Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga
The royal knowledge, the king of secrets. Krishna names his presence in everything that exists, and the simple offering that reaches him.
All 34 verses of this chapter on one page. Read straight through, or press play and follow each verse as it is recited.
श्री भगवानुवाच इदं तु ते गुह्यतमं प्रवक्ष्याम्यनसूयवे । ज्ञानं विज्ञानसहितं यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात् ॥
The Blessed Lord said: I will now tell you this most secret knowledge, joined with direct realization, to you who are not envious. Knowing it, you will be freed from all that is harmful.
राजविद्या राजगुह्यं पवित्रमिदमुत्तमम् । प्रत्यक्षावगमं धर्म्यं सुसुखं कर्तुमव्ययम् ॥
This is the king of all knowledge, the king of all secrets. It is supremely pure, directly knowable, aligned with dharma, easy to practice, and imperishable.
अश्रद्दधानाः पुरुषा धर्मस्यास्य परन्तप । अप्राप्य मां निवर्तन्ते मृत्युसंसारवर्त्मनि ॥
O conqueror of foes, people without trust in this dharma do not reach Me and keep returning on the path of repeated death and rebirth.
मया ततमिदं सर्वं जगदव्यक्तमूर्तिना । मत्स्थानि सर्वभूतानि न चाहं तेष्ववस्थितः ॥
All this universe is pervaded by my unmanifest form. All beings dwell in me, but I do not dwell in them.
न च मत्स्थानि भूतानि पश्य मे योगमैश्वरम् । भूतभृन्न च भूतस्थो ममात्मा भूतभावनः ॥
Behold My divine power: beings are not in Me, and yet I sustain all beings.
यथाऽऽकाशस्थितो नित्यं वायुः सर्वत्रगो महान् । तथा सर्वाणि भूतानि मत्स्थानीत्युपधारय ॥
As the great wind, moving everywhere, always rests in space, so all beings rest in Me.
सर्वभूतानि कौन्तेय प्रकृतिं यान्ति मामिकाम् । कल्पक्षये पुनस्तानि कल्पादौ विसृजाम्यहम् ॥
O son of Kunti, at the end of a cosmic cycle all beings enter my nature; at its beginning, I send them forth again.
प्रकृतिं स्वामवष्टभ्य विसृजामि पुनः पुनः । भूतग्राममिमं कृत्स्नमवशं प्रकृतेर्वशात् ॥
Taking hold of my own nature, I repeatedly create this entire multitude of beings, helpless under the sway of nature.
न च मां तानि कर्माणि निबध्नन्ति धनञ्जय । उदासीनवदासीनमसक्तं तेषु कर्मसु ॥
Those actions of creation do not bind me, Dhananjaya, because I remain detached and indifferent to them.
मयाऽध्यक्षेण प्रकृतिः सूयते सचराचरम् । हेतुनाऽनेन कौन्तेय जगद्विपरिवर्तते ॥
Nature, under my supervision, brings forth all moving and unmoving beings. Because of this, the world keeps changing, O son of Kunti.
अवजानन्ति मां मूढा मानुषीं तनुमाश्रितम् । परं भावमजानन्तो मम भूतमहेश्वरम् ॥
Fools despise Me when I dwell in a human form, not knowing My higher nature as the great Lord of all beings.
मोघाशा मोघकर्माणो मोघज्ञाना विचेतसः । राक्षसीमासुरीं चैव प्रकृतिं मोहिनीं श्रिताः ॥
Those whose hopes, actions, and understanding are all wasted, confused minds take shelter in deluding, demonic, and shadowy nature.
महात्मानस्तु मां पार्थ दैवीं प्रकृतिमाश्रिताः । भजन्त्यनन्यमनसो ज्ञात्वा भूतादिमव्ययम् ॥
But, Arjuna, the great-minded ones, relying on the divine nature, worship Me with one-pointed minds, knowing Me as the unborn and imperishable source of all beings.
सततं कीर्तयन्तो मां यतन्तश्च दृढव्रताः । नमस्यन्तश्च मां भक्त्या नित्ययुक्ता उपासते ॥
Ever united with Me, steadfast in vows, they worship Me by chanting, striving, and bowing with devotion.
ज्ञानयज्ञेन चाप्यन्ये यजन्तो मामुपासते । एकत्वेन पृथक्त्वेन बहुधा विश्वतोमुखम् ॥
Others worship Me through the sacrifice of knowledge, seeing Me as one, as separate, or as the all-facing form.
अहं क्रतुरहं यज्ञः स्वधाऽहमहमौषधम् । मंत्रोऽहमहमेवाज्यमहमग्निरहं हुतम् ॥
I am the sacrifice, I am the ritual, I am the offering, I am the herb, I am the mantra, I am the ghee, I am the fire, and I am the act of offering. I am the sacred syllable Om, the Vedas, the father, mother, supporter, grandfather, object of knowledge, purifier, and imperishable seed of this world.
पिताऽहमस्य जगतो माता धाता पितामहः । वेद्यं पवित्रमोंकार ऋक् साम यजुरेव च ॥
I am the father of this world, the mother, the supporter, and the grandfather. I am the object of knowledge, the purifier, the sacred syllable Om, and also the Rig, Sama, and Yajur Vedas.
गतिर्भर्ता प्रभुः साक्षी निवासः शरणं सुहृत् । प्रभवः प्रलयः स्थानं निधानं बीजमव्ययम् ॥
I am the goal, the supporter, the lord, the witness, the refuge, the friend, the source, the dissolution, the resting place, the treasure, and the imperishable seed.
तपाम्यहमहं वर्षं निगृह्णाम्युत्सृजामि च । अमृतं चैव मृत्युश्च सदसच्चाहमर्जुन ॥
I heat the world as the sun, I hold back the rain and send it forth. I am immortality and death, being and non-being, Arjuna.
त्रैविद्या मां सोमपाः पूतपापायज्ञैरिष्ट्वा स्वर्गतिं प्रार्थयन्ते । ते पुण्यमासाद्य सुरेन्द्रलोकमश्नन्ति दिव्यान्दिवि देवभोगान् ॥
Those who know the three Vedas, drink soma, and are purified by sacrifice pray for heaven. Having earned merit, they enjoy the divine pleasures of the realm of the radiant beings.
ते तं भुक्त्वा स्वर्गलोकं विशालंक्षीणे पुण्ये मर्त्यलोकं विशन्ति । एव त्रयीधर्ममनुप्रपन्नागतागतं कामकामा लभन्ते ॥
After enjoying the vast heaven-world, they return to the mortal world when their merit is exhausted. Thus, those who follow the ritual path of the three Vedas and seek pleasures gain repeated coming and going.
अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जनाः पर्युपासते । तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम् ॥
Those who think of me alone and worship me with unwavering focus—I carry their welfare and security.
येऽप्यन्यदेवता भक्ता यजन्ते श्रद्धयाऽन्विताः । तेऽपि मामेव कौन्तेय यजन्त्यविधिपूर्वकम् ॥
Even those who, filled with trust, worship other radiant beings, worship Me alone, but in the wrong way, O son of Kunti.
अहं हि सर्वयज्ञानां भोक्ता च प्रभुरेव च । न तु मामभिजानन्ति तत्त्वेनातश्च्यवन्ति ते ॥
For I am the enjoyer and lord of all sacrifices. But those people do not know me in truth, and so they fall away.
यान्ति देवव्रता देवान् पितृ़न्यान्ति पितृव्रताः । भूतानि यान्ति भूतेज्या यान्ति मद्याजिनोऽपि माम् ॥
Those devoted to the radiant beings reach the radiant beings. Those devoted to the ancestors reach the ancestors. Those devoted to spirits reach the spirits. But those devoted to me come to me.
पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति । तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मनः ॥
Whoever offers me a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water with devotion, I accept that devoted offering from the pure-hearted.
यत्करोषि यदश्नासि यज्जुहोषि ददासि यत् । यत्तपस्यसि कौन्तेय तत्कुरुष्व मदर्पणम् ॥
Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer, whatever you give, and whatever austerity you practice, offer it to me.
शुभाशुभफलैरेवं मोक्ष्यसे कर्मबन्धनैः । संन्यासयोगयुक्तात्मा विमुक्तो मामुपैष्यसि ॥
In this way, you will be freed from the bonds of action and its results. Given over to renunciation-yoga, released, you will come to me.
समोऽहं सर्वभूतेषु न मे द्वेष्योऽस्ति न प्रियः । ये भजन्ति तु मां भक्त्या मयि ते तेषु चाप्यहम् ॥
I am equal toward all beings. No one is hated by me, and no one is especially dear. But those who worship me with devotion dwell in me, and I dwell in them.
अपि चेत्सुदुराचारो भजते मामनन्यभाक् । साधुरेव स मन्तव्यः सम्यग्व्यवसितो हि सः ॥
Even if a person of very bad conduct worships Me with undivided devotion, that person must be regarded as righteous, for the resolve is rightly made.
क्षिप्रं भवति धर्मात्मा शश्वच्छान्तिं निगच्छति । कौन्तेय प्रतिजानीहि न मे भक्तः प्रणश्यति ॥
One who is devoted to Me quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kunti, declare it boldly: My devotee never perishes.
मां हि पार्थ व्यपाश्रित्य येऽपि स्युः पापयोनयः । स्त्रियो वैश्यास्तथा शूद्रास्तेऽपि यान्ति परां गतिम् ॥
O Partha, even those born in difficult circumstances, and women, merchants, and workers, can reach the highest state by taking refuge in me.
किं पुनर्ब्राह्मणाः पुण्या भक्ता राजर्षयस्तथा । अनित्यमसुखं लोकमिमं प्राप्य भजस्व माम् ॥
If even pure Brahmins and royal sages devoted to the divine reach the highest state, what to speak of you? So, having come into this impermanent and joyless world, worship Me.
मन्मना भव मद्भक्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु । मामेवैष्यसि युक्त्वैवमात्मानं मत्परायणः ॥
Fix your mind on me. Be devoted to me. Worship me. Bow to me. United with me in this way, and fully oriented toward me, you will come to me.