The Holy One

A person does not attain freedom from work by simply not doing it, nor does one achieve final liberation by just renouncing work.

However, Arjuna, the one who controls their senses with their mind, engages in devotion through work without attachment, is truly distinguished.

Even the maintenance of your body is not possible without work.

It is desire and anger, born from the quality of passion, that consumes everything and is very sinful. Recognize this as the enemy in this world.

I have been born many times, Arjuna, and so have you. I know all of my past births, but you do not.

Although I am unborn and my essence never deteriorates, and I am the lord of all creatures, I still take birth using my own material nature and the power of illusion.

Whenever there is a decline in righteousness and a rise in unrighteousness, I manifest myself.

I am born age after age to protect the righteous, to destroy the wicked, and to establish righteousness.

Supporting all beings and producing all beings, I do not reside in those beings.

Those who constantly adore me with their minds fixed on me and have the highest faith are considered the most devoted.

Focus your heart on me alone, and place your understanding on me. Then you will dwell in me.

Those who worship the unchanging, unmanifest, all-pervading, inconceivable, indifferent, eternal, and immutable, and who restrain their senses and are equal-minded towards all, also attain to me.

The qualities of goodness, passion, and darkness, which are born from nature, bind down the eternal soul in the body.

Among these qualities, goodness, being pure and enlightening, binds the soul with the attainment of happiness and knowledge.

Passion, O son of Kunti, binds the embodied soul by attachment to work.

When the light of knowledge is produced in all the senses of the body, then one should know that goodness has been developed.

The rejection of work done with desire is known as renunciation by the learned. The abandonment of the fruit of all work is called abandonment by the discerning.

Sacrifice, gift, and penance are the means of purification for the wise. However, these works should be performed by abandoning attachment and desire for their fruits.

As an embodied person cannot completely abandon actions, the one who abandons the fruits of actions is truly considered an abandoner.

But high-souled ones, O son of Pritha, possessed of divine nature, and with minds directed to nothing else, worship me, knowing me to be the origin of all beings and indestructible.