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.
सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्याः प्रकृतेर्ज्ञानवानपि । प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि निग्रहः किं करिष्यति
Even a person of knowledge acts according to his own nature; all beings follow their nature—what can restraint accomplish?
इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ । तयोर्न वशमागच्छेत्तौ ह्यस्य परिपन्थिनौ
Attachment and aversion are established in each sense toward its objects; one should not come under their control, for they are obstacles on the path.
श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् । स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः
Better is one's own duty, though lacking in merit, than another's duty well performed; death in one's own duty is better, another's duty brings fear.
अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुषः। अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजितः
But by what is a person impelled to commit sin, O descendant of Vṛṣṇi, even unwillingly, as if driven by force?
काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः । महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम्
It is desire, it is anger, born of the quality of passion; know this as the great devourer, the great sinner, the enemy here.
धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथाऽऽदर्शो मलेन च। यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम्
As fire is covered by smoke, a mirror by dust, and an embryo by the womb, so is this (knowledge) covered by that (desire).
आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा । कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च
Knowledge is covered by this constant enemy of the wise, O son of Kunti, taking the form of desire, which is insatiable as fire.
इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिरस्याधिष्ठानमुच्यते । एतैर्विमोहयत्येष ज्ञानमावृत्त्य देहिनम्
The senses, the mind, and the intellect are said to be its seat; through these, it deludes the embodied being by veiling knowledge.
तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ । पाप्मानं प्रजहि ह्येनं ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम्
Therefore, O best of the Bharatas, restrain the senses first, and destroy this sinful one, the destroyer of knowledge and wisdom.
इन्द्रियामि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः । मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्यो बुद्धेः परतस्तु सः
They say the senses are superior, the mind is superior to the senses, the intellect is superior to the mind, and that which is superior to the intellect is He.