Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9 The Yoga of Royal Knowledge and Royal Secret

Shloka 1 The Most Secret Knowledge, Taught to One Free from Envy śhrī bhagavān uvācha | idaṁ tu te guhyatamaṁ pravakṣhyāmy anasūyave | jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitaṁ yaj jñātvā mokṣhyase 'śhubhāt || 9.1 || The Supreme Lord said: To you, who are free from envy, I shall now explain this most secret knowledge together with its realization, knowing which you will be liberated from all inauspiciousness. → Shloka 2 The Royal Knowledge: King of Sciences and King of Secrets rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ pavitram idam uttamam | pratyakṣhāvagamaṁ dharmyaṁ su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam || 9.2 || This is the king of sciences, the king of secrets, the supreme purifier. It can be directly realized, is in accordance with righteousness, is joyful to practice, and is imperishable. → Shloka 3 Those Without Faith in This Path Return to the Cycle of Birth and Death aśhraddadhānāḥ puruṣhā dharmasyāsya parantapa | aprāpya māṁ nivartante mṛityu-saṁsāra-vartmani || 9.3 || O conqueror of enemies, persons who have no faith in this path do not attain Me and return to the path of birth and death in this world. → Shloka 4 The Universe Is Pervaded by the Unmanifest Supreme mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā | mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni na chāhaṁ teṣhv avasthitaḥ || 9.4 || This entire universe is pervaded by Me in My unmanifest form. All beings dwell in Me, but I do not dwell in them. → Shloka 5 Behold the Divine Mystery: The Sustainer of Beings Is Not Bound by Them na cha mat-sthāni bhūtāni paśhya me yogam aiśhwaram | bhūta-bhṛin na cha bhūta-stho mamātmā bhūta-bhāvanaḥ || 9.5 || Yet the beings do not dwell in Me. Behold My divine mystic power: My Self, the sustainer and source of all beings, does not dwell in them. → Shloka 6 As the Wind Rests in Space, All Beings Rest in the Supreme yathākāśha-sthito nityaṁ vāyuḥ sarvatra-go mahān | tathā sarvāṇi bhūtāni mat-sthānīty upadhāraya || 9.6 || As the mighty wind, moving everywhere, always rests in space, so all beings rest in Me. Understand it thus. → Shloka 7 At the End of a Cycle All Beings Merge into Nature, and I Send Them Forth Again sarva-bhūtāni kaunteya prakṛitiṁ yānti māmikām | kalpa-kṣhaye punas tāni kalpādau visṛijāmy aham || 9.7 || O son of Kunti, at the end of a cosmic cycle all beings merge into My own material nature, and at the beginning of the next cycle I send them forth again. → Shloka 8 Resting on My Own Nature, I Send Forth the Entire Multitude of Beings Again and Again prakṛitiṁ svām avaṣhṭabhya visṛijāmi punaḥ punaḥ | bhūta-grāmam imaṁ kṛitsnam avaśhaṁ prakṛiter vaśhāt || 9.8 || Taking charge of My own nature, I send forth again and again this entire multitude of beings, who are helpless under the force of nature. → Shloka 9 Actions Do Not Bind the Supreme, Who Remains Unattached na cha māṁ tāni karmāṇi nibadhnanti dhanañjaya | udāsīna-vad āsīnam asaktaṁ teṣhu karmasu || 9.9 || O Dhananjaya, those actions do not bind Me, as I remain seated like one who is neutral, unattached to those actions. → Shloka 10 Under the Supreme's Supervision, Nature Brings Forth the Whole World mayādhyakṣheṇa prakṛitiḥ sūyate sacharācharam | hetunānena kaunteya jagad viparivartate || 9.10 || Under My supervision, material nature brings forth all moving and non-moving beings. For this reason, O son of Kunti, the world goes through its cycles of change. → Shloka 11 The Deluded Disregard the Supreme Lord of All Beings in Human Form avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣhīṁ tanum āśhritam | paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto mama bhūta-maheśhwaram || 9.11 || The deluded disregard Me when I assume a human form, not knowing My higher nature as the Supreme Lord of all beings. → Shloka 12 Vain Hopes, Actions and Knowledge of Those Who Shelter in a Deluding Nature moghāśhā mogha-karmāṇo mogha-jñānā vichetasaḥ | rākṣhasīm āsurīṁ chaiva prakṛitiṁ mohinīṁ śhritāḥ || 9.12 || Of vain hopes, vain actions and vain knowledge, and bereft of discrimination, they take shelter in the bewildering, demoniac and ungodly nature. → Shloka 13 Great Souls, Sheltered in the Divine Nature, Worship the Supreme with Undivided Minds mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛitim āśhritāḥ | bhajanty ananya-manaso jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam || 9.13 || But the great souls, O Arjuna, who take shelter in the divine nature, worship Me with a mind fixed on nothing else, knowing Me as the imperishable origin of all beings. → Shloka 14 Constantly Glorifying, Striving Firmly and Bowing with Devotion satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaśh cha dṛiḍha-vratāḥ | namasyantaśh cha māṁ bhaktyā nitya-yuktā upāsate || 9.14 || Always glorifying Me, striving with firm resolve, and bowing down to Me with devotion, these ever-steadfast devotees worship Me. → Shloka 15 Worshipping the Universal Supreme through the Sacrifice of Knowledge jñāna-yajñena chāpy anye yajanto mām upāsate | ekatvena pṛithaktvena bahudhā viśhvato-mukham || 9.15 || Others, offering the sacrifice of knowledge, worship Me as one, as distinct, and in many forms, as the universal Being who faces everywhere. → Shloka 16 I Am the Ritual, the Offering, the Chant and the Fire ahaṁ kratur ahaṁ yajñaḥ svadhāham aham auṣhadham | mantro 'ham aham evājyam aham agnir ahaṁ hutam || 9.16 || I am the Vedic ritual, I am the sacrifice, I am the offering to the ancestors, and I am the healing herb. I am the sacred chant, I am the clarified butter, I am the fire, and I am the offering itself. → Shloka 17 I Am the Father, Mother and Sustainer of the Universe, and the Sacred Om pitāham asya jagato mātā dhātā pitāmahaḥ | vedyaṁ pavitram oṁkāra ṛik sāma yajur eva cha || 9.17 || I am the father of this universe, the mother, the sustainer and the grandfather. I am the object of knowledge, the purifier, the sacred syllable Om, and also the Rig, Sama and Yajur Vedas. → Shloka 18 The Goal, Refuge, Friend and Imperishable Seed of All gatir bhartā prabhuḥ sākṣhī nivāsaḥ śharaṇaṁ suhṛit | prabhavaḥ pralayaḥ sthānaṁ nidhānaṁ bījam avyayam || 9.18 || I am the goal, the sustainer, the Lord, the witness, the abode, the refuge and the well-wishing friend. I am the origin, the dissolution, the foundation, the storehouse, and the imperishable seed. → Shloka 19 I Give Heat and Rain; I Am Immortality and Death, Being and Non-Being tapāmy aham ahaṁ varṣhaṁ nigṛihṇāmy utsṛijāmi cha | amṛitaṁ chaiva mṛityuśh cha sad asach chāham arjuna || 9.19 || I give heat, and I withhold and send forth the rain. I am immortality and also death. I am both being and non-being, O Arjuna. → Shloka 20 Seekers of Heaven through Vedic Sacrifices Enjoy Celestial Pleasures trai-vidyā māṁ soma-pāḥ pūta-pāpā yajñair iṣhṭvā svar-gatiṁ prārthayante | te puṇyam āsādya surendra-lokam aśhnanti divyān divi deva-bhogān || 9.20 || The knowers of the three Vedas, who drink the soma and are purified of sin, worship Me through sacrifices and pray for the path to heaven. They reach the sacred world of Indra, the king of the gods, and enjoy the divine pleasures of the gods in heaven. → Shloka 21 Heavenly Enjoyment Ends When Merit Is Exhausted, and the Cycle Continues te taṁ bhuktvā svarga-lokaṁ viśhālaṁ kṣhīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśhanti | evaṁ trayī-dharmam anuprapannā gatāgataṁ kāma-kāmā labhante || 9.21 || Having enjoyed that vast heavenly world, they return to the mortal world when their merit is exhausted. Thus, those who follow the ritual path of the three Vedas and desire pleasures attain only coming and going. → Shloka 22 I Carry What They Lack and Preserve What They Have ananyāśh chintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ paryupāsate | teṣhāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣhemaṁ vahāmy aham || 9.22 || To those who worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on Me alone, and who are ever steadfast, I carry what they lack and preserve what they have. → Shloka 23 Worship of Other Deities with Faith Also Reaches the Supreme, Though Not by the Proper Method ye 'py anya-devatā-bhaktā yajante śhraddhayānvitāḥ | te 'pi mām eva kaunteya yajanty avidhi-pūrvakam || 9.23 || Even those devotees who worship other deities with faith, O son of Kunti, worship Me alone, though in a way that is not according to the proper method. → Shloka 24 The Supreme Is the Enjoyer and Lord of All Sacrifices, and Those Who Miss This Fall Back ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ bhoktā cha prabhur eva cha | na tu mām abhijānanti tattvenātaśh chyavanti te || 9.24 || I alone am the enjoyer and the Lord of all sacrifices. But those who do not know Me in truth fall back. → Shloka 25 You Reach What You Worship: Gods, Ancestors, Spirits or the Supreme yānti deva-vratā devān pitṝn yānti pitṛi-vratāḥ | bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām || 9.25 || Worshippers of the gods go to the gods, worshippers of the ancestors go to the ancestors, and worshippers of the spirits go to the spirits. But My worshippers come to Me. → Shloka 26 A Leaf, a Flower, a Fruit or Water, Offered with Devotion, Is Accepted patraṁ puṣhpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayachchhati | tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛitam aśhnāmi prayatātmanaḥ || 9.26 || Whoever offers Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I accept that offering of devotion from the pure-hearted. → Shloka 27 Whatever You Do, Eat, Offer, Give or Practice, Make It an Offering to Me yat karoṣhi yad aśhnāsi yaj juhoṣhi dadāsi yat | yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kuruṣhva mad-arpaṇam || 9.27 || O son of Kunti, whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in sacrifice, whatever you give, and whatever austerity you practice, do it as an offering to Me. → Shloka 28 Offering All Actions Frees You from Their Good and Bad Results śhubhāśhubha-phalair evaṁ mokṣhyase karma-bandhanaiḥ | sannyāsa-yoga-yuktātmā vimukto mām upaiṣhyasi || 9.28 || In this way you will be freed from the bonds of action, which bear good and evil results. With your mind steadfast in the yoga of renunciation, you will be liberated and come to Me. → Shloka 29 The Supreme Is Equal to All, Yet Devotees Are in Him and He Is in Them samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣhu na me dveṣhyo 'sti na priyaḥ | ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā mayi te teṣhu chāpy aham || 9.29 || I am equal to all beings; no one is hateful to Me, and no one is especially dear. But those who worship Me with devotion are in Me, and I am also in them. → Shloka 30 Even a Person of Very Bad Conduct, if Wholly Devoted, Is to Be Regarded as Righteous api chet su-durāchāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk | sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ samyag vyavasito hi saḥ || 9.30 || Even if one of very bad conduct worships Me with exclusive devotion, he should be regarded as righteous, for he has resolved rightly. → Shloka 31 The Devotee Quickly Becomes Righteous, Attains Eternal Peace and Never Perishes kṣhipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śhaśhvach-chhāntiṁ nigachchhati | kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśhyati || 9.31 || He quickly becomes righteous and attains eternal peace. O son of Kunti, declare boldly that My devotee never perishes. → Shloka 32 All Who Take Refuge in the Supreme, Whatever Their Birth or Station, Reach the Supreme Goal māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśhritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ | striyo vaiśhyās tathā śhūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim || 9.32 || O Arjuna, those who take refuge in Me, even those considered to be of humble birth, such as women, vaiśyas (merchants) and śūdras (laborers), also attain the supreme goal. → Shloka 33 Having Come into This Impermanent and Joyless World, Devote Yourself to Me kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā bhaktā rājarṣhayas tathā | anityam asukhaṁ lokam imaṁ prāpya bhajasva mām || 9.33 || What then to speak of virtuous brahmins and devoted royal sages? Having come into this impermanent and joyless world, devote yourself to Me. → Shloka 34 Fix Your Mind on Me, Be My Devotee, Worship Me and Bow to Me man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru | mām evaiṣhyasi yuktvaivam ātmānaṁ mat-parāyaṇaḥ || 9.34 || Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, worship Me and bow down to Me. Thus uniting your whole self with Me and taking Me as your supreme goal, you shall come to Me alone. →