अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम्। यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम।।8.21।।
That unmanifest is called imperishable; it is spoken of as the supreme goal. Having attained it, none return; that is my highest abode.
पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया। यस्यान्तःस्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम्।।8.22।।
That supreme person, O Partha, is attained by exclusive devotion; all beings dwell within him, and by him all this is pervaded.
यत्र काले त्वनावृत्तिमावृत्तिं चैव योगिनः। प्रयाता यान्ति तं कालं वक्ष्यामि भरतर्षभ।।8.23।।
I will explain to you, O best of Bharatas, at what times yogis depart, never to return, and at what times they return.
अग्निर्ज्योतिरहः शुक्लः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम्। तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जनाः।।8.24।।
Fire, light, daytime, the bright fortnight, and the six months of the northern course—those who depart then, knowing Brahman, attain Brahman.
धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम्। तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते।।8.25।।
Smoke, night, the dark fortnight, and the six months of the southern course—there, the yogi attains the lunar light and returns.
शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते। एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययाऽऽवर्तते पुनः।।8.26।।
These two paths, bright and dark, are considered eternal for the world; by one, one goes without return, by the other, one returns again.
नैते सृती पार्थ जानन्योगी मुह्यति कश्चन। तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु योगयुक्तो भवार्जुन।।8.27।।
Knowing these paths, no yogi is ever deluded, O Partha; therefore, at all times, be united with yoga, O Arjuna.
वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तपःसु चैव दानेषु यत्पुण्यफलं प्रदिष्टम्। अत्येति तत्सर्वमिदं विदित्वा योगी परं स्थानमुपैति चाद्यम्।।8.28।।
Knowing all this, the yogi surpasses the results prescribed for Vedas, sacrifices, austerities, and charity, and attains the supreme, primordial abode.
श्री भगवानुवाच इदं तु ते गुह्यतमं प्रवक्ष्याम्यनसूयवे। ज्ञानं विज्ञानसहितं यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात्।।9.1।।
The Blessed Lord said: I will now declare to you, who are free from envy, the most secret knowledge, together with realization; knowing this, you shall be freed from evil.
राजविद्या राजगुह्यं पवित्रमिदमुत्तमम्। प्रत्यक्षावगमं धर्म्यं सुसुखं कर्तुमव्ययम्।।9.2।।
This is royal knowledge, royal secret, supremely pure, the highest; it is directly experienced, righteous, easy to practice, and imperishable.
अश्रद्दधानाः पुरुषा धर्मस्यास्य परन्तप। अप्राप्य मां निवर्तन्ते मृत्युसंसारवर्त्मनि।।9.3।।
Those without faith in this dharma, O scorcher of foes, failing to reach me, return along the path of death and rebirth.
मया ततमिदं सर्वं जगदव्यक्तमूर्तिना। मत्स्थानि सर्वभूतानि न चाहं तेष्ववस्थितः।।9.4।।
By me, this entire world is pervaded in my unmanifest form; all beings are in me, but I am not established in them.
न च मत्स्थानि भूतानि पश्य मे योगमैश्वरम्। भूतभृन्न च भूतस्थो ममात्मा भूतभावनः।।9.5।।
And yet, beings do not abide in Me—behold My divine mystery! Though I uphold all beings and am their source, My Self does not dwell in them.
यथाऽऽकाशस्थितो नित्यं वायुः सर्वत्रगो महान्। तथा सर्वाणि भूतानि मत्स्थानीत्युपधारय।।9.6।।
As the mighty wind, ever moving, rests in space and pervades everywhere, so too, understand that all beings rest in Me.
सर्वभूतानि कौन्तेय प्रकृतिं यान्ति मामिकाम्। कल्पक्षये पुनस्तानि कल्पादौ विसृजाम्यहम्।।9.7।।
At the end of an age, O son of Kunti, all beings merge into My own nature; at the beginning of the next cycle, I send them forth again.
प्रकृतिं स्वामवष्टभ्य विसृजामि पुनः पुनः। भूतग्राममिमं कृत्स्नमवशं प्रकृतेर्वशात्।।9.8।।
Holding My own nature, I send forth again and again this entire multitude of beings, powerless, under the sway of nature.
न च मां तानि कर्माणि निबध्नन्ति धनञ्जय। उदासीनवदासीनमसक्तं तेषु कर्मसु।।9.9।।
Yet these actions do not bind Me, O Dhananjaya; I remain as one indifferent, unattached to those actions.
मयाऽध्यक्षेण प्रकृतिः सूयते सचराचरम्। हेतुनाऽनेन कौन्तेय जगद्विपरिवर्तते।।9.10।।
By My supervision, nature gives birth to all moving and unmoving things; by this cause, O son of Kunti, the world revolves.
अवजानन्ति मां मूढा मानुषीं तनुमाश्रितम्। परं भावमजानन्तो मम भूतमहेश्वरम्।।9.11।।
Fools disregard Me when I take on a human form, not knowing My higher nature as the great Lord of beings.
मोघाशा मोघकर्माणो मोघज्ञाना विचेतसः। राक्षसीमासुरीं चैव प्रकृतिं मोहिनीं श्रिताः।।9.12।।
Vain in their hopes, vain in their actions, vain in their knowledge, the bewildered take refuge in demonic and deluding natures.
महात्मानस्तु मां पार्थ दैवीं प्रकृतिमाश्रिताः। भजन्त्यनन्यमनसो ज्ञात्वा भूतादिमव्ययम्।।9.13।।
But the great-souled ones, O Partha, who take refuge in the divine nature, worship Me with undistracted minds, knowing Me as the imperishable origin of beings.
सततं कीर्तयन्तो मां यतन्तश्च दृढव्रताः। नमस्यन्तश्च मां भक्त्या नित्ययुक्ता उपासते।।9.14।।
Always glorifying Me, striving with firm resolve, bowing to Me in devotion, ever steadfast, they worship Me.
ज्ञानयज्ञेन चाप्यन्ये यजन्तो मामुपासते। एकत्वेन पृथक्त्वेन बहुधा विश्वतोमुखम्।।9.15।।
Others too, performing the sacrifice of knowledge, worship Me in many ways: as one, as distinct, and in various forms, facing everywhere.
अहं क्रतुरहं यज्ञः स्वधाऽहमहमौषधम्। मंत्रोऽहमहमेवाज्यमहमग्निरहं हुतम्।।9.16।।
I am the ritual, I am the sacrifice, I am the offering to the ancestors, I am the healing herb, I am the mantra, I am the clarified butter, I am the fire, and I am the act of offering.
पिताऽहमस्य जगतो माता धाता पितामहः। वेद्यं पवित्रमोंकार ऋक् साम यजुरेव च।।9.17।।
I am the father of this world, the mother, the supporter, the grandsire; I am the object of knowledge, the purifier, the syllable Om, and also the Rig, Sama, and Yajur Vedas.
गतिर्भर्ता प्रभुः साक्षी निवासः शरणं सुहृत्। प्रभवः प्रलयः स्थानं निधानं बीजमव्ययम्।।9.18।।
I am the goal, the sustainer, the Lord, the witness, the abode, the refuge, the friend; I am the origin, the dissolution, the foundation, the treasure, and the imperishable seed.
तपाम्यहमहं वर्षं निगृह्णाम्युत्सृजामि च। अमृतं चैव मृत्युश्च सदसच्चाहमर्जुन।।9.19।।
I give heat, I withhold and send forth the rain; I am immortality and also death, both being and non-being, O Arjuna.
त्रैविद्या मां सोमपाः पूतपापा यज्ञैरिष्ट्वा स्वर्गतिं प्रार्थयन्ते। ते पुण्यमासाद्य सुरेन्द्रलोक मश्नन्ति दिव्यान्दिवि देवभोगान्।।9.20।।
Those who know the three Vedas, purified from sin by drinking soma, worship Me with sacrifices and seek the path to heaven; attaining the world of Indra, they enjoy the divine pleasures of the gods.
ते तं भुक्त्वा स्वर्गलोकं विशालं क्षीणे पुण्ये मर्त्यलोकं विशन्ति। एव त्रयीधर्ममनुप्रपन्ना गतागतं कामकामा लभन्ते।।9.21।।
Having enjoyed that vast world of heaven, when their merit is exhausted, they enter the mortal world again; thus, following the path of the three Vedas, desiring desires, they come and go.
अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जनाः पर्युपासते। तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम्।।9.22।।
But those who, meditating on Me alone, worship Me with undivided devotion—to them, ever steadfast, I bring what they lack and preserve what they have.