त्रैगुण्यविषया वेदा निस्त्रैगुण्यो भवार्जुन । निर्द्वन्द्वो नित्यसत्वस्थो निर्योगक्षेम आत्मवान्
The Vedas concern the three qualities; transcend these qualities, O Arjuna. Be free from duality, ever established in purity, unconcerned with acquisition and preservation, and rooted in the Self.
यावानर्थ उदपाने सर्वतः संप्लुतोदके। तावान्सर्वेषु वेदेषु ब्राह्मणस्य विजानतः
As much use as there is in a well when water is overflowing everywhere, so much use is there in all the Vedas for a Brahmin who knows.
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदा च न । मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि
Your right is only to action, never to its fruits at any time. Let not the fruits of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction.
योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनंजय । सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते
Established in discipline, perform actions, abandoning attachment, O Dhananjaya. Being the same in success and failure, this equanimity is called discipline.
दूरेण ह्यवरं कर्म बुद्धियोगाद्धनंजय। बुद्धौ शरणमन्विच्छ कृपणाः फलहेतवः
Indeed, action is inferior to wisdom joined with discipline, O Dhananjaya. Seek refuge in wisdom; those motivated by the fruits of action are pitiable.
बुद्धियुक्तो जहातीहक उभे सुकृतदुष्कृते । तस्माद्योगाय युज्यस्व योगः कर्मसु कौशलम्
Endowed with wisdom, one abandons both good and evil deeds in this world. Therefore, devote yourself to discipline; discipline in action is skillfulness.
कर्मजं बुद्धियुक्ता हि फलं त्यक्त्वा मनीषिणः । जन्मबन्धविनिर्मुक्ताः पदं गच्छन्त्यनामयम्
Those wise ones, joined with understanding, having abandoned the fruit born of action, are freed from the bondage of birth and attain the state free from affliction.
यदा ते मोहकलिलं बुद्धिर्व्यतितरिष्यति। तदा गन्तासि निर्वेदं श्रोतव्यस्य श्रुतस्य च
When your intellect crosses beyond the thicket of delusion, then you will become indifferent to what is to be heard and what has been heard.
श्रुतिविप्रतिपन्ना ते यदा स्थास्यति निश्चला । समाधावचला बुद्धिस्तदा योगमवाप्स्यसि
When your intellect, confused by the scriptures, stands unmoving and steady in concentration, then you will attain yoga.
स्थितप्रज्ञस्य का भाषा समाधिस्थस्य केशव । स्थितधीः किं प्रभाषेत किमासीत व्रजेत किं
O Keśava, what is the description of one whose wisdom is steady, who is established in concentration? How does one of steady mind speak, sit, and move?
प्रजहाति यदा कामान्सर्वान्पार्थ मनोगतान्। आत्मन्येवात्मना तुष्टः स्थितप्रज्ञस्तदोच्यते
When a person abandons all desires arising in the mind, O Pārtha, and is satisfied in the self by the self alone, then he is called one of steady wisdom.
दुःखेष्वनुद्विग्नमनाः सुखेषु विगतस्पृहः। वीतरागभयक्रोधः स्थितधीर्मुनिरुच्यते
One whose mind is undisturbed in sorrow, free from longing in pleasure, who is devoid of attachment, fear, and anger, is called a sage of steady mind.
यः सर्वत्रानभिस्नेहस्तत्तत्प्राप्य शुभाशुभम् । नाभिनन्दति न द्वेष्टि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता
He who is unattached everywhere, who neither rejoices nor hates upon obtaining what is good or bad—his wisdom is established.
यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वशः । इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता
When, like a tortoise withdrawing its limbs, one withdraws the senses entirely from their objects, then his wisdom is established.
विषया विनिवर्तन्ते निराहारस्य देहिनः। रसवर्जं रसोऽप्यस्य परं दृष्ट्वा निवर्तते
Objects withdraw from the embodied one who abstains, but the taste for them remains; even that taste turns away upon seeing the Supreme.
यततो ह्यपि कौन्तेय पुरुषस्य विपश्चितः। इन्द्रियाणि प्रमाथीनि हरन्ति प्रसभं मनः
Even for a wise person who strives, O son of Kunti, the turbulent senses forcibly carry away the mind.
तानि सर्वाणि संयम्य युक्त आसीत मत्परः । वशे हि यस्येन्द्रियामि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता
Having restrained all of them, one should sit in discipline, devoted to Me; for whose senses are under control, his wisdom is established.
ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते। सङ्गात्संजायते कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते
When a person contemplates objects, attachment arises toward them; from attachment arises desire, and from desire, anger is born.
क्रोधाद्भवति संमोहः संमोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रमः । स्मृतिभ्रंशाद्बुदिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति
From anger comes delusion; from delusion, loss of memory; from loss of memory, destruction of understanding; from destruction of understanding, he is ruined.
रागद्वेषवियुक्तैस्तु विषयानिन्द्रियैश्चरन् । आत्मवश्यैर्विधेयात्मा प्रसादमधिगच्छति
But one who moves among objects with senses free from attachment and aversion, self-controlled and with mastery over himself, attains tranquility.
प्रसादे सर्वदुःखानां हानिरस्योपजायते। प्रसन्नचेतसो ह्याशु बुद्धिः पर्यवतिष्ठते
In tranquility, all his sorrows are destroyed; for the intellect of the tranquil-minded quickly becomes steady.
नास्ति बुद्धिरयुक्तस्य न चायुक्तस्य भावना । न चाभावयतः शान्तिरशान्तस्य कुतः सुखम्
There is no wisdom for the unintegrated, nor for the unintegrated is there contemplation; for one lacking contemplation there is no peace, and for the unpeaceful, how can there be happiness?
इन्द्रियाणां हि चरतां यन्मनोऽनुविधीयते । तदस्य हरति प्रज्ञां वायुर्नावमिवाम्भसि
For, as the wind carries away a boat on the water, so does the mind, which follows the wandering senses, carry away his wisdom.
तस्माद्यस्य महाबाहो निगृहीतानि सर्वशः । इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता
Therefore, O mighty-armed one, whose senses are completely restrained from their objects—his wisdom is established.
या निशा सर्वभूतानां तस्यां जागर्तिं संयमी। यस्यां जाग्रति भूतानि सा निशा पश्यतो मुनेः
That which is night for all beings, in that the disciplined one keeps awake; when beings are awake, that is night for the sage who sees.
आपूर्यमाणमचलप्रतिष्ठं समुद्रमापः प्रविशन्ति यद्वत्। तद्वत्कामा यं प्रविशन्ति सर्वे स शान्तिमाप्नोति न कामकामी
As waters enter the ever-full and unmoving ocean, so do all desires enter the one who is at peace; he attains peace, not the one who longs for desires.
विहाय कामान्यः सर्वान्पुमांश्चरति निःस्पृहः । निर्ममो निरहंकारः स शान्तिमधिगच्छति
Whoever moves about, abandoning all desires, free from longing, without possessiveness and without ego, he attains peace.
एषा ब्राह्मी स्थितिः पार्थ नैनां प्राप्य विमुह्यति । स्थित्वास्यामन्तकालेऽपि ब्रह्म निर्वाणमृच्छति
This is the state of Brahman, O Partha; having attained it, one is not deluded. Established in this even at the time of death, one reaches union with Brahman.
ज्यायसी चेत्कर्मणस्ते मता बुद्धिर्जनार्दन। तत्किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव
If you consider knowledge superior to action, O Janardana, then why do you urge me to engage in this terrible action, O Keshava?
व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे । तदेकं वद निश्चित्य येन श्रेयोऽहमाप्नुयाम्
You seem to confuse my understanding with words that are mixed; therefore, tell me one thing with certainty, by which I may attain the highest good.