Arjuna, troubled by doubt, turned to Krishna and asked, “O mighty-armed, what becomes of one who, though striving for perfection, falters from both the path of selfless action and the path of contemplation? Do they perish, like a cloud torn from the sky, lost and without support, confused on the journey toward Brahman?” He implored, “This is my uncertainty, Krishna. Only you can resolve it fully. No one but you can remove my doubt.” With a gentle smile, the Blessed Lord replied, “O Partha, have no fear. Neither in this world nor in the next does destruction await such a person. One who acts virtuously never meets with misfortune, dear one. Instead, the one who has fallen from yoga attains the worlds of the righteous and dwells there for a long time. Then, they are reborn in the home of the pure and prosperous. Or, if more fortunate, they are born into a family of wise yogis—a birth exceedingly rare in this world. In such a life, the wisdom and spiritual connection from their previous existence revive within them, and they strive again for perfection, O descendant of Kuru. Drawn by the force of their former practice, even against their own will, they are propelled forward. Even the mere seeker of yoga rises above the limits of scriptural ritual. The yogi, striving diligently, purified of faults and perfected over many births, finally attains the supreme goal. Know, Arjuna, that the yogi is greater than the ascetic, greater than the learned, and greater even than those who perform actions. Therefore, become a yogi. And among all yogis, the one who worships me with unwavering faith, with their innermost self absorbed in me, I regard as the most united with me. Krishna continued, “Listen, Arjuna: if you fix your mind on me and practice yoga under my guidance, you will come to know me fully and without doubt. I will reveal to you this complete knowledge and wisdom; once known, nothing else remains to be known in this world. Among thousands, scarcely one strives for perfection, and of those who strive and attain perfection, hardly one truly knows me. My material nature is eightfold—earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, intellect, and ego. But know that my higher nature is the living beings themselves, by which this world is sustained. All beings arise from these two natures, and I am the origin and dissolution of the entire universe. Nothing is higher than me, O Dhananjaya; all creation is woven into me like pearls strung on a thread. I am the taste in water, Arjuna, the radiance in the moon and sun, the sacred syllable Om in the Vedas, the sound in space, and the strength in men. I am the pure fragrance in the earth, the brilliance in fire, the life in all beings, and the austerity among ascetics. Know me as the eternal seed of all beings, Arjuna. I am the intelligence of the intelligent, and the splendor of the splendid. I am the strength of the strong, free from desire and attachment. Among living beings, I am desire that is not opposed to righteousness. Whatever states arise from sattva, rajas, and tamas, know them all as coming from me. Yet I am not in them—they are in me. The whole world, deluded by these three gunas, fails to recognize me, who am beyond them and imperishable. My divine maya, composed of the gunas, is difficult to cross. But those who take refuge in me alone can cross over this maya. The evil-doers, the deluded, those of lowest nature, whose knowledge is stolen by maya and who embrace demonic ways—they do not seek refuge in me. But four kinds of virtuous people worship me, Arjuna: those in distress, those seeking knowledge, those seeking wealth, and the wise. Of these, the wise one, ever united with me, devoted to the One, is most distinguished. I am exceedingly dear to the wise, and the wise are dear to me. All these devotees are noble, but the wise one I regard as my very self, for with a disciplined mind, he is devoted to me alone as the highest goal. After many births, the man of knowledge takes refuge in me, realizing that Vasudeva is all—such a great soul is very rare. Those whose understanding is clouded by desires worship other deities, following various rules according to their own nature. Whatever form a devotee seeks to worship with faith, I make that faith steady in them. Endowed with that faith, they worship that form and obtain their desired objects, which are truly granted by me alone. But the fruits gained by those of limited understanding are temporary. Those who worship the gods go to the gods, but my devotees come to me. The unwise, not knowing my higher, imperishable nature, think of me—the unmanifest—as having become manifest. I am not manifest to all, being veiled by my yoga-maya; this deluded world does not recognize me as unborn and imperishable. I know, Arjuna, all beings of the past, present, and future, but no one knows me. At birth, all beings are confused by the delusion arising from the pairs of opposites—desire and aversion. But those whose sins have ended, who perform virtuous deeds, and are free from the confusion of dualities, worship me with firm resolve. Those who strive for liberation from old age and death, taking refuge in me, come to know Brahman, the entirety of spiritual knowledge, and all action. Those who know me as the Supreme in relation to beings, to divinities, and to sacrifice, their minds steadfast, know me even at the time of death.