CH 9, Verse 3

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Chapter 9

Verse 3

 

Ashraddadhaanaah purushhaa dharmasy'aasya para.ntapa /

apraapya maa.n nivartante mrityu-sa.nsaara-vartmani //

 

Men lacking faith in this Dharma (self-knowledge,), O

Tormentor of foes (Arjuna), not attaining Me, return

to the path of mortal world. Chapter 9, Verse 3

 

LESSONS FROM BHAGAVAD GITA – 85

As taught by Parama Pujya Sri Swamiji

Compiled by: Swami Dattananda

Bhaktimala, November 2000

 

The knowledge of Brahman is the secret of all secrets.

Therefore it is called the sovereign secret (Raja

Guhyam.) It is also the supreme purifier, because it

reduces to ashes in a moment the results of all

actions done in the course of several lives.

 

The knowledge of Brahman purifies a man from all his

impurities and imperfections and makes him free from

all delusions. A man who wakes up from sleep is freed

in a moment from all his dream experiences. In the

same way, the man who is awakened to God-consciousness

or the self-realized sage is freed from all delusions

of sufferings and fear pertaining to earthly life. In

an instant he becomes free from all his sins and

imperfections. Therefore, the knowledge of Brahman is

compared to a fire that burns up all rubbish to ashes

and purifies everything. So it is the supreme purifier

(Pavitram idam uttamam). It is also immediately

comprehensible in the sense that it is directly

realizable (Pratyakshavagamam) through intuition.

 

This knowledge of Brahman is righteous as it is

unopposed to Dharma. As such, it leads to the

realization of the Ultimate Truth. Moreover, it is

easy to practice. Generally actions that are

accomplished easily yield small results, whereas those

that take time to accomplish are productive of great

results. So it may be imagined that this knowledge of

Brahman, because it is easily attainable may produce

results which are short-lived and of little

significance. To prevent such a misconception the Lord

says that it is imperishable (avyayam). Therefore, it

is worth acquiring.

 

"Men lacking faith in this Dharma (self-knowledge,), O

Tormentor of foes (Arjuna), not attaining Me, return

to the path of mortal world" (Chapter 9, Verse 3).

 

Even in worldly matters, it is hard to achieve success

without faith. This being so, how can a man devoid of

faith attain the Supreme Lord and get deliverance from

this world of mortality?

Those who lack faith in this Dharma (knowledge of the

Self,) bring ruin to themselves. They are ignorant of

the true nature of the Self. They consider the body as

the Self and take delight in transitory pleasures.

They are sinful. They stick to the path of

transmigration experiencing misery in the form of

repetitive births and deaths. This path leads even to

hell and even to births as low creatures. As these

people are caught up in Samsara, the mortal world,

they do not attain the Lord.

 

 

 

 

 

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