A declaration · devotional in mood · a little context helps
“Undivided devotion can outweigh even a deeply flawed life.”
Even if a person of very bad conduct worships Me with undivided devotion, that person must be regarded as righteous, for the resolve is rightly made.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallyeven · if · one of very bad conduct · worships · Me · with undivided devotion · righteous · indeed · that person · to be regarded · properly · resolved · indeed · that person
Even someone with a very bad past is still worthy if that person turns to the divine with one-pointed devotion.
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga" (The Royal Knowledge).
Verse 30 sits in Chapter 9 of the Bhagavad Gita — Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga, "The Royal Knowledge". The chapter has 34 verses in total.
Someone who has lied, failed, or hurt others may still choose one honest step tonight: a call, an apology, a return. The past is heavy, but a clean turning still matters.
Did you like this verse?
It shifts judgment from moral history to present direction: the decisive fact is where attention and devotion now go.
What this verse means
Even someone with a very bad past is still worthy if that person turns to the divine with one-pointed devotion.
Context & commentary
Arjuna stands shaken on the battlefield, and Krishna keeps widening the horizon of mercy. After saying that devotion binds him to all who turn toward him, Krishna adds a startling claim: even the deeply flawed can be counted as noble if their devotion is single-minded.
Why this verse still matters
Someone who has lied, failed, or hurt others may still choose one honest step tonight: a call, an apology, a return. The past is heavy, but a clean turning still matters.
“You are not frozen by your worst chapter; wholehearted turning can redefine you.”