Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

Bg 18.64

sarva-guhyatamaṁ bhūyaḥ
śṛṇu me paramaṁ vacaḥ
iṣṭo ’si me dṛḍham iti
tato vakṣyāmi te hitam

Synonyms: 

sarva–guhya–tamam — the most confidential of all; bhūyaḥ — again; śṛṇu — just hear; me — from Me; paramam— the supreme; vacaḥ — instruction; iṣṭaḥ asi — you are dear; me — to Me; dṛḍham — very; iti — thus; tataḥ — therefore; vakṣyāmi — I am speaking; te — for your; hitam — benefit.

Translation: 

Because you are My very dear friend, I am speaking to you My supreme instruction, the most confidential knowledge of all. Hear this from Me, for it is for your benefit.

It is very beautiful verse and it indicates why this section is the conclusion of BG. 

sarva-guhyatamaṁ bhūyaḥ, this is the most confidential knowledge, 

previous verse was guhya-tara 

now it is guhyatamaṁ, it is most, 

bhūyaḥ means again 

śṛṇu me paramaṁ vacaḥ, śṛṇu, O Arjuna hear paramaṁ vacaḥ

iṣṭo ’si me dṛḍham iti, ista means dear, you are very dear to Me. You are strongly loved by Me. 

dṛḍham, means determined. 

So Krishna is determined to love us. 

tato vakṣyāmi te hitam, therefore hitam for your benefit I am speaking these things.

This verse indicates what Krishan is speaking is very intimate expression of His heart. Krishna is not like a paid teacher in schools who is detached and who just give some instructions to the students. 

Krishna is very strongly attached to us He is saying iṣṭo ’si me dṛḍham iti, I am determined to love you. Actually we have directed our intelligence away from Krishna and this way we are determined to forget Him. By Krishna’s mercy we can turn towards Him we can learn to love Him and we can reciprocate with His determination to love us. iṣṭo ’si me dṛḍham iti, I am determined to love you so life time after life time Krishna never leaves us to go away. 

And Krishna is showing His determination by tato vakṣyāmi te hitam, for your benefit I am speaking these words.

Krishna has used the word bhūyaḥ, again, since earlier He has used the word guhyatamaṁ, firstly in 9.1 

idaṁ tu te guhya-tamaṁ
pravakṣyāmy anasūyave

guhya-tamaṁ, most confidential knowledge, the chapter title itself is most confidential knowledge. So in this chapter most confidential knowledge is given like in 9.22, ananyāś cintayanto māṁ, Patram Pushpam phalam Tyoyam is 9.26, Man Mana Mam Mad Bhakto in 9.34. so it is clearly Bhakti verses are there. So that is guhyatamaṁ

Similarly Krishna has used same describer in 15.20 

So even if Krishna has used this word earlier He is using double glorifier here guhyatamaṁ and paramaṁ vacaḥ, paramaṁ vacaḥc are supreme words. First most confidential knowledge and then supreme words so both are superlatives which highlights how glorious are the knowledge Krishna is giving. In 10.1 also Krishna has used paramaṁ vacaḥ and we know 10 chapter contains 10.8 to 12 chatur sloki BG, which is clear Bhakti.

So this is the verse where both the superlative verse are used guhyatamaṁ and paramaṁ vacaḥ together, so there is glorification of knowledge and also expression about intimacy of the relationship iṣṭo, dṛḍham, hitam, so you are very dear to Me, I am speaking for your benefit, so this verse is very important to understand what is going to come afterwards.

End of transcription.