Sankhya Yoga

सञ्जय उवाच |

Sanjaya said: Seeing Arjuna full of compassion, his mind depressed, his eyes full of tears, Madhusudana (Krishna) spoke the following words.

कुतस्त्वा कश्मलमिदं विषमे समुपस्थितम् |

Whence has come upon you, O Arjuna, in this crisis this depression, this unmanliness? It does not become you. Do not yield to impotence, O Arjuna. It does not befit you. Such dejection is not for an Arya — it leads not to heaven and brings only disgrace.

क्लैब्यं मा स्म गमः पार्थ नैतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते |

Do not yield to unmanliness, O Arjuna. It does not befit you. Shake off faint-heartedness and arise, O scorcher of enemies!

कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभावः पृच्छामि त्वां धर्मसम्मूढचेताः |

My nature is overpowered by the weakness of pity and my mind is confused about duty. I ask you — tell me decisively what is good for me. I am your disciple. Please instruct me, for I have taken refuge in you.

अशोच्यानन्वशोचस्त्वं प्रज्ञावादांश्च भाषसे |

You grieve for those who should not be grieved for, yet you speak words of wisdom. The wise do not grieve for the living or the dead.

देहिनोऽस्मिन्यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा |

Just as the soul in this body passes through childhood, youth, and old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The wise person is not confused by this.

मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः |

O son of Kunti, the contacts between the senses and the sense objects give rise to feelings of cold and heat, pleasure and pain. They come and go; they are impermanent. Bear them, O Bharata.

यं हि न व्यथयन्त्येते पुरुषं पुरुषर्षभ |

O best among men, the person whom these (pairs of opposites) do not afflict, who is the same in pleasure and pain, who is wise and steady — that person is fit for immortality.

नासतो विद्यते भावो नाभावो विद्यते सतः |

The unreal never is. The real never ceases to be. The conclusion about both has been clearly perceived by the seers of truth.

अविनाशि तु तद्विद्धि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् |

Know that which pervades the entire body is indestructible. No one is able to destroy the imperishable soul.

य एनं वेत्ति हन्तारं यश्चैनं मन्यते हतम् |

He who thinks the soul is a slayer and he who thinks the soul is slain — both fail to perceive the truth. This soul neither slays nor is slain.

न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः |

The soul is never born, nor does it die. It has never come into being and will never come to be. It is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, and primeval. It is not slain when the body is slain.

वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय नवानि गृह्णाति नरोऽपराणि |

Just as a person puts on new garments, giving up old and worn-out ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.

नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि नैनं दहति पावकः |

Weapons cannot cut the soul, fire cannot burn it, water cannot wet it, and wind cannot dry it.

अव्यक्तोऽयमचिन्त्योऽयमविकार्योऽयमुच्यते |

This soul is said to be unmanifest, unthinkable, and immutable. Therefore, knowing this, you should not grieve for the body.

देही नित्यमवध्योऽयं देहे सर्वस्य भारत |

O Bharata, the soul that dwells within the body of every living being is eternally indestructible. Therefore you should not grieve for any living being.

स्वधर्ममपि चावेक्ष्य न विकम्पितुमर्हसि |

Considering your own duty, you should not waver. Indeed, there is no better engagement for a warrior than a battle fought on righteous principles.

नेहाभिक्रमनाशोऽस्ति प्रत्यवायो न विद्यते |

In this path there is no loss of effort, and there is no adverse result. Even a little practice of this discipline protects one from great danger.

व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिरेकेह कुरुनन्दन |

Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched and endless.

त्रैगुण्यविषया वेदा निस्त्रैगुण्यो भवार्जुन |

The Vedas deal mainly with the three modes of material nature. O Arjuna, rise above these three modes. Be free from the pairs of opposites, always established in pure goodness, free from the anxiety of acquiring and preserving, and be situated in the Self.

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन |

You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.

योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय |

O Dhananjaya, perform your duties established in yoga, abandoning all attachment to success or failure. Such evenness of mind is called yoga.

बुद्धियुक्तो जहातीह उभे सुकृतदुष्कृते |

One who is endowed with wisdom casts off both good and bad deeds even in this life. Therefore strive for yoga — for yoga is skill in action.

स्थितप्रज्ञस्य का भाषा समाधिस्थस्य केशव |

O Keshava, what are the signs of one who has transcended and is established in steady wisdom? How does the sthitaprajna speak? How does he sit? How does he walk?

प्रजहाति यदा कामान्सर्वान्पार्थ मनोगतान् |

O Arjuna, when a person completely gives up all desires that dwell in the mind, and is satisfied in the Self alone by the Self, then that person is said to be one of steady wisdom.

दुःखेष्वनुद्विग्नमनाः सुखेषु विगतस्पृहः |

One whose mind is undisturbed in misery, who does not long for pleasure, who is free from attachment, fear, and anger — that sage is said to be of steady mind.

यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वशः |

One who is able to withdraw the senses completely from sense objects, as the tortoise draws its limbs within the shell, is firmly established in perfect wisdom.

ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते |

While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them. From attachment, desire is born. From desire, anger arises.

क्रोधाद्भवति सम्मोहः सम्मोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रमः |

From anger comes complete delusion. From delusion comes bewilderment of memory. From bewilderment of memory comes the destruction of intelligence. And from the destruction of intelligence, one is ruined.

आपूर्यमाणमचलप्रतिष्ठं समुद्रमापः प्रविशन्ति यद्वत् |

As rivers flow into the ocean which is ever being filled yet remains unmoved, so too do all desires enter into the person who remains still — that person attains peace, not the one who craves the fulfillment of desires.

एषा ब्राह्मी स्थितिः पार्थ नैनां प्राप्य विमुह्यति |

O Partha, this is the divine state. Having attained it, one is no longer bewildered. Being established in it even at the hour of death, one attains liberation in Brahman.