Therefore Lord Krsna says,

Now we begin the Ninth Chapter. We have finished the Eighth Chapter. We are beginning the Ninth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita. Sri bhagavan uvaca. The Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is speaking. Sri Bhagavan. I have several times described what this word bhagavan means. Bhaga means "opulence," and van means "who possesses." So bhagavan. There is... Everything has definition. So in the Vedic scripture we'll find the definition of God. We have got some conception of God, but in the Vedic literature you'll find definite description, what do we mean by "God." That what do we mean by "God" is described in one word: Sri bhagavan. Bhagavan. Bhaga means opulence, and van means "one who possesses."

So what are the opulences? The opulences are that riches, wealth, and strength and influence and beauty, education, knowledge, and renunciation. These are opulences. Therefore Vedic literature says,

In the Bhagavad-gita you'll find,

So this philosophy, as it is stated in the Isopanisad that isavasyam idam sarvam [Iso mantra 1], "Everything belongs to God...' Everything belongs to God. Nothing belongs to me. Actually, this is the fact. But under illusion we are thinking that "I am the proprietor." So God is proprietor. Therefore He is the richest man. He is the richest man. He's not man, of course; He's God. But He is the richest. So if you find somebody... There are many incarnations of God. Nowadays you'll find, especially in India, there are dozens of incarnations of God. But if you ask him, "Are you the proprietor of everything?" oh, that is very difficult to answer.

These are the checks, how you can understand that who is God. God must be the proprietor of all, everything. And He must be powerful than anyone. When Krsna was present on this earth, nobody could conquer Him. There is not a single instance that Krsna was defeated. So He belonged to the ksatriya family. He identified Himself as ksatriya. The ksatriyas are meant for giving protection to the poor, to the weak. So He belonged to the royal family. So there were so many fightings in His so long He remained on this earth, but in no fight He was defeated. Therefore He was the most powerful. And so far His opulence is concerned, from Bhagavatam we find that He married 16,108 wives, and every wife had a different palace. The palaces are described. And He expanded Himself into 16,108 divisions also. These things we have got in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. If you believe, it is all right, but great acaryas, great scholars of India, they have accepted this fact, that Krsna is God.

Therefore, bhagavan uvaca. Vyasadeva... This Bhagavad-gita was written by Vyasadeva, spoken by Lord Krsna. It was noted by Vyasadeva, and therefore Vyasadeva says, sri bhagavan uvaca: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead said." What does He say?

So here this very word is used, anasuyave. Arjuna is hearing from Lord Krsna without any enviousness. He's accepting what does He say. This is the way of understanding. We cannot understand by our mental speculation what is God. We have to hear, and we have to accept. Otherwise there is no way to understand what is God. So God says that "Because you are not envious, therefore, I speak to you about the most confidential part of knowledge." Jnanam vijnana-sahitam. Vijnana-sahitam means this knowledge is not theoretical, but it is scientific. Whatever knowledge we get from Bhagavad-gita, we should not think that it is sentimentalism or fanaticism. No. They're all vijnanam, science. Jnanam vijnana-sahitam yaj jnatva: "If you become well versed in this confidential part of knowledge, then the result will be moksyase asubhat." Asubhat. Asubha means inauspicious. Our stage of life, our existence in this material world, is asubha, inauspicious, always miserable. Moksyase: "You shall be liberated from this miserable life of material existence if you understand this knowledge."

So let us carefully understand what the Lord says to Arjuna about this knowledge. He says,

Of course, if we accept that "God is great. Let me surrender," then we can accept in a second. But our present position is to become envious of any greatness. So we are also envious of God: "Why shall I surrender unto God? I am independent. I shall work independently." These things are there. Therefore for rectifying these misgivings we have to wait many births. And Lord says, "After many, many births, one who is actually in knowledge, he surrenders unto Me. He surrenders." Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19].

How? How does he show? Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah: [Bg. 7.19] "Because after many, many births' philosophical research, he can understand, 'God is everything. God is everything.' " The whole Bhagavad-gita teaches this very science. God is everything. We are also part and parcel of God. So vasudevah sarvam iti: [Bg. 7.19] "One who understands that 'Vasudeva, God, or Lord Sri Krsna...' " Sri Krsna means God. If there is any perfect name of God, that is Sri Krsna. Why?

So therefore Krsna, Krsna is a scientific name of God. So Vasudeva, that Krsna's another... Krsna has many names. Vasudeva. Vasudeva means "all-pervading." So vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19]. After many, many births, if one comes to this understanding that "Vasudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is everything," that is his perfection of knowledge. That is his perfection of knowledge. And at that time he surrenders. Sa mahatma sudurlabhah. That sort of, I mean to say, great soul, mahatma... Mahatma means great soul. You have... Perhaps you have heard mahatma, the word, Indian word. Mahatma is a designation of a person who is a surrendered soul to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He's called mahatma. He's not... Mahatma means "great," "expanding, expanded." Ha. So one who becomes a devotee of the Lord, automatically he becomes expanded. Therefore mahatma means one whose heart is expanded.

Here Krsna says that raja-vidya, raja-vidya: "The knowledge which I am just trying to impart, this is raja-vidya, the king of all knowledge." Raja-vidya. Raja means "king," and vidya means "knowledge." There are... Just like in our ordinary course of life we find somebody king, somebody subject, similarly, He's comparing this knowledge as the topmost, the king of all knowledge. Raja-vidya raja-guhyam. Raja-guhyam means "very confidential." And pavitram. Pavitram means "very pure," idam, "this knowledge." And uttamam. Uttamam means "which is transcendental." Ut means "trans-," and tama means "darkness." So uttama means "the knowledge which is beyond this material darkness." This material world is called darkness, and when the knowledge surpasses this material world, material knowledge, that is really called uttama. Udgata-tamam yasmat: "from which the darkness has been separated." Light, the knowledge of light...

So uttamam. Pratyaksa avagamam. Pratyaksa avagamam means if you follow this path, then you will personally understand how far you are advancing. How far you have become on the path of perfection, you yourself will understand. Nobody will require to certify that "You have advanced so much." You'll understand yourself. Pratyaksa avagamam dharmyam. Dharmyam means the religious principles. Pratyaksa avagamam dharmyam susukham. Susukham means that it is very happy to execute. Very happy to execute. Susukham kartum avyayam [Bg. 9.2]. And if you perform it, it will have never any lapse. It is permanent, permanent. We do many things which is, has no permanent effect, which has no permanent... Suppose we work in this material world for some perfection of education, or perfection of business. We get, amass a vast amount of money. But that is not avyayam. That is not eternal. As soon as your body is finished, everything is finished. Your education finished, your M.A. degree finished, your bank balance finished, and everything, your family finishedeverything finished. Now again begin life. Vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya [Bg. 2.22].

So therefore anything, whatever you are doing in this material world, that is not avyayam. That is not eternal. Temporary. Temporary. So this knowledge is not like that. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat: "The Krsna consciousness knowledge is so perfect that even if you do one percent, two percent execute, then it can help you to..., help you protection from the greatest danger." Svalpam apy asya dharmasya. And besides that, suppose in this life I perform work in Krsna consciousness, say twenty-five percent. I am not perfect. My next life will begin from twenty-sixth point. So much, what I have acquired in this life, that is not lost.

These are the formulas we get from authoritative scripture. But material achievement, that is due... Because it is pertaining to this body, this designation, therefore it finishes with the finish of this designation. These are our all designations. This body... I am thinking, "I am American." I am thinking, "I am Indian." These are all our designations. So designation will finish, and there is no certainty what sort of body I am going to have in my next life. There are... Any thing, any material acquisition, that is not permanent. But this knowledge, this devotional service of the Lord, to act in Krsna consciousness, is permanent, whatever you do. If you can do it perfectly, this is the..., in this very life you get entrance into the kingdom of God. But even if you are not able to make it perfection, still, whatever you do, that will go with you, because you are spirit soul.

So your spiritual activities will be with you. And because the matter, material body, will remain in this material world, therefore any work, an assessment of this material body, will remain in this material world. This is the formula. So Krsna will explain by and by about this formula which is described here as the king of knowledge and the very confidential and transcendental and very happily done. Happily done.

Now, to act in Krsna consciousness, the devotional service, you can understand it, how happily it is done. Now, take for example what we are doing here. We are singing, we are dancing, we are taking nice prasadam offered to Krsna and chanting and discussing Bhagavad-gita philosophy. Oh, these are the processes. These are the processes. We are not meant for any stringent rules and regulation or gymnastic or breathing control, so many things, as they are described and they are performed by many different sections. But here it is very easy and happily done. Everyone wants to dance. Everyone wants to sing. Everyone wants to eat. Through this formuladancing, singing and eating Krsna prasada and hearing philosophical discussion, transcendental topics from Bhagavad-gitaso don't you think it is very happy? Susukham. And whatever we acquire, it is permanent. Whatever knowledge you acquire, that is permanent. That is not going to be finished with the finish of your body. It is such a nice thing. So we are trying to impart this philosophy in your country. So we invite your cooperation. As Lord Krsna says, it is very nice thing. Susukham kartum avyayam [Bg. 9.2]. And vijnanam. Vijnanam means it is scientific. It is not a sentiment or fanaticism. It is scientific. So try to understand this philosophy of Krsna consciousness from Bhagavad-gita and help yourself, help your countrymen, help the world. There will be peace and prosperity.

Thank you very much. Any question? (end)