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arjuna uvāca॥
Arjuna said:
saṃnyāsaṃ karmaṇāṃ kṛṣṇa punaryogaṃ ca śaṃsasi। yacchreya etayorekaṃ tanme brūhi suniścitam ॥6-27-1॥
O Krishna, you praise both the renunciation of actions and the practice of yoga. Please tell me clearly which one of these two is better.
śrībhagavānuvāca॥
The Blessed Lord spoke:
saṃnyāsaḥ karmayogaśca niḥśreyasakarāvubhau। tayostu karmasaṃnyāsātkarmayogo viśiṣyate ॥6-27-2॥
Both renunciation and the yoga of action lead to the highest good, but the yoga of action is considered superior to renunciation.
jñeyaḥ sa nityasaṃnyāsī yo na dveṣṭi na kāṅkṣati। nirdvaṃdvo hi mahābāho sukhaṃ bandhātpramucyate ॥6-27-3॥
The one who does not hate or desire is truly the eternal renouncer. O mighty-armed one, such a person, free from dualities, is joyfully liberated from all bonds.
sāṅkhyayogau pṛthagbālāḥ pravadanti na paṇḍitāḥ। ekamapyāsthitaḥ samyagubhayorvindate phalam ॥6-27-4॥
The unwise speak of knowledge and yoga as separate, but not the wise. One who is properly established in even one of these paths attains the results of both.
yatsāṅkhyaiḥ prāpyate sthānaṃ tadyogairapi gamyate। ekaṃ sāṅkhyaṃ ca yogaṃ ca yaḥ paśyati sa paśyati ॥6-27-5॥
The state achieved through Sankhya philosophy can also be attained through Yoga. One who perceives Sankhya and Yoga as the same truly understands their essence.
saṃnyāsastu mahābāho duḥkhamāptumayogataḥ। yogayukto munirbrahma nacireṇādhigacchati ॥6-27-6॥
O mighty-armed one, renunciation is difficult to achieve without yoga. However, a sage who is engaged in yoga quickly attains Brahman.
yogayukto viśuddhātmā vijitātmā jitendriyaḥ। sarvabhūtātmabhūtātmā kurvannapi na lipyate ॥6-27-7॥
A person who is engaged in yoga, with a pure mind, self-control, and mastery over the senses, who sees the Self in all beings, remains untainted even while performing actions.
naiva kiñcitkaromīti yukto manyeta tattvavit। paśyañśṛṇvanspṛśañjighrannaśnangacchansvapañśvasan ॥6-27-8॥
The enlightened person, understanding the truth, should consider themselves as not the doer of actions, even while perceiving, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, moving, sleeping, and breathing.
pralapan visṛjan gṛhṇan unmiṣan nimiṣan api। indriyāṇi indriyārtheṣu vartanta iti dhārayan ॥6-27-9॥
While talking, releasing, accepting, opening and closing the eyes, one should understand that the senses are naturally engaged with their objects.
brahmaṇyādhāya karmāṇi saṅgaṃ tyaktvā karoti yaḥ। lipyate na sa pāpena padmapatramivāmbhasā ॥6-27-10॥
One who performs actions by dedicating them to Brahman and renouncing attachment is not affected by sin, just as a lotus leaf remains untouched by water.
kāyena manasā buddhyā kevalairindriyairapi। yoginaḥ karma kurvanti saṅgaṃ tyaktvātmaśuddhaye ॥6-27-11॥
Yogis perform actions with their body, mind, intellect, and senses, without attachment, for the purpose of self-purification.
yuktaḥ karmaphalaṃ tyaktvā śāntimāpnoti naiṣṭhikīm। ayuktaḥ kāmakāreṇa phale sakto nibadhyate ॥6-27-12॥
One who is engaged in action, having renounced the fruits of action, attains lasting peace. However, one who is not engaged, driven by desire and attached to the fruits, becomes bound.
sarvakarmāṇi manasā saṃnyasyāste sukhaṃ vaśī। navadvāre pure dehī naiva kurvanna kārayan ॥6-27-13॥
The self-controlled person, having mentally renounced all actions, dwells happily in the body, which is like a city of nine gates, without doing or causing anything to be done.
na kartṛtvaṃ na karmāṇi lokasya sṛjati prabhuḥ। na karmaphalasaṃyogaṃ svabhāvastu pravartate ॥6-27-14॥
The Lord does not instigate the sense of agency or actions in the world, nor does He connect actions with their results; it is nature that operates.
nādatte kasyacitpāpaṃ na caiva sukṛtaṃ vibhuḥ। ajñānenāvṛtaṃ jñānaṃ tena muhyanti jantavaḥ ॥6-27-15॥
The omnipresent does not take on anyone's sins or good deeds. It is due to ignorance that knowledge is obscured, and thus creatures are deluded.
jñānena tu tadajñānaṃ yeṣāṃ nāśitamātmanaḥ। teṣāmādityavajjñānaṃ prakāśayati tatparam ॥6-27-16॥
However, for those whose ignorance is dispelled by knowledge, their wisdom shines like the sun, illuminating the supreme truth.
tadbuddhayastadātmānastanniṣṭhāstatparāyaṇāḥ। gacchantyapunarāvṛttiṃ jñānanirdhūtakalmaṣāḥ ॥6-27-17॥
Those who have their intellect and self absorbed in the Supreme, who are steadfast and have the Supreme as their ultimate goal, reach the state of no return, having their sins cleansed by knowledge.
vidyāvinayasampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini। śuni caiva śvapāke ca paṇḍitāḥ samadarśinaḥ ॥6-27-18॥
The wise see with equal vision a learned and humble Brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and a dog-eater.
ihaiva tairjitaḥ sargo yeṣāṃ sāmye sthitaṃ manaḥ। nirdoṣaṃ hi samaṃ brahma tasmādbrahmaṇi te sthitāḥ ॥6-27-19॥
Here, those whose minds are established in equanimity have already conquered creation. Being flawless and equal, they are established in Brahman.
na prahṛṣyetpriyaṃ prāpya nodvijetprāpya cāpriyam। sthirabuddhirasaṃmūḍho brahmavidbrahmaṇi sthitaḥ ॥6-27-20॥
A person should remain unaffected by joy or sorrow, maintaining a steady and undeluded mind, and be established in the knowledge of Brahman.
bāhyasparśeṣvasaktātmā vindatyātmani yatsukham। sa brahmayogayuktātmā sukhamakṣayamaśnute ॥6-27-21॥
The person who is not attached to external sensory contacts finds happiness within the self. Such a person, united with the divine through disciplined practice, attains everlasting happiness.
ye hi saṁsparśajā bhogā duḥkhayonaya eva te। ādyantavantaḥ kaunteya na teṣu ramate budhaḥ ॥6-27-22॥
Pleasures that arise from sensory contact are truly sources of suffering. They have a beginning and an end, and thus, O son of Kunti, the wise do not find joy in them.
śaknotīhaiva yaḥ soḍhuṃ prākśarīravimokṣaṇāt। kāmakrodhodbhavaṃ vegaṃ sa yuktaḥ sa sukhī naraḥ ॥6-27-23॥
A person who can withstand the urges of desire and anger before leaving the body is truly disciplined and happy.
yo'ntaḥsukho'ntarārāmastathāntarjyotireva yaḥ। sa yogī brahmanirvāṇaṃ brahmabhūto'dhigacchati ॥6-27-24॥
The yogi who is happy within, who rejoices within, and who is illumined within, attains the ultimate liberation of Brahman, becoming one with Brahman.
labhante brahmanirvāṇamṛṣayaḥ kṣīṇakalmaṣāḥ। chinnadvaidhā yatātmānaḥ sarvabhūtahite ratāḥ ॥6-27-25॥
Sages who have destroyed their impurities, resolved their doubts, are self-disciplined, and delight in the welfare of all beings, attain the ultimate liberation in Brahman.
kāmakrodhaviyuktānāṃ yatīnām yatacetasām। abhito brahmanirvāṇaṃ vartate viditātmanām ॥6-27-26॥
For ascetics free from desire and anger, with controlled minds, liberation in Brahman is present everywhere for those who have realized the self.
sparśānkṛtvā bahirbāhyāṃścakṣuścaivāntare bhruvoḥ। prāṇāpānau samau kṛtvā nāsābhyantaracāriṇau ॥6-27-27॥
Withdrawing the senses from external objects and fixing the gaze between the eyebrows, regulating the breath evenly within the nostrils.
yatendriyamanobuddhirmunirmokṣaparāyaṇaḥ। vigatecchābhayakrodho yaḥ sadā mukta eva saḥ ॥6-27-28॥
The sage who has mastery over his senses, mind, and intellect, and is devoted to liberation, is free from desires, fear, and anger, and is always liberated.
bhoktāraṃ yajñatapasāṃ sarvalokamaheśvaram। suhṛdaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ jñātvā māṃ śāntimṛcchati ॥6-27-29॥
One who knows Me as the enjoyer of sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all worlds, and the friend of all beings, attains peace.
