Sincere listening can begin liberation.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
अन्ये त्वेवमजानन्तः श्रुत्वान्येभ्य उपासते |तेऽपि चातितरन्त्येव मृत्युं श्रुतिपरायणाः ||१३-२६||
anye tvevamajānantaḥ śrutvānyebhya upāsate . te.api cātitarantyeva mṛtyuṃ śrutiparāyaṇāḥ ||13-26||
Use this verse for audio-first spiritual learning.
Meaning
Others, not knowing in this way, worship after hearing from others; they too cross beyond death by devotion to what they have heard.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Even those who begin by hearing can cross beyond death.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna makes the path inclusive. Not everyone begins as a philosopher or meditator. Sincere listening, faith, and worship can also become a path to liberation.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna extends his compassion even further. Beyond the meditators, philosophers, and karma-yogis, there are simpler souls who do not grasp these subtle truths on their own but who hear them from trusted teachers and worship in faith. Taking the teaching they have received as their supreme refuge (shruti-parayanah), they too cross beyond death.
This verse is profoundly reassuring. Not everyone is called to deep contemplation or rigorous analysis. The sincere person who simply trusts the wisdom passed down, who reverently follows what the wise have taught, also attains liberation.
Faith and devoted listening are themselves a valid path. Krishna thereby honours the humblest seeker. What saves is not the brilliance of one's understanding but the sincerity of one's heart and the willingness to hold the teaching as one's anchor. No earnest soul, however unlearned, is left outside the doorway to the deathless.
In daily life
Start with hearing sacred wisdom if deep practice feels hard.
A beginner can listen to one Gita verse daily and slowly develop devotion.
Try this today
Listen to one verse or teaching today with full attention.
I begin with sincere listening.Reflect
What wisdom should I listen to more regularly?
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Quick check
What does ‘श्रुतिपरायणाः’ mean in this verse?
The Gita on listening, in other chapters
- Verse 18.71Even hearing sacred truth with faith and without cynicism uplifts and liberates the soul.
- Verse 10.14 · ArjunaMature faith wholeheartedly trusts the truth while bowing humbly before what remains beyond all comprehension.
- Verse 3.31Sincere, faithful practice without cynicism frees anyone — this path is open to all, not just to the spiritually advanced.
- Verse 11.14 · SanjayaA true encounter with the Divine moves the whole being, drawing us naturally into reverence and awe.
Swipe left for 13.27 · Life is the meeting of field and consciousness.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 13.26
Who says Bhagavad Gita 13.26, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 13.26, in Chapter 13, Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga (Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 13.26 mean?
Others, not knowing in this way, worship after hearing from others; they too cross beyond death by devotion to what they have heard. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 13.26 for daily life?
Start with hearing sacred wisdom if deep practice feels hard. A beginner can listen to one Gita verse daily and slowly develop devotion.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 13.26 mean?
अन्ये तु एवम् अजानन्तः — but others, not knowing thus; श्रुत्वा अन्येभ्यः उपासते — worship having heard from others; ते अपि च — they too; अतितरन्ति एव मृत्युम् — verily cross beyond death; श्रुतिपरायणाः — devoted to what they have heard.
Where does verse 13.26 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 26 of 35 in Chapter 13, Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga. The next verse is 13.27.