अहं सर्वस्य प्रभवो मत्त: सर्वं प्रवर्तते ।
इति मत्वा भजन्ते मां बुधा भावसमन्विता: ॥ ८ ॥

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
iti matvā bhajante māṁ
budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

Translation

I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.

TEXT 9

मच्च‍ित्ता मद्ग‍तप्राणा बोधयन्त: परस्परम् ।
कथयन्तश्च मां नित्यं तुष्यन्ति च रमन्ति च ॥ ९ ॥

mac-cittā mad-gata-prāṇā
bodhayantaḥ parasparam
kathayantaś ca māṁ nityaṁ
tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca

Translation

The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and conversing about Me.

TEXT 10

तेषां सततयुक्तानां भजतां प्रीतिपूर्वकम् ।
ददामि बुद्धियोगं तं येन मामुपयान्ति ते ॥ १० ॥

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ
yena mām upayānti te

Translation

To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.

TEXT 11

तेषामेवानुकम्पार्थमहमज्ञानजं तम: ।
नाशयाम्यात्मभावस्थो ज्ञानदीपेन भास्वता ॥ ११ ॥

teṣām evānukampārtham
aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ
nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva-stho
jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā

Translation

To show them special mercy, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.

What about philosophy, training, and discipline? If bhakti is not dependent on scholarship or stoicism, where does the practitioner gain the wisdom that dispels ignorance?

Readings

Bg. 10.11

    teṣām evānukampārtham

        aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ

    nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva-stho

        jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā

Synonyms

teṣām — for them;

eva — certainly;

anukampā-artham — to show special mercy;

aham — I;

ajñāna-jam — due to ignorance;

tamaḥ — darkness;

nāśayāmi — dispel;

ātma-bhāva — within their hearts;

sthaḥ — situated;

jñāna — of knowledge;

dīpena — with the lamp;

bhāsvatā — glowing.

Translation

To show them special mercy, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.

Purport

When Lord Caitanya was in Benares promulgating the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, thousands of people were following Him. Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, a very influential and learned scholar in Benares at that time, derided Lord Caitanya for being a sentimentalist. Sometimes Māyāvādī philosophers criticize the devotees because they think that most of the devotees are in the darkness of ignorance and are philosophically naive sentimentalists. Actually that is not the fact. There are very, very learned scholars who have put forward the philosophy of devotion. But even if a devotee does not take advantage of their literatures or of his spiritual master, if he is sincere in his devotional service he is helped by Kṛṣṇa Himself within his heart. So the sincere devotee engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be without knowledge. The only qualification is that one carry out devotional service in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

The Māyāvādī philosophers think that without discriminating one cannot have pure knowledge. For them this answer is given by the Supreme Lord: those who are engaged in pure devotional service, even though they be without sufficient education and even without sufficient knowledge of the Vedic principles, are still helped by the Supreme God, as stated in this verse.

The Lord tells Arjuna that basically there is no possibility of understanding the Supreme Truth, the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, simply by speculating, for the Supreme Truth is so great that it is not possible to understand Him or to achieve Him simply by making a mental effort. Man can go on speculating for several millions of years, and if he is not devoted, if he is not a lover of the Supreme Truth, he will never understand Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Truth. Only by devotional service is the Supreme Truth, Kṛṣṇa, pleased, and by His inconceivable energy He can reveal Himself to the heart of the pure devotee. The pure devotee always has Kṛṣṇa within his heart; and with the presence of Kṛṣṇa, who is just like the sun, the darkness of ignorance is at once dissipated. This is the special mercy rendered to the pure devotee by Kṛṣṇa.

Due to the contamination of material association, through many, many millions of births, one’s heart is always covered with the dust of materialism, but when one engages in devotional service and constantly chants Hare Kṛṣṇa, the dust quickly clears, and one is elevated to the platform of pure knowledge. The ultimate goal, Viṣṇu, can be attained only by this chant and by devotional service, and not by mental speculation or argument. The pure devotee does not have to worry about the material necessities of life; he need not be anxious, because when he removes the darkness from his heart, everything is provided automatically by the Supreme Lord, who is pleased by the loving devotional service of the devotee. This is the essence of the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā. By studying Bhagavad-gītā, one can become a soul completely surrendered to the Supreme Lord and engage himself in pure devotional service. As the Lord takes charge, one becomes completely free from all kinds of materialistic endeavors.

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Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura - Sārārtha Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

11. To show favor to them, situated in their mental functions, I personally extinguish the darkness born of ignorance with the shining lamp of knowledge.

“Without the functioning of knowledge and other such elements, how can they attain you and how can they even strive for that goal?”

All this is not at all necessary. Having the intention of giving them mercy by all means, even without their having to worry about attaining my mercy, since I myself make the endeavor to give them mercy (teṣam eva anukampārtham), I, being situated within the functioning of their intellects (ātma-bhāvasthaḥ)--by the lamp of knowledge, knowledge arising from bhakti which is beyond the guṇas, not sattvic knowledge, since bhakti alone can reveal me--destroy the darkness born of ignorance in them alone, and not in other persons such as the yogīs. I alone (aham eva) do this, all on my own. Why should they strive for this purpose? I have already said that I carry the responsibility of their spiritual and material welfare (yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham). I accept responsibility to supply all their material and spiritual requirements. These famous four verses which have been narrated are the essence of all topics in the Gītā, removing the misery and producing complete joy for the jīvas.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa- Gītā Bhūṣaṇa

To show favor to them, I, by Myself, situated within them, extinguish the darkness born of ignorance with the shining lamp of knowledge.

“Since they have been existing in the darkness of ignorance for such a long time, how is it possible that You can illuminate their hearts?”

Not for the saniṣṭhas1, but for those who cannot maintain their lives without Me, for My unalloyed devotees alone (teṣam eva), since they are worthy objects of My mercy (anukampārtham), I, situated with attachment for those souls (ātma-bhāva-sthaḥ), like a bee in the lotus flower, reveal in their ātmās My dazzling form and qualities. I destroy darkness in the form of desires for objects other than Myself born from ignorance in the form of beginningless karma which covers knowledge (ajñāna-jam tamaḥ), by means of the glowing lamp of knowledge (jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā) concerning My form and qualities. I, who am satisfied with their exclusive devotion to Me, who bear the responsibility for bestowing and preserving whatever they need (yoga-kṣema), elevate their intelligence and destroy the ignorance within. I bear the responsibility for all this. They do not have to take pains for this at all. This has already been stated (with yoga-kṣema vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). The intelligent people understand that what is proclaimed in the ninth and tenth chapters, the very womb of the Gītā,2 is the essential meaning of the Gītā.

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Readings

Bg. 10.10

    teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ

        bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam

    dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ

        yena mām upayānti te

Synonyms

teṣām — unto them;

satata-yuktānām — always engaged;

bhajatām — in rendering devotional service;

prīti-pūrvakam — in loving ecstasy;

dadāmi— I give;

buddhi-yogam — real intelligence;

tam — that;

yena — by which;

mām — unto Me;

upayānti — come;

te — they.

Translation

To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.

Purport

In this verse the word buddhi-yogam is very significant. We may remember that in the Second Chapter the Lord, instructing Arjuna, said that He had spoken to him of many things and that He would instruct him in the way of buddhi-yoga. Now buddhi-yoga is explained. Buddhi-yoga itself is action in Kṛṣṇa consciousness; that is the highest intelligence. Buddhi means intelligence, and yoga means mystic activities or mystic elevation. When one tries to go back home, back to Godhead, and takes fully to Kṛṣṇa consciousness in devotional service, his action is called buddhi-yoga. In other words, buddhi-yoga is the process by which one gets out of the entanglement of this material world. The ultimate goal of progress is Kṛṣṇa. People do not know this; therefore the association of devotees and a bona fide spiritual master are important. One should know that the goal is Kṛṣṇa, and when the goal is assigned, then the path is slowly but progressively traversed, and the ultimate goal is achieved.

When a person knows the goal of life but is addicted to the fruits of activities, he is acting in karma-yoga. When he knows that the goal is Kṛṣṇa but he takes pleasure in mental speculations to understand Kṛṣṇa, he is acting in jñāna-yoga. And when he knows the goal and seeks Kṛṣṇa completely in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service, he is acting in bhakti-yoga, or buddhi-yoga, which is the complete yoga. This complete yoga is the highest perfectional stage of life.

A person may have a bona fide spiritual master and may be attached to a spiritual organization, but if he is still not intelligent enough to make progress, then Kṛṣṇa from within gives him instructions so that he may ultimately come to Him without difficulty. The qualification is that a person always engage himself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and with love and devotion render all kinds of services. He should perform some sort of work for Kṛṣṇa, and that work should be with love. If a devotee is not intelligent enough to make progress on the path of self-realization but is sincere and devoted to the activities of devotional service, the Lord gives him a chance to make progress and ultimately attain to Him.

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Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura - Sārārtha Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

10. I appear within the hearts of those who constantly desire to be with me and worship me with great love. By this appearance in their heart, they attain my direct association.

“It is understood that the joy of the devotee described in the previous verse is spiritual bliss beyond the modes. But by which method do the devotees gain direct contact with you? Who gives them the method of realizing you?”  Anticipating such a question, the Lord speaks this verse.

I give buddhi-yoga (bhakti) to those who are constantly desirous of association with me (satata-yuktānām). This means that the Lord alone causes buddhi-yoga (bhakti-yoga)—I alone appear within the functions of their minds. This buddhi-yoga cannot be obtained at all from any other source and it does not appear on its own. The statement means that realization of me is given only by me and received only by the devotee. By this bhakti, they attain me; they attain direct association with me (upayānti—they come near me).

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa- Gītā Bhūṣaṇa

To those who constantly desire to be with Me and worship Me with great love, I give the intelligence by which they attain My direct association.

“But how is it possible for them to realize You as being endowed with infinite forms, qualities and powers just through the teachings of a guru?”

For those who desire constant association with Me (satata-yuktānām) and who worship Me with pleasure (prīti-pūrvakam) which arises from understanding Me as I really am,[1] I, relishing their devotion to Me, offer to them intelligence (buddhi-yogam). I produce in them the intelligence by which they can understand Me, endowed with infinite qualities and powers (guṇas and vibhūtis), and by which they can then worship Me and attain Me.

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Taking our BMW, our Body, Mind, and Words, along the road of pure devotion and we will certainly arrive at the destination of prema, full of satisfaction and bliss.

Readings

Bg. 10.9

    mac-cittā mad-gata-prāṇā

        bodhayantaḥ parasparam

    kathayantaś ca māṁ nityaṁ

        tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca

Synonyms

mat-cittāḥ — their minds fully engaged in Me;

mat-gata-prāṇāḥ — their lives devoted to Me;

bodhayantaḥ — preaching;

parasparam — among themselves;

kathayantaḥ — talking;

ca — also;

mām — about Me;

nityam — perpetually;

tuṣyanti — become pleased;

ca — also;

ramanti — enjoy transcendental bliss;

ca — also.

Translation

The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and conversing about Me.

Purport

Pure devotees, whose characteristics are mentioned here, engage themselves fully in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Their minds cannot be diverted from the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Their talks are solely on the transcendental subjects. The symptoms of the pure devotees are described in this verse specifically. Devotees of the Supreme Lord are twenty-four hours daily engaged in glorifying the qualities and pastimes of the Supreme Lord. Their hearts and souls are constantly submerged in Kṛṣṇa, and they take pleasure in discussing Him with other devotees.

In the preliminary stage of devotional service they relish the transcendental pleasure from the service itself, and in the mature stage they are actually situated in love of God. Once situated in that transcendental position, they can relish the highest perfection which is exhibited by the Lord in His abode. Lord Caitanya likens transcendental devotional service to the sowing of a seed in the heart of the living entity. There are innumerable living entities traveling throughout the different planets of the universe, and out of them there are a few who are fortunate enough to meet a pure devotee and get the chance to understand devotional service. This devotional service is just like a seed, and if it is sown in the heart of a living entity, and if he goes on hearing and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, that seed fructifies, just as the seed of a tree fructifies with regular watering. The spiritual plant of devotional service gradually grows and grows until it penetrates the covering of the material universe and enters into the brahma-jyotir effulgence in the spiritual sky. In the spiritual sky also that plant grows more and more until it reaches the highest planet, which is called Goloka Vṛndāvana, the supreme planet of Kṛṣṇa. Ultimately, the plant takes shelter under the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and rests there. Gradually, as a plant grows fruits and flowers, that plant of devotional service also produces fruits, and the watering process in the form of chanting and hearing goes on. This plant of devotional service is fully described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā, Chapter Nineteen). It is explained there that when the complete plant takes shelter under the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, one becomes fully absorbed in love of God; then he cannot live even for a moment without being in contact with the Supreme Lord, just as a fish cannot live without water. In such a state, the devotee actually attains the transcendental qualities in contact with the Supreme Lord.

The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is also full of such narrations about the relationship between the Supreme Lord and His devotees; therefore the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is very dear to the devotees, as stated in the Bhāgavatam itself (12.13.18). Śrīmad-bhāgavataṁ purāṇam amalaṁ yad vaiṣṇavānāṁ priyam. In this narration there is nothing about material activities, economic development, sense gratification or liberation. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the only narration in which the transcendental nature of the Supreme Lord and His devotees is fully described. Thus the realized souls in Kṛṣṇa consciousness take continual pleasure in hearing such transcendental literatures, just as a young boy and girl take pleasure in association.

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Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura - Sārārtha Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

9. With minds greedy for me, being completely dependent on me, mutually hearing about me, and singing about me, they continuously experience satisfaction and enjoyment.

Such ananya-bhaktas, who have attained spiritual intelligence (buddhi-yoga) by my mercy, attain factual knowledge of me mentioned previously, which is hard to understand.

Their minds are greedy for my form, name, qualities pastimes and the taste of sweetness (mac-cittāḥ). They are unable to maintain their lives without me (mad-gata-prāṇāḥ), just as men are completely dedicated to food (anna-gata-prāṇa-nara), since they depend on it to live. They explain to each other with friendliness about the types of bhakti and the real nature of bhakti (bodhayantaḥ). They talk about me, a great ocean of very sweet form, qualities and pastimes (kathayantaḥ) and glorify me by narrating about my form, qualities and pastimes. Since smaraṇa (mac-cittāḥ), śravaṇa (bodhayantaḥ) and kīrtana (kathayantaḥ) are the best among all types of bhakti, they have been specifically mentioned here. Thus, by this bhakti alone, these devotees are satisfied and experience happiness. This is a description of their internal experience.

Or the meaning of “satisfaction and enjoyment” can be as follows. They are satisfied (tuṣyanti) even at the stage of sādhana, by continual performance of their worship brought about by good fortune, and they take pleasure (ramanti) in thinking of their future attainment of prema, and enjoy with their Lord through the mind. This interpretation indicates rāgānuga-bhakti.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa- Gītā Bhūṣaṇa

With minds absorbed in Me, completely dependent on Me, mutually informing each other about Me and speaking about Me, they continuously experience satisfaction and enjoyment.

This verse describes the process of bhakti. The devotees are absorbed in remembering Me (mat-cittā). They cannot maintain their lives without Me, just as fish cannot live without water (mad-gata-prāṇā). They reveal to each other My form, qualities and beauty (bodhayantaḥ parasparam). They speak about Me, an ocean of affection for the devotee, and about My extremely variegated pastimes. In this way, by worship in the form of remembering, hearing and chanting, they are satisfied (tuṣyanti), as if drinking nectar. And they enjoy or relish this (ramanti), just as a young boy enjoys the smiling glances of a young girl.

Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura

The character of such exclusive devotees is this: Having completely offered their hearts and prāṇa to me, they speak with each other about the Lord, exchanging affection. By this hearing and chanting they attain happiness of bhakti at the stage of sādhana, and the happiness of amorous love and enjoyment in mādhurya-rasa within Vraja’s rasas on the path of rāga at the stage of perfection, i.e. on attaining the stage of prema.

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Learning about the qualities and accomplishments of someone we love naturally deepens our appreciation for them. In this chapter, Kṛṣṇa reveals more of Himself—not to inspire awe alone, but to awaken love. Beginning with His position as the source of all that exists, He explains how such understanding matures into steady devotion and loving remembrance.

Readings

Bg. 10.8

अहं सर्वस्य प्रभवो मत्त: सर्वं प्रवर्तते ।
इति मत्वा भजन्ते मां बुधा भावसमन्विता: ॥ ८ ॥

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
iti matvā bhajante māṁ
budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

Synonyms

aham — I;

sarvasya — of all;

prabhavaḥ — the source of generation;

mattaḥ — from Me;

sarvam — everything;

pravartate — emanates;

iti — thus;

matvā — knowing;

bhajante — become devoted;

mām — unto Me;

budhāḥ — the learned;

bhāva-samanvitāḥ — with great attention.

Translation

I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.

Summary from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s purport:

A genuine student of the Vedas, understands Kṛṣṇa to be the original source of both the material and spiritual worlds. Realizing this, one naturally becomes firmly established in bhakti-yoga.

To demonstrate that this conclusion is rooted throughout the Vedic tradition, Śrīla Prabhupāda cites numerous passages from the Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad (1.24), Nārāyaṇa Upaniṣad (1, 4), Mahā Upaniṣad (1.2), Mahābhārata (Mokṣa-dharma), and Varāha Purāṇa, all affirming Kṛṣṇa’s supremacy as the source of Brahmā, Śiva, and all other beings.

Understanding Kṛṣṇa through guru, śāstra, and paramparā protects one from off track interpretations and firmly establishes one in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Click here read the purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura - Sārārtha Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

…As well, because of me alone, in the form of avatāras like Nārada (mattaḥ), all the spiritual sādhanas such as bhakti, jñāna, tapas and karma and the goals of these sādhanas operate (sarvaṁ pravartate)…

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa- Gītā Bhūṣaṇa

…Lord is the material and efficient cause (upādāna and nimitta) of everything that exists besides Himself. Whatever arises from Me acts because of Me. All of their operations depend on Me:…

Rāmānujācarya

… ‘bhava' is a particular disposition, here a loving disposition, of the mind. The meaning is that they worship Me with intense yearning of the heart.…

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