Bhagavad Gita · 9.32 · Yoga through the King of Sciences·32 of 34
मां हि पार्थ व्यपाश्रित्य येऽपि स्युः पापयोनयः।स्त्रियो वैश्यास्तथा शूद्रास्तेऽपि यान्ति परां गतिम् ॥
māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśhritya ye ’pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
striyo vaiśhyās tathā śhūdrās te ’pi yānti parāṁ gatim
Sanskrit recitation
Offer what you have · 9.26–9.34 · Teaching
Translation
For, taking refuge in Me, they who, O Arjuna, may be of a sinful birth—women, Vaisyas, and Sudras—attain the Supreme Goal.
Meaning
Chandalas or outcastes are of a sinful birth. Women and Sudras are darred by social rules from the study of the Vedas. What is wanted is devotion. There is no need for family traditions. The elephant Gajendra remembered Me with devotion and attained Me in spite of his being an animal. The lowest of the low and the vilest of the vile can attain Me if they have faith and devotion, if they sing and repeat My Name and if they think of Me always and think of no worldy object.Prahlada was a demon and yet by his devotion forced Me to incarnate as Narasimha. Birth is immaterial. Devotion is everything. The Gopis attained Me through their devotion. Kamsa and Ravana attained Me through fear. Sisupala reached Me through hatred. Narada, Dhruva, Akrura, Suka, Sanatkumara and others attined Me through their devotion. Nandan, a man of low caste but a great devotee of Lord Siva, had direct vision of the Lord in Chidambaram in South India. Raidas, a cobbler, was a great devotee. In the spiritual life or in the Adhyatmic sphere all the external distinctions of caste, colour and creed disappear altogether. Shabari, though a Bhilni (a tribe) by birth, was a great devotee of Lord Rama.Hindu scriptures are full of such instances. Hinduism does not restrict salvation to any one group or section of humanity. All can attain God if they have devotion.
After Swami Sivananda
Offer what you have· 9.26–9.34→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 9.26Whoever offers Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or a little water, that, so offered devotedly by the pure-minded, I accept.
- 9.27Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in sacrifice, whatever you give, whatever austerity you practice, O Arjuna, do it as an offering to Me.
- 9.28Thus, you shall be freed from the bonds of actions yielding good and evil fruits; with the mind steadfast in the Yoga of renunciation, and liberated, you shall come to Me.
- 9.29I am the same to all beings; there is none hateful or dear to Me; but those who worship Me with devotion are in Me, and I am also in them.
- 9.30Even if the most sinful worships Me, with devotion to no one else, he should indeed be regarded as righteous, for he has rightly resolved.
- 9.31Soon he becomes righteous and attains eternal peace; O Arjuna, proclaim thou for certain that My devotee never perishes.
9.32For, taking refuge in Me, they who, O Arjuna, may be of a sinful birth—women, Vaisyas, and Sudras—attain the Supreme Goal.
- 9.33How much more easily, then, do Brahmins and devoted royal saints attain the goal? Having come to this impermanent and unhappy world, do thou worship Me.
- 9.34Fix your mind on Me; be devoted to Me; sacrifice to Me; bow down to Me; having thus united your whole self to Me, taking Me as the supreme goal, you will come to Me.
Word-by-word→
- hi
- certainly
- ye
- who
- api
- even
- mām
- in me
- gatim
- destination
- parām
- the supreme
- syuḥ
- may be
- tathā
- and
- te api
- even they
- yānti
- go
- pārtha
- Arjun, the son of Pritha
- striyaḥ
- women
- vaiśhyāḥ
- mercantile people
- śhūdrāḥ
- manual workers
- vyapāśhritya
- take refuge
- pāpa yonayaḥ
- of low birth
Related verses
- 7.25I am not manifest to all, veiled as I am by the Yoga-Maya. This deluded world does not…
- 8.6Whoever at the end leaves the body, thinking of any being, to that being only does he go,…
- 8.14I am easily attainable by that ever-steadfast yogi who constantly and daily remembers me…
- 9.13But the great souls, O Arjuna, partaking of My divine nature, worship Me with a…