CHAPTER IX-- RAJA VIDYA RAJA GUHYA YOGA(YOGA OF SUPREME KNOWLEDGE AND SUPREME SECRET

Sree Bhagavan said:-

To you Arjuna,who understands My words in the correct sense, without misinterpreting them, I shall now disclose the most secret knowledge, along with instructions to experience it in your life, knowing which you shall be free from all the evils of this mortal world.This is the greatest and supreme knowledge which is most secret, most sacred, directly attainable, conforming to human virtues, easy to practise and never failing.Those who have no faith in this will never reach Me, but will revert to this temporal world of death and and misery.(IX-1,2,3)
The entire Universe is pervaded by Me in an Abstruse Divine Form.Therefore all beings are said to be dwelling in Me; but I do not dwell in them.But the statement that all beings dwell in Me is also not strictly correct.Though I am the Creator and support of all beings,the power of My divine Yoga makes Me indistinguishable from the beings that are created and sustained by Me.For example , take the case of air and space. Although air which has its origin from space, exists within space and moves about all over the space, air and space are indistinguishable between each other.Similarly, though all beings have emanated from Me and are sustained by Me, they remain indistinguishable from Me.The statement that all beings dwell in Me should be taken only in this sense.(IX-4,5,6)
Arjuna ! At the end of a Kalpa (time for final dissolution of the universe), all beings dissolve into My Prakrti(creative power) and at the beginning of the next Kalapa ( time for beginning creation) I deliver all of them back.Employing My creative power, I send out the multitude of creations again and again; and they take birth inevitably, in accordance with their innate nature, determined by their own past actions.(IX-7,8)
Arjuna! I am, however, not bound by the action involved in these creations, because I have no attachment towards these actions and I keep Myself aloof from all of them. In fact, it is My Prakri (Creative power) that brings forth all creations, under My supervision.Because of this , the cycle of births and deaths rolls on without end.(IX-9,10)
When I manifest Myself in human form in this world for specific purposes, those who are ignorant of My Supreme Nature, fail to recognise Me as the Lord of all beings .Therefore, they consider Me as an ordinary mortal man and very often disrespect or even try to insult Me. Because of their demoniacal and fiendish nature, their intellect becomes confused their hopes become vain, their actions become futile and their knowledge becomes useless.(IX-11,12)
Arjuna! There are, however, many elevated souls of divine nature, who understand Me as the eternal source of all beings and worship Me with undivided mind. Being steadfast in their resolve to reach Me, they chant My names and glories continuously, prostrate to Me again and again with utmost devotion and keep themselves united with Me at all times, through constant meditation (IX-13,14).
Some others who follow the path of Knowledge, worship Me through Yajna of Knowledge, as the one and only Supreme Reality that pervades the whole universe. There are yet others who worship Me appearing differently in the form of various deities .(IX-15)
But in truth, what am I? Arjuna!Listen to this. I am everything.I am Vedic ritual, I am sacrifice, I am the offerings to departed souls, I am herbage and food grains, I am Mantra,I am the ghee poured in sacrificial fire, I am the sacred fire itself and I am also the act of sacrifice.I am the father of the universe and its mother too.I am also the forefather and protector of the universe.I am the one that is worth knowing, that which purifies everything, the scared Omkar and the three Vedas,Rk,Sama and Yajur.(IX-16,17)
Arjuna! I am the ultimate goal, support, supreme lord, witness of everything, abode, refuge, selfless friend, beginning and end, final resting place, and the imperishable seed. I radiate heat as the sun and give out rains and also withhold it. I am immortality as well as death ; at the same time I am existence as well as non-existence.(IX-18,19)
Those who follow the various rituals prescribed in the three Vedas, worship Me through sacrifices, and having purged of all sins and acquired merits of their virtuous actions , pray for heavenly pleasures. Thereupon they reach the kingdom of gods and enjoy all the pleasures in heaven. After enjoying these pleasures for a long while, when the stock of merits earned by sacrifices exhausts, they have to come back to this mortal world.Thus the performers of Vedic rituals for the purpose of fulfilling their desire for pleasures will continue their journey to heaven and back indefinitely.(IX-20,21)
On the other hand, My devotees will think of Me alone with an undivided mind and worship Me with pure love.They remain united with Me at all times and therefore, I fully take care of them and personally attend to all their needs by providing what is wanting for them and protecting what they have gained.(IX-22)
Even if some devotees, by mistaken notion, worship the various other deities and divine beings( who are nothing but My own different manifestations) with devotion and faith, they too are worshipping Me alone. Because, I am the one who enjoys and presides over of all sacrifices; but those who do not understand this secret about Me , are bound to fail.(they cannot reach Me).In other words, those who worship the various gods will reach those gods, those who worship manes will reach manes and those who worship the spirits will reach spirits. Those who worship Me alone will reach Me.(IX-23,24,25)
It does not require any expensive paraphernalia to worship Me. A leaf, a flower, or even a little water, offered to Me with devotion and love by a sincere devotee will be gladly accepted by Me.(IX-26)
Arjuna! If there is no such thing to be offered to Me, you need not worry. Do only this. Whatever action that you perform, whatever you eat, whatever sacrifice you do, whatever gift that you give,whatever penance that you undertake, do all these as an offering to Me. This is known as Yoga of renunciation(Sannyasa Yoga) . If you can remain established in this Yoga, you will not be affected by the good and bad results of your actions, and thus freed from the bondage of actions
you will soon attain Me. (IX-27,28)
I have no partiality in this because am equally present in all beings. No one is hateful or dear to Me. But one thing I can assure you. Those who devoutly worship Me will abide in Me and I will also abide in them.This is true for every one without exception. Even if the vilest sinner is worshipping Me with undivided devotion, he should be regarded as a saint because he has taken the right decision. Having taken the path of the virtuous, he will soon become virtuous and attain lasting peace. Arjuna! this is My declared promise; My devotee will never suffer degradation.(IX-29,30,31)
Arjuna! Many women, men born in trading and labour classes, and even those born in lower species like animals and plants have attained the supreme goal by taking refuge in Me.Then, is there any doubt in the case of those born as Brahmins and royal sages?Therefore, having come to this mortal world which is transient and full of miseries,you should constantly worship Me.(IX-32,33)
In conclusion,this is My advice to you,Arjuna. Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, sacrifice for Me, pay obeisance to Me; thus keeping yourself in constant union with Me and totally depending on Me, you will definitely reach Me.(IX-34)
Thus ends the Ninth Chapter of Sreemad Bhagavad Gita, entitled Rajavidya Rajaguhya Yoga( Yoga of Supreme Knowledge and Supreme Secret)

CHAPTER-VIII AKSHARA BRAHMA YOGA(YOGA OF THE INDESTRUCTIBLE BRAHMAN)

While concluding Chapter VII, Sree Bhagavan had introduced a few terms such as Brahman, Adhyatma, Karma. Adhibhuta, Adhidaiva and Adhiyajna.Arjuna became eager to know the significance of these terms and asks Krishna:
Arjuna said:Krishna! What is that Brahman, and what is meant by Adhyatma, Karma, Adhibhuta and Adhidaiva.? Who is Adhiyajna and how does he dwell here in the body?Also kindly enlighten me as to how You become known to the steadfast seekers at the time of their death.(VIII-1,2)

Sree Bhgavan said: Brahman is the indestructible Supreme Self (Ultimate Reality) ; the Individual Self is known as Adhyatma and the process of bringing forth all creations is termed Karma. All perishable objects in the universe constitute what is known as Adhibhuta .That part of the Supreme Brahman ,the reflection of which shines in all bodies as Purusha(Jeevatma) is Adhidaiva. What is described as Adhiyajna is Me, indwelling in the body of everyone, as a witness to everything that happens.(VIII-3,4)
He who has his thoughts fixed in alone Me at the time of death, will undoubtedly reach Me after leaving his mortal coil. Arjuna! whatever entity on which a man's thoughts are fixed at the time of leaving his body, he having identified himself with that entity will reach that alone after death.Therefore, think of Me at all times and do your duties. Thus having your mind and intellect vested in Me, you will undoubtedly come to Me alone.(VIII-5,6,7)
Arjuna! One who, by constant practice of meditation contemplates only on the Supreme Self, without distracting his mind to anything else, will ultimately attain that superb and effulgent Divine Purusha ; That Purusha is all-knowing, older than the oldest; the ruler and supporter of the entire universe, subtler than the subtlest; his form is beyond the comprehension of human intellect, radiant like the sun and far beyond the darkness of ignorance. He, who by his devotion and power of Yoga can hold his life-breath in the space between his eye-brows and remain in contemplation with a steadfast mind at the time of his death, will verily reach that divine Purusha (VIII-8,9,10)
I shall now tell you briefly about that Supreme Goal which the seers who have learned the Vedas have termed as Indestructible, to which the striving recluses who have freed themselves from all passions enter, and desiring which are the earnest seekers practising Brahmacharya(celibacy). Having controlled all the senses, and holding the mind firmly within the heart, and then drawing the life-breath to the forehead (in between the eye-brows), and thus remaining steadfast in Yogic concentration on God, he who leaves the body and departs with the holy syllable OM on his lips, and his thoughts fixed on Me , will reach that Supreme Goal.(VIII-11,12, 13)
Whosoever contemplates on me continuously with an undivided mind , to that Yogi who always remains united with Me, I am easily attainable.Mahatmas, who have reached the highest goal by attaining Me are no longer subjected to rebirth in this transient world which is verily the abode of grief. Oh!Son of Kunti! While all the worlds right from the world of Brahma, the creator are subject the cycle of births and deaths, one who has attained Me will never have rebirth.
(VIII-14,15,16)

One Thousand Yugas constitute one day for Brahma , the creator and another One Thousand Yougas make His night.When the day for Brahma (Cosmic day) dawns, all creations come forth from His subtle body known as Avyakta (Unmanifest) and when the cosmic night begins, all creatures merge back into the same Avyakta . Thus the multitude of life creations that comes forth from time time merges back helplessly into the Unmanifest and again comes forth at the arrival of cosmic day.(VIII-17,18,19)

Even this Avyakta is not eternal. There is another Avyakta, far superior and eternal , which does not perish even when everything else in the universe is destroyed. This Avyakta is known as the Akshara( Indestructible) which is also said to be the Ultimate Goal; and that again is My Supreme Abode on attaining which there is no return to this mortal world. (VIII-20,21)
Arjuna! That Unmanifest Supreme Being known as Purusha, in whom the entire world of creation resides and by whom the entire universe is pervaded, can be attained only unstinting Devotion and nothing else.(VIII-22)
I shall now tell you about the time and path in which departed souls of Yogis either do not return or do return to this world. Yogis who cast away their body during day time when the elements of heat(fire) and light(sun ) are predominantly active, in the bright fortnight(Shukla) during which the moon is on the ascent, and the six months (Uttarayana)during which the sun is moving northwards will reach Brahman, says those who have realised Brahman.On the other hand, those who proceed to the other world during night time when the element of smoke(darkness) is predominantly active, the dark fortnight(Krishna)during which the moon is on the descent, and the six months (Dakshinayana)during which the sun is moving southwards reach the world of the celestial beings and after enjoying the fruits of their meritorious actions will invariably return to this mortal world. It has been an eternal truth that out of these two paths known as Bright and Dark (Shukla and Krishna) the followers of one of them do not return to this mortal world and the takers of the other path have to return. (VIII-23,24,25, 26,)
A Yogi who has properly understood this secret will never get deluded .Therefore, Oh! Arjuna! you must strive to be steadfast in Yoga at all times. On realizing this profound truth, a Yogi will attain the Supreme Abode of Brahman, transcending all attainments obtained by the study of Vedas, performance of sacrifices, austerities and charities.(VIII-27,28)
Thus ends the Eighth Chapter of Sreemad Bhagavad Gita, entitled Akshara Brahma Yoga( Yoga of Indestructible Brahman.)