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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END* + + + + + The + Song Celestial. + or + Bhagavad-Gita + (From the Mahabharata) + + Being a Discourse Between Arjuna, + Prince of India, and the Supreme Being + Under the Form of Krishna + + + Translated from the Sanskrit Text + by + Sir Edwin Arnold, + M.A., K.C.I.E., C.S.I. + + New York + Truslove, Hanson & Comba, Ltd. + 67 Fifth Avenue + 1900 + + + +Dedication + +TO INDIA + +So have I read this wonderful and spirit-thrilling speech, +By Krishna and Prince Arjun held, discoursing each with each; +So have I writ its wisdom here,--its hidden mystery, +For England; O our India! as dear to me as She! + +EDWIN ARNOLD + +PREFACE + +This famous and marvellous Sanskrit poem occurs as an episode of the +Mahabharata, in the sixth--or "Bhishma"--Parva of the great Hindoo +epic. It enjoys immense popularity and authority in India, where it is +reckoned as one of the ``Five Jewels,"--pancharatnani--of Devanagiri +literature. In plain but noble language it unfolds a philosophical system +which remains to this day the prevailing Brahmanic belief, blending as it +does the doctrines of Kapila, Patanjali, and the Vedas. So lofty are many +of its declarations, so sublime its aspirations, so pure and tender its +piety, that Schlegel, after his study of the poem, breaks forth into this +outburst of delight and praise towards its unknown author: +"Magistrorum reverentia a Brachmanis inter sanctissima pietatis officia +refertur. Ergo te primum, Vates sanctissime, Numinisque hypopheta! +quisquis tandem inter mortales dictus tu fueris, carminis bujus auctor,, +cujus oraculis mens ad excelsa quaeque,quaeque,, aeterna atque divina, +cum inenarraoih quddam delectatione rapitur-te primum, inquam, +salvere jubeo, et vestigia tua semper adore." Lassen re-echoes this +splendid tribute; and indeed, so striking are some of the moralities here +inculcated, and so close the parallelism--ofttimes actually verbal-- +between its teachings and those of the New Testament, that a +controversy has arisen between Pandits and Missionaries on the point +whether the author borrowed from Christian sources, or the Evangelists +and Apostles from him. + +This raises the question of its date, which cannot be positively settled. It +must have been inlaid into the ancient epic at a period later than that of +the original Mahabharata, but Mr Kasinath Telang has offered some fair +arguments to prove it anterior to the Christian era. The weight of +evidence, however, tends to place its composition at about the third +century after Christ; and perhaps there are really echoes in this +Brahmanic poem of the lessons of Galilee, and of the Syrian incarnation. + +Its scene is the level country between the Jumna and the Sarsooti +rivers-now Kurnul and Jheend. Its simple plot consists of a dialogue held +by Prince Arjuna, the brother of King Yudhisthira, with Krishna, the +Supreme Deity, wearing the disguise of a charioteer. A great battle is +impending between the armies of the Kauravas and Pandavas, and this +conversation is maintained in a war-chariot drawn up between the +opposing hosts. + +The poem has been turned into French by Burnouf, into Latin by Lassen, +into Italian by Stanislav Gatti, into Greek by Galanos, and into English +by Mr. Thomson and Mr Davies, the prose transcript of the last-named +being truly beyond praise for its fidelity and clearness. Mr Telang has +also published at Bombay a version in colloquial rhythm, eminently +learned and intelligent, but not conveying the dignity or grace of the +original. If I venture to offer a translation of the wonderful poem after +so many superior scholars, it is in grateful recognition of the help +derived from their labours, and because English literature would +certainly be incomplete without possessing in popular form a poetical +and philosophical work so dear to India. + +There is little else to say which the "Song Celestial" does not explain for +itself. The Sanskrit original is written in the Anushtubh metre, which +cannot be successfully reproduced for Western ears. I have therefore +cast it into our flexible blank verse, changing into lyrical measures +where the text itself similarly breaks. For the most part, I believe the +sense to be faithfully preserved in the following pages; but Schlegel +himself had to say: "In reconditioribus me semper poetafoster mentem +recte divinasse affirmare non ausim." Those who would read more upon +the philosophy of the poem may find an admirable introduction in the +volume of Mr Davies, printed by Messrs Trubner & Co. + +EDWIN ARNOLD, C.S.I. + +CONTENTS + + + I. THE DISTRESS OF ARJUNA + II. THE BOOK OF DOCTRINES + III. VIRTUE IN WORK + IV. THE RELIGION OF KNOWLEDGE + V. RELIGION OF RENOUNCING WORKS + VI. RELIGION BY SELF-RESTRAINT + VII. RELIGION BY DISCERNMENT + VIII. RELIGION BY SERVICE OF THE SUPREME + IX. RELIGION BY THE KINGLY KNOWLEDGE AND THE + KINGLY MYSTERY + X. RELIGION BY THE HEAVENLY PERFECTIONS + XI. THE MANIFESTING OF THE ONE AND MANIFOLD + XII. RELIGION OF FAITH + XIII. RELIGION BY SEPARATION OF MATTER AND SPIRIT + XIV. RELIGION BY SEPARATION FROM THE QUALITIES + XV. RELIGION BY ATTAINING THE SUPREME + XVI. THE SEPARATENESS OF THE DIVINE AND UNDIVINE + XVII. RELIGION BY THE THREEFOLD FAITH +XVIII. RELIGION BY DELIVERANCE AND RENUNCIATION + + +CHAPTER I + +Dhritirashtra: +Ranged thus for battle on the sacred plain-- +On Kurukshetra--say, Sanjaya! say +What wrought my people, and the Pandavas? + +Sanjaya: +When he beheld the host of Pandavas, +Raja Duryodhana to Drona drew, +And spake these words: "Ah, Guru! see this line, +How vast it is of Pandu fighting-men, +Embattled by the son of Drupada, +Thy scholar in the war! Therein stand ranked +Chiefs like Arjuna, like to Bhima chiefs, +Benders of bows; Virata, Yuyudhan, +Drupada, eminent upon his car, +Dhrishtaket, Chekitan, Kasi's stout lord, +Purujit, Kuntibhoj, and Saivya, +With Yudhamanyu, and Uttamauj +Subhadra's child; and Drupadi's;-all famed! +All mounted on their shining chariots! +On our side, too,--thou best of Brahmans! see +Excellent chiefs, commanders of my line, +Whose names I joy to count: thyself the first, +Then Bhishma, Karna, Kripa fierce in fight, +Vikarna, Aswatthaman; next to these +Strong Saumadatti, with full many more +Valiant and tried, ready this day to die +For me their king, each with his weapon grasped, +Each skilful in the field. Weakest-meseems- +Our battle shows where Bhishma holds command, +And Bhima, fronting him, something too strong! +Have care our captains nigh to Bhishma's ranks +Prepare what help they may! Now, blow my shell!" + +Then, at the signal of the aged king, +With blare to wake the blood, rolling around +Like to a lion's roar, the trumpeter +Blew the great Conch; and, at the noise of it, +Trumpets and drums, cymbals and gongs and horns +Burst into sudden clamour; as the blasts +Of loosened tempest, such the tumult seemed! +Then might be seen, upon their car of gold +Yoked with white steeds, blowing their battle-shells, +Krishna the God, Arjuna at his side: +Krishna, with knotted locks, blew his great conch +Carved of the "Giant's bone;" Arjuna blew +Indra's loud gift; Bhima the terrible-- +Wolf-bellied Bhima-blew a long reed-conch; +And Yudhisthira, Kunti's blameless son, +Winded a mighty shell, "Victory's Voice;" +And Nakula blew shrill upon his conch +Named the "Sweet-sounding," Sahadev on his +Called"Gem-bedecked," and Kasi's Prince on his. +Sikhandi on his car, Dhrishtadyumn, +Virata, Satyaki the Unsubdued, +Drupada, with his sons, (O Lord of Earth!) +Long-armed Subhadra's children, all blew loud, +So that the clangour shook their foemen's hearts, +With quaking earth and thundering heav'n. + +Then 'twas- +Beholding Dhritirashtra's battle set, +Weapons unsheathing, bows drawn forth, the war +Instant to break-Arjun, whose ensign-badge +Was Hanuman the monkey, spake this thing +To Krishna the Divine, his charioteer: +"Drive, Dauntless One! to yonder open ground +Betwixt the armies; I would see more nigh +These who will fight with us, those we must slay +To-day, in war's arbitrament; for, sure, +On bloodshed all are bent who throng this plain, +Obeying Dhritirashtra's sinful son." + +Thus, by Arjuna prayed, (O Bharata!) +Between the hosts that heavenly Charioteer +Drove the bright car, reining its milk-white steeds +Where Bhishma led,and Drona,and their Lords. +"See!" spake he to Arjuna, "where they stand, +Thy kindred of the Kurus:" and the Prince +Marked on each hand the kinsmen of his house, +Grandsires and sires, uncles and brothers and sons, +Cousins and sons-in-law and nephews, mixed +With friends and honoured elders; some this side, +Some that side ranged: and, seeing those opposed, +Such kith grown enemies-Arjuna's heart +Melted with pity, while he uttered this: + +Arjuna. +Krishna! as I behold, come here to shed +Their common blood, yon concourse of our kin, +My members fail, my tongue dries in my mouth, +A shudder thrills my body, and my hair +Bristles with horror; from my weak hand slips +Gandiv, the goodly bow; a fever burns +My skin to parching; hardly may I stand; +The life within me seems to swim and faint; +Nothing do I foresee save woe and wail! +It is not good, O Keshav! nought of good +Can spring from mutual slaughter! Lo, I hate +Triumph and domination, wealth and ease, +Thus sadly won! Aho! what victory +Can bring delight, Govinda! what rich spoils +Could profit; what rule recompense; what span +Of life itself seem sweet, bought with such blood? +Seeing that these stand here, ready to die, +For whose sake life was fair, and pleasure pleased, +And power grew precious:-grandsires, sires, and sons, +Brothers, and fathers-in-law, and sons-in-law, +Elders and friends! Shall I deal death on these +Even though they seek to slay us? Not one blow, +O Madhusudan! will I strike to gain + +The rule of all Three Worlds; then, how much less +To seize an earthly kingdom! Killing these +Must breed but anguish, Krishna! If they be +Guilty, we shall grow guilty by their deaths; +Their sins will light on us, if we shall slay +Those sons of Dhritirashtra, and our kin; +What peace could come of that, O Madhava? +For if indeed, blinded by lust and wrath, +These cannot see, or will not see, the sin +Of kingly lines o'erthrown and kinsmen slain, +How should not we, who see, shun such a crime-- +We who perceive the guilt and feel the shame-- +O thou Delight of Men, Janardana? +By overthrow of houses perisheth +Their sweet continuous household piety, +And-rites neglected, piety extinct-- +Enters impiety upon that home; +Its women grow unwomaned, whence there spring +Mad passions, and the mingling-up of castes, +Sending a Hell-ward road that family, +And whoso wrought its doom by wicked wrath. +Nay, and the souls of honoured ancestors +Fall from their place of peace, being bereft +Of funeral-cakes and the wan death-water.[FN#1] +So teach our holy hymns. Thus, if we slay +Kinsfolk and friends for love of earthly power, +Ahovat! what an evil fault it were! +Better I deem it, if my kinsmen strike, +To face them weaponless, and bare my breast +To shaft and spear, than answer blow with blow. + +So speaking, in the face of those two hosts, +Arjuna sank upon his chariot-seat, +And let fall bow and arrows, sick at heart. + +HERE ENDETH CHAPTER I. OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, +Entitled "Arjun-Vishad," +Or "The Book of the Distress of Arjuna." + + +CHAPTER II + +Sanjaya. +Him, filled with such compassion and such grief, +With eyes tear-dimmed, despondent, in stern words +The Driver, Madhusudan, thus addressed: + +Krishna. +How hath this weakness taken thee? Whence springs +The inglorious trouble, shameful to the brave, +Barring the path of virtue? Nay, Arjun! +Forbid thyself to feebleness! it mars +Thy warrior-name! cast off the coward-fit! +Wake! Be thyself! Arise, Scourge of thy Foes! + +Arjuna. +How can I, in the battle, shoot with shafts +On Bhishma, or on Drona-O thou Chief!-- +Both worshipful, both honourable men? + +Better to live on beggar's bread + With those we love alive, +Than taste their blood in rich feasts spread, + And guiltily survive! +Ah! were it worse-who knows?--to be + Victor or vanquished here, +When those confront us angrily + Whose death leaves living drear? +In pity lost, by doubtings tossed, + My thoughts-distracted-turn +To Thee, the Guide I reverence most, + That I may counsel learn: +I know not what would heal the grief + Burned into soul and sense, +If I were earth's unchallenged chief-- + A god--and these gone thence! + +Sanjaya. +So spake Arjuna to the Lord of Hearts, +And sighing,"I will not fight!" held silence then. +To whom, with tender smile, (O Bharata! ) +While the Prince wept despairing 'twixt those hosts, +Krishna made answer in divinest verse: + +Krishna. +Thou grievest where no grief should be! thou speak'st +Words lacking wisdom! for the wise in heart +Mourn not for those that live, nor those that die. +Nor I, nor thou, nor any one of these, +Ever was not, nor ever will not be, +For ever and for ever afterwards. +All, that doth live, lives always! To man's frame +As there come infancy and youth and age, +So come there raisings-up and layings-down +Of other and of other life-abodes, +Which the wise know, and fear not. This that irks-- +Thy sense-life, thrilling to the elements-- +Bringing thee heat and cold, sorrows and joys, +'Tis brief and mutable! Bear with it, Prince! +As the wise bear. The soul which is not moved, +The soul that with a strong and constant calm +Takes sorrow and takes joy indifferently, +Lives in the life undying! That which is +Can never cease to be; that which is not +Will not exist. To see this truth of both +Is theirs who part essence from accident, +Substance from shadow. Indestructible, +Learn thou! the Life is, spreading life through all; +It cannot anywhere, by any means, +Be anywise diminished, stayed, or changed. +But for these fleeting frames which it informs +With spirit deathless, endless, infinite, +They perish. Let them perish, Prince! and fight! +He who shall say, "Lo! I have slain a man!" +He who shall think, "Lo! I am slain!" those both +Know naught! Life cannot slay. Life is not slain! +Never the spirit was born; the spirit shall cease to be never; +Never was time it was not; End and Beginning are dreams! +Birthless and deathless and changeless remaineth the spirit for ever; +Death hath not touched it at all, dead though the house of it seems! + +Who knoweth it exhaustless, self-sustained, +Immortal, indestructible,--shall such +Say, "I have killed a man, or caused to kill?" + +Nay, but as when one layeth + His worn-out robes away, +And taking new ones, sayeth, + "These will I wear to-day!" +So putteth by the spirit + Lightly its garb of flesh, +And passeth to inherit + A residence afresh. + +I say to thee weapons reach not the Life; +Flame burns it not, waters cannot o'erwhelm, +Nor dry winds wither it. Impenetrable, +Unentered, unassailed, unharmed, untouched, +Immortal, all-arriving, stable, sure, +Invisible, ineffable, by word +And thought uncompassed, ever all itself, +Thus is the Soul declared! How wilt thou, then,-- +Knowing it so,--grieve when thou shouldst not grieve? +How, if thou hearest that the man new-dead +Is, like the man new-born, still living man-- +One same, existent Spirit--wilt thou weep? +The end of birth is death; the end of death +Is birth: this is ordained! and mournest thou, +Chief of the stalwart arm! for what befalls +Which could not otherwise befall? The birth +Of living things comes unperceived; the death +Comes unperceived; between them, beings perceive: +What is there sorrowful herein, dear Prince? + +Wonderful, wistful, to contemplate! + Difficult, doubtful, to speak upon! +Strange and great for tongue to relate, + Mystical hearing for every one! +Nor wotteth man this, what a marvel it is, + When seeing, and saying, and hearing are done! + +This Life within all living things, my Prince! +Hides beyond harm; scorn thou to suffer, then, +For that which cannot suffer. Do thy part! +Be mindful of thy name, and tremble not! +Nought better can betide a martial soul +Than lawful war; happy the warrior +To whom comes joy of battle--comes, as now, +Glorious and fair, unsought; opening for him +A gateway unto Heav'n. But, if thou shunn'st +This honourable field--a Kshattriya-- +If, knowing thy duty and thy task, thou bidd'st +Duty and task go by--that shall be sin! +And those to come shall speak thee infamy +From age to age; but infamy is worse +For men of noble blood to bear than death! +The chiefs upon their battle-chariots +Will deem 'twas fear that drove thee from the fray. +Of those who held thee mighty-souled the scorn +Thou must abide, while all thine enemies +Will scatter bitter speech of thee, to mock +The valour which thou hadst; what fate could fall +More grievously than this? Either--being killed-- +Thou wilt win Swarga's safety, or--alive +And victor--thou wilt reign an earthly king. +Therefore, arise, thou Son of Kunti! brace +Thine arm for conflict, nerve thy heart to meet-- +As things alike to thee--pleasure or pain, +Profit or ruin, victory or defeat: +So minded, gird thee to the fight, for so +Thou shalt not sin! + +Thus far I speak to thee +As from the "Sankhya"--unspiritually-- +Hear now the deeper teaching of the Yog, +Which holding, understanding, thou shalt burst +Thy Karmabandh, the bondage of wrought deeds. +Here shall no end be hindered, no hope marred, +No loss be feared: faith--yea, a little faith-- +Shall save thee from the anguish of thy dread. +Here, Glory of the Kurus! shines one rule-- +One steadfast rule--while shifting souls have laws +Many and hard. Specious, but wrongful deem +The speech of those ill-taught ones who extol +The letter of their Vedas, saying, "This +Is all we have, or need;" being weak at heart +With wants, seekers of Heaven: which comes--they say-- +As "fruit of good deeds done;" promising men +Much profit in new births for works of faith; +In various rites abounding; following whereon +Large merit shall accrue towards wealth and power; +Albeit, who wealth and power do most desire +Least fixity of soul have such, least hold +On heavenly meditation. Much these teach, +From Veds, concerning the "three qualities;" +But thou, be free of the "three qualities," +Free of the "pairs of opposites,"[FN#2] and free +From that sad righteousness which calculates; +Self-ruled, Arjuna! simple, satisfied![FN#3] +Look! like as when a tank pours water forth +To suit all needs, so do these Brahmans draw +Text for all wants from tank of Holy Writ. +But thou, want not! ask not! Find full reward +Of doing right in right! Let right deeds be +Thy motive, not the fruit which comes from them. +And live in action! Labour! Make thine acts +Thy piety, casting all self aside, +Contemning gain and merit; equable +In good or evil: equability +Is Yog, is piety! + +Yet, the right act +Is less, far less, than the right-thinking mind. +Seek refuge in thy soul; have there thy heaven! +Scorn them that follow virtue for her gifts! +The mind of pure devotion--even here-- +Casts equally aside good deeds and bad, +Passing above them. Unto pure devotion +Devote thyself: with perfect meditation +Comes perfect act, and the right-hearted rise-- +More certainly because they seek no gain-- +Forth from the bands of body, step by step, +To highest seats of bliss. When thy firm soul +Hath shaken off those tangled oracles +Which ignorantly guide, then shall it soar +To high neglect of what's denied or said, +This way or that way, in doctrinal writ. +Troubled no longer by the priestly lore, +Safe shall it live, and sure; steadfastly bent +On meditation. This is Yog--and Peace! + +Arjuna. +What is his mark who hath that steadfast heart, +Confirmed in holy meditation? How +Know we his speech, Kesava? Sits he, moves he +Like other men? + +Krishna. +When one, O Pritha's Son! +Abandoning desires which shake the mind-- +Finds in his soul full comfort for his soul, +He hath attained the Yog--that man is such! +In sorrows not dejected, and in joys +Not overjoyed; dwelling outside the stress +Of passion, fear, and anger; fixed in calms +Of lofty contemplation;--such an one +Is Muni, is the Sage, the true Recluse! +He who to none and nowhere overbound +By ties of flesh, takes evil things and good +Neither desponding nor exulting, such +Bears wisdom's plainest mark! He who shall draw +As the wise tortoise draws its four feet safe +Under its shield, his five frail senses back +Under the spirit's buckler from the world +Which else assails them, such an one, my Prince! +Hath wisdom's mark! Things that solicit sense +Hold off from the self-governed; nay, it comes, +The appetites of him who lives beyond +Depart,--aroused no more. Yet may it chance, +O Son of Kunti! that a governed mind +Shall some time feel the sense-storms sweep, and wrest +Strong self-control by the roots. Let him regain +His kingdom! let him conquer this, and sit +On Me intent. That man alone is wise +Who keeps the mastery of himself! If one +Ponders on objects of the sense, there springs +Attraction; from attraction grows desire, +Desire flames to fierce passion, passion breeds +Recklessness; then the memory--all betrayed-- +Lets noble purpose go, and saps the mind, +Till purpose, mind, and man are all undone. +But, if one deals with objects of the sense +Not loving and not hating, making them +Serve his free soul, which rests serenely lord, +Lo! such a man comes to tranquillity; +And out of that tranquillity shall rise +The end and healing of his earthly pains, +Since the will governed sets the soul at peace. +The soul of the ungoverned is not his, +Nor hath he knowledge of himself; which lacked, +How grows serenity? and, wanting that, +Whence shall he hope for happiness? + +The mind +That gives itself to follow shows of sense +Seeth its helm of wisdom rent away, +And, like a ship in waves of whirlwind, drives +To wreck and death. Only with him, great Prince! +Whose senses are not swayed by things of sense-- +Only with him who holds his mastery, +Shows wisdom perfect. What is midnight-gloom +To unenlightened souls shines wakeful day +To his clear gaze; what seems as wakeful day +Is known for night, thick night of ignorance, +To his true-seeing eyes. Such is the Saint! + +And like the ocean, day by day receiving + Floods from all lands, which never overflows +Its boundary-line not leaping, and not leaving, + Fed by the rivers, but unswelled by those;-- + +So is the perfect one! to his soul's ocean + The world of sense pours streams of witchery; +They leave him as they find, without commotion, + Taking their tribute, but remaining sea. + +Yea! whoso, shaking off the yoke of flesh +Lives lord, not servant, of his lusts; set free +From pride, from passion, from the sin of "Self," +Toucheth tranquillity! O Pritha's Son! +That is the state of Brahm! There rests no dread +When that last step is reached! Live where he will, +Die when he may, such passeth from all 'plaining, +To blest Nirvana, with the Gods, attaining. + +HERE ENDETH CHAPTER II. OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, +Entitled "Sankhya-Yog," +Or "The Book of Doctrines." + +CHAPTER III + +Arjuna. +Thou whom all mortals praise, Janardana! +If meditation be a nobler thing +Than action, wherefore, then, great Kesava! +Dost thou impel me to this dreadful fight? +Now am I by thy doubtful speech disturbed! +Tell me one thing, and tell me certainly; +By what road shall I find the better end? + +Krishna. +I told thee, blameless Lord! there be two paths +Shown to this world; two schools of wisdom. + +First +The Sankhya's, which doth save in way of works +Prescribed[FN#4] by reason; next, the Yog, which bids +Attain by meditation, spiritually: +Yet these are one! No man shall 'scape from act +By shunning action; nay, and none shall come +By mere renouncements unto perfectness. +Nay, and no jot of time, at any time, +Rests any actionless; his nature's law +Compels him, even unwilling, into act; +[For thought is act in fancy]. He who sits +Suppressing all the instruments of flesh, +Yet in his idle heart thinking on them, +Plays the inept and guilty hypocrite: +But he who, with strong body serving mind, +Gives up his mortal powers to worthy work, +Not seeking gain, Arjuna! such an one +Is honourable. Do thine allotted task! +Work is more excellent than idleness; +The body's life proceeds not, lacking work. +There is a task of holiness to do, +Unlike world-binding toil, which bindeth not +The faithful soul; such earthly duty do +Free from desire, and thou shalt well perform +Thy heavenly purpose. Spake Prajapati-- +In the beginning, when all men were made, +And, with mankind, the sacrifice-- "Do this! +Work! sacrifice! Increase and multiply +With sacrifice! This shall be Kamaduk, +Your 'Cow of Plenty,' giving back her milk +Of all abundance. Worship the gods thereby; +The gods shall yield thee grace. Those meats ye crave +The gods will grant to Labour, when it pays +Tithes in the altar-flame. But if one eats +Fruits of the earth, rendering to kindly Heaven +No gift of toil, that thief steals from his world." + +Who eat of food after their sacrifice +Are quit of fault, but they that spread a feast +All for themselves, eat sin and drink of sin. +By food the living live; food comes of rain, +And rain comes by the pious sacrifice, +And sacrifice is paid with tithes of toil; +Thus action is of Brahma, who is One, +The Only, All-pervading; at all times +Present in sacrifice. He that abstains +To help the rolling wheels of this great world, +Glutting his idle sense, lives a lost life, +Shameful and vain. Existing for himself, +Self-concentrated, serving self alone, +No part hath he in aught; nothing achieved, +Nought wrought or unwrought toucheth him; no hope +Of help for all the living things of earth +Depends from him.[FN#5] Therefore, thy task prescribed +With spirit unattached gladly perform, +Since in performance of plain duty man +Mounts to his highest bliss. By works alone +Janak and ancient saints reached blessedness! +Moreover, for the upholding of thy kind, +Action thou should'st embrace. What the wise choose +The unwise people take; what best men do +The multitude will follow. Look on me, +Thou Son of Pritha! in the three wide worlds +I am not bound to any toil, no height +Awaits to scale, no gift remains to gain, +Yet I act here! and, if I acted not-- +Earnest and watchful--those that look to me +For guidance, sinking back to sloth again +Because I slumbered, would decline from good, +And I should break earth's order and commit +Her offspring unto ruin, Bharata! +Even as the unknowing toil, wedded to sense, +So let the enlightened toil, sense-freed, but set +To bring the world deliverance, and its bliss; +Not sowing in those simple, busy hearts +Seed of despair. Yea! let each play his part +In all he finds to do, with unyoked soul. +All things are everywhere by Nature wrought +In interaction of the qualities. +The fool, cheated by self, thinks, "This I did" +And "That I wrought; "but--ah, thou strong-armed Prince!-- +A better-lessoned mind, knowing the play +Of visible things within the world of sense, +And how the qualities must qualify, +Standeth aloof even from his acts. Th' untaught +Live mixed with them, knowing not Nature's way, +Of highest aims unwitting, slow and dull. +Those make thou not to stumble, having the light; +But all thy dues discharging, for My sake, +With meditation centred inwardly, +Seeking no profit, satisfied, serene, +Heedless of issue--fight! They who shall keep +My ordinance thus, the wise and willing hearts, +Have quittance from all issue of their acts; +But those who disregard My ordinance, +Thinking they know, know nought, and fall to loss, +Confused and foolish. 'Sooth, the instructed one +Doth of his kind, following what fits him most: +And lower creatures of their kind; in vain +Contending 'gainst the law. Needs must it be +The objects of the sense will stir the sense +To like and dislike, yet th' enlightened man +Yields not to these, knowing them enemies. +Finally, this is better, that one do +His own task as he may, even though he fail, +Than take tasks not his own, though they seem good. +To die performing duty is no ill; +But who seeks other roads shall wander still. + +Arjuna. +Yet tell me, Teacher! by what force doth man +Go to his ill, unwilling; as if one +Pushed him that evil path? + +Krishna. +Kama it is! +Passion it is! born of the Darknesses, +Which pusheth him. Mighty of appetite, +Sinful, and strong is this!--man's enemy! +As smoke blots the white fire, as clinging rust +Mars the bright mirror, as the womb surrounds +The babe unborn, so is the world of things +Foiled, soiled, enclosed in this desire of flesh. +The wise fall, caught in it; the unresting foe +It is of wisdom, wearing countless forms, +Fair but deceitful, subtle as a flame. +Sense, mind, and reason--these, O Kunti's Son! +Are booty for it; in its play with these +It maddens man, beguiling, blinding him. +Therefore, thou noblest child of Bharata! +Govern thy heart! Constrain th' entangled sense! +Resist the false, soft sinfulness which saps +Knowledge and judgment! Yea, the world is strong, +But what discerns it stronger, and the mind +Strongest; and high o'er all the ruling Soul. +Wherefore, perceiving Him who reigns supreme, +Put forth full force of Soul in thy own soul! +Fight! vanquish foes and doubts, dear Hero! slay +What haunts thee in fond shapes, and would betray! + +HERE ENDETH CHAPTER III. OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, +Entitled "Karma-Yog," +Or "The Book of Virtue in Work." + +CHAPTER IV + +Krishna. +This deathless Yoga, this deep union, +I taught Vivaswata,[FN#6] the Lord of Light; +Vivaswata to Manu gave it; he +To Ikshwaku; so passed it down the line +Of all my royal Rishis. Then, with years, +The truth grew dim and perished, noble Prince! +Now once again to thee it is declared-- +This ancient lore, this mystery supreme-- +Seeing I find thee votary and friend. + +Arjuna. +Thy birth, dear Lord, was in these later days, +And bright Vivaswata's preceded time! +How shall I comprehend this thing thou sayest, +"From the beginning it was I who taught?" + +Krishna. +Manifold the renewals of my birth +Have been, Arjuna! and of thy births, too! +But mine I know, and thine thou knowest not, +O Slayer of thy Foes! Albeit I be +Unborn, undying, indestructible, +The Lord of all things living; not the less-- +By Maya, by my magic which I stamp +On floating Nature-forms, the primal vast-- +I come, and go, and come. When Righteousness +Declines, O Bharata! when Wickedness +Is strong, I rise, from age to age, and take +Visible shape, and move a man with men, +Succouring the good, thrusting the evil back, +And setting Virtue on her seat again. +Who knows the truth touching my births on earth +And my divine work, when he quits the flesh +Puts on its load no more, falls no more down +To earthly birth: to Me he comes, dear Prince! +Many there be who come! from fear set free, +From anger, from desire; keeping their hearts +Fixed upon me--my Faithful--purified +By sacred flame of Knowledge. Such as these +Mix with my being. Whoso worship me, +Them I exalt; but all men everywhere +Shall fall into my path; albeit, those souls +Which seek reward for works, make sacrifice +Now, to the lower gods. I say to thee +Here have they their reward. But I am He +Made the Four Castes, and portioned them a place +After their qualities and gifts. Yea, I +Created, the Reposeful; I that live +Immortally, made all those mortal births: +For works soil not my essence, being works +Wrought uninvolved.[FN#7] Who knows me acting thus +Unchained by action, action binds not him; +And, so perceiving, all those saints of old +Worked, seeking for deliverance. Work thou +As, in the days gone by, thy fathers did. + +Thou sayst, perplexed, It hath been asked before +By singers and by sages, "What is act, +And what inaction? "I will teach thee this, +And, knowing, thou shalt learn which work doth save +Needs must one rightly meditate those three-- +Doing,--not doing,--and undoing. Here +Thorny and dark the path is! He who sees +How action may be rest, rest action--he +Is wisest 'mid his kind; he hath the truth! +He doeth well, acting or resting. Freed +In all his works from prickings of desire, +Burned clean in act by the white fire of truth, +The wise call that man wise; and such an one, +Renouncing fruit of deeds, always content. +Always self-satisfying, if he works, +Doth nothing that shall stain his separate soul, +Which--quit of fear and hope--subduing self-- +Rejecting outward impulse--yielding up +To body's need nothing save body, dwells +Sinless amid all sin, with equal calm +Taking what may befall, by grief unmoved, +Unmoved by joy, unenvyingly; the same +In good and evil fortunes; nowise bound +By bond of deeds. Nay, but of such an one, +Whose crave is gone, whose soul is liberate, +Whose heart is set on truth--of such an one +What work he does is work of sacrifice, +Which passeth purely into ash and smoke +Consumed upon the altar! All's then God! +The sacrifice is Brahm, the ghee and grain +Are Brahm, the fire is Brahm, the flesh it eats +Is Brahm, and unto Brahm attaineth he +Who, in such office, meditates on Brahm. +Some votaries there be who serve the gods +With flesh and altar-smoke; but other some +Who, lighting subtler fires, make purer rite +With will of worship. Of the which be they +Who, in white flame of continence, consume +Joys of the sense, delights of eye and ear, +Forgoing tender speech and sound of song: +And they who, kindling fires with torch of Truth, +Burn on a hidden altar-stone the bliss +Of youth and love, renouncing happiness: +And they who lay for offering there their wealth, +Their penance, meditation, piety, +Their steadfast reading of the scrolls, their lore +Painfully gained with long austerities: +And they who, making silent sacrifice, +Draw in their breath to feed the flame of thought, +And breathe it forth to waft the heart on high, +Governing the ventage of each entering air +Lest one sigh pass which helpeth not the soul: +And they who, day by day denying needs, +Lay life itself upon the altar-flame, +Burning the body wan. Lo! all these keep +The rite of offering, as if they slew +Victims; and all thereby efface much sin. +Yea! and who feed on the immortal food +Left of such sacrifice, to Brahma pass, +To The Unending. But for him that makes +No sacrifice, he hath nor part nor lot +Even in the present world. How should he share +Another, O thou Glory of thy Line? + +In sight of Brahma all these offerings +Are spread and are accepted! Comprehend +That all proceed by act; for knowing this, +Thou shalt be quit of doubt. The sacrifice +Which Knowledge pays is better than great gifts +Offered by wealth, since gifts' worth--O my Prince! +Lies in the mind which gives, the will that serves: +And these are gained by reverence, by strong search, +By humble heed of those who see the Truth +And teach it. Knowing Truth, thy heart no more +Will ache with error, for the Truth shall show +All things subdued to thee, as thou to Me. +Moreover, Son of Pandu! wert thou worst +Of all wrong-doers, this fair ship of Truth +Should bear thee safe and dry across the sea +Of thy transgressions. As the kindled flame +Feeds on the fuel till it sinks to ash, +So unto ash, Arjuna! unto nought +The flame of Knowledge wastes works' dross away! +There is no purifier like thereto +In all this world, and he who seeketh it +Shall find it--being grown perfect--in himself. +Believing, he receives it when the soul +Masters itself, and cleaves to Truth, and comes-- +Possessing knowledge--to the higher peace, +The uttermost repose. But those untaught, +And those without full faith, and those who fear +Are shent; no peace is here or other where, +No hope, nor happiness for whoso doubts. +He that, being self-contained, hath vanquished doubt, +Disparting self from service, soul from works, +Enlightened and emancipate, my Prince! +Works fetter him no more! Cut then atwain +With sword of wisdom, Son of Bharata! +This doubt that binds thy heart-beats! cleave the bond +Born of thy ignorance! Be bold and wise! +Give thyself to the field with me! Arise! + +HERE ENDETH CHAPTER IV. OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, +Entitled "Jnana Yog," +Or "The Book of the Religion of Knowledge," + +CHAPTER V +Arjuna. +Yet, Krishna! at the one time thou dost laud +Surcease of works, and, at another time, +Service through work. Of these twain plainly tell +Which is the better way? + +Krishna. +To cease from works +Is well, and to do works in holiness +Is well; and both conduct to bliss supreme; +But of these twain the better way is his +Who working piously refraineth not. + +That is the true Renouncer, firm and fixed, +Who--seeking nought, rejecting nought--dwells proof +Against the "opposites."[FN#8] O valiant Prince! +In doing, such breaks lightly from all deed: +'Tis the new scholar talks as they were two, +This Sankhya and this Yoga: wise men know +Who husbands one plucks golden fruit of both! +The region of high rest which Sankhyans reach +Yogins attain. Who sees these twain as one +Sees with clear eyes! Yet such abstraction, Chief! +Is hard to win without much holiness. +Whoso is fixed in holiness, self-ruled, +Pure-hearted, lord of senses and of self, +Lost in the common life of all which lives-- +A "Yogayukt"--he is a Saint who wends +Straightway to Brahm. Such an one is not touched +By taint of deeds. "Nought of myself I do!" +Thus will he think-who holds the truth of truths-- +In seeing, hearing, touching, smelling; when +He eats, or goes, or breathes; slumbers or talks, +Holds fast or loosens, opes his eyes or shuts; +Always assured "This is the sense-world plays +With senses."He that acts in thought of Brahm, +Detaching end from act, with act content, +The world of sense can no more stain his soul +Than waters mar th' enamelled lotus-leaf. +With life, with heart, with mind,-nay, with the help +Of all five senses--letting selfhood go-- +Yogins toil ever towards their souls' release. +Such votaries, renouncing fruit of deeds, +Gain endless peace: the unvowed, the passion-bound, +Seeking a fruit from works, are fastened down. +The embodied sage, withdrawn within his soul, +At every act sits godlike in "the town +Which hath nine gateways,"[FN#9] neither doing aught +Nor causing any deed. This world's Lord makes +Neither the work, nor passion for the work, +Nor lust for fruit of work; the man's own self +Pushes to these! The Master of this World +Takes on himself the good or evil deeds +Of no man--dwelling beyond! Mankind errs here +By folly, darkening knowledge. But, for whom +That darkness of the soul is chased by light, +Splendid and clear shines manifest the Truth +As if a Sun of Wisdom sprang to shed +Its beams of dawn. Him meditating still, +Him seeking, with Him blended, stayed on Him, +The souls illuminated take that road +Which hath no turning back--their sins flung off +By strength of faith. [Who will may have this Light; +Who hath it sees.] To him who wisely sees, +The Brahman with his scrolls and sanctities, +The cow, the elephant, the unclean dog, +The Outcast gorging dog's meat, are all one. + +The world is overcome--aye! even here! +By such as fix their faith on Unity. +The sinless Brahma dwells in Unity, +And they in Brahma. Be not over-glad +Attaining joy, and be not over-sad +Encountering grief, but, stayed on Brahma, still +Constant let each abide! The sage whose sou +Holds off from outer contacts, in himself +Finds bliss; to Brahma joined by piety, +His spirit tastes eternal peace. The joys +Springing from sense-life are but quickening wombs +Which breed sure griefs: those joys begin and end! +The wise mind takes no pleasure, Kunti's Son! +In such as those! But if a man shall learn, +Even while he lives and bears his body's chain, +To master lust and anger, he is blest! +He is the Yukta; he hath happiness, +Contentment, light, within: his life is merged +In Brahma's life; he doth Nirvana touch! +Thus go the Rishis unto rest, who dwell +With sins effaced, with doubts at end, with hearts +Governed and calm. Glad in all good they live, +Nigh to the peace of God; and all those live +Who pass their days exempt from greed and wrath, +Subduing self and senses, knowing the Soul! + +The Saint who shuts outside his placid soul +All touch of sense, letting no contact through; +Whose quiet eyes gaze straight from fixed brows, +Whose outward breath and inward breath are drawn +Equal and slow through nostrils still and close; +That one-with organs, heart, and mind constrained, +Bent on deliverance, having put away +Passion, and fear, and rage;--hath, even now, +Obtained deliverance, ever and ever freed. +Yea! for he knows Me Who am He that heeds +The sacrifice and worship, God revealed; +And He who heeds not, being Lord of Worlds, +Lover of all that lives, God unrevealed, +Wherein who will shall find surety and shield! + +HERE ENDS CHAPTER V. OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, +Entitled "Karmasanyasayog," +Or "The Book of Religion by Renouncing Fruit of Works." + +CHAPTER VI + +Krishna. +Therefore, who doeth work rightful to do, +Not seeking gain from work, that man, O Prince! +Is Sanyasi and Yogi--both in one +And he is neither who lights not the flame +Of sacrifice, nor setteth hand to task. + +Regard as true Renouncer him that makes +Worship by work, for who renounceth not +Works not as Yogin. So is that well said: +"By works the votary doth rise to faith, +And saintship is the ceasing from all works; +Because the perfect Yogin acts--but acts +Unmoved by passions and unbound by deeds, +Setting result aside. + +Let each man raise +The Self by Soul, not trample down his Self, +Since Soul that is Self's friend may grow Self's foe. +Soul is Self's friend when Self doth rule o'er Self, +But Self turns enemy if Soul's own self +Hates Self as not itself.[FN#10] + +The sovereign soul +Of him who lives self-governed and at peace +Is centred in itself, taking alike +Pleasure and pain; heat, cold; glory and shame. +He is the Yogi, he is Yukta, glad +With joy of light and truth; dwelling apart +Upon a peak, with senses subjugate +Whereto the clod, the rock, the glistering gold +Show all as one. By this sign is he known +Being of equal grace to comrades, friends, +Chance-comers, strangers, lovers, enemies, +Aliens and kinsmen; loving all alike, +Evil or good. + +Sequestered should he sit, +Steadfastly meditating, solitary, +His thoughts controlled, his passions laid away, +Quit of belongings. In a fair, still spot +Having his fixed abode,--not too much raised, +Nor yet too low,--let him abide, his goods +A cloth, a deerskin, and the Kusa-grass. +There, setting hard his mind upon The One, +Restraining heart and senses, silent, calm, +Let him accomplish Yoga, and achieve +Pureness of soul, holding immovable +Body and neck and head, his gaze absorbed +Upon his nose-end,[FN#11] rapt from all around, +Tranquil in spirit, free of fear, intent +Upon his Brahmacharya vow, devout, +Musing on Me, lost in the thought of Me. +That Yojin, so devoted, so controlled, +Comes to the peace beyond,--My peace, the peace +Of high Nirvana! + +But for earthly needs +Religion is not his who too much fasts +Or too much feasts, nor his who sleeps away +An idle mind; nor his who wears to waste +His strength in vigils. Nay, Arjuna! call +That the true piety which most removes +Earth-aches and ills, where one is moderate +In eating and in resting, and in sport; +Measured in wish and act; sleeping betimes, +Waking betimes for duty. + +When the man, +So living, centres on his soul the thought +Straitly restrained--untouched internally +By stress of sense--then is he Yukta. See! +Steadfast a lamp burns sheltered from the wind; +Such is the likeness of the Yogi's mind +Shut from sense-storms and burning bright to Heaven. +When mind broods placid, soothed with holy wont; +When Self contemplates self, and in itself +Hath comfort; when it knows the nameless joy +Beyond all scope of sense, revealed to soul-- +Only to soul! and, knowing, wavers not, +True to the farther Truth; when, holding this, +It deems no other treasure comparable, +But, harboured there, cannot be stirred or shook +By any gravest grief, call that state "peace," +That happy severance Yoga; call that man +The perfect Yogin! + +Steadfastly the will +Must toil thereto, till efforts end in ease, +And thought has passed from thinking. Shaking off +All longings bred by dreams of fame and gain, +Shutting the doorways of the senses close +With watchful ward; so, step by step, it comes +To gift of peace assured and heart assuaged, +When the mind dwells self-wrapped, and the soul broods +Cumberless. But, as often as the heart +Breaks--wild and wavering--from control, so oft +Let him re-curb it, let him rein it back +To the soul's governance; for perfect bliss +Grows only in the bosom tranquillised, +The spirit passionless, purged from offence, +Vowed to the Infinite. He who thus vows +His soul to the Supreme Soul, quitting sin, +Passes unhindered to the endless bliss +Of unity with Brahma. He so vowed, +So blended, sees the Life-Soul resident +In all things living, and all living things +In that Life-Soul contained. And whoso thus +Discerneth Me in all, and all in Me, +I never let him go; nor looseneth he +Hold upon Me; but, dwell he where he may, +Whate'er his life, in Me he dwells and lives, +Because he knows and worships Me, Who dwell +In all which lives, and cleaves to Me in all. +Arjuna! if a man sees everywhere-- +Taught by his own similitude--one Life, +One Essence in the Evil and the Good, +Hold him a Yogi, yea! well-perfected! + +Arjuna. +Slayer of Madhu! yet again, this Yog, +This Peace, derived from equanimity, +Made known by thee--I see no fixity +Therein, no rest, because the heart of men +Is unfixed, Krishna! rash, tumultuous, +Wilful and strong. It were all one, I think, +To hold the wayward wind, as tame man's heart. + +Krishna. +Hero long-armed! beyond denial, hard +Man's heart is to restrain, and wavering; +Yet may it grow restrained by habit, Prince! +By wont of self-command. This Yog, I say, +Cometh not lightly to th' ungoverned ones; +But he who will be master of himself +Shall win it, if he stoutly strive thereto. + +Arjuna. +And what road goeth he who, having faith, +Fails, Krishna! in the striving; falling back +From holiness, missing the perfect rule? +Is he not lost, straying from Brahma's light, +Like the vain cloud, which floats 'twixt earth and heaven +When lightning splits it, and it vanisheth? +Fain would I hear thee answer me herein, +Since, Krishna! none save thou can clear the doubt. + +Krishna. +He is not lost, thou Son of Pritha! No! +Nor earth, nor heaven is forfeit, even for him, +Because no heart that holds one right desire +Treadeth the road of loss! He who should fail, +Desiring righteousness, cometh at death +Unto the Region of the Just; dwells there +Measureless years, and being born anew, +Beginneth life again in some fair home +Amid the mild and happy. It may chance +He doth descend into a Yogin house +On Virtue's breast; but that is rare! Such birth +Is hard to be obtained on this earth, Chief! +So hath he back again what heights of heart +He did achieve, and so he strives anew +To perfectness, with better hope, dear Prince! +For by the old desire he is drawn on +Unwittingly; and only to desire +The purity of Yog is to pass +Beyond the Sabdabrahm, the spoken Ved. +But, being Yogi, striving strong and long, +Purged from transgressions, perfected by births +Following on births, he plants his feet at last +Upon the farther path. Such as one ranks +Above ascetics, higher than the wise, +Beyond achievers of vast deeds! Be thou +Yogi Arjuna! And of such believe, +Truest and best is he who worships Me +With inmost soul, stayed on My Mystery! + +HERE ENDETH CHAPTER VI. OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, +Entitled "Atmasanyamayog," +Or "The Book of Religion by Self-Restraint." + +CHAPTER VII + +Krishna. +Learn now, dear Prince! how, if thy soul be set +Ever on Me--still exercising Yog, +Still making Me thy Refuge--thou shalt come +Most surely unto perfect hold of Me. +I will declare to thee that utmost lore, +Whole and particular, which, when thou knowest, +Leaveth no more to know here in this world. + +Of many thousand mortals, one, perchance, +Striveth for Truth; and of those few that strive-- +Nay, and rise high--one only--here and there-- +Knoweth Me, as I am, the very Truth. + +Earth, water, flame, air, ether, life, and mind, +And individuality--those eight +Make up the showing of Me, Manifest. + +These be my lower Nature; learn the higher, +Whereby, thou Valiant One! this Universe +Is, by its principle of life, produced; +Whereby the worlds of visible things are born +As from a Yoni. Know! I am that womb: +I make and I unmake this Universe: +Than me there is no other Master, Prince! +No other Maker! All these hang on me +As hangs a row of pearls upon its string. +I am the fresh taste of the water; I +The silver of the moon, the gold o' the sun, +The word of worship in the Veds, the thrill +That passeth in the ether, and the strength +Of man's shed seed. I am the good sweet smell +Of the moistened earth, I am the fire's red light, +The vital air moving in all which moves, +The holiness of hallowed souls, the root +Undying, whence hath sprung whatever is; +The wisdom of the wise, the intellect +Of the informed, the greatness of the great. +The splendour of the splendid. Kunti's Son! +These am I, free from passion and desire; +Yet am I right desire in all who yearn, +Chief of the Bharatas! for all those moods, +Soothfast, or passionate, or ignorant, +Which Nature frames, deduce from me; but all +Are merged in me--not I in them! The world-- +Deceived by those three qualities of being-- +Wotteth not Me Who am outside them all, +Above them all, Eternal! Hard it is +To pierce that veil divine of various shows +Which hideth Me; yet they who worship Me +Pierce it and pass beyond. + +I am not known +To evil-doers, nor to foolish ones, +Nor to the base and churlish; nor to those +Whose mind is cheated by the show of things, +Nor those that take the way of Asuras.[FN#12] + +Four sorts of mortals know me: he who weeps, +Arjuna! and the man who yearns to know; +And he who toils to help; and he who sits +Certain of me, enlightened. + +Of these four, +O Prince of India! highest, nearest, best +That last is, the devout soul, wise, intent +Upon "The One." Dear, above all, am I +To him; and he is dearest unto me! +All four are good, and seek me; but mine own, +The true of heart, the faithful--stayed on me, +Taking me as their utmost blessedness, +They are not "mine,"but I--even I myself! +At end of many births to Me they come! +Yet hard the wise Mahatma is to find, +That man who sayeth, "All is Vasudev!"[FN#13] + +There be those, too, whose knowledge, turned aside +By this desire or that, gives them to serve +Some lower gods, with various rites, constrained +By that which mouldeth them. Unto all such-- +Worship what shrine they will, what shapes, in faith-- +'Tis I who give them faith! I am content! +The heart thus asking favour from its God, +Darkened but ardent, hath the end it craves, +The lesser blessing--but 'tis I who give! +Yet soon is withered what small fruit they reap: +Those men of little minds, who worship so, +Go where they worship, passing with their gods. +But Mine come unto me! Blind are the eyes +Which deem th' Unmanifested manifest, +Not comprehending Me in my true Self! +Imperishable, viewless, undeclared, +Hidden behind my magic veil of shows, +I am not seen by all; I am not known-- +Unborn and changeless--to the idle world. +But I, Arjuna! know all things which were, +And all which are, and all which are to be, +Albeit not one among them knoweth Me! + +By passion for the "pairs of opposites," +By those twain snares of Like and Dislike, Prince! +All creatures live bewildered, save some few +Who, quit of sins, holy in act, informed, +Freed from the "opposites,"and fixed in faith, +Cleave unto Me. + +Who cleave, who seek in Me +Refuge from birth[FN#14] and death, those have the Truth! +Those know Me BRAHMA; know Me Soul of Souls, +The ADHYATMAN; know KARMA, my work; +Know I am ADHIBHUTA, Lord of Life, +And ADHIDAIVA, Lord of all the Gods, +And ADHIYAJNA, Lord of Sacrifice; +Worship Me well, with hearts of love and faith, +And find and hold me in the hour of death. + +HERE ENDETH CHAPTER VII. OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, +Entitled "Vijnanayog," +Or "The Book of Religion by Discernment." + +CHAPTER VIII + +Arjuna. +Who is that BRAHMA? What that Soul of Souls, +The ADHYATMAN? What, Thou Best of All! +Thy work, the KARMA? Tell me what it is +Thou namest ADHIBHUTA? What again +Means ADHIDAIVA? Yea, and how it comes +Thou canst be ADHIYAJNA in thy flesh? +Slayer of Madhu! Further, make me know +How good men find thee in the hour of death? + +Krishna. +I BRAHMA am! the One Eternal GOD, +And ADHYATMAN is My Being's name, +The Soul of Souls! What goeth forth from Me, +Causing all life to live, is KARMA called: +And, Manifested in divided forms, +I am the ADHIBHUTA, Lord of Lives; +And ADHIDAIVA, Lord of all the Gods, +Because I am PURUSHA, who begets. +And ADHIYAJNA, Lord of Sacrifice, +I--speaking with thee in this body here-- +Am, thou embodied one! (for all the shrines +Flame unto Me!) And, at the hour of death, +He that hath meditated Me alone, +In putting off his flesh, comes forth to Me, +Enters into My Being--doubt thou not! +But, if he meditated otherwise +At hour of death, in putting off the flesh, +He goes to what he looked for, Kunti's Son! +Because the Soul is fashioned to its like. + +Have Me, then, in thy heart always! and fight! +Thou too, when heart and mind are fixed on Me, +Shalt surely come to Me! All come who cleave +With never-wavering will of firmest faith, +Owning none other Gods: all come to Me, +The Uttermost, Purusha, Holiest! + +Whoso hath known Me, Lord of sage and singer, + Ancient of days; of all the Three Worlds Stay, +Boundless,--but unto every atom Bringer + Of that which quickens it: whoso, I say, + +Hath known My form, which passeth mortal knowing; + Seen my effulgence--which no eye hath seen-- +Than the sun's burning gold more brightly glowing, + Dispersing darkness,--unto him hath been + +Right life! And, in the hour when life is ending, + With mind set fast and trustful piety, +Drawing still breath beneath calm brows unbending, + In happy peace that faithful one doth die,-- + +In glad peace passeth to Purusha's heaven. + The place which they who read the Vedas name +AKSHARAM, "Ultimate;" whereto have striven + Saints and ascetics--their road is the same. + +That way--the highest way--goes he who shuts +The gates of all his senses, locks desire +Safe in his heart, centres the vital airs +Upon his parting thought, steadfastly set; +And, murmuring OM, the sacred syllable-- +Emblem of BRAHM--dies, meditating Me. + +For who, none other Gods regarding, looks +Ever to Me, easily am I gained +By such a Yogi; and, attaining Me, +They fall not--those Mahatmas--back to birth, +To life, which is the place of pain, which ends, +But take the way of utmost blessedness. + +The worlds, Arjuna!--even Brahma's world-- +Roll back again from Death to Life's unrest; +But they, O Kunti's Son! that reach to Me, +Taste birth no more. If ye know Brahma's Day +Which is a thousand Yugas; if ye know +The thousand Yugas making Brahma's Night, +Then know ye Day and Night as He doth know! +When that vast Dawn doth break, th' Invisible +Is brought anew into the Visible; +When that deep Night doth darken, all which is +Fades back again to Him Who sent it forth; +Yea! this vast company of living things-- +Again and yet again produced--expires +At Brahma's Nightfall; and, at Brahma's Dawn, +Riseth, without its will, to life new-born. +But--higher, deeper, innermost--abides +Another Life, not like the life of sense, +Escaping sight, unchanging. This endures +When all created things have passed away: +This is that Life named the Unmanifest, +The Infinite! the All! the Uttermost. +Thither arriving none return. That Life +Is Mine, and I am there! And, Prince! by faith +Which wanders not, there is a way to come +Thither. I, the PURUSHA, I Who spread +The Universe around me--in Whom dwell +All living Things--may so be reached and seen! + +. . . . . . . . . . . . . . [FN#14] + +Richer than holy fruit on Vedas growing, + Greater than gifts, better than prayer or fast, +Such wisdom is! The Yogi, this way knowing, + Comes to the Utmost Perfect Peace at last. + +HERE ENDETH CHAPTER VIII. OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, +Entitled "Aksharaparabrahmayog," +Or "The book of Religion by Devotion to the One Supreme God." + +CHAPTER IX + + Krishna. +Now will I open unto thee--whose heart +Rejects not--that last lore, deepest-concealed, +That farthest secret of My Heavens and Earths, +Which but to know shall set thee free from ills,-- +A royal lore! a Kingly mystery! +Yea! for the soul such light as purgeth it +From every sin; a light of holiness +With inmost splendour shining; plain to see; +Easy to walk by, inexhaustible! + +They that receive not this, failing in faith +To grasp the greater wisdom, reach not Me, +Destroyer of thy foes! They sink anew +Into the realm of Flesh, where all things change! + +By Me the whole vast Universe of things +Is spread abroad;--by Me, the Unmanifest! +In Me are all existences contained; +Not I in them! + +Yet they are not contained, +Those visible things! Receive and strive to embrace +The mystery majestical! My Being-- +Creating all, sustaining all--still dwells +Outside of all! + +See! as the shoreless airs +Move in the measureless space, but are not space, +[And space were space without the moving airs]; +So all things are in Me, but are not I. + +At closing of each Kalpa, Indian Prince! +All things which be back to My Being come: +At the beginning of each Kalpa, all +Issue new-born from Me. + +By Energy +And help of Prakriti my outer Self, +Again, and yet again, I make go forth +The realms of visible things--without their will-- +All of them--by the power of Prakriti. + +Yet these great makings, Prince! involve Me not +Enchain Me not! I sit apart from them, +Other, and Higher, and Free; nowise attached! + +Thus doth the stuff of worlds, moulded by Me, +Bring forth all that which is, moving or still, +Living or lifeless! Thus the worlds go on! + +The minds untaught mistake Me, veiled in form;-- +Naught see they of My secret Presence, nought +Of My hid Nature, ruling all which lives. +Vain hopes pursuing, vain deeds doing; fed +On vainest knowledge, senselessly they seek +An evil way, the way of brutes and fiends. +But My Mahatmas, those of noble soul +Who tread the path celestial, worship Me +With hearts unwandering,--knowing Me the Source, +Th' Eternal Source, of Life. Unendingly +They glorify Me; seek Me; keep their vows +Of reverence and love, with changeless faith +Adoring Me. Yea, and those too adore, +Who, offering sacrifice of wakened hearts, +Have sense of one pervading Spirit's stress, +One Force in every place, though manifold! +I am the Sacrifice! I am the Prayer! +I am the Funeral-Cake set for the dead! +I am the healing herb! I am the ghee, +The Mantra, and the flame, and that which burns! +I am-of all this boundless Universe- +The Father, Mother, Ancestor, and Guard! +The end of Learning! That which purifies +In lustral water! I am OM! I am +Rig-Veda, Sama-Veda, Yajur-Ved; +The Way, the Fosterer, the Lord, the Judge, +The Witness; the Abode, the Refuge-House, +The Friend, the Fountain and the Sea of Life +Which sends, and swallows up; Treasure of Worlds +And Treasure-Chamber! Seed and Seed-Sower, +Whence endless harvests spring! Sun's heat is mine; +Heaven's rain is mine to grant or to withhold; +Death am I, and Immortal Life I am, +Arjuna! SAT and ASAT, Visible Life, +And Life Invisible! + +Yea! those who learn + The threefold Veds, who drink the Soma-wine, +Purge sins, pay sacrifice--from Me they earn + Passage to Swarga; where the meats divine + +Of great gods feed them in high Indra's heaven. + Yet they, when that prodigious joy is o'er, +Paradise spent, and wage for merits given, + Come to the world of death and change once more. + +They had their recompense! they stored their treasure, + Following the threefold Scripture and its writ; +Who seeketh such gaineth the fleeting pleasure + Of joy which comes and goes! I grant them it! + +But to those blessed ones who worship Me, +Turning not otherwhere, with minds set fast, +I bring assurance of full bliss beyond. + +Nay, and of hearts which follow other gods +In simple faith, their prayers arise to me, +O Kunti's Son! though they pray wrongfully; +For I am the Receiver and the Lord +Of every sacrifice, which these know not +Rightfully; so they fall to earth again! +Who follow gods go to their gods; who vow +Their souls to Pitris go to Pitris; minds +To evil Bhuts given o'er sink to the Bhuts; +And whoso loveth Me cometh to Me. +Whoso shall offer Me in faith and love +A leaf, a flower, a fruit, water poured forth, +That offering I accept, lovingly made +With pious will. Whate'er thou doest, Prince! +Eating or sacrificing, giving gifts, +Praying or fasting, let it all be done +For Me, as Mine. So shalt thou free thyself +From Karmabandh, the chain which holdeth men +To good and evil issue, so shalt come +Safe unto Me-when thou art quit of flesh-- +By faith and abdication joined to Me! + +I am alike for all! I know not hate, +I know not favour! What is made is Mine! +But them that worship Me with love, I love; +They are in Me, and I in them! + +Nay, Prince! +If one of evil life turn in his thought +Straightly to Me, count him amidst the good; +He hath the high way chosen; he shall grow +Righteous ere long; he shall attain that peace +Which changes not. Thou Prince of India! +Be certain none can perish, trusting Me! +O Pritha's Son! whoso will turn to Me, +Though they be born from the very womb of Sin, +Woman or man; sprung of the Vaisya caste +Or lowly disregarded Sudra,--all +Plant foot upon the highest path; how then +The holy Brahmans and My Royal Saints? +Ah! ye who into this ill world are come-- +Fleeting and false--set your faith fast on Me! +Fix heart and thought on Me! Adore Me! Bring +Offerings to Me! Make Me prostrations! Make +Me your supremest joy! and, undivided, +Unto My rest your spirits shall be guided. + +HERE ENDS CHAPTER IX. OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, +Entitled "Rajavidyarajaguhyayog," +Or "The Book of Religion by the Kingly Knowledge and the Kingly +Mystery." + +CHAPTER X + +Krishna.[FN#l6] +Hear farther yet, thou Long-Armed Lord! these latest words I say-- +Uttered to bring thee bliss and peace, who lovest Me alway-- +Not the great company of gods nor kingly Rishis know +My Nature, Who have made the gods and Rishis long ago; +He only knoweth-only he is free of sin, and wise, +Who seeth Me, Lord of the Worlds, with faith-enlightened eyes, +Unborn, undying, unbegun. Whatever Natures be +To mortal men distributed, those natures spring from Me! +Intellect, skill, enlightenment, endurance, self-control, +Truthfulness, equability, and grief or joy of soul, +And birth and death, and fearfulness, and fearlessness, and shame, +And honour, and sweet harmlessness,[FN#17] and peace which is the +same +Whate'er befalls, and mirth, and tears, and piety, and thrift, +And wish to give, and will to help,--all cometh of My gift! +The Seven Chief Saints, the Elders Four, the Lordly Manus set-- +Sharing My work--to rule the worlds, these too did I beget; +And Rishis, Pitris, Manus, all, by one thought of My mind; +Thence did arise, to fill this world, the races of mankind; +Wherefrom who comprehends My Reign of mystic Majesty-- +That truth of truths--is thenceforth linked in faultless faith to Me: +Yea! knowing Me the source of all, by Me all creatures wrought, +The wise in spirit cleave to Me, into My Being brought; +Hearts fixed on Me; breaths breathed to Me; praising Me, each to each, +So have they happiness and peace, with pious thought and speech; +And unto these--thus serving well, thus loving ceaselessly-- +I give a mind of perfect mood, whereby they draw to Me; +And, all for love of them, within their darkened souls I dwell, +And, with bright rays of wisdom's lamp, their ignorance dispel. + +Arjuna. +Yes! Thou art Parabrahm! The High Abode! +The Great Purification! Thou art God +Eternal, All-creating, Holy, First, +Without beginning! Lord of Lords and Gods! +Declared by all the Saints--by Narada, +Vyasa Asita, and Devalas; +And here Thyself declaring unto me! +What Thou hast said now know I to be truth, +O Kesava! that neither gods nor men +Nor demons comprehend Thy mystery +Made manifest, Divinest! Thou Thyself +Thyself alone dost know, Maker Supreme! +Master of all the living! Lord of Gods! +King of the Universe! To Thee alone +Belongs to tell the heavenly excellence +Of those perfections wherewith Thou dost fill +These worlds of Thine; Pervading, Immanent! +How shall I learn, Supremest Mystery! +To know Thee, though I muse continually? +Under what form of Thine unnumbered forms +Mayst Thou be grasped? Ah! yet again recount, +Clear and complete, Thy great appearances, +The secrets of Thy Majesty and Might, +Thou High Delight of Men! Never enough +Can mine ears drink the Amrit[FN#18] of such words! + +Krishna. +Hanta! So be it! Kuru Prince! I will to thee unfold +Some portions of My Majesty, whose powers are manifold! +I am the Spirit seated deep in every creature's heart; +From Me they come; by Me they live; at My word they depart! +Vishnu of the Adityas I am, those Lords of Light; +Maritchi of the Maruts, the Kings of Storm and Blight; +By day I gleam, the golden Sun of burning cloudless Noon; +By Night, amid the asterisms I glide, the dappled Moon! +Of Vedas I am Sama-Ved, of gods in Indra's Heaven +Vasava; of the faculties to living beings given +The mind which apprehends and thinks; of Rudras Sankara; +Of Yakshas and of Rakshasas, Vittesh; and Pavaka +Of Vasus, and of mountain-peaks Meru; Vrihaspati +Know Me 'mid planetary Powers; 'mid Warriors heavenly +Skanda; of all the water-floods the Sea which drinketh each, +And Bhrigu of the holy Saints, and OM of sacred speech; +Of prayers the prayer ye whisper;[FN#19] of hills Himala's snow, +And Aswattha, the fig-tree, of all the trees that grow; +Of the Devarshis, Narada; and Chitrarath of them +That sing in Heaven, and Kapila of Munis, and the gem +Of flying steeds, Uchchaisravas, from Amrit-wave which burst; +Of elephants Airavata; of males the Best and First; +Of weapons Heav'n's hot thunderbolt; of cows white Kamadhuk, +From whose great milky udder-teats all hearts' desires are strook; +Vasuki of the serpent-tribes, round Mandara entwined; +And thousand-fanged Ananta, on whose broad coils reclined +Leans Vishnu; and of water-things Varuna; Aryam +Of Pitris, and, of those that judge, Yama the Judge I am; +Of Daityas dread Prahlada; of what metes days and years, +Time's self I am; of woodland-beasts-buffaloes, deers, and bears- +The lordly-painted tiger; of birds the vast Garud, +The whirlwind 'mid the winds; 'mid chiefs Rama with blood imbrued, +Makar 'mid fishes of the sea, and Ganges 'mid the streams; +Yea! First, and Last, and Centre of all which is or seems +I am, Arjuna! Wisdom Supreme of what is wise, +Words on the uttering lips I am, and eyesight of the eyes, +And "A" of written characters, Dwandwa[FN#20] of knitted speech, +And Endless Life, and boundless Love, whose power sustaineth each; +And bitter Death which seizes all, and joyous sudden Birth, +Which brings to light all beings that are to be on earth; +And of the viewless virtues, Fame, Fortune, Song am I, +And Memory, and Patience; and Craft, and Constancy: +Of Vedic hymns the Vrihatsam, of metres Gayatri, +Of months the Margasirsha, of all the seasons three +The flower-wreathed Spring; in dicer's-play the conquering +Double-Eight; +The splendour of the splendid, and the greatness of the great, +Victory I am, and Action! and the goodness of the good, +And Vasudev of Vrishni's race, and of this Pandu brood +Thyself!--Yea, my Arjuna! thyself; for thou art Mine! +Of poets Usana, of saints Vyasa, sage divine; +The policy of conquerors, the potency of kings, +The great unbroken silence in learning's secret things; +The lore of all the learned, the seed of all which springs. +Living or lifeless, still or stirred, whatever beings be, +None of them is in all the worlds, but it exists by Me! +Nor tongue can tell, Arjuna! nor end of telling come +Of these My boundless glories, whereof I teach thee some; +For wheresoe'er is wondrous work, and majesty, and might, +From Me hath all proceeded. Receive thou this aright! +Yet how shouldst thou receive, O Prince! the vastness of this word? +I, who am all, and made it all, abide its separate Lord! + +HERE ENDETH CHAPTER X. OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, +Entitled "Vibhuti Yog," +Or "The Book of Religion by the Heavenly Perfections." + +CHAPTER XI + +Arjuna. +This, for my soul's peace, have I heard from Thee, +The unfolding of the Mystery Supreme +Named Adhyatman; comprehending which, +My darkness is dispelled; for now I know-- +O Lotus-eyed![FN#21]--whence is the birth of men, +And whence their death, and what the majesties +Of Thine immortal rule. Fain would I see, +As thou Thyself declar'st it, Sovereign Lord! +The likeness of that glory of Thy Form +Wholly revealed. O Thou Divinest One! +If this can be, if I may bear the sight, +Make Thyself visible, Lord of all prayers! +Show me Thy very self, the Eternal God! + +Krishna. +Gaze, then, thou Son of Pritha! I manifest for thee +Those hundred thousand thousand shapes that clothe my Mystery: +I show thee all my semblances, infinite, rich, divine, +My changeful hues, my countless forms. See! in this face of mine, +Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, Aswins, and Maruts; see +Wonders unnumbered, Indian Prince! revealed to none save thee. +Behold! this is the Universe!--Look! what is live and dead +I gather all in one--in Me! Gaze, as thy lips have said, +On GOD ETERNAL, VERY GOD! See Me! see what thou prayest! + +Thou canst not!--nor, with human eyes, Arjuna! ever mayest! +Therefore I give thee sense divine. Have other eyes, new light! +And, look! This is My glory, unveiled to mortal sight! + +Sanjaya. +Then, O King! the God, so saying, +Stood, to Pritha's Son displaying +All the splendour, wonder, dread +Of His vast Almighty-head. +Out of countless eyes beholding, +Out of countless mouths commanding, +Countless mystic forms enfolding +In one Form: supremely standing +Countless radiant glories wearing, +Countless heavenly weapons bearing, +Crowned with garlands of star-clusters, +Robed in garb of woven lustres, +Breathing from His perfect Presence +Breaths of every subtle essence +Of all heavenly odours; shedding +Blinding brilliance; overspreading-- +Boundless, beautiful--all spaces +With His all-regarding faces; +So He showed! If there should rise +Suddenly within the skies +Sunburst of a thousand suns +Flooding earth with beams undeemed-of, +Then might be that Holy One's +Majesty and radiance dreamed of! + +So did Pandu's Son behold +All this universe enfold +All its huge diversity +Into one vast shape, and be +Visible, and viewed, and blended +In one Body--subtle, splendid, +Nameless--th' All-comprehending +God of Gods, the Never-Ending +Deity! + +But, sore amazed, +Thrilled, o'erfilled, dazzled, and dazed, +Arjuna knelt; and bowed his head, +And clasped his palms; and cried, and said: + +Arjuna. +Yea! I have seen! I see! +Lord! all is wrapped in Thee! +The gods are in Thy glorious frame! the creatures +Of earth, and heaven, and hell +In Thy Divine form dwell, +And in Thy countenance shine all the features + +Of Brahma, sitting lone +Upon His lotus-throne; +Of saints and sages, and the serpent races +Ananta, Vasuki; +Yea! mightiest Lord! I see +Thy thousand thousand arms, and breasts, and faces, +And eyes,--on every side +Perfect, diversified; +And nowhere end of Thee, nowhere beginning, +Nowhere a centre! Shifts-- +Wherever soul's gaze lifts-- +Thy central Self, all-wielding, and all-winning! + +Infinite King! I see +The anadem on Thee, +The club, the shell, the discus; see Thee burning +In beams insufferable, +Lighting earth, heaven, and hell +With brilliance blazing, glowing, flashing; turning + +Darkness to dazzling day, +Look I whichever way; +Ah, Lord! I worship Thee, the Undivided, +The Uttermost of thought, +The Treasure-Palace wrought +To hold the wealth of the worlds; the Shield provided + +To shelter Virtue's laws; +The Fount whence Life's stream draws +All waters of all rivers of all being: +The One Unborn, Unending: +Unchanging and Unblending! +With might and majesty, past thought, past seeing! + +Silver of moon and gold +Of sun are glories rolled +From Thy great eyes; Thy visage, beaming tender +Throughout the stars and skies, +Doth to warm life surprise +Thy Universe. The worlds are filled with wonder + +Of Thy perfections! Space +Star-sprinkled, and void place +From pole to pole of the Blue, from bound to bound, +Hath Thee in every spot, +Thee, Thee!--Where Thou art not, +O Holy, Marvellous Form! is nowhere found! + +O Mystic, Awful One! +At sight of Thee, made known, +The Three Worlds quake; the lower gods draw nigh Thee; +They fold their palms, and bow +Body, and breast, and brow, +And, whispering worship, laud and magnify Thee! + +Rishis and Siddhas cry +"Hail! Highest Majesty!" +From sage and singer breaks the hymn of glory +In dulcet harmony, +Sounding the praise of Thee; +While countless companies take up the story, + +Rudras, who ride the storms, +Th' Adityas' shining forms, +Vasus and Sadhyas, Viswas, Ushmapas; +Maruts, and those great Twins +The heavenly, fair, Aswins, +Gandharvas, Rakshasas, Siddhas, and Asuras,[FN#22]-- + +These see Thee, and revere +In sudden-stricken fear; +Yea! the Worlds,--seeing Thee with form stupendous, +With faces manifold, +With eyes which all behold, +Unnumbered eyes, vast arms, members tremendous, + +Flanks, lit with sun and star, +Feet planted near and far, +Tushes of terror, mouths wrathful and tender;-- +The Three wide Worlds before Thee +Adore, as I adore Thee, +Quake, as I quake, to witness so much splendour! + +I mark Thee strike the skies +With front, in wondrous wise +Huge, rainbow-painted, glittering; and thy mouth +Opened, and orbs which see +All things, whatever be +In all Thy worlds, east, west, and north and south. + +O Eyes of God! O Head! +My strength of soul is fled, +Gone is heart's force, rebuked is mind's desire! +When I behold Thee so, +With awful brows a-glow, +With burning glance, and lips lighted by fire + +Fierce as those flames which shall +Consume, at close of all, +Earth, Heaven! Ah me! I see no Earth and Heaven! +Thee, Lord of Lords! I see, +Thee only-only Thee! +Now let Thy mercy unto me be given, + +Thou Refuge of the World! +Lo! to the cavern hurled +Of Thy wide-opened throat, and lips white-tushed, +I see our noblest ones, +Great Dhritarashtra's sons, +Bhishma, Drona, and Karna, caught and crushed! + +The Kings and Chiefs drawn in, +That gaping gorge within; +The best of both these armies torn and riven! +Between Thy jaws they lie +Mangled full bloodily, +Ground into dust and death! Like streams down-driven + +With helpless haste, which go +In headlong furious flow +Straight to the gulfing deeps of th' unfilled ocean, +So to that flaming cave +Those heroes great and brave +Pour, in unending streams, with helpless motion! + +Like moths which in the night +Flutter towards a light, +Drawn to their fiery doom, flying and dying, +So to their death still throng, +Blind, dazzled, borne along +Ceaselessly, all those multitudes, wild flying! + +Thou, that hast fashioned men, +Devourest them again, +One with another, great and small, alike! +The creatures whom Thou mak'st, +With flaming jaws Thou tak'st, +Lapping them up! Lord God! Thy terrors strike + +From end to end of earth, +Filling life full, from birth +To death, with deadly, burning, lurid dread! +Ah, Vishnu! make me know +Why is Thy visage so? +Who art Thou, feasting thus upon Thy dead? + +Who? awful Deity! +I bow myself to Thee, +Namostu Te, Devavara! Prasid![FN#23] +O Mightiest Lord! rehearse +Why hast Thou face so fierce? +Whence doth this aspect horrible proceed? + +Krishna. +Thou seest Me as Time who kills, +Time who brings all to doom, +The Slayer Time, Ancient of Days, come hither to consume; +Excepting thee, of all these hosts of hostile chiefs arrayed, +There stands not one shall leave alive the battlefield! Dismayed +No longer be! Arise! obtain renown! destroy thy foes! +Fight for the kingdom waiting thee when thou hast vanquished those. +By Me they fall--not thee! the stroke of death is dealt them now, +Even as they show thus gallantly; My instrument art thou! +Strike, strong-armed Prince, at Drona! at Bhishma strike! deal death +On Karna, Jyadratha; stay all their warlike breath! +'Tis I who bid them perish! Thou wilt but slay the slain; +Fight! they must fall, and thou must live, victor upon this plain! + +Sanjaya. +Hearing mighty Keshav's word, +Tremblingly that helmed Lord +Clasped his lifted palms, and--praying +Grace of Krishna--stood there, saying, +With bowed brow and accents broken, +These words, timorously spoken: + +Arjuna. +Worthily, Lord of Might! +The whole world hath delight +In Thy surpassing power, obeying Thee; +The Rakshasas, in dread +At sight of Thee, are sped +To all four quarters; and the company + +Of Siddhas sound Thy name. +How should they not proclaim +Thy Majesties, Divinest, Mightiest? +Thou Brahm, than Brahma greater! +Thou Infinite Creator! +Thou God of gods, Life's Dwelling-place and Rest! + +Thou, of all souls the Soul! +The Comprehending Whole! +Of being formed, and formless being the Framer; +O Utmost One! O Lord! +Older than eld, Who stored +The worlds with wealth of life! O Treasure-Claimer, + +Who wottest all, and art +Wisdom Thyself! O Part +In all, and All; for all from Thee have risen +Numberless now I see +The aspects are of Thee! +Vayu[FN#24] Thou art, and He who keeps the prison + +Of Narak, Yama dark; +And Agni's shining spark; +Varuna's waves are Thy waves. Moon and starlight +Are Thine! Prajapati +Art Thou, and 'tis to Thee +They knelt in worshipping the old world's far light, + +The first of mortal men. +Again, Thou God! again +A thousand thousand times be magnified! +Honour and worship be-- +Glory and praise,--to Thee +Namo, Namaste, cried on every side; + +Cried here, above, below, +Uttered when Thou dost go, +Uttered where Thou dost come! Namo! we call; +Namostu! God adored! +Namostu! Nameless Lord! +Hail to Thee! Praise to Thee! Thou One in all; + +For Thou art All! Yea, Thou! +Ah! if in anger now +Thou shouldst remember I did think Thee Friend, +Speaking with easy speech, +As men use each to each; +Did call Thee "Krishna," "Prince," nor comprehend + +Thy hidden majesty, +The might, the awe of Thee; +Did, in my heedlessness, or in my love, +On journey, or in jest, +Or when we lay at rest, +Sitting at council, straying in the grove, + +Alone, or in the throng, +Do Thee, most Holy! wrong, +Be Thy grace granted for that witless sin! +For Thou art, now I know, +Father of all below, +Of all above, of all the worlds within + +Guru of Gurus; more +To reverence and adore +Than all which is adorable and high! +How, in the wide worlds three +Should any equal be? +Should any other share Thy Majesty? + +Therefore, with body bent +And reverent intent, +I praise, and serve, and seek Thee, asking grace. +As father to a son, +As friend to friend, as one +Who loveth to his lover, turn Thy face + +In gentleness on me! +Good is it I did see +This unknown marvel of Thy Form! But fear +Mingles with joy! Retake, +Dear Lord! for pity's sake +Thine earthly shape, which earthly eyes may bear! + +Be merciful, and show +The visage that I know; +Let me regard Thee, as of yore, arrayed +With disc and forehead-gem, +With mace and anadem, +Thou that sustainest all things! Undismayed + +Let me once more behold +The form I loved of old, +Thou of the thousand arms and countless eyes! +This frightened heart is fain +To see restored again +My Charioteer, in Krishna's kind disguise. + +Krishna. +Yea! thou hast seen, Arjuna! because I loved thee well, +The secret countenance of Me, revealed by mystic spell, +Shining, and wonderful, and vast, majestic, manifold, +Which none save thou in all the years had favour to behold; +For not by Vedas cometh this, nor sacrifice, nor alms, +Nor works well-done, nor penance long, nor prayers, nor chaunted +psalms, +That mortal eyes should bear to view the Immortal Soul unclad, +Prince of the Kurus! This was kept for thee alone! Be glad! +Let no more trouble shake thy heart, because thine eyes have seen +My terror with My glory. As I before have been +So will I be again for thee; with lightened heart behold! +Once more I am thy Krishna, the form thou knew'st of old! + +Sanjaya. +These words to Arjuna spake +Vasudev, and straight did take +Back again the semblance dear +Of the well-loved charioteer; +Peace and joy it did restore +When the Prince beheld once more +Mighty BRAHMA's form and face +Clothed in Krishna's gentle grace. + +Arjuna. +Now that I see come back, Janardana! +This friendly human frame, my mind can think +Calm thoughts once more; my heart beats still again! + +Krishna. +Yea! it was wonderful and terrible +To view me as thou didst, dear Prince! The gods +Dread and desire continually to view! +Yet not by Vedas, nor from sacrifice, +Nor penance, nor gift-giving, nor with prayer +Shall any so behold, as thou hast seen! +Only by fullest service, perfect faith, +And uttermost surrender am I known +And seen, and entered into, Indian Prince! +Who doeth all for Me; who findeth Me +In all; adoreth always; loveth all +Which I have made, and Me, for Love's sole end +That man, Arjuna! unto Me doth wend. + +HERE ENDETH CHAPTER XI. OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, +Entitled "Viswarupadarsanam," +Or "The Book of the Manifesting of the One and Manifold." + +CHAPTER XII + +Arjuna. +Lord! of the men who serve Thee--true in heart-- +As God revealed; and of the men who serve, +Worshipping Thee Unrevealed, Unbodied, Far, +Which take the better way of faith and life? + +Krishna. +Whoever serve Me--as I show Myself-- +Constantly true, in full devotion fixed, +Those hold I very holy. But who serve-- +Worshipping Me The One, The Invisible, +The Unrevealed, Unnamed, Unthinkable, +Uttermost, All-pervading, Highest, Sure-- +Who thus adore Me, mastering their sense, +Of one set mind to all, glad in all good, +These blessed souls come unto Me. + +Yet, hard +The travail is for such as bend their minds +To reach th' Unmanifest That viewless path +Shall scarce be trod by man bearing the flesh! +But whereso any doeth all his deeds +Renouncing self for Me, full of Me, fixed +To serve only the Highest, night and day +Musing on Me--him will I swiftly lift +Forth from life's ocean of distress and death, +Whose soul clings fast to Me. Cling thou to Me! +Clasp Me with heart and mind! so shalt thou dwell +Surely with Me on high. But if thy thought +Droops from such height; if thou be'st weak to set +Body and soul upon Me constantly, +Despair not! give Me lower service! seek +To reach Me, worshipping with steadfast will; +And, if thou canst not worship steadfastly, +Work for Me, toil in works pleasing to Me! +For he that laboureth right for love of Me +Shall finally attain! But, if in this +Thy faint heart fails, bring Me thy failure! find +Refuge in Me! let fruits of labour go, +Renouncing hope for Me, with lowliest heart, +So shalt thou come; for, though to know is more +Than diligence, yet worship better is +Than knowing, and renouncing better still. +Near to renunciation--very near-- +Dwelleth Eternal Peace! + +Who hateth nought +Of all which lives, living himself benign, +Compassionate, from arrogance exempt, +Exempt from love of self, unchangeable +By good or ill; patient, contented, firm +In faith, mastering himself, true to his word, +Seeking Me, heart and soul; vowed unto Me,-- +That man I love! Who troubleth not his kind, +And is not troubled by them; clear of wrath, +Living too high for gladness, grief, or fear, +That man I love! Who, dwelling quiet-eyed,[FN#25] +Stainless, serene, well-balanced, unperplexed, +Working with Me, yet from all works detached, +That man I love! Who, fixed in faith on Me, +Dotes upon none, scorns none; rejoices not, +And grieves not, letting good or evil hap +Light when it will, and when it will depart, +That man I love! Who, unto friend and foe +Keeping an equal heart, with equal mind +Bears shame and glory; with an equal peace +Takes heat and cold, pleasure and pain; abides +Quit of desires, hears praise or calumny +In passionless restraint, unmoved by each; +Linked by no ties to earth, steadfast in Me, +That man I love! But most of all I love +Those happy ones to whom 'tis life to live +In single fervid faith and love unseeing, +Drinking the blessed Amrit of my Being! + +HERE ENDETH CHAPTER XII. OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, +Entitled "Bhaktiyog," +Or"The Book of the Religion of Faith." + +CHAPTER XIII + +Arjuna. +Now would I hear, O gracious Kesava![FN#26] +Of Life which seems, and Soul beyond, which sees, +And what it is we know-or think to know. + +Krishna. +Yea! Son of Kunti! for this flesh ye see +Is Kshetra, is the field where Life disports; +And that which views and knows it is the Soul, +Kshetrajna. In all "fields," thou Indian prince! +I am Kshetrajna. I am what surveys! +Only that knowledge knows which knows the known +By the knower![FN#27] What it is, that "field" of life, +What qualities it hath, and whence it is, +And why it changeth, and the faculty +That wotteth it, the mightiness of this, +And how it wotteth-hear these things from Me! + +. . . . . . . . . . . .[FN#28] + + +The elements, the conscious life, the mind, +The unseen vital force, the nine strange gates +Of the body, and the five domains of sense; +Desire, dislike, pleasure and pain, and thought +Deep-woven, and persistency of being; +These all are wrought on Matter by the Soul! + +Humbleness, truthfulness, and harmlessness, +Patience and honour, reverence for the wise. +Purity, constancy, control of self, +Contempt of sense-delights, self-sacrifice, +Perception of the certitude of ill +In birth, death, age, disease, suffering, and sin; +Detachment, lightly holding unto home, +Children, and wife, and all that bindeth men; +An ever-tranquil heart in fortunes good +And fortunes evil, with a will set firm +To worship Me--Me only! ceasing not; +Loving all solitudes, and shunning noise +Of foolish crowds; endeavours resolute +To reach perception of the Utmost Soul, +And grace to understand what gain it were +So to attain,--this is true Wisdom, Prince! +And what is otherwise is ignorance! + +Now will I speak of knowledge best to know- +That Truth which giveth man Amrit to drink, +The Truth of HIM, the Para-Brahm, the All, +The Uncreated;; not Asat, not Sat, +Not Form, nor the Unformed; yet both, and more;-- +Whose hands are everywhere, and everywhere +Planted His feet, and everywhere His eyes +Beholding, and His ears in every place +Hearing, and all His faces everywhere +Enlightening and encompassing His worlds. +Glorified in the senses He hath given, +Yet beyond sense He is; sustaining all, +Yet dwells He unattached: of forms and modes +Master, yet neither form nor mode hath He; +He is within all beings--and without-- +Motionless, yet still moving; not discerned +For subtlety of instant presence; close +To all, to each; yet measurelessly far! +Not manifold, and yet subsisting still +In all which lives; for ever to be known +As the Sustainer, yet, at the End of Times, +He maketh all to end--and re-creates. +The Light of Lights He is, in the heart of the Dark +Shining eternally. Wisdom He is +And Wisdom's way, and Guide of all the wise, +Planted in every heart. + +So have I told +Of Life's stuff, and the moulding, and the lore +To comprehend. Whoso, adoring Me, +Perceiveth this, shall surely come to Me! + +Know thou that Nature and the Spirit both +Have no beginning! Know that qualities +And changes of them are by Nature wrought; +That Nature puts to work the acting frame, +But Spirit doth inform it, and so cause +Feeling of pain and pleasure. Spirit, linked +To moulded matter, entereth into bond +With qualities by Nature framed, and, thus +Married to matter, breeds the birth again +In good or evil yonis.[FN#29] + +Yet is this +Yea! in its bodily prison!--Spirit pure, +Spirit supreme; surveying, governing, +Guarding, possessing; Lord and Master still +PURUSHA, Ultimate, One Soul with Me. + +Whoso thus knows himself, and knows his soul +PURUSHA, working through the qualities +With Nature's modes, the light hath come for him! +Whatever flesh he bears, never again +Shall he take on its load. Some few there be +By meditation find the Soul in Self +Self-schooled; and some by long philosophy +And holy life reach thither; some by works: +Some, never so attaining, hear of light +From other lips, and seize, and cleave to it +Worshipping; yea! and those--to teaching true-- +Overpass Death! + +Wherever, Indian Prince! +Life is--of moving things, or things unmoved, +Plant or still seed--know, what is there hath grown +By bond of Matter and of Spirit: Know +He sees indeed who sees in all alike +The living, lordly Soul; the Soul Supreme, +Imperishable amid the Perishing: +For, whoso thus beholds, in every place, +In every form, the same, one, Living Life, +Doth no more wrongfulness unto himself, +But goes the highest road which brings to bliss. +Seeing, he sees, indeed, who sees that works +Are Nature's wont, for Soul to practise by +Acting, yet not the agent; sees the mass +Of separate living things--each of its kind-- +Issue from One, and blend again to One: +Then hath he BRAHMA, he attains! + +O Prince! +That Ultimate, High Spirit, Uncreate, +Unqualified, even when it entereth flesh +Taketh no stain of acts, worketh in nought! +Like to th'' ethereal air, pervading all, +Which, for sheer subtlety, avoideth taint, +The subtle Soul sits everywhere, unstained: +Like to the light of the all-piercing sun +[Which is not changed by aught it shines upon,] +The Soul's light shineth pure in every place; +And they who, by such eye of wisdom, see +How Matter, and what deals with it, divide; +And how the Spirit and the flesh have strife, +Those wise ones go the way which leads to Life! + +HERE ENDS CHAPTER XIII. OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, +Entitled "Kshetrakshetrajnavibhagayog," +Or "The Book of Religion by Separation of Matter and Spirit." + +CHAPTER XIV + +Krishna. +Yet farther will I open unto thee +This wisdom of all wisdoms, uttermost, +The which possessing, all My saints have passed +To perfectness. On such high verities +Reliant, rising into fellowship +With Me, they are not born again at birth +Of Kalpas, nor at Pralyas suffer change! + +This Universe the womb is where I plant +Seed of all lives! Thence, Prince of India, comes +Birth to all beings! Whoso, Kunti's Son! +Mothers each mortal form, Brahma conceives, +And I am He that fathers, sending seed! + +Sattwan, Rajas, and Tamas, so are named +The qualities of Nature, "Soothfastness," +"Passion," and "Ignorance." These three bind down +The changeless Spirit in the changeful flesh. +Whereof sweet "Soothfastness," by purity +Living unsullied and enlightened, binds +The sinless Soul to happiness and truth; +And Passion, being kin to appetite, +And breeding impulse and propensity, +Binds the embodied Soul, O Kunti's Son! +By tie of works. But Ignorance, begot +Of Darkness, blinding mortal men, binds down +Their souls to stupor, sloth, and drowsiness. +Yea, Prince of India! Soothfastness binds souls +In pleasant wise to flesh; and Passion binds +By toilsome strain; but Ignorance, which blots +The beams of wisdom, binds the soul to sloth. +Passion and Ignorance, once overcome, +Leave Soothfastness, O Bharata! Where this +With Ignorance are absent, Passion rules; +And Ignorance in hearts not good nor quick. +When at all gateways of the Body shines +The Lamp of Knowledge, then may one see well +Soothfastness settled in that city reigns; +Where longing is, and ardour, and unrest, +Impulse to strive and gain, and avarice, +Those spring from Passion--Prince!--engrained; and where +Darkness and dulness, sloth and stupor are, +'Tis Ignorance hath caused them, Kuru Chief! + +Moreover, when a soul departeth, fixed +In Soothfastness, it goeth to the place-- +Perfect and pure--of those that know all Truth. +If it departeth in set habitude +Of Impulse, it shall pass into the world +Of spirits tied to works; and, if it dies +In hardened Ignorance, that blinded soul +Is born anew in some unlighted womb. + +The fruit of Soothfastness is true and sweet; +The fruit of lusts is pain and toil; the fruit +Of Ignorance is deeper darkness. Yea! +For Light brings light, and Passion ache to have; +And gloom, bewilderments, and ignorance +Grow forth from Ignorance. Those of the first +Rise ever higher; those of the second mode +Take a mid place; the darkened souls sink back +To lower deeps, loaded with witlessness! + +When, watching life, the living man perceives +The only actors are the Qualities, +And knows what rules beyond the Qualities, +Then is he come nigh unto Me! + +The Soul, +Thus passing forth from the Three Qualities-- +Whereby arise all bodies--overcomes +Birth, Death, Sorrow, and Age; and drinketh deep +The undying wine of Amrit. + +Arjuna. +Oh, my Lord! +Which be the signs to know him that hath gone +Past the Three Modes? How liveth he? What way +Leadeth him safe beyond the threefold Modes? + +Krishna. +He who with equanimity surveys +Lustre of goodness, strife of passion, sloth +Of ignorance, not angry if they are, +Not wishful when they are not: he who sits +A sojourner and stranger in their midst +Unruffled, standing off, saying--serene-- +When troubles break, "These be the Qualities!" +He unto whom--self-centred--grief and joy +Sound as one word; to whose deep-seeing eyes +The clod, the marble, and the gold are one; +Whose equal heart holds the same gentleness +For lovely and unlovely things, firm-set, +Well-pleased in praise and dispraise; satisfied +With honour or dishonour; unto friends +And unto foes alike in tolerance; +Detached from undertakings,--he is named +Surmounter of the Qualities! + +And such-- +With single, fervent faith adoring Me, +Passing beyond the Qualities, conforms +To Brahma, and attains Me! + +For I am +That whereof Brahma is the likeness! Mine +The Amrit is; and Immortality +Is mine; and mine perfect Felicity! + +HERE ENDS CHAPTER XIV. OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA +Entitled "Gunatrayavibhagayog," +Or "The Book of Religion by Separation from the Qualities." + +CHAPTER XV + +Krishna. +Men call the Aswattha,--the Banyan-tree,-- +Which hath its boughs beneath, its roots above,-- +The ever-holy tree. Yea! for its leaves +Are green and waving hymns which whisper Truth! +Who knows the Aswattha, knows Veds, and all. + +Its branches shoot to heaven and sink to earth,[FN#30] +Even as the deeds of men, which take their birth + From qualities: its silver sprays and blooms, +And all the eager verdure of its girth, +Leap to quick life at kiss of sun and air, +As men's lives quicken to the temptings fair + Of wooing sense: its hanging rootlets seek +The soil beneath, helping to hold it there, + +As actions wrought amid this world of men +Bind them by ever-tightening bonds again. + If ye knew well the teaching of the Tree, +What its shape saith; and whence it springs; and, then + +How it must end, and all the ills of it, +The axe of sharp Detachment ye would whet, + And cleave the clinging snaky roots, and lay +This Aswattha of sense-life low,--to set + +New growths upspringing to that happier sky,-- +Which they who reach shall have no day to die, + Nor fade away, nor fall--to Him, I mean, +FATHER and FIRST, Who made the mystery + +Of old Creation; for to Him come they +From passion and from dreams who break away; + Who part the bonds constraining them to flesh, +And,--Him, the Highest, worshipping alway-- + +No longer grow at mercy of what breeze +Of summer pleasure stirs the sleeping trees, + What blast of tempest tears them, bough and stem +To the eternal world pass such as these! + +Another Sun gleams there! another Moon! +Another Light,--not Dusk, nor Dawn, nor Noon-- + Which they who once behold return no more; +They have attained My rest, life's Utmost boon! + +When, in this world of manifested life, +The undying Spirit, setting forth from Me, +Taketh on form, it draweth to itself +From Being's storehouse,--which containeth all,-- +Senses and intellect. The Sovereign Soul +Thus entering the flesh, or quitting it, +Gathers these up, as the wind gathers scents, +Blowing above the flower-beds. Ear and Eye, +And Touch and Taste, and Smelling, these it takes,-- +Yea, and a sentient mind;--linking itself +To sense-things so. + +The unenlightened ones +Mark not that Spirit when he goes or comes, +Nor when he takes his pleasure in the form, +Conjoined with qualities; but those see plain +Who have the eyes to see. Holy souls see +Which strive thereto. Enlightened, they perceive +That Spirit in themselves; but foolish ones, +Even though they strive, discern not, having hearts +Unkindled, ill-informed! + +Know, too, from Me +Shineth the gathered glory of the suns +Which lighten all the world: from Me the moons +Draw silvery beams, and fire fierce loveliness. +I penetrate the clay, and lend all shapes +Their living force; I glide into the plant-- +Root, leaf, and bloom--to make the woodlands green +With springing sap. Becoming vital warmth, +I glow in glad, respiring frames, and pass, +With outward and with inward breath, to feed +The body by all meats.[FN#31] + +For in this world +Being is twofold: the Divided, one; +The Undivided, one. All things that live +Are "the Divided." That which sits apart, +"The Undivided." + +Higher still is He, +The Highest, holding all, whose Name is LORD, +The Eternal, Sovereign, First! Who fills all worlds, +Sustaining them. And--dwelling thus beyond +Divided Being and Undivided--I +Am called of men and Vedas, Life Supreme, +The PURUSHOTTAMA. + +Who knows Me thus, +With mind unclouded, knoweth all, dear Prince! +And with his whole soul ever worshippeth Me. + + +Now is the sacred, secret Mystery +Declared to thee! Who comprehendeth this +Hath wisdom! He is quit of works in bliss! + +HERE ENDS CHAPTER XV. OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA +Entitled "Purushottamapraptiyog," +Or "The Book of Religion by attaining the Supreme." + +CHAPTER XVI + +Krishna. +Fearlessness, singleness of soul, the will +Always to strive for wisdom; opened hand +And governed appetites; and piety, +And love of lonely study; humbleness, +Uprightness, heed to injure nought which lives, +Truthfulness, slowness unto wrath, a mind +That lightly letteth go what others prize; +And equanimity, and charity +Which spieth no man's faults; and tenderness +Towards all that suffer; a contented heart, +Fluttered by no desires; a bearing mild, +Modest, and grave, with manhood nobly mixed, +With patience, fortitude, and purity; +An unrevengeful spirit, never given +To rate itself too high;--such be the signs, +O Indian Prince! of him whose feet are set +On that fair path which leads to heavenly birth! + +Deceitfulness, and arrogance, and pride, +Quickness to anger, harsh and evil speech, +And ignorance, to its own darkness blind,-- +These be the signs, My Prince! of him whose birth +Is fated for the regions of the vile.[FN#32] + +The Heavenly Birth brings to deliverance, +So should'st thou know! The birth with Asuras +Brings into bondage. Be thou joyous, Prince! +Whose lot is set apart for heavenly Birth. + +Two stamps there are marked on all living men, +Divine and Undivine; I spake to thee +By what marks thou shouldst know the Heavenly Man, +Hear from me now of the Unheavenly! + +They comprehend not, the Unheavenly, +How Souls go forth from Me; nor how they come +Back unto Me: nor is there Truth in these, +Nor purity, nor rule of Life. "This world +Hath not a Law, nor Order, nor a Lord," +So say they: "nor hath risen up by Cause +Following on Cause, in perfect purposing, +But is none other than a House of Lust." +And, this thing thinking, all those ruined ones-- +Of little wit, dark-minded--give themselves +To evil deeds, the curses of their kind. +Surrendered to desires insatiable, +Full of deceitfulness, folly, and pride, +In blindness cleaving to their errors, caught +Into the sinful course, they trust this lie +As it were true--this lie which leads to death-- +Finding in Pleasure all the good which is, +And crying "Here it finisheth!" + +Ensnared +In nooses of a hundred idle hopes, +Slaves to their passion and their wrath, they buy +Wealth with base deeds, to glut hot appetites; +"Thus much, to-day," they say, "we gained! thereby +Such and such wish of heart shall have its fill; +And this is ours! and th' other shall be ours! +To-day we slew a foe, and we will slay +Our other enemy to-morrow! Look! +Are we not lords? Make we not goodly cheer? +Is not our fortune famous, brave, and great? +Rich are we, proudly born! What other men +Live like to us? Kill, then, for sacrifice! +Cast largesse, and be merry!" So they speak +Darkened by ignorance; and so they fall-- +Tossed to and fro with projects, tricked, and bound +In net of black delusion, lost in lusts-- +Down to foul Naraka. Conceited, fond, +Stubborn and proud, dead-drunken with the wine +Of wealth, and reckless, all their offerings +Have but a show of reverence, being not made +In piety of ancient faith. Thus vowed +To self-hood, force, insolence, feasting, wrath, +These My blasphemers, in the forms they wear +And in the forms they breed, my foemen are, +Hateful and hating; cruel, evil, vile, +Lowest and least of men, whom I cast down +Again, and yet again, at end of lives, +Into some devilish womb, whence--birth by birth-- +The devilish wombs re-spawn them, all beguiled; +And, till they find and worship Me, sweet Prince! +Tread they that Nether Road. + +The Doors of Hell +Are threefold, whereby men to ruin pass,-- +The door of Lust, the door of Wrath, the door +Of Avarice. Let a man shun those three! +He who shall turn aside from entering +All those three gates of Narak, wendeth straight +To find his peace, and comes to Swarga's gate. + +. . . . . . . . . . . .[FN#33] + +HERE ENDETH CHAPTER XVI. OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, +Entitled "Daivasarasaupadwibhagayog," +Or "The Book of the Separateness of the Divine and Undivine." + +CHAPTER XVII + +Arjuna. +If men forsake the holy ordinance, +Heedless of Shastras, yet keep faith at heart +And worship, what shall be the state of those, +Great Krishna! Sattwan, Rajas, Tamas? Say! + +Krishna. +Threefold the faith is of mankind and springs +From those three qualities,--becoming "true," +Or "passion-stained," or "dark," as thou shalt hear! + +The faith of each believer, Indian Prince! +Conforms itself to what he truly is. +Where thou shalt see a worshipper, that one +To what he worships lives assimilate, +[Such as the shrine, so is the votary,] +The "soothfast" souls adore true gods; the souls +Obeying Rajas worship Rakshasas[FN#34] +Or Yakshas; and the men of Darkness pray +To Pretas and to Bhutas.[FN#35] Yea, and those +Who practise bitter penance, not enjoined +By rightful rule--penance which hath its root +In self-sufficient, proud hypocrisies-- +Those men, passion-beset, violent, wild, +Torturing--the witless ones--My elements +Shut in fair company within their flesh, +(Nay, Me myself, present within the flesh!) +Know them to devils devoted, not to Heaven! +For like as foods are threefold for mankind +In nourishing, so is there threefold way +Of worship, abstinence, and almsgiving! +Hear this of Me! there is a food which brings +Force, substance, strength, and health, and joy to live, +Being well-seasoned, cordial, comforting, +The "Soothfast" meat. And there be foods which bring +Aches and unrests, and burning blood, and grief, +Being too biting, heating, salt, and sharp, +And therefore craved by too strong appetite. +And there is foul food--kept from over-night,[FN#36] +Savourless, filthy, which the foul will eat, +A feast of rottenness, meet for the lips +Of such as love the "Darkness." + +Thus with rites;-- +A sacrifice not for rewardment made, +Offered in rightful wise, when he who vows +Sayeth, with heart devout, "This I should do!" +Is "Soothfast" rite. But sacrifice for gain, +Offered for good repute, be sure that this, +O Best of Bharatas! is Rajas-rite, +With stamp of "passion." And a sacrifice +Offered against the laws, with no due dole +Of food-giving, with no accompaniment +Of hallowed hymn, nor largesse to the priests, +In faithless celebration, call it vile, +The deed of "Darkness!"--lost! + +Worship of gods +Meriting worship; lowly reverence +Of Twice-borns, Teachers, Elders; Purity, +Rectitude, and the Brahmacharya's vow, +And not to injure any helpless thing,-- +These make a true religiousness of Act. + +Words causing no man woe, words ever true, +Gentle and pleasing words, and those ye say +In murmured reading of a Sacred Writ,-- +These make the true religiousness of Speech. + +Serenity of soul, benignity, +Sway of the silent Spirit, constant stress +To sanctify the Nature,--these things make +Good rite, and true religiousness of Mind. + +Such threefold faith, in highest piety +Kept, with no hope of gain, by hearts devote, +Is perfect work of Sattwan, true belief. + +Religion shown in act of proud display +To win good entertainment, worship, fame, +Such--say I--is of Rajas, rash and vain. + +Religion followed by a witless will +To torture self, or come at power to hurt +Another,--'tis of Tamas, dark and ill. + +The gift lovingly given, when one shall say +"Now must I gladly give!" when he who takes +Can render nothing back; made in due place, +Due time, and to a meet recipient, +Is gift of Sattwan, fair and profitable. + +The gift selfishly given, where to receive +Is hoped again, or when some end is sought, +Or where the gift is proffered with a grudge, +This is of Rajas, stained with impulse, ill. + +The gift churlishly flung, at evil time, +In wrongful place, to base recipient, +Made in disdain or harsh unkindliness, +Is gift of Tamas, dark; it doth not bless![FN#37] + +HERE ENDETH CHAPTER XVII. OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, +Entitled "Sraddhatrayavibhagayog," +Or "The Book of Religion by the Threefold Kinds of Faith." + +CHAPTER XVIII + +Arjuna. +Fain would I better know, Thou Glorious One! +The very truth--Heart's Lord!--of Sannyas, +Abstention; and enunciation, Lord! +Tyaga; and what separates these twain! + +Krishna. +The poets rightly teach that Sannyas +Is the foregoing of all acts which spring +Out of desire; and their wisest say +Tyaga is renouncing fruit of acts. + +There be among the saints some who have held +All action sinful, and to be renounced; +And some who answer, "Nay! the goodly acts-- +As worship, penance, alms--must be performed!" +Hear now My sentence, Best of Bharatas! + +'Tis well set forth, O Chaser of thy Foes! +Renunciation is of threefold form, +And Worship, Penance, Alms, not to be stayed; +Nay, to be gladly done; for all those three +Are purifying waters for true souls! + +Yet must be practised even those high works +In yielding up attachment, and all fruit +Produced by works. This is My judgment, Prince! +This My insuperable and fixed decree! + +Abstaining from a work by right prescribed +Never is meet! So to abstain doth spring +From "Darkness," and Delusion teacheth it. +Abstaining from a work grievous to flesh, +When one saith "'Tisunpleasing!" this is null! +Such an one acts from "passion;" nought of gain +Wins his Renunciation! But, Arjun! +Abstaining from attachment to the work, +Abstaining from rewardment in the work, +While yet one doeth it full faithfully, +Saying, "Tis right to do!" that is "true " act +And abstinence! Who doeth duties so, +Unvexed if his work fail, if it succeed +Unflattered, in his own heart justified, +Quit of debates and doubts, his is "true" act: +For, being in the body, none may stand +Wholly aloof from act; yet, who abstains +From profit of his acts is abstinent. + +The fruit of labours, in the lives to come, +Is threefold for all men,--Desirable, +And Undesirable, and mixed of both; +But no fruit is at all where no work was. + +Hear from me, Long-armed Lord! the makings five +Which go to every act, in Sankhya taught +As necessary. First the force; and then +The agent; next, the various instruments; +Fourth, the especial effort; fifth, the God. +What work soever any mortal doth +Of body, mind, or speech, evil or good, +By these five doth he that. Which being thus, +Whoso, for lack of knowledge, seeth himself +As the sole actor, knoweth nought at all +And seeth nought. Therefore, I say, if one-- +Holding aloof from self--with unstained mind +Should slay all yonder host, being bid to slay, +He doth not slay; he is not bound thereby! + +Knowledge, the thing known, and the mind which knows, +These make the threefold starting-ground of act. +The act, the actor, and the instrument, +These make the threefold total of the deed. +But knowledge, agent, act, are differenced +By three dividing qualities. Hear now +Which be the qualities dividing them. + +There is "true" Knowledge. Learn thou it is this: +To see one changeless Life in all the Lives, +And in the Separate, One Inseparable. +There is imperfect Knowledge: that which sees +The separate existences apart, +And, being separated, holds them real. +There is false Knowledge: that which blindly clings +To one as if 'twere all, seeking no Cause, +Deprived of light, narrow, and dull, and "dark." + +There is "right" Action: that which being enjoined-- +Is wrought without attachment, passionlessly, +For duty, not for love, nor hate, nor gain. +There is "vain" Action: that which men pursue +Aching to satisfy desires, impelled +By sense of self, with all-absorbing stress: +This is of Rajas--passionate and vain. +There is "dark" Action: when one doth a thing +Heedless of issues, heedless of the hurt +Or wrong for others, heedless if he harm +His own soul--'tis of Tamas, black and bad! + +There is the "rightful"doer. He who acts +Free from self-seeking, humble, resolute, +Steadfast, in good or evil hap the same, +Content to do aright-he "truly" acts. +There is th' "impassioned" doer. He that works +From impulse, seeking profit, rude and bold +To overcome, unchastened; slave by turns +Of sorrow and of joy: of Rajas he! +And there be evil doers; loose of heart, +Low-minded, stubborn, fraudulent, remiss, +Dull, slow, despondent--children of the "dark." + +Hear, too, of Intellect and Steadfastness +The threefold separation, Conqueror-Prince! +How these are set apart by Qualities. + +Good is the Intellect which comprehends +The coming forth and going back of life, +What must be done, and what must not be done, +What should be feared, and what should not be feared, +What binds and what emancipates the soul: +That is of Sattwan, Prince! of "soothfastness." +Marred is the Intellect which, knowing right +And knowing wrong, and what is well to do +And what must not be done, yet understands +Nought with firm mind, nor as the calm truth is: +This is of Rajas, Prince! and "passionate!" +Evil is Intellect which, wrapped in gloom, +Looks upon wrong as right, and sees all things +Contrariwise of Truth. O Pritha's Son! +That is of Tamas, "dark" and desperate! + +Good is the steadfastness whereby a man +Masters his beats of heart, his very breath +Of life, the action of his senses; fixed +In never-shaken faith and piety: +That is of Sattwan, Prince! "soothfast" and fair! +Stained is the steadfastness whereby a man +Holds to his duty, purpose, effort, end, +For life's sake, and the love of goods to gain, +Arjuna! 'tis of Rajas, passion-stamped! +Sad is the steadfastness wherewith the fool +Cleaves to his sloth, his sorrow, and his fears, +His folly and despair. This--Pritha's Son!-- +Is born of Tamas, "dark" and miserable! + + +Hear further, Chief of Bharatas! from Me +The threefold kinds of Pleasure which there be. + +Good Pleasure is the pleasure that endures, +Banishing pain for aye; bitter at first +As poison to the soul, but afterward +Sweet as the taste of Amrit. Drink of that! +It springeth in the Spirit's deep content. +And painful Pleasure springeth from the bond +Between the senses and the sense-world. Sweet +As Amrit is its first taste, but its last +Bitter as poison. 'Tis of Rajas, Prince! +And foul and "dark" the Pleasure is which springs +From sloth and sin and foolishness; at first +And at the last, and all the way of life +The soul bewildering. 'Tis of Tamas, Prince! + +For nothing lives on earth, nor 'midst the gods +In utmost heaven, but hath its being bound +With these three Qualities, by Nature framed. + +The work of Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, +And Sudras, O thou Slayer of thy Foes! +Is fixed by reason of the Qualities +Planted in each: + +A Brahman's virtues, Prince! +Born of his nature, are serenity, +Self-mastery, religion, purity, +Patience, uprightness, learning, and to know +The truth of things which be. A Kshatriya's pride, +Born of his nature, lives in valour, fire, +Constancy, skilfulness, spirit in fight, +And open-handedness and noble mien, +As of a lord of men. A Vaisya's task, +Born with his nature, is to till the ground, +Tend cattle, venture trade. A Sudra's state, +Suiting his nature, is to minister. + +Whoso performeth--diligent, content-- +The work allotted him, whate'er it be, +Lays hold of perfectness! Hear how a man +Findeth perfection, being so content: +He findeth it through worship--wrought by work-- +Of Him that is the Source of all which lives, +Of HIM by Whom the universe was stretched. + +Better thine own work is, though done with fault, +Than doing others' work, ev'n excellently. +He shall not fall in sin who fronts the task +Set him by Nature's hand! Let no man leave +His natural duty, Prince! though it bear blame! +For every work hath blame, as every flame +Is wrapped in smoke! Only that man attains +Perfect surcease of work whose work was wrought +With mind unfettered, soul wholly subdued, +Desires for ever dead, results renounced. + +Learn from me, Son of Kunti! also this, +How one, attaining perfect peace, attains +BRAHM, the supreme, the highest height of all! + +Devoted--with a heart grown pure, restrained +In lordly self-control, forgoing wiles +Of song and senses, freed from love and hate, +Dwelling 'mid solitudes, in diet spare, +With body, speech, and will tamed to obey, +Ever to holy meditation vowed, +From passions liberate, quit of the Self, +Of arrogance, impatience, anger, pride; +Freed from surroundings, quiet, lacking nought-- +Such an one grows to oneness with the BRAHM; +Such an one, growing one with BRAHM, serene, +Sorrows no more, desires no more; his soul, +Equally loving all that lives, loves well +Me, Who have made them, and attains to Me. +By this same love and worship doth he know +Me as I am, how high and wonderful, +And knowing, straightway enters into Me. +And whatsoever deeds he doeth--fixed +In Me, as in his refuge--he hath won +For ever and for ever by My grace +Th' Eternal Rest! So win thou! In thy thoughts +Do all thou dost for Me! Renounce for Me! +Sacrifice heart and mind and will to Me! +Live in the faith of Me! In faith of Me +All dangers thou shalt vanquish, by My grace; +But, trusting to thyself and heeding not, +Thou can'st but perish! If this day thou say'st, +Relying on thyself, "I will not fight!" +Vain will the purpose prove! thy qualities +Would spur thee to the war. What thou dost shun, +Misled by fair illusions, thou wouldst seek +Against thy will, when the task comes to thee +Waking the promptings in thy nature set. +There lives a Master in the hearts of men +Maketh their deeds, by subtle pulling--strings, +Dance to what tune HE will. With all thy soul +Trust Him, and take Him for thy succour, Prince! +So--only so, Arjuna!--shalt thou gain-- +By grace of Him--the uttermost repose, +The Eternal Place! + +Thus hath been opened thee +This Truth of Truths, the Mystery more hid +Than any secret mystery. Meditate! +And--as thou wilt--then act! + +Nay! but once more +Take My last word, My utmost meaning have! +Precious thou art to Me; right well-beloved! +Listen! I tell thee for thy comfort this. +Give Me thy heart! adore Me! serve Me! cling +In faith and love and reverence to Me! +So shalt thou come to Me! I promise true, +For thou art sweet to Me! + +And let go those-- +Rites and writ duties! Fly to Me alone! +Make Me thy single refuge! I will free +Thy soul from all its sins! Be of good cheer! + +[Hide, the holy Krishna saith, +This from him that hath no faith, +Him that worships not, nor seeks +Wisdom's teaching when she speaks: +Hide it from all men who mock; +But, wherever, 'mid the flock +Of My lovers, one shall teach +This divinest, wisest, speech-- +Teaching in the faith to bring +Truth to them, and offering +Of all honour unto Me-- +Unto Brahma cometh he! +Nay, and nowhere shall ye find +Any man of all mankind +Doing dearer deed for Me; +Nor shall any dearer be +In My earth. Yea, furthermore, +Whoso reads this converse o'er, +Held by Us upon the plain, +Pondering piously and fain, +He hath paid Me sacrifice! +(Krishna speaketh in this wise!) +Yea, and whoso, full of faith, +Heareth wisely what it saith, +Heareth meekly,--when he dies, +Surely shall his spirit rise +To those regions where the Blest, +Free of flesh, in joyance rest.] + +Hath this been heard by thee, O Indian Prince! +With mind intent? hath all the ignorance-- +Which bred thy trouble--vanished, My Arjun? + +Arjuna. +Trouble and ignorance are gone! the Light +Hath come unto me, by Thy favour, Lord! +Now am I fixed! my doubt is fled away! +According to Thy word, so will I do! + +Sanjaya. +Thus gathered I the gracious speech of Krishna, O my King! +Thus have I told, with heart a-thrill, this wise and wondrous thing +By great Vyasa's learning writ, how Krishna's self made known +The Yoga, being Yoga's Lord. So is the high truth shown! +And aye, when I remember, O Lord my King, again +Arjuna and the God in talk, and all this holy strain, +Great is my gladness: when I muse that splendour, passing speech, +Of Hari, visible and plain, there is no tongue to reach +My marvel and my love and bliss. O Archer-Prince! all hail! +O Krishna, Lord of Yoga! surely there shall not fail +Blessing, and victory, and power, for Thy most mighty sake, +Where this song comes of Arjun, and how with God he spake. + +HERE ENDS, WITH CHAPTER XVIII., +Entitled "Mokshasanyasayog," +Or "The Book of Religion by Deliverance and Renunciation," +THE BHAGAVAD-GITA. + + +[FN#1] Some repetitionary lines are here omitted. +[FN#2] Technical phrases of Vedic religion. +[FN#3] The whole of this passage is highly involved and difficult to +render. +[FN#4] I feel convinced sankhyanan and yoginan must be transposed +here +in sense. +[FN#5] I am doubtful of accuracy here. +[FN#6] A name of the sun. +[FN#7] Without desire of fruit. +[FN#8] That is,"joy and sorrow, success and failure, heat and cold,"&c. +[FN#9] i.e., the body. +[FN#10] The Sanskrit has this play on the double meaning of Atman. +[FN#11] So in original. +[FN#12] Beings of low and devilish nature. +[FN#13] Krishna. +[FN#14] I read here janma, "birth;" not jara,"age" +[FN#15] I have discarded ten lines of Sanskrit text here as an +undoubted +interpolation by some +Vedantist +[FN#16] The Sanskrit poem here rises to an elevation of style and +manner +which I have endeavoured to mark by change of metre. +[FN#17] Ahinsa. +[FN#18] The nectar of immortality. +[FN#19] Called "The Jap." +[FN#20] The compound form of Sanskrit words. +[FN#21] "Kamalapatraksha" +[FN#22] These are all divine or deified orders of the Hindoo Pantheon. +[FN#23] "Hail to Thee, God of Gods! Be favourable!" +[FN#24] The wind. +[FN#25] "Not peering about,"anapeksha. +[FN#26] The Calcutta edition of the Mahabharata has these three +opening +lines. +[FN#27] This is the nearest possible version of +Kshetrakshetrajnayojnanan +yat tajnan matan mama. +[FN#28] I omit two lines of the Sanskrit here, evidently interpolated by +some Vedantist. +[FN#29] Wombs. +[FN#30] I do not consider the Sanskrit verses here-which are somewhat +freely rendered--"an attack on the authority of the Vedas," with Mr +Davies, +but a beautiful lyrical episode, a new "Parable of the fig-tree." +[FN#31] I omit a verse here, evidently interpolated. +[FN#32] "Of the Asuras,"lit. +[FN#33] I omit the ten concluding shlokas, with Mr Davis. +[FN#34] Rakshasas and Yakshas are unembodied but capricious beings +of +great power, gifts, and beauty, same times also of benignity. +[FN#35] These are spirits of evil wandering ghosts. +[FN#36] Yatayaman, food which has remained after the watches of the +night. In India this would probably "go bad." +[FN#37] I omit the concluding shlokas, as of very doubtful authenticity. + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg etext, The Bhagavad-Gita, translated +by Sir Edwin Arnold diff --git a/old/bgita10.zip b/old/bgita10.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..a700047 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/bgita10.zip |