Discernment

With these seemingly contradictory words you appear to confuse my understanding. Tell me decisively the one path by which I may attain the highest good.

व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे | तदेकं वद निश्चित्य येन श्रेयोऽहमाप्नुयाम् ||३-२||

On this path, Kuru-nandana, the resolute mind is single and one-pointed, but the thoughts of the irresolute are many-branched and endless.

व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिरेकेह कुरुनन्दन | बहुशाखा ह्यनन्ताश्च बुद्धयोऽव्यवसायिनाम् ||२-४१||

The intellect by which one wrongly discerns dharma and adharma, and what should and should not be done — that intellect, Partha, is rajasic.

यया धर्ममधर्मं च कार्यं चाकार्यमेव च | अयथावत्प्रजानाति बुद्धिः सा पार्थ राजसी ||१८-३१||

The intellect that knows action and withdrawal from action, what should and should not be done, fear and fearlessness, bondage and liberation — that intellect, Partha, is sattvic.

प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च कार्याकार्ये भयाभये | बन्धं मोक्षं च या वेत्ति बुद्धिः सा पार्थ सात्त्विकी ||१८-३०||

But the knowledge that sees in all beings various distinct entities, separate from one another — know that knowledge to be rajasic.

पृथक्त्वेन तु यज्ज्ञानं नानाभावान्पृथग्विधान् | वेत्ति सर्वेषु भूतेषु तज्ज्ञानं विद्धि राजसम् ||१८-२१||

Hear from me the conclusion about relinquishment, best of the Bharatas; for relinquishment, tiger among men, is declared to be of three kinds.

निश्चयं शृणु मे तत्र त्यागे भरतसत्तम | त्यागो हि पुरुषव्याघ्र त्रिविधः सम्प्रकीर्तितः ||१८-४||

The good and the pleasant approach a person; the wise one, considering both, distinguishes them. The wise one chooses the good over the pleasant; the dull one chooses the pleasant for the sake of getting and keeping.

श्रेयश्च प्रेयश्च मनुष्यमेतः तौ सम्परीत्य विविनक्ति धीरः । श्रेयो हि धीरोऽभि प्रेयसो वृणीते प्रेयो मन्दो योगक्षेमाद्वृणीते ॥ २॥

The good is one thing, the pleasant another; both, with different aims, bind a person. Of the two, it goes well for one who takes the good; one who chooses the pleasant misses the goal.

अन्यच्छ्रेयोऽन्यदुतैव प्रेय- स्ते उभे नानार्थे पुरुषँ सिनीतः । तयोः श्रेय आददानस्य साधु भवति हीयतेऽर्थाद्य उ प्रेयो वृणीते ॥ १॥

Hear now the threefold division of intellect and of resolve according to the gunas, set forth fully and separately, Dhananjaya.

बुद्धेर्भेदं धृतेश्चैव गुणतस्त्रिविधं शृणु | प्रोच्यमानमशेषेण पृथक्त्वेन धनञ्जय ||१८-२९||

Knowledge, action, and the agent are declared in the theory of the gunas to be of three kinds only, according to the distinction of the gunas. Hear about these too, duly.

ज्ञानं कर्म च कर्ताच त्रिधैव गुणभेदतः | प्रोच्यते गुणसङ्ख्याने यथावच्छृणु तान्यपि ||१८-१९||

This being so, one who, through an untrained understanding, sees the self alone as the agent — that person of perverse mind does not see truly.

तत्रैवं सति कर्तारमात्मानं केवलं तु यः | पश्यत्यकृतबुद्धित्वान्न स पश्यति दुर्मतिः ||१८-१६||

Some thinkers say that action should be given up as an evil; others say that acts of sacrifice, giving, and austerity should not be given up.

त्याज्यं दोषवदित्येके कर्म प्राहुर्मनीषिणः | यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यमिति चापरे ||१८-३||

The Blessed Lord said: The faith of embodied beings is of three kinds, born of their own nature — sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic. Hear about it.

श्रीभगवानुवाच | त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा | सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां शृणु ||१७-२||

There are these two persons in the world, the perishable and the imperishable: the perishable is all beings, and the unchanging is called the imperishable.

द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च | क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते ||१५-१६||

When the seer perceives no agent other than the gunas, and knows that which is beyond the gunas, he attains my state of being.

नान्यं गुणेभ्यः कर्तारं यदा द्रष्टानुपश्यति | गुणेभ्यश्च परं वेत्ति मद्भावं सोऽधिगच्छति ||१४-१९||

The childish pursue outward desires; they walk into the widespread snare of death. But the wise, knowing immortality, do not seek the abiding among things that do not abide here.

पराचः कामाननुयन्ति बाला- स्ते मृत्योर्यन्ति विततस्य पाशम् । अथ धीरा अमृतत्वं विदित्वा ध्रुवमध्रुवेष्विह न प्रार्थयन्ते ॥ २॥

But the gift given for the sake of a return, or with an eye to reward, or grudgingly — that gift is regarded as rajasic.

यत्तु प्रत्युपकारार्थं फलमुद्दिश्य वा पुनः | दीयते च परिक्लिष्टं तद्दानं राजसं स्मृतम् ||१७-२१||

Arjuna said: Those who cast aside the injunctions of scripture yet perform sacrifice full of faith — what is their standing, Krishna? Is it sattva, rajas, or tamas?

अर्जुन उवाच | ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः | तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः ||१७-१||