06.029
The Blessed Lord said:
O son of Pritha, with your mind attached to me and practicing yoga under my shelter, you will undoubtedly come to know me completely. Listen to this.
I will impart to you this knowledge in full, along with its realization, after knowing which, nothing else remains to be known in this world.
Out of thousands of people, only one strives for spiritual success, and even among those successful ones, only a rare individual truly understands me.
The elements of earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect, and ego constitute my eightfold divided nature.
"This inferior nature is different, but know my superior nature, O mighty-armed, which is the living entity that sustains the world."
Understand that all beings originate from this source. I am the creator and destroyer of the entire universe.
O Dhananjaya, there is nothing superior to me. Everything is pervaded by me, just as beads are strung on a thread.
O son of Kunti, I am the essence present in water, the radiance in the moon and the sun, the sacred syllable Om in all the Vedas, the sound in the sky, and the prowess in men.
I am the pure fragrance of the earth and the brilliance in the fire. I am the life force in all creatures and the austerity in ascetics.
O Arjuna, understand that I am the eternal seed of all creatures. I am the intellect of the wise and the brilliance of the brilliant.
I am the strength of the strong, devoid of desire and attachment. I am the righteous desire present in all beings, O best of the Bharatas.
The qualities of goodness, passion, and ignorance are born of me. They are in me, but I am not in them.
The whole world is deluded by these three modes of material nature and does not recognize Me as the Supreme, who is beyond these and eternal.
This divine illusion of mine, composed of the three modes of nature, is difficult to overcome. However, those who take refuge in me can easily cross beyond it.
The evildoers, the foolish, and the lowest among men, whose knowledge has been stolen by illusion, do not surrender to me. They are absorbed in a demonic nature.
O Arjuna, four types of virtuous people worship me: those who are distressed, those who seek knowledge, those who desire wealth, and those who are wise, O best of the Bharatas.
Among all, the wise person who is constantly engaged with single-minded devotion is the most distinguished. The wise are exceedingly dear to me, and I am dear to them.
All these are indeed noble, but the wise one is considered as my very self. Being united in mind, he is indeed situated in me as the supreme goal.
After many births, a wise person surrenders to me, understanding that Vasudeva is everything; such a great soul is indeed very rare.
Those whose knowledge is stolen by various desires surrender to other gods, following specific rules, and are controlled by their own nature.
Whenever a devotee desires to worship any form with faith, I make that faith steady and unwavering.
With that faith, he engages in her worship and attains the desires that I have ordained for him.
Those who worship the gods go to the gods, but My devotees come to Me. The results of worshipping the gods are temporary, while devotion to Me leads to eternal union.
The ignorant believe that I, the unmanifest, have become manifest, not understanding my supreme, imperishable, and unsurpassed nature.
I am not visible to everyone because I am covered by my divine Yogamaya. The deluded people do not recognize me as the unborn and imperishable.
I am aware of all beings in the past, present, and future, Arjuna, but no one truly understands me.
O Bharata, due to the delusion arising from desire and hatred, all beings fall into complete confusion at the time of creation, O conqueror of enemies.
Those who have completely eradicated their sins and are engaged in pious activities, being freed from the delusion of duality, worship me with firm determination.
Those who strive for liberation from old age and death by taking refuge in Me, they come to know Brahman, the entirety of spiritual knowledge and all actions.
Those who understand me as the essence of all elements, deities, and sacrifices, even at the time of death, they remain steadfast in their minds and truly know me.
