Chapter 33

“The Holy One said, ‘Now I will tell thee that art without envy that mostmysterious knowledge along with experience, knowing which thou wilt befreed from evil. This is royal science, a royal mystery, highlycleansing, directly apprehensible, consistent with the sacred laws, easyto practise, (and) imperishable. Those persons, O chastiser of foes, whohave no faith in this sacred doctrine, not attaining to me, return to thepath of this world that is subject to destruction. This entire universeis pervaded by me in my unmanifest form. All entities are in me, but I donot reside in them. Nor yet are all entities in me. Behold my divinepower. Supporting all entities and producing all entities, myself dothnot (yet) reside in (those) entities. As the great and obiquitiousatmosphere always occupieth space, understand that all entities reside inme in the same way.[219] All entities, O son of Kunti, attain to mynature at the close of a Kalpa. I create them again at the beginning of aKalpa.[220] Regulating my own (independent) nature I create again and inthis whole assemblage of entities which is plastic in consequence of itssubjection to nature.[221] Those acts, however, O Dhananjaya, do notfetter me who sitteth as one unconcerned, being unattached to those acts(of creation). Through me, the overlooker, primal nature produceth the(universe of) mobiles and immobiles. For the reason, O son of Kunti, theuniverse passeth through its rounds (of birth and destruction).[222] Notknowing my supreme nature of the great lord of all entities, ignorantpeople of vain hopes, vain acts, vain knowledge, confounded minds, weddedto the delusive nature of Asuras and Rakshasas, disregard me (as one)that hath assumed a human body. But high-souled ones, O son of Pritha,possessed of divine nature, and with minds directed to nothing else,worship me, knowing (me) to be the origin of all entities andundestructible. Always glorifying me, (or) striving with firm vows, (or)bowing down to me, with reverence and ever devoted, (they) worshipme.[223] Others again, performing the sacrifice of knowledge, worship me,(some) as one, (some) as distinct, (some) as pervading the universe, inmany forms.[224] I am the Vedic sacrifice, I am the sacrifice enjoined inthe Smritis, I am Swadha, I am the medicament produced from herbs; I amthe mantra, I am the sacrificial libation, I am the fire, and I am the(sacrificial) offering.[225] I am the father of this universe, themother, the creator, grandsire; (I am) the thing to be known, the meansby which everything is cleaned, the syllable Om, the Rik, the Saman andthe Yajus, (I am) the goal, the supporter, the lord, the on-looker, theabode, the refuge, the friend, the source, the destruction, the support,the receptacle; and the undestructible seed. I give heat, I produce andsuspend rain; I am immortality, and also death; and I am the existent andthe non-existent, O Arjuna. They who know the three branches ofknowledge, also drink the Soma juice, and whose sins have been cleansedworshipping me by sacrifices, seek admission into heaven; and theseattaining to the sacred region of the chief of the gods, enjoy in heaventhe celestial pleasure of the gods. Having enjoyed that celestial worldof vast extent, upon exhaustion of their merit they re-enter the mortalworld. It is thus that they who accept the doctrines of the three Vedasand wish for objects of desires, obtain going and coming. Those personswho, thinking (of me) without directing their minds to anything else,worship me, of those who are (thus) always devoted (to me)–I make themgifts and preserve what they have. Even those devotees who, endued withfaith worship other godheads even they, O son of Kunti, worship me alone,(though) irregularly.[226] I am the enjoyer, as also the lord, of allsacrifices. They, however, do not know me truly; hence they fall off(from heaven). They whose vows are directed to the Pitris attain to thePitris; who direct (their) worship to the inferior spirits called Bhutasattain to Bhutas; they who worship me, attain even to myself. They whooffer me with reverence, leaf, flower, fruit, water–that offered withreverence, I accept from him whose self is pure.[227] Whatever thou dost,whatever eatest, whatever drinkest, whatever givest, whatever austeritiesthou performest, manage it in such a way, O son of Kunti, that it may bean offering to me. Thus mayst thou be freed from the fetters of actionhaving good and evil fruits. With self endued with renunciation anddevotion, thou wilt be released and will come to me. I am alike to allcreatures; there is none hateful to me, none dear. They, however, whoworship me with reverence are in me and I also am in them. If even aperson of exceedingly wicked conduct worshippeth me, without worshippingany one else, he should certainly be regard as good, for his efforts arewell-directed. (Such a person) soon becometh of virtuous soul, andattaineth to eternal tranquillity. Know, O son of Kunti, that nonedevoted to me is ever lost. For, O son of Pritha, even they who may be ofsinful birth, women, Vaisyas, and also Sudras, even they, resorting tome, attain to the supreme goal. What then (shall I say) of holy Brahmanasand saints who are my devotees? Having come to this transient andmiserable world, be engaged in my worship.[228] Fix thy mind on me; be mydevotee, my worshipper; bow to me; and thus making me thy refuge andapplying thy self to abstraction, thou wilt certainly come to me.’