श्री भगवानुवाच
इदं तु ते गुह्यतमं प्रवक्ष्याम्यनसूयवे।
ज्ञानं विज्ञानसहितं यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात्।।9.1।।

śhrī bhagavān uvācha
idaṁ tu te guhyatamaṁ pravakṣhyāmyanasūyave
jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitaṁ yaj jñātvā mokṣhyase ’śhubhāt

Word-for-Word Translation

śhrī-bhagavān uvācha—the Supreme Lord said; idam—this; tu—but; te—to you; guhya-tamam—the most confidential; pravakṣhyāmi—I shall impart; anasūyave—nonenvious; jñānam—knowledge; vijñāna—realized knowledge; sahitam—with; yat—which; jñātvā—knowing; mokṣhyase—you will be released; aśhubhāt—miseries of material existence

Meaning

The Blessed Lord said, "I shall now declare to thee, who does not cavil, the greatest secret—the knowledge combined with experience (Self-realisation). Having known this, thou shalt be free from evil."

Explanation

Krishna opens this chapter by promising Arjuna the most confidential teaching of all, calling him free of envy — a quality that qualifies one to actually receive spiritual knowledge rather than merely hear it. What follows isn't dry philosophy but knowledge joined with direct experience, the kind that liberates rather than just informs. It's a reminder that sincere, non-critical listening is itself the doorway to realization.

राजविद्या राजगुह्यं पवित्रमिदमुत्तमम्।
प्रत्यक्षावगमं धर्म्यं सुसुखं कर्तुमव्ययम्।।9.2।।

rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ pavitram idam uttamam
pratyakṣhāvagamaṁ dharmyaṁ su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam

Word-for-Word Translation

rāja-vidyā—the king of sciences; rāja-guhyam—the most profound secret; pavitram—pure; idam—this; uttamam—highest; pratyakṣha—directly perceptible; avagamam—directly realizable; dharmyam—virtuous; su-sukham—easy; kartum—to practice; avyayam—everlasting

Meaning

This is the royal science, the royal secret, the supreme purifier, realizable by direct intuitive knowledge, according to righteousness, very easy to perform and imperishable.

Explanation

Having promised something confidential, Krishna now describes its character: pure, supreme, directly perceptible, and easy to practice. Unlike many disciplines that demand years of preparation before any fruit is felt, devotion yields a taste of joy almost immediately, even as its effects endure without decay. This is an invitation as much as a teaching — bhakti is offered as accessible to anyone willing to begin.

अश्रद्दधानाः पुरुषा धर्मस्यास्य परन्तप।
अप्राप्य मां निवर्तन्ते मृत्युसंसारवर्त्मनि।।9.3।।

aśhraddadhānāḥ puruṣhā dharmasyāsya parantapa
aprāpya māṁ nivartante mṛityu-samsāra-vartmani

Word-for-Word Translation

aśhraddadhānāḥ—people without faith; puruṣhāḥ—(such) persons; dharmasya—of dharma; asya—this; parantapa—Arjun, conqueror the enemies; aprāpya—without attaining; mām—me; nivartante—come back; mṛityu—death; samsāra—material existence; vartmani—in the path

Meaning

Those who have no faith in this Dharma, O Parantapa, return to the path of this world without attaining Me.

Explanation

Krishna now names the obstacle to this royal path: not lack of intelligence but lack of faith. Without shraddha, a seeker cannot reach Him and instead remains caught in the repeating cycle of birth and death. The verse quietly suggests that cultivating trust in the process — even before full realization — is itself the first real step of practice.

मया ततमिदं सर्वं जगदव्यक्तमूर्तिना।
मत्स्थानि सर्वभूतानि न चाहं तेष्ववस्थितः।।9.4।।

mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā
mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni na chāhaṁ teṣhvavasthitaḥ

Word-for-Word Translation

mayā—by me; tatam—pervaded; idam—this; sarvam—entire; jagat—cosmic manifestation; avyakta-mūrtinā—the unmanifested form; mat-sthāni—in me; sarva-bhūtāni—all living beings; na—not; cha—and; aham—I; teṣhu—in them; avasthitaḥ—dwell

Meaning

All of this world is pervaded by Me in My unmanifest aspect; all beings exist within Me, but I do not dwell within them.

Explanation

Here Krishna describes His all-pervading, unmanifest presence: everything exists within Him, yet He is not confined to or exhausted by any of it. Prabhupada explains this with the analogy of the sun and sunshine — sunshine spreads everywhere, yet the sun itself stays fixed in one place; likewise Krishna's impersonal energy pervades the entire creation while He, the Supreme Person, remains personally situated in His own abode, Goloka Vrindavan, untouched by material contact. It invites the practitioner to see the whole world as resting in Krishna's energy without imagining that Krishna Himself is thereby reduced to or scattered throughout the world.

न च मत्स्थानि भूतानि पश्य मे योगमैश्वरम्।
भूतभृन्न च भूतस्थो ममात्मा भूतभावनः।।9.5।।

na cha mat-sthāni bhūtāni paśhya me yogam aiśhwaram
bhūta-bhṛin na cha bhūta-stho mamātmā bhūta-bhāvanaḥ

Word-for-Word Translation

na—never; cha—and; mat-sthāni—abide in me; bhūtāni—all living beings; paśhya—behold; me—my; yogam aiśhwaram—divine energy; bhūta-bhṛit—the sustainer of all living beings; na—never; cha—yet; bhūta-sthaḥ—dwelling in; mama—my; ātmā—self; bhūta-bhāvanaḥ—the creator of all beings

Meaning

Nor do beings exist in Me (in reality); behold, My divine Yoga, which supports all beings, but does not dwell in them, is My Self, the efficient cause of beings.

Explanation

Krishna deepens the paradox of the previous verse, saying beings do not literally reside in Him either — this is the working of His inconceivable divine potency. He sustains and generates every being while remaining untouched, like a source that gives without being depleted. It's a glimpse of a mystery meant to humble the intellect rather than be fully resolved by it.

यथाऽऽकाशस्थितो नित्यं वायुः सर्वत्रगो महान्।
तथा सर्वाणि भूतानि मत्स्थानीत्युपधारय।।9.6।।

yathākāśha-sthito nityaṁ vāyuḥ sarvatra-go mahān
tathā sarvāṇi bhūtāni mat-sthānītyupadhāraya

Word-for-Word Translation

yathā—as; ākāśha-sthitaḥ—rests in the sky; nityam—always; vāyuḥ—the wind; sarvatra-gaḥ—blowing everywhere; mahān—mighty; tathā—likewise; sarvāṇi bhūtāni—all living beings; mat-sthāni—rest in me; iti—thus; upadhāraya—know

Meaning

As the mighty wind, moving everywhere, always rests in the ether, so too, know that all beings rest in Me.

Explanation

To make the previous abstract point graspable, Krishna offers a simple image: just as the mighty wind, though moving everywhere, always rests within the sky, so all beings rest in Him. Familiar analogies like this are common in the Gita's teaching style, helping the mind hold an idea too vast to grasp directly. It softens the philosophy into something almost intuitive.

सर्वभूतानि कौन्तेय प्रकृतिं यान्ति मामिकाम्।
कल्पक्षये पुनस्तानि कल्पादौ विसृजाम्यहम्।।9.7।।

sarva-bhūtāni kaunteya prakṛitiṁ yānti māmikām
kalpa-kṣhaye punas tāni kalpādau visṛijāmyaham

Word-for-Word Translation

sarva-bhūtāni—all living beings; kaunteya—Arjun, the son of Kunti; prakṛitim—primordial material energy; yānti—merge; māmikām—my; kalpa-kṣhaye—at the end of a kalpa; punaḥ—again; tāni—them; kalpa-ādau—at the beginning of a kalpa; visṛijāmi—manifest; aham—I

Meaning

All beings, O Arjuna, go into My Nature at the end of a Kalpa; I send them forth again at the beginning of the next Kalpa.

Explanation

Krishna now turns to cosmic cycles, explaining that at the dissolution of a kalpa all beings merge back into His material nature, only to be sent forth again at the next creation. This rhythm of manifestation and withdrawal shows creation itself as an ongoing act of His will, not a one-time event long past. It situates the individual soul's story within a far larger, repeating drama that only devotion can ultimately step outside of.

प्रकृतिं स्वामवष्टभ्य विसृजामि पुनः पुनः।
भूतग्राममिमं कृत्स्नमवशं प्रकृतेर्वशात्।।9.8।।

prakṛitiṁ svām avaṣhṭabhya visṛijāmi punaḥ punaḥ
bhūta-grāmam imaṁ kṛitsnam avaśhaṁ prakṛiter vaśhāt

Word-for-Word Translation

prakṛitim—the material energy; svām—my own; avaṣhṭabhya—presiding over; visṛijāmi—generate; punaḥ punaḥ—again and again; bhūta-grāmam—myriad forms; imam—these; kṛitsnam—all; avaśham—beyond their control; prakṛiteḥ—nature; vaśhāt—force

Meaning

Animating My Nature, I again and again send forth all this multitude of beings, helpless under the force of Nature.

Explanation

Continuing the theme of cosmic creation, Krishna explains that He generates the vast multitude of beings again and again through His own material energy, and these beings emerge helpless, driven by nature's forces rather than by their own independent will. This underscores how deeply conditioned ordinary existence is — real freedom only begins when one turns toward the source behind the machinery.

न च मां तानि कर्माणि निबध्नन्ति धनञ्जय।
उदासीनवदासीनमसक्तं तेषु कर्मसु।।9.9।।

na cha māṁ tāni karmāṇi nibadhnanti dhanañjaya
udāsīna-vad āsīnam asaktaṁ teṣhu karmasu

Word-for-Word Translation

na—none; cha—as; mām—me; tāni—those; karmāṇi—actions; nibadhnanti—bind; dhanañjaya—Arjun, conqueror of wealth; udāsīna-vat—as neutral; āsīnam—situated; asaktam—detached; teṣhu—those; karmasu—actions

Meaning

These acts do not bind Me, O Arjuna, sitting as one indifferent, unattached to those acts.

Explanation

Despite being the one who animates all this creation, Krishna declares that these actions do not bind Him, since He remains like a detached witness, unattached to the results of what unfolds. This is held up as the model for the practitioner too — one can be active in the world, even deeply engaged, while inwardly remaining unentangled if the heart is anchored in Krishna rather than in outcomes.

मयाऽध्यक्षेण प्रकृतिः सूयते सचराचरम्।
हेतुनाऽनेन कौन्तेय जगद्विपरिवर्तते।।9.10।।

mayādhyakṣheṇa prakṛitiḥ sūyate sa-charācharam
hetunānena kaunteya jagad viparivartate

Word-for-Word Translation

mayā—by me; adhyakṣheṇa—direction; prakṛitiḥ—material energy; sūyate—brings into being; sa—both; chara-acharam—the animate and the inanimate; hetunā—reason; anena—this; kaunteya—Arjun, the son of Kunti; jagat—the material world; viparivartate—undergoes the changes

Meaning

Under Me, as supervisor, Nature produces the moving and the unmoving; therefore, O Arjuna, the world revolves.

Explanation

Krishna clarifies the mechanism behind the previous verses: it is under His supervision that material nature produces the entire moving and unmoving creation. Nature is not a blind, self-sufficient force but functions as an instrument directed by the Supreme — a view that quietly restores a sense of intelligent order and purpose beneath the world's apparent randomness.

अवजानन्ति मां मूढा मानुषीं तनुमाश्रितम्।
परं भावमजानन्तो मम भूतमहेश्वरम्।।9.11।।

avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣhīṁ tanum āśhritam
paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto mama bhūta-maheśhvaram

Word-for-Word Translation

avajānanti—disregard; mām—me; mūḍhāḥ—dim-witted; mānuṣhīm—human; tanum—form; āśhritam—take on; param—divine; bhāvam—personality; ajānantaḥ—not knowing; mama—my; bhūta—all beings; mahā-īśhvaram—the Supreme Lord

Meaning

Fools disregard Me, clad in human form, not knowing My higher Being as the great Lord of all beings.

Explanation

Krishna names the mistake of fools and rascals who see His humanlike form and dismiss Him as an ordinary man, not knowing His supreme lordship, His control over everything, and His superior spiritual energy that is different from the inferior material energy. Such people, like the Māyāvādī impersonalists, cannot conceive that the Supreme Personality of Godhead can descend in a form resembling a man while remaining fully transcendental; not understanding His inconceivable potencies, they wrongly consider Him one of themselves.

मोघाशा मोघकर्माणो मोघज्ञाना विचेतसः।
राक्षसीमासुरीं चैव प्रकृतिं मोहिनीं श्रिताः।।9.12।।

moghāśhā mogha-karmāṇo mogha-jñānā vichetasaḥ
rākṣhasīm āsurīṁ chaiva prakṛitiṁ mohinīṁ śhritāḥ

Word-for-Word Translation

mogha-āśhāḥ—of vain hopes; mogha-karmāṇaḥ—of vain actions; mogha-jñānāḥ—of baffled knowledge; vichetasaḥ—deluded; rākṣhasīm—demoniac; āsurīm—atheistic; cha—and; eva—certainly; prakṛitim—material energy; mohinīm—bewildered; śhritāḥ—take shelter

Meaning

They are possessed of the deceitful nature of demons and undivine beings, filled with vain hopes, vain actions, and vain knowledge that is senseless.

Explanation

Krishna describes the fate of those who dismiss Him this way: their hopes, actions, and knowledge all become fruitless because they are rooted in a delusion that pulls them toward a demoniac and unwholesome nature. The verse isn't meant to condemn but to warn how consequential this fundamental misperception can be for the whole shape of one's inner and outer life.

महात्मानस्तु मां पार्थ दैवीं प्रकृतिमाश्रिताः।
भजन्त्यनन्यमनसो ज्ञात्वा भूतादिमव्ययम्।।9.13।।

mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛitim āśhritāḥ
bhajantyananya-manaso jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam

Word-for-Word Translation

mahā-ātmānaḥ—the great souls; tu—but; mām—me; pārtha—Arjun, the son of Pritha; daivīm prakṛitim—divine energy; āśhritāḥ—take shelter of; bhajanti—engage in devotion; ananya-manasaḥ—with mind fixed exclusively; jñātvā—knowing; bhūta—all creation; ādim—the origin; avyayam—imperishable

Meaning

But the great souls, O Arjuna, partaking of My divine nature, worship Me with a single-minded devotion, knowing Me as the imperishable source of all beings.

Explanation

In contrast, Krishna now describes the mahatmas — great souls who, sheltered by a divine rather than deluded nature, worship Him with an undivided mind, recognizing Him as the imperishable origin of all creation. Their greatness isn't about power or status but about the wholeheartedness and clarity of their devotion, a quality available to anyone who chooses to cultivate it.

सततं कीर्तयन्तो मां यतन्तश्च दृढव्रताः।
नमस्यन्तश्च मां भक्त्या नित्ययुक्ता उपासते।।9.14।।

satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaśh cha dṛiḍha-vratāḥ
namasyantaśh cha māṁ bhaktyā nitya-yuktā upāsate

Word-for-Word Translation

satatam—always; kīrtayantaḥ—singing divine glories; mām—me; yatantaḥ—striving; cha—and; dṛiḍha-vratāḥ—with great determination; namasyantaḥ—humbly bowing down; cha—and; mām—me; bhaktyā—loving devotion; nitya-yuktāḥ—constantly united; upāsate—worship

Meaning

Always glorifying Me, striving, firm in their vows, prostrating themselves before Me, they worship Me with steadfast devotion.

Explanation

Krishna paints a fuller picture of how these great souls actually practice: constantly glorifying Him, striving with firm resolve, bowing before Him, and worshipping with steady, loving devotion. This verse reads almost like a description of daily sadhana — chanting, humility, and perseverance — showing that exalted realization is built from ordinary, repeated acts of devotion.

ज्ञानयज्ञेन चाप्यन्ये यजन्तो मामुपासते।
एकत्वेन पृथक्त्वेन बहुधा विश्वतोमुखम्।।9.15।।

jñāna-yajñena chāpyanye yajanto mām upāsate
ekatvena pṛithaktvena bahudhā viśhvato-mukham

Word-for-Word Translation

jñāna-yajñena—yajña of cultivating knowledge; cha—and; api—also; anye—others; yajantaḥ—worship; mām—me; upāsate—worship; ekatvena—undifferentiated oneness; pṛithaktvena—separately; bahudhā—various; viśhwataḥ-mukham—the cosmic form

Meaning

Others also, sacrificing with the wisdom-sacrifice, worship Me, the All-Faced, as one, distinct, and manifold.

Explanation

Krishna now describes others who worship Him indirectly through jnana-yajna, the sacrifice of cultivating knowledge: the monists who worship by merging their identity into the impersonal oneness of Brahman, those who worship the localized Paramatma as distinct from themselves, and those who worship His all-pervading universal form. These are, Prabhupada notes, inferior and roundabout processes compared to direct devotional service — all ultimately aim at the same Krishna, but pure bhakti, worshipping Him as He is, is the most direct and complete path.

अहं क्रतुरहं यज्ञः स्वधाऽहमहमौषधम्।
मंत्रोऽहमहमेवाज्यमहमग्निरहं हुतम्।।9.16।।

ahaṁ kratur ahaṁ yajñaḥ svadhāham aham auṣhadham
mantro ’ham aham evājyam aham agnir ahaṁ hutam

Word-for-Word Translation

aham—I; kratuḥ—Vedic ritual; aham—I; yajñaḥ—sacrifice; svadhā—oblation; aham—I; aham—I; auṣhadham—medicinal herb; mantraḥ—Vedic mantra; aham—I; aham—I; eva—also; ājyam—clarified butter; aham—I; agniḥ—fire; aham—I; hutam—the act offering

Meaning

I am Kratu; I am Yajna; I am the offering to the manes; I am the medicinal herbs and all plants; I am the Mantra; I am also the ghee or melted butter; I am the fire; I am the oblation.

Explanation

In a sweeping series of identifications, Krishna declares Himself to be the ritual, the sacrifice, the oblation, the herb, the mantra, the ghee, the fire, and the offering itself. Prabhupada explains that these Vedic sacrifices were never meant to be ends in themselves, but a graduated, purifying process designed to lead the performer step by step toward Krishna consciousness and devotional service; since Krishna is every component of the sacrifice, all genuine Vedic ritualism, rightly understood, is ultimately meant for Him alone.

पिताऽहमस्य जगतो माता धाता पितामहः।
वेद्यं पवित्रमोंकार ऋक् साम यजुरेव च।।9.17।।

pitāham asya jagato mātā dhātā pitāmahaḥ
vedyaṁ pavitram oṁkāra ṛik sāma yajur eva cha

Word-for-Word Translation

pitā—Father; aham—I; asya—of this; jagataḥ—universe; mātā—Mother; dhātā—Sustainer; pitāmahaḥ—Grandsire; vedyam—the goal of knowledge; pavitram—the purifier; om-kāra—the sacred syllable Om; ṛik—the Rig Veda; sāma—the Sama Veda; yajuḥ—the Yajur Veda; eva—also; cha—and

Meaning

I am the father of this world, the mother, the dispenser of the fruits of actions, and the grandfather; the one thing to be known, the purifier, the sacred monosyllable (Om), and also the Rik, Sama, and Yajur Vedas.

Explanation

Krishna continues this litany, now naming Himself as father, mother, sustainer, and grandfather of the universe, as well as the goal of all knowledge, the purifier, the sacred syllable Om, and the three Vedas. The verse dissolves any sense that Krishna is one deity among many within a larger system — He is instead revealed as the very ground from which all such relationships and scriptures arise.

गतिर्भर्ता प्रभुः साक्षी निवासः शरणं सुहृत्।
प्रभवः प्रलयः स्थानं निधानं बीजमव्ययम्।।9.18।।

gatir bhartā prabhuḥ sākṣhī nivāsaḥ śharaṇaṁ suhṛit
prabhavaḥ pralayaḥ sthānaṁ nidhānaṁ bījam avyayam

Word-for-Word Translation

gatiḥ—the supreme goal; bhartā—sustainer; prabhuḥ—master; sākṣhī—witness; nivāsaḥ—abode; śharaṇam—shelter; su-hṛit—friend; prabhavaḥ—the origin; pralayaḥ—dissolution; sthānam—store house; nidhānam—resting place; bījam—seed; avyayam—imperishable

Meaning

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 imperishable seed.

Explanation

The list of identifications culminates here with Krishna as the ultimate goal, sustainer, witness, shelter, friend, origin, dissolution, and imperishable seed of everything. Reading through these verses slowly, one senses Krishna gently expanding Arjuna's — and the reader's — conception of who he is speaking to, moving from a charioteer and friend to the very substance of existence itself.

तपाम्यहमहं वर्षं निगृह्णाम्युत्सृजामि च।
अमृतं चैव मृत्युश्च सदसच्चाहमर्जुन।।9.19।।

tapāmyaham ahaṁ varṣhaṁ nigṛihṇāmyutsṛijāmi cha
amṛitaṁ chaiva mṛityuśh cha sad asach chāham arjuna

Word-for-Word Translation

tapāmi—radiate heat; aham—I; aham—I; varṣham—rain; nigṛihṇāmi—withhold; utsṛijāmi—send forth; cha—and; amṛitam—immortality; cha—and; eva—also; mṛityuḥ—death; cha—and; sat—eternal spirit; asat—temporary matter; cha—and; aham—I; arjuna—Arjun

Meaning

As the sun, I give heat; I withhold and send forth the rain; I am immortality and also death, existence and non-existence, O Arjuna.

Explanation

Krishna now describes His presence in natural phenomena — the sun's heat, the withholding and releasing of rain — and even in what appear to be opposites: immortality and death, sat and asat, the manifested and unmanifested, cause and effect. Nothing, not even these polarities, exists independent of Him; this vastness is meant to draw the devotee's mind away from narrow, fragmented ideas of God toward one who is simultaneously the source of both the spiritual and material, the eternal and the temporary.

त्रैविद्या मां सोमपाः पूतपापा
यज्ञैरिष्ट्वा स्वर्गतिं प्रार्थयन्ते।
ते पुण्यमासाद्य सुरेन्द्रलोक
मश्नन्ति दिव्यान्दिवि देवभोगान्।।9.20।।

trai-vidyā māṁ soma-pāḥ pūta-pāpā
yajñair iṣhṭvā svar-gatiṁ prārthayante
te puṇyam āsādya surendra-lokam
aśhnanti divyān divi deva-bhogān

Word-for-Word Translation

trai-vidyāḥ—the science of karm kāṇḍ (Vedic Rituals); mām—me; soma-pāḥ—drinkers of the Soma juice; pūta—purified; pāpāḥ—sins; yajñaiḥ—through sacrifices; iṣhṭvā—worship; svaḥ-gatim—way to the abode of the king of heaven; prārthayante—seek; te—they; puṇyam—pious; āsādya—attain; sura-indra—of Indra; lokam—abode; aśhnanti—enjoy; divyān—celestial; divi—in heaven; deva-bhogān—the pleasures of the celestial gods

Meaning

The knowers of the three Vedas, the drinkers of Soma, purified of all sins, worshipping Me through sacrifices, pray for the way to heaven; they reach the holy world of the Lord of the gods and enjoy the divine pleasures of the gods in heaven.

Explanation

Krishna now shifts to describe those who follow Vedic ritual for heavenly reward — the knowers of the three Vedas who, through sacrifice, seek and attain the pleasures of Indra's heaven. Though their piety is real, their aim is a temporary destination rather than Krishna Himself, setting up the contrast that follows in the next verse.

ते तं भुक्त्वा स्वर्गलोकं विशालं
क्षीणे पुण्ये मर्त्यलोकं विशन्ति।
एव त्रयीधर्ममनुप्रपन्ना
गतागतं कामकामा लभन्ते।।9.21।।

te taṁ bhuktvā swarga-lokaṁ viśhālaṁ
kṣhīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśhanti
evaṁ trayī-dharmam anuprapannā
gatāgataṁ kāma-kāmā labhante

Word-for-Word Translation

te—they; tam—that; bhuktvā—having enjoyed; swarga-lokam—heaven; viśhālam—vast; kṣhīṇe—at the exhaustion of; puṇye—stock of merits; martya-lokam—to the earthly plane; viśhanti—return; evam—thus; trayī dharmam—the karm-kāṇḍ portion of the three Vedas; anuprapannāḥ—follow; gata-āgatam—repeated coming and going; kāma-kāmāḥ—desiring objects of enjoyments; labhante—attain

Meaning

They, having enjoyed the vast heaven, enter the world of mortals when their merit is exhausted; thus abiding by the injunctions of the three (Vedas) and desiring objects of desires, they attain to the state of coming and going.

Explanation

Krishna completes the point: however vast the heavenly enjoyment, it ends once accumulated merit runs out, and such worshippers are pulled back into the world of birth and death, caught in an endless cycle of going and returning. The lesson is practical — desire-driven religiosity, however sincere, cannot deliver the lasting peace that only devotion aimed at Krishna Himself can provide.

अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जनाः पर्युपासते।
तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम्।।9.22।।

ananyāśh chintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ paryupāsate
teṣhāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣhemaṁ vahāmyaham

Word-for-Word Translation

ananyāḥ—always; chintayantaḥ—think of; mām—me; ye—those who; janāḥ—persons; paryupāsate—worship exclusively; teṣhām—of them; nitya abhiyuktānām—who are always absorbed; yoga—supply spiritual assets; kṣhemam—protect spiritual assets; vahāmi—carry; aham—I

Meaning

For those men who worship Me alone, thinking of no one else, for those ever-united, I secure what they have not already possessed and preserve what they already possess.

Explanation

In one of the Gita's most beloved verses, Krishna promises that for those who think of Him exclusively, worshipping with undeviating devotion, He personally carries yoga — supplying what they lack, namely advancement in Krishna consciousness — and kshema — preserving what they have already gained. A pure devotee absorbed in the Lord's service need not divert energy toward separately maintaining his material or spiritual necessities; Krishna Himself, the maintainer of everyone, takes personal charge of His devotee's welfare.

येऽप्यन्यदेवता भक्ता यजन्ते श्रद्धयाऽन्विताः।
तेऽपि मामेव कौन्तेय यजन्त्यविधिपूर्वकम्।।9.23।।

ye ’pyanya-devatā-bhaktā yajante śhraddhayānvitāḥ
te ’pi mām eva kaunteya yajantyavidhi-pūrvakam

Word-for-Word Translation

ye—those who; api—although; anya—other; devatā—celestial gods; bhaktāḥ—devotees; yajante—worship; śhraddhayā anvitāḥ—faithfully; te—they; api—also; mām—me; eva—only; kaunteya—Arjun, the son of Kunti; yajanti—worship; avidhi-pūrvakam—by the wrong method

Meaning

Even those devotees who, endowed with faith, worship other gods, worship Me alone, O Arjuna, but by the wrong method.

Explanation

Krishna explains that even faithful worshippers of the demigods are, in a roundabout way, worshipping Him alone, since He is the Supreme in whom all demigods reside as His parts and parcels, empowered officers within His government. But Prabhupada stresses this is avidhi-pūrvakam — by a wrong or improper process — not the sanctioned method; such worship, born of ignorance of Krishna's supreme position, cannot yield the same complete result as worshipping Krishna directly. The point is corrective, not an endorsement of demigod worship as equal to bhakti.

अहं हि सर्वयज्ञानां भोक्ता च प्रभुरेव च।
न तु मामभिजानन्ति तत्त्वेनातश्च्यवन्ति ते।।9.24।।

ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ bhoktā cha prabhureva cha
na tu mām abhijānanti tattvenātaśh chyavanti te

Word-for-Word Translation

aham—I; hi—verily; sarva—of all; yajñānām—sacrifices; bhoktā—the enjoyer; cha—and; prabhuḥ—the Lord; eva—only; cha—and; na—not; tu—but; mām—me; abhijānanti—realize; tattvena—divine nature; ataḥ—therefore; chyavanti—fall down (wander in samsara); te—they

Meaning

For I alone am the enjoyer and Lord of all sacrifices; but they do not know Me in reality, and thus they return to this mortal world.

Explanation

Krishna explains why worship of other gods remains incomplete: He alone is the actual enjoyer and Lord of every sacrifice, and those who fail to understand this true nature inevitably fall back into the material world. The point isn't to dismiss other forms of worship but to clarify their proper destination — every offering, rightly understood, is ultimately meant for Him.

यान्ति देवव्रता देवान् पितृ़न्यान्ति पितृव्रताः।
भूतानि यान्ति भूतेज्या यान्ति मद्याजिनोऽपि माम्।।9.25।।

yānti deva-vratā devān pitṝīn yānti pitṛi-vratāḥ
bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā yānti mad-yājino ’pi mām

Word-for-Word Translation

yānti—go; deva-vratāḥ—worshipers of celestial gods; devān—amongst the celestial gods; pitṝīn—to the ancestors; yānti—go; pitṛi-vratā—worshippers of ancestors; bhūtāni—to the ghosts; yānti—go; bhūta-ijyāḥ—worshippers of ghosts; yānti—go; mat—my; yājinaḥ—devotees; api—and; mām—to me

Meaning

The worshippers of the gods go to them; the ancestor-worshippers go to the manes; the worshippers of the deities who preside over the elements go to them; but My devotees come to Me.

Explanation

Krishna maps out a kind of spiritual physics: those devoted to celestial gods reach them, those devoted to ancestors reach them, worshippers of nature spirits reach them, but His own devotees come to Him directly. Where one's devotion is placed determines where one ultimately arrives — a simple but far-reaching principle about the power and consequence of one's chosen object of worship.

पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति।
तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मनः।।9.26।।

patraṁ puṣhpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayachchhati
tadahaṁ bhaktyupahṛitam aśhnāmi prayatātmanaḥ

Word-for-Word Translation

patram—a leaf; puṣhpam—a flower; phalam—a fruit; toyam—water; yaḥ—who; me—to me; bhaktyā—with devotion; prayachchhati—offers; tat—that; aham—I; bhakti-upahṛitam—offered with devotion; aśhnāmi—partake; prayata-ātmanaḥ—one in pure consciousness

Meaning

Whoever offers Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or a little water, that, so offered devotedly by the pure-minded, I accept.

Explanation

In one of the most tender verses of the entire Gita, Krishna says He accepts even a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water when offered with love from a sincere, pure-hearted devotee — as He did, Prabhupada recalls, when He relished the simple foodstuffs offered by His humble devotees like Vidura and Vidura's wife, and the śāka offered by Draupadi, in preference to sumptuous feasts. What matters to Krishna is not the value or quantity of the offering but the love (bhakti) behind it; this makes devotional service possible for absolutely everyone, however poor, since anyone can secure a leaf, flower, fruit, or water.

यत्करोषि यदश्नासि यज्जुहोषि ददासि यत्।
यत्तपस्यसि कौन्तेय तत्कुरुष्व मदर्पणम्।।9.27।।

yat karoṣhi yad aśhnāsi yaj juhoṣhi dadāsi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kuruṣhva mad-arpaṇam

Word-for-Word Translation

yat—whatever; karoṣhi—you do; yat—whatever; aśhnāsi—you eat; yat—whatever; juhoṣhi—offer to the sacred fire; dadāsi—bestow as a gift; yat—whatever; yat—whatever; tapasyasi—austerities you perform; kaunteya—Arjun, the son of Kunti; tat—them; kuruṣhva—do; mad arpaṇam—as an offering to me

Meaning

Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in sacrifice, whatever you give, whatever austerity you practice, O Arjuna, do it as an offering to Me.

Explanation

Krishna extends the previous verse's principle to all of life, instructing Arjuna to offer whatever he does, eats, sacrifices, gives, or undergoes in austerity to Him. This transforms ordinary daily activity into an extension of worship, showing that sadhana need not be confined to formal rituals but can pervade every action when performed with Krishna in mind.

शुभाशुभफलैरेवं मोक्ष्यसे कर्मबन्धनैः।
संन्यासयोगयुक्तात्मा विमुक्तो मामुपैष्यसि।।9.28।।

śhubhāśhubha-phalair evaṁ mokṣhyase karma-bandhanaiḥ
sannyāsa-yoga-yuktātmā vimukto mām upaiṣhyasi

Word-for-Word Translation

śhubha aśhubha phalaiḥ—from good and bad results; evam—thus; mokṣhyase—you shall be freed; karma—work; bandhanaiḥ—from the bondage; sanyāsa-yoga—renunciation of selfishness; yukta-ātmā—having the mind attached to me; vimuktaḥ—liberated; mām—to me; upaiṣhyasi—you shall reach

Meaning

Thus, you shall be freed from the bonds of actions yielding good and evil fruits; with the mind steadfast in the Yoga of renunciation, and liberated, you shall come to Me.

Explanation

Krishna promises that this attitude of offering everything to Him gradually frees a person from the binding reactions of both good and bad karma, leading, through the yoga of renunciation, to liberation and ultimately to Him. It's a practical assurance that consistent, devotional living — not just isolated moments of piety — is what steadily dissolves karmic entanglement.

समोऽहं सर्वभूतेषु न मे द्वेष्योऽस्ति न प्रियः।
ये भजन्ति तु मां भक्त्या मयि ते तेषु चाप्यहम्।।9.29।।

samo ’haṁ sarva-bhūteṣhu na me dveṣhyo ’sti na priyaḥ
ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā mayi te teṣhu chāpyaham

Word-for-Word Translation

samaḥ—equally disposed; aham—I; sarva-bhūteṣhu—to all living beings; na—no one; me—to me; dveṣhyaḥ—inimical; asti—is; na—not; priyaḥ—dear; ye—who; bhajanti—worship with love; tu—but; mām—me; bhaktyā—with devotion; mayi—reside in me; te—such persons; teṣhu—in them; cha—and; api—also; aham—I

Meaning

I am the same to all beings; there is none hateful or dear to Me; but those who worship Me with devotion are in Me, and I am also in them.

Explanation

Krishna declares His essential equality toward all beings — no one is hated or favored — yet those who approach Him with devotion experience a special reciprocity, dwelling in Him as He dwells in them. Prabhupada compares this to sunlight, which falls equally on everyone but produces different effects depending on what receives it; Krishna's impartial presence reaches every being alike, but it manifests as intimate closeness only in proportion to the devotion offered to Him. This resolves an apparent tension: Krishna's impartiality as the Supreme doesn't cancel out the personal relationship that blossoms wherever devotion is offered.

अपि चेत्सुदुराचारो भजते मामनन्यभाक्।
साधुरेव स मन्तव्यः सम्यग्व्यवसितो हि सः।।9.30।।

api chet su-durāchāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk
sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ samyag vyavasito hi saḥ

Word-for-Word Translation

api—even; chet—if; su-durāchāraḥ—the vilest sinners; bhajate—worship; mām—me; ananya-bhāk—exclusive devotion; sādhuḥ—righteous; eva—certainly; saḥ—that person; mantavyaḥ—is to be considered; samyak—properly; vyavasitaḥ—resolve; hi—certainly; saḥ—that person

Meaning

Even if the most sinful worships Me, with devotion to no one else, he should indeed be regarded as righteous, for he has rightly resolved.

Explanation

Prabhupada clarifies that su-durācāraḥ here refers to someone who still carries some past material habit, not one who deliberately continues sinning while claiming devotion — a person genuinely engaged in exclusive devotional service has scarcely any opportunity to commit sinful acts, and if by chance a past tendency surfaces, it is soon corrected because he is properly situated. Such a person should be considered sādhu, saintly, even before that correction is complete, because his determination (vyavasāya) is firmly and correctly fixed on Krishna — that steady resolve, not a spotless record, is what Krishna judges.

क्षिप्रं भवति धर्मात्मा शश्वच्छान्तिं निगच्छति।
कौन्तेय प्रतिजानीहि न मे भक्तः प्रणश्यति।।9.31।।

kṣhipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śhaśhvach-chhāntiṁ nigachchhati
kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśhyati

Word-for-Word Translation

kṣhipram—quickly; bhavati—become; dharma-ātmā—virtuous; śhaśhvat-śhāntim—lasting peace; nigachchhati—attain; kaunteya—Arjun, the son of Kunti; pratijānīhi—declare; na—never; me—my; bhaktaḥ—devotee; praṇaśhyati—perishes

Meaning

Soon he becomes righteous and attains eternal peace; O Arjuna, proclaim thou for certain that My devotee never perishes.

Explanation

Krishna continues, promising that such a devotee quickly becomes virtuous and attains lasting peace, and He declares emphatically that His devotee never perishes. This is one of the Gita's most quoted assurances — devotion, once sincerely begun, is not a fragile or reversible achievement but a relationship Krishna Himself guarantees to protect.

मां हि पार्थ व्यपाश्रित्य येऽपि स्युः पापयोनयः।
स्त्रियो वैश्यास्तथा शूद्रास्तेऽपि यान्ति परां गतिम्।।9.32।।

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśhritya ye ’pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
striyo vaiśhyās tathā śhūdrās te ’pi yānti parāṁ gatim

Word-for-Word Translation

mām—in me; hi—certainly; pārtha—Arjun, the son of Pritha; vyapāśhritya—take refuge; ye—who; api—even; syuḥ—may be; pāpa yonayaḥ—of low birth; striyaḥ—women; vaiśhyāḥ—mercantile people; tathā—and; śhūdrāḥ—manual workers; te api—even they; yānti—go; parām—the supreme; gatim—destination

Meaning

For, taking refuge in Me, they who, O Arjuna, may be of a sinful birth—women, Vaisyas, and Sudras—attain the Supreme Goal.

Explanation

Krishna widens the promise further: even those born in circumstances considered less privileged by Vedic social reckoning — women, vaiśyas, śūdras — attain the supreme destination simply by taking shelter in Him. Prabhupada stresses that pure devotional service is so powerful that it makes external qualifications like birth, caste, or worldly learning irrelevant; the real qualification is surrender, not varna, and even brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas cannot reach Krishna by birth or scholarship alone without this same surrender.

किं पुनर्ब्राह्मणाः पुण्या भक्ता राजर्षयस्तथा।
अनित्यमसुखं लोकमिमं प्राप्य भजस्व माम्।।9.33।।

kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā bhaktā rājarṣhayas tathā
anityam asukhaṁ lokam imaṁ prāpya bhajasva mām

Word-for-Word Translation

kim—what; punaḥ—then; brāhmaṇāḥ—sages; puṇyāḥ—meritorius; bhaktāḥ—devotees; rāja-ṛiṣhayaḥ—saintly kings; tathā—and; anityam—transient; asukham—joyless; lokam—world; imam—this; prāpya—having achieved; bhajasva—engage in devotion; mām—unto me

Meaning

How much more easily, then, do Brahmins and devoted royal saints attain the goal? Having come to this impermanent and unhappy world, do thou worship Me.

Explanation

Krishna reasons that if even those of humbler position can attain the goal through devotion, then certainly pious brahmins and saintly kings can do so far more easily. He then turns the teaching directly toward Arjuna, urging him to worship given how fleeting and joyless this world ultimately is — a gentle nudge from philosophy back into personal application.

मन्मना भव मद्भक्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु।
मामेवैष्यसि युक्त्वैवमात्मानं मत्परायणः।।9.34।।

man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru
mām evaiṣhyasi yuktvaivam ātmānaṁ mat-parāyaṇaḥ

Word-for-Word Translation

mat-manāḥ—always think of me; bhava—be; mat—my; bhaktaḥ—devotee; mat—my; yājī—worshipper; mām—to me; namaskuru—offer obeisances; mām—to me; eva—certainly; eṣhyasi—you will come; yuktvā—united with me; evam—thus; ātmānam—your mind and body; mat-parāyaṇaḥ—having dedicated to me

Meaning

Fix your mind on Me; be devoted to Me; sacrifice to Me; bow down to Me; having thus united your whole self to Me, taking Me as the supreme goal, you will come to Me.

Explanation

Krishna closes the chapter with a compact summary of bhakti-yoga: fix the mind on Him, become His devotee, worship Him, bow down to Him, and by uniting the self in this way, one will surely reach Him. Prabhupada calls this verse the essence of the entire Gita — so important that Krishna repeats the same instruction again, almost word for word, near the end of the book at 18.65 — and points to Arjuna himself as the living proof of its result, the ideal example of one who followed exactly this fourfold instruction and thereby attained Krishna.