Bhagwat Geeta : Faithful Words 4

1
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Now
hear, O son of Prtha, how by practicing yoga in full
consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you
can know Me in full, free from doubt.
2
I shall now declare unto you in full this knowledge,
both phenomenal and numinous. This being known,
nothing further shall remain for you to know.
3
Out of many thousands among men, one may
endeavor for perfection, and of those who have
achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.
4
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false
ego -- all together these eight constitute My separated
material energies.
5
Besides these, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is
another, superior energy of Mine, which comprises the
living entities who are exploiting the resources of this
material, inferior nature.
6
All created beings have their source in these two
natures. Of all that is material and all that is spiritual
in this world, know for certain that I am both the origin
and the dissolution.
7
O conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to
Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on
a thread.
8
O son of Kunti, I am the taste of water, the light of the
sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic
mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.
9
I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the
heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the
penances of all ascetics.
10
O son of Prtha, know that I am the original seed of all
existences, the intelligence of the intelligent, and the
prowess of all powerful men.
11
I am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion and
desire. I am sex life which is not contrary to religious
principles, O lord of the Bharatas [Arjuna].
12
Know that all states of being -- be they of goodness,
passion or ignorance -- are manifested by My energy. I
am, in one sense, everything, but I am independent. I
am not under the modes of material nature, for they,
on the contrary, are within Me.
13
Deluded by the three modes [goodness, passion and
ignorance], the whole world does not know Me, who
am above the modes and inexhaustible.
14
This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three
modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But
those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross
beyond it.
15
Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, who are
lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by
illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of
demons do not surrender unto Me.
16
O best among the Bharatas, four kinds of pious men
begin to render devotional service unto Me -- the
distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and
he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.
17
Of these, the one who is in full knowledge and who is
always engaged in pure devotional service is the best.
For I am very dear to him, and he is dear to Me.
18
All these devotees are undoubtedly magnanimous
souls, but he who is situated in knowledge of Me I
consider to be just like My own self. Being engaged in
My transcendental service, he is sure to attain Me, the
highest and most perfect goal.
19
After many births and deaths, he who is actually in
knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the
cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is
very rare.
20
Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material
desires surrender unto demigods and follow the
particular rules and regulations of worship according
to their own natures.
21
I am in everyone's heart as the Supersoul. As soon as
one desires to worship some demigod, I make his
faith steady so that he can devote himself to that
particular deity.
22
Endowed with such a faith, he endeavors to worship a
particular demigod and obtains his desires. But in
actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me alone.
23
Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and
their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who
worship the demigods go to the planets of the
demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My
supreme planet.
24
Unintelligent men, who do not know Me perfectly,
think that I, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Krishna, was impersonal before and have now
assumed this personality. Due to their small
knowledge, they do not know My higher nature, which
is imperishable and supreme.
25
I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent.
For them I am covered by My internal potency, and
therefore they do not know that I am unborn and
infallible.
26
O Arjuna, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I
know everything that has happened in the past, all that
is happening in the present, and all things that are yet
to come. I also know all living entities; but Me no one
knows.
27
O scion of Bharata, O conqueror of the foe, all living
entities are born into delusion, bewildered by dualities
arisen from desire and hate.
28
Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and
in this life and whose sinful actions are completely
eradicated are freed from the dualities of delusion,
and they engage themselves in My service with
determination.
29
Intelligent persons who are endeavoring for liberation
from old age and death take refuge in Me in
devotional service. They are actually Brahman
because they entirely know everything about
transcendental activities.
30
Those in full consciousness of Me, who know Me, the
Supreme Lord, to be the governing principle of the
material manifestation, of the demigods, and of all
methods of sacrifice, can understand and know Me,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, even at the time
of death.

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