Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga

The Blessed Lord (Śrī Bhagavān) said: I proclaimed this imperishable discipline (yoga) to Vivasvat (the Sun god); Vivasvat declared it to Manu, and Manu spoke it to Ikshvaku.

Thus received through the lineage, the royal sages (rājarṣayaḥ) knew this; But by the great passage of time here, this discipline (yoga) was lost, O Scorcher of foes (Parantapa).

This very same ancient discipline (yoga) has been proclaimed to you by Me today; For you are My devotee and friend, and this is the supreme secret.

Arjuna said: Later is your birth, and earlier was the birth of Vivasvat; How should I understand this, that you proclaimed it in the beginning?

The Blessed Lord (Śrī Bhagavān) said: Many of My births have passed away, and yours too, O Arjuna; I know them all, but you do not know them, O Scorcher of foes (Parantapa).

Even though being unborn and of imperishable nature (avyayātmā), and even being the Lord of beings (Īśvara), Presiding over My own nature (prakṛti), I come into being by My own mysterious power (māyā).

For whenever of duty (dharma) a decline occurs, O descendant of Bharata (Bhārata), And a rising up of lawlessness (adharma), then I send forth Myself.

For the protection of the good, and for the destruction of evil-doers, For the sake of establishing duty (dharma), I come into being from age to age.

He who knows My divine birth and action (karma) thus in truth (tattvataḥ), Having abandoned the body, he does not go to rebirth, but he comes to Me, O Arjuna.

Freed from passion, fear, and anger, absorbed in Me, taking refuge in Me, Purified by the austerity of knowledge (jñānatapasā), many have come to My state of being (madbhāva).

In whatever way they approach Me, exactly in that way I favor them; Men follow My path, in every way, O son of Pritha (Pārtha).

Desiring the perfection (siddhi) of actions (karmāṇi), they sacrifice to the gods here; For quickly in the human world, perfection born of action (karma) occurs.

The system of four castes (varṇas) was created by Me, according to the division of qualities (guṇas) and actions (karma); Even though I am the creator of it, know Me to be the imperishable non-doer.

Actions (karmāṇi) do not taint Me, nor is there desire in Me for the fruit of action; He who comprehends Me thus, is not bound by actions (karmabhiḥ).

Having known thus, action (karma) was performed, even by the ancients seeking liberation; Therefore, perform action (karma) indeed, as it was performed by the ancients in earlier times.

"What is action (karma), what is inaction (akarma)?" Even the seers are bewildered about this; I will declare that action (karma) to you, knowing which you will be freed from evil.

For one must understand action (karma), and one must understand wrong action (vikarma); And one must understand inaction (akarma), for deep is the path of action (karma).

He who sees inaction (akarma) in action (karma), and action (karma) in inaction (akarma), He is wise among men, he is disciplined (yukta), performing all actions.

Whose every undertaking is devoid of desire (kāma) and willful intent (saṅkalpa), Whose actions (karmāṇi) are burned up by the fire of knowledge (jñāna), the wise call him a learned man (paṇḍita).

Having abandoned attachment to the fruit of action (karma), eternally satisfied and without dependence, Even when fully engaged in action (karma), he does not do anything at all.

Free from expectation, his mind and self controlled, having abandoned all acquisitions, Performing action (karma) only with the body, he does not incur sin (kilbiṣa).

Satisfied with whatever comes by chance, passed beyond the pairs of opposites, free from envy, Equal in success and failure, even having acted, he is not bound.

Of one whose attachment is gone, who is liberated, whose mind is established in knowledge (jñāna), Who performs action (karma) for the sake of sacrifice (yajña), his action is entirely dissolved.

The offering is Brahman, the oblation is Brahman, poured by Brahman into the fire of Brahman; Brahman alone is to be attained by him, who is absorbed in the action (karma) of Brahman.

Some yogis attend to sacrifices (yajña) pertaining only to the gods; Others offer sacrifice (yajña) by sacrifice itself, into the fire of Brahman.

Others offer the senses, beginning with hearing, into the fires of restraint; Others offer the objects of the senses, beginning with sound, into the fires of the senses.

And others offer all actions of the senses, and the actions of the vital breaths (prāṇa), Into the fire of the discipline (yoga) of self-restraint, kindled by knowledge (jñāna).

There are those whose sacrifice is wealth, whose sacrifice is austerity, and others whose sacrifice is discipline (yoga); Ascetics of severe vows, whose sacrifices are scriptural study and knowledge (jñāna).

Others offer the inward breath (prāṇa) into the downward breath (apāna), and the downward breath into the inward breath; Having restrained the courses of the inward and downward breaths, they are dedicated to breath control (prāṇāyāma).

Others, restricted in their food, offer the vital breaths into the vital breaths; All these indeed are knowers of sacrifice (yajña), whose sins are destroyed by sacrifice (yajña).

The eaters of the nectar left over from the sacrifice (yajña), go to the eternal Brahman; This world is not for one without sacrifice, how then the other, O best of the Kurus (Kurusattama)?

Thus manifold sacrifices (yajñāḥ) are spread out in the mouth of Brahman; Know them all to be born of action (karma); having known thus, you will be liberated.

Better than the sacrifice (yajña) made of material objects is the sacrifice of knowledge (jñānayajña), O Scorcher of foes (Parantapa); All action (karma) in its entirety, O son of Pritha (Pārtha), is culminated in knowledge (jñāna).

Know that by prostration, by questioning, and by service; The wise, the seers of truth (tattvadarśinaḥ), will instruct you in knowledge (jñāna).

Having known which, you will not again fall into delusion thus, O son of Pandu (Pāṇḍava); By which you will see all beings without exception, within the Self (ātman) and then within Me.

Even if you are, among all sinners, the worst doer of sin (pāpa), By the boat of knowledge (jñāna) alone, you will cross over all wickedness.

Just as a kindled fire reduces firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, So the fire of knowledge (jñāna) reduces all actions (karmāṇi) to ashes.

For there is no purifier in this world equal to knowledge (jñāna); He who is perfected in discipline (yoga), finds that within the self (ātman) in due time.

The man of faith (śraddhā) obtains knowledge (jñāna), intent upon it, with senses controlled; Having obtained knowledge (jñāna), he attains supreme peace (śānti) without delay.

But the ignorant and the faithless, and the doubting soul perishes; There is neither this world, nor the next, nor happiness for the doubting soul.

He who has renounced actions (karma) through discipline (yoga), whose doubts are severed by knowledge (jñāna), Who is possessed of the self (ātman), actions do not bind him, O Winner of wealth (Dhanañjaya).

Therefore, having severed with the sword of knowledge (jñāna) of the self (ātman), this doubt born of ignorance, Which dwells in your heart, establish yourself in discipline (yoga) and stand up, O descendant of Bharata (Bhārata)!