Post on ninth adhyaya-1.

           We saw in the post on eighth adhyaya that the Lord is slowly advising us to take the path of devotion. In the very first ovi of ninth adhyaya, Dnyaneshwar Mauli also gives assurance that if we pay total attention to his preaching, we will receive all the happiness in the world.. 

तरि अवधान एकवेळें दीजे । मग सर्व सुखासि पात्र होईजे । हें प्रतिज्ञोत्तर माझें । उघड ऐका ॥ १ ॥

       Dnyanadeva says to his listeners in this ovi----At least once please pay total attention to whatever I am saying. If you do that, you will become eligible to enjoy all the happiness in the world. This is my solemn affirmation and open promise to all of you. The next moment however, he seems to have realized that his statement could be taken by the listeners as exaggeration. So in the immediate next ovi he clarifies that this assurance should not be taken as his arrogance or boasting, but be treated as his humble request made out of fondness for all the listeners. 

    Then comes the first shloka of this adhyaya in which the Lord tells Arjuna--- I will now explain to you most secret Dnyana i.e. knowledge about Brahman along with Vidnyana i.e. worldly knowledge,  on realizing which; you will be liberated from all the worldly evils.  In the next shloka, two important expressions "Rajvidya and Rajguhya" have been used for this dnyana indicating that it is sovereign knowledge and profoundest mystery. 

          The most important shloka of this adhyaya from the view point of devotees is No. 22 as follows. 

    अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जना: पर्युपासते । तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम् ॥ २२ ॥

For the devotees, who worship me exclusively with unwavering mind and remain constantly indulged in yoga, I protect whatever they have and provide to them what they do not have. Thus I take care of their well being. ---- In the ovis 337 and 338 Shri Dnyanadeva’s commentary on this shloka is as under:

ऐसे अनन्यगतिकें चित्तें । चिंतितसांते मातें । जे उपासिती तयांतें । मीचि सेवीं ॥ ३३७ ॥

(Lord says) ----Those, who single mindedly think about me in this way, and exclusively worship me, I myself serve them.

ते एकवटूनि जिये क्षणीं । अनुसरले गा माझिये वाहणी । तेव्हांचि तयांची चिंतवणी । मजचि पडली ॥ ३३८ ॥

From the very moment they dedicated themselves unto me and started following my path with full faith, it became my responsibility to provide for all their needs and free them from all the worries. 

          This is the assurance given by Lord himself to his true devotees, who do not pay attention to any other thing, but devotion to the Lord (ananya). This ninth adhyaya is full of instructions about such devotion. At the same time the Lord cautions the arrogant devotees in following two ovis:

  

एथ जाणिव करी तोचि नेणे । आथिलेंपण मिरवी तेंचि उणें । आम्ही जाहलों ऐसें जो म्हणे । तो कांहींचि नव्हे ॥ ३६८ ॥

One who claims that he knows me well, be sure that he does not know me. One who boasts having attained self realization; is lacking the real knowledge and has not achieved anything. 

म्हणोनि थोरपण पऱ्हांचि सांडिजे । व्युत्पत्ति आघवी विसरिजे । जैं जगा धाकुटें होइजे । तैं जवळीक माझी ॥ ३७८ ॥

Therefore, one should throw away his status and ideas about self-greatness; forget all his learning and become humble and small before the world. Then alone he becomes eligible to get associated with me and come nearer to me. 

          Thus being conscious about self-limitations, a devotee has to approach the Lord with exclusive and single minded devotion. Only then, he can go nearer to the Lord. To such devotees, the Lord gives further advice as under:

तरि झडझडोनि वहिला निघ । इये भक्तीचिये वाटे लाग । जिया पावसी अव्यंग । निजधाम माझें ॥ ५१६ ॥

Lord says-----Immediately disassociate yourself from this mundane worldly life and take the road to devotional life by following which, you will reach my divine abode that is unmutilated and perfect in all respects.

           Having commented on all the shlokas of the adhyaya, Dnyaneshwar Mauli must have remembered his commencing ovi of the adhyaya. So, he linked it with concluding ovis as follows:

अहो अळुमाळु अवधान देयावें । येतुलेनि आनंदाचे राशीवरी बैसावें । बाप श्रवणेंद्रिया दैवें । घातली माळ ॥ ५३४ ॥

O listeners, please pay little bit of attention to my discourse and you will be seated on the heaps of joy as though your ears have worn a garland of fortune.

         ---- Our next posting will be on the tenth adhyaya describing many divine and glorious manifestations of the Lord.