Karma-sannyasa (renunciation of action) and karma-yoga (skill in action) lead to the same liberation. The wise see both as one. The lotus leaf untouched by water becomes the image of the actor untouched by his own act.
अर्जुन उवाच । संन्यासं कर्मणां कृष्ण पुनर्योगं च शंससि । यच्छ्रेय एतयोरेकं तन्मे ब्रूहि सुनिश्चितम् ॥
arjuna uvāca | saṃnyāsaṃ karmaṇāṃ kṛṣṇa punar-yogaṃ ca śaṃsasi | yac-chreya etayor-ekaṃ tan-me brūhi suniścitam ||
Arjuna said: O Krishna, you praise renunciation of action and again yoga. Tell me decisively the one that is better.
श्रीभगवानुवाच । संन्यासः कर्मयोगश्च निःश्रेयसकरावुभौ । तयोस्तु कर्मसंन्यासात्कर्मयोगो विशिष्यते ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca | saṃnyāsaḥ karma-yogaś-ca niḥśreyasa-karāv-ubhau | tayos-tu karma-saṃnyāsāt karma-yogo viśiṣyate ||
The Blessed Lord said: Both renunciation and the yoga of action lead to the highest good; but of the two, the yoga of action is superior.
ज्ञेयः स नित्यसंन्यासी यो न द्वेष्टि न काङ्क्षति । निर्द्वन्द्वो हि महाबाहो सुखं बन्धात्प्रमुच्यते ॥
jñeyaḥ sa nitya-saṃnyāsī yo na dveṣṭi na kāṅkṣati | nir-dvandvo hi mahā-bāho sukhaṃ bandhāt pramucyate ||
Know that one to be a perpetual sannyasi who neither hates nor desires. Free from duality, O mighty-armed, he is easily freed from bondage.
साङ्ख्ययोगौ पृथग्बालाः प्रवदन्ति न पण्डिताः । एकमप्यास्थितः सम्यगुभयोर्विन्दते फलम् ॥
sāṅkhya-yogau pṛthag-bālāḥ pravadanti na paṇḍitāḥ | ekam-apy-āsthitaḥ samyag-ubhayor-vindate phalam ||
Children, not the wise, speak of Sankhya and Yoga as different. One properly established in either obtains the fruit of both.
यत्साङ्ख्यैः प्राप्यते स्थानं तद्योगैरपि गम्यते । एकं साङ्ख्यं च योगं च यः पश्यति स पश्यति ॥
yat sāṅkhyaiḥ prāpyate sthānaṃ tad yogair-api gamyate | ekaṃ sāṅkhyaṃ ca yogaṃ ca yaḥ paśyati sa paśyati ||
The state attained by Sankhya is attained also by Yoga. One who sees Sankhya and Yoga as one — that one truly sees.
संन्यासस्तु महाबाहो दुःखमाप्तुमयोगतः । योगयुक्तो मुनिर्ब्रह्म नचिरेणाधिगच्छति ॥
saṃnyāsas-tu mahā-bāho duḥkham-āptum-ayogataḥ | yoga-yukto munir-brahma na cireṇādhigacchati ||
Renunciation, O mighty-armed, is hard to attain without yoga. The sage united with yoga quickly attains Brahman.
योगयुक्तो विशुद्धात्मा विजितात्मा जितेन्द्रियः । सर्वभूतात्मभूतात्मा कुर्वन्नपि न लिप्यते ॥
yoga-yukto viśuddhātmā vijitātmā jitendriyaḥ | sarva-bhūtātma-bhūtātmā kurvann-api na lipyate ||
One united with yoga, of pure heart, self-conquered, senses subdued, whose Self has become the Self of all beings — though acting, he is not bound.
नैव किञ्चित्करोमीति युक्तो मन्येत तत्त्ववित् । पश्यञ्शृण्वन्स्पृशञ्जिघ्रन्नश्नन्गच्छन्स्वपन् श्वसन् ॥
naiva kiñcit karomīti yukto manyeta tattva-vit | paśyañ-śṛṇvan spṛśañ-jighrann-aśnan gacchan svapan śvasan ||
The knower of truth, united in yoga, thinks: "I do nothing at all." While seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, walking, sleeping, breathing—
प्रलपन्विसृजन्गृह्णन्नुन्मिषन्निमिषन्नपि । इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेषु वर्तन्त इति धारयन् ॥
pralapan visṛjan gṛhṇann-unmiṣan nimiṣann-api | indriyāṇīndriyārtheṣu vartanta iti dhārayan ||
— speaking, releasing, grasping, opening and closing the eyes — he knows: the senses operate among sense-objects.
ब्रह्मण्याधाय कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा करोति यः । लिप्यते न स पापेन पद्मपत्रमिवाम्भसा ॥
brahmaṇy-ādhāya karmāṇi saṅgaṃ tyaktvā karoti yaḥ | lipyate na sa pāpena padma-patram-ivāmbhasā ||
One who offers actions to Brahman and acts without attachment is untouched by sin — like a lotus leaf untouched by water.
कायेन मनसा बुद्ध्या केवलैरिन्द्रियैरपि । योगिनः कर्म कुर्वन्ति सङ्गं त्यक्त्वात्मशुद्धये ॥
kāyena manasā buddhyā kevalair-indriyair-api | yoginaḥ karma kurvanti saṅgaṃ tyaktvātma-śuddhaye ||
Yogis perform action with body, mind, intellect, and even the senses alone — abandoning attachment — for self-purification.
युक्तः कर्मफलं त्यक्त्वा शान्तिमाप्नोति नैष्ठिकीम् । अयुक्तः कामकारेण फले सक्तो निबध्यते ॥
yuktaḥ karma-phalaṃ tyaktvā śāntim-āpnoti naiṣṭhikīm | ayuktaḥ kāma-kāreṇa phale sakto nibadhyate ||
United in yoga, abandoning the fruits of action, one attains the supreme peace. The unsteady, impelled by desire, attached to fruit, is bound.
सर्वकर्माणि मनसा संन्यस्यास्ते सुखं वशी । नवद्वारे पुरे देही नैव कुर्वन्न कारयन् ॥
sarva-karmāṇi manasā saṃnyasyāste sukhaṃ vaśī | nava-dvāre pure dehī naiva kurvan na kārayan ||
Renouncing all actions mentally, the self-controlled embodied being sits happily in the city of nine gates, neither acting nor causing to act.
न कर्तृत्वं न कर्माणि लोकस्य सृजति प्रभुः । न कर्मफलसंयोगं स्वभावस्तु प्रवर्तते ॥
na kartṛtvaṃ na karmāṇi lokasya sṛjati prabhuḥ | na karma-phala-saṃyogaṃ svabhāvas-tu pravartate ||
The Lord creates neither agency nor actions for the world, nor union of action with its fruit. It is nature that acts.
नादत्ते कस्यचित्पापं न चैव सुकृतं विभुः । अज्ञानेनावृतं ज्ञानं तेन मुह्यन्ति जन्तवः ॥
nādatte kasyacit pāpaṃ na caiva sukṛtaṃ vibhuḥ | ajñānenāvṛtaṃ jñānaṃ tena muhyanti jantavaḥ ||
The all-pervading one takes on no one's sin nor any merit. Knowledge is covered by ignorance; by this, beings are deluded.
ज्ञानेन तु तदज्ञानं येषां नाशितमात्मनः । तेषामादित्यवज्ज्ञानं प्रकाशयति तत्परम् ॥
jñānena tu tad-ajñānaṃ yeṣāṃ nāśitam-ātmanaḥ | teṣām-āditya-vaj-jñānaṃ prakāśayati tat-param ||
But those whose ignorance is destroyed by knowledge of the Self — in them knowledge, like the sun, reveals the Supreme.
तद्बुद्धयस्तदात्मानस्तन्निष्ठास्तत्परायणाः । गच्छन्त्यपुनरावृत्तिं ज्ञाननिर्धूतकल्मषाः ॥
tad-buddhayas-tad-ātmānas-tan-niṣṭhās-tat-parāyaṇāḥ | gacchanty-apunar-āvṛttiṃ jñāna-nirdhūta-kalmaṣāḥ ||
Those whose intellect, self, ground, and supreme refuge are That — their sins washed away by knowledge — they go to the state of no return.
विद्याविनयसम्पन्ने ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि । शुनि चैव श्वपाके च पण्डिताः समदर्शिनः ॥
vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini | śuni caiva śva-pāke ca paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ ||
In a brahmana of learning and humility, in a cow, in an elephant, in a dog, even in a dog-eater — the wise see the same.
इहैव तैर्जितः सर्गो येषां साम्ये स्थितं मनः । निर्दोषं हि समं ब्रह्म तस्माद्ब्रह्मणि ते स्थिताः ॥
ihaiva tair-jitaḥ sargo yeṣāṃ sāmye sthitaṃ manaḥ | nirdoṣaṃ hi samaṃ brahma tasmād-brahmaṇi te sthitāḥ ||
Those whose mind rests in equality have conquered creation even here. Faultless and equal is Brahman; therefore they are established in Brahman.
न प्रहृष्येत्प्रियं प्राप्य नोद्विजेत्प्राप्य चाप्रियम् । स्थिरबुद्धिरसम्मूढो ब्रह्मविद्ब्रह्मणि स्थितः ॥
na prahṛṣyet priyaṃ prāpya nodvijet prāpya cāpriyam | sthira-buddhir-asammūḍho brahma-vid-brahmaṇi sthitaḥ ||
Let one not rejoice on attaining what is pleasant nor recoil on receiving what is unpleasant. Steady-minded, undeluded, the knower of Brahman is established in Brahman.
बाह्यस्पर्शेष्वसक्तात्मा विन्दत्यात्मनि यत्सुखम् । स ब्रह्मयोगयुक्तात्मा सुखमक्षयमश्नुते ॥
bāhya-sparśeṣv-asaktātmā vindaty-ātmani yat sukham | sa brahma-yoga-yuktātmā sukham-akṣayam-aśnute ||
One whose self is unattached to external contacts finds happiness in the Self. United with Brahman-yoga, that one enjoys imperishable bliss.
ये हि संस्पर्शजा भोगा दुःखयोनय एव ते । आद्यन्तवन्तः कौन्तेय न तेषु रमते बुधः ॥
ye hi saṃsparśa-jā bhogā duḥkha-yonaya eva te | ādy-antavantaḥ kaunteya na teṣu ramate budhaḥ ||
Enjoyments born of contact are wombs of pain; they have beginning and end. The wise, O son of Kunti, does not delight in them.
शक्नोतीहैव यः सोढुं प्राक्शरीरविमोक्षणात् । कामक्रोधोद्भवं वेगं स युक्तः स सुखी नरः ॥
śaknotīhaiva yaḥ soḍhuṃ prāk-śarīra-vimokṣaṇāt | kāma-krodhodbhavaṃ vegaṃ sa yuktaḥ sa sukhī naraḥ ||
One who, even here, before leaving the body, can endure the urge of desire and anger — that one is steady, that one is happy.
योऽन्तःसुखोऽन्तरारामस्तथान्तर्ज्योतिरेव यः । स योगी ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं ब्रह्मभूतोऽधिगच्छति ॥
yo’ntaḥ-sukho’ntar-ārāmas-tathāntar-jyotir-eva yaḥ | sa yogī brahma-nirvāṇaṃ brahma-bhūto’dhigacchati ||
One whose happiness is within, whose delight is within, whose light is within — that yogi, becoming Brahman, attains the bliss of Brahman.
लभन्ते ब्रह्मनिर्वाणमृषयः क्षीणकल्मषाः । छिन्नद्वैधा यतात्मानः सर्वभूतहिते रताः ॥
labhante brahma-nirvāṇam-ṛṣayaḥ kṣīṇa-kalmaṣāḥ | chinna-dvaidhā yatātmānaḥ sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ ||
The sages whose sins are dissolved, whose dualities are cut, whose self is restrained, who delight in the good of all beings — they attain the bliss of Brahman.
कामक्रोधवियुक्तानां यतीनां यतचेतसाम् । अभितो ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं वर्तते विदितात्मनाम् ॥
kāma-krodha-viyuktānāṃ yatīnāṃ yata-cetasām | abhito brahma-nirvāṇaṃ vartate viditātmanām ||
For ascetics free from desire and anger, with controlled minds, who have realised the Self — the bliss of Brahman is on every side.
स्पर्शान्कृत्वा बहिर्बाह्यांश्चक्षुश्चैवान्तरे भ्रुवोः । प्राणापानौ समौ कृत्वा नासाभ्यन्तरचारिणौ ॥
sparśān kṛtvā bahir-bāhyāṃś-cakṣuś-caivāntare bhruvoḥ | prāṇāpānau samau kṛtvā nāsābhyantara-cāriṇau ||
Shutting out external contacts, fixing the gaze between the eyebrows, equalising the inward and outward breaths moving within the nostrils—
यतेन्द्रियमनोबुद्धिर्मुनिर्मोक्षपरायणः । विगतेच्छाभयक्रोधो यः सदा मुक्त एव सः ॥
yatendriya-mano-buddhir-munir-mokṣa-parāyaṇaḥ | vigatecchā-bhaya-krodho yaḥ sadā mukta eva saḥ ||
— the sage whose senses, mind, and intellect are controlled, intent on liberation, free from desire, fear, and anger — that one is forever free.
भोक्तारं यज्ञतपसां सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम् । सुहृदं सर्वभूतानां ज्ञात्वा मां शान्तिमृच्छति ॥
bhoktāraṃ yajña-tapasāṃ sarva-loka-maheśvaram | suhṛdaṃ sarva-bhūtānāṃ jñātvā māṃ śāntim-ṛcchati ||
Knowing me as the enjoyer of sacrifices and austerities, the great Lord of all worlds, the friend of all beings — one attains peace.