Gita Chapter Nine

In chapter nine Lord Krishna reveals that the sovereign science and the sovereign secret. He explains how the entire material existence is created, pervaded, maintained and annihilated by His external energy and all beings are coming and going under His supervision. The subjects matters covered subsequently are primarily concerned with devotional service and the Lord Himself declares that these subject matters are most confidential. Thus this chapter is entitled: Confidential Knowledge of the Ultimate Truth.
Verse 9.1 – 9.34
The everlasting and ultimate knowledge that relieves a human being from the miseries of material existence is as follows: The self embodied in those not faithful on the path of devotional service cannot attain God but has to pass on from one body in this material world. In the non-manifest from, God pervades the entire universe: all beings originate and remain in God. God is the maintainer of all living entities and God is everywhere, God is the very source of creation. The mighty wind that blows throughout the World always rests in ethereal space: similarly, all beings rest in God. At the end of the millennium every material manifestation enters into God and at the beginning of another millennium, God creates again through manifestation. The whole cosmic order is a manifestation of God. By God’s will the cycle of manifestation and elimination / annihilation continue? Yet, all these actions of God cannot bind God, as God remains ever detached and neutral to the consequences of His actions. This material nature works under God’s direction, producing all moving and unmoving beings. And, this material World is created and annihilated again and again in cycles.
Fools may deride a human being of transcendental nature and the supreme dominion of God and such a human being of transcendental nature over all in the Creation because of ignorance. They may be attracted by demonic and atheistic views and therefore their hopes for gaining desired material things or knowledge or liberation do not fructify into reality. But the great souls, not under delusion are under the protection of the divine nature: they engage themselves completely in devotional service with the knowledge that God and His manifested personality are the inexhaustible origin of everything. They chant the glories of God in His manifest and non-manifest forms, and with great determination and devotion worship God continuously. Again, those engaged in seeking knowledge worship God as the Unique present in both diverse and universal forms. They know the existence of God in the rituals, in the sacrifice, in the offering to the ancestors, in the healing herb, in the transcendental chant, in the butter, the fire and the offering. The know God as the father of this universe, the mother, the support, and the oldest as also as the object of knowledge, the purifier and the syllable Om as also as the Rig, the Sama, and the Yajur Vedas. They know me as the goal, the sustainer, the master, the witness, the abode, the refuge, the most dear friend, the creation and the destruction, the basis, eternal source and resting place of everything, They know God as the controller of heat, rains and drought, as both immortality and death, as the source of all being and nonbeing.
Those who study the Vedas and seek heavenly lives worship God indirectly and their desires are fulfilled accordingly only for a while before becoming subject to worldly miseries again. Thus, following the Vedic principles and rituals, they achieve only flickering happiness. But God ensures that those who worship God with devotion, meditating on God’s transcendental form, get all that need and preserve what they need to have.
Whatever sacrifices are offered to various forms of gods is really offered to the Unique God alone but without this knowledge. God is the only and sole enjoyer and the only object of sacrifice. Those who do not recognize God’s true transcendental nature, fail to reach God. Among them, those who worship the demigods realize only the demigods; those who worship ghosts and spirits realize such beings; those who worship ancestors realize ancestors’ characteristics; and those who worship God live and realize God. God accepts whatever is offered to God with love and devotion, whether the offering is a leaf, a flower, fruit, water or all that one eats, offers and gives away, as well as all austerities that one may perform. Worshiping God by offering everything one thinks of and deals with frees a person from all responses and experiences resulting from all deeds, good or evil. This is the fundamental principle of renunciation that if followed with perfection liberates one from all bondages and help.
God envies no one, not partial to anyone. equal to all. But whoever renders service unto God in devotion is a friend of God who lives in God. Even if one has committed the most abominable actions, one can become saint through constant devotional service and can soon attains lasting peace. A person in devotional service to God does not perish. Any one, irrespective of caste, creed or sex, who takes shelter in God with devotion, can reach the ultimate goal of salvation. Engaging the mind always in thinking about God, offering obeisance and worship to God and being completely absorbed in God, one does reach God.