śrīmadbhagavadgītā mūlam - aṣṭādaśo'dhyāyaḥ

Arjuna said: I desire to know severally, O mighty-armed, the essence or truth of Renunciation O Hrishikesa, as also of Abandonment, O slayer of Keshi (Krishna).

The Blessed Lord said: The Sages understand SAMNYASA to be the renunciation of works with desire; the wise declare the abandonment of the fruits of all actions as TYAAGA.

That all actions should be abandoned as evil, declare some philosophers; while others (declare) that acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity should not be relinquished.

Hear from Me the conclusion or the final truth, about this abandonment O best of the Bharatas; abandonment verily, O best of men, has been declared to be of three kinds.

Acts of sacrifice, charity and austerity should not be abandoned, but should be performed; worship, charity, and also austerity, are the purifiers of even the wise.

But even these actions should be performed leaving aside attachment and the fruits, O Partha; this is my certain and best belief.

Verily, the renunciation of obligatory actions is not proper; the abandonment of the same from delusion is declared to be TAMASIC (dull).

He who, from fear of bodily trouble, abandons action because it is painful, thus performing a RAJASIC (passionate) abandonment, obtains not the fruit of abandonment.

Whatever obligatory action is done O Arjuna merely because it ought to be done abandoning attachment and also fruit that abandonment is regarded as SATTVIC (pure).

The abandoner, soaked in purity, being intelligent, with all his doubts cut asunder, hates not disagreeable action, nor is he attached to an agreeable action.

Verily, it is not possible for an embodied being to abandon actions entirely, but he who relinquishes the fruits of actions is verily called a relinquisher (TYAAGI).

The threefold fruit of action, evil, good and mixed-accrues, after death, only to those who have no spirit of abandonment; never to total relinquishers.

Learn from Me, O mighty-armed, these five causes for the accomplishment of all actions, as declared in the SANKHYA (UPANISHAD) system, which is the end of all actions.

The seat (body) the doer (ego) the various organs-of-perception the different functions of various organs-of-action and also the presiding deity the fifth.

Whatever action a man performs by his body, speech and mind --- whether right, or the reverse --- these five are its causes.

Now, such being the case, verily he who --- owing to his untrained understanding --- looks upon his Self, which is alone (never conditioned by the engine ) as the doer he of perverted intelligence sees not.

He who is free from the egoistic notion, whose intelligence is not tainted (by good or evil), though he slays these people, he slays not, nor is he bound (by the action).

Knowledge, the known and knower form the three-fold impulse to action; the organs the action the agent form the three-fold basis of action.

Knowledge, action, and actor are declared in the Science of Temperaments (gunas) to be of three kinds only, according to the distinctions of temperaments; hear them also duly.

That by which one sees the one indestructible reality in all beings, undivided in the divided, know that knowledge as SATTVIC (Pure).

But that knowledge which sees in all beings various entities of distinct kinds (and) as different from one another know that knowledge as RAJASIC (Passionate).

But that knowledge which clings to one single effect, as if it were the whole, without reason, without foundation in truth and narrow, that is declared to be TAMASIC (Dull).

An action which is ordained which is free from attachment which is done without love or hatred by one who is not desirous of the fruit that action is declared to be SATTVIC (pure).

But that action which is done by one longing for desires or gain done with egoism or with much effort is declared to be RAJASIC (Passionate).

That action which is undertaken from delusion without regard for the consequence loss injury and ability is declared to be TAMASIC (dull).

An agent who is free from attachment non-egoistic endowed with firmness and enthusiasm and unaffected by success or failure is called SATTVIC (pure).

Passionate, desiring to gain the fruits-of-actions, greedy, harmful, impure, full of delight and grief, such an agent is said to be RAJASIC (passionate).

Unsteady, vulgar, unbending, cheating, malicious, lazy, despondent, and procrastinating, such an agent is said to be TAMASIC (Dull).

Hear (you) the three-fold division of understanding and fortitude (made) according to the qualities as I declare them fully and severally O Dhananjaya.

That which knows the paths of work and renunciation, what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, fear and fearlessness, bondage and liberation, that understanding is SATTVIC (pure) O Partha.

That by which one wrongly understands DHARMA and ADHARMA and also what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, that intellect (understanding), O Partha, is RAJASIC (passionate).

That which, enveloped in darkness, sees ADHARMA as DHARMA, and all things perverted, that intellect (understanding), O Partha, is TAMASIC (dull).

The unwavering fortitude by which through YOGA the functions of the mind the PRANA and the senses are restrained that fortitude O Partha, is SATTVIC (pure).

But the fortitude O Arjuna, by which one holds fast to duty, pleasure and wealth, from attachment and craving for the fruits-of-actions, that fortitude O Partha, is RAJASIC (passionate).

The constancy because of which a stupid man does not abandon sleep, fear, grief, depression, and also arrogance (conceit), that fortitude O Partha, is TAMASIC (dull).

And now hear from me, O best among the Bharatas, of the three-fold pleasure in which one rejoices by practice, and surely comes to the end-of-pain.

That which is like poison at first, but in the end like nectar, that pleasure is declared to be SATTVIC (pure) born of the purity of ones own mind due to Self realisation.

That pleasure which arises from the contact of the sense-organs with the objects, (which is) at first like nectar, (but is) in the end like poison, that is declared to be RAJASIC (passionate).

The pleasure, which at first and in the sequel deludes the Self, arising from sleep, indolence and heedlessness, is declared to be TAMASIC (Dull).

There is no being on earth, or again in heaven among the DEVAS (heavenly beings) who is totally liberated from the three qualities born of PRAKRITI (matter).

Of scholars (BRAHMANAS), of leaders (KSHATRIYAS) and of traders (VAISHYAS), as also of workers (SHUDRAS), O Parantapa, the duties are distributed according to the qualities born of their own nature.

Serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forgiveness and also uprightness, knowledge, realisation, belief-in-God --- are the duties of the BRAHMANAS, born of (their own) nature.

Prowess, splendour, firmness, dexterity, and also not fleeing from battle, generosity, lordliness --- these are the duties of the KSHATRIYAS, born of (their own) nature.

Agriculture, cattle-rearing and trade are the duties of the VAISHYAS, born of (their own) nature; and service is the duty of the SHUDRAS, born of (their own) nature.

Devoted, each to his own duty, man attains Perfection. How, engaged in his own duty, he attains Perfection, listen.

From Whom is the evolution of all beings, by Whom all this is pervaded, worshipping Him with ones own duty, man attains Perfection.

Better is one's own duty (though) destitute of merits, than the duty of another well-performed. He who does the duty ordained by his own nature incurs no sin.

One should not abandon, O Kaunteya, the duty to which one is born, though faulty; for, are not all undertakings enveloped by evil, as fire by smoke?

He whose intellect is unattached everywhere, who has subdued his self, from whom desire has fled, he, through renunciation, attains the Supreme State of Freedom-from-action.

How he, who has attained perfection, reaches BRAHMAN (the Eternal), that in brief do you learn from Me, O! Kaunteya, that Supreme State-of-Knowledge.

Endowed with a pure intellect; controlling the self by firmness; relinquishing sound and other objects; and abandoning attraction and hatred;

Dwelling in solitude; eating but little; speech, body and mind subdued; always engaged in meditation and concentration; taking refuge in dispassion;

Having abandoned egoism, power, arrogance, desire, anger and aggrandisement, and freed from the notion of mine, and so peaceful --- he is fit to become BRAHMAN.

Becoming BRAHMAN, serene in the Self, he neither grieves nor desires; the same to all beings, he obtains a supreme devotion towards Me.

By devotion he knows Me in Essence, what and who I am; then, having known Me in My Essence, he forthwith enters into the Supreme.

Doing all actions, always taking refuge in Me, by My grace he obtains the Eternal, Indestructible State or Abode.

Mentally renouncing all actions in Me, having Me as the Highest Goal, resorting to the YOGA -of-discrimination, ever fix your mind in Me.

Fixing your mind upon Me, you shall, by My grace, overcome all obstacles, but if, from egoism, you will not hear Me, you shall perish.

Filled with egoism, if you think, I will not fight vain in this, your resolve; (for) nature will compel you.

O son of Kunti, bound by your own KARMA (action) born of your own nature, that which, through delusion you wish not to do, even that you shall do, helplessly.

The Lord dwells in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, causing all beings, by His illusive power, to revolve, as if mounted on a machine.

Fly unto Him for refuge with all your being, O Bharata; by His grace you shall obtain Supreme Peace (and) the Eternal Abode.

Thus, the Wisdom which is a greater secret than all secrets has been declared to you by Me; having reflected upon it fully you now act as you choose.

Hear again My supreme word, most secret of all; because you are dearly beloved of Me, therefore, I will tell you what is good (for you).

Fix your mind upon Me; be devoted to Me; sacrifice for Me; bow down to Me; you shall come, surely then, to Me alone; truly do I promise to you, (for) you are dear to Me.

Abandoning all DHARMAS, (of the body, mind, and intellect), take refuge in Me alone; I will liberate thee from all sins; grieve not.

This is never to be spoken by you to one who is devoid of austerities or devotion, nor to one who does not render service, nor to one who desires not to listen, nor to one who cavils at Me.

He who, with supreme devotion to Me, will teach this supreme secret to My devotees, shall doubtless come to Me.

Nor is there any among men who does dearer service to Me, nor shall there be another on earth dearer to Me than he.

And he who will study this sacred dialogue of ours, by him I shall have been worshipped by the sacrifice-of-wisdom such is My conviction.

That man also, who hears this, full of faith and free from malice, he too, liberated, shall attain to the happy worlds of those righteous deeds.

Has this been heard, O son of Pritha, with single-pointed mind? Has the distraction, caused by your ignorance, been dispelled, O Dhananjaya?

Arjuna said: Destroyed is my delusion, as I have now gained my memory (knowledge) through your grace, O Achyuta. I am firm; my doubts are gone. I will do according to your word (bidding).

Sanjaya said: Thus have I heard this wonderful dialogue between Vaasudeva and the high-souled Paartha, which causes the hair to stand on end.

Through the grace of Vyasa I have heard, this supreme and most secret YOGA, directly from Krishna, the Lord of YOGA, Himself declaring it.

O King, remembering this wonderful and holy dialogue between Keshava and Arjuna, I rejoice again and again.

Remembering and again remembering, that most wonderful Form of Hari, great is my wonder, O king; and I rejoice again and again.

Wherever is Krishna the Lord of YOGA, wherever is Paartha the archer, there are prosperity, victory, happiness and firm (steady or sound) policy; this is my conviction. Thus in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita, the science of the Eternal, the scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the eighteenth discourse entitled The Yoga of Liberation by Renunciation.