Unveiling Divine Wisdom and Devotion: Exploring Krishna’s Teachings and Radha’s Grace. Shlokas 9.11 to 9.15
If you have not already done so, I would request you to review the Chapter 8, Akshara Brahma Yoga before studying chapter 9 as that would help set the right context.
You can find the explanation of the previous set of shlokas, 6 to 10 of chapter 9 here. Please go through that to get a better understand and maintain continuity in your learning.
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Delve into the profound teachings of the Bhagavad Gita and uncover the divine grace of Radha and Krishna. This article explores the path of devotion (bhakti) as revealed by Lord Krishna, emphasizing the importance of surrendering to the Supreme and the role of Radha in embodying divine knowledge and pure love. Discover the significance of diverse spiritual practices across the ages and the power of chanting the holy names in the current age of Kali Yuga. Gain insights into the eternal connection between the soul and the divine, and learn how to awaken your spiritual vision through the transformative power of devotion.
Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga, Verses 9.11 – 9.15
अवजानन्ति मां मूढा मानुषीं तनुमाश्रितम्। परं भावमजानन्तो मम भूतमहेश्वरम्॥9.11॥
Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣhīṁ tanumāśhritam Param bhāvamajānto mama bhūta-maheśhvaram
अवजानन्ति (avajānanti) – they disrespect; मां (mām) – me; मूढाः (mūḍhāḥ) – the foolish; मानुषीं (mānuṣīṃ) – human; तनुम् (tanum) – form; आश्रितम् (āśritam) – having taken refuge; परं (paraṃ) – supreme; भावम् (bhāvam) – nature; अजानन्तो (ajānanto) – not knowing; मम (mama) – my; भूत (bhūta) – beings; महेश्वरम् (maheśvaram) – great lord;
Foolish people disregard Me when I descend in a human form. They do not know My supreme nature as the controller of all living beings.
मोघाशा मोघकर्माणो मोघज्ञाना विचेतसः। राक्षसीमासुरीं चैव प्रकृतिं मोहिनीं श्रिताः॥9.12॥
Moghāśhā mogha-karmāṇo mogha-jñānā vichetasaḥ Rākṣhasīmāsurīṁ chaiva prakṛitiṁ mohinīṁ śhritāḥ
मोघाशा (moghāśā) – futile hopes; मोघकर्माणो (moghakarmāṇo) – futile actions; मोघज्ञाना (moghajñānā) – futile knowledge; विचेतसः (vicetasaḥ) – deluded; राक्षसीम् (rākṣasīm) – demonic; आसुरीं (āsurīṃ) – demoniac; च (ca) – and; एव (eva) – indeed; प्रकृतिं (prakṛtiṃ) – nature; मोहिनीं (mohinīṃ) – deluding; श्रिताः (śritāḥ) – having taken refuge;
Such individuals harbor futile hopes and possess deluded knowledge, leading to bewildered minds. They find refuge in atheistic and demoniacal natures, which are but misleading manifestations of material energy. Their efforts in fruitive actions are completely wasted, and their pursuit of well-being proves to be fruitless.
महात्मानस्तु मां पार्थ दैवीं प्रकृतिमाश्रिताः। भजन्त्यनन्यमनसो ज्ञात्वा भूतादिमव्ययम्॥9.13॥
Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛitim āśhritāḥ Bhajantyananya-manaso jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam
महात्मानस् (mahātmānas) – great souls; तु (tu) – but; मां (mām) – me; पार्थ (pārtha) – O son of Pritha; दैवीं (daivīṃ) – divine; प्रकृतिम् (prakṛtim) – nature; आश्रिताः (āśritāḥ) – having taken refuge; भजन्त्य् (bhajanty) – worship; अनन्यमनसो (ananyamanaso) – with undivided mind; ज्ञात्वा (jñātvā) – knowing; भूतादिम् (bhūtādim) – the primeval; अव्ययम् (avyayam) – imperishable;
But the noble and great souls, O son of Pritha, taking refuge in My divine nature, worship Me with a single mind, knowing Me to be the imperishable source of all beings.
सततं कीर्तयन्तो मां यतन्तश्च दृढव्रताः। नमस्यन्तश्च मां भक्त्या नित्ययुक्ता उपासते॥9.14॥
Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaśhcha dṛiḍha-vratāḥ Namasyantaśhcha māṁ bhaktyā nitya-yuktā upāsate
सततं (satataṃ) – always; कीर्तयन्तो (kīrtayanto) – glorifying; मां (mām) – me; यतन्तश्च (yatantaś ca) – striving; दृढव्रताः (dṛḍhavratāḥ) – with firm vows; नमस्यन्तश्च (namasyantaś ca) – bowing down; मां (mām) – me; भक्त्या (bhaktyā) – with devotion; नित्ययुक्ता (nityayuktā) – perpetually engaged; उपासते (upāsate) – they worship;
Always singing My divine glories, striving with great determination, and humbly bowing down before Me, they constantly worship Me in loving devotion.
ज्ञानयज्ञेन चाप्यन्ये यजन्तो मामुपासते। एकत्वेन पृथक्त्वेन बहुधा विश्वतोमुखम्॥9.15॥
Jñāna-yajñena chāpyanye yajanto mām upāsate Ekatvena pṛithaktvena bahudhā viśhvato-mukham
ज्ञानयज्ञेन (jñānayajñena) – by the sacrifice of knowledge; चाप्यन्ये (cāpyanye) – also others; यजन्तो (yajanto) – worshiping; माम् (mām) – me; उपासते (upāsate) – they worship; एकत्वेन (ekatvena) – in oneness; पृथक्त्वेन (pṛthaktvena) – in separateness; बहुधा (bahudhā) – in many ways; विश्वतोमुखम् (viśvatomukham) – facing everywhere;
Others, through the sacrifice of cultivating wisdom and knowledge, worship Me in various ways. Some perceive Me as the singular, undivided essence, inseparable from themselves, while others envision Me as distinct and separate. Yet, others adore Me in My infinite cosmic forms, recognizing the diversity within the unity and the universal expanse of My nature.
The Divinity of Krishna’s Descent
Although we learned about how everything is manifested in the universe, starting with mahān (Atma, higher self), ahankār, pañch-tanmātrās (five senses of perception), and pañch-mahābhūta (five gross elements), we need to understand that Krishna’s body is not made of pañch mahābhūta and it is divine. And He is not Avasah either. He descends on earth, in His divine form by His own free will, to bestow His grace upon us, to re-establish dharma (moral order) when it declines and to guide the souls who have become a victim of Maya (illusion).
In chapter four of the Bhagavad Gita, Shree Krishna stated:
अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन् | प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय सम्भवाम्यात्ममायया || 6||
ajo ’pi sannavyayātmā bhūtānām īśhvaro ’pi san prakṛitiṁ svām adhiṣhṭhāya sambhavāmyātma-māyayā
Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all sentient beings, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.
In this verse, Krishna says that despite being unborn (ajo), imperishable (avyaya), and the Lord of all beings (bhūtānām īśvaraḥ), He still appears (sambhavāmi) in His “original transcendental form” (prakṛtiṁ svām) by His own spiritual potency (ātma-māyayā).
This leaves no doubt that in addition to His impersonal, all-pervading aspect, Krishna also has an original, personal transcendental form in which He appears periodically.
However, when He appears in His divine form, deluded people are unable to recognize Him. Krishna here addresses a common human tendency—to judge by appearances and to hold onto our limited perceptions. He notes that many people fail to recognize His divine nature simply because He appears in a human form. Just as we might overlook the value of a simple, unassuming person among us, not realizing their wisdom or kindness, people overlook Krishna’s divinity because He walks among them as one of their own. This is a reminder that the essence of someone or something goes far beyond the surface. It’s an invitation to look deeper into the world around us, to see beyond the immediate appearances to the extraordinary that lies within the ordinary.
A perfect example is when Shri Krishna showed his divine form to Duryodhan but he was so full of ahankara and delusion that he just could not recognize the divinity and instead tried to insult and arrest the Lord!
Shri Krishna then says that the wise see beyond the external form; they understand that behind the facade of the material world lies a profound spiritual reality. They recognize Krishna in everything and everyone, and they worship Him with unwavering devotion. This isn’t just about religious worship; it’s about seeing the divine spark in all aspects of life—from the food we eat, to the work we do, to the people we interact with. It’s a call to live life with a sense of sacredness and mindfulness, and to find a deeper connection with the world around us.
The Path of Devotion and Surrender
Now let us discuss the key aspects of the process required to attain Him.
Shri Krishna emphasizes that true wisdom and devotion are not about the external practices but about the internal state of mind. The wise ones, filled with love and devotion, continually engage in acts of worship, but their most significant worship is the constant remembrance of the divine. This continuous awareness transforms their entire being and actions into offerings of love. It’s like when we dedicate our daily work, no matter how mundane, to something greater than ourselves—our families, our communities, or a cause we believe in. This dedication elevates our actions from mere tasks to expressions of deeper values and connections.
The Lord is always willing to shower His mercy upon us. We need to purify ourselves and make ourselves capable of recognizing and accepting His grace. For that, we need to avoid iccha, dvesha and ahankar. We need to develop non-enviousness (anasuya) and faith (shraddha). We should free ourselves from bondage by practicing nishkama karma yoga. And we need to develop kevala bhakti. In my opinion, that is the process for becoming eligible to receive His grace and realizing Him.
Shri Krishna says that atheists and those who embrace ungodly philosophies possess demoniac natures. Since they are unable to recognize the divinity of the personal form of the Supreme Lord, they cannot engage in bhakti towards Him. And since devotion to the formless aspect of God is exceedingly difficult even for people in the mode of sattva, these deluded people cannot do that either. As a result, they are never able to get on the path of God consciousness and eternally remain Vimukh (souls who are turned away from God).
After describing the ways of the deluded and demoniac people, He now talks about the great souls and pure devotees. Krishna says that the great souls are those who have woken up from their ignorance and realized that their material consciousness is just like a bad dream.
As they are pure devotees, they receive God’s grace and get released from the grips of the Maya. And they seek shelter in God’s abode. Such enlightened souls have woken up to the spiritual reality of their eternal relationship with God.
Krishna calls such a soul as a mahātmā. Such a soul is not under the control of Material nature because they have surrendered unto Lord Krishna completely. We discussed the method of total surrender to Krishna in chapter 7.
Such surrendered souls are directly guided by spiritual nature as opposed to material nature. The guidance of the spiritual nature is called daivīṁ prakṛtim, divine nature. And they attain the stage of mahātmā. Such souls are constantly engaged in śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ and viṣṇoḥ, smaraṇam, always focusing their minds upon Him.
The Role of Radha and Divine Grace
Jnana, bhakti, etc are all God’s divine energies, and are all under the rule of God’s yogmaya energy, which is Radha. That is why it is important to get the blessings of Radha in order to progress on tha bhakti marga and eventually attain the grace of Krishna.
Central to this journey of devotion is the divine Radha Rani, Krishna’s foremost devotee, friend and lover, symbolizing the boundless grace necessary for spiritual ascent.
In the Brahma Samhita, which is a highly revered Vaishnava scripture, Radha is portrayed as the supreme feminine manifestation of the Divine, the eternal consort of Lord Krishna. She is described as the personification of the Lord’s sublime spiritual energy known as yogmaya or His internal potency.
The word ‘yogmaya’ consists of two roots – ‘yoga‘ meaning divine union or connection, and ‘maya‘ referring to the Lord’s transcendental energy or shakti. Thus, yogmaya is the divine power that facilitates the soul’s eternal loving relationship and spiritual reconnection with the Supreme Lord.
The Brahma Samhita (5.37) glorifies Radha as the reservoir of this yogmaya shakti:
आनन्द-चिन्मय-रस-प्रतिभाविता-भिः
ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitā-bhiḥ
(With those who are the embodiment of the ecstatic spiritual rasa)
ताभिः-एव-निज-रूपतया-कलाभिः
tābhiḥ-eva-nija-rūpatayā-kalābhiḥ
(With those very same spiritual personalities who resemble His own form)
गोलोके-एव-निवसति-अखिल-आत्म-भूतः
goloke-eva-nivasati-akhila-ātma-bhūtaḥ
(He who exists as the complete whole, residing in Goloka)
गोविन्दम्-आदि-पुरुषम्-तम्-अहम्-भजामि
govindam-ādi-puruṣam-tam-aham-bhajāmi
(That primeval person, Govinda, I worship)
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm, Goloka, with Radha, resembling His own spiritual figure, the embodiment of the ecstatic potency possessed of the sixty-four artistic installations (Chatushasti Kala) of attitudes as they are freshly revived with spiritual entities.
The commentary on this verse by Jiva Goswami, a prominent Vaishnava devotee and theologian, explains that the gopis or cowherd maidens headed by Radha represent the personified form of yogmaya, the Lord’s internal spiritual potency.
Radha is the source and embodiment of this yogmaya, which has two primary aspects – jnana (transcendental knowledge) and bhakti (pure devotional love). Through her jnana shakti, she dispels the darkness of ignorance and bestows the divine wisdom necessary for self-realization. Simultaneously, through her bhakti shakti, she imbues the soul with pure, selfless love and devotion for the Supreme Lord.
Thus, Radha is the embodiment and source of both jnana (knowledge) and bhakti (devotion) – the two indispensable components necessary for the spiritual upliftment of the soul. Her jnana shakti reveals the eternal spiritual reality, dispelling the illusion of material existence, while her bhakti shakti awakens the soul’s innate loving propensity towards the Supreme Lord.
The Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, following the teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, accords immense significance to Radha as the personified form of Krishna’s internal potency. By taking shelter of her through devotional practices, the aspiring devotee can progressively awaken divine knowledge and pure devotional love, ultimately attaining the highest state of spiritual enlightenment and reunion with the Lord.
Inspiring story of Radha Rani
There is an interesting story associated with the birth of Radha as a blind child. Radha was hesitant to take birth on earth before the birth of Sri Krishna. Vishnu tried to convince Lakshmi but she was not ready to appear on earth when Vishnu was still in Vaikunta. Finally, She agreed on the condition that She will open her eyes on earth only when Krishna appears before Her. Vishnu agreed to this condition.
According to Padma Purana, Radha was discovered by Vrishbhanu on a radiant lotus flower floating in the Yamuna river. Everyone assumed Radha was blind because she kept her eyes closed. She didn’t open her eyes until Krishna himself in his child form appeared in front of her, symbolizing the awakening of her spiritual vision and the profound, unconditional love she held for Him.
Radha’s love for Krishna was pure and profound, a love that did not require physical sight to be validated. She saw Krishna with the eyes of her soul, feeling His divine presence in her every moment, hearing His flute’s call in the depths of her being. Her love was so powerful that it transcended all barriers, reaching out to Krishna in the realm of the spirit, where true union is realized.
The legend tells us that Krishna, moved by Radha’s devotion and pure love, decided to come in front of her so that she may open her eyes and behold His divine form. Shri Krishna wanted Radha to see Him. It is said that when Krishna first appeared before Radha, He gently touched her eyes, and at that moment, she first opened her eyes.
The first sight that met Radha’s newly opened eyes was the mesmerizing form of Krishna Himself, standing before her in all His divine glory, His smile as radiant as the sun, His eyes as deep as the ocean. This moment was not just the physical act of seeing for the first time; it was a profound spiritual awakening, a direct experience of divine love and grace.
This encounter symbolizes the awakening of the soul to its eternal connection with the divine, a reminder that true vision is not of the eyes but of the heart. Radha’s story teaches us that love and devotion have the power to transcend all limitations, to transform darkness into light, and to lead us from the illusion of separateness to the eternal truth of oneness with the divine.
Radha’s journey from closed eyes to divine vision is a metaphor for the soul’s journey from ignorance to enlightenment, from seeing the world through the lens of the ego to experiencing it with the clarity of divine love. It reminds us that when we open the eyes of our heart to Krishna, we see the world not as a place of separation and discord but as a beautiful creation filled with His presence, where every moment is an opportunity to experience and share divine love.
This beautiful story, while not found in all traditional scriptures, resonates with the core themes of Bhakti yoga—love, devotion, and the transformative power of divine grace. It underscores the belief that our deepest connections with the divine are not bound by physical senses but are felt with the soul’s inner vision, a vision that sees beyond the transient to the eternal, beyond the self to the Supreme.
Diverse Paths, One Goal
Satya Yuga: The Age of Truth: This was a time of unparalleled purity and truthfulness. Here, humanity existed in a state of complete harmony with the divine. In this golden age, the most potent way to connect with the Supreme Brahman was through deep meditation. Unburdened by distractions, individuals could delve into the depths of their being and directly experience the source of all existence. This was the yuga where people could meditate for hundreds of years.
Treta Yuga: The Age of Sacrifice: As time progressed, humanity entered Treta Yuga. This era witnessed a subtle decline in spiritual awareness. Ritualistic practices gained prominence. Performing elaborate sacrifices, or yajnas, became the preferred method of devotion. Through these sacred yajnas, offerings were made to the divine, expressing gratitude and seeking blessings.
Dwapara Yuga: The Age of Duality: Dwapara Yuga marked a further shift. People became more outwardly focused. Opulent forms of worship emerged, with intricate rituals dedicated to specific deities. This age thrived on elaborate temple ceremonies, chanting of mantras, and presenting offerings to various manifestations of the divine.
Kali Yuga: The Age of Strife: Finally, we arrive at Kali Yuga, the current age. Here, our minds are full of distractions, making it difficult to achieve the focused concentration of earlier times. In this fast-paced world, the most effective form of devotion is Chanting of the holy name and Kirtanam, the singing of the Lord’s glories. Through the power of sound and collective experience, Kirtanam has the ability to purify the mind and elevate our consciousness, even amidst the chaos.
Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has instructed us very clearly thus:
हरेर् नाम हरेर् नाम हरेर् नामैव केवलम् | कलौ नास्त्येव नास्त्येव नास्त्येव गतिरन्यथा ||
harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
In this age of Kali, there is no alternative, there is no alternative, there is no alternative for spiritual progress other than the chanting of the holy name, the holy name, the holy name of Lord Hari.
While this verse is originally from the Brihad-naradiya Purana, it was popularized by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu during the 15th century. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu emphasized the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra as the most effective means of achieving spiritual advancement and the highest state of devotion in the age of Kali. He is credited with spreading the practice of kirtan (devotional singing) and the chanting of the names of God widely throughout Bharath, reiterating the message from the Puranas that in the Kali Yuga, the simplest and most powerful form of worship is the repetition of the holy name of God. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s teachings and life work greatly emphasized the power and importance of these holy names as the key to spiritual progress and salvation.
We must keep in mind that in order to progress in the bhakti marga, kīrtan, hearing and chanting are just helpers. The most important key is to remember and focus on God. Otherwise, if we are just chanting the holy name without remembering and focusing on God, it will not purify the mind. Thus, Shree Krishna says here that His devotees do kīrtan, while constantly engaging the mind in thinking of Him. They practice this with great determination for the purification of the mind.
I hope you remember the example of the village women who are carrying pots of water on their heads and although they are singing and chatting, they never lose focus on their water pots. Just like that, while performing kirtan, we must always keep our minds focused on God. Otherwise kirtan becomes just show business.
As just explained by Krishna, those who achieve this state of constant Krishna-consciousness, completely surrendered to Krishna’s will, are referred to as Mahatmas. They transcend rituals and practices, living in a state of perpetual devotion. These are beings of pure love and wisdom, for whom Krishna is the very essence of their existence.
Shri Krishna also reminds us how there are different paths that people take to reach Him and how people worship him with different beliefs and perspectives. Here, Shri Krishna mentions three kinds of jñānis who worship Him.
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- Ekatvena (ahangrahopāsanā) – these are the ones who worship him in oneness, believing that they are also God.
- Prthakvena (pratikopāsanā) – these are the ones who worship Him ‘in diversity,’ in many forms as the demigods.
- Viśvato-mukham (viśvarupa upasanā) – these are the ones who worship Him ‘in the Universal form,’ and believe that Krishna is everything.
The Journey Continues: Unraveling the Convergence
The next verses of the Bhagavad Gita delve deeper into this concept of convergence. Krishna explains how seemingly disparate paths ultimately lead to the same goal – a state of complete union with the divine. By understanding these diverse approaches, we gain a broader perspective on the journey of devotion, allowing us to find the path most resonant with our own hearts.
Hare Krishna.
kṛṣṇadaasa
Servant of Krishna
Aka +Vinayak Raghuvamshi