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.
यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः । मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः
For if I did not ever engage in action with diligence, O Partha, people would follow my path in every way.
उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां कर्म चेदहम् । संकरस्य च कर्ता स्यामुपहन्यामिमाः प्रजाः
These worlds would perish if I did not act; I would be the cause of confusion and would destroy these beings.
सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत । कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथाऽसक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसंग्रहम्
Just as the unwise, attached to action, act, O Bharata, so should the wise act, without attachment, wishing to maintain the world.
न बुद्धिभेदं जनयेदज्ञानां कर्मसङ्गिनाम् । जोषयेत्सर्वकर्माणि विद्वान्युक्तः समाचरन्
Let not the wise unsettle the minds of the ignorant who are attached to action; acting with discipline, he should engage them in all actions.
प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः। अहङ्कारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते
All actions are performed by the qualities of nature; but one whose mind is deluded by ego thinks, 'I am the doer.'
तत्त्ववित्तु महाबाहो गुणकर्मविभागयोः । गुणा गुणेषु वर्तन्त इति मत्वा न सञ्जते
But the knower of truth, O mighty-armed, about the distinction of qualities and actions, knowing that qualities act upon qualities, is not attached.
प्रकृतेर्गुणसंमूढाः सञ्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु। तानकृत्स्नविदो मन्दान्कृत्स्नविन्न विचालयेत्
Those deluded by the qualities of nature become attached to actions of the qualities; but the knower of the whole should not disturb the dull-witted who know only in part.
मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि संन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा । निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वरः
Dedicating all actions to me, with mind fixed on the self, free from desire and possessiveness, fight, free from mental fever.
ये मे मतमिदं नित्यमनुतिष्ठन्ति मानवाः । श्रद्धावन्तोऽनसूयन्तो मुच्यन्ते तेऽपि कर्मभिः
Those people who constantly follow this teaching of mine with faith and without envy, they too are freed from actions.
ये त्वेतदभ्यसूयन्तो नानुतिष्ठन्ति मे मतम् । सर्वज्ञानविमूढांस्तान्विद्धि नष्टानचेतसः
But those who, out of envy, do not follow this teaching of mine, know them, deluded in all knowledge and lost in mind, as ruined.