Chapter 9 · Shloka 30— The Yoga of Royal Knowledge & Royal Secret

api chet su-durāchāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ samyag vyavasito hi saḥ

api

— even

chet

— if

su-durāchāraḥ

— the vilest sinners

bhajate

— worship

mām

— me

ananya-bhāk

— exclusive devotion

sādhuḥ

— righteous

eva

— certainly

saḥ

— that person

mantavyaḥ

— is to be considered

samyak

— properly

vyavasitaḥ

— resolve

hi

— certainly

saḥ

— that person

This remarkable verse states: 'Even if one of very evil conduct worships Me with undivided devotion, he is to be regarded as righteous, for he has rightly resolved.' Krishna makes one of the most compassionate and radical statements in the entire Gita. 'Api cet su-duracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak' — even if (api cet) a person of very evil conduct (su-duracara, extremely bad behavior) worships Me with undivided devotion (ananya-bhak) — 'sadhur eva sa mantavyah' — he is to be regarded (mantavya) as righteous (sadhu), as good. The reason: 'samyag vyavasito hi sah' — for he has rightly resolved (samyak vyavasita), he has made the right fundamental decision, set his deepest will in the right direction. Shankaracharya explains the profound principle. The moment a person sincerely turns toward the Divine with undivided devotion, a fundamental reorientation has occurred at the deepest level of their being — even if their outward conduct has not yet fully transformed. This 'right resolve' (samyak vyavasaya) — the deep decision to orient toward the highest — is itself the decisive turning point. The person is now headed in the right direction, and the transformation of conduct will follow (as the next verse, 9.31, promises). Krishna is not condoning evil conduct. Rather, he is revealing the power of sincere reorientation: it doesn't matter how badly you have lived; the moment you genuinely turn toward the highest with your whole heart, you have begun to become 'sadhu,' righteous. Your past does not disqualify you; your present turning redeems you. This verse is a fountain of hope for anyone burdened by their past. No matter what you have done, sincere wholehearted devotion redeems you. The Divine looks not at your past record but at the genuine direction of your present heart. The decisive thing is not where you have been but which way you are now facing. Turn toward the highest with undivided sincerity, and your redemption has already begun.

This is one of the most compassionate, radical statements in the entire Gita: even someone who has lived very badly, the moment they sincerely turn toward the highest with undivided heart, is to be regarded as good — because they've 'rightly resolved.' Krishna isn't condoning bad conduct; he's revealing the power of sincere reorientation. The deep principle: your past does not disqualify you; your present turning redeems you. The decisive thing isn't where you've been — it's which way you're now facing. This is a fountain of hope for anyone burdened by their past, weighed down by shame, convinced they're 'too far gone.' You're not. The moment you genuinely commit to a better direction with your whole heart, the redemption has already begun, even before your behavior fully catches up (which it will, as the next verse promises). This is the opposite of being defined by your worst moments. What defines you isn't your record — it's your genuine present resolve. Turn wholeheartedly toward the good, and you've already started becoming good.

This is one of the most compassionate, radical statements in the entire Gita: even someone who's lived really badly, the moment they sincerely turn toward the highest with an undivided heart, is to be regarded as good — because they've 'rightly resolved.' Krishna isn't condoning bad behavior; he's revealing the power of sincere reorientation. The deep principle: your past does NOT disqualify you; your present turning redeems you. The decisive thing isn't where you've been — it's which way you're facing NOW. This is a fountain of hope for anyone weighed down by their past, drowning in shame, convinced they're 'too far gone.' You're not. The moment you genuinely commit to a better direction with your whole heart, the redemption has already begun — even before your behavior fully catches up (which it will, per the next verse). This is the literal opposite of being defined by your worst moments. What defines you isn't your record — it's your genuine present resolve. Turn wholeheartedly toward the good, and you've already started becoming good.

Krishna shares one of the kindest, most hopeful messages ever! He says: even if someone has behaved very badly in the past, the MOMENT they sincerely turn toward God with their whole heart, they should be seen as good — because they've made the right decision deep inside! Krishna isn't saying bad behavior is okay — he's saying it's never too late to change for the better! Your past mistakes don't trap you forever. The instant you truly decide to head in a good direction, you've already begun becoming good! It's like a ship turning toward home — the moment it turns, it's already on its way. So no matter what, you can always start fresh. Turn toward goodness with your whole heart, and you're already on the right path!