मां हि पार्थ व्यपाश्रित्य येऽपि स्युः पापयोनयः ।स्त्रियो वैश्यास्तथा शूद्रास्तेऽपि यान्ति परां गतिम् ॥
māṃ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpayonayaḥ | striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṃ gatim ||
- माम् · mām
- me
- हि · hi
- indeed
- पार्थ · pārtha
- O Partha
- व्यपाश्रित्य · vyapāśritya
- having taken refuge in
- पापयोनयः · pāpayonayaḥ
- those of lowly or unfortunate birth
- स्त्रियः · striyaḥ
- women
- वैश्याः · vaiśyāḥ
- merchants, traders
- शूद्राः · śūdrāḥ
- laborers, servants
- पराम् गतिम् · parām gatim
- the supreme goal
- यान्ति · yānti
- they reach
“Taking refuge in me, O Partha, even those of lowly birth — women, merchants, and laborers — they too reach the supreme goal.”
— Original plain-language translation
Refuge overrides every social barrier named by the age. The list is deliberately inclusive where tradition excluded. Birth sets no ceiling when devotion is the stair.
— Reader's notes (original)