Gita 9.30
Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga
अपि चेत्सुदुराचारो भजते मामनन्यभाक् । साधुरेव स मन्तव्यः सम्यग्व्यवसितो हि सः ॥३०॥
api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ samyag vyavasito hi saḥ
In essence: Even the worst sinner, if they turn to God with undivided heart, must be considered a saint - for they have made the one decision that matters.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "This verse troubles me deeply. How can someone who has committed terrible acts be called a saint just because they started worshipping? What about their victims? What about justice?"
Guru: "Your concern for justice shows a good heart. But tell me - what do you think Krishna means by 'sādhur eva mantavyaḥ'? Is He saying past actions don't matter?"
Sadhak: "That's exactly what it sounds like! As if devotion erases everything, which seems morally dangerous."
Guru: "Let me ask: when a person of terrible conduct turns to God with their whole heart - what has changed in them?"
Sadhak: "Well... they've changed direction. They're facing toward the light instead of away from it."
Guru: "Exactly. And what kind of person faces completely toward the Divine? Can someone continue harming others while their entire being is oriented toward love?"
Sadhak: "I suppose not. If the devotion is genuine and exclusive, the harmful behavior would naturally begin to fall away..."
Guru: "Now you see. Krishna isn't erasing karma or excusing harm. He's recognizing that in the moment of complete turning - ananya-bhāk, without any divided attention - a fundamental transformation has occurred. The saint isn't made by past deeds but by present orientation. The river that was flowing toward the desert has turned toward the ocean. Though it hasn't yet reached the sea, would you still call it lost?"
Sadhak: "But shouldn't they still face consequences for what they did?"
Guru: "Certainly consequences may come - Krishna doesn't deny karma. But look at what He says about their identity: they ARE a saint, right now. Their social consequences may continue, their karmic debts may need addressing, but their spiritual status is transformed. Would you rather a criminal remain a criminal in spirit forever, unable to become anything else? Or would you celebrate the moment when, despite everything, they turn completely toward love? That turning is what Krishna calls 'samyag vyavasitaḥ' - rightly resolved. It is the one resolution that matters."
Did this resonate with you? Share it with someone who needs to hear this.
🌅 Daily Practice
Begin the day by releasing shame: 'Whatever I have done, wherever I have failed, I turn now toward the Divine. This turning is not the end of my journey but its true beginning. I am not defined by my past actions but by my present orientation.' Write down one thing from your past that causes you shame. Then beneath it write: 'Even this does not disqualify me from love.' Breathe and release.
Practice 'exclusive devotion in fragments': Choose 3 moments today (a meal, a commute, a task) and for those 5-10 minutes, give God your undivided attention. Not perfect attention - just undivided. Let thoughts of past failures arise without letting them define your present relationship with the Divine. Notice how this exclusive attention naturally reduces mental space for negative patterns.
Reflect on the resolution: 'Have I made the one right resolution today?' Not 'Was I perfect?' but 'Did I keep turning toward God?' Before sleep, recommit: 'I am samyag vyavasitaḥ - rightly resolved. Whatever tomorrow brings, my direction is set. My past cannot change, but my present orientation can. I choose to face the Divine.' Sleep in the identity of the saint you are becoming through this resolution.