Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9 - Rajavidya Rajaguhya Yoga - Sloka 25

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of Bhagavad Gita , published by Ramakrishna Mission

Man Gets What He Seeks 22-25

1 Gita Sloka  every day - Chapter 9 - Rajavidya Rajaguhya Yoga - Sloka 25

Lotus feet of Rama

Yanti deva vratah devan pitrun yanti pitru vratah I

Bhutani yanti bhutejyah yanti matd yajinah api mam II sloka 25

यान्ति देव व्रताः देवान् पितृन् यान्ति पितृव्रुताः I 

भूतानी यान्ति भूतेज्याः यान्ति मद्याजिनः अपि मां  I I  श्लोक 25

Votaries of the devas go to the devas; the votaries of the pitrus go to the pitrus; to the bhutas go to the bhuta worshippers; my votaries come to me.

The water in the pipe can rise to the level of the reservoir to which it is connected. Likewise, the mind of the man rises to the level of the deity whom he adores. The sadhaka should therefore be able to distinguish between the minor deities at various cosmic levels and Iswara, the Ultimate Reality.

The devas are more evolved than men. Their span of embodied life being great, they are called the immortals. But they are also subject to birth and death. BY worshipping them, men may gain longevity and supernatural powers which are all hindrances to bhakti, jnana and mukti.

The pitrus are the manes who form a region of their own. sending holy thoughts for the welfare of the departed ancestors is good; but drifting into ancestor worship is not desirable. Priest craft usually encourages  this weakness and credulity in man. The ancestors necessarily get changed with every new birth that man takes. Undue concern therefore for the pitrus is purposeless and detrimental to spiritual growth; it only adds to earthly attachment and bondage.

The bhutas are in the scale of evolution, intermediate between men and devas. By worshipping them the votaries may at best get some psychic powers,  leading to vanity and greater bondage to mundane life. 

It is the worship of Narayana that is beneficial. It leads to prosperity, perfection and emancipation.

A dyer once had a unique method of colouring clothes. He had a solitary dye tub into which he would dip the clothes brought to him by customers adn give whatever colour they wanted. Red, yellow, blue, green, purple - all these and more colours were produced from the same tub. An intelligent customer who watched these miracles entrusted his cloth to the dyer and requested him to dye it as he liked.

Our mind is the cloth. Narayana is the dyer and the dyeing tub. He gives us what we pray for. The best that we can do is not to ask him for anything but give ourselves over to him. He in his turn gives himself to us.

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9 - Rajavidya Rajaguhya Yoga - Sloka 24

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of Bhagavad Gita , published by Ramakrishna Mission

Man Gets What He Seeks 22-25

1 Gita Sloka  every day - Chapter 9 - Rajavidya Rajaguhya Yoga - Sloka 24

Kanchi Varadarajan- Ahameva para tatvam

Aham hi sarva yajnanam bhokta cha prabhuh eva cha I

Na tu mam abhijananti Tat tvavena atah chyavanti te II sloka 24

अहं हि सर्व यज्ञानां भोक्ता च प्रभुः एव च I

न तुम मां अभिजानन्ति तत् त्ववेन अतः च्यवन्ति च I I  श्लोक 24

I am verily the enjoyer and the Lord of all Yajnas. But these men do not know me in reality; hence they fall.

The same food when fed by a nurse has one effect on the body and mind of the baby and quite another effect when fed by the mother. There is no substitute in the world for mother's love; and this makes a world of difference in the growth of the baby. The love of Iswara is the love of the mother and much more too.

The minor gods give their votaries things impermanent and entangle them more and more in the wheel of life and death; hence they fall. The effect of the worship of Sriman Narayana  is different. While granting the devotees the things of the world that they pray for, He inculcates in them increased bhakthi and jnana which prepares them for mukti. This power is exclusively with Him. He is therefore the enjoyer and the Lord of all Yajnas. It is incumbent on the sadhaka to understand the truth and devote himself exclusively to the worship of Sriman Narayana.

The relative destinies of the varying votaries are described further.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9 - Rajavidya Rajaguhya Yoga - Sloka 23

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of Bhagavad Gita , published by Ramakrishna Mission

Man Gets What He Seeks 22-25

1 Gita Sloka  every day - Chapter 9 - Rajavidya Rajaguhya Yoga - Sloka 23

Ther ezhendur  Deveadirajan Perumal

Ye api anya devatah bhakthah yajante shraddhaya anuvitah I

Te api mam eva kaunteya yajanti avidhi purvakam II sloka 23

ये अपि अन्य देवताः भक्ताः यजन्ते श्रद्धया अनुवितः I 

ते अपि मां  एव कौन्तेय यजन्ति अविधि पूर्वकम् I I  श्लोक 23

Even those devotees who, endowed with shraddha, worship other gods, worship me alone, O son of Kunti, by the wrong method.

 Because there are devotees endowed with shraddha, they are necessarily believers in God and his grace. It is not wantonly, but only for want of right understanding that they adopt the wrong method.

A good government has its sound administrative system from which its loyal offices donot deviate. Be it supposed that a citizen has applied to an officer for a favour and he has sanctioned it, coming as it oes within the purview of the system. It is a mistake if the applicant fancies that the officer has shown him concession. The actual position of the minor gods is equal to that of the government officer. As all powers come to them from the government, even so whatever power the other gods have, it has come to them from Sriman Narayana. Apart from and independent of him no deity has any power to bestow any boon. The wrong method consists is getting things done counter to this truth.

But why should this be a worng method be held wrong at all? The answer comes in the next sloka.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9 - Rajavidya Rajaguhya Yoga - Sloka 22

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of Bhagavad Gita , published by Ramakrishna Mission

Man Gets What He Seeks 22-25
1 Gita Sloka  every day - Chapter 9 - Rajavidya Rajaguhya Yoga - Sloka 22

Ananyah chintayantah mam ye janah pari upasate I

Tesham nityam abhiyuktanam yogakshemam vahami aham II sloka 22 

अनन्याः  चिन्तयन्तः  मां ये जनाः परि उपासते I 

तेषाम् नित्यां अभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहामि अहम् II  श्लोक 22 

There  are those who, excluding all else, think of me and worship me, aspiring after eternal union with me. Their propserity and welfare (yoga and kshema) are looked after by me.

There are mahatmas who, excluding everything else and having no other purpose, meditate on me as their only purpose. Because without me, they are unable to sustain themselves. They think of me and worship me with all my auspicious attributes and glories. In the case of such devotees aspiring after eternal union with me, I myself undertake the responsibility of bringing them to myself. Yoga here is translated as prosperity and the act of preserving them i that state for ever as kshema. The meaning is that they do not return to this samsara.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9 - Rajavidya Rajaguhya Yoga - Sloka 21

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of Bhagavad Gita , published by Ramakrishna Mission

The Way of the Enjoyment Seekers - 20-21

1 Gita Sloka  every day - Chapter 9 - Rajavidya Rajaguhya Yoga - Sloka 21

Te tum bhuktvaswarga lokam vishalam ksheene punye martya lokam vishanti I

Evam trayi dharmam anuprapanna gata agatam kama kamah labhante II sloka 21

Having enjoyed the vast world of heaven, they return to the world of mortals on the exhaustion of their merits; thus abiding by the injunctions of the three vedas, desiring objects of desires they go and come.

Just as the men of means are respected in the mortal world, the men of merits are assigned status in the celestial world. But they are not permitted to continue there after their merits run out. They are obliged to return to this world of karma again for further acquisition of merits. As slaves to enjoyment they are forced to knock to and fro in this manner. 

But what are those who have outgrown all desires and have completely made themselves over to the maker? Their position is explained in the next slokas.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9 - Rajavidya Rajaguhya Yoga - Sloka 20

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of Bhagavad Gita , published by Ramakrishna Mission

The Way of the Enjoyment Seekers - 20-21

1 Gita Sloka  every day - Chapter 9 - Rajavidya Rajaguhya Yoga - Sloka 20

Trividyah mam somapah puta papah yajnai ishtta svah gatim prarthayante I

Te punyam asadhya sur indra lokam ashnanti divyan deva bhogan II slkoa 20

त्रिविद्यः मां सोमपाः पूत पापाः यज्ञैः इष्टा स्वःगतिम् प्रार्थयन्ते I 

ते पुण्यम् आसाध्य सुर इन्द्र लोकं अश्नन्ति दिव्यान् देव भोगान I I श्लोक 20

The knowers of the three vedas, the drinkers of soma, purified from sin, worshipping me by sacrifices, pray for the way to heaven. They reach the holy world of the Lord of the devas and enjoy in heaven the celestial pleasures.

What is mentioned here is the foremost among the heavenly enjoyments to which the three vedas - the Rik, Saman and Yajus - show the path. Indra is the title of the Lord of the devas. This status comes to the one who successfully performs a hundred fruit motivated yajnas. 

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9 - Rajavidya Rajaguhya Yoga - Sloka 19

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Adidevananda's translation of Ramanuja Gita Bhashya, published by Ramakrishna Mission

Iswara is Everything 16-19

1 Gita Sloka  every day - Chapter 9 - Rajavidya Rajaguhya Yoga - Sloka 19

Adivan Satakopan carrying Malolan

Tapami aham aham varsham nigrahami udsrujami cha I 

Amrutam cha va mrutyuh cha sat asat cha aham arjuna II sloka 19

तपामि अहं अहं वर्षम् निग्रह्नामि उत्स्रजामि च I   
अमृतं च एव मृत्युः च सत् असत् च अहम् अर्जुन II श्लोक 19

I give heat. I hold back and send forth the rain. I am immortality as well as death, O Arjuna. I am the being as also the non-being. the rain during

 I send out heat in the form of fire, the sun etc. I hold back the rain during summer. Likewise, I pour out the rains during the rainy season. I am immortality as well as death - I am both these conditions through which the world lives and dies. Why say more? I,am "the being and the non-being". Being is that which exists in the present time. Non-being is that which existed in the past and that which may exist in the future, but is not experienced now as existing. The meaning is that I alone am existent, having all the entities for my modes, as all intelligent and inert beings existing in all states, constitute my body. In this way, they (the wise) worship me, contemplating, through the realisation of my essential entity, as the entire universe distinguished by names and forms and characterised by varied pluralities constituting my body. I alone exist; all the pluralities are only my modes. 

Thus after depicting the character of the noble minded, whose enjoyment consists of only the experience of the lord, and in order to bring into bolder relief their greatness. He describes the behaviour of ignorant men who covet objects of desire. 

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9 - Rajavidya Rajaguhya Yoga - Sloka 18

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Adidevananda's translation of Ramanuja Gita Bhashya, published by Ramakrishna Mission

Iswara is Everything 16-19

1 Gita Sloka  every day - Chapter 9 - Rajavidya Rajaguhya Yoga - Sloka 18

Gatih bharta prabhuh sakshi nivasah sharanam suhrd I

Prabhavah pralayah sthanam nidhanam bijam avyayam II sloka 18

गतिः भर्ता प्रभुः साक्षी निवासः शरणम् सुह्रद I 
प्रभवः प्रलयः स्थानम् निधानम् बीजम् अव्ययम् I I  श्लोक 18

I am the Goal, the Supporter, the Lord, the Witness, the Abode, the Refuge and the Friend. I am the seat of Origin and  Dissolution, the base for preservation and the Seed Imperishable,

'Gatih' means that which is reached. The meaning is that it is the place to be reached from everywhere. The supporter is one who props. The ruler is one who rules. The witness is one who sees directly. The abode is that where one dwells in as in a house etc the refuge is the intelligent being who has to be sought, as he leads one to the attainment of desirable things and avoidance of evils. A friend is one who wishes well. The base is that place in which origin and dissolution takes place. I alone am that NidhAna, that which is preserved. What comes into being and is dissolved is myself. The imperishable seed is that exhaustless cause everywhere. I alone am that.