Chapter 9
The Most Confidential Knowledge
- śrī-bhagavān kahilen:
- evāra he arjun śuna asūyā rahita
- ei ek guhyatama kahi tava hita
- ihā hay jñān ār vijñāna-sammata
- jānile se mukta hay sarb aśubhata
Text 1: 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.
- rāj-vidyā ei jñān rāj guhya kahe
- pavitra uttam tāhā sādhāraṇ nahe
- yāhāra sādhane hay pratyakṣānubhav
- susukha se dharma hay avyay baibhav
Text 2: 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 realisation, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.
- yāhāra se śraddhā nāi ohe parantap
- ei dharma vijñānete vṛthā japatap
- se āmāke nāhi pāy jāniha niścay
- mṛtyu saṁsārera pathe nirantar ray
Text 3: 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.
- avyakta ye nirviśeṣ āmār-i rūp
- jagata vyāpiyā thāki anirdiṣṭa rūp
- āmāte jagat sab nā āmi tāhāte
- pariṇām hay tāhā āmāra śaktite
Text 4: By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.
- āmāra śaktite thāke bhinna āmā hate
- yogaiśvarya sei mor bujha bhāla mate
- bhartā sakala bhūter nahi se bhūtastha
- bhūta-bhṛt nām mor bhūtādi taṭastha
Text 5: 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.
- ākāśa ār ye vāyu serūpa tulanā
- ākāśa pṛthaka hate vāyura cālanā
- ākāśa sarvatra vyāpta vāyu yathā thāke
- tathā sarvabhūta sthita thāke ye āmāte
Text 6: Understand that as the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, rests always in the sky, all created beings rest in Me.
- prakṛtir lay hale viśrāma āmāte
- kalpārambhe hay sṛṣṭi punaḥ āmā hate
- pralayer pare thāki āmi ye īśvar
- sṛṣṭā-ṣṛṣta yāhā kichu āmāra kiṅkar
Text 7: 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.
- āmāra prakṛti dvārā sṛji punaḥ punaḥ
- prakṛtira vaśe hay yata bhūta grām
Text 8: 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.
- kintu dhanañjay tumi bujhibe niścay
- prakṛtira kārye kabhu āmi lipta nay
- udāsīn āmi sei prakṛtira kārye
- āsakti nahe ta' mor prakṛti vidhārye
Text 9: O Dhanañjaya, all this work cannot bind Me. I am ever detached from all these material activities, seated as though neutral.
- iṅgita-mātra se mor jaḍā-kārya kare
- carācar yata kichu prasabe sabāre
- jagat parivartana hay sei se kāraṇ
- punaḥ punaḥ hay yata janama maraṇ
Text 10: This material nature, which is one of My energies, is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, producing all moving and non-moving beings. Under its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.
- āmāra manuṣyākār vigraha dekhiyā
- mūḍha lok nāhi bujhe avajñā kariyā
- āmi maheśvara ei jagata saṁsāre
- āmāra parama bhāv ke bujhite pāre
Text 11: 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.
- āmāke avajñā tāi vyartha sab āśā
- biphala karama tār jñānera jijñāsā
- yāhāra āsurī bhāv rākṣasa svabhāv
- chāḍe more māne śudhu prakṛti baibhav
- prakṛti mohinī mūrti tāre jāri māre
- māyāmay mūrti bale tāhārā āmāre
Text 12: 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.
- kintu yevā mahātmā se ārādhya-prakṛti
- āśraya laiyā kare bhajana saṅgati
- ananya manete kare viśuddha bhajan
- samasta bhūtera ādi āmāke takhan
Text 13: 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.
- lakṣaṇa se mahātmār hay vilakṣaṇ
- mahimā āmār kare satata kīrtan
- āmāra mahimā janya sarva karme rata
- sakala viṣaye yata hao dṛḍha-vrata
Text 14: Always chanting My glories, endeavouring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.
- bhaktira yājana ār praṇāma vijñapti
- nitya-sevā upāsanā āmākei prāpti
- yārā śuddha bhakta nahe kintu more bhaje
- jñān yajña kari tārā tin-bhāve maje
- ahaṁgraha upāsan ekatva se nām
- pṛthakatve upāsanā pratīkopāsan
- viśva-rūpa upāsanā anirdiṣṭa-rūp
- nirākār-bhāv kimbā bhāve bahu-rūp
Text 15: 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.
- āmi-i sei smārta-yajñe śrouta vaiśyadev
- āmi-i se svadhā mantra ouṣadha vibhed
- āmi-i se agni homa ghṛtādi sāmagrī
- āmi pitā āmi mātā athavā vidhātṛ
Text 16: 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.
- āmi pitāmaha vedya pavitra oṁkār
- āmi ṛk āmi sām yaju kiṁbā ār
Text 17: I am the father of the universe, the mother, the support and the grandsire. I am the object of knowledge, the purifier and the syllable oṁ. I am also the Ṛg, the Sāma and the Yajur Vedas.
- āmi gati āmi bhartā more sākṣī kara
- āmi se śaraṇya-dhām prabhava pralaya
Text 18: 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.
- āmi se utpatti sthiti vīja avyay
- āmi vṛṣṭi āmi megh āmi mṛtyumay
- āmi se amṛta tattva śuna he arjun
- sadasad yāhā kichu āmi viśvarūp
Text 19: 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.
- karma-kāṇḍa veda tray, sādhane ye pūrṇa hay,
- soma-ras pāne pāpa kṣay
- yajña mor upāsanā, yevā kare se sādhanā,
- svarga-sukh prārthanā se kare
- puṇyera phalete sei, surendra lokete yāy,
- divya-sukh bhog sethā kare
- viśāla se svarga-sukh, bhule yāy jaḍa duḥkha,
- krame krame tāra puṇya hare
- trayī dharma karma-kāṇḍa payo-mukha viṣa-bhāṇḍa
- amṛta bhāviyā yevā khāy
- gatāgati kāma-lābh, janme janme mahātāp,
- tār janma adhaḥpāte yāy
Text 20: 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.
Text 21: 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.
- kintu ye ananya-bhāve more cintā kare
- ekānta haiyā śudhu āmāke ye smare
- sei nitya-yukta bhakta āmāra se priya
- ye sukha cāhaye sei hay mor deya
- āmi tār yogakṣem bahi lai yāi
- āmā vinā anya tār kona cintā nāi
Text 22: 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.
- itara devatā yevā pūje śraddhā kari
- śeo āmāke pūje vidhi dharma chāḍi
Text 23: 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.
- sarva yajñeśvara āmi prabhu āra bhoktā
- se kathā bujhe nā yārā nahe tattva-vettā
- ataev tattva-jñān haite vicyuta
- pratīkopāsanā sei tāttvika vismṛta
Text 24: I am the only enjoyer and master of all sacrifices. Therefore, those who do not recognise My true transcendental nature fall down.
- itara devatā yājī yāy devaloke
- pitṛlok upāsak yāy pitṛloke
- bhūt-pret upāsak bhūtaloke yāy
- āmāke bhajana kare āmākei pāy
- āmāra pūjana hay sakale sambhav
- daridra hale-o nahe apekṣā vaibhav
Text 25: 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.
- patra puṣpa phal jal bhakta more dyay
- bhaktira kāraṇa sei grahaṇīya hay
- yatna kari mor bhakta yāhā kichu dyay
- santuṣṭa haiyā lai bhaktira prabhāy
- nirapekṣa bhakta tumi e mora niścaya
- tomāra ye kāryakram saba bhakti haya
Text 26: If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.
- ataev kara yāhā bhog yajña tap
- arpaṇa karaha tumi āmāke sesab
Text 27: 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.
- śubhāśubha phal yāhā hay tāhā dvārā
- tāhāra bandhana hate mukt tumi sārā
- sei se sannyāsa-yog karite yuyāy
- yāhāra phalete lok more prāpta haya
Text 28: 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.
- āmi ta' sakala bhūte dekhi samabhāv
- nahe keha priya mor dveṣya vā prabhāv
- kintu sei bhaje more bhakti-yukta hai
- se āmāte āmi tāte āsakta ye rai
Text 29: 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.
- ananya ye bhakta yadi kabhu durācār
- bhajana karaye more ekaniṣṭhatār
- se sādhu mantavya hay samyag vyavasita
- doṣa tār kichu nay se ye dṛḍha-vrata
Text 30: 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.
- ati-śīghra yābe sei bhāva durācār
- dharma-bhāv habe tār bhaktite āmār
- he kaunteya! pratijñā e śunaha āmār
- āmāra ye bhakta hay nāś nāhi tār
Text 31: He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kuntī, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.
- āmāke āśray kari yevā pāp-yoni
- mlecchādi yavan kimbā beśyā madhye gaṇi
- kimbā vaiśya śūdra yadi āmāra āśray
- pāibe vaikuṇṭha gati jāniha niścay
Text 32: 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.
- brāḥmaṇa kṣatriya yārā tādera ki kathā
- puṇyavāna hay tārā jānibe sarvathā
- ataev e anitya saṁsāre āsiyā
- bhajana karaha mor niścinte basiyā
Text 33: 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.
- manmanā madbhakta mor bhajana pūjan
- āmāke praṇām tumi kara sarvakṣaṇ
- matpara haye tumi nija kārya kara
- avaśya pāibe more jāna ihā kara
Text 34: 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.
- bhaktivedānta kahe śrī-gītāra gān
- śune yadi śuddha bhakta kṛṣṇagata-prāṇ
Thus Bhaktivedānta sings the song of Śrī Gītā, with the hope that hearing this, Kṛṣṇa conscious pure devotees will be pleased.