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Bhagavad Gita · 9.32 · Yoga through the King of Sciences·32 of 34

मां हि पार्थ व्यपाश्रित्य येऽपि स्युः पापयोनयःस्त्रियो 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.

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

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