The Yoga of Renunciation

संन्यासं कर्मणां कृष्ण पुनर्योगं च शंससि ।यच्छ्रेय एतयोरेकं तन्मे ब्रूहि सुनिश्चितम् ॥

saṃnyāsaṃ karmaṇāṃ kṛṣṇa punaryogaṃ ca śaṃsasi |yacchreya etayorekaṃ tanme brūhi suniścitam ||

Arjuna said: Krishna, you praise giving up actions, and then you praise the yoga of action. Tell me clearly which one of these two is better.

संन्यासः कर्मयोगश्च निःश्रेयसकरावुभौ ।तयोस्तु कर्मसंन्यासात्कर्मयोगो विशिष्यते ॥

saṃnyāsaḥ karmayogaśca niḥśreyasakarāvubhau |tayostu karmasaṃnyāsātkarmayogo viśiṣyate ||

Krishna said: Giving up action and the yoga of action both lead to the highest good. But of the two, the yoga of action is better than giving up action.

ज्ञेयः स नित्यसंन्यासी यो न द्वेष्टि न काङ्क्षति ।निर्द्वन्द्वो हि महाबाहो सुखं बन्धात्प्रमुच्यते ॥

jñeyaḥ sa nityasaṃnyāsī yo na dveṣṭi na kāṅkṣati |nirdvandvo hi mahābāho sukhaṃ bandhātpramucyate ||

A person who neither hates nor craves should be known as a true renouncer at all times. Free from opposites, mighty Arjuna, such a person is easily freed from bondage.

सांख्ययोगौ पृथग्बालाः प्रवदन्ति न पण्डिताः ।एकमप्यास्थितः सम्यगुभयोर्विन्दते फलम् ॥

sāṃkhyayogau pṛthagbālāḥ pravadanti na paṇḍitāḥ |ekamapyāsthitaḥ samyagubhayorvindate phalam ||

Only the immature, not the wise, say that the path of knowledge (Sankhya) and the path of action (Yoga) are different. One who is truly established in even one gains the fruit of both.

यत्सांख्यैः प्राप्यते स्थानं तद्योगैरपि गम्यते ।एकं सांख्यं च योगं च यः पश्यति स: पश्यति ॥

yatsāṃkhyaiḥ prāpyate sthānaṃ tadyogairapi gamyate |ekaṃ sāṃkhyaṃ ca yogaṃ ca yaḥ paśyati sa: paśyati ||

The state reached by followers of knowledge is reached by followers of action too. One who sees knowledge and action as one truly sees.

संन्यासस्तु महाबाहो दुःखमाप्तुमयोगतः ।योगयुक्तो मुनिर्ब्रह्म नचिरेणाधिगच्छति ॥

saṃnyāsastu mahābāho duḥkhamāptumayogataḥ |yogayukto munirbrahma nacireṇādhigacchati ||

But true renunciation is hard to reach without yoga, mighty Arjuna. The sage who practises yoga soon reaches Brahman.

योगयुक्तो विशुद्धात्मा विजितात्मा जितेन्द्रियः ।सर्वभूतात्मभूतात्मा कुर्वन्नपि न लिप्यते ॥

yogayukto viśuddhātmā vijitātmā jitendriyaḥ |sarvabhūtātmabhūtātmā kurvannapi na lipyate ||

One who is steady in yoga, pure in heart, self-controlled and master of the senses, who sees their own Self as the Self of all beings, is not stained even while acting.

नैव किंचित्करोमीति युक्तो मन्येत तत्त्ववित् ।पश्यञ्श्रृण्वन्स्पृशञ्जिघ्रन्नश्नन्‌गच्छन्स्वपञ्श्वसन् ॥

naiva kiṃcitkaromīti yukto manyeta tattvavit |paśyañśrṛṇvanspṛśañjighrannaśnangacchansvapañśvasan ||

The yogi who knows the truth thinks, 'I do nothing at all,' even while seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, walking, sleeping and breathing,

प्रलपन्विसृजन्गृह्णन्नुन्मिषन्निमिषन्नपि ।इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेषु वर्तन्त इति धारयन् ॥

pralapanvisṛjangṛhṇannunmiṣannimiṣannapi |indriyāṇīndriyārtheṣu vartanta iti dhārayan ||

and while speaking, letting go, taking hold, and opening and closing the eyes, understanding that it is only the senses moving among their objects.

कायेन मनसा बुद्ध्या केवलैरिन्द्रियैरपि ।योगिनः कर्म कुर्वन्ति सङ्गं त्यक्त्वात्मशुद्धये ॥

kāyena manasā buddhyā kevalairindriyairapi |yoginaḥ karma kurvanti saṅgaṃ tyaktvātmaśuddhaye ||

Yogis act with the body, the mind, the intellect and even the senses alone, giving up attachment, in order to purify themselves.

युक्तः कर्मफलं त्यक्त्वा शान्तिमाप्नोति नैष्ठिकीम् ।अयुक्तः कामकारेण फले सक्तो निबध्यते ॥

yuktaḥ karmaphalaṃ tyaktvā śāntimāpnoti naiṣṭhikīm |ayuktaḥ kāmakāreṇa phale sakto nibadhyate ||

The disciplined person, giving up the fruit of action, reaches lasting peace. The undisciplined person, attached to the fruit through desire, is bound.

सर्वकर्माणि मनसा संन्यस्यास्ते सुखं वशी ।नवद्वारे पुरे देही नैव कुर्वन्न कारयन् ॥

sarvakarmāṇi manasā saṃnyasyāste sukhaṃ vaśī |navadvāre pure dehī naiva kurvanna kārayan ||

Giving up all actions in the mind, the self-controlled embodied Self rests happily in the 'city of nine gates', the body, neither acting nor making anything act.

न कर्तृत्वं न कर्माणि लोकस्य सृजति प्रभुः ।न कर्मफलसंयोगं स्वभावस्तु प्रवर्तते ॥

na kartṛtvaṃ na karmāṇi lokasya sṛjati prabhuḥ |na karmaphalasaṃyogaṃ svabhāvastu pravartate ||

The Lord does not create the sense of being a doer, nor actions, for the world, nor the link between action and its result. It is one's own nature that acts.

नादत्ते कस्यचित्पापं न चैव सुकृतं विभुः ।अज्ञानेनावृतं ज्ञानं तेन मुह्यन्ति जन्तवः ॥

nādatte kasyacitpāpaṃ na caiva sukṛtaṃ vibhuḥ |ajñānenāvṛtaṃ jñānaṃ tena muhyanti jantavaḥ ||

The all-pervading Lord does not take on anyone's wrong or anyone's good deeds. Knowledge is covered by ignorance, and that is why beings are confused.

ज्ञानेन तु तदज्ञानं येषां नाशितमात्मनः ।तेषामादित्यवज्ज्ञानं प्रकाशयति तत्परम् ॥

jñānena tu tadajñānaṃ yeṣāṃ nāśitamātmanaḥ |teṣāmādityavajjñānaṃ prakāśayati tatparam ||

But for those whose ignorance is destroyed by knowledge of the Self, that knowledge shines like the sun and reveals the Supreme.

तद्‌बुद्धयस्तदात्मानस्तन्निष्ठास्तत्परायणाः ।गच्छन्त्यपुनरावृत्तिं ज्ञाननिर्धूतकल्मषाः ॥

tadbuddhayastadātmānastanniṣṭhāstatparāyaṇāḥ |gacchantyapunarāvṛttiṃ jñānanirdhūtakalmaṣāḥ ||

With their understanding and their whole being fixed on That, devoted to That and holding That as the highest goal, their faults washed away by knowledge, they reach the state from which there is no return.

इहैव तैर्जितः सर्गो येषां साम्ये स्थितं मनः ।निर्दोषं हि समं ब्रह्म तस्माद्ब्रह्मणि ते स्थिताः ॥

ihaiva tairjitaḥ sargo yeṣāṃ sāmye sthitaṃ manaḥ |nirdoṣaṃ hi samaṃ brahma tasmādbrahmaṇi te sthitāḥ ||

Even in this life, those whose minds rest in this equal vision have overcome the cycle of birth. Brahman is flawless and the same in all, so they are established in Brahman.

न प्रहृष्येत्प्रियं प्राप्य नोद्विजेत्प्राप्य चाप्रियम् ।स्थिरबुद्धिरसंमूढो ब्रह्मविद्ब्रह्मणि स्थितः ॥

na prahṛṣyetpriyaṃ prāpya nodvijetprāpya cāpriyam |sthirabuddhirasaṃmūḍho brahmavidbrahmaṇi sthitaḥ ||

One should not be overjoyed on getting what is pleasant, nor upset on getting what is unpleasant. With steady understanding and free of confusion, the knower of Brahman rests in Brahman.

बाह्यस्पर्शेष्वसक्तात्मा विन्दत्यात्मनि यत् सुखम् ।स ब्रह्मयोगयुक्तात्मा सुखमक्षयमश्नुते ॥

bāhyasparśeṣvasaktātmā vindatyātmani yat sukham |sa brahmayogayuktātmā sukhamakṣayamaśnute ||

One who is not attached to outer sense contacts finds happiness within. Joined to Brahman through yoga, such a person enjoys a happiness that never ends.

ये हि संस्पर्शजा भोगा दुःखयोनय एव ते ।आद्यन्तवन्तः कौन्तेय न तेषु रमते बुधः ॥

ye hi saṃsparśajā bhogā duḥkhayonaya eva te |ādyantavantaḥ kaunteya na teṣu ramate budhaḥ ||

Pleasures that come from contact with sense objects are really sources of pain. They have a beginning and an end, Arjuna, and the wise do not delight in them.

शक्नोतीहैव यः सोढुं प्राक्शरीरविमोक्षणात् ।कामक्रोधोद्भवं वेगं स युक्तः स सुखी नरः ॥

śaknotīhaiva yaḥ soḍhuṃ prākśarīravimokṣaṇāt |kāmakrodhodbhavaṃ vegaṃ sa yuktaḥ sa sukhī naraḥ ||

One who can withstand the force of desire and anger here in this life, before leaving the body, is a disciplined and happy person.

योऽन्तःसुखोऽन्तरारामस्तथान्तर्ज्योतिरेव यः ।स योगी ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं ब्रह्मभूतोऽधिगच्छति ॥

yo'ntaḥsukho'ntarārāmastathāntarjyotireva yaḥ |sa yogī brahmanirvāṇaṃ brahmabhūto'dhigacchati ||

One whose happiness is within, whose delight is within and whose light is within, that yogi becomes one with Brahman and reaches the peace of Brahman.

लभन्ते ब्रह्मनिर्वाणमृषयः क्षीणकल्मषाः ।छिन्नद्वैधा यतात्मानः सर्वभूतहिते रताः ॥

labhante brahmanirvāṇamṛṣayaḥ kṣīṇakalmaṣāḥ |chinnadvaidhā yatātmānaḥ sarvabhūtahite ratāḥ ||

Sages whose faults are wiped away, whose doubts are cut, who are self-controlled and who delight in the welfare of all beings, reach the peace of Brahman.

कामक्रोधवियुक्तानां यतीनां यतचेतसाम् ।अभितो ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं वर्तते विदितात्मनाम् ॥

kāmakrodhaviyuktānāṃ yatīnāṃ yatacetasām |abhito brahmanirvāṇaṃ vartate viditātmanām ||

For those who strive, who are free from desire and anger, whose minds are controlled and who know the Self, the peace of Brahman is close on every side.

स्पर्शान्कृत्वा बहिर्बाह्यांश्चक्षुश्चैवान्तरे भ्रुवोः ।प्राणापानौ समौ कृत्वा नासाभ्यन्तरचारिणौ ॥

sparśānkṛtvā bahirbāhyāṃścakṣuścaivāntare bhruvoḥ |prāṇāpānau samau kṛtvā nāsābhyantaracāriṇau ||

Shutting out outer sense contacts, fixing the gaze between the eyebrows, and evening out the in-breath and out-breath moving through the nostrils,

यतेन्द्रियमनोबुद्धिर्मुनिर्मोक्षपरायणः ।विगतेच्छाभयक्रोधो यः सदा मुक्त एव सः ॥

yatendriyamanobuddhirmunirmokṣaparāyaṇaḥ |vigatecchābhayakrodho yaḥ sadā mukta eva saḥ ||

the sage who has mastered the senses, mind and intellect, who aims at freedom and is free from desire, fear and anger, is truly free forever.

भोक्तारं यज्ञतपसां सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम् ।सुहृदं सर्वभूतानां ज्ञात्वा मां शान्तिमृच्छति ॥

bhoktāraṃ yajñatapasāṃ sarvalokamaheśvaram |suhṛdaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ jñātvā māṃ śāntimṛcchati ||

Knowing me as the one who receives all offerings and disciplines, the great Lord of all the worlds and the friend of all beings, a person reaches peace.