त्वमादिदेवः पुरुषः पुराण- स्त्वमस्य विश्वस्य परं निधानम् । वेत्ताऽसि वेद्यं च परं च धाम त्वया ततं विश्वमनन्तरूप
You are the primal god, the ancient person; you are the supreme refuge of this universe. You are the knower and the knowable, the highest abode; by you, the universe is pervaded, O being of infinite forms.
वायुर्यमोऽग्निर्वरुणः शशाङ्कः प्रजापतिस्त्वं प्रपितामहश्च। नमो नमस्तेऽतु सहस्रकृत्वः पुनश्च भूयोऽपि नमो नमस्ते
You are Vayu, Yama, Agni, Varuna, the moon, Prajapati, and the great-grandfather; a thousand times I bow to you, again and again, I bow to you.
नमः पुरस्तादथ पृष्ठतस्ते नमोऽस्तु ते सर्वत एव सर्व। अनन्तवीर्यामितविक्रमस्त्वं सर्वं समाप्नोषि ततोऽसि सर्वः
Salutations to you from before and behind; salutations to you from every side, O all! Of infinite power and immeasurable valor, you pervade everything, therefore you are all.
सखेति मत्वा प्रसभं यदुक्तं हे कृष्ण हे यादव हे सखेति। अजानता महिमानं तवेदं मया प्रमादात्प्रणयेन वाऽपि
Thinking of you as a friend, whatever I rashly said—'O Krishna, O Yadava, O friend'—not knowing your greatness, out of carelessness or affection,
यच्चापहासार्थमसत्कृतोऽसि विहारशय्यासनभोजनेषु । एकोऽथवाप्यच्युत तत्समक्षं तत्क्षामये त्वामहमप्रमेयम्
And whatever disrespect I may have shown you in jest, while at play, resting, sitting, or at meals, alone or in company—O infallible one, I beg your forgiveness for that, O immeasurable one.
पितासि लोकस्य चराचरस्य त्वमस्य पूज्यश् गुरुर्गरीयान्। न त्वत्समोऽस्त्यभ्यधिकः कुतोऽन्यो लोकत्रयेऽप्यप्रतिमप्रभावः
You are the father of the world, of all that moves and does not move; you are its most worthy object of worship, its greatest teacher. There is none equal to you, much less greater, in all the three worlds, O one of incomparable power.
तस्मात्प्रणम्य प्रणिधाय कायं प्रसादये त्वामहमीशमीड्यम् । पितेव पुत्रस्य सखेव सख्युः प्रियः प्रियायार्हसि देव सोढुम्
Therefore, bowing down and prostrating my body, I seek your grace, O Lord, worthy of praise. As a father forgives his son, as a friend forgives a friend, as a beloved forgives the beloved, so too, O God, you should forgive me.
अदृष्टपूर्वं हृषितोऽस्मि दृष्ट्वा भयेन च प्रव्यथितं मनो मे। तदेव मे दर्शय देव रूपं प्रसीद देवेश जगन्निवास
Having seen what was never seen before, I am delighted, yet my mind is also troubled with fear. O God, show me that very form again; be gracious, Lord of gods, O refuge of the universe.
किरीटिनं गदिनं चक्रहस्त- मिच्छामि त्वां द्रष्टुमहं तथैव। तेनैव रूपेण चतुर्भुजेन सहस्रबाहो भव विश्वमूर्ते
I wish to see you as before, crowned, holding the mace and the discus in your hand. O thousand-armed, universal form, appear again in that four-armed shape.
मया प्रसन्नेन तवार्जुनेदं रूपं परं दर्शितमात्मयोगात्। तेजोमयं विश्वमनन्तमाद्यं यन्मे त्वदन्येन न दृष्टपूर्वम्
By my favor, Arjuna, I have shown you this supreme form of mine, through my own power—radiant, universal, infinite, original—which has not been seen before by anyone but you.
न वेद यज्ञाध्ययनैर्न दानै- र्न च क्रियाभिर्न तपोभिरुग्रैः । एवंरूपः शक्य अहं नृलोके द्रष्टुं त्वदन्येन कुरुप्रवीर
Not by study of the Vedas, nor by sacrifices, nor by charity, nor by rituals, nor by severe austerities can I be seen in this form by anyone else among mortals, O best of the Kurus.
मा ते व्यथा मा च विमूढभावो दृष्ट्वा रूपं घोरमीदृङ्भमेदम् । व्यपेतभीः प्रीतमनाः पुनस्त्वं तदेव मे रूपमिदं प्रपश्य
Let there be no fear or confusion in you, having seen this terrible and awe-inspiring form of mine. Free from fear, with a joyful mind, behold again that very form of mine.
इत्यर्जुनं वासुदेवस्तथोक्त्वा स्वकं रूपं दर्शयामास भूयः। आश्वासयामास च भीतमेनं भूत्वा पुनः सौम्यवपुर्महात्मा
Having thus spoken to Arjuna, Vāsudeva showed his own form again, and, becoming gentle in appearance, the great soul comforted the frightened one.
दृष्ट्वेदं मानुषं रूपं तव सौम्यं जनार्दन । इदानीमस्मि संवृत्तः सचेताः प्रकृतिं गतः
Having seen your human form, so gentle, O Janārdana, I have now regained my composure and returned to my natural state.
सुदुर्दर्शमिदं रूपं दृष्टवानसि यन्मम। देवा अप्यस्य रूपस्य नित्यं दर्शनकाङ्क्षिणः
This form of mine that you have seen is very hard to behold; even the gods are always longing to see this form.
नाहं वेदैर्न तपसा न दानेन न चेज्यया। शक्य एवंविधो द्रष्टुं दृष्टवानसि मां यथा
Not by the Vedas, nor by austerity, nor by charity, nor by sacrifice can I be seen in this way as you have seen me.
भक्त्या त्वनन्यया शक्य अहमेवंविधोऽर्जुन। ज्ञातुं द्रष्टुं च तत्त्वेन प्रवेष्टुं च परंतप
But by undivided devotion alone can I be truly known, seen, and entered into in this way, O Arjuna, scorcher of foes.
मत्कर्मकृन्मत्परमो मद्भक्तः सङ्गवर्जितः । निर्वैरः सर्वभूतेषु यः स मामेति पाण्डव
He who acts for me, regards me as supreme, is devoted to me, free from attachment, and bears no enmity toward any being—he comes to me, O Pāṇḍava.
एवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्युपासते। ये चाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमाः
Those devotees who, ever steadfast, worship you in this way, and those who worship the imperishable, the unmanifest—which of them are better versed in yoga?
मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते। श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मताः
Those who, fixing their minds on me, worship me ever steadfast, endowed with supreme faith—these I consider most united with me.
ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते। सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यं च कूटस्थमचलं ध्रुवम्
But those who worship the imperishable, the indefinable, the unmanifest, the all-pervading, the inconceivable, the unchanging, the immovable, the eternal—
संनियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः । ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताःक
Restraining all the senses, even-minded everywhere, intent on the welfare of all beings—such persons attain me alone.
क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् । अव्यक्ता हि गदिर्दुःखं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते
But the hardship is greater for those whose minds are attached to the unmanifest; for the path of the unmanifest is difficult for embodied beings to reach.
ये तु सर्वाणि कर्माणि मयि संन्यस्य मत्पराः । अनन्येनैव योगेन मां ध्यायन्त उपासते
But those who, dedicating all actions to me, regarding me as supreme, meditate on me with single-minded yoga, worship me—
तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात्। भवामि न चिरात्पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम्
Of those whose minds are absorbed in me, O Partha, I am the deliverer from the ocean of death and rebirth; I become so for them without delay.
मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय । निवसिष्यसि मय्येव अत ऊर्ध्वं न शंशकयः
Fix your mind on me alone; place your understanding in me. Thereafter, you will dwell in me alone—have no doubt about this.
अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम् । अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाऽऽप्तुं धनंजय
But if you are unable to steady your mind in me, then seek to reach me, O Dhananjaya, through the discipline of repeated practice.
अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्मपरमो भव। मदर्थमपि कर्माणि कुर्वन्सिद्धिमवाप्य्यसि
If you are incapable even of practice, then be devoted to my actions; performing actions for my sake, you will attain perfection.
अथैतदप्यशक्तोऽसि कर्तुं मद्योगमाश्रितः । सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं ततः कुरु यतात्मवान्
But if you are unable to do even this, then, taking refuge in my discipline, renounce the fruits of all actions, acting with self-control.
श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते। ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम्
Knowledge is indeed better than practice; meditation is superior to knowledge; renunciation of the fruit of action surpasses meditation, and from renunciation comes immediate peace.