Bhagavadgita Parayana - Chapter 3

na hi kaśchitkṣaṇamapi jātu tiṣṭhatyakarmakṛt । kāryatē hyavaśaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛtijairguṇaiḥ ॥5॥

Verily, no one can remain for even a moment without performing action; for everyone is made to act helplessly, indeed, by the qualities born of Nature.

karmēndriyāṇi saṃyamya ya āstē manasā smaran । indriyārthānvimūḍhātmā mithyāchāraḥ sa uchyatē ॥6॥

He who, restraining the organs of action, sits thinking of the sense-objects in his mind, he of deluded understanding is called a hypocrite.

yastvindriyāṇi manasā niyamyārabhatē'rjuna । karmēndriyaiḥ karmayōgam asaktaḥ sa viśiṣyatē ॥7॥

But whoever, controlling the senses by the mind, O Arjuna, engages himself in Karma Yoga with the organs of action, without attachment, he excels.

niyataṃ kuru karma tvaṃ karma jyāyō hyakarmaṇaḥ । śarīrayātrā'pi cha tē na prasiddhyēdakarmaṇaḥ ॥8॥

Perform your bounden duty, for action is superior to inaction, and even the maintenance of the body would not be possible for you through inaction.

yajñārthātkarmaṇō'nyatra lōkō'yaṃ karmabandhanaḥ । tadarthaṃ karma kauntēya muktasaṅgaḥ samāchara ॥9॥

The world is bound by actions other than those performed for the sake of sacrifice; do thou, therefore, O son of Kunti (Arjuna), perform actions for that sake alone, free from attachment.

sahayajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā purōvācha prajāpatiḥ । anēna prasaviṣyadhvaṃ ēṣa vō'stviṣṭakāmadhuk ॥10॥

The Creator, having in the beginning created mankind together with sacrifice, said, "By this shall you propagate; let this be the milch cow of your desires—the cow that yields all the desired objects."

dēvānbhāvayatā'nēna tē dēvā bhāvayantu vaḥ । parasparaṃ bhāvayantaḥ śrēyaḥ paramavāpsyatha ॥11॥

With this, nourish the gods, and may the gods nourish you; thus, nourishing each other, you shall attain the highest good.

iṣṭānbhōgānhi vō dēvāḥ dāsyantē yajñabhāvitāḥ । tairdattānapradāyaibhyaḥ yō bhuṅktē stēna ēva saḥ ॥12॥

The gods, nourished by the sacrifice, will give you the desired objects. So, he who enjoys the objects given by the gods without offering anything in return is indeed a thief.

yajñaśiṣṭāśinaḥ santaḥ muchyantē sarvakilbiṣaiḥ । bhuñjatē tē tvaghaṃ pāpāḥ yē pachantyātmakāraṇāt ॥13॥

The righteous who eat the remnants of the sacrifice are freed from all sins; but those sinful ones who cook food solely for their own sake indeed consume sin.

annādbhavanti bhūtāni parjanyādannasambhavaḥ । yajñādbhavati parjanyaḥ yajñaḥ karmasamudbhavaḥ ॥14॥

From food come forth beings; from rain, food is produced; from sacrifice arises rain, and sacrifice is born of action.

karma brahmōdbhavaṃ viddhi brahmākṣarasamudbhavam । tasmātsarvagataṃ brahma nityaṃ yajñē pratiṣṭhitam ॥15॥

Know that action comes from Brahma, and Brahma comes from the Imperishable. Therefore, the all-pervasive Brahma ever rests in sacrifice.

ēvaṃ pravartitaṃ chakraṃ nānuvartayatīha yaḥ । aghāyurindriyārāmaḥ mōghaṃ pārtha sa jīvati ॥16॥

He who does not follow the wheel thus set in motion, who is of sinful life, rejoicing in the senses, lives in vain, O Arjuna.

yastvātmaratirēva syāt ātmatṛptaścha mānavaḥ । ātmanyēva cha santuṣṭaḥ tasya kāryaṃ na vidyatē ॥17॥

But for that man who rejoices only in the Self, who is satisfied with the Self and is content in the Self alone, indeed there is nothing to do.

naiva tasya kṛtēnārthaḥ nākṛtēnēha kaśchana । na chāsya sarvabhūtēṣu kaśchidarthavyapāśrayaḥ ॥18॥

For him, there is no interest whatsoever in what is done or not done; nor does he depend on any being for any purpose.

tasmādasaktaḥ satataṃ kāryaṃ karma samāchara । asaktō hyācharankarma paramāpnōti pūruṣaḥ ॥19॥

Therefore, without attachment, always perform the actions that should be done; for by performing actions without attachment, one reaches the Supreme.

karmaṇaiva hi saṃsiddhiṃ āsthitā janakādayaḥ । lōkasaṅgrahamēvāpi sampaśyankartumarhasi ॥20॥

Janaka and others attained perfection indeed through action alone; even with the intention of protecting the masses, you should perform action.

yadyadācharati śrēṣṭhaḥ tattadēvētarō janaḥ । sa yatpramāṇaṃ kurutē lōkastadanuvartatē ॥21॥

Whatever a great man does, others also do; whatever he establishes as the standard, the world follows.

na mē pārthāsti kartavyaṃ triṣu lōkēṣu kiñchana । nānavāptamavāptavyaṃ varta ēva cha karmaṇi ॥22॥

There is nothing in the three worlds, O Arjuna, that needs to be done by Me, nor is there anything unattained that needs to be attained; yet I engage Myself in action.

yadi hyahaṃ na vartēya jātu karmaṇyatandritaḥ । mama vartmānuvartantē manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ ॥23॥

For, should I not ever engage myself in action, unwearied, people would in every way follow my path, O Arjuna.

utsīdēyurimē lōkāḥ na kuryāṃ karma chēdaham । saṅkarasya cha kartā syām upahanyāmimāḥ prajāḥ ॥24॥

These worlds would perish if I did not perform action; I would be the author of confusion of castes and destruction of these beings.

saktāḥ karmaṇyavidvāṃsaḥ yathā kurvanti bhārata । kuryādvidvāṃstathā'saktaḥ chikīrṣurlōkasaṅgraham ॥25॥

As the ignorant act out of attachment to action, O Bharata, so should the wise act without attachment, wishing for the welfare of the world.

na buddhibhēdaṃ janayēt ajñānāṃ karmasaṅginām । jōṣayētsarvakarmāṇi vidvānyuktaḥ samācharan ॥26॥

Let no wise man unsettle the minds of ignorant people who are attached to action; he should engage them in all actions, himself fulfilling them with devotion.

prakṛtēḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ । ahaṅkāravimūḍhātmā kartā'hamiti manyatē ॥27॥

All actions are wrought in all cases by the qualities of Nature alone. He whose mind is deluded by egoism thinks, "I am the doer."

tattvavittu mahābāhō guṇakarmavibhāgayōḥ । guṇā guṇēṣu vartantē iti matvā na sajjatē ॥28॥

But he who knows the Truth, O mighty-armed Arjuna, about the divisions of the qualities and their functions, knowing that the Gunas, as senses, move amidst the Gunas, as the sense-objects, is not attached.

prakṛtērguṇasammūḍhāḥ sajjantē guṇakarmasu । tānakṛtsnavidō mandān kṛtsnavinna vichālayēt ॥29॥

Those deluded by the qualities of Nature are attached to the functions of the qualities. The man of perfect knowledge should not unsettle the foolish one who is of imperfect knowledge.

mayi sarvāṇi karmāṇi sannyasyādhyātmachētasā । nirāśīrnirmamō bhūtvā yudhyasva vigatajvaraḥ ॥30॥

Renouncing all actions in Me, with the mind centered on the Self, free from hope and egoism, and from mental fever, fight thou.

yē mē matamidaṃ nityam anutiṣṭhanti mānavāḥ । śraddhāvantō'nasūyantaḥ muchyantē tē'pi karmabhiḥ ॥31॥

Those who constantly practice this teaching of Mine with faith and without caviling, they too are freed from actions.

yē tvētadabhyasūyantaḥ nānutiṣṭhanti mē matam । sarvajñānavimūḍhāṃstān viddhi naṣṭānachētasaḥ ॥32॥

But those who criticize My teaching and do not practice it, deprived of all knowledge and lacking discernment, know them to be doomed to destruction.

sadṛśaṃ chēṣṭatē svasyāḥ prakṛtērjñānavānapi । prakṛtiṃ yānti bhūtāni nigrahaḥ kiṃ kariṣyati ॥33॥

Even a wise man acts in accordance with his own nature; beings will follow their nature; what can restraint do?

indriyasyēndriyasyārthē rāgadvēṣau vyavasthitau । tayōrna vaśamāgachChēt tau hyasya paripanthinau ॥34॥

Attachment and aversion for the objects of the senses abide in the senses; let no one come under their sway; for, they are his enemies.

śrēyānsvadharmō viguṇaḥ paradharmātsvanuṣṭhitāt । svadharmē nidhanaṃ śrēyaḥ paradharmō bhayāvahaḥ ॥35॥

Better is one's own duty, though devoid of merit, than the duty of another well discharged. Better is death in one's own duty; the duty of another is fraught with fear.

arjuna uvācha

atha kēna prayuktō'yaṃ pāpaṃ charati pūruṣaḥ । anichChannapi vārṣṇēya balādiva niyōjitaḥ ॥36

Arjuna said, "But what compels man to commit sin, even against his wishes, O Varshneya (Krishna), as if constrained by force?"

śrī bhagavānuvācha

kāma ēṣa krōdha ēṣaḥ rajōguṇasamudbhavaḥ । mahāśanō mahāpāpmā viddhyēnamiha vairiṇam ॥37

The Blessed Lord said, "It is desire and it is anger, both of the quality of Rajas, all-devouring and all-sinful; know this as the foe here in this world."

dhūmēnāvriyatē vahniḥ yathā''darśō malēna cha । yathōlbēnāvṛtō garbhaḥ tathā tēnēdamāvṛtam ॥38॥

As fire is enveloped by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, and as an embryo is surrounded by the amniotic sac, so is this enveloped by that.

āvṛtaṃ jñānamētēna jñāninō nityavairiṇā । kāmarūpēṇa kauntēya duṣpūrēṇānalēna cha ॥39॥

O Arjuna, wisdom is enveloped by this constant enemy of the wise, in the form of desire, which is insatiable like fire.

indriyāṇi manō buddhiḥ asyādhiṣṭhānamuchyatē । ētairvimōhayatyēṣaḥ jñānamāvṛtya dēhinam ॥40॥

The senses, the mind, and the intellect are said to be its seat; through these, it deludes the embodied one, veiling their wisdom.

tasmāttvamindriyāṇyādau niyamya bharatarṣabha । pāpmānaṃ prajahi hyēnaṃ jñānavijñānanāśanam ॥41॥

Therefore, O best of the Bharatas, control your senses first and then kill this sinful thing, which destroys knowledge and realization.

indriyāṇi parāṇyāhuḥ indriyēbhyaḥ paraṃ manaḥ । manasastu parābuddhiḥ yō buddhēḥ paratastu saḥ ॥42॥

They say that the senses are superior to the body; the mind is superior to the senses; the intellect is superior to the mind; and He (the Self) is superior even to the intellect.

ēvaṃ buddhēḥ paraṃ buddhvā saṃstabhyātmānamātmanā । jahi śatruṃ mahābāhō kāmarūpaṃ durāsadam ॥43॥

Thus, knowing Him who is superior to the intellect and restraining the self by the Self, slay thou, O mighty-armed Arjuna, the enemy in the form of desire, hard to conquer.

॥ ōṃ tatsaditi śrīmadbhagavadgītāsu upaniṣatsu brahmavidyāyāṃ yōgaśāstrē śrīkṛṣṇārjunasaṃvādē karmayōgō nāma tṛtīyō'dhyāyaḥ ॥

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