Karma Yoga - The Yoga of Selfless Action

अर्जुन उवाच — ज्यायसी चेत्कर्मणस्ते मता बुद्धिर्जनार्दन। तत्किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव॥१॥

Arjuna said: O Janardana, if You consider knowledge to be superior to action, then why, O Keshava, do You urge me to engage in this terrible action of war?

व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे। तदेकं वद निश्चित्य येन श्रेयोऽहमाप्नुयाम्॥२॥

With these seemingly contradictory words, You are bewildering my intellect. Therefore, please tell me decisively that one path by which I may attain the highest good.

श्रीभगवानुवाच — लोकेऽस्मिन्द्विविधा निष्ठा पुरा प्रोक्ता मयानघ। ज्ञानयोगेन साङ्ख्यानां कर्मयोगेन योगिनाम्॥३॥

The Blessed Lord said: O sinless one, in this world a twofold path has been taught by Me of old — the path of knowledge (Jnana Yoga) for the contemplative, and the path of selfless action (Karma Yoga) for the active.

न कर्मणामनारम्भान्नैष्कर्म्यं पुरुषोऽश्नुते। न च सन्न्यसनादेव सिद्धिं समधिगच्छति॥४॥

Not by abstaining from action does a person attain freedom from the bondage of karma, nor does one reach perfection by mere renunciation of actions alone.

न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत्। कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः॥५॥

No one can remain without performing action even for a moment. Everyone is helplessly driven to act by the gunas (qualities) born of Prakriti (material nature).

कर्मेन्द्रियाणि संयम्य य आस्ते मनसा स्मरन्। इन्द्रियार्थान्विमूढात्मा मिथ्याचारः स उच्यते॥६॥

One who restrains the organs of action but continues to dwell on sense objects in the mind is deluded and is called a hypocrite.

यस्त्विन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्यारभतेऽर्जुन। कर्मेन्द्रियैः कर्मयोगमसक्तः स विशिष्यते॥७॥

But one who controls the senses with the mind and engages the organs of action in Karma Yoga without attachment, O Arjuna, is far superior.

नियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं कर्म ज्यायो ह्यकर्मणः। शरीरयात्रापि च ते न प्रसिद्ध्येदकर्मणः॥८॥

Perform your prescribed duty, for action is better than inaction. Even the maintenance of your physical body would not be possible through inaction.

यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्मबन्धनः। तदर्थं कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्तसङ्गः समाचर॥९॥

Work done as a sacrifice for the Supreme does not bind. Other than such selfless action, O son of Kunti, all work causes bondage. Therefore, perform your duty free from attachment, as an offering to the Divine.

सहयज्ञाः प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा पुरोवाच प्रजापतिः। अनेन प्रसविष्यध्वमेष वोऽस्त्विष्टकामधुक्॥१०॥

In the beginning, the Creator Prajapati created humankind along with sacrifice and said: By this sacrifice shall you prosper; let this be the wish-fulfilling cow (Kamadhenu) that grants all your desires.

देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु वः। परस्परं भावयन्तः श्रेयः परमवाप्स्यथ॥११॥

Nourish the devas through sacrifice, and may the devas nourish you in return. Thus, mutually sustaining one another, you shall attain the supreme good.

इष्टान्भोगान्हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते यज्ञभाविताः। तैर्दत्तानप्रदायैभ्यो यो भुङ्क्ते स्तेन एव सः॥१२॥

The devas, nourished by sacrifice, will bestow upon you the enjoyments you desire. But one who enjoys these gifts without offering anything in return is verily a thief.

यज्ञशिष्टाशिनः सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषैः। भुञ्जते ते त्वघं पापा ये पचन्त्यात्मकारणात्॥१३॥

The virtuous who eat the remnants of sacrifice are freed from all sins. But those sinful ones who cook food only for themselves verily eat sin.

अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसम्भवः। यज्ञाद्भवति पर्जन्यो यज्ञः कर्मसमुद्भवः॥१४॥

All beings are born from food, food is produced from rain, rain arises from sacrifice (yajna), and sacrifice is born of prescribed action (karma).

कर्म ब्रह्मोद्भवं विद्धि ब्रह्माक्षरसमुद्भवम्। तस्मात्सर्वगतं ब्रह्म नित्यं यज्ञे प्रतिष्ठितम्॥१५॥

Know that prescribed action arises from the Vedas, and the Vedas arise from the Imperishable (Brahman). Therefore, the all-pervading Brahman is eternally established in sacrifice.

एवं प्रवर्तितं चक्रं नानुवर्तयतीह यः। अघायुरिन्द्रियारामो मोघं पार्थ स जीवति॥१६॥

O Partha, one who does not follow this wheel of creation thus set in motion lives a sinful life, delighting only in the senses — such a person lives in vain.

यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानवः। आत्मन्येव च सन्तुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते॥१७॥

But for one who rejoices only in the Self, who is satisfied in the Self, and who is content in the Self alone — for such a person, no obligatory duty exists.

नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थो नाकृतेनेह कश्चन। न चास्य सर्वभूतेषु कश्चिदर्थव्यपाश्रयः॥१८॥

For such a Self-realized person, there is nothing to be gained by action done, nor anything lost by action not done. Such a one has no dependence on any being for any purpose.

तस्मादसक्तः सततं कार्यं कर्म समाचर। असक्तो ह्याचरन्कर्म परमाप्नोति पूरुषः॥१९॥

Therefore, always perform your obligatory duty without attachment. For by performing action without attachment, a person attains the Supreme.

कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः। लोकसङ्ग्रहमेवापि सम्पश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि॥२०॥

King Janaka and others attained perfection through action alone. Even considering the welfare of the world (Loka-sangraha), you should perform action.

यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः। स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते॥२१॥

Whatever a great person does, common people follow. Whatever standard such a person sets, the entire world follows.

न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन। नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि॥२२॥

O Partha, there is nothing in all three worlds that I need to do, nor is there anything unattained that I need to attain — yet I continue to engage in action.

यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः। मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः॥२३॥

For if I were not to engage in action carefully, O Partha, all human beings would follow My path in every way.

उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां कर्म चेदहम्। सङ्करस्य च कर्ता स्यामुपहन्यामिमाः प्रजाः॥२४॥

If I were to stop performing action, these worlds would perish. I would be the cause of confusion and disorder, and I would destroy all these beings.

सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत। कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथासक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसङ्ग्रहम्॥२५॥

O Bharata, just as the ignorant act with attachment to results, so should the wise act without attachment, desiring the welfare of the world.

न बुद्धिभेदं जनयेदज्ञानां कर्मसङ्गिनाम्। जोषयेत्सर्वकर्माणि विद्वान्युक्तः समाचरन्॥२६॥

The wise should not unsettle the minds of the ignorant who are attached to action. Rather, the wise should engage them in all actions by performing their own duties well.

प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः। अहङ्कारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते॥२७॥

All actions are in reality performed by the gunas (qualities) of Prakriti (material nature). But one whose self is deluded by ego thinks, 'I am the doer.'

तत्त्ववित्तु महाबाहो गुणकर्मविभागयोः। गुणा गुणेषु वर्तन्त इति मत्वा न सज्जते॥२८॥

But one who knows the truth about the division of the gunas and their actions, O mighty-armed, understanding that it is the gunas that act upon the gunas (senses acting among sense objects), does not become attached.

प्रकृतेर्गुणसम्मूढाः सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु। तानकृत्स्नविदो मन्दान्कृत्स्नविन्न विचालयेत्॥२९॥

Those deluded by the gunas of Prakriti become attached to the actions of the gunas. The knower of the whole truth should not unsettle the minds of those of incomplete knowledge who are slow to understand.

मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि सन्न्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा। निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वरः॥३०॥

Surrendering all actions to Me, with a mind focused on the Self, free from desire and possessiveness, fight — free from mental fever and anxiety.

ये मे मतमिदं नित्यमनुतिष्ठन्ति मानवाः। श्रद्धावन्तोऽनसूयन्तो मुच्यन्ते तेऽपि कर्मभिः॥३१॥

Those human beings who constantly follow this teaching of Mine with faith and without envy are also freed from the bondage of karma.

ये त्वेतदभ्यसूयन्तो नानुतिष्ठन्ति मे मतम्। सर्वज्ञानविमूढांस्तान्विद्धि नष्टानचेतसः॥३२॥

But those who, finding fault with this teaching, do not follow it — know them to be deluded in all knowledge, devoid of discrimination, and doomed to ruin.

सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्याः प्रकृतेर्ज्ञानवानपि। प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि निग्रहः किं करिष्यति॥३३॥

Even a person of knowledge acts according to their own nature. All beings follow their nature — what can forceful repression accomplish?

इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ। तयोर्न वशमागच्छेत्तौ ह्यस्य परिपन्थिनौ॥३४॥

Attachment and aversion lie in wait in the relationship between each sense and its object. One should not come under the sway of these two, for they are one's enemies on the path.

श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात्। स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः॥३५॥

Better is one's own dharma, though imperfectly performed, than the dharma of another well performed. It is better to die in one's own dharma; the dharma of another is fraught with danger.

अर्जुन उवाच — अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुषः। अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजितः॥३६॥

Arjuna said: O Varshneya (Krishna), then by what is a person impelled to commit sin, even unwillingly, as if driven by force?

श्रीभगवानुवाच — काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः। महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम्॥३७॥

The Blessed Lord said: It is desire (kama), it is anger (krodha), born of the quality of passion (Rajo-guna). It is all-devouring and greatly sinful. Know this to be the enemy here.

धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथादर्शो मलेन च। यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम्॥३८॥

As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, and as an embryo is covered by the womb — so is knowledge covered by desire.

आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा। कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च॥३९॥

O son of Kunti, the knowledge of even the wise is covered by this eternal enemy in the form of desire, which is insatiable like fire.

इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिरस्याधिष्ठानमुच्यते। एतैर्विमोहयत्येष ज्ञानमावृत्य देहिनम्॥४०॥

The senses, the mind, and the intellect are said to be the seat (stronghold) of desire. Through these, desire covers knowledge and deludes the embodied soul.

तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ। पाप्मानं प्रजहि ह्येनं ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम्॥४१॥

Therefore, O best of the Bharatas, first controlling the senses, slay this sinful destroyer of both theoretical knowledge (jnana) and realized wisdom (vijnana).

इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः। मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्यो बुद्धेः परतस्तु सः॥४२॥

The senses are said to be superior to the body; the mind is superior to the senses; the intellect is superior to the mind; and that which is superior to the intellect is the Self (Atman).

एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना। जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम्॥४३॥

Thus, knowing that which is beyond the intellect, and steadying the mind by the strength of the Self, O mighty-armed one, conquer this formidable enemy in the form of desire.