Mokṣa Sanyāsa Yoga

Arjuna said: O mighty-armed one, I wish to know the truth about renunciation (sannyasa) and about relinquishment (tyaga) separately, O Hrishikesha, O slayer of Keshi.

The Supreme Lord said: The sages understand sannyasa as the giving up of desire-motivated actions; the wise declare tyaga as the relinquishment of the fruits of all actions.

Some wise men declare that all action should be given up as evil, while others say that acts of sacrifice, charity, and austerity should not be abandoned.

Hear from Me the definitive truth about relinquishment, O best of the Bharatas.

Acts of sacrifice, charity, and austerity should not be abandoned; they must indeed be performed.

But even these actions should be performed giving up attachment and the fruits - this is My definite and highest opinion, O Partha.

The renunciation of obligatory action is not proper.

One who gives up action because it is troublesome or out of fear of bodily discomfort performs rajasic relinquishment and does not obtain the fruit of true renunciation.

When prescribed action is performed simply because it ought to be done, O Arjuna, giving up attachment and the fruit - that relinquishment is considered sattvic.

The wise renouncer, imbued with sattva and with doubts cut asunder, neither hates disagreeable action nor is attached to agreeable action.

It is indeed impossible for an embodied being to give up actions entirely.

The threefold fruit of action - undesirable, desirable, and mixed - accrues after death to those who have not renounced, but never to those who have truly renounced.

Learn from Me, O mighty-armed one, the five factors declared in Sankhya philosophy for the accomplishment of all actions.

The body (seat of action), the doer, the various senses, the many different functions, and the presiding deity (destiny) as the fifth - these are the five factors.

Whatever action a person performs by body, speech, or mind - whether right or wrong - these five are its causes.

Therefore, one who, due to untrained intellect, sees the self alone as the doer - that person of perverted understanding does not truly see.

One whose disposition is free from ego, whose intellect is not tainted - even though slaying these people, that person neither slays nor is bound.

Knowledge, the object of knowledge, and the knower form the threefold impulse to action; the instrument, the action, and the doer form the threefold basis of action.

Knowledge, action, and the doer are declared to be of three kinds according to the distinction of the gunas in the science of the gunas.

That knowledge by which one sees the one imperishable reality in all beings, undivided in the divided - know that knowledge to be sattvic.

That knowledge which sees in all beings diverse entities of distinct kinds, separate from one another - know that knowledge to be rajasic.

That knowledge which clings to one single effect as if it were the whole, which is irrational, without basis in truth, and trivial - that is declared to be tamasic.

Action that is prescribed, performed without attachment, without love or hatred, by one who does not desire the fruit - that action is called sattvic.

Action performed with desire for results, with ego, or with great strain - that is declared to be rajasic.

Action undertaken from delusion, without considering consequences, loss, injury to others, or one's own capacity - that is declared to be tamasic.

The doer who is free from attachment, non-egoistic, endowed with determination and enthusiasm, and unaffected by success or failure - is called sattvic.

The doer who is passionate, who desires the fruits of action, who is greedy, violent in nature, impure, and subject to joy and sorrow - is declared to be rajasic.

The doer who is undisciplined, vulgar, obstinate, deceitful, malicious, lazy, despondent, and procrastinating - is called tamasic.

Hear now the threefold distinction of intellect and also of fortitude, according to the gunas, as I declare them fully and separately, O Dhananjaya.

That intellect which knows when to act and when to withdraw, what ought to be done and what ought not, what is to be feared and what not, what binds and what liberates - that intellect, O Partha, is sattvic.

That intellect which imperfectly understands dharma and adharma, what ought to be done and what ought not - that intellect, O Partha, is rajasic.

That intellect which, enveloped in darkness, regards adharma as dharma and sees all things in a perverted way - that intellect, O Partha, is tamasic.

The unwavering fortitude by which one sustains the activities of the mind, life-breath, and senses through yoga - that fortitude, O Partha, is sattvic.

The fortitude by which one holds fast to dharma, pleasure, and wealth with attachment, craving the fruits in each case - that fortitude, O Partha, is rajasic.

The fortitude by which a dull-witted person does not give up excessive sleep, fear, grief, depression, and conceit - that fortitude, O Partha, is tamasic.

Now hear from Me, O best of the Bharatas, about the threefold happiness - that in which one rejoices through practice and by which one reaches the end of sorrow.

That happiness which is like poison in the beginning but like nectar in the end, which is born of the clarity of self-knowledge - that is declared to be sattvic.

That happiness which arises from the contact of the senses with their objects, which is like nectar in the beginning but like poison in the end - that is declared to be rajasic.

That happiness which deludes the self both in the beginning and in the end, arising from sleep, laziness, and negligence - that is declared to be tamasic.

There is no being on earth, or in heaven among the gods, that is free from these three gunas born of prakriti (material nature).

The duties of Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras are distributed according to the qualities born of their own nature, O Parantapa.

Serenity, self-control, austerity, purity, forgiveness, uprightness, knowledge, realization, and faith in God - these are the duties of a Brahmana, born of his own nature.

Heroism, vigor, firmness, resourcefulness, not fleeing from battle, generosity, and leadership - these are the duties of a Kshatriya, born of his own nature.

Agriculture, cattle-rearing, and trade are the duties of a Vaishya, born of his own nature; and service is the duty of a Shudra, born of his own nature.

Each person, devoted to his own duty, attains perfection.

He from whom all beings originate and by whom all this is pervaded - by worshipping Him through one's own duty, a person attains perfection.

Better is one's own duty, though imperfectly performed, than the duty of another well performed.

One should not abandon one's innate duty, O son of Kunti, even though it is attended with defects; for all undertakings are enveloped by defects, as fire is by smoke.

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

Learn from Me in brief, O son of Kunti, how one who has attained perfection reaches Brahman, which is the supreme culmination of knowledge.

Endowed with a purified intellect, controlling the self with firmness, relinquishing sound and other sense objects, and casting aside attachment and aversion -

Dwelling in solitude, eating lightly, with speech, body, and mind controlled, ever devoted to meditation, and taking refuge in dispassion -

Having abandoned egoism, force, arrogance, desire, anger, and possessiveness, free from the notion of 'mine' and peaceful - one becomes fit for becoming Brahman.

Having become Brahman, serene in the Self, he neither grieves nor desires; regarding all beings equally, he attains supreme devotion to Me.

Through devotion he comes to know Me - what My extent is and who I am in truth.

Even while performing all actions, one who takes refuge in Me attains the eternal, imperishable abode by My grace.

Mentally surrendering all actions to Me, regarding Me as the Supreme, resorting to the yoga of the intellect, fix your mind always on Me.

Fixing your mind on Me, you shall overcome all difficulties by My grace.

If, taking refuge in egoism, you think 'I will not fight,' vain is this resolve of yours - your own nature will compel you.

Bound by your own duty born of your nature, O son of Kunti, that which out of delusion you do not wish to do, you shall do even against your will.

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

Take refuge in Him alone with your whole being, O Bharata.

Thus has this knowledge, more secret than all secrets, been declared to you by Me.

Hear again My supreme word, the most secret of all.

Fix your mind on Me, be My devotee, worship Me, bow down to Me.

Abandoning all dharmas, take refuge in Me alone.

This is never to be spoken by you to one who is without austerity, nor to one without devotion, nor to one who does not render service, nor to one who speaks ill of Me.

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

There is no one among human beings who does dearer service to Me than he; nor shall there be another on earth dearer to Me than he.

And he who will study this sacred dialogue of ours - by him I shall be worshipped through the sacrifice of knowledge.

Even the person who merely listens to this with faith and without envy shall be liberated and attain the auspicious worlds of the righteous.

Has this been heard by you, O Partha, with a one-pointed mind?

Arjuna said: My delusion is destroyed and I have gained wisdom through Your grace, O Achyuta.

Sanjaya said: Thus I have heard this wonderful and thrilling dialogue between Vasudeva and the great-souled Partha.

By the grace of Vyasa, I have heard this supreme and most secret yoga directly from Krishna, the Lord of Yoga, as He Himself declared it.

O King, remembering again and again this wonderful and sacred dialogue between Keshava and Arjuna, I rejoice again and again.

And remembering again and again that most wonderful form of Hari, great is my amazement, O King, and I rejoice again and again.

Wherever there is Krishna, the Lord of Yoga, and wherever there is Arjuna, the wielder of the bow, there will surely be prosperity, victory, glory, and firm righteousness - such is my conviction.