2 Know this knowledge as the supreme wisdom and the supreme hidden treasure. It is perfectly pure, and although beyond the purview of sense perception, it is the object of direct perception (by those senses which are eagerly disposed towards devotional service [bhakti]). It is the efficacy of all religion, joyfully accessible, and completely devoid of mundane nature.

3 O conqueror of the enemy, men who have no faith in this hidden treasure of sublime pure love for Me are unable to reach Me, and thus they remain meandering in this deathly mundane plane.

4 In an unmanifest manner, I pervade this entire universe, and everything conceivable is situated within Me and yet, I am not situated within that total entity.

5 And again, that is also not situated in Me. Just behold My inconceivable simultaneous one and different (acintya-bhedabheda) nature as the perfect, omnipotent, omniscient originator and Lord of the universe! Although My very Self is the mainstay and guardian of all beings, I am not implicated by them.

6 Air, although massively expansive by nature, is always situated within the jurisdiction of space, and yet, air and space remain distinct from one another. Similarly, know that all beings are situated within Me.

7 O son of Kunti, at the universal cataclysm, the multitude of beings are merged in My illusory nature, known as maya. And with the beginning of a new millenium, I create all the distinct species again.

8 By the agency of My potency of illusory material nature, I repeatedly create all life-forms according to the nature they acquire, which is determined by the results of their fruitive actions and aspirations of ancient bygone ages.

9 Thoroughly detached and situated indifferently within this exploitative plane of generation, sustenance, and decay, I, O conqueror of wealth, cannot be implicated by the entire universal operation of creation, maintenance, and annihilation.

10 O Kaunteya, My deluding potency, under My direction gives birth to this universe of moving and stationary beings. And for this reason, that is, since only a created object is subject to destruction, the universe is created again and again.

11 Unable to comprehend My superexcellent divine form of human features, ignorant men blaspheme Me the Supreme Lord of all beings by considering Me a mere human being.

12 Those fools are full of vain hopes and dreams in their futile fruit-hunting schemes and fruitless knowledge-seeking. Bereft of all good sense, they acquire the ignorant and passionate nature of godless fiends, which is the source of the darkness of delusion.

13 But, O Partha, the great souls take refuge in the divine and godly nature. With unalloyed hearts, they render loving service exclusively unto Me Krsna, of human features knowing Me, in this eternal form, to be the primeval cause of all beings.

14 Disregarding the purity or impurity of time, place, and circumstances, those great souls are constantly absorbed in singing or narrating the glories of My holy name, form, qualities, pastimes, and paraphernalia. They are attentive to the irrevocable and conclusive definition of My nature, personality, and expansions, and they strictly follow the rules and regulations for taking the holy name and observing holy days such as Ekadasi. Following all the practices of devotion beginning with offering obeisances unto Me, the devotees, earnestly longing for their eternal relationship with Me in the future, worship Me by the path of engaging in My transcendental devotional service.

15 And of those who are worshipers on the path of knowledge, some are conscious of their own oneness with Me, others are conscious of the various demigods' oneness with Me, and still others are conscious of the oneness of My diverse universal opulence with Me. In so many ways they worhsip Me alone.

16 I am the Vedic Jyotistoma sacrifice and the five sacrifices to the Visva-deva demigods and others as enjoined in the Smrti scriptures. I am the oblation to the ancestors, the auspicious offering of the autumnal crop, and the mantra. I am the sacrificial ingredients such as ghee, I am the consecrated fire, and I alone am the act of offering the sacrifice.

17 I am the father of this universe, the mother, the bestower of the fruits of all actions, the forefather, and the object of all knowledge. The purifying agent Om, the Rg, Sama, and Yajur-vedas certainly I am all these.

18 And certainly I am everyone's goal, maintainer, controller, witness, refuge, guardian, and unconditional well-wisher. I am creation, dissolution, and sustenance. I am the reservoir and the seed, as the eternal Supreme Person.

19 O Arjuna, I, as the sun, bestow heat during summer, and during the rainy season I send forth the rains and sometimes withdraw them. Undoubtedly, I am liberation and death, and everything gross or subtle.

20 Person who perform the fruitive ritualistic sacrifices prescribed in three of the Vedas worship Lord Indra and other demigods. Factually, they worship Me alone, but in an indirect way. They drink the sacrificial remnants of Soma beverage, purify themselves of sin, and pray to attain to the heavenly plane. As the result of their piety, they reach heaven and enjoy celestial pleasures.

21 After enjoying that great heavenly delight, upon the depletion of their pious merits, they accept birth in this mortal world. In this way, lustful persons who follow the Vedic rules for demigod worship come and go they are born and they die over and over again in this material world.

22 I personally assume the whole responsibility of acquiring and protecting the necessities of My full dependent devotees who are always absorbed in thought of Me alone, and who worship Me exclusively in all respects.

23 O Kaunteya, persons who have alternately developed faith in the demigods and devoutly worship them certainly also worship Me, but improperly.

24 Because I alone am the enjoyer and rewarder of all sacrifices. But since they cannot know Me in this way, they again undergo birth, disease, infirmity, and death.

25 The demigod worshipers reach the appropriate demigod, the forefather worshipers go to the plane of their ancestors, and the worshipers of the ghostly section transfer to the ghostly plane. However, those who worship Me, undoubtedly come to Me.

26 Certainly, if he offers Me with devotion a leaf, flower, fruit, and water, I partake of that whole offering from such a purehearted and affectionate devotee of Mine. With heartfelt love, I graciously accept.

27 O Kaunteya, whatever your action whether general or scriptural, whatever you eat, what you offer in sacrifice, whatever you donate in charity, and any vow you keep do everything as an offering unto Me.

28 In this way, although performing either general or scriptural duties, you will be liberated from the bondage of auspicious and inauspicious results of action. And due to remaining internally indifferent to the fruits of your every action, you will attain distinction among even the liberated souls, and proceed directly to Me.

29 I am equally disposed to all souls, therefore no one is My enemy or friend. Yet, for those who render devotional service unto Me with love, as they are bound by affection for Me, I am similarly bound by the tie of affection for them.

30 If even a person of extremely abominable practices, abandoning all nondevotional pursuits of exploitation and renunciation engages in My exclusive and uninterrupted devotional service, he is venerable as a true saint because he has embraced the revolutionary plane of life.

31 That most degraded person very swiftly becomes adorned with virtuous practices and attains to eternal tranquillity. O son of Kunti, declare it proclaim it My devotee is never vanquished!

32 O son of Prtha, low-born persons of degraded lineage, women, merchants, or laborers they also attain the supreme destination by taking full refuge in Me.

33 So who can doubt that the pure devotee brahmanas and ksatriyas will achieve that supreme goal? Therefore, surely engage in My devotional service, since you have attained this temporary and miserable human body after wandering throughout many births.

34 Give Me your heart, be dedicated to Me in devotional service, and be absorbed in My worship. Offer prostrate obeisances unto Me alone. In this way, with mind and body dedicated in My service, taking full refuge in Me, you will certainly reach Me.