Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 9, verse 16 · Krishna

Bhagavad Gita 9.16 · Aham Kraturaham Yajnah

अहं क्रतुरहं यज्ञः स्वधाहमहमौषधम् ।
मन्त्रोऽहमहमेवाज्यमहमग्निरहं हुतम् ॥

ahaṃ kraturahaṃ yajñaḥ svadhāhamahamauṣadham |
mantro’hamahamevājyamahamagnirahaṃ hutam ||

Translation

I am the ritual, I am the sacrifice (yajna), I am the offering to the ancestors, I am the healing herb; I am the sacred chant, I am the clarified butter, I am the fire and I am the act of offering.

Context

Spoken by Krishna in chapter 9, Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga — “The Yoga of Royal Knowledge and Royal Secret”, which has 34 verses.

Frequently asked questions

What does Bhagavad Gita 9.16 mean?

I am the ritual, I am the sacrifice (yajna), I am the offering to the ancestors, I am the healing herb; I am the sacred chant, I am the clarified butter, I am the fire and I am the act of offering.

Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 9.16?

Krishna, speaking to Arjuna, in chapter 9, Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga (The Yoga of Royal Knowledge and Royal Secret).

Sanskrit text: traditional, public domain. Translation and explanation are our own.