Bhagavad Gita 18.70
Spoken by Krishna · Verse 70 of 78
अध्येष्यते च य इदं धर्म्यं संवादम् आवयोः । ज्ञानयज्ञेन तेनाहम् इष्टः स्याम् इति मे मतिः ॥
adhyeṣyate ca ya idaṃ dharmyaṃ saṃvādam āvayoḥ | jñāna-yajñena tenāham iṣṭaḥ syām iti me matiḥ ||
Whoever studies this sacred dialogue — by him I shall have been worshipped by jñāna-yajña; such is My conviction.
Word by word (3)
- adhyeṣyate ca ya idaṃ dharmyaṃ saṃvādam āvayoḥ
- — and (ca) he who (yaḥ) will study/learn (adhyeṣyate = will-recite/study, future; from adhi + i = to go over/study) this (idam) righteous/sacred (dharmyam = dharma-related, sacred) dialogue (saṃvādam = conversation/dialogue, from sam + vad = to converse together) of us two (āvayoḥ = of-us-two, dual genitive of asmad = of you-and-Me, Krishna-and-Arjuna)
- jñāna-yajñena tenāham iṣṭaḥ syām iti me matiḥ
- — by that one (tena = by-that-one) I (aham) will have been worshipped (iṣṭaḥ syām = optative of as = shall-have-been-worshipped; iṣṭa = worshipped, from yaj) by the sacrifice of knowledge (jñāna-yajñena = jñāna + yajña = knowledge-sacrifice), such is My thought/opinion (iti me matiḥ = thus My-opinion)
- jñāna-yajñena iṣṭaḥ syām
- — shall have been worshipped by jñāna-yajña (knowledge-sacrifice); this verse establishes the canonical status of studying the Gita as a form of yajña (sacrifice/worship). The student who studies the Gita-dialogue has performed the highest form of yajña — jñāna-yajña (Ch.4 V33: superior to all material sacrifices). Krishna's matiḥ (opinion) here is His endorsement: I consider this study = My worship by knowledge-sacrifice.
And whoever will study this sacred dialogue of ours — by that person I shall have been worshipped by the sacrifice of knowledge. Such is My conviction.
A modern analogy
This verse gives the merit for the student who studies the Gita systematically. Even if one cannot teach it — as the Gita-teacher does, holding the dearest place in the Divine's love — studying it counts as a yajña (knowledge-sacrifice) that is equivalent to worshipping the Divine. The Gita itself is a sacred space: engaging with it as a student is an act of worship (jñāna-yajña) that honors the Divine directly.
Public-domain translations (4) compare all →
And he who will study this sacred dialogue of ours, by him I shall have been worshipped by the sacrifice of wisdom, I deem. [1]
And he who will study this sacred dialogue of ours, by him shall I have been worshipped by the Yajna of knowledge; such is My conviction. [4]
MISSING from index. [9]
And he who will study this holy converse between us, by him will have been offered to Me the sacrifice of knowledge. Such is my opinion. [13]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
Tāmasic yajña: against ordinance, no food-sharing, no mantras, no dakṣiṇā, no śraddhā — declared tāmasic.
Krishna declares: 'I am the ground of Brahman — the Immortal, the Immutable, eternal Dharma, and perfect Bliss.'
This most secret śāstra spoken — knowing it, one becomes truly wise and kṛta-kṛtya: all duties fulfilled.
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.
Abandon all dharmas, take refuge in Me alone — I will liberate you from all sins; do not grieve.
Verse 70 of 78 · back to Chapter 18