shlOkaH
arjuna uvaacha
jyaayasee chEtkarmaNastE mataa buddhirjanaardana ।
tatkiM karmaNi ghOrE maaM niyOjayasi kEshava ॥ 1 ॥
Meaning
arjunaH uvaaca — Arjuna said; jyaayasee — better; cEt — if; karmaNaH — than fruitive action; tE — by You; mataa — is considered; buddhiH — intelligence; janaardana — O Kṛṣṇa; tat — therefore; kim — why; karmaNi — in action; ghOrE — ghastly; maam — me; niyOjayasi — You are engaging; kEshava — O Kṛṣṇa.
Translation
Arjuna said: O Janārdana, O Keśava, why do You want to engage me in this ghastly warfare, if You think that intelligence is better than fruitive work?
shlOkaH
vyaamishrENEva vaakyEna buddhiM mOhayaseeva mE ।
tadEkaM vada nishchitya yEna shrEyO.ahamaapnuyaam ॥ 2 ॥
Meaning
vyaamishrENa — by equivocal; iva — certainly; vaakyEna — words; buddhim — intelligence; mOhayasi — You are bewildering; iva — certainly; mE — my; tat — therefore; Ekam — only one; vada — please tell; nishcitya — ascertaining; yEna — by which; shrEyaH — real benefit; aham — I; aapnuyaam — may have.
Translation
My intelligence is bewildered by Your equivocal instructions. Therefore, please tell me decisively which will be most beneficial for me.
shlOkaH
shreebhagavaanuvaacha
lOkE.asmindvividhaa nishhThaa puraa prOktaa mayaanagha ।
jjhNaanayOgEna saaMkhyaanaaM karmayOgEna yOginaam ॥ 3 ॥
Meaning
shree-bhagavaan uvaaca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; lOkE — in the world; asmin — this; dvi-vidhaa — two kinds of; nishhThaa — faith; puraa — formerly; prOktaa — were said; mayaa — by Me; anagha — O sinless one; jjhNaana-yOgEna — by the linking process of knowledge; saankhyaanaam — of the empiric philosophers; karma-yOgEna — by the linking process of devotion; yOginaam — of the devotees.
Translation
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O sinless Arjuna, I have already explained that there are two classes of men who try to realize the self. Some are inclined to understand it by empirical, philosophical speculation, and others by devotional service.
shlOkaH
na karmaNaamanaarambhaannaishhkarmya purushhO.ashnautE ।
na cha sannyasanaadEva siddhiM samadhigachChati ॥ 4 ॥
Meaning
na — not; karmaNaam — of prescribed duties; anaarambhaat — by nonperformance; naishhkarmyam — freedom from reaction; purushhaH — a man; ashnutE — achieves; na — nor; ca — also; sannyasanaat — by renunciation; Eva — simply; siddhim — success; samadhigacchati — attains.
Translation
Not by merely abstaining from work can one achieve freedom from reaction, nor by renunciation alone can one attain perfection.
shlOkaH
na hi kashchitkshhaNamapi jaatu tishhThatyakarmakRRit ।
kaaryatE hyavashaH karma sarvaH prakRRitijairguNaiH ॥ 5 ॥
Meaning
na — nor; hi — certainly; kashcit — anyone; kshhaNam — a moment; api — also; jaatu — at any time; tishhThati — remains; akarma-kRRit — without doing something; kaaryatE — is forced to do; hi — certainly; avashaH — helplessly; karma — work; sarvaH — all; prakRRiti-jaiH — born of the modes of material nature; guNaiH — by the qualities.
Translation
Everyone is forced to act helplessly according to the qualities he has acquired from the modes of material nature; therefore no one can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment.
shlOkaH
karmEndriyaaNi saMyamya ya aastE manasaa smaran ।
indriyaarthaanvimooDhaatmaa mithyaachaaraH sa uchyatE ॥ 6 ॥
Meaning
karma-indriyaaNi — the five working sense organs; saṁyamya — controlling; yaH — anyone who; aastE — remains; manasaa — by the mind; smaran — thinking of; indriya-arthaan — sense objects; vimooDha — foolish; aatmaa — soul; mithyaa-aacaaraH — pretender; saH — he; ucyatE — is called.
Translation
One who restrains the senses of action but whose mind dwells on sense objects certainly deludes himself and is called a pretender.
shlOkaH
yastvindriyaaNi manasaa niyamyaarabhatE.arjuna ।
karmEndriyaiH karmayOgamasaktaH sa vishishhyatE ॥ 7 ॥
Meaning
yaH — one who; tu — but; indriyaaNi — the senses; manasaa — by the mind; niyamya — regulating; aarabhatE — begins; arjuna — O Arjuna; karma-indriyaiH — by the active sense organs; karma-yOgam — devotion; asaktaH — without attachment; saH — he; vishishhyatE — is by far the better.
Translation
On the other hand, if a sincere person tries to control the active senses by the mind and begins karma-yoga [in Kṛṣṇa consciousness] without attachment, he is by far superior.
shlOkaH
niyataM kuru karma tvaM karma jyaayO hyakarmaNaH ।
shareerayaatraapi cha tE na prasiddhyEdakarmaNaH ॥ 8 ॥
Meaning
niyatam — prescribed; kuru — do; karma — duties; tvam — you; karma — work; jyaayaH — better; hi — certainly; akarmaNaH — than no work; shareera — bodily; yaatraa — maintenance; api — even; ca — also; tE — your; na — never; prasidhyEt — is effected; akarmaNaH — without work.
Translation
Perform your prescribed duty, for doing so is better than not working. One cannot even maintain one’s physical body without work.
shlOkaH
yajjhNaarthaatkarmaNO.anyatra lOkO.ayaM karmabandhanaH ।
tadarthaM karma kauntEya muktasangaH samaachara ॥ 9 ॥
Meaning
yajjhNa-arthaat — done only for the sake of Yajña, or Viṣṇu; karmaNaH — than work; anyatra — otherwise; lOkaH — world; ayam — this; karma-bandhanaH — bondage by work; tat — of Him; artham — for the sake; karma — work; kauntEya — O son of Kuntī; mukta-sangaH — liberated from association; samaacara — do perfectly.
Translation
Work done as a sacrifice for Viṣṇu has to be performed; otherwise work causes bondage in this material world. Therefore, O son of Kuntī, perform your prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain free from bondage.
shlOkaH
sahayajjhNaaH prajaaH sRRishhTvaa purOvaacha prajaapatiH ।
anEna prasavishhyadhvamEshha vO.astvishhTakaamadhuk ॥ 10 ॥
Meaning
saha — along with; yajjhNaaH — sacrifices; prajaaH — generations; sRRishhTvaa — creating; puraa — anciently; uvaaca — said; prajaa-patiH — the Lord of creatures; anEna — by this; prasavishhyadhvam — be more and more prosperous; EshhaH — this; vaH — your; astu — let it be; ishhTa — of all desirable things; kaama-dhuk — bestower.
Translation
In the beginning of creation, the Lord of all creatures sent forth generations of men and demigods, along with sacrifices for Viṣṇu, and blessed them by saying, “Be thou happy by this yajña [sacrifice] because its performance will bestow upon you everything desirable for living happily and achieving liberation.”
shlOkaH
dEvaanbhaavayataatEna tE dEvaa bhaavayantu vaH ।
parasparaM bhaavayantaH shrEyaH paramavaapsyatha ॥ 11 ॥
Meaning
dEvaan — demigods; bhaavayataa — having pleased; anEna — by this sacrifice; tE — those; dEvaaH — demigods; bhaavayantu — will please; vaH — you; parasparam — mutually; bhaavayantaH — pleasing one another; shrEyaH — benediction; param — the supreme; avaapsyatha — you will achieve.
Translation
The demigods, being pleased by sacrifices, will also please you, and thus, by cooperation between men and demigods, prosperity will reign for all.
shlOkaH
ishhTaanbhOgaanhi vO dEvaa daasyantE yajjhNabhaavitaaH ।
tairdattaanapradaayaibhyO yO bhunktE stEna Eva saH ॥ 12 ॥
Meaning
ishhTaan — desired; bhOgaan — necessities of life; hi — certainly; vaH — unto you; dEvaaH — the demigods; daasyantE — will award; yajjhNa-bhaavitaaH — being satisfied by the performance of sacrifices; taiH — by them; dattaan — things given; apradaaya — without offering; EbhyaH — to these demigods; yaH — he who; bhunktE — enjoys; stEnaH — thief; Eva — certainly; saH — he.
Translation
In charge of the various necessities of life, the demigods, being satisfied by the performance of yajña [sacrifice], will supply all necessities to you. But he who enjoys such gifts without offering them to the demigods in return is certainly a thief.
shlOkaH
yajjhNashishhTaashinaH santO muchyantE sarvakilbishhai ।
bhunjatE tE tvaghaM paapaa yE pachantyaatmakaaraNaat ॥ 13 ॥
Meaning
yajjhNa-shishhTa — of food taken after performance of yajña; ashinaH — eaters; santaH — the devotees; mucyantE — get relief; sarva — all kinds of; kilbishhaiH — from sins; bhunjatE — enjoy; tE — they; tu — but; agham — grievous sins; paapaaH — sinners; yE — who; pacanti — prepare food; aatma-kaaraNaat — for sense enjoyment.
Translation
The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin.
shlOkaH
annaadbhavanti bhootaani parjanyaadannasambhavaH ।
yajjhNaadbhavati parjanyO yajjhNaH karmasamudbhavaH ॥ 14 ॥
Meaning
annaat — from grains; bhavanti — grow; bhootaani — the material bodies; parjanyaat — from rains; anna — of food grains; sambhavaH — production; yajjhNaat — from the performance of sacrifice; bhavati — becomes possible; parjanyaH — rain; yajjhNaH — performance of yajña; karma — prescribed duties; samudbhavaH — born of.
Translation
All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajña [sacrifice], and yajña is born of prescribed duties.
shlOkaH
karma brahmOdbhavaM viddhi brahmaakshharasamudbhavam ।
tasmaatsarvagataM brahma nityaM yajjhNE pratishhThitam ॥ 15 ॥
Meaning
karma — work; brahma — from the Vedas; udbhavam — produced; viddhi — you should know; brahma — the Vedas; akshhara — from the Supreme Brahman (Personality of Godhead); samudbhavam — directly manifested; tasmaat — therefore; sarva-gatam — all-pervading; brahma — transcendence; nityam — eternally; yajjhNE — in sacrifice; pratishhThitam — situated.
Translation
Regulated activities are prescribed in the Vedas, and the Vedas are directly manifested from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Consequently the all-pervading Transcendence is eternally situated in acts of sacrifice.
shlOkaH
EvaM pravartitaM chakraM naanuvartayateeha yaH ।
aghaayurindriyaaraamO mOghaM paartha sa jeevati ॥ 16 ॥
Meaning
Evam — thus; pravartitam — established by the Vedas; cakram — cycle; na — does not; anuvartayati — adopt; iha — in this life; yaH — one who; agha-aayuH — whose life is full of sins; indriya-aaraamaH — satisfied in sense gratification; mOgham — uselessly; paartha — O son of Pṛthā (Arjuna); saH — he; jeevati — lives.
Translation
My dear Arjuna, one who does not follow in human life the cycle of sacrifice thus established by the Vedas certainly leads a life full of sin. Living only for the satisfaction of the senses, such a person lives in vain.
shlOkaH
yastvaatmaratirEva syaadaatmatRRiptashcha maanavaH ।
aatmanyEva cha santushhTastasya kaaryaM na vidyatE ॥ 17 ॥
Meaning
yaH — one who; tu — but; aatma-ratiH — taking pleasure in the Self; Eva — certainly; syaat — remains; aatma-tRRiptaH — self-illuminated; ca — and; maanavaH — a man; aatmani — in himself; Eva — only; ca — and; santushhTaH — perfectly satiated; tasya — his; kaaryam — duty; na — does not; vidyatE — exist.
Translation
But for one who takes pleasure in the Self, whose human life is one of self-realization, and who is satisfied in the Self only, fully satiated – for him there is no duty.
shlOkaH
naiva tasya kRRitEnaarthO naakRRitEnEha kashchana ।
na chaasya sarvabhootEshhu kashchidarthavyapaashrayaH ॥ 18 ॥
Meaning
na — never; Eva — certainly; tasya — his; kRRitEna — by discharge of duty; arthaH — purpose; na — nor; akRRitEna — without discharge of duty; iha — in this world; kashcana — whatever; na — never; ca — and; asya — of him; sarva-bhootEshhu — among all living beings; kashcit — any; artha — purpose; vyapaashrayaH — taking shelter of.
Translation
A self-realized man has no purpose to fulfill in the discharge of his prescribed duties, nor has he any reason not to perform such work. Nor has he any need to depend on any other living being.
shlOkaH
tasmaadasaktaH satataM kaaryaM karma samaachara ।
asaktO hyaacharankarma paramaapnOti poorooshhaH ॥ 19 ॥
Meaning
tasmaat — therefore; asaktaH — without attachment; satatam — constantly; kaaryam — as duty; karma — work; samaacara — perform; asaktaH — unattached; hi — certainly; aacaran — performing; karma — work; param — the Supreme; aapnOti — achieves; poorushhaH — a man.
Translation
Therefore, without being attached to the fruits of activities, one should act as a matter of duty, for by working without attachment one attains the Supreme.
shlOkaH
karmaNaiva hi saMsiddhimaasthitaa janakaadayaH ।
lOkasangrahamEvaapi sampashyankartumarhasi ॥ 20 ॥
Meaning
karmaNaa — by work; Eva — even; hi — certainly; saṁsiddhim — in perfection; aasthitaaH — situated; janaka-aadayaH — Janaka and other kings; lOka-sangraham — the people in general; Eva api — also; sampashyan — considering; kartum — to act; arhasi — you deserve.
Translation
Kings such as Janaka attained perfection solely by performance of prescribed duties. Therefore, just for the sake of educating the people in general, you should perform your work.
shlOkaH
yadyadaacharati shrEshhThastattadEvEtarO janaH ।
sa yatpramaaNaM kurutE lOkastadanuvartatE ॥ 21 ॥
Meaning
yat yat — whatever; aacarati — he does; shrEshhThaH — a respectable leader; tat — that; tat — and that alone; Eva — certainly; itaraH — common; janaH — person; saH — he; yat — whichever; pramaaNam — example; kurutE — does perform; lOkaH — all the world; tat — that; anuvartatE — follows in the footsteps.
Translation
Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.
shlOkaH
na mE paarthaasti kartavyaM trishhu lOkEshhu kinchana ।
naanavaaptamavaaptavyaM varta Eva cha karmaNi ॥ 22 ॥
Meaning
na — not; mE — Mine; paartha — O son of Pṛthā; asti — there is; kartavyam — prescribed duty; trishhu — in the three; lOkEshhu — planetary systems; kincana — any; na — nothing; anavaaptam — wanted; avaaptavyam — to be gained; vartE — I am engaged; Eva — certainly; ca — also; karmaNi — in prescribed duty.
Translation
O son of Pṛthā, there is no work prescribed for Me within all the three planetary systems. Nor am I in want of anything, nor have I a need to obtain anything – and yet I am engaged in prescribed duties.
shlOkaH
yadi hyahaM na vartEyaM jaatu karmaNyatandritaH ।
mama vartmaanuvartantE manushhyaaH paartha sarvashaH ॥ 23 ॥
Meaning
yadi — if; hi — certainly; aham — I; na — do not; vartEyam — thus engage; jaatu — ever; karmaNi — in the performance of prescribed duties; atandritaH — with great care; mama — My; vartma — path; anuvartantE — would follow; manushhyaaH — all men; paartha — O son of Pṛthā; sarvashaH — in all respects.
Translation
For if I ever failed to engage in carefully performing prescribed duties, O Pārtha, certainly all men would follow My path.
shlOkaH
utseedEyurimE lOkaa na kuryaaM karma chEdaham ।
sankarasya cha kartaa syaamupahanyaamimaaH prajaaH ॥ 24 ॥
Meaning
utseedEyuH — would be put into ruin; imE — all these; lOkaaH — worlds; na — not; kuryaam — I perform; karma — prescribed duties; cEt — if; aham — I; sankarasya — of unwanted population; ca — and; kartaa — creator; syaam — would be; upahanyaam — would destroy; imaaH — all these; prajaaH — living entities.
Translation
If I did not perform prescribed duties, all these worlds would be put to ruination. I would be the cause of creating unwanted population, and I would thereby destroy the peace of all living beings.
shlOkaH
saktaaH karmaNyavidvaaMsO yathaa kurvanti bhaarata ।
kuryaadvidvaaMstathaasaktashchikeershhurlOkasangraham ॥ 25 ॥
Meaning
saktaaH — being attached; karmaNi — in prescribed duties; avidvaaṁsaH — the ignorant; yathaa — as much as; kurvanti — they do; bhaarata — O descendant of Bharata; kuryaat — must do; vidvaan — the learned; tathaa — thus; asaktaH — without attachment; cikeershhuH — desiring to lead; lOka-sangraham — the people in general.
Translation
As the ignorant perform their duties with attachment to results, the learned may similarly act, but without attachment, for the sake of leading people on the right path.
shlOkaH
na buddhibhEdaM janayEdajjhNaanaaM karmasanginaam ।
jOshhayEtsarvakarmaaNi vidvaanyuktaH samaacharan ॥ 26 ॥
Meaning
na — not; buddhi-bhEdam — disruption of intelligence; janayEt — he should cause; ajjhNaanaam — of the foolish; karma-sanginaam — who are attached to fruitive work; jOshhayEt — he should dovetail; sarva — all; karmaaNi — work; vidvaan — a learned person; yuktaH — engaged; samaacaran — practicing.
Translation
So as not to disrupt the minds of ignorant men attached to the fruitive results of prescribed duties, a learned person should not induce them to stop work. Rather, by working in the spirit of devotion, he should engage them in all sorts of activities [for the gradual development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness].
shlOkaH
prakRRitEH kriyamaaNaani guNaiH karmaaNi sarvashaH ।
ahankaaravimooDhaatmaa kartaahamiti manyatE ॥ 27 ॥
Meaning
prakRRitEH — of material nature; kriyamaaNaani — being done; guNaiH — by the modes; karmaaNi — activities; sarvashaH — all kinds of; ahankaara-vimooDha — bewildered by false ego; aatmaa — the spirit soul; kartaa — doer; aham — I; iti — thus; manyatE — he thinks.
Translation
The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature.
shlOkaH
tattvavittu mahaabaahO guNakarmavibhaagayOH ।
guNaa guNEshhu vartanta iti matvaa na sajjatE ॥ 28 ॥
Meaning
tattva-vit — the knower of the Absolute Truth; tu — but; mahaa-baahO — O mighty-armed one; guNa-karma — of works under material influence; vibhaagayOH — differences; guNaaH — senses; guNEshhu — in sense gratification; vartantE — are being engaged; iti — thus; matvaa — thinking; na — never; sajjatE — becomes attached.
Translation
One who is in knowledge of the Absolute Truth, O mighty-armed, does not engage himself in the senses and sense gratification, knowing well the differences between work in devotion and work for fruitive results.
shlOkaH
prakRRitErguNasammooDhaaH sajjantE guNakarmasu ।
taanakRRitsnavidO mandaankRRitsnavinna vichaalayEt ॥ 29 ॥
Meaning
prakRRitEH — of material nature; guNa — by the modes; sammooDhaaH — befooled by material identification; sajjantE — they become engaged; guNa-karmasu — in material activities; taan — those; akRRitsna-vidaH — persons with a poor fund of knowledge; mandaan — lazy to understand self-realization; kRRitsna-vit — one who is in factual knowledge; na — not; vicaalayEt — should try to agitate.
Translation
Bewildered by the modes of material nature, the ignorant fully engage themselves in material activities and become attached. But the wise should not unsettle them, although these duties are inferior due to the performers’ lack of knowledge.
shlOkaH
mayi sarvaaNi karmaaNi sannyasyaadhyaatmachEtasaa ।
niraasheernirmamO bhootvaa yudhyasva vigatajvaraH ॥ 30 ॥
Meaning
mayi — unto Me; sarvaaNi — all sorts of; karmaaNi — activities; sannyasya — giving up completely; adhyaatma — with full knowledge of the self; cEtasaa — by consciousness; niraasheeH — without desire for profit; nirmamaH — without ownership; bhootvaa — so being; yudhyasva — fight; vigata-jvaraH — without being lethargic.
Translation
Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with full knowledge of Me, without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy, fight.
shlOkaH
yE mE matamidaM nityamanutishhThanti maanavaaH ।
shraddhaavantO.anasooyantO muchyantE tE.api karmabhiH ॥ 31 ॥
Meaning
yE — those who; mE — My; matam — injunctions; idam — these; nityam — as an eternal function; anutishhThanti — execute regularly; maanavaaH — human beings; shraddhaa-vantaH — with faith and devotion; anasooyantaH — without envy; mucyantE — become free; tE — all of them; api — even; karmabhiH — from the bondage of the law of fruitive actions.
Translation
Those persons who execute their duties according to My injunctions and who follow this teaching faithfully, without envy, become free from the bondage of fruitive actions.
shlOkaH
yE tvEtadabhyasooyantO naanutishhThanti mE matam ।
sarvajjhNaanavimooDhaaMstaanviddhi nashhTaanachEtasaH ॥ 32 ॥
Meaning
yE — those; tu — however; Etat — this; abhyasooyantaH — out of envy; na — do not; anutishhThanti — regularly perform; mE — My; matam — injunction; sarva-jjhNaana — in all sorts of knowledge; vimooDhaan — perfectly befooled; taan — they are; viddhi — know it well; nashhTaan — all ruined; acEtasaH — without Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Translation
But those who, out of envy, disregard these teachings and do not follow them regularly are to be considered bereft of all knowledge, befooled, and ruined in their endeavors for perfection.
shlOkaH
sadRRishaM chEshhTatE svasyaaH prakRRitErjjhNaanavaanapi ।
prakRRitiM yaanti bhootaani nigrahaH kiM karishhyati ॥ 33 ॥
Meaning
sadRRisham — accordingly; cEshhTatE — tries; svasyaaH — by his own; prakRRitEH — modes of nature; jjhNaana-vaan — learned; api — although; prakRRitim — nature; yaanti — undergo; bhootaani — all living entities; nigrahaH — repression; kim — what; karishhyati — can do.
Translation
Even a man of knowledge acts according to his own nature, for everyone follows the nature he has acquired from the three modes. What can repression accomplish?
shlOkaH
indriyasyEndriyasyaarthE raagadvEshhau vyavasthitau ।
tayOrna vashamaagachChEttau hyasya paripanthinau ॥ 34 ॥
Meaning
indriyasya — of the senses; indriyasya arthE — in the sense objects; raaga — attachment; dvEshhau — also detachment; vyavasthitau — put under regulations; tayOH — of them; na — never; vasham — control; aagacchEt — one should come; tau — those; hi — certainly; asya — his; paripanthinau — stumbling blocks.
Translation
There are principles to regulate attachment and aversion pertaining to the senses and their objects. One should not come under the control of such attachment and aversion, because they are stumbling blocks on the path of self-realization.
shlOkaH
shrEyaansvadharmO viguNaH paradharmaatsvanushhThitaat ।
svadharmE nidhanaM shrEyaH paradharmO bhayaavahaH ॥ 35 ॥
Meaning
shrEyaan — far better; sva-dharmaH — one’s prescribed duties; viguNaH — even faulty; para-dharmaat — than duties mentioned for others; su-anushhThitaat — perfectly done; sva-dharmE — in one’s prescribed duties; nidhanam — destruction; shrEyaH — better; para-dharmaH — duties prescribed for others; bhaya-aavahaH — dangerous.
Translation
It is far better to discharge one’s prescribed duties, even though faultily, than another’s duties perfectly. Destruction in the course of performing one’s own duty is better than engaging in another’s duties, for to follow another’s path is dangerous.
shlOkaH
arjuna uvaacha
atha kEna prayuktO.ayaM paapaM charati poorushhaH ।
anichChannapi vaarshhNEya balaadiva niyOjitaH ॥ 36 ॥
Meaning
arjunaH uvaaca — Arjuna said; atha — then; kEna — by what; prayuktaH — impelled; ayam — one; paapam — sins; carati — does; poorushhaH — a man; anicchan — without desiring; api — although; vaarshhNEya — O descendant of Vṛṣṇi; balaat — by force; iva — as if; niyOjitaH — engaged.
Translation
Arjuna said: O descendant of Vṛṣṇi, by what is one impelled to sinful acts, even unwillingly, as if engaged by force?
shlOkaH
shree bhagavaanuvaacha
kaama Eshha krOdha Eshha rajOguNasamudbhavaH ।
mahaashanO mahaapaapmaa viddhyEnamiha vairiNam ॥ 37 ॥
Meaning
shri-bhagavaan uvaaca — the Personality of Godhead said; kaamaH — lust; EshhaH — this; krOdhaH — wrath; EshhaH — this; rajaH-guNa — the mode of passion; samudbhavaH — born of; mahaa-ashanaH — all-devouring; mahaa-paapmaa — greatly sinful; viddhi — know; Enam — this; iha — in the material world; vairiNam — greatest enemy.
Translation
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world.
shlOkaH
dhoomEnaavriyatE vahniryathaadarshO malEna cha ।
yathOlbEnaavRRitO garbhastathaa tEnEdamaavRRittam ॥ 38 ॥
Meaning
dhoomEna — by smoke; aavriyatE — is covered; vahniH — fire; yathaa — just as; aadarshaH — mirror; malEna — by dust; ca — also; yathaa — just as; ulbEna — by the womb; aavRRitaH — is covered; garbhaH — embryo; tathaa — so; tEna — by that lust; idam — this; aavRRitam — is covered.
Translation
As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, the living entity is similarly covered by different degrees of this lust.
shlOkaH
aavRRitaM jjhNaanamEtEna jjhNaaninO nityavairiNaa ।
kaamaroopENa kauntEya dushhpoorENaanalEna cha ॥ 39 ॥
Meaning
aavRRitam — covered; jjhNaanam — pure consciousness; EtEna — by this; jjhNaaninaH — of the knower; nitya-vairiNaa — by the eternal enemy; kaama-roopENa — in the form of lust; kauntEya — O son of Kuntī; dushhpoorENa — never to be satisfied; analEna — by the fire; ca — also.
Translation
Thus the wise living entity’s pure consciousness becomes covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust, which is never satisfied and which burns like fire.
shlOkaH
indriyaaNi manO buddhirasyaadhishhThaanamuchyatE ।
EtairvimOhayatyEshha jjhNaanamaavRRitya dEhinam ॥ 40 ॥
Meaning
indriyaaNi — the senses; manaH — the mind; buddhiH — the intelligence; asya — of this lust; adhishhThaanam — sitting place; ucyatE — is called; EtaiH — by all these; vimOhayati — bewilders; EshhaH — this lust; jjhNaanam — knowledge; aavRRitya — covering; dEhinam — of the embodied.
Translation
The senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust. Through them lust covers the real knowledge of the living entity and bewilders him.
shlOkaH
tasmaattvamindriyaaNyaadau niyamya bharatarshhabha ।
paapmaanaM prajahi hyEnaM jjhNaanavijjhNaananaashanam ॥ 41 ॥
Meaning
tasmaat — therefore; tvam — you; indriyaaNi — senses; aadau — in the beginning; niyamya — by regulating; bharata-RRishhabha — O chief amongst the descendants of Bharata; paapmaanam — the great symbol of sin; prajahi — curb; hi — certainly; Enam — this; jjhNaana — of knowledge; vijjhNaana — and scientific knowledge of the pure soul; naashanam — the destroyer.
Translation
Therefore, O Arjuna, best of the Bhāratas, in the very beginning curb this great symbol of sin [lust] by regulating the senses, and slay this destroyer of knowledge and self-realization.
shlOkaH
indriyaaNi paraaNyaahurindriyEbhyaH paraM manaH ।
manasastu paraa buddhiryO buddhEH paratastu saH ॥ 42 ॥
Meaning
indriyaaNi — senses; paraaNi — superior; aahuH — are said; indriyEbhyaH — more than the senses; param — superior; manaH — the mind; manasaH — more than the mind; tu — also; paraa — superior; buddhiH — intelligence; yaH — who; buddhEH — more than the intelligence; parataH — superior; tu — but; saH — he.
Translation
The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he [the soul] is even higher than the intelligence.
shlOkaH
EvaM buddhEH paraM buddhvaa saMstabhyaatmaanamaatmanaa ।
jahi shatruM mahaabaahO kaamaroopaM duraasadam ॥ 43 ॥
Meaning
Evam — thus; buddhEH — to intelligence; param — superior; buddhvaa — knowing; saṁstabhya — by steadying; aatmaanam — the mind; aatmanaa — by deliberate intelligence; jahi — conquer; shatrum — the enemy; mahaa-baahO — O mighty-armed one; kaama-roopam — in the form of lust; duraasadam — formidable.
Translation
Thus knowing oneself to be transcendental to the material senses, mind and intelligence, O mighty-armed Arjuna, one should steady the mind by deliberate spiritual intelligence [Kṛṣṇa consciousness] and thus – by spiritual strength – conquer this insatiable enemy known as lust.
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