अयुक्तः प्राकृतः स्तब्धः शठो नैष्कृतिकोऽलसः।विषादी दीर्घसूत्री च कर्ता तामस उच्यते।।18.28।।
One who is unfit, crude, arrogant, deceitful, malicious, lazy, despondent, and procrastinating is called a tamasic agent.
बुद्धेर्भेदं धृतेश्चैव गुणतस्त्रिविधं श्रृणु।प्रोच्यमानमशेषेण पृथक्त्वेन धनञ्जय।।18.29।।
Hear now, O Dhananjaya, the threefold distinction of intellect and resolve according to the qualities, explained fully and separately.
प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च कार्याकार्ये भयाभये।बन्धं मोक्षं च या वेत्ति बुद्धिः सा पार्थ सात्त्विकी।।18.30।।
The intellect which knows action and inaction, what ought to be done and what ought not, fear and fearlessness, bondage and liberation, O Partha, is sattvic.
यया धर्ममधर्मं च कार्यं चाकार्यमेव च।अयथावत्प्रजानाति बुद्धिः सा पार्थ राजसी।।18.31।।
The intellect by which one incorrectly understands righteousness and unrighteousness, what ought to be done and what ought not, O Partha, is rajasic.
अधर्मं धर्ममिति या मन्यते तमसाऽऽवृता।सर्वार्थान्विपरीतांश्च बुद्धिः सा पार्थ तामसी।।18.32।।
The intellect, O Partha, which, enveloped in darkness, regards unrighteousness as righteousness and perceives all things in a distorted way, is tamasic.
धृत्या यया धारयते मनःप्राणेन्द्रियक्रियाः।योगेनाव्यभिचारिण्या धृतिः सा पार्थ सात्त्विकी।।18.33।।
The firmness by which one sustains the functions of mind, life, and senses through unwavering yoga, O Partha, is sattvic.
यया तु धर्मकामार्थान् धृत्या धारयतेऽर्जुन।प्रसङ्गेन फलाकाङ्क्षी धृतिः सा पार्थ राजसी।।18.34।।
The firmness by which, O Arjuna, one holds to righteousness, desire, and wealth, seeking their results with attachment, O Partha, is rajasic.
यया स्वप्नं भयं शोकं विषादं मदमेव च।न विमुञ्चति दुर्मेधा धृतिः सा पार्थ तामसी।।18.35।।
The firmness by which a person of poor understanding does not let go of sleep, fear, sorrow, despondency, and arrogance, O Partha, is tamasic.
सुखं त्विदानीं त्रिविधं श्रृणु मे भरतर्षभ।अभ्यासाद्रमते यत्र दुःखान्तं च निगच्छति।।18.36।।
Now hear from me, O best of Bharatas, the threefold happiness: that in which one delights through practice and attains the end of sorrow, which at first seems like poison but in its result is like nectar, that happiness is said to be sattvic, born of clarity in self-understanding.
यत्तदग्रे विषमिव परिणामेऽमृतोपमम्।तत्सुखं सात्त्विकं प्रोक्तमात्मबुद्धिप्रसादजम्।।18.37।।
That which at first is like poison but in its outcome is like nectar, that happiness is declared sattvic, arising from the serenity of self-understanding.
विषयेन्द्रियसंयोगाद्यत्तदग्रेऽमृतोपमम्।परिणामे विषमिव तत्सुखं राजसं स्मृतम्।।18.38।।
The happiness which arises from the contact of the senses with their objects, which at first appears like nectar but in its result is like poison, is remembered as rajasic.
यदग्रे चानुबन्धे च सुखं मोहनमात्मनः।निद्रालस्यप्रमादोत्थं तत्तामसमुदाहृतम्।।18.39।।
The happiness which, at the beginning and in its effect, deludes the self, arising from sleep, laziness, and negligence, is called tamasic.
न तदस्ति पृथिव्यां वा दिवि देवेषु वा पुनः।सत्त्वं प्रकृतिजैर्मुक्तं यदेभिः स्यात्ित्रभिर्गुणैः।।18.40।।
There is no being on earth or even among the gods in heaven who is free from these three qualities born of nature.
ब्राह्मणक्षत्रियविशां शूद्राणां च परंतप।कर्माणि प्रविभक्तानि स्वभावप्रभवैर्गुणैः।।18.41।।
The duties of Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras, O Parantapa, are divided according to the qualities arising from their own nature.
शमो दमस्तपः शौचं क्षान्तिरार्जवमेव च।ज्ञानं विज्ञानमास्तिक्यं ब्रह्मकर्म स्वभावजम्।।18.42।।
Tranquility, self-control, austerity, purity, patience, uprightness, knowledge, wisdom, and faith are the natural duties of the Brahmin.
शौर्यं तेजो धृतिर्दाक्ष्यं युद्धे चाप्यपलायनम्।दानमीश्वरभावश्च क्षात्रं कर्म स्वभावजम्।।18.43।।
Valor, strength, firmness, skill, not fleeing in battle, generosity, and lordliness are the natural duties of the Kshatriya.
कृषिगौरक्ष्यवाणिज्यं वैश्यकर्म स्वभावजम्।परिचर्यात्मकं कर्म शूद्रस्यापि स्वभावजम्।।18.44।।
Farming, protection of cows, and trade are the natural duties of the Vaishya; service-oriented work is the natural duty of the Shudra.
स्वे स्वे कर्मण्यभिरतः संसिद्धिं लभते नरः।स्वकर्मनिरतः सिद्धिं यथा विन्दति तच्छृणु।।18.45।।
A person devoted to their own duty attains perfection; hear from me how one who is dedicated to their own work achieves success.
यतः प्रवृत्तिर्भूतानां येन सर्वमिदं ततम्।स्वकर्मणा तमभ्यर्च्य सिद्धिं विन्दति मानवः।।18.46।।
By worshipping with one's own work that source from which all beings arise and by which all this is pervaded, a person attains perfection.
श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात्।स्वभावनियतं कर्म कुर्वन्नाप्नोति किल्बिषम्।।18.47।।
One's own duty, though lacking in merit, is better than another's well-performed duty; by acting according to one's own nature, one does not incur sin.
सहजं कर्म कौन्तेय सदोषमपि न त्यजेत्।सर्वारम्भा हि दोषेण धूमेनाग्निरिवावृताः।।18.48।।
One should not abandon work born of one's own nature, even if it is flawed, O son of Kunti; all undertakings are tainted by defects, just as fire is covered by smoke.
असक्तबुद्धिः सर्वत्र जितात्मा विगतस्पृहः।नैष्कर्म्यसिद्धिं परमां संन्यासेनाधिगच्छति।।18.49।।
He whose intellect is unattached everywhere, who has mastered himself and is free from desire, attains the supreme perfection of actionlessness through renunciation.
सिद्धिं प्राप्तो यथा ब्रह्म तथाप्नोति निबोध मे।समासेनैव कौन्तेय निष्ठा ज्ञानस्य या परा।।18.50।।
Learn from me briefly, O son of Kunti, how one who has attained perfection reaches Brahman, the highest culmination of knowledge.
बुद्ध्या विशुद्धया युक्तो धृत्याऽऽत्मानं नियम्य च।शब्दादीन् विषयांस्त्यक्त्वा रागद्वेषौ व्युदस्य च।।18.51।।
Endowed with purified intellect, controlling oneself with firmness, abandoning sense objects like sound, and casting aside attachment and aversion,
विविक्तसेवी लघ्वाशी यतवाक्कायमानसः।ध्यानयोगपरो नित्यं वैराग्यं समुपाश्रितः।।18.52।।
Living in solitude, eating lightly, controlling speech, body, and mind, always devoted to meditation, and embracing detachment,
अहङ्कारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं परिग्रहम्।विमुच्य निर्ममः शान्तो ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते।।18.53।।
Having given up ego, strength, arrogance, desire, anger, and possessiveness, becoming free from 'mine' and peaceful, one becomes fit for union with Brahman.
ब्रह्मभूतः प्रसन्नात्मा न शोचति न काङ्क्षति।समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु मद्भक्तिं लभते पराम्।।18.54।।
Becoming Brahman, with a cheerful self, one neither grieves nor desires; equal towards all beings, one attains supreme devotion to me.
भक्त्या मामभिजानाति यावान्यश्चास्मि तत्त्वतः।ततो मां तत्त्वतो ज्ञात्वा विशते तदनन्तरम्।।18.55।।
By devotion, one comes to know me truly, who I am and what I am; having known me thus, one enters into me immediately thereafter.
सर्वकर्माण्यपि सदा कुर्वाणो मद्व्यपाश्रयः।मत्प्रसादादवाप्नोति शाश्वतं पदमव्ययम्।।18.56।।
Even while always performing all actions, taking refuge in me, by my grace one attains the eternal, imperishable state.
चेतसा सर्वकर्माणि मयि संन्यस्य मत्परः।बुद्धियोगमुपाश्रित्य मच्चित्तः सततं भव।।18.57।।
With mind surrendered to me, making me the supreme goal, relying on the yoga of intellect, dedicate all actions to me and be absorbed in me always.