Karma Yoga

अर्जुन उवाच |

Arjuna said: O Janardana, if you consider knowledge to be superior to action, why then do you urge me to engage in this terrible war, O Keshava?

व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे |

With your apparently conflicting words, you seem to confuse my intellect. Therefore, tell me decisively the one path by which I may attain the highest good.

श्रीभगवानुवाच |

The Supreme Lord said: O sinless one, in this world there is a two-fold path previously declared by Me: the path of knowledge for the analytical thinkers, and the path of action for the active yogis.

न कर्मणामनारम्भान्नैष्कर्म्यं पुरुषोऽश्नुते |

A person does not attain freedom from karma merely by abstaining from work, nor does one attain perfection by renunciation alone.

न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् |

Indeed, no one can remain without performing actions even for a single moment. Everyone is forced to act helplessly by the modes of material nature.

कर्मेन्द्रियाणि संयम्य य आस्ते मनसा स्मरन् |

One who restrains their physical senses of action, but continues to dwell on sense objects in their mind, is a deluded soul and is called a hypocrite.

यस्त्विन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्यारभतेऽर्जुन |

But one who controls the senses with the mind, O Arjuna, and begins the practice of Karma Yoga with their active senses without attachment, is far superior.

नियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं कर्म ज्यायो ह्यकर्मणः |

Perform your prescribed duties, for action is indeed superior to inaction. Even the maintenance of your physical body would be impossible without action.

यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्मबन्धनः |

Work must be performed as a sacrifice to the Divine, otherwise it binds us to this material world. Therefore, O son of Kunti, perform your duties without attachment, as a sacrifice.

सहयज्ञाः प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा पुरोवाच प्रजापतिः |

In the beginning of creation, Prajapati created humanity along with sacrifice, and said: By this sacrifice shall you prosper, and let this be the yielder of all your desires.

देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु वः |

By this sacrifice, nourish the gods, and let the gods nourish you in return. By nourishing one another, you shall attain the highest good.

इष्टान्भोगान्हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते यज्ञभाविताः |

Nourished by sacrifice, the gods will grant you all your desired enjoyments. But one who enjoys these gifts without offering them in return is indeed a thief.

यज्ञशिष्टाशिनः सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषैः |

The righteous who eat the remnants of sacrifice are freed from all sins. But those sinners who cook food only for their own pleasure eat only sin.

अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसम्भवः |

All living beings subsist on food, and food is produced from rain. Rain comes from sacrifice, and sacrifice is born of action.

कर्म ब्रह्मोद्भवं विद्धि ब्रह्माक्षरसमुद्भवम् |

Know that action is born of Brahman, and Brahman arises from the Imperishable. Therefore, the all-pervading Divine is eternally established in sacrifice.

एवं प्रवर्तितं चक्रं नानुवर्तयतीह यः |

O Partha, he who does not follow in this life the wheel of creation thus set in motion, leads a sinful life. Rejoicing only in the senses, he lives in vain.

यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानवः |

But for the person who rejoices only in the Self, who is satisfied with the Self, and who is fully content in the Self alone, there remains no obligatory duty to perform.

नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थो नाकृतेनेह कश्चन |

For such a person, there is no interest whatsoever in tasks performed, nor any concern for tasks left undone in this world. Nor does he depend on any living being for any purpose.

तस्मादसक्तः सततं कार्यं कर्म समाचर |

Therefore, without attachment, constantly perform the duties that ought to be done; for by performing action without attachment, a person attains the Supreme.

कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः |

Indeed, kings like Janaka and others attained perfection solely through action. Therefore, even for the sake of the maintenance of the world order, you should perform your duties.

यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः |

Whatever action a great leader performs, common people follow. Whatever standards of conduct they set, all the world pursues.

न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन |

O Partha, there is no duty prescribed for Me in all the three worlds, nor is there anything unobtained to be obtained by Me; yet, I continue to be engaged in action.

यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः |

For if I did not engage in action tirelessly, O Partha, all people would follow My path in every way.

उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां कर्म चेदहम् |

If I were to stop performing action, these worlds would fall into ruin. I would be the cause of confusion of values and would destroy all these living beings.

सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत |

As the ignorant perform actions with attachment, O Bharata, so should the wise act without attachment, desiring the welfare of the world.

न बुद्धिभेदं जनयेदज्ञानां कर्मसङ्गिनाम् |

The wise should not create confusion in the minds of the ignorant who are attached to action. Rather, performing all actions in a disciplined manner, they should encourage others to do the same.

प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः |

All actions are performed in all cases by the modes of material nature. But the one whose mind is bewildered by egotism thinks, 'I am the doer.'

तत्त्ववित्तु महाबाहो गुणकर्मविभागयोः |

But he who knows the truth, O mighty-armed one, about the respective spheres of the modes of nature and actions, realizes that the modes are merely interacting with the modes, and does not become attached.

प्रकृतेर्गुणसम्मूढाः सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु |

Those bewildered by the modes of nature become attached to the activities of the modes. The wise person, who possesses complete knowledge, should not disturb these dull-witted people who have incomplete knowledge.

मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि संन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा |

Surrendering all your actions to Me, with your mind focused on the Supreme Self, free from desire and possessiveness, and cured of your mental fever, fight!

ये मे मतमिदं नित्यमनुतिष्ठन्ति मानवाः |

Those human beings who constantly practice My teaching with faith and without finding fault are also freed from the bondage of actions.

ये त्वेतदभ्यसूयन्तो नानुतिष्ठन्ति मे मतम् |

But those who, out of envy and malice, do not practice My teachings, know them to be completely deluded of all knowledge, senseless, and ruined.

सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्याः प्रकृतेर्ज्ञानवानपि |

Even a wise person acts according to their own nature. All living beings follow their nature; what can mere repression accomplish?

इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ |

Attraction and aversion for sense objects reside in each of the senses. One should not come under their sway, for they are obstacles on the path.

श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् |

It is far better to perform one's own natural duty, even if imperfectly, than to perform another's duty perfectly. Death in the performance of one's own duty is beneficial; performing another's duty is fraught with fear.

अर्जुन उवाच |

Arjuna said: O descendant of Vrishni, by what power is a person driven to commit sin, even against their will, as if forced by constraint?

श्रीभगवानुवाच |

The Supreme Lord said: It is desire, it is anger, born of the mode of passion. It is all-devouring and highly sinful; know this to be the enemy here in this world.

धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथादर्शो मलेन च |

As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, and as an embryo is covered by the womb, so is knowledge covered by this desire.

आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा |

O son of Kunti, the wisdom of the wise is covered by this constant enemy in the form of desire, which is insatiable like fire.

इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिरस्याधिष्ठानमुच्यते |

The senses, the mind, and the intellect are declared to be the seat of this desire. Through these, it covers knowledge and bewilders the embodied soul.

तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ |

Therefore, O best of the Bharatas, control your senses from the very beginning, and slay this sinful destroyer of knowledge and self-realization.

इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः |

The senses are declared to be superior to the physical body; the mind is superior to the senses; the intellect is superior to the mind; and that which is superior to the intellect is the Self.

एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना |

Thus knowing the Self to be superior to the intellect, steady the mind by the higher Self, O mighty-armed one, and conquer this formidable enemy in the form of desire.