CHAPTER 9: THE YOGA OF CONFIDENTIALITY

On the confidential of knowledge

(1) The Supreme Lord said: 'What I am telling now is the most confidential knowledge of selfrealization [reserved] for those who are not envious. With the knowing of it you will be released from worldly miseries. (2) It is the King of knowledge and the confidential, it is the purest, transcendental and understood by direct experience, it is of the righteous, very happy in its practice and everlasting.

(3) Persons without faith in the path of righteousness, oh  killer of the enemies, do not attain Me and will upon dying return to the path of material motivation. (4) [As said:] By the unmanifest of Me this entire cosmic manifestation is pervaded, all living entities are in Me and I am not [completely] in them. (5) Never either is all creation [as such] fixed in Me; behold My mystic union: sustaining all and not being in them also, is My Self the source of all. (6) Try to understand that, like the mighty wind that is always in the sky blowing everywhere, I likewise [exist with] all created beings that are within Me. (7) All beings, oh son of Kuntî, merge at the end of an era in My original form [material nature] and at the beginning of an era all those I create again. (8) Descending into My material nature I again and again create all of the cosmic manifestation of which the sum total is delivered to My compelling force. (9) And to those activities I am never bound, oh conqueror of wealth, as I am in the neutral without being attracted to the fruitive action. (10) By my superintendence the material of nature manifests both the moving and the unmoving and for this reason, [for the sake of My being], oh son of Kuntî, is the cosmic manifestation working.

(11) The foolish look down upon My having assumed the human form, not knowing of My transcendental nature and that I am the Great Lord of all. (12) Baffled in their hopes, fruitive actions and knowledge, those who are bewildered take to demoniac and atheistic views and also surely to the delusional of material nature [materialism]. (13) But the great souls, oh son of Prithâ, who have taken to the shelter of My divine nature, render service without their minds deviating and know of the inexhaustible origin of creation. (14) Always singing about Me and also endeavoring with determination they offer Me their obeisances, perpetually engaged in the worship of their devotion. (15) Also cultivating knowledge others sacrificing worship Me as the oneness in the diversity of the universal form. (16) I am the ritual, the sacrifice, the oblation and I am the medicinal herb, the mantra and also for sure the clarified butter, the fire and the offering. (17) Of this universe I am the father, the mother, the supporter, the grandfather, that what is to be known, that what purifies, the pranava AUM and surely the Rig-, Sâma- and the Yayur-Veda. (18) The goal, the sustainer, the master, the witness, the refuge, the most intimate friend, the origin, the dissolution, the ground of being, the resting place and the imperishable seed [I am]. (19) I give heat, I bring and withhold the rain and I am immortality and surely death and both the subtle [the true] and the gross [the untrue], Arjuna.

(20) The knowers of the three Vedas, these Soma [mixed with clarified butter and fermented acid of a climbing plant used by the brahmins]-drinkers who are freed from sins, worship Me with sacrifices and pray for their passage to heaven - they attain the world of Indra [the king of heaven] and enjoy the celestial pleasures of the gods there. (21) After they, taking pleasure in that vast heaven, have exhausted the merit of their good deeds, they fall back into the mortal world again and thus do those who desire sense-enjoyment in following the doctrines of the three Vedas attain birth and death. (22) But of those persons who concentrate on nothing else but Me and who are fixed in devotion in proper worship, I protect the union and to them I carry what they need. (23) Even though those who are the devotees of other gods with faith also worship Me only, oh son of Kuntî, they worship Me the wrong way. (24) I am certainly of all sacrifices the enjoyer and the controller as well; they who do not know Me in reality fall down therefore. (25) [As said:] worshippers of the godly go to the gods, worshipers of the ancestors go to the forefathers, they who worship spirits go to them and My devotees come to Me. (26) Whoever offers Me a leaf, a flower, a fruit, and water with devotion, that offer brought from the heart by a soul of good habits I accept. (27) Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer, whatever you give away or whatever austerity you are in, oh  son of Kuntî, do that as an offering towards Me. (28) Thus you will be freed from the auspicious and inauspicious consequences of being bound by karma and liberated in having your mind set on the renunciation in this yoga, you will attain Me.

(29) I am equal to all living entities, no one is disliked or favored by Me, but those persons who render transcendental service to Me in devotion are in Me and I also certainly am [partially] in them. (30) Even if one committing the most abominable action is engaged in devotional service unto Me without deviation, he is to be considered a saint as he is complete in his determination. (31) Very soon he becomes righteous and attains lasting peace, oh  son of Kuntî; do proclaim that my devotee never perishes! (32) And also in particularly those who take shelter from Me, oh  son of Prithâ, who are born from sin, who are women, of the trading business and also the laborers; even they will attain the supreme destination. (33) What then again [would be true] for righteous brahmins, devotees and saintly rulers who also gained this temporary world full of miseries - be in loving service towards Me. (34) Always thinking of Me, become My devotee, My worshiper and thus devoted to Me, offering Me obeisances, your soul will become fully aligned.'

 

 

 

 

Filognostic* understanding of the Bhagavad Gîtâ of Order

Text 1

The Supreme Lord said: 'What I am telling now is the most confidential knowledge of selfrealization [reserved] for those who are not envious. With the knowing of it you will be released from worldly miseries.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

The one of fortune said: 'What I'm going to tell you now is the most confidential type of wisdom and knowledge and is reserved for those who are free from envy; your knowing about it will free you from all worldly miseries. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 2

It is the King of knowledge and the confidential, it is the purest, transcendental and understood by direct experience, it is of the righteous, very happy in its practice and everlasting.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

It is the absolute ruler of all knowledge and confidence, it is the purest and utter intelligence of practical experience, it defines the religiousness, it is everlasting and brings happiness once it is put into practice. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 3

Persons without faith in the path of righteousness, oh  killer of the enemies, do not attain Me and will upon dying return to the way of material motivation.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Persons without faith in this way of connecting oneself, oh  conqueror of your foes, will on the path of a material existence altogether missing me, return after they have died. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 4

[As said:] By the unmanifest of Me this entire cosmic manifestation is pervaded, all living entities are in Me and I am not [completely] in them.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

By my unseen form this entire cosmic manifestation is pervaded; all beings are thus found in me while on the other hand the complete of me cannot be found in them. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 5

Never either is all creation [as such] fixed in Me; behold My mystic union: sustaining all and not being in them also, is My Self the source of all.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Nor will anything of what separately exists remain in me; understand my majestic union: as the original self being the source of all creation am I, as the maintainer of all that is created, never completely within whatever that is created. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 6

Try to understand that, like the mighty wind that is always in the sky blowing everywhere, I likewise exist with all created beings that are within Me.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Think of it this way: just as it is with the mighty wind blowing everywhere in the sky, it is with all the beings living everywhere within me. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 7

All beings, oh  son of Kuntî, merge at the end of an era in My original form [material nature] and at the beginning of an era all those I create again.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Oh son of aunt Kuntî, at the end of a day of creation all living beings merge with the totality of my material nature and at the beginning of such a day they are all created, or conditioned, anew. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 8

Descending into My material nature I again and again create all of the cosmic manifestation of which the sum total is delivered to My compelling force.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Entering into this material nature of mine I, over and over, create all of the cosmic manifestation, the complete of which is delivered to my compelling, ethereal force. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 9

And to those activities I am never bound, oh conqueror of wealth, as I am in the neutral without being attracted to the fruitive action.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

And to those actions I am never bound, oh winner of the wealth, for I am of a neutral position in not being attracted to the fruit-bearing action. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 10

By my superintendence the material of nature manifests both the moving and the unmoving and for this reason, [for the sake of My being], oh son of Kuntî, is the cosmic manifestation working.

 FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Under my supervision material nature is manifesting both the moving and the non-moving entities, and this supervision is for the living being, oh son of Kuntî, the reason, the motive, to exist. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 11

The foolish look down upon My having assumed the human form, not knowing of My transcendental nature and that I am the Great Lord of all.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Fools, not knowing my transcendental nature, my supreme lordship over all, deride me for my having assumed a human form. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 12

Baffled in their hopes, fruitive actions and knowledge, those who are bewildered take to demoniac and atheistic views and also surely to the delusional of material nature [materialism].

 FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Disappointed in their expectations, profit motives and their knowledge the bewildered ones take to atheistic and demoniac, delusional views of a materialistic nature. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 13

But the great souls, oh son of Prithâ, who have taken to the shelter of My divine nature, render service without their minds deviating and know of the inexhaustible origin of creation.

 FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

But, oh son of Prithâ, the great souls who take to the shelter of my divine nature, know about the inexhaustible source of creation and are of devotion with a mind that doesn't wander off. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 14

Always singing about Me and also endeavoring with determination they offer Me their obeisances, perpetually engaged in the worship of their devotion.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Full of devotion endeavoring with determination, they are always singing about me and offer me, constantly engaged in worship, their obeisance. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 15

Also cultivating knowledge others sacrificing worship Me as the oneness in the diversity of the universal form.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Others are of sacrifice with the knowledge they offer in the worship of me as the oneness in the rich diversity of the universal form. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 16

I am the ritual, the sacrifice, the oblation and I am the medicinal herb, the mantra and also for sure the clarified butter, the fire and the offering.

 SANSKRIT  

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

I am the ritual, the sacrifice and the flavor; I am the curative herb and I am the mantra; I am the oblation, the fire and the offering. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 17

Of this universe I am the father, the mother, the supporter, the grandfather, that what is to be known, that what purifies, the pranava AUM and surely the Rig-, Sâma- and the Yayur-Veda.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

I am of the living being the father, the mother, the supporter and the ancestor; I am that what's to be known, that what purifies, the syllable AUM and the Rig-, the Yayur- and Sâmaveda as well. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 18

The goal, the sustainer, the master, the witness, the refuge, the most intimate friend, the origin, the dissolution, the ground of being, the resting place and the imperishable seed [I am].

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

I am the goal, the sustainer and the master; the witness, the abode and the refuge; I am the best friend, the creation and the dissolution; I am the foundation, the seed that doesn't perish and the resting place. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 19

I give heat, I bring and withhold the rain and I am immortality and surely death and both the subtle [the true] and the gross [the untrue], Arjuna.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

I give heat, bring and withhold the rain; I am immortality, death and the being as also the not being oh Arjuna. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 20

The knowers of the three Vedas, these Soma [mixed with clarified butter and fermented acid of a climbing plant used by the brahmins]-drinkers who are freed from sins, worship Me with sacrifices and pray for their passage to heaven - they attain the world of Indra [the king of heaven] and enjoy the celestial pleasures of the gods there.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Those who know the three Vedas, they who freed from their sins, drink from the soma and, worshiping with sacrifices, pray for their passage to heaven, reach the world of Indra and enjoy the celestial pleasures of the gods. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 21

After they, taking pleasure in that vast heaven, have exhausted the merit of their good deeds, they fall back into the mortal world again and thus do those who desire sense-enjoyment in following the doctrines of the three Vedas attain birth and death.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

After they, having enjoyed that vast heaven, reached the end of their pious deeds, they enter the world of the mortals. They, who are so faithful with the culture of the mantras, devotional songs and prayers, thus arrive at the life and loss of desiring in lust. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 22

But of those persons who concentrate on nothing else but Me and who are fixed in devotion in proper worship, I protect the union and to them I carry what they need

 FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

But they who concentrate with no one but me as their object of reverence, those persons, who always fixed in devotion are of proper worship, I protect and provide what they need. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 23

Even though those who are the devotees of other gods with faith also worship Me only, oh son of Kuntî, they worship Me the wrong way.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Even though the ones devoted to lesser gods are also of an exclusive faith and worship in relation to me, they are not of worship according to the regulative principles3 oh son of Kuntî. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 24

I am certainly of all sacrifices the enjoyer and the controller as well; they who do not know Me in reality fall down therefore.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Since I am the enjoyer and master of all sacrifices, they who do not know me to the principle fall away from the divine. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 25

[As said:] worshippers of the godly go to the gods, worshipers of the ancestors go to the forefathers, they who worship spirits go to them and My devotees come to Me.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Those who observe the lesser gods, find the lesser gods; those who respect the ancestors, go to them; those who worship ghosts and spirits reach those entities; but my devotees reach me. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 26

Whoever offers Me a leaf, a flower, a fruit and water with devotion, that offer brought from the heart by a soul of good habits I accept.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Anyone faithful to the principles who, devoted to me, offers me a leaf, a flower, a fruit and water9, is making an offering acceptable to me. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 27

Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer, whatever you give away or whatever austerity you are in, oh  son of Kuntî, do that as an offering towards Me.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Do whatever you eat, give away in charity, or sacrifice in your renunciation, as an offering to me, oh son of aunt Prithâ. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 28

Thus you will be freed from the auspicious and inauspicious consequences of being bound by karma and liberated in having your mind set on the renunciation in this yoga, you will attain Me.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Thus free from the bright as also the dark side of being bound to profit-minded labor you will, liberated, with your mind connected in yogic renunciation, reach me. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 29

I am equal to all living entities, no one is disliked or favored by Me, but those persons who render transcendental service to Me in devotion are in Me and I also certainly am [partially] in them.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

I'm equal-minded in my respect for all living beings, I hate nor cherish anyone, but those who in their devotion are of service with me, are in me as good as I am in them. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 30

Even if one committing the most abominable action is engaged in devotional service unto Me without deviation, he is to be considered a saint as he is complete in his determination.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Even having been of the worst conduct, the one who unwavering is devoted to me, is to be considered a saint because of the full of his determination. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 31

Very soon he becomes righteous and attains lasting peace, oh son of Kuntî; do proclaim that my devotee never perishes!

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Such a one, oh son of Kuntî, quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace; do defend that my devotee is never lost! (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 32

And also in particular those who take shelter from Me, oh son of Prithâ, who are born from sin, who are women, of the trading business and also the laborers; even they will attain to the supreme destination.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Oh son of Prithâ, even if the ones resorting to me are from sin born women, traders or laborers, they will still reach the supreme destination. (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 33

What then again [would be true] for righteous brahmins, devotees and saintly rulers who also gained this temporary world full of miseries - be in loving service towards Me.

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

And how much more wouldn't this be true for righteous brahmins, devotees and pious civil servants; therefore, with you having made it to this temporary world full of miseries, be engaged in my loving service! (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

Text 34

Always thinking of Me, become My devotee, My worshiper and thus devoted to Me, offering Me obeisances, your soul will become fully aligned.'

FILOGNOSTIC TRANSLATION

Think of me always, become a devotee, a worshiper, an offerer of mine, so that you, devoted to me, will be a fully aligned soul.' (Sanskrit & tradition)

 

 

 

 

 

Versions consulted:

- A Song of Fortune One - A modern Gîtâ - the modern version of filognosy (also in mp3-audio).

- A Song of Fortune - A Classical Gîtâ - the classical version of filognosy.

- The Bhagavad Gîta-as-it-is by Swami Bhaktivedânta Prabhupâda (PDF-download).

- The Bhagavad Gîtâ-as-it-is: online (version 1.0).

- The Bhagavad Gita As It Is By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (pdf-download).

- The Bhagavad Gita by the Bhagavad Gita Trust.

- Bhagavad Gita by Sanderson Beck.

- Bhagavad Gita by Ramanad Prasad (American Gita society).

- Srimad Bhagavad-gita - The Hidden Treasure of the Sweet Absolute (from the Vaishnav' S'rî Caitanya Saraswath math).

Sanskrit dictionary: (Monier-Williams' 'Sanskrit-English Dictionary').

 

 

 

 

Production and copyright of this translation: Anand Aadhar Prabhu                   
The filognostic translations are of the same author.                   
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