Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender

Arjuna said, "O mighty-armed Hrishikesa, I desire to know the essence or truth of renunciation and abandonment severally, O slayer of Kesi."

The teaching of the whole of the GitaSastra is summed up beautifully in this discourse. This last discourse is a brief masterly summary of all that is told in the previous chapters. Arjuna wishes to know the distinction…

The Blessed Lord said, "The sages understand sannyasa to be the renunciation of action with desire; the wise declare the abandonment of the fruits of all actions to be tyaga."

The performance of activities for results has to be given up. This is the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā . But activities leading to advanced spiritual knowledge are not to be given up. This will be made clear in the next…

Some philosophers declare that actions should be abandoned as evil; while others declare that acts of sacrifice, gift, and austerity should not be relinquished.

Some philosophers who follow the doctrine of the Sankhyas declare that all actions,should be abandoned as evil, even by those who are fit for Karma Yoga.Doshavat As an evil All Karmas should be abandoned as involving…

Hear from Me the conclusion or the final truth about this abandonment, O best of the Bharatas; abandonment, indeed, O best of men, has been declared to be of three kinds.

Now the Lord gives His own decisive opinion. It is declared in the scriptures that renunciation is of three kinds, viz., Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic. The Lord alone can teach the truth about the subject. Whoever wants…

Acts of sacrifice, gift, and austerity should not be abandoned, but should be performed; for sacrifice, gift, and austerity are the purifiers of the wise.

Acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity purify the hearts of those who have no desire for rewards. These actions are considered obligatory and ought to be performed. Actions that are skilfully performed lose their power to…

But even these actions should be performed, leaving aside attachment and the desire for rewards, O Arjuna; this is my certain and most assured conviction.

This is a summary of the doctrine of Karma Yoga enunciated before on several occasions. The fault of defect of Karma is certainly not in the action itself, but in the expectation of reward and attachment.Etani api Even…

Verily, the renunciation of obligatory action is not proper; the abandonment of the same out of delusion is declared to be Tamasic.

Renunciation of obligatory action is not proper because it is purifying in the case of an ignorant man. Should a man renounce actions that he should perform as a duty, such renunciation can only be of the quality of…

He who abandons action out of fear of bodily trouble (because it is painful), does not obtain the merit of renunciation by performing such Rajasic renunciation.

Phalam Fruit or reward Moksha or emancipation which is the reward of renunciation of all actions accompanied with wisdom.Determination and persistence are reired for the performance of religious duties and actions. One…

Whatever obligatory action is done, O Arjuna, merely because it ought to be done, abandoning attachment and also the desire for reward, that renunciation is regarded as sattvic (pure).

A man of pure nature performs actions that have fallen to his lot in accordance with his capacity and his inherent nature. He is not filled with the pride that he is the performer of such actions nor does he hope for any…

The man of renunciation, pervaded by purity, intelligent, and with his doubts cut asunder, does not hate an unpleasant task nor is he attached to a pleasant one.

All actions are eally welcome to the man of renunciation. He is not affected by either pleasure or pain. He is not elated at performing pleasant actions nor does he find unpleasantness when he does disagreeable actions.…

Indeed, it is not possible for an embodied being to completely abandon actions; however, he who relinquishes the rewards of actions is truly called a man of renunciation.

He who has assumed a human body and yet grumbles at having to perform actions is verily a fool. Can fire that is endowed with heat as its natural property ever think of getting rid of it So long as you are living in this…

The threefold fruit of action (evil, good, and mixed) accrues after death to those who do not abandon it, but never to those who do.

One fruit (of action) is pleasant, another is unpleasant, while the third is a mixture of both. Those in whom good actions preponderate are rorn as gods. Men of evil lives are rorn into animal or vegetable kingdoms. If…

Learn from Me, O mighty-armed Arjuna, these five causes, as declared in the Sankhya system, for the accomplishment of all actions.

The Self has no connection whatevr with activity. Nature does everything. The Self is the silent witness. He remains indifferent. The whole superstructure of human activity is the result of the five welldefined causes…

The body, the doer, the various senses, the different functions of various kinds, and the presiding deity—the fifth.

Now listen to the characteristics of these five, of which the body is the first. It is termed the support or the seat. The body is the seat of desire, hatred, happiness, misery, knowledge and the like. The individual…

Whatever action a person performs with their body, speech, and mind, whether right or wrong, these five are its causes.

Nyayyam Right Not opposed to Dharma conformable to the scriptures justifiable.Viparitam The opposite What is opposite to Dharma and opposed to the scriptures unjustifiable.Even those actions, -- acts like winking and the…

Now, such being the case, verily he who, owing to an untrained understanding, looks upon his Self, which is isolated, as the agent, he of perverted intelligence does not see.

The Self is always actionless. He is unattached like ether. He is always the silent witness. He is the spectator of activity. The egoistic man of little understanding only thinks that he is the real agent, and so he is…

He who is free from the egoistic notion, whose intelligence is not tainted by good or evil, though he slays these people, he does not slay, nor is he bound by the action.

I will explain to thee, O Arjuna, the characterisitics of the man who has transcended activity, and who has gone beyond the bonds of Karma.When selfishnes and egoism are destroyed, when desire and personal gain are…

Knowledge, the knowable, and the knower form the threefold impulse for action; the organ, the action, and the agent form the threefold basis of action.

Knowledge, the knower and the thing to be known, are together the seed of this world. This is known as the Triputi or the traid. It is the conjunction of these three that impels a man to threefold action, viz., mental,…

Knowledge, action, and actor are declared in the science of the Gunas (Sankhya philosophy) to be of three kinds only, according to the distinction of the Gunas. Of these, hear duly.

The three alities overpower the whole of creation with their special nature and bring it entirely under their control. The nature of action, the actor and his knowledge are threefold according to the Gunas that is…

That by which one sees the indestructible Reality in all beings, not separate in any of them—know that knowledge to be Sattvic.

That knowledge that sees no difference in all objects that are perceived, is pure. The seer beholds the one allpervading imperishable substance or essence behind the seeming diversity of the objects. He beholds unity in…

But that knowledge which sees in all beings various entities of distinct kinds as being distinct from one another, know thou that knowledge to be Rajasic.

Knowledge which sees As knowledge cannot be an agent, this should be interpreted to mean knowledge by which one sees.Entities Selves or souls.Different from one another Regarding them as different in different bodies.The…

But that which clings to one single effect as if it were the whole, without reason, without any foundation in Truth, and is trivial—that is declared to be Tamasic.

The knowledge which regards that each and every object or being exists by itself and is perfect by itself, is Tamasic.One single effect Such as the body, thinking it to be the Self, or an idol, taking it for God, and…

An action that is ordained, free from attachment, done without love or hatred, and without desire for reward is declared to be Sattvic.

Niyatam Ordained Obligatory. One is not excited to perform an obligatory action through love or hatred.This is a pure act. The performer of such pure action experiences great joy. He does his duty or any other work…

But that action which is done by one longing for the fulfillment of desires or gain with egotism or with much effort is declared to be Rajasic (passionate).

A passionate man performs various selfish actions. He boasts of his actions in public. Passion prompts him to do them. He can never work without expectation of a reward.Kamepsuna, phalepsuna The Rajasic or passionate man…

That action which is undertaken from delusion, without regard for the consequences, loss, injury, and one's own ability, is declared to be Tamasic (dark).

Tamasic acts cause harm to others. A Tamasic man reflects not at all whether he has the capacity to perform these useless actions, but continues to act blindly. With utter thoughtlessness he sets aside any reflection as…

An agent who is free from attachment, non-egoistic, endowed with firmness and enthusiasm, and unaffected by success or failure, is considered to be of a Sattvic (pure) nature.

A pure agent does his actions with his whole heart without feeling proud at the performance. He looks for the proper time and place and in accordance with the behests of the scriptures determines whether such actions are…

Passionate, desiring to obtain the reward of their actions, greedy, cruel, impure, moved by joy and sorrow, such an agent is said to be Rajasic.

A passionate agent is the abode of sins and of greed of the whole world. Wherever he imagines that he may gain worldly fruit he will strive wholeheartedly to obtain it. Whatsoever he gains he keeps strictly to himself…

Unsteady, vulgar, inflexible, deceitful, malicious, lazy, despondent, and procrastinating—such an agent is called Tamasic.

Owing to his vulgar nature he is not able to discriminate between proper and improper actions. His heart is filled with vanity. He will never prostrate himself before the deity or a sage. He is very stiff and unbending…

Hear thou the threefold division of intellect and firmness, according to the Gunas, as I declare them fully and distinctly, O Arjuna.

Dhananjaya The coneror of wealth Arjuna is so called because he acired much material and spiritual wealth during his tours of conest (Digvijaya) to the four quarters of the earth.

The intellect which knows the path of work and renunciation, what should be done and what should not be done, fear and fearlessness, bondage and liberation—that intellect is Sattvic (pure), O Arjuna.

The threefold nature of knowledge has been described already (verse 22 above). Now the threefold nature of the intellect is described. Knowledge is different from the intellect.Pravritti Action The cause of bondage the…

That by which one wrongly understands dharma and adharma, and also what ought to be done and what ought not to be done—that intellect, O Arjuna, is rajasic (passionate).

There is no proper eivalent in the English language for the word Dharma. Duty, righteousness, virtue, law are very poor translations of the word. That which elevates you and takes you to the goal, i.e., Brahman or the…

That intellect, O Arjuna, which is enveloped in darkness and sees Adharma as Dharma and all things perverted, is Tamasic (dark).

That intellect which regards righteous acts as evil, and considers right things to be false, which treats everything in a contrary sense and looks upon virtues as if they were vices and takes everything that the…

The unwavering firmness, through which Yoga restrains the functions of the mind, life-force, and senses—that firmness, O Arjuna, is Sattvic (pure).

When firmness is awakened in the mind, the activities of the mind, the lifeforce and the senses are brought under control. The senses are withdrawn into the mind. The Prana and the Apana pass into the Sushumna Nadi.Yoga…

But that, O Arjuna, by which one holds fast to Dharma (duty), enjoyment of pleasures, and earning of wealth, on account of attachment and desire for reward—that firmness, O Arjuna, is Rajasic (passionate).

The man of Rajasic firmness imagines that he will achieve the threefold aim of life and clings to it passionately. He is desirous of getting the rewards of his actions. He endeavours to attain Dharma, wealth and…

That firmness, O Arjuna, by which a stupid man does not abandon sleep, fear, grief, despair, and conceit, is Tamasic.

The man who is an embodiment of darkness is made up of every possible kind of evil. He is very indolent and sinful. He is inordinately addicted to sleep. He considers these to be only proper. He experiences sorrow on…

And now, O Arjuna, hear from Me of the threefold pleasure, in which one rejoices through practice and surely comes to the end of pain.

A little of this pleasure experienced by the Self must result in the cessation of pain. This pleasure is threefold in its nature and I will describe its aspects in turn, O Arjuna. (Cf.VI.20,30).

That which is like poison at first but in the end like nectar—that happiness is declared to be sattvic, born of the purity of one's own mind due to self-realization.

Agree vishma iva In the beginning it is attended with much pain as one has to abandon the sensual objects and comforts and practise severe austerities and rigorous Sadhana. He has to undergo a severe ordeal when he…

That happiness which arises from the contact of the senses with the objects, which is initially like nectar but eventually like poison, is said to be Rajasic.

Sensual pleasure is mixed with pain, fear and sin. A small grain of sensual pleasure is mixed with a mountain of pain. He who indulges in sensual pleasures will have to experience pain also, side by side. He is afraid of…

That happiness which at first, as well as in the end, deludes the self, and which arises from sleep, indolence, and heedlessness—that is declared to be Tamasic.

Anubandhe In the conseence after the termination. The pleasure that is begotten by evil habits like drinking liors and eating worthless things is delusive of the self. The man becomes oblivious of the path he ought to…

There is no being on earth or in heaven among the gods that is liberated from the three qualities born of Nature.

The Gunas form the warp and woof of everything as threads do in the case of cloth.Here in the world of mortals or there in the heavenworld, there is no creature that is not bound by the three alities of Nature. Can there…

Of Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, and Sudras, O Arjuna, the duties are distributed according to the qualities born of their own nature.

Brahmanas, Kshatriyas and Vaisyas are qualified to practise the Vedic rites. The members of the fourth class, O Arjuna, have no claim to these rites, for their profession is to serve the members of the first three. They…

Serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forgiveness, and uprightness, as well as knowledge, realization, and belief in God, are the duties of Brahmanas, born of their own nature.

Sama is control of the mind. Dama is control of the senses. Serenity and selfrestraint have already been explained in XVII.2. Austerity of the three kinds has also been explained in XVII.14 to 16.Astikyam Faith in the…

Prowess, splendor, firmness, dexterity, and not fleeing from battle, generosity, and lordliness are the duties of the Kshatriyas, born of their own nature.

It is the first duty of Kshatriya (man of the warrior class or of royal blood) to be brave and chivalrous. Bravery is that sublime virtue through which one is naturally strong, vigorous and courageous. In the face of the…

Agriculture, cattle-rearing, and trade are the duties of the Vaisya (merchant), born of their own nature; and service is the duty of the Sudra (servant-class), born of their own nature.

When a man performs his duties rightly according to his caste and order of life his heart is purified and he goes to heaven. Apastambha Dharma Sutra declares, Men of severla,castes and orders, each devoted to his…

Each person devoted to their own duty attains perfection. How they attain perfection while being engaged in their own duty, hear now.

This is the division of labour for which each caste is fitted according to its own nature. The duty prescribed is your sole support, and the highest service you can render to the Supreme is to carry it out…

He from whom all the beings have evolved and by whom all this is pervaded, worshipping Him with his own duty, one attains perfection.

The performance by a man of his own duty is simply carrying into effect the intention of the Supreme from Whom the whole of the creation emanates. When a man worships Him, the Supreme Being, with the flowers of his…

Better is one's own duty, even if it is destitute of merits, than the duty of another well performed. He who does the duty ordained by his own nature incurs no sin.

Just as a poisonous substance does not harm the worm born in that substance, so he who does his Svadharma (the duty ordained according to his own nature) does not incur any sin.What is poison to the whole world is sweet…

One should not, O Arjuna, abandon the duty to which one is born, though it may be faulty; for, all undertakings are enveloped by evil, just as fire is by smoke.

Sahajam Born with oneself born with the birth of man.Sadosham Faculty for everything is constituted of the three Gunas.All undertakings Ones own as well as others duties.If a Vaisya or a Kshatriya does the duties of a…

He whose intellect is unattached everywhere, who has subdued his self, from whom desire has fled, he attains the supreme state of freedom from action through renunciation.

The mind of one who is free from attachment to wife, son, body and property, who has controlled his senses and the mind, who has no desire for the body, for life and for sensual pleasure, turns inwards towards God or the…

Learn from Me, O Arjuna, in brief how one who has attained perfection reaches Brahman—the Eternal, that supreme state of knowledge.

When a man has the good fortune to hear the words of wisdom from a teacher, dualism and egoism vanish and his mind rests in union with the Supreme Being. The need for action no longer exists for such a man. Nothing…

Endowed with a pure intellect, controlling the self through firmness, relinquishing sound and other objects and abandoning attraction and hatred.

The lower self should be controlled with firmness by the Self of pure intellect. The turbulent senses and the mind should be subdued with the help of the pure intellect or reason. Pure reason is a great power. Whenever…

Dwelling in solitude, eating sparingly, with speech, body, and mind subdued, always engaged in meditation and concentration, and resorting to dispassion.

Solitude has its own charms. The spiritual vibrations in solitude are wonderfully elevating. Meditation will come by itself without exertion. All saints and sages who have attained Selfrealisation have remained in…

Having abandoned egoism, strength, arrogance, desire, anger, and covetousness, and being free from the notion of 'mine' and peaceful, he is fit for becoming Brahman.

Egoism Identifying the Self with the body, etc. This is the error of mistaking the physical body for the pure immortal Self.Balam That strength which is combined or united with passion, desire and attachment, and not the…

Becoming Brahman, serene in the Self, he neither grieves nor desires; he is the same to all beings, and obtains supreme devotion to Me.

Brahmabhutah Having attained to Brahman. His attainment of perfect freedom or oneness with the Supreme is described in the next verse.He is tranilminded. He is in a state of balance and equanimity. There is nothing…

By devotion, he knows Me in truth, who and what I am; then, having known Me in truth, he immediately enters into the Supreme.

My devotee, O Arjuna, who has attained to union with Me through singleminded and unflinching devotion is verily My very Self. Devotion culminates in knowledge. Devotion begins with two and ends in one. ParaBhakti…

Having taken refuge in Me and doing all actions, by My grace he obtains the eternal, indestructible state of being.

Worshipping Me with the flowers of his good actions he reaches the imperishable Brahmic seat of ineffable splendour through My grace. He attains union with Me and enjoys the supreme bliss. If by chance he commits some…

Mentally renouncing all actions in Me, having Me as the highest goal, and resorting to the yoga of discrimination, do thou ever fix thy mind on Me.

Do thou, O Arjuna, surrender all thy actions to Me whilst at the same time fixing thy mind on discrimination. Then through that discrimination thou wilt see thy Self as separate from the body and activity and existing in…

Fixing your mind on Me, you shall, by My grace, overcome all obstacles; but if you will not hear Me due to egoism, you shall perish.

When thy mind, O Arjuna, through onepointed devoion is fixed on Me, thou shalt by My grace cross over all difficulties and obstacles. But shouldst thou not take My teaching to heart and through pride disregard it, thou…

If, filled with egoism, thou thinkest, "I will not fight," then thy resolve is vain; nature will compel thee.

This strong determination of thy mind will be rendered utterly futile by thy inner nature thy nature will constrain thee thy nature as a warrior will compel thee to fight. It is a mere illusion to say that thou art…

O Arjuna, bound by your own Karma (action) born of your own nature, that which from delusion you wish not to do, even that you shall do helplessly.

Thou art endowed, O Arjuna, with martial alities, prowess, valour, skill, etc. Thou art, therefore, bound by these innate alities. Thou wilt be forced to fight by thy own nature. Nature will constrain thee to fight, much…

The Lord dwells in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, causing all beings, by His illusory power, to revolve as if mounted on a machine.

Isvara The Lord the Ruler of the universe Narayana.The Lord abides in the hearts of all beings. It is He Who has given a gift of this marvellous machine to you. It is by His power that all bodies move. The Lord is the…

Fly to Him for refuge with all your being, O Arjuna; by His grace you will obtain supreme peace and the eternal abode.

Do total and perfect surrender to the Lord. Do not keep any secret desires for silent gratification. Desire and egoism are the two chief obstacles that stand in the way of selfsurrender. Kill them ruthlessly.Run to the…

Thus, wisdom more secret than secrecy itself has been declared to you by me. Reflect on it fully, then act as you wish.

Thus has wisdom, more profound than all secrets, been declared to thee by Me. This teaching is well known as the Gita, the essence of all the Vedas. If anyone follows it and lives in the spirit of this teaching he will…

Hear again My supreme word, most secret of all; for you are dearly beloved of Me, I will tell you what is good.

Now listen once more with rapt attention to My words. Thou art very dear to Me. Thou art a sincere aspirant. Therefore I am telling thee this most mysterious truth. Hear from Me this mystery of all mysteries. I shall…

Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, sacrifice to Me, bow down to Me. You will come to Me; I truly promise you this, for you are dear to Me.

Develop onepointedness of mind. Fix thy thought on Me. If the mind wanders bring it again and again to the centre or point or object of meditation, through constant practice. Offer all thy actions to Me. Let thy tongue…

Abandon all duties and take refuge in Me alone; I will liberate you from all sins; do not grieve.

The Lord has described various kinds of knowledge and processes of religion – knowledge of the Supreme Brahman, knowledge of the Supersoul, knowledge of the different types of orders and statuses of social life,…

Never speak this to one who is devoid of austerities or devotion, who does not render service, who does not desire to listen, or who cavils at Me.

This The scripture which has been taught to you.Service To the Guru.The scripture can be taught to him who does not speak ill of the Lord, who is a man of austerities, who is devoted, who is thirsting to hear and who…

He who, with supreme devotion to Me, teaches this supreme secret to My devotees, shall undoubtedly come to Me.

This supreme secret The teachings of the Gita as taught above in the form of a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna. Why is it called a supreme secret Because it helps one to attain immortality or freedom from the…

There is no one among men who does service dearer to Me, nor shall there be anyone on earth dearer to Me than him.

He who hands down this Gita to My devotees does immense service to Me. He is very dear to Me. There is none in the present generation who des dearer service to Me, nor shall there be in future also in this world.Bhuvi On…

And he who studies this sacred dialogue of ours, by him I shall have been worshipped through the sacrifice of wisdom; such is my conviction.

There are four kinds of sacrifice -- Vidhi, Japa, Upamsu and Manasa. Vidhi is ritual. Japa is recitation of a Mantra. Upamsu is Japa done in a whisper. Of the four kinds, JnanaYajna or the wisdomsacrifice comes under…

Also, the man who hears this, full of faith and free from malice, shall attain to the happy worlds of those of righteous deeds, and be liberated.

Liberated from sin.Punyakarmanam Of those who have done Agnihotra and such other sacrifices.He too Much more so who understands the teachings of the Gita, lives in its spirit and who practises the most valuable spiritual…

Has this been heard, O Arjuna, with one-pointed focus? Has the delusion of your ignorance been destroyed, O Dhananjaya?

It is the duty of the spiritual teacher or preceptor to make the aspirant understand the teaching of the scripture and to enable him to attain the goal of life (Moksha). If the student has not grasped the subject he will…

Arjuna said, "My delusion has been destroyed, for I have gained my knowledge (memory) through Your grace, O Krishna. I am now free from doubts. I will act according to Your word."

Moha Delusion This is the strongest weapon of Maya to take the Jivas in Her clutch. It is born of ignorance. It is the cause of the whole evil of Samsara. It is as hard to cross as the ocean.Smritih I have attained…

Sanjaya said, Thus, I have heard this wonderful dialogue between Krishna and the high-souled Arjuna, which causes one's hair to stand on end.

Wonderful because it deals with Yoga and transcendental spiritual matters that pertain to the mysterious immortal Self.Whenever good, higher emotions manifest themselves in the heart the hair stands on end. Devotees…

Through the grace of Vyasa, I have heard this supreme and most secret Yoga, directly from Krishna, the Lord of Yoga, Himself declaring it.

Through the grace of Vyasa By obtaining the divine eye from him.Yoga This dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna, I have heard it direct from Him. This dialogue is called Yoga because it treats of Yoga and it leads to the…

O King, remembering this wonderful and holy dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna, I continually rejoice.

Rajan King Dhritarashtra to whom the Gita is narrated by Sanjaya.Punyam Holy because the mere hearing of the dialogue destroys a multitude of sins and makes the hearer pious and Godfearing and turns his mind towards God.

And, remembering again and again that most wonderful form of Hari, I am filled with great wonder, O King; and I rejoice again and again.

Form The Cosmic Form. (Cf.XI)

Wherever Krishna, the Lord of Yoga, is; and wherever Arjuna, the wielder of the bow, is; there is prosperity, victory, happiness, and a firm policy; this is my conviction.

This verse is called the Ekasloki Gita, i.e., Bhagavad Gita in one verse. Repetition of even this one verse bestows the benefits of reading the whole of the scripture.Wherever On that side on which.Yogesvarah The Lord of…