Shloka 18.64
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
सर्वगुह्यतमं भूयः शृणु मे परमं वचः |इष्टोऽसि मे दृढमिति ततो वक्ष्यामि ते हितम् ||१८-६४||
sarvaguhyatamaṃ bhūyaḥ śṛṇu me paramaṃ vacaḥ . iṣṭo.asi me dṛḍhamiti tato vakṣyāmi te hitam ||18-64||
Meaning
Only listen once more to My last word, the deepest secret of all; thou art My beloved, thou are My friend, and I speak for thy welfare.
Translation: Shri Purohit Swami, The Geeta: The Gospel of the Lord Shri Krishna (1935). Public domain.
Word-by-word meaning
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Explanation
Having left the choice to Arjuna, Krishna leans closer to share one final, most secret word — sarva-guhyatamam, the most confidential of all. And He gives a tender reason: because you are dearly beloved to Me, ishto'si me dridham, I will tell you what is for your highest good.
This is the language of intimate love, not command. The supreme teaching that follows in the next verse flows not from divine obligation but from sheer affection for the devotee. Krishna's deepest counsel is given as a gift of love between friends.
It reveals that the ultimate truths of the spiritual life are not cold doctrines but tender confidences, shared heart to heart between the Lord and the soul He cherishes.
In daily life
The deepest spiritual truths are shared not as commands but as tender gifts of love to the beloved devotee.
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What does ‘इष्टः असि मे दृढम् इति’ mean in this verse?
The Gita on intimacy, in other chapters
- Verse 7.17The purest devotion seeks the Divine for nothing but Itself — and there, love flows mutually between the soul and God.
- Verse 11.44 · ArjunaThe Supreme Lord can be loved as father, friend, and beloved — infinite greatness and tender intimacy are one.
- Verse 10.10Steady, loving devotion invites a grace that grants the very wisdom needed to reach the Divine.
- Verse 6.30See the Divine in all things and in everyone, and you will never be separated from God, nor God from you.
Swipe left for 18.65 · Turn your whole heart to the Divine in remembrance, love, and reverence, and you will surely reach it.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 18.64
Who says Bhagavad Gita 18.64, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 18.64, in Chapter 18, Moksha Sannyas Yoga (Moksha Sannyas Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 18.64 mean?
Only listen once more to My last word, the deepest secret of all; thou art My beloved, thou are My friend, and I speak for thy welfare. (Translation: Shri Purohit Swami, The Geeta: The Gospel of the Lord Shri Krishna (1935). Public domain.)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 18.64 for daily life?
The deepest spiritual truths are shared not as commands but as tender gifts of love to the beloved devotee.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 18.64 mean?
सर्वगुह्यतमं — the most secret of all; भूयः — again; शृणु मे परमं वचः — hear My supreme word; इष्टः असि मे दृढम् इति — because thou art dearly beloved of Me; ततः वक्ष्यामि ते हितम् — therefore I shall tell thee what is good.
Where does verse 18.64 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 64 of 78 in Chapter 18, Moksha Sannyas Yoga. The next verse is 18.65.