Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4, Verse 9

English Translation

He who thus knows truly the divine birth and actions of Mine does not get rirth after casting off the body. He attains Me, O Arjuna.

Detailed Commentary

।।4.9।। Explanation -- 'Janma Karma Cha Me Divyam' (My birth and action are divine) -- Bhagavan is entirely beyond birth and death, unborn (ajanma) and imperishable (avinashi). His avatara (incarnation) is not like that of ordinary humans. He freely incarnates in human form for the welfare of beings. His birth is not subject to karma. He assumes a body by His own will. The form of Bhagavan is always divine (divya), devoid of merit and demerit (paap-punya), and His body is even more extraordinary than that of the devas (gods). When Bhagavan Shri Rama and Shri Krishna came to this earth, they were not born from the wombs of Mother Kaushalya and Devaki. They assumed the form of an ordinary infant through their Maya. When Bhagavan Shri Rama returned to His Abode (Dham), He did not abandon His body, but rather departed to His Dham with that very body. The same occurred with Shri Krishna. The divinity (divyata) of Bhagavan's body is such that by listening to (shravan), reading (pathan), and contemplating (manan) His Leela (divine play), human ignorance is dispelled. Similarly, visiting the places of Bhagavan's avataras (incarnations) with reverence also brings welfare (kalyan). The primary purpose of Bhagavan's avatara is indeed the welfare of beings. Arjuna had inquired about Bhagavan's birth, but Bhagavan Himself described the divinity (divyatva) of His actions (karmas). Bhagavan's karmas indicate the path to attaining divinity, which transforms binding karmas into liberative ones. When divinity enters karma, it brings welfare to oneself and to others. Bhagavan's statement implies that just as His karmas are divine, so too should yours be. When a person performs actions (karmas) without any self-interest, purely for the service of others, then those karmas become divine. Knowing the divinity of Bhagavan's birth and actions makes one devotional (bhaktimay), leading to the attainment (prapti) of Bhagavan. By knowing the divinity of Bhagavan's karmas, a person's own karmas also become divine. The connection between karma and the attainment of Bhagavan is that every action of Bhagavan is for the service of beings. He has no self-interest (svaartha). This, in reality, is the essence (tattva) of Bhagavan's karmas. This is true Karma Yoga. Humans try to attain Paramatma through karmas, but the attainment of Paramatma occurs when one becomes detached from karmas. Bhagavan, by using the words 'Maam eti' (comes to Me), has stated that the Paramatma, whom we seek to attain through karmas, is in reality eternally attained (nityaprapta). The principle (yukti) is that only when a person dedicates actions (kriyas) and material things (padarthas) to the service of others, does he attain the direct realization (sakshatkar) of Paramatma. Connection (Sambandh) -- How those who truly know the divinity (divyata) of Bhagavan's birth and actions are, will be described in the subsequent Shloka.