Chapter 9 Shloka 32

मां हि पार्थ व्यपाश्रित्य येऽपि स्यु: पापयोनय:।

स्त्रियो वैश्यास्तथा शूद्रास्तेऽपि यान्ति परां गतिम्।।३२।।

O Arjuna! Women, Vaishyas, Shudras

and others who belong to iniquitous races

attain the Supreme Goal,

having taken refuge in Me.

Chapter 9 Shloka 32

मां हि पार्थ व्यपाश्रित्य येऽपि स्यु: पापयोनय:।

स्त्रियो वैश्यास्तथा शूद्रास्तेऽपि यान्ति परां गतिम्।।३२।।

Describing the immense power of exclusive devotion, the Lord says:

O Arjuna! Women, Vaishyas, Shudras and others who belong to iniquitous races attain the Supreme Goal, having taken refuge in Me.

Lord Krishna says that if women, prostitutes, Vaishyas and Shudras fix their mind upon the Lord exclusively, even they can ascend to the Supreme Goal. He has specially mentioned these classes because they have fewer opportunities for study, meditation and other means to attain knowledge. They remain engrossed in other spheres of action and are dependent on others. However, the Lord proclaims that ‘If they worship Me incessantly and dwell constantly in My presence, they too can attain the Supreme Goal.’ Let alone these, if even those mortals who are steeped in sin pursue the path of exclusive devotion and take refuge in the Lord, they too can attain the final goal.

Paap Yoni (पाप योनि)

1. The class of people in whom demonic attributes predominate.

2. The category of a low caste chandaal.

3. The category of an evil doer.

4. Evil, merciless, and niggardly class.

5. The class that perpetrates harm on others.

6. Pretenders, deceivers and those who engross themselves in wicked deeds.

7. Thieves, rebels and traitors.

8. Carping and critical people, full of hatred.

9. Venomous people who indulge in despicable behaviour.

Such are those who are classified as paap yoni.

Little one, the Lord says, “Even if such evil doers take the Lord’s support, they can attain the highest goal of man.”

Women, Vaishyas and Shudras have not been included in the ‘sinful categories’ of mankind. The Lord mentions them along with the latter because such classes normally:

a)    lack in education;

b)    do not have the time for concentration on the Truth;

c)    are dependent on others;

d)    do not possess strength or power;

e)    cannot do much through their own initiative;

f)    remain ever engrossed in their daily routine.

The woman and the Vaishya are ever engaged in the service of others. It would indeed be a sin to include them in the ‘sinful categories’! They ever strive for the other’s well-being and benefit. The Lord is simply trying to clarify in this shloka, that:

1. It is not only the prerogative of Brahmins to worship the Lord.

2. Worship is not merely the prerogative of the learned.

3. One must not believe that only the strong and powerful can attain the Lord.

Caste and creed are of no consequence in the measure of worthiness to attain the Lord. The only measure required is to seek refuge in Him alone. What you are, what you may have been in the past, what you will be in the future have no bearing on such worship of the Lord. Nor is such worship a matter of birthright.

Little one,

a) One who is proud of familial superiority cannot ascend to the Lord.

b) One who possesses pride of knowledge, cannot attain the Lord.

c) One who takes pride in his personal superiority cannot attain the Lord.

d) One who is proud of his righteousness is also unable to attain the Lord.

e) Those who distance themselves from the unrighteous cannot attain true righteousness.

f) They who avoid proximity with those who reject them cannot learn how to love.

g) Those who evade the insincere cannot learn sincerity.

h) Those who keep away from the tyrannical cannot learn forbearance.

i)  One cannot attain knowledge simply by avoiding the ignorant.

j)  One who avoids the sinful can never learn forgiveness.

k) Those who renounce the critical and carping cannot escape denunciation.

Little one, those who are proud of their superiority and abandon others, considering them to be inferior, cannot be classified as sadhus or noble individuals. It is their ego that distances them from others.

The true sadhu embraces even those who are considered to be evil or wicked, so that:

1. He can prove his own integrity to himself.

2. He can strengthen the divine qualities within himself.

3. He can protect others from the evil intents of those wicked tyrants.

The true sadhu does not do all this consciously. Such conduct is a natural outcome of his basic nature.

Little one, I shall tell you another truth – listen carefully:

a) It is comparatively easy for an ordinary person to attain the Lord rather than for one who takes pride in his goodness.

b) It is easier for a drunkard to become a Mahatma than for one who is drunk with the pride of self-esteem.

c) It is easy for an ignorant person or one known for his negative behaviour to become humble; who can teach humility to one who is proud of his knowledge?

d) It is extremely difficult to point out any lacunae to one who considers himself to be superior.

e) Even a drinker of alcohol, when he is sober again, can be acknowledged as a sadhu, but those who drink the alcohol of subtle pride can never be brought to a consciousness of the Truth. They are completely imbued with the quality of tamas. They can only talk, they cannot really do anybody any good. Their existence is futile.