GG 3 Karma Yoga

Gītār Gān

GG 2 Contents of the Gītā Summarized - GG 4 Transcendental Knowledge

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Chapter 3
Karma-yoga

arjun kahilen:

yadi buddhi-yoga śreṣṭha ohe janārdan

ghor yuddhe niyojita kara ki kāraṇ

Text 1: 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?

dvyarthak kathāy buddhi mohit ye hay

niścit yā hay kaha śreya upajay

Text 2: My intelligence is bewildered by Your equivocal instructions. Therefore, please tell me decisively which will be most beneficial for me.

śrī-bhagavān kahilen:

dvibidha loker niṣṭhā balechi tomāre

sāṁkhya ār jñāna-yog yogya adhikāre

Text 3: 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.

vihita karmer niṣṭhā nā kari ārambha

naiṣkarma jñān ye carcā hay eka dambha

vihita karmer tyāge cittaśuddhi nay

keval sannyāse kārya siddhi nāhi hay

Text 4: Not by merely abstaining from work can one achieve freedom from reaction, nor by renunciation alone can one attain perfection.

kṣaṇek samay mātra nā kariyā karma

thākite pāre nā keha svābhāvik dharma

prakṛtir guṇ yathā sabār nirvandha

sei kārya kare yāte karamer vandha

Text 5: 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.

karmendriya rodh kari manete smaraṇa

ihā nāhi cittaśuddhi naiṣkarma kāraṇ

ataev sei vyakti vimūḍhātmā hay

indriyārtha mithyācārī śāstrete kahay

Text 6: One who restrains the senses of action but whose mind dwells on sense objects certainly deludes himself and is called a pretender.

kintu yadi nijendriya saṁyata niyame

karmer ārambha kare yathā yathā krame

vātul nā hay markaṭ vairāgya kari

antarniṣṭhā hale hay sahāy śrī-hari

sei hay karma-yog karmendriya dvārā

āsakti-rahit karma viśeṣ prakārā

Text 7: 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.

niyamita karma bhāla sei akarma apekṣā

anadhikārīra karma tyāga, para-mukhāpekṣā

śarīr nirvāha yār nahe karma vinā

karma-tyāg tār pakṣe hay viḍambanā

Text 8: Perform your prescribed duty, for doing so is better than not working. One cannot even maintain one's physical body without work.

yajñeśvar bhagavāner santoṣ lāgiyā

niyamita karma kara āsakti tyajiyā

ār yata karma hay bandhera kāraṇa

ataeva sei kārya kara nivāraṇa

bhagavada santoṣārtha karmera prasaṅga

yata kichu ācaraṇa saba mukta saṇga

Text 9: 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.

prajāpati sṛṣṭi kari yajñera sādhana

upadeś karechila śune prajāgaṇa

yajñera sādhana kari sukhī hao sabe

yajña-dvārā bhog pābe indriya vaibhave

Text 10: 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 with this yajña (sacrifice) because its performance will bestow upon you everything desirable for living happily and achieving liberation."

adhikārī devagaṇ yajñera prabhāve

yajña anuṣṭhān dekhi sabe prīta habe

paraspara prīti-bhāv hale sampādana

bhogera sāmagrī śreya nahe anaṭana

Text 11: The demigods, being pleased by sacrifices, will also please you, and thus, by cooperation between men and demigods, prosperity will reign for all.

yajñete santuṣṭa haye abhīṣṭa ye bhoga

devatārā dyāya sab pracura prayoga

sei datta anna yāhā devatārā dyāya

tṅāhāder nā diyā khāya cor sei hay

Text 12: 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.

yajñera sādhana kari anna yevā khāy

muktira pathete cale pāp nāhi hay

ār yebā anna pāk nija svārthe kare

pāper bojhā krame bāḍe duḥkha-bhog tare

Text 13: 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.

anna kheye jīv bāṅce anna ye jīvana

sei anna utpādane vṛṣṭi ye kāraṇa

sei vṛṣṭi hay yadi yajña kārye hay

sei yajña sādhya hay karmera kāraṇa

Text 14: 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.

karma yāhā veda-vāṇī nahe mano-dharma

veda-vāṇī bhagavadukti akṣarera kāraṇa

ataeva karma hay īśvara-sādhanā

sarva-gata brahma-nitya yajñete sthāpanā

Text 15: 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.

sei se brahmera cakra āche pravartita

se cakre ye nāhi hay viṣeśa vartita

pāpera jīvana tār ati bhayaṅkara

indriya prītaye kare pāpa paraspara

Text 16: My dear Arjuna, one who in human life does not follow 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.

ār ye bujhiyāche ātma-tattva-sār

kārya karma kichu nāi karibār tār

pūrṇa-jñāne bhagavāne bhakti kare yei

ātma-tṛpta ātma-jñānī tuṣṭa ātmātei

Text 17: 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.

arthānartha vicārādi ātma-tṛpta nahe

kartavyā-kartavya yāhā veda-śāstra kahe

se nahe kāhāra ṛṇī nijārtha sādhane

sarvasva hayeche pūrṇa śaraṇya śaraṇe

Text 18: 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.

ataev anāsakta haye kārya kara

yukta vairāgya sei tāte hao dṛḍha

anāsakta kārya kare parama padete

yogya hay krame krame se pada labhite

Text 19: 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.

janakādi mahājan karma sādhya kari

siddhi-lābh karechila āpani ācari

tumi-o serūp kara loka-śikṣā lāgi

lābh nāi kichumātra markaṭa vairāgī

Text 20: 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.

śreṣṭha vyakti yāhā kare lokera ādarśa

itara janatā yāhā kare hay harṣa

śreṣṭha vyakti yāhā kichu prāmāṇya svīkāre

tāhāi svīkārya hay prati ghare ghare

Text 21: Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.

āmāra kartavya nāi tribhuvana mājhe

pārtha tumi jāna kevā samatulya āche

prāptavya baliyā kichu kothā nāhi mor

tathāpi dekhaha āmi kartavye vibhor

Text 22: 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.

āmi yadi karma tyaji atandrita haye

mama vartma sabe anugamana karaye

Text 23: For if I ever failed to engage in carefully performing prescribed duties, O Pārtha, certainly all men would follow My path.

phal ei habe sabāi ucchanna yābe

āmāra darśita path dekhāra abhābe

vidhi ār kichu nāhi rabe dharātale

vinaṣṭa haibe ei prajārā sakale

Text 24: 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.

vidvāner ye kartavya avidvān sama

vāhyata āsakta haye karma samāgama

antare āsakti nāi lokera saṁgraha

vidvāner hay sei karmete āgraha

Text 25: 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.

buddhi-bhed nāhi kari mūḍha karmīder

ajñānī ye hay tārā tāi herpher

tāi se sājāte habe sarva karma mājhe

āpani ācari sab avidyāra sāje

Text 26: 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).

vidvāna mūrkhete hay ei mātra bhed

prakṛtir vaś ek anya se bicched

prakṛtir guṇe vaś kārya kari yāy

ahaṁkāre matta haye nije kartā hay

āpanār paricaya prakṛtira māne

dehe ātma-buddhi kare asatyera dhyāne

Text 27: 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.

tattvavit ye vidvān bujhe guṇa-karma

guṇ dvārā kārya hay jāne sār-marma

ataev guṇa-kārya nā kare sajjan

prakṛtir guṇa-kārya āsakta nā han

Text 28: 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.

guṇa-karme āsakti se guṇete saṁmūḍha

prākṛta nijeke māne sei kārye dṛḍha

bhava-rogī mūḍha jane nā kari bañcan

karmera yojanā hate krame jñān val

Text 29: 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.

ataev tumi pārtha chāḍa abhimān

tomār samasta śakti kara more dān

karma-phal āmā chāḍa nirmama haiyā

yuddha kara āśā tyaji mūḍhatā tyajiyā

Text 30: 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.

āmāra emata kārya anuṣṭhān kari

sarva karma kare śūdhu bhajite śrī-hari

śraddhāvān mor bhakta asūyā-bihīn

karma-phal mukta hay bhaktite bilīn

Text 31: 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.

prakṛti-sadṛśa ceṣṭā kare guṇavān

prakṛtir vaśe sarva kārya anuṣṭhān

Text 32: But those who, out of envy, do not regularly follow these teachings are to be considered bereft of all knowledge, befooled, and ruined in their endeavours for perfection.

vahukāl hate yārā prakṛtir vaś

nigraha karite nāre haiyā vivaś

Text 33: 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?

ataev indriyārthe rāg dveṣ chāḍi

viṣayete rāg dveṣ kichu nāhi kari

tāhār vaśete nije kabhu nā rahibā

anāsakta viṣayete mādhavera sevā

Text 34: 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.

nija dharma śreya jāna para-dharmāpekṣā

bhagavad sevā lāgi karma-yoga śikṣā

svadharme nidhan bhāla nahe paradharma

bhāla kari bujha tumi ei gūḍha marma

Text 35: 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.

arjun kahilen:

he vārṣṇeya kaha tumi bujhāiyā more

ki lāgi hayeche jīva yukta pāpa ghore

anicchā-sattveo hay pāpe niyojita

avaśa haiyā kare pāpa se garhita

Text 36: Arjuna said: O descendant of Vṛṣṇi, by what is one impelled to sinful acts, even unwillingly, as if engaged by force?

śrī-bhagavān kahilen:

kām ār krodh hay rajoguṇ dvārā

abhibhūta baddha-jīv tri-jagate sārā

jñānī-jīv ei dui mahā śatru jāne

kare tāi guṇātīta kārya sāvadhāne

Text 37: 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.

tri-jagate kām mātra sarva āvaraṇ

āgunete dhūm yathā dhūsara darśan

athavā jarāyu yathā garbha āvaraṇ

alpādhik ei sab kāmera kāraṇ

Text 38: 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.

ei nitya vairī kare jñāna āvaraṇ

jīv tāhe vaddha hay nahe sādhāraṇ

kām hay duṣpūraṇ agnira samān

ataev kām lāgi hao sāvadhān

Text 39: 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.

sei kām adhiṣṭhita indriyādi mane

vuddhite vasiyā āṅke nikhila bhuvane

vaddha jīv se kāraṇ deha abhimānī

svātantryer vyavahār nāhi jāne jñānī

Text 40: 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.

ataev he bhārat! prathamete kām

niyantrita kari hao sampūrṇa niṣkām

bhaktira dhāraṇa sei kāma jaya janya

se jñān vijñan-nāśī, nāhi patha anya

Text 41: Therefore, O Arjuna, best of the Bharatas, in the very beginning curb this great symbol of sin (lust) by regulating the senses, and slay this destroyer of knowledge and self-realization.

baddha-jīv jaḍa-buddhi indriya pradhān

indriyādhipati man karmera bidhān

man hate para-buddhi tārpar ātmā

ataev kara sevā sei paramātmā

Text 42: 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.

aprākṛta buddhi dvārā kara dāsya tār

ghucibe sakal moha kāma vyavahār

sei se upāy ek śatru jinibār

kāmarūpa durāsada keha nāhi ār

Text 43: 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.

bhaktivedānta kahe śrī-gītāra gān

śune yadi śuddha bhakta kṛṣṇagata-prāṇ

Thus Bhaktivedānta sings the song of Śrī Gītā, with the hope that hearing this, Kṛṣṇa conscious pure devotees will be pleased.

Gītār Gān

GG 2 Contents of the Gītā Summarized - GG 4 Transcendental Knowledge