The Yoga of Knowledge and Realisation

मय्यासक्तमनाः पार्थ योगं युञ्जन्मदाश्रयः ।असंशयं समग्रं मां यथा ज्ञास्यसि तच्छृणु ॥

mayyāsaktamanāḥ pārtha yogaṃ yuñjanmadāśrayaḥ |asaṃśayaṃ samagraṃ māṃ yathā jñāsyasi tacchṛṇu ||

Krishna said: Arjuna, with your mind fixed on me, practising yoga and depending on me, listen to how you will know me fully and without any doubt.

ज्ञानं तेऽहं सविज्ञानमिदं वक्ष्याम्यशेषतः ।यज्ज्ञात्वा नेह भूयोऽन्यज्ज्ञातव्यमवशिष्यते ॥

jñānaṃ te'haṃ savijñānamidaṃ vakṣyāmyaśeṣataḥ |yajjñātvā neha bhūyo'nyajjñātavyamavaśiṣyate ||

I will teach you this knowledge along with its realisation, completely. Once you know it, nothing else in this world remains to be known.

मनुष्याणां सहस्रेषु कश्चिद्यतति सिद्धये ।यततामपि सिद्धानां कश्चिन्मां वेत्ति तत्त्वतः ॥

manuṣyāṇāṃ sahasreṣu kaścidyatati siddhaye |yatatāmapi siddhānāṃ kaścinmāṃ vetti tattvataḥ ||

Among thousands of people, hardly one strives for perfection. And among those who strive and succeed, hardly one knows me as I truly am.

भूमिरापोऽनलो वायुः खं मनो बुद्धिरेव च ।अहंकार इतीयं मे भिन्ना प्रकृतिरष्टधा ॥

bhūmirāpo'nalo vāyuḥ khaṃ mano buddhireva ca |ahaṃkāra itīyaṃ me bhinnā prakṛtiraṣṭadhā ||

Earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, intellect and ego: these are the eight parts of my nature, divided.

अपरेयमितस्त्वन्यां प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम् ।जीवभूतां महाबाहो ययेदं धार्यते जगत् ॥

apareyamitastvanyāṃ prakṛtiṃ viddhi me parām |jīvabhūtāṃ mahābāho yayedaṃ dhāryate jagat ||

This is my lower nature. But know that I have another, higher nature, the life principle, by which this whole world is held together, mighty Arjuna.

एतद्योनीनि भूतानि सर्वाणीत्युपधारय ।अहं कृत्स्नस्य जगतः प्रभवः प्रलयस्तथा ॥

etadyonīni bhūtāni sarvāṇītyupadhāraya |ahaṃ kṛtsnasya jagataḥ prabhavaḥ pralayastathā ||

Understand that all living beings come from these two natures. I am the source of the whole world and also the place where it dissolves.

रसोऽहमप्सु कौन्तेय प्रभास्मि शशिसूर्ययोः ।प्रणवः सर्ववेदेषु शब्दः खे पौरुषं नृषु ॥

raso'hamapsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśisūryayoḥ |praṇavaḥ sarvavedeṣu śabdaḥ khe pauruṣaṃ nṛṣu ||

I am the taste in water, the light of the moon and the sun, the sacred syllable Om in all the Vedas, the sound in space and the strength in people.

पुण्यो गन्धः पृथिव्यां च तेजश्चास्मि विभावसौ ।जीवनं सर्वभूतेषु तपश्चास्मि तपस्विषु ॥

puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṃ ca tejaścāsmi vibhāvasau |jīvanaṃ sarvabhūteṣu tapaścāsmi tapasviṣu ||

I am the pure fragrance of the earth and the brightness of fire. I am the life in all beings and the self-discipline of those who practise austerity.

बीजं मां सर्वभूतानां विद्धि पार्थ सनातनम् ।बुद्धिर्बुद्धिमतामस्मि तेजस्तेजस्विनामहम् ॥

bījaṃ māṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ viddhi pārtha sanātanam |buddhirbuddhimatāmasmi tejastejasvināmaham ||

Know me as the eternal seed of all beings, Arjuna. I am the intelligence of the intelligent and the brilliance of the brilliant.

बलं बलवतां चाहं कामरागविवर्जितम् ।धर्माविरुद्धो भूतेषु कामोऽस्मि भरतर्षभ ॥

balaṃ balavatāṃ cāhaṃ kāmarāgavivarjitam |dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo'smi bharatarṣabha ||

I am the strength of the strong, free from craving and attachment. In all beings, I am desire that does not go against dharma.

ये चैव सात्त्विका भावा राजसास्तामसाश्च ये ।मत्त एवेति तान्विद्धि न त्वहं तेषु ते मयि ॥

ye caiva sāttvikā bhāvā rājasāstāmasāśca ye |matta eveti tānviddhi na tvahaṃ teṣu te mayi ||

All states of being, whether sattvic, rajasic or tamasic, come from me alone. Yet I am not in them; they are in me.

त्रिभिर्गुणमयैर्भावैरेभिः सर्वमिदं जगत् ।मोहितं नाभिजानाति मामेभ्यः परमव्ययम् ॥

tribhirguṇamayairbhāvairebhiḥ sarvamidaṃ jagat |mohitaṃ nābhijānāti māmebhyaḥ paramavyayam ||

Confused by these states made of the three gunas, the whole world does not recognise me, who am beyond them and unchanging.

न मां दुष्कृतिनो मूढाः प्रपद्यन्ते नराधमाः ।माययापहृतज्ञाना आसुरं भावमाश्रिताः ॥

na māṃ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ |māyayāpahṛtajñānā āsuraṃ bhāvamāśritāḥ ||

Wrongdoers, the deluded and the lowest of people do not turn to me. Their understanding is stolen by illusion, and they hold to a demonic nature.

चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जनाः सुकृतिनोऽर्जुन ।आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ ॥

caturvidhā bhajante māṃ janāḥ sukṛtino'rjuna |ārto jijñāsurarthārthī jñānī ca bharatarṣabha ||

Four kinds of good people worship me, Arjuna: the one in distress, the one who wants to know, the one who seeks gain, and the wise one.

तेषां ज्ञानी नित्ययुक्त एकभक्तिर्विशिष्यते ।प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थमहं स च मम प्रियः ॥

teṣāṃ jñānī nityayukta ekabhaktirviśiṣyate |priyo hi jñānino'tyarthamahaṃ sa ca mama priyaḥ ||

Of these, the wise one, always steady and devoted to me alone, is the best. I am very dear to the wise one, and the wise one is dear to me.

उदाराः सर्व एवैते ज्ञानी त्वात्मैव मे मतम् ।आस्थितः स हि युक्तात्मा मामेवानुत्तमां गतिम् ॥

udārāḥ sarva evaite jñānī tvātmaiva me matam |āsthitaḥ sa hi yuktātmā māmevānuttamāṃ gatim ||

All of these are noble, but I consider the wise one to be my very self. With a steady mind, that person rests in me as the highest goal.

कामैस्तैस्तैर्हृतज्ञानाः प्रपद्यन्तेऽन्यदेवताः ।तं तं नियममास्थाय प्रकृत्या नियताः स्वया ॥

kāmaistaistairhṛtajñānāḥ prapadyante'nyadevatāḥ |taṃ taṃ niyamamāsthāya prakṛtyā niyatāḥ svayā ||

Others, whose judgement is carried away by various desires, turn to other gods. They follow different rules, led by their own nature.

यो यो यां यां तनुं भक्तः श्रद्धयार्चितुमिच्छति ।तस्य तस्याचलां श्रद्धां तामेव विदधाम्यहम् ॥

yo yo yāṃ yāṃ tanuṃ bhaktaḥ śraddhayārcitumicchati |tasya tasyācalāṃ śraddhāṃ tāmeva vidadhāmyaham ||

Whatever form a devotee wishes to worship with faith, I make that person's faith in that very form steady.

स तया श्रद्धया युक्तस्तस्याराधनमीहते ।लभते च ततः कामान्मयैव विहितान्हि तान् ॥

sa tayā śraddhayā yuktastasyārādhanamīhate |labhate ca tataḥ kāmānmayaiva vihitānhi tān ||

Filled with that faith, the person worships that form and gains what they wish for. But in truth, those wishes are granted by me.

अन्तवत्तु फलं तेषां तद्भवत्यल्पमेधसाम् ।देवान्देवयजो यान्ति मद्भक्ता यान्ति मामपि ॥

antavattu phalaṃ teṣāṃ tadbhavatyalpamedhasām |devāndevayajo yānti madbhaktā yānti māmapi ||

But the fruit gained by those of small understanding has an end. Those who worship the gods go to the gods; my devotees come to me.

अव्यक्तं व्यक्तिमापन्नं मन्यन्ते मामबुद्धयः ।परं भावमजानन्तो ममाव्ययमनुत्तमम् ॥

avyaktaṃ vyaktimāpannaṃ manyante māmabuddhayaḥ |paraṃ bhāvamajānanto mamāvyayamanuttamam ||

People lacking understanding think that I, the unmanifest, have simply taken on a visible form. They do not know my higher, unchanging, supreme nature.

नाहं प्रकाशः सर्वस्य योगमायासमावृतः ।मूढोऽयं नाभिजानाति लोको मामजमव्ययम् ॥

nāhaṃ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyāsamāvṛtaḥ |mūḍho'yaṃ nābhijānāti loko māmajamavyayam ||

I am not revealed to everyone, being veiled by my yoga-maya, my own power. This confused world does not know me, the unborn and unchanging.

वेदाहं समतीतानि वर्तमानानि चार्जुन ।भविष्याणि च भूतानि मां तु वेद न कश्चन ॥

vedāhaṃ samatītāni vartamānāni cārjuna |bhaviṣyāṇi ca bhūtāni māṃ tu veda na kaścana ||

Arjuna, I know all beings of the past, the present and the future. But no one knows me.

इच्छाद्वेषसमुत्थेन द्वन्द्वमोहेन भारत ।सर्वभूतानि संमोहं सर्गे यान्ति परन्तप ॥

icchādveṣasamutthena dvandvamohena bhārata |sarvabhūtāni saṃmohaṃ sarge yānti parantapa ||

From birth, all beings fall into confusion caused by the pairs of opposites, which arise from liking and disliking.

येषां त्वन्तगतं पापं जनानां पुण्यकर्मणाम् ।ते द्वन्द्वमोहनिर्मुक्ता भजन्ते मां दृढव्रताः ॥

yeṣāṃ tvantagataṃ pāpaṃ janānāṃ puṇyakarmaṇām |te dvandvamohanirmuktā bhajante māṃ dṛḍhavratāḥ ||

But people of good deeds, whose wrongdoing has come to an end, are freed from the confusion of opposites and worship me with firm resolve.

जरामरणमोक्षाय मामाश्रित्य यतन्ति ये ।ते ब्रह्म तद्विदुः कृत्स्नमध्यात्मं कर्म चाखिलम् ॥

jarāmaraṇamokṣāya māmāśritya yatanti ye |te brahma tadviduḥ kṛtsnamadhyātmaṃ karma cākhilam ||

Those who take refuge in me and strive for freedom from old age and death come to know Brahman, the whole of the inner self, and all about action.

साधिभूताधिदैवं मां साधियज्ञं च ये विदुः ।प्रयाणकालेऽपि च मां ते विदुर्युक्तचेतसः ॥

sādhibhūtādhidaivaṃ māṃ sādhiyajñaṃ ca ye viduḥ |prayāṇakāle'pi ca māṃ te viduryuktacetasaḥ ||

Those who know me as the ground of the physical world, of the divine powers and of sacrifice, keep their minds steady and know me even at the time of death.