I Am Not Known

“I am not known
To evil-doers, nor to foolish ones,
Nor to the base and churlish; nor to those
Whose mind is cheated by the show of things,
Nor those that take the way of Asuras.

Four sorts of mortals know me: he who weeps,
Arjuna! and the man who yearns to know;
And he who toils to help; and he who sits
Certain of me, enlightened.

Of these four,
O Prince of India! highest, nearest, best
That last is, the devout soul, wise, intent
Upon “The One.” Dear, above all, am I
To him; and he is dearest unto me!
All four are good, and seek me; but mine own,
The true of heart, the faithful–stayed on me,
Taking me as their utmost blessedness,
They are not “mine,”but I–even I myself!
At end of many births to Me they come!
Yet hard the wise Mahatma is to find,
That man who sayeth, “All is Vasudev!”

Excerpt From
The Song Celestial; Or, Bhagavad-Gîtâ (from the Mahâbhârata) / Being a discourse between Arjuna, Prince of India, and the Supreme Being under the form of Krishna
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