The        
Bhagavad
Gita          

CONTENTS


ONE: THE DESPONDENCY OF ARJUNA


TWO: THE PHILOSOPHY OF DISCRIMINATION


THREE: KARMA-YOGA – THE PATH OF ACTION


FOUR: DNYANA-YOGA – THE PATH OF WISDOM


FIVE: THE RENUNCIATION OF ACTION


SIX: SELF-CONTROL 


SEVEN: KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE


EIGHT: LIFE EVERLASTING


NINE: THE SCIENCE OF SCIENCES AND


THE MYSTERY OF MYSTERIES 


TEN: THE DIVINE MANIFESTATIONS


ELEVEN: THE COSMIC VISION


TWELVE: BHAKTI-YOGA – THE PATH OF LOVE


THIRTEEN: SPIRIT AND MATTER


FOURTEEN: THE THREE QUALITIES 


FIFTEEN: THE LORD-GOD 


SIXTEEN: DIVINE AND DEMONIC CIVILIZATION. 


SEVENTEEN: THE THREEFOLD FAITH


EIGHTEEN: THE SPIRIT OF RENUNCIATION

PREFACE

The Bhagavad Gita, the greatest devotional book of Hinduism, has long been recognized
as one of the world’s spiritual classics and a guide to all on the path of Truth. It is
sometimes known as the Song of the Lord or the Gospel of the Lord Shri Krishna.
According to Western scholarship, it was composed later than the Vedas and the
Upanishads – probably between the fifth and second centuries before Christ. It is a
fragment, part of the sixth book of the epic poem The Mahabaratha.


The Mahabaratha tells of the Pandavas, Prince Arjuna and his four brothers, growing up
in north India at the court of their uncle, the blind King Dhritarashtra, after the death of
their father, the previous ruler. There is always great rivalry between the Pandavas or sons
of Pandu and the Kauravas, the one hundred sons of Dhritarashtra. Eventually the old
king gives his nephews some land of their own but his eldest son, Duryodhana, defeats
Yudhisthira, the eldest Pandava, by cheating at dice, and forces him and his brothers to
surrender their land and go into exile for thirteen years. On their return, the old king is
unable to persuade his son Duryodhana to restore their heritage and, in spite of efforts at
reconciliation by Sanjaya, Dhritarashtra’s charioteer; by Bheeshma, his wise counsellor;
and even by the Lord Krishna himself, war cannot be averted. The rival hosts face each
other on the field of Kurukshetra. It is at this point that The Bhagavad Gita begins.


When Prince Arjuna surveys the battlefield, he is overwhelmed with sorrow at the
futility of war. The teachings of The Bhagavad Gita are spoken by the divine Lord Krishna,
who is acting as the prince’s charioteer. They are overheard by Sanjaya and reported back
to King Dhritarashtra. When Krishna has finished speaking to Arjuna, the two armies
engage. The battle lasts eighteen days and by the end of it nearly all of the warriors on
both sides are dead save Krishna and the five sons of Pandu.

ONE: THE DESPONDENCY OF ARJUNA

The King Dhritarashtra asked: “O Sanjaya! What happened on the sacred battlefield of
Kurukshetra, when my people gathered against the Pandavas?”


Sanjaya replied: “The Prince Duryodhana, when he saw the army of the Pandavas paraded,
approached his preceptor Guru Drona and spoke as follows:


Revered Father! Behold this mighty host of the Pandavas, paraded by the son of King
Drupada, thy wise disciple.


In it are heroes and great bowmen; the equals in battle of Arjuna and Bheema,
Yuyudhana, Virata and Drupada, great soldiers all;


Dhrishtaketu, Chekitan, the valiant King of Benares, Purujit, Kuntibhoja, Shaibya – a
master over many;


Yudhamanyu, Uttamouja, Soubhadra and the sons of Droupadi, famous men.


Further, take note of all those captains who have ranged themselves on our side, O best of
Spiritual Guides! The leaders of my army. I will name them for you.


You come first; then Bheeshma, Karna, Kripa, great soldiers; Ashwaththama, Vikarna and
the son of Somadhatta;


And many others, all ready to die for my sake; all armed, all skilled in war.


Yet our army seems the weaker, though commanded by Bheeshma; their army seems the
stronger, though commanded by Bheema.


Therefore in the rank and file, let stand firm in their posts, according to battalions; and all
you generals about Bheeshma.


Then to enliven his spirits, the brave Grandfather Bheeshma, eldest of the Kuru-clan, blew his
conch, till it sounded like a lion’s roar.


And immediately all the conches and drums, the trumpets and horns, blared forth in tumultuous
uproar.


Then seated in their spacious war chariot, yoked with white horses, Lord Shri Krishna and Arjuna
sounded their divine shells.


Lord Shri Krishna blew his Panchajanya and Arjuna his Devadatta, brave Bheema his renowned
shell, Poundra.


The King Dharmaraja, the son of Kunti, blew the Anantavijaya, Nakalu and Sahadeo, the Sugosh
and Manipushpaka, respectively.


And the Maharaja of Benares, the great archer, Shikhandi, the great soldier, Dhrishtayumna, Virata
and Satyaki, the invincible,


And O King! Drupada, the sons of Droupadi and Soubhadra, the great soldier, blew their conches.

tumult rent the hearts of the sons of Dhritarashtra, and violently shook heaven and earth with
its echo.


Then beholding the sons of Dhritarashtra, drawn up on the battle- field, ready to fight, Arjuna,
whose flag bore the Hanuman,


Raising his bow, spoke this to the Lord Shri Krishna: O Infallible! Lord of the earth! Please
draw up my chariot betwixt the two armies,


So that I may observe those who must fight on my side, those who must fight against me;


And gaze over this array of soldiers, eager to please the sinful sons of Dhritarashtra.”


Sanjaya said: “Having listened to the request of Arjuna, Lord Shri Krishna drew up His bright
chariot exactly in the midst between the two armies,


Whither Bheeshma and Drona had led all the rulers of the earth, and spoke thus: O Arjuna! Behold
these members of the family of Kuru assembled.


There Arjuna noticed fathers, grandfathers, uncles, cousins, sons, grandsons, teachers, friends;


Fathers-in-law and benefactors, arrayed on both sides. Arjuna then gazed at all those kinsmen before
him.


And his heart melted with pity and sadly he spoke: O my Lord! When I see all these, my own
people, thirsting for battle,


My limbs fail me and my throat is parched, my body trembles and my hair stands on end.


The bow Gandeeva slips from my hand, and my skin burns. I cannot keep quiet, for my
mind is in tumult.


The omens are adverse; what good can come from the slaughter of my people on this
battlefield?


Ah my Lord! I crave not for victory, nor for the kingdom, nor for any pleasure. What were
a kingdom or happiness or life to me,


When those for whose sake I desire these things stand here about to sacrifice their
property and their lives:


Teachers, fathers and grandfathers, sons and grandsons, uncles, father-in-law, brothers-in-
law and other relatives.


I would not kill them, even for three worlds; why then for this poor earth? It matters not if
I myself am killed.


My Lord! What happiness can come from the death of these sons of Dhritarashtra? We
shall sin if we kill these desperate men.


We are worthy of a nobler feat than to slaughter our relatives – the sons of Dhritarashtra;
for, my Lord, how can we be happy of we kill our kinsmen?


Although these men, blinded by greed, see no guilt in destroying their kin, or fighting
against their friends,

Should not we, whose eyes are open, who consider it to be wrong to annihilate our house,
turn away from so great a crime?


The destruction of our kindred means the destruction of the traditions of our ancient
lineage, and when these are lost, irreligion will overrun our homes.


When irreligion spreads, the women of the house begin to stray; when they lose their
purity, adulteration of the stock follows.


Promiscuity ruins both the family and those who defile it; while the souls of our ancestors
droop, through lack of the funeral cakes and ablutions.


By the destruction of our lineage and the pollution of blood, ancient class traditions and
family purity alike perish.


The wise say, my Lord, that they are forever lost, whose ancient traditions are lost.


Alas, it is strange that we should be willing to kill our own countrymen and commit a
great sin, in order to enjoy the pleasures of a kingdom.


If, on the contrary, the sons of Dhritarashtra, with weapons in their hand, should slay me,
unarmed and unresisting, surely that would be better for my welfare!”


Sanjaya said: “Having spoken thus, in the midst of the armies, Arjuna sank on the seat of the
chariot, casting away his bow and arrow; heartbroken with grief.”


Thus, in the Holy Book the Bhagavad Gita, one of the Upanishads, in the Science of the Supreme
Spirit, in the Art of Self-Knowledge, in the colloquy between the Divine Lord Shri Krishna and the
Prince Arjuna, stands the first chapter, entitled: The Despondency of Arjuna.

TWO: THE PHILOSOPHY OF DISCRIMINATION

Sanjaya then told how the Lord Shri Krishna, seeing Arjuna overwhelmed with compassion, his
eyes dimmed with flowing tears and full of despondency, consoled him:


“The Lord said: My beloved friend! Why yield, just on the eve of battle, to this weakness
which does no credit to those who call themselves Aryans, and only brings them infamy
and bars against them the gates of heaven?


O Arjuna! Why give way to unmanliness? O thou who art the terror of thine enemies!
Shake off such shameful effeminacy, make ready to act!


Arjuna argued: My Lord! How can I, when the battle rages, send an arrow through
Bheeshma and Drona, who should receive my reverence?


Rather would I content myself with a beggar’s crust that kill these teachers of mine, these
precious noble souls! To slay these masters who are my benefactors would be to stain the
sweetness of life’s pleasures with their blood.


Nor can I say whether it were better that they conquer me or for me to conquer them, since
I would no longer care to live if I killed these sons of Dhritarashtra, now preparing for
fight.


My heart is oppressed with pity; and my mind confused as to what my duty is. Therefore,
my Lord, tell me what is best for my spiritual welfare, for I am Thy disciple. Please direct
me, I pray.


For should I attain the monarchy of the visible world, or over the invisible world, it would
not drive away the anguish which is now paralysing my senses.”


Sanjaya continued: “Arjuna, the conqueror of all enemies, then told the Lord of All-Hearts that he
would no fight, and became silent, O King!


Thereupon the Lord, with a gracious smile, addressed him who was so much depressed in the midst
of the two armies.


Lord Shri Krishna said: Why grieve for those for whom no grief is due, and yet profess
wisdom? The wise grieve neither for the dead nor the living.


There was never a time when I was not, nor thou, nor these princes were not; there will
never be a time when we shall cease to be.


As the soul experiences in this body infancy, youth and old age, so finally it passes into
another. The wise have no delusion about this.


Those external relations which bring cold and heat, pain and happiness, they come and
go; they are not permanent. Endure them bravely, O Prince!


The hero whose soul is unmoved by circumstance, who accepts pleasure and pain with
equanimity, only he is fit for immortality.

That which is not, shall never be; that which is, shall never cease to be. To the wise, these
truths are self-evident.


The Spirit, which pervades all that we see, is imperishable. Nothing can destroy the Spirit.


The material bodies which this Eternal, Indestructible, Immeasurable Spirit inhabits are all
finite. Therefore fight, O Valiant Man!


He who thinks that the Spirit kills, and he who thinks of It as killed, are both ignorant. The
Spirit kills not, nor is It killed.


It was not born; It will never die, nor once having been, can It cease to be. Unborn, Eternal,
Ever-enduring, yet Most Ancient, the Spirit dies not when the body is dead.


He who knows the Spirit as Indestructible, Immortal, Unborn, Always-the-Same, how
should he kill or cause to be killed?


As a man discards his threadbare robes and puts on new, so the Spirit throws off Its worn-
out bodies and takes fresh ones.


Weapons cleave It not, fire burns It not, water drenches It not, and wind dries It not.


It is impenetrable; It can be neither drowned nor scorched nor dried. It is Eternal, All-
pervading, Unchanging, Immovable and Most Ancient.


It is named the Unmanifest, the Unthinkable, the immutable. Wherefore, knowing the
Spirit as such, thou hast no cause to grieve.


Even if thou thinkest of It as constantly being born, constantly dying, even then, O Mighty
Man, thou still hast no cause to grieve.


For death is as sure for that which is born, as birth is for that which is dead. Therefore
grieve not for what is inevitable.


The end and the beginning of beings are unknown. We see only the intervening
formations. Then what cause is there for grief?


One hears of the Spirit with surprise, another thinks It marvellous, the third listens
without comprehending. Thus, though many are told about It, scarcely is there one who
knows It.


Be not anxious about these armies. The Spirit in man is imperishable.


Thou must look at thy duty. Nothing can be more welcome to a soldier than a righteous
war. Therefore to waver in this resolve is unworthy, O Arjuna!


Blessed are the soldiers who find their opportunity. This opportunity has opened for thee
the gates of heaven.


Refuse to fight in this righteous cause, and thou wilt be a traitor, lost to fame, incurring
only sin.


Men will talk forever of thy disgrace; and to the noble, dishonour is worse than death.

Great generals will think that thou hast fled from the battlefield through cowardice;
though once honoured thou wilt seem despicable.


Thine enemies will spread scandal and mock at thy courage. Can anything be more
humiliating?


If killed, thou shalt attain Heaven; if victorious, enjoy the kingdom of earth. Therefore
arise, O Son of Kunti, and fight!


Look upon pleasure and pain, victory and defeat, with an equal eye. Make ready for the
combat, and thou shalt commit no sin.


I have told thee the philosophy of Knowledge. Now listen and I will explain the
philosophy of Action, by means of which, O Arjuna, thou shalt break through the bondage
of all action.


On this Path, endeavour is never wasted, nor can it ever be repressed. Even a very little of
its practice protects one from great danger.


By its means, the straying intellect becomes steadied in the contemplation of one object
only; whereas the minds of the irresolute stray into bypaths innumerable.


Only the ignorant speak in figurative language. It is they who extol the letter of the
scriptures, saying, `There is nothing deeper than this.’


Consulting only their own desires, they construct their own heaven, devising arduous and
complex rites to secure their own pleasure and their own power; and the only result is
rebirth.


While their minds are absorbed with ideas of power and personal enjoyment, they cannot
concentrate their discrimination on one point.


The Vedic Scriptures tell of the three constituents of life – the Qualities. Rise above all of
them, O Arjuna, above all the pairs of opposing sensations; be steady in truth, free from
worldly anxieties and centered in the Self.


As a man can drink water from any side of a full tank, so the skilled theologian can wrest
from any scripture that which will serve his purpose.


But thou hast only the right to work, but none to the fruit thereof. Let not then the fruit of
thy action be thy motive; nor yet be thou enamored of inaction.


Perform all thy actions with mind concentrated on the Divine, renouncing attachment and
looking upon success and failure with an equal eye. Spirituality implies equanimity.


Physical action is far inferior to an intellect concentrated on the Divine. Have recourse then
to Pure Intelligence. It is only the petty-minded who work for reward.


When a man attains to Pure Reason, he renounces in this world the results of good and
evil alike. Cling thou to Right Action. Spirituality is the real art of living.


The sages guided by Pure Intellect renounce the fruit of action; and, freed from the chains
of rebirth, they reach the highest bliss.

When thy reason has crossed the entanglements of illusion, then shalt thou become
indifferent both to the philosophies thou hast heard and to those thou mayest yet hear.


When the intellect, bewildered by the multiplicity of holy scripts, stands unperturbed in
blissful contemplation of the Infinite, then hast thou attained Spirituality.


Arjuna asked: My Lord! How can we recognise the saint who has attained Pure Intellect,
who has reached this state of Bliss, and whose mind is steady? how does he talk, how does
he live, and how does he act?


Lord Shri Krishna replied: When a man has given up the desires of his heart and is satisfied
with the Self alone, be sure that he has reached the highest state.


The sage, whose mind is unruffled in suffering, whose desire is not roused by enjoyment,
who is without attachment, anger or fear – take him to be one who stands at that lofty
level.


He who wherever he goes is attached to no person and to no place by ties of flesh; who
accepts good and evil alike, neither welcoming the one nor shrinking from the other – take
him to be one who is merged in the Infinite.


He who can withdraw his senses from the attraction of their objects, as the tortoise draws
his limbs within its shell – take it that such a one has attained Perfection.


The objects of sense turn from him who is abstemious. Even the relish for them is lost in
him who has seen the Truth.


O Arjuna! The mind of him, who is trying to conquer it, is forcibly carried away in spite of
his efforts, by his tumultuous senses.


Restraining them all, let him meditate steadfastly on Me; for who thus conquers his senses
achieves perfection.


When a man dwells on the objects of sense, he creates an attraction for them; attraction
develops into desire, and desire breeds anger.


Anger induces delusion; delusion, loss of memory; through loss of memory, reason is
shattered; and loss of reason leads to destruction.


But the self-controlled soul, who moves amongst sense objects, free from either attachment
or repulsion, he wins eternal Peace.


Having attained Peace, he becomes free from misery; for when the mind gains peace, right
discrimination follows.


Right discrimination is not for him who cannot concentrate. Without concentration, there
cannot be meditation; he who cannot meditate must not expect peace; and without peace,
how can anyone expect happiness?


As a ship at sea is tossed by the tempest, so the reason is carried away by the mind when
preyed upon by straying senses.

Therefore, O Might-in-Arms, he who keeps his senses detached from their objects – take it
that his reason is purified.


The saint is awake when the world sleeps, and he ignores that for which the world lives.


He attains Peace, into whom desires flow as rivers into the ocean, which though brimming
with water remains ever the same; not he whom desire carries away.


He attains Peace who, giving up desire, moves through the world without aspiration,
possessing nothing which he can call his own, and free from pride.


O Arjuna! This is the state of the Self, the Supreme Spirit, to which if a man once attain, it
shall never be taken from him. Even at the time of leaving the body, he will remain firmly
enthroned there, and will become one with the Eternal.”


Thus, in the Holy Book the Bhagavad Gita, one of the Upanishads, in the Science of the Supreme
Spirit, in the Art of Self-Knowledge, in the colloquy between the Divine Lord Shri Krishna and the
Prince Arjuna, stands the second chapter, entitled: The Philosophy of Discrimination.

THREE: KARMA-YOGA – THE PATH OF ACTION

“Arjuna questioned: My Lord! If Wisdom is above action, why dost Thou advise me to
engage in this terrible fight?


Thy language perplexes me and confuses my reason. Therefore please tell me the only
way by which I may, without doubt, secure my spiritual welfare.


Lord Shri Krishna replied: In this world, as I have said, there is a twofold path, O Sinless
One! There is the Path of Wisdom for those who meditate, and the Path of Action for those
who work.


No man can attain freedom from activity by refraining from action; nor can he reach
perfection by merely refusing to act.


He cannot even for a moment remain really inactive, for the Qualities of Nature will
compel him to act whether he will or no.


He who remains motionless, refusing to act, but all the while brooding over sensuous
object, that deluded soul is simply a hypocrite.


But, O Arjuna! All honour to him whose mind controls his senses, for he is thereby
beginning to practise Karma-Yoga, the Path of Right Action, keeping himself always
unattached.


Do thy duty as prescribed, for action for duty’s sake is superior to inaction. Even the
maintenance of the body would be impossible if man remained inactive.


In this world people are fettered by action, unless it is performed as a sacrifice. Therefore,
O Arjuna, let thy acts be done without attachment, as sacrifice only.


In the beginning, when God created all beings by the sacrifice of Himself, He said unto
them: `Through sacrifice you can procreate, and it shall satisfy all your desires.


Worship the Powers of Nature thereby, and let them nourish you in return; thus
supporting each other, you shall attain your highest welfare.


For, fed, on sacrifice, nature will give you all the enjoyment you can desire. But he who
enjoys what she gives without returning is, indeed, a robber.’


The sages who enjoy the food that remains after the sacrifice is made are freed from all sin;
but the selfish who spread their feast only for themselves feed on sin only.


All creatures are the product of food, food is the product of rain, rain comes by sacrifice,
and sacrifice is the noblest form of action.


All action originates in the Supreme Spirit, which is Imperishable, and in sacrificial action
the all-pervading Spirit is consciously present.


Thus he who does not help the revolving wheel of sacrifice, but instead leads a sinful life,
rejoicing in the gratification of his senses, O Arjuna, he breathes in vain.

On the other hand, the soul who meditates on the Self is content to serve the Self and rests
satisfied within the Self; there remains nothing more for him to accomplish.


He has nothing to gain by the performance or non-performance of action. His welfare
depends not on any contribution that an earthly creature can make.


Therefore do thy duty perfectly, without care for the results, for he who does his duty
disinterestedly attains the Supreme.


King Janaka and others attained perfection through action alone. Even for the sake of
enlightening the world, it is thy duty to act;


For whatever a great man does, others imitate. People conform to the standard which he
has set.


There is nothing in this universe, O Arjuna, that I am compelled to do, nor anything for
Me to attain; yet I am persistently active.


For were I not to act without ceasing, O prince, people would be glad to do likewise.


And if I were to refrain from action, the human race would be ruined; I should lead the
world to chaos, and destruction would follow.


As the ignorant act, because of their fondness for action, so should the wise act without
such attachment, fixing their eyes, O Arjuna, only on the welfare of the world.


But a wise man should not perturb the minds of the ignorant, who are attached to action;
let him perform his own actions in the right spirit, with concentration on Me, thus
inspiring all to do the same.


Action is the product of the Qualities inherent in Nature. It is only the ignorant man who,
misled by personal egotism, says: `I am the doer.’


But he, O Mighty One, who understands correctly the relation of the Qualities to action, is
not attached to the act for he perceives that it is merely the action and reaction of the
Qualities among themselves.


Those who do not understand the Qualities are interested in the act. Still, the wise man
who knows the truth should not disturb the mind of him who does not.


Therefore, surrendering thy actions unto Me, thy thoughts concentrated on the Absolute,
free from selfishness and without anticipation of reward, with mind devoid of excitement,
begin thou to fight.


Those who always act in accordance with My precepts, firm in faith and without cavilling,
they too are freed from the bondage of action.


But they who ridicule My word and do not keep it, are ignorant, devoid of wisdom and
blind. They seek but their own destruction.


Even the wise man acts in character with his nature; indeed, all creatures act according to
their natures. What is the use of compulsion then?

The love and hate which are aroused by the objects of sense arise from Nature; do not
yield to them. They only obstruct the path.


It is better to do thine own duty, however lacking in merit, than to do that of another, even
though efficiently. It is better to die doing one’s own duty, for to do the duty of another is
fraught with danger.


Arjuna asked: My Lord! Tell me, what is it that drives a man to sin, even against his will
and as if by compulsion?


Lord Shri Krishna: It is desire, it is aversion, born of passion. Desire consumes and corrupts
everything. It is man’s greatest enemy.


As fire is shrouded in smoke, a mirror by dust and a child by the womb, so is the universe
enveloped in desire.


It is the wise man’s constant enemy; it tarnishes the face of wisdom. It is as insatiable as a
flame of fire.


It works through the senses, the mind and the reason; and with their help destroys
wisdom and confounds the soul.


Therefore, O Arjuna, first control thy senses and then slay desire, for it is full of sin, and is
the destroyer of knowledge and of wisdom.


It is said that the senses are powerful. But beyond the senses is the mind, beyond the mind
is the intellect, and beyond and greater than intellect is He.


Thus, O Mighty-in-Arms, knowing Him to be beyond the intellect and, by His help,
subduing thy personal egotism, kill thine enemy, Desire, extremely difficult though it be.”


Thus, in the Holy Book the Bhagavad Gita, one of the Upanishads, in the Science of the Supreme
Spirit, in the Art of Self-Knowledge, in the colloquy between the Divine Lord Shri Krishna and the
Prince Arjuna, stands the third chapter entitled: Karma-Yoga or the Path of Action.

FOUR: DNYANA-YOGA – THE PATH OF WISDOM


“Lord Shri Krishna said: This imperishable philosophy I taught to Viwaswana, the founder
of the Sun dynasty, Viwaswana gave it to Manu the lawgiver, and Manu to King
Ikshwaku!


The Divine Kings knew it, for it was their tradition. Then, after a long time, at last it was
forgotten.


It is the same ancient Path that I have now revealed to thee, since thou are My devotee and
My friend. It is the supreme Secret.


Arjuna asked: My Lord! Viwaswana was born before Thee; how then canst Thou have
revealed it to him?


Lord Shri Krishna replied: I have been born again and again, from time to time; thou too,
O Arjuna! My births are known to Me, but thou knowest not thine.


I have no beginning. Though I am imperishable, as well as Lord of all that exists, yet by
My own will and power do I manifest Myself.


Whenever spirituality decays and materialism is rampant, then, O Arjuna, I reincarnate
Myself!


To protect the righteous, to destroy the wicked and to establish the kingdom of God, I am
reborn from age to age.


He who realises the divine truth concerning My birth and life is not born again; and when
he leaves his body, he becomes one with Me.


Many have merged their existences in Mine, being freed from desire, fear and anger, filled
always with Me and purified by the illuminating flame of self-abnegation.


Howsoever men try to worship Me, so do I welcome them. By whatever path they travel,
it leads to Me at last.


Those who look for success, worship the Powers; and in this world their actions bear
immediate fruit.


The four divisions of society (the wise, the soldier, the merchant, the labourer) were
created by Me, according to the natural distribution of Qualities and instincts. I am the
author of them, though I Myself do no action, and am changeless.


My actions do not fetter Me, nor do I desire anything that they can bring. He who thus
realises Me is not enslaved by action.


In the light of wisdom, our ancestors, who sought deliverance, performed their acts. Act
thou also, as did our fathers of old.


What is action and what is inaction? It is a question which has bewildered the wise. But
I will declare unto thee the philosophy of action, and knowing it, thou shalt be free from
evil.

It is necessary to consider what is right action, what is wrong action, and what is inaction,
for mysterious is the law of action.


He who can see inaction in action, and action in inaction, is the wisest among men. He is a
saint, even though he still acts.


The wise call him a sage, for whatever he undertakes is free from the motive of desire, and
his deeds are purified by the fire of Wisdom.


Having surrendered all claim to the results of his actions, always contented and
independent, in reality he does nothing, even though he is apparently acting.


Expecting nothing, his mind and personality controlled, without greed, doing bodily
actions only; though he acts, yet he remains untainted.


Content with what comes to him without effort of his own, mounting above the pairs of
opposites, free from envy, his mind balanced both in success and failure; though he acts,
yet the consequences do not bind him.


He who is without attachment, free, his mind centered in wisdom, his actions, being done
as a sacrifice, leave no trace behind.


For him, the sacrifice itself is the Spirit; the Spirit and the oblation are one; it is the Spirit
Itself which is sacrificed in Its own fire, and the man even in action is united with God,
since while performing his act, his mind never ceases to be fixed on Him.


Some sages sacrifice to the Powers; others offer themselves on the alter of the Eternal.


Some sacrifice their physical senses in the fire of self-control; others offer up their contact
with external objects in the sacrificial fire of their senses.


Other again sacrifice their activities and their vitality in the Spiritual fire of self-
abnegation, kindled by wisdom.


And yet others offer as their sacrifice wealth, austerities and meditation. Monks wedded
to their vows renounce their scriptural learning and even their spiritual powers.


There are some who practise control of the Vital Energy and govern the subtle forces of
Prana and Apana, thereby sacrificing their Prana unto Apana, or their Apana unto Prana.


Others, controlling their diet, sacrifice their worldly life to the spiritual fire. All understand
the principal of sacrifice, and by its means their sins are washed away.


Tasting the nectar of immortality, as the reward of sacrifice, they reach the Eternal. This
world is not for those who refuse to sacrifice; much less the other world.


In this way other sacrifices too may be undergone for the Spirit’s sake. Know thou that
they all depend on action. Knowing this, thou shalt be free.


The sacrifice of wisdom is superior to any material sacrifice, for, O Arjuna, the climax of
action is always Realisation.

This shalt thou learn by prostrating thyself at the Master’s feet, by questioning Him and by
serving Him. The wise who have realised the Truth will teach thee wisdom.


Having known That, thou shalt never again be confounded; and, O Arjuna, by the power
of that wisdom, thou shalt see all these people as if they were thine own Self, and therefore
as Me.


Be thou the greatest of sinners, yet thou shalt cross over all sin by the ferryboat of wisdom.


As the kindled fire consumes the fuel, so, O Arjuna, in the flame of wisdom the embers of
action are burnt to ashes.


There is nothing in the world so purifying as wisdom; and he who is a perfect saint finds
that at last in his own Self.


He who is full of faith attains wisdom, and he too who can control his senses, having
attained that wisdom, he shall ere long attain Supreme Peace.


But the ignorant man, and he who has no faith, and the sceptic are lost. Neither in this
world nor elsewhere is there any happiness in store for him who always doubts.


But the man who has renounced his action for meditation, who has cleft his doubt in twain
by the sword of wisdom, who remains always enthroned in his Self, is not bound by his
acts.


Therefore, cleaving asunder with the sword of wisdom the doubts of the heart, which
thine own ignorance has engendered, follow the Path of Wisdom and arise!”


Thus, in the Holy Book the Bhagavad Gita, one of the Upanishads, in the Science of the Supreme
Spirit, in the Art of Self-Knowledge, in the colloquy between the Divine Lord Shri Krishna and the
Prince Arjuna, stands the fourth chapter entitled: Dnyana-Yoga or the Path of Wisdom.

FIVE: THE RENUNCIATION OF ACTION


“Arjuna said: My Lord! At one moment Thou praisest renunciation of action; at another,
right action. Tell me truly, I pray, which of these is the more conducive to my highest
welfare?


Lord Shri Krishna replied: Renunciation of action and the path of right action both lead to
the highest; of the two, right action is the better.


He is a true ascetic who never desires or dislikes, who is uninfluenced by the opposites
and is easily freed from bondage.


Only the unenlightened speak of wisdom and right action as separate, not the wise. If any
man knows one, he enjoys the fruit of both.


The level which is reached by wisdom is attained through right action as well. He who
perceives that the two are one, knows the truth.


Without concentration, O Mighty Man, renunciation is difficult. But the sage who is
always meditating on the Divine, before long shall attain the Absolute.


He who is spiritual, who is pure, who has overcome his senses and his personal self, who
has realised his highest Self as the Self of all, such a one, even though he acts, is not bound
by his acts.


Though the saint sees, hears, touches, smells, eats, moves, sleeps and breathes, yet he
knows the Truth, and he knows that it is not he who acts.


Though he talks, though he gives and receives, though he opens his eyes and shuts them,
he still knows that his senses are merely disporting themselves among the objects of
perception.


He who dedicates his actions to the Spirit, without any personal attachment to them, he is
no more tainted by sin than the water lily is wetted by water.


The sage performs his action dispassionately, using his body, mind and intellect, and even
his senses, always as a means of purification.


Having abandoned the fruit of action, he wins eternal peace. Others unacquainted with
spirituality, led by desire and clinging to the benefit which they think will follow their
actions, become entangled in them.


Mentally renouncing all actions, the self-controlled soul enjoys bliss in this body, the city
of the nine gates, neither doing anything himself nor causing anything to be done.


The Lord of this universe has not ordained activity, or any incentive thereto, or any
relation between an act and its consequences. All this is the work of Nature.


The Lord does not accept responsibility for any man’s sin or merit. Men are deluded
because in them wisdom is submerged in ignorance.

Surely wisdom is like the sun, revealing the supreme truth to those whose ignorance is
dispelled by the wisdom of the Self.


Meditating on the Divine, having faith in the Divine, concentrating on the Divine and
losing themselves in the Divine, their sins dissolved in wisdom, they go whence there is
no return.


Sages look equally upon all, whether he be a minister of learning and humility, or an
infidel, or whether it be a cow, an elephant or a dog.


Even in this world they conquer their earth-life whose minds, fixed on the Supreme,
remain always balanced; for the Supreme has neither blemish nor bias.


He who knows and lives in the Absolute remains unmoved and unperturbed; he is not
elated by pleasure or depressed by pain.


He finds happiness in his own Self, and enjoys eternal bliss, whose heart does not yearn
for the contacts of earth and whose Self is one with the Everlasting.


The joys that spring from external associations bring pain; they have their beginning and
their endings. The wise man does not rejoice in them.


He who, before he leaves his body, learns to surmount the promptings of desire and anger
is a saint and is happy.


He who is happy within his Self and has found Its peace, and in whom the inner light
shines, that sage attains Eternal Bliss and becomes the Spirit Itself.


Sages whose sins have been washed away, whose sense of separateness has vanished,
who have subdued themselves, and seek only the welfare of all, come to the Eternal Spirit.


Saints who know their Selves, who control their minds, and feel neither desire nor anger,
find Eternal Bliss everywhere.


Excluding external objects, his gaze fixed between the eyebrows, the inward and outward
breathings passing equally through his nostrils;


Governing sense, mind and intellect, intent on liberation, free from desire, fear and anger,
the sage is forever free.


Knowing me as Him who gladly receives all offerings of austerity and sacrifice, as the
Might Ruler of all the Worlds and the Friend of all beings, he passes to Eternal Peace.”


Thus, in the Holy Book the Bhagavad Gita, one of the Upanishads, in the Science of the Supreme
Spirit, in the Art of Self-Knowledge, in the colloquy between the Divine Lord Shri Krishna and the
Prince Arjuna, stands the fifth chapter entitled: The Renunciation of Action.

SIX: SELF-CONTROL


“Lord Shri Krishna said: He who acts because it is his duty, not thinking of the
consequences, is really spiritual and a true ascetic; and not he who merely observes rituals
or who shuns all action.


O Arjuna! Renunciation is in fact what is called Right Action. No one can become spiritual
who has not renounced all desire.


For the sage who seeks the heights of spiritual meditation, practice is the only method,
and when he has attained them, he must maintain himself there by continual self-control.


When a man renounces even the thought of initiating action, when he is not interested in
sense objects or any results which may flow from his acts, then in truth he understands
spirituality.


Let him seek liberation by the help of his Highest Self, and let him never disgrace his own
Self. For that Self is his only friend; yet it may also be his enemy.


To him who has conquered his lower nature by Its help, the Self is a friend, but to him
who has not done so, It is an enemy.


The Self of him who is self-controlled, and has attained peace is equally unmoved by heat
or cold, pleasure or pain, honour or dishonour.


He who desires nothing but wisdom and spiritual insight, who has conquered his senses
and who looks with the same eye upon a lump of earth, a stone or fine gold, is a real saint.


He looks impartially on all – lover, friend or foe; indifferent or hostile; alien or relative;
virtuous or sinful.


Let the student of spirituality try unceasingly to concentrate his mind; Let him live in
seclusion, absolutely alone, with mind and personality controlled, free from desire and
without possessions.


Having chosen a holy place, let him sit in a firm posture on a seat, neither too high nor too
low, and covered with a grass mat, a deer skin and a cloth.


Seated thus, his mind concentrated, its functions controlled and his senses governed, let
him practise meditation for the purification of his lower nature.


Let him hold body, head and neck erect, motionless and steady; let him look fixedly at the
tip of his nose, turning neither to the right nor to the left.


With peace in his heart and nor fear, observing the vow of celibacy, with mind controlled
and fixed on Me, let the student lose himself in contemplation of Me.


Thus keeping his mind always in communion with Me, and with his thoughts subdued,
he shall attain that Peace which is mine and which will lead him to liberation at last.


Meditation is not for him who eats too much, not for him who eats not at all; not for him
who is overmuch addicted to sleep, not for him who is always awake.