मां हि पार्थ व्यपाश्रित्य येऽपि स्युः पापयोनयः।
स्त्रियो वैश्यास्तथा शूद्रास्तेऽपि यान्ति परां गतिम्।।9.32।।
किं पुनर्ब्राह्मणाः पुण्या भक्ता राजर्षयस्तथा।
अनित्यमसुखं लोकमिमं प्राप्य भजस्व माम्।।9.33।।
For, O son of Prtha, even those who are born of sin-women, Vaisyas, as well as Sudras—[S.’s construction of this portion is: women, Vaisyas as well as Sudras, and even others who are born of sin (i.e., those who are born low and are of vile deeds, viz Mlecchas, Pukkasas and others). M.S. also takes papa-yonayah (born of sin) as a separate phrase, and classifies women and others only as those darred from Vedic study, etc.-Tr.]—even they reach the highest Goal by taking shelter under Me.
What of the holy Brahmanas and devoted, wise sages? Having come to this fleeting, miserable world, worship Me.
Osho’s Commentary
Krishna’s compassion is boundless. He opens the doors of liberation to everyone, without any distinction of birth, caste, or gender. Even those of papayonayah, of sinful birth—and he includes women, vaishyas (the merchant class), and shudras (the laboring class) in this category—even they, if they take refuge in me, can attain the supreme. This was a radical departure from the orthodox view of his time, which held that the path to liberation was open only to the male Brahmin. Krishna is a great spiritual democrat. For him, what matters is not the outer circumstance of your birth, but the inner turning of your heart. And if these can attain the goal, how much more easily can the holy Brahmins and the devout kings? Therefore, he concludes, having been born into this world, which is anityam, transient, and asukham, joyless, the only sane thing to do is to worship me. In the face of the fleeting and unsatisfactory nature of worldly life, the only true refuge is in the eternal.