THE EIGHTEENTH TEACHING
THE WONDROUS
DIALOGUE CONCLUDES
Arjuna
Krishna, I want to know
the real essence
of both renunciation
and relinquishment.
1
Lord Krishna
Giving up actions based on desire,
the poets know as “renunciation”;
relinquishing all fruit of action,
learned men call “relinquishment.”
2
Some wise men say all action
is flawed and must be relinquished;
others say action in sacrifice, charity,
and penance must not be relinquished.
3
Arjuna, hear my decision
about relinquishment;
it is rightly declared
to be of three kinds.
4
Action in sacrifice, charity,
and penance is to be performed,
not relinquished—for wise men,
they are acts of sanctity.
5
But even these actions
should be done by relinquishing to me
attachment and the fruit of action—
this is my decisive idea.
6
Renunciation of prescribed action
is inappropriate;
relinquished in delusion,
it becomes a way of dark inertia.
7
When one passionately relinquishes
difficult action from fear
of bodily harm, he cannot win
the fruit of relinquishment.
8
But if one performs prescribed action
because it must be done,
relinquishing attachment and the fruit,
his relinquishment is a lucid act.
9
He does not disdain unskilled action
nor cling to skilled action;
in his lucidity the relinquisher
is wise and his doubts are cut away.
10
A man burdened by his body
cannot completely relinquish actions,
but a relinquisher is defined
as one who can relinquish the fruits.
11
The fruit of action haunts men
in death if they fail to relinquish
all forms, unwanted, wanted, and mixed—
but not if men renounce them.
12
Arjuna, learn from me
the five causes
for the success of all actions
as explained in philosophical analysis.
13
They are the material basis,
the agent, the different instruments,
various kinds of behavior,
and finally fate, the fifth.
14
Whatever action one initiates
through body, speech, and mind,
be it proper or perverse,
these five causes are present.
15
This being so, when a man
of poor understanding and misjudgment
sees himself as the only agent,
he cannot be said to see.
16
When one is free of individuality
and his understanding is untainted,
even if he kills these people,
he does not kill and is not bound.
17
Knowledge, its object, and its subject
are the triple stimulus of action;
instrument, act, and agent
are the constituents of action.
18
Knowledge, action, agent are threefold,
differentiated by qualities of nature;
hear how this has been explained
in the philosophical analysis of qualities.
19
Know that through lucid knowledge
one sees in all creatures
a single, unchanging existence,
undivided within its divisions.
20
Know passionate knowledge
as that which regards
various distinct existences
separately in all creatures.
21
But knowledge that clings
to a single thing as if it were the whole,
limited, lacking a sense of reality,
is known for its dark inertia.
22
Action known for its lucidity
is necessary, free of attachment,
performed without attraction or hatred
by one who seeks no fruit.
23
Action called passionate
is performed with great effort
by an individualist
who seeks to satisfy his desires.
24
Action defined by dark inertia
is undertaken in delusion,
without concern for consequences,
for death or violence, or for manhood.
25
An agent called pure
has no attachment or individualism,
is resolute and energetic,
unchanged in failure and success.
26
An agent said to be passionate
is anxious to gain the fruit of action,
greedy, essentially violent, impure,
subject to excitement and grief.
27
An agent defined by dark inertia
is undisciplined, vulgar, stubborn,
fraudulent, dishonest, lazy,
depressed, and slow to act.
28
Listen as I tell you without reserve
about understanding and resolve,
each in three aspects,
according to the qualities of nature.
29
In one who knows activity and rest,
acts of right and wrong,
bravery and fear, bondage and freedom,
understanding is lucid.
30
When one fails to discern
sacred duty from chaos,
right acts from wrong,
understanding is passionate.
31
When it thinks in perverse ways,
is covered in darkness,
imagining chaos to be sacred duty,
understanding is darkly inert.
32
When it sustains acts
of mind, breath, and senses
through discipline without wavering,
resolve is lucid.
33
When it sustains with attachment
duty, desire, and wealth,
craving their fruits,
resolve is passionate.
34
When a fool cannot escape
dreaming, fear, grief,
depression, and intoxication,
courage is darkly inert.
35
Arjuna, now hear about joy,
the three ways of finding delight
through practice
that brings an end to suffering.
36
The joy of lucidity
at first seems like poison
but is in the end like ambrosia,
from the calm of self-understanding.
37
The joy that is passionate
at first seems like ambrosia
when senses encounter sense objects,
but in the end it is like poison.
38
The joy arising from sleep,
laziness, and negligence,
self-deluding from beginning to end,
is said to be darkly inert.
39
There is no being on earth
or among the gods in heaven
free from the triad of qualities
that are born of nature.
40
The actions of priests, warriors,
commoners, and servants
are apportioned by qualities
born of their intrinsic being.
41
Tranquility, control, penance,
purity, patience and honesty,
knowledge, judgment, and piety
are intrinsic to the action of a priest.
42
Heroism, fiery energy, resolve,
skill, refusal to retreat in battle,
charity, and majesty in conduct
are intrinsic to the action of a warrior.
43
Farming, herding cattle, and commerce
are intrinsic to the action of a commoner;
action that is essentially service
is intrinsic to the servant.
44
Each one achieves success
by focusing on his own action;
hear how one finds success
by focusing on his own action.
45
By his own action a man finds success,
worshipping the source
of all creatures' activity,
the presence pervading all that is.
46
Better to do one's own duty imperfectly
than to do another man's well;
doing action intrinsic to his being,
a man avoids guilt.
47
Arjuna, a man should not relinquish
action he is born to, even if it is flawed;
all undertakings are marred by a flaw,
as fire is obscured by smoke.
48
His understanding everywhere detached,
the self mastered, longing gone,
one finds through renunciation
the supreme success beyond action.
49
Understand in summary from me
how when he achieves success
one attains the infinite spirit,
the highest state of knowledge.
50
Armed with his purified understanding,
subduing the self with resolve,
relinquishing sensuous objects,
avoiding attraction and hatred;
51
Observing solitude, barely eating,
restraining speech, body, and mind;
practicing discipline in meditation,
cultivating dispassion;
52
Freeing himself from individuality, force,
pride, desire, anger, acquisitiveness;
unpossessive, tranquil,
he is at one with the infinite spirit.
53
Being at one with the infinite spirit,
serene in himself, he does not grieve or crave;
impartial toward all creatures,
he achieves supreme devotion to me.
54
Through devotion he discerns me,
just who and how vast I really am;
and knowing me in reality,
he enters into my presence.
55
Always performing all actions,
taking refuge in me,
he attains through my grace
the eternal place beyond change.
56
Through reason, renounce all works
in me, focus on me;
relying on the discipline of understanding,
always keep me in your thought.
57
If I am in your thought, by my grace
you will transcend all dangers;
but if you are deafened
by individuality, you will be lost.
58
Your resolve is futile
if a sense of individuality
makes you think, “I shall not fight”—
nature will compel you to.
59
You are bound by your own action,
intrinsic to your being, Arjuna;
even against your will you must do
what delusion now makes you refuse.
60
Arjuna, the lord resides
in the heart of all creatures,
making them reel magically,
as if a machine moved them.
61
With your whole being, Arjuna,
take refuge in him alone—
from his grace you will attain
the eternal place that is peace.
62
This knowledge I have taught
is more arcane than any mystery—
consider it completely,
then act as you choose.
63
Listen to my profound words,
the deepest mystery of all,
for you are precious to me
and I tell you for your good.
64
Keep your mind on me,
be my devotee, sacrificing, bow to me—
you will come to me, I promise,
for you are dear to me.
65
Relinquishing all sacred duties to me,
make me your only refuge;
do not grieve,
for I shall free you from all evils.
66
You must not speak of this
to one who is without penance and devotion,
or who does not wish to hear,
or who finds fault with me.
67
When he shares this deepest mystery
with others devoted to me,
giving me his total devotion,
a man will come to me without doubt.
68
No mortal can perform
service for me that I value more,
and no other man on earth
will be more dear to me than he is.
69
I judge the man who studies
our dialogue on sacred duty
to offer me sacrifice
through sacrifice in knowledge.
70
If he listens in faith,
finding no fault, a man is free
and will attain the cherished worlds
of those who act in virtue.
71
Arjuna, have you listened
with your full powers of reason?
Has the delusion of ignorance
now been destroyed?
72
Arjuna
Krishna, my delusion is destroyed,
and by your grace I have regained memory;
I stand here, my doubt dispelled,
ready to act on your words.
73
Sanjaya
As I heard this wondrous dialogue
between Krishna and Arjuna,
the man of great soul,
the hair bristled on my flesh.
74
By grace of the epic poet Vyasa, I heard
the mystery of supreme discipline
recounted by Krishna himself,
the lord of discipline incarnate.
75
O King, when I keep remembering
this wondrous and holy dialogue
between Krishna and Arjuna,
I rejoice again and again.
76
In my memory I recall again
and again Krishna's wondrous form—
great is my amazement, King;
I rejoice again and again.
77
Where Krishna is lord of discipline
and Arjuna is the archer,
there do fortune, victory, abundance,
and morality exist, so I think.
78