श्रीभगवानुवाच |
śrībhagavānuvāca |
Lord Krishna declares that He originally taught this imperishable yoga to Vivasvan (the Sun-god), who passed it to Manu (the progenitor of humanity), and Manu in turn taught it to Ikshvaku (the founder of the Solar dynasty). This establishes the divine origin and ancient lineage of spiritual knowledge.
एवं परम्पराप्राप्तमिमं राजर्षयो विदुः |
evaṃ paramparāprāptamimaṃ rājarṣayo viduḥ |
Krishna tells Arjuna that this yoga, received through the chain of disciplic succession, was known to the royal sages. But over the course of great time, this sacred knowledge was lost to the world.
स एवायं मया तेऽद्य योगः प्रोक्तः पुरातनः |
sa evāyaṃ mayā te'dya yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ |
Krishna tells Arjuna: this same ancient yoga is now being taught to you by Me today, because you are My devotee and My dear friend. This is indeed a supreme secret.
अर्जुन उवाच |
arjuna uvāca |
Arjuna questions Krishna: Your birth is recent, while the birth of Vivasvan (the Sun-god) was in the remote past. How am I to understand that You taught this yoga in the beginning?
श्रीभगवानुवाच |
śrībhagavānuvāca |
The Lord says: Many births of Mine have passed, and so have yours, O Arjuna. I know them all, but you do not know yours, O scorcher of foes.
अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन् |
ajo'pi sannavyayātmā bhūtānāmīśvaro'pi san |
Though I am unborn and imperishable, and though I am the Lord of all beings, I manifest by controlling My own divine nature (prakṛti) through My own māyā (divine creative power).
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत |
yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānirbhavati bhārata |
Whenever there is a decline of dharma (righteousness) and a rise of adharma (unrighteousness), O Bharata, at that time I manifest Myself. This is one of the most celebrated verses in the entire Gita.
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् |
paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṃ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām |
For the protection of the righteous, the destruction of the wicked, and the establishment of dharma, I manifest Myself age after age. This verse completes the famous pair with 4.7.
जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः |
janma karma ca me divyamevaṃ yo vetti tattvataḥ |
One who truly understands the divine nature of My birth and activities, upon leaving the body, does not take rebirth but attains Me, O Arjuna. Knowing God's nature in truth is itself liberating.
वीतरागभयक्रोधा मन्मया मामुपाश्रिताः |
vītarāgabhayakrodhā manmayā māmupāśritāḥ |
Free from attachment, fear, and anger, absorbed in Me, taking refuge in Me, purified by the austerity of knowledge — many have attained My state of being.
ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तांस्तथैव भजाम्यहम् |
ye yathā māṃ prapadyante tāṃstathaiva bhajāmyaham |
In whatever way people approach Me, I reward them accordingly. All paths ultimately follow My path, O Partha. This celebrated verse declares that God reciprocates with each devotee according to their approach.
काङ्क्षन्तः कर्मणां सिद्धिं यजन्त इह देवताः |
kāṅkṣantaḥ karmaṇāṃ siddhiṃ yajanta iha devatāḥ |
Those who desire success in their actions worship the devas (celestial beings) in this world, for success born of action comes quickly in the human realm.
चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागशः |
cāturvarṇyaṃ mayā sṛṣṭaṃ guṇakarmavibhāgaśaḥ |
The four-fold order (varṇa) was created by Me according to the divisions of qualities (guṇa) and actions (karma). Though I am the creator of this system, know Me to be the imperishable non-doer.
न मां कर्माणि लिम्पन्ति न मे कर्मफले स्पृहा |
na māṃ karmāṇi limpanti na me karmaphale spṛhā |
Actions do not taint Me, nor do I have any desire for the fruits of action. One who understands Me thus is not bound by actions.
एवं ज्ञात्वा कृतं कर्म पूर्वैरपि मुमुक्षुभिः |
evaṃ jñātvā kṛtaṃ karma pūrvairapi mumukṣubhiḥ |
Knowing this, the ancient seekers of liberation also performed action. Therefore, you too should perform action, following the example of those ancients.
किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिताः |
kiṃ karma kimakarmeti kavayo'pyatra mohitāḥ |
What is action? What is inaction? Even the wise are confused on this matter. I shall explain to you that action, knowing which you shall be freed from evil (the inauspicious).
कर्मणो ह्यपि बोद्धव्यं बोद्धव्यं च विकर्मणः |
karmaṇo hyapi boddhavyaṃ boddhavyaṃ ca vikarmaṇaḥ |
One must understand the nature of action (karma), the nature of forbidden action (vikarma), and the nature of inaction (akarma). The path of action is deep and difficult to understand.
कर्मण्यकर्म यः पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म यः |
karmaṇyakarma yaḥ paśyedakarmaṇi ca karma yaḥ |
One who sees inaction in action and action in inaction is truly wise among people. Such a person is a yogī and a true performer of all actions. This is one of the Gita's most profound and paradoxical teachings.
यस्य सर्वे समारम्भाः कामसङ्कल्पवर्जिताः |
yasya sarve samārambhāḥ kāmasaṅkalpavarjitāḥ |
One whose every undertaking is free from desire and selfish motive, whose actions are burned by the fire of knowledge — such a person is called a paṇḍita (truly wise) by the knowers of truth.
त्यक्त्वा कर्मफलासङ्गं नित्यतृप्तो निराश्रयः |
tyaktvā karmaphalāsaṅgaṃ nityatṛpto nirāśrayaḥ |
Having abandoned attachment to the fruits of action, ever content, depending on nothing — such a person, even though fully engaged in action, does nothing at all.
निराशीर्यतचित्तात्मा त्यक्तसर्वपरिग्रहः |
nirāśīryatacittātmā tyaktasarvaparigrahaḥ |
Free from expectations, with mind and body controlled, having renounced all possessiveness — performing action merely for the body's maintenance — such a person incurs no sin.
यदृच्छालाभसन्तुष्टो द्वन्द्वातीतो विमत्सरः |
yadṛcchālābhasantuṣṭo dvandvātīto vimatsaraḥ |
Content with whatever comes unsought, transcending the pairs of opposites, free from envy, equal in success and failure — such a person, even while acting, is not bound.
गतसङ्गस्य मुक्तस्य ज्ञानावस्थितचेतसः |
gatasaṅgasya muktasya jñānāvasthitacetasaḥ |
For one who is free from attachment, who is liberated, whose mind is established in knowledge, and who acts as a sacrifice (yajña) — all karma is entirely dissolved.
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् |
brahmārpaṇaṃ brahma havirbrahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam |
The offering is Brahman, the oblation is Brahman, offered by Brahman into the fire of Brahman. Brahman alone is to be reached by one who sees Brahman in every action. This profoundly non-dual verse sees the entire act of sacrifice as pervaded by the one reality.
दैवमेवापरे यज्ञं योगिनः पर्युपासते |
daivamevāpare yajñaṃ yoginaḥ paryupāsate |
Some yogis worship the devas through sacrifice; others offer the self as sacrifice into the fire of Brahman. Krishna begins enumerating the many forms of yajña (sacrifice), showing that the spirit of offering is more important than the specific form.
श्रोत्रादीनीन्द्रियाण्यन्ये संयमाग्निषु जुह्वति |
śrotrādīnīndriyāṇyanye saṃyamāgniṣu juhvati |
Some offer the senses (hearing, etc.) into the fire of restraint; others offer sense objects (sound, etc.) into the fire of the senses. Both approaches — withdrawal and mindful engagement — are forms of sacrifice.
सर्वाणीन्द्रियकर्माणि प्राणकर्माणि चापरे |
sarvāṇīndriyakarmāṇi prāṇakarmāṇi cāpare |
Others offer all the activities of the senses and the activities of the vital breath (prāṇa) into the fire of self-restraint kindled by knowledge. This describes the yogic practice of withdrawing all sensory and vital activity into meditative absorption.
द्रव्ययज्ञास्तपोयज्ञा योगयज्ञास्तथापरे |
dravyayajñāstapoyajñā yogayajñāstathāpare |
Some offer material possessions as sacrifice; some offer austerity; some offer yoga as sacrifice; while others, strict in their vows, offer study of scriptures and knowledge as sacrifice.
अपाने जुह्वति प्राणं प्राणेऽपानं तथापरे |
apāne juhvati prāṇaṃ prāṇe'pānaṃ tathāpare |
Some offer the outgoing breath (prāṇa) into the incoming breath (apāna), and the incoming into the outgoing, restraining the movement of both — devoted to the practice of prāṇāyāma (breath control).
अपरे नियताहाराः प्राणान्प्राणेषु जुह्वति |
apare niyatāhārāḥ prāṇānprāṇeṣu juhvati |
Others, regulating their food intake, offer the vital breaths into the vital breaths. All of these are knowers of sacrifice, whose sins are destroyed by sacrifice.
यज्ञशिष्टामृतभुजो यान्ति ब्रह्म सनातनम् |
yajñaśiṣṭāmṛtabhujo yānti brahma sanātanam |
Those who partake of the nectar that remains after sacrifice reach the eternal Brahman. Not even this world is for the non-sacrificer — how then the other world, O best of the Kurus?
एवं बहुविधा यज्ञा वितता ब्रह्मणो मुखे |
evaṃ bahuvidhā yajñā vitatā brahmaṇo mukhe |
Thus, many forms of sacrifice are spread at the mouth of Brahman (the Vedas). Know them all to be born of action. Knowing this, you shall be liberated.
श्रेयान्द्रव्यमयाद्यज्ञाज्ज्ञानयज्ञः परन्तप |
śreyāndravyamayādyajñājjñānayajñaḥ parantapa |
Superior to the sacrifice of material things is the sacrifice of knowledge, O scorcher of foes. All actions in their entirety, O Partha, culminate in knowledge. This famous verse declares knowledge-sacrifice as the highest form of offering.
तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया |
tadviddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā |
Learn that knowledge by prostration (humility), by inquiry, and by service. The wise ones who have seen the truth will teach you knowledge. This celebrated verse prescribes the threefold approach to a teacher.
यज्ज्ञात्वा न पुनर्मोहमेवं यास्यसि पाण्डव |
yajjñātvā na punarmohamevaṃ yāsyasi pāṇḍava |
Having known that truth, you shall never again fall into delusion, O Pandava. By that knowledge, you will see all beings without exception in the Self — and then in Me.
अपि चेदसि पापेभ्यः सर्वेभ्यः पापकृत्तमः |
api cedasi pāpebhyaḥ sarvebhyaḥ pāpakṛttamaḥ |
Even if you are the worst sinner among all sinners, you shall cross over all sin by the boat of knowledge alone. This is one of the Gita's most compassionate and hopeful declarations.
यथैधांसि समिद्धोऽग्निर्भस्मसात्कुरुतेऽर्जुन |
yathaidhāṃsi samiddho'gnirbhasmasātkurute'rjuna |
As a blazing fire reduces firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge reduce all karma to ashes.
न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते |
na hi jñānena sadṛśaṃ pavitramiha vidyate |
There is nothing in this world as purifying as knowledge. One who is perfected in yoga finds it spontaneously within oneself in due course of time. This is another of the chapter's most celebrated declarations.
श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः |
śraddhāvāṃllabhate jñānaṃ tatparaḥ saṃyatendriyaḥ |
The one who has faith (śraddhā), who is devoted to it, and who has mastered the senses, attains knowledge. Having attained knowledge, one quickly reaches supreme peace.
अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति |
ajñaścāśraddadhānaśca saṃśayātmā vinaśyati |
The ignorant, the faithless, and the doubter are destroyed. For the doubting soul, there is neither this world, nor the next, nor happiness.
योगसन्न्यस्तकर्माणं ज्ञानसञ्छिन्नसंशयम् |
yogasannyastakarmāṇaṃ jñānasañchinnasaṃśayam |
One who has renounced actions through yoga, whose doubts have been cut asunder by knowledge, and who is self-possessed — actions do not bind such a person, O Dhananjaya (Arjuna).
तस्मादज्ञानसम्भूतं हृत्स्थं ज्ञानासिनात्मनः |
tasmādajñānasambhūtaṃ hṛtsthaṃ jñānāsinātmanaḥ |
Therefore, with the sword of knowledge, cut asunder this doubt in your heart born of ignorance. Take refuge in yoga. Arise, O Bharata! This powerful closing verse is Krishna's rallying call to action through knowledge.