The Royal Knowledge

The Blessed Lord said:

To thee, the uncarping, verily shall I declare this profoundest Secret, wisdom with knowledge combined, which, having known, thou shalt be freed from evil.

Kingly Science, kingly Secret, supreme Purifier, this; intuitional, according to righteousness, very easy to perform, imperishable.

Men without faith in this knowledge, O Parantapa, not reaching Me, return to the paths of this world of death.

By Me all this world is pervaded in My unmanifested aspect; all beings have root in Me, I am not rooted in them.

Nor have beings root in Me; behold My sovereign Yoga! The support of beings, yet not rooted in beings, My Self their efficient cause.

As the mighty air everywhere moving is rooted in the Ether, so all beings rest rooted in Me—thus know thou.

All beings, O Kaunteya, enter my lower nature at the end of a world-age; at the beginning of a world-age again I emanate them.

Hidden in Nature, which is mine own, I emanate again and again all this multitude of beings, helpless, by the force of Nature.

Nor do these works bind me, O Dhananjaya, enthroned on high unattached to actions.

Under Me as supervisor, Nature sends forth the moving and unmoving: because of this, O Kaunteya, the universe revolves.

The foolish disregard Me, when clad in human semblance, ignorant of My supreme nature, the great Lord of beings;

Empty of hope, empty of deeds, empty of wisdom, senseless, partaking of the deceitful, brutal and demoniacal nature.

Verily the Mahâtmâs, O Partha, partaking of My divine nature, worship with unwavering mind, having known Me, the imperishable source of beings.

Always magnifying Me, strenuous, firm in vows, prostrating themselves before Me, they worship Me with devotion ever harmonised.

Others also, sacrificing with the sacrifice of wisdom, worship Me as the One and the Manifold everywhere present.

I the ablation; I the sacrifice; I the ancestral offering; I the fire-giving herb; the mantram I; I also the butter; I the fire; the burnt-offering I;

I the Father of this universe, the Mother, the Supporter, the Grandsire, the Holy one to be known, the Word of Power, and also the Rik, Sâma, and Yajur,

The Path, Husband, Lord, Witness, Abode, Shelter, Lover, Origin, Dissolution, Foundation, house, Seed imperishable.

I give heat; I hold back and send forth the rain; immortality and also death, being and non-being am I, Arjuna.

The knowers of the three, the Soma-drinkers, the purified from sin, worshipping Me with sacrifice, pray of Me the way to heaven; they, ascending to the holy world of the Ruler of the Shining Ones, eat in heaven the divine feasts of the Shining Ones.

They, having enjoyed the spacious heaven-world, their holiness withered, come back to this world of death. Following the virtues enjoined by the three, desiring desires, they obtain the transitory.

To those men who worship Me alone thinking of no other, to those ever harmonious, I bring full security.

Even the devotees of other Shining Ones, who worship full of faith, they also worship Me, O son of Kuntî, though contrary to the ancient rule.

I am indeed the enjoyer of all sacrifices and also the Lord, but they know Me not in Essence, and hence they fall.

They who worship the Shining Ones go to the Shining Ones; to the Ancestors go the Ancestor-worshippers; to the Elements go those who sacrifice to Elementals; but My worshippers come unto Me.

He who offereth to Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, water, that I accept from the striving self, offered as it is with devotion.

Whatsoever thou doest, whatsoever thou eatest, whatsoever thou offerest, whatsoever thou givest, whatsoever thou doest of austerity, O Kaunteya, do thou that as an offering unto Me.

Thus shalt thou be liberated from the bonds of action, yielding good and evil fruits; thyself harmonised by the yoga of renunciation, thou shalt come unto Me when set free.

The same am I to all beings; there is none hateful to Me nor dear. They verily who worship Me with devotion, they are in Me, and I also in them.

Even if the most sinful worship Me, with undivided heart, he too must be accounted righteous, for he hath rightly resolved;

Speedily he becometh dutiful and goeth to eternal peace; O Kaunteya, know thou for certain that My devotee perisheth never.

They who take refuge with Me, O Partha, though of the womb of sin, women, Vaishyas, even Shûdras, they also tread the highest path.

How much rather then holy Brâhmanas and devoted royal saints; having obtained this transient joyless world, worship thou Me.

On Me fix thy mind, be devoted to Me; sacrifice to Me; prostrate thyself before Me; harmonised thus in the Self, thou shalt come unto Me, having Me as thy supreme goal.