Text 1
The Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krsna said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun0god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Iksvaku.
Text 2
This supreme science was thus received through the cahin of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.
Text 3
That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend and can therefore understand the transcendental my stery of this science.
Text 4
Arjuna said: The sun-god Vivasvan is senior by birth to You. How am I to understand that in the beginning You instructed this science to him?
Text 5
The Personality of Godhead said: Many,many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot, O subduer of the enemy!
Text 6
Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am th Lord of all living entities, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.
Text 7
Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion-at that time I descend Myself.
Text 8
To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennum after millennium.
Text 9
One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.
Text 10
Beeing freed from attachment, fear and anger, being fully absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, many persons in the past became purified by knowledge of Me-and thus they and attained transcendental love for Me.
Text 11
As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path in the repects, O son of prtha.
Text 12
Men in this world desire success in fruitive activities, and therefore they worship the demigods. Quickly, of course, men get results from fruitive work in this world.
Text 13
According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them. the four divisions of human society are created by Me. And although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the nondoet, being unchangeable.
Text 14
There is no work that affects Me: nor do I aspire for the fruits of action. One who understand this truth about Me also does not become entangled in the fruitive reactions of work.
Text 15
All the liberated souls in ancient times acted with this understanding of My transcendental nature. Therefore you should perform. your duty, following in their footsteps.
Text 16
Even the intelligent are bewildered in determining what is action and what is inaction. Now I shall explain to you what action is, knowing which you shall be liberated from all misfortune.
Text 17
The intricacies of action are very hard to understand. Therefore one should know properly what action is, forbidden action is, and what inaction is.
Text 18
One who sees inaction in action,and action in inaction,is intelligent among.men,and he is in the transcendental position,although engaged in all sorts of activities.
Text 19
One is understood to be in full knwoledge whose very endeavor is devoid of desire for sense gratification. He is said by sages to be a worker for whom the reaction of work have been burned up by the fire of perfect knowledge.
Text 20
A bandoning all attachment to the results of his activities, ever satisfied and independent, he performs no fruitive action,although engaged in all kinds of undertakings.
Text 21
Such a man of understanding acts with mind and intelligence perfectly controlled, gives up all sense of proprietorship over his possessions, and acts for the bare necessities of life. Thus working, he is not affected by sinful reactions.
Text 22
He who is satisfied with gain which comes of its own accord, who is free from duality and does not envy, who is stedy in both success and failure, is never entangled although performing actions.
Text 23
The work of a man who is unattached to the modes of material nature and who is fully situated in transcendental knowledge merges entirely into transcendence.
Text 24
A person who is fully absorbed in Krsna consciousness is sure to attain the spiritual kingdom because of his full contributton to spiritual activities, in which the consummation is absolute and that which is offered is of the same spiritual nature.
Text 25
Some yogis perfectly worship the demigods by offering different sacrifices to them, and some offer sacrifices in the fire of the supreme Brahman.
Text 26
Some [the unadulterated brahmacaris] sacrifice the hearing process and the senses in the fire of mental control, and others [the regulated householders] sacrifice the objects of the senses in the fire of the senses.
Text 27
Others, who are interested in achieving self-realization through control of the mind and senses, offer the function of all the senses, and of the life breath, as oblations into the fire of the controlled mind.
Text 28
Having accepted strict vows, some become enlightened by sacrificing their possession, and others by performing severe austerities, by practicing the yoga of eightfuld mysticism, or by studying the Vedas to advance in transcendenatal knowledge.
Text 29
Still others who are inclined to the process of breath restraint to remain in trance, practice by offering the movement of the outgoing breath into the incoming , and the incoming breath into the outgoing, and thus as last remain in trance, stopping all breathing Other curtailing the eating process, Offer the outgoing breath into itself as a sacrifice.
Text 30
All these performers who know the meaning of sacrifice become cleansed of sinful reactions, and,having tasted the nectar of the results of sacrifices, they advance toward the supreme eternal atmosphere.
Text 31
O best of the Kuru dynasty, without sacrifice one can never live happily on this planet or in this life: what then of the next?
Text 32
All these different types of sacrifice are approved by the Vedas, and all of them are born of different types of work. Knowing them as such. you will become liberated.
Text 33
O chastiser of the enemy, the sacrifice performed in knowledge is better than the mere sacrifice of material possessions. After all, O son of Prtha, all sacrifices of work culminate in transcendental knowledge.
Text 34
Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master, Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.
Text 35
Having obtained real knowledge from a self-realized soul, you will never fall again into such illusion, for by this knowledge you will see that all living beings are but part of the Supreme, or,in other words,that they are Mine.
Text 36
Even if you are considered to be the most sinful of all sinners, when you are situated in the boat of transcendental knowledge you will be able to cross over the ocean of miseries
Text 37
As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna,so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities.
Text 38
In this world there is nothing so sublime and pure as transcendental knowledge, Such knowledge is the mature fruit of all mysticism.And one who has become accomplished in the practice of devotional service enjoys this knwoledge within himself in due course of time.
Text 39
A faithful man who is dedicated to transcendental knowledge and who subdues his senses is eligible to achieve such knowledge,and having achieved it be quickly attaints the supreme spiritual peace.
Text 40
But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness;they fall down. For the doubting soul there is happiess neither in this world nor in the next.