No past is beyond sincere transformation.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
अपि चेत्सुदुराचारो भजते मामनन्यभाक् |साधुरेव स मन्तव्यः सम्यग्व्यवसितो हि सः ||९-३०||
api cetsudurācāro bhajate māmananyabhāk . sādhureva sa mantavyaḥ samyagvyavasito hi saḥ ||9-30||
Use this verse when guilt blocks change.
Meaning
Even if a person of very bad conduct worships Me with undivided devotion, they should be regarded as saintly, for they are rightly resolved.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Sincere turning toward Krishna can begin transformation even after wrongdoing.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
This verse is full of hope, but it should not be misused to excuse harm. It says sincere, undivided devotion changes direction and begins reform.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna offers one of the most consoling assurances in all of scripture. Even the su-duracara — the worst of wrongdoers — if he worships with ananya-bhakti, undivided devotion, is to be deemed sadhu, righteous. The decisive factor is not a spotless past but the right resolve, samyak vyavasita: the heart has turned decisively toward the Divine.
This is a teaching of profound hope. No one is ever beyond redemption; the moment the soul sincerely turns toward God, transformation has already begun. The past does not bind a heart that has genuinely changed direction.
Krishna values not where we have been but where we are now facing. For anyone burdened by guilt or failure, this verse opens the door wide: the sole prerequisite for grace is sincere turning, and that turning is available in any moment, to anyone.
In daily life
Turn fully toward Krishna and correct wrong action.
A person with a painful past can begin honest change through devotion and accountability.
Try this today
Take one corrective action with devotion.
I can turn toward Krishna and transform.Reflect
What wrong direction must I turn away from?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘सम्यक् व्यवसितः हि सः’ mean in this verse?
The Gita on hope, in other chapters
- Verse 4.36No past is beyond redemption — the raft of true knowledge can carry even the worst across the ocean of their wrongs.
- Verse 6.40No sincere effort toward goodness is ever wasted — one who does good never comes to a bad end.
- Verse 18.73 · ArjunaTrue spiritual clarity dispels doubt and flowers naturally into willing, committed action.
- Verse 3.38Desire does not destroy your inner wisdom, only veils it — your clarity remains intact, waiting to shine once the covering is removed.
Swipe left for 9.31 · Devotion protects and reforms the seeker.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 9.30
Who says Bhagavad Gita 9.30, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 9.30, in Chapter 9, Raja Vidya Yoga (Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 9.30 mean?
Even if a person of very bad conduct worships Me with undivided devotion, they should be regarded as saintly, for they are rightly resolved. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 9.30 for daily life?
Turn fully toward Krishna and correct wrong action. A person with a painful past can begin honest change through devotion and accountability.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 9.30 mean?
अपि चेत् — even if; सुदुराचारः — the most ill-conducted / very sinful; भजते माम् — worships Me; अनन्यभाक् — with undivided devotion; साधुः एव — as righteous indeed.
Where does verse 9.30 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 30 of 34 in Chapter 9, Raja Vidya Yoga. The next verse is 9.31.