Bhagavad Gita

Unintelligent, tormenting the aggregated elements forming the body, and Me also, seated in the inner body, know these demoniacal in their resolves

The food also which is dear to each is threefold, as also sacrifice, austerity and almsgiving. Hear thou the distinction of these

The foods that augment vitality, energy, vigour, health, joy and cheerfulness, delicious, bland, substantial and agreeable, are dear to the pure

The passionate desire foods that are bitter, sour, saline, over-hot, pungent, dry and burning and which produce pain, grief and sickness

That which is stale and flat, putrid and corrupt, leavings also and unclean, is the food dear to the dark

The sacrifice which is offered by men without desire for fruit, as enjoined by the ordinances, under the firm belief that sacrifice is a duty, that is pure

The sacrifice offered with a view verily to fruit, and also indeed for self-glorification, O best of the Bhâratas; know thou that to be of passion

The sacrifice contrary to the ordinances, without distributing food, devoid of words of power and without gifts, empty of faith, is said to be of darkness

Worship given to the Gods, to the twice-born, to the teachers and to the wise, purity, straightforwardness, continence and harmlessness, are called the austerity of the body

Speech causing no annoyance, truthful, pleasant and beneficial, the practice of the study of the Scriptures, are called the austerity of speech

Mental happiness, equilibrium, silence, self-control, purity of nature—these are called the austerity of the mind

This threefold austerity, performed by men with the utmost faith, without desire for fruit, harmonised, is said to be pure

The austerity which is practised with the object of gaining respect, honour and worship, and for ostentation, is said to be of passion, unstable and fleeting

That austerity done under a deluded understanding, with self-torture, or with the object of destroying another, that is declared of darkness

That given with a view to receiving in return, or looking for fruit again, or grudgingly, that alms is accounted of passion

That alms given at unfit place and time, and to unworthy persons, disrespectfully and contemptuously, that is declared of darkness

"," this has been considered to be the threefold designation of the . By that were ordained of old Brâhmanas, Vedas and sacrifices

Therefore with the pronunciation of "" the acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity as laid down in the ordinances are always commenced by the knowers of the

With the pronunciation of "" and without aiming at fruit are performed the various acts of sacrifice, austerity and gift, by those desiring liberation

"" is used in the sense of reality and goodness; likewise, O Pârtha, the word "" is used in the sense of a good work

Steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity and gift is also called "", and action for the sake of the Supreme is also named "."

Whatsoever is wrought without faith, oblation, gift, austerity, or other deed, "Asat" it is called, O Pârtha; it is nought, here or hereafter

}} I desire, O mighty-armed, to know severally the essence of renunciation, O Hrishîkesha, and of relinquishment, O Keshinishûdana

}} Sages have known as renunciation the renouncing of works with desire; the relinquishing of the fruit of all actions is called relinquishment by the wise

"Action should be relinquished as an evil," declare some thoughtful men; "acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity should not be relinquished," say others

Hear my conclusions as to that relinquishment, O best of the Bhâratas; since relinquishment, O tiger of men, has been explained as threefold

Acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity should not be relinquished, but should be performed; sacrifice, gift and also austerity are the purifiers of the intelligent

But even these actions should be done leaving aside attachment and fruit, O Pârtha; that is my certain and best belief

Verily renunciation of actions that are prescribed is not proper; the relinquishment thereof from delusion is said to be of darkness

He who relinquisheth an action from fear of physical suffering, saying "Painful," thus performing a passionate relinquishment, obtaineth not the fruit of relinquishment

He who performeth a prescribed action, saying, "it ought to be done," O Arjuna, relinquishing attachment and also fruit, that relinquishment is regarded as pure

The relinquisher pervaded by purity, intelligent and with doubts cut away, hateth not unpleasurable action nor is attached to pleasurable

Nor indeed can embodied beings completely relinquish action; verily he who relinquisheth the fruit of action, he is said to be a relinquisher

Good, evil and mixed—threefold is the fruit of action hereafter for the non-relinquisher; but there is none ever for the renouncer

These five causes, O mighty-armed, learn of Me as declared in the Sâñkhya system for the accomplishment of all actions

The body, the actor, the various organs, the diverse kinds of energies, and the presiding deities also, the fifth

That being so, he verily who—owing to untrained Reason—looketh on his , which is isolated, as the actor, he of perverted intelligence, seeth not

He who is free from the egoistic notion, whose Reason is not affected, though he slay these peoples, he slayeth not, nor is bound

Knowledge, the knowable and the knower, the threefold impulse to action; the organ, the action, the actor, the threefold constituents of action

Knowledge, action and actor in the category of qualities are also said to be severally threefold, from the difference of qualities; hear thou duly these also

That by which one indestructible Being is seen in all beings, inseparate in the separated, know thou that knowledge as pure

But that knowledge which regardeth the several manifold existences in all beings as separate, that knowledge know thou as of passion;

While that which clingeth to each one thing as if it were the whole, without reason, without grasping the reality, narrow, that is declared to be dark

An action which is ordained, done by one undesirous of fruit, devoid of attachment, without love or hate, that is called pure

But that action that is done by one longing for desires, or again with egoism, or with much effort, that is declared to be passionate

The action undertaken from delusion, without regard to capacity and consequences—loss and injury to others—that is declared to be dark

Liberated from attachment, not egoistic, endued with firmness and confidence, unchanged by success or failure, that actor is called pure

Impassioned, desiring to obtain the fruit of actions, greedy, harmful, impure, moved by joy and sorrow, such an actor is pronounced passionate

Discordant, vulgar, stubborn, cheating, malicious, indolent, despairful, procrastinating, that actor is called dark

The division of Reason and of firmness also, threefold according to the qualities, hear thou related, unreservedly and severally, O Dhananjaya

That which knoweth energy and abstinence, what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, fear and fearlessness, bondage and liberation, that Reason is pure, O Pârtha

That by which one understandeth away Right and Wrong and also what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, that Reason, O Pârtha, is passionate

The unwavering firmness by which, through Yoga, one restraineth the activity of the mind, of the life breaths and of the sense-organs, that firmness, O Pârtha, is pure

But the firmness, O Arjuna, by which, from attachment desirous of fruit, one holdeth fast duty, desire and wealth, that firmness, O Pârtha, is passionate

That by which one from stupidity doth not abandon sleep, fear, grief, despair, and also vanity, that firmness, O Pârtha, is dark

And now the threefold kinds of pleasure hear thou from Me, O bull of the Bhâratas. That in which one by practice rejoiceth, and which putteth an end to pain;

Which at first is as venom but in the end is as nectar; that pleasure is said to be pure, born of the blissful knowledge of the

That which from the union of the senses with their objects at first is as nectar, but in the end is like venom, that pleasure is accounted passionate

That pleasure which both at first and afterwards is delusive of the self, arising from sleep, indolence and heedlessness, that is declared dark

There is not an entity, either on the earth or again in heaven among the Shining Ones, that is liberated from these three qualities, born of Matter

Of Brâhmanas, Kshattriyas, Vaishyas and Shûdras, O Parantapa, the duties have been distributed, according to the qualities born of their own natures

Serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forgiveness and also uprightness, wisdom, knowledge, belief in God, are the Brâhmana duty, born of his own nature

Prowess, splendour, firmness, dexterity, and also not flying from battle, generosity, the nature of a ruler, are the Kshattriya duty, born of his own nature

Ploughing, protection of kine, and trade are the Vaishya duty, born of his own nature. Action of the nature of service is the Shûdra duty, born of his own nature

Man reacheth perfection by each being intent on his own duty. Listen thou how perfection is won by him who is intent on his own duty

He from whom is the emanation of beings, by Whom all This is pervaded, by worshipping Him in his own duty a man winneth perfection

Better is one's own duty though destitute of merits than the well-executed duty of another. He who doeth the duty laid down by his own nature incurreth not sin

Congenital duty, O son of Kunti, though defective, ought not to be abandoned. All undertakings indeed are clouded by defects as fire by smoke

He whose Reason is everywhere unattached, the self-subdued, dead to desires, he goeth by renunciation to the supreme perfection of freedom from obligation

How he who hath attained perfection obtaineth the , that highest state of wisdom, learn thou from Me only succinctly, O Kaunteya

}} United to this Reason, purified, controlling the self by firmness, having abandoned sound and the other objects of the senses, having laid aside passion and malice,

Dwelling in solitude, abstemious, speech, body and mind subdued, constantly fixed in meditation and yoga, taking refuge in dispassion,

Having cast aside egoism, violence, arrogance, desire, wrath, covetousness, selfless and peaceful—he is fit to become the

Becoming the , serene in the , he neither grieveth nor desireth; the same to all beings, he obtaineth supreme devotion unto Me

By devotion he knoweth Me in essence, who and what I am; having thus known Me in essence he forthwith entereth into the Supreme

Though ever performing all actions, taking refuge in Me, by My grace he obtaineth the eternal indestructible abode

Renouncing mentally all works in Me, intent on Me, resorting to the yoga of discrimination, have thy thought ever on Me

Thinking on Me, thou shalt overcome all obstacles by My grace: but if from egoism thou wilt not listen, thou shalt be destroyed utterly

Entrenched in egoism, thou thinkest, "I will not fight;" to no purpose thy determination; nature will constrain thee

O son of Kuntî, bound by thine own duty born of thine own nature, that which from delusion thou desirest not to do, even that helplessly thou shalt perform

The Lord dwelleth in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, by His illusive Power causing all beings to revolve, as though mounted on a potter's wheel

Flee unto Him for shelter with all thy being, O Bhârata; by His grace thou shalt obtain supreme peace, the everlasting dwelling-place

Thus hath wisdom, more secret than secrecy itself, been declared unto thee by Me; having reflected on it fully, then act thou as thou listest

Listen thou again to My supreme word, most secret of all; beloved art thou of Me, and steadfast of heart, therefore will I speak for thy benefit

Merge thy mind in Me, be my devotee, sacrifice to Me, prostrate thyself before Me, thou shalt come even to Me. I pledge thee My troth; thou art dear to Me

Abandoning all duties come unto Me alone for shelter; sorrow not, I will liberate thee from all sins

Never is this to be spoken by thee to anyone who is without asceticism, nor without devotion, nor to one who desireth not to listen, nor yet to him who speaketh evil of Me

He who shall declare this supreme secret among My devotees, having shown the highest devotion for Me, without doubt he shall come to Me

Nor is there any among men who performeth dearer service to Me than he, nor any other shall be more beloved by Me on earth than he

And he who shall study this sacred dialogue of ours, by him I shall be worshipped with the sacrifice of wisdom. Such is My mind

The man also who, full of faith, merely heareth it unreviling, even he, freed from evil, obtaineth the radiant worlds of the righteous

Hath this been heard, O son of Prithâ, with one-pointed mind? Has thy delusion, caused by unwisdom, been destroyed, O Dhananjaya?

}} Destroyed is my delusion. I have gained knowledge through Thy grace, O Immutable one. I am firm, my doubts have fled away. I will do according to Thy word

}} I heard this marvellous dialogue of Vâsudeva, and of the great-souled Partha, causing my hair to stand on end

By the favour of Vyâsa I listened to this secret and supreme yoga from the Lord of Yoga, Krishna Himself, speaking before mine eyes

O King, remembering, remembering this marvellous and holy dialogue between Keshava and Arjuna, I rejoice again and again

Remembering, remembering, also that most marvellous form of Hari, great is my wonder, O King. I rejoice, again and again

Wherever is Krishna, Yoga's Lord, wherever is Pârtha, the archer, assured are there prosperity, victory and happiness. So I think