Sanjaya said To him, whose heart was overcome with pity, whose eyes were full of tears, who was dejected and desponding the slayer of Madhu (Krishna) spoke thus.

The great one said Whence, O Arjuna, has come upon you in this great crisis such delusion, a delusion unworthy of ihe Aryans, irreligious (undeserving of heaven) and breeder of infamy?

Be not effeminate, Partha. It does not suit you. Arise, O terror of foes, shake off this mean weakness of heart.

Arjuna said "O slayer of enemies, O slayer of Madhu, how shall I attack in this battle with arrows Bhishma and Drona, deserving of my worship?

It is better for one to live on alms then to kill (such) preceptors of great glory. By killing preceptors, even if they are eager for worldly gains, it would be enjoying blood-stained pleasures.

We do not know which of the two is better for us, to vanquish or to be vanquished? Even those, whom having killed we do not desire to live, those sons of Dhritarashtra, stand before us!

I am afraid of the sin of race extermination. I am confounded about my duty. I ask you, tell me what is assuredly good for me. I am your disciple, instruct me, I am at your disposal.

Even if I get the undisputed sovereignty over the most prosperous kingdom of the world, or that over the celestial, I do not see was that which can remove my grief most painful (killing) to my senses.

Sanjaya said Having spoken thus to Hrishikesh, O terror of foes, Gudakesha said to Govinda, “I shall not fight", and remained silent.

To him, who overcome with despondency in the midst of the two armies. Hrishikesha thus spoke smiling.

The great one said "You grieve for those that deserve no grief; and (at the same time) you utter words of wisdom. (But) men of knowledge do not grieve for the living or for the dead.

Neither I, nor you, nor these kings were ever non-existent; (and again) none of us will hereafter cease to exist.

As childhood, youth and old age are (changes) in the body of man, so death is but a change of this body to another. A man of knowledge is not deluded by it.

The contacts of senses (with external objects). O son of Kunti, which produce cold, heat, pleasure and pain, are not permanent, having beginning and end. Therefore, O Bharata, bear them.

The man, who is learned in true knowledge, whom they (contact of senses) afflict not, and to whom pain and pleasure are alike, merits Moksha (final emancipation).

There is no existence of that which is Asat (unreal), and there is non non-existence of that which is Sat (real). The truly learned men perceive the correct conclusion of the both.

Know, that which pervades all this (universe) is indestructible. None can destroy that imperishable (principle).

The (imaterial) body (only) of the everlasting, indestructible, infinite and embodied. Self is said to be perishable. Therefore, O Bharata, engage in battle.

He, who thinks that It (the great Self in many) is the killer and he who thinks that It is killed, both know nothing. It neither kills, nor is killed.

It is never born, It never dies, having existed. It does not exist no more. Unborn, everlasting, unchangeable, ancient, It is not killed, Its body being killed.

How and whom can that man, O Partha, who knows It (self) to be unborn indestructible, everlasting and imperishable, kill or cause to be killed?

As a man, casting off worn-out clothes, put on other new ones, so embodied. Self, casting off old bodies, enter into other new ones.

Weapon does not cut it; fire does no: burn It; water does not moist It, and wind does not dry It.

It is said that It is not to be cut, not to be burnt, not to be moistened and not to be dried up. It is everlasting, all pervading stable, firm, eternal, ever continuing not perceivable, inconceivable and unchangeable.

Therefore knowing It (the great Soul in man) to be such, you ought not to grieve.

(And again) if you think, O mighty armed, that It (self) constantly take birth and constantly dies, even then you ought not thus to grieve.

For, death is certain to one who is born; and birth is certain to one who is dead. Therefore, for such unavoidable things, you ought not to grieve.

In the beginning, O Bharata, all beings are unmanifested, in the middle they are manifest, and after destruction, they are unmanifested again. What lamentation could there be then for it?

One sees it as a wonder, another speaks of it as a wonder; other again hear of it as a wonder; but even hearing of it, no one understand it.

This indestructible embodied self, O Bharata, is in the bodies of every one; therefore, you ought not to grieve for (the death of) all beings.

(And again) loO king to your own duty pertaining to your caste, you ought not to waver; for there is nothing better for a Kshatriya than a righteous battle.

Happy are those Kshatriya who obtain such battle to fight, a battle coming of itself and being the open gate to heaven.

If you will not fight this righteous battle, you will incur sin for abandoning your own duty and fame;

And all men will proclaim your everlasting infamy. To him, who is honoured, infamy is a greater (calamity) then death.

And all great car warriors will think that you abstain from the battle through fear. You will be lightly thought of by those who honoured you before.

Decrying your power, your enemies will say things unutterable. What can be more painful than this!

If killed, you will attain to heaven; and if victorious, you will enjoy the whole world. Therefore, being resolved to fight, arise, O son of Kunti.

Considering pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat, all the same, be ready for fight, and then, you will incur no sin.

The knowledge now imparted to you is relating to Sankha (the mystery of knowing Self). Now listen to Yoga, (the mystery of living in Self, which, if well possessed, O Partha, cuts off Karmabandhana (the law of rebirths, resulting from the effects of actions).

In this (Yoga) even the first attempt is not fruitless; there are no obstacles in it. Even a little of this delivers one from the great danger (of worldly births).

In this, O son of Kuru, there is mind's but one state, consisting of firm devotion; whereas undevotional men's minds are many-branched and attached to endless pursuits.

Those that are not learned those that delight in the Vedas, those that say that there is nothing else, those that are found of worldly pleasures, those that regard heaven as the highest object for acquisition, say flowery words on the birth resulting from the fruits of actions, and on multifarious rites that promise to give wealth and enjoyments.

Devotional feelings never arise in those whose minds have been stolen by the words of the lovers of enjoyment and wealth.

The Vedas, O Arjuna, relate of the three qualities. Be free from them, by being unaffected by the pairs of opposites i.e., (heat and cold; pain and pleasures); by preserving courage; by being free from anxiety for new acquisitions; or from anxiety for the protection of old ones; and by being self-possessed.

The (water of the) small tank serves the same purposes as (that of) the great lake. Like the above, the Brahmana, learned in devotion, serves the same purposes as those of all the Vedas.

Your concern is only with actions, never with their fruits. Let not the fruits of actions be your motive. (at the same time) let not your inclination be towards action.

Casting off all attachments, considering success and non-success the same, O Dhananjaya, perform actions. Such equanimity is called Yoga.

Religious rites, O Dhananjaya, is far inferior to devotion; therefore take shelter in devotion. The men who look to the fruits of their actions are pitiable.

Devotional men do not see the difference between good and bad works in this world. Therefore apply yourself to devotion. Cleverness in action is devotion.

The wise, possessed of devotion, giving up the fruits of action and being freed from shackles of births, repair to the place where there is no unhappiness.

When your understanding (mind) has gone beyond all delusion, then will you attain to the indifference to all that you have heard or will hear.

When your mind, confounded by (all) that you have heard, will stand firm in contemplation, then will you acquire devotion.

Arjuna said "What are the characteristics, O Keshava, of one whose mind is steady, and whose understanding is devotional? How does the man of steady-mind speak, how does he sit, how does he move?"

The Great One said “When a man, O Partha, abandons all his mental desires, and becomes pleased in his self by his own self, is called one of Steady-mind.

Who is not moved in misery, who has no cravings for pleasures, and who is freed from attachment, anger and fear, is called the Sage of Steady-Mind.

His mind is steady who has no attachment for any thing; and who neither feels exultation nor aversion on receiving either the good or the bad.

His mind is steady who withdraws all his senses from all the (worldly) objects of senses, as a tortoise withdraws his limbs.

The objects of senses draw from an abstinent person, but not so his passions. But the passions fly from him who has seen the Supreme.

The madly boisterous senses, O son of Kunti, steal by force the mind of even that wise man who is striving (for emancipation).

The man of Yoga solely depends upon Me, keeping all his senses under control. His mind is steady who has controlled his senses.

Pondering over worldly matters breeds attachment for them; from this attachment desire is produce; from desire anger is begot.

From anger is produced the want of indiscrimination; from want of indiscrimination, confusion of memory, from the confusion of memory, loss of reason, and from loss of reason, final destruction (ruin).

The self-controlled man, who moves among the objects of senses, having his serses under his control, and being free from affection or aversion, attains to peace.

Peace being attained, all his miseries are destroyed. He, whose mind has attained to peace, soon becomes steady.

Undevotional man has no understanding, he has no contemplation, he has no peace. And where is happiness for him who has no peace?

The understanding of that man is destroyed whose mind follows the roving senses, as the wind destroys a boat in a sea.

Therefore, O mighty armed, his mind is steady whose senses are brought under control from all objects of senses.

When it is night for all beings, the selfcontrolled man is wide awake, when all men are awake, then such sages would be night.

He, in whom all objects of senses enter, like the ocean in which various waters enter, but do not make any increase or decrease, attains to peace, but not he who desire to have objects of senses.

The man, who moves about casting of all desires, and being freed from attachments, carvings for things, and egoism (pride), attains to peace.

This is, O Partha, living in Self (God). After attaining it, no delusion exists; and remaining in this state at the time of one's death, one attains to Brahma Nirvana.