BG 9: The Most Confidential Knowledge
1
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
idaḿ tu te guhyatamaḿ
pravakṣyāmy anasūyave
jñānaḿ vijñāna-sahitaḿ
yaj jñātvā mokṣyase 'śubhāt
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Arjuna, because you are never envious of Me, I shall impart to you this most confidential knowledge and realization, knowing which you shall be relieved of the miseries of material existence.
2
rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaḿ
pavitram idam uttamam
pratyakṣāvagamaḿ dharmyaḿ
su-sukhaḿ kartum avyayam
TRANSLATION
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.
3
aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā
dharmasyāsya parantapa
aprāpya māḿ nivartante
mṛtyu-saḿsāra-vartmani
TRANSLATION
Those who are not faithful in this devotional service cannot attain Me, O conqueror of enemies. Therefore they return to the path of birth and death in this material world.
4
mayā tatam idaḿ sarvaḿ
jagad avyakta-mūrtinā
mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni
na cāhaḿ teṣv avasthitaḥ
TRANSLATION
By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.
5
na ca mat-sthāni bhūtāni
paśya me yogam aiśvaram
bhūta-bhṛn na ca bhūta-stho
mamātmā bhūta-bhāvanaḥ
TRANSLATION
And yet everything that is created does not rest in Me. Behold My mystic opulence! Although I am the maintainer of all living entities and although I am everywhere, I am not a part of this cosmic manifestation, for My Self is the very source of creation.
6
yathākāśa-sthito nityaḿ
vāyuḥ sarvatra-go mahān
tathā sarvāṇi bhūtāni
mat-sthānīty upadhāraya
TRANSLATION
Understand that as the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, rests always in the sky, all created beings rest in Me.
7
sarva-bhūtāni kaunteya
prakṛtiḿ yānti māmikām
kalpa-kṣaye punas tāni
kalpādau visṛjāmy aham
TRANSLATION
O son of Kuntī, at the end of the millennium all material manifestations enter into My nature, and at the beginning of another millennium, by My potency, I create them again.
8
prakṛtiḿ svām avaṣṭabhya
visṛjāmi punaḥ punaḥ
bhūta-grāmam imaḿ kṛtsnam
avaśaḿ prakṛter vaśāt
TRANSLATION
The whole cosmic order is under Me. Under My will it is automatically manifested again and again, and under My will it is annihilated at the end.
9
na ca māḿ tāni karmāṇi
nibadhnanti dhanañjaya
udāsīna-vad āsīnam
asaktaḿ teṣu karmasu
TRANSLATION
O Dhanañjaya, all this work cannot bind Me. I am ever detached from all these material activities, seated as though neutral.
10
mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ
sūyate sa-carācaram
hetunānena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate
TRANSLATION
This material nature, which is one of My energies, is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, producing all moving and nonmoving beings. Under its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.
11
avajānanti māḿ mūḍhā
mānuṣīḿ tanum āśritam
paraḿ bhāvam ajānanto
mama bhūta-maheśvaram
TRANSLATION
Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature as the Supreme Lord of all that be.
12
moghāśā mogha-karmāṇo
mogha-jñānā vicetasaḥ
rākṣasīm āsurīḿ caiva
prakṛtiḿ mohinīḿ śritāḥ
TRANSLATION
Those who are thus bewildered are attracted by demonic and atheistic views. In that deluded condition, their hopes for liberation, their fruitive activities, and their culture of knowledge are all defeated.
13
mahātmānas tu māḿ pārtha
daivīḿ prakṛtim āśritāḥ
bhajanty ananya-manaso
jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam
TRANSLATION
O son of Pṛthā, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.
14
satataḿ kīrtayanto māḿ
yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ
namasyantaś ca māḿ bhaktyā
nitya-yuktā upāsate
TRANSLATION
Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.
15
jñāna-yajñena cāpy anye
yajanto mām upāsate
ekatvena pṛthaktvena
bahudhā viśvato-mukham
TRANSLATION
Others, who engage in sacrifice by the cultivation of knowledge, worship the Supreme Lord as the one without a second, as diverse in many, and in the universal form.
16
ahaḿ kratur ahaḿ yajñaḥ
svadhāham aham auṣadham
mantro 'ham aham evājyam
aham agnir ahaḿ hutam
TRANSLATION
But it is I who am the ritual, I the sacrifice, the offering to the ancestors, the healing herb, the transcendental chant. I am the butter and the fire and the offering.
17
pitāham asya jagato
mātā dhātā pitāmahaḥ
vedyaḿ pavitram oḿkāra
ṛk sāma yajur eva ca
TRANSLATION
I am the father of this universe, the mother, the support and the grandsire. I am the object of knowledge, the purifier and the syllable oḿ. I am also the Ṛg, the Sāma and the Yajur Vedas.
18
gatir bhartā prabhuḥ sākṣī
nivāsaḥ śaraṇaḿ suhṛt
prabhavaḥ pralayaḥ sthānaḿ
nidhānaḿ bījam avyayam
TRANSLATION
I am the goal, the sustainer, the master, the witness, the abode, the refuge, and the most dear friend. I am the creation and the annihilation, the basis of everything, the resting place and the eternal seed.
19
tapāmy aham ahaḿ varṣaḿ
nigṛhṇāmy utsṛjāmi ca
amṛtaḿ caiva mṛtyuś ca
sad asac cāham arjuna
TRANSLATION
O Arjuna, I give heat, and I withhold and send forth the rain. I am immortality, and I am also death personified. Both spirit and matter are in Me.
20
trai-vidyā māḿ soma-pāḥ pūta-pāpā
yajñair iṣṭvā svar-gatiḿ prārthayante
te puṇyam āsādya surendra-lokam
aśnanti divyān divi deva-bhogān
TRANSLATION
Those who study the Vedas and drink the soma juice, seeking the heavenly planets, worship Me indirectly. Purified of sinful reactions, they take birth on the pious, heavenly planet of Indra, where they enjoy godly delights.
21
te taḿ bhuktvā svarga-lokaḿ viśālaḿ
kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaḿ viśanti
evaḿ trayī-dharmam anuprapannā
gatāgataḿ kāma-kāmā labhante
TRANSLATION
When they have thus enjoyed vast heavenly sense pleasure and the results of their pious activities are exhausted, they return to this mortal planet again. Thus those who seek sense enjoyment by adhering to the principles of the three Vedas achieve only repeated birth and death.
22
ananyāś cintayanto māḿ
ye janāḥ paryupāsate
teṣāḿ nityābhiyuktānāḿ
yoga-kṣemaḿ vahāmy aham
TRANSLATION
But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form — to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have.
23
ye 'py anya-devatā-bhaktā
yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ
te 'pi mām eva kaunteya
yajanty avidhi-pūrvakam
TRANSLATION
Those who are devotees of other gods and who worship them with faith actually worship only Me, O son of Kuntī, but they do so in a wrong way.
24
ahaḿ hi sarva-yajñānāḿ
bhoktā ca prabhur eva ca
na tu mām abhijānanti
tattvenātaś cyavanti te
TRANSLATION
I am the only enjoyer and master of all sacrifices. Therefore, those who do not recognize My true transcendental nature fall down.
25
yānti deva-vratā devān
pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ
bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā
yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām
TRANSLATION
Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship the ancestors go to the ancestors; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; and those who worship Me will live with Me.
26
patraḿ puṣpaḿ phalaḿ toyaḿ
yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
tad ahaḿ bhakty-upahṛtam
aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ
TRANSLATION
If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.
27
yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi
yaj juhoṣi dadāsi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya
tat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam
TRANSLATION
Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform — do that, O son of Kuntī, as an offering to Me.
28
śubhāśubha-phalair evaḿ
mokṣyase karma-bandhanaiḥ
sannyāsa-yoga-yuktātmā
vimukto mām upaiṣyasi
TRANSLATION
In this way you will be freed from bondage to work and its auspicious and inauspicious results. With your mind fixed on Me in this principle of renunciation, you will be liberated and come to Me.
29
samo 'haḿ sarva-bhūteṣu
na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ
ye bhajanti tu māḿ bhaktyā
mayi te teṣu cāpy aham
TRANSLATION
I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.
30
api cet su-durācāro
bhajate mām ananya-bhāk
sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ
samyag vyavasito hi saḥ
TRANSLATION
Even if one commits the most abominable action, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated in his determination.
31
kṣipraḿ bhavati dharmātmā
śaśvac-chāntiḿ nigacchati
kaunteya pratijānīhi
na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati
TRANSLATION
He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kuntī, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.
32
māḿ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās
te 'pi yānti parāḿ gatim
TRANSLATION
O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth — women, vaiśyas [merchants] and śūdras [workers] — can attain the supreme destination.
33
kiḿ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā
bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā
anityam asukhaḿ lokam
imaḿ prāpya bhajasva mām
TRANSLATION
How much more this is so of the righteous brāhmaṇas, the devotees and the saintly kings. Therefore, having come to this temporary, miserable world, engage in loving service unto Me.
34
man-manā bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yājī māḿ namaskuru
mām evaiṣyasi yuktvaivam
ātmānaḿ mat-parāyaṇaḥ
TRANSLATION
Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, become My devotee, offer obeisances to Me and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.
