The Yoga of Renunciation

अर्जुन उवाच। सन्न्यासं कर्मणां कृष्ण पुनर्योगं च शंससि। यच्छ्रेय एतयोरेकं तन्मे ब्रूहि सुनिश्चितम्॥

Arjuna said: O Krishna, You praise renunciation of actions and also the yoga of action. Tell me conclusively which one of these two is better.

श्रीभगवानुवाच। सन्न्यासः कर्मयोगश्च निःश्रेयसकरावुभौ। तयोस्तु कर्मसन्न्यासात्कर्मयोगो विशिष्यते॥

The Supreme Lord said: Both renunciation and the yoga of action lead to the highest good. But of the two, the yoga of action is superior to the renunciation of action.

ज्ञेयः स नित्यसन्न्यासी यो न द्वेष्टि न काङ्क्षति। निर्द्वन्द्वो हि महाबाहो सुखं बन्धात्प्रमुच्यते॥

One who neither hates nor desires the fruits of actions is known to be always in renunciation. Such a person, free from dualities, O mighty-armed Arjuna, is easily liberated from bondage.

साङ्ख्ययोगौ पृथग्बालाः प्रवदन्ति न पण्डिताः। एकमप्यास्थितः सम्यगुभयोर्विन्दते फलम्॥

Only the ignorant speak of Sankhya (the path of knowledge) and Yoga (the path of action) as different. The wise know that one who is established in either attains the fruit of both.

यत्साङ्ख्यैः प्राप्यते स्थानं तद्योगैरपि गम्यते। एकं साङ्ख्यं च योगं च यः पश्यति स पश्यति॥

The state that is reached by the followers of Sankhya is also reached by the practitioners of Yoga. One who sees Sankhya and Yoga as one truly sees.

सन्न्यासस्तु महाबाहो दुःखमाप्तुमयोगतः। योगयुक्तो मुनिर्ब्रह्म नचिरेणाधिगच्छति॥

O mighty-armed Arjuna, renunciation is difficult to attain without the yoga of action. The sage who is devoted to yoga quickly attains Brahman.

योगयुक्तो विशुद्धात्मा विजितात्मा जितेन्द्रियः। सर्वभूतात्मभूतात्मा कुर्वन्नपि न लिप्यते॥

One who is united in yoga, whose soul is pure, who has conquered the self and mastered the senses, and who realizes the Self in all beings — such a person is not tainted even while performing actions.

नैव किञ्चित्करोमीति युक्तो मन्येत तत्त्ववित्। पश्यञ्श‍ृण्वन्स्पृशञ्जिघ्रन्नश्नन्गच्छन्स्वपञ्श्वसन्॥

One who is united in yoga and knows the truth thinks 'I do nothing at all' — while seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, moving, sleeping, and breathing.

प्रलपन्विसृजन्गृह्णन्नुन्मिषन्निमिषन्नपि। इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेषु वर्तन्त इति धारयन्॥

Speaking, letting go, grasping, opening and closing the eyes — knowing that the senses merely engage with sense objects.

ब्रह्मण्याधाय कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा करोति यः। लिप्यते न स पापेन पद्मपत्रमिवाम्भसा॥

One who offers all actions to Brahman, abandoning attachment, is not tainted by sin, just as a lotus leaf is untouched by water.

कायेन मनसा बुद्ध्या केवलैरिन्द्रियैरपि। योगिनः कर्म कुर्वन्ति सङ्गं त्यक्त्वात्मशुद्धये॥

Yogis, giving up attachment, perform actions with the body, mind, intellect, and even with the senses alone — only for the purification of the self.

युक्तः कर्मफलं त्यक्त्वा शान्तिमाप्नोति नैष्ठिकीम्। अयुक्तः कामकारेण फले सक्तो निबध्यते॥

The united one, abandoning the fruit of action, attains lasting peace. The one who is not united, attached to the fruit through desire, is bound.

सर्वकर्माणि मनसा सन्न्यस्यास्ते सुखं वशी। नवद्वारे पुरे देही नैव कुर्वन्न कारयन्॥

The self-controlled embodied soul, mentally renouncing all actions, resides happily in the city of nine gates, neither doing nor causing anything to be done.

न कर्तृत्वं न कर्माणि लोकस्य सृजति प्रभुः। न कर्मफलसंयोगं स्वभावस्तु प्रवर्तते॥

The Lord does not create the sense of doership or actions for beings, nor the connection of action with its fruit. It is only one's own nature that operates.

नादत्ते कस्यचित्पापं न चैव सुकृतं विभुः। अज्ञानेनावृतं ज्ञानं तेन मुह्यन्ति जन्तवः॥

The omnipresent Lord does not accept anyone's sin or merit. Knowledge is covered by ignorance; therefore beings are deluded.