Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga
Knowledge as a sacrifice. Action as offering. Krishna names his own incarnations and the lineage of yoga that came before.
All 42 verses of this chapter on one page. Read straight through, or press play and follow each verse as it is recited.
श्री भगवानुवाच इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवानहमव्ययम् । विवस्वान् मनवे प्राह मनुरिक्ष्वाकवेऽब्रवीत् ॥
The Lord said: I taught this imperishable yoga to Vivasvan. Vivasvan taught it to Manu, and Manu taught it to Ikshvaku.
एवं परम्पराप्राप्तमिमं राजर्षयो विदुः । स कालेनेह महता योगो नष्टः परन्तप ॥
O scorcher of foes, this yoga was known by the royal sages through an unbroken lineage. In the course of great time, this yoga was lost in this world.
स एवायं मया तेऽद्य योगः प्रोक्तः पुरातनः । भक्तोऽसि मे सखा चेति रहस्यं ह्येतदुत्तमम् ॥
Because you are my devotee and my friend, I have taught you today this ancient yoga. It is a supreme secret.
अर्जुन उवाच अपरं भवतो जन्म परं जन्म विवस्वतः । कथमेतद्विजानीयां त्वमादौ प्रोक्तवानिति ॥
Arjuna said: Your birth is recent, while the birth of the Sun is ancient. How am I to understand that you taught this yoga at the beginning of creation?
श्री भगवानुवाच बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि जन्मानि तव चार्जुन । तान्यहं वेद सर्वाणि न त्वं वेत्थ परन्तप ॥
Krishna said: Many births of yours and mine have passed, Arjuna. I know them all, but you do not, enemy-burner.
अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन् । प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय संभवाम्यात्ममायया ॥
Though unborn and imperishable, and though I am the lord of all beings, I manifest myself by controlling my own nature through my own power of appearance.
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत । अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदाऽऽत्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ॥
Whenever there is a decline of dharma and a rise of adharma, I manifest myself.
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् । धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय संभवामि युगे युगे ॥
For the protection of the righteous, for the destruction of wrongdoers, and for the establishment of dharma, I appear age after age.
जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः । त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म नैति मामेति सोऽर्जुन ॥
Arjuna, my birth and action are divine. One who truly understands this does not take birth again after leaving the body, but comes to me.
वीतरागभयक्रोधा मन्मया मामुपाश्रिताः । बहवो ज्ञानतपसा पूता मद्भावमागताः ॥
Many, purified by the austerity of knowledge, free from attachment, fear, and anger, absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, have attained My being.
ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तांस्तथैव भजाम्यहम् । मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ॥
As people approach Me, so I respond to them. All people follow My path in every way, O Arjuna.
काङ्क्षन्तः कर्मणां सिद्धिं यजन्त इह देवताः । क्षिप्रं हि मानुषे लोके सिद्धिर्भवति कर्मजा ॥
People who want quick success worship radiant beings, because results from action come quickly in the human world.
चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागशः । तस्य कर्तारमपि मां विद्ध्यकर्तारमव्ययम् ॥
The four social orders were created by Me according to qualities and actions. Though I am their maker, know Me as the unchanging non-doer.
न मां कर्माणि लिम्पन्ति न मे कर्मफले स्पृहा । इति मां योऽभिजानाति कर्मभिर्न स बध्यते ॥
Actions do not stain me, and I do not crave their fruits. One who knows me this way is not bound by actions.
एवं ज्ञात्वा कृतं कर्म पूर्वैरपि मुमुक्षुभिः । कुरु कर्मैव तस्मात्त्वं पूर्वैः पूर्वतरं कृतम् ॥
Even seekers of freedom acted after knowing this. Therefore, do the work that your ancestors always did.
किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिताः । तत्ते कर्म प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात् ॥
What is action, and what is inaction? Even the wise are confused here. I will explain that action to you, knowing which you will be freed from what is harmful.
कर्मणो ह्यपि बोद्धव्यं बोद्धव्यं च विकर्मणः । अकर्मणश्च बोद्धव्यं गहना कर्मणो गतिः ॥
Action, forbidden action, and inaction must all be understood, because the movement of action is hard to grasp.
कर्मण्यकर्म यः पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म यः । स बुद्धिमान् मनुष्येषु स युक्तः कृत्स्नकर्मकृत् ॥
One who sees action in inaction, and inaction in action, is wise among people; that person is disciplined and complete in action.
यस्य सर्वे समारम्भाः कामसङ्कल्पवर्जिताः । ज्ञानाग्निदग्धकर्माणं तमाहुः पण्डितं बुधाः ॥
The wise call that person learned whose actions begin without desire or personal planning, and whose deeds are burned by the fire of knowledge.
त्यक्त्वा कर्मफलासङ्गं नित्यतृप्तो निराश्रयः । कर्मण्यभिप्रवृत्तोऽपि नैव किञ्चित्करोति सः ॥
One who has abandoned attachment to the fruits of action, remains ever content, and depends on nothing, does nothing at all even while fully engaged in action.
निराशीर्यतचित्तात्मा त्यक्तसर्वपरिग्रहः । शारीरं केवलं कर्म कुर्वन्नाप्नोति किल्बिषम् ॥
One who has no hope, who has controlled the body and mind, and who has given up all possessions, does only bodily action and incurs no fault.
यदृच्छालाभसन्तुष्टो द्वन्द्वातीतो विमत्सरः । समः सिद्धावसिद्धौ च कृत्वापि न निबध्यते ॥
Content with whatever comes by itself, beyond opposites, free from envy, equal in success and failure, such a person is not bound even while acting.
गतसङ्गस्य मुक्तस्य ज्ञानावस्थितचेतसः । यज्ञायाचरतः कर्म समग्रं प्रविलीयते ॥
For one who has given up attachment, is freed, and whose mind rests in knowledge, all action melts away when done only for sacrifice.
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्महविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् । ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ॥
In such sacrifice, the offering is Brahman, the oblation is Brahman, and the act of offering into the fire of Brahman is Brahman. One whose action is absorbed in Brahman reaches Brahman alone.
दैवमेवापरे यज्ञं योगिनः पर्युपासते । ब्रह्माग्नावपरे यज्ञं यज्ञेनैवोपजुह्वति ॥
Some yogis offer sacrifice to the divine alone. Others offer the self into the fire of Brahman through sacrifice itself.
श्रोत्रादीनीन्द्रियाण्यन्ये संयमाग्निषु जुह्वति । शब्दादीन्विषयानन्य इन्द्रियाग्निषु जुह्वति ॥
Some yogis offer the senses into the fires of restraint. Others offer sound and the other sense-objects into the fires of the senses.
सर्वाणीन्द्रियकर्माणि प्राणकर्माणि चापरे । आत्मसंयमयोगाग्नौ जुह्वति ज्ञानदीपिते ॥
Others offer all the activities of the senses and the life-force into the fire of self-control, lit by knowledge.
द्रव्ययज्ञास्तपोयज्ञा योगयज्ञास्तथापरे । स्वाध्यायज्ञानयज्ञाश्च यतयः संशितव्रताः ॥
Others offer wealth, austerity, yoga, and the study of sacred texts as sacrifice, while disciplined seekers make these offerings with firm vows.
अपाने जुह्वति प्राण प्राणेऽपानं तथाऽपरे । प्राणापानगती रुद्ध्वा प्राणायामपरायणाः ॥
Some offer the outgoing breath into the incoming breath, and the incoming breath into the outgoing breath, restraining the movement of both through breath-control as their aim. Others, with regulated food, offer the breaths into the breaths. All of them know sacrifice and are cleansed by sacrifice.
अपरे नियताहाराः प्राणान्प्राणेषु जुह्वति । सर्वेऽप्येते यज्ञविदो यज्ञक्षपितकल्मषाः ॥
Some offer the breath into the breath through regulated breathing; some, with regulated food, offer the life-forces into the life-forces. All of them know sacrifice, and sacrifice has washed away their impurities.
यज्ञशिष्टामृतभुजो यान्ति ब्रह्म सनातनम् । नायं लोकोऽस्त्ययज्ञस्य कुतो़ऽन्यः कुरुसत्तम ॥
Those who partake of the nectar left over from sacrifice attain the eternal supreme reality. This world is not for the one who does not perform sacrifice; how then the next world?
एवं बहुविधा यज्ञा वितता ब्रह्मणो मुखे । कर्मजान्विद्धि तान्सर्वानेवं ज्ञात्वा विमोक्ष्यसे ॥
In this way, many kinds of sacrifice are described in the sacred teaching. Know them all as born of action; knowing this, you will be freed from the bondage of action.
श्रेयान्द्रव्यमयाद्यज्ञाज्ज्ञानयज्ञः परन्तप । सर्वं कर्माखिलं पार्थ ज्ञाने परिसमाप्यते ॥
O Arjuna, knowledge-sacrifice is better than sacrifice made of material things. All action and all matter end in knowledge.
तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया । उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः ॥
Know that by prostration, by sincere questioning, and by service. The wise who see reality will teach you that knowledge.
यज्ज्ञात्वा न पुनर्मोहमेवं यास्यसि पाण्डव । येन भूतान्यशेषेण द्रक्ष्यस्यात्मन्यथो मयि ॥
Knowing which, you will not fall into confusion again. Through which, you will see all beings without remainder first in yourself, and then in me.
अपि चेदसि पापेभ्यः सर्वेभ्यः पापकृत्तमः । सर्वं ज्ञानप्लवेनैव वृजिनं सन्तरिष्यसि ॥
Even if you are the worst of wrongdoers, you will cross all wrongdoing by the raft of knowledge alone.
यथैधांसि समिद्धोऽग्निर्भस्मसात्कुरुतेऽर्जुन । ज्ञानाग्निः सर्वकर्माणि भस्मसात्कुरुते तथा ॥
As a blazing fire reduces fuel to ashes, so the fire of knowledge reduces all actions to ashes, Arjuna.
न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते । तत्स्वयं योगसंसिद्धः कालेनात्मनि विन्दति ॥
No purifier compares to knowledge in this world. The one perfected in yoga finds that knowledge within the self in time.
श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः । ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परां शान्तिमचिरेणाधिगच्छति ॥
The person with trust, discipline, and controlled senses gains knowledge. Having gained knowledge, that person quickly reaches supreme peace.
अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति । नायं लोकोऽस्ति न परो न सुखं संशयात्मनः ॥
The ignorant and faithless person who doubts is ruined. For the doubter, there is neither this world, nor the next, nor happiness.
योगसंन्यस्तकर्माणं ज्ञानसंछिन्नसंशयम् । आत्मवन्तं न कर्माणि निबध्नन्ति धनञ्जय ॥
O Dhananjaya, actions do not bind the one who has renounced action through yoga, whose doubts have been cut away by knowledge, and who abides in the true self.
तस्मादज्ञानसंभूतं हृत्स्थं ज्ञानासिनाऽऽत्मनः । छित्त्वैनं संशयं योगमातिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ भारत ॥
Therefore, O Bharata, cut away this doubt in your heart, born of ignorance, with the sword of knowledge. Stand in yoga and rise up for battle.