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.
ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं परिज्ञाता त्रिविधा कर्मचोदना।करणं कर्म कर्तेति त्रिविधः कर्मसंग्रहः।।18.18।।
Knowledge, the object of knowledge, and the knower—these are the threefold incitements to action; the instrument, the action, and the agent—these are the threefold constituents of action.
ज्ञानं कर्म च कर्ता च त्रिधैव गुणभेदतः।प्रोच्यते गुणसंख्याने यथावच्छृणु तान्यपि।।18.19।।
Knowledge, action, and the agent are declared in the enumeration of the qualities to be of three kinds according to the difference of the qualities; hear them as they are.
सर्वभूतेषु येनैकं भावमव्ययमीक्षते।अविभक्तं विभक्तेषु तज्ज्ञानं विद्धि सात्त्विकम्।।18.20।।
That knowledge by which one sees the one imperishable reality in all beings, undivided in the divided—know that knowledge to be of the nature of goodness.
पृथक्त्वेन तु यज्ज्ञानं नानाभावान्पृथग्विधान्।वेत्ति सर्वेषु भूतेषु तज्ज्ञानं विद्धि राजसम्।।18.21।।
But that knowledge by which one sees various kinds of beings as distinct and separate in all creatures—know that knowledge to be of the nature of passion.
यत्तु कृत्स्नवदेकस्मिन्कार्ये सक्तमहैतुकम्।अतत्त्वार्थवदल्पं च तत्तामसमुदाहृतम्।।18.22।।
But that knowledge which is attached to a single effect as if it were the whole, without reason, lacking in truth, and trivial—such is declared to be of the nature of darkness.
नियतं सङ्गरहितमरागद्वेषतः कृतम्।अफलप्रेप्सुना कर्म यत्तत्सात्त्विकमुच्यते।।18.23।।
Action that is prescribed, performed without attachment, without desire or aversion, and without longing for its result—that is declared to be of the nature of goodness.
यत्तु कामेप्सुना कर्म साहङ्कारेण वा पुनः।क्रियते बहुलायासं तद्राजसमुदाहृतम्।।18.24।।
But action performed with desire for its result, or with pride, and with great effort—that is declared to be of the nature of passion.
अनुबन्धं क्षयं हिंसामनपेक्ष्य च पौरुषम्।मोहादारभ्यते कर्म यत्तत्तामसमुच्यते।।18.25।।
Action undertaken out of delusion, without regard for consequences, loss, harm, or one's own ability—that is declared to be of the nature of darkness.
मुक्तसङ्गोऽनहंवादी धृत्युत्साहसमन्वितः।सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योर्निर्विकारः कर्ता सात्त्विक उच्यते।।18.26।।
One who acts without attachment, without asserting 'I am the doer,' endowed with firmness and enthusiasm, and remains unchanged in success or failure, is called a sattvic agent.
रागी कर्मफलप्रेप्सुर्लुब्धो हिंसात्मकोऽशुचिः।हर्षशोकान्वितः कर्ता राजसः परिकीर्तितः।।18.27।।
One who is passionate, eager for the fruits of action, greedy, violent, impure, and subject to joy and sorrow, is declared to be a rajasic agent.