1 Arjuna said: I desire, O mighty-armed, to know severally the essence of renunciation, O Hrishîkesha, and of relinquishment, O Keshinishûdana.
18:1-40
1 Arjuna said: I desire, O mighty-armed, to know severally the essence of renunciation, O Hrishîkesha, and of relinquishment, O Keshinishûdana.
2The Blessed Lord said: Sages have known as renunciation the renouncing of works with desire; the relinquishing of the fruit of all actions is called relinquishment by the wise.
Kirshna said,
3"Action should be relinquished as an evil,"declare some thoughtful men; "acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity should not be relinquished," say others.
4Hear my conclusions as to that relinquishment, O best of the Bhâratas; since relinquishment, O tiger of men, has been explained as threefold.
5Acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity should not be relinquished, but should be performed; sacrifice, gift and also austerity are the purifiers of the intelligent.
6But even these actions should be done leaving aside attachment and fruit, O Pârtha; that is my certain and best belief.
7Verily renunciation of actions that are prescribed is not proper; the relinquishment thereof from delusion is said to be of darkness.
8He who relinquisheth an action from fear of physical suffering, saying "Painful," thus performing a passionate relinquishment, obtaineth not the fruit of relinquishment.
9He who performeth a prescribed action, saying, "it ought to be done," O Arjuna, relinquishing attachment and also fruit, that relinquishment is regarded as pure.
10The relinquisher pervaded by purity, intelligent and with doubts cut away, hateth not unpleasurable action nor is attached to pleasurable.
11Nor indeed can embodied beings completely relinquish action; verily he who relinquisheth the fruit of action, he is said to be a relinquisher.
12Good, evil and mixed—threefold is the fruit of action hereafter for the non-relinquisher; but there is none ever for the renouncer.
13These five causes, O mighty-armed, learn of Me as declared in the Sâñkhya system for the accomplishment of all actions:
14The body, the actor, the various organs, the diverse kinds of energies, and the presiding deities also, the fifth.
15Whatever action a man performeth by his body, speech and mind, whether right or the reverse, these five are the cause thereof.
16That being so, he verily who—owing to untrained Reason—looketh on his Self, which is isolated, as the actor, he of perverted intelligence, seeth not.
17He who is free from the egoistic notion, whose Reason is not affected, though he slay these peoples, he slayeth not, nor is bound.
Those who kill people are not really killing people, if they are free from egoism and their reason is not affected.
18Knowledge, the knowable and the knower, the threefold impulse to action; the organ, the action, the actor, the threefold constituents of action.
19Knowledge, action and actor in the category of qualities are also said to be severally threefold, from the difference of qualities; hear thou duly these also.
20That by which one indestructible Being is seen in all beings, inseparate in the separated, know thou that knowledge as pure.
21But that knowledge which regardeth the several manifold existences in all beings as separate, that knowledge know thou as of passion;
22While that which clingeth to each one thing as if it were the whole, without reason, without grasping the reality, narrow, that is declared to be dark.
23An action which is ordained, done by one undesirous of fruit, devoid of attachment, without love or hate, that is called pure.
24But that action that is done by one longing for desires, or again with egoism, or with much effort, that is declared to be passionate.
25The action undertaken from delusion, without regard to capacity and consequences—loss and injury to others—that is declared to be dark.
26Liberated from attachment, not egoistic, endued with firmness and confidence, unchanged by success or failure, that actor is called pure.
27Impassioned, desiring to obtain the fruit of actions, greedy, harmful, impure, moved by joy and sorrow, such an actor is pronounced passionate.
28Discordant, vulgar, stubborn, cheating, malicious, indolent, despairful, procrastinating, that actor is called dark.
29The division of Reason and of firmness also, threefold according to the qualities, hear thou related, unreservedly and severally, O Dhananjaya.
30That which knoweth energy and abstinence, what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, fear and fearlessness, bondage and liberation, that Reason is pure, O Pârtha.
31That by which one understandeth away Right and Wrong and also what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, that Reason, O Pârtha, is passionate.
32That which, enwrapped in darkness, thinketh wrong to be right and seeth all things subverted, that Reason, O Pârtha, is of darkness.
33The unwavering firmness by which, through Yoga, one restraineth the activity of the mind, of the life breaths and of the sense-organs, that firmness, O Pârtha, is pure.
34But the firmness, O Arjuna, by which, from attachment desirous of fruit, one holdeth fast duty], desire and wealth, that firmness, O Pârtha, is passionate.
35That by which one from stupidity doth not abandon sleep, fear, grief, despair, and also vanity, that firmness, O Pârtha, is dark.
36And now the threefold kinds of pleasure hear thou from Me, O bull of the Bhâratas. That in which one by practice rejoiceth, and which putteth an end to pain;
37Which at first is as venom but in the end is as nectar; that pleasure is said to be pure, born of the blissful knowledge of the Self.
38That which from the union of the senses with their objects at first is as nectar, but in the end is like venom, that pleasure is accounted passionate.
39That pleasure which both at first and afterwards is delusive of the self, arising from sleep, indolence and heedlessness, that is declared dark.
40There is not an entity, either on the earth or again in heaven among the Shining Ones, that is liberated from these three qualities, born of Matter.
18:41-78
41Of Brâhmanas, Kshattriyas, Vaishyas and Shûdras, O Parantapa, the duties have been distributed, according to the qualities born of their own natures.
The Brâhmanas (priestly caste), Kshattriyas (warrior caste), Vaishyas (merchant and farmer caste) and Shûdras (servant caste) have been distributed according to their natures. [1]
42Serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forgiveness and also uprightness, wisdom, knowledge, belief in God, are the Brâhmana duty, born of his own nature.
The Brâhmana duties: serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forgiveness and also uprightness, wisdom, knowledge, belief in God.
43Prowess, splendour, firmness, dexterity, and also not flying from battle, generosity, the nature of a ruler, are the Kshattriya duty, born of his own nature.
The Kshattriya duties: prowess, splendour, firmness, dexterity, and also not flying from battle, generosity, the nature of a ruler.
44Ploughing, protection of kine, and trade are the Vaishya duty, born of his own nature. Action of the nature of service is the Shûdra duty, born of his own nature.
The Vaishya duties: ploughing, protection of kine, and trade.
And the Shûdra duty is action of the nature of service.
45Man reacheth perfection by each being intent on his own duty. Listen thou how perfection is won by him who is intent on his own duty.
Perfection is reached by doing your duty.
46He from whom is the emanation of beings, by Whom all This is pervaded, by worshipping Him in his own duty a man winneth perfection.
47Better is one's own duty though destitute of merits than the well-executed duty of another. He who doeth the duty laid down by his own nature incurreth not sin.
It is better to do your own duty, even if it is meritless, than to do someone else's duty.
If you do your duty you will not sin.
48Congenital duty, O son of Kunti, though defective, ought not to be abandoned. All undertakings indeed are clouded by defects as fire by smoke.
Duties of caste assigned at birth should not be abandoned.
49He whose Reason is everywhere unattached, the self-subdued, dead to desires, he goeth by renunciation to the supreme perfection of freedom from obligation.
50How he who hath attained perfection obtaineth the Eternal, that highest state of wisdom, learn thou from Me only succinctly, O Kaunteya.
51United to this Reason, purified, controlling the self by firmness, having abandoned sound and the other objects of the senses, having laid aside passion and malice,
52Dwelling in solitude, abstemious, speech, body and mind subdued, constantly fixed in meditation and yoga, taking refuge in dispassion,
53Having cast aside egoism, violence, arrogance, desire, wrath, covetousness, selfless and peaceful—he is fit to become the Eternal.
54Becoming the Eternal, serene in the Self, he neither grieveth nor desireth; the same to all beings, he obtaineth supreme devotion unto Me.
55By devotion he knoweth Me in essence, who and what I am; having thus known Me in essence he forthwith entereth into the Supreme.
56Though ever performing all actions, taking refuge in Me, by My grace he obtaineth the eternal indestructible abode.
57Renouncing mentally all works in Me, intent on Me, resorting to the yoga of discrimination, have thy thought ever on Me.
58Thinking on Me, thou shalt overcome all obstacles by My grace: but if from egoism thou wilt not listen, thou shalt be destroyed utterly.
If you think about me, you'll overcome all obstacles.
If you don't, you'll be destroyed.
59Entrenched in egoism, thou thinkest, "I will not fight;" to no purpose thy determination; nature will constrain thee.
60O son of Kuntî, bound by thine own duty born of thine own nature, that which from delusion thou desirest not to do, even that helplessly thou shalt perform.
61The Lord dwelleth in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, by His illusive Power causing all beings to revolve, as though mounted on a potter's wheel.
62Flee unto Him for shelter with all thy being, O Bhârata; by His grace thou shalt obtain supreme peace, the everlasting dwelling-place.
63Thus hath wisdom, more secret than secrecy itself, been declared unto thee by Me; having reflected on it fully, then act thou as thou listest.
64Listen thou again to My supreme word, most secret of all; beloved art thou of Me, and steadfast of heart, therefore will I speak for thy benefit.
65Merge thy mind in Me, be my devotee, sacrifice to Me, prostrate thyself before Me, thou shalt come even to Me. I pledge thee My troth; thou art dear to Me.
Merge your mind with mine, be my devotee, sacrifice to me, and prostrate yourself to me.
66Abandoning all duties come unto Me alone for shelter; sorrow not, I will liberate thee from all sins.
I will free you from all sins.
67Never is this to be spoken by thee to anyone who is without asceticism, nor without devotion, nor to one who desireth not to listen, nor yet to him who speaketh evil of Me.
Don't speak about this to anyone who is without asceticism or devotion, or who doesn't want to listen, or who speaks badly of me.
68He who shall declare this supreme secret among My devotees, having shown the highest devotion for Me, without doubt he shall come to Me.
But if you tell this secret to my devotees, I'll love you more than anyone else on earth.
69Nor is there any among men who performeth dearer service to Me than he, nor any other shall be more beloved by Me on earth than he.
70And he who shall study this sacred dialogue of ours, by him I shall be worshipped with the sacrifice of wisdom. Such is My mind.
71The man also who, full of faith, merely heareth it unreviling, even he, freed from evil, obtaineth the radiant worlds of the righteous.
72Hath this been heard, O son of Prithâ, with one-pointed mind? Has thy delusion, caused by unwisdom, been destroyed, O Dhananjaya?
73 Arjuna said: Destroyed is my delusion. I have gained knowledge through Thy grace, O Immutable one. I am firm, my doubts have fled away. I will do according to Thy word.
Arjuna said,
My delusion is destroyed, and my doubt is gone.
I will do whatever you say.
74 Sanjaya said: I heard this marvellous dialogue of Vâsudeva, and of the great-souled Partha, causing my hair to stand on end.
Sanjaya said,
This conversation has caused my hair to stand on end.
75By the favour of Vyâsa I listened to this secret and supreme yoga from the Lord of Yoga, Krishna Himself, speaking before mine eyes.
I listened to the secret yoga from the Lord of Yoga, Krishna himself.
76O King, remembering, remembering this marvelous and holy dialogue between Keshava and Arjuna, I rejoice again and again.
77Remembering, remembering, also that most marvelous form of Hari, great is my wonder, O King. I rejoice, again and again.
78Wherever is Krishna, Yoga's Lord, wherever is Pârtha, the archer, assured are there prosperity, victory and happiness. So I think.
Wherever Krishna, Yoga's Lord, and Arjuna, the archer, are, there is prosperity, victory, and happiness. So I think.
