Timeless Wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita

18.48 One should not abandon, O Arjuna, the duty to which one is born, though faulty; for, all undertakings are enveloped by evil, as fire by smoke.

सहजं कर्म कौन्तेय सदोषमपि न त्यजेत् | सर्वारम्भा हि दोषेण धूमेनाग्निरिवावृताः ||१८-४८||

18.49 He whose intellect is unattached everywhere, who has subdued his self, from whom desire has fled, he by renunciation, attains the supreme state of freedom from action.

असक्तबुद्धिः सर्वत्र जितात्मा विगतस्पृहः | नैष्कर्म्यसिद्धिं परमां संन्यासेनाधिगच्छति ||१८-४९||

18.50 Learn from Me in brief, O Arjuna, how he who has attained perfection reaches Brahman (the Eternal), that supreme state of knowledge.

सिद्धिं प्राप्तो यथा ब्रह्म तथाप्नोति निबोध मे | समासेनैव कौन्तेय निष्ठा ज्ञानस्य या परा ||१८-५०||

18.51 Endowed with a pure intellect, controlling the self by firmness, relinishing sound and other objects and abandoning attraction and hatred.

बुद्ध्या विशुद्धया युक्तो धृत्यात्मानं नियम्य च | शब्दादीन्विषयांस्त्यक्त्वा रागद्वेषौ व्युदस्य च ||१८-५१||

18.52 Dwelling in solitude, eating but little, with speech, body and mind subdued, always engaged in meditation and concentration, resorting to dispassion.

विविक्तसेवी लघ्वाशी यतवाक्कायमानसः | ध्यानयोगपरो नित्यं वैराग्यं समुपाश्रितः ||१८-५२||

18.53 Having abandoned egoism, strength, arrogance, desire, anger and covetousness, and free from the notion of 'mine' and peaceful, he is fit for becoming Brahman.

अहंकारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं परिग्रहम् | विमुच्य निर्ममः शान्तो ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते ||१८-५३||

18.54 Becoming Brahman, serene in the Self, he neither grieves nor desires, the same to all beings, he obtains supreme devotion to Me.

ब्रह्मभूतः प्रसन्नात्मा न शोचति न काङ्क्षति | समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु मद्भक्तिं लभते पराम् ||१८-५४||

18.55 By devotion he knows Me in truth, what and who I am; then having known Me in truth, he forthwith enters into the Supreme.

भक्त्या मामभिजानाति यावान्यश्चास्मि तत्त्वतः | ततो मां तत्त्वतो ज्ञात्वा विशते तदनन्तरम् ||१८-५५||

18.56 Doing all actions always having taken refuge in Me, by My grace he obtains the eternal indestructible state of being.

सर्वकर्माण्यपि सदा कुर्वाणो मद्व्यपाश्रयः | मत्प्रसादादवाप्नोति शाश्वतं पदमव्ययम् ||१८-५६||

18.57 Mentally renouncing all actions in Me, having Me as the highest goal, resorting to the Yoga of discrimination do thou ever fix thy mind on Me.

चेतसा सर्वकर्माणि मयि संन्यस्य मत्परः | बुद्धियोगमुपाश्रित्य मच्चित्तः सततं भव ||१८-५७||