arjuna uväca, jyäyasé cet karmaëas te, matä buddhir janärdana
tat kià karmaëi ghore mäà, niyojayasi keçava

Bg. 3.1 - Arjuna said: O Janärdana, O Keçava, why do You want to engage me in this ghastly warfare, if You think that intelligence is better than fruitive work?

vyämiçreëeva väkyena, buddhià mohayaséva me
tad ekaà vada niçcitya, yena çreyo 'ham äpnuyäm

Bg. 3.2 - My intelligence is bewildered by Your equivocal instructions. Therefore, please tell me decisively which will be most beneficial for me.

çré-bhagavän uväca, loke 'smin dvi-vidhä niñöhä, purä proktä mayänagha
jïäna-yogena säìkhyänäà, karma-yogena yoginäm

Bg. 3.3 - The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O sinless Arjuna, I have already explained that there are two classes of men who try to realize the self. Some are inclined to understand it by empirical, philosophical speculation, and others by devotional service.

na karmaëäm anärambhän, naiñkarmyaà puruño 'çnute
na ca sannyasanäd eva, siddhià samadhigacchati

Bg. 3.4 - Not by merely abstaining from work can one achieve freedom from reaction, nor by renunciation alone can one attain perfection.

na hi kaçcit kñaëam api, jätu tiñöhaty akarma-kåt
käryate hy avaçaù karma, sarvaù prakåti-jair guëaiù

Bg. 3.5 - Everyone is forced to act helplessly according to the qualities he has acquired from the modes of material nature; therefore no one can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment.

karmendriyäëi saàyamya, ya äste manasä smaran
indriyärthän vimüòhätmä, mithyäcäraù sa ucyate

Bg. 3.6 - One who restrains the senses of action but whose mind dwells on sense objects certainly deludes himself and is called a pretender.

yas tv indriyäëi manasä, niyamyärabhate 'rjuna
karmendriyaiù karma-yogam, asaktaù sa viçiñyate

Bg. 3.7 - On the other hand, if a sincere person tries to control the active senses by the mind and begins karma-yoga [in Kåñëa consciousness] without attachment, he is by far superior.

niyataà kuru karma tvaà, karma jyäyo hy akarmaëaù
çaréra-yäträpi ca te, na prasiddhyed akarmaëaù

Bg. 3.8 - Perform your prescribed duty, for doing so is better than not working. One cannot even maintain one's physical body without work.

yajïärthät karmaëo 'nyatra, loko 'yaà karma-bandhanaù
tad-arthaà karma kaunteya, mukta-saìgaù samäcara

Bg. 3.9 - Work done as a sacrifice for Viñëu has to be performed, otherwise work causes bondage in this material world. Therefore, O son of Kunté, perform your prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain free from bondage.

saha-yajïäù prajäù såñövä, puroväca prajäpatiù
anena prasaviñyadhvam, eña vo 'stv iñöa-käma-dhuk

Bg. 3.10 - In the beginning of creation, the Lord of all creatures sent forth generations of men and demigods, along with sacrifices for Viñëu, and blessed them by saying, "Be thou happy by this yajïa [sacrifice] because its performance will bestow upon you everything desirable for living happily and achieving liberation."

devän bhävayatänena, te devä bhävayantu vaù
parasparaà bhävayantaù, çreyaù param aväpsyatha

Bg. 3.11 - The demigods, being pleased by sacrifices, will also please you, and thus, by cooperation between men and demigods, prosperity will reign for all.

iñöän bhogän hi vo devä, däsyante yajïa-bhävitäù
tair dattän apradäyaibhyo, yo bhuìkte stena eva saù

Bg. 3.12 - In charge of the various necessities of life, the demigods, being satisfied by the performance of yajïa [sacrifice], will supply all necessities to you. But he who enjoys such gifts without offering them to the demigods in return is certainly a thief.

yajïa-çiñöäçinaù santo, mucyante sarva-kilbiñaiù
bhuïjate te tv aghaà päpä, ye pacanty ätma-käraëät

Bg. 3.13 - The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin.

annäd bhavanti bhütäni, parjanyäd anna-sambhavaù
yajïäd bhavati parjanyo, yajïaù karma-samudbhavaù

Bg. 3.14 - All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajïa [sacrifice], and yajïa is born of prescribed duties.

karma brahmodbhavaà viddhi, brahmäkñara-samudbhavam
tasmät sarva-gataà brahma, nityaà yajïe pratiñöhitam

Bg. 3.15 - Regulated activities are prescribed in the Vedas, and the Vedas are directly manifested from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Consequently the all-pervading Transcendence is eternally situated in acts of sacrifice.

evaà pravartitaà cakraà, nänuvartayatéha yaù
aghäyur indriyärämo, moghaà pärtha sa jévati

Bg. 3.16 - My dear Arjuna, one who does not follow in human life the cycle of sacrifice thus established by the Vedas certainly leads a life full of sin. Living only for the satisfaction of the senses, such a person lives in vain.

yas tv ätma-ratir eva syäd, ätma-tåptaç ca mänavaù
ätmany eva ca santuñöas, tasya käryaà na vidyate

Bg. 3.17 - But for one who takes pleasure in the self, whose human life is one of self-realization, and who is satisfied in the self only, fully satiated-for him there is no duty.

naiva tasya kåtenärtho, näkåteneha kaçcana
na cäsya sarva-bhüteñu, kaçcid artha-vyapäçrayaù

Bg. 3.18 - A self-realized man has no purpose to fulfill in the discharge of his prescribed duties, nor has he any reason not to perform such work. Nor has he any need to depend on any other living being.

tasmäd asaktaù satataà, käryaà karma samäcara
asakto hy äcaran karma, param äpnoti püruñaù

Bg. 3.19 - Therefore, without being attached to the fruits of activities, one should act as a matter of duty, for by working without attachment one attains the Supreme.

karmaëaiva hi saàsiddhim, ästhitä janakädayaù
loka-saìgraham eväpi, sampaçyan kartum arhasi

Bg. 3.20 - Kings such as Janaka attained perfection solely by performance of prescribed duties. Therefore, just for the sake of educating the people in general, you should perform your work.

yad yad äcarati çreñöhas, tat tad evetaro janaù
sa yat pramäëaà kurute, lokas tad anuvartate

Bg. 3.21 - Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.

na me pärthästi kartavyaà, triñu lokeñu kiïcana
nänaväptam aväptavyaà, varta eva ca karmaëi

Bg. 3.22 - O son of Påthä, there is no work prescribed for Me within all the three planetary systems. Nor am I in want of anything, nor have I a need to obtain anything-and yet I am engaged in prescribed duties.

jätu karmaëy atandritaù, mama vartmänuvartante
manuñyäù pärtha sarvaçaù

Bg. 3.23 - For if I ever failed to engage in carefully performing prescribed duties, O Pärtha, certainly all men would follow My path.

utsédeyur ime lokä, na kuryäà karma ced aham
saìkarasya ca kartä syäm, upahanyäm imäù prajäù

Bg. 3.24 - If I did not perform prescribed duties, all these worlds would be put to ruination. I would be the cause of creating unwanted population, and I would thereby destroy the peace of all living beings.

saktäù karmaëy avidväàso, yathä kurvanti bhärata
kuryäd vidväàs tathäsaktaç, cikérñur loka-saìgraham

Bg. 3.25 - As the ignorant perform their duties with attachment to results, the learned may similarly act, but without attachment, for the sake of leading people on the right path.

na buddhi-bhedaà janayed, ajïänäà karma-saìginäm
joñayet sarva-karmäëi, vidvän yuktaù samäcaran

Bg. 3.26 - So as not to disrupt the minds of ignorant men attached to the fruitive results of prescribed duties, a learned person should not induce them to stop work. Rather, by working in the spirit of devotion, he should engage them in all sorts of activities [for the gradual development of Kåñëa consciousness].

prakåteù kriyamäëäni, guëaiù karmäëi sarvaçaù
ahaìkära-vimüòhätmä, kartäham iti manyate

Bg. 3.27 - The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature.

tattva-vit tu mahä-bäho, guëa-karma-vibhägayoù
guëä guëeñu vartanta, iti matvä na sajjate

Bg. 3.28 - One who is in knowledge of the Absolute Truth, O mighty-armed, does not engage himself in the senses and sense gratification, knowing well the differences between work in devotion and work for fruitive results.

prakåter guëa-sammüòhäù, sajjante guëa-karmasu
tän akåtsna-vido mandän, kåtsna-vin na vicälayet

Bg. 3.29 - Bewildered by the modes of material nature, the ignorant fully engage themselves in material activities and become attached. But the wise should not unsettle them, although these duties are inferior due to the performers' lack of knowledge.

mayi sarväëi karmäëi, sannyasyädhyätma-cetasä
niräçér nirmamo bhütvä, yudhyasva vigata-jvaraù

Bg. 3.30 - Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with full knowledge of Me, without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy, fight.

ye me matam idaà nityam, anutiñöhanti mänaväù
çraddhävanto 'nasüyanto, mucyante te 'pi karmabhiù

Bg. 3.31 - Those persons who execute their duties according to My injunctions and who follow this teaching faithfully, without envy, become free from the bondage of fruitive actions.

ye tv etad abhyasüyanto, nänutiñöhanti me matam
sarva-jïäna-vimüòhäàs tän, viddhi nañöän acetasaù

Bg. 3.32 - But those who, out of envy, disregard these teachings and do not follow them are to be considered bereft of all knowledge, befooled, and ruined in their endeavors for perfection.

sadåçaà ceñöate svasyäù, prakåter jïänavän api
prakåtià yänti bhütäni, nigrahaù kià kariñyati

Bg. 3.33 - Even a man of knowledge acts according to his own nature, for everyone follows the nature he has acquired from the three modes. What can repression accomplish?

indriyasyendriyasyärthe, räga-dveñau vyavasthitau
tayor na vaçam ägacchet, tau hy asya paripanthinau

Bg. 3.34 - There are principles to regulate attachment and aversion pertaining to the senses and their objects. One should not come under the control of such attachment and aversion, because they are stumbling blocks on the path of self-realization.

çreyän sva-dharmo viguëaù, para-dharmät sv-anuñöhität
sva-dharme nidhanaà çreyaù, para-dharmo bhayävahaù

Bg. 3.35 - It is far better to discharge one's prescribed duties, even though faultily, than another's duties perfectly. Destruction in the course of performing one's own duty is better than engaging in another's duties, for to follow another's path is dangerous.

arjuna uväca, atha kena prayukto 'yaà, päpaà carati püruñaù
anicchann api värñëeya, baläd iva niyojitaù

Bg. 3.36 - Arjuna said: O descendant of Våñëi, by what is one impelled to sinful acts, even unwillingly, as if engaged by force?

çré-bhagavän uväca, käma eña krodha eña, rajo-guëa-samudbhavaù
mahäçano mahä-päpmä, viddhy enam iha vairiëam

Bg. 3.37 - The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world.

dhümenävriyate vahnir, yathädarço malena ca
yatholbenävåto garbhas, tathä tenedam ävåtam

Bg. 3.38 - As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, the living entity is similarly covered by different degrees of this lust.

ävåtaà jïänam etena, jïänino nitya-vairiëä
käma-rüpeëa kaunteya, duñpüreëänalena ca

Bg. 3.39 - Thus the wise living entity's pure consciousness becomes covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust, which is never satisfied and which burns like fire.

indriyäëi mano buddhir, asyädhiñöhänam ucyate
etair vimohayaty eña, jïänam ävåtya dehinam

Bg. 3.40 - The senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust. Through them lust covers the real knowledge of the living entity and bewilders him.

tasmät tvam indriyäëy ädau, niyamya bharatarñabha
päpmänaà prajahi hy enaà, jïäna-vijïäna-näçanam

Bg. 3.41 - Therefore, O Arjuna, best of the Bhäratas, in the very beginning curb this great symbol of sin [lust] by regulating the senses, and slay this destroyer of knowledge and self-realization.

indriyäëi paräëy ähur, indriyebhyaù paraà manaù
manasas tu parä buddhir, yo buddheù paratas tu saù

Bg. 3.42 - The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he [the soul] is even higher than the intelligence.

evaà buddheù paraà buddhvä, saàstabhyätmänam ätmanä
jahi çatruà mahä-bäho, käma-rüpaà duräsadam