The Blessed Lord, Krishna, spoke to Arjuna with gentle compassion, “Out of My grace for you, Arjuna, I have revealed to you this supreme, universal, radiant, and infinite form of Mine—brought forth by My own divine yoga power. Never before has any being beheld this vision; you alone have seen it. Know that not by studying the Vedas, nor by performing sacrifices, nor through gifts or rituals, nor even by the most severe austerities can anyone among mortals see Me in this form, except for you, O best of the Kurus. Let your heart not be troubled, nor your mind confused, having witnessed this awesome and terrible aspect of Mine. Cast away your fear and let your mind be at peace; behold again My gentle, familiar form.” Sanjaya, the narrator, described what followed: Having spoken thus, Vāsudeva—Krishna—reassumed His own gentle human form. The great-souled Lord, seeing Arjuna’s fear, comforted him by appearing as he once did, serene and compassionate. Arjuna, relieved, addressed Krishna, “O Janārdana, seeing once more Your gentle, human form, my mind has regained its composure and I have returned to my natural state.” Krishna replied, “This form of Mine that you now see is exceedingly rare, Arjuna. Even the gods are ever eager to behold it. Not by the Vedas, nor by austerity, nor by charity or sacrifice can I be seen as you have seen Me today. But through undivided devotion alone, O Arjuna, can I be truly known and seen in this form, and entered into, O scorcher of foes. Whoever acts for Me, regards Me as the Supreme, is devoted to Me, free from attachment, and bears no enmity toward any being—such a person comes to Me, O Pāṇḍava.” At this, Arjuna inquired, “Of those devotees who worship You with constant dedication, and those who worship the imperishable, the unmanifest—who among them is the most accomplished in yoga?” The Blessed Lord answered, “Those who fix their minds on Me and worship Me with unwavering steadfastness and supreme faith—these I consider most united with Me. Yet those who worship the imperishable, the indefinable, the unmanifest, the all-pervading, inconceivable, unchanging, immovable, and eternal, restraining all their senses, remaining even-minded everywhere, and devoted to the welfare of all beings—they too come to Me. But the path of those who fix their minds on the unmanifest is difficult indeed for embodied beings. But those who dedicate all actions to Me, regarding Me as the Supreme, and meditate on Me with exclusive devotion—for them, whose minds are thus absorbed in Me, I swiftly become the deliverer from the ocean of birth and death, O Pārtha. Therefore, fix your mind on Me alone, place your intellect in Me; thereafter you will dwell in Me alone—of this, have no doubt. If you are unable to fix your mind steadily on Me, then seek to reach Me through the practice of repeated discipline, O Dhanañjaya. If you are incapable even of practice, then be one whose actions are dedicated to Me; by performing actions for My sake, you will attain perfection. If you cannot do even this, then, taking refuge in My yoga, renounce the fruits of all actions, being self-controlled. Know that knowledge is better than mere practice; meditation is superior to knowledge; but renunciation of the fruits of action is higher still—after such renunciation, peace follows immediately. He who bears no hatred toward any being, who is friendly and compassionate, free from possessiveness and ego, equal in pleasure and pain, and forgiving—content, self-controlled, firm in resolve, with mind and intellect dedicated to Me—such a devotee is dear to Me. He by whom the world is not disturbed and who is not disturbed by the world, who is free from joy, envy, fear, and anxiety—he too is dear to Me. He who expects nothing, is pure, skillful, impartial, free from distress, and who renounces all undertakings—such a devotee of Mine is dear to Me. He who neither rejoices nor hates, neither grieves nor desires, who has renounced both good and evil, and is full of devotion—he is dear to Me. He is equal toward enemy and friend, and likewise in honor and dishonor; he is the same in cold and heat, pleasure and pain, and free from attachment. He is alike in praise and blame, silent, content with whatever comes, without a fixed dwelling, firm in mind, devoted—such a one is dear to Me. But those who worship this immortal dharma as I have described, with faith, regarding Me as supreme, and are devoted—they are exceedingly dear to Me.” Arjuna then asked, “O Keshava, I wish to know about nature and spirit, the field and the knower of the field, knowledge and what is to be known.” The Blessed Lord replied, “This body, O son of Kunti, is called the field; and whoever knows it is called the knower of the field by those who understand. Know Me also as the knower of the field in all fields, O Bharata; the knowledge of the field and its knower is what I consider true knowledge. Hear from Me, briefly, what the field is, its nature, its modifications, its origin, and its influence. This has been sung by sages in many ways, in various Vedic meters, and also by the Brahma-sutra statements, which are reasoned and definite. The field consists of the great elements, ego, intellect, and the unmanifest; the ten senses and the one mind, and the five sense objects. Desire, aversion, pleasure, pain, the aggregate, consciousness, and firmness—these are the modifications of the field. True knowledge consists of humility, sincerity, nonviolence, patience, uprightness, reverence for the teacher, purity, steadiness, and self-control. It is detachment from sense objects, absence of ego, and seeing the faults of birth, death, old age, and disease. It is non-attachment, absence of clinging to son, wife, home, and so on; constant even-mindedness in favorable and unfavorable circumstances. It is unwavering devotion to Me through exclusive yoga, delight in solitary places, and lack of interest in crowds.” Thus, the Lord gently unfolded the wisdom of the field and the knower, devotion and its fruits, and the qualities that lead a soul to Him.