Bhagavad Gita 9.31
क्षिप्रं भवति धर्मात्मा शश्वच्छान्तिं निगच्छति | कौन्तेय प्रतिजानीहि न मे भक्तः प्रणश्यति ||
kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati | kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati ||
Translation
Quickly he becomes righteous and attains everlasting peace. O son of Kuntī, declare it: my devotee is never lost.
Reflection
Where do you secretly believe you are past recovery?
Read this verse in its chapter: Chapter Nine
The promise that closes the previous verse. The man whose direction has turned becomes a dharma-soul quickly and arrives at unending peace. Krishna tells Arjuna to make the declaration himself. Pratijanihi, declare it. Na me bhaktah pranashyati. My devotee is not lost. The transfer of the line to Arjuna's mouth is unusual and deliberate. The promise is being placed not only in Krishna's voice but in the friend's voice, so that the listener can later hold it as something he himself has said. Pranashyati is strong. Lost, perished, ruined past recovery. None of those happen to the devotee. The journey may be long, the conduct may have been bad, the path may be confused, but the destination is reached.