Essence of Bhagavad Gita in 4 verses – The set of four verses of Bhagavad Gita 10.8, 10.9, 10.10 and 10.11, which is known as chaturshloki, is very important to understand Bhagavad Gita. These four verses together state the nature of the Absolute Truth and the process of attaining the Absolute Truth. Lord Krishna defines Absolute Truth in 10.8, and devotional service in 10.9. He speaks as a person and assures the individuality of His devotees. As a person, He reciprocates with those who want to get liberated
Chaturshloki
ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
iti matvā bhajante māṁ
budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ
[Bhagavad Gita 10.8]
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.
This verse makes it clear that the existence of God is independent of multitudes of Universes including their inhabitants. Our existence are
completely dependent on His grace. Krishna emphatically declares that He is that God. So a wise man worships Him with devotion and gratitude. Such wise persons perform devotional service as defined in the next verse:
mac-cittā mad-gata-prāṇā
bodhayantaḥ parasparam
kathayantaś ca māṁ nityaṁ
tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca
[Bhagavad Gita 10.9]
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.
Verse 10.8 states that Lord Krishna is the Absolute Truth and a devotee performs devotional service to please Him. The next verse states the process of devotional service. And the process is to live a Krishna conscious life where devotees are simply happy by conversing about Krishna and explaining about Krishna – the Absolute Truth.
teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ
yena mām upayānti te
[Bhagavad Gita 10.10]
Translation: To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.
We are covered by layers of ignorance which prohibit us to penetrate the divine sphere of Krishna consciousness. For attaining liberation from conditioned life, seekers of Truth give up the comforts of family, friends and society and seek the shelter of holy dham or the caves of Himalayan mountains. Still the access to the divine realm in which Krishna operates is very difficult for such seekers. If such seekers take to devotional service as defined in verse 10.9, Krishna provides intelligence by which they can come to Him. This verse thus says that Krishna reciprocates as a person (guide) with all those devotees who are engaged in KrishnaKatha – topics related to Krishna
teṣām evānukampārtham
aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ
nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva-stho
jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā
[Bhagavad Gita 10.11]
Translation: To show them special mercy, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.
Verse 10.11 tells the process by which Krishna provides intelligence to genuine seekers of truth. As Krishna resides within every one’s heart as the supersoul, He personally guides each of His devotees with the torch light of knowledge while vanquishing their ignorance. Krishna is a person so also we are. But His personality is inconceivable as He can simultaneously reciprocate with devotees who are infinite in number. In perfected state, these relationships between Krishna and His devotees are firmly established
