Bhagavad Gita 18.64
Spoken by Krishna · Verse 64 of 78
सर्वगुह्यतमं भूयः शृणु मे परमं वचः । इष्टो ऽसि मे दृढम् इति ततो वक्ष्यामि ते हितम् ॥
sarva-guhyatamaṃ bhūyaḥ śṛṇu me paramaṃ vacaḥ | iṣṭo 'si me dṛḍham iti tato vakṣyāmi te hitam ||
Hear again My supreme word, most secret of all — because you are deeply beloved to Me, I will speak your benefit.
Word by word (3)
- sarva-guhyatamaṃ bhūyaḥ śṛṇu me paramaṃ vacaḥ
- — the most secret of all (sarva-guhyatamam = sarva + guhya + tama = all-secret-most; superlative of guhya), again/once more (bhūyaḥ = again), hear (śṛṇu = listen) My supreme/highest (paramam = highest) word (vacaḥ = speech/word) — the announcement: what follows surpasses even guhyād guhya-taram of V63; now it is sarva-guhyatama (most secret of all)
- iṣṭo 'si me dṛḍham iti tato vakṣyāmi te hitam
- — you are (asi) exceedingly/firmly (dṛḍham = firmly/deeply; literally hard/solid) dear/beloved (iṣṭaḥ = loved, desired, from iṣ = to desire/love) to Me (me), therefore (tataḥ = therefore, from that) I will speak/declare (vakṣyāmi = shall-speak, future of vac) what is beneficial/good (hitam = beneficial, well-being) to you (te) — the intimate ground: the most secret teaching is given because of deep love (iṣṭo 'si dṛḍham)
- iṣṭo 'si me dṛḍham
- — you are deeply beloved to Me; iṣṭa = the most beloved, the cherished one; dṛḍham = firmly/deeply — this is the most personal statement in the Gita: the cosmic Divine expressing profound personal love for the individual student. The most secret teaching (sarva-guhyatama) is not given to everyone — it is given because of this love. V65 reveals WHAT this teaching is; V66 gives the single most secret verse.
Hear again My supreme word, the most secret of all. Because you are deeply dear to Me, I will speak what is for your benefit.
A modern analogy
This is Krishna announcing the final and most intimate teaching. After telling Arjuna to reflect on everything and then act as he wishes, He says 'but wait — because I love you deeply, here is the most secret of all.' This sarva-guhyatama (the most secret of all secrets) teaching is given not to everyone who hears the Gita but specifically to those who are iṣṭa (beloved) — in the text, Arjuna; in practice, the sincere devotee who has received and reflected on the teaching.
Public-domain translations (4) compare all →
Hear thou again My word supreme, the most secret of all; because thou art My firm friend, therefore will I tell thee what is good. [1]
Hear thou again My supreme word, the profoundest of all; because thou art dearly beloved of Me, therefore, will I speak what is good to thee. [4]
MISSING from index. [9]
Once more, listen to my supernal words, the most mysterious of all. Exceedingly dear art thou to Me, therefore, I will declare what is for thy benefit. [13]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
By bhakti one truly knows what and who I am; then knowing Me truly, one enters into Me immediately.
This knowledge, more secret than all secrets, has been declared to you — reflect on it fully and act as you wish.
Learn briefly from Me how one who has attained siddhi attains Brahman — the supreme culmination of knowledge.
One with no ego-doer-sense, whose buddhi is untainted — even while killing all these beings, kills not, is not bound.
Abandon all dharmas, take refuge in Me alone — I will liberate you from all sins; do not grieve.
Lift the self by the Self; let not the self drown itself — you alone are your own friend and your own foe.
Verse 64 of 78 · back to Chapter 18