Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga
Krishna calls what he is about to teach the most secret and sovereign of all knowledge, directly experienced, righteous, easy to practice and imperishable. He describes pervading the entire universe in an unmanifest form — all beings rest in him, yet he is not confined within them, much as the vast wind moves everywhere yet is held within space. To those who worship him with single, undivided devotion, he promises to personally secure what they lack and preserve what they already have, and, in one of the Gita's most tender verses, says he accepts even the smallest offering — a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water — so long as it is given with love. He insists he is impartial to all beings, yet says that whoever turns to him in devotion is never lost, dwelling in him as he dwells in them; even a person of the most sinful conduct, he says, should be considered righteous the moment they resolve to turn toward him with whole-hearted devotion. The chapter closes with a call to fix the mind on Krishna completely, promising union with him as the certain result.
“By me, in my unmanifest form, this entire universe is pervaded; all beings dwell in me, but I do not dwell in them.”
“To those who worship me alone, thinking of no other, ever steadfast, I secure what they lack and preserve what they already have.”
“Whoever offers me a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water with devotion, I accept that offering of love from the pure of heart.”
Patram pushpam phalam toyam — one of the Gita's best-loved verses, prized for making devotion accessible to anyone regardless of wealth or ritual means.
“Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in sacrifice, whatever you give, whatever austerity you perform — do all of it as an offering to me.”
“I am the same to all beings; none is hateful or dear to me. But those who worship me with devotion dwell in me, and I in them.”
“Even if a person of the most sinful conduct worships me with undivided devotion, that person should be regarded as righteous, for they have rightly resolved.”
“Fix your mind on me, be devoted to me, sacrifice to me, bow down to me; having thus united yourself, with me as the highest goal, you shall come to me.”
Chapter summaries composed for MyBrahman; verse translations from the public-domain Kashinath Trimbak Telang translation (1882, Sacred Books of the East, vol. 8) where directly checkable, and/or widely-attested traditional renderings of famous verses, cited by standard chapter.verse numbering.