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Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 9.31
क्षिप्रं भवति धर्मात्मा शश्वच्छान्तिं निगच्छति ।
कौन्तेय प्रतिजानीहि न मे भक्त: प्रणश्यति ॥ ३१ ॥
kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā
śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati
kaunteya pratijānīhi
na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati
He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kuntī, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.
Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.ioWhat this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.
3 study points
The devotee quickly becomes righteous and gains lasting peace. The Lord boldly assures that His devotee never perishes.
Prabhupāda explains that devotional service and constant remembrance of the Supreme Lord cleanse sinful contamination from the heart.
Continue chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa without stopping; this protects a devotee from accidental falldowns.
Krishna purifies him (A devotee who succumbs to his conditionings and engages abominably as explained in 9.30)
He quickly becomes righteous
He attains lasting peace
Promise of Krishna:“My devotee never perishes”
ARGUMENT — How can a person acting abominably by accident or intention can be a pure devotee? Because Chapter 7 declares “only one free from mischievous acts can become a devotee of the Lord”. (Ref. Bg. 7.28) EXPLAINED AS FOLLOWS:
Cleansing going on — Devotee engaged in nine kinds of devotional service is
In process of cleaning heart
Puts Lord in the heart
All contaminations naturally washed away
No need of ritualistic processes — One who falls down from exalted position – No need to undergo certain ritualistic processes for purification
Purification process is already there in the heart – Continue remembering Krishna by chanting without stoppage
All protection assured for accidental fall-downs
Texts 9.30 & 9.31
Still, the question may be raised — “How can a person who is “su- duracara” (committing highly improper activities) be regarded as saintly?”
Texts 9.31 & 9.32
Krishna continues to glorify the path of bhakti
Pure devotional service – If one worships Krishna with devotion or even offers Him the fruit of his work, one becomes free from reactions and comes to Him. Worship is simple and result is super excellent (9.26 – 9.28)
Krishna shows favouritism to His devotee. He considers a devotee saintly, even if he’s committed a horrible act, and He quickly purifies the devotee (9.29 – 9.31)
Devotional Service purifies all. By thinking of Krishna, offering Him obeisances and being absorbed in Him, one goes back to Godhead, regardless of his position (9.32 – 9.34)
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 9.31 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to bhakti & surrender?
Offer one act today with devotion.
Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.
Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.
Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.