Chapter 9 of Bhagavad Gita is entitled "Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yogam). Here Lord Krishna tells Arjuna about Self-perfection, & the method of attaining it. The God pervades the whole universe, & everything is a manifestation of the Lord. The whole universe is created by the Lord through His Maya or delusion. The universe goes through cycles of formation & dissolution or manifestation & unmanifestation. People conduct different types of Yajnas to please the lord, as a result of which they go to heaven after death, enjoy heavenly pleasures for a long time, but returns to the world when their accumulated merits are exhausted, & then continue with the cycle of birth & death. But those who worship God with unwavering devotion, without any desires, attain the Eternal Abode of God & enjoy supreme Bliss. So Lord Krishna asks Arjuna to discard all worldly desires & worship the Supreme Brahman in order to attain the Supreme.

1. BHAGAVAD GITA
Commentary by
Sant Jnaneswar
PROF. T. K. G. NAMBOODHIRI
Thiruvalla, Kerala, India

2. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
JNANESWARI
• Jnaneswari is the commentary on Bhagavad
Gita written by Saint Jnaneswar, who lived in
Maharashtra in the 13th Century AD.
• This very popular & simple commentary was
written in Marathi by Saint Jnaneswar when he
was only 15 years of age.
• The complete English translation of this
commentary is available at
http://www.bvbpune.org/contents1.html
T K G Namboodhiri

3. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
JNANESWARI
• The Marathi commentary Jnaneswari has been translated
into most Indian languages, English & other several
European languages.
• The Malayalam translation of Jnaneswari was prepared
by Shri M. P. Chandrasekharan Pillai (1924-1999),of
Thiruvalla, Kerala. After a devotional labour of 4 years,
referring several English & other translations, Shri. Pillai
completed his Malayalam Jnaneswari in 1990. During this
period, he was an inmate of Anandasram, Kanjangad,
Kerala, who published the commentary.
• This presentation is based entirely on this Malayalam
version of Jnaneswari
T K G Namboodhiri

4. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
CHAPTER 9
RAJA VIDYA RAJA GUHYA YOGA
YOGA OF ROYAL SCIENCE & ROYAL
SECRET
T K G Namboodhiri

5. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Introduction
In this chapter, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna, the
most secretive & the most grand theory of
Self-perfection, along with the logic behind it
all. Ideas have been presented in simple
language, so that an ordinary man can
understand them easily. Here the Lord
describes His all-pervasive nature, & how by
devotion He can be attained. He gives the
hope that anybody, irrespective of his past
actions, can reach him through unstinted
devotion.
T K G Namboodhiri

6. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verses 9.1 to 9.3
Lord Krishna tells Arjuna: Now I will tell you,
who do not cavil, the most profound Knowledge
combined with experience (or realization), by
knowing which you will be liberated from the
sorrows of this world. This knowledge is the
Royal science, the Royal secret, the Supreme
Purifier, realizable by direct intuitive
knowledge, righteous, imperishable, & very
easy to do. Then Sri Krishna warns Arjuna that
persons without faith in this Dharma (the Divine
Self), without attaining Me, return to the path of
rebirth & death.
T K G Namboodhiri

7. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.4
I pervade everything in this universe in an unmanifest
form. All objects, movable or unmovable, exist in Me,
but I am never restricted in them alone. Is not all this
universe a manifestation of Me ? Milk is converted to
curd, molten gold is converted to ornaments, a seed
sprouts & grow into a tree. All these are manifested
forms of Me. When My unmanifest form condenses, It
becomes this universe. All things with name & form
are mere reflections of Me, as things reflected in
water. As there is no water in the foam, an item seen
in a dream is not seen after waking up, though all
these objects are reflected in Me, I do not exist in any
of these.
T K G Namboodhiri

8. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.5
Beings do not stay in Me. Though My universal form
supports & rules over all the objects in this
universe, I do not exist in them. I am really
everything in this universe. There is nothing beyond
Me in existence. But My Immortal form is not visible
to human eyes. Though I pervade everything, I am
seen as the multitudes of objects. Once your
ignorance vanishes, you will see the unity in all
these multitudes. The multiplicity is only a delusion
& when the delusion is removed, all these forms
merge in Me, & My formless existence only remains.
Theses multitudes do not exist in Me, nor do I exist
in them. They are all Me alone.
T K G Namboodhiri

9. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.6
The all-pervading air, which can move
anywhere, exists in space. Similarly, all the
universe exist in Me. Only when the all-filling air
moves, we feel its presence. Otherwise the air
and the space are one & the same. Similarly,
the feeling that all creatures exist in Me, is an
illusion because of ignorance. With Knowledge,
all the creatures go unmanifest, & become
extinct, & you realize that all manifestations
are nothing other than Brahman. All dualities
are unreal, like a dream. With experience &
knowledge, the revelation comes that the all-pervading
Soul is you (your Real Nature).
T K G Namboodhiri

10. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.7
When the day of the Creator ends, all manifested
constituents of the universe merge with My nature
& become unmanifest. When the night ends, these
same objects are re-manifested by Me. This is
nature. It has two folds, one has 8 different
components, & the second is the Soul. At the time
of dissolution (Pralaya), all beings merge in My
nature. In summer, the grass & its seeds disappear
in the soil. When we wake up, our dreams vanish.
Similarly, all beings merge with the nature at the
time of deluge. After the night time of the Creator,
these beings are re-created as the manifested
universe.
T K G Namboodhiri

11. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.8
Keeping the nature always under My control, all the
constituents of the universe are manifested again &
again by My nature. The nature manifests as the
multiple forms & names of the universe. A small
amount of curd converts a large quantity of milk into
curd. Similarly, when the nature starts manifesting, all
the universe takes the form of the nature. The seed
lying in the soil sprouts & grow into a huge tree with
branches & leaves. Similarly, the nature, depending
upon Me, creates the universe. As the activities in a
dream do not cause any pain to the person, when he
wakes up, none of these creative activities get
attached to Me at all. All are done by My nature.
T K G Namboodhiri

12. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.9
Arjuna, activities such as creation of the universe, & its
destruction do not affect Me, who remain indifferent &
disinterested in them. Though all creative activities
finally end in Me, they do not bind Me. Can a smoke
screen stop the wind? Can darkness penetrate the Sun?
Can rain wet things deep within the earth? Similarly,
none of the activities of the nature affect Me. I do not do
anything, or make others do. Does a lamp lit in a house
induce the people in the house to do anything? Or
prevent anybody from what he is doing? It is indifferent
to who or what is doing things there. It is only a mute
witness to all the happenings in the house. Similarly,
though I am the source of all objects & beings in the
universe, I am least interested in their activities.
T K G Namboodhiri

13. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.10
Under My supervision & control, the nature
manifests all movable & unmovable beings, & other
objects of this universe again & again. Arjuna, just
like the Sun supervising all worldly occurrences, I
supervise the creation. I am the cause of all beings.
Though every object is created from Me, I do not
exist in any of them, nor do they exist in Me. One
who cannot grasp this secret of Mine, cannot
understand My Real Nature. Ignorant people think
that I may be understood through deduction. It is as
impossible to reach Me thus, as cooling a desert
with a mirage, or catching the reflection of moon by
sea water using a fishing net!
T K G Namboodhiri

14. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.11
Ignorant people who have not realized My
Real Nature, think that I am this human body,
& abuse Me for various reasons. But Arjuna,
you have to keep My Real Nature in your mind
always, if you wish to reach Me, & get free
from this world of miserable births & deaths.
A person suffering jaundice see everything
yellow. For feverish people , even milk tastes
bitter. Similarly, though I am Super-human,
people take Me to be human just like them,
due to their ignorance of My True Nature.
T K G Namboodhiri

15. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.12
Indiscriminate people with fruitless desires, works, &
knowledge, depend upon the nature, which is cruel,
illusive, untrue, cheating, & deluding the mind. Hence
their lives are fruitless like the cloudlets in summer, or
waves in a mirage. Their imaginary & worthless lives
are like a horse rider made of clay, ornaments created
by magic, or walls of an imaginary city in the sky.
Whatever they have learned is like a coconut in the
hands of a monkey or diamonds fallen into the hands
of a blind man. Their knowledge of the Vedas is like a
weapon in the hands of a simple & shy girl. They come
under the lure of Maya losing discrimination &
concentration.
T K G Namboodhiri

16. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.13
Arjuna, great souls, on the other hand,
depending on the Sattwic Guna, disinterested in
worldly objects, worship Me, the Eternal & the
source of everything. These great Souls are
none other than My devotees with purified
minds. I reside always in their pure hearts.
Their intense thoughts & desires are directed
towards gaining knowledge of the Brahman.
Their minds always amass discriminative
knowledge. They always emanate peace. They
constantly worship Me, without a trace of
duality, & with tender lovely devotion.
T K G Namboodhiri

17. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.14
Those who are firm in their goal of attaining the
Supreme, remain always engaged in worshipping Me with
chants, austerities, control of senses & mind,
performance of their duties, & obeisance to Me with
extreme devotion. Such devotees spend their time telling
each other My sacred stories, singing songs in praise of
Me, & dancing blissfully. They have mastered their mind
& senses completely. They need not visit sacred places,
because they have no sin to wash off. By chanting My
names loudly, they remove all difficulties of people & fill
the world with bliss. They respect a king as well as a
beggar equally. They are permanent streams of
happiness to the whole world. They shine like the Sun.
They are ever perfect.
T K G Namboodhiri

18. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.15
Some others worship Me with sacrifice of knowledge. Some worship Me
in single form, others in multiple forms. Since I am of Universal form, all
these worships reach Me. Sant Jnaneswar gives here a long & beautiful
description of the sacrifice of knowledge. The soul performs this Yajna.
Duality or pairs of opposites is sacrificed in the fire of knowledge, using
discrimination as mantras, & ignorance as the clarified butter poured
into the fire. With this Yajna, the soul leaves all duality out. Everything,
the senses, 5 elements etc. are all felt to be the same. It loses all
‘I’ness & ego. Some believe that this universe is everlasting, & it has
different objects. They are deluded by the multiplicity of names & forms
in the universe. Just as the different sense organs functioning in the
same body, or the small & big branches of a tree, creatures of all
different forms & names, are all basically the same. Ignorance leads to
the feeling of differentiation, I remain unattainable to the ignorant.
T K G Namboodhiri

19. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.16
I am the Yajna with animal sacrifice, as also
that without. I am the rice used for Yajna, the
sacred chants, I am the sacred fire, the oblation
& the work of oblation. When one gets
knowledge, he realizes that I am the Vedas, all
the sacrifices & worship contained in them. All
the rites performed according to the scriptures
are I alone. I am the food offered to gods &
ancestors. I am the Soma juice offered, the
clarified butter used, the firewood burned, the
mantras chanted. I am the sacred fire, & all
other things required, & I am the performer of
the Yajna.
T K G Namboodhiri

20. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.17
I am the father, mother, grandfather, creator, the one who
grants the fruits of action, the thing to be known, the
sacred thing, the monosyllable, & the Vedas Rig, Yajur, &
Sama. Taking inspiration from Me, My Apara Prakriti
creates all the universe. I am also the mother of all the
universe. The universe originates & grows in Me only. I
maintain it. The basic causes of all creation, Purusha &
Prakriti, have come out from My desire. So I am the
grandfather of the universe. All paths of knowledge lead
to Me. So I am the one to be known. All philosophy unites
in Me. All thinking & knowledge accumulate in Me. I am
the sound OM, originating from the Brahman.
T K G Namboodhiri

21. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.18
I am the one who grants the fruits of all actions. I am the Ruler,
the provider & the owner of the universe. I am the witness of
everything. I am the place of refuge, the resting place & good
friend of all. I am the origin, protector, & dissolver of the
universe. I am the ultimate goal of all beings. The nature, which
contains everything, rests in Me. It creates all the universe
because of Me. I am the source of all prosperity, & Lord of
creation of the universe. I am the protector of the three worlds.
The sky spreads everywhere, air blows, fire burns, & rain falls
by My order. I am the all-powerful owner of the universe.
Everything works because of Me. However, I am just a witness
like the sky. I pervade all forms & shapes. I exist & support all.
I am the refuge of all those who offer Me all they have. Though I
am one & undivided, through the qualities of nature, I take
different forms & exist as the life of all. I am the source of all
creations, their protector, & destroyer.
T K G Namboodhiri

22. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.19
Arjuna, taking the form of energy, I provide heat
to the world. I only give rain as clouds, & I only
stop the rain. I am death & deathlessness. I am
Sat & Asat. As Sun I supply heat to the world.
As the Lord of rain I provide rain which causes
all plants to germinate & grow. Fire eats wood,
& both the fire & burnt wood are My forms only.
All that perish, & do not perish are My forms. All
manifest & unmanifest are My forms only.
Though I fill the inside & outside of everything,
none can see Me.
T K G Namboodhiri

23. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verses 9.20 & 9.21
People knowledgeable in the 3 Vedas, Rik, Yajus, & Sama
perform Yajnas according to the scriptures, destroy their
worldly sins & pray for getting into the heaven. As fruits
of their good actions, they go to heaven after death, &
enjoy heavenly pleasures there. After a long time, when
their accumulated virtue is exhausted, return to this
world of birth & death. They then repeat the same
activities as before. Those wo perform these Yajnas
without knowing Me, their actions are fruitless for
reaching Me. They think of heavenly pleasures & forget
Me. So all the virtue they amass are really sins only. The
way to heaven is really a way of sin. Such people remain
indefinitely in the cycle of birth, death, heaven, & birth
again. Those who walk through the way of pure virtue,
i.e. who worship Me, reach Me & enjoy permanent bliss.
T K G Namboodhiri

24. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.22
Those who worship Me, & think about Me
always single-mindedly, I look after all their
physical & spiritual needs & well-being. As a
foetus remains within the womb without any
worry, people, who offer Me their mind & heart
completely, live . They have nothing more dear
than Me. They surrender all their life for Me. I
am their humble servant. I serve them whole-heartedly.
All their duties & responsibilities
become My duties & responsibilities. Those
who desire to serve Me, I grant them divine
love. I fulfil all their desires, & protect all they
have.
T K G Namboodhiri

25. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.23
Those devotees, who with dedication, worship other gods
like Indra, are also worshipping Me only, though not
according to proper procedures to attain liberation. Since
I am the whole universe, their prayers also come to Me.
But their path is wrong. Though the branches & leaves of
a tree have come from the same seed, the tree draws
water only through its roots. So you have to irrigate the
roots for the tree to get it. Though we enjoy the worldly
objects through our 10 sense organs, none feeds his ears
with food, or put sweet smelling flowers to his ears. Food
has to be tasted by the tongue, & smell by the nose.
Similarly, I should be worshipped as Me only. All the
worship without knowing My real form are useless &
fruitless. So all actions should be carried out with a clear
objective.
T K G Namboodhiri

26. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.24
I am the receiver of all Yajnas, & the provider of
their fruits. People do not know My reality.
Hence, without reaching Me, they fall back to
the world of birth & death. Understand that all
offerings to all gods reach Me only. I am the
beginning & the end of all Yajnas. Still,
indiscriminate people forget Me & worship
other gods. The sacred water of Ganga is
offered to ancestors, but it falls back in Ganga
only. Similarly, they give Me all their offerings ,
but believe in other gods. So they do not reach
Me, but reach the gods they worship.
T K G Namboodhiri

27. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.25
Those who worship gods reach those gods, those who worship
their ancestors reach their ancestors, & those who worship
spirits & ghosts, reach them. But those who worship Me, the
Indestructible & the Ultimate, reach Me. Thus one’s actions in
this life give the desired results after death. None can reach Me
through external actions & rites alone. Only through devoted
offering of themselves to Me, they can enjoy the permanent
bliss of My abode. Those who claim to know Me, know nothing.
Those who pride themselves to be perfect are totally imperfect.
Is there anything more knowledgeable than the Vedas? The
Vedas utter “not this, not this” & retreat. Is there anybody who
performs more severe austerities than Siva? Siva sprinkles the
water used to wash My feet, on his head. The Goddess of
prosperity, Lakshmi gets her place of honour only because she
serves Me. So Arjuna, discard pride of wealth & status, & be
humble to others. Completely surrender to Me & become
eligible to merge in Me.
T K G Namboodhiri

28. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.26
Whoever, with pure & selfless devotion offer Me a leaf,
a flower, a fruit, or some water, I accept it with
delight. When My devotee offers Me a fruit with
unbound joy & love, I extend both My hands to receive
it & eat it with relish. Even if he offers Me a dry or
green leaf with deep love, I eat it greedily. If only a
few drops of water which cost nothing & is easily
available, is offered, I accept it as if it is the costliest
present to Me. I do not differentiate the high & low. I
approve only love & devotion. In My devotees I value
the most their devotion & kindness to others. I desire
complete surrender to Me with deep love. For that, you
surrender to Me completely & install Me in your heart.
T K G Namboodhiri

29. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.27
Arjuna, whatever you do, whatever you eat,
whatever oblation you pour into fire, whatever
charity you do, whatever austerities you
practice, do all as offerings to Me. Whatever
way you work, whatever pleasures you enjoy,
whatever Yajnas you do, whatever gifts you give
to deserving persons, whatever salaries you
give to your workers, whatever austerities you
take, do it with utmost sincerity & as offerings
to Me. Do not be proud of your deeds. Then only
your offerings will be selfless & pure.
T K G Namboodhiri

30. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.28
If you offer all your activities to God, you will be released
from the bondage resulting from their virtuous or sinful
fruits of action. By this you become a real renouncer, &
as such you will finally reach Me. A roasted seed does
not germinate. Similarly, the work offered to Me, whether
good or bad, will not yield any fruits. All the works not
offered to Me will result in pleasurable or painful fruits of
action, for enjoying which the performer will have to take
birth again. But when all actions are offered to Me, birth
& death cease, & all the sufferings due to them will
vanish. So Arjuna, you do not have to waste time
worrying about the fruits of your actions. Do not get
attached to the body or sensual pleasures. This is the
simplest way to liberation. Through this route, you get
immersed in My blissful & permanent existence.
T K G Namboodhiri

31. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.29
I exist equally in all components of the universe. I have no
friend or foe. However, whosoever worship Me with sincere
devotion, they exist in Me & I in them. My real form is as the life
force in all creatures of the universe. There is no distinction
between I & you. One who is completely devoid of ego &
worships Me by mind, words & deeds, though looking like
ordinary beings, really, he exists in Me. The complete form of a
large tree exists in each of its seeds, & the seeds exist on the
tree. Similarly, though by name & form in multiplicity, My
devotees & I are related mutually. Truly, they & I are one & the
same. Their attitude of indifference to their physical bodies is
like the attitude of a woman to the rented ornaments she is
wearing. Their ego has been completely destroyed. Like a
flower robbed of its smell still stands on its foot-stalk, they
exist in the body till their death, & their inner light merges with
Me.
T K G Namboodhiri

32. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.30
Even if a person has been completely wicked & sinful, if he
starts worshipping Me sincerely & with devotion, he should be
considered pious because of his strong resolve. One who loves
Me sincerely, even if he belongs to a low caste, he escapes
rebirth. His earlier life may have been that of a great sinner, but
now he has selected the path of devotion. The yearning &
thought at the time of death form the foundation for his next
life. If a bad character, near the end of his life converts to a
pious person worshipping God, he should be considered better
than many. He is like one who fought against a strong current
of water in a river & swam across safely to the other shore. By
his devotion at the end of his life, he has washed away all his
previous sins. In short, one who sincerely worships Me, & offers
all his actions at My feet, crosses the sea of worldly life & gets
liberated from his work-born bondages.
T K G Namboodhiri

33. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.31
A sinful person deciding to worship Me, quickly
becomes pious. Then he attains the eternal
knowledge of Self. Such persons gradually
become one with Me. He never dies as he is
immersed in the elixir of Self-knowledge. Once
the Sun of knowledge rises, the darkness of
ignorance vanishes. When one’s mind &
intellect reach near My form, he really becomes
Me. When a lamp is lit from another lamp, both
look alike. Similarly, one who worships Me
sincerely as all, becomes one with Me. Arjuna,
be sure that My devotee never perishes.
T K G Namboodhiri

34. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.32
Arjuna, offsprings of sinful persons, women, Vaishyas, or
soodras, whoever worship Me sincerely & according to
scriptures, definitely attain the Ultimate Reality. There are
many who were born of sinful parents, low castes, women, & of
low life forms, who through firm devotion to Me, have attained
Me. They sing My praise, their thoughts are filled with My
deeds. They hear only My stories, their limbs are meant for My
service. Consider the case of Prahlada, the child of a Danava,
for whose sake I took the incarnation of Narasimha, & with
devotion, who attained a stature higher than those of gods like
Indra. If all your thoughts are about Me, either as a friend, or as
a foe, through devotion or hatred, you will reach Me. Consider
the cases of Kansa & Jarasandha, who hated Me constantly,
but merged with Me eventually. Whatever path you want to use
to reach Me, if you are persistent, you will reach Me.
T K G Namboodhiri

35. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.33
Virtuous Brahmins & devoted Saint-Kings, will easily
attain Me by worshipping Me. So once you have come to
this impermanent world of sorrows, you worship Me to be
liberated. When even a sinner or low-caste person can
attain Me with devotion, there is no doubt that devoted
Brahmins & Kshatriyas will easily reach Me. Brahmins,
being the noblest of humans deserve the heaven. They
are the carriers of Mantra, & personification of
austerities. All Yajnas reside in them, & the Vedas are
their armour. These worthy “gods of the earth” will
naturally be able to reach Me with unstinted devotion.
People who have taken birth in this impermanent &
imperfect world must immerse themselves in devotion to
Me in order to reach the Eternal Abode of Brahman &
enjoy everlasting Bliss.
T K G Namboodhiri

36. BHAGAVAD GITA
JNANESWARI
Verse 9.34
I being the Supreme Soul, fix your mind on Me,
be devoted to Me, & worship Me. Prostrate
before Me & install Me in your heart. Take
refuge in Me. Let your mind be filled with My
presence, let it overflow with love towards Me.
Knowing that I exist in all being, prostrate
before all. My true devotees have burned off all
their desires, & has unwavering devotion
towards Me. When you become immersed in My
devotion, you will be able to reach My eternal
form. When your mind is filled with My divine
principle, you will reach My permanent Abode &
enjoy eternal Bliss.
T K G Namboodhiri