An Introduction to Bhagawad Gita [A translation in to free verse]:The followers of Sanathana Dharma (otherwise called as Hindus) did notfall back on any single prophet or a single book as the basis of theirreligion. Right from the beginning, this religion (thought process) hada pluralistic view. On one hand the religion appeared to depend onrituals, prayers and rites and on the other hand it appeared to dependon a very democratic exchange of philosophic ideas between the teacherand the student as in the Upanishads, which were at the end of theVedas. Not all Upanishads were discussion of philosophy and many ofthem did indeed discuss rituals and prayers to individual God. The sumtotal of the Hindu philosophic thought was individual research aidedunder the direction of the Guru. The thought process slipped down toworship of individual gods and epic stories (Puranas) about the Godswere written down.The person who compiled and systematized all the religious knowledgecontained in the initial Vedas as well as the stories of IndividualGods was a sage called Veda Vyasa.(Veda means knowledge and Vyasa meansessay writer.) He compiled the information available on different Godsin to 18 epics besides compiling the four Vedas. The mostencyclopedical epic of them all was called the Mahabharata. The maintheme of this epic was the struggle for supremacy in India by thehundred sons of King Drutharashtra (called Kauravas) and the 5 sons ofhis younger brother Pandu called the Pandavas. At the end of struggleis a war between them. On the first day of the war, Arjuna the mostvalorous among the Pandava brothers appeared in the battle field drivenby Lord Krishna who is his cousin, mentor and guide. But once Arjunafaced the prospect of killing his own cousins aided by his teachers,uncle and grandfather, he suddenly felt aghast and decided that, evenstarving to death would be a better option than killing them all. LordKrishna then advises him (possibly the first recorded psychologicalcounseling). Arjuna is not easily convinced. The next 700 stanzas ofconversation between them in the battle field is Bhagawad Gita (Thesong of the Lord). Apart from simple advice to him, that Arjuna shouldfight, Lord Krishna summarizes the entire Hindu thought process onSanathana Dharma in these 700 verses. By the blessing of Veda Vyasa allthese was seen and heard by Sanjaya (collector and reporter) toDrutharashtra and were called the Bhagawad Gita. This was considered asa summary of Hindu religious thought and was revered by all Hindus. Fora long time, this state of thought existed.Things changed with the writing of a commentary to this great work byAdi Sankara, who proved that this great book provided support to hisinterpretation of Hindu philosophy of Advaita (non dualism). The greatRamanuja who came out with a different philosophy calledVisisthadvaitha (specialized non dualism) again wrote a commentary andclaimed that Gita supported his system of philosophy. It was againfollowed by another interpretation to gather support to the philosophyof Dwaitha (dualism) propounded by sage Madhwa. After this periodBhagawad Gita became the most important religious book of Hindus.Several more commentaries and translations to Indian languagesfollowed. The great commentators were Abhinava Guptha, Nimbarka,Vallabha and Gnaneswar in Marathi etc. The book became so popular inthe Hindu psyche that, Hindus took oath on Bhagawad Gita likeChristians took oath on Bible. In 1785 Charles Wilkins published anEnglish translation of the Bhagavad Gita, which was the first time thata Sanskrit book had been translated directly into a European language.In 1808 passages from the Gita were part of the first directtranslation of Sanskrit into German, appearing in a book through whichFriedrich Schlegel, who became known as the founder of Indian philologyin Germany. Edwin Arnold was the first one to publish a translation into English verse in 1885. Many commentaries and translations followedwith great regularity. Mahatma Gandhi who also wrote a commentary wasso impressed by this great work that he wrote: "I find solace in theBhagavadgita that I miss even in the Sermon on the Mount. Whendisappointment stares me in the face and all alone I see not one ray oflight, I go back to the Bhagavadgita. I find a verse here and a versethere and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelmingtragedies - and my life has been full of external tragedies - and ifthey have left no visible, no indelible scar on me, I owe it all to theteaching of Bhagawad Gita".The first chapter of Gita details the back ground circumstances,which lead to this teaching. In the second chapter Lord Krishna tellsArjuna that he should fight because It is his duty and that by killinga body he does not kill a soul and the highest form of action is whenaction is done without bothering about the fruits of such action. Inthis connection he also tells him that inaction is a great sin. Laterat the request of Arjuna he explains about the difference between,deeds which take you to heaven but you are reborn later and that deedwhich once for all merges you with the lord. Some of the prominentapproaches explained by him are:1. Doing action without bothering about fruits of such action.2. Simple and steadfast devotion, surrendering all results to him.3. Physical meditation of the highest order by which one becomes him.4. The path through intelligent search of the God.5. Simple and pure renunciation.During this discussion, he also shows him his supreme form, tellshim, in which beings his presence will be felt more, the differencesbetween the three states of Sathwa, Rajas and Thamas, the differencesbetween the four varnas and so on. In short it is concise encyclopediaof all that for which Hinduism stands for.When I read the Bhagavad-Gita and reflect about how God createdthis universe everything else seems so superfluous. [Albert Einstein]When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face,and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to Bhagavad-gitaand find a verse to comfort me; and I immediately begin to smile in themidst of overwhelming sorrow. Those who meditate on the Gita willderive fresh joy and new meanings from it every day. [Mahatma Gandhi]In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonalphilosophy of the Bhagavad-gita, in comparison with which our modernworld and its literature seem puny and trivial. [Henry David Thoreau]The Bhagavad-Gita has a profound influence on the spirit of mankind byits devotion to God which is manifested by actions. [Dr. AlbertSchweitzer]The Bhagavad-Gita is a true scripture of the human race a livingcreation rather than a book, with a new message for every age and a newmeaning for every civilization. [Sri Aurobindo]The idea that man is like unto an inverted tree seems to have beencurrent in by gone ages. The link with Vedic conceptions is provided byPlato in his Timaeus in which it states behold we are not an earthlybut a heavenly plant. This correlation can be discerned by what Krishnaexpresses in chapter 15 of Bhagavad-Gita. [Carl Jung]The Bhagavad-Gita deals essentially with the spiritual foundation ofhuman existence. It is a call of action to meet the obligations andduties of life; yet keeping in view the spiritual nature and granderpurpose of the universe. [Nehru]The marvel of the Bhagavad-Gita is its truly beautiful revelation oflife's wisdom which enables philosophy to blossom into religion.[Herman Hesse]I owed a magnificent day to the Bhagavad-gita. It was the first ofbooks; it was as if an empire spoke to us, nothing small or unworthy,but large, serene, consistent, the voice of an old intelligence whichin another age and climate had pondered and thus disposed of the samequestions which exercise us. [Ralph Waldo Emerson]In order to approach a creation as sublime as the Bhagavad-Gita withfull understanding it is necessary to attune our soul to it. [RudolphSteiner]From a clear knowledge of the Bhagavad-Gita all the goals of humanexistence become fulfilled. Bhagavad-Gita is the manifest quintessenceof all the teachings of the Vedic scriptures. [Adi Sankara]The Bhagavad-Gita is the most systematic statement of spiritualevolution of endowing value to mankind. It is one of the most clear andcomprehensive summaries of perennial philosophy ever revealed; henceits enduring value is subject not only to India but to all of humanity.[Aldous Huxley]The Bhagavad-Gita was spoken by Lord Krishna to reveal the science ofdevotion to God Which is the Essence of all spiritual knowledge. TheSupreme Lord Krishna's primary purpose for descending and incarnatingwas to relieve the world of any demoniac and negative, undesirableinfluences that are opposed to spiritual development, yetsimultaneously it is His incomparable intention to be perpetuallywithin reach of all humanity. [Ramanuja]The Bhagavad-Gita is not seperate from the Vaishnava philosophy andthe Srimad Bhagavatam fully reveals the true import of this doctrinewhich is transmigation of the soul. On perusal of the first chapter ofBhagavad-Gita one may think that they are advised to engage in warfare.When the second chapter has been read it can be clearly understood thatknowledge and the soul is the ultimate goal to be attained. On studyingthe third chapter it is apparent that acts of righteousness are also ofhigh priority. If we continue and patiently take the time to completethe Bhagavad-Gita and try to ascertain the truth of its closing chapterwe can see that the ultimate conclusion is to relinquish all theconceptualized ideas of religion which we possess and fully surrenderdirectly unto the Supreme Lord. [Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati]The Mahabharata has all the essential ingredients necessary toevolve and protect humanity and that within it the Bhagavad-Gita is theepitome of the Mahabharata just as ghee is the essence of milk andpollen is the essence of flowers. [Madhvacarya]Yoga has two different meanings - a general meaning and a technicalmeaning. The general meaning is the joining together or union of anytwo or more things. The technical meaning is a state of stability andpeace and the means or practices which lead to that state. The BhagavadGita uses the word with both meanings. Lord Krishna is a real Yogi whocan maintain a peaceful mind in the midst of any crisis. [MataAmritanandamayi Devi]* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Chapter-1Arjuna's State of Grief[Drutharashtra, the blind and Pandu were brothers. Drutharashtra beingelder was the king. He had 100 sons (kauravas). Pandu had five sons(Pandavas). The great epic Mahabharatha is the story of the rivalrybetween the Kauravas and Pandavas. After all possible methods have beentried to reconcile their conflict, a decision of war is arrived at.This war takes place in Kuru Kshethra (The land of the Kurus). SinceDrutharashtra is blind, he cannot see. His mentor and progenitor VedaVyasa, gives the power to see everything that happens in the battlefield to one Sanjaya (literally correspondent) and report it toDrutharashtra. Bhagwad Gita starts at this point. Arjuna whose chariotis being driven by Lord Krishna is aghast, when he realizes that to winthe war he has to kill all the members of his family as well as histeachers. He feels that this is not the right thing to do. Chapter I ofBhagwad Gita ends with Arjuna expressing his inability to continue withthe war. Seventeen chapters follow in which Lord Krishna convinces himthat he must fight. During these teaching and discussion, all aspectsof Indian philosophy are concisely presented.]Drutharashtra asked:Oh Sanjaya, what are my sons and Pandavas, who are eager to fight,Doing in the holy battle field of Kursukshethra? 1Sanjaya said:After seeing the pandavas aligned in the battle field,The King Duryodhana approached his teacher and asked? 2I am seeing the great army of the sons of Pandu, my teacher,Well arranged by the son of Drupada, who is your great disciple. 3I am seeing among them great warriors like Bheema and Arjuna,And also great warriors like Yuyudhana, Virata and Drupadha. 4Yuyudhana - Sathyaki, the cousin of KrishnaVirata - The king of Virata countryDrupada - The father of DraupadiAmong them also are great heroes like Drushta Kethu, ChekithanaThe King of Kasi and Purujit, Kunthi Bhoja and the great King Shaibhya. 5Drushta Kethu - Son of ShishupalaChekithana - A warrior from Vrushni clanPurujit Kuntibhoja - Brother of KuntiShaibhya - Father in law of YudhishtraThe very powerful Yudhamanyu and the great warrior Uthamoujas.And sons of Darupadi and Subadhra, all of whom are great warriors. 6Yudhamanyu and Uthamoujas - Two panchala warriorsOur army also has great warriors and I am listing them,Oh great twice born, for your understanding. 7You, Bheeshma.Karna, Krupa who is a war winner,Aswathama, Vikarna and Soumadathi are among them. 8Krupa - Another teacher, who is brother in law of DronaVikarna - Brother of DuryodhanaSoumadathi - Son of Soma datha.There are many more warriors, who are prepared to sacrifice,Their lives for my sake and they are well armed and experts in war. 9The strength of our army lead by Bheeshma is beyond measure,As against their limited strength, which is protected by Bhima. 10(Can also meanThe strength of our army lead by Bheeshma is not sufficient,As against their needed strength, which is protected by Bhima. 10)And so please prepare your army and hold it in readiness,And all of you at any cost protect the great Bheeshma. 11Then the old man of the Kuru clan, the great Bheeshma,Blew his conch like a roar of lion to reassure Him. 12All of a sudden several conches, drums, cymbals and gongs,Blew in unison, and that sound echoed and re-echoed and became great. 13.Then Arjuna and Krishna sitting on a great chariot,Drawn by white horses, blew their divine conches also. 14Lord Krishna blew his conch called Pancha Janya, Arjuna blew his DevadathaAnd the Bhima with fire in his stomach blew his conch poundram. 15The king Yudhishtra, who is the son of Kunthi, blew his conch Anantha Vijaya,Nakula his conch Sugosha and Sahadeva his conch Mani pushpaka. 16The great archer Kashyapa, the great charioteer Shikandi,Drushtadhyumna, Virata, Sathyaki who has never faced defeat, 17The King Drupada, sons of Draupadi, the great son of Subadhra,Blew their conches separately again and again. 18That sound shattered the hearts of the sons of Drutharashtra,And also echoed and re-echoed in the earth and the sky. 19Seeing these state of affairs of the sons of Drutharashtra,The hero with a monkey in his flag realizing that the time was ready for war,Held his bow aloft and Oh king, told like this to Krishna. 20Arjuna said:Please position this chariot in the middle of armies, oh Krishna,So that I can see all those who have come ready for this battle,Summoned by the evil minded sons of Drutharashtra,And who have wished for this war and decide on all thoseWhom I should fight, when the war commences. 21-23Sanjaya said:The Lord Krishna, when told like this by Arjuna,Took and placed the chariot in the middle of the armies,And told him, Please see the great warriors,Of the Kuru clan lead by Bheeshma and Drona. 24-25After seeing his in-laws, friends in the two armies,And also his grand father, his teacher, uncles, brothers,Sons and grand sons, Arjuna was overcome with compassion,And getting in to the clutches of sorrow, told the following words. 26Arjuna said:I am seeing my people here, Krishna, who are ready for the war,My body becomes weak, my face becomes dry,My body is entirely covered with sweat, my hairs stand erect,My bow Gandiva is getting out of my grip,My whole body burns and I am not able to even to stand erect.My life seems to be leaving me and my mind gets upset. 27-30I am seeing bad omens, Krishna which are counter productive,I do not see anything which will lead me to fame,By killing all these people who are my own people. 31I do not desire victory Krishna, or country or pleasure,What is the use in having this country Govinda,And what is the use in having a pleasure filled life?For what is the point in having a country or even life, afterKilling teachers fathers, sons, grand father,Uncles, in laws, grand sons, brother in laws and all relatives.Even if they want to kill me. Oh killer of Madhu,And even if I am going to be the king of the three worlds,I am not interested in killing them for this trifle of land. 32-35What happiness will I ever get by killing these sons of Drutharashtra,For even though they deserve to be killed, only sin will get attached to me. 36Oh Krishna, though the sons of Drutharashtra deserve to be killed,Since they are our relations, how can we get pleasure out of such an action?Though I am seeing that they do not realize in their mind,The sin of destroying a family and treachery to their friends,How can we who realize the sin which results in destruction of family,Not know that we have to withdraw from committing such a sin? 37-38When families are killed, the just life* of the society perishes,And by the loss of just life, injustice tends to grow aloft. 39* The actual word is DharmaWhen injustice occupies the land, good women loose their virtue,And when they loose their virtue, there is mixture of the castes. 40The mixture of castes leads the families andThose who destroy them to hell, for their ancestorsWill not be worshipped with rice balls and water. 41Because of the sins of those who destroy families,And those who lead to such a mixture of castes,The just duties of the castes as also the families cease to exist. 42-43Oh Krishna, I have heard that those who destroy,The just duties of families live forever in the portals of hell. 44Alas! We are just getting prepared to do a very great sin,By killing our own people for the sake of ruling over a country. 45If the armed sons of Drutharashtra kill me, who am not armed,That would lead me to lot of useful pleasure. 46Sanjaya said:After telling thus Arjuna became extremely sad,Divested himself of his arms and sat in his chariot.Thus ends the First Chapter of Bhagawad Gita,Which is the Essence of all Upanishads,Which is the Science of the Eternal and Yoga,And the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna,Which is called Arjuna's State of Grief.Chapter-2The Way of the Discriminative Logic[In this chapter Lord Krishna tries to clear the fuddled mind of Arjunausing discriminative logic. He tells him that he is not killinganything, because the soul cannot be killed. After establishing this hetells him, that he can command (order about) only his own actions butis helpless in getting the results that he desires.]Sanjaya said:To him who is completely weakened by compassion,Who was with eyes filled with copious tears,And who was imprisoned by worries,Lord Sri Krishna, the killer of Madhu, told thus. 1Lord said:Oh Arjuna who is faced with a dangerous situation.How come this inglorious thought came in to you?Which is ungentlemanly, which bars your way to heaven,And which would become a blot to your fame. 2Oh Arjuna, do not go in this path of thought which is fit to the unmanly,And cast away this minor weakness of mind and raise up to fight. 3Arjuna said:Oh killer of Madhu, who is fit for worship,How can I kill Bheeshma and Drona,Who are fit to be worshipped by me,By shooting several arrows at them. 4It would rather give fame to eat alms got as charity,Than to kill such teachers who are very great people,For I would be forced to enjoy the pleasures,Which are soaked in the blood of these great ones. 5I do not know whether it is better for us to win over the enemy,Or the enemies to attain a victory over us, but I know,That against me are arraigned the sons of Drutharashtra,By killing whom, I will not have any wish to live further. 6My conduct has lost its sharpness due to ignorance,And due to that I am not able to know, what is my rightful action,And so please tell me which path would lead to me to fame,For I am your student and have surrendered to you. 7Even if I get a country with no enemies, and one with riches,Or even if I get the kingship of the great heaven,I do not see any way that would drive away,My blasting sorrow which wilts my sense organs. 8Sanjaya said:Arjuna who can kill his enemies,Told Lord Krishna who is beyond meditation,That he would not participate in the war,And simply sat there, in a continued silence. 9Oh Drutharashtra, the King of entire India.Then Sri Krishna smilingly told as follows to Arjuna,Who sat grieving in the middle of the two armies. 10Lord said:You are sorrowing for those who do not merit such sorrow,And also talking and arguing like a very learned man,In spite of the fact that wise men do not sorrow,Over people who are alive or those people who are no more. 11There was never a time, when I was not there,There was no time when you or these kings were not there,And in future also there will be never a time,When we both and these kings will not be there. 12Clearly understanding the fact that,All individuals with this body, will attain,States of childhood, youth and old age,And after death the soul will reach another body.Brave (learned?) men never get worried. 13Oh Arjuna, we are able to feel the heat or cold,Or pass through the state of joy and sorrow,Due the interaction of sense organs with these feelings,Oh Bharatha, learn to tolerate and understand them,As they are unstable and appear and then vanish. 14Oh king among men, that wise man,Who is not affected by these feelings,Who considers pain and pleasure alike,Would become suitable for immortality. 15Philosophers and wise men know that,That which is not there, does not exist,For it would never start to exist,And that which is there would,Never cease to exist and be forever. 16Please know that, that which fills all thisUniverse is the one that never dies,And that never undergoes change,And none can cause destruction to it. 17You start fighting in this battle, Arjuna,For the soul*, which is perennial and stable,Is beyond destruction and beyond proper understanding,And is said to occupy this very perishable body. 18*I am using the English word ‘soul' for ‘Atma'Some authors use the word ‘embodied self'He who thinks that he is killing this soul,And he who considers that the soul has died,Are both ignorant, for this soul,Can either kill nobody, nor can anybody kill it. 19This soul is never born nor ever dies,It never comes to existence and later vanishes,And this soul which is permanent, perennial and old,Never dies when the body dies. 20Hey Arjuna, how can he who knows this soul as,That which cannot be wounded, perennial and never ever is born,Ever kill some one or get some one else killed. 21Like a man leaving out old worn out cloths,And start wearing new cloths when necessary,This soul leaves the body which becomes useless,And moves on to newer bodies. 22This soul cannot be hurt by arrows,It can never be burnt by fire,It can never be made wet,And it can never be dried by any wind. 23This soul can never be cut nor burnt,It can never be made wet or dried,This is perennial, goes everywhere,And is stable, immobile and ancient. 24This soul can never be seen, is beyond thought,Beyond actions and the one which cannot be separated,And once you realize this perennial truth,You do not have the right to sorrow for it. 25Oh great warrior, If you are under the impression,That this soul is one which is daily born and dying daily,Even then, you do not have the right to sorrow for it. 26For all that is born, certainly dies,And all that dies is born again,And so on, a matter which cannot be corrected,You do not have the right to sorrow. 27What is the point in showing sorrow,For that which was unclear before birth,Clear in the central period of time,And again becoming unclear after death? 28Some view it with awe,Others talk about it with awe,Some others hear about it with awe,But there is none among them,Who clearly knows anything about it. 29This soul which daily lives inside the body,Can never be killed at anytime, Arjuna,So you do not have to sorrow about.The death of any being in this world. 30Even viewing it from the aspect,Of just action* as applicable to you,You need not have to worry about it,Because for one belonging to the kingly race,There is nothing which brings more fame than war. 31* I am using the phrase ‘just action' instead of Dharma,fully realizing that the word Dharma has much bigger connotation.This war which came in an accidental fashion,Actually keeps the doors of heaven open,And is available only to those lucky of the kingly clan,Who participate whole heartedly in this war. 32If you are not going to fight,This war as per the holy tenets,Then your fame and dharma would die,And you would be engulfed in sin. 33Instead of talking about your fame,All beings would talk about your ill fame,And such talk of ill fame is,Worse than the state of death. 34All great heroes would think,That you have ran away from the war out of fear,And all of them having good opinion about you,Will think of you in a very debased manner. 35Your enemies would berate your heroism,And start talking words which should not be uttered,And what is there more sorrowful than hearing those words? 36Oh Arjuna, if you are killed in this war,Certainly you will reach heaven,And if you are victorious you will,Taste the kingship of a kingdom,And so get up and start fighting. 37Get engaged in this war,Keeping pain and pleasure equally,And loss and profit equally,And then only you will not,Suffer the results of sin. 38I was till now talking to you about,The discriminative system of philosophy,And now I am going to talk to youAbout the path of action, knowing whichYou can get freed from the ties of duties. 39There is no waste of efforts in this,And contra effects will never result,Even a slight practice of this type of action,Protects you from greatest fears known. 40Hey son of Kuru clan, there is only oneType of this wisdom which is fixed in goal,But the brains of those who are wavering,Have no definite goal and travels in many ways. 41Oh Arjuna, these ignorant men,Find pleasure in the flowery words of Veda*,And will ever argue with pride,That there is nothing greater. 42*Reference is made here to the Karma Kanda of Vedas,Which prescribe specific rites for specific fruits.They will tell you, those actions,Results of actions and repeated birthsAre meant for experiencing joy,And they would drown themselves in desires. 43They will tell you words which are similarTo the fruit less flowering tree,And since they travel behind desires,Will not have time for any meditation*. 44* The word Samadhi indicates a state of oneness of mind attained through meditation.(This sloka could also mean:-These people attached to enjoyment and positionAre without wisdom and would never getIn their mind stable thoughts and directions. 44)Oh Arjuna, Vedas deal with the three aspects of action,But you have to become one above, the three states of action,Win over the plurality of thoughts and have a mind,Not wandering behind earning and upkeep of wealthBecome happy in yourself and enjoy the bliss of the soul. 45To the wise man, Vedas are only as usefulAs the little spools of water which are containedIn the limitless water which is filled everywhere. 46You have only ownership of your actions*,But you do not have anything to do with what results,So please do not do any action withInterest in the results but pleaseForever never decide on doing no action. 47*The word used here is Karma. It could meanDuty/action, the load of previous actions on you and so on.Oh Arjuna, when done bereft of any attachment,With equal emphasis given to gains and losses,If you are able to perform actions,Then it is called the state of Yoga* 48*Discipline of the soulOh Arjuna, action laced with wisdom,But not attached to the results of such action,Is far above action done with desire to its fruits,And so take recourse to such an action,For those who desire for results from actions are miserable. 49He who is wise leaves out of this life,Actions which are good and those which are bad,And so make attempts for attaining such a state of yoga,For yoga indicates skill in doing duties. 50The learned one, who is wise, leaves out the fruits of actions,Cuts off the ties imposed by birth and death,And they certainly reach the state of no sorrow. 51Oh Arjuna, When your wisdom crossesThe confused knowledge of illusion,Then the body that we see is really the soul,You would start going away from the knowledge,Which you know and are going to know. 52When your wisdom which is tossed here and there,Hearing the multi wisdom of the Vedic words,Becomes stable in the knowledge of the soul,Then you would reach the stage of perennial yoga. 53Arjuna asks:What are the properties of the stable minded*Who is in the state of pure meditation, Oh Kesava?What does he talk and converse about?Does he sit and walks like other men? 54*Word used is ‘Sthitha Pragna' which can be translated as men of steady wisdom also.Lord said:The stable minded is the one, who hasForsaken all desires and fluttering of the mind, Oh Arjuna,And becomes contended and happy,With his soul seeking pleasure only from the soul. 55He would not get worried because of sorrows,Would never get happiness from pleasures,Would not have fear, anger and avarice,And would be called the sage who is stable. 56The one who is not attached to anything that he sees,And reaching the state bereft of good or bad,Without loving or hating such states,Is the one who is called the stable minded. 57Like a turtle withdrawing all hisLimbs from all sides in to his shell,When one is able to withdraw in to himself,His sense organs from the sensual pleasures,His wisdom is that which is stable. 58The pull of the sense organs go awayFrom one who lives without any food,But in him, the desire for such pleasures remains,Till he sees and attains the divine state 59Oh Son of Kunthi, Is it not true that even in aMan who is wise, trying to control his sensesThe sense organs, which are tumultuous,Pull his mind, with force in to some other way. 60The man with a stable mind controls,All the sense organs properly,And considers me as the supreme,And would live with peace. 61He who thinks constantly of a thing,Develops attachment to such a thing,And from such an attachment desire develops,And from desire is born the anger. 62From anger is born the great illusion,The great illusion leads to bewilderment,This leads to destruction of wisdom,This in turn leads to the total destruction. 63But he who does not have likes or dislikes,Who enjoys everything using the sensesWhich are under his full control,And who follows freedom with restraint,Attains the state of clear headedness. 64This clear headedness brings to an end,All the sorrows that he ever has,And due to this, he, within a short time,Is able to establish his stable wisdom. 65He who does not attain the state,Of stable wisdom, does not have,Capability to take correct decisions,Nor does he have thought of the ultimate,And he who does not think of the ultimate,Does not ever have peace of mind,And how can pleasure, ever come to him? 66This is because the mind which follows,The ever wavering pull of senses,Would also drive his mind,Like the wind driving a boat. 67So, oh great hero, he whose senses,Completely control their hankering,Is the one who is steadily intelligent. 68The sage who has complete control of his mind,Is awake during the night of all beings,When their mind is dark with ignorance;And that time when all beings are awake,Is the night for the sage who sees the truth. 69Similar to the rivers traveling and merging,In to the ocean which is always full and stable,He in whom desires merge within him,Is the one who attains peace andThe one who chases desires is not peaceful. 70He who forsakes all desires,And remains without any attachment,Without thinking of me and mine,Reaches the state of peace. 71Oh Arjuna, this is the state of union with the divine,Any one who reaches this will not drown in desires,He would stand steadfastly till the end of his life,And would attain the salvation, merging with the divine. 72Thus ends the Second Chapter of Bhgawad Gita,Which is the Essence of all Upanishads,Which is the Science of the Eternal and Yoga,And the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna,Which is called The Way of the Discriminative Logic.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Chapter-3The Way of Action[The Lord explains to Arjuna that every one has to do his duty. But ifhe does it without attachment to the results, he achieves hisobjective. He also explains that becoming slave to the senses andcarrying out actions to satisfy them is wrong.]Arjuna asked:Hey God, if you feel that, wisdom is superior to action,Why are you pushing me to do this savage war? 1You seem to enchant my brain by your conflicting words,Please tell me decisively that, by which I will get fame. 2Lord said:Oh sinless one, in the times ancient, I had taughtTwo distinct ways of paths to follow,The path of wisdom for the discriminatory andThe path of action to those performers of action. 3The being does not become, one bereft of action,Just because he does not begin an action,And by renunciation of everything,He does not reach the divine, perfect state. 4None can remain for even for a fraction of time,Without doing any action whatsoever,For by fundamental laws of nature,One is forced to indulge in some action or other. 5He who claims control of the senses of action,But mentally is a slave to the objects of these senses,Is living in delusion and is a pretender. 6Oh Arjuna, on the other hand,The one who controls his senses,And is able to do action without attachment,Excels and is deemed as great. 7Because, action at any time is better than inaction,You continue to perform the action entrusted to you,For in the state of inaction you may notBe able to even move your body. 8Except a sacrificial worship of the ultimate,All other actions carried outAre those which lead to a bondage,And so Arjuna, do the duties in a proper manner,Sacrificing it to God and without attachment. 9During times of yore, Lord Brahma,Created man along with sacrificial worship and told him,You would grow with sacrifices and multiply,For this would give you all that you want. 10Worship gods with sacrifice and let gods entertain you with this,And you would gain great good by this mutual support. 11Gods who are worshipped by sacrifices,Would grant you all that you want,And enjoying, what they have given to you,Without giving them something back to them is indeed a theft. 12The saints who do sacrificial worship and liveWith whatever is left after the worship with themDo get rid of all the sins committed by them,While those sinners, who only cook for their eating only,Do live eating always their sins. 13All beings are born out of food,All food is born out of rain,All rain is born out of sacrifices,And all sacrifices are born out of actions. 14All actions are born out of Vedas,All Vedas are born out of perennial God,And so the Vedas which are spread every where,Is based always on sacrificial worship. 15Oh Arjuna, he who does not follow,This rotating wheel of evolution,Worships pleasures of sense organs,And wastes his life in sin. 16But that man who finds enjoyment in soul,Gets contended with the soul,And gets pleasures only from the soul,Does not have any actions left to be done. 17Such a one does not get anything by doing any action,Nor does he loose anything by not doing it,And he would not find anything to depend or desire,In all things and in all events. 18So perform all actions that should be done,In a very proper way, without attachment,For the man who does actions without attachment,Attains a state of the supreme divine. 19Don't you know that great ones like Janaka,Attained the top divine state by performing action,Also you should become the one to do your duties.For putting the world in right track and guide them.Because ordinary people follow,The actions done by great and special peopleAnd they also follow all their ideasOf what is considered as great. 20- 21Oh Arjuna, I do not have even an iota of work,That I should do in all these three worlds,Also there is nothing that I need to attain,Or left to be attained, but still I always work. 22Oh Arjuna, if I fail to keep myself busy,Without rest by doing work, it is for sure,Those men would follow me in all my ways. 23If I do not do my work, this world,Would totally perish and I would become,Responsible for mixing of communities,And consequent destruction of all people. 24Oh Arjuna, the wise man should do his duties,Without attachment for the sake of the upkeep of the world,In a fashion similar to the ordinary people,Who do their duties with attachment. 25He should not create confusion,Among the non wise and lead them,By doing all his actions properly,And make such people follow his path. 26All actions in this world are done,Due to innate property of nature,And only the self centered one,Who is ignorant thinks that he does it. 27But, oh great warrior, he who knows,The differentiation and function of the senses,Would understand that these senses,Would act through sense objects,And would never get attached to them. 28Those who are deceived by the natural instincts,Think that they do the work and are responsible for it,And the man who is completely wise,Should not upset these ignorant souls. 29Dedicate all the work you do to me,And understanding that you are the soul,Do actions without desire and attachment,And undertake this war in the state of peace. 30Those men who follow this advice of mine,With sincerity devoid of jealousy,Would be freed from the bondage of duties. 31But those men who find fault with this advice of mine,And do not follow it and get drowned in ignorance,Would waste their life as they are not wise. 32Even if a man is wise, he still would,Follow the dictates of nature, for,All our thoughts flow from innate nature,And how can restraint help greatly? 33In case of every organ of the senses,Likes and dislikes are inbuilt,And so one should never be controlled by them,For, definitely these are his great enemies. 34Duties faultily done according to our innate nature are always better than,Well and properly executed duties as done or taught by others,For even death by doing our own duty is to be preferred,As the travel in the path charted by others is dangerous. 35Arjuna asked:Oh Lord of Vrushnis, then why are the men,Being forced without willingness to do sinful actions? 36Lord said:Please know as your enemies are, your acts of passion,Acts of fury, acts done for the sake of self,Acts of great food consumption andActs creating other greatly sinful actions. 37Similar to fire being hidden by smoke,The mirror being hidden because of dirt,And the foetus is being hidden by womb,Desire keeps wisdom in hiding. 38The wisdom of man is hidden,By the fire of his desire,This is his constant enemy,And has the shape of passion,And can never ever be satiated. 39It is generally believed that desire,Lives in the mind and sense organs,And because of this, it hides wisdom,And enchants the soul, which lives in the body. 40Oh greatest among the Bharathas, please,Keep under control your sense organs,And then destroy this sinful passion, whichKills the knowledge and realization. 41People say sense organs are great,But Mind is greater than sense organs,Wisdom is greater than the mind,And that which is beyond wisdom is the soul. 42Oh great warrior, thus understanding,That which is beyond wisdom,Control the mind and the senses,And by having a stable mind,Destroy desire, which is but,An enemy which can never be conquered.. 43Thus ends the Third Chapter of Bhagawad Gita,Which is the Essence of all Upanishads,Which is the Science of the Eternal and Yoga,And the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna,Which is called The Way of Action.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Chapter-4The State of Action, Wisdom and Renunciation[Here the path of action and the path of wisdom are compared. It is concluded that wisdom is like a boat which helps us to cross the ocean of sin.]Lord said:This imperishable yoga was taught by me to the Sun God,He taught it to Manu his son, and Manu told it to Ikshuvaku. 1Kingly sages inherited this knowledge,Oh, tormentor of enemies, but this great knowledgeEventually disappeared from the world. 2Since you are my friend as well as my devotee,This old knowledge is being told by me to you today,Even though this knowledge is a great secret. 3Arjuna asked:How can I accept this in my mind,When I know that you were born,Much later than the sun god,And you claim to have taught him this? 4Lord said:Oh Arjuna, the tormentor of enemies,I know that I and you have passed through,Several births and deaths so far,And also I know, you do not know about it. 5Though I am birth less and deathless,And also the god of all the beings that are born,I have full control on my innate nature,And appear similar to this form, by use of illusion*. 6* Word illusion is being used for Maya.Oh Bharatha, whenever the righteousness suffers,And wickedness raises its head,Then I create myself by my own illusion,And appear from time to time to save Dharma. 7I come in to this world, myself from eons to eons,For protecting the righteous,And for destroying the wicked,And also to establish righteousness. 8Oh Arjuna, he, who knows correctly,The fact of my divine births and duties,Would not have one more birth after his death,But would come directly to me and attain me. 9Many of those who do not have desire, fear and angerMany of those who have become mine,And many of those who have surrendered to me,Become purified by the sacred flame of knowledge,And eventually would come and attain me. 10I bless my devotees in the way,In which they choose to worship me,And Oh Arjuna, in whichever way they choose,It is my way in all respects entirely. 11Desiring for good rapid results of action done,In this world they worship the gods,For in the man's world the results,Of action are received very rapidly. 12I propounded the four fold differences in menAccording to their inborn nature and choice of action,Though I am the one who is the author,Understand me as stable and the one who is not the doer. 13He who knows that actions,Do not get attached to me,And that I do not have,Any attachment towards results of actions,Is never chained or tied by any action. 14Understanding this great tenet,Our forefathers who wanted salvation,Did do several such actions,And so carry out actions like those of your ancestors. 15Even greatly wise people are befuddled,In classifying action from inaction,And I will tell you about that action,Which would make you free from bad things. 16Lots have to be learned about actions that has to be done,Lots have to be learned about action which should not be done,Lots have to be learned about inaction,And so it is difficult to charter the path of this differentiation. 17That man indeed is greatly intelligent,Who sees inaction in action,And action in inaction,And he being a greatly Wise man,Would do all his actions with a peaceful mind. 18That man whose actions are devoid,Of sensory gratification and determinationIs the one in whom the fire of his wisdom,Has burnt his actions and is declared as ‘learned',By those who have very great wisdom. 19He forsakes interest in results of his actions,And is always satisfied with his life,And also does not depend on any one,And is seen to indulge in concentrated action,But is perceived as one who does not do anything. 20He is without any desires and controls his mind and body,He forsakes ownership of all assets and only does,Those actions which are absolutely necessary,And never suffers any bad effects at any time. 21He becomes happy with anything that he gets accidentally,He is the one, who has crossed the state of duality,He is without jealousy, has same emotions towards victory and defeat,And he does not get tied up by his action in spite of doing it. 22He is always without attachment, free from everything,And concentrates his mind on wisdom only,And his actions done with the spirit of sacrifice,Vanish because they are completely dissolved. 23The act of sacrifice is God,The material that is being sacrificed is God,This material is being sacrificed in fire which is god,This sacrifice that is being performed is by God,And so the one who attains the Samadhi,By performing actions, attains God. 24Brahman is translated here as God though it has a wider and much fuller meaning.‘Samadhi' is the state in which one becomes one with God.Some yogis perform sacrifices to please gods,And others sacrifice their soul in the fire of ultimate God,And conduct the sacrifices using ultimate God. 25Here Brahman is translated as Ultimate God, to differentiate it fromthe concept of Gods in the first line.Yet others sacrifice their organs of hearing,In the fire of self control and yet others,Sacrifice their organs of speech,In the fire of sense organs. 26Others sacrifice activities of all sense organs,And all activities of the soul,In the fire of self control,Burning them by the aid of the light of wisdom. 27There are yet others, who sacrifice money,Or penance or yoga or recitation of Vedas,Others who take up austere vows,With unflagging and unflinching devotion. 28There are others, who sacrifice outgoing breath,In the incoming breath or incoming breathIn out going breath and others whoStop inhaling and exhaling and hold their breath. 29Some others control their food and sacrifice,Breathe in to breath and all these people,Who know what a sacrifice isAre purified by the methods adopted by them. 30Oh great one among the kurus, those who eat,The remnants of food offered in sacrifices attainThe perennial godhead and there is no worldFor those who do not perform sacrifices. 31There are several methods of sacrifices,Spread before us by the great Vedas,Please understand that they are a part of our actions,And understanding this gets you freedom from chains of life. 32Oh tormentor of enemies, understand that,The sacrifices of wisdom is superior to those of wealth,For, hey Arjuna, Wisdom fulfills the entire gamut of actionsAnd eventually ends up in the earning of divine knowledge. 33Please learn and understand this,With humility, with enquiry and with service,From those wise men who have realized the truth,Who will instruct you in this type of wisdom. 34Oh Pandava, Once you understand this wisdom,You would not be troubled by illusions of this sort,And because of that you would see all beingsOf the world within me and within you. 35Even if you are the greatest sinner possible,Among all the sinners of the world,You would cross all the sins of yours,With the help of this boat of wisdom. 36Similar to the fact that a raging fire,Turns in to ashes all the wood that is on its way,The fire of wisdom would turnAll your actions in to ashes. 37In this world there is no greater,Purifier than the wisdom that one has,And over time the one who learns yogas,Becomes an ace and automatically gets it. 38He who is in search of wisdom,He who controls all his sense organs,And he who learns everything with sincerity,Attains the state of great wisdom,And after attaining that state soon, he attains great peace. 39He who is not wise, he who does not believe,And he who always doubts everything.Will eventually perish andThis world does not exist for them who doubts,And also the other worlds and pleasure,Does not exist for them for ever. 40Oh Arjuna, the one who destroys actions by yoga,The one who breaks doubts using his wisdom,And the one who stands self possessed,Are not stopped by duties or actions. 41And so cut this doubt about the soul,Born out of ignorance with,The sword of wisdom and,Be stable in the state of yoga. 42Thus ends the Fourth Chapter of Bhagwad Gita,Which is the Essence of all Upanishads,Which is the Science of the Eternal and Yoga,And the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna,Which is called The State of Action, Wisdom and Renunciation.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Chapter-5The Renunciation of Action[Arjuna wants clarification as to the need for practice of action, whenone is not interested in its results. Lord Krishna tells him that nobody can remain without doing any action and also that the ultimateself does not participate in the performance of action. He reemphasizesthe importance of renouncing results of action.]Arjuna asked:You praise renunciation of action,As well as the practice of the path of action,Please take a decision yourself,And tell me which of them is better? 1Lord said:Renunciation as well as path of actionWill both take you to the higher state in life,But among them path of positive actionIs better than renunciation of action. 2The one who does not hate or desire is a hermit,And so the one who gets freedom fromPlurality of action easily gets freedomFrom the ties of day to day life. 3Ignorant children would say that knowledge,Is very different from action with renouncement,But the learned would not agree with them,For any one who concentrates on any of these,Would get the results from what he chose.. 4That state which is attained by discriminative logic,Is also attained by the practice of positive action,He who sees discriminative logic and positive action,As the same is the one who really sees. 5Oh heroic one, renunciation of action is very difficult,Without first performing selfless positive action,And it is also true that one who is wedded to action,Attains the ultimate more quickly and speedily. 6He who is engaged in selfless action,Who has a very clean and clear mind,Who has won over the hankerings of the body,Who has total control over his senses,And who sees himself in all beings,Is not tainted by action even if he does it. 7The man who is a true practitioner,Of the path of selfless action,Feels that he is not doing any action,Even during the time he sees, he hears,He touches, he smells, he eats,He walks, he sleeps or even when he breaths. 8When one talks or leaves what he holds,Or holds on tightly, or opens his eyes,Or closes his eyes, he determines,That these are because senses arePerforming the job towards the sense objects,And not because he has done any of them. 9He who does all his actions, sacrificing them,To the godhead and without any desires,Is not affected by it, similar to the fact,That lotus leaf does not become wet because of water. 10The learned and wise men forsake all attachment,And carry out actions with body or mind or brain,Or senses without the sense of the feeling of I,For purifying their mind and soul. 11He who does positive action, leaves outThe fruits of his action and attains,Mental stability and peace by practice of such action,But the one who does actions for achieving resultsIs bound by the expectations of the results that he wishes. 12The one who has mastered control over his senses,Does renunciation of all actions and exists peacefully,And happily in the city with nine holes*,Doing nothing and is getting done nothing. 13*the bodyThe God was never an actor, nor did he create persons,Nor did he create actions, nor unification of actions with results,And all these are controlled only by universal ignorance 14The god does not receive the sins of any one,Nor does he accept good deeds done by people,And this knowledge is hidden by ignorance,And because of it, beings get under delusion 15In those whom ignorance is destroyed,Due to the knowledge of the soul,Their wisdom shines like a bright sun,And throws light on the highest being. 16Those whose mind is set on God,Those who think God is their soul,Those who remain in the concept of God,And those who consider God as their refuge,Attain the state of no return,With their sins being winnowed off by wisdom. 17The learned view with equanimity,The humble or a wise Brahmin,Or a cow, or an elephant or a dog,Or the one who eats a dog. 18Those whose mind stands with equanimity,Have won over re-birth here in this world itself,For the ultimate truth is equal and faultless,And due to that they stay with the ultimate truth. 19He who realizes the ultimate truth,Would have a very stable mind,Would be devoid of any desires,Would attain the life he likes,Would not get elated with joy,Or get sorry when he gets what he dislikes. 20He who does not have attachment,To the pleasure provided by the external,Realizes the pleasure given by the soul,And with his mind standing with ultimate truth,He realizes the bliss, which never decays. 21Oh son of Kunthi, those pleasures from the external,Are really the birth places of all sorrows,For they have a beginning and an end,And so the wise man will not derive joy from them. 22He who has strength to control emotions,Caused due to passion and anger,Even before he leaves his own body,Is the one who is steadfast in yoga,And he is the only human being who enjoys. 23He who has well being within him,He who has joy within himself,He who is enlightened within himself,That Yogi is the Brhamam even when he is alive,And would get salvation by becoming absolutely free. 24Those sages within whom, sins erode,Within whom doubts fade away,Within whom senses are under control,And who wants only to do well to all others,Would get salvation with absolute freedom. 25Those sages who get freedom from desire and anger,Who have mind which is peaceful and contended,And who are able to realize their souls,Would get salvation within this and in other worlds. 26He who is able to keep external pleasures outside,Concentrate his gaze in between the eyebrows,Keep the airs of inhalation and exhalation equally within his nose,Controls his mind, senses and thought completely,Desires nothing except the true and ultimate salvation,Is bereft of desire, fear and anger always,And tries to engage himself in meditation,Is always free from everything. 27-28Thus ends the Fifth Chapter of Bhagwad Gita,Which is the Essence of all Upanishads,Which is the Science of the Eternal and Yoga,And the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna,Which is called The Renunciation of Action.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Chapter-6The Art of Meditation[In this chapter Lord Krishna tells about the techniques of yoga and meditation and tells him that, it is a superior method.]Lord Krishna said:He who carries out all his duties,Without depending on the outcome,And not the one who has forsaken fire*,Or the one who does not do any action,Is a great yogi or one who has renounced. 1*Who has discontinued fire sacrificesOh Pandava, understand the word yoga,As indicative of renunciation also,For no one can become a great yogi,Without relinquishing the fruits of actions from his mind. 2For the sage who wants to climb up,The ladder of Yoga, action is a must,And only for the one who has attained yoga,Inaction is said to be the means to retain it. 3When surely there is no desire,To those things hankered by senses,When there is no thinking for fruit of actions,He would have renounced everything,And would be called a great yogi. 4One should elevate oneself by one's self,One should not ever lower oneself,And surely self alone is one's friend,And self alone is one's enemy, 5He who has attained victory over self,For him self is a very great friend,And for the one who has not won over the self,Self is a very great enemy, 6For him who has won over his self,Who is eternally peaceful within him selfHeat and cold are very much alike,And so are sorrows and happinessAnd honour and dishonour and he would,Be always blessed with presence of the divine. 7That yogi who becomes satiated,By wisdom and his experiences,Is immobile, a victor over his senses,And would consider mud, stone and gold,As one and the same and equal. 8He becomes very special and great,If he has the same relation with,Good people, friends, enemies,People who are neutral or middle,People who hate or love,And even people who are really bad. 9That yogi should concentrate his mind,Sitting alone with control over mind and body,With no desires, with no wealth or assets,And try to meditate and keep his mind stable, 10He should choose a very clean place,Which does not move, which is neither high nor low,And spread skin and cloth over Durba grass,And sit there concentrating his mind. 11Sitting on that seat, with concentration of mind,And controlling the works of mind and senses,He should practice yoga for cleaning his mind. 12Keeping his body, head and neck straight,Adopting the position of no movement,Becoming stable, without seeing here and there,Concentrating vision on the tip of his nose,With mind fully not roaming here and there,Without fear, observing self continence,Controlling his mind, thinking of only me,He should have me as his supreme goal. 13-14That practitioner of yoga, who concentrates,With a controlled mind attains that peace,Which is at the end of salvation*,And which is situated in me. 15* I have used salvation to denote MokshaOh Arjuna,.Yoga is not there,For the one who eats too much,Or the one who eats nothing at all.It also is not there for the one,Who loves to sleep and to him,Who does not sleep at all, 16To him who is moderate in his,Food habits, walks, action,Sleep and wakefulness,Yoga helps to wipe away sorrow. 17He is said to have attained yoga,When his self controlled mind,Remains always fixed in the self,And is free of all desires and joys. 18The wise men compare the non flickering,Lamp kept in a windless place,To the controlled mind of the yogi,Practicing yoga within his self. 19One should know that, that is called yoga,When the mind which is controlled,By practice of concentration, gets settled,In which the self seeks the self and realizes the self,And gets happiness in the self itself,In which that state of bliss is realized,Which is limitless, known only to the intellect,Which is beyond the reach of senses,In which one establishes himself,And never moves down from it,Which position once attained,Makes one feel that no other gain,Is better than that state,And which position once attained,Makes one feel that no great sorrow is worth worrying about.This type of yoga which is worth practicing,Should be learnt with strong mind and perseverance. 20-23After controlling all desires which are born,Out of the working of the mind, fully,After preventing the sense organs,From all sides, by use of the mind,And using the wisdom along with courage,You have to get peace slowly and surely.You should make the mind position itself in the self,And should not think of anything at all, 24-25When the listless and unstable,Mind wanders hither and thither,It should be brought under control,By using the self alone, 26To the yogi with a peaceful mind,Whose active pride has subdued,Who is sinless and who has,Become God himself,Undiluted bliss surely reaches 27This yogi who is free from a tainted mind,Who can control his mind always,Attains the infinite bliss of union with the ultimate, 28This man who is always absorbed in yoga,Has a mind which sees the same Brahman,In all the things that he sees,And realizes that Brahman is made of all things, 29He who sees me everywhere,Sees everything within me,Is always able to see me,And I am able to see him always, 30He who worships me, who am in all beings,In the spirit of being single entity, is a yogi,And wherever he is and whatever he does,He always lives with me, 31I believe that, he is best among yogis,Oh Arjuna, Who sees other's pleasure and pain,In the same way, as if it occurs to himself. 32Arjuna asked:Oh killer of Madhu, because my mind is in turmoil,I am not able to understand this state,Where everything is observed as equal and same,And which is also permanent and stable, 33Oh Krishna, Is not the mind always unstable,Turbulent, restless, leading to painAnd something that cannot be controlled?I think controlling it is as difficult as controlling wind. 34Lord said:Oh Arjuna, there is no doubt that,Mind is restless and difficult to control,But Oh son of Kunthi, it can be controlled,By practice and detachment, 35I believe that to him who cannot control his mind,The practice of Yoga is extremely difficult to attain,But if you practice with willingness and control,It can be attained by practice of proper methods 36Arjuna said:Oh Lord Krishna, The one who has deep faith,But lacks will to put in sufficient effort,Slips away during the practice of Yoga,And since he cannot get the fruits of yoga,What does he eventually attain? 37Oh God, who is a great hero, does he who fails.Not fall from both ways that he tries to the ultimate,And like a split and scattered cloud vanish? 38Oh Lord Krishna, I do not find any one,Capable of completely answering,This question of mine except yourself,For is it not difficult to find people to solve problems? 39Lord said:Oh Arjuna, Such a one is not destroyed here.And is also not destroyed after this life,Oh son, any one who does only good,Would never ever attain a bad state, 40The one who slips and fails in the path of yoga,Would reach the land meant for people with good deeds,Live there happily for several years,And is born in a house of the pure and prosperous, 41Or he is born in the clan of wise Yogis,And such a birth is indeed rare in the world, 42There he attains the use of wisdom,Which was there in his previous body,And son of Kurus, striving more than before,He attains a state higher than earlier. 43Though he does not understandThe practices of his previous birth,He gets surely attracted to them,And even one who tries to understand yoga,Crosses the limit of the performer of Vedic rites 44But that yogi who practices steadfastly.Gets the sins removed from him,And gets better and better attainment,In succeeding births andSlowly reaches the greatest possible state, 45Yogis are greater than sages,Also greater than the learned,Also greater than the performer of actions,And so it is believed, he is great,And so become a yogi, Oh Arjuna, 46I have concluded firmly that the one,Who salutes me with sincerity andWith his mind absorbed in me,Is the greatest among yogis, 47Thus ends the Sixth Chapter of Bhagwad Gita,Which is the Essence of all Upanishads,Which is the Science of the Eternal and Yoga,And the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna,Which is called The Art of Meditation.
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