Karma Yoga

1 BG 3.1 अर्जुन उवाच | ज्यायसी चेत्कर्मणस्ते मता बुद्धिर्जनार्दन | तत्किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव ||३-१|| Arjuna asked: Janardana, if you consider understanding better than action, why do you direct me toward this terrible action, Keshava? 2 BG 3.2 व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे | तदेकं वद निश्चित्य येन श्रेयोऽहमाप्नुयाम् ||३-२|| Your words seem mixed and appear to confuse my understanding. Tell me one definite course by which I may reach what is best. 3 BG 3.3 श्रीभगवानुवाच | लोकेऽस्मिन् द्विविधा निष्ठा पुरा प्रोक्ता मयानघ | ज्ञानयोगेन साङ्ख्यानां कर्मयोगेन योगिनाम् ||३-३|| The Lord said: Blameless one, I previously taught two commitments in this world: the discipline of knowledge for those devoted to discernment, and the discipline of action for practitioners of yoga. 4 BG 3.4 न कर्मणामनारम्भान्नैष्कर्म्यं पुरुषोऽश्नुते | न च संन्यसनादेव सिद्धिं समधिगच्छति ||३-४|| A person does not attain freedom from action merely by not beginning work, nor reach perfection merely by renouncing it. 5 BG 3.5 न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् | कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः ||३-५|| No one can remain without action even for a moment. Everyone is helplessly driven to act by the qualities born of nature. 6 BG 3.6 कर्मेन्द्रियाणि संयम्य य आस्ते मनसा स्मरन् | इन्द्रियार्थान्विमूढात्मा मिथ्याचारः स उच्यते ||३-६|| Someone who restrains the organs of action while mentally dwelling on sense objects is self-deluded and is called a pretender. 7 BG 3.7 यस्त्विन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्यारभतेऽर्जुन | कर्मेन्द्रियैः कर्मयोगमसक्तः स विशिष्यते ||३-७|| But one who governs the senses with the mind and practices disciplined action through the organs of action, without attachment, excels, Arjuna. 8 BG 3.8 नियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं कर्म ज्यायो ह्यकर्मणः | शरीरयात्रापि च ते न प्रसिद्ध्येदकर्मणः ||३-८|| Perform the action required of you. Action is better than inaction; without action you could not even maintain your body. 9 BG 3.9 यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्मबन्धनः | तदर्थं कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्तसङ्गः समाचर ||३-९|| Except for action done as sacrifice, action binds people in this world. Therefore, Kunti's son, act for that purpose, free from attachment. 10 BG 3.10 सहयज्ञाः प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा पुरोवाच प्रजापतिः | अनेन प्रसविष्यध्वमेष वोऽस्त्विष्टकामधुक् ||३-१०|| At the beginning, the lord of creatures created beings together with sacrifice and said: Through this may you flourish; let it supply what you desire. 11 BG 3.11 देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु वः | परस्परं भावयन्तः श्रेयः परमवाप्स्यथ ||३-११|| Nourish the gods through sacrifice, and let the gods nourish you. Nourishing one another, you will attain the highest good. 12 BG 3.12 इष्टान्भोगान्हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते यज्ञभाविताः | तैर्दत्तानप्रदायैभ्यो यो भुङ्क्ते स्तेन एव सः ||३-१२|| Nourished by sacrifice, the gods will give you desired enjoyments. Whoever enjoys their gifts without giving back to them is a thief. 13 BG 3.13 यज्ञशिष्टाशिनः सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषैः | भुञ्जते ते त्वघं पापा ये पचन्त्यात्मकारणात् ||३-१३|| Good people who eat what remains from sacrifice are freed from all faults. But the wicked, who cook only for their own sake, eat wrongdoing. 14 BG 3.14 अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसम्भवः | यज्ञाद्भवति पर्जन्यो यज्ञः कर्मसमुद्भवः ||३-१४|| Beings arise from food; food comes from rain; rain comes from sacrifice; sacrifice arises from action. 15 BG 3.15 कर्म ब्रह्मोद्भवं विद्धि ब्रह्माक्षरसमुद्भवम् | तस्मात्सर्वगतं ब्रह्म नित्यं यज्ञे प्रतिष्ठितम् ||३-१५|| Know that action arises from the sacred revelation, and that revelation arises from the imperishable. Therefore the all-pervading sacred reality is always established in sacrifice. 16 BG 3.16 एवं प्रवर्तितं चक्रं नानुवर्तयतीह यः | अघायुरिन्द्रियारामो मोघं पार्थ स जीवति ||३-१६|| Partha, one who does not keep this cycle turning, but lives wrongly and delights only in the senses, lives in vain. 17 BG 3.17 यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानवः | आत्मन्येव च सन्तुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते ||३-१७|| But for a person who delights in the self, is satisfied in the self, and is content in the self alone, there is nothing that must be done. 18 BG 3.18 नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थो नाकृतेनेह कश्चन | न चास्य सर्वभूतेषु कश्चिदर्थव्यपाश्रयः ||३-१८|| Such a person has no purpose to gain by doing or not doing anything here, and depends on no being for any purpose. 19 BG 3.19 तस्मादसक्तः सततं कार्यं कर्म समाचर | असक्तो ह्याचरन्कर्म परमाप्नोति पूरुषः ||३-१९|| Therefore keep performing the action that ought to be done, without attachment. Through unattached action a person reaches the highest. 20 BG 3.20 कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः | लोकसंग्रहमेवापि सम्पश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि ||३-२०|| Janaka and others attained perfection through action itself. You should also act with the holding together of the world in view. 21 BG 3.21 यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः | स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते ||३-२१|| Whatever an outstanding person does, others also do. Whatever standard that person sets, the world follows. 22 BG 3.22 न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन | नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि ||३-२२|| Partha, there is nothing I must do in the three worlds, nothing unattained that I need to attain; yet I continue to act. 23 BG 3.23 यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः | मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ||३-२३|| If I ever stopped acting tirelessly, Partha, people would follow my course in every way. 24 BG 3.24 उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां कर्म चेदहम् | सङ्करस्य च कर्ता स्यामुपहन्यामिमाः प्रजाः ||३-२४|| If I did not act, these worlds would fall apart. I would cause disorder and destroy these creatures. 25 BG 3.25 सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत | कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथासक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसंग्रहम् ||३-२५|| As the unknowing act with attachment, Bharata, the knowing should act without attachment, seeking to hold the world together. 26 BG 3.26 न बुद्धिभेदं जनयेदज्ञानां कर्मसङ्गिनाम् | जोषयेत्सर्वकर्माणि विद्वान्युक्तः समाचरन् ||३-२६|| The wise should not unsettle the understanding of those who are unknowing and attached to action. Acting with discipline themselves, the wise should encourage them in all actions. 27 BG 3.27 प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः | अहङ्कारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते ||३-२७|| All actions are performed by nature's qualities. A person confused by the sense of 'I' thinks, 'I am the doer.' 28 BG 3.28 तत्त्ववित्तु महाबाहो गुणकर्मविभागयोः | गुणा गुणेषु वर्तन्त इति मत्वा न सज्जते ||३-२८|| But one who understands the distinction between qualities and actions knows, 'The qualities operate among the qualities,' and does not become attached, mighty-armed one. 29 BG 3.29 प्रकृतेर्गुणसम्मूढाः सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु | तानकृत्स्नविदो मन्दान्कृत्स्नविन्न विचालयेत् ||३-२९|| Those confused by nature's qualities become attached to their workings. One who understands fully should not unsettle those whose understanding is incomplete and slow. 30 BG 3.30 मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि संन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा | निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वरः ||३-३०|| Entrust all actions to me, with your mind directed toward the self. Free from expectation and possessiveness, fight without inner fever. 31 BG 3.31 ये मे मतमिदं नित्यमनुतिष्ठन्ति मानवाः | श्रद्धावन्तोऽनसूयन्तो मुच्यन्ते तेऽपि कर्मभिः ||३-३१|| Those who consistently follow this teaching of mine, with trust and without fault-finding, are also freed from action's bonds. 32 BG 3.32 ये त्वेतदभ्यसूयन्तो नानुतिष्ठन्ति मे मतम् | सर्वज्ञानविमूढांस्तान्विद्धि नष्टानचेतसः ||३-३२|| But know that those who fault this teaching and do not follow it are confused about all understanding, lacking discernment, and lost. 33 BG 3.33 सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्याः प्रकृतेर्ज्ञानवानपि | प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि निग्रहः किं करिष्यति ||३-३३|| Even a knowledgeable person acts according to their own nature. Beings follow nature; what can mere repression accomplish? 34 BG 3.34 इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ | तयोर्न वशमागच्छेत्तौ ह्यस्य परिपन्थिनौ ||३-३४|| Attraction and aversion are established in relation to each sense’s objects. Do not come under their control, for they are adversaries on one’s path. 35 BG 3.35 श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् | स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ||३-३५|| One's own duty, though imperfectly carried out, is better than another's duty performed well. Death in one's own duty is better; another's duty carries danger. 36 BG 3.36 अर्जुन उवाच | अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुषः | अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजितः ||३-३६|| Arjuna asked: Varshneya, what drives a person to wrongdoing, even unwillingly, as though forced? 37 BG 3.37 श्रीभगवानुवाच | काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः | महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम् ||३-३७|| The Lord said: It is desire; it is anger, born of the quality of passion. Know this insatiable, greatly evil force as the enemy here. 38 BG 3.38 धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथादर्शो मलेन च | यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम् ||३-३८|| As smoke covers fire, dust covers a mirror, and a membrane encloses an embryo, this is covered by that desire. 39 BG 3.39 आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा | कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च ||३-३९|| Kunti's son, knowledge is covered by this constant enemy of the knower: desire, a fire that cannot be satisfied. 40 BG 3.40 इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिरस्याधिष्ठानमुच्यते | एतैर्विमोहयत्येष ज्ञानमावृत्य देहिनम् ||३-४०|| The senses, mind, and understanding are called its dwelling places. Through them it covers knowledge and bewilders the embodied self. 41 BG 3.41 तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ | पाप्मानं प्रजहि ह्येनं ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम् ||३-४१|| Therefore, best of the Bharatas, first govern the senses and destroy this evil force that destroys knowledge and direct understanding. 42 BG 3.42 इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः | मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्यो बुद्धेः परतस्तु सः ||३-४२|| The senses are said to be higher than the body; the mind is higher than the senses; understanding is higher than the mind; and the self is higher than understanding. 43 BG 3.43 एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना | जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम् ||३-४३|| Thus knowing what is higher than understanding, steady yourself through yourself, mighty-armed one, and destroy the hard-to-conquer enemy that takes the form of desire.