Chapter 3

Arjuna. Thou whom all mortals praise, Janardana! If meditation be a nobler thing Than action, wherefore, then, great Kesava! Dost thou impel me to this dreadful fight? Now am I by thy doubtful speech disturbed! Tell me one thing, and tell me certainly; By what road shall I find the better end?

Arjuna. Janardana, you whom all mortals praise! If meditation is nobler Than action, then why, great Kesava, Do you urge me into this dreadful battle? Your unclear words have left me confused! Tell me one thing, and tell me with certainty: Which path will lead me to the better outcome?

Krishna. I told thee, blameless Lord! there be two paths Shown to this world; two schools of wisdom.

Krishna. I told you, blameless Lord! There are two paths shown to the world, two schools of wisdom.

First The Sankhya's, which doth save in way of works Prescribed⁴ by reason; next, the Yog, which bids Attain by meditation, spiritually: Yet these are one! No man shall 'scape from act By shunning action; nay, and none shall come By mere renouncements unto perfectness. Nay, and no jot of time, at any time, Rests any actionless; his nature's law Compels him, even unwilling, into act; [For thought is act in fancy]. He who sits Suppressing all the instruments of flesh, Yet in his idle heart thinking on them, Plays the inept and guilty hypocrite: But he who, with strong body serving mind, Gives up his mortal powers to worthy work, Not seeking gain, Arjuna! such an one Is honourable. Do thine allotted task! Work is more excellent than idleness; The body's life proceeds not, lacking work. There is a task of holiness to do, Unlike world-binding toil, which bindeth not The faithful soul; such earthly duty do Free from desire, and thou shalt well perform Thy heavenly purpose. Spake Prajapati-- In the beginning, when all men were made, And, with mankind, the sacrifice-- "Do this! Work! sacrifice! Increase and multiply With sacrifice! This shall be Kamaduk, Your 'Cow of Plenty,' giving back her milk Of all abundance. Worship the gods thereby; The gods shall yield thee grace. Those meats ye crave The gods will grant to Labour, when it pays Tithes in the altar-flame. But if one eats Fruits of the earth, rendering to kindly Heaven No gift of toil, that thief steals from his world."

First, the Sankhya's path, which saves through work prescribed⁴ by reason. Next, the Yog, which teaches spiritual attainment through meditation. Yet these paths are one! No one can escape action by avoiding work. Nor can anyone reach perfection merely by giving things up. No one, at any time, spends even a moment without acting. The law of human nature forces everyone to act, even against their will. [For thought is action in the imagination.] Anyone who sits holding back all the body's senses, yet dwells on them in an idle heart, is a foolish and guilty hypocrite. But someone whose strong body serves the mind, who devotes their physical powers to worthy work without seeking gain, Arjuna, is honorable. Do your assigned task! Work is better than idleness. Even the body cannot stay alive without work. There is holy work to be done. Unlike toil that binds us to the world, holy work does not bind the faithful soul. Perform such earthly duties without desire, and you will fulfill your heavenly purpose. Prajapati spoke in the beginning, when all people were created, and sacrifice was created with them: "Do this! Work! Sacrifice! Increase and multiply through sacrifice! This sacrifice shall be Kamaduk, your 'Cow of Plenty,' giving you her milk in abundance. Worship the gods through sacrifice. The gods will grant you grace. The food you desire the gods will grant to those who work, when they offer a share in the altar's flame. But anyone who eats the earth's produce without giving kindly Heaven an offering of labor is a thief who steals from the world."

Who eat of food after their sacrifice Are quit of fault, but they that spread a feast All for themselves, eat sin and drink of sin. By food the living live; food comes of rain, And rain comes by the pious sacrifice, And sacrifice is paid with tithes of toil; Thus action is of Brahma, who is One, The Only, All-pervading; at all times Present in sacrifice. He that abstains To help the rolling wheels of this great world, Glutting his idle sense, lives a lost life, Shameful and vain. Existing for himself, Self-concentrated, serving self alone, No part hath he in aught; nothing achieved, Nought wrought or unwrought toucheth him; no hope Of help for all the living things of earth Depends from him.⁵ Therefore, thy task prescribed With spirit unattached gladly perform, Since in performance of plain duty man Mounts to his highest bliss. By works alone Janak and ancient saints reached blessedness! Moreover, for the upholding of thy kind, Action thou should'st embrace. What the wise choose The unwise people take; what best men do The multitude will follow. Look on me, Thou Son of Pritha! in the three wide worlds I am not bound to any toil, no height Awaits to scale, no gift remains to gain, Yet I act here! and, if I acted not-- Earnest and watchful--those that look to me For guidance, sinking back to sloth again Because I slumbered, would decline from good, And I should break earth's order and commit Her offspring unto ruin, Bharata! Even as the unknowing toil, wedded to sense, So let the enlightened toil, sense-freed, but set To bring the world deliverance, and its bliss; Not sowing in those simple, busy hearts Seed of despair. Yea! let each play his part In all he finds to do, with unyoked soul. All things are everywhere by Nature wrought In interaction of the qualities. The fool, cheated by self, thinks, "This I did" And "That I wrought; "but--ah, thou strong-armed Prince!-- A better-lessoned mind, knowing the play Of visible things within the world of sense, And how the qualities must qualify, Standeth aloof even from his acts. Th' untaught Live mixed with them, knowing not Nature's way, Of highest aims unwitting, slow and dull. Those make thou not to stumble, having the light; But all thy dues discharging, for My sake, With meditation centred inwardly, Seeking no profit, satisfied, serene, Heedless of issue--fight! They who shall keep My ordinance thus, the wise and willing hearts, Have quittance from all issue of their acts; But those who disregard My ordinance, Thinking they know, know nought, and fall to loss, Confused and foolish. 'Sooth, the instructed one Doth of his kind, following what fits him most: And lower creatures of their kind; in vain Contending 'gainst the law. Needs must it be The objects of the sense will stir the sense To like and dislike, yet th' enlightened man Yields not to these, knowing them enemies. Finally, this is better, that one do His own task as he may, even though he fail, Than take tasks not his own, though they seem good. To die performing duty is no ill; But who seeks other roads shall wander still.

Those who eat food after offering their sacrifice Are free from guilt. But those who prepare a feast Only for themselves eat sin and drink sin. Living things depend on food. Food comes from rain, And rain comes through faithful sacrifice. And sacrifice is sustained by a share of our labor. So action comes from Brahma, who is One, The Only, present everywhere, and always Present in sacrifice. Anyone who refuses To help turn the wheels of this great world, Idly indulging the senses, leads a wasted life, Shameful and empty. Someone who lives for himself, Focused on himself, serving himself alone, Has no part in anything. Nothing achieved, Nothing done or left undone affects him. No hope Of help for any living thing on earth Depends on him.⁵ Therefore, do your assigned task Gladly, with a spirit free from attachment, Since doing ordinary duties leads a person To the highest bliss. Through action alone, Janak and the ancient saints reached blessedness! And to support your fellow human beings, You should embrace action. What the wise choose, The unwise adopt. What the best people do, The crowds follow. Look at me, Son of Pritha! In the three vast worlds, I am not bound to do any work. No height Remains for me to climb, no gift remains to gain. Yet I act here! And if I did not act With care and vigilance, those who look to me For guidance would slip back into laziness. Because I rested, they would turn away from goodness. And I would destroy the world's order and bring Its children to ruin, Bharata! Just as the ignorant work, bound to their senses, Let the enlightened work, free from that attachment, but determined To bring the world freedom and bliss. They should not plant in those simple, busy hearts The seeds of despair. Yes, let everyone do their part In all the work before them, with a soul free from attachment. Everything, everywhere, is done by Nature Through the interaction of its qualities. The fool, deceived by the self, thinks, "I did this" And "I made that." But listen, strong-armed Prince! A mind with greater understanding knows how things work Within the world of the senses, And how Nature's qualities act upon one another. Such a person remains detached even from his own actions. The ignorant Remain caught up in those qualities, not knowing Nature's ways. They know nothing of the highest aims and are slow to understand. Since you have understanding, do not lead them astray. Instead, carry out all your duties for my sake, With your meditation focused inward, Seeking no gain, content and calm, Unconcerned about the outcome, fight! Those who follow My teaching in this way, with wise and willing hearts, Are freed from all the consequences of their actions. But those who reject my teaching, Thinking they know, know nothing and come to ruin, Confused and foolish. Indeed, even someone with understanding Acts according to his nature, following what suits him best. Lesser creatures also follow their nature. Struggling Against this law is useless. Objects of the senses Must stir the senses To attraction and aversion. Yet the enlightened person Does not yield to these feelings, knowing they are enemies. Finally, it is better to do Your own task as well as you can, even if you fail, Than to take on another's tasks, however good they seem. To die doing your duty is no evil. But whoever seeks other paths will keep wandering.

Arjuna. Yet tell me, Teacher! by what force doth man Go to his ill, unwilling; as if one Pushed him that evil path?

Arjuna. But tell me, Teacher! What force drives a person To do wrong against their will, as if someone Were pushing them down an evil path?

Krishna. Kama it is! Passion it is! born of the Darknesses, Which pusheth him. Mighty of appetite, Sinful, and strong is this!--man's enemy! As smoke blots the white fire, as clinging rust Mars the bright mirror, as the womb surrounds The babe unborn, so is the world of things Foiled, soiled, enclosed in this desire of flesh. The wise fall, caught in it; the unresting foe It is of wisdom, wearing countless forms, Fair but deceitful, subtle as a flame. Sense, mind, and reason--these, O Kunti's Son! Are booty for it; in its play with these It maddens man, beguiling, blinding him. Therefore, thou noblest child of Bharata! Govern thy heart! Constrain th' entangled sense! Resist the false, soft sinfulness which saps Knowledge and judgment! Yea, the world is strong, But what discerns it stronger, and the mind Strongest; and high o'er all the ruling Soul. Wherefore, perceiving Him who reigns supreme, Put forth full force of Soul in thy own soul! Fight! vanquish foes and doubts, dear Hero! slay What haunts thee in fond shapes, and would betray!

Krishna. It is Kama! It is passion, born of the Darknesses, That drives him. Its appetite is mighty. Sinful and powerful, desire is humanity's enemy! As smoke hides bright fire, as clinging rust Dulls a shining mirror, as the womb surrounds An unborn child, so the world of things Is obscured, stained, and trapped by this desire of the flesh. Even the wise fall into its trap. Desire is Wisdom's tireless enemy, taking countless forms, Beautiful but deceptive, subtle as a flame. The senses, mind, and reason, O Kunti's Son, Are desire's prey. By playing with them, Desire drives people mad, deceiving and blinding them. Therefore, noblest child of Bharata, Control your heart! Restrain your ensnared senses! Resist the deceptive, seductive sinfulness that weakens Knowledge and judgment! Yes, the world is powerful, But the senses that perceive the world are stronger, and the mind Is strongest. High above them all is the ruling Soul. So, recognizing him who rules supreme, Bring the Soul's full strength into your own soul! Fight! Conquer enemies and doubts, dear Hero! Destroy The desire that haunts you in alluring forms and seeks to betray you!

HERE ENDETH CHAPTER III. OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, Entitled "Karma-Yog," Or "The Book of Virtue in Work."

Here ends Chapter III of the Bhagavad-Gita, titled "Karma-Yog," or "The Book of Virtue in Work."