Raja Vidya - the King of Knowledge- Hard Cover

Hard Cover book.
“This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.” (Bg. 9.2)
According to Bhagavad-gītā, the topmost knowledge (rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyam) is Kṛṣṇa consciousness because in Bhagavad-gītā we find that the symptom of one who is actually in knowledge is that he has surrendered unto Kṛṣṇa. As long as we go on speculating about God but do not surrender, it is understood that we have not attained the perfection of knowledge. The perfection of knowledge is:

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ

“After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” (Bg. 7.19)
As long as we do not surrender, we cannot understand God. Surrender to God may take many births, but if we accept that God is great, it is possible to surrender unto Him immediately. But generally this is not our position in the material world. We are characteristically envious and consequently think, “Oh, why should I surrender unto God? I am independent. I shall work independently.” Therefore in order to rectify this misgiving, we have to work for many births. In this regard, the name of Kṛṣṇa is especially significant. Kṛṣ means “repetition of birth,” and ṇa means “one who checks.” Our repetition of birth can be checked only by God. No one can check his repetition of birth and death without the causeless mercy of God.
The subject matter of the Ninth Chapter is rāja-vidyā. Rāja means “king,” and vidyā means “knowledge.” In ordinary life we find one person king in one subject and another in another subject. This knowledge, however, is sovereign over all others, and all other knowledge is subject or relative to it. The word rāja-guhyam indicates that this sovereign knowledge is very confidential, and the word pavitram means that it is very pure. This knowledge is also uttamam; ud means “transcend,” and tama means “darkness,” and that knowledge which surpasses this world and the knowledge of this world is called uttamam. It is the knowledge of light, and darkness has been separated from it. If one follows this path of knowledge, he will personally understand how far he has progressed down the path of perfection (pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam). Su-sukhaṁ kartum indicates that this knowledge is very happy and joyful to execute. And avyayam indicates that this knowledge is permanent. We may work in this material world for education or riches, but these things are not avyayam, for as soon as this body is finished, everything else is also finished. With death, our education, advanced degrees, bank balances, family—everything—are all finished. Whatever we’re doing in this material world is not eternal. However, this knowledge is not like that."

Chapters 

1: Raja-Vidya: The King of Knowledge
2: Knowledge Beyond Samsara
3: Knowledge of Krsna's Energies
4: Knowledge by Way of the Mahatmas, Great Souls
5: Parampara: Knowledge Through Disciplic Succession
6: Knowledge of Krsna's Appearances and Activities
7: Knowledge as Faith in Guru and surrender to Krsna
8: Action in Knowledge of Krsna