That will take them to the same disastrous state as the West.
O Arjuna! The devotees who worship other deities with devotion, they also worship me, though not according to protocol. (IX; 23)
All the deities are aspects of the same God. It depends on which aspect we relate to.
According to the Rig Veda:
“The truth is one,
The wise call it by many names.”
“What’s in a name, call Him Ram or Rahim,” says the Sufi Mystic Bulleh Shah.
Lord Krishna clarifies that in whatever form we worship, our prayers eventually reach the Supreme Being. The only condition is that the prayer should flow from the heart.
However, God’s love is different from human love. Human love has expectations; it is possessive. Possessiveness leads to the dead end of disappointment.
I am the recipient and the lord of all sacrifices, but they do not know me as the Supreme Being and therefore get derailed. (IX; 24)
Worshippers of the deities attain the deities, worshippers of the ancestors attain the ancestors, and worshippers of the dead spirits attain the dead spirits (bhoots). Those who worship me come to me. (IX; 25)
We attain the blessings from the aspect of the Divine we propitiate. That does not imply that by prayers we attain God. A devotee could be worshipping his ancestors, but his ancestors are not divine. Moreover, they could be evil.
For instance, a school of left-sided Tantrikas worship dead spirits (bhoots) in cremation grounds to draw their power. Through their prayers, they try to harness the power of a dead spirit and use it for black magic. Hence, Lord Krishna clarifies that unless our prayer is directed to God, the Supreme Being, we cannot attain Him by any other form of worship.
Whoever offers me with love a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water, that offering from a pure heart, I accept. (IX; 26)
When the love for God pours from the heart, He accepts the smallest of offerings. But take the case of fly-by-night devotees thronging temples and offering wads of notes and jewelry to propitiate God. They forget God does not understand money—He only understands the language of love.
For instance, Lord Rama accepted the half-eaten berries of a pure soul like Shabari. Lord Krishna preferred the hospitality of the low-caste Vidura to the royal luxury of the Kuru king.
O Arjuna! Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you give in charity or offer as sacrifice, whatever disciplines you practice; perform everything as an offering to Me. (IX; 27)
We can continue to pursue our allotted vocation in life provided we offer its fruit to God. As we cannot consume all the income we earn, it has also to be shared with those in need.
Those who offer to the Lord before eating are blessed, while those who do not remember Him stretch out their hands to beg.
Thus will you be free from the karma arising from good and evil deeds. With your attention fixed on renunciation (of fruits of action), you will be liberated and attain Me. (IX; 28)
Renouncing does not mean giving up anything, because giving up means there is the ego that gives up. On the contrary, seekers who give up everything to perform penances become self-centered. The Divine joy is all-pervading, but because of their dryness, they do not feel it.
But if they offer every action to God, then it liberates their self-centric attention, and they attain the Divine.
I am alike in all beings, averse or attached to none; nevertheless, the devotee who worships me with love, he abides in me, and I also in him. (IX; 29)
As the rays of the sun fall equally everywhere, likewise, the power of Divine love is all-pervading—it has no favorites and is averse to none.
Even if the most sinful worships me earnestly, then having rightly resolved, he is deemed righteous. (IX; 30)
In the sleep state, we are unaware of the thoughts that cross our minds. The errors committed in dreams do not carry forward to the awakening state. The one who commits sin in a state of unawareness needs to be awakened.
A bandit approached a saint to atone for his sins.
The saint instructed, “Cut off the branch of the tree.”
He did likewise.
The saint instructed, “Put it back again.”
The bandit said, “That’s not possible.”
The saint smiled, “You think you are mighty because you can wound and destroy. That is the task of children. The mighty know how to create and heal.”
O Arjuna! Soon he becomes a righteous soul and attains eternal peace. Know for sure that my devotee is never doomed. (IX; 31)
A person matures through trial and error. Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.”
The awareness of weakness is itself strength. As we emerge stronger and wiser, we make a plus from a minus. Likewise, the one who goes astray and repents learns a greater lesson.
Willingness to make amends is sufficient—persecution is not required. After all, punishment does not change a person anyway. If all the accumulated sins of our past lives were to be weighed, there would be no hope for us. But there is hope because there is Grace, and there came such a one as our Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us.
Says Guru Nanak, “Whosoever leaves sin, his faults shall be forgiven.”
O Arjuna! Those who surrender to me, though they be women, Vaisyas, Sudras, or outcasts, or whatever; devoted to me, they attain the Supreme state. (IX; 32)
Some misinterpret this verse to imply that women are lowly born. Lord Krishna has clearly stated that we are the Atma (Spirit). Atma has no gender. Hence, it is hard to imagine that he would have said that women are lowly born.
On the contrary, Lord Krishna held women in the highest esteem. He had utmost respect for his mother, sister, and his wives. In fact, when one meditates on Lord Krishna, one is drenched with immense love, and one can penetrate the depth of his discourse, which otherwise can be easily misinterpreted because of many subsequent deliberate alterations by vested interests.
Neither is it an issue who is superior—the male or the female, or who is more important—the father or the mother? Like the two wheels of a cart, both are equally important.
With the growth of materialism, the husband, by virtue of his wealth, assumed a superior position. Money power boosted his ego, and he gained a demigod status, negating his wife and partner, and thus reduced her to a mere chattel.
How much more than for the pious Brahmins and royal sages who are devoted to me to enter the supreme state. Therefore, having entered this transient body of woe, remain constantly absorbed in me. (IX; 33)
Some take this verse to suggest that it is easier for Brahmins to attain the Supreme Being than for other castes. From what has been said in the previous chapters, it should be sufficiently clear that this is an alteration.
It goes against the previous verses where Lord Krishna has repeatedly emphasized that he resides in the heart of all his devotees.
“Whoever offers to me with love a leaf, a flower, a fruit… that I accept.”
It is clear that the love of the Lord is central to the message of the Gita; whoever loves the Lord is dear to him. Hence, to infer that it is easier for higher castes like the Brahmins to attain the Lord is totally incongruous with the spirit of the Gita.
In any event, the word Brahmin is a misnomer. Brahmin means the one who knows Brahma (God), but how many Brahmins know God? How can the blind light the path? Only an enlightened lamp can light other lamps.
As a matter of fact, those who don the holy mantle of a Brahmin, a priest, or a royal sage are found to be rather arrogant. It is observed that a person who finds a new understanding and insight helpful assumes it would also be helpful to others.
But he is liable to become arrogant because he feels he holds a key that may open doors for others. He becomes God-like.
Absorb your mind on me, have devotion to me, adore me; with me as your goal, you shall attain me. (IX; 34)
The Almighty pervades all things, animate or inanimate, and is yet apart and passionless. He is revealed by love, even as fire manifests by friction.
Tulsidas says:
“For aught I know,
the Lord is all-pervading, present everywhere alike,
and is revealed only by love.
Tell me any place, time, or quarter of the world
where the Lord is not.”