The Bhagavad Gita
chapters one to three
Chapter One
Dhrtarastra said:
In the field of righteousness, the field of the Kurus, when my
people and the sons of Pandu had gathered together, eager for
battle, what did they do, O Samjaya?
Samjaya said:
Then, Duryodhana the prince, having seen the army of the Pandavas
drawn up in battle order, approached his teacher and spoke this
word:
"Behold, O Teacher, this mighty army of the sons of Pandu
organized by thy pupil, the son of Drupada.
Here are heroes, great bowmen equal in battle to Bhima and Arjuna
--Yuyudhana, Virata and Drupada, a mighty warrior.
Dhrstaketu, Cekitana and the valient King of Kasi, also Purujit,
Kuntibhoja and Saibya the foremost of men.
Yudhamanyu, the strong and Uttamauja, the brave; and also the son
of Subhadra and sons of Draupadi, all of them great warriors.
Know also, O Best of the twiceborn, the leaders of my army, those
who are most distinguished among us. I will name them now for thy
information.
Thyself and Bhishma and Karna and Krpa, ever victorious in
battle; Asvatthaman, Vikarna, and also the son of Somadatta.
And many other heroes who have risked their lives for my sake.
They are armed with many kinds of weapons and are all well
skilled in war.
Unlimited is this army of ours which is guarded by Bhishma, while
that army of theirs which is guarded by Bhima is limited.
Therefore do ye all support Bhishma, standing firm in all the
fronts, in your respective ranks."
In order to cheer him up, the aged kuru, his valiant grandsire,
roared aloud like a lion and blew his conch.
Then conches and kettledrums, tabors and drums and horns suddenly
were struck and the noise was tumultuous.
When stationed in their great chariot, yoked to white horses,
Krsna and Arjuna blew their celestial conches.
Krsna blew his Pancajanya and Arjuna his Devadatta and Bhima of
terrific deeds and enormous appetite blew his mighty conch,
Paundra.
Prince Yudhisthira, the son of Kunti, blew his Anantavijaya and
Nakula and Sahadeva blew their Sughosa and Manipuspaka.
And the king of Kasi, the Chief of archers, Sikhandin, the great
warrior, Dhrstadyumna and Virata and the invincible Satyaki,
Drupada and the sons of Draupadi, O Lord of earth, and the
strong-armed son of Subhadra, on all sides blew their respective
conches.
The tumultuous uproar resounding through earth and sky rent the
hearts of Dhrtarastra's sons.
The Arjuna, whose banner bore the crest of Hanuman, looked at the
sons of Dhrtarastra drawn up in battle order; and as the flight
of missles (almost) started, he took up his bow.
And, O Lord of earth, he spoke this word to Hrsikesa (Krsna):
"Draw up my chariot, O Acyuta (Krsna), between the two
armies. So that I may observe these men standing, eager for
battle, with whom I have to contend in this strife of war.
I wish to look at those who are assembled here, ready to fight
and eager to achieve in battle what is dear to the evil-minded
son of Dhrtarastra."
Thus addressed by Gudakesa (Arjuna), Hrsikesa (Krsna) having
drawn up that best of chariots, O Bharata (Dhrtarastra), between
the two armies.
In front of Bhishma, Drona and all the chiefs he said:
"Behold, O Partha (Arjuna), these Kurus assembled
(here)."
There saw Arjuna standing fathers and grandfathers, teachers,
uncles, brothers, sons and grandsons as also companions.
And also fathers-in-law and friends in both the armies. When the
son of Kunti (Arjuna) saw these kinsmen thus standing arrayed, he
was overcome with great compassion and uttered this in sadness;
"When I see my own people arrayed and eager for fight O
Krsna, my limbs quail, my mouth goes dry, my body shakes and my
hair stands on end.
(The bow) Gandiva slips from my hand and my skin too is burning
all over. I am not able to stand steady. My mind is reeling.
And I see evil omens, O Kesava (Krsna), nor do I foresee any good
by slaying my own people in the fight.
I do not long for victory, O Krsna, nor kingdom nor pleasures. Of
what use is kingdom to us, O Krsna, or enjoyment, or even life?
Those for whose sake we desire kingdom, enjoyments and pleasures,
they stand here in battle, renouncing their lives and riches.
Teachers, fathers, sons and also grandfathers; uncles and
fathers-in-law, grandsons and brothers-in-law and (other)
kinsmen.
These I would not consent to kill, though they kill me, O
Madhusudana (Krsna), even for the kingdom of the three worlds;
how much less for the sake of the earth?
What pleasure can be ours, O Krsna, after we have slain all the
sons of Dhrtarastra? Only sin will accrue to us if we kill these
malignants.
So it is not right that we slay our kinsmen, the sons of
Dhrtarastra. Indeed, how can we be happy, O Madhava (Krsna), if
we kill our own people?
Even if these whose minds are overpowered by greed, see no wrong
in the destruction of the family and no crime in treachery to
friends;
Why should we not have the wisdom to turn away from this sin, O
Janardana (Krsna), we who see the wrong in the destruction of the
family?
In the ruin of a family, its ancient laws are destroyed: and when
the laws perish, the whole family yields to lawlessness.
And when lawlessness prevails, O Varsneya (Krsna), the women of
the family become corrupted and when women are corrupted,
confusion of castes arises.
And to hell does this confusion bring the family itself as well
as those who have destroyed it. For the spirits of their
ancestors fall, deprived of their offerings of rice and water.
By the misdeeds of those who destroy a family and create
confusion of varnas, the immemorial laws of the caste and the
family are destroyed.
And we have heard it said, O Janardana (Krsna), that the men of
the families whose laws are destroyed needs must live in hell.
Alas, what a great sin have we resolved to commit in striving to
slay our own people through our greed for the pleasures of the
kingdom!
Far better would it be for me if the sons of Dhrtarastra, with
weapons in hand, should slay me in the battle, while I remain
unresisting and unarmed."
Having spoken thus on the (field of) battle, Arjuna sank down on
the seat of his chariot, casting away his bow and arrow, his
spirit overwhelmed by sorrow.
Samjaya said:
To him (who was) thus overcome by pity, whose eyes were filled
with tears and troubled and (who was) much depressed in mind,
Madhusudana (Krsna) spoke this word:
The Blessed Lord said:
Whence has come to thee this stain (this dejection) of spirit in
this hour of crisis? It is unknown to men of noble mind (not
cherished by the Aryans); it does not lead to heaven; (on earth)
it causes disgrace, O Arjuna.
Yield not to this unmanliness, O Partha (Arjuna), for it does not
become thee. Cast off this petty faintheartedness and arise, O
Oppressor of the foes (Arjuna).
Arjuna said:
"How shall I strike Bhisma and Drona who are worthy of
worship, O Madhusudana (Krsna), with arrows in battle, O Slayer
of foes (Krsna)?
It is better to live in this world even by begging than to slay
these honoured teachers. Though they are mindful their gains,
they are my teachers and by slaying them, only, I would enjoy in
this world delights which are smeared with blood.
Nor do we know which for us is better, whether we conquer them or
they conquer us. The sons of Dhrtarastra, whom if we slew we
should not care to live, are standing before us in battle array.
My very being is stricken with the weakness of (sentimental)
pity. With my mind bewildered about my duty, I ask Thee. Tell me,
for certain, which is better. I am Thy pupil; teach me, who am
seeking refuge in Thee.
I do not see what will drive away this sorrow which dries up my
senses even if I should attain rich and unrivalled kingdom on
earth or even the sovereignty of the gods."
Samjaya said:
Having thus addressed Hrisikesa (Krsna), the mighty Gudakesa
(Arjuna) said to Govinda (Krsna) "I will not fight" and
became silent.
To him thus depressed in the midst of the two armies O Bharata
(Dhrtarastra), Hrisikesa (Krsna), smiling as it were, spoke this
word:
The Blessed Lord said:
Thou grievest for those whom thou shouldst not grieve for, and
yet thou speakest words about wisdom. Wise men do not grieve for
the dead or for the living.
Never was there a time when I was not, nor thou, nor these lords
of men, nor will there ever be a time hereafter when we all shall
cease to be.
As the soul passes in this body through childhood, youth and age,
even so is its taking on of another body. The sage is not
perplexed by this.
Contacts with their objects, O Son of Kunti (Arjuna), give rise
to cold and heat, pleasure and pain. They come and go and do not
last forever, these learn to endure, O Bharata (Arjuna).
The man who is not troubled by these, O Chief of men (Arjuna),
who remains the same in pain and pleasure, who is wise makes
himself fit for eternal life.
Of the non-existent there is no coming to be; of the existent
there is no ceasing to be. The conclusion about these two has
been perceived by the seers of truth.
Know thou that by which all this is pervaded is indestructable.
Of this immutable being, no one can bring about the destruction.
It is said that these bodies of the eternal embodied (soul) which
is indestructable and incomprehensible come to an end. Therefore
fight, O Bharata (Arjuna).
He who thinks that this slays and he who thinks that this is
slain; both of them fail to perceive the truth; this one neither
slays nor is slain.
He is never born, nor does he die at any time, nor having (once)
come to be will he again cease to be. He is unborn, eternal,
permanent and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.
He who knows that it is indestructable and eternal, uncreate and
unchanging, how can such a person slay any one, O Partha
(Arjuna), or cause any one to slay?
Just as a person casts off worn-out garments and puts on others
that are new, even so does the embodied soul cast off worn-out
bodies and take on others that are new.
Weapons do not cleave this self, fire does not burn him; waters
do not make him wet; nor does the wind make him dry.
He is uncleavable, He cannot be burnt. He can be neither wetted
nor dried. He is eternal, all-pervading, unchanging and
immovable. He is the same forever.
He is said to be unmanifest, unthinkable and unchanging.
Therefore, knowing him as such, thou shouldst not grieve.
Even if thou thinkest that the self is perpetually born and
perpetually dies, even then, O Mighty-armed (Arjuna), thou
shouldst not grieve.
For to the one that is born death is certain and certain is birth
for the one that has died. Therefore for what is unavoidable,
thou shouldst not grieve.
Beings are unmanifest in their beginnings, manifest in the
middles and unmanifest again in their ends, O Bharata (Arjuna),
What is there for lamentation?
One looks upon Him as a marvel, another hears of Him as a marvel;
and even after hearing, no one whatsoever has known Him.
The dweller in the body of every one, O Bharata (Arjuna), is
eternal and can never be slain, Therefore thou shouldst not
grieve for any creature.
Further, having regard for thine own duty, thou shouldst not
falter, there exists no greater good for a Ksatriya than a battle
enjoined by duty.
Happy are the Ksatriyas, O Partha (Arjuna), for whom such a war
comes of its own accord as an open door to heaven.
But if thou doest not this lawful battle, then thou wilt fail thy
duty and glory and will incur sin.
Besides, men will ever recount thy ill-fame and for one who has
been honoured, ill-fame is worse than death.
The great warriors will think that thou hast abstained from
battle through fear and they by whom thou wast highly esteemed
will make light of thee.
Many unseemly words will be uttered by thy enemies, slandering
thy strength. Could anything be sadder than that?
Either slain thou shalt go to heaven; or victorious thou shalt
enjoy the earth; therefore arise, O son of Kunti (Arjuna),
resolved on battle.
In this path, no effort is ever lost and no obstacle prevails;
even a little of this righteousness (dharma) saves from great
fear.
In this, O joy of the Kurus (Arjuna), the resolute (decided)
understanding is single; but the thoughts of the irresolute
(undecided) are many-branched and endless.
The undiscerning who rejoice in the letter of the Veda, who
contend that there is nothing else, whose nature is desire and
who are intent on heaven, proclaim these flowery words that
result in rebirth as the fruit of actions and (lay down) various
specialized rites for the attainment of enjoyment and power.
The intelligence which discriminates between right and wrong, of
those who are devoted to enjoyment and power and whose minds are
carried away by these words (of the Veda) is not well-established
in the Self (or concentration).
The action of the three-fold modes is the subject matter of the
Veda; but do thou become free, O Arjuna, from this threefold
nature; be free from the dualities (the pairs of opposites), be
firmly fixed in purity, not caring for acquisition and
preservation, and be possessed of the Self.
As is the use of a pond in a place flooded with water everywhere,
so is that of all the Vedas for the Brahmin who understands.
To action alone hast thou a right and never at all to its fruits;
let not the fruits of action be thy motive; neither let there be
in thee any attachment to inaction.
Fixed in yoga, do thy work, O Winner of wealth (Arjuna),
abandoning attachment, with an even mind in success and failure,
for evenness of mind is called yoga.
Far inferior indeed is mere action to the disciplene of
intelligence (buddhiyoga), O Winner of wealth (Arjuna), seek
refuge in intelligence. Pitiful are those who seek for the fruits
(of their action).
One who has yoked his intelligence (with the Divine), (or is
established in his intelligence) casts away even here both good
and evil. Therefore strive for yoga, yoga is skill in action.
The wise who have united their intelligence (with the Divine)
renouncing the fruits which there action yields and freed from
the bonds of birth reach the sorrowless state.
When thy intelligence shall cross the turbidity of delusion, then
shall thou become indifferent to what has been heard and what is
yet to be heard.
When thy intelligence, which is bewildered by the Vedic texts,
shall stand unshaken and stable in spirit (samadhi), then shalt
thou attain to insight (yoga).
Arjuna said:
"What is the description of the man who has this firmly
founded wisdom, whose being is steadfast in spirit, O Kesava
(Krsna)? How should the man of settled intelligence speak, how
should he sit, how should he walk?
The Blessed Lord said:
When a man puts away all the desires of his mind, O Partha
(Arjuna), and when his spirit is content in itself, then he is
called stable in intelligence.
He whose mind is untroubled in the midst of sorrows and is free
from eager desire amid pleasures, he from whom passion, fear, and
rage have passed away, he is called a sage of settled
intelligence.
He who is without affection on any side, who does not rejoice or
loathe as he obtains good or evil, his intelligence is firmly set
(in wisdom).
He who draws away the senses from the objects of sense on every
side as a tortoise draws in its limbs (into the shell), his
intelligence is firmly set (in wisdom).
The objects of sense turn away from the embodied soul who
abstains from feeding on them but the taste for them remains.
Even the taste turns away when the Supreme is seen.
Even though a man may ever strive (for perfection) and be ever so
discerning, O son of Kunti (Arjuna), his impetuous senses will
carry off his mind by force.
Having brought all (the senses) under control, he should remain
firm in yoga intent on Me; for he, whose senses are under
control, his intelligence is firmly set.
When a man dwells in his mind on the objects of sense, attachment
to them is produced. From attachment springs desire and from
desire comes anger.
From anger arises bewilderment, from bewilderment loss of memory;
and from loss of memory, the destruction of intelligence and from
the destruction of intelligence he perishes.
But a man of disciplened mind, who moves among the objects of
sense, with the senses under control and free from attachment and
aversion, he attains purity of spirit.
And in that purity of spirit, there is produced for him an end of
all sorrow; the intelligence of such a man of pure spirit is soon
established (in the peace of the self).
For the uncontrolled, there is no intelligence;; nor for the
uncontrolled is there the power of concentration and for him
without concentration, there is no peace and for the unpeaceful,
how can there be happiness?
When the mind runs after the roving senses, it carries away the
understanding, even as a wind carries away a ship on the waters.
Therefore, O Mighty-armed (Arjuna), he whose senses are all
withdrawn from their objects his intelligence is firmly set.
What is night for all beings is the time of waking for the
disciplened soul; and what is the time of waking for all beings
is night for the sage who sees (or the sage of vision).
He unto whom all desires enter as waters into the sea, which,
though ever being filled is ever motionless, attains to peace and
not he who hugs his desires.
He who abandons all desires and acts free from longing, without
any sense of mineness or egotism, he attains to peace.
This is the divine state (brahmisthiti) O Partha (Arjuna), having
attained thereto, one is (not again) bewildered; fixed in that
state even at the end (at the hour of death) one can attain to
the bliss of God (brahmanirvana).
Arjuna said:
If Thou deemest that (the path of) understanding is more
excellent than (the path of) action, O Janardana (Krsna), why
dost thou urge me to do this savage deed, O Kesava (Krsna)?
With an apparently confused utterance thou seemest to bewilder my
intelligence. Tell (me) then decisively the one thing by which I
can attain to the highest good.
The Blessed Lord said:
O, blameless One, in this world a two-fold way of life has been
taught of yore by Me, the path of knowledge for men of
contemplation and that of works for men of action.
Not by abstention from work does a man attain freedom from
action; nor by mere renunciation does he attain to his
perfection.
For no one can remain even for a moment without doing work; every
one is made to act helplessly by the impulses born of nature.
He who restrains his organs of action but continues in his mind
to brood over the objects of sense; whose nature is deluded is
said to be a hypocrite (a man of false conduct).
But he who controls the senses by the mind, O Arjuna, and without
attachment engages the organs of action in the path of work, he
is superior.
Do thou thy allotted work, for action is better than inaction;
even the maintenance of thy physical life cannot be effected
without action.
Save work done as and for a sacrifice this world is in bondage to
work. Therefore, O son o Kunti (Arjuna), do thy work as a
sacrifice, becoming free from all attachment.
In ancient days the Lord of creatures created men along with
sacrifice and said, "By this shall ye bring forth and this
shall be unto you that which will yield the milk of your
desires."
By this foster ye the gods and let the gods foster you; thus
fostering each other you shall attain to the supreme good.
Fostered by sacrifice the gods will give you the enjoyments you
desire. He who enjoys these gifts without giving to them in
return is verily a thief.
The good people who eat what is left from the sacrifice are
released from all sins but those wicked people who prepare food
for their own sake--verily they eat sin.
From food creatures come into being; from rain is the birth of
food; from sacrifice rain comes into being and sacrifice is born
of work.
Know the origin of karma (of the nature of sacrifices) to be in
Brahma (the Veda) and the Brahma springs from the Imperishable.
Therefore the Brahma, which comprehends all, ever centres round
the sacrifice.
He who does not, in this world, help to turn the wheel thus set
in motion, is evil in his nature, sensual in his delight, and he,
O Partha (Arjuna), lives in vain.
But the man whose delight is in the Self alone, who is content
with the Self, who is satisfied with the Self, for him there
exists no work that needs to be done.
Similarly, in this world he has no interest whatever to gain by
the actions that he has not done. He does not depend on all these
beings for any interest of his.
Therefore, without attachment, perform always the work that has
to be done, for man attains to the highest by doing work without
attachment.
It was even by works that Janaka and others attained to
perfection. Thou shouldst do works also with a view to the
maintenance of the world.
Whatsoever a great man does, the same is done by others as well.
Whatever standard he sets, the world follows.
There is not for me, O Partha (Arjuna), any work in the three
worlds which has to be done nor anything to be obtained which has
not been obtained; yet I am engaged in work.
For, if ever I did not engage in work unwearied, O Partha
(Arjuna), men in every way follow my path.
If I should cease to work, these worlds would fall in ruin and I
should be the creator of disordered life and destroy these
people.
As the unlearned act from attachment to their work, so should the
learned also act, O Bharata (Arjuna), but without any attachment,
with the desire to maintain the world-order.
While all kinds of work are done by the modes of nature, he whose
soul is bewildered by the self-sense thinks "I am the
doer."
But he who knows the true character of the two distinctions (of
the soul) from the modes of nature and their works, O
Mighty-armed (Arjuna), understanding that it is the modes which
are acting on the modes, does not get attached.
Those who are misled by the modes get attached to the works
produced by them. But let no one who knows the whole unsettle the
minds of the ignorant who knows only a part.
Resigning all thy works to Me, with thy consciousness fixed in
the Self, being free from desire and egoism, fight, delivered
from thy fever.
Those men, too, who, full of faith and free from cavail,
constantly follow this teaching of Mine are released from (the
bondage of) works.
But those who slight My teaching and do not follow it, know them
to be blind to all wisdom, lost and senseless.
Even the man of knowledge acts in accordance with his own nature.
Beings follow their nature. What can repression accomplish?
For (every) sense attachment and aversion are fixed (in regard)
to the objects of (that) sense. Let no one come under their sway
for they are his (two) waylayers.
Better is one's own law though followed imperfectly carried out
than the law of another carried out perfectly. Better is death in
(the fulfillment of) one's own law for to follow another's law is
perilous.
Arjuna said:
But by what is a man impelled to commit sin, as if by force, even
against his own will, O Varsneya (Krsna)?
The Blessed Lord said:
This is craving, this is wrath, born of the mode of passion, all
devouring and most sinful. Know this to be the enemy here.
As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror by dust, as an embryo is
enveloped by the womb, so is this covered by that (passion).
Enveloped is wisdom, O son of Kunti (Arjuna), by this insatiable
fire of desire, which is the constant foe of the wise.
The senses, the mind and the intelligence are said to be its
seat. Veiling wisdom by these, it deludes the embodied (soul).
Therefore, O Best of Bharatas (Arjuna), control thy senses from
the beginning and slay this sinful destroyer of wisdom and
discrimination.
The senses, they say, are great, greater than the senses is the
mind, greater than the mind is intelligence but greater than the
intelligence is he.
Thus knowing him who is beyond the intelligence, steadying the
(lower) self by the Self, smite, O Mighty-armed (Arjuna), the
enemy in the form of desire, so hard to get at.
On
to Chapters 4 through 6