Trust in the unseen
Develop unwavering faith in the divine order. Trust the process even when you can't see the results.
Shraddhaval labhate jnanam tat-parah samyatendriyah, jnanam labdhva param shantim acirenadhigacchati
Those who have faith, are devoted, and have mastered their senses quickly attain divine knowledge. Upon attaining such knowledge, they soon achieve supreme peace.
Yo yo yam yam tanum bhaktah shraddhayarchitum icchati, tasya tasyacalam shraddham tam eva vidadhamy aham
Whatever celestial form a devotee seeks to worship with faith, I steady the faith of such a devotee in that very form.
Sa taya shraddhaya yuktas tasyaradhanam ihate, labhate ca tatah kaman mayaiva vihitan hi tan
Endowed with that faith, he engages in the worship of that deity, and through it he obtains his desires. But in truth, those benefits are granted by Me alone. All results from all forms of worship ultimately come from God — even when people worship lesser powers, it is the Supreme that fulfills their desires.
Ye 'py anya-devata-bhakta yajante shraddhayanvitah, te 'pi mam eva kaunteya yajanty avidhi-purvakam
Even those who are devotees of other gods and worship them with faith — they too worship Me alone, O son of Kunti, but they do so in the wrong way. All genuine worship ultimately reaches the Supreme, though those who worship lesser gods do so without the complete understanding of divine unity.
Śhrī bhagavān uvācha: mayy āveśhya mano ye māṁ nitya-yuktā upāsate, śhraddhayā parayopetās te me yuktatamā matāḥ
The Blessed Lord said: Those who fix their minds on Me and worship Me with constant devotion and supreme faith — these I consider the most perfect in yoga.
Ye tu dharmyāmṛitam idaṁ yathoktaṁ paryupāsate, śhraddadhānā mat-paramā bhaktās te 'tīva me priyāḥ
Those who follow this immortal dharma as I have declared, endowed with faith and considering Me as their supreme goal—such devotees are most dear to Me.
sraddhayanvitah, anasuyanto 'bhyasuyanti ye tu dharma-nitya-krit-anustita tat tapas tri-vidham naraih, phalam akankshabhir yuktaih sattvikam paricakshate
This threefold austerity — of body, speech, and mind — practiced with supreme faith by men who seek no personal fruit is called sattvic.
Ye me matam idam nityam anutishthanti manavah, shraddhavantos 'nasuyanto mucyante te 'pi karmabhih
Those who constantly follow this teaching of Mine with faith and without caviling — they too are freed from the bondage of karma. Faith in sacred teaching, combined with action, leads to liberation.
Ajnas cashraddadhanas ca samsayatma vinashyati, nayam loko 'sti na paro na sukham samsayatmanah
The ignorant, the faithless, and the doubting soul perish. For the doubting soul there is neither this world, nor the next, nor happiness.
Partha naiveha namutra vinashas tasya vidyate, na hi kalyana-krit kashchid durgatim tata gacchati
O Arjuna, neither in this world nor in the next is there destruction for such a person. Never does one who does good come to grief.
Shri bhagavan uvaca: Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan mad-ashrayah, asamsayam samagram mam yatha jnasyasi tac chrinu
The Supreme Lord said: O son of Partha, hear how you shall know Me fully and without doubt, with your mind fixed on Me, taking refuge in Me, and practicing yoga with devotion. This verse opens the chapter by promising complete knowledge of the Divine through devoted practice and surrender.
Ashraddadhanah purusha dharmasyasya parantapa, aprapya mam nivartante mrityu-samsara-vartmani
Those who lack faith in this dharma, O Parantapa, do not attain Me; they return to the path of birth and death in this mortal world. Without inner conviction in the supreme teaching, the soul remains bound to the cycle of transmigration.
Ananya-chintayanto mam ye janah paryupasate, tesham nityabhiyuktanam yoga-kshemam vahamy aham
To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.
Ye tu sarvani karmani mayi sannyasya mat-parah, ananyenaiva yogena mam dhyayanta upasate
But those who worship Me, surrendering all their activities to Me and devoted to Me without deviation, meditating on Me with exclusive yoga...
Tesham aham samuddharta mrityu-samsara-sagarat, bhavami na chirat partha mayy aveshita-chetasam
For those whose minds are set on Me, I am soon the deliverer from the ocean of death and transmigration, O Partha.
arjuna uvaca: ye sastra-vidhim utsrijya yajante sraddhayanvitah, tesam nistha tu ka krishna sattvam aho rajas tamah
Arjuna asks Krishna about those who worship with faith but without following scriptural injunctions — what is their standing? Are they in sattva, rajas, or tamas? This question opens the chapter's inquiry into the three types of faith.
sri bhagavan uvaca: tri-vidha bhavati sraddha dehinam sa svabhava-ja, sattviki rajasi caiva tamasi ceti tam srinu
Krishna answers that the innate faith of embodied beings is of three kinds — sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic — each arising from one's own nature. He invites Arjuna to hear the distinctions.
Sattvanuरूpa sarvasya shraddha bhavati bharata, shraddha-mayo 'yam purusho yo yach-chhraddha sa eva sah
O Arjuna, the faith of each person conforms to their nature. Human beings are made of faith; what their faith is, that verily they are.
sraddhaval anasuyas ca srinuyad api yo narah so 'pi muktah subhal lokan prapnuyat punya-karmanam
And the person who listens to this with faith and without malice, even that person shall be liberated and shall attain the auspicious worlds of the righteous. Even hearing the Gita with sincerity bears transformative spiritual fruit.
Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru, mam evaisyasi yuktvaivam atmanam mat-parayanah
Always think of Me, be devoted to Me, worship Me, and bow down to Me. Uniting yourself with Me in this way, with Me as your supreme goal, you will certainly come to Me.
Read slowly and contemplate. Don't rush through these verses. Pick one that resonates and sit with it for a few minutes.
Return regularly. Ancient wisdom reveals itself gradually. Come back to these verses when you need them.
Apply to your situation. Consider how each teaching relates specifically to what you're experiencing right now.
Share what helps. If a verse brings you peace or clarity, share it with others who might need it.