nÄham ijyÄ-prajÄtibhyÄá¹
tapasopaÅ›amena vÄ
tuá¹£yeyaá¹ sarva-bhÅ«tÄtmÄ
guru-Å›uÅ›rÅ«á¹£ayÄ yathÄ
na - not; aham - I; ijyÄ - by ritual worship; prajÄtibhyÄm - the higher birth of brÄhmaṇa initiation; tapasÄ - by austerity; upaÅ›amena - by self-control; vÄ - or; tuá¹£yeyam - can be satisfied; sarva - of all; bhÅ«ta - beings; ÄtmÄ - the Soul; guru - to one's spiritual master; Å›uÅ›rÅ«á¹£ayÄ - by faithful service; yathÄ - as.
I, the Soul of all beings, am not as satisfied by ritual worship, brahminical initiation, penances or self-discipline as I am by faithful service rendered to one’s spiritual master.
The word prajÄti here indicates either begetting good children or the second birth obtained by ritual initiation into Vedic culture. Although both of these are praiseworthy, Lord Kṛṣṇa here states that faithful service rendered to a bona fide spiritual master is still higher.
