Main Points of the Discourse:
- The excellence of Atmavidya. (1-3)
- The form of the Lord. (4-6)
- The Origin of the Universe. (7-10)
- Qualities of the man of Divine and demonical nature. (11-15)
- The Universal form of the Lord. (16-19)
- The rewards of Nishkama Karma and Sakama Karma. (20-25)
- The supreme power of devotion and self-surrender to the Lord through Nishkama Karma. (26-34)
Verses 1 to 34
- The Lord said: To you, free from malice and cavil, I shall declare this profoundest secret, knowledge with experience combined, which having known, you shall be freed from all evil. (9.1)
- It is the sovereign science, the sovereign mystery, and the supreme purifier. It is perceived by direct experience, it accords with dharma, it is easy to practise, and it is imperishable. (9.2)
- People who have no faith in this dharma are unable to attain Me, O conqueror of enemies. They repeatedly come back to this world in the cycle of birth and death. (9.3)
- This entire cosmic manifestation is pervaded by Me in My unmanifest form. All living beings dwell in Me, but I do not dwell in them. (9.4)
- And yet, the living beings do not abide in Me. Behold the mystery of My divine energy! Although I am the Creator and Sustainer of all living beings, I am not influenced by them or by material nature. (9.5)
- Know that as the mighty wind blowing everywhere rests always in the sky, likewise, all living beings rest always in Me. (9.6)
- At the end of a cycle all beings, Ο son of Kunti, enter into My Prakriti, and at the beginning of a cycle I generate them again. (9.7)
- Controlling My own Prakriti, I send forth, again and again, all this multitude of beings, helpless under the sway of māyā. (9.8)
- And these acts, Ο Dhananjaya, do not bind Me; for I remain unattached to them, as one unconcerned. (9.9)
- Prakriti, under My guidance, gives birth to all things, moving and unmoving; and because of this, Ο son of Kunti, the world revolves. (9.10)
- Fools disregard Me when I assume a human form; for they are unaware of My higher nature as the Supreme Lord of all beings. (9.11)
- Being of the deceitful nature of fiends and demons, they cherish vain hopes, perform vain actions, pursue vain knowledge, and are devoid of judgement. (9.12)
- But the great-souled men, Ο Pārtha, who are endowed with the divine nature, worship Me with undisturbed minds, knowing that I am immutable and the origin of all beings. (9.13)
- Ever glorifying Me, always striving with self-control, remaining firm in their vows, bowing before Me, they worship Me with love and unwavering steadiness. (9.14)
- Others, again, offer the oblation of knowledge and worship Me either as one with them or as distinct from them; and still others in various ways worship Me, whose form is the whole universe. (9.15)
- I am the sacrifice, I am the worship, I am the oblation to the manes, and I am cereal. I am the hymn, I am the melted butter, I am the fire, and I am the offering. (9.16)
- I am the Father of this universe, the Mother, the Sustainer, and the Grandsire. I am the knowable, the purifier, and the syllable Om. I am also the Rik, the Sāman, and the Yajus. (9.17)
- I am the goal, the supporter, the Lord, the witness, the abode, the shelter, the friend, the origin, the dissolution, the foundation, the treasure-house, and the seed imperishable. (9.18)
- I give heat; I hold back and send forth rain. I am immortality, O Arjuna, and also death. I am being and I am non-being. (9.19)
- The knowers of the Vedas, the drinkers of Soma, purified of sins, worshipping Me by sacrifices, pray for the way to Heaven. They having attained the world of Indra, enjoy the heavenly pleasures of the Devas. (9.20)
- They having enjoyed the vast Heaven-world, the merit being exhausted, enter the world of mortals; thus, those who desire enjoyments, abiding by the law of the Vedas have to go and return endlessly. (9.21)
- Those persons who worship Me, meditating on their identity with Me and ever devoted to Me— to them I carry what they lack and for them I preserve what they already have. (9.22)
- Even those devotees who, endowed with faith, worship other gods, worship Me alone, Ο son of Kunti, though in a wrong way. (9.23)
- I am alone the enjoyer and the Lord of all sacrifices, but they do not know Me in reality, hence they fall. (9.24)
- The worshippers of the Devas go to the Devas; the worshippers of the ancestors go to the ancestors; the worshippers of the Bhutas go to the Bhutas; the worshippers of Me go to Me. (9.25)
- Whosoever offers Me, with devotion, a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water— that I accept, the pious offering of the pure in heart. (9.26)
- Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in sacrifice, whatever you give away, and whatever you practise in the form of austerities, Ο son of Kunti— do it as an offering to Me. (9.27)
- Thus shall you be free from the bondage of actions, which bear good or evil results. With your mind firmly set on the yoga of renunciation, you shall become free and come to Me. (9.28)
- I am the same toward all beings; to Me there is none hateful or dear. But those who worship Me with devotion— they are in Me, and I too am in them. (9.29)
- Even the most sinful man, if he worships Me with unswerving devotion, must be regarded as righteous; for he has formed the right resolution. (9.30)
- He soon becomes righteous and attains eternal peace. Proclaim it boldly, Ο son of Kunti, that My devotee never perishes. (9.31)
- For those who take refuge in Me, Ο Pārtha, though they be of sinful birth— women, vaiśyas, and śudras— even they attain the Supreme Goal. (9.32)
- How much more, then, if they be holy brāhmins or royal seers devoted to God! Having come into this transitory, joyless world, worship Me. (9.33)
- Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, sacrifice to Me, bow down to Me. Having thus disciplined yourself, and regarding Me as the Supreme Goal, you will come to Me. (9.34)