1. Audio

By Swami Brahmananda
Duet
By Jagannath Vedalankar

2. Text

अर्जुन उवाच:

ज्यायसी चेत्कर्मणस्ते मता बुद्धिर्जनार्दन ।

तत्किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव ॥

arjuna uvāca:

jyāyasī cetkarmaṇaste matā buddhirjanārdana,

tatkiṃ karmaṇi ghore māṃ niyojayasi keśava.

Arjuna said: If thou boldest the intelligence to be greater than works, O Janardana, why then dost thou, O Keshava, appoint me to a terrible work?

व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे ।

तदेकं वद निश्चित्य येन श्रेयोऽहमाप्नुयाम् ॥

vyāmiśreṇeva vākyena buddhiṃ mohayasīva me,

tadekaṃ vada niścitya yena śreyo’hamāpnuyām.

Thou seemest to bewilder my intelligence with a confused and mingled speech; tell me then decisively that one thing by which I may attain to my soul’s weal.

श्रीभगवानुवाच:

लोकेऽस्मिन द्विविधा निष्ठा पुरा प्रोक्ता मयानघ ।

ज्ञानयोगेन सांख्यानां कर्मयोगेन योगिनाम् ॥

śrībhagavānuvāca:

loke’smina dvividhā niṣṭhā purā proktā mayānagha,

jñānayogena sāṅkhyānāṃ karmayogena yoginām.

The Blessed Lord said: In this world twofold is the self-application of the soul (by which it enters into the Brahmic condition), as I before said, O sinless one: that of the Sankhyas by the Yoga of knowledge, that of the Yogins by the Yoga of works.

न कर्मणामनारम्भान्नैष्कर्म्यं पुरुषोऽश्नुते ।

न च संन्यसनादेव सिद्धिं समधिगच्छति ॥

na karmaṇāmanārambhānnaiṣkarmyaṃ puruṣo’śnute,

na ca saṃnyasanādeva siddhiṃ samadhigacchati.

Not by abstention from works does a man enjoy actionlessness, nor by mere renunciation (of works) does he attain to his perfection (to siddhi, the accomplishment of the aims of his self-discipline by Yoga).

न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् ।

कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः ॥

na hi kaścitkṣaṇamapi jātu tiṣṭhatyakarmakṛt,

kāryate hyavaśaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛtijairguṇaiḥ.

For none stands even for a moment not doing work, everyone is made to do action helplessly by the modes born of Prakriti.

कर्मेन्द्रियाणि संयम्य य आस्ते मनसा स्मरन् ।

इन्द्रियार्थान्विमूढात्मा मिथ्याचारः स उच्यते ॥

karmendriyāṇi saṃyamya ya āste manasā smaran,

indriyārthānvimūḍhātmā mithyācāraḥ sa ucyate.

Who controls the organs of action, but continues in his mind to remember and dwell upon the objects of sense, such a man has bewildered himself with false notions of self-discipline.

यस्त्विन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्यारभतेऽर्जुन ।

कर्मेन्द्रियैः कर्मयोगमसक्तः स विशिष्यते ॥

yastvindriyāṇi manasā niyamyārabhate’rjuna,

karmendriyaiḥ karmayogamasaktaḥ sa viśiṣyate.

He who controlling the senses by the mind, O Arjuna, without attachment engages with the organs of action in Yoga of action, he excels.

नियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं कर्म ज्यायो ह्यकर्मणः ।

शरीरयात्रापि च ते न प्रसिद्ध्येदकर्मणः ॥

niyataṃ kuru karma tvaṃ karma jyāyo hyakarmaṇaḥ,

śarīrayātrāpi ca te na prasiddhyedakarmaṇaḥ.

Do thou do controlled action. For action is greater than inaction; even the maintenance of thy physical life cannot he effected without action.

यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्मबन्धनः ।

तदर्थं कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्तसंगः समाचर ॥

yajñārthātkarmaṇo’nyatra loko’yaṃ karmabandhanaḥ,

tadarthaṃ karma kaunteya muktasaṅgaḥ samācara.

By doing works otherwise than for sacrifice, this world of men is in bondage to works; for sacrifice practise works, O son of Kunti, becoming free from all attachment.

सहयज्ञाः प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा पुरोवाच प्रजापतिः ।

अनेन प्रसविष्यध्वमेष वोऽस्त्विष्टकामधुक् ॥

sahayajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā purovāca prajāpatiḥ,

anena prasaviṣyadhvameṣa vo’stviṣṭakāmadhuk.

With sacrifice the Lord of creatures of old created creatures and said: By this shall you bring forth (fruits or offspring), let this he your milker of desires.

देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु वः ।

परस्परं भावयन्तः श्रेयः परमवाप्स्यथ ॥

devānbhāvayatānena te devā bhāvayantu vaḥ,

parasparaṃ bhāvayantaḥ śreyaḥ paramavāpsyatha.

Foster by this the gods and let the gods foster you; fostering each other, you shall attain to the supreme good.

इष्टान्भोगान्हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते यज्ञभाविताः ।

तैर्दत्तानप्रदायैभ्यो यो भुंक्ते स्तेन एव सः ॥

iṣṭānbhogānhi vo devā dāsyante yajñabhāvitāḥ,

tairdattānapradāyaibhyo yo bhuṅkte stena eva saḥ.

Fostered by sacrifice the gods shall give you desired enjoyments: who enjoys their given enjoyments and has not given to them, he is a thief.

यज्ञशिष्टाशिनः सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषैः ।

भुञ्जते ते त्वघं पापा ये पचन्त्यात्मकारणात् ॥

yajñaśiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarvakilbiṣaiḥ,

bhuñjate te tvaghaṃ pāpā ye pacantyātmakāraṇāt.

The good who eat what is left from the sacrifice, are released from all sin; but evil are they and enjoy sin who cook (the food) for their own sake.

अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसंभवः ।

यज्ञाद्भवति पर्जन्यो यज्ञः कर्मसमुद्भवः ॥

annādbhavanti bhūtāni parjanyādannasaṃbhavaḥ,

yajñādbhavati parjanyo yajñaḥ karmasamudbhavaḥ.

कर्म ब्रह्मोद्भवं विद्धि ब्रह्माक्षरसमुद्भवम् ।

तस्मात्सर्वगतं ब्रह्म नित्यं यज्ञे प्रतिष्ठितम् ॥

karma brahmodbhavaṃ viddhi brahmākṣarasamudbhavam,

tasmātsarvagataṃ brahma nityaṃ yajñe pratiṣṭhitam.

From food creatures come into being, from rain is the birth of food, from sacrifice comes into being the rain, sacrifice is horn of work; work know to be born of Brahman, Brahman is born of the Immutable; therefore is the all-pervading Brahman established in the sacrifice.

एवं प्रवर्तितं चक्रं नानुवर्तयतीह यः ।

अघायुरिन्द्रियारामो मोघं पार्थ स जीवति ॥

evaṃ pravartitaṃ cakraṃ nānuvartayatīha yaḥ,

aghāyurindriyārāmo moghaṃ pārtha sa jīvati.

He who follows not here the wheel thus set in movement, evil is his being, sensual is his delight, in vain, O Partha, that man lives.

यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानवः ।

आत्मन्येव च संतुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते ॥

yastvātmaratireva syādātmatṛptaśca mānavaḥ,

ātmanyeva ca saṃtuṣṭastasya kāryaṃ na vidyate.

But the man whose delight is in the Self and who is satisfied with the enjoyment of the Self and in the Self he is content, for him there exists no work that needs to be done.

नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थो नाकृतेनेह कश्चन ।

न चास्य सर्वभूतेषु कश्चिदर्थव्यपाश्रयः ॥

naiva tasya kṛtenārtho nākṛteneha kaścana,

na cāsya sarvabhūteṣu kaścidarthavyapāśrayaḥ.

He has no object here to be gained by action done and none to be gained by action undone; he has no dependence on all these existences For any object to be gained.

तस्मादसक्तः सततं कार्यं कर्म समाचर ।

असक्तो ह्याचरन्कर्म परमाप्नोति पूरुषः ॥

tasmādasaktaḥ satataṃ kāryaṃ karma samācara,

asakto hyācarankarma paramāpnoti pūruṣaḥ.

Therefore without attachment perform ever the work that is to be done (done for the sake of the world, lokasangraha, as is made clear immediately afterward); for by doing work without attachment man attains to the highest.

कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः ।

लोकसंग्रहमेवापि संपश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि ॥

karmaṇaiva hi saṃsiddhimāsthitā janakādayaḥ,

lokasaṃgrahamevāpi saṃpaśyankartumarhasi.

It was even by works that Janaka and the rest attained to perfection. Thou shouldst do works regarding also the holding together of the peoples.

यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः ।

स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते ॥

yadyadācarati śreṣṭhastattadevetaro janaḥ,

sa yatpramāṇaṃ kurute lokastadanuvartate.

Whatsoever the Best doeth. that the lower kind of man puts into practice; the standard he creates, the people follow.

न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किंचन ।

नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि ॥

na me pārthāsti kartavyaṃ triṣu lokeṣu kiṃcana,

nānavāptamavāptavyaṃ varta eva ca karmaṇi.

O Son of Pritha, I have no work that I need to do in all the three worlds, I have nothing that I have not gained and have yet to gain, and I abide verily in the paths of action (varta eva cha karmani, — era implying, I abide in it and do not leave it as the sannyasin thinks himself bound to abandon works).

यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः ।

मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ॥

yadi hyahaṃ na varteyaṃ jātu karmaṇyatandritaḥ,

mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ.

उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां कर्म चेदहम् ।

संकरस्य च कर्ता स्यामुपहन्यामिमाः प्रजाः ॥

utsīdeyurime lokā na kuryāṃ karma cedaham,

saṅkarasya ca kartā syāmupahanyāmimāḥ prajāḥ.

For if I did not abide sleeplessly in the paths of action, men follow in every way my path, these peoples would sink to destruction if I did not work and I should be the creator of confusion and slay these creatures.

सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत ।

कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथाऽसक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसंग्रहम् ॥

saktāḥ karmaṇyavidvāṃso yathā kurvanti bhārata,

kuryādvidvāṃstathā’saktaścikīrṣurlokasaṃgraham.

As those who know not act with attachment to the action, he who knows should act without attachment, having for his motive to hold together the peoples.

न बुद्धिभेदं जनयेदज्ञानां कर्मसंगिनाम् ।

जोषयेत्सर्वकर्माणि विद्वान्युक्तः समाचरन् ॥

na buddhibhedaṃ janayedajñānāṃ karmasaṅginām,

joṣayetsarvakarmāṇi vidvānyuktaḥ samācaran.

He should not create a division of their understanding in the ignorant who are attached to their works, he should set them to all actions, doing them himself with knowledge and in Yoga.

प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः ।

अहंकारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते ॥

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ,

ahaṅkāravimūḍhātmā kartāhamiti manyate.

While the actions are being entirely done by the modes of Nature, he whose self is bewildered by egoism thinks that it is his “I” which is doing them.

तत्त्ववित्तु महाबाहो गुणकर्मविभागयोः ।

गुणा गुणेषु वर्तन्त इति मत्वा न सज्जते ॥

tattvavittu mahābāho guṇakarmavibhāgayoḥ,

guṇā guṇeṣu vartanta iti matvā na sajjate.

But one, O mighty-armed, who knows the true principles of the divisions of the modes and of works, realises that it is the modes which are acting and reacting on each other and is not caught in them by attachment.

प्रकृतेर्गुणसंमूढाः सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु ।

तानकृत्स्नविदो मन्दान्कृत्स्नविन्न विचालयेत् ॥

prakṛterguṇasaṃmūḍhāḥ sajjante guṇakarmasu,

tānakṛtsnavido mandānkṛtsnavinna vicālayet.

Those who are bewildered by the modes, not knowers of the whole, let not the knower of the whole disturb in their mental standpoint.

मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि संन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा ।

निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वरः ॥

mayi sarvāṇi karmāṇi saṃnyasyādhyātmacetasā,

nirāśīrnirmamo bhūtvā yudhyasva vigatajvaraḥ.

Giving up thy works to Me, with thy consciousness founded in the Self, free from desire and egoism, fight delivered from the fever of thy soul.

ये मे मतमिदं नित्यमनुतिष्ठन्ति मानवाः ।

श्रद्धावन्तोऽनसूयन्तो मुच्यन्ते तेऽपि कर्मभिः ॥

ye me matamidaṃ nityamanutiṣṭhanti mānavāḥ,

śraddhāvanto’nasūyanto mucyante te’pi karmabhiḥ.

ये त्वेतदभ्यसूयन्तो नानुतिष्ठन्ति मे मतम् ।

सर्वज्ञानविमूढांस्तान्विद्धि नष्टानचेतसः ॥

ye tvetadabhyasūyanto nānutiṣṭhanti me matam,

sarvajñānavimūḍhāṃstānviddhi naṣṭānacetasaḥ.

Who, having faith and not trusting, to the critical intelligence, constantly follow this teaching of mine, they too are released from (the bondage of) works. But those who find fault with my teaching and act not thereon, know them to be of unripe mind, bewildered in all knowledge and fated to be destroyed.

सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्याः प्रकृतेर्ज्ञानवानपि ।

प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि निग्रहः किं करिष्यति ॥

sadṛśaṃ ceṣṭate svasyāḥ prakṛterjñānavānapi,

prakṛtiṃ yānti bhūtāni nigrahaḥ kiṃ kariṣyati.

All existences follow their nature and what shall coercing it avail? Even the man of knowledge acts according to his own nature.

इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ ।

तयोर्न वशमागच्छेत्तौ ह्यस्य परिपन्थिनौ ॥

indriyasyendriyasyārthe rāgadveṣau vyavasthitau,

tayorna vaśamāgacchettau hyasya paripanthinau.

In the object of this or that sense, liking and disliking are set in ambush; fall not into their power, for they are the besetters of the soul in its path.

श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् ।

स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ॥

śreyānsvadharmo viguṇaḥ paradharmātsvanuṣṭhitāt,

svadharme nidhanaṃ śreyaḥ paradharmo bhayāvahaḥ.

अर्जुन उवाच:

अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुषः ।

अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजितः ॥

arjuna uvāca:

atha kena prayukto’yaṃ pāpaṃ carati pūruṣaḥ,

anicchannapi vārṣṇeya balādiva niyojitaḥ.

श्रीभगवानुवाच:

काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः ।

महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम् ॥

śrībhagavānuvāca:

kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajoguṇasamudbhavaḥ,

mahāśano mahāpāpmā viddhyenamiha vairiṇam.

धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथादर्शो मलेन च ।

यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम् ॥

dhūmenāvriyate vahniryathādarśo malena ca,

yatholbenāvṛto garbhastathā tenedamāvṛtam.

आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा ।

कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च ॥

āvṛtaṃ jñānametena jñānino nityavairiṇā,

kāmarūpeṇa kaunteya duṣpūreṇānalena ca.

इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिरस्याधिष्ठानमुच्यते ।

एतैर्विमोहयत्येष ज्ञानमावृत्य देहिनम् ॥

indriyāṇi mano buddhirasyādhiṣṭhānamucyate,

etairvimohayatyeṣa jñānamāvṛtya dehinam.

तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ ।

पाप्मानं प्रजहि ह्येनं ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम् ॥

tasmāttvamindriyāṇyādau niyamya bharatarṣabha,

pāpmānaṃ prajahi hyenaṃ jñānavijñānanāśanam.

इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः ।

मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्यो बुद्धेः परतस्तु सः ॥

indriyāṇi parāṇyāhurindriyebhyaḥ paraṃ manaḥ,

manasastu parā buddhiryo buddheḥ paratastu saḥ.

एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना ।

जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम् ॥

evaṃ buddheḥ paraṃ buddhvā saṃstabhyātmānamātmanā,

jahi śatruṃ mahābāho kāmarūpaṃ durāsadam.