Knowledge, Action and Letting Go

इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवानहमव्ययम् ।
विवस्वान्मनवे प्राह मनुरिक्ष्वाकवेऽब्रवीत् ॥1॥

The Lord said: I taught this unfading yoga to Vivasvan; Vivasvan told Manu, and Manu told Ikshvaku.

एवं परम्पराप्राप्तमिमं राजर्षयो विदुः ।
स कालेनेह महता योगो नष्टः परन्तप ॥2॥

Handed down this way, the royal sages knew it. But with the long passage of time, scorcher of foes, the yoga was lost.

स एवायं मया तेऽद्य योगः प्रोक्तः पुरातनः ।
भक्तोऽसि मे सखा चेति रहस्यं ह्येतदुत्तमम् ॥3॥

It is that same ancient yoga I have told you today, because you are devoted to me and my friend; this is the highest secret.

अपरं भवतो जन्म परं जन्म विवस्वतः ।
कथमेतद्विजानीयां त्वमादौ प्रोक्तवानिति ॥4॥

Arjuna said: Your birth was later, Vivasvan's was earlier. How am I to understand that you taught this at the beginning?

बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि जन्मानि तव चार्जुन ।
तान्यहं वेद सर्वाणि न त्वं वेत्थ परन्तप ॥5॥

The Lord said: Many births of mine have passed, Arjuna, and of yours too. I know them all; you do not.

अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन् ।
प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय सम्भवाम्यात्ममायया ॥6॥

Though unborn and unchanging, though lord of all beings, I take my stand in my own nature and come into being through my own power.

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत ।
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ॥7॥

Whenever dharma weakens and what is against it rises up, Bharata, then I bring myself forth.

परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् ।
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ॥8॥

To protect the good, to put an end to those who do harm, and to set dharma on its feet again, I come into being age after age.

जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः ।
त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म नैति मामेति सोऽर्जुन ॥9॥

One who truly knows my divine birth and work, Arjuna, is not born again on leaving the body; he comes to me.

वीतरागभयक्रोधा मन्मया मामुपाश्रिताः ।
बहवो ज्ञानतपसा पूता मद्भावमागताः ॥10॥

Freed of longing, fear and anger, absorbed in me, taking refuge in me, purified by the discipline of knowledge, many have come to share my being.

ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तांस्तथैव भजाम्यहम् ।
मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ॥11॥

However people come to me, that is how I meet them. Whatever path they take, Partha, it is my path they are on.

काङ्क्षन्तः कर्मणां सिद्धिं यजन्त इह देवताः ।
क्षिप्रं हि मानुषे लोके सिद्धिर्भवति कर्मजा ॥12॥

Wanting their work to succeed, people here worship the gods; in the human world success from action comes quickly.

चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागशः ।
तस्य कर्तारमपि मां विद्ध्यकर्तारमव्ययम् ॥13॥

I brought forth the four orders, divided by quality and by work. Though I did that, know me as one who does not act and does not change.

न मां कर्माणि लिम्पन्ति न मे कर्मफले स्पृहा ।
इति मां योऽभिजानाति कर्मभिर्न स बध्यते ॥14॥

Actions do not stain me, nor do I hanker for their fruit. One who knows me so is not bound by his own actions.

एवं ज्ञात्वा कृतं कर्म पूर्वैरपि मुमुक्षुभिः ।
कुरु कर्मैव तस्मात्त्वं पूर्वैः पूर्वतरं कृतम् ॥15॥

Those before you who sought freedom knew this and did their work. So do your work too, as the ancients did before you.

किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिताः ।
तत्ते कर्म प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात् ॥16॥

What is action and what is inaction: even the wise are confused here. I will tell you what action is, and knowing it you will be free of harm.

कर्मणो ह्यपि बोद्धव्यं बोद्धव्यं च विकर्मणः ।
अकर्मणश्च बोद्धव्यं गहना कर्मणो गतिः ॥17॥

One must understand action, and wrong action, and inaction too. The way action works runs deep.

कर्मण्यकर्म यः पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म यः ।
स बुद्धिमान्मनुष्येषु स युक्तः कृत्स्नकर्मकृत् ॥18॥

One who sees inaction in action and action in inaction is the wise one among men; he is the yogi, and all his work is done.

यस्य सर्वे समारम्भाः कामसङ्कल्पवर्जिताः ।
ज्ञानाग्निदग्धकर्माणं तमाहुः पण्डितं बुधाः ॥19॥

Whose every undertaking is free of desire and design, whose actions are burnt up in the fire of knowledge, him the wise call learned.

त्यक्त्वा कर्मफलासङ्गं नित्यतृप्तो निराश्रयः ।
कर्मण्यभिप्रवृत्तोऽपि नैव किञ्चित्करोति सः ॥20॥

Having let go of any hold on the fruit of work, always content, leaning on nothing, he does nothing at all even while fully at work.

निराशीर्यतचित्तात्मा त्यक्तसर्वपरिग्रहः ।
शारीरं केवलं कर्म कुर्वन्नाप्नोति किल्बिषम् ॥21॥

Without expectation, his mind and body in hand, having given up all possession, doing only what the body must, he takes on no fault.

यदृच्छालाभसन्तुष्टो द्वन्द्वातीतो विमत्सरः ।
समः सिद्धावसिद्धौ च कृत्वापि न निबध्यते ॥22॥

Content with whatever comes, past opposites, free of envy, the same in success and failure, he acts and is not bound.

गतसङ्गस्य मुक्तस्य ज्ञानावस्थितचेतसः ।
यज्ञायाचरतः कर्म समग्रं प्रविलीयते ॥23॥

For one who is unattached and free, whose mind is settled in knowledge, who works as an offering, all his work dissolves.

ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् ।
ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ॥24॥

The offering is Brahman, what is offered is Brahman, poured by Brahman into the fire of Brahman. One absorbed in Brahman's work reaches Brahman itself.

दैवमेवापरे यज्ञं योगिनः पर्युपासते ।
ब्रह्माग्नावपरे यज्ञं यज्ञेनैवोपजुह्वति ॥25॥

Some practitioners offer sacrifice to the gods; others pour the offering itself into the fire of Brahman by way of sacrifice.

श्रोत्रादीनीन्द्रियाण्यन्ये संयमाग्निषु जुह्वति ।
शब्दादीन्विषयानन्य इन्द्रियाग्निषु जुह्वति ॥26॥

Some pour hearing and the other senses into the fire of restraint; others pour sound and the other objects into the fire of the senses.

सर्वाणीन्द्रियकर्माणि प्राणकर्माणि चापरे ।
आत्मसंयमयोगाग्नौ जुह्वति ज्ञानदीपिते ॥27॥

Others pour all the workings of the senses and of the breath into the fire of self-control, kindled by knowledge.

द्रव्ययज्ञास्तपोयज्ञा योगयज्ञास्तथापरे ।
स्वाध्यायज्ञानयज्ञाश्च यतयः संशितव्रताः ॥28॥

Some offer through wealth, some through discipline, some through practice, and some, holding to hard vows, through study and knowledge.

अपाने जुह्वति प्राणं प्राणेऽपानं तथापरे ।
प्राणापानगती रुद्ध्वा प्राणायामपरायणाः ॥29॥

Some, holding the flow of breath in check, pour the in-breath into the out-breath and the out-breath into the in-breath, intent on breath control.

अपरे नियताहाराः प्राणान्प्राणेषु जुह्वति ।
सर्वेऽप्येते यज्ञविदो यज्ञक्षपितकल्मषाः ॥30॥

Others eat sparingly and pour breath into breath itself. All these know what offering means, and offering wears their faults away.

यज्ञशिष्टामृतभुजो यान्ति ब्रह्म सनातनम् ।
नायं लोकोऽस्त्ययज्ञस्य कुतोऽन्यः कुरुसत्तम ॥31॥

Those who eat what is left of the offering, which is nectar, reach the eternal Brahman. For one who makes no offering there is not even this world, best of Kurus, let alone another.

एवं बहुविधा यज्ञा वितता ब्रह्मणो मुखे ।
कर्मजान्विद्धि तान्सर्वानेवं ज्ञात्वा विमोक्ष्यसे ॥32॥

Offerings of many kinds are spread out before Brahman. Know them all as born of action; knowing this, you will be free.

श्रेयान्द्रव्यमयाद्यज्ञाज्ज्ञानयज्ञः परन्तप ।
सर्वं कर्माखिलं पार्थ ज्ञाने परिसमाप्यते ॥33॥

The offering of knowledge is better than any offering of things, scorcher of foes. All work, Partha, comes to its completion in knowledge.

तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया ।
उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः ॥34॥

Learn it by bowing down, by asking questions, by serving. Those who know, who have seen the truth of it, will teach you.

यज्ज्ञात्वा न पुनर्मोहमेवं यास्यसि पाण्डव ।
येन भूतान्यशेषेण द्रक्ष्यस्यात्मन्यथो मयि ॥35॥

Knowing it, Pandava, you will not fall into this confusion again; you will see all beings in yourself, and in me.

अपि चेदसि पापेभ्यः सर्वेभ्यः पापकृत्तमः ।
सर्वं ज्ञानप्लवेनैव वृजिनं सन्तरिष्यसि ॥36॥

Even if you were the worst of all wrongdoers, you would cross the whole sea of wrong on the boat of knowledge.

यथैधांसि समिद्धोऽग्निर्भस्मसात्कुरुतेऽर्जुन ।
ज्ञानाग्निः सर्वकर्माणि भस्मसात्कुरुते तथा ॥37॥

As a blazing fire turns firewood to ash, Arjuna, so the fire of knowledge turns all actions to ash.

न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते ।
तत्स्वयं योगसंसिद्धः कालेनात्मनि विन्दति ॥38॥

There is nothing here as purifying as knowledge. One who has ripened in practice finds it, in time, within himself.

श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः ।
ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परां शान्तिमचिरेणाधिगच्छति ॥39॥

The one who trusts, who is intent on it and holds the senses in check, gains knowledge; and gaining it, soon comes to deep peace.

अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति ।
नायं लोकोऽस्ति न परो न सुखं संशयात्मनः ॥40॥

One who does not know, does not trust and is full of doubt is lost. For the doubting one there is neither this world nor the next, nor any happiness.

योगसंन्यस्तकर्माणं ज्ञानसञ्छिन्नसंशयम् ।
आत्मवन्तं न कर्माणि निबध्नन्ति धनञ्जय ॥41॥

Actions do not bind the one who has given his work over through yoga, cut his doubt with knowledge and come to himself, Dhananjaya.

तस्मादज्ञानसम्भूतं हृत्स्थं ज्ञानासिनात्मनः ।
छित्त्वैनं संशयं योगमातिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ भारत ॥42॥

So cut this doubt, born of not knowing and lodged in your heart, with the sword of knowledge; take your stand in yoga, Bharata, and get up.