As the two stood upon the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna, his mind troubled and seeking clarity, turned to Krishna and asked, “O Keshava, how does one whose understanding is unwavering, who is established in deep concentration, truly live? How does such a person speak, sit, and walk?” The Blessed Lord smiled with compassion and replied, “O Partha, when a person has relinquished all desires that arise in the mind, finding complete satisfaction in the Self by the Self alone, he is known as one of steady understanding. Such a sage is not shaken by sorrow, nor does he crave pleasure; he is free from attachment, fear, and anger, and thus his mind remains steady. “He whose heart is unattached everywhere, who neither delights nor hates when encountering good or evil, is firmly rooted in wisdom. When, like a tortoise withdrawing its limbs, a person draws his senses away from their objects, his wisdom is truly established. “Sense objects may fall away from one who abstains, but the lingering taste for them remains; even this subtle taste disappears when one beholds the Supreme. Yet, O son of Kunti, the senses are so turbulent that they can sweep away the mind of even a wise person who strives for self-mastery. “Therefore, one must restrain all the senses and sit steadfast, with the mind intent on Me. He whose senses are under control—his wisdom is firmly established. “When a person dwells upon sense objects, attachment is born; from attachment arises desire, and from desire comes anger. From anger follows delusion, from delusion loss of memory, from loss of memory the destruction of intelligence, and with the ruin of intelligence, one is lost. “But the one who moves among sense objects, keeping the senses under disciplined control, free from attachment and aversion, attains self-mastery and tranquility. In that tranquility, all suffering comes to an end, and the serene mind quickly becomes steady. “For the unsteady, there is no wisdom, nor is there contemplation. Without contemplation, there can be no peace, and without peace, how can there be happiness? When the mind follows the wandering senses, it carries away one’s understanding, just as the wind sweeps a boat off course on the water. “Therefore, O mighty-armed Arjuna, the one who completely restrains his senses from their objects—his wisdom is firmly established. What is night for all beings, the disciplined one is awake in; and what beings are awake to, is night for the sage who truly sees. “As the waters flow into the ever-full, unmoved ocean, so do all desires enter one who remains unmoved; such a person attains peace, not the one who is driven by desires. Whoever abandons all desires, moves without longing, and is free from possessiveness and the sense of ‘I’ and ‘mine’—he attains true peace. “This is the state of Brahman, O Partha. Having reached it, one is never deluded. Established in this state even at the end of life, one attains union with Brahman.” Hearing these profound words, Arjuna, still perplexed, asked, “O Janardana, if you consider knowledge to be superior to action, why then do you urge me toward this dreadful act of battle, O Keshava? Your words seem to confuse my understanding, as if they are contradictory. Please, tell me decisively that by which I may attain the highest good.” Krishna then explained, “O sinless one, in this world, I have declared a twofold path from ancient times: the path of knowledge for the Sankhyas, and the path of action for the Yogis. Freedom from action is not attained by mere abstention from work, nor by renunciation alone does one reach perfection. “In truth, no one can remain even for a moment without performing action; every being is compelled to act by the qualities born of nature. One who restrains the organs of action but mentally dwells on sense objects is deluded and called a hypocrite. But, O Arjuna, whoever controls the senses with the mind and performs actions through the organs of action, unattached, excels. “Therefore, perform your prescribed duties, for action is better than inaction. Even the maintenance of your body would not be possible without action. Except for actions done in the spirit of sacrifice, all actions bind in this world. Therefore, O son of Kunti, perform your actions as sacrifice, free from attachment. “In the beginning, the Creator, having brought forth beings along with sacrifice, declared: ‘By this you shall prosper; let this be the fulfiller of your desires.’ Nourish the gods with sacrifice, and may the gods nourish you; thus, supporting one another, you shall attain the highest good. The gods, satisfied by sacrifice, will grant you the enjoyments you desire. But he who enjoys what the gods give without offering in return is truly a thief. “The virtuous, who partake of the remnants of sacrifice, are freed from all sins; but those who cook only for themselves eat only sin. All beings arise from food, food is produced by rain, rain comes from sacrifice, and sacrifice is born of action. Action arises from the Veda, and the Veda comes from the Imperishable. Thus, the all-pervading Veda is ever established in sacrifice. “He who does not follow this cycle set in motion, living for the pleasures of the senses, lives in vain—his life is sinful. But the one who delights in the Self, is satisfied by the Self, and content in the Self alone, has nothing to do; for him, there is no dependence on what is done or not done, nor does he rely on any being for any purpose. “Therefore, always perform the actions that ought to be done, without attachment; for by acting without attachment, one attains the highest. Indeed, it was through action alone that Janaka and others reached perfection. Even for the welfare of the world, you ought to act. “For whatever a superior person does, others follow; whatever standard he sets, the world pursues that path.” Thus, Krishna revealed to Arjuna the nature of steady wisdom, the path of self-mastery, and the importance of selfless action, guiding him toward the highest good.