· A Puruşah cannot achieve naişkarmyam (freedom from Karma) by abstaining from Karma nor also by Sannyāsa (he can) attain Siddhi (perfection/success).
· Never anyone, even for a moment also, remains associated with akarma. (One) involuntarily does all Karma by guņa, which is born of Prakŗti.
· One who remains controlling (his) karma-indriya, (while) mentally thinking of indriyārthān (sense objects), he is said to be a vimūdhātmā (Foolish Soul) and mithyācārah (Liar)
· But one
· who begin regulating his senses by the mind,
· through karma-indriya does Karma Yoga without attachment,
· he is special.
· You perform the regulated (niyatam) karma, Karma is certainly better than akarma. Even maintenance of your body is also not feasible through akarma.
· Karma should be done for the sake of Yajña; otherwise this loka is 'bondage of karma'. Perform Karma for that sake (sake of Yajña), being free from association.
· Earlier creating prajāh (progeny/subjects) along with Yajña, the Prajāpatih said - "Become more and more prosperous by this (Yajña). Let this be the bestower of all your desirable things."
· Having pleased the devas by this (Yajña), those devas will please you. Mutually pleasing each other, you will achieve the ultimate, the supreme.
· Being pleased by your Yajña, the devas will bestow you your desired enjoyments. But he who enjoys such gifts without (first) making an offering to those devas (who gave them), is surely a thief.
· The virtuous (Santah) intake food which is left after Yajña and get relieved from all kinds of sins. But those who prepare food only for their own purpose (ātma-kāraņāt) incur grievous sins.
· All living beings subsist on Anna,
· which are produced from rains.
· Rains are produced by Yajña and
· Yajña is borne of karma,
· Know that karma is born of Brahma, produced of Brahma-akșara (Imperishable Brahma)
· Therefore all-pervading-Brahma is eternally situated in Yajña.
· So one who does not adopt this established cycle in his life and lives only to satisfy his senses leads a sinful and useless life.
· However, he who
· takes pleasure in the self (ātma-ratih),
· is satisfied in the self (ātma-trptah) and
· is contended in the self (ātmani santuşţah).
· For him, there exists no work (kāryam).
· There is no purpose (arthah) in what he performs (krtena) or whatever he does not perform (akrtena) in this world. There is also no purpose of him to take shelter of any living beings.
· Therefore without attachment constantly perform your work (karyam) and action (karma). Certainly by performing Karma without attachment, the Puruşah achieves the Supreme.
· Certainly through Karma, Janaka and others have attained Samsiddhim (perfection). Keeping also in view loka-sangraham (the welfare of the world) you deserve to act.
· In whichever ways a śreşţhah (great man) behaves, itarah-janah (common men) follows the same. Whichever example he sets, the entire world follows his footsteps.
· There is no prescribed duty for Me in the three worlds, nor I am in want of anything, nor do I have anything to gain. Yet I am also doing my karma, (because) if I do not carefully do my karma, all men will follow my path in every way.
· If I do not perform Karma, all these lokah would be ruined. And I would be the cause of unwanted population (who) would destroy all these prajāh (progeny/subjects).
· As the ignorant (avidvāmsah) perform their Karma with attachment (to results), the learned (vidvāmsah) should similarly act, but without attachment, for the sake of leading the world on the right path. (cikīrşuh loka-sangraham)
· He should not disrupt the buddhi of ajñāni-s who are attached to Karma (Karma-Sanginām), rather he should make them do all Karma which a vidvān is engaged in performing.
· All karma are being done by Guņa of Prakrti. Made foolish by ahankāra, the ātmā thus considers that "I am the Kartā." (himself to be the actor)
· He, however who has true insight (tattva-vit) into the respective divisions of Guņa and their Karma, holding that it is the guņa that move among the guņas, does not get attached to them.
· Those lazy persons with a poor understanding (akrtsna-vidah-mandan) being bewildered by Guņa of Prakrti, become attached to the Karma of Guņa. The krtsna-vit (one who is aware of this fact) should not agitate (them).
· Dedicate all your Karma to Me, with consciousness (ceta) and Adhyātma. Being without desires of gain, without ownership, fight without being lethargic.
· Those Mānavah who always follow these instructions (matam) of Mine with faith and without envy, they become free even from karma.
· But those who, out of envy, do not follow these instructions of mine, are fools deprived of all jñāna, know it well, that they are ruined without consciousness.
· Even a Jñāna-vān also acts according to his own prakrti. All living beings follow (their) prakrti. So what can repression accomplish?
· One should put regulations on attachment and aversion pertaining to the senses and their objects. One should not come under the control of them as they are the hurdles (on the path of self-realisation)
· It is far better to follow one’s own dharma even though it has negative qualities (viguņa) than perfectly doing other’s dharma.
· Death in the course of performing one’s own dharma is better, as engaging in others’ dharma is very dangerous.
