Chapter 9 Raajavidyaa Raajaguhya Yoga

Question 1

9-1 Arjuna has qualified himself to receive the secret behind everything Krishna has said - all the knowledge

Lord Kṛṣṇa says:
Arjuna because you are without envy, I shall reveal to you the most secret of all knowledge, along with the process
of its immediate realisation, knowing which you shall be
freed from the miseries of life. (1)

Answer 1

Krishna says He will now reveal the secret behind everything He has said thus far.

Arjuna has true faith in the Lord: qualified to receive this knowledge. One time, Krishna pointed to some parakeets and told Arjuna they are a different color than they were. Arjuna agreed several times as Krishna said different colors. Krishna is the Lord, for Him anything is possible. Pleased with Arjuna’s surrender and for not judging what he was hearing.

Question 2

9-2 Getting rid of vices - paying no heed to personal status

This is the king of wisdom, the king of mysteries and the purest of knowledge. It grants direct experience of the Truth, it is based on dharma, it is easy to practice and is unfading. (2)

Answer 2

When one completely surrendered to God, through this supreme knowledge, one gets rid of all vices/evil ways.

Practicing knowledge of surrender is easy, it’s only difficult when you have doubts. Ones who truly surrender don’t bother about what they are achieving or how great they are because they only want to praise the Lord.

Question 3

9-3,4 Rarity of human birth - gratitude of the chance given

Those who have no faith in this path, O Arjuna, remain in
this cycle of birth and death without ever attaining Me. (3)

This entire universe is pervaded by Me, in My unmanifest
form. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them. (4)

Answer 3

Even if Karma and Jyaana Yogis have knowledge of the Self but still are without surrender, they come back. Ones who surrender to the Divine within themselves realize how rare it is to be born human. Through gratitude of human birth, realizing how important it is, hold tight to spiritual path.

Everything seated inside Him, He’s completely apart from everything. He existed before creation, will exist after, He eternally exists within His Own Self.

Question 4

9-5 single-pointedness, perceiving Narayana everywhere, even within

And yet these beings are not in Me, such is My divine
Mystery! I am the upholder of all beings and yet I am not
in them. It is My will alone that causes their existence. (5)

Answer 4

Refers to the level of awareness where one realizes one doesn’t exist, only God exists. The state where the world stops existing, and only God exists. The ego, the pride, the big “I” “I” “I” are just like clouds and the sky is always untouched.

Nothing exists by itself apart from Him, by realizing God in the core of oneself, a bhakta’s eyes are opened. For such a bhakta, everything becomes possible, even what seems impossible to those who look and only see the outside world.

One who is completely surrendered has a single-pointed mind. Perceives Narayana in the core of the heart, world ceases to exist, see with the spiritual eyes, God behind everything. “Those who have the eyes to see, let them see.”

Question 5

9-6 God with a form and without a form

As the mighty wind moves everywhere, but always
remains in space, in the same way you should understand how all beings rest in Me. (6)

Answer 5

In His Nirgun aspect, God is like the ether - uniform, actionless, infinite. God also has a Sagun aspect - it’s how He can conceive of the whole creation.

Every atom and particle is pervaded by Bhagavan in His formless state and all this drama of countless Universes, worlds appearing and disappearing are His Cosmic form, His Sagun form

Question 6

9-7 Journey of the soul, no matter how long it takes

All beings, Arjuna, are withdrawn into My prakṛti at
the end of a cycle of time, and at the beginning of a new cycle, I send them forth again. (7)

Answer 6

The whole world dissolves into Him and afterwards a new world arises from Him. After the Pralaya, the soul comes back to this world to advance to God Consciousness - no matter how many lives it takes, one will return to Him alone.

Question 7

9-8 Levels of Maya - all parts of the body is Narayana.

Using this prakṛti of Mine, I repeatedly send forth this
multitude of beings. They are helpless, being under the
control of prakṛti. (8)

Answer 7

Krishna creates everything through His Maha Maya - Yogmaya. After creating everything, a second veil of Maya called Maya Prakriti blinds everyone, trapping them in ignorance. Ones who have completely surrendered to God are not bound by Maya - not subject to the law of karma anymore. Karma isn’t created due to cessation of desires/attachments - know that each part of the body is also Narayana.

Question 8

9-9 Claiming doership - Divine perspective and human perspective

But these actions do not bind Me, Arjuna, for I am
detached from them, remaining always indifferent. (9)

Answer 8

God is beyond Nature itself - His own Prakriti. He doesn’t long for any fruits of actions in state of nonconcern - If He were concerned, He would force Prakriti. He has no sense of doership. If God claims doership, it means there’s something other than Him. When Krishna says “I”, He’s talking about God, the One lying on Adishesh looking at His creation - only supervising while Prakriti is carrying on with all action.

When you proclaim “I have done this”, with what motive do you say this? To show others? Due to pride and ignorance, showing others one’s superiority over them. This happens in a subtle way, always some personal gain in whatever one does.

Question 9

9-10 The world as a farm analogy, God and Prakriti

It is because of Me alone that this prakṛti produces all
the moving and non-moving beings. It works under My
direction, hence why the world exists as it does. (10)

Answer 9

Narayana implants the seeds of life in Prakriti, Who then evolves as a result. She then makes the creation evolve while all beings and species manifest.

God is like the farmer who plants the seeds and observes. The Divine can also bend His Own Nature and make anything happen. If Narayana doesn’t Will something, Prakriti won’t make it happen.

When God Wills something, nothing is impossible. Story of the man who was killed and stitched back together in the trunk of a car.

Question 10

9-11 Seeing Krishna avatar as mere human being - delusion

Fools disregard Me, appearing in a human form, not
knowing My divine nature, as the Supreme Lord of all
beings. (11)

Answer 10

Many think of Krishna as a mere human being - Don’t see that it’s God Himself Who has taken a disguise. These people don’t perceive true nature: Lord Brahman Who has manifested in this body.

Out of compassion, God manifests Himself and performs various Leelas to remind mankind of its Divinity - remind them of the importance of surrendering to God. Narayana is manifested in everything.

Question 11

9-12 The motives and delusions of the asuric nature

The hopes, the actions and the knowledge of these foolish people are in vain. Being utterly deluded, they take on the nature of Asuras and Rākṣasas. (12)

Answer 11

These types of people are so blinded by their asuric nature that they can’t reason - can’t see the truth. Look to the enjoyments of the outside world and get attached to that happiness which only lasts a short time. These people don’t have the knowledge of God. Only He can give everlasting happiness.

Question 12

9-13 The essence of Bhakti

But the great souls, O Arjuna, share My divine nature.
They adore Me, with a single mind, knowing Me to be the
unchanging source of all beings. (13)

Answer 12

Krishna is slowly revealing the essence of Bhakti to Arjuna.

The great souls who share His Divine nature have attained God within themselves - see no difference between the Supreme Reality of Narayana and themselves. They adore Him with a single mind a.k.a. Bhakti. Even they adore God, have Bhakti, pure devotion. Their devotion to Him, their attachment to Him is wonderful. They have exclusive love for God - their minds don’t feel attracted towards anything else. Never separated from God as bhaktas, have this unbearable yearning for Him. The Lord also longs for the bhaktas in the same way.

Question 13

9-14 Where “Just Love” comes from. Attitude of the loving devotees

Constantly glorifying Me, taking up vows and bowing
down before Me in devotion, they always engage in acts of worship. (14)

Answer 13

The loving devotees, the bhaktas, have only one aim… to attain the Lord’s Lotus Feet, attain Him inside themselves. They don’t aim for liberation or anything else, only aim is to love Him. Those bhaktas have unwavering faith which isn’t touched by anything.

Wind can be howling, a big tsunami can happen with big calamities, etc. But this doesn’t affect the true bhakta in the slightest.

When bhaktas have taken a certain path with firm resolve, nothing that happens in the outside world can shake them - doesn’t matter how much they’re criticized/what others say. Nothing can move them.

The ones whose hearts choke and have tears hearing the Divinity of the Lord and fit for God Realization. The ones who love God for the sake of loving Him. They don’t love God just to make a bargain with Him. They love Him because they love Him. That’s “Just Love”

Question 14

9-15 The sacrifice of the Jyaana Yoga

There are also others who make offerings in the sacrifice
of knowledge. They worship Me as the One Being that has manifested in a variety of forms, with faces in different directions. (15)

Answer 14

Ones who worship God via Jyaana yoga believe that the activities carried out by the body, the senses, and the mind are only the reaction of the gunas born of Maya - very detached, don’t play games of the senses of “doership”. The one who respects the whole creation and everyone recognizes all as a manifestation of the absolute truth. They engage themselves in constant practice of remaining in a state of oneness with Brahman. This is their sacrifice.

Question 15

9-16 God in the ritual worship

I am the ritual; I am the sacrifice; I am the offerings made to the ancestors; I am the herbs; I am the mantra; I alone am the clarified butter; I am the fire; I am the offering itself. (16)

Answer 15

Everything in a ritual is only Him, including the performance itself. He pervades all in His Nirgun formless state. Explaining His omnipresence here.

Question 16

9-17 God is neither Man nor Woman - importance of the primordial sound

I am the Father, Mother, Support and Grandfather of this
universe. I am the object of knowledge; I am the Purifier. I
am the syllable oṁ and also the Ṛg Veda, Sāma Veda and the Yajur Veda. (17)

Answer 16

He is neither man nor woman. When He has to sustain creation, takes on the role of the Father to create the rules. To manifest creation, takes the role of the Mother.

He is the core of this knowledge, through which one awakens by realizing oneself. He is the object on which the mind has to continuously dwell. He is the primordial sound that vibrates in everything. Every sound is just the cosmic sound behind everything. - The whole universe, everything created is due to that vibration. Whoever, through sadhana, realizes and hears this cosmic sound attains God Realization.

Page 479 - long paragraph good for puja course

Question 17

9-18 He is the refuge. All that it takes to receive His protection from a tranquil mind

I am the Goal, the Supporter, the Lord, the Witness, the
Abode, the Refuge and the Friend of the universe. I am
creation, destruction and the basis of everything. I am
that which is preserved and the eternal seed. (18)

Answer 17

He is the path, the upholder, the Master, the witness, the house, (the only shelter for all embodied beings) and country, the refuge, the kind friend, the birth and status and destruction of apparent existence, I’m the imperishable seed of all and their eternal resting place.

He is the sole refuge for the bhaktas who long for Him and He is the longing Himself. One has to say just one time with a pure heart and unflickering mind with sincerity: “I am Thine”. Fully protects this one who seeks His protection. Everything comes out of God, goes back to God, and everything is happening inside Him through His Yogmaya.

Question 18

9-19 Interworkings of the Prakritis

O Arjuna, I am the one who gives heat; I send forth and
hold back the rains; I am immortality as well as death; I
am the manifest and the unmanifest. (19)

Answer 18

He Himself is the Realization. He leads each person to realize the Atma.

He holds time, He is Maha Kala - through this, the whole world and multitude of Universes are dissolved. To the ignorant ones, He reveals the limitation of things, but to the wise ones He reveals the immortality of the Self. The existent (Apara) and non-existent (Para) are the two Prakrities. Apara is lower material nature, Para is higher nature - cosmic veil that covers the Lord.

Question 19

9-20 Praying to demigods for liberation - destiny

Those who are versed in the three Vedas, being purified from sin by drinking the soma juice [4], pray for heaven and worship Me with sacrifices. After reaching that place where the king of the demigods [6] resides, they enjoy celestial pleasures. (20)

Answer 19

The ones who attain God-Realization drink the nectar/sweetness of the Lord - all past karma and karma making is now removed. Ones who pray to demigods with the aim of liberation fail to attain but go to other heavenly lokas for a time.

Question 20

9-21 Result of rituals done to achieve desires

Having enjoyed this vast realm of heaven, once their
merit is exhausted, they return to the world of mortals.
As a result, those who follow the Vedic rituals and are
motivated by desire, go to heaven temporarily before
coming back. (21)

Answer 20

If these people don’t have the chance to surrender to the Guru, come back more times.

The ones who do Vedic rituals only motivated by desire achieve only repeated birth and death.

Question 21

9-22 The ones for whom Narayana takes full responsibility

But then there are those who adore Me alone with
undeviating concentration. For those who yearn for Me
in this way, I Myself take charge of their prosperity and
welfare. (22)

Answer 21

Narayana takes full responsibility for the welfare of the bhaktas who are completely surrendered. They constantly have the image of the Divine in mind, tongue always chanting Divine names, and whatever action done with the hands is only to serve the Lord. For the devotee who has surrendered, He Himself looks after his welfare and protects him.

Question 22

9-23 People who dwell in lower frequencies of nature

Understand, Arjuna, that even those who worship other
demigods with faith, actually worship Me alone but in an
improper way. (23)

Answer 22

People often work with lower frequencies of nature as they don’t have the knowledge of the Higher Self. Start doing shamanic rituals - then get stuck in that reality, take birth as those animals because their minds are so focused on them. God has placed men on earth to advance towards Him, not to please the demigods or entities in nature with low vibrations.

We eventually grow out of animal incarnations. When you grow up, let go of your childhood - you don’t keep acting like a small kid when you grow up do you?

Even if they go to those demigod Lokas or take lower incarnations, God will give them opportunities to rise higher. Having the Grace to be on the spiritual path to attain the Supreme reality is very rare.

Question 23

9-24 Binding to the lower entities

For I alone am the enjoyer and the Lord of all sacrifices.
But such people do not recognise Me in My true nature,
hence they fall from the positions they attain. (24)

Answer 23

Many people identify themselves so much with the entities, they become bound to them. Don’t have direct vision of the Lord like the true bhakta. Don’t look “down” because that reality is already finished, look “up” towards God and rise in order to attain Him. When you rise, you also bring others with you.

Question 24

9-25 The ones who worship ghosts in black magic versus the ones who attain their spiritual body

Those who worship the demigods, go to the demigods.
Those who worship the ancestors will go to the ancestors. Those who worship the spirits will reach them. But My devotees will come to Me. (25)

Answer 24

The ones who worship ghosts in black magic become ghosts and then other people use them to fulfill their personal interests. Whereas bhaktas who are surrendered to Him, worship Him, adore and meditate on Him, whose minds are focused on His attributes, who hear His glory, do Japa and sing His Name with deep devotion and love attain their spiritual body

And if their bhakti, their devotion, is strong enough, they become completely absorbed into Him. They attain Him fully.

Question 25

9-26 Simple living is the way - lessons from Sudama

Whoever offers to Me, with devotion, a leaf, a flower,
a fruit or some water, I accept this offering made with
devotion by one who is pure of heart. (26)

Answer 25

The fruit and/or the flower are offered to God later to be taken as Prasad - in reality, the Lord is accepting the love in the devotee’s heart.

*It’s not through knowledge that one conquers the Lord, but through simplicity, through the simplest things done with devotion.

Many stories of saints who, just out of love, surrendered to God. Here Krishna says that such a devotee is the greatest.

The way that one offers food is very important. Mind can’t be “Fully booked” with negativity. Story of the banana peels offered with love.

Sudama realized that even without asking for anything, the Lord had given him and his family everything. He wasn’t attached to material gain, out of His mercy and love, sustains all who surrender to Him.

In a state of complete surrender, one calls the Lord and the Lord completely forgets about Himself. Always puts His devotee first. Krishna praises the bhakta who has completely surrendered to Him as the greatest of all. True bhaktas don’t long for anything else: liberation, realization, etc. Only long to love the Lord.

Due to that love, He doesn’t even look at whether they’ve done ‘good’ or ‘bad’ in this life. He takes them to the highest state of devotion.

Question 26

9-27 Ways of offering an action to God

Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in sacrifice, whatever you give away, whatever austerity you practice, O Arjuna, do it as an offering to Me. (27)

Answer 26

Undertaking any action with an attitude of surrender, offering any action to God even while performing it, offering any action to God as soon as it’s completed, offering its fruits to the Lord, all these are acts of offering an action to God. Total offering of action to the Lord makes one attain Him.

Whatever you do, Sadhana, work, etc. (whether you are doing it with an aim or not), make it an act of surrendering to the Lord, make it a prayer and offer the prayer to Him. Offer the merit of whatever you do to Him.

You will attain Him and He, who is not attainable by any yogi, to Him He Himself will give Himself to you.

Question 27

9-28 Offering good actions vs doing them to gain a certain result

With a steadfast mind, engaged in this yoga, you will free
yourself from good and bad results which are the bonds of karma. As a result, you will be liberated and you will come to Me. (28)

Answer 27

When all good actions are offered and dedicated to the Lord, automatically the result is God Realization. But, if one does a practice to gain a certain result, there is karma and one is born again.

Don’t be attached to anything, mind should only focus on the Lord within yourself. When you’re centered and the soul is in union with the Divine, automatically you aren’t attached to anything - only attachment is to God and God is not a thing.

All that one does should be done with an attitude of dedication to the Lord - then God Realization awakens itself.

Question 28

9-29 God mirrors His devotees

I am the same to all beings; there is no one hated by Me
nor is there anyone I am partial to; but those who worship Me with devotion live in Me and I in them. (29)

Answer 28

The Lord seeks His devotees in the same say that they approach Him. If you approach Him full-heartedly like Sudama did, He will run and embrace you. If once calls Him only to fulfill a certain wish like Draupadi, He will come to fulfill that wish.

My devotee knows none but Me and I know none but My devotee. The bhakta who has completely surrendered to the Lord is in Him and He is also in them.

Question 29

9-30 If the heart of a person is fully surrendered to God, even if they are a sinner, this surrender is what really matters.

If even the most sinful person worships Me exclusively,
with devotion, he must be regarded as a saint, for he has
rightly resolved. (30)

Answer 29

If a devotee strives to give up his attachment to the outside world, tries to completely detach but still driven by samskaras and evil nature, if his heart is fully surrendered to Him, shouldn’t be considered a sinner but a saint.

Many people find it hard to practice their Sadhana - yet they love God even with all their negative qualities, do their duties with God in their minds.

Adulterous woman brought to Jesus, in the beginning, hard for her to control her impulses. But as her mind became detached from that and attached to the Master, she was freed and her soul became perfectly devoted to the Lord - today she is praised as a saint.

Question 30

9-31 Having a willingness to free oneself - support of God

Quickly such a person becomes righteous and obtains
everlasting peace. O Arjuna, let it be declared that My
devotee never perishes. (31)

Answer 30

If people just try and have a willingness to free themselves from the objects of sensual obsession, greed, and pride, due to their effort, the Lord gives them His support and they are freed. But if people just sit around and entertain the lower tendencies - don’t try to get rid of them, it doesn’t help.

When one tries to surrender to Him with devotion, all evilness and negativity will be overcome. Don’t focus on the negativity, focus on God. Perceive your shortcomings but go beyond it - mind should focus on God.

Whoever makes an effort will be free. In such a state of surrender, He will even drag them out of Hell for the sake of their love. A bhakta completely surrendered to Him will be free.

Question 31

9-32 Doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re born, taking refuge in Him is what counts

By surrendering to Me, whatever their birth, race, sex,
or caste, even those whom society scorns will attain the
supreme state. (32)

Answer 31

Even the outcasts of society, low castes etc. who take refuge in the Lord also attain the highest goal.

Story of the wives of the Brahmins who wanted to give food to Krishna and the gopas. Brahmins prayed very rigidly, lots of sacrifices only to attain what the wives had attained.

Question 32

9-33 What does surrender really look like?

How much more, then, the brahmanas and royal sages
who are pure and devoted to Me! Therefore, having
come into this temporary world of suffering, you should
worship Me. (33)

Answer 32

It’s time to let go of this unhappy world and surrender to Him. How will you surrender, love Him! Love Him with all your heart and all your mind! Turn to Him! That’s surrender!!

If you love Him like this, easily gives Himself to you. Most simple way is to be like the gopis in Vrindavan.

Question 33

9-34 Be humble, focus your mind. Reaching Him.

Focus your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, offer worship
to Me, bow down to Me. Engaging your mind in this way,
holding Me as the supreme goal, you will surely come to
Me. (34)

Answer 33

Focus your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, worship Me, bow down to Me - engaging your mind in this manner and regarding Me as the Supreme Goal, you will come to Me.

Be humble.

If the mind and heart are focused on Him, and everything is done with an attitude of surrender to the Lord - no doubt that one will reach Him.