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कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते
You have the right to act...
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते
You have the right to act...
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते
You have the right to act...
78 verses
The eighteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is Moksha Sanyas Yoga. Arjuna requests the Lord to explain the difference between the two types of renunciations - sanyaas(renunciation of actions) and tyaag(renunciation of desires). Krishna explains that a sanyaasi is one who abandons family and society ...
अर्जुन उवाच |
श्रीभगवानुवाच |
त्याज्यं दोषवदित्येके कर्म प्राहुर्मनीषिणः |
निश्चयं शृणु मे तत्र त्यागे भरतसत्तम |
यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत् |
एतान्यपि तु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा फलानि च |
नियतस्य तु संन्यासः कर्मणो नोपपद्यते |
दुःखमित्येव यत्कर्म कायक्लेशभयात्त्यजेत् |
कार्यमित्येव यत्कर्म नियतं क्रियतेऽर्जुन |
न द्वेष्ट्यकुशलं कर्म कुशले नानुषज्जते |
न हि देहभृता शक्यं त्यक्तुं कर्माण्यशेषतः |
अनिष्टमिष्टं मिश्रं च त्रिविधं कर्मणः फलम् |
पञ्चैतानि महाबाहो कारणानि निबोध मे |
अधिष्ठानं तथा कर्ता करणं च पृथग्विधम् |
शरीरवाङ्मनोभिर्यत्कर्म प्रारभते नरः |
तत्रैवं सति कर्तारमात्मानं केवलं तु यः |
यस्य नाहंकृतो भावो बुद्धिर्यस्य न लिप्यते |
ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं परिज्ञाता त्रिविधा कर्मचोदना |
ज्ञानं कर्म च कर्ताच त्रिधैव गुणभेदतः |
सर्वभूतेषु येनैकं भावमव्ययमीक्षते |
पृथक्त्वेन तु यज्ज्ञानं नानाभावान्पृथग्विधान् |
यत्तु कृत्स्नवदेकस्मिन्कार्ये सक्तमहैतुकम् |
नियतं सङ्गरहितमरागद्वेषतः कृतम् |
यत्तु कामेप्सुना कर्म साहंकारेण वा पुनः |
अनुबन्धं क्षयं हिंसामनपेक्ष्य च पौरुषम् |
मुक्तसङ्गोऽनहंवादी धृत्युत्साहसमन्वितः |
रागी कर्मफलप्रेप्सुर्लुब्धो हिंसात्मकोऽशुचिः |
अयुक्तः प्राकृतः स्तब्धः शठो नैष्कृतिकोऽलसः |
बुद्धेर्भेदं धृतेश्चैव गुणतस्त्रिविधं शृणु |
प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च कार्याकार्ये भयाभये |
यया धर्ममधर्मं च कार्यं चाकार्यमेव च |
अधर्मं धर्ममिति या मन्यते तमसावृता |
धृत्या यया धारयते मनःप्राणेन्द्रियक्रियाः |
यया तु धर्मकामार्थान्धृत्या धारयतेऽर्जुन |
यया स्वप्नं भयं शोकं विषादं मदमेव च |
सुखं त्विदानीं त्रिविधं शृणु मे भरतर्षभ |
यत्तदग्रे विषमिव परिणामेऽमृतोपमम् |
विषयेन्द्रियसंयोगाद्यत्तदग्रेऽमृतोपमम् |
यदग्रे चानुबन्धे च सुखं मोहनमात्मनः |
न तदस्ति पृथिव्यां वा दिवि देवेषु वा पुनः |
ब्राह्मणक्षत्रियविशां शूद्राणां च परन्तप |
शमो दमस्तपः शौचं क्षान्तिरार्जवमेव च |
शौर्यं तेजो धृतिर्दाक्ष्यं युद्धे चाप्यपलायनम् |
कृषिगौरक्ष्यवाणिज्यं वैश्यकर्म स्वभावजम् |
स्वे स्वे कर्मण्यभिरतः संसिद्धिं लभते नरः |
यतः प्रवृत्तिर्भूतानां येन सर्वमिदं ततम् |
श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् |
सहजं कर्म कौन्तेय सदोषमपि न त्यजेत् |
असक्तबुद्धिः सर्वत्र जितात्मा विगतस्पृहः |
सिद्धिं प्राप्तो यथा ब्रह्म तथाप्नोति निबोध मे |
बुद्ध्या विशुद्धया युक्तो धृत्यात्मानं नियम्य च |
विविक्तसेवी लघ्वाशी यतवाक्कायमानसः |
अहंकारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं परिग्रहम् |
ब्रह्मभूतः प्रसन्नात्मा न शोचति न काङ्क्षति |
भक्त्या मामभिजानाति यावान्यश्चास्मि तत्त्वतः |
सर्वकर्माण्यपि सदा कुर्वाणो मद्व्यपाश्रयः |
चेतसा सर्वकर्माणि मयि संन्यस्य मत्परः |
मच्चित्तः सर्वदुर्गाणि मत्प्रसादात्तरिष्यसि |
यदहंकारमाश्रित्य न योत्स्य इति मन्यसे |
स्वभावजेन कौन्तेय निबद्धः स्वेन कर्मणा |
ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति |
तमेव शरणं गच्छ सर्वभावेन भारत |
इति ते ज्ञानमाख्यातं गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं मया |
सर्वगुह्यतमं भूयः शृणु मे परमं वचः |
मन्मना भव मद्भक्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु |
सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज |
इदं ते नातपस्काय नाभक्ताय कदाचन |
य इदं परमं गुह्यं मद्भक्तेष्वभिधास्यति |
न च तस्मान्मनुष्येषु कश्चिन्मे प्रियकृत्तमः |
अध्येष्यते च य इमं धर्म्यं संवादमावयोः |
श्रद्धावाननसूयश्च शृणुयादपि यो नरः |
कच्चिदेतच्छ्रुतं पार्थ त्वयैकाग्रेण चेतसा |
अर्जुन उवाच |
सञ्जय उवाच |
व्यासप्रसादाच्छ्रुतवानेतद्गुह्यमहं परम् |
राजन्संस्मृत्य संस्मृत्य संवादमिममद्भुतम् |
तच्च संस्मृत्य संस्मृत्य रूपमत्यद्भुतं हरेः |
यत्र योगेश्वरः कृष्णो यत्र पार्थो धनुर्धरः |
Arjuna said I desire to know severally, O mighty-armed, the essence or truth of renunciation, O Hrishikesa, as also of abandonment, O slayer of Kesi.
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 as Tyaga.
Some philosophers declare that actions should be abandoned as an evil; while others (declare) that acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity should not be relinquished.
Hear from Me the conclusion or the final truth about this abandonment, O best of the Bharatas; abandonment, verily, O best of men, has been declared to be of three kinds.
Acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity should not be abandoned, but should be performed; sacrifice, gift and also austerity are the purifiers of the wise.
But even these actions should be performed leaving aside attachment and the desire for rewards, O Arjuna; this is My certain and best conviction.
Verily the renunciation of obligatory action is not proper; the abandonment of the same from delusion is declared to be Tamasic.
He who abandons action on account of the fear of bodily trouble (because it is painful), does not obtain the merit of renunciation by doing such Rajasic renunciation.
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).
The man of renunciation, pervaded by purity, intelligent, and with his doubts cut asunder, does not hate a disagreeable work nor is he attached to an agreeable one.
Verily, it is not possible for an embodied being to abandon actions entirely; but he who relinquishes the rewards of actions is verily called a man of renunciation.
The threefold fruit of action (evil, good and mixed) accrues after death to the non-abandoners, but never to the abandoners.
Learn from Me, O mighty-armed Arjuna, these five causes as declared in the Sankhya system for the accomplishment of all actions.
The seat (body), the doer, the various senses, the different functions of various sorts, and the presiding deity, also, the fifth.
Whatever action a man performs with his body, speech and mind whether right or the reverse these five are its causes.
Now, such being the case, verily he who owing to untrained understanding looks upon his Self, which is isolated, as the agent, he of perverted intelligence, sees not.
He who is free from the egoistic notion, whose intelligence is not tainted (by good or evil), though he slays these people, he slayeth not, nor is he bound (by the action).
Knowledge, the knowable and the knower form the threefold impulse to action; the organ, the action and the agent form the threefold basis of action.
Knowledge, action and actor are declared in the science of the Gunas (Sankhya philosophy) to be of three kinds only, according to the distinction of the Gunas. Of these also, hear duly.
That by which one sees the one indestructible Reality in all beings, not separate in all the separate beings know thou that knowledge to be Sattvic.
But that knowledge which sees in all beings various entities of distinct kinds as different from one another know thou that knowledge to be Rajasic.
But that which clings to one single effect as if it were the whole, without reason, without foundation in Truth, and trivial that is declared to be Tamasic.
An action which is ordained, which is free from attachment, and which is done without love or hatred by one who is not desirous of any reward that action is declared to be Sattvic.
But that action which is done by one longing for the fulfilment of desires or gain with egoism or with much effort that is declared to be Rajasic (passionate).
That action which is undertaken from delusion, without a regard for the consequences, loss, injury and (one's own) ability that is declared to be Tamasic (dark).
An agent who is free from attachment, non-egoistic, endowed with firmness and enthusiasm, and unaffected by success or failure, is called Sattvic (pure).
Passionate, desiring to obtain the reward of actions, greedy, cruel, impure, moved by joy and sorrow, such an agent is said to be Rajasic (passionate).
Unsteady, vulgar, unbending, cheating, malicious, lazy, desponding and procrastinating such an agent is called Tamasic.
Hear thou the threefold division of intellect and firmness according to the Gunas, as I declare them fully and distinctly, O Arjuna.
The intellect which knows the path of work and renunciation, what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, fear and fearlessness, bondage and liberation that intellect is Sattvic (pure), O Arjuna.
That, by which one wrongly understands Dharma and Adharma and also what ought to be done and what ought not to be done that intellect, O Arjuna, is Rajasic (passionate).
That, which, enveloped in darkness, sees Adharma as Dharma and all things perverted that intellect, O Arjuna, is Tamasic (dark).
The unwavering firmness by which, through Yoga, the functions of the mind, the life-force and the senses are restrained that firmness, O Arjuna, is Sattvic (pure).
But that, O Arjuna, by which, on account of attachment and desire for reward, one holds fast to Dharma (duty), enjoyment of pleasures and earning of wealth that firmness, O Arjuna, is Rajasic (passionate).
That, by which a stupid man does not abandon sleep, fear, grief, despair and also conceit that firmness, O Arjuna, is Tamasic.
And now hear from Me, O Arjuna, of the threefold pleasure, in which one rejoices by practice and surely comes to the end of pain.
That which is like poison at first but in the end like nectar that happiness is declared to be Sattvic, born of the purity of one's own mind due to Self-realisation.
That happiness which arises from the contact of the sense-organs with the objects, which is at first like nectar, and in the end like poison that is declared to be Rajasic.
That happiness which at first as well as in the sequel deludes the self, and which arises from sleep, indolence and heedlessness that is declared to be Tamasic.
There is no being on earth or again in heaven among the gods, that is liberated from the three qualities born of Nature.
Of Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, and also Sudras, O Arjuna, the duties are distributed according to the qualities born of their own nature.
Serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forgiveness and also uprightness, knowledge, realisation and belief in God are the duties of the Brahmanas, born of (their own) nature.
Prowess, splendour, firmness, dexterity and also not fleeing from battle, generosity and lordliness are the duties of the Kshatriyas, born of (their own) nature.
Agriculture, cattle-rearing and trade are the duties of the Vaisya (merchant), born of (their own) nature; and action consisting of service is the duty of the Sudra (servant-class), born of (their own) nature.
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.
He from Whom all the beings have evolved and by Whom all this is pervaded worshipping Him with his own duty, man attains perfection.
Better is one's own duty (though) destitute of merits, than the duty of another well performed. He who does the duty ordained by his own nature incurs no sin.
One should not abandon, O Arjuna, the duty to which one is born, though faulty; for, all undertakings are enveloped by evil, as fire by smoke.
He whose intellect is unattached everywhere, who has subdued his self, from whom desire has fled, he by renunciation, attains the supreme state of freedom from action.
Learn from Me in brief, O Arjuna, how he who has attained perfection reaches Brahman (the Eternal), that supreme state of knowledge.
Endowed with a pure intellect, controlling the self by firmness, relinquishing sound and other objects and abandoning attraction and hatred.
Dwelling in solitude, eating but little, with speech, body and mind subdued, always engaged in meditation and concentration, resorting to dispassion.
Having abandoned egoism, strength, arrogance, desire, anger and covetousness, and free from the notion of 'mine' and peaceful, he is fit for becoming Brahman.
Becoming Brahman, serene in the Self, he neither grieves nor desires, the same to all beings, he obtains supreme devotion to Me.
By devotion he knows Me in truth, what and who I am; then having known Me in truth, he forthwith enters into the Supreme.
Doing all actions always having taken refuge in Me, by My grace he obtains the eternal indestructible state of being.
Mentally renouncing all actions in Me, having Me as the highest goal, resorting to the Yoga of discrimination do thou ever fix thy mind on Me.
Fixing thy mind on Me, thou shalt by My grace overcome all obstacles; but if from egoism thou wilt not hear Me, thou shalt perish.
If, filled with egoism, thou thinkest: "I will not fight", vain is this, thy resolve; Nature will compel thee.
O Arjuna, bound by thy own Karma (action) born of thy own nature, that which from delusion thou wishest not to do, even that thou shalt do helplessly.
The Lord dwells in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, causing all beings, by His illusive power, to revolve as if mounted on a machine.
Fly unto Him for refuge with all thy being, O Arjuna; by His grace thou shalt obtain supreme peace (and) the eternal abode.
Thus has wisdom, more secret than secrecy itself, been declared unto thee by Me; having reflected over it fully, then act as thou wishest.
Hear thou again My supreme word, most secret of all; because thou art dearly beloved of Me, I will tell thee what is good.
Fix thy mind on Me, be devoted to Me, sacrifice to Me, bow down to Me. Thou shalt come even to Me; truly do I promise unto thee, (for) thou art dear to Me.
Abandoning all duties, take refuge in Me alone: I will liberate thee from all sins; grieve not.
This is never to be spoken by thee to one who is devoid of austerities or devotion, nor to one who does not render service or who does not desire to listen, nor to one who cavils at Me.
He who with supreme devotion to Me will teach this supreme secret to My devotees, shall doubtlessly come to Me.
Nor is there any among men who does dearer service to Me, nor shall there be another on earth dearer to Me than he.
And he who will study this sacred dialogue of ours, by him I shall have been worshipped by the sacrifice of wisdom, such is My conviction.
Also the man who hears this, full of faith and free from malice, he, too, liberated, shall attain to the happy worlds of those of righteous deeds.
Has this been heard, O Arjuna, with one-pointed mind? Has the delusion of thy ignorance been destroyed, O Dhananjaya?
Arjuna said Destroyed is my delusion as I have gained my knowledge (memory) through Thy grace, O Krishna. I remain freed from doubts. I will act according to Thy word.
Sanjaya said Thus I have heard this wonderful dialogue between Krishna and the high-souled Arjuna, which causes the hair to stand on end.
Through the grace of Vyasa I have heard this supreme and most secret Yoga direct from Krishna, the Lord of Yoga, Himself declaring it.
O King, remembering this wonderful and holy dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna, I rejoice again and again.
And, remembering again and again, also that most wonderful form of Hari, great is my wonder, O King; and I rejoice again and again.
Wherever is Krishna, the Lord of Yoga; wherever is Arjuna, the wielder of the bow; there are prosperity, victory, happiness and firm righteousness; such is my conviction.