
The Utmost Secret and Supreme Knowledge of the Bhagavadgita

Notes: I have translated the Bhagavadgita twice. The first one was a loose translation. The second one was a word to word translation with a detailed commentary. The commentary is however different from what you will find here. In this section I will share with you my thoughts about the knowledge, philosophy and wisdom of the Bhagavadgita as I understand it from my perspective. Jayaram V
In the ninth chapter (9.1-3) of the Bhagavadgita, Lord Krishna reveals the utmost secret (guhya-tamam), or the supreme secret (raja-guhyam), which he calls supreme knowledge (raja-vidya), and describes it as sacred, supreme, directly knowable, righteous, blissful, and inexhaustible. What is this great secret? It is the knowledge of liberation or the knowledge that leads an individual soul directly to the highest Supreme Brahman. Krishna divides knowledge into higher and lower.
The lower knowledge is about rituals and worship of lower gods and demigods. He considers it vain knowledge, purposeless, senseless, demonic, evil and deluding. Hence, he says it leads to ignorance, delusion, and rebirth. The higher knowledge is the knowledge of Brahman as the inexhaustible source of all creation. The whole creation rests in Him. All beings reside in Him. He is their cause, sustainer, deluder, liberator, and destroyer.
The great souls (mahatmas) who know it worship only Brahman, renouncing the world. They take firms vows, practice austerities, offer obeisance with devotion and constantly meditate upon Him. Some of them worship Him by the sacrifice of knowledge (jnana-yajna), meditating upon Him as both One and many. Eventually, they become liberated from both good and bad karmas and go to Brahman only.
If you observe today's Hindu society, you will notice that most people, almost 98% of them fall in the first category. They go to temples, practice empty rituals, seek amulets and tantric charms, worship all types of divinities, gurus, guru-chelas, demi-gods, and even spirits. Often they become victims of false gurus and religious scams.
Since they keep pursuing egoistic desires and accumulate karmas they remian deluded and ignorant and do not attain liberation. Of course, they are better than atheists and irreligious people, but they need to advance into spirituality and worship the Supreme Being internally by meditating upon Him. They should work on their inner transformation, instead of running after worldly pleasures and vain desires.
Suggestions for Further Reading
- The Wisdom of the Bhagavadgita, Main Page
- The Wisdom of the Upanishads, Main Page
- The Bhagavad-Gita Essays and Translations
- An Introduction To The Bhagavad-Gita And Its Three Secrets
- Why to Study the Bhagavadgita Parts 1 to 4
- The Abbreviated Bhagavadgita
- The Problem of Maya Or Illusion and How To Deal With It
- The Problem of Maya Or Illusion and How To Deal With It
- The Bhagavadgita, Philosophy and Concepts
- The Many Gods and Goddesses of Hinduism
- Divine Qualities Of A True Worshipper Of God
- The Bhagavadgita on Karma, the Law of Actions
- Maya, The Grand Illusion Or The Delusion Of The Mind
- Aspects, Emanations, Incarnations and Forms of God Vishnu
- Dvaita or Advaita What is the Truth?
- Symbolism in the Bhagavadgita
- The Truth About Karma
- Meaning and Definition of Bhagavan
- Brahman the Supreme Universal Lord of All
- What is Bhakti or Devotion?
- Bhakti Marg, the Path of Devotion
- History and information about Mathura and Vrindavan Temples
- True Devotion and Qualities of a True Devotee
- Essays On Sorrow And Its Spiritual Significance
- The Yoga of Knowledge or the Samkhya Yoga, Verses and Commnetary by Jayaram V
- Essays On Dharma
- Esoteric Mystic Hinduism
- Introduction to Hinduism
- Hindu Way of Life
- Essays On Karma
- Hindu Rites and Rituals
- The Origin of The Sanskrit Language
- Symbolism in Hinduism
- Essays on The Upanishads
- Concepts of Hinduism
- Essays on Atman
- Hindu Festivals
- Spiritual Practice
- Right Living
- Yoga of Sorrow
- Happiness
- Mental Health
- Concepts of Buddhism
- General Essays