The Bhagavadgîtâ, with the Sanatsugâtîya and the Anugîtâ — SBE Vol. 8 (trans. K. T. Telang, 1882)
The translator’s English as printed (K. T. Telang). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
CHAPTERQIIT 30; 55 nothing to acquire which has not been acquired. Still I do engage in action. For should I at any time not engage without sloth in action, men would follow in my path from all sides, O son of Prithâ! If I did not perform actions, these worlds would be destroyed, I should be the cause of casteinterminglings ; and I should be ruining these people. As the ignorant act, O descendant of Bharata ! with attachment to action, so should a wise man act without attachment, wishing to keep the people (to their duties). A wise man should not shake the convictions of the ignorant who are attached to action, but acting with devotion (himself) should make them apply themselves to all action. He whose mind is deluded by egoism thinks himself the doer of the actions, which, in every way, are done by the qualities of nature”. But he, O you of mighty arms! who knows the truth about the difference from qualities and the difference from actions ?, forms no attachments, believing that qualities deal with qualities *. But those who are deluded by the qualities of nature form attachments to the actions of the qualities‘. A man of perfect knowledge should not shake these men of imperfect knowledge (in their convictions). Dedicating all actions to me with a mind knowing the relation of the supreme and individual self, engage in battle without desire, without (any feeling that this or that is) mine, and without any mental trouble}. Even those men who always act on this opinion of mine, full of faith, and without carping, are released from all actions. But those who carp at my opinion and do not act upon it, know them to be devoid of discrimination, deluded as regards all knowledge’, and ruined. Even a man of knowledge acts consonantly to his own nature’. All beings follow nature. What will restraint effect ? Every sense has its affections and aversions towards its objects fixed. One should not become subject to them, for they are one’s opponents # One’s own duty, though defective, is better than another’s duty well performed. Death in (performing) one’s own duty is preferable ; the (performance of the) duty of others is dangerous.
1 The active principle is nature, the aggregate of the three qualities; the soul is only the looker-on; cf. inter alia, p. 104 infra.
2 Gcil. the difference of the soul from the collection of qualities, viz. the body, senses, &c., and from the actions of which they are the authors.
3 Qualities (i.e. senses) deal with qualities, i.e. objects of sense.
4 J.e. all mundane affairs.
CHAPTER 30; 55
There is nothing left for me to gain that I have not already gained. And yet I do engage in action. For if I were ever to stop acting—if I were to give way to idleness—people everywhere would follow my example, O son of Prithâ! If I did not act, these worlds would be destroyed; I should be the cause of the mingling of castes; I should be bringing ruin upon all these people. Just as the ignorant act with attachment to action, O descendant of Bharata, so should a wise man act without attachment, seeking to hold the people to their duties. A wise man should not unsettle the convictions of the ignorant who are attached to action; rather, acting with devotion himself, he should lead them to apply themselves to all their duties. He whose mind is deluded by egoism thinks himself the doer of actions that are, in every way, performed by the qualities of nature. But he, O you of mighty arms, who knows the truth about what is distinct from qualities and what is distinct from actions, forms no attachments, understanding that qualities deal with qualities. Those who are deluded by the qualities of nature, however, form attachments to the actions of those qualities. A man of perfect knowledge should not shake these men of imperfect knowledge in their convictions. Dedicating all actions to me, with a mind that understands the relation between the supreme and individual self, engage in battle without desire, without any sense of mine, and without mental trouble. Even those men who always act in accordance with this teaching of mine—acting in full faith and without carping—are released from all actions. But those who carp at my teaching and do not follow it: know them to be without discrimination, deluded in all their understanding, and lost. Even a man of knowledge acts in accordance with his own nature. All beings follow their nature. What will restraint accomplish? Every sense has its affections and aversions towards its objects firmly fixed. One should not fall subject to them, for they are one's opponents. One's own duty, even if imperfectly performed, is better than another's duty well performed. Death in performing one's own duty is preferable; the performance of another's duty is dangerous.
1 The active principle is nature, the aggregate of the three qualities; the soul is only the looker-on; cf. inter alia, p. 104 below.
2 Gcil. the difference of the soul from the collection of qualities, viz. the body, senses, &c., and from the actions of which they are the authors.
3 Qualities deal with qualities, that is, the senses deal with objects of sense.
4 That is, all mundane affairs.