एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्धाः संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना । जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम्
Thus, knowing that which is higher than the intellect, steady the self by the self, and O mighty-armed one, destroy the enemy in the form of desire, difficult to conquer.
इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवानहमव्ययम् । विवस्वान्मनवे प्राह मनुरिक्ष्वाकवेऽब्रवीत्
I taught this imperishable yoga to Vivasvat; Vivasvat taught it to Manu, and Manu told it to Ikṣvāku.
एवं परम्पराप्राप्तमिमं राजर्षयोऽविदुः । स कालेनेह महता योगो नष्टः परंतप
Thus, received through succession, the royal sages knew this; but through the passage of great time, O scorcher of foes, this yoga was lost here.
स एवायं मया तेऽद्य योगः प्रोक्तः पुरातनः । भक्तोऽसि मे सखा चेति रहस्यं ह्येतदुत्तमम्
That same ancient yoga has been declared to you by me today, for you are my devotee and friend; this is indeed the supreme secret.
अपरं भवतो जन्म परं जन्म विवस्वतः। कथमेतद्विजानीयां त्वमादौ प्रोक्तवानिति
Your birth is later, Vivasvat's birth is earlier; how am I to understand that you taught this in the beginning?
बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि जन्मानि तव चार्जुन । तान्यहं वेद सर्वाणि न त्वं वेत्थ परंतप
Many births of mine have passed, as well as yours, O Arjuna; I know them all, but you do not, O scorcher of foes.
अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन् । प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय संभवाम्यात्ममायया
Though I am unborn, of imperishable self, and the Lord of beings, yet, abiding in my own nature, I manifest myself by my own power.
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत। अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदाऽऽत्मानं सृजाम्यहम्
Whenever there is a decline of righteousness, O Bharata, and a rise of unrighteousness, then I manifest myself.
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम्। धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय संभवामि युगे युगे
For the protection of the righteous, for the destruction of evildoers, and for the establishment of righteousness, I come into being age after age.
जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः । त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म नैति मामेति सोऽर्जुन
Whoever truly knows the divine nature of my birth and deeds, upon leaving the body, does not take birth again, but comes to me, O Arjuna.
वीतरागभयक्रोधा मन्मया मामुपाश्रिताः । बहवो ज्ञानतपसा पूता मद्भावमागताः
Freed from passion, fear, and anger, absorbed in me, taking refuge in me, many, purified by the austerity of knowledge, have attained my state.
ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तांस्तथैव भजाम्यहम् । मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः
In whatever way people approach me, in that very way do I respond to them; O Pārtha, all people follow my path in every way.
काङ्क्षन्तः कर्मणां सिद्धिं यजन्त इह देवताः । क्षिप्रं हि मानुषे लोके सिद्धिर्भवति कर्मजा
Desiring success in actions, people here worship the deities, for in the human world, success from actions is quickly gained.
चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागशः । तस्य कर्तारमपि मां विद्ध्यकर्तारमव्ययम्
The fourfold order was created by me according to division of qualities and actions; though I am its creator, know me as the non-doer, imperishable.
न मां कर्माणि लिम्पन्ति न मे कर्मफले स्पृहा । इति मां योऽभिजानाति कर्मभिर्न स बध्यते
Actions do not taint me, nor do I desire the fruits of actions; whoever truly knows me thus is not bound by actions.
एवं ज्ञात्वा कृतं कर्म पूर्वैरपि मुमुक्षुभिः । कुरु कर्मैव तस्मात्त्वं पूर्वैः पूर्वतरं कृतम्
Knowing this, even the ancient seekers of liberation performed action; therefore, you too should act as the ancients did in former times.
किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिताः । तत्ते कर्म प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात्
What is action, and what is inaction? Even the wise are confused here; I will explain to you that action, knowing which you will be freed from evil.
कर्मणो ह्यपि बोद्धव्यं बोद्धव्यं च विकर्मणः । अकर्मणश्च बोद्धव्यं गहना कर्मणो गतिः
One must understand action, one must understand wrong action, and one must understand inaction; the path of action is indeed deep.
कर्मण्यकर्म यः पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म यः । स बुद्धिमान्मनुष्येषु स युक्तः कृत्स्नकर्मकृत्
Whoever sees inaction in action and action in inaction, he is wise among men; he is integrated, a doer of all actions.
यस्य सर्वे समारम्भाः कामसंकल्पवर्जिताः । ज्ञानाग्निदग्धकर्माणं तमाहुः पण्डितं बुधाः
He whose undertakings are all free from desire and intention, whose actions are burned up by the fire of knowledge, the wise call him learned.
त्यक्त्वा कर्मफलासङ्गं नित्यतृप्तो निराश्रयः । कर्मण्यभिप्रवृत्तोऽपि नैव किंचित्करोति सः
Having abandoned attachment to the fruits of action, ever content, dependent on nothing, even while engaged in action, he does nothing at all.
निराशीर्यतचित्तात्मा त्यक्तसर्वपरिग्रहः । शारीरं केवलं कर्म कुर्वन्नाप्नोति किल्बिषम्
Without expectation, with mind and self controlled, having renounced all possessions, performing only bodily action, he incurs no fault.
यदृच्छालाभसंतुष्टो द्वन्द्वातीतो विमत्सरः। समः सिद्धावसिद्धौ च कृत्वापि न निबध्यते
Content with whatever comes by chance, beyond dualities, free from envy, equal in success and failure, though acting, he is not bound.
गतसङ्गस्य मुक्तस्य ज्ञानावस्थितचेतसः । यज्ञायाचरतः कर्म समग्रं प्रविलीयते
For one who is free from attachment, liberated, with mind established in knowledge, acting for the sake of sacrifice, all his actions dissolve entirely.
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् । ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्म कर्म समाधिना
The offering is Brahman, the oblation is Brahman, offered by Brahman into the fire of Brahman; Brahman alone is to be reached by him who sees Brahman in every action.
दैवमेवापरे यज्ञं योगिनः पर्युपासते। ब्रह्माग्नावपरे यज्ञं यज्ञेनैवोपजुह्वति
Some yogis worship sacrifice only to the gods, while others offer sacrifice as sacrifice itself into the fire of Brahman.
श्रोत्रादीनीन्द्रियाण्यन्ये संयमाग्निषु जुह्वति । शब्दादीन्विषयानन्य इन्द्रियाग्निषु जुह्वति
Some offer the senses such as hearing and others into the fire of restraint; others offer sense objects such as sound into the fire of the senses.
सर्वाणीन्द्रियकर्माणि प्राणकर्माणि चापरे । आत्मसंयमयोगाग्नौ जुह्वति ज्ञानदीपिते
Others offer all the actions of the senses and the actions of the vital breaths into the fire of self-restraint, kindled by knowledge.
द्रव्ययज्ञास्तपोयज्ञा योगयज्ञास्तथापरे। स्वाध्यायज्ञानयज्ञाश्च यतयः संशितव्रताः
Some ascetics, firm in their vows, perform sacrifices with material offerings, others with austerity, others with yoga, and still others with study and knowledge.
अपाने जुह्वति प्राणं प्राणेऽपानं तथाऽपरे । प्राणापानगती रुद्ध्वा प्राणायामपरायणाः
Some offer the outgoing breath into the incoming, and others the incoming into the outgoing; having restrained the movements of both, they are devoted to breath control.