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Liberation Through Surrender · 78 verses
Ask Krishna about this chapterArjuna said: I wish to know the truth of sannyasa, O mighty-armed one, and of tyaga separately, O Hrishikesha, O slayer of Keshi.
The Blessed Lord said: The learned understand sannyasa to be the giving up of desire-prompted actions, while the wise declare tyaga to be the relinquishment of the…
Some philosophers say that all action is evil and should be abandoned, whereas others maintain that acts of sacrifice, benevolence, and austerity should not be given up.
Hear from Me the firm conclusion regarding tyaga, O best of the Bharatas; for tyaga, O tiger among men, has been declared to be of three kinds.
Acts of sacrifice, charity, and austerity should not be abandoned but must certainly be performed, for sacrifice, charity, and austerity are indeed purifiers of the wise.
These actions too must certainly be performed, but with abandonment of attachment and desire for their fruits — this, O Partha, is my definite and supreme conviction.
The renunciation of prescribed duty is not justified; abandoning it out of delusion is declared to be tamasic.
To avoid an action out of fear of physical suffering, as it is likely to be painful, is to act out of passion, and the benefit of renunciation will not be gained.
He who performs an obligatory action, believing it to be a duty that ought to be done, without any personal desire to do the act or to receive any return—such…
The one who renounces, who is imbued with goodness, who is wise and whose doubts are cut away, neither hates disagreeable work nor clings to agreeable work.
But since those still in the body cannot entirely avoid action, in their case, the abandonment of the fruit of action is considered as complete renunciation.
For those who cannot renounce all desires, the fruit of action hereafter is threefold—good, evil, and partly good and partly evil. But for him who has renounced, there…
I will now tell you, O Mighty Man, the five causes that must come together, according to the final decision of philosophy, for an action to be accomplished.
The body as the seat of action, the doer, the various kinds of instruments, the many distinct efforts, and indeed destiny as the fifth among these.
Whatever action a person performs, whether by muscular effort, speech, or thought, and whether it be right or wrong, these five are the essential causes.
But the fool, who, due to his immature judgment, supposes that it is his own Self alone that acts, perverts the truth and does not see rightly.
He who has no pride and whose intellect is unalloyed by attachment, even though he kills these people, he does not kill them, and his act does not bind him.
Knowledge, the knower, and the object of knowledge are the three incentives to action; and the act, the actor, and the instrument are the threefold constituents.
Knowledge, action, and the doer are each declared to be of three kinds according to the distinction of the gunas, as stated in the science of the gunas. Hear of these…
That knowledge which sees the One Indestructible in all beings, the One Indivisible in all separate lives, can be truly called Pure Knowledge.
The knowledge that perceives the manifold existence in all beings as separate comes from passion.
But that which clings blindly to one idea as if it were all, without logic, truth, or insight, has its origin in darkness.
An obligatory action done by one who is disinterested, who neither likes nor dislikes it, and gives no thought to the consequences that may follow, such an action is…
But action that is performed by one desirous of fulfilling desires, or with egoism, and with much strain — that is declared to be rajasic.
That action which is undertaken out of delusion, without regard for consequences, loss, injury, and one's own ability, is declared to be tamasic.
The doer who is free from attachment, devoid of egoism, endowed with firmness and enthusiasm, and unaffected by success or failure, is said to be sattvic.
The doer who is passionate, who craves the fruits of action, who is greedy, violent by nature, impure, and subject to joy and sorrow, is declared to be rajasic.
While he whose purpose is weak, who is low-minded, stubborn, dishonest, malicious, lazy, despondent, and procrastinating—he may be assumed to be in darkness.
Now hear the threefold division of intellect and also of firmness, according to the gunas, as it is being declared fully and distinctly, O Dhananjaya.
That intellect which knows action and renunciation, what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, what is to be feared and what is not to be feared, bondage and…
That intellect by which one understands dharma and adharma, and what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, but understands them incorrectly — that intellect,…
And that which, shrouded in Ignorance, thinks wrong to be right, and sees everything perversely, O Arjuna, that intellect is ruled by Darkness.
That unwavering firmness by which one sustains the activities of the mind, the life-breath, and the senses through yoga — that firmness, O Partha, is sattvic.
But the firmness by which one holds fast to duty, pleasure, and wealth, O Arjuna, desiring their fruits out of attachment — that firmness, O Partha, is rajasic.
That firmness by which a foolish person does not relinquish sleep, fear, grief, despair, and also conceit — that resolve, O Partha, is tamasic.
Now hear from Me, O best of the Bharatas, about the threefold nature of happiness — that in which one rejoices through practice and comes to the end of sorrow.
That happiness which is like poison in the beginning but like nectar in the end, born from the serenity of one's own intellect focused on the Self — that is declared to…
That which, at first, is like nectar, as the senses revel in their objects, but in the end acts like poison—that pleasure arises from Passion.
While the pleasure that drugs the senses from start to finish, which springs from indolence, lethargy, and folly—that pleasure flows from Ignorance.
There is nothing anywhere on earth or in the higher worlds that is free from the three Qualities, for they are born of Nature.
O Arjuna! The duties of spiritual teachers, the soldiers, the traders, and the servants have all been fixed according to the dominant quality in their nature.
Serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, patience, uprightness, knowledge, wisdom, and faith in God — these are the duties of a Brahmana, born of his own nature.
Valor, splendor, fortitude, dexterity, and also not fleeing from battle, generosity, and lordliness — these are the duties of the Kshatriyas, born of their own nature.
Agriculture, the protection of cows, and trade are the duties of a trader, in accordance with his nature. The duty of a servant is to serve, which also agrees with his…
Perfection is attained when one diligently attends to their duty. Listen, and I will tell you how it is attained by one who always minds their own duty.
One reaches perfection by dedicating their actions to God, Who is the source of all being and fills everything.
It is better to do one's own duty, however defective it may be, than to follow the duty of another, however well one may perform it. He who does his duty as his own…
The duty that falls to one's lot of its own accord should not be abandoned, though it may have its defects. All acts are marred by defects, just as fire is obscured by…
He whose intellect is unattached everywhere, who has conquered his self, and from whom desire has departed, attains through renunciation the supreme perfection of…
Learn from Me in brief, O son of Kunti, how one who has attained perfection also reaches Brahman, which is the supreme consummation of knowledge.
Endowed with a purified intellect, restraining oneself with firmness, relinquishing the objects of the senses beginning with sound, and casting aside attachment and…
Resorting to solitude, eating lightly, with speech, body, and mind restrained, ever devoted to the yoga of meditation, and having taken refuge in dispassion—
Having abandoned egotism, force, arrogance, desire, anger, and possessiveness, free from the sense of "mine" and peaceful, one is fit for becoming Brahman.
When he unites with the Eternal and his soul knows the bliss of the Self, he feels no desire or regret, he regards all beings equally, and enjoys the blessing of…
Through devotion he comes to know Me in truth — how great I am and who I am. Then, having known Me in truth, he enters into Me immediately thereafter.
Even while always performing all actions, one who takes full refuge in Me attains, by My grace, the eternal and imperishable state.
Mentally renouncing all actions to Me, having Me as the supreme goal, taking shelter in the yoga of intellect, fix your mind on Me always.
Fix your mind on Me, and by My grace you will overcome the obstacles in your path. But if, misled by pride, you do not listen, then you will indeed be lost.
If you in your vanity think of avoiding this fight, your will shall not be fulfilled, for Nature herself will compel you.
O Arjuna! Your duty binds you. It has arisen from your own nature, and that which you do not desire to do in your delusion, you will do that very thing. You are helpless.
God dwells in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna! He causes them to revolve, as it were, on a wheel, by His mystic power.
With all your strength, fly to Him and surrender yourself, and by His grace you will attain Supreme Peace and reach the Eternal Home.
Thus, I have revealed to you the truth, the mystery of mysteries. Having thought it over, you are free to act as you wish.
Listen again to My supreme word, the most secret of all; you are very dear to Me, and therefore I shall speak what is for your benefit.
Dedicate yourself to Me, worship Me, sacrifice all for Me, prostrate yourself before Me, and you will surely come to Me. I truly pledge to you; you are My beloved.
Abandoning all dharmas, take refuge in Me alone. I shall liberate you from all sins; do not grieve.
This should never be spoken by you to one who lacks austerity, nor to one who is without devotion, nor to one who does not wish to listen, nor to one who speaks ill of…
But he who teaches this great secret to My devotees, his is the highest devotion, and he shall surely come to Me.
There is no one among men who can perform a service dearer to Me than this, nor is there any man on earth more beloved by Me than him.
He who will study this spiritual discourse of ours, I assure you, they shall thereby worship Me at the altar of Wisdom.
And the person who listens to this with faith and without malice, he too, liberated, shall attain the auspicious worlds of those of virtuous deeds.
O Arjuna, have you listened attentively to My words? Has your ignorance and delusion gone?
Arjuna replied: "My Lord! O Immutable One! My delusion has fled. By Your Grace, O Changeless One, the light has dawned. My doubts have been dispelled, and I stand…
Sanjaya said: Thus I have heard this wonderful conversation between Vasudeva and the great-souled Partha, which causes the hair to stand on end.
Through the blessing of the sage Vyasa, I heard this secret and noble science from the lips of its Master, Lord Shri Krishna.
O King! The more I think of that marvelous and holy discourse, the more I lose myself in joy.
And remembering again and again that most wondrous form of Hari, great is my astonishment, O King, and I rejoice again and again.
Wherever there is Krishna, the Lord of Yoga, and wherever is Partha, the wielder of the bow, there are fortune, victory, prosperity, and steadfast righteousness — this…