Vyāsa (traditional attribution) · Complete work
Chapter 2 — The Yoga of Knowledge
Chapter 2 — The Yoga of Knowledge of 18. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Sanskrit
ॐश्रीपरमात्मने नमःअथ द्वितीयोऽध्यायः
सञ्जय उवाचतं तथा कृपयाविष्टमश्रुपूर्णाकुलेक्षणम् ।विषीदन्तमिदं वाक्यमुवाच मधुसूदनः ॥२- १॥
श्रीभगवानुवाच कुतस्त्वा कश्मलमिदं विषमे समुपस्थितम् ।अनार्यजुष्टमस्वर्ग्यमकीर्तिकरमर्जुन ॥२- २॥
क्लैब्यं मा स्म गमः पार्थ नैतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते ।क्षुद्रं हृदयदौर्बल्यं त्यक्त्वोत्तिष्ठ परन्तप ॥२- ३॥
अर्जुन उवाचकथं भीष्ममहं संख्ये द्रोणं च मधुसूदन ।इषुभिः प्रति योत्स्यामि पूजार्हावरिसूदन ॥२- ४॥
गुरूनहत्वा हि महानुभावान् श्रेयो भोक्तुं भैक्ष्यमपीह लोके ।हत्वार्थकामांस्तु गुरूनिहैव भुञ्जीय भोगान् रुधिरप्रदिग्धान् ॥२- ५॥
न चैतद्विद्मः कतरन्नो गरीयो यद्वा जयेम यदि वा नो जयेयुः ।यानेव हत्वा न जिजीविषाम- स्तेऽवस्थिताः प्रमुखे धार्तराष्ट्राः ॥२- ६॥
कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभावः पृच्छामि त्वां धर्मसम्मूढचेताः ।यच्छ्रेयः स्यान्निश्चितं ब्रूहि तन्मे शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम् ॥२- ७॥
न हि प्रपश्यामि ममापनुद्याद् यच्छोकमुच्छोषणमिन्द्रियाणाम् ।अवाप्य भूमावसपत्नमृद्धं राज्यं सुराणामपि चाधिपत्यम् ॥२- ८॥
सञ्जय उवाचएवमुक्त्वा हृषीकेशं गुडाकेशः परन्तप ।न योत्स्य इति गोविन्दमुक्त्वा तूष्णीं बभूव ह ॥२- ९॥
तमुवाच हृषीकेशः प्रहसन्निव भारत ।सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये विषीदन्तमिदं वचः ॥२- १०॥
श्रीभगवानुवाचअशोच्यानन्वशोचस्त्वं प्रज्ञावादांश्च भाषसे ।गतासूनगतासूंश्च नानुशोचन्ति पण्डिताः ॥२- ११॥
न त्वेवाहं जातु नासं न त्वं नेमे जनाधिपाः ।न चैव न भविष्यामः सर्वे वयमतः परम् ॥२- १२॥
देहिनोऽस्मिन्यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा ।तथा देहान्तरप्राप्तिर्धीरस्तत्र न मुह्यति ॥२- १३॥
मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः ।आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत ॥२- १४॥
यं हि न व्यथयन्त्येते पुरुषं पुरुषर्षभ ।समदुःखसुखं धीरं सोऽमृतत्वाय कल्पते ॥२- १५॥
नासतो विद्यते भावो नाभावो विद्यते सतः ।उभयोरपि दृष्टोऽन्तस्त्वनयोस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः ॥२- १६॥
अविनाशि तु तद्विद्धि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् ।विनाशमव्ययस्यास्य न कश्चित्कर्तुमर्हति ॥२- १७॥
अन्तवन्त इमे देहा नित्यस्योक्ताः शरीरिणः ।अनाशिनोऽप्रमेयस्य तस्माद्युध्यस्व भारत ॥२- १८॥
य एनं वेत्ति हन्तारं यश्चैनं मन्यते हतम् ।उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायं हन्ति न हन्यते ॥२- १९॥
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः ।अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ॥२- २०॥
वेदाविनाशिनं नित्यं य एनमजमव्ययम् ।कथं स पुरुषः पार्थ कं घातयति हन्ति कम् ॥२- २१॥
वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय नवानि गृह्णाति नरोऽपराणि ।तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णान्यन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही ॥२- २२॥
नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि नैनं दहति पावकः ।न चैनं क्लेदयन्त्यापो न शोषयति मारुतः ॥२- २३॥
अच्छेद्योऽयमदाह्योऽयमक्लेद्योऽशोष्य एव च ।नित्यः सर्वगतः स्थाणुरचलोऽयं सनातनः ॥२- २४॥
अव्यक्तोऽयमचिन्त्योऽयमविकार्योऽयमुच्यते ।तस्मादेवं विदित्वैनं नानुशोचितुमर्हसि ॥२- २५॥
अथ चैनं नित्यजातं नित्यं वा मन्यसे मृतम् ।तथापि त्वं महाबाहो नैवं शोचितुमर्हसि ॥२- २६॥
जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च ।तस्मादपरिहार्येऽर्थे न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि ॥२- २७॥
अव्यक्तादीनि भूतानि व्यक्तमध्यानि भारत ।अव्यक्तनिधनान्येव तत्र का परिदेवना ॥२- २८॥
आश्चर्यवत्पश्यति कश्चिदेनमाश्चर्यवद्वदति तथैव चान्यः ।आश्चर्यवच्चैनमन्यः शृणोति श्रुत्वाप्येनं वेद न चैव कश्चित् ॥२- २९॥
देही नित्यमवध्योऽयं देहे सर्वस्य भारत ।तस्मात्सर्वाणि भूतानि न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि ॥२- ३०॥
स्वधर्ममपि चावेक्ष्य न विकम्पितुमर्हसि ।धर्म्याद्धि युद्धाच्छ्रेयोऽन्यत्क्षत्रियस्य न विद्यते ॥२- ३१॥
यदृच्छया चोपपन्नं स्वर्गद्वारमपावृतम् ।सुखिनः क्षत्रियाः पार्थ लभन्ते युद्धमीदृशम् ॥२- ३२॥
अथ चेत्त्वमिमं धर्म्यं संग्रामं न करिष्यसि ।ततः स्वधर्मं कीर्तिं च हित्वा पापमवाप्स्यसि ॥२- ३३॥
अकीर्तिं चापि भूतानि कथयिष्यन्ति तेऽव्ययाम् ।सम्भावितस्य चाकीर्तिर्मरणादतिरिच्यते ॥२- ३४॥
भयाद्रणादुपरतं मंस्यन्ते त्वां महारथाः ।येषां च त्वं बहुमतो भूत्वा यास्यसि लाघवम् ॥२- ३५॥
अवाच्यवादांश्च बहून्वदिष्यन्ति तवाहिताः ।निन्दन्तस्तव सामर्थ्यं ततो दुःखतरं नु किम् ॥२- ३६॥
हतो वा प्राप्स्यसि स्वर्गं जित्वा वा भोक्ष्यसे महीम् ।तस्मादुत्तिष्ठ कौन्तेय युद्धाय कृतनिश्चयः ॥२- ३७॥
सुखदुःखे समे कृत्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ ।ततो युद्धाय युज्यस्व नैवं पापमवाप्स्यसि ॥२- ३८॥
एषा तेऽभिहिता सांख्ये बुद्धिर्योगे त्विमां शृणु ।बुद्ध्या युक्तो यया पार्थ कर्मबन्धं प्रहास्यसि ॥२- ३९॥
नेहाभिक्रमनाशोऽस्ति प्रत्यवायो न विद्यते ।स्वल्पमप्यस्य धर्मस्य त्रायते महतो भयात् ॥२- ४०॥
व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिरेकेह कुरुनन्दन ।बहुशाखा ह्यनन्ताश्च बुद्धयोऽव्यवसायिनाम् ॥२- ४१॥
यामिमां पुष्पितां वाचं प्रवदन्त्यविपश्चितः ।वेदवादरताः पार्थ नान्यदस्तीति वादिनः ॥२- ४२॥
कामात्मानः स्वर्गपरा जन्मकर्मफलप्रदाम् ।क्रियाविशेषबहुलां भोगैश्वर्यगतिं प्रति ॥२- ४३॥
भोगैश्वर्यप्रसक्तानां तयापहृतचेतसाम् ।व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिः समाधौ न विधीयते ॥२- ४४॥
त्रैगुण्यविषया वेदा निस्त्रैगुण्यो भवार्जुन ।निर्द्वन्द्वो नित्यसत्त्वस्थो निर्योगक्षेम आत्मवान् ॥२- ४५॥
यावानर्थ उदपाने सर्वतः संप्लुतोदके ।तावान्सर्वेषु वेदेषु ब्राह्मणस्य विजानतः ॥२- ४६॥
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन ।मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ॥२- ४७॥
योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनंजय ।सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते ॥२- ४८॥
दूरेण ह्यवरं कर्म बुद्धियोगाद्धनंजय ।बुद्धौ शरणमन्विच्छ कृपणाः फलहेतवः ॥२- ४९॥
बुद्धियुक्तो जहातीह उभे सुकृतदुष्कृते ।तस्माद्योगाय युज्यस्व योगः कर्मसु कौशलम् ॥२- ५०॥
कर्मजं बुद्धियुक्ता हि फलं त्यक्त्वा मनीषिणः ।जन्मबन्धविनिर्मुक्ताः पदं गच्छन्त्यनामयम् ॥२- ५१॥
यदा ते मोहकलिलं बुद्धिर्व्यतितरिष्यति ।तदा गन्तासि निर्वेदं श्रोतव्यस्य श्रुतस्य च ॥२- ५२॥
श्रुतिविप्रतिपन्ना ते यदा स्थास्यति निश्चला ।समाधावचला बुद्धिस्तदा योगमवाप्स्यसि ॥२- ५३॥
अर्जुन उवाचस्थितप्रज्ञस्य का भाषा समाधिस्थस्य केशव ।स्थितधीः किं प्रभाषेत किमासीत व्रजेत किम् ॥२- ५४॥
श्रीभगवानुवाचप्रजहाति यदा कामान्सर्वान्पार्थ मनोगतान् ।आत्मन्येवात्मना तुष्टः स्थितप्रज्ञस्तदोच्यते ॥२- ५५॥
दुःखेष्वनुद्विग्नमनाः सुखेषु विगतस्पृहः ।वीतरागभयक्रोधः स्थितधीर्मुनिरुच्यते ॥२- ५६॥
यः सर्वत्रानभिस्नेहस्तत्तत्प्राप्य शुभाशुभम् ।नाभिनन्दति न द्वेष्टि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ॥२- ५७॥
यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वशः ।इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ॥२- ५८॥
विषया विनिवर्तन्ते निराहारस्य देहिनः ।रसवर्जं रसोऽप्यस्य परं दृष्ट्वा निवर्तते ॥२- ५९॥
यततो ह्यपि कौन्तेय पुरुषस्य विपश्चितः ।इन्द्रियाणि प्रमाथीनि हरन्ति प्रसभं मनः ॥२- ६०॥
तानि सर्वाणि संयम्य युक्त आसीत मत्परः ।वशे हि यस्येन्द्रियाणि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ॥२- ६१॥
ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते ।सङ्गात्संजायते कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते ॥२- ६२॥
क्रोधाद्भवति संमोहः संमोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रमः ।स्मृतिभ्रंशाद्बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति ॥२- ६३॥
रागद्वेषवियुक्तैस्तु विषयानिन्द्रियैश्चरन् ।आत्मवश्यैर्विधेयात्मा प्रसादमधिगच्छति ॥२- ६४॥
प्रसादे सर्वदुःखानां हानिरस्योपजायते ।प्रसन्नचेतसो ह्याशु बुद्धिः पर्यवतिष्ठते ॥२- ६५॥
नास्ति बुद्धिरयुक्तस्य न चायुक्तस्य भावना ।न चाभावयतः शान्तिरशान्तस्य कुतः सुखम् ॥२- ६६॥
इन्द्रियाणां हि चरतां यन्मनोऽनु विधीयते ।तदस्य हरति प्रज्ञां वायुर्नावमिवाम्भसि ॥२- ६७॥
तस्माद्यस्य महाबाहो निगृहीतानि सर्वशः ।इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ॥२- ६८॥
या निशा सर्वभूतानां तस्यां जागर्ति संयमी ।यस्यां जाग्रति भूतानि सा निशा पश्यतो मुनेः ॥२- ६९॥
आपूर्यमाणमचलप्रतिष्ठं समुद्रमापः प्रविशन्ति यद्वत् ।तद्वत्कामा यं प्रविशन्ति सर्वे स शान्तिमाप्नोति न कामकामी ॥२- ७०॥
विहाय कामान्यः सर्वान् पुमांश्चरति निःस्पृहः ।निर्ममो निरहंकारः स शान्तिमधिगच्छति ॥२- ७१॥
एषा ब्राह्मी स्थितिः पार्थ नैनां प्राप्य विमुह्यति ।स्थित्वास्यामन्तकालेऽपि ब्रह्मनिर्वाणमृच्छति ॥२- ७२॥
ॐ तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रेश्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादे सांख्ययोगो नाम द्वितीयोऽध्यायः ॥ २ ॥
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from all 18 Sanskrit chapters and 700 verses for fidelity, modern clarity, philosophical precision, symbolism, structure, and cadence.
Om
Salutation to the Supreme Self
Now, Chapter Two
Sanjaya said
To him, thus overwhelmed by compassion,his troubled eyes filled with tears, sinking into despair,the Slayer of Madhu spoke these words: ॥२- १॥
The Blessed Lord said
From where has this dejection come upon you at this critical hour?It is unworthy of the noble, leads not to heaven,and brings disgrace, Arjuna. ॥२- २॥
Do not yield to impotence, son of Pritha;it does not become you.Cast off this petty weakness of heart.Rise, O Scorcher of Foes. ॥२- ३॥
Arjuna said
How can I fight with arrows against Bhishma and Dronain battle, O Slayer of Madhu?They are worthy of reverence, O Slayer of Enemies. ॥२- ४॥
Better not to kill these venerable teachers,but to live on alms here in this world.If I killed them, though they seek wealth and desire,the pleasures I enjoyed would be stained with blood. ॥२- ५॥
Nor do we know which would be better for us:that we should conquer them, or they should conquer us.Those very sons of Dhritarashtra whom, if we killed,we would not wish to live, stand here before us. ॥२- ६॥
My nature stricken by the fault of faintheartedness,my mind bewildered about dharma, I ask you:tell me decisively what would be best for me.I am your disciple. Instruct me, who have taken refuge in you. ॥२- ७॥
For I see nothing that could dispelthis grief that is drying up my senses,even if I were to gain a rich and unrivaled kingdom on earth,or sovereignty over the gods themselves. ॥२- ८॥
Sanjaya said
Having spoken thus to the Lord of the Senses,the Conqueror of Sleep, the Scorcher of Foes,said to Govinda, “I will not fight,”and fell silent. ॥२- ९॥
Then the Lord of the Senses, seeming to smile,spoke these words to him as he despairedbetween the two armies, O Bharata. ॥२- १०॥
The Blessed Lord said
You grieve for those who should not be grieved for,yet speak words of wisdom.The wise grieve neither for the deadnor for the living. ॥२- ११॥
Never was there a time when I did not exist,nor you, nor these rulers of men;nor will there ever be a time hereafterwhen all of us shall cease to be. ॥२- १२॥
Just as the embodied one passes in this bodythrough childhood, youth, and old age,so it passes into another body.The steadfast are not bewildered by this. ॥२- १३॥
Contacts with the objects of the senses, son of Kunti,bring cold and heat, pleasure and pain.They come and go; they do not last.Endure them, O Bharata. ॥२- १४॥
For the person whom these do not afflict,O Bull among Men,who remains steadfast and equal in pain and pleasure,is fit for immortality. ॥२- १५॥
The unreal never comes into being;the real never ceases to be.The boundary between these twohas been seen by those who see the truth. ॥२- १६॥
Know that to be indestructibleby which all this is pervaded.No one can bring aboutthe destruction of this imperishable reality. ॥२- १७॥
These bodies of the eternal embodied oneare said to have an end;the embodied one is indestructible and immeasurable.Therefore fight, O Bharata. ॥२- १८॥
Whoever thinks this Self a killer,and whoever considers it killed,neither of them understands:it does not kill, nor is it killed. ॥२- १९॥
It is never born, nor does it ever die;having once been, it will never cease to be.Unborn, eternal, everlasting, primeval,it is not killed when the body is killed. ॥२- २०॥
One who knows it as indestructible,eternal, unborn, and imperishable—how can that person, son of Pritha,cause anyone to be killed, or kill anyone? ॥२- २१॥
As a person casts off worn-out garmentsand takes up others that are new,so the embodied one casts off worn-out bodiesand enters others that are new. ॥२- २२॥
Weapons do not cut it;fire does not burn it.Waters do not wet it;the wind does not dry it. ॥२- २३॥
It cannot be cut or burned,wetted or dried.It is eternal, all-pervading, stable,immovable, and everlasting. ॥२- २४॥
It is said to be unmanifest,inconceivable, and unchanging.Therefore, knowing it to be so,you should not grieve. ॥२- २५॥
Yet even if you believe itto be forever born or forever dying,even then, mighty-armed one,you should not grieve for it in this way. ॥२- २६॥
For death is certain for one who is born,and birth is certain for one who has died.Therefore, over what cannot be avoided,you should not grieve. ॥२- २७॥
Beings are unmanifest in their beginning,manifest in their middle, O Bharata,and unmanifest again at their end.What cause is there for lamentation? ॥२- २८॥
One sees it as a wonder;another speaks of it as a wonder;another hears of it as a wonder—yet even after hearing, no one truly knows it. ॥२- २९॥
The embodied one within every bodyis forever invulnerable, O Bharata.Therefore you should not grievefor any being. ॥२- ३०॥
And considering your own dharma,you should not waver.For a warrior, nothing is betterthan a battle fought in accord with dharma. ॥२- ३१॥
Happy are the warriors, son of Pritha,to whom such a battle comes unsought,an open gateway to heaven. ॥२- ३२॥
But if you do not engagein this battle demanded by dharma,then, abandoning your own dharma and your honor,you will incur sin. ॥२- ३३॥
People will also speak foreverof your disgrace;and for one who has been held in honor,disgrace is worse than death. ॥२- ३४॥
The great chariot-warriors will thinkthat you withdrew from battle out of fear.Those who once esteemed you highlywill hold you in contempt. ॥२- ३५॥
Your enemies will speak many unspeakable words,mocking your strength.What could be more painful than that? ॥२- ३६॥
If killed, you will attain heaven;if victorious, you will enjoy the earth.Therefore rise, son of Kunti,resolved to fight. ॥२- ३७॥
Regarding pleasure and pain as equal,gain and loss, victory and defeat,then commit yourself to battle.In this way you will incur no sin. ॥२- ३८॥
This understanding has been declared to you in Sāṃkhya;now hear it in Yoga.Joined to this understanding, son of Pritha,you will free yourself from the bondage of action. ॥२- ३९॥
Here no effort is ever lost,nor can any adverse result arise.Even a little of this dharmaprotects one from great fear. ॥२- ४०॥
Here, O Joy of the Kurus,resolute understanding is single-pointed;but the thoughts of the irresoluteare many-branched and endless. ॥२- ४१॥
The undiscerning proclaimthis flowery speech, son of Pritha.Delighting in the letter of the Vedas, they declare,“There is nothing else.” ॥२- ४२॥
Filled with desire and intent on heaven,they speak of rites yielding birth as the fruit of action,abounding in elaborate ceremoniesaimed at pleasure and power. ॥२- ४३॥
For those attached to pleasure and power,whose minds are carried away by that speech,no resolute understandingis established in samādhi. ॥२- ४४॥
The Vedas concern the three qualities of nature.Be beyond the three qualities, Arjuna—free from duality, ever established in purity,unconcerned with acquisition and security, self-possessed. ॥२- ४५॥
Whatever use there is in a wellwhen water floods on every side,that much use there is in all the Vedasfor a brahmin who truly knows. ॥२- ४६॥
Your authority is over action alone,never over its fruits.Do not make the fruit of action your motive,nor let yourself become attached to inaction. ॥२- ४७॥
Established in Yoga, perform your actions,abandoning attachment, O Winner of Wealth.Remain equal in success and failure:equanimity is called Yoga. ॥२- ४८॥
Action is far inferiorto the Yoga of understanding, O Winner of Wealth.Seek refuge in understanding;pitiable are those driven by the fruits of action. ॥२- ४९॥
One joined to understanding casts off hereboth good and evil deeds.Therefore devote yourself to Yoga:Yoga is skill in action. ॥२- ५०॥
The wise, joined to understanding,relinquish the fruit born of action;freed from the bondage of birth,they reach the state beyond affliction. ॥२- ५१॥
When your understanding crosses beyondthe dense thicket of delusion,you will become indifferentto what is yet to be heard and what has been heard. ॥२- ५२॥
When your understanding, no longer dividedby what you have heard, stands immovable,steady in samādhi,then you will attain Yoga. ॥२- ५३॥
Arjuna said
How is one of steady wisdom described,one established in samādhi, Keshava?How does a person of steady insight speak?How does such a person sit, and how move? ॥२- ५४॥
The Blessed Lord said
When one abandons all desiresthat have entered the mind, son of Pritha,and is content in the Self through the Self alone,then one is called a person of steady wisdom. ॥२- ५५॥
One whose mind is undisturbed amid sorrows,whose thirst for pleasures has vanished,who is free from attachment, fear, and anger,is called a sage of steady insight. ॥२- ५६॥
One who is unattached everywhere,and on meeting this or that, pleasant or unpleasant,neither rejoices nor hates—that person’s wisdom stands firm. ॥२- ५७॥
When, like a tortoise drawing in its limbsfrom every side, one completely withdraws the sensesfrom the objects of the senses,that person’s wisdom stands firm. ॥२- ५८॥
Sense objects withdrawfrom the embodied one who abstains from them,but the taste for them remains.Even that taste withdraws upon seeing the Supreme. ॥२- ५९॥
For even when a discerning person strives,son of Kunti,the turbulent senses carry the mind awayby force. ॥२- ६०॥
Restraining them all,one should sit disciplined, intent on me.For one whose senses are under control,wisdom stands firm. ॥२- ६१॥
As a person dwells on objects of the senses,attachment to them arises.From attachment desire is born;from desire anger arises. ॥२- ६२॥
From anger comes delusion;from delusion, the confusion of memory.From the loss of memory comes the destruction of understanding;from the destruction of understanding, one is lost. ॥२- ६३॥
But one who moves among the objects of the senseswith senses free from attraction and aversion,held under the Self’s command, the self disciplined,attains serenity. ॥२- ६४॥
In serenity, all one’s sorrowscome to an end;for in one whose mind is serene,understanding soon becomes firmly established. ॥२- ६५॥
There is no understanding for the undisciplined,nor for the undisciplined is there contemplation.For one without contemplation there is no peace;and for one without peace, how can there be happiness? ॥२- ६६॥
When the mind followsthe roaming senses,it carries away one’s wisdom,as the wind carries a boat upon the waters. ॥२- ६७॥
Therefore, mighty-armed one,one whose senses are wholly restrainedfrom the objects of the senses—that person’s wisdom stands firm. ॥२- ६८॥
That which is night to all beingsis where the self-controlled one keeps watch;that where beings keep watchis night to the sage who sees. ॥२- ६९॥
As waters enter the ocean,ever filling yet fixed and unmoving,so all desires enter one who attains peace—not one who longs for desires. ॥२- ७०॥
The person who abandons all desiresand moves without craving,free from possessiveness and ego—that person attains peace. ॥२- ७१॥
This is the state of Brahman, son of Pritha.Having attained it, one is no longer bewildered.Established in it even at the final hour,one reaches the nirvāṇa of Brahman. ॥२- ७२॥
Om Tat Sat. Thus, in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita, in the knowledge of Brahman, in the teaching of Yoga,in the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the second chapter, entitled “The Yoga of Sāṃkhya.” ॥ २ ॥
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from all 18 Sanskrit chapters and 700 verses.
Om
Salutation to the Supreme Self
Now begins the second chapter.
Sanjaya said:
To him, overwhelmed by compassion, his troubled eyes filled with tears and his heart sinking, Madhusudana spoke these words. ॥२- १॥
The Blessed Lord said:
Where has this despair come from in this time of crisis? It is unworthy of a noble person, does not lead to heaven, and brings disgrace, Arjuna. ॥२- २॥
Do not give in to weakness, Partha. It does not become you. Cast off this petty weakness of heart and rise, scorcher of foes. ॥२- ३॥
Arjuna said:
Madhusudana, how can I fight against Bhishma and Drona in battle with arrows, when they are worthy of my reverence, slayer of foes? ॥२- ४॥
It would be better not to kill these great and honored teachers but to live in this world even by begging. If I killed these teachers, though they seek wealth and desire, the pleasures I enjoyed here would be stained with blood. ॥२- ५॥
We do not know which would be better for us: that we should conquer them, or that they should conquer us. The sons of Dhritarashtra, after killing whom we would not wish to live, stand here before us. ॥२- ६॥
My nature is overcome by the fault of weak pity, and my mind is confused about dharma. I ask you: tell me decisively what would be best for me. I am your disciple. Teach me, for I have taken refuge in you. ॥२- ७॥
I see nothing that could remove this grief that is drying up my senses, even if I gained a rich and unrivaled kingdom on earth and even lordship over the gods. ॥२- ८॥
Sanjaya said:
Having spoken this way to Hrishikesha, Gudakesha, the scorcher of foes, said to Govinda, “I will not fight,” and then fell silent. ॥२- ९॥
Bharata, Hrishikesha, seeming to smile, spoke these words to the grieving Arjuna between the two armies. ॥२- १०॥
The Blessed Lord said:
You grieve for those who should not be grieved for, yet you speak words of wisdom. The wise grieve neither for the dead nor for the living. ॥२- ११॥
There was never a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor these rulers of men; and there will never be a time hereafter when all of us cease to exist. ॥२- १२॥
Just as the embodied self passes in this body through childhood, youth, and old age, so it passes into another body. A steady person is not confused by this. ॥२- १३॥
Contacts of the senses with their objects, Kaunteya, bring cold and heat, pleasure and pain. They come and go and do not last. Endure them, Bharata. ॥२- १४॥
For the steady person whom these do not disturb, best of men, and who is the same in pain and pleasure, is fit for immortality. ॥२- १५॥
The unreal has no being; the real never ceases to be. Those who see the truth have seen the boundary between them both. ॥२- १६॥
Know that to be indestructible by which all this is pervaded. No one can bring about the destruction of this imperishable reality. ॥२- १७॥
These bodies of the eternal embodied self are said to have an end; the self is indestructible and immeasurable. Therefore fight, Bharata. ॥२- १८॥
Whoever thinks this self is the killer, and whoever thinks it is killed, both fail to understand. It neither kills nor is killed. ॥२- १९॥
It is never born, nor does it ever die. Having once existed, it will never cease to be. It is unborn, eternal, everlasting, and ancient. It is not killed when the body is killed. ॥२- २०॥
Partha, when a person knows this self as indestructible, eternal, unborn, and imperishable, how can that person cause anyone to be killed, or whom can that person kill? ॥२- २१॥
Just as a man casts off worn-out clothes and takes up other, new ones, so the embodied self casts off worn-out bodies and enters other, new ones. ॥२- २२॥
Weapons do not cut it. Fire does not burn it. Waters do not wet it, and wind does not dry it. ॥२- २३॥
It cannot be cut, burned, wetted, or dried. It is eternal, present everywhere, stable, unmoving, and everlasting. ॥२- २४॥
It is said to be unmanifest, inconceivable, and unchangeable. Therefore, knowing it to be so, you should not grieve. ॥२- २५॥
But even if you think it is continually born and continually dies, even then, mighty-armed one, you should not grieve in this way. ॥२- २६॥
Death is certain for one who is born, and birth is certain for one who has died. Therefore you should not grieve over what cannot be avoided. ॥२- २७॥
Beings are unmanifest in their beginning, Bharata, manifest in their middle, and unmanifest again at their end. Why mourn over this? ॥२- २८॥
One person sees this self as a wonder; another speaks of it as a wonder. Another hears of it as a wonder, yet even after hearing, no one truly knows it. ॥२- २९॥
The embodied self in everyone’s body is eternally incapable of being killed, Bharata. Therefore you should not grieve for any being. ॥२- ३०॥
Considering your own dharma as well, you should not waver. For a Kshatriya, nothing is better than a battle fought according to dharma. ॥२- ३१॥
Happy are the Kshatriyas, Partha, who encounter such a battle by chance, an open gateway to heaven. ॥२- ३२॥
But if you do not fight this battle required by dharma, then by abandoning your own dharma and honor, you will incur sin. ॥२- ३३॥
People will also speak forever of your disgrace. For one who has been highly respected, disgrace is worse than death. ॥२- ३४॥
The great chariot-warriors will think that you withdrew from battle out of fear. Those who once held you in high regard will come to think little of you. ॥२- ३५॥
Your enemies will say many unspeakable things, mocking your ability. What could be more painful than that? ॥२- ३६॥
If you are killed, you will attain heaven; if you conquer, you will enjoy the earth. Therefore rise, Kaunteya, resolved to fight. ॥२- ३७॥
Treat pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat alike. Then commit yourself to battle, and in this way you will not incur sin. ॥२- ३८॥
This understanding has been explained to you in Sankhya. Now hear it as applied in Yoga. Joined with this understanding, Partha, you will free yourself from the bondage of action. ॥२- ३९॥
In this path no effort is lost, and no harmful result arises. Even a little of this dharma protects one from great fear. ॥२- ४०॥
On this path, joy of the Kurus, resolute understanding is single-pointed. But the thoughts of the irresolute have many branches and are endless. ॥२- ४१॥
The unwise proclaim flowery words, delighting in the letter of the Vedas, Partha, and declaring that there is nothing else. ॥२- ४२॥
Filled with desire and intent on heaven, they speak of rites that bring birth and the fruits of action, full of many special ceremonies aimed at pleasure and power. ॥२- ४३॥
For those attached to pleasure and power, whose minds are carried away by such words, resolute understanding does not become established in samadhi. ॥२- ४४॥
The Vedas deal with the three qualities of nature. Be free from the three qualities, Arjuna. Be free from opposites, always established in purity, free from concern for acquiring and keeping, and self-possessed. ॥२- ४५॥
Whatever use there is in a well when water floods all around, that much use there is in all the Vedas for a Brahmin who truly knows. ॥२- ४६॥
Your authority is over action alone, never over its fruits. Do not make the fruits of action your motive, and do not become attached to inaction. ॥२- ४७॥
Established in Yoga, perform actions, Dhananjaya, abandoning attachment and remaining equal in success and failure. This equality is called Yoga. ॥२- ४८॥
Action is far inferior to the Yoga of understanding, Dhananjaya. Seek refuge in understanding. Those motivated by results are pitiable. ॥२- ४९॥
One joined with understanding casts off here both good and bad deeds. Therefore devote yourself to Yoga. Yoga is skill in actions. ॥२- ५०॥
For the wise, joined with understanding, give up the fruit born of action. Freed from the bondage of birth, they reach the state beyond all affliction. ॥२- ५१॥
When your understanding crosses beyond the tangled mire of delusion, you will become indifferent to what is yet to be heard and what has been heard. ॥२- ५२॥
When your understanding, confused by conflicting teachings, stands unmoving and steady in samadhi, then you will attain Yoga. ॥२- ५३॥
Arjuna said:
Keshava, how does one describe a person whose wisdom is steady and who is established in samadhi? How does one of steady understanding speak? How does that person sit, and how does that person move? ॥२- ५४॥
The Blessed Lord said:
When a person completely gives up all desires that have entered the mind, Partha, and is satisfied in the self by the self alone, that person is said to have steady wisdom. ॥२- ५५॥
One whose mind is undisturbed in suffering, who has no craving amid pleasures, and who is free from attachment, fear, and anger is called a sage of steady understanding. ॥२- ५६॥
One who is unattached everywhere and, meeting with this or that, pleasant or unpleasant, neither delights in it nor hates it— that person’s wisdom is firmly established. ॥२- ५७॥
When a person completely withdraws the senses from the objects of the senses, as a tortoise draws in its limbs from every side, that person’s wisdom is firmly established. ॥२- ५८॥
Sense objects withdraw from an embodied person who abstains, but the taste for them remains. Even that taste withdraws when the highest is seen. ॥२- ५९॥
For even when a discerning person strives, Kaunteya, the turbulent senses violently carry away the mind. ॥२- ६०॥
Restraining them all, one should sit disciplined and devoted to me. For one whose senses are under control has firmly established wisdom. ॥२- ६१॥
When a person dwells on sense objects, attachment to them arises. From attachment desire is born, and from desire anger arises. ॥२- ६२॥
From anger comes delusion; from delusion, confusion of memory; from the loss of memory, the destruction of understanding; and from the destruction of understanding, one is ruined. ॥२- ६३॥
But one who moves among sense objects with the senses, free from attraction and aversion, with the senses under the self’s control and the self disciplined, attains serenity. ॥२- ६४॥
In serenity, all that person’s sufferings come to an end. For the understanding of one whose mind is serene soon becomes firmly established. ॥२- ६५॥
There is no understanding for the undisciplined, nor contemplation for the undisciplined. Without contemplation there is no peace, and without peace, how can there be happiness? ॥२- ६६॥
When the mind follows the roaming senses, it carries away one’s wisdom as the wind carries a boat away on the water. ॥२- ६७॥
Therefore, mighty-armed one, the wisdom of the person whose senses are completely restrained from the objects of the senses is firmly established. ॥२- ६८॥
That which is night to all beings is when the self-controlled person is awake. That in which beings are awake is night to the sage who sees. ॥२- ६९॥
As waters enter the ocean, which is ever being filled yet remains unmoving and firmly established, so all desires enter such a person. That person attains peace, not one who longs for desires. ॥२- ७०॥
The person who abandons all desires and moves about without craving, free from possessiveness and ego— that person attains peace. ॥२- ७१॥
This is the state of Brahman, Partha. Having attained it, one is no longer confused. Remaining established in it even at the time of death, one reaches nirvana in Brahman. ॥२- ७२॥
Om Tat Sat. Thus, in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita, in the knowledge of Brahman, in the teaching of Yoga, in the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the second chapter, entitled “The Yoga of Sankhya.” ॥ २ ॥