9:1: The Blessed One said: Because you are not envious, to you I will declare the most discreet knowledge, along with its realiza-tion, knowing which, you will be liberated from all inauspiciousness.
9:2: This highest and most discreet knowledge is purifying and su-preme. It is perceived by direct experience, and, hence, is the ful-fillment of all religious and moral duties. It is joyful to perform as well as imperishable.
9:3: Those who are faithless in their Sacred Duties, O slayer of enemies, and who do not attain Me, return by the path [of re-birth] to this material world of death.
9:4,5: All the material universes are pervaded by My unmanifest-ed form [Brahman]. In Me, all beings exist, although I am not in them.
And the beings do not dwell in Me, behold my divine yogic ability! Although I am the maintainer of all beings, I do not dwell in them; Myself being the Source of all beings.
9:6: As the mighty wind always dwells in the Akasha, moving everywhere, know that all beings dwell in Me.
9:7: O child of Kunti, at the end of every age all material beings return to My Nature and again, at the beginning of every age, I recreate them.
9:8: Supported by My material nature, I dispatch the multitude of beings again and again. They all act instinctively within material nature, as if by constraint.
9:9: O conqueror of riches, I am not bound by these activities; as if indifferent, I sit unattached to them all.
9:10: Because I preside over material nature, both the moving and the unmoving come forth, O child of Kunti, and because of this, the world continues to revolve.
9:11, 12: Fools deride Me when I resort in human form, not realizing My superior nature as the Great Lord of all beings.
Their hopes, actions, and knowledge are all fruitless. They are senseless and demonic; they are unholy. Truly, they are stupefied by material nature.
9:13: But on the other hand, O child of Partha, the wise, perceives My divine nature and worship with an undeviated mind, knowing Me to be the immutable source of all beings.
9:14: Always chanting My glories and pursuing Me, with discipline prostrating [themselves] before Me, always resolute in devotion, [the wise] worship Me.
9:15: Others sacrifice with the sacrifice of knowledge, worshiping Me in oneness, duality, diversity, or in My universal form.
9:16-19: I am the ritual, I am the sacrifice; I am the oblation to the ancestors; I am the medicinal herb; I am the sacred chant; I am the ghee; I am the fire, and I am the offering. I am the father of this universe, the mother, the preserver, the grandfather, the object of knowledge, the purifier, the sacred syllable Om, the Rig Ve-da, the Sama Veda, and the Yajur Veda. I am the goal, the sustainer, the lord, the witness, the abode, the refuge, the friend, the origin, the dissolution, the foundation, the receptacle, and the imperishable seed.
I give heat; I send forth and withhold the rains; I am immortality and death; I am O Arjuna, both being and non-being.
9:20, 21: Those who know the three Vedas, who drink the soma, whose sins are purified by sacrificial worship of Me, and who pray for passage to the heavenly planets, such holy people attain the planet of lord Indra and there enjoy the celestial pleasures of the devas in heaven. After enjoying the vast heavenly planets, their pious merits being well spent, they again enter this mortal world. Thus, following the laws of the three Vedas, they constantly go thence and return because of their desire to desire.
9:22: But those who worship Me with undeviated intent, who have no other object and who are always yoked in devotion, up-on them I confer happiness and carry them through.
9:23, 24: Also, those who are devotees of other gods, and who worship them, endowed with faith, they too worship Me alone, O Son of Kunti, but by a lesser method. I indeed am the Sole Enjoyer and God of all sacrifices, but not knowing Me in truth, they fall.
9:25: Those who worship the gods go to the gods, those who worship the ancestors go to the ancestors, those who worship ghosts go to the ghosts, but those who worship Me go to Me.
9:26: If one offers Me a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or some water with devotion [bhakti] I will accept it. I accept whatever is offered by one whose mind is pure.
9:27: So, whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer [in sacrifice], whatever you give away [in charity], whatever aus-terities you perform, O child of Kunti, do it all as an offering unto Me.
9:28: Thus freed from auspicious and inauspicious fruitive reactions, you will be liberated from the bondage of karma [action]. With the mind firmly established in the yoga of renunciation, you will be liberated and come to Me.
9:29: I am equitable towards all beings; none are hateful, and none are dear to Me. But those who worship Me with devotion are in Me and I am in them.
9:30,31: Even if one’s actions are abominable, if he worships Me with exclusive devotion [bhakti], I will consider that person virtuous because of his integral determination. Such a person soon becomes a righteous soul and attains eternal peace. O child of Kunti. Boldly declare that My devotee shall never perish!
9:32, 33: O child of Partha, all who take refuge in Me — even if from what is considered a lower birth (a woman, Vaishya or Su-dra) attains the supreme goal. How much more the holy Brahmanas, devotees, and royal saints who, having achieved this temporary world filled with sorrows, worship Me!
9:34: Always conscious of Me, become My devotee! Sacrifice and prostrate before Me. Having Me as the supreme goal, by thoroughly yoking yourself with Me, you will surely come to Me.
Here Ends Chapter Ten