शिष्टैराचरितं धर्मं कृष्णे मास्मातिशङ्कथाः। पुराणमृषिभिः प्रोक्तं सर्वज्ञैः सर्वदर्शिभिः
Do not doubt, O Kṛṣṇā, the dharma practiced by the virtuous; it was declared by ancient seers, by those who know all and see all.
धर्म एव प्लवो नान्यः स्वर्गं द्रौपदि गच्छताम्। सैवः नौः सागरस्येव वणिजः पारमिच्छतः
Dharma alone is the raft, O Draupadī, for those who seek heaven; it is like a boat for a merchant wishing to cross the sea.
अफलो यदि धर्मः स्याच्चरितो धर्मचारिभिः। अप्रतिष्ठे तमस्येतज्जगन्मज्जेदनिन्दिते
If dharma, as practiced by the followers of dharma, were fruitless, O blameless one, this world would sink into ungrounded darkness.
निर्वाणं नाधिगच्छेयुर्जीवेयुः पशुजीविकाम्। विघातेनैव युज्येयुर्न चार्थं कंचिदाप्नुयुः
They would not attain liberation, they would live the life of beasts; they would be engaged only in hardship and would not obtain any goal.
तपश्च ब्रह्मचर्यं च यज्ञः स्वाध्याय एव च। दानमार्जवमेतानि यदि स्युरफलानि वै
If austerity, celibacy, sacrifice, study of the Veda, giving, and uprightness were indeed fruitless—
नाचरिष्यन्परे धर्मं परे परतरेऽपि च। दानमार्जवमेतानि यदि स्युरफलानि वै
Then others, even the highest, would not practice dharma; if giving and uprightness were indeed fruitless—
ऋषयस्चैव देवाश्च गन्धर्वासुरराक्षसाः। ईश्वराः कस्य हेतोस्ते चरेयुर्धर्ममादृताः
Why then, O lady, would seers, gods, gandharvas, asuras, rākṣasas, and lords, practice dharma with reverence?
फलदं त्विह विज्ञाय धातारं श्रेयसि स्थितम्। धर्मं तेऽव्यचरन्कृष्णे स हि धर्म सनातनः
But knowing that the Giver, established in the highest good, bestows fruit here, they practiced dharma, O Kṛṣṇā, for that dharma is eternal.
स चायं सफलो धर्मो न धर्मोऽफल उच्यते। दृश्यन्तेऽपि हि विद्यानां फलानि तपसां तथा
And this dharma is indeed fruitful; it is not called fruitless. For the fruits of knowledge and of austerities are indeed seen.
त्वय्येतद्वै विजानीहि जन्म कृष्णे यथाश्रुतम्। वेत्थ चापि यथा जातो धृष्टद्युम्नः प्रतापवान्
Know this, O Kṛṣṇā, as you have heard about birth; and you also know how the mighty Dhṛṣṭadyumna was born.
एतावदेव पर्याप्तमुपमानं शुचिस्मिते। कर्मणां फलमस्तीति धीरोऽल्पेनापि तुष्यति
This alone, O pure-smiled one, is sufficient as an example: that actions have fruit, and the wise are satisfied even with little.
बहुनाऽपि ह्यविद्वांसो नैव तुष्यन्त्यबुद्धयः। तेषां न ध्मजं किंचित्प्रेत्य कर्मास्ति शर्म वा
But the unwise, though told much, are never satisfied; for them, after death, there is no fruit of action nor happiness.
कर्मणामुत पुण्यानां पापानां च फलोदयः। प्रभवश्चाप्ययश्चैव देवगुह्यानि भामिनि
The arising of the fruits of actions, both good and bad, and their origin and destruction, O fair lady, are divine mysteries.
नैतानि वेद यः कश्चिन्मुह्यन्त्यत्र प्रजा इमाः। [अपि कल्पसहस्रेण न च श्रेयोऽधिगच्छति ।।]
No one knows these things; people are bewildered by them, and even in a thousand aeons, they do not attain the highest good.
रक्ष्याण्येतानि देवानां गूढमाया हि देवताः। कृशाङ्गाः सुब्रताश्चैव तपसा दग्धकिल्विषाः। प्रसन्नैर्मानसैर्युक्ताः पश्यन्त्येतानि वै द्विजाः
These are to be protected, for they are the hidden mysteries of the gods. The thin-bodied, well-disciplined, whose sins are burned by austerity, whose minds are serene—such twice-born ones perceive these.
न फलादर्सनाद्धर्मः शङ्कितव्यो न देवताः। यष्टव्यं च प्रयत्नेन दातव्यं चानमूयता
Dharma and the gods should not be doubted because their fruits are unseen; one should worship with effort and give without hesitation.
कर्मणां फलमस्तीह तथैतद्धर्मशासनम्। ब्रह्मा प्रोवाच पुत्राणां यदृषिर्वेद काश्यपः
There is indeed a result for actions here; such is the teaching of dharma, as Brahma spoke to his sons and as the seer Kashyapa taught in the Veda.
तस्मात्ते संशयः कृष्णे नीहार इव नश्यतु। विमृश्य सर्वमस्तीति नास्तिक्यं भावमुत्सृज
Therefore, O Krishna, let your doubt vanish like mist; having considered everything, know that results exist—abandon any inclination toward disbelief.
ईश्वरं चापि भूतानां धातारं मा च वै क्षिप। शिक्षस्वैनं नमस्वैनं मा तेऽभूद्बुद्धिरीदृशी
And do not disregard the Lord, the creator of beings; learn of Him, honor Him—do not let your mind take such a course.
यस्य प्रसादात्तद्भक्तो मर्त्यो गच्छत्यमर्त्यताम्। उत्तमां देवतां कृष्णे मातिवोचः कथंचन
By His grace, a devoted mortal attains immortality; never, O Krishna, should you speak lightly of the supreme deity.
नावमन्ये न गर्हे च धर्मं पार्थ कथंचन। ईश्वरं कुत एवाहमवमंस्ये प्रजापतिम्
I never disregard nor disparage dharma in any way, O Partha; how then could I ever belittle the Lord, the creator of beings?
आर्ताऽहं प्रलपामीदमिति मां विद्धि भारत। भूयश्च विलपिष्यामि सुमनास्त्वं निबोध मे
Know me, O Bharata, to be distressed and lamenting thus; yet I will lament further—listen to me with a calm mind.
कर्म खल्विह कर्तव्यं जातेनामित्रकर्शन। अकर्माणो हि जीवन्ति स्थावरा नेतरे जनाः
Indeed, action must be performed by one who is born, O subduer of foes; for only immobile beings live without action, not other creatures.
आमातृस्तन्यपानाच्च यावच्छय्योपसर्पणम्। जङ्गमाः कर्मणा वृत्तिमाप्नुवन्ति युधिष्ठिर
From the time of drinking mother's milk until approaching the bed, O Yudhishthira, living beings obtain their livelihood through action.
जङ्गमेषु विशेषेण मनुष्या भरतर्षभ। इच्छन्ति कर्मणा वृत्तिमवाप्तुं प्रेत्य चेह च
Especially among moving beings, O best of the Bharatas, humans desire to obtain their livelihood through action, both here and after death.
उत्थानमभिजानन्ति सर्वभूतानि भारत। प्रत्यक्षं फलमश्नन्ति कर्मणां लोकसाक्षिकम्
All beings, O Bharata, recognize effort; they experience the visible result of actions, witnessed by the world.
पश्यन्तः स्वं समुत्थानमुपजीवन्ति जन्तरः। अपि धाता विधाता च यथाऽयमुदके बकः
Seeing their own effort, creatures sustain themselves; even the creator and the ordainer, just as this heron in the water.
[अकर्मणां वै भूतानां वृत्तिः स्वान्न हि काचन। तदेवाभिप्रपद्येत न विहन्यात्कदाचन ।।]
For beings who do not act, there is truly no means of livelihood; one should pursue only that, and never hinder it at any time.
स्वकर्म कुरु माहासीः कर्मणा भव दंशितः। कृत्यं हि योऽभिजानाति सहस्रे सोस्ति नास्ति वां
Perform your own duty; do not be negligent in action; among a thousand, only one knows what ought to be done.
तस्य चापि भवेत्कार्वं विवृद्धौ रक्षणे तथा। भक्ष्यमाणो द्यनावाषः क्षीयेत हिमवानपि
And for him too, there should be effort in growth and protection; even the mighty Himalaya would be diminished if continually eroded.