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Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 9.15
ज्ञानयज्ञेन चाप्यन्ये यजन्तो मामुपासते ।
एकत्वेन पृथक्त्वेन बहुधा विश्वतोमुखम् ॥ १५ ॥
jñāna-yajñena cāpy anye
yajanto mām upāsate
ekatvena pṛthaktvena
bahudhā viśvato-mukham
Others, who engage in sacrifice by the cultivation of knowledge, worship the Supreme Lord as the one without a second, as diverse in many, and in the universal form.
Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.ioWhat this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.
3 study points
Through the sacrifice of cultivating knowledge, some worship the Supreme Lord as one, as many, or in His universal form.
Prabhupāda explains that these include worshiping oneself as God, imagining forms of God, and worshiping the universe. Worshiping oneself as God is the lowest.
Aim for pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness, like the mahātmās who know nothing other than Kṛṣṇa.
Indirect worshipers — 3 Kinds of worshipers, worship Krishna indirectly, without knowing that it is only Krishna whom they are worshiping.
‘Ekatvena’ – Worships himself as one with the Supreme
Lowest and most predominant
Destiny is given in Texts 9.11 – 9.12
‘Prthaktvena’ – Concocts some form of the Supreme and worships that form
Includes demigod worshippers
Discussed in Texts 9.20 – 9.25
‘Visvato-mukham’ – Accepts the Universal form as the Supreme
Best of all these three
Considers universe to be Supreme organism and worship that.
Cannot conceive of anything beyond this material manifestation.
Discussed in Texts 9.16 – 9.19
Why ‘Ekatvena’ is considered God worship, although they worship themselves as one with Supreme (as ‘God’ )
Because at least they have the sense, that we are not the material body but spirit soul
3 Levels of Krishna worshipers
‘Mahatmas’ – Topmost (9.13 – 9.14)
4 Types of Sukrtinas (7.16)
3 Types of Jnanis discussed here in Text 9.15 – ‘Ekatvena’, ‘Prthaktvena’ and ‘Visvato- mukham’
Texts 9.15 & 9.16
Krishna has already discussed the results gained by the ‘ekatvena’ worshiper in Texts 9.11 – 9.12. In the next four verses, He will explain how to recognize and worship Him in His universal form. Further on in this chapter, Krishna will also discuss the results of demigod worship.
Duratmas – Fools who think Krishna’s form is ordinary are defeated in their endeavours (9.11 – 9.12)
Mahatmas – Those who know that Krishna has a transcendental form take shelter of Him and worship Him (9.13 – 9.14)
Indirect worshippers – All who take shelter of a conception of Supreme and worship it, are ultimately worshipping Krishna, but they worship Him indirectly – These are of 3 types:
Ekatvena – the monist, the lowest, worships himself as one with the Supreme (9.11 – 9.12)
Visvato-mukham – a worshiper of the material, universal form is the best (9.16 – 9.19)
Prthakvena – a demigod worshiper, is situated higher than the ‘ekatvena’ (9.20 – 9.25)
Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.
The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.
Key ideas: bhakti, śaraṇāgati.
Take one thing from this verse into your day.
What does BG 9.15 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to bhakti & surrender?
Offer one act today with devotion.
Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.
Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.