Reference: Course on The Bhagavad Gita
English Translation By Shri Purohit Swami
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Chapter 5
अर्जुनउवाच
संन्यासंकर्मणांकृष्णपुनर्योगंचशंससि।
यच्छ्रेयएतयोरेकंतन्मेब्रूहिसुनिश्िचतम्।।5.1।।
5.1 “Arjuna said: My Lord! At one moment Thou praisest renunciation of action; at another, right action. Tell me truly, I pray, which of these is the more conducive to my highest welfare?
श्रीभगवानुवाच
संन्यासःकर्मयोगश्चनिःश्रेयसकरावुभौ।
तयोस्तुकर्मसंन्यासात्कर्मयोगोविशिष्यते।।5.2।।
5.2 Lord Shri Krishna replied: Renunciation of action and the path of right action both lead to the highest; of the two, right action is the better.
ज्ञेयःसनित्यसंन्यासीयोनद्वेष्टिनकाङ्क्षति।
निर्द्वन्द्वोहिमहाबाहोसुखंबन्धात्प्रमुच्यते।।5.3।।
5.3 He is a true ascetic who never desires or dislikes, who is uninfluenced by the opposites and is easily freed from bondage.
सांख्ययोगौपृथग्बालाःप्रवदन्तिनपण्डिताः।
एकमप्यास्थितःसम्यगुभयोर्विन्दतेफलम्।।5.4।।
5.4 Only the unenlightened speak of wisdom and right action as separate, not the wise. If any man knows one, he enjoys the fruit of both.
यत्सांख्यैःप्राप्यतेस्थानंतद्योगैरपिगम्यते।
एकंसांख्यंचयोगंचयःपश्यतिसपश्यति।।5.5।।
5.5 The level which is reached by wisdom is attained through right action as well. He who perceives that the two are one, knows the truth.
संन्यासस्तुमहाबाहोदुःखमाप्तुमयोगतः।
योगयुक्तोमुनिर्ब्रह्मनचिरेणाधिगच्छति।।5.6।।
5.6 Without concentration, O Mighty Man, renunciation is difficult. But the sage who is always meditating on the Divine, before long shall attain the Absolute.
योगयुक्तोविशुद्धात्माविजितात्माजितेन्द्रियः।
सर्वभूतात्मभूतात्माकुर्वन्नपिनलिप्यते।।5.7।।
5.7 He who is spiritual, who is pure, who has overcome his senses and his personal self, who has realized his highest Self as the Self of all, such a one, even though he acts, is not bound by his acts.
नैवकिंचित्करोमीतियुक्तोमन्येततत्त्ववित्।
पश्यन्श्रृणवन्स्पृशञ्जिघ्रन्नश्नन्गच्छन्स्वपन्श्वसन्।।5.8।।
5.8 Though the saint sees, hears, touches, smells, eats, moves, sleeps and breathes, yet he knows the Truth, and he knows that it is not he who acts.
प्रलपन्विसृजन्गृह्णन्नुन्मिषन्निमिषन्नपि।
इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेषुवर्तन्तइतिधारयन्।।5.9।।
5.9 Though he talks, though he gives and receives, though he opens his eyes and shuts them, he still knows that his senses are merely disporting themselves among the objects of perception.
ब्रह्मण्याधायकर्माणिसङ्गंत्यक्त्वाकरोतियः।
लिप्यतेनसपापेनपद्मपत्रमिवाम्भसा।।5.10।।
5.10 He who dedicates his actions to the Spirit, without any personal attachment to them, he is no more tainted by sin than the water lily is wetted by water.
कायेनमनसाबुद्ध्याकेवलैरिन्द्रियैरपि।
योगिनःकर्मकुर्वन्तिसङ्गंत्यक्त्वाऽऽत्मशुद्धये।।5.11।।
5.11 The sage performs his action dispassionately, using his body, mind and intellect, and even his senses, always as a means of purification.
युक्तःकर्मफलंत्यक्त्वाशान्तिमाप्नोतिनैष्ठिकीम्।
अयुक्तःकामकारेणफलेसक्तोनिबध्यते।।5.12।।
5.12 Having abandoned the fruit of action, he wins eternal peace. Others unacquainted with spirituality, led by desire and clinging to the benefit which they think will follow their actions, become entangled in them.
सर्वकर्माणिमनसासंन्यस्यास्तेसुखंवशी।
नवद्वारेपुरेदेहीनैवकुर्वन्नकारयन्।।5.13।।
5.13 Mentally renouncing all actions, the self-controlled soul enjoys bliss in this body, the city of the nine gates, neither doing anything himself nor causing anything to be done.
नकर्तृत्वंनकर्माणिलोकस्यसृजतिप्रभुः।
नकर्मफलसंयोगंस्वभावस्तुप्रवर्तते।।5.14।।
5.14 The Lord of this universe has not ordained activity, or any incentive thereto, or any relation between an act and its consequences. All this is the work of Nature.
नादत्तेकस्यचित्पापंनचैवसुकृतंविभुः।
अज्ञानेनावृतंज्ञानंतेनमुह्यन्तिजन्तवः।।5.15।।
5.15 The Lord does not accept responsibility for any man’s sin or merit. Men are deluded because in them wisdom is submerged in ignorance.
ज्ञानेनतुतदज्ञानंयेषांनाशितमात्मनः।
तेषामादित्यवज्ज्ञानंप्रकाशयतितत्परम्।।5.16।।
5.16 Surely wisdom is like the sun, revealing the supreme truth to those whose ignorance is dispelled by the wisdom of the Self.
तद्बुद्धयस्तदात्मानस्तन्निष्ठास्तत्परायणाः।
गच्छन्त्यपुनरावृत्तिंज्ञाननिर्धूतकल्मषाः।।5.17।।
5.17 Meditating on the Divine, having faith in the Divine, concentrating on the Divine and losing themselves in the Divine, their sins dissolved in wisdom, they go whence there is no return.
विद्याविनयसंपन्नेब्राह्मणेगविहस्तिनि।
शुनिचैवश्वपाकेचपण्डिताःसमदर्शिनः।।5.18।।
5.18 Sages look equally upon all, whether he be a minister of learning and humility, or an infidel, or whether it be a cow, an elephant or a dog.
इहैवतैर्जितःसर्गोयेषांसाम्येस्थितंमनः।
निर्दोषंहिसमंब्रह्मतस्माद्ब्रह्मणितेस्थिताः।।5.19।।
5.19 Even in this world they conquer their earth-life whose minds, fixed on the Supreme, remain always balanced; for the Supreme has neither blemish nor bias.
नप्रहृष्येत्प्रियंप्राप्यनोद्विजेत्प्राप्यचाप्रियम्।
स्थिरबुद्धिरसम्मूढोब्रह्मविद्ब्रह्मणिस्थितः।।5.20।।
5.20 He who knows and lives in the Absolute remains unmoved and unperturbed; he is not elated by pleasure or depressed by pain.
बाह्यस्पर्शेष्वसक्तात्माविन्दत्यात्मनियत्सुखम्।
सब्रह्मयोगयुक्तात्मासुखमक्षयमश्नुते।।5.21।।
5.21 He finds happiness in his own Self, and enjoys eternal bliss, whose heart does not yearn for the contacts of earth and whose Self is one with the Everlasting.
येहिसंस्पर्शजाभोगादुःखयोनयएवते।
आद्यन्तवन्तःकौन्तेयनतेषुरमतेबुधः।।5.22।।
5.22 The joys that spring from external associations bring pain; they have their beginning and their endings. The wise man does not rejoice in them.
शक्नोतीहैवयःसोढुंप्राक्शरीरविमोक्षणात्।
कामक्रोधोद्भवंवेगंसयुक्तःससुखीनरः।।5.23।।
5.23 He who, before he leaves his body, learns to surmount the promptings of desire and anger is a saint and is happy.
योऽन्तःसुखोऽन्तरारामस्तथान्तर्ज्योतिरेवयः।
सयोगीब्रह्मनिर्वाणंब्रह्मभूतोऽधिगच्छति।।5.24।।
5.24 He who is happy within his Self and has found Its peace, and in whom the inner light shines, that sage attains Eternal Bliss and becomes the Spirit Itself.
लभन्तेब्रह्मनिर्वाणमृषयःक्षीणकल्मषाः।
छिन्नद्वैधायतात्मानःसर्वभूतहितेरताः।।5.25।।
5.25 Sages whose sins have been washed away, whose sense of separateness has vanished, who have subdued themselves, and seek only the welfare of all, come to the Eternal Spirit.
कामक्रोधवियुक्तानांयतीनांयतचेतसाम्।
अभितोब्रह्मनिर्वाणंवर्ततेविदितात्मनाम्।।5.26।।
5.26 Saints who know their Selves, who control their minds, and feel neither desire nor anger, find Eternal Bliss everywhere.
स्पर्शान्कृत्वाबहिर्बाह्यांश्चक्षुश्चैवान्तरेभ्रुवोः।
प्राणापानौसमौकृत्वानासाभ्यन्तरचारिणौ।।5.27।।
5.27 Excluding external objects, his gaze fixed between the eyebrows, the inward and outward breathings passing equally through his nostrils; …
यतेन्द्रियमनोबुद्धिर्मुनिर्मोक्षपरायणः।
विगतेच्छाभयक्रोधोयःसदामुक्तएवसः।।5.28।।
5.28 Governing sense, mind and intellect, intent on liberation, free from desire, fear and anger, the sage is forever free.
भोक्तारंयज्ञतपसांसर्वलोकमहेश्वरम्।
सुहृदंसर्वभूतानांज्ञात्वामांशान्तिमृच्छति।।5.29।।
5.29 Knowing me as Him who gladly receives all offerings of austerity and sacrifice, as the Might Ruler of all the Worlds and the Friend of all beings, he passes to Eternal Peace.”
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Subject Clearing
KNOWLEDGE VS. ACTION
The discipline of Knowledge is a life essentially devoted to keen observation and contemplation. It is not so active on a physical plane, but it is very active on the mental plane. The discipline of Action, on the other hand is a life devoted to intense activity on a physical plane, that is well-guided mentally. The unselfishness of ‘discipline of action’ comes from contemplation of the ‘discipline of knowledge’. The disciplines of knowledge and action go hand in hand. There are times in our lives when we must sit and contemplate over our experience and learn from it. Then there are other times when we must use our learning to actively handle situations. See verses 5.1-5.5.
UNATTACHED VIEWPOINT
The yogi is unattached. He never desires or dislikes. He is uninfluenced by the opposites. Yoga starts with the discipline of the body. Unless you take responsibility for the body, nothing else will follow. The body is designed to take care of itself. Imposing cravings and desires on it will only make it suffer. Hath Yoga is much more than exercises. It is putting discipline on how one handles the body. Body is a big part of taking care of yourself. Moksha is the ultimate in taking care of yourself. See verse 5.3.
THE DIVINE
Concentration on the Divine is concentration of the Principle of Oneness in order to conceive the Unknowable. Oneness does not imply sameness. Oneness means that all that is known is continuous, consistent and harmonious. This Principle of Oneness underlies the very concept of the universe. It also underlies the Scientific method. This principle gives us the ideal scene for logic, because its violation gives us anomalies. See verse 5.6.
THE SPIRITUAL PERSON
A spiritual person is pure. He has overcome his senses and his personal self. He has realized his highest Self as the Self of all. Such a person, even though he acts, is not bound by his acts. He has a body and he lives on the physical plane, but he knows the truth that it is not he who acts. Though he talks, gives and receives, opens and shuts his eyes, he still knows that his senses are merely amusing themselves among the objects of perception. He has dedicated his actions to the laws of Nature guided by the Principle of Oneness. He no longer has any personal attachment. He performs his action dispassionately, using his body, mind and intellect, and even his senses, always as a means of purification. See Verses 5.7-5.10.
DETACHMENT
When you put some distance between you and the mind, and between you and the body, then you are detached. You then let the mind and the body follow the natural principles to bring about continual evolution. You are primarily concerned with the continuity, harmony and consistency of those natural principles and their implementation. When you do that, the actions and their fruits take care of themselves. You have no other care and you remain forever blissful. See Verses 5.11-5.13.
WISDOM
Body acts under the direction of the mind. There is trial and error. The laws of nature operate and evolve as errors are corrected. The universal self simply witnesses it all. It entertains no idea of sin or virtue. There is simply ignorance and knowledge. Knowledge uncovers delusion. Beings learn from their errors. See Verses 5.14-5.16.
MERGED IN GOD
“Merged in God” simply means having a universal viewpoint that is not identified with anything in the universe. Ideas such as “sin” arise from identification with activities in the universe. When you are not so identified, you look at everything with equanimity for what it is. There are no subjective opinions, biases, or preferences. You are viewing the universe from a dimension not of the universe. See Verses 5.17-5.20.
ETERNAL BLISS
One has to be thoroughly comfortable within oneself before one can be comfortable in this world. Therefore, the priority is to face what lies within and not getting distracted by what lies outside. See Verses 5.21-5.22.
DESIRE
A pure desire conforms to the principle of oneness from which natural laws spring forth. A desire is impure when it generates anomalies. See Verses 5.23-5.24.
ETERNAL SPIRIT
The eternal spirit seeks only the welfare of all. See verse 5:25-5:26.
MEDITATION
In meditation, the person excludes external objects. His gaze is fixed between the eyebrows. The inward and outward breaths pass equally through his nostrils. His sense, mind and intellect is intent on freeing itself from desire, fear and anger; and focused on liberation. He confronts all austerity and sacrifice without resisting. See verse 5:27-5:29.
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