श्रीमभगवानुवाच इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवानहमव्ययम्। विवस्वान्मनवे प्राह मनुरिक्ष्वाकवेऽब्रवीत्॥
The great One said I told this imperishable (system of) Yoga to Vivasvat declared it to Manu; Manu declared it to lkshvaku.
एवं परम्पराप्राप्तमिमं राजर्षयो विदुः। स कालेनेह महता योगो नष्टः परंतप॥
Coming down thus, from generation to generation, it became know to the royal sages. But, O terror of foes, this yoga was lost to the worlds by long lapse of time.
स एवायं मया तेऽद्य योगः प्रोक्तः पुरातनः। भक्तोऽसि मे सखा चेति रहस्यं ह्येतदुत्तमम्॥
You are my devotee and friend; I have, therefore, told you that old yoga to day, for it is a great Mystery.
अर्जुन उवाच अपरं भवतो जन्म परं जन्म विवस्वतः। कथमेतद् विजानीयां त्वमादौ प्रोक्तवानिति॥
Arjuna said Later is your birth; prior is the birth of Vivasvan. How then shall I know that you first told it?
श्रीभगवानुवाच बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि जन्मानि तव चार्जुन। तान्यहं वेद सर्वाणि न त्वं वेत्थ परंतप॥
The great one said Many births of yours and mine. O Arjuna, have taken place. I know them all, O terror of foes, but you know not.
अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन्। प्रकृति स्वामधिष्ठाय सम्भवाम्यात्ममायया॥
Though I am unborn (having no birth); though I am imperishable, though I am master of the elements, yet out of my Maya (power of illusion) I take birth, resting on (material) Nature.
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत। अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदाऽऽत्मानं सृजाम्यहम्॥
Wheresoever, O Bharata, virtue languishes and sin predominates, I create myself.
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय त दुष्कृताम्। धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे॥
I take birth, age after age, for the protection of the good and the destruction of the wicked, and for the establishment of piety (true religion).
जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः। त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म मामेति सोऽर्जुन॥
He, who truly knows my these (willful) births and wonderful deeds, after casting off his body, is not born again. He comes to Me.
वीतरागभयक्रोधा मन्मया मामुपाश्रिताः। बहवो ज्ञानतपसा पूता मद्भावमागताः॥
Many holy sages, who are freed from attachment, fear and wrath, who are full of Me and who depend upon Me, have attained to my essence.
ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तांस्तथैव भजाम्यहम्। मम वानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः॥
I bestow my favours (on all men) in the way in which they worship Me. All men, O Partha, follow in my path, in every way.
काङ्क्षन्तः कर्मणां सिद्धि यजन्त इह देवताः। क्षिप्रं हि मानुषे लोके सिद्धिर्भवति कर्मजा॥
Desiring success of actions, men worship the Celestial (such as Indra &c.), for in this world the success of action is soon attained.
चातुर्वर्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागशः। तस्य कर्तारमपि मां विद्ध्यकर्तारमव्ययम्॥
According to qualities and (fruits of) actions, I have created four castes. Though I am their Creator, yet know me as being not a creator and not perishable.
न मां कर्माणि लिम्पन्ति न मे कर्मफले स्पृहा। इति मां योऽभिजानाति कर्मभिर्न स बध्यते॥
Actions do not touch me. I have no attachment in the fruits of actions. He who knows me as such is not tied down by actions.
एवं ज्ञात्वा कृतं कर्म पूर्वैरपि मुमुक्षुभिः। कुरु कर्मैव तस्मात्त्वं पूर्वैः पूर्वतरं कृतम्॥
Knowing this, men of old, desirous of emancipation, performed actions. Therefore, you too perform action, as was done by men of old in olden times.
किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिताः। तत् ते कर्म प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात्॥
Even men of true knowledge is confused about what is action and what is inaction. I shall speak to you about that action, learning which you will be freed from the (worldly) evils.
कर्मणो ह्यपि बौद्धव्य बोद्धव्यं च विकर्मणः। अकर्मणश्च बोद्धव्यं गहना कर्मणो गतिः॥
One must know what is action, one must also know what is forbidden action, and one must again know what is inaction. The nature of action is abstruse.
कर्मण्यकर्म यः पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म यः। स बुद्धिमान् मनुष्येषु स युक्तः कृत्स्नकर्मकृत्॥
He, who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is a wise man, a Yogi and a doer of all actions.
यस्य सर्वे समारम्भाः कामसंकल्पवर्जिताः। ज्ञानाग्निदग्धकर्माणं तमाहुः पण्डितं बुधाः॥
The learned men call him wise whose all actions are free from desire and will and whose actions are burnt down by the fire of knowledge.
त्यक्त्वा कर्मफलासङ्गं नित्यतृप्तो निराश्रयः। कर्मण्यभिप्रवृत्तोऽपि नैव किंचित् करोति सः॥
Getting rid of the attachment (desire) for the fruits of actions, being ever contented, and depending on none, although (such men) engages in action, they do nothing at all.
निराशर्यतचित्तात्मा त्यक्तसर्वपरिग्रहः। शारीरं केवलं कर्म कुर्वन् नाप्नोति किल्बिषम्॥
Being devoid of desires and having the mind and the senses under control casting off all concerns, he, who performs action for the preservation of the body, incurs no sin.
यदृच्छालाभसंतुष्टो द्वन्द्वातीतो विमत्सरः। समः सिद्धावसिद्धौ च कृत्वाऽपि न निबध्यते॥
Being contended with what is earned spontaneously, rising superior to the pairs of opposites, being free from all jealousy, (such a man), being equable in success or failures, is not fettered by actions, although he performs actions.
गतसङ्गस्य मुक्तस्य ज्ञानावस्थितचेतसः। यज्ञायाचरतः कर्म समग्रं प्रविलीयते॥
The acts of the man who is devoid of attachment, who is free from passions and whose mind is steady in knowledge, are all destroyed.
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम्। ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना।॥
Brahma is the vessel of libation, Brahma is the libation itself, Brahma is the fire, Brahma is the pourer of libation to him who thus meditates upon Brahma in all his actions, Brahma is the goal to which he proceeds.
दैवमेवापरे यज्ञ योगिनः पर्युपासते। ब्रह्माग्नावपरे यज्ञं यज्ञेनैवोपजुह्वति॥
Some yogis perform the Sacrifice to the Celestial; others (however) offer up (such) Sacrifices in the Sacrifice of Brahma-Fire.
श्रोत्रादीनीन्द्रियाण्यन्ये संयमाग्निषु जुह्वति। शब्दादीन् विषयानन्ये इन्द्रियाग्निषु जुह्वति॥
Others offer up in the fire of Self-restraint all his senses, such as the senses of hearing and others. Others again offer up the objects of sense, such as sound into the fire of senses.
सर्वाणीन्द्रियकर्माणि प्राणकर्माणि चापरे। आत्मसंयमयोगाग्नौ जुह्वति ज्ञानदीपिते॥
Others offer up all the actions of the senses, and those of the life-breaths, into the Yoga-fire of self-restraint, kindled by knowledge.
द्रव्ययज्ञास्तपोयज्ञा योगयज्ञास्तथापरे। स्वाध्यायज्ञानयज्ञाश्च यतयः संशितव्रताः॥
Some perform the sacrifice for gaining possessions, some the Sacrifice of penance; others again Sacrifice of concentration of mind; some perform the Sacrifice of Vedic study, some that of knowledge, others again the Sacrifice of asceticism of rigid vows.
अपाने जुह्वति प्राणं प्राणेऽपानं तथापरे। प्राणापानगती रुद्ध्वा प्राणायामपरायणाः॥
Some offer up the upward life-breaths to downward life-breaths, and the down-ward life breaths to upward life breaths. Stopping up the motions of both the upward and downward life breaths some devote themselves to the restraint of the life-breath itself. Others, who take limited food, offer the life-breath to life-breath.
अपरे नियताहाराः प्राणान्प्राणेषु जुह्वति। सर्वेऽप्येते यज्ञविदो यज्ञक्षपितकल्मषाः॥
All these men, learned in the (various) Sacrifices, having their sins destroyed by Sacrifice, and eating the remains of the Sacrifice, which is ambrosia, go to the eternal Brahma.
यज्ञशिष्टामृतभुजो यान्ति ब्रह्म सनातनम्। नायं लोकोऽस्त्ययज्ञस्य कुतोऽन्यः कुरुसत्तम॥
O best of Kurus, this world is not for those who do not perform any Sacrifice, what to speak of the future world.
एवं बहुविधा यज्ञा वितता ब्रह्मणो मुखे। कर्मजान् विद्धि तान् सर्वानेवं ज्ञात्वा विमोक्ष्यसे॥
Thus Sacrifices of various sorts are in the Vedas. Know them all as the results of actions; and knowing this, you will be freed (from the fetters of the world).
श्रेयान् द्रव्यमयाद् यज्ञाज्ज्ञानयज्ञः परंतप। सर्वं कर्माखिलं पार्थ ज्ञाने परिसमाप्यते॥
The sacrifice of knowledge, O terror of foes, is superior to the Sacrifice for gaining possession (in this world or in the future), for, O Parthas, all actions are wholly and fully comprehended by knowledge.
तद् विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया। उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्वदर्शिनः॥
Learn knowledge by reverently saluting the learned, by asking them questions, by doing service to them. The men of knowledge and the men that know the Truth, will teach you knowledge.
यज्ज्ञात्वा न पुनर्मोहमेवं यास्यसि पाण्डव। येन भूतान्यशेषेण द्रक्ष्यस्यात्मन्यथो मयि॥
Having learnt it, O son of Pandu, you will not again fall into delusion. And by means of it, you will see all beings first in yourself and them in Me.
अपि चेदसि पापेभ्य: सर्वेभ्यः पापकृत्तमः। सर्वं ज्ञानप्लवेनैव वृजिनं संतरिष्यसि।॥
If you be the greatest sinner amongst all sinful men, you will (still) cross over the ocean of your sin by means of the boat of knowledge.
यथैधांसि समिद्धोऽग्निर्भस्मसात्कुरुतेऽर्जुन। ज्ञानाग्निः सर्वकर्माणि भस्मसात्कुरुते तथा॥
As, O Arjuna, a blazing fire reduces all wood to ashes, so the fire of knowledge reduces all actions to ashes.
न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते। तत् स्वयं योगसंसिद्धः कालेनात्मनि विन्दति॥
There is nothing in this world which so much purifies (man) as knowledge. The man, perfected by Yoga, learns it within himself in time.
श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः। ज्ञानं लब्वा परां शान्तिमचिरेणाधिगच्छति॥
The man of faith, the man of assiduousness, the man of self-restraint, obtains knowledge; and obtaining knowledge, he gains the highest tranquility (Mukti) without delay.
अज्ञश्चाश्रद्धधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति। नायं लोकोऽस्ति न परो न सुखं संशयात्मनः॥
He, who is ignorant, who has no faith and whose mind is full of misgivings and doubt, is lost. Not this world, not the next, not (any) happiness is for him whose mind is full of doubts.
योगसंन्यस्तकर्माणं ज्ञानसंछिन्नसंशयम्। आत्मवन्तं न कर्माणि निबध्नन्ति धनंजय॥
Actions, O Dhananjaya, do not fetter him, who is self-possessed, whose doubts have been removed by knowledge and who has placed all his actions in Yoga.
तस्मादज्ञानसम्भूतं हृत्स्थं ज्ञानासिनाऽऽत्मनः। छित्त्वैनं संशयं योगमातिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ भारत॥
Therefore, Oh descendant of Bharata, destroying with the sword of knowledge these inisgivings of yours produced from ignorance, engage in yoga of action, Arise.