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.
उत्सीदेरन्प्रजाः सर्वा न कुर्युः कर्म चेद्यदि। [तथा ह्येता न वर्धेरन्कर्म चेदफलं भवेत् ।।]
If people did not act, all creatures would perish; likewise, if actions bore no fruit, these would not thrive.
दृष्ट्वाऽपिच फलं कर्म पश्यामः कुर्वतो जनान्। नान्यथा ह्यपि जानन्ति वृत्तिं लोकाः कथंचन
Seeing the result of action, we observe people acting; for otherwise, the world would not know how livelihood is obtained.
यश्च दिष्टपरो लोके यश्चापि हठवादकः। उभावपि शठावेतौ कर्मबुद्धिः प्रशस्यते
He who relies on fate and he who insists stubbornly—both are deceivers; the understanding based on action is praised.
यो हि दिष्टमुपासीत निर्विचेष्टः सुखं स्वपन्। अवसीदेत्सुदुर्बुद्धिरामो घट इवोदके
He who worships fate, remaining inactive and sleeping comfortably, sinks down, foolish and helpless, like a jar in water.
तथैव हठबुद्धिर्यः शक्तः कर्मण्यकर्मकृत्। आसीत न चिरं जीवेदनाथ इव दुर्बलः
Likewise, one who is stubbornly determined, able to act but does nothing, sits idle and does not live long, like a weak person.
अकस्मादिह यः कश्चिदर्थं प्राप्नोति पूरुषः। तं हठेनेति मन्यन्ते स हि यत्नो न कस्यचित्
If someone suddenly attains some object here, people say it is by force; for such a result, no effort belongs to anyone.
वश्चापि कश्रित्पुरुषो दिष्टं नाम भजत्युत। दैवेन विधिना पार्थ तद्दैवमिति निश्चितम्
And if a person receives what is allotted, it is said to be destiny; by divine ordinance, O Partha, this is certainly fate.
यत्तावस्कर्मणा किंचित्फलमाप्नोति पूरुषः। प्रत्यक्षं चक्षुषा दृष्टं तत्पौरुषमिति श्रुतम्
Whatever result a person obtains through effort, seen directly with the eyes, is known as the fruit of human endeavor.
स्वभावतः प्रवृत्तो यः प्राप्नोत्यर्थं न कारणात्। तत्स्वभावात्प्रकं विद्धि फलं पुरुषसत्तम
One who acts according to his nature and attains a result without any apparent cause—know, O best of men, that this fruit arises from his own nature.
एवं हठाच्च दैवाच्च स्वभावात्कर्मणस्तथा। यानि प्राप्नोति पुरुषस्तत्फलं पूर्वकर्मणाम्
Thus, whether by force, by destiny, by nature, or by action, whatever a person attains is the fruit of previous deeds.
धातापि हि स्वकर्मैव तैस्तैर्हेतुभिरीश्वरः। विदधाति विभज्येह फलं पूर्वकतं नृणाम्
Even the Creator, the Lord, distributes the fruits of previous actions among people, assigning them according to various causes.
यद्धि यः पुरुषः किंचित्कुरुते वै शुभाशुभम्। तद्धातृविहितं विद्धि पूर्वकर्मफलोदयम्
Whatever good or bad a person does, know that it is ordained by the Creator and arises from the fruition of past actions.
कारणं तस्य देहोऽयं धातुः कर्मणि कर्मणि। स यथा प्रेरयत्येनं तथाऽयं कुरुतेऽवशः
This body is the instrument for action, and the Creator impels it in each deed; as He directs, so this one acts, helplessly.
तेषुतेषु हि कृत्येषु विनियोक्ता महेश्वरः। सर्वभूतानि कौन्तेय कारयत्यवशान्यपि
In all these tasks, the great Lord assigns duties; O Kaunteya, He causes all beings to act, even against their will.
मनसाऽर्थान्विनिश्चित्य पश्चात्प्राप्नोति कर्मणा। बुद्धिपूर्वं स्वयं वीर पुरुषस्तत्र कारणम्
After discerning objects with the mind, one attains them through action; first comes understanding, O hero, and in that, the person is the cause.
संख्यातुं नैव शक्यानि कर्माणि पुरुषर्षभ। अगारनगराणां हि सिद्धिः पुरुषहैतुकी
Actions cannot be counted, O best among men; the success of houses and cities depends on human effort.
तिले तैलं गवि क्षीरं काष्ठे पावकमन्ततः। एवं धीरो विजानीयादुपायं चास्य सिद्धये
As oil is in sesame, milk in the cow, and fire in wood, so the wise should know the means for achieving success.
ततः प्रवर्तते पश्चात्कारणेष्वस्व सिद्धये। तां सिद्धिमुपजीवन्ति कर्मणामिह जन्तवः
Then, one proceeds according to the causes for one's own success; living beings here attain that success through action.
कुशलेन कृतं कर्म कर्त्रा साधु स्वनुष्ठितम्। इदं त्वकुशलेनेति विशेषादुपलभ्यते
An act done skillfully by the doer, properly performed, is recognized as good; but if done unskillfully, it is distinguished as otherwise.
इष्टापूर्त्तफलं न स्यान्न शिष्यो न गुरुर्भवेत्। पुरुषः कर्मसाध्येषु स्वाच्चेदयमकारणम्
The fruit of sacrifice and charity would not exist, nor would there be disciple or teacher, if a person were not the cause in accomplishing actions.