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.
लोकेऽस्मिन्द्विविधा निष्ठा पुरा प्रोप्ता मयाऽनघ। ज्ञानयोगेन साङ्ख्यानां कर्मयोगेन योगिनाम्
In this world, two paths were declared by me in ancient times, O sinless one: the path of knowledge for the Sankhyas, and the path of action for the Yogins.
न कर्मणामनारम्भान्नैष्कर्म्यं पुरुषोऽश्रुते। न च संन्यसनादेव सिद्धिं समधिगच्छति
A person does not attain freedom from action by not commencing work; nor does he reach perfection merely by renunciation.
न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् । कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः
Indeed, no one ever remains even for a moment without performing action; everyone is compelled to act by the qualities born of nature.
कर्मेन्द्रियाणि संयम्य य आस्ते मनसा स्मरन् । इन्द्रियार्थान्विमूढात्मा मिथ्याचाराः स उच्यते
He who restrains the organs of action but sits remembering sense objects in his mind, that deluded person is called a hypocrite.
यस्त्विन्द्रियाणि पनसा नियम्यारमभतेऽर्जुन। कर्मेन्द्रियैः कर्मयोगमसक्तः स विशिष्यते
But he who, controlling the senses by the mind, undertakes the yoga of action with the organs of action, unattached, he excels, O Arjuna.
नियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं ज्यायो ह्यकर्मणः । शरीरयात्रापि च ते न प्रतिद्ध्येदकर्मणः
Perform prescribed action; action is superior to inaction. Even the maintenance of your body would not be possible by inaction.
यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्मबन्धनः। तदर्थं कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्तसङ्गः समाचर
Except for actions done for sacrifice, this world is bound by action; therefore, O Kaunteya, perform action for that purpose, free from attachment.
सहयज्ञाः प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा पुरोवाच प्रजापतिः । अनेन प्रसविष्यध्वमेष वोऽस्त्विष्टकामधुक्
Having created beings together with sacrifice in the beginning, the Lord of beings said: 'By this shall you multiply; let this be the wish-fulfilling cow for you.'
देवान्भावयताऽनेन ते देवा भावयन्तु वः। परस्परं भावयन्तः श्रेयः परमवाप्स्यथ
With this, nourish the gods, and may those gods nourish you; thus nourishing one another, you shall attain the highest good.
इष्टान्भोगान्हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते यज्ञभाविताः। तैर्दत्तानप्रदायैभ्यो यो भुङ्क्ते स्तेन एव सः
The gods, nourished by sacrifice, will grant you desired enjoyments. He who enjoys what is given by them without offering in return is indeed a thief.
यज्ञशिष्टाशिनः सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषैः । भुञ्जते ते त्वघं पापा ये पचन्त्यात्मकारणात्
The righteous, who eat the remnants of sacrifice, are freed from all sins; but those sinful ones who cook for their own sake alone, they eat sin.
अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसंभवः । यज्ञाद्भवति पर्जन्यो यज्ञः कर्मसमुद्भवः
From food, beings come into being; from rain, food is produced; from sacrifice, rain arises; and sacrifice is born of action.
कर्म ब्रह्मोद्भवं विद्धि ब्रह्माऽक्षरसमुद्भवम् । तस्मात्सर्वगतं ब्रह्म नित्यं यज्ञे प्रतिष्ठितम्
Know that action arises from Brahman, and Brahman arises from the Imperishable; therefore, Brahman, which pervades all, is ever established in sacrifice.
एवं प्रवर्तितं चक्रं नानुवर्तयतीह यः । अघायुरिन्द्रियारामो मोघं पार्थ स जीवति
Whoever does not follow here the cycle thus set in motion, living a life of sin, delighting in the senses, O Partha, lives in vain.
यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानवः । आत्मन्येव च संतुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते
But the person who finds joy in the self alone, who is satisfied in the self, and content in the self only—such a one has no duty to perform.
नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थो नाकृतेनेह कश्चन। न चास्य सर्वभूतेषु कश्चिदर्थव्यपाश्रयः
For him there is no purpose in what is done or not done here; nor does he depend on any being for any purpose.
तस्मादसक्तः सततं कार्यं कर्म समाचर । असक्तो ह्याचरन्कर्म परमाप्नोति पुरूषः
Therefore, always perform the work that must be done, without attachment; for by acting without attachment, a person attains the highest.
कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः । लोकसंग्रहमेवापि संपश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि
Indeed, it was through action alone that Janaka and others attained perfection; even for the sake of preserving the world, you should act.
यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः । स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते
Whatever a superior person does, others follow; the standard he sets, the world follows.
न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किंचन । नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि
O Partha, there is nothing whatsoever for me to do in the three worlds, nothing unattained or to be attained; yet I remain engaged in action.