(1)
Arjuna
said: 'You say that it's better to go for the
intelligence than to desire the result of a victory, o
spur of man. With that being so, why do you encourage
me to engage in this ghastly confrontation, o paragon
of beauty? (2) Isn't speaking that equivocally not
confusing the issue? Tell me which position to take,
so that I can really benefit from what you're
saying!'
(3) Krishna
said: 'Indeed, are there two positions one may take in
this world, as I told you before o faultless one. At
the one hand, you may spiritually connect in the
analytic mind, and at the other hand you may connect
in being devoted to some kind of action. (4) A man
will not attain the perfection when he, as a devoted
person, simply tries to escape from the rest of his
material duties, nor will he be free from actions and
reactions when he, turning away from the world,
connects for the insight only. (5) No one, not even
for a moment, can exist without doing something.
Whether one likes it or not, one is, depending the
passion, the dullness or goodness one is in, always
forced to act because of one's karma. (6) Sure enough
you're faking it when you, restraining the senses,
foster a sense-oriented mind. (7) But Arjuna, when
you, regulating the senses mindfully, make a beginning
with connecting the operating senses in detaching from
the results of your labor, are you far better off. (8)
In sum: even if it's just for the sake of your body,
there's always work to do; so engage in your duty, for
to engage is better than to do nothing. (9) But
remember to do it as a sacrifice, otherwise you'll
dance to the tune of the world; and so will you, thus
proceeding o son of Kuntî, get over all
attachment.
(10) Starting
the universe with the generations and the sacrifices
they have to make, said the Creator, Lord
Brahmâ, to mankind: 'Prosper more and more, may
this sacrifice bring you all you desire'. (11) If you
please the people of God with your sacrifices, will
they please you on their turn, and thus pleasing one
another you'll attain the highest grace. (12) To
please the representatives of God with sacrifices will
bring you all you need, but he who enjoys life without
being of sacrifice is surely a thief. (13) The ones
devoted find relief eating from their sacrifices, but
those impure profiteers who eat only to please their
senses run into all kinds of trouble. (14) Our bodies
grow on grains, grains are there from rains, and rains
one finds in areas where one is conscientiously of
sacrifice for producing the crops. (15) That duty is
realized in the culture of knowledge, and the
knowledge finds its regulation and order with
religious austerities; and so, for that reason, will
you in sacrifices always find the spirit that connects
each and all.
(16) For
this reason is it so that he, who in his life fails to
adopt the cyclic order of sacrifice as one finds in
nature, in his catering to his senses is of a life
full of trouble which is quite meaningless. (17) At
the other hand is the one who takes pleasure in the
true and natural self, someone who finds himself
enlightened in self-realization; and such a one, who
seeks the perfect of satisfaction within himself
alone, knows no further obligations. (18) What he does
or not does in the world as a matter of duty, he will
never do in service of the world, nor will he think it
useful to hide behind the back of other living beings
in that. (19) And so rises a man above matters when he
unattached, but constantly, is motivated to do his job
as a matter of duty.
(20) Great
examples of rulers are there in our family who managed
perfectly, strictly keeping to their duty, and so
should you as well consider it the proper way to be an
example to others. (21) Whatever a respectable man
does, will by other people also be done; what he does
will by the whole world be used as an example to
follow in his footsteps. (22) I myself, having no
obligations in regard of the heavenly, the earth-bound
or the underworld, am as well engaged, even though
there's nothing in it for me. (23) You see, all the
world would run into chaos when people like me would
refrain from doing their job, o son of Prithâ,
it would lead to great confusion, and all the people
in the world would come to naught. (24) Surely would
the path that I followed in failing to be engaged with
care, be followed by everyone in every respect. (25)
Since the ignoramus does his work in
attachment,
o descendant of
Bharata,
must the man of
learning do so without, with the wish to set the
example for the common man. (26) At the same time, he
shouldn't upset the man of ignorance who is attached
to his karma; a man of learning should, attending to
his duty, try to involve all in his work.
(27) The
individual soul bewildered by false ego - his
identification with the body -, engages in all kinds
of activities under the influence of the threefold of
the modes of nature, and thus he considers himself the
doer. (28) But as a knower of the supreme truth, o man
of grip, mindful of the difference between the two
types of being engaged in the work of the senses and
in the work for the senses, is he never that fixed.
(29) Those who, bewildered by the modes of matter, are
bent on serving those qualities have no clue being lax
in self-realization; they shouldn't be agitated by the
ones who know. (30) Instead, better do it in your
forsaking the world all with me in mind, in the full
knowledge of the soul that is being fed by a
consciousness free from desire and greed; and thus
being free from the material fever, engage in the
fight. (31) All those who, faithful to these
instructions, are ever of a practice as regular as
nature, are human beings of belief and sharing who
free from envy become free, even free from the bond of
profit-minded work. (32) Those however who covetous
after what others have, being envious, are not of such
a regular practice to my instruction, are confused in
every type of logic one may adhere to; know them to be
lost without the natural consciousness. (33) Even
though a man of knowledge endeavors on his own, is he
still subjected to the material of nature; so what's
the point of turning away from it? (34) The senses,
fixed in being directed to their objects, are of
attachment and aversion; and these are emotions one
should never be controlled by because they no doubt
are one's stumbling blocks. (35) Dealing with these
matters, is it far better to follow one's own course
making mistakes than to be perfect in an estranged
way; it is no doubt better to suffer loss following
one's nature than to run into danger following a
strange course.'
(36) Arjuna
said: 'What then is it that impels a man to be wicked,
even unwillingly, o strength of a bull, as if he's
forced to it?'
(37) The
fortunate one said: 'The lust and anger you have from
your passion is the all-time wicked evil destroying
the whole world; know that emotionality to be your
greatest enemy out here. (38) One is covered by it
like a fire is by smoke, a mirror by dust and an
embryo by a womb. (39) Just like fire is the knowing
of the knower who is covered by this eternal enemy in
the form of unregulated desires, never satisfied, o
son of Kuntî. (40) This lust rules the senses,
the mind and the intelligence, and thus is the real
knowledge concealed and is the one embodied
bewildered. (41) Therefore, to begin with, tie the
senses down by proper regulation, o best of the Kuru
dynasty, and thus curb this drive of evil which is the
destroyer of all knowledge and wisdom. (42) One says
that the senses rank higher than their objects, that
the mind is on top of them, and that the intelligence
rules the mind, but you are the master of the
intelligence. (43) Superior to the intelligence,
knowing it all from steadying the mind deliberately, o
man of grip, thus rule and conquer that so difficult
to defeat enemy found in the form of
lust.'
