9.1
Lord Krishna said:
Dear Arjuna, because you do not carp and cavil at what I teach, I shall now impart to you the secret wisdom that, when realized in yourself, will free you from the miseries of material existence.
9.2
This wisdom is the king of sciences, the most sovereign of mysteries. It brings about direct realization of the Self, and thus is the perfection of all religion. It is easy to practice, and everlasting in effect.
9.3
Those who do not practice faithfully, however, will not realize Self, and will remain lashed to the wheel of birth and death.
9.4
The entire Universe of Creation consists of nothing but Me in My unmanifested nature. All beings consist entirely of Me, but I do not dwell in them.
9.5
Nor can it be said that beings dwell in Me. Though I am the unmanifest substance of all Creation, that is not where you will find Me.
9.6
As the wind moves everywhere yet always exists in the sky, so do all beings and things exist in Me.
9.7
At the end of every cosmic cycle, all beings return to Me. In every new beginning, I send them forth again.
9.8
In My aspect as Nature I pour forth, again and again, the whole multitude of beings solely by My Will. They have no say in this. And when I will it, they are gathered back.
9.9
I have no attachment whatever to these works. I am disinterested, indifferent.
9.10
My Will powers Nature to manifest all things, moving and unmoving, and to destroy and create them again and again.
9.11
When I assume human form, the foolish deride and disregard Me. They cannot perceive Me as Lord God of All.
9.12
The bewildered are attracted by godless and demonic views. In such a deluded state, there is no hope for Liberation. Their actions are all in vain and their knowledge is worthless.
9.13
Those who are not deluded, the great sages, know Me as I am — the Source of Creation. They seek only to serve Me, and are protected by Divine Nature.
9.14
Some sing My praises and bow down to Me in worship. Some simply worship Me with love.
9.15
Others see Me as undifferentiated Oneness, not different from themselves. Others worship Me as a separate Being. Still others worship Me in the infinite variations of my cosmic form.
9.16
I am the rituals and ceremonies in all of this, I am the offerings and I am the sacrifice, I am the food, the herbs, the butter. I am the act of surrendering, and I am the fire.
9.17
I am the Father and Mother of the Universe, I am the Grandsire and sole Sustainer of All That Is. I am the Purifier, the sacred AUM, the holy scriptures and the only true Knowing.
9.18
I am the Lord, the witness, the refuge and the abode. I am the goal, the map, and the dear companion, I am the origin, the destruction, the place of rest, and the imperishable seed.
9.19
I am the sun and its heat. I withhold and send forth rain. I am immortality and death, being and non-being, reality and the unreal.
9.20
Those who seek heaven by studying the Vedas, performing rituals and drinking soma, worship me indirectly. Purified of sins, they earn birth in the realm of the demigods, and feast on celestial pleasures.
9.21
They enjoy the glories of Paradise until their store of merit is exhausted. Then they are born again into the world of mortals. They have followed the letter of the scriptures, but because they desire only the joys of heaven, they come and go again and again.
9.22
But for those who think of Me always, for no other reason but love and devotion, I take it upon myself to provide all that they need, and to preserve what they already have.
9.23
Those who worship other gods sincerely and faithfully, they, too, are worshipping Me, though with veiled understanding.
9.24
I am the enjoyer of all sacrifices, no matter who they are intended for. But those who do not come to know Me as such, fall again and again into mortal births.
9.25
Those who worship demigods, take birth among the demigods. Those who worship ancestors, join them when they die. Those who worship spirits, take birth among such beings. Those who worship Me, will come to live as God.
9.26
Whatever small thing you offer Me in devotion — a leaf, a flower, a fruit, some water — I will accept in love.
9.27
Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you give away, whatever austerities you perform — do it as an offering to Me.
9.28
In this way you will be released from the karma of action — which brings both good and bad results. By surrendering your actions to Me, you shall come to Me in Liberation.
9.29
I am equal towards all beings. I favor none and despise none. But whoever is devoted to Me in service, I am a friend to him. He is in Me and I am in him, in love.
9.30
Even the vilest sinner, if he worships Me wholeheartedly in devotion, shall be counted as virtuous because he has resolved to tread the right path.
9.31
Such a one soon becomes a righteous soul and finds lasting peace. Know thou for certain, Arjuna, he who loves Me shall never perish.
9.32
Anyone who takes refuge in Me, whatever their birth, race, sex or caste — even those called untouchables — can attain the Supreme.
9.33
How much easier then for the sages and saints of meritorious deeds and fortunate birth who, having found themselves born into this transient, joyless world, devote themselves to Me.
9.34
Fill your mind with thoughts of Me. Become devoted to Me. Make offerings to Me. Bow to Me in humility. Repeat My name over and again in your heart and become absorbed in Me. In this way you will become One with Me, and discover I am your very Self.