06025001a jyAyasI cet karmaNas te matA buddhir janArdana 'If devotion, O janArdana, is regarded by thee as superior to work,
06025001c tat kiGM karmaNi ghore mAnM niyojayasi kezava why then, O kezava, dost thou engage me in such dreadful work?
06025002a vyAmizreNaiva vAkyena buddhimM mohayasIva me By equivocal words thou seemest to confound my understanding.
06025002c tad ekaM vada nizcitya yena zreyo 'ham ApnuyAm Therefore, tell (me) one thing definitely by which I may attain to what is good.'
06025003 zrIbhagavAn uvAca 'The Holy One said,--
06025003a loke 'smin dvividhA niSThA purA proktA mayAnagha 'It hath already been said by me, O sinless one, that here are, in this world, two kinds of devotion;
06025003c jJAnayogena sAGMkhyAnAGM karmayogena yoginAm that of the Sankhyas through knowledge and that of the yogins through work.
06025004a na karmaNAm anArambhAn naiSkarmyamM puruSo 'znute A man doth not acquire freedom from work from (only) the non-performance of work.
06025004c na ca sanMnyasanAd eva siddhiM samadhigacchati Nor doth he acquire final emancipation from only renunciation (of work).
06025005a na hi kaz cit kSaNam api jAtu tiSThaty akarmakRt No one can abide even for a moment without doing work.
06025005c kAryate hy avazaH karma sarvaH prakRtijair guNaiH
06025006a karmendriyANi saMyamya ya Aste manasA smaran 1 That man of deluded soul who, curbing the organs of sense, liveth mentally cherishing
06025006c indriyArthAn vimUDhAtmA mithyAcArasH sa ucyate the objects of sense, is said to be a hipocryte.
06025007a yas tv indriyANi manasA niyamyArabhate 'rjuna He however, O arjuna, who restraining (his) senses by his mind,
06025007c karmendriyaiH karmayogam asaktaH sa viziSyate engageth in devotion (in the form) of work with the organs of work, and is free from attachment, is distinguished (above all).
06025008a niyataGM kuru karma tvaGM karma jyAyo hy akarmaNaH (Therefore), do thou always apply yourself to work, for action is better than inaction.
06025008c zarIrayAtrApi ca te na prasidhyed akarmaNaH Even the support of thy body cannot be accomplished without work.
06025009a yajJArthAt karmaNo 'nyatra loko 'yaGM karmabandhanaH This world is fettered by all work other than that which is (performed) for Sacrifice.
06025009c tadarthaGM karma kaunteya muktasaGgasH samAcara (Therefore), O son of kuntI, perform work for the sake of that, freed from attachment.
06025010a sahayajJAH prajAH sRSTvA purovAca prajApatiH In olden times, the Lord of Creation, creating men and sacrifice together, said,--
06025010c anena prasaviSyadhvam eSa vo 'stv iSTakAmadhuk multiply by means of this. Let this be your dispenser of all desired objects.
06025011a devAn bhAvayatAnena te devA bhAvayantu vaH Rear the gods with this, and let the gods (in return) rear you.
06025011c parasparamM bhAvayantazH zreyaH param avApsyatha Thus fulfilling the mutual interest you will obtain that which is beneficial (to you).
06025012a iSTAn bhogAn hi vo devA dAsyante yajJabhAvitAH Propitiated with sacrifices the gods will bestow on you the pleasures you desire.
06025012c tair dattAn apradAyaibhyo yo bhuGkte stena eva saH He who enjoyeth (himself) without giving them what they have given, is assuredly a thief.
06025013a yajJaziSTAzinasH santo mucyante sarvakilbiSaiH The good who eat the remnant of sacrifices are freed from all sins.
06025013c bhuJjate te tv aghamM pApA ye pacanty AtmakAraNAt Those unrighteous ones incur sin who dress food for their own sake.
06025014a annAd bhavanti bhUtAni parjanyAd annasamMbhavaH --From food come all creatures; food comes from rain,
06025014c yajJAd bhavati parjanyo yajJaH karmasamudbhavaH rain comes from rites, and rites come from work.
06025015a karma brahmodbhavaM viddhi brahmAkSarasamudbhavam 1 Know that work proceeds from the Vedas; Vedas have proceeded from Him who hath no decay.
06025015c tasmAt sarvagatamM brahma nityaM yajJe pratiSThitam Therefore, the all-pervading Supreme Being is installed in sacrifice.
06025016a evamM pravartitaJM cakranM nAnuvartayatIha yaH He who conformeth not to this wheel that is thus revolving,
06025016c aghAyur indriyArAmo moghamM pArtha sa jIvati that man of sinful life delighting (the indulgence of) his senses, liveth in vain, O pArtha.
06025017a yas tv Atmaratir eva syAd AtmatRptaz ca mAnavaH The man, however, that is attached to self only, that is contented with self,
06025017c Atmany eva ca sanMtuSTas tasya kAryanM na vidyate and that is pleased in his self,--hath no work (to do).
06025018a naiva tasya kRtenArtho nAkRteneha kaz cana He hath no concern whatever with action nor with any omission here.
06025018c na cAsya sarvabhUteSu kaz cid arthavyapAzrayaH Nor, amongst all creatures, is there any upon whom his interest dependeth.
06025019a tasmAd asaktasH satataGM kAryaGM karma samAcara 4 Therefore, always do work that should be done, without attachment.
06025019c asakto hy Acaran karma param Apnoti pUruSaH The man who performeth work without attachment, attaineth to the Supreme.
06025020a karmaNaiva hi saMsiddhim AsthitA janakAdayaH By work alone, Janaka and others, attained the accomplishment of their objects.
06025020c lokasaGMgraham evApi samMpazyan kartum arhasi Having regard also to the observance by men of their duties, it behoveth thee to work.
06025021a yad yad Acarati zreSThas tat tad evetaro janaH Whatever a great man doth, is also done by vulgar people.
06025021c sa yat pramANaGM kurute lokas tad anuvartate Ordinary men follow the ideal set by them (the great).
06025022a na me pArthAsti kartavyanM triSu lokeSu kiJM cana There is nothing whatever for me, O pArtha, to do in the three worlds,
06025022c nAnavAptam avAptavyaM varta eva ca karmaNi (since I have) nothing for me which hath not been acquired; still I engage in action.
06025023a yadi hy ahanM na varteyaJM jAtu karmaNy atandritaH
06025023c mama vartmAnuvartante manuSyAH pArtha sarvazaH
06025024a utsIdeyur ime lokA na kuryAGM karma ced aham
06025024c saGMkarasya ca kartA syAm upahanyAm imAH prajAH
06025026a na buddhibhedaJM janayed ajJAnAGM karmasaGginAm
06025026c joSayet sarvakarmANi vidvAn yuktasH samAcaran 6 Because if at any time I do not, without sloth, engage in action, men would follow my path, O pArtha, on all sides. The worlds would perish if I did not perform work, and I should cause intermixture of castes and ruin these people. As the ignorant work, O bharata, having attachment to the performer, so should a wise man work without being attached, desiring to make men observant of their duties. A wise man should not cause confusion of understanding amongst ignorant persons, who have attachment to work itself; (on the other hand) he should (himself) acting with devotion engage them to all (kinds of) work.
06025027c ahaGMkAravimUDhAtmA kartAham iti manyate All works are, in every way, done by the qualities of nature. He, whose mind is deluded by egoism, however, regards himself as the actor.
06025028a tattvavit tu mahAbAho guNakarmavibhAgayoH But he, O mighty-armed one, who knoweth the distinction (of self) from qualities and work,
06025028c guNA guNeSu vartanta iti matvA na sajjate is not attached to work, considering that it is his senses alone (and not his self) that engage in their objects.
06025029a prakRter guNasamMmUDhAsH sajjante guNakarmasu Those who are deluded by the qualities of nature, become attached to the works done by the qualities.
06025029c tAn akRtsnavido mandAn kRtsnavin na vicAlayet A person of perfect knowledge should not bewilder those men of imperfect knowledge.
06025030a mayi sarvANi karmANi sanMnyasyAdhyAtmacetasA Devoting all work to me, with (thy) mind directed to self,
06025030c nirAzIr nirmamo bhUtvA yudhyasva vigatajvaraH engage in battle, without desire, without affection and with thy (heart's) weakness dispelled.
06025031a ye me matam idanM nityam anutiSThanti mAnavAH
06025031c zraddhAvanto 'nasUyanto mucyante te 'pi karmabhiH Those men who always follow this opinion of mine with faith and without cavil attain to final emancipation even by work.
06025032a ye tv etad abhyasUyanto nAnutiSThanti me matam
06025032c sarvajJAnavimUDhAMs tAn viddhi naSTAn acetasaH But they who cavil at and do not follow this opinion of mine, know, that, bereft of all knowledge and without discrimination, they are ruined.
06025033a sadRzaJM ceSTate svasyAH prakRter jJAnavAn api
06025033c prakRtiM yAnti bhUtAni nigrahaH kiM kariSyati Even a wise man acts according to his own nature. All living beings follow (their own) nature. What then would restraint avail?
06025034c tayor na vazam Agacchet tau hy asya paripanthinau The senses have, as regards the objects of the senses, either affection or aversion fixed. One should not submit to these, for they are obstacles in one's way.
06025035c svadharme nidhanaM zreyaH paradharmo bhayAvahaH One's own duty, even if imperfectly performed, is better than being done by other even if well performed. Death in (performance of) one's own duty is preferable. (The adoption of) the duty of another carries fear (with it).
06025036 arjuna uvAca 'arjuna said,
06025036a atha kena prayukto 'yamM pApaJM carati pUruSaH 'Impelled by whom, O son of the vRSNi race, doth a man commit sin,
06025036c anicchann api vArSNeya balAd iva niyojitaH even though unwilling and as if constrained by force'?
06025037 zrIbhagavAn uvAca 'The Holy One said,--
06025037a kAma eSa krodha eSa rajoguNasamudbhavaH 'It is desire, it is wrath, born of the attribute of passion;
06025037c mahAzano mahApApmA viddhy enam iha vairiNam it is all-devouring, it is very sinful. Know this to be the foe in this world.
06025038a dhUmenAvriyate vahnir yathAdarzo malena ca As fire is enveloped by smoke, a mirror by dust,
06025038c yatholbenAvRto garbhas tathA tenedam AvRtam the foetus by the womb, so is this enveloped by desire.
06025039a AvRtaJM jJAnam etena jJAnino nityavairiNA Knowledge, O son of kuntI, is enveloped by this constant foe of the wise
06025039c kAmarUpeNa kaunteya duSpUreNAnalena ca in the form of desire which is insatiable and like a fire.
06025040a indriyANi mano buddhir asyAdhiSThAnam ucyate The senses, the mind and the understanding are said to be its abode.
06025040c etair vimohayaty eSa jJAnam AvRtya dehinam With these it deludeth the embodied self, enveloping (his) knowledge.
06025041a tasmAt tvam indriyANy Adau niyamya bharatarSabha Therefore, restraining (thy) senses first, O bull of bharata's race,
06025041c pApmAnamM prajahihy enaJM jJAnavijJAnanAzanam cast off this wicked thing, for it destroyeth knowledge derived from instruction and meditation.
06025042a indriyANi parANy Ahur indriyebhyaH paraM manaH They say that the senses are superior (to the body which is inert). Superior to the senses is the mind.
06025042c manasas tu parA buddhir yo buddheH paratas tu saH Superior to the mind is the knowledge. But which is superior to knowledge is He.
06025043a evamM buddheH paraM buddhvA saMstabhyAtmAnam AtmanA Thus knowing that which is superior to knowledge and restraining (thy) self by self,
06025043c jahi zatrumM mahAbAho kAmarUpanM durAsadam slay, O mighty-armed one, the enemy in the shape of desire which is difficult to conquer.''
