Gita 09.30 – Krishna never abandons devotees even when they fall

Thank you this is one of the most intriguing and revealing verses of the Bhagavad Gita herein Krishna is stating apichet sudracharo that even if one engages in a terrible activity achar is behavior, durachar is misbehavior sudrachar is extremely bad behavior the sudur prefix has been used earlier sudurlabha mahatmasudurlabha 7.19 so here it is stated that apichet sudracharo bhajate mam anyabhag even if somebody acts in a most abominable way but their person is determined continues on being devoted to Krishna bhajate mam anyabhag without deviation sadhurevasamantavya such a person is to be considered a sadhumantavya samyagyavasito hisaha because for that person determination is well situated so what exactly does this verse imply is it sanctioning the idea that anybody can do any sin and still no one is responsible that person is not responsible, not culpable no point of this verse one is not that it is the point is to stress Krishna's compassion so here Krishna is speaking that a devotee should be considered always to be respected so if you look at the overall context of the discussion the point is that we are not abandoned by Krishna just because we are unable to follow certain moral standards not only does Krishna remain by us inside as a super soul always no matter what misdeed we do but also Krishna stands by us he is declaring that this devotee should be considered saintly often the metal of a relationship is tested when one of the partners acts in a improper way so when there is reason to quit or break the relationship to disown the person and even at that time instead of disowning that person one sticks faithfully by that person's side not blaming that person but enabling but being by that person's side to help that person that is indeed a very strong expression of affection so Krishna is expressing that kind of affection here when he is stating that no matter what happens he is by our side as is evident in his declaration that the devotee should be considered saintly so this is a vivid example of the extraordinary nature of Krishna's love of how despite any and every situation he is ready to be by our side to help us overcome that problematic situation so rather than standing in moral judgment and everlasting condemnation Krishna is a god who stands by our side in moral support and compassionate assistance so the verse at the same time seems to be self-contradictory if one is one has committed a sinful activity a grievous sinful activity in fact bhajite mam ananya bhag and how can that person be considered to be still undeviated in one's devotion so isn't that grievous action itself a deviation in one's devotion here Sridhar Swami explains in his Gita commentary that the deviation is that yes that moral lapse is a deviation but what Krishna is referring to bhajite mam ananya bhag is that the devotee doesn't give up worshipping Krishna doesn't turn to some other master thinking that oh maybe for my moral redemption I need to go to some other master even when there is a reversal even when caused by one's own misdeed at that time the devotee doesn't lose faith in Krishna bhajite mam ananya bhag the devotee continues serving Krishna with determination and by so doing recognizing that I have nowhere else to go to that even if I commit sinful activities what can I do where else can I go bhuma uskalita paadanam bhumeval valammanam phaijata pradhanam tameva sharanam vibho just as while walking on the ground sometimes one may slip and fall and after one falls on the ground what does one do one has to rise once again on that same ground and start walking again rise by taking support of the same ground so like that even when you fall down while trying to serve the lord even when you commit offenses to the holy name of the lord so the only way to get elevated is by taking shelter of that same holy name so when one doesn't see Krishna as a as an optional object of worship yeah okay I like Krishna so I did it now I don't like it now maybe I like to worship some other person one doesn't think of Krishna like that as an optional object of worship but rather one recognizes Krishna to be the unavoidable indispensable ground of all being that without Krishna we ourselves have no existence at all there can be exist nor can our existence be continued one understands that what can I do apart from turn towards Krishna once again and seek his help so understanding Krishna to be a necessary sustainer of our existence an indispensable basis of our being a devotee understands that there is no one other than Krishna to turn to even if by my own misdeeds I have turned away from Krishna so that Ananya Bhak is in terms of the no deviation in the object of worship sadhureva samantavya and that determination to keep serving Krishna to not go to any other object of worship that is what Krishna appreciates and he says yes which person is considered sadhu samyagya vivasito hisaham and the determination is well situated so we can see our moral lapses as recurrences of a grievous disease and when the disease relapses at that time one should not lose faith in the treatment but take the treatment more vigorously and here Krishna appreciates that the devotee is not giving up the treatment and as we will mention in the next verse that the very continuation of the treatment will eventually lead to purification will eventually lead to coming to a righteous position will eventually lead to moral elevation beyond such lapses this verse stresses the point that Krishna never abandons the devotee who never abandons him even if that devotee is unable to follow the principles of bhakti briefly the devotee continues to serve Krishna and Krishna continues to be by that devotee's.