Bg 4.9

janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti so ’rjuna

Word for word: 

janma — birth; karma — work; ca — also; me — of Mine; divyam — transcendental; evam — like this; yaḥ — anyone who; vetti — knows; tattvataḥ — in reality; tyaktvā — leaving aside; deham — this body; punaḥ — again; janma — birth; na — never; eti — does attain; mām — unto Me; eti — does attain; saḥ — he; arjuna — O Arjuna.

Translation: 

One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.

 

BG 4.9

Srila Prabhupad quoted this verse more than BG 4.7 & 4.8 verses.

This verse tell us how we can return back to Godhead, by understanding Lord and His activities, after dharma samstapana soul can take shelter of Him and return back to Him.

Terrestrial – earthly, celestial – heavenly, spiritual -> beyond three modes, when Krishna is referring he means divya.

Kunti Maharani says -> You are unborn, how it happened that you take birth from Devki and Vasudev, that means you are transcendental, born with nice dresses and ornaments, and in Vishnu form He is completely different extraordinary transcendental. This verse refers to those persons who understand that Krishna’s activities are transcendental.

Krishna is concealing his divinity so that lovely transactions happen between Him and His devotees.

E.g. we go to slum and we saw that there slum children are playing and in between them there is a very clean and opulent child playing, studying with them, so some curiosity arises who is this child and we come to know that he is Prime Minister’s child, when we understand the position of child along with his action then the action makes so much of meaning, the prime minister’s child is doing like this, there is some meaning attached to it.

When some children are playing, stealing butter that is OK, but when we come to know that God does this, then it is completely different, why God does this? I take money from one pocket and put in another pocket, is this stealing.

On the background Vraja Vasis know that Krishna is God but it was not in foreground, as in day time we know about star but in presence of Sun it is in background, no body realizes it, that is just a knowledge. When requires it comes in front. 

Yoga Maya is that energy which makes devotees of Krishna to forget Krishna’s position as God so that Love and devotion towards Krishna increases.

Mahamaya is that which makes living entity forget Krishna.

Krishna is supreme but He subordinates His position for unlimited and unrestricted love. Krishna likes spontaneous love. Krishna is actor and Yogamaya is director but script writer is Krishna himself, so ultimately He is supreme, so whole pastime is happening by Krishna’s will. When Yashoda mata chased Krishna, He feels Himself like a small child, He didn’t thought that I am God how can she catch me, when He performs lila He forgets Himself and gets totally absorbed in His Lila but by His plan whenever He wants He comes back to His original position of God, example when He remembers that my devotee promised Nala Kuvera and Mani Griva liberation, so I have to liberate them. So when we understand Krishna Tatva tah we love Him and want to return back to him, without which it is just good entertainment and nice stories. Without Krishna Tatva, Krishna Lila is amusing, good stories, entertaining but with Krishna tatva it is amazing. God does it in is amazing and sweet way. How he does it? I wanted to love this God.

In Srila Prabhupad purport it is mentioned The Vedic version tat tvam asi (means You are That, or you are that Supreme Absolute God), this is quoted by Mayavadis to say that actually you are god but it means that this avatar is Supreme God. 

Philosphers are like licking honey bottles from outside they don’t know Krishna Tatvatah, they may know some details so they will not be able to love Him.

Later on in BG 18.55 Krishna complements this verse by saying Bhaktya-mam abhijanati …i.e. only by Bhakti we can know Him.