मदुक्तेनैव मार्गेण मय्यवस्थितचेतसः वृत्त्यंतरनिरोधो यो योग इत्यभिधीयते
Yoga is described as the restraint of the fluctuations of the mind, by the very path I have taught, with the mind established in me.
अश्वमेधगणाच्छ्रेष्ठं देवि चित्तप्रसाधनम् मुक्तिदं च तथा ह्येतद्दुष्प्राप्यं विषयैषिणाम्
O goddess, the calming of the mind is superior to a thousand horse sacrifices; it grants liberation and is difficult to attain for those who seek sense objects.
विजितेंद्रियवर्गस्य यमेन नियमेन च पूर्वपापहरो योगो विरक्तस्यैव कथ्यते
Yoga is said to be for one who has subdued the group of senses through restraint and discipline, and for the dispassionate alone; it removes previous sins.
वैराग्याज्जायते ज्ञानं ज्ञानाद्योगः प्रवर्तते
From dispassion arises knowledge, and from knowledge, yoga proceeds.
योगज्ञः पतितो वापि मुच्यते नात्र संशयः दया कार्याथ सततमहिंसा ज्ञानसंग्रहः
One who knows yoga, or even one who has fallen from it, is liberated—of this there is no doubt; compassion must always be practiced, as well as nonviolence and the gathering of knowledge.
सत्यमस्तेयमास्तिक्यं श्रद्धा चेंद्रियनिग्रहः अध्यापनं चाध्ययनं यजनं याजनं तथा
Truthfulness, non-stealing, faith, self-control, teaching and study, performing and officiating at sacrifices—these are to be observed.
ध्यानमीश्वरभावश्च सततं ज्ञानशीलता य एवं वर्तते विप्रो ज्ञानयोगस्य सिद्धये
Meditation, the sense of divinity, and constant devotion to knowledge—whoever acts thus, as a brāhmaṇa, attains success in the yoga of knowledge.
अचिरादेव विज्ञानं लब्ध्वा योगं च विंदति दग्ध्वा देहमिमं ज्ञानी क्षणाज्ज्ञानाग्निना प्रिये
Very soon, having attained realization and yoga, the knower burns this body in an instant with the fire of knowledge, O beloved.
प्रसादान्मम योगज्ञः कर्मबंधं प्रहास्यति पुण्यःपुण्यात्मकं कर्ममुक्तेस्तत्प्रतिबंधकम् तस्मान्नियोगतो योगी पुण्यापुण्यं विवर्जयेत्
By my grace, the knower of yoga will abandon the bondage of karma—both good and evil actions are obstacles to liberation; therefore, by command, the yogi should renounce both merit and demerit.
फलकामनया कर्मकरणात्प्रतिबध्यते न कर्ममात्रकरणात्तस्मात्कर्मफलं त्यजेत्
It is by desire for the fruit that one is bound by action, not by mere performance of action; therefore, one should renounce the fruit of action.
प्रथमं कर्मयज्ञेन बहिः सम्पूज्य मां प्रिये ज्ञानयोगरतो भूत्वा पश्चाद्योगं समभ्यसेत्
First, by the sacrifice of action, one should worship me outwardly, O beloved; then, being devoted to knowledge and yoga, one should practice yoga afterwards.
विदिते मम याथात्म्ये कर्मयज्ञेन देहिनः न यजंति हि मां युक्ताः समलोष्टाश्मकांचनाः
When my true nature is known, embodied beings do not worship me by the sacrifice of action—those who are equanimous toward clod, stone, and gold.
नित्ययुक्तो मुनिः श्रेष्ठो मद्भक्तश्च समाहितः ज्ञानयोगरतो योगी मम सायुज्यमाप्नुयात्
The ever-engaged, supreme sage, my devoted and concentrated yogi, absorbed in knowledge and yoga, attains union with me.
अथाविरक्तचित्ता ये वर्णिनो मदुपाश्रिताः ज्ञानचर्याक्रियास्वेव ते ऽधिकुर्युस्तदर्हकाः
But those among the twice-born who, though not dispassionate, have taken refuge in me, should engage only in knowledge, conduct, and action, as is appropriate for them.
द्विधा मत्पूजनं ज्ञेयं बाह्यमाभ्यंतरं तथा वाङ्मनःकायभेदाच्च त्रिधा मद्भजनं विदुः
Know that my worship is of two kinds: external and internal. Likewise, my devotion is understood as threefold—by speech, mind, and body.
तपः कर्म जपो ध्यानं ज्ञानं वेत्यनुपूर्वशः पञ्चधा कथ्यते सद्भिस्तदेव भजनं पुनः
Austerity, ritual action, recitation, meditation, and knowledge—these five are described in order by the wise as forms of devotion to me.
अन्यात्मविदितं बाह्यमस्मदभ्यर्चनादिकम् तदेव तु स्वसंवेद्यमाभ्यंतरमुदाहृतम्
That which is performed outwardly, such as my external worship and offerings, is known through others; but what is experienced within oneself is called internal.
मनोमत्प्रवणं चित्तं न मनोमात्रमुच्यते मन्नामनिरता वाणी वाङ्मता खलु नेतरा
A mind inclined toward me is not merely called mind; speech devoted to my name is truly speech, not otherwise.
लिंगैर्मच्छासनादिष्टैस्त्रिपुंड्रादिभिरंकितः ममोपचारनिरतः कायः कायो न चेतरः
The body marked with emblems prescribed by my teachings, such as the tripuṇḍra and others, and engaged in my service, is truly a body—none other.
मदर्चाकर्म विज्ञेयं बाह्ये यागादिनोच्यते मदर्थे देहसंशोषस्तपः कृच्छ्रादि नो मतम्
Know that external worship consists of rituals such as offerings. But mortifying the body for my sake, through austerities like severe penances, is not my teaching.
जपः पञ्चाक्षराभ्यासः प्रणवाभ्यास एव च रुद्राध्यायादिकाभ्यासो न वेदाध्ययनादिकम्
Recitation is the repeated practice of the five-syllable mantra and of the praṇava; the study of Rudra hymns and the like, but not the mere recitation of the Vedas and such.
ध्यानम्मद्रूपचिंताद्यं नात्माद्यर्थसमाधयः ममागमार्थविज्ञानं ज्ञानं नान्यार्थवेदनम्
Meditation is contemplation on my form and the like, not absorption in the self or other objects; knowledge is understanding the meaning of my scriptures, not knowledge of other things.
बाह्ये वाभ्यंतरे वाथ यत्र स्यान्मनसो रतिः प्राग्वासनावशाद्देवि तत्त्वनिष्ठां समाचरेत्
Whether externally or internally, wherever the mind finds delight, O Devi, one should steadfastly practice the truth, according to previous tendencies.
बाह्यादाभ्यंतरं श्रेष्ठं भवेच्छतगुणाधिकम् असंकरत्वाद्दोषाणां दृष्टानामप्यसम्भवात्
Internal worship is superior to external, being endowed with greater merit, for it is free from the faults that are seen in external acts and is not subject to their mixture.
शौचमाभ्यंतरं विद्यान्न बाह्यं शौचमुच्यते अंतः शौचविमुक्तात्मा शुचिरप्यशुचिर्यतः
Know that purity is internal; external purity is not truly called purity. One whose inner self is free from impurity is pure, even if outwardly impure.
बाह्यमाभ्यंर्तरं चैव भजनं भवपूर्वकम् न भावरहितं देवि विप्रलंभैककारणम्
Both external and internal devotion must be accompanied by feeling; O Devi, without feeling, it is only a cause of disappointment.
कृतकृत्यस्य पूतस्य मम किं क्रियते नरैः बहिर्वाभ्यंतरं वाथ मया भावो हि गृह्यते
What can people do for me, who am accomplished and pure, whether externally or internally? For I accept only the inner feeling.
भावैकात्मा क्रिया देवि मम धर्मस्सनातनः मनसा कर्मणा वाचा ह्यनपेक्ष्य फलं क्वचित्
O Devi, action whose essence is feeling is my eternal law—performed by mind, deed, or speech, without any expectation of result.
फलोद्देशेन देवेशि लघुर्मम समाश्रयः फलार्थी तदभावे मां परित्यक्तुं क्षमो यतः
O Lady of the gods, when done for the sake of reward, my shelter is slight; for one who seeks results can abandon me if the result is absent.
फलार्थिनो ऽपि यस्यैव मयि चित्तं प्रतिष्ठितम् भावानुरूपफलदस्तस्याप्यहमनिन्दिते
Yet, O blameless one, even for those who desire results, if their mind is fixed on me, I grant them results according to their devotion.