Bhagavad Gita 9.22
Steady devotion and the care of yoga-kshema
Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga · Sovereign Knowledge and the Deepest Secret
Original Sanskrit
Bhagavad Gita verse 9.22 in Sanskrit
अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जनाः पर्युपासते।
तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम्॥९.२२॥
ananyāś cintayanto māṃ ye janāḥ paryupāsate
teṣāṃ nityābhiyuktānāṃ yoga-kṣemaṃ vahāmy aham
Plain-language meaning
What the verse says
For those who worship with undivided attention and remain steadily joined to Krishna, he says that he carries their yoga-kshema—the gaining of what is truly needed and the safeguarding of what has been gained.
Context in the dialogue
Chapter 9 contrasts worship aimed at limited rewards with devotion centred wholly on the divine. The promise is relational, not a formula for material success. Commentarial traditions explain yoga and kshema with different shades of spiritual and practical meaning.
Key Sanskrit terms
- ananyāḥ
- undivided or without another focus
- cintayantaḥ
- remembering or contemplating
- nityābhiyuktānām
- of those constantly joined
- yoga
- attainment of what is needed
- kṣema
- security or preservation
Reflection for daily life
Practice the principle
Notice what becomes possible when attention is no longer scattered among competing ultimate concerns. Let trust support responsible effort; devotion is not a reason to abandon discernment or practical duties.