कर्मसंन्यासयोग

अर्जुन उवाच । सन्न्यासं कर्मणां कृष्ण पुनर्योगं च शंससि । यच्छ्रेय एतयोरेकं तन्मे ब्रूहि सुनिश्चितम् ॥

Arjuna said: O Krishna, You praise the renunciation of action, and then again You praise the yoga of action. Tell me clearly which one of these two is better.

श्रीभगवानुवाच । सन्न्यासः कर्मयोगश्च निःश्रेयसकरावुभौ । तयोस्तु कर्मसन्न्यासात्कर्मयोगो विशिष्यते ॥

The Supreme Lord said: Both renunciation and the yoga of action lead to the highest good; but of the two, the yoga of action is superior to the renunciation of action.

ज्ञेयः स नित्यसन्न्यासी यो न द्वेष्टि न काङ्क्षति । निर्द्वन्द्वो हि महाबाहो सुखं बन्धात्प्रमुच्यते ॥

One who neither hates nor desires is to be known as a constant renunciate. Free from dualities, O mighty-armed one, such a person is easily released from bondage.

साङ्ख्ययोगौ पृथग्बालाः प्रवदन्ति न पण्डिताः । एकमप्यास्थितः सम्यगुभयोर्विन्दते फलम् ॥

The unwise, not the learned, speak of Sankhya (knowledge) and Yoga (action) as different. One who is truly established in either attains the fruit of both.

यत्साङ्ख्यैः प्राप्यते स्थानं तद्योगैरपि गम्यते । एकं साङ्ख्यं च योगं च यः पश्यति स पश्यति ॥

The state attained by knowledge is also reached through yoga. One who sees knowledge and action as one truly sees.

सन्न्यासस्तु महाबाहो दुःखमाप्तुमयोगतः । योगयुक्तो मुनिर्ब्रह्म नचिरेणाधिगच्छति ॥

O mighty-armed one, renunciation without yoga is difficult to attain, but the sage endowed with yoga soon reaches Brahman.

योगयुक्तो विशुद्धात्मा विजितात्मा जितेन्द्रियः । सर्वभूतात्मभूतात्मा कुर्वन्नपि न लिप्यते ॥

One who is united in yoga, pure of mind, self-controlled, with senses mastered, and who identifies the self with all beings, remains untainted even while acting.

नैव किञ्चित्करोमीति युक्तो मन्येत तत्त्ववित् । पश्यञ्शृण्वन्स्पृशञ्जिघ्रन्नश्नन्गच्छन्स्वपञ्श्वसन् ॥

The knower of truth, though seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, walking, sleeping, and breathing, should think, I am not doing anything at all.

प्रलपन्विसृजन्गृह्णन्नुन्मिषन्निमिषन्नपि । इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेषु वर्तन्त इति धारयन् ॥

Even while speaking, releasing, grasping, and opening or closing the eyes, such a person understands that it is only the senses acting upon their objects.

ब्रह्मण्याधाय कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा करोति यः । लिप्यते न स पापेन पद्मपत्रमिवाम्भसा ॥

One who performs actions, offering them to Brahman and abandoning attachment, is untouched by sin, just as a lotus leaf is untouched by water.

कायेन मनसा बुद्ध्या केवलैरिन्द्रियैरपि । योगिनः कर्म कुर्वन्ति सङ्गं त्यक्त्वात्मशुद्धये ॥

Yogis perform action with the body, mind, intellect, and even the senses alone, abandoning attachment, purely for the purification of the self.

युक्तः कर्मफलं त्यक्त्वा शान्तिमाप्नोति नैष्ठिकीम् । अयुक्तः कामकारेण फले सक्तो निबध्यते ॥

The one who is united in yoga, having abandoned the fruit of action, attains lasting peace; but the one not so united, driven by desire and attached to results, becomes bound.

सर्वकर्माणि मनसा सन्न्यस्यास्ते सुखं वशी । नवद्वारे पुरे देही नैव कुर्वन्न कारयन् ॥

The self-controlled embodied soul, mentally renouncing all actions, dwells happily in the nine-gated city of the body, neither acting nor causing action.

न कर्तृत्वं न कर्माणि लोकस्य सृजति प्रभुः । न कर्मफलसंयोगं स्वभावस्तु प्रवर्तते ॥

The Supreme Lord creates neither agency, nor actions, nor their connection with results, for the world; rather, it is one's own nature that brings these about.

नादत्ते कस्यचित्पापं न चैव सुकृतं विभुः । अज्ञानेनावृतं ज्ञानं तेन मुह्यन्ति जन्तवः ॥

The all-pervading Lord accepts neither anyone's sin nor merit. Knowledge is veiled by ignorance, and thereby beings are deluded.

ज्ञानेन तु तदज्ञानं येषां नाशितमात्मनः । तेषामादित्यवज्ज्ञानं प्रकाशयति तत्परम् ॥

But for those whose ignorance has been destroyed by knowledge of the Self, that knowledge, like the sun, illuminates the Supreme.

तद्बुद्धयस्तदात्मानस्तन्निष्ठास्तत्परायणाः । गच्छन्त्यपुनरावृत्तिं ज्ञाननिर्धूतकल्मषाः ॥

Those whose intellect, self, faith, and refuge are fixed in That, having their impurities washed away by knowledge, go to the state from which there is no return.

विद्याविनयसम्पन्ने ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि । शुनि चैव श्वपाके च पण्डिताः समदर्शिनः ॥

The wise see with equal vision a learned and humble Brahmin, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and even an outcaste.

इहैव तैर्जितः सर्गो येषां साम्ये स्थितं मनः । निर्दोषं हि समं ब्रह्म तस्माद्ब्रह्मणि ते स्थिताः ॥

Those whose minds are established in equanimity have conquered the cycle of birth and death even in this life. Since Brahman is flawless and impartial, they are established in Brahman.

न प्रहृष्येत्प्रियं प्राप्य नोद्विजेत्प्राप्य चाप्रियम् । स्थिरबुद्धिरसम्मूढो ब्रह्मविद्ब्रह्मणि स्थितः ॥

One who neither rejoices on obtaining what is pleasant nor is agitated on obtaining what is unpleasant, is a person of steady wisdom, undeluded, established in Brahman, and a knower of Brahman.

बाह्यस्पर्शेष्वसक्तात्मा विन्दत्यात्मनि यत्सुखम् । स ब्रह्मयोगयुक्तात्मा सुखमक्षयमश्नुते ॥

One whose mind is unattached to external sense contacts finds happiness within the self; being united with Brahman through yoga, such a person enjoys imperishable happiness.

ये हि संस्पर्शजा भोगा दुःखयोनय एव ते । आद्यन्तवन्तः कौन्तेय न तेषु रमते बुधः ॥

The pleasures born of contact with sense objects are, in truth, sources of sorrow, having a beginning and an end, O son of Kunti; the wise do not delight in them.

शक्नोतीहैव यः सोढुं प्राक्शरीरविमोक्षणात् । कामक्रोधोद्भवं वेगं स युक्तः स सुखी नरः ॥

One who is able, even here in this life, to withstand the force arising from desire and anger before giving up the body, is a true yogi and a happy person.

योऽन्तःसुखोऽन्तरारामस्तथान्तर्ज्योतिरेव यः । स योगी ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं ब्रह्मभूतोऽधिगच्छति ॥

One whose happiness is within, whose delight is within, and who is illumined within, such a yogi, becoming one with Brahman, attains liberation in Brahman.

लभन्ते ब्रह्मनिर्वाणमृषयः क्षीणकल्मषाः । छिन्नद्वैधा यतात्मानः सर्वभूतहिते रताः ॥

Sages whose sins are destroyed, whose doubts are dispelled, who are self-controlled, and who are devoted to the welfare of all beings, attain liberation in Brahman.

कामक्रोधवियुक्तानां यतीनां यतचेतसाम् । अभितो ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं वर्तते विदितात्मनाम् ॥

For self-controlled ascetics who are free from desire and anger, and who have realized the Self, liberation in Brahman is present on every side.

स्पर्शान्कृत्वा बहिर्बाह्यांश्चक्षुश्चैवान्तरे भ्रुवोः । प्राणापानौ समौ कृत्वा नासाभ्यन्तरचारिणौ ॥

Shutting out external sense objects, fixing the gaze between the eyebrows, equalizing the incoming and outgoing breath moving within the nostrils,

यतेन्द्रियमनोबुद्धिर्मुनिर्मोक्षपरायणः । विगतेच्छाभयक्रोधो यः सदा मुक्त एव सः ॥

The sage whose senses, mind, and intellect are controlled, who is devoted to liberation, and who is free from desire, fear, and anger, is indeed forever liberated.

भोक्तारं यज्ञतपसां सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम् । सुहृदं सर्वभूतानां ज्ञात्वा मां शान्तिमृच्छति ॥

Knowing Me as the enjoyer of sacrifices and austerities, the great Lord of all the worlds, and the true friend of all beings, one attains peace.