English
Japa Talk
Date: 21st Nov 2025
Speaker: Guru Maharaj
Theme: Catuh-sloki Bhagavad Gita
Sub-theme: Gita Jayanti Mahotsava
Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya! This is the prayer to Lord Vasudeva who gave Bhagavad Gita to the entire world.
ekaṁ śāstraṁ devakī-putra-gītam
eko devo devakī-putra eva
eko mantras tasya nāmāni yāni
karmāpy ekaṁ tasya devasya sevā
Translation:
In this present day, people are very much eager to have one scripture, one God, one religion and one occupation. Therefore, ekaṁ śāstraṁ devakī-putra-gītam: let there be one scripture only, one common scripture for the whole world – Bhagavad-gītā. Eko devo devakī-putra eva: let there be one God for the whole world – Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Eko mantras tasya nāmāni: and one hymn, one mantra, one prayer – the chanting of His name: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Karmāpy ekaṁ tasya devasya sevā: and let there be one work only – the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Gita-mahatmaya 7)
Ekam sastram, only one scripture is enough, and which one is that? Devaki putra gitam, the divine song of Devaki’s son! Eko devo devaki putra eva, there is only one worshipable Lord- Lord Krishna. All credit is going to Devaki. Devaki Nandana Gopala! Lord is also pleased when He is addressed in the relation to His parents.
In a few days Gita Jayanti festival is coming. Jayanti means birthday. Gita is going to appear in a few days. And on this occasion you are also distributing Bhagavad Gita. We need not only to distribute Gita, but also need to study Gita. This is not just about ‘distribute books’. Along with that Srila Prabhupada had given us instruction; he had expectation from us that we will read books, read Bhagavad Gita.
Sub-theme: The essence of Bhagavad Gita
I thought we would read, we would study Bhagavad Gita together. Today there is not enough time. So we will see only the essence. The essence of Bhagavad Gita, verses from the 10th chapter of Bhagavad Gita and the name of this chapter is ‘the opulences of the Absolute.’ Here Lord is mentioning some of His opulances. There is a long list. And in the beginning of this chapter, Lord spoke four verses, which are known as Catuh-sloki Bhagavad Gita. There is Catuh-sloki Bhagavatam as well, the condensed form of Bhagavatam. Bhagavad Gita is also having four verses, BG 10.8- 11, which are known as Catuh-sloki Bhagavad Gita. We will hear it from the lotus mouth of the Lord Himself.
Sub-theme: BG 10.8- the greatness of the Lord
(No sound) In a way, Krishna is introducing Himself. Who am I? We keep calling Him by chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, but that Krishna, and Radha is also there with Him; who is that Krishna, how is He? The greatness of the Lord; we always hear 'God is great', and here Lord is describing His greatness.
ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
iti matvā bhajante māṁ
budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ
Translation:
I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts. [BG 10.8]
Whatever is there in the world is coming from Me. Bhava means to become. Prabhavah! Mattah sarvam pravartate, the same thing said in different words. Mattah means from Me. Aham means I and mattah means from Me.
īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
Translation:
Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes. [Śrī brahma-saṁhitā 5.1]
Brahma introduces the Lord with these words. Lord is telling here that same truth. Aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate, iti matva bhajante mam, iti means this much, or like this. Iti, how much? Aham sarvasya prabhavah mattah sarvam pravartate, iti, this much! Matvā, means by knowing this. Iti matvā, means by knowing only this much -and this is enough- and bhajante mam, they worship Me, come under My shelter. Iti matvā, when they will know Me, who am I, how am I, they will take My shelter.
Sub-theme: Arjuna’s intelligence
When the Lord was narrating Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna, He was simply reciting the verses and Arjuna easily understood it. But we need to read the word to word translation and even then we do not understand it. Then the Acharyas need to write the purports. Even after reading the purports, we cannot fully understand and therefore we need to hear lectures on it. That’s why it is said in the Bhagavatam.
prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya
kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ
mandāḥ sumanda-matayo
manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ
Translation
O learned one, in this iron Age of Kali men almost always have but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all, always disturbed. [ŚB 1.1.10]
We, the souls of Kaliyuga are mandāh, dull, lazy, and sumandah, our brains doesn't function properly. Anyone can easily cheat us. But Arjuna, when he was listening one verse after another, he was having realizations. Sravanam kirtanam and then visnuh smaranam! After hearing, Arjuna was getting Lord's remembrance, God realization.
iti matvā bhajante māṁ, budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ, budhā means intelligent persons. Here the students of Bhagavad Gita. When they will hear this 8th verse of the tenth chapter, they will become intelligent and then they will understand these things. They will become Krishna conscious. iti matvā, by understanding this, they will start worshiping the Lord and will become Krishna conscious. Bhajante, they will serve the Lord with this understanding. This is the first verse of Catuh sloki Bhagavad Gita.
Sub-theme: BG 10.9, symptoms of a pure devotee
Then the Lord says
mac-cittā mad-gata-prāṇā
bodhayantaḥ parasparam
kathayantaś ca māṁ nityaṁ
tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca
Translation:
The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and conversing about Me. [BG 10.9]
Such a person who has understood that aham sarvasya prabhavah, mattah sarvam pravartate, such a person's cittah, his mind will remain focused on Me, mat cittah. Lord is Citta-cora, who steals the hearts. ‘I will steal his heart and such person’s mind will never wander away from Me. Mac-cittā and then mad-gata-prāṇā he will surrender his life unto Me and then he will say, Radha Krishna prana mora jugala kishor, Radha Krishna are my life and soul. His life will be only for Me.’
Bodhayantah parasparam, and then whenever such persons will talk to each other, I will be the topic of their conversation. They will talk only about Me. They will remind each other, 'Krishna has said this ', 'Krishna has said that'. They will remind each other about Krishna. And not only this, kathayantaś ca māṁ nityaṁ, they will always do Krishna Katha and not gramya katha, mundane talks. There is a big difference. The topics of materialistic people’s conversation is gramya katha, cheap topics, politics, this, that or prajalpa. But the devotees will talk only related to the Lord. kathayantaś ca māṁ nityaṁ, tusyanti ca ramanti ca, they will be fully satisfied with this. Krishna is enough of a topic. Ramanti ca, he will be blissful and busy in this. In this way, he will become fully Krishna conscious. ‘Thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me. Their lives are surrendered unto Me and they give knowledge about Me to each other, and while talking about Me, they feel complete satisfaction and full bliss.’
Gita is called Gitopanisad. Why upanisad? Because Upanisada contains conversation between the spiritual master and the disciples and the same thing is happening in Gita- a discussion between Krishna and Arjuna.
kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ
pṛcchāmi tvāṁ dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ
yac chreyaḥ syān niścitaṁ brūhi tan me
śiṣyas te ’haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam
Translation:
Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of miserly weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me for certain what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me. [BG 2.7]
Arjuna made Krishna his spiritual master, Krsnam vande jagat gurum. And all their talks are in sutra form, condensed form.
Sub-theme: BG 10.10, further symptoms of a pure devotee and Lord’s promise
Third verse of Catuh sloki Bhagavad Gita is
teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ
yena mām upayānti te
Translation:
To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me. [BG 10.10]
Further Lord is telling Arjuna, tesam, to them, satata yuktanam bhajatam pritipurvakam, then these devotees, who are doing bodhayanath parasparam, tesam, they, satata yuktanam bhajatam pritipurvakam, they will be always engaged, yukta in kathayantasca mam nityam tusyanti ca ramanti ca, and how will be they engaged? Pritipurvakam, with love! What I will do for such devotees? Here Lord is giving symptoms of a pure devotee. He worships Me at all times, satata, tesam satata yuktanam, all the time and how? Pritipurvakam, with love!
sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yayātmā suprasīdati
Translation:
The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self. [ŚB 1.2.6]
In the beginning of Bhagavatam, the symptoms of pure devotion are given and that is ‘ahaituki apratihatā’. Ahaituki means no material desire, no ill motivation. Only pure devotion! Apratihatā, bhakti should be uninterrupted. Same thing Lord is saying here. Tesam satata yuktanam and bhajatam pritipurvakam, this is very important. Worship the Lord at all times. We keep saying, I have this duty and that duty. No! The soul's only duty is to serve the Lord, worship the Lord, serve the Lord and it should be satata, always, constant, nityam, all the times. Bhakti is not just about feelings, not just sit around. No, it requires practical service.
Then what will I do for such a devotee? Dadami buddhiyogam tam, what does He promise? Lord is saying, ‘I will give him intelligence’. Buddhi, intelligence plays an important role, just as a pilot plays an important role in flying the flight.
Yena mām upayanti te, I will give intelligence to such a soul and then that soul will use that intelligence for mām upayānti te, upayānti, upa means near, yānti means to go. I will provide the intelligence required to reach Me. I will supply that intelligence, so that he will come to me, attain Me. If there are obstacles on the way, he will overcome them and attain Me. I make arrangements so that he will get it through the medium of guru, sadhu, sastra- spiritual masters, saints and scriptures.
Sub-theme: Bg 10.11, Lord’s compassion
And then finally in the fourth verse Lord Krishna is saying
teṣām evānukampārtham
aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ
nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva-stho
jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā
Translation:
To show them special mercy, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance. [BG 10.11]
What did He say? When Arjuna heard the verse, he understood the meaning immediately, but when we hear, we do not understand much. Tesām, earlier also Lord has said tesām satata yuktānām, and here again He is saying tesām. This is a pronoun. Tesām, they, that party, who were iti matva bhajante mam, or were doing bodhayanath parasparam, those devotees, individually and collectively, tesam evanukampartham, when I will see their devotion and services, then anukampā, compassion will arise in Me or I will be pleased and then what will I do? Aham ajnanajam tamah nasayami atma bhavastho, wherever there is ajnanajam tamah, darkness in their life, why is there darkness? It's due to ajnanajam, ignorance, ajnana-jam, born of ignorance. Aham nasayami, I will destroy that darkness. How can darkness be destroyed? By throwing some light! Nasayami atma bhavastho jnana dipena bhasvata, I will kindle the light of knowledge in the heart of that devotee. I will illuminate his life with knowledge. When I will give him intelligence, as he was ignorant,
oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
Translation:
I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him. [Mangla Charan]
This too is the Lord's arrangement. The Lord has just now said dadami buddhiyogam, I will give the intelligence. So, through the medium of spiritual masters He will remove the darkness by caksur unmilitam, by doing eye operation. Or as it is said in Bhagavatam.
kṛṣṇe sva-dhāmopagate
dharma-jñānādibhiḥ saha
kalau naṣṭa-dṛśām eṣa
purāṇārko ’dhunoditaḥ
Translation:
This Bhāgavata Purāṇa is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just after the departure of Lord Kṛṣṇa to His own abode, accompanied by religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the Age of Kali shall get light from this Purāṇa. [ŚB 1.3.43]
‘In the Kaliyuga, people have lost their vision; so in the form of Bhagavatam I will give light to the world. Bhagavatam is as brilliant as the sun. I will provide Gita Bhagavatam to those who are ready. I will send spiritual masters to them, and will make them perform various services, or will make them spread message of Gita.’ As you are going to distribute Gita during this Gita Jayanti marathon, Lord will lead you to those who are ready to receive the light or guidance, to receive the intelligence or to become fortunate. If you are doing sankirtan, then you will come in contact with such fortunate souls. Or when there is Rathayatra, Srila Prabhupada ki jai! On behalf of the Lord, Srila Prabhupada made many arrangements, constructed temples, and that same work, by the mercy of the Lord we all are continuing.
Sub-theme: Arjuna’s realization
And when Arjuna heard these four verses after hearing the first nine chapters of Bhagavad Gita, he said.
arjuna uvāca
paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma
pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān
puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam
ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum
āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve
devarṣir nāradas tathā
asito devalo vyāsaḥ
svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me
Translation:
Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ultimate abode, the purest, the Absolute Truth. You are the eternal, transcendental, original person, the unborn, the greatest. All the great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala and Vyāsa confirm this truth about You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me. [BG 10.12-13]
Arjuna is saying, You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the ultimate abode. You are Adideva, master of all demigods. You are Ajam, ja means to take birth and aja means who never takes birth. You have nothing to do with birth and death. In this way Arjuna is glorifying the Lord. When we will also study the first nine chapters and then these four verses, then we will also start saying.
paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma
pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān
puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam
ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum
Arjuna has realized the Absolute and now he is introducing Him with these words. We will also reach that stage if we will hear and study Lord’s message. We will also have realization like Arjuna. May it be so! With this hope we conclude our today’s talk.
