Direct answer: Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 (The Yoga of Action (Karma Yoga)) focuses on Sacrifice and Duty, and teaches krishna explains why one must perform their prescribed duties. he clarifies that action is superior to inaction and that the world is bound by action unless it is performed as a sacrifice.
Overview: Krishna explains why one must perform their prescribed duties. He clarifies that action is superior to inaction and that the world is bound by action unless it is performed as a sacrifice.
Karma Yoga
Total Verses: 43
अर्जुन उवाच |...
Arjuna said: O Janardana, if You consider that knowledge is superior to action, then why, O Keshava, do You urge me to engage in this terrible warfare?
व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे |...
My intellect is bewildered by Your seemingly contradictory words. Therefore, please tell me decisively that one path by which I may attain the highest good.
श्रीभगवानुवाच |...
The Blessed Lord said: O sinless Arjuna, I have already explained that in this world there are two paths — the path of knowledge (Jnana Yoga) for the contemplative, and the path of action (Karma Yoga) for the active.
न कर्मणामनारम्भान्नैष्कर्म्यं पुरुषोऽश्नुते |...
Not by abstaining from action does a person attain freedom from karmic bondage, nor by mere renunciation alone does one attain perfection.
न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् |...
Indeed, no one can remain without action even for a moment. Everyone is helplessly compelled to act by the qualities (gunas) born of material nature (Prakriti).
कर्मेन्द्रियाणि संयम्य य आस्ते मनसा स्मरन् |...
One who restrains the organs of action but whose mind continues to dwell on sense objects is deluded and is called a hypocrite.
यस्त्विन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्यारभतेऽर्जुन |...
But one who controls the senses with the mind, O Arjuna, and then engages the organs of action in the path of action (Karma Yoga) without attachment — such a person is far superior.
नियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं कर्म ज्यायो ह्यकर्मणः |...
Perform your prescribed duty, for action is better than inaction. Without action, even the maintenance of your body would not be possible.
यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्मबन्धनः |...
Work done as a sacrifice (yajna) alone does not bind this world. Therefore, O son of Kunti, perform your duties as a sacrifice, free from all attachment.
सहयज्ञाः प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा पुरोवाच प्रजापतिः |...
In the beginning, the Lord of all beings created humanity along with sacrifice and said: 'By this sacrifice you shall prosper. Let this be the wish-fulfilling cow for you.'
देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु वः |...
Nourish the cosmic powers (devas) through sacrifice, and those powers will nourish you in return. Nourishing one another, you shall attain the highest good.
इष्टान्भोगान्हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते यज्ञभाविताः |...
The cosmic powers, satisfied by sacrifice, will indeed grant you desired enjoyments. But one who enjoys their gifts without offering in return is indeed a thief.
यज्ञशिष्टाशिनः सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषैः |...
The devotees who eat the remnants of sacrifice are freed from all sins. But those who cook only for themselves eat only sin.
अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसम्भवः |...
All beings are nourished by food; food is produced by rain; rain comes from sacrifice; and sacrifice is born from prescribed action.
कर्म ब्रह्मोद्भवं विद्धि ब्रह्माक्षरसमुद्भवम् |...
Know that prescribed action (karma) arises from the Vedas, and the Vedas arise from the Imperishable (Brahman). Therefore, the all-pervading Brahman is eternally established in sacrifice.
एवं प्रवर्तितं चक्रं नानुवर्तयतीह यः |...
O Partha, one who does not follow the revolving wheel of this sacrifice established by the Vedas lives a life of sin, indulging the senses in vain.
यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानवः |...
But for one who rejoices only in the Self, who is satisfied with the Self, and who is content in the Self alone — for such a person there is no obligatory duty.
नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थो नाकृतेनेह कश्चन |...
Such a person has no interest to serve by performing action, nor any loss from non-performance. Nor does such a person depend on any creature for anything.
तस्मादसक्तः सततं कार्यं कर्म समाचर |...
Therefore, always perform your duty without attachment. By performing action without attachment, a person attains the Supreme.
कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः |...
Certainly, even King Janaka and others attained perfection through action alone. You should act for the welfare and upholding of the world.
यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः |...
Whatever a great person does, others follow. Whatever standard such a person sets, the world follows.
न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन |...
O Partha, there is nothing in the three worlds that I need to do, nor is there anything unattained that I need to attain. Yet I engage in action.
यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः |...
For if I ever ceased to engage in action with care, O Partha, all men would follow My path in every respect.
उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां कर्म चेदहम् |...
These worlds would perish if I did not perform action. I would be the cause of confusion and the destruction of these beings.
सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत |...
Just as the ignorant act with attachment to their work, O Bharata, so should the wise act without attachment, desiring to uphold the world.
न बुद्धिभेदं जनयेदज्ञानां कर्मसङ्गिनाम् |...
The wise should not unsettle the minds of the ignorant who are attached to action. Rather, performing all duties skillfully, the wise should inspire them to act in the right spirit.
प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः |...
In all cases, actions are being performed by the qualities (gunas) of material nature (Prakriti). But the self, deluded by the ego, thinks, 'I am the doer.'
तत्त्ववित्तु महाबाहो गुणकर्मविभागयोः |...
But one who knows the truth about the division between the self and the gunas, O mighty-armed one, knowing that the gunas merely interact with other gunas, is not attached.
प्रकृतेर्गुणसम्मूढाः सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु |...
Those deluded by the gunas of nature become attached to the activities of those gunas. But the knower of the whole truth should not disturb the minds of those who have only partial knowledge.
मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि संन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा |...
Surrendering all actions to Me, with full consciousness of the Self, free from desire and the sense of 'mine,' fight — freed from mental fever.
ये मे मतमिदं नित्यमनुतिष्ठन्ति मानवाः |...
Those who constantly follow this teaching of Mine with faith and without envy are freed from the bondage of karma.
ये त्वेतदभ्यसूयन्तो नानुतिष्ठन्ति मे मतम् |...
But those who, out of envy, disregard this teaching and do not follow it — know them to be deluded in all knowledge, lost, and without discernment.
सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्याः प्रकृतेर्ज्ञानवानपि |...
Even a person of knowledge acts according to their own nature. All beings follow their nature. What can repression accomplish?
इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ |...
In the sense objects, attachment and aversion are inherently present. One should not come under their control, for they are indeed obstacles on one's path.
श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् |...
Better is one's own dharma, though imperfectly performed, than the dharma of another perfectly performed. Better is death in one's own dharma; the dharma of another is fraught with danger.
अर्जुन उवाच |...
Arjuna said: O descendant of Vrishni, by what is a person compelled to commit sin, even against his will, as if driven by force?
श्रीभगवानुवाच |...
The Blessed Lord said: It is desire — and wrath, born from the mode of passion (rajas) — all-devouring and greatly sinful. Know this as the enemy here in this world.
धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथादर्शो मलेन च |...
As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror by dust, and as an embryo by the womb — so is consciousness covered by desire.
आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा |...
O Kaunteya, the knowledge of even the wise is veiled by this eternal enemy in the form of insatiable desire, which burns like a fire.
इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिरस्याधिष्ठानमुच्यते |...
The senses, mind, and intellect are said to be the seats of this desire. Through these, it veils knowledge and bewilders the embodied soul.
तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ |...
Therefore, O best of the Bharatas, first regulate the senses and slay this sinful destroyer of knowledge and self-realization.
इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः |...
The senses are said to be superior to gross matter. Superior to the senses is the mind. Superior to the mind is the intellect. And superior to the intellect is the Self.
एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना |...
Thus knowing the Self to be superior to the intellect, O mighty-armed Arjuna, steady the lower self by the higher Self and slay this formidable enemy in the form of desire.