Help me see the reality of the world’s misery and the bigger reality of your mercy
Bhagavad Gita 9.33 kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyāḥ bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā anityam asukhaṁ lokam imaṁ prāpya bhajasva mām What then to speak of sages, pure [...]
Help me elevate my spiritual intention, not militate against social convention
Bhagavad Gita 9.32 māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye ’pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te ’pi yānti parāṁ gatim Those who come to [...]
Take away the conditionings that take me away from your unconditional love
Bhagavad Gita 9.31 kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati Soon he walks the righteous way, Finding peace that will [...]
Let me see your promise of redemption as assurance, not insurance
Bhagavad Gita 9.30 api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ samyag vyavasito hi saḥ Even one of conduct flawed and frail, [...]
Let me stand in your fairness and soar by your mercifulness
Bhagavad Gita 9.29 samo ’ham sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo ’sti na priyaḥ ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā mayi te teṣu cāpy aham I am [...]
Let my mind dwell on you so my heart can dwell in you
Bhagavad Gita 9.28 śubhāśubha-phalair evaṁ mokṣyase karma-bandhanaiḥ sannyāsa-yoga-yuktātmā vimukto māṁ upaiṣyasi Thus freed from fruits—both auspicious and inauspicious— Released from karma’s grip, potent and [...]
Help me see my inclinations not just as Maya’s inducements, but also as your endowments
Bhagavad Gita 9.27 yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi yaj juhoṣi dadāsi yat yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam Whatever you do, whatever you eat, Whatever [...]
Guide me beyond rationalizing and resigning to reharmonizing with you
Bhagavad Gita 9.6 yathākāśa-sthito nityaṁ vāyuḥ sarvatra-go mahān tathā sarvāṇi bhūtāni mat-sthānīty upadhāraya As the mighty wind forever roams in space, Yet always abides [...]
You care more for how my offering impacts my heart than how it impacts the world
Bhagavad Gita 9.26 patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ A leaf, a flower, a fruit, or even [...]
Let faith in your protection reduce my anxiety, not reduce me to apathy
Bhagavad Gita 9.22 ananyāś cintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ paryupāsate teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham Those who worship me with hearts undivided, In constant remembrance, [...]
Lead my life into the light of your presence, your purpose, and your power
Bhagavad Gita 9.4 mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ By my unmanifest form, all this world is pervaded, [...]
You are different from everyone else—and so is loving you different from all other loves
Bhagavad Gita 10.12 arjuna uvāca paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum Arjuna said: You are the Supreme [...]
I seek your shelter, O shelter of all shelters
Bhagavad Gita 9.18 gatir bhartā prabhuḥ sākṣī nivāsaḥ śaraṇaṁ suhṛt prabhavaḥ pralayaḥ sthānaṁ nidhānaṁ bījam avyayam I am the goal, the sustainer, the master, [...]
Free me from the expectation that you will make my path obstacle-free
Bhagavad Gita 9.14 satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ namasyantaś ca māṁ bhaktyā nitya-yuktā upāsate Forever, they sing my glories unending, Endeavor for me [...]
May my vision, conception, and aspiration turn toward you
Bhagavad Gita 9.13 mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ bhajanty ananya-manaso jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam The great souls take shelter in nature divine, With [...]
Your seeming humanity doesn’t diminish your divinity—it deepens your lovability
Bhagavad Gita 9.11 avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto mama bhūta-maheśvaram Fools mock me, seeing but a human-like manifestation, Not knowing [...]
You are the God of miracles—and the God of practicals
Bhagavad Gita 9.10 mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram hetunānena kaunteya jagad viparivartate "Under my supervision, nature unfolds, Through everything moving and nonmoving, my control still [...]
In the world’s distress, let me see not your disregard for my well-being, but your respect for my will
Bhagavad Gita 9.9 na ca māṁ tāni karmāṇi nibadhnanti dhanañ-jaya udāsīna-vad āsīnam asaktaṁ teṣu karmasu By none of the world’s mess or distress, Am [...]
Two ways to deal with our past
Even if we can't escape our past, we can still outgrow it We all carry scars from our past—deep wounds that cause fears or impressions [...]
How self-destructive desire corrupts our intelligence
The Bhagavad Gita (3.43) exhorts us to use our intelligence to fight against self-destructive desires but simultaneously warns (3.40) that even intelligence can be corrupted [...]
Three meanings of ‘fire’ and how they apply to our inner world
The word fire has multiple meanings: a natural force that burns, the dismissal of someone from their job, and an energizing enthusiasm or motivation (as [...]