47. You have right only to [your] actions, not to [their] fruits. Never become the cause of the fruits of actions. [Also] do not have the desire for renouncing [all] action.
48. Being settled in yoga, perform actions while giving up [all] attachment, Oh! Dhananjaya, perform actions with a spirit of equanimity for success and failure. [This] equanimity is called yoga.
49. Oh! Dhananjay, since action [with desire] is utterly inferior to the yoga of buddhi,1 search for taking refuge in [the equanimity of] buddhi. Those who desire fruits are depraved.
50. He who is connected with buddhi gives up both merit and demerit in this world. Therefore, be settled in yoga. Yoga is efficiency in action.
51. The wise who are connected with buddhi give up the fruits of actions, (consequently) are freed from the bondage of (re-)birth, and reach the place that is without any suffering.
4. Without performing action, one cannot reach freedom from action. One cannot reach that goal merely by renouncing action.
5. No one can exist even for a moment without performing some action or other. Every one, born of nature, is forced to act, subject to the power of the (three) guṇas.2
6. The ignorant person who, controlling the organs of action,3 thinks of the objects of the sense organs, is called “one who practises lies.”
7. Oh! Arjuna, however, one who, controlling the (cognitive) sense organs with the help of mind,4 undertakes the yoga of action, being non-attached and with the organs of action,—such a person becomes the most distinguished.
8. You do recommended duties, since action is superior to inaction, (and also because) the pilgrimage of your body would be impossible if you renounce all action.
9. All action other than that which is performed for the sake of sacrifice5 becomes cause of bondage. Therefore, Oh! Sun of Kunti, be free from attachment and perform action for that purpose.
20. Men like Janaka had reached mokṣa6 by means of action. Keeping the goal of good of humankind, you ought to perform your action.
21. Whatever is practised by the best amongst men, that is done by inferior persons. Whatever the wise perform as required by the scriptures, is followed by others.
22. Oh! Pārtha, I do not have to do anything in the three worlds.7 There is nothing that I have not reached or I need to attain. Nevertheless, I am always engaged in action.
23. Oh! Pārtha, if I am not busied with action instead of being lazy, then human beings will follow my path.
24. (Therefore) If I did not perform any action, all these worlds would be destroyed; I would be responsible for mixture of varnas.8 I will be the cause of the destruction of all living beings.
25. Oh! Bhārata, The wise men, remaining non-attached but with the purpose of rendering good to humankind,9 shall act in the same way as the ignorant do, with attachment.
26. The wise should not cause confusion in the minds of the ignorant who are attached to their actions; (Rather) by performing all actions with a clear mind they must keep the ignorant engaged in their duties.
27. All actions are performed by the (three) guṇas of prakṛti.10 One whose buddhi is clouded by the “I”-sense, thinks “I am the agent.”
30. Offering all actions to me11 with a spiritually illuminated mind, be free from desire, without a sense of “mine” and freed from sorrow, and fight.
19. The wise call him learned, all whose efforts to act are free from desire and sense of “ego” and whose actions have been (purified by being) burnt in the fire of knowledge.
23. Freed from attachment, free from sense of ego, with his mind settled in self-knowledge—such a person, even if he performs actions for sacrifice has all his actions destroyed (i.e., without producing any “fruits”).
33. Oh! Vanquisher of enemies, Sacrifice in the form of knowledge is superior to sacrifice that is performed with things. Oh! Pārtha, all action culminates in knowledge.
34. Learn that path to knowledge by obeisance, by humble enquiry and by service. Being pleased with you, wise knower of the truth will instruct you about knowledge.
35. Oh! Pandava, when you acquire that knowledge by being instructed by me, you will not again be overtaken by confusion. That knowledge will enable you to see all beings in the self and in me.
36. You will be able to cross the ocean of bondage by the ship of (Brahman) knowledge, even if your are the worst sinner of all.
37. Oh! Arjuna, just as lighted fire reduces a heap of wood to ashes, so does the fire of knowledge reduce all action to ashes.
38. There is nothing in this world as pure (or, purifying) as knowledge. After a long period of purification through yoga, one receives this knowledge of the self.
39. One who has faith, and who is attached to knowledge and has controlled his senses, attains knowledge. Achieving knowledge, he immediately afterwards reaches the highest peace.
41. Oh! Dhananjaya, one who has renounced (the fruits of) actions by Yoga and whose doubts have been destroyed by knowledge, such a person, in possession of his self, is not bound by actions.
6–7. Oh! Pārtha, those who, offering all their actions to me, being devoted to me, by the yoga of sole dependence on me, worship and contemplate me, are in no time saved by me—those devotees, wholly thoughtful of me—from the ocean of Samsāra infested with death.
8. Place your mind only in me, direct your intellect towards me, in that case after death you will live in me. There is no doubt about this.
9. Oh! Dhananjaya, in case you are not able to concentrate on me with undisturbed mind, then aspire after reaching me by means of repeated practice of yoga.
10. If you are unable to perform this repeated practice, then perform such actions which please me. You will reach mokṣa by performing all actions for my sake.
11. If you are unable even to do this, then, controlling your senses, taking recourse to the yoga of offering all action to me, renounce the fruits of all actions.
12. Knowledge is better than mere practice; meditation is better than knowledge; renouncing the fruits of action is superior to meditation; peace follows immediately after renouncing the fruits of action.
13–14. He who has no aversion for any living being, is friendly, compassionate, ego-less, free from pride, free from attachment to pleasure and aversion to pain, forgiving, ever content, fixed in yoga, self-controlled, with unwavering thought of the Self, who has offered his mind and intellect in me, also is my devotee, he is dear to me.
1. “Buddhi” means intellect, discernment, reflection.
2. This refers to the Sāṃkhya view that all nature consists of, and is determined by the three “qualities”: “sattva,” “rajas,” and “tamas.”
3. The five organs of action are: hands feet, the organ of speaking, the ejecting sense, and the reproductive organ.
4. Here “mind” translates the Sanskrit cognate word “manas” meaning the internal organs having the functions of thinking, conception, desire and will.
5. Here “sacrifice” meaning fire sacrifices is used symbolically.
6. “Mokṣa” means “spiritual freedom” (from bondage, ignorance, suffering).
7. The three worlds are: earth, heaven, and underworld.
8. “Varṇa” means “color” referring to the four castes.
9. This one motive, namely, good of humankind, is permitted in karmayoga.
10. “Prakṛti” means “nature” as opposed to the spirit or puruṣa.
11. Here Kṛṣṇa refers to himself as the incarnation of Godhead.
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From The Bhagavad Gītā. Translated by J.N. Mohanty.