The Bhagavad Geeta: Translation

 

The following is my own English translation of the Bhagavad Geeta, done in the period November 2002 to November 2003, taking about 250 hours of my time, spread over the 13 months. The purpose was to arrive at a correct translation of this very important scripture, and was done since I found that many translations reflected the bias of their translators or the incorrect understanding prevalent in India. Hence this translation tends towards the literal and the grammar may not be perfect and the sentences a little awkward. But that was the price that had to be paid for arriving at the correct meaning of the text. To give an example, the word "muni" in 2:56, 2:69, 5:6, 5:28, 6:3, 10:26, 10:37, and 14:1 is generally translated as "sage" in most translations. But "muni" actually means "mauni," a silent person. Now this has been grossly misunderstood in India to mean a person who does not talk with his mouth. And people go around with cloths tied over their mouths indicating that they don’t talk with their mouths! But actually the silence that it means is that of a person who has achieved "inner silence", a person who has succeeded in silencing the talk that goes on in one’s mind all the time! Such a person is in tune with the spirit of God, and he hears God continuously. And he has realized with continuous experience that what goes on in his mind is mostly nonsense anyway as compared with the wisdom that comes from God. And so, he is better off shutting that nonsense off and rely on God’s wisdom. With practice he has learnt to do that and his mind has gone silent and the spirit is flowing through him freely. Being a "muni" has nothing to do with outer silence. Vyasa is considered the "silent of the silent" persons in 10:37, but he sure must have talked a lot with his mouth as he recited the entire Mahabharata while his amanuensis (Ganesha) wrote it all down. The correct understanding is found in verse 2:56, which says, "One who is without agitation in sorrows or happiness, free from longing, free from attachment, who is steady in fear and anger, is called a muni." Being a "muni" has nothing to do with outer silence. Outer silence only creates unnecessary problems for oneself and for others as all communication has to be done with hands or by writing on paper! That is nothing but stupidity! Hence the word "muni" has been translated as "(internally) silent person" in the translation below. It may be awkward, but accuracy of understanding was the more important objective here. (Note: as in other translations, "rishi" has been translated as "sage" below, in verses 4:2, 5:25, 10:2, 10:6, 10:13, 10:25, 11:21, and 13:5).

The translation was done in a multi-stage process. As in other translations, the first stage of this process was the breaking down of the compound Sanskrit words into its constituent roots. Thus in verse 2:24, "acchedyoyamadayahyoyamakledyoshoshyah" was first broken down into its constituent root words as "acchedyah-ayam-adahyah-ayam-akledyah-ashoshyah" which is easier to see and translate. Similarly in verse 2:25, "avyaktoayamachintyoayamavikaryoyamuchyate" is broken down into its constituent root words as "avyaktah-ayam-achintyah-ayam-avikaryah-ayam-uchyate" which is easier to see and translate.

The next stage (which actually was done partly along with the first) was to create a Sanskrit-to-English dictionary of all the Sanskrit root words in the Geeta. The next stage was to use a computer program to lay out the equivalent English words beside the root Sanskrit ones. Thus for verse 2:24, it would be:

acchedyah = uncleavable
ayam = this
adahyah = unable to be burned
ayam = this
akledyah = insoluble
ashoshyah = cannot be dried
eva = certainly
cha = and
nityah = eternal
sarva = all
gatah = pervading
sthanuh = stable
achalah = immovable
ayam = this
sanatana = eternal

The next stage was to form the English words into rough sentences, using another program, and then smoothen them into sentences as properly as possible. Thus for verse 2:24, it would be as follows

Uncleavable is he, unburnable is he, insoluble, and cannot be dried. Eternal, all-pervading, unchangeable, and immovable is this eternal soul.

The sentence need not be grammatically correct (it need not be even elegant), so long as the correct meaning was arrived at.

The final stage was to improve readability and facilitate quick understanding. The Sanskrit is in poetic-verse form. As with most other Sanskrit texts, it was written so because that is easier to learn by-heart and in those days when written form was not so common, they learnt the texts by-heart. But today, the real need is for a quick and proper understanding, not for learning by-heart. Here I have drawn from the experience of the Bible translations. The KJV translation, in the early 1600s, stuck to the verse form. In today’s world, this form is difficult to read and understand, since we are more used to the prose-and-paragraph style of writing. All the Bible translations of today use the prose-and-paragraph style of narrative (except of course for the poetical sections) to facilitate quick and proper understanding. Plus the old-style "thou" and "thy" words have been replaced by the more familiar "you" and "yours" etc. The following translation has these two characteristics to facilitate quick and proper understanding. It’s funny to see English translations of the Geeta still use "thou" and "thy" in their sentences! For what? I have also used paragraph markings in the translation below. Needless to say, there is nothing sacrosanct about these paragraph markings, if someone else was to do them, he may do it differently. They are there only to make your job easier: they help group sentences relating to a particular point together, to see them as a block, and so to digest them more easily.

 

 

Ch 1: Arjuna Vishada Yoga

Dhritarashtra said :1"On the field of dharma, in the place at Kurukshetra, eager to fight, what did my people and the Pandavas do, Sanjaya?"

Sanjaya said: 2Seeing the soldiers of the Pandavas drawn up in military arrangement, Duryodhana went to his teacher and said: 3"Behold the great army of the sons of Pandu, arranged by the son of Drupada, your intelligent disciple. 4Here are brave men, great archers comparable to Bhima and Arjuna in war: Yuyudhama, Virata and Drupada, the great charioteer. 5Dhristaketu, Chekitana, and the brave king of Kashi, Purujit, Kuntibhoja and Saibya, heroes amongst men. 6The victorious Yudhamanyu, the brave Uttamauja, the son of Subhadra and the sons of Draupadi - all of them great chariot fighters.

7"But those who are special amongst us, take note of them, best of the twice-born. The information about the captains of my army I am speaking to you. 8You yourself, Bhishma, Karna, Kripa, always victorious in battle; Ashwatthama, Vikarna and the son of Somadatta also. 9There are others in great numbers who are strong and ready to give up their lives for me. They all are equipped with diverse weapons, and all are good in warfare. 10Unlimited is our strength, and we are perfectly protected by Bhishma, but limited is their strength, perfectly protected by Bhima. 11As arranged and situated at strategic points, all must now give support to Bhishma."

12To his increasing joy, the old grandfather of the Kauravas blew his conchshell very loudly, making a sound reverberating like the roar of a lion. 13Thereafter, conchshells, large drums, small drums, kettledrums and horns were all suddenly and simultaneously sounded, and the sound became tumultuous.

14Then, seated in a great chariot drawn by white horses, Madhava and the son of Pandu sounded their divine conchshells - 15Panchajanya by Hrishikesha, Devadatta by Dhananjaya; Paundra the great conchshell was blown by Bhima, the voracious eater and doer of herculean tasks; 16Anantavijaya by King Yudhishtira, the son of Kunti; and Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughosha and Manipushpaka. 17The king of Kashi, the great archer, the great charioteer Shikhandi, Dhristadyumna, Virata, and the undefeated Satyaki, 18Drupada, the sons of Draupadi and all, O king, and the mighty-armed son of Subhadra, all blew their different conchshells. 19By that noise, the hearts of the sons of Dhritarashtra were rent, the tumultuous sound resounding through the sky and the earth.

20Then, seated in the chariot bearing the flag marked with Hanuman, seeing the sons of Dhritarashtra, ready to use his bow, the son of Pandu, 21unto Hrishikesha then said: "draw my chariot between the two standing armies, 22so that I may see the fighters who are desirous of fighting with me in the battlefield. 23I want to see those fighters who are assembled here to fight, wishing to please the evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra."

Sanjaya said: 24Having thus been addressed by Gudakesha, Hrishikesha drew up the excellent chariot in the midst of both the armies, O descendant of Bharata. 25In the presence of the main leaders Bhishma and Drona, and all the other chiefs of the world, Krishna said: See Partha, all the Kurus assembled here.

26There Partha could see situated, fathers, grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, and friends, 27fathers-in-law and well-wishers also in both the armies. When the son of Kunti saw all these relatives, 28overwhelmed by great grace, lamenting he said: "Seeing my own people present, Krishna, so eager to fight, 29the limbs of my body are quivering and my mouth is drying up. My whole body is trembling, and my hair is standing on end. 30Gandiva is slipping from my hands and my skin is burning. I am unable to remain in one state, and my mind is whirling. 31I see causes of bad consequences, Keshava; nor do I see how any good can come from killing my own people in this fight. 32I don't desire victory, Krishna, nor any kingdom or its happiness. Of what use to us are a kingdom, Govinda, happiness or even life itself, 33when for whose sake is desired a kingdom, enjoyments and comforts; when all these on the battlefield are giving up their lives and riches: 34teachers, fathers, sons, grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law, and other relatives; 35I do not desire to kill them even though I might be killed, Madhusudana; even in exchange of the kingdoms of the three worlds, what to speak of the earth? 36By killing the sons of Dhritarashtra, what pleasure will there be, Janardana? Sin certainly must come upon us by killing these aggressors. 37Therefore it would not be worthy for us to kill the sons of Dhritarashtra, our own relatives. By killing one's own people, how will we become happy, Madhava?

38"Even if they cannot see, their consciousness being overpowered by greed, their fault in destroying the family, and the sin of being traitors to friends, 39why not we who know, turn away from the sin of destroying the family, Janardana? 40With the destruction of family, the eternal family way of life is destroyed, and when the way of life is destroyed, the whole family becomes irreligious, so it is said. 41Irreligion having become prominent, Krishna, the women of the family become polluted, and by the pollution of womenhood, O descendant of Vrishni, comes intermixing of castes. 42This intermixing certainly leads to hellish life both for the family and for its destroyers. Their forefathers fall down, by the stoppage of the actions of offerings of food and water. 43By the faults of these destroyers of the family, intermixing of castes is caused, which causes devastation of the caste system and the eternal family system also. 44The people whose family systems are spoiled, Janardana, dwell in hell daily, thus I have heard.

45"It is strange that we have decided to commit great sin in that we are trying to get the happiness of a kingdom by killing one's own people. 46If I, unarmed and unresisting, by the fully armed sons of Dhritarashtra, on the battlefield am killed, then by that more goodness will accrue to me."

Sanjaya said: 47Thus speaking Arjuna on the battlefield, sat down on the seat in his chariot, putting aside his bow and arrow, his mind distressed with sorrow.

 

Ch 2: Sankhya Yoga

Sanjaya said: 1Seeing him overwhelmed with grace, eyes full of tears, and lamenting thus, Madhusudana said:

Sri-Bhagavan said: 2"From where has all this dirtiness come into you at this untimely hour? They are practiced by non-aryans. They don't lead to heaven but to disgrace, Arjuna. 3Do not take to this impotence, Partha. It is not befitting you. Give up this petty weakness of heart and get up, scorcher of enemies."

Arjuna said: 4"How can I fight with arrows in the battlefield men like Bhishma and Drona, killer of Madhu? They are worthy of worship, killer of the enemies. 5Not killing teachers and great persons, it is better to live begging. By killing my teachers for the sake of wealth, everything we experience will be tainted with blood. 6And this we do not know which is better - we win or they win. Killing them, we would not want to live. They are now situated ahead of us."

7Overpowered by miserly faults, I ask you the way of life, in bewildered consciousness. Tell me definitely what is better for me. I am your disciple. Please instruct me, I am surrendered to you. 8I cannot see how to drive away this grief which is drying up my senses, even if I win a prosperous, unrivalled kingdom on earth with lordship like the gods in heaven."

Sanjaya said: 9Speaking thus to Hrishikesha, Gudakesha, the scorcher of enemies, said, "I shall not fight thus, Govinda" and fell silent.

10Then Hrishikesha said smiling to the lamenting descendent of Bharata standing in the midst of both the armies,

Sri Bhagavan said: 11"For what is not worthy of grief you are grieving, although you use words as the wise. Neither for the living nor for the dead grieve those who are wise. 12There was never a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be. 13As the embodied soul passes in this body from boyhood to youth to old age, similarly he passes into another body. A steady person is not bewildered by this. 14Sensory perception, son of Kunti, gives rise to the experience of cold, heat, happiness and griefs. These come and go, and are not permanent; bear with them, descendant of Bharata. 15He who is not disturbed by these and is equal towards both sadness and happiness, he is fit for immortality.

16"Of the non-existent there is no being and of the eternal there is no non-being. The seers see this as the truth of both. 17Know that the indestructible is that which pervades all this. Destruction of the imperishable no one is able to achieve. 18That which has an end are the bodies of the eternal; the embodied soul is indestructible and eternal. Therefore, fight, descendant of Bharata. 19Those who know him to be the killer and those who think him to be the killed, both of them are not in knowledge, for he neither kills nor is killed. 20He is not born, nor does he die. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not killed when the body is killed. 21He who knows that indestructible and eternal is this unborn and imperishable soul, how can he, Partha, kill anyone or cause anyone to kill? 22As old and worn out garments are given up and new ones are accepted by a man, the soul similarly gives up the old and worn out body and accepts another new body.

23"Neither can he be cut by weapons, nor does fire burn him; neither water moistens him, nor does the wind dry him. 24Uncleavable is he, unburnable is he, insoluble, and cannot be dried. Eternal, all-pervading, unchangeable, and immovable is this eternal soul. 25Unmanifest he is, inconceivable he is, unchangeable he is said to be. Therefore, knowing this, grief is not appropriate of you.

26"Even if you believe that he is always born and dies forever, even then mighty-armed one, it is still not appropriate of you to grieve. 27For one who has taken birth, certain is death, and certain is birth for one who has died. Therefore, for the unavoidable, grief is not appropriate. 28Unmanifest in the beginning are all living beings, manifest in the middle, descendant of King Bharata; and unmanifest after death. So why lament? 29Full of amazement some see this, full of amazement others speak it as, full of amazement some others hear of him as. Even on hearing, anyone does not know him.

30"The embodied dweller in every body is everlasting and cannot be killed, descendant of Bharata. Therefore grief is not appropriate of you.

31"Even considering your own dharma, wavering is not appropriate. Fighting for dharma is better than any other activity for a kshatriya. 32Unsought, arriving at the wide open gates of heaven - happy are the kshatriyas, Partha, to whom such gains come. 33Thereupon, in this way according to dharma, if you do not engage in war, then losing your own dharma and fame, you will fall into sin. 34Of your disgrace people will speak without ceasing, and for an honourable person, disgrace is worse than death. 35Out of fear you left the battlefield, so will you be considered, great charioteer. The esteem they had for you will decrease. 36Words which should not be said, your ill-wishers will speak of you, deriding your strength. What could be sadder than that? 37Being killed, you will receive heaven, winning you will enjoy the earth. Therefore, get up son of Kunti, determined for fighting. 38Having gained equanimity in happiness and sadness, loss and gain, victory and defeat, if you engage thus in fighting, you will not fall into sin.

39"All this has been described unto you in terms of Buddhi-yoga. When you act in such understanding you will be freed from the bondage of works. 40In this endeavour there is no loss or diminution. Even a little of this dharma releases one from great fear. 41The soul-concerned person has a one-pointed mind, beloved child of the Kurus. Many-branched and unendingly diverse are the minds of those who are not so concerned. 42The undiscerning are engrossed in the flowery words of the Vedas, Partha, and declare that there is nothing else. 43For the purpose of sense gratification, with heaven as their goal, they consider birth as the reward of action and prescribe many special rites for moving towards opulence. 44In those who are attached to, and whose consciousness is captured by that opulence, the soul-concerned state of the intellect does not take place.

45"The Vedas object is the three gunas. Be without the three gunas, Arjuna, without duality, established in purity, without possessions and protection, possessed of the self. 46All purposes served by a well of water can in every way be served by a great reservoir. Similarly he who knows Brahman knows everything. 47You have control over action only, not even a little on its fruit. Do not act for the sake of fruit which may not come; neither let there be attachment to action. 48Established in yoga, perform actions having abandoned attachment, winner of wealth. Being equanimous in success and failure is called yoga.

49"Far away from the intellect in yoga, certainly, is abominable work, winner of wealth. Surrender in the intellect. Those who desire for the fruits of action are pitiable. 50He whose intellect is united, gets rid in this life itself, of the results of good and wrong actions. Therefore engage in yoga, for yoga is skill in action. 51By action born of a united intellect, abandoning the fruit of actions, the sages and the devotees get liberated from the bondage of birth and reach a position devoid of suffering.

52"When your mind crosses the dense forest of temptation, then you will gain indifference to all that has been heard and all that has to be heard. 53When you remain unmoved by all that you hear, when your intellect is steady and satisfied, at that time you will have attained to yoga."

Arjuna said: 54"What is the language of a person of steady consciousness, Keshava? What is he given to? What does he speak? How does he sit? How does he walk?"

Sri-Bhagavan-said: 55"When a person gives up all desires in his mind, when he is satisfied in the self, by the self, then he is called a person of steady intellect. 56One who is without agitation in sorrows or happiness, free from longing, free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a silent person of steady consciousness. 57He who is without affection towards both auspicious and inauspicious, neither praising or despising, his consciousness is established. 58When such a man withdraws his senses from their objects as a tortoise withdraws its limbs, his consciousness is established. 59The sense objects turn away by not feeding on them by the embodied, although the taste may not be given up. Even the taste goes on seeing the supreme.

60"Even for a man who sees and is endeavouring to control them, son of Kunti, the senses can abduct by force the mind and put it into agitation. 61Keeping them all under control, he sits united with me beyond the senses. The one who is in control of his senses, his consciousness is established. 62Attention to the sense objects develops attachment to them. From attachment develops sense gratification, from sense gratification anger takes birth. 63From anger arises delusion, from delusion bewilderment of memory, from a bewildered memory destruction of the intellect, with a destroyed intellect he perishes. 64He who is freed from attachment and envy, and moves amongst the objects of the sense organs without the self coming under their control, in such regulated freedom of the self, he attains grace. 65In grace comes the loss of all sorrows and a development of a happy consciousness. Very soon the intellect becomes sufficiently established. 66There is no intellect for one who is not connected (to God), nor is his consciousness established; not for such a person is peace. For one without peace where can there be happiness? 67When the roaming senses engage a man's mind they carry away the intellect as wind carries away a boat on water. 68Therefore mighty-armed one, one whose senses are curbed down in every way from their objects, his consciousness is established.

69"That which is night for all living entities, in that the controlled is awake. That in which the living are awake is night for the (internally) silent person who sees. 70As the ever-full ocean is steady and established even though waters enter it, so also is the person in whom all sense gratification desires enter without affecting him. He makes peace his own, not a person who desires sense gratification. 71A person who gives up all desires, who moves about untouched, without possesiveness or egoism, he attains peace. 72This is the state of Brahman, Partha. One is not bewildered on achieving this. Being situated in this, even at the time of death, he attains liberation in divine consciousness."

 

Ch 3: Karma Yoga

Arjuna said: 1"If you consider the intellect better than action, Janardana, then why are you engaging me in this horrible action, Keshava? 2With such mixed statements you are bewildering my intellect. Tell me in unmixed words definitely, that by which I will make a better state as my own."

Sri-Bhagavan said: 3"There are peoples on two paths of faith, as said by me in the past, sinless one. There is the path of knowledge for men of contemplation and there is the path of action for men of action. 4Not by non-performance of actions does a man achieve non-binding action, nor by renunciation does he reach perfection. 5No one can even for a moment, at any time, exist without doing action. Everyone is helplessly moved to action by the properties of his nature.

6"Keeping under control the sense organs, one who dwells on the sense objects is a deluded person. He is called a person whose behavior is based on the non-existent. 7But he who controls the senses by the mind, and engages the sense organs in action without attachment, he is distinguished.

8"Do your work daily. Action is certainly better than inaction. Even the journey of the body is not possible without action. 9Except work performed for sacrifice, actions lead to bondage. That should be the purpose of work, son of Kunti. It should be free from attachment, with equanimity of behavior towards everything.

10"With sacrifice Prajapati created people in the past, and said: By this you will be more and more prosperous. Let there be a bestowing of all desirable things. 11The gods, having been pleased by this, will please you in return. By pleasing one another the supreme good will be achieved. 12Your desired experiences will certainly be bestowed on you by the gods, being pleased by the sacrifices. Those who enjoy the things given to them without offering anything in return are certainly thieves.

13The righteous, who eat the remnants of yagnya, become free from all sins. But those who eat for themselves alone experience grievous sin. 14From food the living come into being; from rain food is possible; from sacrifice comes rain; and sacrifice comes out of action. 15Action comes out of divine consciousness, which comes out of the indestructible. Therefore sacrifice is situated in the all-pervading, everlasting divine consciousness.

16"He who does not follow the established cycle, the wheel of life; whose life is sinful, whose contentment lies in the sense organs, he lives in vain, Partha. 17But for one who, engaging in the self, is satisfied with the self, is contented in the self, for him action does not exist. 18Neither has he any gain from the actions he has done or not done; nor is there any living being whose shelter he has to take. 19Therefore, work constantly without attachment. Working without attachment, man achieves the supreme.

20"By action certainly, Janaka and others gained perfection. Also since people imitate on seeing, you should do what is appropriate. 21That which the best people do, that same thing other people do. The standards he sets, other people imitate it.

22"There are no duties for me, Partha, in the three realms. There is nothing to be gained, yet I certainly engage in action. 23If I do not engage at any time in action unwearingly, men will imitate my path in every way, Partha. 24The worlds would perish if I do not perform actions. I would be the cause of destruction, and all these people would be destroyed.

25"The ignorant do actions being attached to results, descendant of Bharata. The knowledgable should do actions without attachment desiring to lead the group of people. 26Do not create a division in the intellects of the ignorant, who are attached to action. The knowledgable should direct all action established in equanimity.

27"Actions are done by the properties of nature in every way. He whose self is deluded by egoism considers himself to be the doer. 28But he who knows the truth that actions are done by the properties of nature according to their divisions, mighty-armed one, he does not become attached. 29Those fooled by the properties of nature become attached to the actions of the properties. Let them who know the difference between action and non-action not agitate the ignorant.

30"Renouncing all action unto me, maintaining your consciousness in the self, freed from longing and any sense of 'mine', fight without lethargy. 31In my opinion, those who dwell always in this, people with faith, without finding fault, become free from the bondage of actions. 32But those with envy, who do not dwell in this, in my opinion, are deluded in all knowledge. They will be destroyed without being conscious of it. 33Even those who see act according to their own nature. What can repression accomplish?

34"There are principles of attachment and aversion of the senses. One should not come under their control, they certainly are stumbling blocks. 35Better is one's own dharma, though faultily performed, than another's perfectly done. Better is death following one's own dharma; another's dharma is full of fear."

Arjuna said: 36"Then what impels a man to sin, even though he does not desire it, as if by force, descendant of Vrishni?"

Sri Bhagavan said: 37"It is the desire for sense gratification, and anger, born of the passion-property, which is greatly devouring and greatly sinful. Know this to be the enemy in this life. 38As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror by dirt, as an embryo is covered by the womb, so also by that all this is covered. 39Knowledge is covered by this even to the wise by the enemy in the form of sense gratification, son of Kunti, which is insatiable, and which burns like fire. 40The senses, the mind, the intellect are its seat. It covers all this knowledge, deluding the embodied. 41Therefore first regulating the senses, best of the descendants of Bharata, curb the symbol of sin, destroyer of all kinds of knowledge.

42"The senses are said to be superior, superior to the senses is the mind, superior to the mind is the intellect, but he is superior to the intellect also. 43Thus understanding him who is superior to the intellect, steady the self by the self and conquer the enemy, mighty-armed one, in the form of formidable lust."

 

Ch 4: Dnyana-Karma-Sanyasa Yoga

Sri Bhagavan said: 1"I proclaimed this imperishable yoga unto Vivasvan (sun-god), Vivasvan proclaimed it unto Manu, Manu to Ikshvaku. 2Thus by disciplic succession, the royal sages knew it. In the course of time in this life this great yoga was destroyed, scorcher of enemies. 3That same yoga of old is now declared by me to you, because you are my devotee and my friend. This secret certainly is excellent."

Arjuna said: 4"Later was your birth and earlier the birth of Vivasvan. How shall I understand that you proclaimed it in the beginning?"

Sri Bhagavan said: 5"Many births of mine have passed, and yours too, Arjuna. I know all of them, but you do not, scorcher of enemies. 6Even though I am unborn and imperishable and lord of all living entities, yet being of such nature, I incarnate by myself. 7Whenever dharma declines, descendant of King Bharata, and adharma flourishes, at that time I manifest by myself. 8For deliverance of the righteous, for the destruction of wrongdoers, to establish dharma, I incarnate age after age.

9"My birth and my activity are divine. He who knows this in reality, on giving up the body is not reborn again. He comes to me, Arjuna. 10Free from attachment, fear and anger, situated in me, a great number of people by the austerity of my knowledge have been purified and absorbed in me, having attained me. 11Whoever surrenders to me, I certainly bless. They imitate me, Partha, in every way.

12"Desiring results of actions, those who worship gods in this life very quickly and certainly get success for their actions. 13The fourfold castes were created by me according to the properties of action. Although I am its creator, know me to be the nondoer, imperishable, 14Actions do not affect me, nor is my action out of aspiration for its fruits. One who knows me thus is not bound by actions. 15Knowing thus, people in the past who have attained liberation have acted. Therefore you also act as the people in the past did.

16"What is action and what is inaction? Even the wise are bewildered about this. I shall speak to you about that action knowing which you will be liberated from evil. 17Action certainly should be understood, inaction should be understood and wrong action should also be understood. Deep is the course of action.

18"One who sees action in inaction and inaction in action is intelligent amongst men. He acts in an integrated manner. 19One whose undertakings are not for sense gratification, his actions have been burnt in the fire of knowledge, he is called wise by the knowers of reality. 20Abandoning all attachment to the fruit of action, always satisfied, depending on nothing, even though fully engaged in action, he does not act. 21Free from longing, with a consciousness controlled by the self, giving up all sense of ownership over possessions, performing actions by the body only, he incurs no sin. 22Contented with the gain which comes of its own accord, surpassing dualities, free from envy, same in success and in failure, even though he acts, the action does not bind. 23He who is free from attachment, is liberated, whose consciousness is in knowledge, who works for yadnya (sacrifice), his action is totally dissolved.

24"Divine consciousness is the offering, divine consciousness is the oblation, poured by divine consciousness in the fire to the divine consciousness. Divine consciousness is certainly the destination of those who act by divine consciousness. 25Some yogis perform yagya by worshiping the gods, others by offering the yagya itself into the fire that is divine consciousness. 26Some offer the hearing process and other senses in the fire of restraint, some offer sound and other objects of the sense organs in the fire. 27Others offer all the activities of the sense organs and of the life-breath in the fire of yoga, which is self-restraint kindled by knowledge. 28Some sacrifice riches, some perform sacrifice by austerity, some by study for knowledge, and others are taken to strict vows. 29Others offer the life-breath in the outward breath, the inward breath in the outward breath, others outward breath in the life breath, checking the life breath, and moving towards a trance. 30Others, controlling their food offer the life-breath in the breath. All these are knowers of sacrifice, and by sacrifice the sins are cleansed.

31"The result of sacrifice is nectar, the partakers of which go to divine consciousness. When even this world is not for one who offers no sacrifice, how can other worlds be, best of the Kauravas? 32These great kinds of sacrifice are set forth in the vedas, Know them all to be born of action. Knowing it you will certainly be liberated.

33"Better than sacrifice of riches is the sacrifice of knowledge, scorcher of enemies. All action, Partha, culminates in knowledge. 34Know that by approaching a master, by submissive enquiries, by serving, they will initiate you into knowledge of the truth seen by the seers, 35knowing which, you will not again be deluded, son of Pandu, for by which all living beings you will see in the self and then in me.

36"Even if you are the greatest of all sinners, you will certainly cross the ocean of evil by the raft of knowledge. 37As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burns all action to ashes. 38There is nothing as purifying as knowledge in this life; he who is perfected in yoga, in the course of time finds this within the self. 39He gets knowledge who has faith, and has controlled the senses. Having gained knowledge, he very soon attains the supreme peace. 40But the one without knowledge, without faith and has doubts, his self is destroyed. For such people with doubts there is no happiness, neither here, nor beyond. 41One who has renounced actions by yoga, whose doubts have been cut by knowledge, who is full of the self, actions do not bind him, winner of wealth. 42Therefore shred the ignorance arisen in your heart by the weapon of knowledge, be situated in yoga, and get up, descendant of Bharata."

 

Ch 5: Karma-Sanyasa Yoga

Arjuna said: 1"Renunciation of actions and yoga, both you are praising, Krishna. Tell me definitely which one is better of the two."

Sri Bhagavan said: 2"Both renunciation and yoga of action lead to the supreme good. But the yoga of action is superior to renunciation of work. 3Know that the renouncer does not envies nor desires, who is free from dualities, he is certainly in happiness and completely liberated from bondage, mighty-armed one.

4"Only the ignorant say that knowledge and action are different, not the learned who is situated completely in yoga, and who enjoys the fruit of both. 5The place which is received by analytical study, that same is also reached by action. He who sees analytical study and yoga as one, he truly sees.

6"But renunciation, mighty-armed one, afflicts one with grief if without yoga. The (internally) silent person who is joined in yoga quickly attains to divine consciousness. 7Engaged in yoga, with a purified and victorious self, having victory over the senses, who empathizes with all others, though engaged in action is not entangled. 8One who is thus joined and knows the truth does not have a feeling of 'I am the doer'. Seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, going, dreaming, breathing, 9talking, giving up, taking, opening, closing, he holds only that the senses act with their objects. 10He who acts giving up all attachment, sacrificing to Brahman, is not entangled by sin, as a lotus leaf by water. 11With the body, by the mind, with the intellect, by the sense organs, the yogis act without attachment, sacrificing self for purification. 12He who is united, having abandoned the fruit of action, attains peace. He who is not united, who lives for sense gratification, being attached to the fruit of actions, is bound. 13Having renounced all action by the mind, the dweller in the body rests in happiness, in control of the nine gates, neither doing nor causing action to be done.

14"The Lord creates neither the proprietorship of action, nor the action of the people; nor does he create the connection between action and its fruits. But this comes forth from its nature. 15God does not accept anyone's sin nor his good acts. Knowledge is covered by ignorance, because of which the living entities are deluded. 16In those in whom ignorance is destroyed by knowledge, knowledge illuminates the supreme like the sun. 17Their intellect rooted in that, their self established in that, their faith in that, their movement is towards that, and reach a non-returning state through knowledge, cleansed of all sin and blemish. 18A brahmin in knowledge and full of humility, sees equally in a cow, in the elephant, in the dog and even in the dog-eater (outcaste). 19Even in this life, it is they who are victorious who are situated in equanimity. Faultless and equal in everything is divine consciousness. Therefore they are situated in Brahman. 20One who neither greatly rejoices on achieving something dear, nor becomes agitated on achieving the unliked, who is of steady intellect, unbewildered, he is a knower of Brahman and in Brahman is he situated. 21He who is unattached to external contacts knows the happiness that is in the self. His self united with divine consciousness, he achieves indestructible happiness.

22"All experinces born of contact with the senses are sources of sorrow. They have an origin and an end, son of Kunti. The intelligent person does not involve in them joyfully. 23He who is able in this life to resist before liberation from the body, sense gratification and anger, moves towards unity and is a happy man. 24He whose happiness is within in the self, whose light is within, he is a person united (with the divine). He is liberated in divine consciousness, and finally he attains to divine consciousness. 25Those who get liberation in divine consciousness are sages devoid of sin, whose doubts are dispelled, who are self-controlled, who are engaged for the benefit of all living entities. 26Those who are freed from sense gratification and anger, the saintly persons with controlled consciousness, find liberation in divine consciousness. 27Leaving outside sense objects, with the eyes and vision between the eyebrows, balancing the life breath and outward breath flowing through the nostrils, 28the (internally) silent person whose sense organs, mind, and intellect's movement is towards liberation, without desire, fear, and anger; they are certainly always liberated. 29Knowing me to be the experiencer of all sacrifices and austerities, the great Lord in the hearts of all living entities, he attains peace.

Ch 6: Atma-Sanyam Yoga

Sri Bhagavan said: 1"One who acts without depending on the fruit of action, he is a renouncer and a person united (with the divine) and not one who is without fire and without activity. 2Know that which is called renunciation is yoga, Pandava, not without giving up self-desire can a person be a yogi i.e. united (with the divine). 3For a novice in yoga towards becoming a (internally) silent person, action is called the means; of one who is firmly seated, peace is the means. 4When a person does not engage in the senses nor in activities, when he has renounced all activity, at that time he is called established in yoga.

5"Uplift the self by the self, not debase the self. Certainly the self itself is the friend of the self and also the enemy! 6The self is friend of the self for whom the self is victorious over itself. But without control over the mind, the self behaves certainly like an enemy. 7He who is victorious by the self has attained peace, and supreme self has been reached. Cold and heat, happiness and distress, honor and dishonor are the same for him. 8Such a person has all knowledge, is satisfied in the self, spiritually situated, victorious over the senses, joined, and is called a yogi (person united with the divine). For him, earth, stone, and gold are the same. 9He who has the same heart towards friend, enemy, neutrals, mediators, the envious, brothers, same intellect towards holy men and sinners, he is distinguished.

10"A person united with the divine should engage constantly the self situated in a secluded place; alone, with control over his consciousness, free from longing, free from the feeling of possessiveness. 11In a clean place, firmly situated on a steady seat, not too high nor too low, covered with a soft cloth and deerskin on the grass. 12Then with one pointed mind, having control over his consciousness, sense organs and actions, sit on the seat engage in yoga for cleansing the self. 13Holding the body, head and neck in one line, unmoving and still, looking at the tip of the nose, not looking in other directions. 14With peaceful self, without agitation, with a vow of celibacy, with restrained mind, with consciousness joined to me, the ultimate. 15With such regular engagement of the self, the yogi of controlled mind attains peace, supreme liberation that comes from me.

16"There is no yoga for one who eats too much nor for one overly abstaining from eating; not for him who is given to too much dreaming in the head, certainly not for one who keeps awake too much, Arjuna. 17For one who is controlled in food, in recreation, in efforts, in action, in dreaming, in wakefulness, for him yoga leads to diminishing sorrow. 18When his consciousness becomes established in the self, when he is devoid of craving for all sense gratification, he is called united at that time. 19As a lamp without wind is steady and does not flicker, to such can comparision be made of the yogis of controlled consciousness engaged in yoga by the self. 20The state where consciousness stops, being restrained by yoga, where the self sees the self by the self, the self becomes contented. 21That infinite happiness is obtainable by the intellect beyond the senses. Knowing that and situated in that, he moves in reality. 22Having gained this, he considers no other gain greater; thereafter situated in it he is not agitated even by great sorrows.

23"Knowing that disunion with sadness is union in yoga, be engaged with determination in yoga, with undeviated consciousness. 24Sacrifice all determinations born of satisfying desires completely, controlling the sense organs by the mind from all sides. 25Gradually, gradually holding back with the mind with firm possession, having established the mind in the self, do not even think of anything else. 26Whatever agitates the quick-moving and unsteady mind, from that bring it under control by the self.

27"The yogis who are of peaceful mind attain the most excellent happiness. Attaining quietening of passions, he is one with divine consciousness and without blemish. 28Always engaging the self this way, a person united (with the divine), without sin, in the happiness of being in touch with divine consciousness, achieves the greatest happiness.

29"A soul in yoga sees the self in all living beings and all living beings situated in the self. He sees the same thing everywhere. 30He who sees me everywhere, and sees everything as mine, I am not lost to him nor is he lost to me. 31He who worships me situated in all living beings, in all ways he remains in me. 32He who, by comparision by the self, sees everywhere equally, Arjuna, happiness or grief, that yogi is considered supreme."

Arjuna said: 33"This yoga declared by you generally, Madhusudana (Krishna), I do not see as lasting because of our being in restless situation. 34Quick-moving certainly is the mind, Krishna, wavering, strong and firm. I consider controlling it as difficult as the wind."

Sri Bhagavan said: 35"Undoubtedly, mighty-armed one, the mind is difficult to control and always moving. But by practice, son of Kunti, by detachment it is grasped. 36For a man uncontrolled by the self, yoga is difficult to obtain, this is my opinion. But by the self, by endeavoring, it is possible to get control by proper means."

Arjuna said: 37"What of the unsuccessful - endowed with faith in yoga and moved in it, but not obtained perfection in yoga? What does he move to, Krishna and where does he reach? 38Is not such a person destroyed, as a torn cloud perishes, without any position, mighty-armed one, deluded on the path of brahman? 39This is my doubt, Krishna. Dispel it appropriately and completely. Besides you, there is no other dispeller of doubts."

Sri Bhagavan said: 40"Partha, neither in this life nor in the next life is there destruction for him who does good; he does not degrade, my friend. 41Achieving the world of the righteous, and dwelling there for many years, he that has fallen from yoga, takes birth in the house of the clean or of the wealthy. 42Or in the family of wise yogis he takes birth, although this certainly is rare. 43There he gets that intellect and connection as he had in the previous body. From that point again, he endeavors for perfection, son of the Kurus. 44By the previous practice, he is certainly attracted, even helplessly to be inquisitive of yoga. He transcends and goes beyond the written words of the Vedas and the ritualistic principles of the scriptures. 45By practice and endeavor, a person united (with the divine), cleansed of sins after many births, having attained perfection, thereafter attains movement towards the supreme.

46"A yogi is superior to the ascetics, even than the wise, and even more than the workers. Therefore be a yogi, Arjuna. 47Of all kinds of yogis the ones with inner movement towards me by the self, a person with faith, worshiping me, he is the most-united, in my opinion."

 

Ch 7: Dnyana-Vignyana Yoga

Sri Bhagavan said: 1"With mind attached to me, Partha, engaging me as shelter in a non-doubting and total manner, how you can know me, that you hear. 2This complete knowledge to you I shall speak, which knowing, no other knowledge worth knowing remains.

3"Of thousands of men, hardly anyone endeavors for perfection. Of those so endeavoring, hardly anyone knows me in reality. 4Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect, ego - all these are my eightfold different natures. 5But beyond and besides all these, know my supreme life is in living entities, mighty-armed one, by whom this universe is used. 6All living beings have this as the source of birth. Understand that I am the source of generation and of dissolution of the created universe. 7There is no other superior to me, winner of wealth. On to me all this is strung as pearls on a thread.

8"I am the taste in water, son of Kunti; I am the light of the moon and the sun; the three letters a-u-m in all Vedas, the sound in the ether, manliness in men. 9The fragrance of righteous acts on the earth; I am the brightness in the fire. The life of all living beings, I am the austerity in the austere. 10I am the seed of all living entities, know this, Partha, eternally. I am the intellect of the intelligent, I am the brightness of the bright. 11I am the strength of the strong, the sense gratification devoid of attachment. I am the sex life in living beings which is not against dharma, best of the descendants of King Bharata.

12"All states of being - goodness, passion, and ignorance, are from me but know that I am not under them, they are in me. 13All states of being have the three kinds of properties. All the universe being under their influence, does not know me as the supreme, imperishable. 14Certainly this divine play of mine, of properties, is difficult to overcome. He who surrenders to me overcomes this delusion. 15Not to me the people of wrong actions, the deluded, surrender. They are the lowest of men, their knowledge abducted by the illusory energy, take refuge in demoniac nature.

16"Four kinds of pious people worship me, Arjuna - the distressed, the inquisitive, the desirer of wealth, and the one who knows, best of the descendants of King Bharata. 17Of these, the one who knows and is always joined in single-minded devotion is the best. Highly dear to the person with knowledge I am, and he is dear to me. 18Magnanimous all those certainly are, but the one who knows is like myself in my opinion. Situated so, self united to me, he certainly moves towards the highest. 19At the end of many births, the one who has knowledge surrenders to me, the son of Vasudeva (Krishna), in every way. Such a great soul is very rare.

20"Those whose knowledge has been stolen by desires, surrender to other gods, and follow rules and have faith controlled by the nature of their own selves. 21Whoever and whichever body a devotee desires to worship with faith, that unmoving faith I give. 22With that faith joined with worship and aspiration, he gets what he wants, that too is arranged by me only. 23The fruit that has an end is received by the men of little intelligence. The worshipers go to their gods, my devotee comes to me.

24"Unintelligent people consider me an unmanifest person who has achieved a manifest nature. They do so without knowing that my supreme nature is imperishable and excellent. 25I am not manifest to everyone, being covered by the play of yoga. The deluded do not know me as unborn and imperishable. 26I know the complete past and the present, Arjuna, and also the future. I know all living, but no one knows me.

27"Arising out of desire and envy, deluded by dualities, descendant of Bharata, all living beings go into delusion on taking birth, scorcher of enemies. 28But whose sins have gone at the end of their (previous) lives, those pious people are free from the delusion of dualities, worship me with determination. 29For liberation from old age and death, one who endeavors by taking shelter of me, they know the divine consciousness by doing actions in the supersoul entirely. 30Those who know me as the lord of all living, the lord of all gods, and the lord of all sacrifices, even at the time of their death, are joined in their consciousness to me."

 

Ch 8: Akshar-Brahma Yoga

Arjuna said: 1"What is Brahman (divine consciousness)? What is the super soul? What is work, most excellent amongst men? What does the lord of all living beings say? Who is called the lord of all gods? 2Who is the lord of all sacrifice? How is he there in the body, Madhusudana? At the time of death how should you be known by the self-controlled?"

Sri-Bhagavan said: 3"The indestructible divine consciousness who is supreme by nature is called the super soul. All creation producing living beings is called action. 4The physical manifestation which is of destructible nature is adhibhutam. The purusha (supreme person) is the adhidaivatam. And I am the reciever of all sacrifice, present in all bodies.

5"At the time of their end, whoever thinks of me, on quitting the body, he attains to my nature, of this there is no doubt. 6Whichever state of being he thinks of while giving up at the end of his time, that certainly, son of Kunti, is the state he attains. 7Therefore at all times remembering me, fight. Offering unto me your mind and intellect, certainly you will attain me without doubt. 8With consciousness combined with practice of yoga, with no other focus, he reaches the supreme divine person, Partha, on meditation.

9"One who knows everything, of old, one who brings order, smaller than the atom, unimaginable, the maintainer of everything, with inconceivable form, luminous like the sun, beyond ignorance. 10At the time of death, by the undeviated mind, with devotion, by the strength of yoga, who fixes the life-breath between the eyebrows completely, he attains the divine supreme person.

11"Those who know the letters of the Vedas say that to enter there one must be free from passion. Wishing that, they practice celibacy. That position summarily I shall speak to you. 12Controlling all the gates, confining the mind to the heart, and the life-air on the head, one establishes himself in yoga. 13Vibrating Om (the letter), remembering me, he who goes giving up the body, he attains movement towards the supreme. 14Conscious of nothing else, who constantly remembers me regularly, I am his gain, Partha, as of the constantly engaged yogis. 15After achieving me, they don't take birth again, in this place of sadness that is temporary, because these great souls have reached the all-pervading perfection. 16From up to the place of Brahman, people return again, Arjuna. But on achieving me, son of Kunti, there is no re-birth.

17"A thousand ages includes a day of the Brahman. One night is also a thousand ages. This day and night is known by the knowledged. 18From the unmanifest, all the manifest becomes manifest when this day arrives. On the arrival of the night, they are destroyed in what is called the unmanifest. 19All living beings come to being and are destroyed on the arrival of the night helplessly, Partha, to be manifested on the arrival of the day again.

20But beyond these states of being there is another unmanifest, an eternal unmanifest, who even though all living beings are destroyed, is not destroyed. 21That which is said to be unmanifest and indestructible, the supreme destination, which achieving one does not come back, that is my supreme abode. 22The supreme person, Partha, with unalloyed devotion can be gained. He is situated within all living beings by which all this is pervaded.

23"But the different times at which yogis don't return or return having departed and gone, those times I shall speak of, best of the descendants of Bharata. 24In the light of the fire or the day, in the fortnight of increasing moon, in the six months when the sun passes on the north; then having departed, they reach divine consciousness, the persons who know about divine consciousness. 25In smoke, in the night, in the fortnight of decreasing moon, in the six months when the sun passes on the south, an enlightened yogi achieves the moon and returns from there. 26The bright and dark are the movements in the existing universe. Going by one, he does not return, by the other he comes back again. 27Even if he knows these paths, Partha, the yogi is not bewildered. Therefore at all times be joined in yoga, Arjuna. 28Studying the Vedas, in the performance of sacrifice, in undergoing austerities, and certainly in giving charities, the fruit of the pious activities surpasses all knowledge. A yogi ultimately attains the supreme and original place."

 

Ch 9: Raj-Vidya Raj-Guhya Yoga

Sri-Bhagavan said: 1"But to you all this most confidential knowledge I shall speak, since you are not envious. Knowing this knowledge you will be liberated from evil. 2This is the king of all knowledge, the most confidential, pure and excellent. By direct experience it is understood. It is according to dharma, performed with great happiness, and imperishable.

3"The people without faith in this dharma, scorcher of enemies, not obtaining me, come back in the cycle of death and life. 4By me is pervaded all the universe, in my unmanifest form. In me are situated all living beings, I am not situated in them. 5Not every living being is situated in me. Behold my yogic opulence. I am the maintainer of all living beings, situated in living beings, my self being the source of living beings. 6As in the sky is situated the everblowing wind which is everywhere and great, so also all living beings are situated in me, this understand. 7All living beings, son of Kunti, go into my nature at the end of the age. Again in the beginning of the age, I create them by myself. 8Entering into my own nature, I create again and again. The group of living beings, created and helpless, are in the control of nature. 9Not me these actions bind, winner of wealth. I am as neutral, situated without attachment, while doing these actions. 10By my chairmanship nature manifests with moving and nonmoving beings. For this reason, son of Kunti the universe is working.

11"The deluded deride me when I take shelter of a body in human form, without knowing the supreme nature that is mine or that I am the great lord of all living beings. 12With baffled hopes, baffled action, baffled knowledge, bewildered nature, they take shelter of the demoniac and the ungodly.

13"But the great souls, Partha, are under the shelter of my divine nature. They worship no other god, knowing me as the origin of all living beings, imperishable. 14Constantly chanting to me, endeavoring with determination, offering obeisances to me with devotion, always joined to me in worship. 15By the sacrifice of knowledge, others worship me, in oneness and differently, in diversity, in universal form.

16"I am the ritual, I am the sacrifice, I am the oblation, I am the medicine; I am the chant, I am the butter (ghee poured in the offering), I am the fire and I am the offering. 17I am the father of the universe, the mother, the supporter, the grandfather. I am what can be known, pure, the syllable Om, the Rig Veda, the Sama Veda, and the Yajur Veda. 18the movement, the sustainer, the Lord, the abode, surrender to me with your heart. The source of generation, dissolution, place, basis, seed imperishable, 19I give heat, I withhold the rain and send it forth. The nectar and certainly death; I am the reality and the unreality, Arjuna.

20"The knowers of the three vedas, drinkers of soma juice, purified of sin with sacrifices, seeking and praying for heaven, because of their pious lives, attain the dwelling place of gods and Indra, where they experience divine experiences of the gods. 21Experiencing the great heavenly realms, on reduction of their piety, they return to the realms of the mortal peoples. Thus, following the correct way of the three (vedas), they receive the sense gratification pleasures of death and birth. 22Meditating on me without any other, who properly worships me, because he is always connected to me, I protect the connection and carry him. 23Those who are devotees of other gods worship with faith me certainly, son of Kunti, but they worship in ways contrary to those specified in the scriptures. 24I am the experiencer of all sacrifices, and Lord certainly. But not knowing this truth, they fall down. 25They go to the gods who are avowed to the gods, to the fathers go those who are avowed to the fathers. To ghosts go those who worship the ghosts, they come to me who worship me.

26"A leaf, a flower, a fruit, water whatever is offered to me with devotion, that I, offered in devotion, accept because of the purity by the self. 27Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer, whatever you give away, whatever austerities you perform, son of Kunti - do that as an offering to me. 28From the bondage of auspicious and inauspicious fruit of actions certainly you will be liberated. With the self joined in renunciation and yoga, liberated, you will come to me.

29"I am the same to all living beings. I do not envy, neither am I partial to anyone. Whoever worships me with devotion, I am in them. 30Even if the worst sinner worships me with no other object, he certainly is to be considered as a saint, since he is properly situated. 31He very quickly becomes a person living righteously, and attains to lasting peace. Son of Kunti, I declare that my devotee does not perish.

32"Partha, those who take my shelter, even are of sinful birth, women, Vaishyas (traders), and Shudras (lower castes), even they go towards moving towards the supreme. 33What again of the brahmins, of those with righteous acts, devotees, saintly kings? Therefore, having come to this temporary world having sorrows, worship me. 34With your mind always on me, be my devotee, my worshiper, offer obeisance to me. Certainly you will attain me, engaged in the self, moving towards me."

 

Ch 10: Vibhuti Yoga

Sri-Bhagavan said: 1"Again, certainly, mighty-armed one, hear my supreme words, which considering you dear to me, I speak for the purpose of your benefit. 2Neither the gods, whose origin I am, nor the great sages know me. I am the source of the gods, and of the great sages in every way. 3He who knows me as unborn and without origin and knows that I am the Lord of all the people, he is unbewildered among those subject to death and he is completely liberated from all his sins.

4"Intelligence, knowledge, non-delusion, forgiveness, truth, control, peace, happiness, grief, states of being and not being, fearfulness and fearlessness, certainly and 5non-violence, equality, satisfaction, austerity, charity, success, failure all these various kinds of state of being of living entities come into being from me certainly.

6"The seven great sages and before them the four manus, came from my mind, and all mankind is populated from them. 7This characteristic yoga of mine who knows in reality, he in undivided yoga gets engaged without doubting. 8I am the source of all generation. From me all comes forth. Knowing this, the wise worship me with their entire being.

9"In consciousness of me, their lives separated out for me, preaching to one another, and conversing about me regularly, they get satisfied and happily engaged. 10Those who are always engaged worshiping me full of love, I give an intellect by which they come to me. 11To them, certainly, for the purpose of showing special mercy, I destroy the state of being of darkness produced by ignorance situated in them, with the glowing lamp of knowledge."

Arjuna said: 12"The supreme divine consciousness, the supreme abode, supreme in purity are you. The eternal person, the divine, original unborn god having superior characteristics. 13This is said of you by all sages, also the godly sages Narada, Asita, Devala, Vyasa personally and now you yourself are speaking it to me. 14All this truth I agree to, which to me you have told, Keshava. That you are the supreme person is not known to the gods nor to the demons. 15By yourself you know that you are the most excellent person, the origin of living beings, the god of living beings, the god of the gods, the Lord of the universe. 16Tell me appropriately and completely, your divine superior characteristics - those superior characteristics, over all the peoples you exist. 17How shall I know you, Yogi, and always meditate on you? In which states shall I meditate on you, owner of everything? 18In detail, by the self, describe your yogic superior characteristics, Janardana. Again describe it, for I am not satisfied hearing about it; it is nectar to me."

Sri-Bhagavan said: 19"Yes, to you I shall tell my divine superior characteristics. But only the main ones, best of the kurus, for there is no end to it if done so extensively.

20"I am the self, Gudakesha, situated in the hearts of all living beings. I am the origin, middle, and of living entities, certainly. 21Of the Adityas I am Vishnu, of the luminaries the radiant sun, Marichi of the Maruts I am, of the celestial bodies I am the moon. 22Of the vedas Sama veda I am, of the gods I am the heavenly king, and of the senses mind I am, of living entities I am the consciousness. 23Of the rudras Shankara (Shiva) I am, lord of the wealth (Kubera) of the yakshas and the demons, of the vasus I am fire, and Meru of the mountains I am. 24Of the priests know me to be Brihaspati the chief, Partha. Of the commanders I am Skanda, of the reservoirs of water I am the ocean. 25Of the great sages Bhrigu I am, of the vibrations I am Om, of sacrifices the sacrifice of chanting I am, of immovable things Himalaya. 26Banyan tree of all the trees, of the (internally) silent persons amongst the gods Narada, of the gandharvas Chitraratha, of the perfect Kapila, the (internally) silent person. 27Ucchaishrava of the horses know me as, nectar comes out of me; Airavata of the elephants of Indra, among humans and men the king. 28Of all weapons I am the thunderbolt, of the cows I am the bestower, amongst the causes for begetting children I am the cupid, of the serpents I am Vasuki. 29Ananta I am of the serpents, Varuna of all aquatics I am, of the fathers Aryama I am, Yama (controller of death) of all regulators I am. 30Prahlada I am of the demons, time of the subduers I am, and of the animals king of the animals (lion) I am, and eagle of the birds. 31The wind of all that purifies I am, Rama of the holders of weapons I am, of all fish the shark I am, of flowing waters I am the river Ganga. 32Of all creation, origin, end, and middle, Arjuna. The knowledge of the super soul of all knowledge, conclusion of arguments I am. 33Of letters, a (the first letter) I am, the dual of compound words. And I certainly am the indestructible time, supporter I am of the beginning.

34"And I am death all abducting, and generation of the future; fame, fine speech of women, memory, intelligence, firmness, forgiveness. 35Brihatsama and also the Sama Veda songs, the Gayatri hymns of all poetry I am. Of all months Margashirsha (Nov-Dec) I am, of all seasons the spring. 36The gambling of cheats I am, brightness of the bright I am. Victory I am, enterprise I am, full of goodness and purity I am. 37Of the descendents of Vrishni, the son of Vasudeva I am. Of the Pandavas Dhananjaya (Arjuna), winner of wealth. Of the (internally) silent persons I am Vyasa (compiler of vedas), of the thinkers Usana the thinker. 38Punishment of the means of suppression I am, morality I am of those who seek victory, and silence certainly I am of secrets, knowledge of the knowledged I am. 39Of all of the living entities, I am the seed, Arjuna. There is no being which exists without me, moving or nonmoving.

40There is no end to my divine superior characteristics, scorcher of enemies. All these are but examples of superior characteristics declared extensively by me. 41Whatever is full of superior characteristics, of goodness, fullness or gloriousness, know that it is born of a part of my splendor. 42Or what of many things of this kind, by knowing will it be to you, Arjuna? I support this complete universe by pervading it with a part of me."

 

Ch 11: Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga

Arjuna said: 1"By the supreme grace shown to me, in the confidential matter of the super soul, by the words said by you, my illusion has been removed. 2About the becoming and disappearance of living entities I have heard in detail from you, one with eyes like lotus leaves. It is great and imperishable. 3As spoken by you thus of yourself, supreme God, I wish to see your opulent form, excellent person. 4If you believe that it is possible by me to see thus, lord, God of yoga, then show me your imperishable self."

Sri-Bhagavan said: 5"Partha, see the hundreds and thousands of forms of mine, diverse kinds of glorious coloured images. 6See the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the Ashvinis, the wind and also many not seen before. See of all the wonders, descendant of Bharata. 7In this one life, is situated the complete universe. See it now with moving and nonmoving things. In my body, Gudakesha, whatever else you wish you can see. 8But it is not possible to see me by these your own eyes. I give you divine eyes to see my yogic opulence."

Sanjaya said: 9After speaking thus, O king, the great god of yoga, Hari (Krishna), showed to Partha his supreme opulent form -

10Many mouths and eyes, many wonderful sights, many divine ornaments, many divine uplifted weapons, 11wearing divine garlands and dresses, smeared with divine fragrances, all amazing god, unending universal face. 12If thousands of divine suns be present simultaneously, and the light of that is seen, similar is the radiance of his great self. 13Thereupon situated in one place, the complete, undivided universe could be seen. Also the bodies of many gods could be seen by the son of Pandu at that time.

14Thereafter, in an overwhelmed state, with hairs standing on end, Dhananjaya, bowing with the head to the god with folded hands, spoke:

Arjuna said: 15"I see the gods in your godly body, also all special living beings assembled; the god Brahma situated on a lotus seat, also rishis and all divine serpents. 16Many great bellies, mouths, eyes; I see you in every way in unending form. There is no end, no middle nor re-birth of yours. I see universal God in universal form. 17Helmeted, with maces, with disks; effulging and glowing with splendor in every way, I see you though difficult to see everywhere; glowing like fire, like immeasurable sunshine of the sun.

18"You are the indestructible, the supreme to be known. You are the ultimate base of the universe. You are the maintainer of the eternal dharma. You are the eternal person in my opinion. 19Without beginning, middle or end, with unending glories, unending arms, with eyes like the moon and the sun, I see you glowing and with fire coming out of your mouth, heating all the universe with your own brightness.

20"From outer space to the earth, all this distance is pervaded by you alone in all directions. Seeing this wonderful and terrible form of yours, all the people in the three realms are perturbed, great soul. 21All the groups of gods are entering into you, some out of fear with folded hands are offering prayers. Great sages, perfected people are singing to you praises with vedic hymns. 22The manifestations of Shiva, the Adityas, the Vasus, the Sadhyas, the Vishvadevas, the two Ashvinis, the Maruts, the forefathers, the Gandharvas, the yakshas, the demons, the perfected assemblies are all beholding you in wonder. 23Your great form, with great mouths, eyes, mighty-armed one with great arms, thighs, legs, great bellies, great and horrible teeth; seeing these the peoples are perturbed and so am I. 24Touching the sky, glowing with many colors, with open mouths, glowing huge eyes, seeing you I am perturbed in my internal self. I have no firmness nor peace, Vishnu. 25Seeing your terrible teeth and faces like the fire of death, I don't know what to do, nor keep my balance. Be gracious, god of the gods, abode of the universe. 26All the sons of Dhritarashtra and groups of warrior kings, Bhishma, Dronacharya, the son of inter-caste union (Karna), along with our warrior chiefs, 27are rushing and entering your mouths. Some are attached between your terrible, fearful teeth, some are seen with smashed heads. 28As a great number of waves of the waters of the rivers glide towards the mouth of the ocean, so also all those kings of men are entering your mouths ablaze. 29As in a blazing fire moths enter for destruction with full speed, so also for destruction are entering peoples into your mouths with full speed. 30You are licking, devouring from all directions all peoples by the flaming mouths. You are covering the entire universe with your brightness, with your hot, scorching rays, Vishnu. 31Explain to me who you are, so terrible in form. Let there be respects to you, best of the gods and gracious. I wish to know you, original person, for I do not know your nature."

Sri-Bhagavan said: 32"Death I am, the great destroyer of people. In this life I am engaged in destroying all people with the exception of you, in the future all the fighters who are situated on both the sides. 33Therefore you get up for gaining success. Winning over enemies, experience a flourishing kingdom. By me these have been killed earlier certainly, you are only a medium, Savyasachi. 34Dronacharya, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna and also others, even courageous warriors have been killed by me. You conquer without being disturbed. In the fight you will win on the battlefield your enemies."

Sanjaya said: 35Hearing these words of Keshava (Krishna), with folded hands and trembling, Arjuna offering obeisances again, said unto Krishna with faltering voice and with great fear, offering obeisances.

Arjuna said: 36"Rightly, Hrishikesha, by your glories, the universe is rejoicing and is becoming attached. The demons out of fear are fleeing in all directions. Perfected groups are offering obeisances. 37Why should they not offer obeisances, great soul? You are better than the brahmins, and are even the original creator, the infinite god of the gods, the abode of the universe, you are indestructible, the reality beyond the senses. 38You are the original personality of god, of old. You are the supreme base of the universe. Knower you are of all that can be known, and the supreme abode. By you is pervaded the universe, O unlimited form.

39"The wind, Yama (controller of death), fire, water, moon, Prajapati (the Creator) you are the great-grandfather. Respects, respects to you let there be thousands of times. Again and again respects, respects to you. 40Respects from the front, and from the behind; let there be to you respects in every way, you with all unending potency and unlimited achievements. You cover everything and you are everything!

41"Thinking of you as a friend, I have rashly said things like 'Oh Krishna', 'Oh Yadava', 'Oh friend'; not knowing of all these glories of yours, madly or even out of love, 42which by joking did wrong to you while relaxation, lying down on a seat, while eating; while alone, infallible one, or in the presence of others, for that I ask forgiveness of you, immeasurable one.

43"Father you are of the people, of all the moving and nonmoving. You are worthy of worship and glorious master. There is no one equal to you, and where is there anyone greater than you in the three worlds, you of immeasurable power. 44Therefore I offer obeisances, laying down my body. You give grace to me, god worthy of worship. As a father with son, as friend with a friend, as dear with the dearest, treat me appropriately, O god.

45"I am gladdened by seeing what has not been seen before. Out of fear my mind is perturbed. Show me that godly form and be gracious god of the gods, abode of the universe. 46Helmeted, with maces, disk in hand, I wish to see you in the form with four hands, you with thousands of arms and universal form."

Sri-Bhagavan said: 47"I have happily shown you Arjuna, this supreme form by my internal potency. Full of splendor, this infinite universal, original form has not been seen earlier by anyone else. 48Not by the sacrifice of studying the vedas, nor by charity, nor with works, nor by severe austerities is it possible to see this form of mine in this world of humans. No one besides you has seen it, best amongst the Kuru warriors. 49Don't be distressed or bewildered by seeing this terrible form of mine. Without fear and with a peaceful mind, again you see this form of mine."

Sanjaya said: 50Thus speaking to Arjuna, the son of Vasudeva (Krishna) showed his own form again and encouraged the fearful. Then he again became the gentle form, great soul.

Arjuna said: 51"Seeing this gentle human form of yours, Janardana, now I am settled in consciousness and back to my nature."

Sri-Bhagavan said: 52"Very difficult to see is this form of mine which you have seen. Even the gods desire to see regularly this form. 53Not by the vedas, nor by austerity, nor by charity, nor by worship is it possible to see what you have seen me as. 54Only with devotion, nothing else, is it possible Arjuna. Know the reality by seeing it, scorcher of enemies. 55He who does work to me the supreme, that devotee of mine, without attachment, without enemies in all living beings, he attains to me, Pandava."

 

Ch 12: Bhakti Yoga

Arjuna said: 1"In this way always joined those devotees of yours who properly worship you, or those who are devoted to the indestructible, unmanifest; of them who are the ones with perfect knowledge of yoga?"

Sri-Bhagavan said: 2"Fixing their minds unto me, who are always joined to me and worship me with faith of a high grade, they are the most joined in my opinion. 3But those who properly worship the indestructible, the indefinite, the unmanifest, the all-pervading, inconcievable, unchanging, unmoving, fixed, 4controlling the set of sense organs, with a same intellect everywhere, engaged for the benefit of all living beings, they too get me only. 5Very troublesome is their movement towards consciousness of the unmanifest, unattached. Movement towards the unmanifest is full of great grief to the embodied.

6"But those who renounce all actions unto me, being attached to me without anything else, in yoga meditating on me and worshiping, 7I am their deliverer from the ocean of death and birth. I quickly become so, Partha, to those who have fixed their consciousness on me.

8"Fix your mind unto me, apply your intellect unto me, then you will abide in me without doubt. 9If you are not able to fix your consciousness unto me, then by the practice of yoga develop a desire for me, winner of wealth. 10If you are even incapable of practice, then work for me as the supreme. Actions done for my sake takes one to perfection. 11Then do actions thus without attachment taking refuge in me in yoga, renouncing all fruit of actions, controlled and situated in the self.

12"Better is knowledge than practice, better than knowledge is meditation, better than meditation is work done in renunciation, for by renunciation is peace thereafter. 13Non-envious of all living entities, friendly, sympathetic, and without a feeling of 'mine', without ego, same in distress and happiness, forgiving, 14contented, a person constantly united, self-controlled, firmly determined, offering unto me the mind and the intellect, who is my devotee, that person is dear to me.

15"Because of whom no one is agitated, nor who is agitated by others, who is free from happiness and distress, fear and anxiety, he is dear to me. 16Neutral, pure, on guard, free from care, removed from distress, who has renounced all endeavors, that devotee of mine is dear to me. 17Who neither rejoices nor grieves, neither laments nor desires, who has renounced auspicious and inauspicious things, who is full of devotion, he is dear to me. 18Equal to an enemy and to a friend, and also in honor and dishonor, in cold and hot, in happiness and in sorrows, free from attachment. 19equal in defamation and praise, silent in both, contented with anything, having no residence, of steady opinion, full of devotion, is dear to me. 20Those who follow this immortal dharma as told and properly worship with faith, me the supreme, such a devotee is very dear to me."

 

Ch 13: Kshetra-Kshetragnya Vibhaga Yoga

Arjuna said: 1"Nature, person, field, and knower of the field - these I wish to understand; and knowledge and the object of knowledge, Keshava."

Sri-Bhagavan said: 2"This body, son of Kunti, is called the field; who knows this he is called the knower of the field -this is known by those who know. 3I am also the knower of the field, and I know all fields, descendant of King Bharata. The knowledge of the field and the knower of the field, is real knowledge in my opinion." 4That field, how it is and how it changes, what is the source of its generation, that in summary hear from me.

5"By the sages in diverse ways - different poems with various stanzas, in the hymns and aphorisms in the Brahma-sutra, for the purpose of certainty. 6The great ego of living beings, the unmanifest intellect, the eleven senses, and the five objects of sense organs. 7desire, envy, happiness, grief, the aggregate consciousness, firmness, in this field in summary, with interaction is exemplified. 8humility, pridelessness, non-violence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a teacher, cleanliness, steadiness, self-control, 9detached in the matter of sense organs, without egoism, observing birth, death, old age, disease, sadness, fault. 10without attachment, without association with son, wife, house etc.; regularly being of same consciousness towards the getting of desirable and undesirable things. 11united unto me and no other in unbroken devotion, aspiring to solitary places without engaging in the general people. 12regularly keeping in knowledge pertaining to the super soul, for the purpose of seeing the knowledge of the truth; this is knowledge, is said; everything else is ignorance.

13"The knowable which I shall speak now, knowing that you will achieve immortality. Without beginning, with me as the supreme, the divine consciousness is said to be neither real nor unreal. 14With hands and legs everywhere; eyes, head and face everywhere, hearing everything in all peoples, covering everything, he exists. 15The original source of all sense organs and properties, he is devoid of all sense organs. Without attachment, maintainer of all, without properties but experiencer of all properties.

16"Outside and inside of living entities, both nonmoving and moving, being subtle, that unknowable is situated far, yet is near. 17Undivided but appearing as if situated divided in living beings, he is the maintainer and the object of knowledge, devouring and developing. 18The light of the luminaries, he is said to be beyond ignorance. He is knowledge, the object of knowledge, and the goal of knowledge. He is situated in the hearts of everyone. 19Thus the field and also knowledge and the object of knowledge is told in summary. My devotee by this scientific knowledge attains to my nature.

20"Nature and persons, both certainly know to be without beginning. Even transformations and properties certainly know to be produced of nature. 21The cause of actions is said to be the purpose of nature. The living person is said to be for the purpose of experiencing happiness and sorrows. 22The person situated in nature certainly experiences properties produced by nature. Because of the association of properties, the distinction between reality and unreality is birthed. 23The overseer, permitter, sustainer and experiencer is the great god, the supreme self. Said to be in the body, he is the person beyond everything. 24He who knows person and nature, with the properties, everywhere and in the present, he does not take birth again.

25"By meditation in the self some see the self by the self, others by the yoga of logic and reasoning, and others by the yoga of action. 26Others even though not knowing, but hearing from others, worship; even they transcend death by hearing. 27Whatever develops, even any goodness in unmoving and moving, know it to be the combination of the field and the knower of the field, best of the descendants of King Bharata.

28"Equally residing in all living beings the supreme Lord (owner), not destroyed in the destructible, he who sees him, truly sees. 29He who sees equally everywhere the equally situated Lord (owner), does not degrade the self by the self, and thereafter attains movement towards the supreme. 30By nature are actions done in every way, and who sees the self as the nondoer, he truly sees. 31When a living being in separate identity sees the one situated everywhere and also extended everywhere, then he attains to divine consciousness.

32"Being eternal, being without properties, the inexhaustible supreme self situated in the body, son of Kunti, does not act nor is entangled. 33As the all-pervading sky, being subtle, does not get entangled, the self situated everywhere, in the body, does not get entangled. 34As illuminates alone all the peoples the sun, so also the field is illuminated by the soul, descendant of King Bharata. 35The difference between the field and the knower of the field by the eyes of knowledge those who know, they get liberation from nature and go to the supreme."

 

Ch 14: Guna-Traya Vibhaga Yoga

Sri-Bhagavan said: 1"Again I shall speak about the supreme knowledge, of all knowledges the most excellent knowledge, knowing which all (internally) silent persons have attained supreme perfection. 2Taking shelter of this knowledge one attains the same nature as mine; and does not take birth nor is disturbed at end-time.

3"My womb is the great divine consciousness. In that womb I create all living entities, descendant of King Bharata. 4In all wombs, son of Kunti, the forms which appear, their divine consciousness I am the great womb, the seed giving father.

5"Goodness, passion, darkness - by these properties nature is possible. Mighty-armed one, the imperishable gets bound to the body by them. 6Then goodness, being pure, illuminating and without suffering, by association binds with happiness, and by association with knowledge, sinlessness. 7Passion is born of attachment, know that it comes out of attachment with hankering. It binds, son of Kunti, the embodied with action. 8But darkness, produced by ignorance, know to be the spell of all the embodied. Madness, laziness, and sleep it binds to, descendant of King Bharata. 9Goodness binds in happiness, Passion in action, descendant of King Bharata; but darkness binds to a covering of knowledge, it is said.

10"Sometimes exceeding passion surpasses goodness, descendant of King Bharata; sometimes exceeding goodness passion, and sometimes darkness surpasses goodness and passion. 11From all the gates in the body when light develops, then knowledge increases goodness, thus it is said. 12Greed, activity, beginnings of uncontrollable actions, aspiration - these flourish when passion develops, best of the descendants of King Bharata. 13Darkness, inactivity, madness and delusion, these flourish when ignorance develops, child of the Kurus.

14"When in flourishing goodness an embodied person dies, then having excellent knowledge he goes to pure peoples. 15If in passion the end time comes, then he goes to peoples attached to work, and if death comes in ignorance he goes to the womb of the deluded.

16"The actions of people doing good is said to be goodness with pure fruit, but the fruit of passion is grief, ignorance and darkness. 17From goodness develops knowledge, from passion greed; madness and temptation from darkness 18Upwards go those situated in purity, in between dwell those in passion, those of abominable properties and in ignorance have a propensity downwards and reach there.

19"Nothing other than these qualities are the doer - when a person sees this, then transcending these qualities, the person attains to my nature. 20Transcending these three properties, the embodied person achieves liberation from birth, death, old age, sorrow produced because of the body."

Arjuna said: 21"What are the symptoms of those who have surpassed the three properties, Lord? What is their behavior? And how does he transcend these three properties?"

Sri-Bhagavan said: 22"Light, attachment and delusion, son of Pandu, he who does not develop aversion nor desire, 23situated as neutral in the properties, who is not agitated by the properties acting thus, who remains steady and does not flicker, 24who is same in sadness and happiness, situated in oneself, same towards a lump of earth, stone or gold, equal towards the liked as well as the unliked, steady and equal towards defamation and praise of oneself, 25equal in honor and in dishonor, equal towards a friend and enemy parties, renounced of all beginnings, is said to be a person who has surpassed all properties. 26And he who without break, by devotion, in yoga, serves me, he transcends the properties and is fit for the state of divine consciousness. 27Of the immortal, imperishable Brahman, I am the base; and hence also of the eternal dharma, and of the ultimate happiness."

 

Ch 15: Purushottama Yoga

Sri-Bhagavan said: 1"With roots above and branches downwards, there is said to be an imperishable banyan tree whose leaves are the vedic hymns. One who knows that is knowledged in the Vedas. 2Downwards and upwards are spread out its branches, nourished by the properties. The twigs are the objects of the senses. The roots going downwards bind continuously the actions of men. 3It's form cannot be perceived in this life, neither its end nor origin nor foundations. Like a banyan tree, it has highly fixed roots. With the weapon of detachment, shredding it with firmness, 4search out that position in which going, one does not return. Then surrender to the original person whose nature is spread out of old times.

5"Without honor or delusion, victorious over attachments and faults, regularly in the supersoul, always disassociated from sense gratification, liberated from dualities, happiness and distress, reach unbewildered that imperishable position. 6Neither the sun illuminates it, nor the moon, nor fire. Attaining that supreme abode of mine, one does not return back.

7"A part of mine is the life of peoples and the life of living entities. The mind and the six senses situated in nature struggle. 8The body which the owner gets and which he gives up is like the way the wind takes fragrances from the source and goes away. 9Ears, eyes, touch, tongue, smelling ability being situated in the mind he experiences objects. 10Quitting the body or experiencing under the influence of the properties - these things the deluded do not see, but those with the eyes of knowledge see. 11By endeavoring, the yogis can see the self situated, but even with endeavoring those without self-realization do not see this, being without consciousness.

12"The brightness of the sunshine, which entirely illuminates the universe, the brightness of the moon and in the fire, that brightness, know it to be from me. 13Entering the worlds, and the living, I support them by my energy. I nourish and become the juice of all medicines. 14I become the fire of living entities taking refuge in the bodies. Keeping the life breath and the outward breath in balance, I digest the four kinds of foods. 15I am situated in every heart. From me is memory, knowledge and also forgetfulness. By the vedas I am certainly knowable. The compiler of the Vedanta, I know the vedas.

16"There are two kinds of persons in the peoples - destructible and indestructible. Destructible are all living beings, the one situated within is said to be indestructible. 17But the best person, who is said to be the supreme self, who entering the three worlds, maintains them - is the inexhaustible god. 18Because I am beyond the destructible and the indestructible, even the best, therefore I am, amongst the people with knowledge, celebrated as the supreme person.

19"He who in this way knows me without delusion as the supreme person, he knows everything and worships me in all respects, descendant of King Bharata. 20Thus the most confidential part of the scriptures have been said by me, sinless one. This understanding, the intelligent person's work becomes perfect, descendant of King Bharata."

 

Ch 16: Daiva-Asura-Sampada Vibhaga Yoga

Sri-Bhagavan said: 1"Fearlessness, purity, purification, knowledge, yoga, organization, charity, control, sacrifices, study, austerity, simplicity, 2non-violence, truth, freedom from anger, renunciation, peace, non fault-finding, pity towards living beings, freedom from greed, gentleness, modesty, unwavering heart, 3brightness, forgiveness, firmness, cleanliness, non-enviousness, not too much desire for honor - these properties come into being to the one who is born of the gods, descendant of King Bharata.

4"Pride, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness and certainly ignorance are the properties of one who is born of the demoniac, Partha. 5Those properties of the gods are conducive to liberation, for bondage the demoniac are considered. Don't worry, the properties of the gods you have been born of, son of Pandu.

6"Two kinds of living beings are there in the peoples - the godly and the demoniac. The godly in detail I have declared, of the demoniac, son of Pritha, now hear from me.

7"What to move towards and what to move away from, the demoniac does not know. Nor cleanliness, nor proper behavior, nor truth is there in them. 8False and without foundation is this universe, they say, and is without any controller. Without cause it has arisen for what other purpose than sense gratification? 9Seeing thus and accepting it, are destroyed in the self, those of little intellect. Fiery actions come out for destruction, from the ill-wishers of the world.

10"Taking shelter of insatiable lust, possessed by pride and false honor, under the temptation of grasping temporary things, flourish those who are avowed to the unclean. 11Their anxieties are immeasurable till their end time, having taken shelter of the belief that the experience of sense gratification is the supreme - this is definite. 12Being bound by the frustration of hundreds of hopes, moving towards sense gratification, they desire the experience of sense gratification and for its purpose, accumulate wealth by a variety of means. 13'All this now has been gained by me, this I shall gain according to my desires, all this there is, all this I, in the future again will gain wealth. 14That enemy has been killed by me, I shall kill others also. I am god, I am the experiencer, I am perfect, powerful, and happy. 15With the wealthy and great people I am, who else is there in sight of me? I shall sacrifice, I shall give, I shall rejoice' - thus the ignorant are under the spell.

16"Perplexed by many things, covered by a net of delusions, attached to the purpose of sense gratification, they fall down to hell in an unclean state. 17Self complacent and adamant, lost in and possessed by wealth and prestige, they worship and sacrifice in name only, out of pride and full of wrong ways. 18Having taken shelter of egoism, strength, pride, lust, and anger, they blaspheme enviously my self in others.

19"The envious and cruel, into the world of the lowest men I put forever, in bad, demoniac wombs. 20Gaining repeated births in demoniac wombs, the deluded certainly do not obtain me, son of Kunti, and thereafter their movement goes towards the lowest.

21"Three kinds of gates are there of this hell, by which the self is destroyed - sense gratification, anger, and greed - therefore these three, give up. 22Those liberated, son of Kunti, from the three gates of darkness, behave by the self in a better manner, and thereafter attain movement towards the supreme.

23"He who discards the regulations of the scriptures remains working for sense gratification. He does not reach perfection nor happiness nor movement towards the supreme. 24Therefore by the scriptural standards of allowed and forbidden activities as arranged, knowing what is said in the scriptures, do actions in this life as appropriate."

 

 

Ch 17: Shraddha-Traya Vibhaga Yoga

Arjuna said: 1"Those who discard scriptural regulations, worship with faith but in their own way, what is their state, Krishna - goodness, passion or darkness?"

Sri-Bhagavan said: 2"Three kinds of faith the embodied have according to one's own nature - of goodness, in passion, and in ignorance. This now hear.

3"Appropriate to their nature everyone's faith becomes, descendant of King Bharata. A person is full of that faith which faith he acquires. 4Those in goodness worship the gods, the yakshas and the demons those in passion, the dead are worshiped by those group of persons and living beings who are in ignorance. 5Those who perform horrible austerities not in the directions of the scriptures, out of pride and egoism, are possessed by the strength of attachment to sense gratification. 6Tormenting the living being situated in the body and me also situated internally in the body, know them to be demoniac definitely.

7"Even the food that is dear is of three kinds; so also is sacrifice, austerity, also their charity; now hear the division between them. 8Increasing life, purity, strength, health, happiness, love; juicy, fatty, enduring, pleasing to the heart, is food that is dear to people in goodness. 9Bitter, sour, salty, too hot, pungent, dry, burning food is palatable to the passionate person; sadness, sorrow, disease-giving. 10stale, tasteless, putrid, decomposed, remnants, and untouchable food is dear to the person in darkness.

11"Without fruitive desire, sacrificing according to regulations of scripture who worships; fixing the mind as something which must be performed, is goodness. 12But desiring the fruit, for pride, that worship, best of the descendants of King Bharata, that sacrifice know to be of passion. 13Without regulations of scripture, with food not offered, without chanting, without remunerating priests, without faith, that sacrifice is said to be in the mode of darkness.

14"Worshiping God, twice-born (brahmins), knowledgable masters; cleanliness, simplicity, celibacy, non-violence is said to be austerity of the body. 15Words non-agitating, truth, loving and beneficial, study, practice is said to be austerity of speech. 16Satisfaction of the mind, gentleness, silence, self-control, purified state of being etc. are called austerity of the mind. 17With faith of a high grade these three kinds of hot austerities by men, engaged in without desire for fruits are called austerity in goodness.

18"Austerities for the purpose of respect, honor and worship, out of pride - that are performed in this life are said to be of passion. They are fickle and temporary. 19Endeavour by a deluded self, where austerities are performed with pain, to harm others, is said to be in the mode of darkness.

20"Charity worth giving, which is given without favor in a proper place at the proper time and to a suitable person, that charity is considered to be in goodness. 21But charity which is given for the purpose of favor, with the objective of fruit, or is given grudgingly that charity is considered to be in the mode of passion. 22and charity given at a wrong place, at the wrong time, to an unworthy person, without proper knowledge, that is said to be in the mode of darkness.

23"Om-tat-sat (Om - that – reality) these letters are considered an indication of Brahman by the vedas and sacrifices, and have been so used in the past. 24Therefore 'Om', indicating actions of sacrifice, charity and austerity, is said constantly by those having divine consciousness. 25Thus without desiring fruit, the actions of sacrifice and austerity, and the actions of charity, and various other actions are done by those with desire for liberation.

26"In the sense of Supreme reality, in the sense of the devotee, the word 'sat' is thus used. In right actions also the word 'sat', Partha, is used. 27The situations of sacrifices, austerities, charities, are said to be 'sat'. Actions done for that purpose are also called 'sat'. 28Anything offered without faith, given in charity or done as austerities is called 'asat', Partha, useful neither after death nor in this life."

 

Ch 18: Moksha-Sanyasa Yoga

Arjuna said: 1"I wish to understand the truth about renunciation, mighty-armed one, and of sacrifice, Hrishikesha, separately, killer of Keshi demon."

Sri-Bhagavan said: 2"The giving up of activities for desire is renunciation as said by the wise knowers. Giving up the fruit of all action is called sacrifice by those with eyes.

3'Every single activity must be given up as full of faults' thus is said by some great thinkers. 'Works of sacrifice, charity, austerity are not those which must be given up' - thus say others. 4Now definitely hear me about renunciation, best of the descendants of King Bharata. Renunciation is declared to be of three kinds, tiger amongst men.

5"Acts of sacrifice, charity and austerity are not actions which must be given up. Sacrifice, charity and austerity purify even the greats. 6These actions should be done without attachment, giving up the fruits and as a duty, Partha. This is my definite and excellent opinion.

7"The renunciation of daily activities is not befitting. The giving up under temptation is declared renunciation in ignorance. 8The giving up because of grief, bodily trouble, or out of fear, that giving up is done in passion. Such renunciation does not result in any gain of the fruit of renunciation.

9"Actions done as 'This action has to be done' and 'this is daily activity', Arjuna, giving up attachment and fruit, that renunciation is done in goodness in my opinion. 10Neither hating unskilled work, nor attracted to skilled work - such a renouncer is absorbed in purity, with intelligence, and shorn of doubts. 11Not for the embodied is possible to be renounced in action completely. But who is a renouncer of the fruit of action, he is called a renouncer.

12"Incorrect, desirable, and mixed - these three kinds of fruits of actions accrue to the unrenounced after death, but not to the renounced at any time.

13"There are five causes, mighty-armed one, take note from me, in analytical study for the achievement of action as said by those perfected in all actions. 14The sitting place, the doer, the instruments of various kinds, various and different endeavors, the gods - these are the five. 15Body, speech, or with mind - whichever actions man begins, right or wrong, some of these five are the purpose.

16"Thereupon those who see the self only as the doer, see due to unintelligence. The foolish do not see it. 17One whose state of being is not of the ego, his intellect is not entangled. Though killing people, he does not kill, nor is he bound.

18"Knowledge, the object of knowledge, and the knower are the three kinds of impetus to action. The cause, action, and the doer these three are the constituents of action. 19Knowledge, action, and doers are of three kinds according to their different properties. As said of the properties of reasonings, hear those.

20"By which all living beings as of one imperishable nature is seen, undivided in the divisions, that knowledge know to be of goodness. 21But that knowledge which sees differently in diverse and different beings, that knowledge know to be of passion. 22But when full of action, in one work only there is attachment without purpose, it is not in truth, with little knowledge, and is said to be in the mode of darkness.

23"Regularly done, done without attachment and hatred, non-fruitive, without desire, that action is said to be in goodness. 24But that work which is done for desire for sense gratification, with ego, which is performed with much effort, that is said to be in passion. 25Without seeing the consequences of bondage, destruction, and violence, done by the self, begun under temptation, that action is said to be in the mode of darkness.

26"Liberated, without attachment, without ego, with firmness, with enthusiasm, without wavering in success or failure, the doer of such is said to be in goodness. 27Attached, desirous of the fruit of action, greedy, doing violence to the soul, unclean, subject to happiness and sorrow, such a doer is said to be in passion. 28One who is not united, natural, unmoving, deceitful, destroying, lazy, morose, procrastinating - such a doer is said to be in ignorance.

29"The different kinds of intelligence and determination, according to the three properties of nature, now hear from me differently without anything being left out, winner of wealth.

30"What to move towards and what to move away from, work that should be done and that should not be done, fear and fearlessness, bondage and liberation - the intellect which knows, Partha, is of goodness. 31The intellect which knows imperfectly dharma and adharma, what should be done and what should not be done, that Partha, is in passion. 32He who considers adharma as dharma, is a person in covered by darkness. In all ways the intellect that works in the wrong direction, Partha, is in darkness.

33"The firmness which sustains the mind, life breath, sense organs, and actions, that firmness in yoga, without break, Partha, is of goodness. 34But that by which, for the sake of dharma or sense gratification, Arjuna, firmness is sustained because of attachment and desire for fruit, that firmness, Partha, is in passion. 35That determination because of which one does not give up dreaming, fearfulness, grief, moroseness, illusion, that unintelligent firmness, Partha, is in darkness.

36"But now hear about the three kinds of happiness, best of the descendants of King Bharata, which is attained by the end of sadness by involved practice. 37That which in the beginning is like poison but at the end like nectar that happiness is said to be of goodness, born of satisfaction of the self and the intellect. 38By the contact of the objects with the sense organs, which in the beginning is like nectar but at the end is as poison, that happiness is considered to be in passion. 39That which from the beginning to the end seems like happiness because of the self being under a spell - produced of sleep, laziness, madness, that is said to be in the mode of darkness.

40"Not on the earth nor in the divine realms of the gods either, is there anyone who exists free from the consequences born of the three kinds of properties. 41Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras, scorcher of enemies, are divided in action according to properties born of their own nature. 42Peacefulness, control, austerity, cleanliness, tolerance, simplicity, knowledge, scientific knowledge, belief in God, are the characteistics born of the natural qualities of the Brahmins. 43Heroism, brightness, firmness, being on guard in battle and even not fleeing from there, charity, leadership are the characteristics born of the own nature of a kshatriya. 44Farming, protection of the cows, trade are the works born of the nature of a vaishya; service to others is the work born of the own nature of the shudras.

45"By engaging in one's own work, man gets perfection. How engaged in one's own work perfection is attained, that hear. 46By moving towards that by which all living beings is pervaded, by one's own work and by worshiping that, man attains perfection. 47Better is one's own dharma though faultily done, than another dharma though well done. Regularly engaging in work according to one's nature, no sin is accrued. 48Just because some work is faulty, son of Kunti, it should not be given up. All endeavors are certainly covered with faults, as fire is covered by smoke.

49"He who is with unattached intellect everywhere, victorious over the self, without aspiration, perfected in non-reaction, attains to the supreme by the renounced order. 50Having this perfection, how to gain divine consciousness, take note from me in summary, son of Kunti, by faith in this supreme knowledge.

51"Fully purified in the mind, united with firmness and regulated in the self, giving up the objects of the senses, laying aside attachment and hatred, 52living in a secluded place, eats little, controlled in speech, body and mind, meditating in yoga on the supreme, taking shelter of regular detachment; 53being delivered from egoism, strength, pride, lust, anger, acceptance of material things, without a feeling of 'mine', peaceful, in the state of divine consciousness, is fit. 54Such a living being, in divine consciousness, happy in the self, does not lament nor desires, same towards all living beings, by devotion to me, gets the supreme.

55"With devotion to me one knows all that I am in reality. Thereafter knowing me as I am, one enters that without any gap. 56Even though always engaging in all action, taking shelter of me, because of receiving my blessing, he gets to an eternal, imperishable position. 57Conscious of me in all actions, renouncing to me the supreme, with intellect united to me, taking shelter of me, with consciousness in me - be constantly in this state of being.

58"With consciousness in me, all impediments, by my blessing, you will overcome. But if you in your ego do not hear me, you will be lost. 59Taking shelter of your ego if you believe that you should not fight, all the natural activities which you engage in will be unreal to you. 60Born of your own nature, son of Kunti, bound by your own actions, even though you do not wish to do so, under temptation you will helplessly do that only.

61"God is situated in the hearts of all living entities, Arjuna. He causes all living beings to move as machines, under his spell. 62Surrender to him in all respects, descendant of King Bharata. By his grace you will receive the place of supreme and everlasting peace.

63"Thus to you knowledge has been described - confidential, indeed most confidential by me. Deliberating on this completely, do just as you wish."

64"The most confidential of all you have heard from me. These are supreme words. Since you are dear to me, I have spoken to you firmly, for your benefit. 65With mind and state of being in me, devoted to me, worshiping me, offer obeisance to me, certainly you will attain me, this truth to you I promise, since you are dear to me.

66"Abandon all religions and surrender to me alone. I will liberate you from all sins, do not worry.

67"All this is not to be spoken to one who is not austere, nor to one who is not a devotee, not even little; not to one who is not engaged in service nor who is envious of me. 68This supreme confidential knowledge is to explained to my devotees. Having devotion to me as supreme one certainly comes to me without doubt.

69"Therefore amongst men, is there anyone more dear to me, nor will there be anyone more dear to me in this world. 70He who will study this conversation of ours which is according to dharma, by the sacrifice of knowledge I become dear to him, this is my opinion. 71With faith and without envy, the person who hears, that person even gets liberated and attains to good peoples because of his pious activities.

72"Have you heard this, Partha, with single-minded attention and consciousness? Has your ignorance and delusion been dispelled, Dhananjaya?"

Arjuna said: 73"My delusion has been destroyed, my memory regained by your blessing, infallible one. I am now situated free of doubts and shall do according to your words."

Sanjaya said: 74"Thus I have heard the conversation of the great souls Vasudeva and Partha. By hearing this wonderful conversation, my hair is standing on end. 75By the blessing of Vyasa I have heard this confidential supreme knowledge, by the god of yoga, from Krishna himself, speaking personally. 76O king, remembering this wonderful conversation again and again, between Keshava and pious Arjuna, I am being thrilled repeatedly. 77Remembering again and again the extremely wonderful form of Hari, I am struck with great wonder, O king. I am feeling thrilled again and again. 78Where there is the god of yoga - Krishna, and Partha the holder of the bow, there will certainly be opulence, victory, power, and morality in my opinion."