Gita 9.24
Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga
अहं हि सर्वयज्ञानां भोक्ता च प्रभुरेव च । न तु मामभिजानन्ति तत्त्वेनातश्च्यवन्ति ते ॥
ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ bhoktā ca prabhur eva ca na tu mām abhijānanti tattvenātaś cyavanti te
In essence: I am the true enjoyer and Lord of all sacrifices - but those who do not recognize this truth fall back into the cycle.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "If Krishna is the only real recipient of all sacrifices, isn't the whole system of different deities just an elaborate illusion? Why does it exist at all?"
Guru: "When sunlight passes through a prism, it becomes many colors. Does that make the colors illusions?"
Sadhak: "No, the colors are real - just differentiated forms of the same light."
Guru: "Exactly. The various deities are like colors - real expressions of the one Light, serving real functions. But if you want to reach the source of all colors, you approach the white light directly, not one color thinking it is separate from the light. The system exists for those at different levels of understanding, different needs, different capacities."
Sadhak: "What does 'falling' mean here? Falling into hell?"
Guru: "The Sanskrit 'cyavanti' means to slip, to deviate from position. What position?"
Sadhak: "I'm not sure... an elevated spiritual position?"
Guru: "Think of it this way - through sincere sacrifice, one has elevated oneself. Merit has accumulated. A trajectory toward liberation has begun. But without recognizing the ultimate truth of who receives the sacrifice and who ordains the cosmic order, that trajectory curves back. The position achieved is lost because it was built on incomplete understanding. One 'falls' back to where they began - the cycle of becoming and returning."
Sadhak: "So the 'fall' is not into punishment but into repetition?"
Guru: "Yes! Not eternal damnation but eternal wandering. The soul keeps circling, sometimes higher, sometimes lower, but never arriving. Only tattva-jnana - true recognition of Krishna as the Source and Destination - breaks the circle and establishes one permanently. This is why knowledge of this verse is itself a form of liberation."
Sadhak: "How do I know if I recognize Krishna 'tattvena' - in truth - rather than just intellectually?"
Guru: "What happens when you give a gift to someone you truly love?"
Sadhak: "I feel happy giving it. I don't feel like I've lost something."
Guru: "This is tattva-recognition. When every action naturally becomes an offering because you feel Krishna as the true recipient - not as concept but as lived reality - when separation dissolves and every deed is gift-giving to the Beloved, then you know 'tattvena.' It is felt, not merely thought."
Did this resonate with you? Share it with someone who needs to hear this.
🌅 Daily Practice
Begin the day by offering your first waking breath to Krishna as the true recipient of all life-force. Recognize that every breath, every heartbeat is already a sacrifice being received by the Divine. This frame transforms the whole day into continuous yajna.
Whatever you offer today - work effort, money, time, attention - consciously recognize Krishna as the ultimate recipient. Whether you are serving a customer, feeding a child, or helping a stranger, understand that the offering reaches the One. This doesn't change what you do; it transforms why and how you do it.
Before sleep, review the day's 'sacrifices' - all that you gave, offered, or expended. Recognize that none of it was lost; all was received by the true Lord. Release any sense of loss or exhaustion by remembering that what was given was never yours to begin with - it flowed from Source and returned to Source. Rest in the fullness of this completed cycle.