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Chapter 9: The Most Confidential Knowledge

Bg 9.18
TEXT 18
gatir bharta prabhuh saksi
nivasah saranam suhrt
prabhavah pralayah sthanam
nidhanam bijam avyayam
SYNONYMS
gatih—goal; bharta—sustainer; prabhuh—Lord; saksi—witness; nivasah—abode; saranam—refuge; suhrt—most intimate friend; prabhavah—creation; pralayah—dissolution; sthanam—ground; nidhanam—resting place; bijam—seed; avyayam—imperishable.
TRANSLATION
I am the goal, the sustainer, the master, the witness, the abode, the refuge and the most dear friend. I am the creation and the annihilation, the basis of everything, the resting place and the eternal seed.
PURPORT
Gati means the destination where we want to go. But the ultimate goal is Krsna, although people do not know it. One who does not know Krsna is misled, and his so-called progressive march is either partial or hallucinatory. There are many who make as their destination different demigods, and by rigid performance of the strict respective methods they reach different planets known as Candraloka, Suryaloka, Indraloka, Maharloka, etc. But all such lokas or planets, being creations of Krsna, are simultaneously Krsna and not Krsna. Actually such planets, being the manifestations of Krsna's energy, are also Krsna, but actually they only serve as a step forward for realization of Krsna. To approach the different energies of Krsna is to approach Krsna indirectly. One should directly approach Krsna, for that will save time and energy. For example, if there is a possibility of going to the top of a building by the help of an elevator, why should one go by the staircase, step by step? Everything is resting on Krsna's energy; therefore without Krsna's shelter nothing can exist. Krsna is the supreme ruler because everything belongs to Him and everything exists on His energy. Krsna, being situated in everyone's heart, is the supreme witness. The residences, countries or planets on which we live are also Krsna. Krsna is the ultimate goal of shelter, and as such one should take shelter of Krsna either for protection or for annihilation of his distressed condition. And whenever we have to take protection, we should know that our protection must be a living force. Thus Krsna is the supreme living entity. Since Krsna is the source of our generation, or the supreme father, no one can be a better friend than Krsna, nor can anyone be a better well-wisher. Krsna is the original source of creation and the ultimate rest after annihilation. Krsna is therefore the eternal cause of all causes.

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Copyright (c) 1972 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada