Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9, Verse 2

Chapter 9 – Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

राजविद्या राजगुह्यं पवित्रमिदमुत्तमम् ।
प्रत्यक्षावगमं धर्म्यं सुसुखं कर्तुमव्ययम् ॥

Transliteration

rājavidyā rājaguhyaṃ pavitramidamuttamam .
pratyakṣāvagamaṃ dharmyaṃ susukhaṃ kartumavyayam ॥

Meaning

This is the king of sciences, the king of secrets, supremely purifying and excellent. It is known by direct experience, it is in harmony with dharma, it is very easy to practise, and it is imperishable.

Word meanings

राजविद्या – the king of knowledge
राजगुह्यम् – the king of secrets
पवित्रम् – purifying
इदम् – this
उत्तमम् – supreme
प्रत्यक्षावगमम् – realisable by direct experience
धर्म्यम् – consistent with dharma
सुसुखम् – very easy, joyful
कर्तुम् – to practise
अव्ययम् – imperishable

Anvaya (word order)

इदं राजविद्या राजगुह्यम् उत्तमं पवित्रं प्रत्यक्षावगमं धर्म्यं कर्तुं सुसुखम् अव्ययम् (च अस्ति) ।

Explanation

Here Krishna praises the knowledge He is about to give through eight qualities. The first two give the chapter its name: it is raja-vidya, the king among all forms of knowledge, and raja-guhya, the king among all secrets. Every other science serves some limited purpose such as livelihood, comfort or power; this one leads to God Himself, the source of all purposes. As a king stands above his subjects, so this knowledge stands above every other.

It is pavitram uttamam, supremely purifying. Shankara observes that it burns away, root and all, the accumulated karma of countless lives. Pilgrimages and rituals cleanse the outer life, but this understanding purifies the inner instrument itself, the mind and heart from which all action springs.

It is pratyaksha-avagamam, known by direct experience. Its fruit is not postponed to some distant heaven; as a hungry person feels satisfaction with each mouthful, the seeker feels peace and joy in this very life. It is dharmyam, not opposed to righteousness but the very essence of it, so it never asks a person to abandon duty or decency.

It is kartum susukham, very easy to practise. It needs no wealth, no elaborate learning and no fierce austerity; as verse 26 will reveal, a leaf, a flower or a little water offered with love is enough. And it is avyayam, imperishable. The fruits of desire-driven action are exhausted once enjoyed, but what this knowledge gives, union with the Lord, never decays.

This verse is meant to awaken enthusiasm. The highest path usually seems the hardest, yet here the highest is also the easiest. Who would not take up a way that is royal, pure, immediately experienced, righteous, joyful and eternal?

Context

In the previous verse Krishna promised to reveal the most secret knowledge. Here He glorifies it so that Arjuna’s faith and eagerness are awakened. In the next verse He will explain what becomes of those who have no faith in such a teaching.

Life lesson

Spiritual life is not remote or forbidding; the highest path is also the simplest. Its fruit can be tasted here and now as peace and joy. Make this royal knowledge the centre of daily life rather than something kept for later.

Key terms

Raja-vidya: the sovereign science, king of all knowledge
Raja-guhya: the sovereign secret
Pratyakshavagama: verifiable by direct experience
Dharmya: in accord with dharma
Avyaya: imperishable, undiminishing