All sacred offering is filled with Krishna.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
अहं क्रतुरहं यज्ञः स्वधाहमहमौषधम् |मन्त्रोऽहमहमेवाज्यमहमग्निरहं हुतम् ||९-१६||
ahaṃ kraturahaṃ yajñaḥ svadhāhamahamauṣadham . mantro.ahamahamevājyamahamagnirahaṃ hutam ||9-16||
Use this verse before puja or offering.
Meaning
I am the Vedic rite, the sacrifice, the ancestral offering, the herb, the mantra, the clarified butter, the fire, and the oblation.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Krishna is present in every part of sacred offering.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna is not outside ritual; He is the act, material, sound, fire, and receiver. This transforms ritual into divine presence.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna begins a sweeping series of identifications, revealing himself as the entire reality of sacrifice. He is the kratu (the ritual), the yajna (the offering itself), the mantra chanted, the ghee poured, the agni (fire) that consumes, and the huta (oblation) that is consumed. Every single element of the sacred act is, in essence, the one Divine.
The teaching dissolves the boundary between worshipper, worship, and worshipped. When all is God, then the act of offering is God offering to God through God. This is the deepest meaning of yajna — not a transaction to win favour, but a recognition that the whole field of action is divine.
For the seeker, it transforms every deed: if the Divine is doer, instrument, and goal alike, then life itself can become a continuous, seamless offering.
In daily life
Perform rituals with awareness of Krishna in every element.
Lighting a lamp can become devotion when done with awareness.
Try this today
Do one small ritual with full awareness.
Krishna is present in my offering.Reflect
Do I perform sacred acts mechanically or consciously?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘स्वधा अहम्’ mean in this verse?
The Gita on offering, in other chapters
- Verse 4.23When work is offered as sacrifice by a mind rooted in wisdom, it dissolves without leaving any binding trace.
- Verse 10.39Nothing whatsoever exists apart from the Divine — once you see this, you can find God everywhere.
- Verse 11.40 · ArjunaThe Divine pervades all that exists; wherever we turn, we stand in the presence of the One who is everything.
- Verse 13.14The one supreme awareness perceives and acts through every being everywhere — it has no outside.
Swipe left for 9.17 · Krishna is both cosmic source and intimate nurturer.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 9.16
Who says Bhagavad Gita 9.16, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 9.16, in Chapter 9, Raja Vidya Yoga (Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 9.16 mean?
I am the Vedic rite, the sacrifice, the ancestral offering, the herb, the mantra, the clarified butter, the fire, and the oblation. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 9.16 for daily life?
Perform rituals with awareness of Krishna in every element. Lighting a lamp can become devotion when done with awareness.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 9.16 mean?
अहं क्रतुः — I am the Vedic rite (kratu); अहं यज्ञः — I am the sacrifice; स्वधा अहम् — I am the offering to the ancestors; अहम् औषधम् — I am the medicinal herb / food; मन्त्रः अहम् — I am the sacred chant.
Where does verse 9.16 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 16 of 34 in Chapter 9, Raja Vidya Yoga. The next verse is 9.17.