Karma Sannyāsa Yoga

अर्जुन उवाच। संन्यासं कर्मणां कृष्ण पुनर्योगं च शंससि। यच्छ्रेय एतयोरेकं तन्मे ब्रूहि सुनिश्चितम् ॥

arjuna uvāca saṃnyāsaṃ karmaṇāṃ kṛṣṇa punaryogaṃ ca śaṃsasi yacchreya etayorekaṃ tanme brūhi suniścitam

O Kṛṣṇa ! you praise renunciation of actions and also the pursuit (of them). Tell me determinately which one of these two is superior.

श्रीभगवानुवाच। संन्यासः कर्मयोगश्च निःश्रेयसकरावुभौ। तयोस्तु कर्मसंन्यासात्कर्मयोगो विशिष्यते ॥

śrībhagavānuvāca saṃnyāsaḥ karmayogaśca niḥśreyasakarāvubhau tayostu karmasaṃnyāsātkarmayogo viśiṣyate

Renunciation and pursuit of action are both instruments of happiness. But of the two, pursuit of action is superior to renunciation of action.

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

jñeyaḥ sa nityasaṃnyāsī yo na dveṣṭi na kāṅkṣati nirdvandvo hi mahābāho sukhaṃ bandhātpramucyate

He should be understood to be always an ascetic who has no aversion and no desire. For O you of mighty arms! he who is free from the pairs of opposites is easily released from (all) bonds.

साङ्ख्ययोगौ पृथग्बालाः प्रवदन्ति न पण्डिताः। एकमप्यास्थितः सम्यगुभयोर्विन्दते फलम् ॥

sāṅkhyayogau pṛthagbālāḥ pravadanti na paṇḍitāḥ ekamapyāsthitaḥ samyagubhayorvindate phalam

Children—not wise men—talk of saṅkhya and yoga as distinct. One who pursues either well obtains the fruit of both.

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

yatsāṅkhyaiḥ prāpyate sthānaṃ tadyogairapi gamyate ekaṃ sāṅkhyaṃ ca yogaṃ ca yaḥ paśyati sa paśyati

The seat which the sāṅkhyas obtain is reached by the yogas also. He sees (truly), who sees the sāṅkhya and yoga as one.

संन्यासस्तु महाबाहो दुःखमाप्तुमयोगतः। योगयुक्तो मुनिर्ब्रह्म नचिरेणाधिगच्छति ॥

saṃnyāsastu mahābāho duḥkhamāptumayogataḥ yogayukto munirbrahma nacireṇādhigacchati

Renunciation, O you of mighty arms! is difficult to reach without devotion the sage possessed of devotion attains Brahman without delay.

योगयुक्तो विशुद्धात्मा विजितात्मा जितेन्द्रियः। सर्वभूतात्मभूतात्मा कुर्वन्नपि न लिप्यते ॥

yogayukto viśuddhātmā vijitātmā jitendriyaḥ sarvabhūtātmabhūtātmā kurvannapi na lipyate

He who is possessed of devotion whose self is pure who has restrained his self and who has controlled his senses and who identifies his self with every being is not tainted though he performs (actions). The man of devotion who knows the truth thinks he does nothing at all when he sees hears

नैव किञ्चित्करोमीति युक्तो मन्येत तत्त्ववित्। पश्यञ्शृण्वन्स्पृशञ्जिघ्रन्नश्नन्गच्छन्स्वपञ्श्वसन् ॥

naiva kiñcitkaromīti yukto manyeta tattvavit paśyañśruṇvanspṛśañjighrannaśnangacchansvapañśvasan

touches smells eats move-b sleeps breathes

प्रलपन्विसृजन्गृह्णन्नुन्मिषन्निमिषन्नपि। इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेषु वर्तन्त इति धारयन् ॥

pralapanvisṛjangṛhṇannunmiṣannimiṣannapi indriyāṇīndriyārtheṣu vartanta iti dhārayan

talks throws out takes opens or closes the eyelids he holds that the senses deal with the objects of the senses.

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

brahmaṇyādhāya karmāṇi saṅgaṃ tyaktvā karoti yaḥ lipyate na sa pāpena padmapatramivāmbhasā

He who, casting off (all) attachment, performs actions dedicating them to Brahman, is not tainted by sin, as the lotus-leaf (is not tainted) by water.

कायेन मनसा बुद्ध्या केवलैरिन्द्रियैरपि। योगिनः कर्म कुर्वन्ति सङ्गं त्यक्त्वात्मशुद्धये ॥

kāyena manasā buddhyā kevalairindriyairapi yoginaḥ karma kurvanti saṅgaṃ tyaktvātmaśuddhaye

Devotees, casting off attachment, perform actions for attaining purity of self, with the body, the mind, the understanding, or even the senses—(all) free (from egoistic notions).

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

yuktaḥ karmaphalaṃ tyaktvā śāntimāpnoti naiṣṭhikīm ayuktaḥ kāmakāreṇa phale sakto nibadhyate

He who is possessed of devotion, abandoning the fruit of actions, attains the highest tranquillity. He who is without devotion, and attached to the fruit (of action), is tied down by (reason of his) acting in consequence of (some) desire.

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

sarvakarmāṇi manasā saṃnyasyāste sukhaṃ vaśī navadvāre pure dehī naiva kurvanna kārayan

The self-restrained, embodied (self) lies at case within the city of nine portals, renouncing all actions by the mind, not doing nor causing (any thing) to be done.

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

na kartṛtvaṃ na karmāṇi lokasya sṛjati prabhuḥ na karmaphalasaṃyogaṃ svabhāvastu pravartate

The Lord is not the cause of actions or of the capacity of performing actions amongst men or of the connexion of action and fruit. But nature only works.

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

nādatte kasyacitpāpaṃ na caiva sukṛtaṃ vibhuḥ ajñānenāvṛtaṃ jñānaṃ tena muhyanti jantavaḥ

The Lord receives no one's sin, nor merit either. Knowledge is enveloped by ignorance

ज्ञानेन तु तदज्ञानं येषां नाशितमात्मनः। तेषामादित्यवज्ज्ञानं प्रकाशयति तत्परम् ॥

jñānena tu tadajñānaṃ yeṣāṃ nāśitamātmanaḥ teṣāmādityavajjñānaṃ prakāśayati tatparam

hence all creatures are deluded. But to those who have destroyed that ignorance by knowledge of the self, (such) knowledge like the sun

तद्बुद्धयस्तदात्मानस्तन्निष्ठास्तत्परायणाः। गच्छन्त्यपुनरावृत्तिं ज्ञाननिर्धूतकल्मषाः ॥

tadbuddhayastadātmānastanniṣṭhāstatparāyaṇāḥ gacchantyapunarāvṛttiṃ jñānanirdhūtakalmaṣāḥ

shows forth that supreme (principle). And those whose mind is (centred) on it whose (very) self it is who are thoroughly devoted to it and whose final goal it is go never to return having their sins destroyed by knowledge.

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

vidyāvinayasampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini śuni caiva śvapāke ca paṇḍitāḥ samadarśinaḥ

The wise look upon a Brāhmaṇa possessed of learning and humility, on a cow, an elephant, a dog, and a Śvapāka, as alike.

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

ihaiva tairjitaḥ sargo yeṣāṃ sāmye sthitaṃ manaḥ nirdoṣaṃ hi samaṃ brahma tasmād brahmaṇi te sthitāḥ

Even here, those have conquered the material world, whose mind rests in equability since Brahman is free from defects and equable, therefore they rest in Brahman. He who knows Brahman whose mind is steady who is not deluded

न प्रहृष्येत्प्रियं प्राप्य नोद्विजेत्प्राप्य चाप्रियम्। स्थिरबुद्धिरसम्मूढो ब्रह्मविद् ब्रह्मणि स्थितः ॥

na prahṛṣyetpriyaṃ prāpya nodvijetprāpya cāpriyam sthirabuddhirasammūḍho brahmavid brahmaṇi sthitaḥ

and who rests in Brahman

बाह्यस्पर्शेष्वसक्तात्मा विन्दत्यात्मनि यत्सुखम्। स ब्रह्मयोगयुक्तात्मा सुखमक्षयमश्नुते ॥

bāhyasparśeṣvasaktātmā vindatyātmani yatsukham sa brahmayogayuktātmā sukhamakṣayamaśnute

does not exult on finding anything agreeable nor does he grieve on finding anything disagreeable. One whose self is not attached to external objects, obtains the happiness that is in (one's) self and by means of concentration of mind joining one's self (with the Brahman)

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

ye hi saṃsparśajā bhogā duḥkhayonaya eva te ādyantavantaḥ kaunteya na teṣu ramate budhaḥ

one obtains indestructible happiness. For the enjoyments born of contact (between senses and their objects) are indeed sources of misery they have a beginning as well as an end. O son of Kuntī ! a wise man feels no pleasure in them.

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

śaknotīhaiva yaḥ soḍhuṃ prākśarīravimokṣaṇāt kāmakrodhodbhavaṃ vegaṃ sa yuktaḥ sa sukhī naraḥ

He who even in this world before his release from the body is able to bear the agitations produced from desire and wrath is a devoted man he is a happy man.

योऽन्तःसुखोऽन्तरारामस्तथान्तर्ज्योतिरेव यः। स योगी ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं ब्रह्मभूतोऽधिगच्छति ॥

yo.antaḥsukho.antarārāmastathāntarjyotireva yaḥ sa yogī brahmanirvāṇaṃ brahmabhūto.adhigacchati

The devotee whose happiness is within (himself) whose recreation is within (himself) and whose light (of knowledge) also is within (himself) becoming (one with) the Brahman

लभन्ते ब्रह्मनिर्वाणमृषयः क्षीणकल्मषाः। छिन्नद्वैधा यतात्मानः सर्वभूतहिते रताः ॥

labhante brahmanirvāṇamṛṣayaḥ kṣīṇakalmaṣāḥ chinnadvaidhā yatātmānaḥ sarvabhūtahite ratāḥ

obtain the Brahmic bliss. The sages whose sins have perished whose misgivings are destroyed who are self-restrained and who are intent on the welfare of all beings

कामक्रोधवियुक्तानां यतीनां यतचेतसाम्। अभितो ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं वर्तते विदितात्मनाम् ॥

kāmakrodhaviyuktānāṃ yatīnāṃ yatacetasām abhito brahmanirvāṇaṃ vartate viditātmanām

obtain the Brahmic bliss. To the ascetics who are free from desire and wrath and whose minds are restrained and who have knowledge of the self

स्पर्शान्कृत्वा बहिर्बाह्यांश्चक्षुश्चैवान्तरे भ्रुवोः। प्राणापानौ समौ कृत्वा नासाभ्यन्तरचारिणौ ॥

sparśānkṛtvā bahirbāhyāṃścakṣuścaivāntare bhruvoḥ prāṇāpānau samau kṛtvā nāsābhyantaracāriṇau

the Brahmic bliss is on both sides (of death). The sage who excludes (from his mind) external objects, (concentrates) the visual power between the brows and making the upward and downward life-breaths even confines their movements within the nose

यतेन्द्रियमनोबुद्धिर्मुनिर्मोक्षपरायणः। विगतेच्छाभयक्रोधो यः सदा मुक्त एव सः ॥

yatendriyamanobuddhirmunirmokṣaparāyaṇaḥ vigatecchābhayakrodho yaḥ sadā mukta eva saḥ

who restrains senses mind and understanding whose highest goal is final emancipation from whom desire fear

भोक्तारं यज्ञतपसां सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम्। सुहृदं सर्वभूतानां ज्ञात्वा मां शान्तिमृच्छति ॥

bhoktāraṃ yajñatapasāṃ sarvalokamaheśvaram suhṛdaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ jñātvā māṃ śāntimṛcchati

and wrath have departed is indeed for ever released (from birth and death). He knowing me to be the enjoyer of all sacrifices and penances, the great Lord of all worlds, and the friend of all beings, attains tranquillity.