CHAPTER 3

Verse 1

arjuna uvāca
jyāyasī cet karmaṇas te
matā buddhir janārdana
tat kiṁ karmaṇi ghore māṁ
niyojayasi keśava

Arjuna said: O Janārdana, if You consider that intelligence related to bhakti is beyond the modes and thus superior to fruitive work, then why, O Keśava, are You engaging me in this ghastly activity of warfare?

Verse 2

vyāmiśreṇeva vākyena
buddhiṁ mohayasīva me
tad ekaṁ vada niścitya
yena śreyo ’ham āpnuyām

My intelligence is somewhat bewildered by Your apparently ambiguous statements. Please, therefore, tell me decisively which path will be most auspicious for me.

Verse 3

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
loke ’smin dvi-vidhā niṣṭhā
purā proktā mayānagha
jñāna-yogena sāṅkhyānāṁ
karma-yogena yoginām

Śrī Bhagavān said: O sinless Arjuna, I have already explained clearly that there are two types of faith in this world. The faith of the empiric speculators is in the path of jñāna-yoga, and that of the yogīs is in worshipping the Supreme Lord by offering Him the fruits of their prescribed duties.

Verse 4

na karmaṇām anārambhān
naiṣkarmyaṁ puruṣo ’śnute
na ca sannyasanād eva
siddhiṁ samadhigacchati

By ceasing to perform work as prescribed in the scriptures, a person cannot attain knowledge in the form of freedom from work and its reaction, nor can a person with an impure heart attain perfection merely by renouncing action

Verse 5

na hi kaścit kṣaṇam api
jātu tiṣṭhaty akarma-kṛt
kāryate hy avaśaḥ karma
sarvaḥ prakṛti-jair guṇaiḥ

No one can remain inactive, not even for a moment. Everyone is impelled to act under the influence of such qualities as attachment and hate, which are born of one’s nature.

Verse 6

karmendriyāṇi saṁyamya
ya āste manasā smaran
indriyārthān vimūḍhātmā
mithyācāraḥ sa ucyate

A deluded person who forcibly restrains his working senses while internally meditating on sense objects is to be known as a hypocrite.

Verse 7

yas tv indriyāṇi manasā
niyamyārabhate ’rjuna
karmendriyaiḥ karma-yogam
asaktaḥ sa viśiṣyate

But, O Arjuna, a person who performs action with his working senses in accordance with the injunctions of the scriptures, who regulates his senses through the mind, and who is free from all fruitive desires, is superior.

Verse 8

niyataṁ kuru karma tvaṁ
karma jyāyo hy akarmaṇaḥ
śarīra-yātrāpi ca te
na prasidhyed akarmaṇaḥ

Perform your prescribed duties, such as the chanting of the Gāyatrī mantra, because action is better than inaction. If you refrain from action, you will not even be able to maintain your body.

Verse 9

Verse 10

saha-yajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā
purovāca prajāpatiḥ
anena prasaviṣyadhvam
eṣa vo ’stv iṣṭa-kāma-dhuk

In the beginning of creation, Lord Brahmā created brāhmaṇas, who were qualified to perform sacrifice. He then blessed them, saying, “May you prosper by this sacrifice, and may it fulfil all your desires.”

Verse 11

devān bhāvayatānena
te devā bhāvayantu vaḥ
parasparaṁ bhāvayantaḥ
śreyaḥ param avāpsyatha

May you please the demigods by this sacrifice, and may they please you in turn by granting you your desired benefits. By satisfying one another in this way, you will attain supreme auspiciousness.

Verse 12

iṣṭān bhogān hi vo devā
dāsyante yajña-bhāvitāḥ
tair dattān apradāyaibhyo
yo bhuṅkte stena eva saḥ

Being pleased by your performance of sacrifice, the demigods will reward you by making arrangements for your desired enjoyment. Therefore, a person who enjoys the ingredients the demigods have given, without first offering them to the demigods, is certainly a thief.

Verse 13

yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo
mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ
bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā
ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt

Saintly persons, who only accept the remnants of sacrifice, become free from all sins, but those who cook grains and other foodstuffs for their own sake are sinners, and certainly eat only sin.

Verse 14

annād bhavanti bhūtāni
parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ
yajñād bhavati parjanyo
yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ

All living beings are born of food grains, which are produced from rain. Rains fall because of the performance of sacrifice, and sacrifice is born of the performance of prescribed duties.

Verse 15

karma brahmodbhavaṁ viddhi
brahmākṣara-samudbhavam
tasmāt sarva-gataṁ brahma
nityaṁ yajñe pratiṣṭhitam

Know that such duties are prescribed within the Vedas and that the Vedas originate from Bhagavān Acyuta. Therefore, the all pervading Absolute Truth is always situated in the performance of yajña.

Verse 16

evaṁ pravartitaṁ cakraṁ
nānuvartayatīha yaḥ
aghāyur indriyārāmo
moghaṁ pārtha sa jīvati

O Pārtha, in this world, one who does not follow this cycle of action as prescribed in the scriptures delights in the senses and engages in sinful life. Thus he lives in vain.

Verse 17

yas tv ātma-ratir eva syād
ātma-tṛptaś ca mānavaḥ
ātmany eva ca santuṣṭas
tasya kāryaṁ na vidyate

A person who delights in the self, however, and who remains contented and fully satisfied in the self, has no duties to perform.

Verse 18

naiva tasya kṛtenārtho
nākṛteneha kaścana
na cāsya sarva-bhūteṣu
kaścid artha-vyapāśrayaḥ

For a person who is satisfied in the self, there is no pious benefit to achieve by performing prescribed duties in this world, nor is there any fault incurred by not performing them. For attaining his purpose, he does not feel the need to depend on any living being in the universe.

Verse 19

tasmād asaktaḥ satataṁ
kāryaṁ karma samācara
asakto hy ācaran karma
param āpnoti pūruṣaḥ

Therefore, always perform your prescribed duties without attachment. By working in this way, a person attains liberation from the endless cycle of birth and death.

Verse 20

karmaṇaiva hi saṁsiddhim
āsthitā janakādayaḥ
loka-saṅgraham evāpi
sampaśyan kartum arhasi

Saintly kings such as Janaka attained supreme perfection by performing theirprescribed duties. Therefore, from the perspective of setting an ideal for people in general, it is appropriate for you, also, to perform your prescribed duty.

Verse 21

yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas
tat tad evetaro janaḥ
sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute
lokas tad anuvartate

Whatever behaviour a great personality practises, common people follow, and whatever standards he sets, the whole world pursues.

Verse 22

na me pārthāsti kartavyaṁ
triṣu lokeṣu kiñcana
nānavāptam avāptavyaṁ
varta eva ca karmaṇi

O Pārtha, I have no need to perform prescribed duties (karma), because there is nothing within the three worlds that I cannot attain, nor is there anything that I desire to attain. Still, I am always engaged in duty.

Verse 23

yadi hy ahaṁ na varteyaṁ
jātu karmaṇy atandritaḥ
mama vartmānuvartante
manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ

O Pārtha, if I ever failed to vigilantly engage in My duty, common people would certainly follow My example in all respects.

Verse 24

utsīdeyur ime lokā
na kuryāṁ karma ced aham
saṅkarasya ca kartā syām
upahanyām imāḥ prajāḥ

If I did not perform My duty, then all people would become degraded, and indirectly, I would become the cause of generating unwanted progeny. In this way, I would be instrumental in the destruction of the entire human populace

Verse 25

saktāḥ karmaṇy avidvāṁso
yathā kurvanti bhārata
kuryād vidvāṁs tathāsaktaś
cikīrṣur loka-saṅgraham

O descendant of Bharata, ignorant people perform their duties with attachment. Those who are wise should also work, but without attachment, desiring to instruct the people in general.

Verse 26

na buddhi-bhedaṁ janayed
ajñānāṁ karma-saṅginām
joṣayet sarva-karmāṇi
vidvān yuktaḥ samācaran

A person who is learned in the path of spiritual advancement through knowledge should not bewilder the intelligence of ignorant people by instructing them to give up their prescribed duties and engage in the cultivation of jñāna. Rather, by properly performing his own actions in a composed and detached state of mind, he should engage such people in their prescribed duties.

Verse 27

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate

All aspects of material activity are performed by the three binding forces of material nature, but a person whose intelligence is bewildered by false ego thinks himself to be the doer.

Verse 28

tattva-vit tu mahā-bāho
guṇa-karma-vibhāgayoḥ
guṇā guṇeṣu vartanta
iti matvā na sajjate

O mighty-armed Arjuna, a person who knows that the soul is aloof from the three binding forces of material nature, as well as from the laws of karma, does not falsely identify himself as the doer. This is because he understands that the senses are engaged in their respective sense objects and is aloof from them.

Verse 29

prakṛter guṇa-sammūḍhāḥ
sajjante guṇa-karmasu
tān akṛtsna-vido mandān
kṛtsna-vin na vicālayet

Those bewildered by the three binding modes of nature become attached to sense objects. Those whose knowledge is complete should not unsettle such less intelligent persons, whose knowledge is incomplete.

Verse 30

mayi sarvāṇi karmāṇi
sannyasyādhyātma-cetasā
nirāśīr nirmamo bhūtvā
yudhyasva vigata-jvaraḥ

With your mind fixed in the self, offering all your activities to Me and being free from desire, possessiveness and lamentation, fight

Verse 31

ye me matam idaṁ nityam
anutiṣṭhanti mānavāḥ
śraddhāvanto ’nasūyanto
mucyante te ’pi karmabhiḥ

Those who are free from the propensity for fault finding, who have complete faith in Me and who always abide by My teachings (to perform niṣkāma-karma-yoga) are liberated from the bondage of fruitive action.

Verse 32

ye tv etad abhyasūyanto
nānutiṣṭhanti me matam
sarva-jñāna-vimūḍhāṁs tān
viddhi naṣṭān acetasaḥ

But know that those fault-finding persons who do not follow these instructions of Mine become bereft of discrimination, Karma-Yoga cheated of all true knowledge, and ruined in all their endeavours for spiritual perfection.

Verse 33

sadṛśaṁ ceṣṭate svasyāḥ
prakṛter jñānavān api
prakṛtiṁ yānti bhūtāni
nigrahaḥ kiṁ kariṣyati

Even a man of knowledge acts in accordance with his natural disposition, for all beings follow their nature. What can be achieved by repression of the senses?

Verse 34

indriyasyendriyasyārthe
rāga-dveṣau vyavasthitau
tayor na vaśam āgacchet
tau hy asya paripanthinau

All the senses are helplessly controlled by one’s attachment and aversion to their respective objects. Therefore, one should never come under their sway because such attachment and aversion are impediments for the sādhaka’s progress upon the path of auspiciousness

Verse 35

śreyān sva-dharmo viguṇaḥ
para-dharmāt sv-anuṣṭhitāt
sva-dharme nidhanaṁ śreyaḥ
para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ

It is far better to execute one’s prescribed duties, even though imperfectly, than to perform another’s duty perfectly. It is better to die discharging one’s own duty in accordance with the varṇāśrama system than to engage in another’s duty, for it is dangerous to follow another’s path.

Verse 36

arjuna uvāca
atha kena prayukto ’yaṁ
pāpaṁ carati pūruṣaḥ
anicchann api vārṣṇeya
balād iva niyojitaḥ

Arjuna said: O Kṛṣṇa, O descendant of Vṛṣṇi, what is it that seems to forcibly impel a person to engage in sinful deeds, even though he is unwilling to do so?

Verse 37

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
kāma eṣa krodha eṣa
rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ
mahāśano mahā-pāpmā
viddhy enam iha vairiṇam

Śrī Bhagavān said: This lust, the desire to enjoy sense objects, which indeed transforms into wrath, is born of passion. It is all devouring and extremely fearsome. Know it to be the primary enemy of the living entities in this world.

Verse 38

dhūmenāvriyate vahnir
yathādarśo malena ca
yatholbenāvṛto garbhas
tathā tenedam āvṛtam

Just as fire is covered by smoke, a mirror by dust, and an embryo by the womb, so the true knowledge of the living being remains covered by different degrees of lust.

Verse 39

āvṛtaṁ jñānam etena
jñānino nitya-vairiṇā
kāma-rūpeṇa kaunteya
duṣpūreṇānalena ca

O Arjuna, the true knowledge of the wise living entity is covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust. This lust burns like fire and can never be satiated.

Verse 40

indriyāṇi mano buddhir
asyādhiṣṭhānam ucyate
etair vimohayaty eṣa
jñānam āvṛtya dehinam

The senses, mind and intelligence are said to be the dwelling places of this lust. Through them, lust covers the knowledge of the living entity and completely bewilders him.

Verse 41

tasmāt tvam indriyāṇy ādau
niyamya bharatarṣabha
pāpmānaṁ prajahi hy enaṁ
jñāna-vijñāna-nāśanam

Therefore, O Arjuna, best of the descendants of Bharata, in the very beginning of your spiritual life, control your senses in order to completely slay this embodiment of evil (lust), which is the destroyer of both wisdom (jñāna) and realization of Me (vijñāna).

Verse 42

indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur
indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ
manasas tu parā buddhir
yo buddheḥ paratas tu saḥ

The senses are said to be superior to inert matter, and the mind is superior to the senses. The intelligence is superior to the mind, and he, the soul, is superior even to the intelligence.

Verse 43

evaṁ buddheḥ paraṁ buddhvā
saṁstabhyātmānam ātmanā
jahi śatruṁ mahā-bāho
kāma-rūpaṁ durāsadam

O mighty-armed Arjuna, knowing the soul to be superior to the intelligence, control the mind with pure intelligence that relates to the true self, and destroy this formidable enemy in the form of lust.