BHAGAVADGEETA CHAPTER 5

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 VERSE 1

अर्जुन उवाच | संन्यासं कर्मणां कृष्ण पुनर्योगं च शंससि | यच्छ्रेय एतयोरेकं तन्मे ब्रूहि सुनिश्चितम् || 1||

arjuna uvācha sannyāsaṁ karmaṇāṁ kṛiṣhṇa punar yogaṁ cha śhansasi yach chhreya etayor ekaṁ tan me brūhi su-niśhchitam

Speaking in Arjun's words, O Shree Krishna, You recommended doing karm yog (work with devotion) and You praised karm sanyās (the road of renunciation of acts). Which of the two is more advantageous, please state unequivocally?

 VERSE 2

श्रीभगवानुवाच | संन्यास: कर्मयोगश्च नि:श्रेयसकरावुभौ | तयोस्तु कर्मसंन्यासात्कर्मयोगो विशिष्यते || 2||

śhrī bhagavān uvācha sannyāsaḥ karma-yogaśh cha niḥśhreyasa-karāvubhau tayos tu karma-sannyāsāt karma-yogo viśhiṣhyate

The road of karm yog (working in devotion) and karm sanyās (renunciation of activities) both lead to the ultimate goal, declared the Supreme Lord. However, karm yog is better than karm sanyās.

 VERSE 3

ज्ञेय: स नित्यसंन्यासी यो न द्वेष्टि न काङ् क्षति | निर्द्वन्द्वो हि महाबाहो सुखं बन्धात्प्रमुच्यते || 3||

jñeyaḥ sa nitya-sannyāsī yo na dveṣhṭi na kāṅkṣhati nirdvandvo hi mahā-bāho sukhaṁ bandhāt pramuchyate

Karmic yogis should be regarded as perpetually relinquished, since they have no desires or hatreds. They are effortlessly freed from the constraints of material energy, free from all dualities.

 VERSE 4

साङ्ख्ययोगौ पृथग्बाला: प्रवदन्ति न पण्डिता: | एकमप्यास्थित: सम्यगुभयोर्विन्दते फलम् || 4||

sānkhya-yogau pṛithag bālāḥ pravadanti na paṇḍitāḥ ekamapyāsthitaḥ samyag ubhayor vindate phalam

Karm yog (work in devotion) and sānkhya (renunciation of actions, or karm sanyās) are terms used only by the ignorant to describe two separate things. Real scholars tell us that we can get the benefits of both by devoting ourselves to any one of these routes.

 VERSE 5

यत्साङ्ख्यै: प्राप्यते स्थानं तद्योगैरपि गम्यते | एकं साङ्ख्यं च योगं च य: पश्यति स पश्यति || 5||

yat sānkhyaiḥ prāpyate sthānaṁ tad yogair api gamyate ekaṁ sānkhyaṁ cha yogaṁ cha yaḥ paśhyati sa paśhyati

Working in devotion leads to the same sublime state that is reached through karm sanyās. Thus, individuals who consider karm yog and karm sanyās to be interchangeable genuinely perceive reality as it is.

 VERSE 6

संन्यासस्तु महाबाहो दु:खमाप्तुमयोगत: | योगयुक्तो मुनिर्ब्रह्म नचिरेणाधिगच्छति || 6||

sannyāsas tu mahā-bāho duḥkham āptum ayogataḥ yoga-yukto munir brahma na chireṇādhigachchhati

O Mighty Arjun, it is difficult to achieve perfect renunciation (karm sanyās) without working in devotion (karm yog). However, the sage who is skilled in karm yog easily attains the Supreme.

 VERSE 7

योगयुक्तो विशुद्धात्मा विजितात्मा जितेन्द्रिय: | सर्वभूतात्मभूतात्मा कुर्वन्नपि न लिप्यते || 7||

yoga-yukto viśhuddhātmā vijitātmā jitendriyaḥ sarva-bhūtātma-bhūtātmā kurvann api na lipyate

The Soul of all souls is seen in every living thing by the karmic yogis, who possess a pure intellect and mastery over the mind and senses. Despite engaging in a variety of activities, they never become entangled.

 VERSE 8

नैव किञ्चित्करोमीति युक्तो मन्येत तत्त्ववित् | पश्यञ्शृण्वन्स्पृशञ्जिघ्रन्नश्नन्गच्छन्स्वपञ्श्वसन् || 8|| प्रलपन्विसृजन्गृह्ण्न्नुन्मिषन्निमिषन्नपि | इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेषु वर्तन्त इति धारयन् || 9||

naiva kiñchit karomīti yukto manyeta tattva-vit paśhyañ śhṛiṇvan spṛiśhañjighrann aśhnangachchhan svapañśhvasan pralapan visṛijan gṛihṇann unmiṣhan nimiṣhann api indriyāṇīndriyārtheṣhu vartanta iti dhārayan

Even whether they see, hear, touch, smell, move, sleep, breathe, speak, expel, grip, or open or close their eyes, those who practice karm yog consistently believe, "I am not the performer." They observe that just their physical senses are moving among their objects in the light of divine knowledge.

 VERSE 10

ब्रह्मण्याधाय कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा करोति य: | लिप्यते न स पापेन पद्मपत्रमिवाम्भसा || 10||

brahmaṇyādhāya karmāṇi saṅgaṁ tyaktvā karoti yaḥ lipyate na sa pāpena padma-patram ivāmbhasā

When someone dedicates their activities to God and gives up all attachment, they are not affected by sin in the same way that water does not affect a lotus leaf.

 VERSE 11

कायेन मनसा बुद्ध्या केवलैरिन्द्रियैरपि | योगिन: कर्म कुर्वन्ति सङ्गं त्यक्त्वात्मशुद्धये || 11||

kāyena manasā buddhyā kevalair indriyair api yoginaḥ karma kurvanti saṅgaṁ tyaktvātma-śhuddhaye

The yogis use their body, senses, mind, and intellect in deeds solely for the aim of self-purification while giving up attachment.

 VERSE 12

युक्त: कर्मफलं त्यक्त्वा शान्तिमाप्नोति नैष्ठिकीम् | अयुक्त: कामकारेण फले सक्तो निबध्यते || 12||

yuktaḥ karma-phalaṁ tyaktvā śhāntim āpnoti naiṣhṭhikīm ayuktaḥ kāma-kāreṇa phale sakto nibadhyate

The karm yogis achieve everlasting tranquility by offering God the fruits of all their activities. Conversely, individuals who work with a selfish motive due to their desire and attachment to the results of their actions become trapped.

 VERSE 13

सर्वकर्माणि मनसा संन्यस्यास्ते सुखं वशी | नवद्वारे पुरे देही नैव कुर्वन्न कारयन् || 13||

sarva-karmāṇi manasā sannyasyāste sukhaṁ vaśhī nava-dvāre pure dehī naiva kurvan na kārayan

Happy in the city of nine gates are the embodied beings who are detached and self-controlled, free from thinking that they are the cause or the doers of anything.

 VERSE 14

न कर्तृत्वं न कर्माणि लोकस्य सृजति प्रभु: | न कर्मफलसंयोगं स्वभावस्तु प्रवर्तते || 14||

na kartṛitvaṁ na karmāṇi lokasya sṛijati prabhuḥ na karma-phala-saṅyogaṁ svabhāvas tu pravartate

God does not generate the fruits of activities, nor does He give us the experience of doership or the nature of actions. These are all carried out via the material nature's modes, or guṇas.

 VERSE 15

नादत्ते कस्यचित्पापं न चैव सुकृतं विभु: | अज्ञानेनावृतं ज्ञानं तेन मुह्यन्ति जन्तव: || 15||

nādatte kasyachit pāpaṁ na chaiva sukṛitaṁ vibhuḥ ajñānenāvṛitaṁ jñānaṁ tena muhyanti jantavaḥ

The all-pervading God is not concerned with anyone's good or bad actions. Living things are misled because ignorance obscures their inherent wisdom.

 VERSE 16

ज्ञानेन तु तदज्ञानं येषां नाशितमात्मन: | तेषामादित्यवज्ज्ञानं प्रकाशयति तत्परम् || 16||

jñānena tu tad ajñānaṁ yeṣhāṁ nāśhitam ātmanaḥ teṣhām āditya-vaj jñānaṁ prakāśhayati tat param

But just as the light illuminates everything upon rising, so the Supreme Entity is shown to those whose ignorance is dispelled by divine knowledge.

 VERSE 17

तद्बुद्धयस्तदात्मानस्तन्निष्ठास्तत्परायणा: | गच्छन्त्यपुनरावृत्तिं ज्ञाननिर्धूतकल्मषा: || 17||

tad-buddhayas tad-ātmānas tan-niṣhṭhās tat-parāyaṇāḥ gachchhantyapunar-āvṛittiṁ jñāna-nirdhūta-kalmaṣhāḥ

With the light of knowledge dispelling their sins, those whose intellect is set on God, who are totally engaged in God, and who have strong faith in God as the ultimate aim, swiftly arrive at the state from which there is no turning back.

 VERSE 18

विद्याविनयसम्पन्ने ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि | शुनि चैव श्वपाके च पण्डिता: समदर्शिन: || 18||

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini śhuni chaiva śhva-pāke cha paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśhinaḥ

With the eyes of divine wisdom, the truly enlightened perceive Brahmins, cows, elephants, dogs, and dog-eaters with equal clarity.

 VERSE 19

इहैव तैर्जित: सर्गो येषां साम्ये स्थितं मन: | निर्दोषं हि समं ब्रह्म तस्माद् ब्रह्मणि ते स्थिता: || 19||

ihaiva tair jitaḥ sargo yeṣhāṁ sāmye sthitaṁ manaḥ nirdoṣhaṁ hi samaṁ brahma tasmād brahmaṇi te sthitāḥ

The cycle of birth and death is broken in this life by those whose minds are fixed in equality of vision. They are seated in the Absolute Truth because they have all of God's faultless qualities.

 VERSE 20

न प्रहृष्येत्प्रियं प्राप्य नोद्विजेत्प्राप्य चाप्रियम् | स्थिरबुद्धिरसम्मूढो ब्रह्मविद् ब्रह्मणि स्थित: || 20||

na prahṛiṣhyet priyaṁ prāpya nodvijet prāpya chāpriyam sthira-buddhir asammūḍho brahma-vid brahmaṇi sthitaḥ

Firmly rooted in God, possessing a clear comprehension of divine wisdom, and freed by delusion, they neither celebrate the acquisition of pleasure nor grieve the occurrence of misery.

 VERSE 21

बाह्यस्पर्शेष्वसक्तात्मा विन्दत्यात्मनि यत्सुखम् | स ब्रह्मयोगयुक्तात्मा सुखमक्षयमश्नुते || 21||

bāhya-sparśheṣhvasaktātmā vindatyātmani yat sukham sa brahma-yoga-yuktātmā sukham akṣhayam aśhnute

Divine delight is experienced by those who are not dependent on worldly pleasures. They are eternally happy since Yog has brought them closer to God.

 VERSE 22

ये हि संस्पर्शजा भोगा दु:खयोनय एव ते | आद्यन्तवन्त: कौन्तेय न तेषु रमते बुध: || 22||

ye hi sansparśha-jā bhogā duḥkha-yonaya eva te ādyantavantaḥ kaunteya na teṣhu ramate budhaḥ

Although the pleasures derived from interaction with the sense objects seem pleasant to those with a worldly perspective, they actually cause suffering. The wise do not take pleasure in such delights, O son of Kunti, for they have an end and a beginning.

 VERSE 23

शक्नोतीहैव य: सोढुं प्राक्शरीरविमोक्षणात् | कामक्रोधोद्भवं वेगं स युक्त: स सुखी नर: || 23||

śhaknotīhaiva yaḥ soḍhuṁ prāk śharīra-vimokṣhaṇāt kāma-krodhodbhavaṁ vegaṁ sa yuktaḥ sa sukhī naraḥ

Those people are yogis, and they are the only ones who are happy because they are able to control the forces of desire and anger before giving up the body.

 VERSE 24

योऽन्त:सुखोऽन्तरारामस्तथान्तज्र्योतिरेव य: । स योगी ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं ब्रह्मभूतोऽधिगच्छति ।। 24।।

yo 'ntaḥ-sukho 'ntar-ārāmas tathāntar-jyotir eva yaḥ sa yogī brahma-nirvāṇaṁ brahma-bhūto 'dhigachchhati

Yogis who feel at peace within, who experience the joy of God within, and who are illuminated by their inner light become one with the Lord and are freed from the world.

 VERSE 25

लभन्ते ब्रह्मनिर्वाणमृषय: क्षीणकल्मषा: | छिन्नद्वैधा यतात्मान: सर्वभूतहिते रता: || 25||

labhante brahma-nirvāṇam ṛiṣhayaḥ kṣhīṇa-kalmaṣhāḥ chhinna-dvaidhā yatātmānaḥ sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ

A holy person who is freed from material existence and attains God is one who has purified faults, destroyed doubts, trained thoughts, and is committed to the well-being of all beings.

 VERSE 26

कामक्रोधवियुक्तानां यतीनां यतचेतसाम् | अभितो ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं वर्तते विदितात्मनाम् || 26||

kāma-krodha-viyuktānāṁ yatīnāṁ yata-chetasām abhito brahma-nirvāṇaṁ vartate viditātmanām

Liberation from material existence is both here and hereafter for those sanyāsīs who, by persistent effort, have broken free from anger and lust, have controlled their mind, and are self-realized.

 VERSE 27

स्पर्शान्कृत्वा बहिर्बाह्यांश्चक्षुश्चैवान्तरे भ्रुवो: | प्राणापानौ समौ कृत्वा नासाभ्यन्तरचारिणौ || 27|| यतेन्द्रियमनोबुद्धिर्मुनिर्मोक्षपरायण: | विगतेच्छाभयक्रोधो य: सदा मुक्त एव स: || 28||

sparśhān kṛitvā bahir bāhyānśh chakṣhuśh chaivāntare bhruvoḥ prāṇāpānau samau kṛitvā nāsābhyantara-chāriṇau yatendriya-mano-buddhir munir mokṣha-parāyaṇaḥ vigatechchhā-bhaya-krodho yaḥ sadā mukta eva saḥ

Eliminating any thoughts of pleasure from outside sources, maintaining a fixed gaze between the eyebrows, balancing the flow of air entering and leaving the nose, and thereby regulating the senses, mind, and intellect—the sage who breaks free from fear and desire and leads a life of freedom—all of these practices.

 VERSE 29

भोक्तारं यज्ञतपसां सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम् | सुहृदं सर्वभूतानां ज्ञात्वा मां शान्तिमृच्छति || 29||

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśhvaram suhṛidaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śhāntim ṛichchhati

Peace comes to My devotee after they know that I am the source of all austerities and sacrifices, the Almighty Lord of all worlds, and the selfless friend of all living things.