स एवायं मया तेऽद्य योगः प्रोक्तः पुरातनः ।भक्तोऽसि मे सखा चेति रहस्यं ह्येतदुत्तमम् ॥
sa evāyaṃ mayā te 'dya yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ |bhakto 'si me sakhā ceti rahasyaṃ hy etad uttamam ||
- सः · saḥ
- that
- एव · eva
- very, same
- अयम् · ayam
- this
- मया · mayā
- by me
- ते · te
- to you
- अद्य · adya
- today
- योगः · yogaḥ
- the yoga
- प्रोक्तः · proktaḥ
- taught
- पुरातनः · purātanaḥ
- ancient
- भक्तः · bhaktaḥ
- devotee
- असि · asi
- you are
- मे · me
- my, of me
- सखा · sakhā
- friend
- च · ca
- and
- इति · iti
- thus, for
- रहस्यम् · rahasyam
- mystery, secret
- हि · hi
- indeed
- एतत् · etat
- this
- उत्तमम् · uttamam
- highest, supreme
“That same ancient yoga I have taught you today — for you are my devotee and my friend. For this is the highest mystery.”
— Original plain-language translation
The qualification for the supreme secret is not scholarship but love and friendship. Bhakta and sakhā together name Arjuna's double fitness: devotion opens the heart, friendship opens the ear. The Gita is whispered to affection, not argued into strangers.
— Reader's notes (original)