śrī-bhagavān uvāca
idaḿ tu te guhya-tamaḿ
pravakṣyāmy anasūyave
jñānaḿ vijñāna-sahitaḿ
yaj jñātvā mokṣyase ’śubhāt

Translation

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Arjuna, because you are never envious of Me, I shall impart to you this most confidential knowledge and realization, knowing which you shall be relieved of the miseries of material existence.

rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaḿ
pavitram idam uttamam
pratyakṣāvagamaḿ dharmyaḿ
su-sukhaḿ kartum avyayam

Translation

This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.

aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā
dharmasyāsya paran-tapa
aprāpya māḿ nivartante
mṛtyu-saḿsāra-vartmani

Translation

Those who are not faithful in this devotional service cannot attain Me, O conqueror of enemies. Therefore they return to the path of birth and death in this material world.

mayā tatam idaḿ sarvaḿ
jagad avyakta-mūrtinā
mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni
na cāhaḿ teṣv avasthitaḥ

Translation

By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.

na ca mat-sthāni bhūtāni
paśya me yogam aiśvaram
bhūta-bhṛn na ca bhūta-stho
mamātmā bhūta-bhāvanaḥ

Translation

And yet everything that is created does not rest in Me. Behold My mystic opulence! Although I am the maintainer of all living entities and although I am everywhere, I am not a part of this cosmic manifestation, for My Self is the very source of creation.

yathākāśa-sthito nityaḿ
vāyuḥ sarvatra-go mahān
tathā sarvāṇi bhūtāni
mat-sthānīty upadhāraya

Translation

Understand that as the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, rests always in the sky, all created beings rest in Me.

sarva-bhūtāni kaunteya
prakṛtiḿ yānti māmikām
kalpa-kṣaye punas tāni
kalpādau visṛjāmy aham

Translation

O son of Kunti, at the end of the millennium all material manifestations enter into My nature, and at the beginning of another millennium, by My potency, I create them again.

prakṛtiḿ svām avaṣṭabhya
visṛjāmi punaḥ punaḥ
bhūta-grāmam imaḿ kṛtsnam
avaśaḿ prakṛter vaśāt

Translation

The whole cosmic order is under Me. Under My will it is automatically manifested again and again, and under My will it is annihilated at the end.

na ca māḿ tāni karmāṇi
nibadhnanti dhanañ-jaya
udāsīna-vad āsīnam
asaktaḿ teṣu karmasu

Translation

O Dhananjaya, all this work cannot bind Me. I am ever detached from all these material activities, seated as though neutral.

mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ
sūyate sa-carācaram
hetunānena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate

Translation

This material nature, which is one of My energies, is working under My direction, O son of Kunti, producing all moving and nonmoving beings. Under its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.