The Way of Action

ज्यायसी चेत्कर्मणस्ते मता बुद्धिर्जनार्दन ।
तत्किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव ॥1॥

Arjuna said: If you hold understanding to be better than action, Janardana, then why do you push me into this terrible work, Keshava?

व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे ।
तदेकं वद निश्चित्य येन श्रेयोऽहमाप्नुयाम् ॥2॥

Your words seem mixed, and they leave my mind confused. Tell me one thing plainly, the thing by which I will be better off.

लोकेऽस्मिन् द्विविधा निष्ठा पुरा प्रोक्ता मयानघ ।
ज्ञानयोगेन साङ्ख्यानां कर्मयोगेन योगिनाम् ॥3॥

The Lord said: In this world there are two ways, as I said before, sinless one: the way of knowledge for those who reason it out, and the way of action for those who practise.

न कर्मणामनारम्भान्नैष्कर्म्यं पुरुषोऽश्नुते ।
न च संन्यसनादेव सिद्धिं समधिगच्छति ॥4॥

No one gets free of action by not starting any, and no one reaches perfection just by giving things up.

न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् ।
कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः ॥5॥

No one can stay even a moment without doing something; everyone is driven to act, willy-nilly, by the qualities born of nature.

कर्मेन्द्रियाणि संयम्य य आस्ते मनसा स्मरन् ।
इन्द्रियार्थान्विमूढात्मा मिथ्याचारः स उच्यते ॥6॥

Someone who holds the body still but sits remembering the objects of the senses is only fooling himself.

यस्त्विन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्यारभतेऽर्जुन ।
कर्मेन्द्रियैः कर्मयोगमसक्तः स विशिष्यते ॥7॥

But the one who reins in the senses with the mind, Arjuna, and takes up the work of action without attachment, that one stands higher.

नियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं कर्म ज्यायो ह्यकर्मणः ।
शरीरयात्रापि च ते न प्रसिद्ध्येदकर्मणः ॥8॥

Do the work that falls to you; doing is better than not doing. Without work you could not even keep your body going.

यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्मबन्धनः ।
तदर्थं कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्तसङ्गः समाचर ॥9॥

Work done as offering does not bind; all other work does. So do your work in that spirit, Kaunteya, with attachment let go.

सहयज्ञाः प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा पुरोवाच प्रजापतिः ।
अनेन प्रसविष्यध्वमेष वोऽस्त्विष्टकामधुक् ॥10॥

At the beginning the lord of creatures brought forth people along with sacrifice, and said: by this may you flourish; let it give you what you wish for.

देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु वः ।
परस्परं भावयन्तः श्रेयः परमवाप्स्यथ ॥11॥

By this sustain the gods, and let the gods sustain you; sustaining one another you will come to the highest good.

इष्टान्भोगान्हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते यज्ञभाविताः ।
तैर्दत्तानप्रदायैभ्यो यो भुङ्क्ते स्तेन एव सः ॥12॥

Sustained by offering, the gods will give you what you want. One who enjoys their gifts without giving anything back is simply a thief.

यज्ञशिष्टाशिनः सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषैः ।
भुञ्जते ते त्वघं पापा ये पचन्त्यात्मकारणात् ॥13॥

Good people who eat what is left after the offering are freed of every fault. Those who cook only for themselves eat nothing but wrong.

अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसम्भवः ।
यज्ञाद्भवति पर्जन्यो यज्ञः कर्मसमुद्भवः ॥14॥

Beings come from food, food comes from rain, rain comes from offering, and offering arises out of work.

कर्म ब्रह्मोद्भवं विद्धि ब्रह्माक्षरसमुद्भवम् ।
तस्मात्सर्वगतं ब्रह्म नित्यं यज्ञे प्रतिष्ठितम् ॥15॥

Know that work arises from Brahman, and Brahman from the imperishable. So the all-pervading Brahman is always present in the offering.

एवं प्रवर्तितं चक्रं नानुवर्तयतीह यः ।
अघायुरिन्द्रियारामो मोघं पार्थ स जीवति ॥16॥

One who does not keep this wheel turning, Partha, lives in vain, taking pleasure in the senses and doing harm.

यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानवः ।
आत्मन्येव च सन्तुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते ॥17॥

But for the one who delights in the self, is satisfied with the self and content in the self, there is nothing left that must be done.

नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थो नाकृतेनेह कश्चन ।
न चास्य सर्वभूतेषु कश्चिदर्थव्यपाश्रयः ॥18॥

Nothing is gained by his doing and nothing lost by his not doing, and he depends on no creature for anything.

तस्मादसक्तः सततं कार्यं कर्म समाचर ।
असक्तो ह्याचरन्कर्म परमाप्नोति पूरुषः ॥19॥

So do the work that should be done, always unattached; working without attachment, a person reaches the highest.

कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः ।
लोकसङ्ग्रहमेवापि सम्पश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि ॥20॥

Janaka and others came to perfection through action alone. And looking at what holds the world together, you too should act.

यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः ।
स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते ॥21॥

Whatever a leading man does, others do the same; the standard he sets is the one the world follows.

न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन ।
नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि ॥22॥

There is nothing in the three worlds I have to do, Partha, nothing unattained that I need to attain; and still I go on working.

यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः ।
मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ॥23॥

If I did not keep working, tirelessly, people everywhere would follow my example, Partha.

उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां कर्म चेदहम् ।
सङ्करस्य च कर्ता स्यामुपहन्यामिमाः प्रजाः ॥24॥

If I did not act, these worlds would fall apart; I would be the cause of chaos and would destroy these people.

सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत ।
कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथासक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसङ्ग्रहम् ॥25॥

As the unknowing act with attachment, Bharata, so should the one who knows act without it, wanting to hold the world together.

न बुद्धिभेदं जनयेदज्ञानां कर्मसङ्गिनाम् ।
जोषयेत्सर्वकर्माणि विद्वान्युक्तः समाचरन् ॥26॥

He should not unsettle the minds of the unknowing who are attached to their work; doing his own work well, he should encourage them in theirs.

प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः ।
अहङ्कारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते ॥27॥

Actions are all done by the qualities of nature, but the one whose mind is clouded by ego thinks, "I am the doer."

तत्त्ववित्तु महाबाहो गुणकर्मविभागयोः ।
गुणा गुणेषु वर्तन्त इति मत्वा न सज्जते ॥28॥

But the one who knows how the qualities and their work are divided, mighty-armed one, sees that qualities are simply moving among qualities, and does not get caught.

प्रकृतेर्गुणसम्मूढाः सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु ।
तानकृत्स्नविदो मन्दान्कृत्स्नविन्न विचालयेत् ॥29॥

Those confused by nature's qualities cling to the qualities and their work. One who sees the whole should not disturb those who see only a part.

मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि संन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा ।
निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वरः ॥30॥

Give all your actions over to me, with your mind on the self, without hope or sense of "mine", and fight, free of fever.

ये मे मतमिदं नित्यमनुतिष्ठन्ति मानवाः ।
श्रद्धावन्तोऽनसूयन्तो मुच्यन्ते तेऽपि कर्मभिः ॥31॥

Those who live by this teaching of mine, trusting it and not finding fault with it, are also set free from their actions.

ये त्वेतदभ्यसूयन्तो नानुतिष्ठन्ति मे मतम् ।
सर्वज्ञानविमूढांस्तान्विद्धि नष्टानचेतसः ॥32॥

But those who carp at this teaching and do not live by it, know them to be lost, mindless, cut off from all understanding.

सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्याः प्रकृतेर्ज्ञानवानपि ।
प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि निग्रहः किं करिष्यति ॥33॥

Even a person of knowledge acts in keeping with his own nature. Beings follow their nature; what will holding them down achieve?

इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ ।
तयोर्न वशमागच्छेत्तौ ह्यस्य परिपन्थिनौ ॥34॥

Liking and disliking sit in the way of every sense and its object. Do not fall under their power; they are what block the road.

श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् ।
स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ॥35॥

Your own work, done imperfectly, is better than someone else's done well. Better to die at your own work; another's carries danger.

अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुषः ।
अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजितः ॥36॥

Arjuna said: Then what drives a man to do wrong, Varshneya, even against his will, as though pushed into it by force?

काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः ।
महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम् ॥37॥

The Lord said: It is desire, it is anger, born of the quality of rajas: a great devourer, a great doer of harm. Know this to be the enemy here.

धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथादर्शो मलेन च ।
यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम् ॥38॥

As smoke covers fire, as dust covers a mirror, as the womb covers the unborn, so this covers over knowledge.

आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा ।
कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च ॥39॥

Knowledge is covered over by this constant enemy of the wise, Kaunteya: desire, which takes any form and burns like a fire that is never fed enough.

इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिरस्याधिष्ठानमुच्यते ।
एतैर्विमोहयत्येष ज्ञानमावृत्य देहिनम् ॥40॥

The senses, the mind and the understanding are said to be where it sits; through these it covers knowledge and confuses the one who dwells in the body.

तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ ।
पाप्मानं प्रजहि ह्येनं ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम् ॥41॥

So first bring the senses under control, best of the Bharatas, and strike down this destroyer of knowledge and insight.

इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः ।
मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्यो बुद्धेः परतस्तु सः ॥42॥

The senses are said to be high; higher than the senses is the mind; higher than the mind, the understanding; and beyond the understanding is that.

एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना ।
जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम् ॥43॥

Knowing that to be beyond the understanding, mighty-armed one, steady yourself by yourself, and kill this enemy in the form of desire, hard as it is to reach.