Karma Sannyasa Yoga - The Yoga of Renunciation of Action

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

Arjuna said: O Krishna, You praise renunciation of actions and also selfless action (yoga). Tell me definitively which one of these two is better.

सन्न्यासः कर्मयोगश्च निःश्रेयसकरावुभौ। तयोस्तु कर्मसन्न्यासात्कर्मयोगो विशिष्यते॥

The Supreme Lord said: Both renunciation and selfless action lead to liberation. But of the two, selfless action (karma yoga) is superior to renunciation of action.

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

One who neither hates nor desires should be known as an ever-renunciate. Free from dualities, O mighty-armed, such a person is easily liberated from bondage.

साङ्ख्ययोगौ पृथग्बालाः प्रवदन्ति न पण्डिताः। एकमप्यास्थितः सम्यगुभयोर्विन्दते फलम्॥

Only the childish, not the wise, speak of Sankhya (knowledge) and Yoga (action) as different. One who is properly established in even one of them obtains the fruit of both.

यत्साङ्ख्यैः प्राप्यते स्थानं तद्योगैरपि गम्यते। एकं साङ्ख्यं च योगं च यः पश्यति स पश्यति॥

The state attained by those following Sankhya is also reached by those following Yoga. One who sees Sankhya and Yoga as one truly sees.

सन्न्यासस्तु महाबाहो दुःखमाप्तुमयोगतः। योगयुक्तो मुनिर्ब्रह्म नचिरेणाधिगच्छति॥

But renunciation, O mighty-armed, is difficult to attain without yoga. The sage engaged in yoga quickly attains Brahman.

योगयुक्तो विशुद्धात्मा विजितात्मा जितेन्द्रियः। सर्वभूतात्मभूतात्मा कुर्वन्नपि न लिप्यते॥

One who is engaged in yoga, whose soul is purified, who has conquered the self and the senses, and whose Self has become the Self of all beings — such a person, though acting, is not tainted.

नैव किञ्चित्करोमीति युक्तो मन्येत तत्त्ववित्। पश्यञ्शृण्वन्स्पृशञ्जिघ्रन्नश्नन्गच्छन्स्वपञ्श्वसन्॥

The yogi who knows the truth should think 'I am not doing anything at all' — even while seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, walking, sleeping, and breathing.

प्रलपन्विसृजन्गृह्णन्नुन्मिषन्निमिषन्नपि। इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेषु वर्तन्त इति धारयन्॥

Speaking, letting go, grasping, opening and closing the eyes — understanding that it is merely the senses engaging with their respective objects.

ब्रह्मण्याधाय कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा करोति यः। लिप्यते न स पापेन पद्मपत्रमिवाम्भसा॥

One who performs actions by offering them to Brahman, abandoning attachment, is not tainted by sin — just as a lotus leaf is untouched by water.

कायेन मनसा बुद्ध्या केवलैरिन्द्रियैरपि। योगिनः कर्म कुर्वन्ति सङ्गं त्यक्त्वात्मशुद्धये॥

Yogis perform action with the body, mind, intellect, and even merely with the senses, abandoning attachment — solely for self-purification.

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

The disciplined yogi, abandoning the fruit of action, attains lasting peace. The undisciplined person, driven by desire and attached to the fruit, is bound.

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

The self-controlled embodied being, mentally renouncing all actions, dwells happily in the nine-gated city (body) — neither acting nor causing action.

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

The Lord does not create for people the sense of doership, nor actions, nor the connection of action with its fruit. It is one's own nature (prakriti) that operates.

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

The all-pervading Lord does not accept anyone's sin or merit. Knowledge is covered by ignorance — therefore beings are deluded.

ज्ञानेन तु तदज्ञानं येषां नाशितमात्मनः। तेषामादित्यवज्ज्ञानं प्रकाशयति तत्परम्॥

But for those whose ignorance is destroyed by self-knowledge, that knowledge illuminates the Supreme, like the sun.

तद्बुद्धयस्तदात्मानस्तन्निष्ठास्तत्परायणाः। गच्छन्त्यपुनरावृत्तिं ज्ञाननिर्धूतकल्मषाः॥

Those whose intellect is fixed on That, whose self is absorbed in That, who are established in That, and whose supreme goal is That — they go to the state of no return (liberation), their impurities washed away by knowledge.

विद्याविनयसम्पन्ने ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि। शुनि चैव श्वपाके च पण्डिताः समदर्शिनः॥

The wise look with equal vision upon a learned and humble Brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and an outcaste.

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

Even here in this life, the cycle of birth is conquered by those whose minds rest in equanimity. Brahman is flawless and equal — therefore they are established in Brahman.

न प्रहृष्येत्प्रियं प्राप्य नोद्विजेत्प्राप्य चाप्रियम्। स्थिरबुद्धिरसम्मूढो ब्रह्मविद्ब्रह्मणि स्थितः॥

One should not rejoice upon obtaining the pleasant, nor be disturbed upon obtaining the unpleasant. With steady intellect, undeluded, a knower of Brahman is established in Brahman.

बाह्यस्पर्शेष्वसक्तात्मा विन्दत्यात्मनि यत्सुखम्। स ब्रह्मयोगयुक्तात्मा सुखमक्षयमश्नुते॥

One whose self is unattached to external pleasures finds happiness within the Self. United with Brahman through yoga, such a person enjoys imperishable happiness.

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

The pleasures born of sense contact are indeed sources of suffering. They have a beginning and an end, O Kaunteya. The wise person does not delight in them.

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

One who is able to withstand the impulse born of desire and anger, here in this life before leaving the body — that person is a yogi, that person is truly happy.

योऽन्तःसुखोऽन्तरारामस्तथान्तर्ज्योतिरेव यः। स योगी ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं ब्रह्मभूतोऽधिगच्छति॥

One who is happy within, who rejoices within, who is illumined within — that yogi, having become Brahman, attains liberation in Brahman (Brahma Nirvana).

लभन्ते ब्रह्मनिर्वाणमृषयः क्षीणकल्मषाः। छिन्नद्वैधा यतात्मानः सर्वभूतहिते रताः॥

The sages whose sins are destroyed, whose doubts are cut asunder, who are self-controlled, and who delight in the welfare of all beings — they attain liberation in Brahman.

कामक्रोधवियुक्तानां यतीनां यतचेतसाम्। अभितो ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं वर्तते विदितात्मनाम्॥

For the ascetics who are free from desire and anger, who have controlled their minds and realized the Self — liberation in Brahman exists all around them.

स्पर्शान्कृत्वा बहिर्बाह्यांश्चक्षुश्चैवान्तरे भ्रुवोः। प्राणापानौ समौ कृत्वा नासाभ्यन्तरचारिणौ॥

Shutting out external sense contacts, fixing the gaze between the eyebrows, balancing the incoming and outgoing breaths flowing through the nostrils —

यतेन्द्रियमनोबुद्धिर्मुनिर्मोक्षपरायणः। विगतेच्छाभयक्रोधो यः सदा मुक्त एव सः॥

The sage whose senses, mind, and intellect are controlled, who is devoted to liberation, and who is free from desire, fear, and anger — such a person is forever liberated.

भोक्तारं यज्ञतपसां सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम्। सुहृदं सर्वभूतानां ज्ञात्वा मां शान्तिमृच्छति॥

Knowing Me as the enjoyer of all sacrifices and austerities, the great Lord of all worlds, and the friend of all beings — one attains peace.