Chapter 3: The Yoga of Action: On mastering the intelligence. Shlokas 1 to 9, 20 & 21, 25 & 26, 30, and 35 to 43.   shloka 1 Arjuna uvâca jyâyasî cet karmanas te matâ buddhir janârdana tat kim karmani ghore mâm niyojayasi kesava Arjuna said: 'If being intelligent is considered better than doing fruitive work, as You said o Janârdana, then why are You engaging me in this ghastly action Kesava? shloka 2 vyâmisreneva vâkyena buddhim mohayasîva me tad ekam vada niscitya yena sreyo 'ham âpnuyâm Surely you are confusing my intelligence with your equivocal words, therefore please make sure you tell me of one only so that I may really benefit from it. shloka 3 srî-bhagavân uvâca loke 'smin dvi-vidhâ nisthâ purâ proktâ mayânagha jnâna-yogena sânkhyânâm karma-yogena yoginâm The Supreme Lord said: 'In this world there are two kinds of faith, as I told you before o sinless one, it is the linking of oneself in the knowledge of the analytic mind [to attain to stability of intelligence] and the connectedness in action [forsaking the desire for the fruits] as practiced by the mystical [the volition of yoga]. shloka 4 na karmanâm anârambhân naiskarmyam puruso 'snute na ca sannyasanâd eva siddhim samadhigacchati Nor by forsaking work does a man attain to liberation nor does he attain to success by simply renouncing [the fruits]. shloka 5 na hi kascit ksanam api jâtu tisthaty akarmakrt kâryate hy avasah karma sarvah prakrti-jair gunaih Surely no one is but for a moment without action and certainly everyone is irresistably drawn to fruitive work [undergo karma] according the qualities born from the modes of nature. shloka 6 karmendriyâni samyamya ya âste manasâ smaran indriyârthân vimûdhâtmâ mithyâcârah sa ucyate Anyone who, controlling the senses, in his mind keeps to thinking on the sense-objects is a foolish soul called a pretender. shloka 7 yas tv indriyâni manasâ niyamyârabhate 'rjuna karmendriyaih karma-yogam asaktah sa visisyate But one who, regulating the senses with his mind, o Arjuna, makes a beginning with connecting his senses in working without the attachment of desiring the fruits [karma-yoga] - he is by far the better. shloka 8 niyatam kuru karma tvam karma jyâyo hy akarmanah sarîra-yâtrâpi ca te na prasiddhyed akarmanah Do your precribed duties, as working for certain is better than not to work - even your bodily maintenance is never without the effect of work. shloka 9 yajnârthât karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam karma-bandhanah tad-artham karma kaunteya mukta-sangah samâcara Work for the purpose of sacrifice, otherwise work in this world will bind you. Work done for that sake, o son of Kuntî, will liberate you perfectly from that [material] association. shloka 20 karmanaiva hi samsiddhim âsthitâ janakâdayah loka-sangraham evâpi sampasyan kartum arhasi For sure even kings like Janaka [father of Sîtâ, the wife of Râma, ] and others attained to perfection through this work and also in consideration of what the world needs you should act. shloka 21 yad yad âcarati sresthas tat tad evetaro janah sa yat pramânam kurute lokas tad anuvartate Whatever that a respectable leader does is surely and solely done for other people and whatever the example he gives the whole world will do in following. shloka 25 saktâh karmany avidvâmso yathâ kurvanti bhârata kuryâd vidvâms tathâsaktas cikîrsur loka-sangraham As the ignorant do their work in attachment, o descendant of Bharata, so the learned must act without attachment in desiring to be the example for the common people. shloka 26 na buddhi-bhedam janayed ajnânâm karma-sanginâm josayet sarva-karmâni vidvân yuktah samâcaran He should not disturb the minds of the ignorant attached to the fruits of labor; a wise man should, engaged in his duty, fit all in with his work. shloka 30 mayi sarvâni karmâni sannyasyâdhyâtma-cetasâ nirâsîr nirmamo bhûtvâ yudhyasva vigata-jvarah Therefore dedicate all sorts of work to Me, giving up in the full knowledge of your soul, with a consciousness free from desiring profit and property and being thus: fight without hesitation! shloka 35 ssreyân sva-dharmo vigunah para-dharmât sv-anusthitât sva-dharme nidhanam sreyah para-dharmo bhayâvahah It is better [to that] to follow one's own nature making mistakes than to be perfect in following an estranged course of action; to find destruction with following one's own duty is [thus] better than to run with an estranged sense of duty into danger. shloka 36 arjuna uvâca atha kena prayukto 'yam pâpam carati pûrusah anicchann api vârsneya balâd iva ni yojitah Ajuna said:'Then by what is a man impelled to sin even if he doesn't want to, o descendant of Vrishni [Krishna's family name], as if engaged by force? shloka 37 srî bhagavân uvâca kâma esa krodha esa rajo-guna-samudbhavah mahâ-sano mahâ-pâpmâ viddhy enam iha vairinam The Supreme Lord said:' It is lust, it is anger born from the mode of passion which is the all-devouring greatly sinful; know this here to be your greatest enemy. shloka 38 dhûmenâvriyate vahnir yathâdarso malena ca yatholbenâvrto garbhas tathâ tenedam âvrtam Just like smoke covering a fire, a mirror covered with dust and a womb enclosing an embryo, so similarly by this lust this [knowing] is covered. shloka 39 âvrtam jnânam etena jnânino nitya-vairinâ kâma-rûpena kaunteya duspûrenânalena ca The knowing of the knower, covered by this eternal enemy in the form of [the unregulated] desire , o son of Kuntî, is just like fire never satisfied. shloka 40 indriyâni mano buddhir asyâdhisthânam ucyate etair vimohayaty esa jnânam âvrtya dehinam The senses, the mind and the intelligence are called the stronghold of this lust which by all these clouds the knowledge in covering the embodied [soul]. shloka 41 tasmât tvam indriyâny âdau niyamya bharatarsabha pâpmânam prajahi hy enam jnâna-vijnâna-nâsanam Therefore you must, regulating the senses from the beginning, o best among the Bharata's, curb this drive of sin that is the destroyer of knowledge and wisdom. shloka 42 indriyâni parâny âhur indriyebhyah param manah manasas tu parâ buddhir yo buddheh paratas tu sah The senses are above things one says and more than the senses is the superior [directing] mind. Also above that is the [planning] intelligence - but more than the intelligence is He who is the [controlling transcendent soul] beyond. shloka 43 evam buddheh param buddhvâ samstabhyâtmânam âtmanâ jahi satrum mahâ-bâho kâma-rûpam durâsadam Thus superior to the intelligence knowing from the steadying of the mind deliberately conquer this enemy which , o mighty armed one, is so formidable in the form of lust.                 CONTENTS

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