BHAGAVADGITA

English translation of Sri Ramanuja's Sanskrit Commentary - Swami

Adidevananda
Chapter 9
RO

9.1 The Lord said -- I will declare to you, who does not cavil, this most
mysterious knowledge called Upasana, which is of the nature of Bhakti,
together with special knowledge, namely, the distinguishing knowledge
of how it differs from other meditations. The import is this: You have
heard of My eminence, which is distinct in kind from all other forms of
greatness and is unlimited in its modes. You must have been convinced
that it can be so only and not otherwise. To you whose mind is thus
prepared, I shall declare that knowledge by acquiring which, and making
which your way of life, you will be emancipated from all evil that hinders
you from attaining Me.

9.2 This is a 'royal science', the king among sciences; 'the royal
mystery', the king among mysteries. Or royal science may also mean the
science known and practised by kings. Indeed kings are those who have
broad and profound minds. The meaning is that this is the science of
great minds. This is a mystery, because the great-minded alone are
skilled in keeping mysteries. This is 'supreme purifier'; for it removes
completely all blemishes opposed to the attainment of Myself. It is
realised by 'direct perception'. Avagama' is that which is apprehended --
- the subject of knowledge. It is that knowledge which has become
direct perception, so that its object is directly apprehended. The import
is that I, when worshipped in the spirit of Bhakti, become perceptible to
the worshipper immediately. Even so, it is in 'accord with Dharma' or
inseparable from Dharma. What is called Dharma is that which
constitutes the means for the highest good. Though it is of the nature of
supreme good, as it brings about the vision of Myself, yet it is also the
means for completely attaining Me, which is the end unsurpassed and
the final good. Because of this, it is 'pleasurable' to practise; its
adoption is a matter of supreme love. It is 'abiding', imperishable. It does
not perish even after leading to My attainment. That is, I give Myself up
to one who performs this form of worship; even then it appears to Me
that I have done nothing for him. Such is the meaning.

9.3 Some men who even after attaining the state fit for the practice of
this Dharma which is called Upasana (worship) --- which is immensely
dear inasmuch as it has for its goal Myself who am incomparably dear,
and which is the means for the attainment of Myself forming the supreme
good that does not perish --- may still 'lack faith' in it. Such persons who
lack faith which requires eagerness for realization, will not attain Me but
remain in the mortal pathway of Samsara. O how strange it is --- this
hindrance caused by evil Karma! Such is the meaning. [It means, that to
declare that one has faith in a spiritual doctrine and yet to take no steps
to put it into practice, is pure hypocrisy.] Listen then to the
inconceivable glory of Myself, who am the goal tobe attained:
 9.4 This 'entire universe,' composed to sentient and non-sentient
beings, is pervaded by Me, the inner controller, whose 'form is not
manifest,' namely, whose essential nature is unmanifest. The meaning is
that all this is pervaded by Me, the Principal (Sesi), so that I may sustain
and rule this universe. This, the pervasion of all by the inner controller,
who is invisible to the entire group of sentient and non-sentient beings, is
taught in the following passage of the Antaryami-brahmana: 'He who
dwells in the earth ... whom the earth 'does not know' (Br. U., 3.7.3) and
'He who dwells in the self ... whom the self does not know etc.,' (Br. U.
Madh., 3.7.22). Therefore 'all beings abide in Me'; all beings rest in Me
who am their inner controller. In the same Brahmana it is taught that
their existence and control are dependent on Him, as they are subject to
His control and as they constitute His body: 'He whose body is the
earth ... who controls the earth from within' (Br. U., 3.7.3) and 'He
whose body is the self ... He who controls the self from within' (Br. U.
Madh., 3.7.22). So also His primacy over everything is taught. 'I am not
in them,' namely, I do not 'depend' on them for My existence. There is
no help derived from them for My existence.

9.5 And yet 'beings do not abide in Me,' as I do not support them as a
jug or any kind of vessel supports the water contained in them. How
then are they contained? By My will. Behold My divine Yoga power,
namely, My wonderful divine modes, unique to Me alone and having no
comparison elsewhere. What are these modes? 'I am the upholder of all
beings and yet I am not in them --- My will sustains all beings.' The
meaning is I am the supporter of all beings, and yet I derive no help for
Myself whatever from them. My will alone projects, sustains and controls
all beings. He gives an illustration to show how all beings depend on
His will for their being and acts:

9.6 The 'powerful air' remains and moves everywhere in the ether
(Akasa) without any perceivable support. So it has necessarily got to be
admitted that the powerful air is dependent on Me for its existence and
is being upheld by Me alone. Even so know that all entities abide in Me,
who am invisible to them, and that they are upheld by Me alone. The
knowers of the Veda declare thus: 'The origin of clouds, the waters of
the ocean remaining within bounds, the phases of the moon, the strong
movements of the gale, the flash of lightning and the movements of the
sun --- all these are marvellous manifestations of the power of Visnu.'
The meaning is that they are all the marvellous miracles which are unique
to Visnu. The Srutis and other texts also declare likewise: 'Verily, O
Gargi, at the command of that Imperishable One, the sun and the moon
stand apart' (Br. U., 3.8.9, and 'Through the fear of Him the wind blows,
through the fear of Him the sun rises, through the fear of Him Agni and
Indra perform their duties' (Tai. U., 2.8.1). It has been declared that the
existence and acts of all beings originate by the will of the Lord, who is
independent of all others. Now Sri Krsna declares that the origin and
dissolution of all entities also are due to His will only:
 9.7 All the mobile and immobile entities enter into My Prakrti at the end
of a cycle, namely at the end of Brahma's life in accordance with My will.
This Prakrti, constituting My body, is designated by the term Tamas, as it
cannot be differentiated into name and form. I again send forth the very
same beings at the beginning of a cycle. Manu declares accordingly:
'This universe became Tamas ... by an act of will. He produced it out of
His body' (Manu, 1.5.8). The Srutis also declare thus: 'He whose body
is Avyakta' (Su. U., 7); 'The Avyakta merges into Aksara, the Aksara into
Tamas' (Ibid., 2); and also 'There was Tamas; the intelligence was
concealed by Tamas' (Tai. Br., 1.8.9).

9.8 Operating My Prakrti, with its wonderfully variegated potency, I

develop it eightfold and send forth this fourfold aggregate of beings,
gods, animals, men and inanimate things, time after time. All these
entities are helpless, being under the sway of My Prakrti comprising the
three Gunas which can cause delusion. If this is so, it may be urged,
inequalities of creation can be said to affect the Lord with cruelty,
partiality etc. To this, the Lord answers:

9.9 But actions like unequal creation do not bind Me. There can be no
imputation of cruelty etc., to Me, because the previous actions (Karmas)
of individual selves are the causes for the inequality of conditions like
that of gods etc. I am untouched by the inequality. I sit, as it were, apart
from it as one unconcerned. Accordingly, the author of the Vedanta-
sutras says: 'Not inequality and cruelty, on account of (creation) being
dependent, for so scripture declares' (Br. Su., 2.1.34), and 'If it be said
that there is no Karma on account of non-distinction, it is replied that it is
not proper to say so, because it is beginningless ...' (Ibid., 2.1.35). [The
idea is this: Creation has no first beginning. It is an eternal cyclic
process of creation and dissolution of the universe. So the differentiation
of Karma, Jiva and Isvara even before creation has to be accepted. Only
in the creative cycle the differentiation becomes patent, and in the
dissolved condition it remains latent.]

9.10 Therefore, My Prakrti, looked at by Me, through My will and under

My supervision creates the world with its mobile and immobile beings in
accordance with the Karma of individual selves. Because of this, namely,
My look at Prakrti in conformity with the Karma of individual selves, the
world revolves. Behold in this wonderful phenomena the lordly power
inherent to Me, the son of Vasudeva, such as My sovereignty, true
resolve and being devoid of cruelty and similar blemishes! So declare the
Srutis: 'The possessor of Maya projects this universe out of this. The
other (i.e., individual self) is confined by Maya in the world. One should
know the Maya to be the Prakrti. And the possessor of Maya to be the
Mighty Lord' (Sve. U., 4.9.10).

9.11 Because of their evil actions (Karmas), fools disregard Me --- the
great Lord of all beings, the Omniscient, whose resolves are true, who is
the sole cause of the entire universe, and who has taken the human
body out of great compassion so that I might become the refuge of all.
They consider Me to be a man like themselves. The meaning is that they
disregard Me, not knowing My higher nature which is an abode of
compassion, generosity, condescension and parental solicitude. This
nature of mine is the cause of My resorting to the human shape. But
without understanding this, the ignorant consider Me as of the same
nature as others, because I have assumed the human form.

9.12 Men yielding to the deluding nature characteristics of Asuras and

Raksas and not aware of My higher nature like compassion etc. When I
am in a human form, are possessed of vain hopes, i.e, their hopes
remain fruitless, and their knowledge also is vain, i.e., is fruitless. They
are so because of their erroneous understanding which fails to know that
all things, mobile and immobile, belong to Me. They are ignorant on
account of their being devoid of knowledge of truth everywhere.
Whatever they do regarding Me, the Lord of all, is done with an attitude
that I am an ordinary mortal. So their efforts go in vain. All this springs
from their partaking of the nature of Raksasas and Asuras.

9.13 Those who, through their multitude of good acts, have taken
refuge in Me and have been thereby released from the bondage of evil --
- they understand My divine nature. They are high-souled. Knowing Me
to be the immutable source of all beings, namely, as the Lord whose
name, acts and nature are beyond thought and speech, and who has
descended in a human form out of supreme compassion to rescue the
good, --- they worship Me with un unswerving mind. As I am extremely
dear to them, without worshipping Me they are unable to find support for
their mind, self and external organs. Thus they become devoted to Me
as their sole object.

9.14 Because of My being very dear to them, they are unable to find
support for their souls even for a moment without 'singing My praises,'
'striving for My sake and bowing to Me in reverence.' Remembering My
names connotative of My special attributes, they cry out My names ---
Narayana, Krsna, Vasudeva etc., with horripilations in every part of their
bodies and with their voices tremulous and indistinct because of joy.
They engage in activities for my sake, such as performing worship, and
doing actions helpful to worship, lik building temples and cultivating
temple gardens. They prostrate themselves on the earth like a stick,
indifferent to dust, mud and the gravel, with all the eight members of
their beings --- the Manas, Buddhi, Ahankara, the two feet, two hands,
and the head, which are bowed down under the influence of Bhakti.
Aspiring for eternal communion with Me, desiring eternal union with Me,
they worship Me, resolved to attain the state of servitude to Me for their
entire being.

9.15 Other high-minded persons worship Me by singing My names,

etc., already described; and they also perform the sacrifice called
knowledge. They worship Me, who, by being 'characterised by diversity
in various ways' in the form of the cosmos, is a multiform, namely,
having all entities as modes (Prakaras) and also as One (the Prakari). The
purport is this: The Lord Vasudeva alone, having the body comprising
animate and inanimate entities in an extremely subtle form (in the state of
Cosmic dissolution) incapable of distinctness by name and form,
resolves by His unfailing true will power: 'May I become embodied in
gross animate and inanimate entities, distinguished variously by name
and form.' He alone then abides, with the variegated cosmos as His
body, comprising gods, animals, men and immobile things. They worship
Me by contemplating on Me thus. Therefore Sri Krsna declares: 'I,
having the universe for My body, alone abide'.

9.16 I am the Kratu, namely, I am Jyotistoma and other Vedic sacrifices.

I alone am the Great Sacrifice (the fivefold sacrifices). I am the Svadha,
the libation offered to nourish the hosts of manes. I am the herb, namely,
oblation. I am the Mantra. I alone am the clarified butter. This implies
other illustrations also. I alone am the oblation of Soma etc. Such is the
meaning. I am the fire such as Ahavaniya etc. I am the act of offering into
fire.

9.17 Of the world consisting of mobile and immobile entities, I alone am

the father, mother, creator and grandfather. Here the term Dhatr stands
for one other than the parents who helps in the birth of a particular
person. Whatever is known from theVedas as purifying, I alone am that. I
am the Pranava, which originates knowledge and forms the seed of the
Vedas. I am the Veda comprising Rk, Saman and Yajus.
 9.18 'Gaith' 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 wh 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.

9.19 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 inhert beings existing in all states, constitute My body. In this way,
they (the wise) worship Me, contemplating, through the realisation of My
essential unity, as the entire universe distinguished by names and forms
and characterished by varied pluralities constituting My body. I alone
exist; all the pluralities are only My modes. Thus, after depiciting 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 the
objects of desire.

9.20 The three Vedas consist of the Rk, Yajus and Saman. The
followers of the three Vedas are called 'Trai-vidyah', but they are not
devoted to Vedanta (or Trayyanta). The great souls, who rely on
Vedanta, know Me, as mentioned before, to be the only object to be
known from all the Vedas. Considering Me as the highest object of
attainment, they worship Me through singing My names etc., caused by
deep devotion to Me, and also through the sacrifice of knowledge. But
the followers of the three Vedas drink the Soma beverage, forming the
remainder of sacrifices in honour of Indra and other divinities, as
prescribed by the Vedas. They are thereby purified of evil that stand in
the way of attainment of heaven. In these sacrifices, in which Indra etc.,
are regarded as divinties, they really worship Me in the forms of these
divinities. They 'however' do not know that I abide in them in that way,
and so they pray for the way to heaven etc. After attaining the world of
Indra, which is free from unhappiness, they enjoy everywhere the divine
pleasures.

9.21 After enjoying the spacious world of heaven, they return to the
world of mortals when the meritorious Karma forming the cause of that
experience is exhausted. Thus, lacking in the knowledge established in
the Vedanta and desiring only the attainment of heaven etc., they who
follow the teaching of the three Vedas on sacrificial rites, come and go.
After enjoying the trifling and transient pleasures of heaven, they return
to Samsara again and again. But the great souls meditating on Me,
who am incomparably dear to them, attain boundless and unsurpassed
bliss and do not return to Samsara. Sri Krsna desribes their
distinguishing features:

9.22 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 with all my glories. In the case
of such devotees aspiring after eternal union with Me, I Myself undertake
the responsibility of bringing them to Myself (Yoga translated as
'prosperity') and of preserving them in that state for ever (Ksema
translated as 'welfare'). The meaning is that they do not return to
Samsara.

9.23 Those, however, who are devoted to Indra and other divinities,
who rely on the three Vedas alone, and who, possessed of faith, worship
Indra and other divinities --- they too worship Me actually in the light of
the truth that all existing things constitute My body and have Me for their
selves. In the light of this principle, terms like Indra denote Me only. The
worshippers of Indra and other deities therefore worship Me only, in
ways not sanctioned by the Sastras. They do not worship Indra and
other divinities with a proper understanding of the place of these deities
in the light of the Vedanta texts. An example is 'Wherein (i.e., in the
Supreme Self) the sacrifices known as the Caturhotri attain their
fulfilment through the divinities' (Tai. Ar., 4) etc. These texts say in what
way these forms of worship apply to these divinties. For all Vedanta texts
lay down that the Supreme Person alone is to be worshipped directly
when they enjoin the worship of Indra and other divinities, as they form
the body of the Supreme Person. The meaning is that in the Caturhotri
sacrifice like Agnihotra, the full moon and the new moon sacrifices etc., it
is the Supreme Self only that is worshipped, as He abides as the self in
Indra etc., who are the ostensible objects worshipped in these sacrifices
by which these worshippers obtain their fulfilment through them.
Therefore, the votaries of the three Vedas do not understand that these
rituals form the worship of the Supreme Person and that He alone is to
be worshipped. As they do not do so, they become experiencers of
limited results, and they are again liable to fall into Samsara. Sri Krsna
gives expressions to this:

9.24 I am 'the only Lord' --- the meaning is that I alone am the bestower
of rewards everywhere. How wonderful is this, that though devoting
themselves to the same kind of action, on account of the difference in
intention some partake of a very small reward with the likelihood of fall,
while some others partake of a reward in the form of attainment of the
Supreme Person which is unalloyed, limitless, and incomparable! Sri
Krsna explains this:
 9.25 The term 'Vrata' in the text denotes will, intention or motive. Those
who intend to worship gods, like Indra and others with the resolution,
'Let us worship Indra and other gods by ceremonies like the new moon
and full moon sacrifices' --- such worshippers go to Indra and other
gods. Those who intend worshipping manes, resolving 'Let us worship
the manes through sacrifices,' --- such worshippers go to the manes or
others resolving --- 'Let us worship the Yaksas, Raksasas,' Pisacas and
other evil spirits' --- they go to them. But those who, with the same rites
of worship, worship Me with the intention, 'Let us worship Lord
Vasudeva, the Supreme Self, whose body is constituted of gods, the
manes and the evil spirits' --- they are My worshippers and they reach
Me only. Those who intend worshipping gods etc., attain gods etc.
After sharing limited enjoyment with them, they are destroyed with them
when the time comes for their destruction. But My worshippers attain
Me, who has no beginning or end, who is omniscient, whose will is
unfailingly effective, who is a great ocean of innumerable auspicious
attributes of unlimited excellence and whose bliss too is of limitless
excellence. They do not return to Samsara. Such is the meaning. Sri
Krsna continues to say, 'There is also another distinguishing
characteristic of My worshippers.'

error

9.27 Whatsoever worldly work you do for the sustenance of the body,
whatsoever you set aside for the sustenance of the body, whatsoever
Vedic acts, obligatory and occasional, like offerings, charity and austerity
you practise --- do all that as an offering to Me. 'Arpana' is offering. Do
all acts, secular and Vedic, as if the doer, the enjoyer and the
worshipped were all offerings to Me. The import is this: The divinities
etc., who are the objects of sacrificial worship, charities etc., and you,
the agent and experiencer --- all belong to Me and have their essence,
existence and actions dependent on Me. Thus only to Me, the supreme
Principal (Sesi) and supreme agent, offer everything --- yourself as the
agent, experiencer and worshipper, all the host of divinities who are the
object of worship and the sum of actions constituting the worship.
Actuated by overwhelming love, contemplate yourself and other factors
such as the objects of worship, as dependent on Me as My Sesas, and
hence as of a nature that finds delight only in subservience to Me.

9.28 Thus, equipped with a mind which is firmly set in Yoga, called
Sannyasa, considering yourself as one whose delight lies in being a
subsidiary (Sesa) to Me and subject to My control and all acts to be My
worship, and engaging yourself in secular and Vedic actions with such
an attitude, you will free yourself from countless bonds, called ancient
Karmas, productive of auspicious and inauspicious results which stands
as a hindrance preventing you from attaining Me. Freed from them, you
shall come to Me only. Listen now, to My supreme nature which
transcends the world:
 9.29 Being a refuge for all, I am the same to all creation, be they gods,
animals, men or immovables, who exist differentiated from the highest to
the lowest according to their birth, form, nature and knowledge. With
regard to those seeking refuge, none is hateful because of inferiority in
status by birth, form, nature, knowledge etc. No one is discarded as an
object of odium. Likewise, it is not that one who has resorted to Me is
dear to Me on account of any consideration like birth, status etc. That he
has taken refuge in Me is the only consideration. The meaning is no one
is accepted as a refuge for reasons like birth. But those who worship Me
as their sole objective I like, because I am exceedingly dear to them, and
because they find it impossible to sustain themselves without My
worship. So they abide in Me, irrespective of whether they are exalted or
humble by birth etc. They abide in Me, as if they possess qualities equal
to Mine. I also abide in them, as if they are My superiors. Moreover:

9.30 Even though he has transgressed rules that ought to be followed

and has failed to avoid what a person belonging to a particular class
should avoid, if he has begun to worship Me in the manner described
above with undivided devotion, namely, with worship as the only
purpose --- such a person must be considered highly righteous. He is
eminent among the worshippers of Visnu. He must be esteemed as fit
for honour. The meaning is that he is equal to those Jnanins mentioned
earlier. What can be the reason for this? The reason is that, he has
rightly resolved, i.e., his resolve is in the proper direction. 'The Lord who
forms the sole cause of the entire universe, who is the Supreme
Brahman, Narayana, the Lord of all mobile and immobile beings, is our
Master, our Teacher, and our Friend, highest object of enjoyment,' ---
such a resolve is difficult to be made by all. Its effect, unremitting
worship which has no other purpose, will be found in him who makes
such a resolve. Hence he is holy and is to be highly honoured. When this
resolve, and unremitting worship which is its effect, are found in a
person, he is not to be belittled; for, his transgression of rules is a
negligible mistake compared to this kind of excellence. On the other
hand he is to be regarded with high honour. Such is the meaning. No,
if it be said that transgression of rules will annul the flow of worship, as
declared in the Sruti passages like, 'One who has not ceased from bad
conduct, is not tranquil, is not composed and also not calm in mind,
cannot obtain Him through intelligence' (Ka. U., 1.2.24), Sri Krsna
replies:

9.31 Quickly he becomes righteous, the Gunas of Rajas and Tamas in

him being eradicated with their roots, as he has shaken off all evils
through the worship of Myself without any ulterior motive but only
because of My being dear to him. Quickly he becomes one whose mind
is specially attuned to My worship with all the ancillaries and having all
the obstacles removed. It is this kind of worship which was alluded to by
the term. Dharma at the commencement of this chapter thus:
'Asraddhadanah purusa dharmasy'asya' etc., (9.3). Such a person
obtains enduring peace, i.e., he attains to an eternal state, free from
conduct contrary to the attainment of Myself, and from which there will
be no return to Samsara. O Arjuna, you may affirm that one who has
begun to worship Me in this way will not perish even though he is
tarnished by some misconduct in the past. On account of his devotion to
Me, he annihilates the entire host of obstacles. After obtaining eternal
state of freedom from obstacles, he quickly obtains perfect Bhakti.

9.32 - 9.33 Women, Vaisyas and Sudras, and even those who are of
sinful birth, can attain the supreme state by taking refuge in Me. How
much more then the well-born Brahmanas and royal sages who are
devoted to me! Therefore, roayl sage that you are, do worship Me, as
you have come to this transient and joyless world stricken by the
threefold afflictions. Sri Krsna now describes the nature of Bhakti:

9.32 - 9.33 Women, Vaisyas and Sudras, and even those who are of
sinful birth, can attain the supreme state by taking refuge in Me. How
much more then the well-born Brahmanas and royal sages who are
devoted to me! Therefore, roayl sage that you are, do worship Me, as
you have come to this transient and joyless world stricken by the
threefold afflictions. Sri Krsna now describes the nature of Bhakti:

9.34 Focus your mind on Me; fix your mind on Me uninterruptedly like a
continous stream of oil --- on Me the Ruler of rulers, antagonistic to all
that is evil, the sole abode of auspiciousness, omniscient, whose resolve
is always true, the sole cause of the entire universe, the Supreme
Brahman, the Supreme Person; on Me, of long large eyes like a lotus
petal; who has the complexion of a clear blue cloud; whose shining
lustre is like that of a thousand suns simultaneously risen; on Me, the
great ocean of the nectar of beauty; of four arms, noble and strong, and
of brilliant yellow raiment; on Me, adorned with a pure crown, fish-
shaped ear-rings, garlands, bracelet on the arms and bangles at the
wrist; on Me, the ocean of infinite mercy, affability, beauty, sweetness,
majesty, magnanimity and parental affection; on Me, the refuge of all
without exception and without regard to their differences; on Me the
Lord of all. Sri Krsna again makes the same clear. Be My devotee. Be
one whose mind is focussed on Me by contemplating on Me as
exceedingly dear. Such is the meaning. He makes thie yet clearer. Be My
worshipper, namely, become engaged in My worship, which you have
begun to practise by your experience of Me as supremely dear and
unlimited and unsurpassed. What is called worship is the conduct of one
who realises that he is absolutely a subsidiary --- (Sesa) of God. Worship
consists also in offering all things of enjoyment such as waving of lights
etc., all those things which come into bodily contact like garlands,
sandal paste etc., and those meant for offering like food preparations
and other edibles. The meaning is this: Let your mind be focussed on
Me so as to be engaged in My worship, resulting from love which is
unlimited and unsurpassed and which is born from the experience of
Myself. Again Sri Krsna expounds the same: Bow down to Me. Do not
be satisfied only with services of one who is absolutely subsidiary to me.
Do services which are incomparably dear and animated by an
experience of Myself who is dear and unlimited and unsurpassed. Also
bow down to Me in utter humility, regarding Me as the supreme goal,
i.e., He who is the supreme abode and the supreme goal. The
meaning is that having resorted to Me, it is impossible for you to live
without Me. Having disciplined the mind in this way and considering Me
as the supreme goal, you will thus, through love which is unsurpassed
and incomparable, obtain a mind which is fit for experiencing Me. You
will then reach Me alone. Here the term Atman stands for the mind.
The import is that, holding Me as the sole support, possesing a mind of
this kind, meditating on Me, experiencing Me, worshipping Me and
bowing down to Me --- you will reach Me alone. Thus, with such a turn
of mind you carry on, for pleasing Me alone, your secular works for
bodily sustenance and Vedic activities like obligatory and occasional
rites, regarding them as actuated by Me and finding sole joy in absolute
subservience to Me. You shall ever engage yourself in praising My
names with love and in endeavouring to serve Me and bowing down to
Me etc. You shall contemplate on the entire universe as being under My
rule and being subsidiary (Sesa) to Me. Contemplating on the multitudes
of My attributes, which are exceedingly dear to you, and practising every
day this worship as described, you will reach Me alone.