Karma Yoga
You must act. That isn't a choice. The question Karma yoga answers is how to act without becoming enslaved to what the action produces.
All 43 verses of this chapter on one page. Read straight through, or press play and follow each verse as it is recited.
अर्जुन उवाच ज्यायसी चेत्कर्मणस्ते मता बुद्धिर्जनार्दन । तत्किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव ॥
Arjuna said: O Janardana, if you consider understanding superior to action, then why do you urge me to this terrible action, O Keshava? Your mixed words confuse my mind; tell me one clear thing by which I may attain what is good.
व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे । तदेकं वद निश्चित्य येन श्रेयोऽहमाप्नुयाम् ॥
Arjuna said: Your words seem mixed and confusing to me. Tell me one thing clearly, so I may find the highest good.
श्री भगवानुवाच लोकेऽस्मिन्द्विविधा निष्ठा पुरा प्रोक्ता मयानघ । ज्ञानयोगेन सांख्यानां कर्मयोगेन योगिनाम् ॥
The divine said: In this world, I have already taught two kinds of steadfast practice: the path of knowledge for the contemplative, and the path of action for the active.
न कर्मणामनारम्भान्नैष्कर्म्यं पुरुषोऽश्नुते । न च संन्यसनादेव सिद्धिं समधिगच्छति ॥
A person does not reach actionless freedom by avoiding action, nor by renouncing action alone does one reach perfection.
न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् । कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः ॥
No one can remain without action even for a moment. Everyone is driven to act by the qualities born of nature.
कर्मेन्द्रियाणि संयम्य य आस्ते मनसा स्मरन् । इन्द्रियार्थान्विमूढात्मा मिथ्याचारः स उच्यते ॥
One who restrains the organs of action but keeps thinking of sense objects in the mind is deluded and called a hypocrite.
यस्त्विन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्यारभतेऽर्जुन । कर्मेन्द्रियैः कर्मयोगमसक्तः स विशिष्यते ॥
Arjuna, the one who restrains the senses with the mind and begins karma yoga without attachment is श्रेष्ठ.
नियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं कर्म ज्यायो ह्यकर्मणः । शरीरयात्रापि च ते न प्रसिद्ध्येदकर्मणः ॥
Do the duty prescribed for you. Action is better than inaction, and even your body cannot be sustained by inaction.
यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्मबन्धनः । तदर्थं कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्तसंगः समाचर ॥
Actions done for sacrifice free a person; actions done for personal gain bind. Therefore, Arjuna, do your duty without attachment for that purpose alone.
सहयज्ञाः प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा पुरोवाच प्रजापतिः । अनेन प्रसविष्यध्वमेष वोऽस्त्विष्टकामधुक् ॥
In the beginning, Prajapati created beings together with sacrifice and said: “By this, you shall prosper. May this sacrifice be the wish-fulfilling cow for you.”
देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु वः । परस्परं भावयन्तः श्रेयः परमवाप्स्यथ ॥
By nurturing the radiant beings through this duty, let them nurture you. Nurturing one another, you will attain the highest good.
इष्टान्भोगान्हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते यज्ञभाविताः । तैर्दत्तानप्रदायैभ्यो यो भुङ्क्ते स्तेन एव सः ॥
The radiant beings, nourished by sacrifice, will give you the enjoyments you need. One who enjoys their gifts without offering back is a thief.
यज्ञशिष्टाशिनः सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषैः । भुञ्जते ते त्वघं पापा ये पचन्त्यात्मकारणात् ॥
Those who eat the leftovers of sacrifice are freed from all faults. Those who cook only for themselves eat only wrongdoing.
अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसम्भवः । यज्ञाद्भवति पर्जन्यो यज्ञः कर्मसमुद्भवः ॥
All beings arise from food. Food comes from rain. Rain comes from sacrifice. Sacrifice arises from action.
कर्म ब्रह्मोद्भवं विद्धि ब्रह्माक्षरसमुद्भवम् । तस्मात्सर्वगतं ब्रह्म नित्यं यज्ञे प्रतिष्ठितम् ॥
Know that action comes from the Vedas, and the Vedas come from the imperishable. Therefore, the all-pervading supreme reality is always established in sacrifice.
एवं प्रवर्तितं चक्रं नानुवर्तयतीह यः । अघायुरिन्द्रियारामो मोघं पार्थ स जीवति ॥
O Partha, the one who does not follow this cycle set in motion here lives in vain, delighting only in the senses and living a life of wrongdoing.
यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानवः । आत्मन्येव च सन्तुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते ॥
The person who delights in the true self, is satisfied in the true self, and is content in the true self has no duty left.
नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थो नाकृतेनेह कश्चन । न चास्य सर्वभूतेषु कश्चिदर्थव्यपाश्रयः ॥
For the perfected person, no purpose remains in doing, and no purpose remains in not doing. No being in the world is a source of personal gain.
तस्मादसक्तः सततं कार्यं कर्म समाचर । असक्तो ह्याचरन्कर्म परमाप्नोति पूरुषः ॥
Therefore, always perform your duty without attachment; by acting without attachment, a person reaches the supreme.
कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः । लोकसंग्रहमेवापि संपश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि ॥
Janaka and others attained perfection through action itself. You should act too, while keeping the welfare of the world in view.
यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः । स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते ॥
Whatever the best person does, others follow. Whatever standard they set, the world copies.
न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन । नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि ॥
O Partha, there is nothing in the three worlds that I must do, and nothing I have not yet gained that must be gained. Yet I remain engaged in action.
यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः । मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ॥
For if I ever stopped acting with care, people would follow my path in every way, Arjuna.
उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां कर्म चेदहम् । सङ्करस्य च कर्ता स्यामुपहन्यामिमाः प्रजाः ॥
If I did not act, these worlds would fall into ruin. I would create disorder and destroy these people.
सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत । कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथासक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसंग्रहम् ॥
As the ignorant act with attachment to action, so should the wise act without attachment, seeking the welfare of the world.
न बुद्धिभेदं जनयेदज्ञानां कर्मसङ्गिनाम् । जोषयेत्सर्वकर्माणि विद्वान् युक्तः समाचरन् ॥
An awakened person should not unsettle the minds of those attached to action. Instead, acting skillfully, such a person should engage them in all work.
प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः । अहङ्कारविमूढात्मा कर्ताऽहमिति मन्यते ॥
All actions are carried out in every way by the qualities of nature. Deluded by ego, a person thinks, 'I am the doer.'
तत्त्ववित्तु महाबाहो गुणकर्मविभागयोः । गुणा गुणेषु वर्तन्त इति मत्वा न सज्जते ॥
The one who truly understands the division of qualities and actions does not cling, seeing that qualities act upon qualities.
प्रकृतेर्गुणसम्मूढाः सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु । तानकृत्स्नविदो मन्दान्कृत्स्नविन्न विचालयेत् ॥
The ignorant, deluded by the qualities of nature, cling to actions born of those qualities. The wise should not unsettle those who do not yet understand fully.
मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि संन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा । निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वरः ॥
Surrender all actions to me with the disciplined mind. Free from desire, possessiveness, and sorrow, fight.
ये मे मतमिदं नित्यमनुतिष्ठन्ति मानवाः । श्रद्धावन्तोऽनसूयन्तो मुच्यन्ते तेऽपि कर्मभिः ॥
Those who always follow this teaching of Mine with trust and without fault-finding are freed from the bonds of action.
ये त्वेतदभ्यसूयन्तो नानुतिष्ठन्ति मे मतम् । सर्वज्ञानविमूढांस्तान्विद्धि नष्टानचेतसः ॥
But those who, finding fault with this teaching, do not follow it—know them to be deluded in all knowledge and ruined in understanding.
सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्याः प्रकृतेर्ज्ञानवानपि । प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि निग्रहः किं करिष्यति ॥
Even the wise act according to their own nature. All beings follow nature; what can restraint do?
इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ । तयोर्न वशमागच्छेत्तौ ह्यस्य परिपन्थिनौ ॥
Attachment and aversion sit in every sense-object. Do not come under their power, for they are your enemies on the path.
श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् । स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ॥
Better is one's own duty, though imperfect, than another's duty well performed. Better death in one's own duty; another's duty is dangerous.
अर्जुन उवाच अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुषः । अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजितः ॥
Arjuna said: O descendant of the Vrishni clan, what drives a person to commit wrongdoing, even unwillingly, as if forced?
श्री भगवानुवाच काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः । महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम् ॥
Krishna said: Desire, born of rajas, turns into anger. It is all-consuming and deeply destructive. Know it as your enemy here.
धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथाऽऽदर्शो मलेन च । यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम् ॥
As fire is covered by smoke, a mirror by dust, and a womb by a membrane, so clear seeing is covered by desire.
आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा । कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च ॥
O son of Kunti, wisdom is covered by this desire, the eternal enemy of the wise, as fire is never satisfied.
इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिरस्याधिष्ठानमुच्यते । एतैर्विमोहयत्येष ज्ञानमावृत्य देहिनम् ॥
The senses, the mind, and the discerning mind are said to be its seat. Through them, it deludes the embodied person by veiling understanding.
तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ । पाप्मानं प्रजहि ह्येनं ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम् ॥
Therefore, O best of the Bharatas, first control the senses, and then destroy this great sinner, the destroyer of knowledge and wisdom.
इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः । मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्यो बुद्धेः परतस्तु सः ॥
The senses are higher than the body; the mind is higher than the senses; the discerning mind is higher than the mind. And beyond the discerning mind is the self.
एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना । जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम् ॥
Thus, knowing the higher beyond the intellect, steady the lower self by the higher self, and destroy that enemy in the form of desire, which is hard to conquer.