The Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 9

The Path to the Royal Knowledge & Royal Mystery

On 5th July 2020, my dear Dad passed away and moved on to the next realm. The Bhagavad Gita, a book sacred to Hinduism, was by far his most cherished text and he studied it up to the very end. In his memory, I am committing to write 18 pieces - one for each chapter - and will attempt to capture the essence of this great text. No prior knowledge of Hinduism is necessary and I shall steer clear of jargon as much as possible. If you haven’t already, do subscribe below to get all the pieces straight to your inbox. Lastly if you are just joining and would like to start at the beginning, click here for Chapter 1

A quick recap

In Chapter 8 Krishna elaborates on the nature of Brahman. He mentions that the Supreme is present as the Soul in the heart of every embodied being. He also touches upon the methods of meditation at the time of passing to the next realm. A person should aim to follow the path of Yoga and leave this realm through the bright path - thus being liberated from the cycle of birth and rebirth.

The Path to the Royal Knowledge & Royal Mystery

Krishna says:

“You are free of spite - therefore I will teach you the most secret knowledge along with its realisation. Knowing this you will be released from inauspiciousness. This is the Royal Science, the Royal Secret, the Supreme Purifier. It is realised by direct experience and righteous acts - it is imperishable and joyfully performed. Those who do not have faith in Dharma do not attain Me. Hence they go through endless cycles of birth and rebirth (Samsara). I pervade the entire universe in an unmanifest form. All beings are situated in Me but I am not situated in them. Behold my Divine Mystery, in which all beings are apparently not in Me, nor does My Self dwell in them. Yet I am the Source and the Sustainer of all beings.”

“Just as the powerful wind blowing in every direction always rests in ether (Akasha), so do all beings rest in Me. All beings enter into My material Nature at the end of a Kalpa (4,320 years i.e. a day of Brahma). At the beginning of the next Kalpa I set them forth again. Resorting to My material Nature again and again, I bring forth this entire mass of beings automatically through the control of that Nature. None of these actions bind Me as I remain detached from them like one who is unconcerned. Under My supervision the material Nature (Prakriti) brings forth all animate and inanimate entities. And due to this reason the world revolves.”

“The ignorant deride me, but great souls seek My Divine Nature and worship Me with an unwavering mind, knowing Me to be imperishable and the source of all beings. Those longing for Me, adore Me and always chant my divine glory strive with steadfast determination and worship Me in devotion. Others through the sacrifice (Yajna) of knowledge worship Me in various ways - as the one, as diverse in many, and in the universal form.”

“I am the ritual and sacrifice; I am the offering; I am the medicinal herb; I am the hymn (Mantra); I am the clarified butter (Ghee); I am the fire and I am the act of offering. I am the father, mother, nurturer and grandfather of the universe. I am the purifier and that which is to be known. I am the syllable Om and the Vedas. I radiate heat and I send forth and withhold rain. I am immortality and death; existence as well as non-existence.”

“Those who are well versed in the Vedas, being purified by sin by drinking the Soma juice and worshipping Me by sacrifice, pray for a passage to heaven. They reach the holy realm of the Lord of the Devas and enjoy celestial pleasures.” Note: Soma Rasa or Soma juice is obtained by the Soma creeper which is used in various Vedic rituals for offerings to Devas. Here Soma Rasa is not referring to any intoxicant, but refers to something intellectual and spiritual. In an immaterial sense, it is also regarded as the inner nectar tasted by those who practice Yoga.

“Having enjoyed the vast world of heaven, they return to the world of mortals when their merit is exhausted. Those who desire material pleasures by following Vedic rituals, repeatedly come and go. Those who think of Me and worship Me constantly, thinking of no other, and longing for eternal union with Me - I look after their prosperity and welfare. I am the enjoyer and Lord of all sacrifices. But those who do not know My transcendental nature fall down. Those who worship the Devas go to the Devas. Those who worship the ancestors go to them. Those who worship Me, come to Me. Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, whatever austerities you perform - do that as an offering to Me.”

“In this way, you will be freed from the bondage of actions that yield good and bad results. With your mind firmly fixed in Yoga of renunciation, and becoming free, you shall attain Me. All beings are equal to Me. There is none hateful or dear to Me. But those who worship Me with devotion, they abide in Me and I too abide in them. Even if the most sinful person worships Me with unwavering devotion, such a person must be considered righteous, as he has attained the right conviction. My devotee never perishes. Whoever takes refuge in Me - no matter if one is a woman, a merchant, a worker: they shall attain the Ultimate Goal.”

Krishna concludes:

“Fill your mind with thoughts about Me; be My devotee; offer sacrifice to Me; worship Me. Thus absorbed in Me alone, seeking Me as the Supreme Goal, you will surely come to Me.”

Parting thoughts

Quite a lot to unpack in this Chapter. In this Chapter Krishna guides Arjuna to perform all of his actions, as small and mundane as speaking and eating as offerings to God. In this way all Arjuna does is turned into worship. This ties into Krishna’s explanation of the Path of Right Action.

This Chapter has a devotional tone to it. The Yoga of Devotion (Bhakti) emphasises Love and devotion/thanks to the Supreme. Although the language used has shifted from a focus of meditation to ideas of love and redemption - the basic concept remains the same - Krishna is still explaining the process of understanding the truth about the Self and God. The concept of God’s love and human’s love for the divine is explained. This idea of love is interwoven into the concept of worship. One can worship the Devas to acquire material objects and enjoy celestial pleasures but Krishna urges Arjuna to aim higher.

Although the Supreme is unmanifest (and initially a vast and abstract concept) - focusing on the manifest form of Krishna can make it easier for a person to cultivate divine love.

Lastly Krishna also refers to the "sacred Om," considered the most sacred syllable and the essence of all existence in the Hindu tradition. The sound Om represents the primal sound of creation and is often chanted by devout yogis and practicing Hindus.

Ultimately those who do not have faith in Dharma and the righteous path of these truths will struggle to reach the Supreme.

On a personal front this marks the halfway mark (9th Chapter out of a total 18). Thanks to everyone who has read this far and come along for the journey and also provided me with feedback and encouragement along the way. So far there have been over 6,000 page views - something I’m sure my Dad would have liked as he was passionate about spreading the knowledge and concepts covered in this sacred text.

Ready to proceed? Click here for Chapter 10

Deepak