Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 9

Yoga through the King of Sciences

1. 9.1Krishna tells Arjuna that because he does not find fault or argue, he will share the deepest secret with him. It is wisdom joined with practical knowledge, and knowing it will free Arjuna from evil.Krishna
2. 9.2Krishna calls this teaching the king of all knowledge and the king of all secrets. It purifies more than anything else. A person can sense its truth directly. It fits with what is right, it is very easy to practice, and it never fades.Krishna
3. 9.3Krishna tells Arjuna (called Parantapa, "scorcher of foes") that people who have no faith in this knowledge do not reach God. Instead they keep coming back to this world, where everything dies, again and again.Krishna
4. 9.4Krishna says he fills the whole world in a form that cannot be seen. Every living being depends on him, but he does not depend on them.Krishna
5. 9.5Krishna adds a puzzle: in another sense, beings are not really held inside him either. He calls this his divine power. He holds up all beings and brings them into existence, yet he is not tied to them.Krishna
6. 9.6Krishna gives an example. The wind blows everywhere, yet it always stays within the sky. In the same way, all beings live and move within him.Krishna
7. 9.7Krishna tells Arjuna (called Kaunteya, "son of Kunti") that at the end of each great age of the universe, all beings sink back into his nature. When a new age begins, he sends them out again.Krishna
8. 9.8Krishna says he uses his own nature to bring all beings into existence, over and over. The beings have no control over this, because the forces of nature carry them along.Krishna
9. 9.9Krishna tells Arjuna (called Dhananjaya, "winner of wealth") that all this creating does not trap him. He stays above it all and is not attached to what he does.Krishna
10. 9.10Krishna says nature produces everything that moves and everything that stays still, while he watches over it. Because of this, the world keeps turning.Krishna
11. 9.11Krishna says foolish people look down on him when he appears in a human body. They do not understand that he is the great Lord of all beings.Krishna
12. 9.12Krishna says such people have empty hopes, useless actions and no real understanding. Their minds are confused, and they take on a cruel, deceitful and demon-like nature.Krishna
13. 9.13Krishna tells Arjuna (called Partha, "son of Pritha") that great souls, called Mahatmas, share in his divine nature. They know he is the everlasting source of all beings, and they worship him with a steady mind.Krishna
14. 9.14Krishna says these devoted people always praise him. They work hard, keep their promises, and bow down to him. Their worship is full of love and they stay steady in it.Krishna
15. 9.15Krishna says others worship him through knowledge, which they offer like a sacrifice. They see him as one God who is also present in many forms, everywhere.Krishna
16. 9.16Krishna says he is every part of the fire ritual. He is the act of worship, the offering to the ancestors, the healing herb, the sacred chant called a mantra, the butter poured in, the fire, and the offering itself.Krishna
17. 9.17Krishna says he is the father, the mother, the supporter and the grandfather of the universe. He is the holy one to be known, the sacred sound Om, and the three ancient holy books called the Rig, Sama and Yajur Vedas.Krishna
18. 9.18Krishna says he is the goal, the master, the lord, the witness, the home, the shelter and the friend. He is where all things begin and end, their foundation, their resting place, and the seed that never dies.Krishna
19. 9.19Krishna tells Arjuna that he gives heat, and he holds back the rain or lets it fall. He is both immortality and death, both what exists and what does not.Krishna
20. 9.20Krishna says some people follow the three Vedas (holy books), drink the ritual drink called Soma, and offer sacrifices to ask for heaven. They go to the heaven of Indra, king of the gods, and enjoy heavenly pleasures there.Krishna
21. 9.21Krishna says that after these people enjoy heaven, their good merit runs out and they return to this world of death. Because they follow the rituals only to get what they want, they get only things that do not last.Krishna
22. 9.22Krishna says that people who worship him alone and think of nothing else, and who stay steady, are fully cared for. He gives them what they need and protects what they have.Krishna
23. 9.23Krishna says that people who worship other gods (the "Shining Ones") with real faith are actually worshipping him too. They are just not doing it in the proper, direct way. Arjuna is called "son of Kunti" after his mother.Krishna
24. 9.24Krishna says he is the one who truly receives every offering and rules over all. People who don't understand this about him fall back and miss the highest goal.Krishna
25. 9.25Krishna says people reach whatever they worship. Those who worship gods go to the gods, those who honor their ancestors go to the ancestors, and those who worship nature spirits go to them. Those who worship Krishna come to him.Krishna
26. 9.26Krishna says that if someone offers him even a simple leaf, flower, fruit or a little water with love, he gladly accepts it. What matters is the love behind the gift, not its size.Krishna
27. 9.27Krishna tells Arjuna to make everything he does an offering to God. This includes working, eating, worshipping, giving to others and self-discipline.Krishna
28. 9.28Krishna says that if Arjuna offers all his actions this way, he will be freed from the good and bad results that tie people down. Inwardly steady through letting go, he will become free and come to Krishna.Krishna
29. 9.29Krishna says he treats all beings the same. He hates no one and favors no one. But those who love and worship him live in him, and he lives in them.Krishna
30. 9.30Krishna says that even a person who has done very bad things should be seen as good if he now worships God with his whole heart. This is because he has made the right decision.Krishna
31. 9.31Krishna says such a person quickly becomes good and finds lasting peace. He promises Arjuna ("Kaunteya," son of Kunti) that someone devoted to him is never lost.Krishna
32. 9.32Krishna says anyone who turns to him for shelter can reach the highest goal. This includes people looked down on in his society, such as women, merchants (Vaishyas) and laborers (Shudras). Arjuna is called "Partha," son of Pritha.Krishna
33. 9.33Krishna says that if even these people can reach him, then holy priests (Brahmanas) and saintly kings surely can. Since Arjuna has been born into this short-lived and unhappy world, he should worship Krishna.Krishna
34. 9.34Krishna tells Arjuna to keep his mind on him, love him, make offerings to him and bow down to him. If Arjuna does this, with Krishna as his highest goal, he will come to Krishna.Krishna