The Yoga of Action

ज्यायसी चेत्कर्मणस्ते मता बुद्धिर्जनार्दन ।तत्किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव ॥

jyāyasī cetkarmaṇaste matā buddhirjanārdana |tatkiṃ karmaṇi ghore māṃ niyojayasi keśava ||

Arjuna said: Krishna, if you think that understanding is better than action, why do you urge me toward this terrible deed?

व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे ।तदेकं वद निश्चित्य येन श्रेयोऽहमाप्नुयाम् ॥

vyāmiśreṇeva vākyena buddhiṃ mohayasīva me |tadekaṃ vada niścitya yena śreyo'hamāpnuyām ||

Your words seem mixed and they confuse my mind. Tell me clearly the one way by which I can reach what is truly good.

लोकेऽस्मिन्द्विविधा निष्ठा पुरा प्रोक्ता मयानघ ।ज्ञानयोगेन सांख्यानां कर्मयोगेन योगिनाम् ॥

loke'smindvividhā niṣṭhā purā proktā mayānagha |jñānayogena sāṃkhyānāṃ karmayogena yoginām ||

Krishna said: Arjuna, I taught long ago that there are two paths in this world: the path of knowledge for those inclined to reflection, and the path of action for those inclined to work.

न कर्मणामनारम्भान्नैष्कर्म्यं पुरुषोऽश्नुते ।न च संन्यसनादेव सिद्धिं समधिगच्छति ॥

na karmaṇāmanārambhānnaiṣkarmyaṃ puruṣo'śnute |na ca saṃnyasanādeva siddhiṃ samadhigacchati ||

A person does not become free from the bonds of action just by not starting any work, nor does anyone reach perfection simply by giving things up.

न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् ।कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः ॥

na hi kaścitkṣaṇamapi jātu tiṣṭhatyakarmakṛt |kāryate hyavaśaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛtijairguṇaiḥ ||

No one can stay without acting even for a moment. Everyone is made to act, whether they like it or not, by the gunas born of nature.

कर्मेन्द्रियाणि संयम्य य आस्ते मनसा स्मरन् ।इन्द्रियार्थान्विमूढात्मा मिथ्याचारः स उच्यते ॥

karmendriyāṇi saṃyamya ya āste manasā smaran |indriyārthānvimūḍhātmā mithyācāraḥ sa ucyate ||

Someone who holds back the body from action but sits thinking about sense pleasures in the mind is fooling himself and is called a pretender.

यस्त्विन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्यारभतेऽर्जुन ।कर्मेन्द्रियैः कर्मयोगमसक्तः स विशिष्यते ॥

yastvindriyāṇi manasā niyamyārabhate'rjuna |karmendriyaiḥ karmayogamasaktaḥ sa viśiṣyate ||

But one who controls the senses with the mind and, without attachment, puts the body to work in karma yoga, is far better, Arjuna.

नियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं कर्म ज्यायो ह्यकर्मणः ।शरीरयात्रापि च ते न प्रसिद्ध्येदकर्मणः ॥

niyataṃ kuru karma tvaṃ karma jyāyo hyakarmaṇaḥ |śarīrayātrāpi ca te na prasiddhyedakarmaṇaḥ ||

Do the work that is yours to do, for action is better than inaction. Without action you could not even keep your body alive.

यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्मबन्धनः ।तदर्थं कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्तसङ्गः समाचर ॥

yajñārthātkarmaṇo'nyatra loko'yaṃ karmabandhanaḥ |tadarthaṃ karma kaunteya muktasaṅgaḥ samācara ||

This world is bound by action, except for action done as yajna, an offering. So, Arjuna, do your work as an offering, free from attachment.

सहयज्ञाः प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा पुरोवाच प्रजापतिः ।अनेन प्रसविष्यध्वमेष वोऽस्त्विष्टकामधुक् ॥

sahayajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā purovāca prajāpatiḥ |anena prasaviṣyadhvameṣa vo'stviṣṭakāmadhuk ||

In the beginning, the Creator made beings along with yajna and said: through this you will grow and prosper; let this be the source of all you wish for.

देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु वः ।परस्परं भावयन्तः श्रेयः परमवाप्स्यथ ॥

devānbhāvayatānena te devā bhāvayantu vaḥ |parasparaṃ bhāvayantaḥ śreyaḥ paramavāpsyatha ||

Nourish the gods with this offering, and let the gods nourish you. By caring for one another, you will reach the highest good.

इष्टान्भोगान्हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते यज्ञभाविताः ।तैर्दत्तानप्रदायैभ्यो यो भुङ्क्ते स्तेन एव सः ॥

iṣṭānbhogānhi vo devā dāsyante yajñabhāvitāḥ |tairdattānapradāyaibhyo yo bhuṅkte stena eva saḥ ||

Pleased by the offering, the gods will give you the good things you want. But one who enjoys their gifts without giving anything back is surely a thief.

यज्ञशिष्टाशिनः सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषैः ।भुञ्जते ते त्वघं पापा ये पचन्त्यात्मकारणात् ॥

yajñaśiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarvakilbiṣaiḥ |bhuñjate te tvaghaṃ pāpā ye pacantyātmakāraṇāt ||

Good people who eat what remains after the offering are freed from all wrongs. But those who cook only for themselves are eating wrongdoing.

अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसम्भवः ।यज्ञाद्भवति पर्जन्यो यज्ञः कर्मसमुद्भवः ॥

annādbhavanti bhūtāni parjanyādannasambhavaḥ |yajñādbhavati parjanyo yajñaḥ karmasamudbhavaḥ ||

Living beings come from food, food comes from rain, rain comes from yajna, and yajna is born of action.

कर्म ब्रह्मोद्भवं विद्धि ब्रह्माक्षरसमुद्भवम् ।तस्मात्सर्वगतं ब्रह्म नित्यं यज्ञे प्रतिष्ठितम् ॥

karma brahmodbhavaṃ viddhi brahmākṣarasamudbhavam |tasmātsarvagataṃ brahma nityaṃ yajñe pratiṣṭhitam ||

Know that action comes from the Veda, and the Veda comes from the Imperishable. So the all-pervading Brahman is always present in yajna.

एवं प्रवर्तितं चक्रं नानुवर्तयतीह यः ।अघायुरिन्द्रियारामो मोघं पार्थ स जीवति ॥

evaṃ pravartitaṃ cakraṃ nānuvartayatīha yaḥ |aghāyurindriyārāmo moghaṃ pārtha sa jīvati ||

Whoever does not help keep this wheel turning, living for sense pleasure alone, lives a wasted and wrongful life, Arjuna.

यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानवः ।आत्मन्येव च सन्तुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते ॥

yastvātmaratireva syādātmatṛptaśca mānavaḥ |ātmanyeva ca santuṣṭastasya kāryaṃ na vidyate ||

But a person who finds joy in the Self, is satisfied with the Self and content in the Self alone, has no further work they need to do.

नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थो नाकृतेनेह कश्चन ।न चास्य सर्वभूतेषु कश्चिदर्थव्यपाश्रयः ॥

naiva tasya kṛtenārtho nākṛteneha kaścana |na cāsya sarvabhūteṣu kaścidarthavyapāśrayaḥ ||

Such a person gains nothing by acting and loses nothing by not acting, and does not depend on any being for anything.

कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः ।लोकसंग्रहमेवापि संपश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि ॥

karmaṇaiva hi saṃsiddhimāsthitā janakādayaḥ |lokasaṃgrahamevāpi saṃpaśyankartumarhasi ||

King Janaka and others reached perfection through action itself. Keeping in mind the welfare of the world, you too should act.

न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किंचन ।नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि ॥

na me pārthāsti kartavyaṃ triṣu lokeṣu kiṃcana |nānavāptamavāptavyaṃ varta eva ca karmaṇi ||

Arjuna, in all the three worlds there is nothing I have to do and nothing I lack or need to gain, yet I keep on acting.

यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः ।मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ॥

yadi hyahaṃ na varteyaṃ jātu karmaṇyatandritaḥ |mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ ||

For if I ever stopped working tirelessly, people everywhere would follow my example, Arjuna.

उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां कर्म चेदहम् ।संकरस्य च कर्ता स्यामुपहन्यामिमाः प्रजाः ॥

utsīdeyurime lokā na kuryāṃ karma cedaham |saṃkarasya ca kartā syāmupahanyāmimāḥ prajāḥ ||

If I did not act, these worlds would fall into ruin. I would be the cause of disorder and would harm all these people.

सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत ।कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथासक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसंग्रहम् ॥

saktāḥ karmaṇyavidvāṃso yathā kurvanti bhārata |kuryādvidvāṃstathāsaktaścikīrṣurlokasaṃgraham ||

Just as the unwise act out of attachment to their work, Arjuna, the wise should act without attachment, wishing for the good of the world.

न बुद्धिभेदं जनयेदज्ञानां कर्मसङ्गिनाम् ।जोषयेत्सर्वकर्माणि विद्वान्युक्तः समाचरन् ॥

na buddhibhedaṃ janayedajñānāṃ karmasaṅginām |joṣayetsarvakarmāṇi vidvānyuktaḥ samācaran ||

The wise should not unsettle the minds of ordinary people who are attached to their work. Instead, working steadily themselves, they should encourage others in all good work.

प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः ।अहंकारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते ॥

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ |ahaṃkāravimūḍhātmā kartāhamiti manyate ||

All actions are carried out by the gunas of nature. But a person confused by ego thinks, 'I am the doer.'

तत्त्ववित्तु महाबाहो गुणकर्मविभागयोः ।गुणा गुणेषु वर्तन्त इति मत्वा न सज्जते ॥

tattvavittu mahābāho guṇakarmavibhāgayoḥ |guṇā guṇeṣu vartanta iti matvā na sajjate ||

But one who understands the truth about how the gunas and actions work, seeing that it is the gunas acting on the gunas, does not become attached, mighty Arjuna.

प्रकृतेर्गुणसंमूढाः सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु ।तानकृत्स्नविदो मन्दान्कृत्स्नविन्न विचालयेत् ॥

prakṛterguṇasaṃmūḍhāḥ sajjante guṇakarmasu |tānakṛtsnavido mandānkṛtsnavinna vicālayet ||

People confused by the gunas of nature become attached to the work of the gunas. One who knows the whole truth should not disturb those who understand only partly.

मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि संन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा ।निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वरः ॥

mayi sarvāṇi karmāṇi saṃnyasyādhyātmacetasā |nirāśīrnirmamo bhūtvā yudhyasva vigatajvaraḥ ||

Offering all your actions to me, with your mind fixed on the Self, free from desire and the sense of 'mine', fight without inner turmoil.

ये मे मतमिदं नित्यमनुतिष्ठन्ति मानवाः ।श्रद्धावन्तोऽनसूयन्तो मुच्यन्ते तेऽपि कर्मभिः ॥

ye me matamidaṃ nityamanutiṣṭhanti mānavāḥ |śraddhāvanto'nasūyanto mucyante te'pi karmabhiḥ ||

Those who always follow this teaching of mine with faith and without finding fault are freed from the bondage of action.

ये त्वेतदभ्यसूयन्तो नानुतिष्ठन्ति मे मतम् ।सर्वज्ञानविमूढांस्तान्विद्धि नष्टानचेतसः ॥

ye tvetadabhyasūyanto nānutiṣṭhanti me matam |sarvajñānavimūḍhāṃstānviddhi naṣṭānacetasaḥ ||

But those who find fault with my teaching and do not follow it are confused about all knowledge, lacking understanding, and they are lost.

सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्याः प्रकृतेर्ज्ञानवानपि ।प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि निग्रहः किं करिष्यति ॥

sadṛśaṃ ceṣṭate svasyāḥ prakṛterjñānavānapi |prakṛtiṃ yānti bhūtāni nigrahaḥ kiṃ kariṣyati ||

Even a wise person acts according to their own nature. All beings follow their nature, so what can mere suppression achieve?

इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ ।तयोर्न वशमागच्छेत्तौ ह्यस्य परिपन्थिनौ ॥

indriyasyendriyasyārthe rāgadveṣau vyavasthitau |tayorna vaśamāgacchettau hyasya paripanthinau ||

Each sense has its natural liking and disliking for its objects. Do not fall under the control of these two, for they are obstacles on one's path.

अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुषः ।अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजितः ॥

atha kena prayukto'yaṃ pāpaṃ carati pūruṣaḥ |anicchannapi vārṣṇeya balādiva niyojitaḥ ||

Arjuna said: Then what drives a person to do wrong, Krishna, even against their own will, as if pushed by force?

काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः ।महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम् ॥

kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajoguṇasamudbhavaḥ |mahāśano mahāpāpmā viddhyenamiha vairiṇam ||

Krishna said: It is desire, it is anger, born of rajas, the quality of restless passion. It is never satisfied and leads to great wrong. Know this to be the enemy here.

धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथादर्शो मलेन च ।यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम् ॥

dhūmenāvriyate vahniryathādarśo malena ca |yatholbenāvṛto garbhastathā tenedamāvṛtam ||

As fire is covered by smoke, a mirror by dust, and an unborn baby by the womb, so is wisdom covered by desire.

आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा ।कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च ॥

āvṛtaṃ jñānametena jñānino nityavairiṇā |kāmarūpeṇa kaunteya duṣpūreṇānalena ca ||

Wisdom is covered, Arjuna, by this constant enemy of the wise, desire, which burns like a fire that can never be filled.

इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिरस्याधिष्ठानमुच्यते ।एतैर्विमोहयत्येष ज्ञानमावृत्य देहिनम् ॥

indriyāṇi mano buddhirasyādhiṣṭhānamucyate |etairvimohayatyeṣa jñānamāvṛtya dehinam ||

The senses, the mind and the intellect are said to be where desire lives. Through them it covers wisdom and confuses the embodied Self.

तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ ।पाप्मानं प्रजहि ह्येनं ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम् ॥

tasmāttvamindriyāṇyādau niyamya bharatarṣabha |pāpmānaṃ prajahi hyenaṃ jñānavijñānanāśanam ||

So, Arjuna, first bring your senses under control, and then destroy this wrongful enemy that ruins knowledge and insight.

इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः ।मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्यो बुद्धेः परतस्तु सः ॥

indriyāṇi parāṇyāhurindriyebhyaḥ paraṃ manaḥ |manasastu parā buddhiryo buddheḥ paratastu saḥ ||

The senses are said to be higher than the body, the mind is higher than the senses, the intellect is higher than the mind, and higher than the intellect is the Self.

एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना ।जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम् ॥

evaṃ buddheḥ paraṃ buddhvā saṃstabhyātmānamātmanā |jahi śatruṃ mahābāho kāmarūpaṃ durāsadam ||

So, knowing the Self to be higher than the intellect, and steadying yourself by the Self, defeat this enemy in the form of desire, which is so hard to overcome, mighty Arjuna.