A Song of Fortune - A Classical Gita: Chapter 9

(1) The one of fortune said: 'What I'm going to tell you now is the most confidential type of wisdom and knowledge and is reserved for those who are free from envy; your knowing about it will free you from all worldly miseries. (2) It is the absolute ruler of all knowledge and confidence, it is the purest and utter intelligence of practical experience, it defines the religiousness, it is everlasting and brings happiness once it is put into practice.

(3) Persons without faith in this way of connecting oneself, oh conqueror of your foes, will on the path of a material existence altogether missing me, return after they have died. (4) By my unseen form this entire cosmic manifestation is pervaded; all beings are thus found in me while on the other hand the complete of me cannot be found in them. (5) Nor will anything of what separately exists remain in me; understand my majestic union: as the original self being the source of all creation I am, as the maintainer of all that is created, never completely within whatever that is created. (6) Think of it this way: just as it is with the mighty wind blowing everywhere in the sky, it is with all the beings living everywhere within me. (7) Oh son of aunt Kuntî, at the end of a day of creation all living beings merge with the totality of my material nature and at the beginning of such a day they are all created, or conditioned, anew. (8) Entering into this material nature of mine I, over and over, create all of the cosmic manifestation, the complete of which is delivered to my compelling, ethereal force. (9) And to those actions I am never bound, oh winner of the wealth, for I am of a neutral position in not being attracted to the fruit-bearing action. (10) Under my supervision material nature is manifesting both the moving and the non-moving entities, and this supervision is for the living being, oh son of Kuntî, the reason, the motive, to exist.

(11) Fools, not knowing my transcendental nature, my supreme lordship over all, deride me for my having assumed a human form. (12) Disappointed in their expectations, profit motives and their knowledge the bewildered ones take to atheistic and demoniac, delusional views of a materialistic nature. (13) But, oh son of Prithâ, the great souls who take to the shelter of my divine nature, know about the inexhaustible source of creation and are of devotion with a mind that doesn't wander off. (14) Full of devotion endeavoring with determination, they are always singing about me and offer me, constantly engaged in worship, their obeisance. (15) Others are of sacrifice with the knowledge they offer in the worship of me as the oneness in the rich diversity of the universal form. (16) I am the ritual, the sacrifice and the flavor; I am the curative herb and I am the mantra; I am the oblation, the fire and the offering. (17) I am of the living being the father, the mother, the supporter and the ancestor; I am that what's to be known, that what purifies, the syllable AUM and the Rig-, the Yajur- and Sâmaveda as well. (18) I am the goal, the sustainer and the master; the witness, the abode and the refuge; I am the best friend, the creation and the dissolution; I am the foundation, the seed that doesn't perish and the resting place. (19) I give heat, bring and withhold the rain; I am immortality, death and the being as also the not being oh Arjuna.

(20) Those who know the three Vedas, they who freed from their sins, drink from the soma and, worshiping with sacrifices, pray for their passage to heaven, reach the world of Indra and enjoy the celestial pleasures of the gods. (21) After they, having enjoyed that vast heaven, reached the end of their pious deeds, they enter the world of the mortals. They, who are so faithful with the doctrine of the three Vedas, thus arrive at the life and loss of desiring in lust. (22) But they who concentrate with no one but me as their object of reverence, those persons, who always fixed in devotion are of proper worship, I protect and provide what they need. (23) Even though the ones devoted to lesser gods are also of an exclusive faith and worship in relation to me, they are not of worship according to the regulative principles³ oh son of Kuntî. (24) Since I am the enjoyer and master of all sacrifices, they who do not know me to the principle fall away from the divine. (25) Those who observe the lesser gods, find the lesser gods; those who respect the ancestors, go to them; those who worship ghosts and spirits reach those entities; but my devotees reach me. (26) Anyone faithful to the principles who, devoted to me, offers me a leaf, a flower, a fruit and water⁹, is making an offering acceptable to me. (27) Do whatever you eat, give away in charity, or sacrifice in your renunciation, as an offering to me, oh son of aunt Prithâ. (28) Thus free from the bright as also the dark side of being bound to profit-minded labor you will, liberated, with your mind connected in yogic renunciation, reach me.

(29) I'm equal-minded in my respect for all living beings, I hate nor cherish anyone, but those who in their devotion are of service with me, are in me as good as I am in them. (30) Even having been of the worst conduct, the one who unwavering is devoted to me, is to be considered a saint because of the full of his determination. (31) Such a one, oh son of Kuntî, quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace; do defend that my devotee is never lost! (32) Oh son of Prithâ, even if the ones resorting to me are from sin born women, traders or laborers, they will still reach the supreme destination. (33) And how much more wouldn't this be true for righteous brahmins, devotees and pious civil servants; therefore, with you having made it to this temporary world full of miseries, be engaged in my loving service! (34) Think of me always, become a devotee, a worshiper, an offerer of mine, so that you, devoted to me, will be a fully aligned soul.'