Arjuna uvacha
Sannyasam karmanam krsna punar yogam cha samsasi
Yach chhreya etayor ekam tan me bruhi sunischitam
Arjuna said, “Krishna, some time you praise freedom from action and then again you praise the necessity of working or following the ‘Karma Yoga’. Therefore between the two you must give me your considered opinion about which path is good for me.
(1)
Sri bhagavan uvacha
Sannyasah karma-yogas cha nihsreyasa-karav ubhau
Ttayos tu karma-sannyasat karma-yogo visisyate
Lord Krishna said “Karma Sanyas’ or “Karma Yoga” both these are extremely beneficial. But between the two ‘Karma Yoga’ is preferred as it is easy to practice.
(2)
Jneyah sa nitya-sannyasi yo na dvesti na kanksati
Nirdvandvo hi maha-baho sukham bandhat pramuchyate
Arjun, the person who doesnot bread envy or jealously with anyone more is critical of others; such a ‘Karma Yogi’ in fact may be considered as a ‘Sanyasi’ Because freed from attachment and any, he transcends above the petty worldly attachments.
(3)
Sankhya-yogau prthag balah pravadanti na panditah
Ekam apy asthitah samyag ubhayor vindate phalam
Lnly ignorant people cosider the aforesaid ‘Sanyasa’ and Karmayoga to achieve different goals not the enlightened ones. Because if anyone follows any of there two devine paths, he is loud to marge with the almighty as a common goad.
(4)
Yat sankhyaih prapyate sthanam tad yogair api gamyate
Ekam sankhyam cha yogam cha yah pasyati sa pasyati
The blessed abode achieved by the ‘Gyanyagis’ is the same which is also achieved by the ‘Karmyogis’. Therefore whoever considers ‘Gyan Yoga’ and ‘Karma Yoga’ as capable of giving the same results understand correctly.
(5)
Sannyasas tu maha-baho duhkham aptum ayogatah
Yoga-yukto munir brahma na chirenadhigachchhati
But Arjuna, without Karm Yoga i.e. performing one’s duty selflessly it is difficult to realise ‘Sanyas’ i.e. overcoming the personal ago in the deeds done by an individual. But the person whose mind is always engaged in the almighty and is a Karmyogi get merged into almighty or becomes one with him sooner than eater.
(6)
Yoga-yukto visuddhatma vijitatma jitendriyah
Sarvabhutatmabhutatma kurvann api na lipyate
The person who has controlled his mind, and gets endowed with purity of thoughts and whose ‘atma’ is no less than Almightyas he is the embodiment of atma in all beings; sarch a Karmayogi carry on performing his ditties with attachment.
(7)
Naiva kincit karomiti yukto manyeta tattva-vit
Pasyan srnvan sprsan jighrann asnan achchhan svapan svasan
Pralapan visrjan grhnann unmisan nimisann api
Indriyanindriyarthesu vartanta iti dharayan
The man of wisdom, Sankhya Yogi, when he sees, or when he listens; when he touches or when he smells; when he eats or walks or sleeps or breathes; when he speaks or relinquishes or receives, and even when he closes his eyes or opens, considers that all his senses carry on with their functions. He thinks that he is not doing anything whatsoever.
(8-9)
Brahmany adhaya karmani sangam tyaktva karoti yah
Lipyate na sa papena padma-patram ivambhasa
The person who dedicates every action of his to the almighty, gets rid of attachments of all kinds, and performs his duty peacefully, is like a lotus leaf in the mater and does not get affected by sins of any kind.
(10)
Kayena manasa buddhya kevalair indriyair api
Yoginah karma kurvanti sangam tyaktvatma-suddhaye
Karmayogi who is free from impurity of thoughts or mind, carries on performing his duties with his body and with his mind without any expection of result with the soul objective of purifying his mind.
(11)
Yuktah karma-phalam tyaktva santim apnoti naisthikum
Ayuktah kama-karena phale sakto nibadhyate
Karma yogi relinquishes the of his labour, and affairs peace worthy of the realisation o the Almighty. And the person who desires the results of his labour get enchained with attachment.
(12)
Sarva-karmani manasa sannyasyaste sukham vasi
Nava-dvare pure dehi naiva kurvan na karayan
The person whose mind is in full control; such a follower of ‘Sankhyayoga’ neither permorms not gets it performed; renounces all deed with his wisdom and abodes peacefully in the house with mine doors, without getting affected by any outside influence; he remains stable joyfully in the thoughts of the Almighty.
(13)
Na kartrtvam na karmani lokasya srjati prabhuh
Na karma-phala-samyogam svabhavas tu pravartate
The Almighty does not create the deeds dove by men, nor the result of such deeds but the swabhag and nature only functions.
(14)
Nadatte kasyacit papam na caiva sukrtam vibhuh
Ajnanenavrtam jnanam tena muhyanti jantavah
The omnipresent Lord does not acquire good or sinful deeds of anyone but the fact of the matter is that ignorance has totally covered the knowledge. Therefore all people get confused and indecisive.
(15)
Jnanena tu tad ajnanam yesam nasitam atmanah
Tesam adityavaj jnanam prakasayati tat param
But the person whose ignorance has been wiped out with the prime devine wisdom, his knowledge enlightens him in the same manner as the sun spreads light.
(16)
Tad-buddhayas tad-atmanas tan-nisthas tat-parayanah
Gachchhanty apunar-avrttim jnana-nirdhuta-kalmasah
Whose mind, wisdom rises above the worldly things and becomes devine and whose thought remain engaged in the immortal almighty; such a practitioner becomes sinless with his wisdom and eventually attains the deliverance or the elusive salvation.
(17)
Vidya-vinaya-sampanne brahmane gavi hastini
Suni caiva svapake cha panditah sama-darsinah
Such wisemen whether they see a well read and humble brahmin, on a cow or an elephant or even a dog or a daemon, heir reaction is the same. They dont react differently.
(18)
Ihaiva tair jitah sargo yesam samye sthitam manah
Nirdosam hi samam brahma tasmad brahmani te sthitah
The person who practice the power of same emotion less encounters, he has in his lifetime itself conquered the entire world because the almighty is free of sin and same for everyone. In fact such a person has realised the almighty.
(19)
Na prahrsyet priyam prapya nodvijet prapya capriyam
Sthira-buddhir asammudho brahma-vid brahmani sthitah
The person who is not joyous on receiving something he loves, who is not agitated on receiving something he hates; that stable minded man who is above the deluge of the doubts is infact on integral part of the almighty himself.
(20)
Bahya-sparsesv asaktatma vindaty atmani yat sukham
Sa brahma-yoga-yuktatma sukham aksayam asnute
The person who whose mind is without attachment with worldly affairs due to his self-control is able to experience saluki joy which is percent in the meditative mind. Thereafter, he experience the devine unending bliss that is prevalent in the attainment of realisation of God.
(21)
Ye hi samsparsaja bhoga duhkha-yonaya eva te
Ady-antavantah kaunteya na tesu ramate budhah
Whatever pleaserre we get of senses enjoying the worldly sewse-objects, though appear to be objects of immense pleasure, yet, these are, infact, causes of endless pain. Besides these are like fleeting moments which come and vanish rapidly. Therefore, Arjun, a wise man does not indulge in these.
(22)
Saknotihaiva yah sodhum prak sarira-vimoksanat
Kama-krodhodbhavam vegam sa yuktah sa sukhi narah
The seeker or practitioners, who is able to overpower desire and anger and is able to withstand the dire effects caused by these while still living i.e. before his death; he alone is ‘yogi’ and he alone is happy in the real sense.
(23)
Labhante brahma-nirvanam rsayah ksina-kalmasah
Chhinna-dvaidha yatatmanah sarva-bhuta-hite ratah
The person who finds his happiness only in his own ‘atma’, and dwells in his ‘atma’ and his wisdom emirates through his atma, such a ‘sankhyayogi’ experiencing oneness with the true alpewading all powerful almighty ultimately attains peace and tranquility of God.
(25)
Kama-krodha-vimuktanam yatinam yata-chetasam
Abhito brahma-nirvanam vartate viditatmanam
Free from desire and anger, these seekers who have conquered their minds and realised the almighty, these wise devotees realise the all pervading ever present peace present in the almighty.
(26)
Sparsan krtva bahir bahyams chaksus chaivantare bhruvoh
Pranapanau samau krtva nasabhyantara-carinau
Yatendriya-mano-buddhir munir moksa-parayanah
Vigatechchha-bhaya-krodho yah sada mukta eva sah
The person, who doesnot brood over the worldly pleasures and keeps his mind free of these, fixes his gaze in the centre of the forehead and ensures that he breathes in and out equally; the person who has conquered his senses and his mind and always mediates about the form and features of God and is free from desire fear and anger infact achieves and experiences true freedom.
(27-28)
Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram
Suhrdam Sarva-bhutanam jnatva mam santim rchchhati
My devotees who considers me worthy of all his yojnas and his meditation, and considers me god of all gods, well-wisher of all beings, unselfish, loving and generous; realising these basic attributes of the almighty he, infact, achieves peace and bliss.
(29)