श्रीमद्भगवद्गीताShrimad Bhagavad Gita 📖 Read as a flipbook

Bhagavad Gita · Raja Vidya Raja Guhya YogaChapter 9, Shloka 2 (9.2)

Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्

राजविद्या राजगुह्यं पवित्रमिदमुत्तमम्
प्रत्यक्षावगमं धर्म्यं सुसुखं कर्तुमव्ययम्
॥ 9.2 ॥

rājavidyā rājaguhyaṃ pavitramidamuttamam
pratyakṣāvagamaṃ dharmyaṃ susukhaṃ kartumavyayam

Translation

"This is the king of sciences, the king of secrets, the supreme purifier, open to direct experience, in keeping with dharma, most joyful to practise, and imperishable."

Interpretation

Six qualities: (1) king of sciences / king of secrets, (2) supreme purifier, (3) directly experienced, (4) in keeping with dharma, (5) easy and joyful to practise, (6) imperishable.

Shankaracharya. rāja-vidyā vidyānāṃ rājā dīpty-atiśayavattvāt — the king of sciences because of its surpassing light; pavitram … aneka-janma-sahasra-saṃcitam api dharmādharmādi samūlaṃ karma kṣaṇa-mātrād eva bhasmīkaroti — it burns to ashes in a single moment the karma stored up over thousands of births; pratyakṣāvagamaṃ pratyakṣeṇa sukhāder iva avagamo yasya — directly experienced, like happiness; dharmyaṃ — something with many virtues might still go against dharma, but this does not; susukhaṃ kartuṃ yathā ratna-viveka-vijñānam — easily accomplished, like the skill of judging gems; and while what is easily accomplished usually brings a small fruit, avyayam … na asya phalataḥ karmavat vyayaḥ — its fruit does not diminish as the fruit of action does.

Acharya Ramanuja — another meaning of "king". Rājñāṃ vidyā iti vā rāja-vidyā, rājāno hi vistīrṇāgādha-manasaḥ — "the science of kings" — kings meaning those of vast and deep minds — the science of the great-souled; pratyakṣāvagamaṃ … bhakti-rūpeṇa upāsanena upāsyamānaḥ ahaṃ tadānīm eva upāsituḥ pratyakṣatām upāgato bhavāmi — worshipped through devotion, I become directly present to the worshipper at that very moment; susukhaṃ … atyartha-priyatvena upādeyam — easy, because it is so deeply loved; and most beautiful of all: avyayam … mat-pradāne kṛte api na kiñcit kṛtaṃ mayā asya iti me pratibhāti — "imperishable" — even after giving myself to one who worships like this, I feel that I have done nothing for him.

The difference: "Direct" — Shankara: knowledge of the self, experienced as one experiences happiness; Ramanuja: the Lord becomes manifest to the devotee in that very moment. "Imperishable" — Shankara: the fruit does not diminish; Ramanuja: the Lord's debt of love is never repaid.

AI-assisted draft translation — under review.

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