Chapter 5
Shloka 1
arjuna uvaca
sannyasam karmanam krsna
punar yogam ca samsasi
yac chreya etayor ekam
tan me bruhi suniscitam
Arjuna said : renunciation of action O Krishna, and again Yoga you praise, which (is) better of these two, one that to me tell definitely.
Shloka 2
sri-bhagavan uvaca
sannyasah karma-yogas ca
nihsreyasa-karav ubhau
tayos tu karma-sannyasat
karma-yogo visisyate
Shri Bhagavan said : renunciation and karma-yoga (yoga of action), supreme bliss effecting (leading to) both; of the two, but, than renunciation of action, yoga of action is superior.
Shloka 3
jneyah sa nitya-sannyasi
yo na dvesti na kanksati
nirdvandvo hi maha-baho
sukham bandhat pramucyate
Know him to be eternal renouncer, who not hates not desires; indifferent to pairs (of opposites) indeed O Mighty armed one, easily from bondage is released.
Shloka 4
sankhya-yogau prthag balah
pravadanti na panditah
ekam apy asthitah samyag
ubhayor vindate phalam
Samkhya (and) Yoga distinct, children (childish) speak, not learned; even on followed correctly (properly), of both (he) finds fruits.
Shloka 5
yat sankhyaih prapyate sthanam
tad yogair api gamyate
ekam sankhyam ca yogam ca
yah pasyati sa pasyati
Which by the Sankhyas attained place, that by the Yogis also (is) attained, (as) one sankhya and yoga who sees, he (really) sees.
Shloka 6
sannyasas tu maha-baho
duhkham aptum ayogatah
yoga-yukto munir brahma
na cirenadhigacchati
Renunciation indeed, O Mighty armed one, difficult to achieve without Yoga, (the) yoked to Yoga sage brahman with not-long-time attains.
Shloka 7
yoga-yukto visuddhatma
vijitatma jitendriyah
sarva-bhutatma-bhutatma
kurvann api na lipyate
Yoga-yoked cleansed-self controlled-self conquered-senses, one-whose-self-has-become-self-of-all-beings, although acts, is not defiled.
Shloka 8
naiva kincit karomiti
yukto manyeta tattva-vit
pasyan srnvan sprsan jighrann
asnan gacchan svapan svasan
Not indeed anything I do, steadfast(ly) he thinks (knows) truth-knower; seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, going (walking), sleeping, breathing.
Shloka 9
pralapan visrjan grhnann
unmisan nimisann api
indriyanindriyarthesu
vartanta iti dharayan
Talking excreting grasping opening eyes closing eyes also, “senses in the sense-objects dwell” thus believing.
Shloka 10
brahmany adhaya karmani
sangam tyaktva karoti yah
lipyate na sa papena
padma-patram ivambhasa
In brahman placing actions, attachment-abandoning who acts, smeared not he by sin (evil), like lotus-leaf by water.
Shloka 11
kayena manasa buddhya
kevalair indriyair api
yoginah karma kurvanti
sangam tyaktvatma-suddhaye
By body, by mind, by intellect even only by senses, Yogis perform action abandoning attachment (for) self-purification.
Shloka 12
yuktah karma-phalam tyaktva
santim apnoti naisthikim
ayuktah kama-karena
phale sakto nibadhyate
Disciplined action-fruit abandoning, peace attains complete, undisciplined by desire-action in fruits attached, is bound.
Shloka 13
sarva-karmani manasa
sannyasyaste sukham vasi
nava-dvare pure dehi
naiva kurvan na karayan
All-actions by mind renouncing sits happily (the) ruler (of the) nine-gates-city (body) the embodied, not indeed acts not causing action.
Shloka 14
na kartrtvam na karmani
lokasya srjati prabhuh
na karma-phala-samyogam
svabhavas tu pravartate
Not cause of action, not action of this world creates the Lord, nor (either) union of karma-fruits; but by nature (all this) proceeds.
Shloka 15
nadatte kasyacit papam
na caiva sukrtam vibhuh
ajnanenavrtam jnanam
tena muhyanti jantavah
Not (he) receives anyone’s sin, and not indeed (fruits of) good-actions the Omnipresent; by ignorance is covered wisdom, by this (ignorance) are deluded people.
Shloka 16
jnanena tu tad ajnanam
yesam nasitam atmanah
tesam aditya-vaj jnanam
prakasayati tat param
By wisdom, but this ignorance in whom is destroyed (in) self, their like-Sun wisdom illumines that Supreme.
Shloka 17
tad-buddhayas tad-atmanas
tan-nisthas tat-parayanah
gacchanty apunar-avrttim
jnana-nirdhuta-kalmasah
That-minded (they whose minds are absorbed in that), That-selved (they whose selves are fixed in that), that-stabilized (they who are stabilized in that), that-supreme (they who hold that as Supreme object), go to not-again return (re-birth), by-wisdom shaken-off evil (ignorance).
Shloka 18
vidya-vinaya-sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama-darsinah
Knowledge-cultivation-endowed, a Brahman, a cow, an elephant, a dog and indeed a dog-eater, the wise perceive the same.
Shloka 19
ihaiva tair jitah sargo
yesam samye sthitam manah
nirdosam hi samam brahma
tasmad brahmani te sthitah
Here indeed by them conquered birth whose in equanimity established mind, without evil indeed equalness (is) Brahman, there in Brahman they (are) established.
Shloka 20
na prahrsyet priyam prapya
nodvijet prapya capriyam
sthira-buddhir asammudho
brahma-vid brahmani sthitah
Not rejoicing desired-attaining, and not-trembling (on) attaining undesired, firm (in) intelligence not-delude, knower of Brahman (is) established in Brahman.
Shloka 21
bahya-sparsesv asaktatma
vindaty atmani yat sukham
sa brahma-yoga-yuktatma
sukham aksayam asnute
External-contact unattached-self, who finds in atma happiness, he yoked-to-Brahman-by-Yoga, happiness imperishable attains.
Shloka 22
ye hi samsparsa-ja bhoga
duhkha-yonaya eva te
ady-antavantah kaunteya
na tesu ramate budhah
Who indeed contact-born pleasures misery-womb indeed they with a beginning and an end, O Kaunteya (Arjuna), not in them (is) content, the wise.
Shloka 23
saknotihaiva yah sodhum
prak sarira-vimoksanat
kama-krodhodbhavam vegam
sa yuktah sa sukhi narah
(If) he can here indeed who (can) endure before liberation-from-body, passion-anger-originating agitation, he is disciplined, he is happy man.
Shloka 24
yo ‘ntah-sukho ‘ntar-aramas
tathantar-jyotir eva yah
sa yogi brahma-nirvanam
brahma-bhuto ‘dhigacchati
(He) who (has) inner-happiness inner-delight, and indeed who (has) inner-light, that Yogi Brahman-nirvana absorbed-in-Brahman attains.
Shloka 25
labhante brahma-nirvanam
rsayah ksina-kalmasah
chinna-dvaidha yatatmanah
sarva-bhuta-hite ratah
They attain Brahma-nirvana, the seers destroyed-evils, cut-duality (doubts) disciplined-self, rejoicing (in) welfare of all-beings.
Shloka 26
kama-krodha-vimuktanam
yatinam yata-cetasam
abhito brahma-nirvanam
vartate viditatmanam
Passion-anger-released-self, of ascetics, of those whose thoughts are controlled, Brahma-nirvana exists close, for the knower of self.
Shloka 27
sparsan krtva bahir bahyams
caksus caivantare bhruvoh
pranapanau samau krtva
nasabhyantara-carinau
Contact having made external expelled (excluded) and eyed interior on the brows, prana-apana (inhalation-exhalation) having made same, inside-nose moving.
Shloka 28
yatendriya-mano-buddhir
munir moksa-parayanah
vigateccha-bhaya-krodho
yah sada mukta eva sah
He whose senses-mind and intelligence is controlled, the sage (has) moksha as supreme goal, gone-desires-fear-anger who; forever he (is) liberated indeed.
Shloka 29
bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati
Enjoyer of sacrificial-austerities (of) all-worlds the Supreme Lord, friend (of) all beings, having known me (thus), he attains/reaches peace.
Bhagavad Gita translated 