Shri Krishna

#1

Due to the fact that you have faith in me, I will reveal the most profound of secrets to you: if you acquire both jnana and vijnana, you will be immune to all forms of harm.

#2

The most effective means of cleansing is this royal knowledge and this royal secret. It is a joy to put into practise and can be directly experienced, in addition to being righteous and unchanging.

#3

However, Arjuna, those individuals who do not have faith in the supreme law of life, do not find me. They pass from one state of death to the next as they make their way back into the world.

#4

In my unmanifested state, I am present throughout the entirety of the cosmos. I am the source of existence for all other beings, but I am not constrained by them in any way.

#5

Behold, the mystery of my godhood! Even though I am the one who brings these beings into existence and provides for them, I am not in any way constrained by the fact that they inhabit me.

#6

They move in me much the same way that the winds move in all directions throughout space.

#7

At the conclusion of the aeon, these beings revert back to the state of unmanifested matter; however, I send them out once more at the beginning of the next cycle.

#8

I keep bringing forth these countless forms and submitting them to the Prakriti laws by virtue of the fact that I have complete mastery over my Prakriti.

#9

Arjuna, none of these deeds ties me down in any way. Because I have no emotional ties to them, I am not bothered by the disruptions they cause.

#10

While I keep a close eye on everything, the natural order is allowed to unfold as it should. As a result, the world is set into motion, and both living things and nonliving things come into existence.

#11

The immature does not look past outward appearances to see my true nature as the Lord of all creation; they are blinded by their own vanity.

#12

The knowledge of such misguided individuals is worthless; the course of their lives is littered with misfortune and evil, and both their efforts and their hopes are in vain.

#13

Nevertheless, truly great souls are interested in my divine nature. They worship me with a single-minded focus, having realised that I am the unchanging origin of everything in the universe.

#14

They never stop working toward their goal, which is to worship me without wavering in their commitment. They sing about my divine glory with a heart full of devotion.

#15

Jnana, which can be translated as “spiritual wisdom,” is the path that some people take. They realise that wherever there is One, I am that One; wherever there are many, I am each one of them; and they see my face everywhere.

#16

I am the ceremony and the offering; I am the authentic medicine and the mantra. I am the sacrifice, the flame that consumes it, and the recipient of it as an offering. I am also the sacrifice.

#17

I am this universe’s father, mother, and grandfather all rolled into one; I am its sole provider for all of its needs. I am the holy scriptures known as the Rig, Yajur, and Sama Vedas; I am the sum total of all knowledge; I am the syllable Om; I am the purifier.

#18

I am the end of all things, the Lord and the support of everyone, the inner witness, and the abode of everyone. I am the only safe haven, the one true friend; I am the beginning, the staying, and the end of creation; I am the womb and the eternal seed.

#19

I am the heat; it is I who give and take away the rain. I am both immortality and death; I am both what is and what is not.

#20

Those who purify themselves by performing the rituals outlined in the Vedas, which include making sacrifices and ingesting soma, are able to free themselves from the clutches of evil and ascend to the vast heaven inhabited by the gods, where they can indulge in the pleasures of heaven.

#21

Once they have fully enjoyed all of these things, the merit they have earned is depleted, and they are sent back to this land of death. As a result of this, they perform Vedic rituals, but they are continually caught in an unending chain of desires.

#22

Those who worship me and meditate on me continually, without giving any other thought a moment’s consideration, I will provide for all of their requirements.

#23

Those who worship other gods with faith and devotion also worship me, Arjuna; it does not matter if they observe the traditional forms of worship or not.

#24

I am the focus of all worship, the one who takes pleasure in it, and its Lord. But those who are incapable of comprehending the real me will have to start over.

#25

Those who worship the devas will enter the realm of the devas after death, and those who worship their ancestors will be reunited with them. Those who worship ghosts will themselves turn into ghosts, but those who worship me will make their way to me.

#26

I gladly accept anything that is offered to me in the spirit of devotion and with a clean heart, whether it be a leaf, a flower, fruit, or water.

#27

Make everything you do an offering to me, whether it be the food you eat, the sacrifices you make, the assistance you give, or even the suffering that you endure.

#28

By acting in this manner, you will be liberated from the shackles of karma and the consequences, both positive and negative, of your actions in the past. Then, when you have achieved stability in renunciation and yoga and your heart has been set free, you will come to me.

#29

I have an equal amount of respect for all living things; none of them are more or less important to me than the others. Those individuals, however, who worship me with love actually live in me, and I come to live in them.

#30

When people seek refuge in me alone, even sinners are transformed into holy people.

#31

Their souls quickly adjust to conform to dharma, and they arrive at an inexhaustible state of peace. Arjuna, you must never forget this: no one who is devoted to me will ever suffer any kind of misfortune.

#32

No matter where they were born, what race they were born into, what gender they were born into, or what caste they were born into, all those who take refuge in me will reach the supreme goal; this realisation can be attained even by those whom society scorns.

#33

Even kings and wise people are devoted to achieving this goal. Due to the fact that I was born into this fleeting and hopeless world, please direct all of your affection toward me.

#34

Always keep me in your thoughts, love me, serve me, and worship me. Fill your mind with me. If you look for me in your own heart, you will eventually find me and be reunited with me.