Swami Shivananda once spoke a remarkable thing—every saint has a past, every sinner has a future.
The depth of this truth is profound. A conscientious person need only hold this inspiring utterance in their heart to genuinely strive to turn their present around. All possibilities never entirely exhaust themselves—one need only transform oneself through unceasing practice. There is light ahead!
In the thirtieth verse of the ninth chapter of the Gita, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna:
Api chet sudurachāro bhajate māmananyabhāk | Sādhur eva sa mantavyah samyag vyavasito hi sah ||
Meaning: Sudurachārah api (even one of most wicked conduct), chet (if), ananya-bhāk (takes sole refuge, or more simply—with undivided mind; with singular devotion. The distinction between bhakti and bhakti-yoga lies in these very words. Vaidhī or rāgātmikā or rāgānugā bhakti—that devotion which, when born, leaves the devotee desiring nothing but the Lord—is not bhakti-yoga, not until the practitioner develops ananya-chitta, undivided consciousness, not until the mind turns away from worldly desires or the wish for boons, and from that ignorance which holds other gods apart from Vasudeva.), mām (me), bhajate (worships or practices devotion), sa (that person), sādhuh eva (is indeed a sage), mantavyah (should be considered—not every devotee should thus be reckoned, but one with singular devotion, one who has come to bhakti-yoga, even if wicked, should be considered a sage, for such a soul is samyag vyavasitah, and one who has come to bhakti-yoga shall not fall.), hi (for), sah (he), samyak vyavasitah (rightly resolved, established in supreme purpose; ‘samyak vyavasita’ refers to the devotee of God; the reason is, it is through devotion to God alone that I shall find fulfillment—such is the conviction of that worshipper.)
The meaning of this verse, then, comes to this—even one of the most vile conduct, should he worship me with undivided mind (with exclusive devotion), know him to be a sage, for his endeavor and striving are noble.
The basest of the wicked—if he worships Me with singular heart, know him as A sage—his resolve is noble and true.||
Now I shall expound the significance of this verse in various ways:
Here the Lord speaks of the glory of devotion—even a man of most base conduct becomes a sage of perfect righteousness through worshiping me, that is, through exclusive devotion—because that person's 'endeavor' becomes truly right or gains strength.
The Lord is the friend of His devotees—this is what Krishna proclaims here. God does not despise even those who act against condemned practices or caste-bound duties; rather, He elevates them. Through unwavering devotion, by God's grace, one's work or duty becomes firm. To recognize God alone as the world's sole friend, refuge, and master—this recognition is one's true "business." It is for the sake of this business that one worships the Lord.
This verse declares that even the gravest of sinners has the right to worship God, and through unwavering devotion, in the end he may attain the Lord. Even the darkest criminals have the right to call upon God.
This is what God is saying—I describe here a great fruit of devotion to Me. An abundance of devotion toward Me transforms one's present condition. Take Ajamila (that lustful Brahmin of Kanyakubja spoken of in the Bhagavata, who at the hour of death attained Vishnu's realm as the reward of unwitting worship of Narayana), or Ratnakar (the former name of the sage Valmiki, composer of the Ramayana)—such beings, through constant utterance of the divine name, through worship, become righteous and remain so. When this happens, we cannot speak of their former misconduct. Know them as the righteous, for such a person has truly conducted their life—they have become accomplished through the service of the Supreme, having taken up this noble and worthy endeavor.
In the radiance and power of the Divine, both sin and merit dissolve. He accepts neither sin nor merit, nor does He concern Himself with them. When a sinner worships with devotion, he becomes free of sin. Yet sin has such power that it casts the human soul far from God.
Even the gravest sinner, the most impure of heart, the most depraved of conduct—if such a one, contemplating their own utter fall, turns to worship and follow the God dwelling within, then they are saved and move forward toward the sacred path, toward perfection and liberation.
Because unwavering devotion stills the storm of misconduct, misconduct ceases to be. Then know such a one as the righteous.
The scriptures prescribe many forms of atonement for many varieties of sin. For one deeply mired in misconduct, to observe these exacting penances one after another for the cleansing of sin may not be possible in a single lifetime. In such circumstance, if he takes shelter in God with undivided heart, he is then counted among ascetics and the righteous.
Even the most depraved person, if he worships Me with unwavering devotion, is to be known as righteous. For his firm and resolute wisdom has turned toward the right path, and he swiftly becomes a person of righteousness.
If anyone worships Me with single-pointed devotion, know him as the righteous. But why? The answer lies in the Lord's decree and in his rightly-ordered understanding. "My decree" means: consider him righteous—for even if you find no apparent reason to deem him so, accept this as My word. "Rightly-ordered understanding" means: his intellect has been set aright—knowing what brings true welfare, he has turned his face toward that path.
I hold a natural affection for my own devotee. Even if that person is given to wickedness, my affection does not diminish, and I bring about his elevation. If that person is violent, enslaved to others' wives, bent on stealing others' property, deeply entrenched in villainy—yet does not worship other gods, does not neglect devotion to me, does not immerse himself in knowledge and ritual, seeks no happiness from the kingdom save through longing for me alone—then that person too is holy.
Here the ‘remark’ indicates a rule: if one does not regard even such a wicked person as holy, one will suffer the consequence; my command itself is the proof of this. If it is said that he is partly holy because he worships you, but partly unholy due to his attachment to others’ wives and such—the answer to this is that one must regard him as wholly holy in every way. His unholiness is never to be seen, for through righteous devotion he has attained holiness.
Therefore, even a man steeped in grievous sin, if he becomes wholly devoted and devoted to the Lord, is reckoned as holy. The Lord's statement may seem contradictory at first glance. But if we examine it not with a gross eye but with subtle discernment, we shall readily perceive that in the true words of Truth himself, Narayana, lies the highest truth. A man who has set foot upon the path of devotion to God must of necessity be driven forward in the direction of ever-increasing advancement.
Such is the enchanting power of devotion to the Lord that once caught within its attraction, one must inevitably be drawn toward ever deeper enchantment. The supreme bliss born of devotion to God will then, slowly and imperceptibly, envelop and overwhelm the heart, mind, and senses; the life-force, grown ecstatic, will rush toward that source of infinite joy in hope of greater bliss. The loathsome desires of the world, the fleeting pleasures of sensual gratification that destroy in a moment, the trivial happiness born of the senses' attachment to enjoyment—all will appear utterly worthless and contemptible beyond measure.
As a consequence, the inclination to walk the condemned path of sin will gradually vanish; there will be no more urge to follow the ugly finger-pointing of greed, and the eyes and mind will no longer wish to be scorched in the fleeting luxuries of sensual indulgence. Then a man who was once steeped in wicked deeds and habituated to sin will, through the force of devotion to God, come to be reckoned as supremely holy, worthy of honor everywhere and fit to be worshipped as a liberated soul. The glory of true devotion to God is immeasurable. It is the bearer of progressive excellence and yields supreme fruit.
Now a question may arise—the Lord asks us to regard the wicked, the murderer, the thief, the bandit as holy—what kind of thing is this to say? When we see murderers, thieves, and such people, we feel only disgust—how can they possibly become holy?
To this the answer is: A transgressor can rarely become a saint—and only when he abandons all vicious ways, turns his mind wholly toward God, and calls upon Him, then shall he be regarded as a saint. If he transgresses once, calls upon God the next moment, and then again reverts to vice according to his nature, he cannot be called a saint. When a man who was once corrupt and depraved, having turned his mind wholly toward God, contemplates Him ceaselessly and forever abandons all base conduct—only then is he deemed a saint. Thus in the life of the Lord Chaitanya, we have Jagaï and Mädhäi; in the life of Sri Ramakrishna, Girish Ghosh and Kälipada Ghosh; and Ratnäkar, the brigand of old—when these became devotees, they entirely renounced their wicked ways; and through the flowering of single-minded devotion, through the remembrance of God, they came in time to be counted among the saints.
We find this also confirmed in other scriptures:
namehabhaktashchaturvedī madbhaktaḥ śvapacaḥ priyaḥ | tasmai deyaṁ tato grāhyaṁ sa cha pūjyo yathā hyaham ||
The meaning is: A Brahmin learned in all four Vedas, a scholar of the scriptures, is not dear to Me if he is not My devotee; but even a chandal—the lowest of the low—becomes dear to Me if he is My devotee. One must give alms to this devotee chandal and accept offerings from him; he is as worthy of worship as I am Myself. (Hari-bhakti-viläs, 10/91)
Regarding how sin flees at the name of God, Sri Ramakrishna speaks thus in the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna: "One must have such faith in God's name—thinking, 'What? I have uttered His name; can sin still remain in me? What sin can there be for me?'" (Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Part 1, Chapter 2, Section 6, Verse 53)
In conclusion: This verse is presented to demonstrate the immeasurable glory of God's devotees. Even those who are perpetually mired in sin, grievously deluded in their conduct—if they show devotion not to various gods but worship Me alone, then they too must be recognized as saints; for they have embraced the path of supreme welfare and engaged themselves in the rites revered by the holy.
He who seeks no refuge in gods other than Me, who knows Me as the supreme Deity, the supreme Lord, and the very source of all fulfillment, and worships Me with this understanding—in him is sainthood thus revealed. For such a person has chosen the supreme path of unwavering devotion to Me. It is said in the Narasimha Purana: "Even if a man is exceedingly defiled, if his heart is turned wholly toward Sri Hari, he shall shine forth in supreme radiance. Though the moon bears its spots, the moon never sinks into darkness."