Bhagavadgita Parva — Renunciation of action

Arjuna said O Krishna, you praise Karma Sannyasa (renunciation of action) and also Karma yoga (the pursuit of action). Tell me definitely, which of the two is superior?

The great One said Both renunciation of action and pursuit of action are means for emancipation. But of these two, pursuit of action is superior to renunciation of action.

He, who has no aversion and no desire, should for all times be considered an ascetic. For, O mighty-armed, he, who is free from the pairs of opposites, is easily released from the letters of the world.

Fools, not wise men, say that Sankhya (renunciation of action to know God) and Yoga (pursuit of action living in God) are distinct. He who practices one, fully earns the fruits of the both.

The place which the follower of Sankhya obtains; is also gained by the followers of Yoga. He sees truly who sees the Sankhya and the Yoga as one and the same.

O mighty-armed, asceticism is difficult to be attained without the Yoga of action. The sage, possessed of Yoga of action attains to Brahma without delay.

He, who is possessed of Yoga, whose mind is pure, who is self-restrained, who has controlled his senses and who sees his self in every being, is not fettered by performing actions.

The man of knowledge, the man of Yoga, thinks, I am doing nothing. When he sees, hears, touches, smells, eats, moves, sleeps, breathes, talks, throws out exertions, takes, opens and closes his eye-lids, he thinks that his senses (merely) deal with the objects of senses.

He, who performs actions, dedicating them to Brahma and casting off all attachments for their fruits, is not touched by sin, as the lotusleaf is never wet with water.

The yoga perform actions, attaining purity of self, the body, the mind, the understanding, even the senses, being free from all attachments.

The Yoga's, abandoning the desire for the fruits of actions, attains to to the highest tranquility, and the Non-yogi, being attached to the fruits of action, is tied down (to re-births) on account of desire.

The self-restrained embodied self (man), renouncing all actions by his mind, (but performing actions by his body) lives at ease within the city of mine gates, (his body) doing nothing and causing nothing to be done.

The Lord does neither create the capacity of action in man, nor the cause of actions, nor the connection of action and its fruits. The Nature only works.

The Lord receives no one's sins, nor virtues of any. Knowledge is enveloped by ignorance. For this reason creatures are deluded.

To those who have destroyed this ignorance by the knowledge of Self, this knowledge like the Sun shows forth the Supreme.

Those, whose mind is in Him, whose very self is He, who is devoted to Him, whose goal is He, depart, never to return, their sins having been destroyed by knowledge.

The truly wise men look on a Brahmana, endued with learning and humility and on a cow, an elephant, a dog and a Chandala, as all alike.

Even here the material world is conquered by those whose minds rest on equability. As Brahma is faultless and equable, therefore they rest in Brahma.

The man, who rest in Brahma, whose mind is steady, and who is not deluded, does not exult on obtaining any thing agreeable or does not grieve for getting any thing disagreeable,

One, whose self is not attached to external objects, obtains the happiness that is in one's self; and he, having his self united with Brahma, obtains the happiness which is imperishable.

The pleasures, derived from objects of sense, are the sources of misery, and they have a beginnings as well as an end. Therefore, O son of Kunti, 'a wise man docs not feel any pleasures in them.

He who is able to bear the agitation of desire and wrath, even in this world, before the dissolution of the body is united with God; he is happy.

That Yogi, whose happiness is within himself whose recreations are within himself, becoming one with Brahma, obtains Brahma Nirvana (Self extinction in God).

The Rishis, whose sins are destroyed, whose misgivings are perished, who are selfrestraint and who are engaged in doing good to all beings, obtain Brahma Nirvana.

Absorption in Brahma here in this world and hereafter in the next is obtained by those yogis who are free from wrath and desire, whose minds are under control and who have the knowledge of Self.

The Yogi, who being intent to obtain emancipation, has restrained his senses, mind and understanding, who is freed from desire, wrath and fear, who, excluding from his mind all external objects of sense, directing his sight between the brows, mingles into one the upward and the downward life-breaths and make them pass through the nostril, is sure to obtain emancipation.

He, who knows Me as the enjoyer of all sacrifices and penances, the great lord of all the worlds and the friend of all creatures, obtain peace".