Chapter 2
Suffering
1. To Arjuna who was overwhelmed by compassion, distressed and tearful, Krishna spoke these words, “to behave like this is not becoming for a righteous man. It does not enhance your reputation, nor does it lead to heaven. A successful warrior does not give in to unmanliness. It does not benefit you. Overcome this emotional state, get up and fight!”
4. Arjuna replied, “Oh Destroyer of Demons, how can I fight against these men who are worthy of worship? It would be better to beg for food than to kill these exalted men who taught me everything I know. Whatever wealth and pleasure I will gain from this war would be stained with blood. It is impossible to tell whether it is better if we should conquer them or they should conquer us. How can we continue to live once we have slain these brave men facing us?
Even if I were to obtain an unrivalled and prosperous kingdom by winning this war I do not see anything that will take away this pain that disturbs my senses. You are right. I am emotional and confused. I am your student. I take refuge in you. Tell me what I should do.”
Then the great warrior said, “I shall not fight” and fell silent.
Self Knowledge
Standing between the two armies, Krishna, as if smiling, replied,
11. “The wise grieve neither for the dead, nor for the living. There was never a time that I did not exist, nor you nor these kings. Nor will any of us cease to exist in the future. Because those who live in a body experience birth, childhood, youth, old age and the gaining of another body it is foolish to grieve. Sense contacts give rise to ever-changing sensations of heat and cold, pleasure and pain. You have no choice but to experience them. Only a respectable person unaffected by pleasure and pain is fit for liberation.
16. What is unreal does not exist. What is real never ceases to exist. This knowledge will set you free. Know That to be indestructible which pervades this entire universe. No one can bring about the destruction of That which never changes. The Self…which is not an object of knowledge…is indestructible even though it lives in dying bodies. Anyone who thinks that the Self kills or that it can be killed does not know the truth. It is not born so how can it die? It is ever present and not subject to time. When the body dies it does not die. How can you say that you are a killer if you know the Self as it is? Just as a person changes old clothes for new the Indweller gives up its old body for a new one.
23. Weapons cannot destroy the Self. Fire can’t burn it, nor can water wet it. The wind cannot dry it. It is changeless, all pervading, immovable, and eternal. Knowing that it is not an object of thought, and not subject to change, you should not grieve. Even if you see the Self caught in a constant cycle of births and deaths you should not grieve because what is born dies and what dies is reborn. It is foolish to worry about what cannot be changed.
28. All beings are unmanifest in the beginning, become manifest in the middle of their life cycles and return to the unmanifest condition in the end. What is there to grieve about, Arjuna?
29. Some people see the Self as a wonder. Others speak of it as a wonder and some hear of it as a wonder. Yet, even after hearing about It people do not understand It at all. This Self, the one who dwells in the bodies of all beings, is always indestructible. Therefore you ought not to grieve for these people.
31. Also, if you consider this situation from the standpoint of your duty, you should not waver. Nothing is more auspicious for a warrior than a righteous war. Only lucky warriors are given the opportunity to fight an unsolicited war. It is an open gate to heaven. But if you forfeit your honor and refuse to do your duty you will incur sin. People will speak of your unending infamy. For the honorable person, dishonor is worse than death. Your peers, the great warriors, who esteem you now, will see you as a coward. They will mock and ridicule you. They will belittle your talents and say unforgettable things. What could be more painful? Consider this: if you die you will gain heaven. If you win you will enjoy the world. Therefore, stand up and fight! See pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat in the same light and prepare for battle. You will incur no sin.
Karma Yoga
39. So far I have told you the wisdom of Self knowledge. Now listen to the wisdom of yoga which will free you from bondage to action. In this yoga, no effort is wasted, nor are any unsuitable results produced. Even very little karma yoga protects one from great fear.
41. You should have a clear understanding about the nature of liberation. Those who lack discrimination entertain many erroneous notions. Full of desire and believing there is nothing better, non-discriminating people engross themselves in rituals for the purpose of gaining pleasure or power or heaven. They utter flowery words concerning various practices that are meant to make them happy. Because those seeking power and pleasure are easily led astray by the promises of ritual activities, discrimination does not take place.
45. The subject matter of the ritualistic portion of the Vedas is related to the three qualities. Realize yourself to be free from the three-fold qualities and from the sorrow that arises from contact with the pairs of opposites. Be ever established in sattva, free from the anxiety to acquire and protect. Be a master of yourself. For the one who knows the Self the Vedas are of as much use as a small puddle when the land is flooded.
47. You can choose which actions you wish to perform but you have no control over the results. Don’t think of yourself as the author of the results of your actions and don’t be attached to inaction. Remain steadfast in yoga and act without attachment to the results. Remain the same in success and failure alike. This steadiness of mind is called yoga.
49. Desire prompted action is inferior to action performed with the karma yoga attitude. Take refuge in this attitude. Those who perform action only for the desired result are misers.
50. The karma yoga attitude causes steadiness of mind and frees one of good and bad karma in this world. Therefore, commit yourself to karma yoga. Karma yoga is discretion in action. With the karma yoga attitude the wise, no longer concerned with the results of their actions and free from the bondage of rebirth, accomplish the result that is free from limitation.
52. When your intellect is no longer deluded you will become dispassionate concerning what has happened and what will happen. When your mind is no longer concerned with the results promised in the Vedas it remains steady and becomes established in the Self. This leads to Self knowledge.”
Chapter 3
Karma Yoga
1. Arjuna said, “You say that knowledge is superior to action, but if this is true why do you encourage me to do this gruesome deed? You are confusing me with seemingly contradictory words. Decide what is best and reveal the one path to liberation.”
3. Krishna said, “I ordained a two-fold lifestyle for beings in this world…the path of knowledge for renunciates and the path of action for doers. You cannot get free of action merely by the nonperformance of action. Nor can you attain liberation simply by renunciation. Indeed, you cannot avoid action even for a second because sattva, rajas and tamas compel you to act.
6. A person who controls the sense organs yet still craves sense pleasures is confused. It is better to control the senses and act with the karma yoga understanding. Because action is superior to inaction you should do what has to be done. It is even impossible to maintain the body without action.
Karma Yoga Spirit
9. Actions other than those done in a sacrificial spirit bind you to karma. The Creator instilled this spirit in the beginning and said, “By sacrifice you shall multiply. It will fulfill your desires.” Honor life with this spirit and it will honor you. This attitude leads to freedom. When you honor life it supplies desirable things…but if you enjoy its gifts without offering something in return you are a thief. Those who eat the remnant of the sacrifice incur no guilt but those who eat only for themselves verily eat guilt.
14. Living beings are born of food, food comes from rain, rain comes from the effects of sacrifice and sacrifice is born of action. The Vedas encourage a sacrificial religious attitude and the Vedas come from the imperishable Self. If you keep this attitude you are always in harmony with the Self. The lives of those who do not live in harmony with the cosmic order but pursue sense pleasures instead are wasted.
17. Nothing need be done by those who delight in the Self, are satisfied with the Self alone and whose lives are centered on the Self. They have no reason to do or not to do…nor do they depend on objects for their happiness. Do what is to be done well without attachment and you will attain the highest good. Not only will you attain liberation by acting in this spirit you will inspire others to act in this way. Because whatever a role model does is done by others.
I need not act. As far as I am concerned everything in the three worlds is perfect so there is nothing for me to do. Yet I act because if I become lazy and refuse to act people would follow my example. They would become confused. The social bonds that keep a society healthy would unravel and it would deteriorate.
24, 25. Just as the unwise who are attached to the results of their actions act only for themselves, the wise should perform action without attachment for the good of others. They should not lecture the unwise concerning action and its results. Instead they should encourage them to act in the right spirit by example.
30. With a discriminating mind free of anger, expectation and a sense of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ offer your actions to me and fight! If you faithfully follow this teaching without finding fault you will be freed from the results of your actions. But if you are doubtful and do not follow it you will not progress. It is wise to act in harmony with your own nature. Because all beings follow their own natures automatically what use is control?
34. Attachment and aversion to sense objects are your intractable enemies. It is better to die imperfectly performing one’s duties according to one’s own dharma than to live performing the dharma of another well. The dharma of another is fraught with danger.
The Power of Desire
36. Arjuna said, “What is that terrible force that causes self insulting actions even though there is a strong desire to the contrary?”
37. Krishna said: “Rajas produces desire and anger. It is a great glutton and an inveterate sinner. Know it be an intractable foe. Just as fire is often covered by clouds of smoke, as a mirror may be covered by dust or a fetus is hidden in the womb, Self knowledge is hidden by Desire. The insatiable fire of Desire is the constant enemy of the wise because it prevents Self knowledge. Situated in the senses, mind, and intellect, it deludes the person and obscures his or her wisdom. Therefore, Oh! Arjuna, control the senses at the outset and destroy this force, the killer of wisdom.
42. The sense organs are subtler than the body; the mind is subtler than the sense organs; the intellect is subtler than the mind and the Self is subtler than the intellect. Know That which is beyond the intellect, steady your emotions and destroy this hidden enemy.
