Chapter 9

Raja Vidya Yoga

The ninth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is "Raja Vidya Yoga". In this chapter, Krishna explains that He is Supreme and how this material existence is created, maintained and destroyed by His Yogmaya and all beings come and go under his supervision. He reveals the Role and the Importance of Bhakti (transcendental devotional service) towards our Spiritual Awakening. In such devotion, one must live for the God, offer everything that he possesses to Him and do everything for Him only. One who follows such devotion becomes free from the bonds of this material world and unites with the Lord.

34 Verses

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."

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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