Action as offering

For me, son of Prithā, there is no duty in the three worlds—nothing ungained that I must gain—yet I remain engaged in action.

If I did not engage in action, untiringly, without rest, people would follow my path in every way, Partha.

If I did not do my work, these worlds would collapse into ruin. I would become the cause of disorder among the peoples, and I would destroy these beings.

As the unwise act with attachment to their work, so should the wise act without attachment, descendant of Bharata, desiring to hold the world together.

One should not unsettle the understanding of the ignorant who are attached to action; the wise, acting with discipline, should encourage them to perform all their work.

Actions in every case are performed by the guṇas of prakṛti. One whose understanding is deluded by ego thinks, "I am the doer."

But one who truly understands the distinction between the guṇas and their actions, mighty-armed one, knowing that the guṇas as senses merely act upon the guṇas as objects, does not become attached.

Those deluded by the guṇas of prakṛti become attached to the actions of the guṇas. One of complete knowledge should not unsettle those of incomplete knowledge, the dull-witted.

Surrendering all actions to me, with your mind fixed on the Self, free from craving and from any sense of "mine," fight—free of feverish agitation.

Those who constantly follow this teaching of mine, full of shraddha and without resentment, they too are freed from the bonds of action.

But those who resent this teaching and do not follow it—know them to be deluded in all knowledge, lost, and lacking discernment.

Even a person of knowledge acts according to his own nature. Beings follow their nature—what can restraint accomplish?

Attraction and aversion are fixed in the senses toward their respective objects; let no one fall under the sway of these two, for they are that person's enemies.

Better one's own dharma, imperfectly performed, than another's dharma performed well. Better death within one's own dharma—another's dharma brings danger.

But driven by what does a person commit wrong, even unwillingly, Varshneya, as if compelled by force?

It is desire, it is anger, born from the rajo-guṇa—all-devouring and deeply harmful. Know this as the enemy here.

As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror by dust, as an embryo is enveloped by its membrane, so is this covered by that.

Knowledge is covered by this constant enemy of the wise, son of Kunti, this insatiable fire in the form of desire.

The senses, the mind, and the buddhi are said to be its seat. Through these it deludes the embodied self, covering over his knowledge.

Therefore, bull of the Bharatas, first restrain the senses, then strike down this evil thing that destroys knowledge and discernment.

The senses are said to be superior to the body; the mind is superior to the senses; the buddhi is superior to the mind; and what is superior even to the buddhi is he, the Self.

Thus knowing that which is superior to the buddhi, and steadying the self by the Self, strike down the enemy, mighty-armed one, this hard-to-seize foe in the form of desire.