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.
अपरे नियताहाराः प्राणान्प्राणेषु जुह्वति । सर्वेऽप्येते यज्ञविदो यज्ञक्षपितकल्मषाः
Others, with regulated diet, offer the vital breaths into the vital breaths; all these are knowers of sacrifice, whose sins are consumed by sacrifice.
यज्ञशिष्टामृतभुजो यान्ति ब्रह्म सनातनम् । नायं लोकोऽस्त्ययज्ञस्य कुतोऽन्यः कुरुसत्तम
Those who partake of the nectar of sacrifice, left as its residue, attain the eternal Brahman; for one who does not sacrifice, there is no world here—how then any other, O best of the Kurus?
एवं बहुविधा यज्ञा वितता ब्रह्मणो मुखे। कर्मजान्विद्धि तान्सर्वानेवं ज्ञात्वा विमोक्ष्यसे
Thus, many kinds of sacrifices are spread forth at the mouth of Brahman; know them all to be born of action. Knowing this, you shall be liberated.
श्रेयान्द्रव्यमयाद्यजाज्ज्ञानयज्ञः परंतप । सर्वं कर्माखिलं पार्थ ज्ञाने परिसमाप्यते
O scorcher of foes, the sacrifice of knowledge is superior to sacrifices with material offerings; all actions, O Pārtha, culminate in knowledge.
तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया । उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः
Know that by humble reverence, by inquiry, and by service, the wise who see the truth will instruct you in knowledge.
यज्ज्ञात्वा न पुनर्मोहमेवं यास्यसि पाण्डव । येन भूतान्यशेषेण द्रक्ष्यस्यात्मन्यथो मयि
Knowing this, O Pāṇḍava, you will not again fall into such delusion; by this, you will see all beings without exception in yourself and also in Me.
अपि चेदसि पापेभ्यः सर्वेभ्यः पापकृत्तमः । सर्वं ज्ञानप्लवेनैव वृजिनं संतरिष्यसि
Even if you are the most sinful among all sinners, you will cross over all evil by the raft of knowledge alone.
यथैधांसि समिद्धोऽग्निर्भस्मासात्कुरुतेऽर्जुन । ज्ञानाग्निः सर्वकर्माणि भस्मसात्कुरुते यथा
Just as a blazing fire reduces fuel to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge reduce all actions to ashes.
न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते। तत्स्वयं योगसंसिद्धः कालेनात्मनि विन्दति
Indeed, there is nothing here as purifying as knowledge; one perfected in yoga discovers this in oneself in due time.
श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः । ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परां शान्तिमचिरेणाधिगच्छति
The one who has faith, who is devoted, and who has mastered the senses, attains knowledge; having attained knowledge, he quickly reaches supreme peace.