कार्यमित्येव यत्कर्म नियतं क्रियतेऽर्जुन । सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा फलं चैव स त्यागः सात्विको मतः
But when prescribed action is performed only because it ought to be done, giving up attachment and desire for results, that abandonment is considered sattvic.
न द्वेष्ट्यकुशलं कर्म कुशले नानुषज्जते । त्यागी सत्त्वसमाविष्टो मेधावी छिन्नसंशयः
The one endowed with purity, intelligence, and free from doubt does not hate unpleasant action nor is attached to pleasant action; such an abandoner is filled with goodness.
न हि देहभृता शक्यं त्यक्तुं कर्माण्यशेषतः । यस्तु कर्मफलत्यागी स त्यागीत्यभिधीयते
Indeed, it is not possible for an embodied being to abandon all actions entirely; but one who renounces the fruits of action is truly called an abandoner.
अनिष्टमिष्टं मिश्रं च त्रिविधं कर्मणः फलम् । भवत्यत्यागिनीं प्रेत्य न तु संन्यासिनां क्वचित्
Unpleasant, pleasant, and mixed—these threefold results of action come to those who do not abandon; but never to those who renounce.
पञ्चैतानि महाबाहो कारणानि निबोध मे। साङ्ख्ये कृतान्ते प्रोक्तानि सिद्धये सर्वकर्मणां
Learn from me, O mighty-armed one, the five causes declared in the Sankhya system as necessary for the accomplishment of all actions.
अधिष्ठानं तथा कर्ता करणं च पृथग्विधम्। विविधाश्च पृथक्केष्टा दैवं चैवात्र पञ्चमम्
These are: the body as the seat of action, the agent, the various instruments, the different kinds of activity, and the divine as the fifth.
शरीरवाङ्भनोभिर्यत्कर्म प्रारभते नरः। न्याय्यं वा विपरीतं वा पञ्चैते तस्य हेतवः
Whatever action a person undertakes by body, speech, or mind—whether just or unjust—these five are its causes.
तत्रैवं सति कर्तारमात्मानं केवलं तु यः । पश्यत्यकृतबुद्धित्वान्न स पश्यति दुर्मतिः
But one who, due to unrefined understanding, sees only oneself as the sole agent in this, that person does not truly see.
यस्य नाहंकृतो भवो बुद्धिर्यस्य न लिप्यते । हत्वाऽपि स इमाँल्लोकान्न हन्ति न निबध्यते
One who is free from ego and whose intellect is untainted—though killing these worlds, he neither kills nor is bound.
ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं परिज्ञाता त्रिविधा कर्मचोदना । करणं कर्म कर्तेति त्रिविधः कर्मसंग्रहः
Knowledge, the object of knowledge, and the knower—these three are the impetus for action; instrument, action, and agent—these three are the sum of action.
ज्ञानं कर्म च कर्ता च त्रिधैव गुणभेदतः । प्रोच्यते गुणसंख्याने यथावच्छृणु तान्यपि
Knowledge, action, and agent are declared to be threefold according to the distinction of qualities; hear these as they are explained in the enumeration of qualities.
सर्वभूतेषु येनैकं भावमव्ययमीक्षते । अविभक्तं विभक्तेषु तज्ज्ञानं विद्धि सात्विकं
That knowledge by which one sees the single, imperishable essence in all beings, undivided in the divided—know that to be sattvic.
पृथक्त्वेन तु यज्ज्ञानं नानाभावान्पृथग्विधान् । वेत्ति सर्वेषु भूतेषु तज्ज्ञानं विद्धि राजसम्
But the knowledge by which one perceives various entities of different kinds as separate in all beings—know that to be rajasic.
यत्तु कृत्स्नवदेकस्मिन्कार्ये सक्तमहैतुकम् । अतत्त्वार्थवदल्पं च तत्तासममुदाहृतम्
And that which, clinging to a single effect as if it were the whole, is irrational, without real basis, and limited—such knowledge is called tamasic.
नियतं सङ्गरहितमरागद्वेषतः कृतम् । अफलप्रेप्सुना कर्म यत्तत्सात्विकमुच्यते
Action that is prescribed, performed without attachment, without desire or aversion, by one seeking no reward—that is called sattvic.
यत्तु कामेप्सुना कर्म ताहङ्कारेण वा पुनः। क्रियते बहुलायासं तद्राजसमुदाहृतम्
But action performed with desire, or with self-conceit, or with much effort—that is called rajasic.
अनुबन्धं क्षयं हिंसामनपेक्ष्य च पौरुषम् । मोहादारभ्यते कर्म यत्तत्तामसमुच्यते
Action undertaken out of delusion, disregarding consequences, loss, harm, or one's own ability—that is called tamasic.
मुक्तसङ्गोनहंवादी धृत्युत्साहसमन्वितः । सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योर्निर्विकारः कर्ता सात्विक उच्यते
One who is free from attachment and ego, endowed with resolve and enthusiasm, unchanged in success or failure—such an agent is called sattvic.
रागी कर्मफलप्रेप्सुर्लुब्धो हिंसात्मकोऽशुचिः । हर्षशोकान्वितः कर्ता राजसः परिकीर्तितः
The agent who is passionate, seeking the fruits of action, greedy, violent, impure, subject to joy and sorrow—is called rajasic.
अयुक्तः प्राकृतः स्तब्धः शठो नैकृतिकोऽलसः । विषादी दीर्घसूत्री च कर्ता तामस उच्यते
Unrefined, vulgar, arrogant, deceitful, malicious, lazy, despondent, and procrastinating—the agent is called tamasic.
बुद्धेर्भेदं धृतेश्चैव गुणतस्त्रिविधं श्रृणु । प्रोच्यमानमशेषेण पृथक्त्वेन धनंजय
Hear, O Dhananjaya, the threefold distinction of intellect and resolve according to qualities, as I declare them fully and separately.
प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च कार्याकार्ये भयाभये । बन्धं मोक्षं च या वेत्ति बुद्धिः सा पार्थ सात्विकी
That intellect which knows the path of engagement and withdrawal, what ought to be done and what ought not, fear and fearlessness, bondage and liberation—that, O Partha, is sattvic.
यया धर्ममधर्मं च कार्यं चाकार्यमेव च । अयथावत्प्रजानाति बुद्धिः सा पार्थ राजसी
That intellect by which one incorrectly understands righteousness and unrighteousness, what should be done and what should not—that, O Partha, is rajasic.
अधर्मं धर्ममिति या मन्यते तमसाऽऽवृता। सर्वार्थान्विपरीतांश्च बुद्धिः सा पार्थ तामसी
That intellect, O Partha, which, enveloped in darkness, regards unrighteousness as righteousness and perceives all things in a perverted way—that is tamasic.
धृत्या यया धारयते मनःप्रणेन्द्रियक्रियाः । योगेनाव्यभिचारिण्या धृतिः सा पार्थ सात्विकी
That firmness by which one sustains the activities of the mind, the life-force, and the senses, through unwavering yoga, O Partha, is called sāttvic firmness.
यया तु धर्मकामार्धान्धृत्या धारयतेऽर्जुन । प्रसङ्गेन फलाकाङ्क्षी धृतिः सा पार्थ राजसी
But the firmness by which, O Arjuna, one holds fast to duty, desire, and wealth, seeking their fruits with attachment, that firmness, O Partha, is said to be rājasic.
यथा स्वप्नं भयं शोकं विषादं भदेमेव च । न विमुञ्चति दुर्मेधा धृतिः सा पार्थ तामसी
That firmness by which a person of confused understanding does not abandon sleep, fear, grief, despondency, and even delusion, O Partha, is declared to be tāmasic.
सुखं त्विदानीं त्रिविधं श्रुणु मे भारतर्षभ । अभ्यासाद्रमते यत्र दुःखान्तं च निगच्छति
Now hear from me, O best of the Bharatas, the threefold happiness, in which one delights through practice and by which suffering comes to an end.
यत्तदग्रे विषमिव परिणामेऽमृतोपमम्। तत्सुखं सात्विकं प्रोक्तमात्मबुद्धिप्रसादजम्
That which, in the beginning, is like poison but in the end resembles nectar, that happiness is declared to be sāttvic, born from the clarity of self-understanding.
विषयेन्द्रियसंयोगाद्यत्तदग्रेऽमृतोपभम् । परिणामे विषमिव तत्सुखं राजसं स्मृतम्
That happiness which arises from the contact of the senses with their objects, which at first seems like nectar but in the end is like poison, is known as rājasic.