Bhagvad Gita - Chapter: 9 Raja Vidya Yogah

Raja Vidya Yogah - This knowledge is the king of sciences, the king of secrets, most sacred, directly realizable, in accordance with dharma, easy to practice, and eternal.

राजविद्या राजगुह्यं पवित्रमिदमुत्तमम् |
प्रत्यक्षावगमं धर्म्यं सुसुखं कर्तुमव्ययम् ||2||

This knowledge is the king of sciences, the king of secrets, most sacred, directly realizable, in accordance with dharma, easy to practice, and eternal.

Rajavidya: The king of sciences.
Rajaguhya: The supreme secret.
Avagaman: Direct experience or realization.

This shloka elevates the status of knowledge as both a royal science and a royal secret, highlighting its transformative potential. Krishna underscores its practicality, purity, and permanence, emphasizing how knowledge, when applied, leads to spiritual liberation and fulfillment.

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अश्रद्दधाना: पुरुषा धर्मस्यास्य परन्तप |
अप्राप्य मां निवर्तन्ते मृत्युसंसारवर्त्मनि ||3||

Men who lack faith in this dharma, O Parantapa, without attaining Me, return to the path of death and worldly existence.

Ashraddha: Lack of faith.
Samsara: The cycle of birth and death.
Parantapa: A title for Arjuna meaning subduer of enemies.

Faith is essential in spiritual progress. Krishna contrasts the fate of the faithful and the faithless, showing how doubt can lead one back to the cycles of birth and death. This sets up the narrative for why faith in Krishna’s words and teachings is paramount.

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मया ततमिदं सर्वं जगदव्यक्तमूर्तिना |
मत्स्थानि सर्वभूतानि न चाहं तेष्ववस्थित: ||4||

By Me, this entire world is pervaded in My unmanifest form. All beings reside in Me, but I am not in them.

Avyakta: Unmanifested or unseen.
Jagat: The material world.
Matsthani: All beings situated in Me.

Krishna’s unmanifest form pervades all of creation, yet He remains detached. This paradox illustrates the divine’s transcendence and immanence, challenging the material perception of reality and urging the seeker to reflect on the nature of existence.

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न च मत्स्थानि भूतानि पश्य मे योगमैश्वरम् |
भूतभृन्न च भूतस्थो ममात्मा भूतभावन: ||5||

And yet, the beings do not reside in Me. Behold My divine yoga! My Self sustains all beings, but is not present in them.

Yoga: Union or divine power.
Bhuta-bhavana: The originator of all beings.
Bhutani: Living beings.

Here Krishna reveals the mystery of divine yoga—He sustains all beings but remains unaffected by them. This teaching deepens the understanding of God’s impartiality and omnipotence, inviting reflection on how creation is both dependent on and independent of Him.

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यथाकाशस्थितो नित्यं वायु: सर्वत्रगो महान् |
तथा सर्वाणि भूतानि मत्स्थानीत्युपधारय ||6||

As the mighty wind, moving everywhere, eternally rests in space, so do all beings rest in Me.

Akash: Sky or ether.
Vayu: Wind or air.
Upadharaya: Comprehend or understand.

The metaphor of wind resting in space emphasizes the seamless integration of all beings within Krishna. By using relatable imagery, Krishna gently guides Arjuna to understand the unity of the divine and the cosmos, building a foundation for devotion.

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सर्वभूतानि कौन्तेय प्रकृतिं यान्ति मामिकाम् |
कल्पक्षये पुनस्तानि कल्पादौ विसृजाम्यहम् ||7||

At the end of the cycle, all beings enter into My nature, and at the beginning of the cycle, I create them again.

Prakriti: Material nature.
Kalpa: Cosmic cycle.
Visrijami: I create or manifest.

Krishna elaborates on the cyclical nature of creation and dissolution. This shloka presents the idea of cosmic rhythm and highlights His role as the ultimate orchestrator, inviting Arjuna to see the divine hand behind the impermanence of material existence.

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प्रकृतिं स्वामवष्टभ्य विसृजामि पुन: पुन: |
भूतग्राममिमं कृत्स्नमवशं प्रकृतेर्वशात् ||8||

Resorting to My nature, I create again and again all this multitude of beings, which are helpless under the sway of nature.

Prakriti: Material nature.
Bhuta-grama: The multitude of beings.
Kritsnam: All or entirety.

Through this teaching, Krishna highlights the inevitability of creation being governed by nature. His role is likened to a facilitator who sets the process in motion, emphasizing the idea of divine detachment and the autonomy of material energy.

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