A shloka a day

Take refuge

The Blessed Lord said, "From whence has this perilous strait come upon you, this dejection which is unworthy of you, disgraceful, and which will close the gates of heaven upon you, O Arjuna?"

The deathless self

Do not yield to impotence, O Arjuna, son of Pritha. It does not befit you. Cast off this mean weakness of the heart! Stand up, O conqueror of foes!

Free of craving

Better it is, indeed, in this world to accept alms than to slay the most noble teachers. But if I were to kill them, even in this world, all my enjoyments of wealth and fulfilled desires would be stained with their blood.

Look again

I can hardly tell which would be better, that we should conquer them or that they should conquer us. Even the sons of Dhritarashtra, whom we do not wish to slay, stand facing us.

Do your duty

My heart is overpowered by the taint of pity; my mind is confused as to my duty. I ask Thee: Tell me decisively what is good for me. I am Thy disciple; instruct me, who has taken refuge in Thee.

Rein the senses

I do not see that this sorrow that burns up my senses would be removed, even if I were to attain prosperous and unrivaled dominion on earth or lordship over the gods.

Clear knowing

The Blessed Lord said, "You have grieved for those who should not be grieved for; yet, you speak words of wisdom. The wise grieve neither for the living nor for the dead."

A thought to keep

Nor, at any time, was I not, nor thou, nor these rulers of men; nor, verily, shall we ever cease to be hereafter.

The Self within

Just as the embodied soul passes through childhood, youth, and old age in this body, so too does it pass into another body; the steadfast one does not grieve over this.

Endure change

The contact of the senses with the objects, O son of Kunti, which causes heat and cold, pleasure and pain, has a beginning and an end; they are impermanent; endure them bravely, O Arjuna.

Steady within

That firm man, whom surely these afflictions do not, O chief among men, to whom pleasure and pain are the same, is fit for attaining immortality.

True speech

The unreal has no being; there is no non-being of the real; the truth about both has been seen by the knowers of the truth (or the seers of the essence).

You are eternal

Know that to be indestructible, by which all this is pervaded. No one can cause the destruction of that, the Imperishable.

Never truly lost

These bodies of the embodied Self, which are eternal, indestructible, and immeasurable, are said to have an end. Therefore, fight, O Arjuna.

Who you really are

He who takes the Self to be the slayer and he who thinks it is slain, neither of them knows. It does not slay, nor is it slain.

You are eternal

It is not born, nor does it ever die; after having been, it again does not cease to be; unborn, eternal, changeless, and ancient, it is not killed when the body is killed.

Never truly lost

Whoever knows it to be indestructible, eternal, unborn, and inexhaustible, how can that person slay, O Arjuna, or cause to be slain?

New clothes

Just as a man casts off worn-out clothes and puts on new ones, so too the embodied Self casts off worn-out bodies and enters others that are new.

Unbreakable self

Weapons cannot cut it, fire cannot burn it, water cannot wet it, wind cannot dry it.

The changeless one

This Self cannot be cut, burned, wetted, nor dried up; it is eternal, all-pervasive, stable, immovable, and ancient.

Accept the cycle

For the born, death is certain, and for the dead, birth is certain; therefore, you should not grieve over the inevitable.

Own your duty

Further, having regard to your duty, you should not waver, for there is nothing higher for a Kshatriya than a righteous war.

Win or lose

Having made pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat equal, engage in battle for the sake of battle; thus, you shall not incur sin.

No effort wasted

In this, there is no loss of effort, nor is there any harm produced, nor any transgression. Even a little of this knowledge protects one from great fear.

One-pointed

Here, O joy of the Kurus, there is only one single-pointed determination; many-branched and endless are the thoughts of the indecisive.

Do your work

Your right is only to work, but not to its results; do not let the results of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction.

Even mind

Perform action, O Arjuna, being steadfast in Yoga, abandoning attachment and balanced in success and failure; evenness of mind is called Yoga.

Skill in action

Endowed with wisdom and evenness of mind, one casts off in this life both good and evil deeds; therefore, devote yourself to Yoga; Yoga is skill in action.

Steady in sorrow

He whose mind is not shaken by adversity, who does not long for pleasures, and is free from attachment, fear, and anger, is called a sage of steady wisdom.

Unattached

He who is everywhere without attachment, upon encountering anything good or bad, neither rejoices nor hastens; his wisdom is firm.

Withdraw the senses

When, like the tortoise which withdraws all its limbs on all sides, he withdraws his senses from the sense-objects, then his wisdom becomes steady.

Restless senses

The turbulent senses, O Arjuna, can violently carry away the mind of a wise person, even though they are striving to control them.

How anger starts

When one thinks of objects, attachment to them arises; from attachment, desire is born; from desire, anger arises.

Anger to ruin

Anger leads to delusion, which causes loss of memory; this, in turn, leads to the destruction of discrimination, resulting in destruction.

Self-control brings peace

But the self-controlled man, moving among objects with the senses restrained and free from attraction and repulsion, attains peace.

No peace, no joy

There is no knowledge of the Self for the unsteady, and no meditation is possible for the unsteady, and no peace for the unmeditative, and how can there be happiness for one who has no peace?

Be like the ocean

He attains peace into whom all desires enter, just as waters enter the ocean which, filled from all sides, remains unmoved; but not the man who is full of desires.

Free of craving

That person attains peace who, abandoning all desires, moves about without longing, without the sense of ownership, and without egoism.

See clearly

Arjuna said: If Thou thinkest that knowledge is superior to action, O Krishna, why then, O Kesava, doest Thou ask me to engage in this terrible action?

Speak kindly

With this seemingly perplexing speech, you seem to be confusing my understanding; therefore, tell me one certain way by which I may attain bliss.

Understanding dawns

The Blessed Lord said, "In this world, there is a twofold path, as I said before, O sinless one: the path of knowledge of the Sankhyas and the path of action of the Yogins."

Not by escape

Man does not reach actionlessness by not performing actions; nor does he attain perfection by mere renunciation.

Nobody stays idle

Verily, no one can remain for even a moment without performing action; for everyone is made to act helplessly, indeed, by the qualities born of Nature.

Train the mind

He who, restraining the organs of action, sits thinking of the sense-objects in his mind, he of deluded understanding is called a hypocrite.

Hold lightly

But whoever, controlling the senses by the mind, O Arjuna, engages himself in Karma Yoga with the organs of action, without attachment, he excels.

Act, don't stall

Perform your bounden duty, for action is superior to inaction, and even the maintenance of the body would not be possible for you through inaction.

Work as offering

The world is bound by actions other than those performed for the sake of sacrifice; do thou, therefore, O son of Kunti (Arjuna), perform actions for that sake alone, free from attachment.

Loosen the grip

The Creator, having in the beginning created mankind together with sacrifice, said, "By this shall you propagate; let this be the milch cow of your desires—the cow that yields all the desired objects."

The wheel of work

With this, nourish the gods, and may the gods nourish you; thus, nourishing each other, you shall attain the highest good.

Enough as it is

The gods, nourished by the sacrifice, will give you the desired objects. So, he who enjoys the objects given by the gods without offering anything in return is indeed a thief.

Balanced living

The righteous who eat the remnants of the sacrifice are freed from all sins; but those sinful ones who cook food solely for their own sake indeed consume sin.

Right measure

From food come forth beings; from rain, food is produced; from sacrifice arises rain, and sacrifice is born of action.

Give something back

Know that action comes from Brahma, and Brahma comes from the Imperishable. Therefore, the all-pervasive Brahma ever rests in sacrifice.

Turn inward

He who does not follow the wheel thus set in motion, who is of sinful life, rejoicing in the senses, lives in vain, O Arjuna.

The witness inside

But for that man who rejoices only in the Self, who is satisfied with the Self and is content in the Self alone, indeed there is nothing to do.

Keep moving

For him, there is no interest whatsoever in what is done or not done; nor does he depend on any being for any purpose.

Unattached action

Therefore, without attachment, always perform the actions that should be done; for by performing actions without attachment, one reaches the Supreme.

Lead by example

Janaka and others attained perfection indeed through action alone; even with the intention of protecting the masses, you should perform action.

People follow you

Whatever a great man does, others also do; whatever he establishes as the standard, the world follows.

Who you really are

There is nothing in the three worlds, O Arjuna, that needs to be done by Me, nor is there anything unattained that needs to be attained; yet I engage Myself in action.

The witness inside

For, should I not ever engage myself in action, unwearied, people would in every way follow my path, O Arjuna.

Work without clinging

As the ignorant act out of attachment to action, O Bharata, so should the wise act without attachment, wishing for the welfare of the world.

Let go of 'mine'

Renouncing all actions in Me, with the mind centered on the Self, free from hope and egoism, and from mental fever, fight thou.

Your own path

Better is one's own duty, though devoid of merit, than the duty of another well discharged. Better is death in one's own duty; the duty of another is fraught with fear.

The real enemy

The Blessed Lord said, "It is desire and it is anger, both of the quality of Rajas, all-devouring and all-sinful; know this as the foe here in this world."

Mind above senses

They say that the senses are superior to the body; the mind is superior to the senses; the intellect is superior to the mind; and He (the Self) is superior even to the intellect.

Conquer desire

Thus, knowing Him who is superior to the intellect and restraining the self by the Self, slay thou, O mighty-armed Arjuna, the enemy in the form of desire, hard to conquer.

Steady practice

The Blessed Lord said, "I taught this imperishable Yoga to Vivasvan; he then told it to Manu; Manu proclaimed it to Ikshvaku.

Practice daily

This, handed down in regular succession by the royal sages, was known. This Yoga, however, has been lost here over time, O Parantapa (burner of the foes).

Whole-hearted devotion

That same ancient yoga has been today taught to you by me, for you are my devotee and my friend; it is the supreme secret.

Small steps, kept

Arjuna said, "Later was Thy birth, and prior to it was the birth of Vivasvan (the Sun); how am I to understand that Thou hast taught this Yoga from the beginning?"

Beyond beginnings

The Blessed Lord said, "Many births of Mine have passed, as well as of thine, O Arjuna; I know them all, but thou knowest not, O Parantapa (scorcher of foes)."

Never truly lost

Though I am unborn and of imperishable nature, and though I am the Lord of all beings, yet, governing my own nature, I am born by my own Maya.

Dharma revives

Whenever there is a decline of righteousness and an increase of unrighteousness, O Arjuna, then I manifest Myself.

New clothes

For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked, and for the establishment of righteousness, I am born in every age.

The turning wheel

He who thus knows, in their true light, My divine birth and actions, having abandoned the body, is not born again; he comes to Me, O Arjuna.

Master anger

Freed from attachment, fear, and anger, absorbed in Me, taking refuge in Me, purified by the fire of knowledge, many have attained My Being.

Meet me halfway

In whatever way men approach Me, even so do I reward them; My path do men tread in all ways, O Arjuna.

An offering

Those who long for success in action in this world sacrifice to the gods; for success is quickly attained by men through action.

The living teaching

The fourfold caste has been created by Me according to the differentiation of Guna and Karma; though I am the author of it, know Me as non-doer and immutable.

Wanting less

Actions do not taint Me, nor do I have a desire for the fruit of actions. He who knows Me thus is not bound by actions.

Act well

Having known this, the ancient seekers of freedom also performed action; therefore, do thou also perform action, as the ancients did in days of yore.

Light of knowledge

What is action? What is inaction? Even the wise are confused about this. Therefore, I shall teach you the nature of action and inaction, by knowing which you will be liberated from the evil of Samsara, the wheel of birth and death.

Understand action

For verily, the true nature of action enjoined by the scriptures should be known, as well as that of forbidden or unlawful action, and of inaction; the nature of action is hard to understand.

Stillness in action

He who sees inaction in action and action in inaction, he is wise among men; he is a yogi and performer of all actions.

Loosen the grip

He whose undertakings are all devoid of desires and selfish purposes, and whose actions have been burned by the fire of knowledge, the wise call him a sage.

Free of outcomes

Having abandoned attachment to the fruits of the action, ever content, depending on nothing, he does not do anything even while being engaged in activity.

Bring the mind back

Without hope, controlling the mind and the self, having abandoned all covetousness, and performing only bodily actions, one incurs no sin.

Content with what comes

Content with what comes to him without effort, free from the pairs of opposites and envy, even-minded in success and failure, he acts yet is not bound.

Ask and learn

Know that the wise who have realized the truth will instruct thee in that knowledge through long prostration, supplication, and service.

Knowledge purifies

Verily, there is no purifier in this world like knowledge. He who is perfected in Yoga finds it within the Self in due time.

Faith earns wisdom

The one who is full of faith, devoted to it, and has subdued their senses obtains this knowledge; and upon obtaining the knowledge, they attain the supreme peace immediately.

Cut the doubt

Therefore, with the sword of knowledge (of the Self), cut asunder the doubt of the self, born of ignorance, residing in your heart, and take refuge in Yoga. Arise, O Arjuna!

Show up again

Arjuna said, "O Krishna, you praise renunciation of actions and also yoga. Please tell me conclusively which is better of the two."

Practice daily

The Blessed Lord said, "Renunciation and the Yoga of action both lead to the highest bliss; but of the two, the Yoga of action is superior to the renunciation of action."

Enough as it is

He should be known as a perpetual Sannyasi who neither hates nor desires; for, free from the pairs of opposites, O mighty-armed Arjuna, he is easily freed from bondage.

Let go of results

Children, not the wise, speak of knowledge and the Yoga of action, or the performance of action, as though they are distinct and different; he who is truly established in one, obtains the fruits of both.

See clearly

That place which is reached by the Sankhyas or the Jnanis is also reached by the Yogis (Karma Yogis). He who sees knowledge and the performance of action (Karma Yoga) as one, sees truly.

Small steps, kept

But, O mighty-armed Arjuna, renunciation is hard to attain without Yoga; the sage who is in harmony with Yoga quickly goes to Brahman.

Give your heart

He who is devoted to the path of action, whose mind is pure, who has conquered the self, who has subdued his senses, and who realizes his Self as the Self in all beings, though acting, is not tainted.

Nothing to excess

I do nothing at all," thus would the harmonized knower of Truth think, seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, going, sleeping, and breathing.

Guard the gates

Speaking, letting go, seizing, opening, and closing the eyes, one should be convinced that the senses move among the sense-objects.

Lotus leaf

He who does actions, offering them to Brahman and abandoning attachment, is not tainted by sin, just as a lotus leaf is not tainted by water.

Work to purify

Yogis, having abandoned attachment, perform actions only through the body, mind, intellect, and even the senses, for the purification of the self.

Give up the fruit

The one who is united (the well-poised or harmonized) having abandoned the fruit of action attains eternal peace; whereas the one who is not united (the unsteady or unbalanced), impelled by desire and attached to the fruit, is bound.

Not every urge

Mentally renouncing all actions and being self-controlled, the embodied one happily rests in the nine-gated city, neither acting nor causing others (body and senses) to act.

Effort, not outcome

Neither does the Lord create agency nor actions for the world, nor union with the fruits of actions; rather, it is Nature that acts.

Understanding dawns

The Lord takes neither the demerit nor the merit of any; knowledge is enveloped by ignorance, and beings are deluded.

Light of knowledge

But to those whose ignorance is destroyed by knowledge of the Self, like the sun, knowledge reveals the Supreme Brahman.

See clearly

Their intellect absorbed in That, their self being That, established in That, with That as their supreme goal, they go whence there is no return, their sins dispelled by knowledge.

Equal vision

Sages look with an equal eye on a Brahmana endowed with learning and humility, on a cow, an elephant, a dog, and even an outcaste.

Mind on a leash

Even here in this world, those whose minds rest in reality overcome birth; Brahman is indeed spotless and real; therefore they are established in Brahman.

Inner joy

With the self unattached to external contacts, he finds happiness in the Self; with the self engaged in the meditation of Brahman, he attains endless happiness.

Pleasures end

The enjoyments that arise from contact are only sources of pain, for they have a beginning and an end, O Arjuna; the wise do not rejoice in them.

Withstand the urge

He who is able, while still here in this world, to withstand the impulse born out of desire and anger before the liberation from the body, he is a Yogi, and he is a happy man.

Peace of the friend

He who knows Me as the enjoyer of sacrifices and austerities, the great Lord of all the worlds, and the friend of all beings, attains peace.

Your own work

The Blessed Lord said: He who performs his bounden duty without depending on the fruits of his actions—he is a sannyasi and a yogi, not he who is without fire and without action.

Show up again

Do you, O Arjuna, know that Yoga is what they call renunciation; no one indeed becomes a Yogi who has not renounced their thoughts.

Practice daily

For a sage who wishes to attain to Yoga, action is said to be the means; for the same sage who has attained Yoga, inaction is said to be the means.

No clinging

When a person is not attached to the sense-objects or to actions, having renounced all thoughts, then they are said to have attained Yoga.

Lift yourself

One should raise oneself by one's own self alone; let not one lower oneself; for the self alone is one's own friend, and the self alone is one's own enemy.

Friend or enemy

The Self is the friend of the self of him by whom the Self has been conquered; but to the unconquered self, this Self stands in the position of an enemy, like an external foe.

Inner peace

The Supreme Self of him who is self-controlled and peaceful remains balanced in cold and heat, pleasure and pain, as well as in honor and dishonor.

Turn inward

The Yogi who is satisfied with the knowledge and wisdom of the Self, who has conquered the senses, and to whom a clod of earth, a piece of stone, and gold are all the same, is said to have attained Nirvikalpa Samadhi.

Gentle discipline

He who is of the same mind towards the good-hearted, friends, enemies, the indifferent, the neutral, the hateful, the relatives, the righteous, and the unrighteous, excels.

Hold firm

Let the yogi constantly strive to keep the mind steady, remaining in solitude, alone, with the body and mind controlled, and free from hope and greed.

Unshaken

In a clean spot, having established a firm seat of his own, neither too high nor too low, made of cloth, skin, and kusha grass layered one over the other.

Bring the mind back

There, having made the mind one-pointed, with the actions of the mind and senses controlled, let him, seated on the seat, practice Yoga for the purification of the self.

Rooted

Let him firmly hold his body, head, and neck erect and still, gazing at the tip of his nose without looking around.

Without fear

Serene-minded, fearless, firm in the vow of a Brahmachari, having controlled their mind, thinking of Me and balanced in mind, let them sit, having Me as their supreme goal.

Quiet inside

Thus, always keeping the mind balanced, the yogi, with the mind controlled, attains the peace abiding in Me, culminating in liberation.

Balance in habits

Verily, Yoga is not possible for him who eats too much, nor for him who does not eat at all, nor for him who sleeps too much, nor for him who is always awake, O Arjuna.

Moderation

Yoga becomes the destroyer of pain for him who is moderate in eating and recreation (such as walking, etc.), who exercises moderation in action, and who is moderate in sleep and wakefulness.

Wanting less

When the perfectly controlled mind rests in the Self alone, free from longing for any of the objects of desire, then it is said, 'He is united'.

Lamp in no wind

As a lamp placed in a windless spot does not flicker, so is the Yogi of a controlled mind, who practices Yoga in the Self, compared.

Mind on a leash

When the mind, restrained by the practice of yoga, attains quietude, and when one sees the Self by the Self, they are satisfied in their own Self.

Guard the gates

When he (the Yogi) feels that infinite bliss which can be grasped by the pure intellect and which transcends the senses, and is established therein, never moving away from the reality.

Unshaken

Having obtained it, he thinks there is no other gain superior to it; established in it, he is not moved even by heavy sorrow.

Yoga ends sorrow

Let this be known by the name of Yoga, the severance from union with pain. This Yoga should be practiced with determination and with an undespairing mind.

Step by step

Little by little, let him attain steadiness of the intellect by holding it firmly; having made the mind establish itself in the Self, let him not think of anything else.

Bring the mind back

From whatever cause the restless and unsteady mind wanders away, let him restrain it from that and bring it under the control of the Self alone.

See it everywhere

He who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, never becomes separated from Me, nor do I from him.

Feel for others

He who, through the likeness of the Self, O Arjuna, sees reality everywhere, be it pleasure or pain, is regarded as the highest Yogi.

Practice and detachment

The Blessed Lord said, "Undoubtedly, O mighty-armed Arjuna, the mind is difficult to control and restless; but with practice and dispassion, it can be restrained."

No good is lost

The Blessed Lord said, "O Arjuna, neither in this world nor in the next will there be destruction for him; none, indeed, who does good, O my son, ever comes to grief."

Many attempts

But the Yogi who strives assiduously, purified of sins and perfected gradually over many births, reaches the highest goal.

Gentle discipline

The Blessed Lord said, "O Arjuna, hear how you shall, without doubt, know Me fully, with your mind intent on Me, practicing Yoga and taking refuge in Me."

Understanding dawns

I will declare to you in full this knowledge combined with realization, after knowing which nothing else remains to be known here.

Both the same

Among thousands of men, one may perchance strive for perfection; even among those successful strivers, only one may perchance know Me in essence.

Bring the mind back

Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect, and egoism—thus is My Nature divided eightfold.

The thread in all

O mighty-armed Arjuna, this is the inferior Prakriti; know it as distinct from My higher Prakriti, the very life-element, by which this world is upheld.

One in all

Know that these two are the womb of all beings; thus, I am the source and dissolution of the whole universe.

Loosen the grip

There is nothing higher than Me, O Arjuna. All this is strung on Me, like clusters of gems on a string.

Everywhere the same

I am the flavor in water, O Arjuna; I am the light in the moon and the sun; I am the syllable Om in all the Vedas, sound in the ether and virility in men.

Willing effort

I am the sweet fragrance in the earth and the brilliance in the fire, the life in all beings, and I am the austerity of ascetics.

The changeless one

Know Me, O Arjuna, as the eternal seed of all beings; I am the intelligence of the intelligent, and the splendour of the splendid objects.

Enough as it is

Of the strong, I am the strength devoid of desire and attachment, and in all beings, I am the desire in accordance with Dharma, O Arjuna.

Keep it clean

Whatever beings (and objects) that are pure, active, and inert, know that they proceed from Me. They are in Me, yet I am not in them.

Cut through confusion

Deluded by these Natures, composed of the three qualities of Nature, all this world does not know Me as distinct from them and immutable.

Rest in the good

Verily, this divine illusion of Mine, composed of the three qualities, is difficult to cross over; those who take refuge in Me alone, can cross over this illusion.

Light of knowledge

The evil-doers and the deluded, who are the lowest of men, do not seek Me; those whose knowledge is destroyed by illusion follow the ways of demons.

Four who turn up

Four kinds of virtuous men worship Me, O Arjuna, and they are the distressed, the seekers of knowledge, the seekers of wealth, and the wise, O Lord of the Bharatas.

Devotion made simple

Of them, the wise who are ever steadfast and devoted to the One, excel; for I am exceedingly dear to the wise, and they are dear to Me.

After many lives

At the end of many births, the wise man comes to Me, realizing that all this is Vaasudeva (the innermost Self); such a great soul (Mahatma) is very hard to find.

Do it well

Arjuna said, "What is Brahman? What is Adhyatma? What is action, O best among men? What is Adhibhuta declared to be? And, what is Adhidaiva said to be?"

Self-command

Who and how is Adhiyajna here in this body, O destroyer of Madhu? And how, at the time of death, are You to be known by the self-controlled?

Offer your work

The Blessed Lord said, "Brahman is the Imperishable, the Supreme; its essential nature is called Self-knowledge; the offering (to the gods) that causes the existence and manifestation of beings and sustains them is called action."

See clearly

Adhibhuta—knowledge of the elements—pertains to My perishable nature, and the Purusha, or the Soul, is the Adhidaiva; I alone am the Adhiyajna here in this body, O best among the embodied.

End the doubt

And whoever, leaving their body, goes forth remembering Me alone at the time of death, they will attain My Being; there is no doubt about this.

Last thought

Whoever at the end leaves the body, thinking of any being, to that being only does he go, O son of Kunti (Arjuna), due to his constant thought of that being.

Mind on a leash

Therefore, at all times, remember Me only and fight. With your mind and intellect fixed on Me, you will undoubtedly come to Me alone.

Gentle discipline

With the mind not moving towards any other thing, made steadfast through the practice of habitual meditation, and constantly meditating, one goes to the Supreme Person, the Resplendent, O Arjuna.

Clear the fog

Whosoever meditates on the Omniscient, the Ancient, the Ruler of the whole world, minuter than an atom, the supporter of all, of inconceivable form, effulgent like the sun and beyond the darkness of ignorance.

Turn toward the good

At the time of death, with an unwavering mind, endowed with devotion, by the power of Yoga, fixing the whole life-breath in the middle of the two eyebrows, he reaches that resplendent Supreme Person.

Hold the reins

That which is declared to be Imperishable by those who know the Vedas, that which the self-controlled (ascetics or Sannyasins) and passion-free enter, that goal, desiring which celibacy is practised, I will declare to thee in brief.

Bring the mind back

Having closed all the gates, confined the mind in the heart, and fixed the life-breath in the head, engage in the practice of concentration.

The bright path

Uttering the one-syllabled Om, the Brahman, and remembering Me, he who departs, leaving the body, attains the Supreme Goal.

Mind on a leash

I am easily attainable by that ever-steadfast yogi who constantly and daily remembers me for a long time, not thinking of anything else with a single-minded or one-pointed focus, O Partha.

New clothes

Having attained Me, these great souls do not take birth again here—a place of pain and impermanence—but have reached the highest perfection of liberation.

The turning wheel

All the worlds, including the world of Brahma, are subject to return again, O Arjuna; but he who reaches Me, O son of Kunti, has no rebirth.

Hold the thought

Those who know the day of Brahma, which lasts a thousand Yugas, and the night, which also lasts a thousand Yugas, know day and night.

Understanding dawns

The Blessed Lord said, "I shall now declare to thee, who does not cavil, the greatest secret—the knowledge combined with experience (Self-realisation). Having known this, thou shalt be free from evil."

Light of knowledge

This is the royal science, the royal secret, the supreme purifier, realizable by direct intuitive knowledge, according to righteousness, very easy to perform and imperishable.

Faith carries you

Those who have no faith in this Dharma, O Parantapa, return to the path of this world without attaining Me.

One in all

All of this world is pervaded by Me in My unmanifest aspect; all beings exist within Me, but I do not dwell within them.

Small steps, kept

Nor do beings exist in Me (in reality); behold, My divine Yoga, which supports all beings, but does not dwell in them, is My Self, the efficient cause of beings.

Everywhere the same

As the mighty wind, moving everywhere, always rests in the ether, so too, know that all beings rest in Me.

One in all

All beings, O Arjuna, go into My Nature at the end of a Kalpa; I send them forth again at the beginning of the next Kalpa.

Praise and blame

Animating My Nature, I again and again send forth all this multitude of beings, helpless under the force of Nature.

Free hands

These acts do not bind Me, O Arjuna, sitting as one indifferent, unattached to those acts.

Nothing is lost

Under Me, as supervisor, Nature produces the moving and the unmoving; therefore, O Arjuna, the world revolves.

Everywhere the same

Fools disregard Me, clad in human form, not knowing My higher Being as the great Lord of all beings.

See clearly

They are possessed of the deceitful nature of demons and undivine beings, filled with vain hopes, vain actions, and vain knowledge that is senseless.

Give your heart

But the great souls, O Arjuna, partaking of My divine nature, worship Me with a single-minded devotion, knowing Me as the imperishable source of all beings.

Devotion made simple

Always glorifying Me, striving, firm in their vows, prostrating themselves before Me, they worship Me with steadfast devotion.

Turn toward the good

Others also, sacrificing with the wisdom-sacrifice, worship Me, the All-Faced, as one, distinct, and manifold.

Work as offering

I am Kratu; I am Yajna; I am the offering to the manes; I am the medicinal herbs and all plants; I am the Mantra; I am also the ghee or melted butter; I am the fire; I am the oblation.

Taken care of

For those men who worship Me alone, thinking of no one else, for those ever-united, I secure what they have not already possessed and preserve what they already possess.

A leaf, a flower

Whoever offers Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or a little water, that, so offered devotedly by the pure-minded, I accept.

Offer everything

Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in sacrifice, whatever you give, whatever austerity you practice, O Arjuna, do it as an offering to Me.

Second chances

Even if the most sinful worships Me, with devotion to no one else, he should indeed be regarded as righteous, for he has rightly resolved.

Never lost

Soon he becomes righteous and attains eternal peace; O Arjuna, proclaim thou for certain that My devotee never perishes.

Keep me in mind

Fix your mind on Me; be devoted to Me; sacrifice to Me; bow down to Me; having thus united your whole self to Me, taking Me as the supreme goal, you will come to Me.

Both the same

The Blessed Lord said, Again, O mighty-armed Arjuna, listen to my supreme word which I will declare to you, who are beloved, for your welfare.

Glory in small things

Neither the hosts of the gods nor the great sages know My origin; for I am the source of all the gods and the great sages in every way.

Beyond illusion

He who knows Me as unborn and beginningless, as the great Lord of the worlds, he among mortals is undeluded and is liberated from all sins.

Steady nerve

Intellect, wisdom, non-delusion, forgiveness, truth, self-restraint, calmness, happiness, pain, existence or birth, non-existence or death, fear, and also fearlessness.

Kindness first

Non-injury, equanimity, contentment, austerity, beneficence, fame, and ill-fame—these different qualities of beings arise from Me alone.

Gentle discipline

The seven great sages, the ancient four, and the Manus, possessing powers like Mine (due to their minds being fixed on Me), were born from My mind; from them, these creatures have been born in this world.

Decide and act

He who truly knows these manifold manifestations of My Being and this Yoga-power of Mine, becomes established in unshakable Yoga; there is no doubt about it.

Give your heart

I am the source of all; from me everything evolves; Understanding this, the wise, endowed with meditation, worship me.

Bring the mind back

With their minds and lives wholly absorbed in Me, they enlighten each other and ever speak of Me, being satisfied and delighted.

Devotion made simple

To those who are ever steadfast, worshipping me with love, I give the yoga of discrimination, by which they come to me.

Understanding dawns

Out of mere compassion for them, I, dwelling within their selves, destroy the darkness born of ignorance with the luminous lamp of knowledge.

Purity of heart

Arjuna said, "You are the Supreme Brahman, the supreme abode, the supreme purifier, eternal, divine Person, the primeval God, unborn, and omnipresent."

Who you really are

All the sages have thus declared Thee, as also the divine sage Narada; so also Asita, Devala, and Vyasa; and now Thou Thyself dost say so to me.

Traces of the divine

I believe all that You have said to me to be true, O Krishna; indeed, O blessed Lord! Neither the gods nor the demons know Your manifestation (origin).

The witness inside

Verily, Thou Thyself knowest Thyself by Thyself, O Supreme Person, O source and Lord of all beings, O God of gods, O ruler of the world!

Worth remembering

You should indeed tell, without reserve, of your divine glories by which you exist, pervading all these worlds. (No one else can do so.)

Self in all

I am the Self, O Gudakesa, seated in the hearts of all beings; I am the beginning, the middle, and the end of all beings.

Spark of splendour

Whatever being there is glorious, prosperous, or powerful, know that to be a manifestation of a part of My splendor.

Name the delusion

Arjuna said, By this explanation of the highest secret concerning the Self which Thou hast spoken, for the sake of blessing me, my delusion has been dispelled.

A wider view

The origin and destruction of beings have been heard in detail from You, O lotus-eyed Lord, and also Your inexhaustible greatness.

Stand in awe

Now, O Supreme Lord, as Thou hast thus described Thyself, O Supreme Person, I wish to behold Thy divine form.

Never truly lost

If Thou, O Lord, thinkest it possible for me to see it, do Thou, then, O Lord of the Yogis, show me Thy imperishable Self.

Something to carry

The Blessed Lord said, "Behold, O Arjuna, forms of Mine, by the hundreds and thousands, of different sorts, divine, and of various colors and shapes."

Read it slowly

Behold the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the two Asvins, and the Maruts; behold many wonders never before seen, O Arjuna.

Wanting less

Now, behold, O Arjuna, in this My body, the entire universe centered in one, including the moving and the unmoving, and whatever else you desire to see.

Show up again

But you are not able to behold Me with these your own eyes; I give you the divine eye; behold My lordly Yoga.

Sit with this

Wearing divine garlands and apparel, anointed with divine unguents, the all-wonderful, resplendent Being is endless with faces on all sides.

Inner light

If the splendour of a thousand suns were to blaze out simultaneously in the sky, that would be the splendour of that mighty being.

A quiet reminder

There, in the body of the God of gods, Arjuna then saw the entire universe resting in one, with its myriad of divisions.

Today's line

Then, Arjuna, filled with wonder and his hair standing on end, bowed his head to the God and spoke with palms joined.

Simple and true

Arjuna said, "O God, I see all the gods in Your body, as well as hosts of various classes of beings, Brahma the Lord seated on the lotus, all the sages, and the celestial serpents."

One in all

I see You with the diadem, club, and discus, a mass of radiance shining everywhere, very hard to look at, blazing all around like a burning fire and the sun, and immeasurable.

Own your part

You are the Imperishable, the Supreme Being, worthy of being known. You are the great treasure-house of this universe; You are the imperishable protector of the eternal Dharma; You are the Primal Person, I believe.

A steady flame

I see You without beginning, middle, or end, infinite in power, with endless arms, the sun and moon as Your eyes, the burning fire Your mouth, heating the entire universe with Your radiance.

Be the instrument

Therefore, stand up and obtain fame. Conquer the enemies and enjoy the unparalleled kingdom. Verily, by Me they have already been slain; be thou a mere instrument, O Arjuna.

Turn toward the good

Arjuna said, "Which of them are better versed in Yoga—those who steadfastly worship You, or those who worship the imperishable and the unmanifested?"

Trust the way

The Blessed Lord said, "In My opinion, those who fix their minds on Me, worship Me ever steadfastly, and are endowed with supreme faith, are the best in Yoga."

Give your heart

Those who worship the imperishable, the indefinable, the unmanifest, the omnipresent, the unthinkable, the immovable, and the eternal.

Mind on a leash

Having restrained all the senses, being even-minded everywhere, and intent on the welfare of all beings, they verily come unto Me.

Gentle discipline

Greater is their trouble whose minds are set on the unmanifested, for the goal of the unmanifested is very hard for the embodied to reach.

Devotion made simple

But to those who worship Me, renouncing all actions in Me, regarding Me as the supreme goal, meditating on Me with single-minded yoga.

Bring the mind back

To those whose minds are set on Me, O Arjuna, verily I soon become the savior out of the ocean of Samsara.

Mind on a leash

Fix your mind on Me, and your intellect in Me. Then you will certainly live in Me alone hereafter.

Gentle discipline

If you are unable to fix your mind steadily on Me, then seek to reach Me through the yoga of constant practice, O Arjuna.

Practice daily

If you are unable to practice even this Abhyasa Yoga, be intent on doing actions for My sake; even by doing actions for My sake, you will attain perfection.

Release the reward

If you are unable to do even this, then, resort to union with Me and renounce the fruits of all actions with self-control.

Settled heart

Better indeed is knowledge than practice; better than knowledge is meditation; better than meditation is the renunciation of the fruits of actions: peace immediately follows renunciation.

Friendly to all

He who hates no creature, is friendly and compassionate to all, is free from attachment and egoism, is balanced in pleasure and pain, and is forgiving.

Content and firm

Ever content, steady in meditation, self-controlled, possessing firm conviction, with the mind and intellect dedicated to Me, he, My devotee, is dear to Me.

Disturb no one

He whom the world does not agitate, and who cannot be agitated by the world, and who is freed from joy, anger, fear, and anxiety—he is dear to Me.

Simple and pure

He who is free from wants, pure, expert, unconcerned, and free from pain, renouncing all undertakings and commencements, he who is devoted to Me is dear to Me.

Loosen the grip

He who neither rejoices nor hates, nor grieves nor desires, renouncing both good and evil, and who is full of devotion, is dear to Me.

Hold lightly

He who is the same to foe and friend, and also in honor and dishonor, who is the same in cold and heat, in pleasure and pain, and who is free from attachment.

Steady mind

He to whom censure and praise are equal, who is silent, content with anything, homeless, of a steady mind, and full of devotion; that man is dear to me.

Faith over fear

They who follow this immortal Dharma, endowed with faith and regarding Me as their supreme goal, are exceedingly dear to Me.

Light of knowledge

Arjuna said, "I wish to learn about Nature and the Spirit, the field and the knower of the field, knowledge and that which ought to be known, O Kesava."

Field and knower

The Blessed Lord said, "O Arjuna, this body is called the field; he who knows it is called the knower of the field by those who know them."

See clearly

Do thou also know Me as the knower of the field in all fields, O Arjuna. Knowledge of both the field and the knower of the field is considered by Me to be the knowledge.

Know what you are

Hear from Me in brief what the field is, of what nature it is, what its modifications are, whence it is, who He is, and what His powers are.

Words that heal

Sages have sung in many ways, with various distinctive chants and also with suggestive words indicative of the Absolute, full of reasoning and decisive.

Bring the mind back

The great elements, egoism, intellect, and also the Unmanifested Nature, the ten senses, and one mind, and the five objects of the senses.

Enough as it is

Desire, hatred, pleasure, pain, the aggregate (body), intelligence, and fortitude—the field has thus been briefly described with its modifications.

Humility

Humility, unpretentiousness, non-injury, forgiveness, uprightness, service to the teacher, purity, steadfastness, and self-control.

Not every urge

Indifference to the objects of the senses and also absence of egoism; perceiving the evil in birth, death, old age, sickness, and pain.

No clinging

Non-attachment, non-identification of the Self with son, wife, home, and the rest, and constant even-mindedness in the face of the attainment of both desirable and undesirable.

Turn toward the good

Unswerving devotion to Me through the Yoga of non-separation, resorting to solitary places, and a distaste for the company of people.

Understanding dawns

Constancy in Self-knowledge, the perception of the end of true knowledge—this is declared to be knowledge, and what is opposed to it is ignorance.

The changeless one

I will declare that which is to be known, knowing which one attains immortality; the beginningless Supreme Brahman, which is neither being nor non-being.

Free hands

Shining by the functions of all the senses, yet without being attached to them; unattached, yet supporting all; devoid of qualities, yet the experiencer of them.

Everywhere the same

It is within and without all beings, both the unmoving and the moving; It is subtle and unknowable, and It is near and far away.

Take this along

Undivided yet, It exists as if divided in beings; It is to be known as the supporter of beings; It devours and It generates.

Light of knowledge

That Light of all lights is said to be beyond darkness: knowledge, the knowable, and the goal of knowledge, seated in the hearts of all.

See clearly

The Blessed Lord said, "I will again declare to thee that supreme knowledge, the best of all knowledge, having known which all the sages have gone to supreme perfection after this life."

Understanding dawns

Those who, having taken refuge in this knowledge, have attained unity with Me, are neither born at the time of creation nor disturbed at the time of dissolution.

New clothes

My womb is the great Brahma; in it I place the germ; thence, O Arjuna, is the birth of all beings.

Beyond the moods

Whatever forms are produced, O Arjuna, in any womb whatsoever, the great Brahma is their womb, and I am the seed-giving father.

Never truly lost

These qualities, O Arjuna, born of Nature, bind fast in the body of the embodied, the indestructible: purity, passion, and inertia.

Hold lightly

Of these, sattva, which is luminous and healthy due to its stainlessness, binds one by attachment to happiness and knowledge, O sinless one.

No clinging

Know, O Arjuna, that Rajas is of the nature of passion, the source of thirst and attachment; it binds fast the embodied one by attachment to action.

Clear the fog

But know thou Tamas to be born of ignorance, deluding all embodied beings; it binds fast, O Arjuna, through heedlessness, indolence, and sleep.

Free hands

Sattva attaches to happiness, Rajas to action, O Arjuna, while Tamas, verily shrouding knowledge, attaches to heedlessness.

Read your mood

Now, O Arjuna, Sattva prevails, having overpowered Rajas and Tamas; then Rajas, having overpowered Sattva and Tamas; and then Tamas, having overpowered Sattva and Rajas.

Light of knowledge

When the wisdom-light shines through every gate of this body, then it may be known that Sattva is predominant.

Right action

Greed, activity, the undertaking of actions, restlessness, and longing—these arise when Rajas is predominant, O Arjuna.

Beyond illusion

Darkness, inertia, carelessness, and delusion—these arise when Tamas is predominant, O Arjuna.

The turning wheel

If the embodied one meets death when Sattva is predominant, then they attain the spotless worlds of the knowers of the Highest.

Hold lightly

Meeting death in Rajas, he is born among those who are attached to action; and dying in Tamas, he is born in the womb of the thoughtless.

Beyond moods

The Blessed Lord said, "When light, activity, and delusion are present, he does not hate them, nor does he long for them when they are absent.

Same in praise and blame

Who is the same in pleasure and pain, who dwells in the Self, to whom a clod of earth, a stone, and gold are all alike, who is the same to the dear and the unfriendly, who is firm, and to whom censure and praise are one and the same.

See clearly

The Blessed Lord said: They (the wise) speak of the indestructible peepul tree, with its roots above and branches below, whose leaves are the meters or hymns; he who knows it is a knower of the Vedas.

Turn inward

Its branches spread below and above, nourished by the Gunas; its buds are sense-objects, and its roots stretch forth below in the world of men, originating action.

No clinging

Its form is not perceived here as such, nor its end, origin, foundation, or resting place; having cut asunder this firmly rooted peepul tree with the strong axe of non-attachment.

A place to stand

Then, that goal should be sought for, to which, having gone, none returns again. I seek refuge in that Primeval Purusha, from whence streamed forth the ancient activity or energy.

Free of pride

Free from pride and delusion, victorious over the evil of attachment, dwelling constantly in the Self, their desires having completely turned away, freed from the pairs of opposites known as pleasure and pain, they, the undeluded, reach the eternal goal.

Light within

Neither does the sun illuminate there, nor the moon, nor the fire; having gone there, they do not return; that is My supreme abode.

Mind on a leash

An eternal portion of Myself having become a living soul in the world of life, draws to itself the five senses, with the mind as the sixth, abiding in Nature.

Who you really are

When the Lord, as the individual soul, obtains a body and when He leaves it, He takes these with Him, just as the wind takes the scents from their seats (flowers, etc.).

Gentle discipline

Presiding over the ears, eyes, touch, taste, smell, and mind, it enjoys the objects of the senses.

Understanding dawns

The deluded do not see Him who departs, stays, and enjoys; but those who possess the eye of knowledge behold Him.

The rooted tree

The yogis striving for perfection behold Him dwelling in the Self; but, the unrefined and unintelligent, even though striving, do not see Him.

A steady flame

That light which resides in the sun, illuminating the whole world; that which is in the moon and in the fire—know that light to be Mine.

One in all

Permeating the earth, I support all beings with My energy; and having become the watery moon, I nourish all herbs.

Right measure

Having become the fire Vaisvanara, I abide in the bodies of living beings and, associated with the Prana and the Apana, digest the fourfold food.

Light of knowledge

And I am seated in the hearts of all; from Me come memory and knowledge, as well as their absence. I am verily That which has to be known by all the Vedas; I am indeed the author of the Vedanta and the knower of the Vedas.

The changeless one

Two Purushas there are in this world: the perishable and the imperishable. All beings are perishable, and the Kutastha—the unchanging—is called the imperishable.

Divine qualities

The Blessed Lord said: Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in knowledge and yoga, almsgiving, control of the senses, sacrifice, study of scriptures, austerity, and straightforwardness.

Cool the heat

Harmlessness, truth, absence of anger, renunciation, peacefulness, absence of crookedness, compassion for beings, non-covetousness, gentleness, modesty, and absence of fickleness.

Strength and forgiveness

Vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence of hatred, absence of pride—these belong to one born for a divine state, O Arjuna.

Anger passes

Hypocrisy, arrogance, and self-conceit, anger, harshness, and ignorance—these belong to one who is born for a demoniacal state, O Partha.

New clothes

The divine nature is deemed conducive to liberation, and the demonic to bondage. Grieve not, O Arjuna, for you are born with divine endowments.

Light over shadow

There are two types of beings in this world: the divine and the demoniacal. The divine has been described at length; hear from Me, O Arjuna, about the demoniacal.

Speak kindly

The demoniacal do not know what to do and what to refrain from; they have neither purity, nor right conduct, nor truth.

Wanting less

They say, "This universe is without truth, without a moral basis, without a God, brought about by mutual union, with lust as its cause; what else?"

The witness inside

Holding this view, these ruined souls of small intellect and fierce deeds come forth as enemies of the world, intent on its destruction.

Loosen the grip

Filled with insatiable desires, full of hypocrisy, pride, and arrogance, holding evil ideas due to delusion, they work with impure intentions.

Enough as it is

Giving themselves over to immeasurable cares that end only with death, regarding the gratification of lust as their highest aim, and feeling sure that that is all.

Hold your temper

Bound by a hundred ties of hope, given over to lust and anger, they strive to obtain hoards of wealth by unlawful means for sensual enjoyment.

Wanting less

"I have gained this today; I will fulfill this desire of mine; this is mine, and this wealth will be mine in the future."

Lasting joy

"I have slain that enemy, and I shall slay others too. I am the Lord; I enjoy, I am perfect, powerful, and happy."

Even-minded

"I am wealthy and born into a noble family. Who is my equal? I shall perform sacrifices, give charity, and rejoice," thus deluded by ignorance.

Loosen the grip

Bewildered by many fancies, entangled in the snare of delusion, addicted to the gratification of lust, they fall into a foul hell.

Stay grounded

Self-conceited, stubborn, filled with pride and intoxication of wealth, they perform sacrifices in name only for ostentation, contrary to scriptural ordinances.

Three gates

There are three gates to this hell, destructive of the self: lust, anger, and greed; therefore, one should abandon these three.

Trust the way

Arjuna said, "What is the condition of those who, disregarding the injunctions of the scriptures, perform sacrifice with faith—is it Sattva, Rajas, or Tamas, O Krishna?"

Faith over fear

The Blessed Lord said, "There are threefold faiths inherent in the nature of the embodied: the sattvic (pure), the rajasic (passionate), and the tamasic (dark). Hear of them."

You are your faith

The faith of each is in accordance with their nature, O Arjuna. People consist of their faith; as a person's faith is, so are they.

Give your heart

The sattvic, or pure, men worship the gods; the rajasic, or passionate, worship the yakshas and rakshasas; the others, the tamasic or deluded people, worship ghosts and hosts of nature-spirits.

Enough as it is

Those men who practice terrific austerities not prescribed by the scriptures, given to hypocrisy and egoism, driven by the force of lust and attachment.

One clear idea

Know thou these to be of demonical resolves, senselessly torturing all the elements in the body and Me who dwell in the body.

Nothing to excess

The food that is dear to each is threefold, as well as sacrifice, austerity, and almsgiving. Hear the distinction of these.

Right measure

The foods that increase life, purity, strength, health, joy, and cheerfulness (good appetite), which are savory, oily, substantial, and agreeable, are dear to the Sattvic (pure) people.

Nothing to excess

The foods that are bitter, sour, salty, overly hot, pungent, dry, and burning are liked by the Rajasic and are productive of pain, grief, and disease.

Right measure

That which is stale, tasteless, putrid, rotten, rejected, and impure is the food liked by the Tamasic.

Wanting less

That sacrifice which is offered by men without desire for reward, as enjoined by the ordinance (scripture), with a firm faith that doing so is their duty, is Sattvic or pure.

Do it for something larger

The sacrifice that is offered, O Arjuna, seeking a reward and for show, know that to be a Rajasic Yajna.

Trust the way

They declare that sacrifice to be Tamasic which is contrary to the ordinances of the scriptures, in which no food is distributed, and which is devoid of mantras, gifts, and faith.

Devotion made simple

Worship of the gods, the twice-born, the teachers, and the wise; purity, straightforwardness, celibacy, and non-injury are all called the austerities of the body.

Speak kindly

Speech that causes no excitement, is truthful, pleasant, and beneficial; the practice of studying the Vedas is called austerity of speech.

A calm centre

Serenity of mind, good-heartedness, self-control, and purity of nature—this is called mental austerity.

Faith over fear

This threefold austerity, practiced by steadfast men, with the utmost faith, desiring no reward, is called Sattvic.

Give without return

That gift which is given to one who does nothing in return, knowing it to be a duty to give in a suitable place and time to a worthy person, is held to be Sattvic.

Loosen the grip

Arjuna said, "O mighty-armed Hrishikesa, I desire to know the essence or truth of renunciation and abandonment severally, O slayer of Kesi."

Enough as it is

The Blessed Lord said, "The sages understand sannyasa to be the renunciation of action with desire; the wise declare the abandonment of the fruits of all actions to be tyaga."

Give freely

Some philosophers declare that actions should be abandoned as evil; while others declare that acts of sacrifice, gift, and austerity should not be relinquished.

Harm no one

Hear from Me the conclusion or the final truth about this abandonment, O best of the Bharatas; abandonment, indeed, O best of men, has been declared to be of three kinds.

See clearly

Acts of sacrifice, gift, and austerity should not be abandoned, but should be performed; for sacrifice, gift, and austerity are the purifiers of the wise.

Wanting less

But even these actions should be performed, leaving aside attachment and the desire for rewards, O Arjuna; this is my certain and most assured conviction.

Name the delusion

Verily, the renunciation of obligatory action is not proper; the abandonment of the same out of delusion is declared to be Tamasic.

Nothing to dread

He who abandons action out of fear of bodily trouble (because it is painful), does not obtain the merit of renunciation by performing such Rajasic renunciation.

Loosen the grip

Whatever obligatory action is done, O Arjuna, merely because it ought to be done, abandoning attachment and also the desire for reward, that renunciation is regarded as sattvic (pure).

Free hands

The man of renunciation, pervaded by purity, intelligent, and with his doubts cut asunder, does not hate an unpleasant task nor is he attached to a pleasant one.

Sow, don't count

Indeed, it is not possible for an embodied being to completely abandon actions; however, he who relinquishes the rewards of actions is truly called a man of renunciation.

Effort, not outcome

The threefold fruit of action (evil, good, and mixed) accrues after death to those who do not abandon it, but never to those who do.

Action without noise

Learn from Me, O mighty-armed Arjuna, these five causes, as declared in the Sankhya system, for the accomplishment of all actions.

Guard the gates

The body, the doer, the various senses, the different functions of various kinds, and the presiding deity—the fifth.

Bring the mind back

Whatever action a person performs with their body, speech, and mind, whether right or wrong, these five are its causes.

The final counsel

Now, such being the case, verily he who, owing to an untrained understanding, looks upon his Self, which is isolated, as the agent, he of perverted intelligence does not see.

Duty done right

An action that is ordained, free from attachment, done without love or hatred, and without desire for reward is declared to be Sattvic.

Your own dharma

Better is one's own duty, even if it is destitute of merits, than the duty of another well performed. He who does the duty ordained by his own nature incurs no sin.

Nothing is flawless

One should not, O Arjuna, abandon the duty to which one is born, though it may be faulty; for, all undertakings are enveloped by evil, just as fire is by smoke.

Grace carries you

Fixing your mind on Me, you shall, by My grace, overcome all obstacles; but if you will not hear Me due to egoism, you shall perish.

Let go, be free

Abandon all duties and take refuge in Me alone; I will liberate you from all sins; do not grieve.

Where there is effort

Wherever Krishna, the Lord of Yoga, is; and wherever Arjuna, the wielder of the bow, is; there is prosperity, victory, happiness, and a firm policy; this is my conviction.