त्वं मानुषेणोपहतान्तरात्मा विषादमोहाभिभवाद् विसञ्ज्ञः । नष्टस् स्वम् उत्सृज्य परं प्रकाशं तदात्मतत्त्वं ननु राजसिंह
You, with your inner self clouded by human limitations, overcome by grief and delusion, losing awareness, abandoning your own true nature, O lion among kings, you do not realize the supreme light, your own true self.
अनन्तम् अव्यक्तम् अनादिमध्यम् आत्मानम् आलोकय संविदात्मन् । संविद्वपुस् स्फारम् अलग्नदोषम् अजो ऽसि नित्यो ऽसि निरामयो ऽसि
Behold the Self, infinite, unmanifest, without beginning or middle, whose nature is pure consciousness; your form is consciousness, vast, untouched by defect—you are unborn, eternal, free from affliction.
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन् नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः । अजो नित्यश् शाश्वतो ऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे
It is never born, nor does it ever die; having once come into being, it does not cease to be. Unborn, eternal, everlasting, ancient—it is not slain when the body is slain.
य एनं वेत्ति हन्तारं यश् चैनं मन्यते हतम् । उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायं हन्ति न हन्यते
Whoever thinks this Self is the slayer, and whoever thinks it is slain—both do not understand; it neither kills nor is killed.
अनन्तस्यैकरूपस्य सतस् सूक्ष्मस्य खाद् अपि । आत्मनः परमेशस्य किं कथं केन हन्यते
How can the infinite, the one without a second, the subtle, the very sky itself, the supreme Self, ever be killed, by what, in what way, and by whom?
नार्जुनस् त्वं न हन्ता त्वम् अभिमानम् अलं त्यज । जरामरणनिर्मुक्तस् स्वयम् आत्मासि शाश्वतः
You are not Arjuna, nor are you the slayer; give up this false identification. You are the eternal Self, free from old age and death.
यस्य नाहङ्कृतो भावो यस्य बुद्धिर् न लिप्यते । हत्वापि स इमांल् लोकान् न हन्ति न निबध्यते
He who has no sense of ego, whose intellect is untainted, even if he destroys these worlds, neither kills nor is bound.
यैव सञ्जायते संविद् अन्तस् सैवानुभूयते । अयं सो ऽहम् इदं तन् मे इत्य् अतस् संविदं त्यज
That very consciousness which arises within is what is experienced; therefore, abandon the notion, 'I am this, this is mine, this is me.'
अनयैव च युक्तो ऽस्मि नष्टो ऽस्मीति च भारत । अभितस् सुखदुःखाभ्याम् अवशः परिकृष्यसे
By this very identification, thinking 'I am united' or 'I am lost,' O Bharata, you are helplessly dragged about by pleasure and pain on every side.
स्वात्मांशैः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि भागशः । अहङ्कारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहम् इति मन्यते
Actions are performed in parts by the qualities through the portions of one's own Self; but the deluded by ego thinks, 'I am the doer.'
चक्षुः पश्यतु कर्णश् च शृणोतु त्वक् स्पृशत्व् इयम् । रसना च रसं यातु को ऽत्रैको ऽहम् इति स्थितः
Let the eye see, the ear hear, the skin touch, the tongue taste; who is this one who stands apart and says, 'I alone am this'?
कलनाकर्मनिरते मनस्य् अपि महामते । न कश्चिद् अत्राहम् इति क्लेशभागी क एव ते
Even in the mind, which is engaged in thought and action, O wise one, who here suffers by thinking, 'I am this'? Who is afflicted for you?
बहुभिस् समवायेन यत् कृतं तत्र भारत । एको ऽभिमानदुःखेन हासायैव हि गृह्यते
O Bhārata, what is accomplished by many together is taken lightly when one suffers alone from pride and sorrow.
कायेन मनसा बुद्ध्या केवलैर् इन्द्रियैर् अपि । योगिनः कर्म कुर्वन्ति सङ्गं त्यक्त्वात्मसिद्धये
Yogis perform actions with body, mind, intellect, and even with the senses alone, abandoning attachment, for the realization of the Self.
अहन्त्वविषचूर्णेन येषां कायो न भावितः । कुर्वन्तो ऽपि हरन्तो ऽपि त एते निर्विषूचिकाः
Those whose bodies are not infused with the poison of ego, even while acting or acquiring, remain free from the disease of poison.
न क्वचिद् राजते कायो ममत्वामेध्यदूषितः । प्राज्ञो ऽप्य् अतिबहुज्ञो ऽपि दुश्शील इव मानवः
The body, tainted by impurity of possessiveness, never shines anywhere; even the wise or highly learned, if of bad conduct, are like ordinary men.
निर्ममो निरहङ्कारस् समदुःखसुखः क्षमी । यस् स कार्यम् अकार्यं वा कुर्वन्न् अपि न लिप्यते
He who is free from possessiveness and ego, equal in pleasure and pain, patient—such a one, even while doing right or wrong, is not tainted.
इदं च ते पाण्डुसुत स्वकर्म क्षात्रम् उत्तमम् । अतिक्रूरम् अपि श्रेयस् सुखायैवोदयाय च
O son of Pandu, this noble warrior's duty of yours, though exceedingly harsh, is indeed for good, for happiness and for prosperity.
अपि कुत्सितम् अप्य् अन्त्यम् अप्य् अधर्ममयं कृशम् । श्रेयसे स्वं यथा कर्म न तथेहामृतासवः
Even one's own action, though contemptible, final, filled with unrighteousness, or meager, is for one's own good; not so with the nectar of others.
मूर्खस्यापि स्वकर्मैव श्रेयसे किम् उ सन्मतेः । मतिर् गलदहङ्कारा पतितापि न लिप्यते
Even for the ignorant, their own action is for their good; what need of right understanding? Even if the mind falls into the pit of ego, it is not tainted.
योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय । निस्सङ्गस् त्वं यथाप्राप्तकर्मासि चेन् न बध्यसे
Established in yoga, perform actions, abandoning attachment, O Dhananjaya. If you act without attachment, doing what comes to you, you are not bound.
शान्तब्रह्मवपुर् भूत्वा कर्म ब्रह्ममयं कुरु । ब्रह्मार्पितसमाचारो ब्रह्मैव भवसि क्षणात्
Having become tranquil in the form of Brahman, perform actions as Brahman itself. Conducting yourself as an offering to Brahman, you instantly become Brahman.
ईश्वरार्पितसर्वार्थ ईश्वरात्मा निरामयः । ईश्वरस् सर्वभूतात्मा भव भूषितभूतलः
Dedicating all aims to the Lord, with the Lord as your very self, free from affliction, become the Lord, the self of all beings, adorned upon the earth.
सन्न्यस्तसर्वसङ्कल्पस् समश् शान्तमना मुनिः । सन्न्यासयोगयुक्तात्मा कुर्वन् मुक्तमतिर् भव
Having renounced all intentions, being equal-minded, with a peaceful mind, become a sage. Endowed with the yoga of renunciation, act with a mind set on liberation.
सङ्गत्यागस्य भगवंस् तथा ब्रह्मार्पणस्य च । ईश्वरार्पणरूपस्य सन्न्यासस्य च सर्वग
O Blessed One, likewise, regarding the abandonment of attachment, the offering to Brahman, the form of dedication to the Lord, and renunciation, O All-pervading One—
तथा ज्ञानस्य योगस्य विभागः कीदृशः प्रभो । क्रमेण कथयैतन् मे महामोहनिवृत्तिदम्
And likewise, O Lord, what is the distinction of knowledge and yoga? Please tell me this in order, which dispels great delusion.
सर्वसङ्कल्पसंशान्ताव् एकान्तघनवेदनम् । नकिञ्चिद्भावनाकारं यत् तद् ब्रह्म परं विदुः
When all intentions have become completely pacified, and there is dense, singular awareness, with no formation of any concept—this, they know, is the supreme Brahman.
तदुद्योगं विदुर् ज्ञानं योगं च कृतबुद्धयः । ब्रह्म सर्वं जगद् अहं चेति ब्रह्मार्पणं विदुः
Those who are wise know that effort toward this is knowledge and yoga; and that 'Brahman is all, the world, and myself'—this is known as dedication to Brahman.
अन्तश्शून्यं बहिश्शून्यं पाषाणहृदयोपमम् । शान्तम् आकाशकोशाच्छं न शून्यं न दृषत् परम्
Empty within, empty without, like a heart of stone; tranquil, pure as the space within a vessel, neither void nor utterly solid.
तत ईषद् यद् उत्थानम् ईषद् अन्यतयोदये । स जगत्प्रतिभासो ऽयम् आकाश इव शून्यता
Then, when a slight arising occurs, with the emergence of a slight otherness, this appearance of the world is like emptiness in space.