ज्ञानकर्मसंन्यासयोगः

इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवानहमव्ययम् ।
विवस्वान्मनवे प्राह मनुरिक्ष्वाकवेऽब्रवीत्

imaṃ vivasvate yogaṃ proktavānahamavyayam |
vivasvānmanave prāha manurikṣvākave'bravīt

I taught this imperishable yoga to Vivasvan, the Sun. Vivasvan passed it to Manu, and Manu told it to Ikshvaku.

एवं परम्पराप्राप्तमिमं राजर्षयो विदुः ।
स कालेनेह महता योगो नष्टः परन्तप

evaṃ paramparāprāptamimaṃ rājarṣayo viduḥ |
sa kāleneha mahatā yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa

Handed down in this way from one to the next, it was known to the royal sages. But over a long stretch of time, O Parantapa, this yoga was lost to the world.

स एवायं मया तेऽद्य योगः प्रोक्तः पुरातनः ।
भक्तोऽसि मे सखा चेति रहस्यं ह्येतदुत्तमम्

sa evāyaṃ mayā te'dya yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ |
bhakto'si me sakhā ceti rahasyaṃ hyetaduttamam

That same ancient yoga I have told you today, because you are My devotee and My friend. It is the highest of secrets.

अपरं भवतो जन्म परं जन्म विवस्वतः ।
कथमेतद्विजानीयां त्वमादौ प्रोक्तवानिति

aparaṃ bhavato janma paraṃ janma vivasvataḥ |
kathametadvijānīyāṃ tvamādau proktavāniti

Your birth came later, and Vivasvan's long before. How am I to understand that You taught it to him in the beginning?

बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि जन्मानि तव चार्जुन ।
तान्यहं वेद सर्वाणि न त्वं वेत्थ परन्तप

bahūni me vyatītāni janmāni tava cārjuna |
tānyahaṃ veda sarvāṇi na tvaṃ vettha parantapa

Many births of Mine have passed, Arjuna, and many of yours. I know them all. You do not know them, O Parantapa.

अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन् ।
प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय संभवाम्यात्ममायया

ajo'pi sannavyayātmā bhūtānāmīśvaro'pi san |
prakṛtiṃ svāmadhiṣṭhāya saṃbhavāmyātmamāyayā

Though I am unborn and My Self is imperishable, though I am the Lord of all beings, I take birth by My own Maya, presiding over My own Prakriti.

जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः ।
त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म नैति मामेति सोऽर्जुन

janma karma ca me divyamevaṃ yo vetti tattvataḥ |
tyaktvā dehaṃ punarjanma naiti māmeti so'rjuna

Whoever knows in truth that My birth and My deeds are divine is not born again when he leaves the body. He comes to Me, Arjuna.

वीतरागभयक्रोधा मन्मया मामुपाश्रिताः ।
बहवो ज्ञानतपसा पूता मद्भावमागताः

vītarāgabhayakrodhā manmayā māmupāśritāḥ |
bahavo jñānatapasā pūtā madbhāvamāgatāḥ

Free of attachment, fear and anger, absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, many have been purified by the tapas of knowledge and have reached My being.

ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तांस्तथैव भजाम्यहम् ।
मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः

ye yathā māṃ prapadyante tāṃstathaiva bhajāmyaham |
mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ

In whatever way people come to Me, in that same way I receive them. Everywhere, O Partha, people follow My path.

काङ्क्षन्तः कर्मणां सिद्धिं यजन्त इह देवताः ।
क्षिप्रं हि मानुषे लोके सिद्धिर्भवति कर्मजा

kāṅkṣantaḥ karmaṇāṃ siddhiṃ yajanta iha devatāḥ |
kṣipraṃ hi mānuṣe loke siddhirbhavati karmajā

Wanting success in their works, people here worship the devatas, for in the human world success born of action comes quickly.

चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागशः ।
तस्य कर्तारमपि मां विद्ध्यकर्तारमव्ययम्

cāturvarṇyaṃ mayā sṛṣṭaṃ guṇakarmavibhāgaśaḥ |
tasya kartāramapi māṃ viddhyakartāramavyayam

The four varnas were created by Me, divided by guna and karma. Though I am their maker, know Me to be the non-doer, the unchanging.

न मां कर्माणि लिम्पन्ति न मे कर्मफले स्पृहा ।
इति मां योऽभिजानाति कर्मभिर्न स बध्यते

na māṃ karmāṇi limpanti na me karmaphale spṛhā |
iti māṃ yo'bhijānāti karmabhirna sa badhyate

Actions do not stain Me, and I have no longing for their fruit. One who knows Me in this way is not bound by actions.

एवं ज्ञात्वा कृतं कर्म पूर्वैरपि मुमुक्षुभिः ।
कुरु कर्मैव तस्मात्त्वं पूर्वैः पूर्वतरं कृतम्

evaṃ jñātvā kṛtaṃ karma pūrvairapi mumukṣubhiḥ |
kuru karmaiva tasmāttvaṃ pūrvaiḥ pūrvataraṃ kṛtam

Knowing this, the seekers of liberation in former times also did their work. So you too must act, as the ancients acted long ago.

किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिताः ।
तत्ते कर्म प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात्

kiṃ karma kimakarmeti kavayo'pyatra mohitāḥ |
tatte karma pravakṣyāmi yajjñātvā mokṣyase'śubhāt

What is action and what is inaction? On this even the wise are confused. I will tell you what action is, and knowing it you will be freed from all that is inauspicious.

कर्मणो ह्यपि बोद्धव्यं बोद्धव्यं च विकर्मणः ।
अकर्मणश्च बोद्धव्यं गहना कर्मणो गतिः

karmaṇo hyapi boddhavyaṃ boddhavyaṃ ca vikarmaṇaḥ |
akarmaṇaśca boddhavyaṃ gahanā karmaṇo gatiḥ

One must understand action, one must understand wrong action, and one must understand inaction. The way of action is deep and hard to see.

कर्मण्यकर्म यः पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म यः ।
स बुद्धिमान्मनुष्येषु स युक्तः कृत्स्नकर्मकृत्

karmaṇyakarma yaḥ paśyedakarmaṇi ca karma yaḥ |
sa buddhimānmanuṣyeṣu sa yuktaḥ kṛtsnakarmakṛt

One who sees inaction in action and action in inaction is wise among men. He is a yogi, and he has done all that is to be done.

यस्य सर्वे समारम्भाः कामसंकल्पवर्जिताः ।
ज्ञानाग्निदग्धकर्माणं तमाहुः पण्डितं बुधाः

yasya sarve samārambhāḥ kāmasaṃkalpavarjitāḥ |
jñānāgnidagdhakarmāṇaṃ tamāhuḥ paṇḍitaṃ budhāḥ

When every undertaking of a man is free from desire and from the willing behind it, and his actions are burnt up in the fire of knowledge, the wise call him a pandit.

त्यक्त्वा कर्मफलासङ्गं नित्यतृप्तो निराश्रयः ।
कर्मण्यभिप्रवृत्तोऽपि नैव किंचित्करोति सः

tyaktvā karmaphalāsaṅgaṃ nityatṛpto nirāśrayaḥ |
karmaṇyabhipravṛtto'pi naiva kiṃcitkaroti saḥ

Giving up attachment to the fruit of action, always content, leaning on nothing, he does nothing at all even while fully engaged in action.

निराशीर्यतचित्तात्मा त्यक्तसर्वपरिग्रहः ।
शारीरं केवलं कर्म कुर्वन्नाप्नोति किल्बिषम्

nirāśīryatacittātmā tyaktasarvaparigrahaḥ |
śārīraṃ kevalaṃ karma kurvannāpnoti kilbiṣam

Wanting nothing, with mind and body held in check, letting go of every claim to possess, he does only what the body requires and incurs no sin.

यदृच्छालाभसंतुष्टो द्वन्द्वातीतो विमत्सरः ।
समः सिद्धावसिद्धौ च कृत्वापि न निबध्यते

yadṛcchālābhasaṃtuṣṭo dvandvātīto vimatsaraḥ |
samaḥ siddhāvasiddhau ca kṛtvāpi na nibadhyate

Content with whatever comes unasked, beyond the pairs of opposites, free from envy, the same in success and failure, he is not bound even though he acts.

गतसङ्गस्य मुक्तस्य ज्ञानावस्थितचेतसः ।
यज्ञायाचरतः कर्म समग्रं प्रविलीयते

gatasaṅgasya muktasya jñānāvasthitacetasaḥ |
yajñāyācarataḥ karma samagraṃ pravilīyate

For one whose attachment is gone, who is free, whose mind stands firm in knowledge, who acts only as yajna, all karma dissolves completely.

ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् ।
ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना

brahmārpaṇaṃ brahma havirbrahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam |
brahmaiva tena gantavyaṃ brahmakarmasamādhinā

The act of offering is Brahman, the oblation is Brahman, offered by Brahman into the fire that is Brahman. One who sees Brahman in every act goes to Brahman alone.

दैवमेवापरे यज्ञं योगिनः पर्युपासते ।
ब्रह्माग्नावपरे यज्ञं यज्ञेनैवोपजुह्वति

daivamevāpare yajñaṃ yoginaḥ paryupāsate |
brahmāgnāvapare yajñaṃ yajñenaivopajuhvati

Some yogis perform yajna in worship of the devatas. Others offer yajna itself, by yajna, into the fire of Brahman.

श्रोत्रादीनीन्द्रियाण्यन्ये संयमाग्निषु जुह्वति ।
शब्दादीन्विषयानन्य इन्द्रियाग्निषु जुह्वति

śrotrādīnīndriyāṇyanye saṃyamāgniṣu juhvati |
śabdādīnviṣayānanya indriyāgniṣu juhvati

Some offer hearing and the other senses into the fires of restraint. Others offer sound and the other objects of sense into the fires of the senses.

सर्वाणीन्द्रियकर्माणि प्राणकर्माणि चापरे ।
आत्मसंयमयोगाग्नौ जुह्वति ज्ञानदीपिते

sarvāṇīndriyakarmāṇi prāṇakarmāṇi cāpare |
ātmasaṃyamayogāgnau juhvati jñānadīpite

Others offer all the workings of the senses and all the workings of prana into the fire of self-restraint, lit by knowledge.

द्रव्ययज्ञास्तपोयज्ञा योगयज्ञास्तथापरे ।
स्वाध्यायज्ञानयज्ञाश्च यतयः संशितव्रताः

dravyayajñāstapoyajñā yogayajñāstathāpare |
svādhyāyajñānayajñāśca yatayaḥ saṃśitavratāḥ

Some offer their wealth, some their tapas, some their practice of yoga. Others, striving ascetics of strict vows, offer the study of scripture and knowledge.

अपाने जुह्वति प्राणं प्राणेऽपानं तथापरे ।
प्राणापानगती रुद्ध्वा प्राणायामपरायणाः

apāne juhvati prāṇaṃ prāṇe'pānaṃ tathāpare |
prāṇāpānagatī ruddhvā prāṇāyāmaparāyaṇāḥ

Others offer prana into apana, and apana into prana. Stopping the course of both, they are devoted to pranayama.

अपरे नियताहाराः प्राणान्प्राणेषु जुह्वति ।
सर्वेऽप्येते यज्ञविदो यज्ञक्षपितकल्मषाः

apare niyatāhārāḥ prāṇānprāṇeṣu juhvati |
sarve'pyete yajñavido yajñakṣapitakalmaṣāḥ

Others, measuring their food, offer the pranas into the pranas. All of these know what yajna is, and by yajna their sins are wiped away.

यज्ञशिष्टामृतभुजो यान्ति ब्रह्म सनातनम् ।
नायं लोकोऽस्त्ययज्ञस्य कुतोऽन्यः कुरुसत्तम

yajñaśiṣṭāmṛtabhujo yānti brahma sanātanam |
nāyaṃ loko'styayajñasya kuto'nyaḥ kurusattama

Those who eat the amrita left over from yajna reach the eternal Brahman. Even this world is not for one who offers no yajna, so how could the next one be, O best of the Kurus?

एवं बहुविधा यज्ञा वितता ब्रह्मणो मुखे ।
कर्मजान्विद्धि तान्सर्वानेवं ज्ञात्वा विमोक्ष्यसे

evaṃ bahuvidhā yajñā vitatā brahmaṇo mukhe |
karmajānviddhi tānsarvānevaṃ jñātvā vimokṣyase

So many kinds of yajna are laid out in the words of the Veda. Know that all of them are born of action. Knowing this, you will be set free.

श्रेयान्द्रव्यमयाद्यज्ञाज्ज्ञानयज्ञः परन्तप ।
सर्वं कर्माखिलं पार्थ ज्ञाने परिसमाप्यते

śreyāndravyamayādyajñājjñānayajñaḥ parantapa |
sarvaṃ karmākhilaṃ pārtha jñāne parisamāpyate

The yajna of knowledge is better than yajna made with material things, O Parantapa. All action, without exception, O Partha, finds its end in knowledge.

यज्ज्ञात्वा न पुनर्मोहमेवं यास्यसि पाण्डव ।
येन भूतान्यशेषेण द्रक्ष्यस्यात्मन्यथो मयि

yajjñātvā na punarmohamevaṃ yāsyasi pāṇḍava |
yena bhūtānyaśeṣeṇa drakṣyasyātmanyatho mayi

Once you know it, O Pandava, you will not fall into delusion like this again. By it you will see all beings, without exception, in yourself and then in Me.

अपि चेदसि पापेभ्यः सर्वेभ्यः पापकृत्तमः ।
सर्वं ज्ञानप्लवेनैव वृजिनं सन्तरिष्यसि

api cedasi pāpebhyaḥ sarvebhyaḥ pāpakṛttamaḥ |
sarvaṃ jñānaplavenaiva vṛjinaṃ santariṣyasi

Even if you were the worst sinner of all sinners, you would cross over every wrong on the raft of knowledge alone.

यथैधांसि समिद्धोऽग्निर्भस्मसात्कुरुतेऽर्जुन ।
ज्ञानाग्निः सर्वकर्माणि भस्मसात्कुरुते तथा

yathaidhāṃsi samiddho'gnirbhasmasātkurute'rjuna |
jñānāgniḥ sarvakarmāṇi bhasmasātkurute tathā

As a blazing fire turns firewood to ash, Arjuna, so the fire of knowledge turns all karma to ash.

श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः ।
ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परां शान्तिमचिरेणाधिगच्छति

śraddhāvāṃllabhate jñānaṃ tatparaḥ saṃyatendriyaḥ |
jñānaṃ labdhvā parāṃ śāntimacireṇādhigacchati

The man of shraddha, devoted to it, with his senses held in check, gains knowledge. Having gained it, he soon reaches the highest peace.

अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति ।
नायं लोकोऽस्ति न परो न सुखं संशयात्मनः

ajñaścāśraddadhānaśca saṃśayātmā vinaśyati |
nāyaṃ loko'sti na paro na sukhaṃ saṃśayātmanaḥ

The one who does not know, who has no faith, whose nature is doubt, is ruined. For the doubter there is neither this world nor the next, nor any happiness.

योगसंन्यस्तकर्माणं ज्ञानसंछिन्नसंशयम् ।
आत्मवन्तं न कर्माणि निबध्नन्ति धनंजय

yogasaṃnyastakarmāṇaṃ jñānasaṃchinnasaṃśayam |
ātmavantaṃ na karmāṇi nibadhnanti dhanaṃjaya

One who has given up action through yoga, whose doubts are cut away by knowledge, who is master of himself, is not bound by actions, O Dhananjaya.

तस्मादज्ञानसम्भूतं हृत्स्थं ज्ञानासिनात्मनः ।
छित्त्वैनं संशयं योगमातिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ भारत

tasmādajñānasambhūtaṃ hṛtsthaṃ jñānāsinātmanaḥ |
chittvainaṃ saṃśayaṃ yogamātiṣṭhottiṣṭha bhārata

So take the sword of knowledge and cut away this doubt of yours, born of ignorance and lodged in the heart. Hold to yoga. Stand up, O Bharata.