Chapter 5 — The Yoga of Renunciation

Om Homage to the Supreme Self

Arjuna said

Krishna, you commend the renunciation of actions, and then again the yoga of action. Tell me with certainty which one of these is better. ॥५- १॥

Renunciation and the yoga of action both lead to the highest good; but of the two, the yoga of action surpasses the renunciation of action. ॥५- २॥

Know as the perpetual renunciant the one who neither hates nor desires; free from the pairs of opposites, mighty-armed one, he is easily released from bondage. ॥५- ३॥

The immature, not the wise, speak of Sankhya and yoga as being distinct. Established rightly in even one of them, one gains the fruit of both. ॥५- ४॥

The state attained by those who follow Sankhya is also reached by those who follow yoga. Whoever sees Sankhya and yoga as one truly sees. ॥५- ५॥

Yet renunciation, mighty-armed one, is hard to attain without yoga. The sage joined to yoga soon reaches Brahman. ॥५- ६॥

Joined to yoga, purified in self, self-mastered, with senses conquered, his self become the Self of all beings, he is not stained even while acting. ॥५- ७॥

“I do nothing at all”— so should the one joined to yoga, who knows reality, understand while seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, walking, sleeping, breathing; ॥५- ८॥

while speaking, releasing, grasping, opening and closing the eyes— holding that the senses move among the objects of the senses. ॥५- ९॥

Whoever acts, placing all actions in Brahman and abandoning attachment, is not stained by evil, as a lotus leaf is not stained by water. ॥५- १०॥

With body, mind, and understanding, and even with the senses alone, yogins perform action, abandoning attachment, for the purification of the self. ॥५- ११॥

Joined to yoga, relinquishing the fruit of action, one attains enduring peace. Not joined to yoga, driven by desire and attached to the fruit, one is bound. ॥५- १२॥

Mentally renouncing all actions, the self-mastered embodied one dwells at ease in the city of nine gates, neither acting nor causing action. ॥५- १३॥

The Lord creates neither agency nor actions for the world, nor the union of action with its fruit; rather, inherent nature proceeds. ॥५- १४॥

The all-pervading One takes on neither anyone’s evil nor anyone’s good. Knowledge is veiled by ignorance; through this, beings are deluded. ॥५- १५॥

But for those whose ignorance has been destroyed by knowledge of the Self, that knowledge, like the sun, reveals the Supreme. ॥५- १६॥

Their understanding in That, their self in That, steadfast in That, with That as their highest goal, they go where there is no return, their impurities swept away by knowledge. ॥५- १७॥

In a Brahmin endowed with learning and humility, in a cow, an elephant, a dog, and even one who eats dogs, the wise see with equal vision. ॥५- १८॥

Even here, creation is conquered by those whose mind rests in equality. For Brahman is equal and without fault; therefore they rest in Brahman. ॥५- १९॥

One should not exult on receiving what is pleasant, nor recoil on receiving what is unpleasant. Steady in understanding, undeluded, the knower of Brahman rests in Brahman. ॥५- २०॥

With the self unattached to external contacts, one finds the happiness that is in the Self. With the self joined to Brahman through yoga, one enjoys imperishable happiness. ॥५- २१॥

For pleasures born of contact are nothing but wombs of suffering. They have a beginning and an end, son of Kunti; the awakened do not delight in them. ॥५- २२॥

Whoever can withstand, here in this life, before release from the body, the force born of desire and anger— that person is joined to yoga; that person is happy. ॥५- २३॥

One whose happiness is within, whose delight is within, and whose light is wholly within— that yogin, having become Brahman, attains nirvana in Brahman. ॥५- २४॥

The seers attain nirvana in Brahman, their impurities exhausted, their doubts severed, their selves mastered, delighting in the welfare of all beings. ॥५- २५॥

For ascetics free from desire and anger, whose minds are mastered and who know the Self, nirvana in Brahman is present on every side. ॥५- २६॥

Keeping external contacts outside, and the gaze between the brows, making equal the inward and outward breaths moving within the nostrils; ॥५- २७॥

with senses, mind, and understanding mastered, the sage intent upon liberation, free from desire, fear, and anger— such a one is forever free. ॥५- २८॥

Knowing me as the enjoyer of sacrifices and austerities, the great Lord of all worlds, and the friend of all beings, one attains peace. ॥५- २९॥

Om Tat Sat. Thus, in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita, in the knowledge of Brahman, in the scripture of yoga, in the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the fifth chapter, named The Yoga of the Renunciation of Action. ॥ ५ ॥

Om

Salutations to the Supreme Self.

Arjuna said:

Krishna, you praise the renunciation of actions and then again the yoga of action. Tell me with certainty which one of these is better. ॥५- १॥

Renunciation and the yoga of action both bring the highest good. But of the two, the yoga of action is better than the renunciation of action. ॥५- २॥

Know that the person who neither hates nor desires is always a renunciant. For one who is free from opposing pairs, mighty-armed Arjuna, is easily released from bondage. ॥५- ३॥

The immature, not the wise, speak of Sankhya and yoga as separate from each other. Anyone firmly established in even one of them rightly gains the fruit of both. ॥५- ४॥

The state attained by the followers of Sankhya is also reached by the followers of yoga. Whoever sees Sankhya and yoga as one truly sees. ॥५- ५॥

But renunciation, mighty-armed Arjuna, is difficult to attain without yoga. A sage joined to yoga quickly reaches Brahman. ॥५- ६॥

Joined to yoga, purified in self, self-mastered, with the senses conquered, and with the self become the self of all beings, one is not stained even while acting. ॥५- ७॥

“I do not do anything at all,” the one joined to yoga who knows the truth should think, while seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, walking, sleeping, and breathing; ॥५- ८॥

while speaking, releasing, grasping, opening the eyes, and closing the eyes— understanding that the senses are operating among the objects of the senses. ॥५- ९॥

One who acts after placing all actions in Brahman and abandoning attachment is not stained by sin, just as a lotus leaf is not stained by water. ॥५- १०॥

With the body, mind, understanding, and even with the senses alone, yogis perform action, abandoning attachment, for the purification of the self. ॥५- ११॥

One joined to yoga, abandoning the fruit of action, attains lasting peace. One not joined to yoga, attached to the fruit through the force of desire, is bound. ॥५- १२॥

Mentally renouncing all actions, the self-controlled embodied one lives happily in the city of nine gates, neither acting nor causing action. ॥५- १३॥

The Lord creates neither agency nor actions for the world, nor the connection between action and its fruit. It is nature that operates. ॥५- १४॥

The all-pervading One takes on neither anyone’s sin nor anyone’s good deed. Knowledge is covered by ignorance; because of this, living beings are deluded. ॥५- १५॥

But for those whose ignorance of the self has been destroyed by knowledge, their knowledge, like the sun, reveals that Supreme Reality. ॥५- १६॥

Their understanding fixed on That, their self identified with That, established in That and devoted to That, they go to the state from which there is no return, their impurities swept away by knowledge. ॥५- १७॥

The wise see with equal vision a learned and humble Brahmin, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and even one who cooks dogs. ॥५- १८॥

Even here, rebirth is conquered by those whose minds are established in equality. For Brahman is equal and without defect; therefore they are established in Brahman. ॥५- १९॥

One should not rejoice on obtaining what is pleasant, nor be disturbed on obtaining what is unpleasant. With steady understanding, free from confusion, the knower of Brahman is established in Brahman. ॥५- २०॥

With the self unattached to external contacts, one finds within the self the happiness that is there. With the self joined to Brahman through yoga, one enjoys inexhaustible happiness. ॥५- २१॥

For pleasures born from contact are nothing but sources of suffering. They have a beginning and an end, son of Kunti; the wise do not delight in them. ॥५- २२॥

One who is able, here in this very life, before release from the body, to endure the force arising from desire and anger— that person is joined to yoga and is happy. ॥५- २३॥

One whose happiness is within, whose delight is within, and whose light is also within— that yogi, having become Brahman, attains the peace of Brahman. ॥५- २४॥

The seers whose impurities have faded away attain the peace of Brahman. Their doubts are cut away, they are self-controlled, and they delight in the welfare of all beings. ॥५- २५॥

For ascetics who are free from desire and anger, whose minds are controlled and who know the self, the peace of Brahman is present on every side. ॥५- २६॥

Keeping external contacts outside, and fixing the gaze between the eyebrows, making the inward and outward breaths equal as they move within the nostrils; ॥५- २७॥

with senses, mind, and understanding controlled, the sage wholly devoted to liberation, from whom desire, fear, and anger have departed— such a person is always free. ॥५- २८॥

Knowing me as the enjoyer of sacrifices and austerities, the great Lord of all worlds, and the friend of all beings, one attains peace. ॥५- २९॥

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 fifth chapter, entitled “The Yoga of the Renunciation of Action.” ॥ ५ ॥