Raja Vidya Yoga

Krishna said

इदं तु ते गुह्यतमं प्रवक्ष्याम्यनसूयवे।
ज्ञानं विज्ञानसहितं यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात् ॥

idaṃ tu te guhyatamaṃ pravakṣyāmyanasūyave
jñānaṃ vijñānasahitaṃ yajjñātvā mokṣyase'śubhāt

To you, who do not find fault, I will now reveal this most secret knowledge together with its realisation; knowing it, you will be freed from all that is harmful.

राजविद्या राजगुह्यं पवित्रमिदमुत्तमम्।
प्रत्यक्षावगमं धर्म्यं सुसुखं कर्तुमव्ययम् ॥

rājavidyā rājaguhyaṃ pavitramidamuttamam
pratyakṣāvagamaṃ dharmyaṃ susukhaṃ kartumavyayam

This is the king of sciences, the king of secrets, the supreme purifier. It is known directly, it is in keeping with dharma, it is easy to practise, and it is imperishable.

अश्रद्दधानाः पुरुषा धर्मस्यास्य परन्तप।
अप्राप्य मां निवर्तन्ते मृत्युसंसारवर्त्मनि ॥

aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasyāsya parantapa
aprāpya māṃ nivartante mṛtyusaṃsāravartmani

People who have no faith in this dharma, scorcher of foes, do not reach me; they return to the path of death and rebirth.

मया ततमिदं सर्वं जगदव्यक्तमूर्तिना।
मत्स्थानि सर्वभूतानि न चाहं तेष्ववस्थितः ॥

mayā tatamidaṃ sarvaṃ jagadavyaktamūrtinā
matsthāni sarvabhūtāni na cāhaṃ teṣvavasthitaḥ

All this world is pervaded by me in my unmanifest form. All beings rest in me, but I do not rest in them.

न च मत्स्थानि भूतानि पश्य मे योगमैश्वरम्।
भूतभृन्न च भूतस्थो ममात्मा भूतभावनः ॥

na ca matsthāni bhūtāni paśya me yogamaiśvaram
bhūtabhṛnna ca bhūtastho mamātmā bhūtabhāvanaḥ

And yet beings do not rest in me: behold my divine yoga! Sustaining all beings and bringing them forth, my Self does not dwell in them.

यथाऽऽकाशस्थितो नित्यं वायुः सर्वत्रगो महान्।
तथा सर्वाणि भूतानि मत्स्थानीत्युपधारय ॥

yathā''kāśasthito nityaṃ vāyuḥ sarvatrago mahān
tathā sarvāṇi bhūtāni matsthānītyupadhāraya

As the mighty wind, moving everywhere, always rests in space, so know that all beings rest in me.

सर्वभूतानि कौन्तेय प्रकृतिं यान्ति मामिकाम्।
कल्पक्षये पुनस्तानि कल्पादौ विसृजाम्यहम् ॥

sarvabhūtāni kaunteya prakṛtiṃ yānti māmikām
kalpakṣaye punastāni kalpādau visṛjāmyaham

At the end of a cycle, son of Kunti, all beings return to my nature; at the beginning of the next cycle, I send them forth again.

प्रकृतिं स्वामवष्टभ्य विसृजामि पुनः पुनः।
भूतग्राममिमं कृत्स्नमवशं प्रकृतेर्वशात् ॥

prakṛtiṃ svāmavaṣṭabhya visṛjāmi punaḥ punaḥ
bhūtagrāmamimaṃ kṛtsnamavaśaṃ prakṛtervaśāt

Taking hold of my own nature, I send forth again and again this whole multitude of beings, helpless under the sway of nature.

न च मां तानि कर्माणि निबध्नन्ति धनञ्जय।
उदासीनवदासीनमसक्तं तेषु कर्मसु ॥

na ca māṃ tāni karmāṇi nibadhnanti dhanañjaya
udāsīnavadāsīnamasaktaṃ teṣu karmasu

These actions do not bind me, Dhananjaya, for I sit as one indifferent, unattached to them.

मयाऽध्यक्षेण प्रकृतिः सूयते सचराचरम्।
हेतुनाऽनेन कौन्तेय जगद्विपरिवर्तते ॥

mayā'dhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sacarācaram
hetunā'nena kaunteya jagadviparivartate

Under my watch, nature brings forth all that moves and does not move; because of this, son of Kunti, the world turns round and round.

अवजानन्ति मां मूढा मानुषीं तनुमाश्रितम्।
परं भावमजानन्तो मम भूतमहेश्वरम् ॥

avajānanti māṃ mūḍhā mānuṣīṃ tanumāśritam
paraṃ bhāvamajānanto mama bhūtamaheśvaram

Fools disregard me when I take a human form, not knowing my higher being as the great lord of all beings.

मोघाशा मोघकर्माणो मोघज्ञाना विचेतसः।
राक्षसीमासुरीं चैव प्रकृतिं मोहिनीं श्रिताः ॥

moghāśā moghakarmāṇo moghajñānā vicetasaḥ
rākṣasīmāsurīṃ caiva prakṛtiṃ mohinīṃ śritāḥ

Vain in hope, vain in action, vain in knowledge, without discernment, they take on the deluding nature of fiends and demons.

महात्मानस्तु मां पार्थ दैवीं प्रकृतिमाश्रिताः।
भजन्त्यनन्यमनसो ज्ञात्वा भूतादिमव्ययम् ॥

mahātmānastu māṃ pārtha daivīṃ prakṛtimāśritāḥ
bhajantyananyamanaso jñātvā bhūtādimavyayam

But great souls, Partha, sheltered in the divine nature, worship me with undistracted minds, knowing me as the imperishable source of all beings.

सततं कीर्तयन्तो मां यतन्तश्च दृढव्रताः।
नमस्यन्तश्च मां भक्त्या नित्ययुक्ता उपासते ॥

satataṃ kīrtayanto māṃ yatantaśca dṛḍhavratāḥ
namasyantaśca māṃ bhaktyā nityayuktā upāsate

Always singing my praise, striving with firm vows, bowing to me with devotion, ever disciplined, they worship me.

ज्ञानयज्ञेन चाप्यन्ये यजन्तो मामुपासते।
एकत्वेन पृथक्त्वेन बहुधा विश्वतोमुखम् ॥

jñānayajñena cāpyanye yajanto māmupāsate
ekatvena pṛthaktvena bahudhā viśvatomukham

Others, offering the sacrifice of knowledge, worship me as one, as distinct, and as manifold, facing every direction.

अहं क्रतुरहं यज्ञः स्वधाऽहमहमौषधम्।
मंत्रोऽहमहमेवाज्यमहमग्निरहं हुतम् ॥

ahaṃ kraturahaṃ yajñaḥ svadhā'hamahamauṣadham
maṃtro'hamahamevājyamahamagnirahaṃ hutam

I am the ritual, I am the sacrifice, I am the offering to the ancestors, I am the healing herb; I am the mantra, I am the ghee, I am the fire, and I am the act of offering.

पिताऽहमस्य जगतो माता धाता पितामहः।
वेद्यं पवित्रमोंकार ऋक् साम यजुरेव च ॥

pitā'hamasya jagato mātā dhātā pitāmahaḥ
vedyaṃ pavitramoṃkāra ṛk sāma yajureva ca

I am the father of this world, the mother, the sustainer and the grandsire; the one to be known, the purifier, the syllable Om, and the Rig, Sama and Yajur Vedas.

गतिर्भर्ता प्रभुः साक्षी निवासः शरणं सुहृत्।
प्रभवः प्रलयः स्थानं निधानं बीजमव्ययम् ॥

gatirbhartā prabhuḥ sākṣī nivāsaḥ śaraṇaṃ suhṛt
prabhavaḥ pralayaḥ sthānaṃ nidhānaṃ bījamavyayam

I am the goal, the support, the lord, the witness, the abode, the refuge and the friend; the origin, the dissolution and the ground; the treasure-house and the imperishable seed.

तपाम्यहमहं वर्षं निगृह्णाम्युत्सृजामि च।
अमृतं चैव मृत्युश्च सदसच्चाहमर्जुन ॥

tapāmyahamahaṃ varṣaṃ nigṛhṇāmyutsṛjāmi ca
amṛtaṃ caiva mṛtyuśca sadasaccāhamarjuna

I give heat; I hold back the rain and send it forth. I am immortality and also death, being and non-being, Arjuna.

त्रैविद्या मां सोमपाः पूतपापा
यज्ञैरिष्ट्वा स्वर्गतिं प्रार्थयन्ते।
ते पुण्यमासाद्य सुरेन्द्रलोक
मश्नन्ति दिव्यान्दिवि देवभोगान् ॥

traividyā māṃ somapāḥ pūtapāpā
yajñairiṣṭvā svargatiṃ prārthayante
te puṇyamāsādya surendraloka
maśnanti divyāndivi devabhogān

Those who know the three Vedas, drink the soma and are cleansed of sin worship me with sacrifices and pray for the way to heaven. Reaching the holy world of Indra, they enjoy the divine pleasures of the gods.

ते तं भुक्त्वा स्वर्गलोकं विशालं
क्षीणे पुण्ये मर्त्यलोकं विशन्ति।
एव त्रयीधर्ममनुप्रपन्ना
गतागतं कामकामा लभन्ते ॥

te taṃ bhuktvā svargalokaṃ viśālaṃ
kṣīṇe puṇye martyalokaṃ viśanti
eva trayīdharmamanuprapannā
gatāgataṃ kāmakāmā labhante

Having enjoyed that vast heaven, when their merit is spent they enter the world of mortals again. Following the rituals of the three Vedas and wanting enjoyment, they come and go.

येऽप्यन्यदेवता भक्ता यजन्ते श्रद्धयाऽन्विताः।
तेऽपि मामेव कौन्तेय यजन्त्यविधिपूर्वकम् ॥

ye'pyanyadevatā bhaktā yajante śraddhayā'nvitāḥ
te'pi māmeva kaunteya yajantyavidhipūrvakam

Even those who worship other gods with faith, son of Kunti, worship me alone, though not in the prescribed way.

अहं हि सर्वयज्ञानां भोक्ता च प्रभुरेव च।
न तु मामभिजानन्ति तत्त्वेनातश्च्यवन्ति ते ॥

ahaṃ hi sarvayajñānāṃ bhoktā ca prabhureva ca
na tu māmabhijānanti tattvenātaścyavanti te

For I am the enjoyer and the lord of all sacrifices. But they do not know me as I truly am, and so they fall.

यान्ति देवव्रता देवान् पितॄन्यान्ति पितृव्रताः।
भूतानि यान्ति भूतेज्या यान्ति मद्याजिनोऽपि माम् ॥

yānti devavratā devān pitṝnyānti pitṛvratāḥ
bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā yānti madyājino'pi mām

Those devoted to the gods go to the gods; those devoted to the ancestors go to the ancestors; those who worship spirits go to the spirits; and my worshippers come to me.

यत्करोषि यदश्नासि यज्जुहोषि ददासि यत्।
यत्तपस्यसि कौन्तेय तत्कुरुष्व मदर्पणम् ॥

yatkaroṣi yadaśnāsi yajjuhoṣi dadāsi yat
yattapasyasi kaunteya tatkuruṣva madarpaṇam

Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer, whatever you give, whatever austerity you practise, son of Kunti, do it as an offering to me.

शुभाशुभफलैरेवं मोक्ष्यसे कर्मबन्धनैः।
संन्यासयोगयुक्तात्मा विमुक्तो मामुपैष्यसि ॥

śubhāśubhaphalairevaṃ mokṣyase karmabandhanaiḥ
saṃnyāsayogayuktātmā vimukto māmupaiṣyasi

So you will be freed from the bonds of action and their good and bad fruits. With your self disciplined by the yoga of renunciation, freed, you will come to me.

समोऽहं सर्वभूतेषु न मे द्वेष्योऽस्ति न प्रियः।
ये भजन्ति तु मां भक्त्या मयि ते तेषु चाप्यहम् ॥

samo'haṃ sarvabhūteṣu na me dveṣyo'sti na priyaḥ
ye bhajanti tu māṃ bhaktyā mayi te teṣu cāpyaham

I am the same to all beings; to me none is hateful and none dear. But those who worship me with devotion are in me, and I am in them.

अपि चेत्सुदुराचारो भजते मामनन्यभाक्।
साधुरेव स मन्तव्यः सम्यग्व्यवसितो हि सः ॥

api cetsudurācāro bhajate māmananyabhāk
sādhureva sa mantavyaḥ samyagvyavasito hi saḥ

Even if a person of very bad conduct worships me with undivided devotion, they should be counted as good, for they have resolved rightly.

क्षिप्रं भवति धर्मात्मा शश्वच्छान्तिं निगच्छति।
कौन्तेय प्रतिजानीहि न मे भक्तः प्रणश्यति ॥

kṣipraṃ bhavati dharmātmā śaśvacchāntiṃ nigacchati
kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati

Quickly they become righteous and reach lasting peace. Know this for certain, son of Kunti: my devotee never perishes.

मां हि पार्थ व्यपाश्रित्य येऽपि स्युः पापयोनयः।
स्त्रियो वैश्यास्तथा शूद्रास्तेऽपि यान्ति परां गतिम् ॥

māṃ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye'pi syuḥ pāpayonayaḥ
striyo vaiśyāstathā śūdrāste'pi yānti parāṃ gatim

Those who take refuge in me, Partha, whatever their birth, women, merchants and labourers too, reach the highest goal.

किं पुनर्ब्राह्मणाः पुण्या भक्ता राजर्षयस्तथा।
अनित्यमसुखं लोकमिमं प्राप्य भजस्व माम् ॥

kiṃ punarbrāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā bhaktā rājarṣayastathā
anityamasukhaṃ lokamimaṃ prāpya bhajasva mām

How much more, then, the pure brahmins and the devoted royal sages. Having come into this passing, joyless world, worship me.