मनःप्रसादः सौम्यत्वं मौनमात्मविनिग्रहः।भावसंशुद्धिरित्येतत्तपो मानसमुच्यते।।17.16।।
Serenity of mind, gentleness, silence, self-control, and purity of disposition—this is called mental austerity.
श्रद्धया परया तप्तं तपस्तत्ित्रविधं नरैः।अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्युक्तैः सात्त्विकं परिचक्षते।।17.17।।
This threefold austerity, practiced with supreme faith by steadfast people, without desire for reward, is said to be sattvic.
सत्कारमानपूजार्थं तपो दम्भेन चैव यत्।क्रियते तदिह प्रोक्तं राजसं चलमध्रुवम्।।17.18।।
Austerity performed for the sake of respect, honor, or worship, and also with hypocrisy, is declared here to be passionate, unsteady, and insincere.
मूढग्राहेणात्मनो यत्पीडया क्रियते तपः।परस्योत्सादनार्थं वा तत्तामसमुदाहृतम्।।17.19।।
Austerity undertaken with a deluded understanding, causing suffering to oneself, or for the purpose of harming another, is said to be of darkness.
दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे।देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम्।।17.20।।
That gift which is given with the thought, 'It should be given,' to one who does no service in return, in the proper place, at the proper time, and to a worthy person, is remembered as pure.
यत्तु प्रत्युपकारार्थं फलमुद्दिश्य वा पुनः।दीयते च परिक्लिष्टं तद्दानं राजसं स्मृतम्।।17.21।।
But that which is given with the expectation of a return, or with a desire for reward, or reluctantly, is remembered as passionate.
अदेशकाले यद्दानमपात्रेभ्यश्च दीयते।असत्कृतमवज्ञातं तत्तामसमुदाहृतम्।।17.22।।
That gift which is given at the wrong place or time, to unworthy recipients, without respect or with contempt, is declared to be of darkness.
तत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः।ब्राह्मणास्तेन वेदाश्च यज्ञाश्च विहिताः पुरा।।17.23।।
'Om Tat Sat'—this threefold designation of Brahman is remembered; by this, the Brahmins, the Vedas, and sacrifices were formerly ordained.
तस्मादोमित्युदाहृत्य यज्ञदानतपःक्रियाः।प्रवर्तन्ते विधानोक्ताः सततं ब्रह्मवादिनाम्।।17.24।।
Therefore, uttering 'Om,' acts of sacrifice, charity, and austerity, as prescribed by ordinance, are always begun by those who know Brahman.
तदित्यनभिसन्धाय फलं यज्ञतपःक्रियाः।दानक्रियाश्च विविधाः क्रियन्ते मोक्षकाङ्क्षि।।17.25।।
Uttering 'Tat,' without seeking reward, various acts of sacrifice, austerity, and charity are performed by those who desire liberation.
सद्भावे साधुभावे च सदित्येतत्प्रयुज्यते।प्रशस्ते कर्मणि तथा सच्छब्दः पार्थ युज्यते।।17.26।।
'Sat' is used in the sense of reality and goodness; likewise, O Partha, the word 'Sat' is applied to praiseworthy action.
यज्ञे तपसि दाने च स्थितिः सदिति चोच्यते।कर्म चैव तदर्थीयं सदित्येवाभिधीयते।।17.27।।
Steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity, and charity is also called 'Sat'; and action for these purposes is likewise designated as 'Sat.'
अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत्।असदित्युच्यते पार्थ न च तत्प्रेत्य नो इह।।17.28।।
Whatever is offered, given, or performed as austerity or act, without faith, is called 'asat,' O Partha; it is neither here nor after death.
अर्जुन उवाच संन्यासस्य महाबाहो तत्त्वमिच्छामि वेदितुम्। त्यागस्य च हृषीकेश पृथक्केशिनिषूदन।।18.1।।
Arjuna said: O mighty-armed one, I wish to understand the truth of renunciation and abandonment, O Hrishikesha, and their distinction, O slayer of Keshin.
श्री भगवानुवाच काम्यानां कर्मणां न्यासं संन्यासं कवयो विदुः। सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं प्राहुस्त्यागं विचक्षणाः।।18.2।।
The Blessed Lord said: The wise understand renunciation as the giving up of actions done with desire; the learned declare abandonment to be the relinquishing of the fruits of all actions.
त्याज्यं दोषवदित्येके कर्म प्राहुर्मनीषिणः। यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यमिति चापरे।।18.3।।
Some thinkers declare that action should be abandoned as evil, while others say that acts of sacrifice, charity, and austerity should not be given up.
निश्चयं श्रृणु मे तत्र त्यागे भरतसत्तम।त्यागो हि पुरुषव्याघ्र त्रिविधः संप्रकीर्तितः।।18.4।।
Hear from me the final decision about abandonment, O best of the Bharatas; for abandonment, O tiger among men, is declared to be of three kinds.
यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत्।यज्ञो दानं तपश्चैव पावनानि मनीषिणाम्।।18.5।।
Acts of sacrifice, charity, and austerity are not to be abandoned; they must be performed. Sacrifice, charity, and austerity are purifying even for the wise.
एतान्यपि तु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा फलानि च।कर्तव्यानीति मे पार्थ निश्िचतं मतमुत्तमम्।।18.6।।
But even these actions should be performed, giving up attachment and desire for results. This, O Partha, is my firm and best judgment.
नियतस्य तु संन्यासः कर्मणो नोपपद्यते।मोहात्तस्य परित्यागस्तामसः परिकीर्तितः।।18.7।।
But the renunciation of prescribed action is not proper; abandonment of such action out of delusion is declared to be of darkness.
दुःखमित्येव यत्कर्म कायक्लेशभयात्त्यजेत्।स कृत्वा राजसं त्यागं नैव त्यागफलं लभेत्।।18.8।।
Whatever action is abandoned merely because it is painful, or out of fear of bodily discomfort, such abandonment is declared to be of the nature of passion, and one does not obtain the fruit of renunciation thereby.
कार्यमित्येव यत्कर्म नियतं क्रियतेऽर्जुन।सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा फलं चैव स त्यागः सात्त्विको मतः।।18.9।।
But whatever prescribed action is performed simply because it ought to be done, O Arjuna, giving up attachment and also the desire for its result, that renunciation is considered to be of the nature of goodness.
न द्वेष्ट्यकुशलं कर्म कुशले नानुषज्जते।त्यागी सत्त्वसमाविष्टो मेधावी छिन्नसंशयः।।18.10।।
The one who is filled with purity, wise, and free from doubt, neither hates unskillful action nor becomes attached to skillful action—such a renouncer is established in goodness.
न हि देहभृता शक्यं त्यक्तुं कर्माण्यशेषतः।यस्तु कर्मफलत्यागी स त्यागीत्यभिधीयते।।18.11।।
Indeed, it is not possible for one who possesses a body to completely give up all actions; but whoever gives up the fruits of actions, that person is truly called a renouncer.
अनिष्टमिष्टं मिश्रं च त्रिविधं कर्मणः फलम्।भवत्यत्यागिनां प्रेत्य न तु संन्यासिनां क्वचित्।।18.12।।
The threefold fruit of action—undesirable, desirable, and mixed—comes to those who do not renounce, after death; but never to those who are renunciants.
पञ्चैतानि महाबाहो कारणानि निबोध मे।सांख्ये कृतान्ते प्रोक्तानि सिद्धये सर्वकर्मणाम्।।18.13।।
O mighty-armed one, learn from me the five causes declared in the philosophy of knowledge as necessary for the accomplishment of all actions.
अधिष्ठानं तथा कर्ता करणं च पृथग्विधम्।विविधाश्च पृथक्चेष्टा दैवं चैवात्र पञ्चमम्।।18.14।।
They are: the body as the seat of action, the agent, the various instruments, the different kinds of activities, and the divine as the fifth.
शरीरवाङ्मनोभिर्यत्कर्म प्रारभते नरः।न्याय्यं वा विपरीतं वा पञ्चैते तस्य हेतवः।।18.15।।
Whatever action a person undertakes with the body, speech, or mind—whether just or unjust—these five are its causes.
तत्रैवं सति कर्तारमात्मानं केवलं तु यः।पश्यत्यकृतबुद्धित्वान्न स पश्यति दुर्मतिः।।18.16।।
Therefore, whoever, due to unrefined understanding, sees the self alone as the agent, does not see truly and is of distorted intellect.
यस्य नाहंकृतो भावो बुद्धिर्यस्य न लिप्यते।हत्वापि स इमाँल्लोकान्न हन्ति न निबध्यते।।18.17।।
Whoever is free from the sense of ego and whose understanding is not tainted, even if such a person kills all these people, neither kills nor is bound.