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If slain, thou wilt go to heaven ; or if victorious, thou wilt enjoy the earth. Therefore arise, O son of Kunti ! Make up thy mind for the fight. Looking on pleasure or pain, gain or loss, victory or defeat, as the same, gird thyself for the battle. And thus thou wilt not incur sin. This opinion has been set before thee in RHAGAVAD-gItX. CHARTER THE SECOND. 11 accordance with Sankhya (rational) doctrine. Now hear it in accord- ance with Yoga (devotional) doctrine. Imbued with that opinion, thou wilt discard these bonds of action, 0 son of Pritha ! In this (system of Yoga) there is no destruction of nor detriment to one’s efforts ; even a little of this religious practice delivers one from great risk. In this (system) there is only one single object of a steady constant nature, 0 son of Kurul Those who do not persevere have objects with many ramifications and without end. Not disposed to meditation and per- severance is the intention of those who are devoted to enjoyments and dominion, and whose minds are seduced (from the right path) by that flowery sentence which is proclaimed by the unwise, who delight in texts from the V edas, O son of Pritha, and say, * There is nothing else than that,’ being covetous-minded, and considering heaven as the very highest good ; and which offers regeneration as the reward of ac- tions, and enjoins many different ceremonies for the sake of obtaining pleasures and dominion. The subject of the Vedas is the three qualities. 0 Arjuna ! be thou free from these three qualities, free from the ordinary influence of natural opposites, reposing on eternal truth, free from worldly anxieties, self-possessed. As many uses as there are in a tank filled with waters which flow together from every quarter, so many are there in all the Vedas to a sensible Brahman. Let, then, the motive for action be in the action itself, never in its reward. Do not be incited to actions by (the hope of their) reward only, nor yet indulge a propensity to inertness. Persisting in devotion, and laying aside covetousness, perform thy actions, 0 despiser of wealth ! being the same in success or failure. Equanimity is called devotion. (Yoga). For by far inferior is the performance of works to mental devotion, 0 despiser of wealth ! Seek a refuge in thy mind. Wretched are they whose impulse to action is its reward. He who is men- tally devoted dismisses (by means of Yoga) alike successful and unsuccessful results. Therefore give thyself up to devotion. De- votion is success in actions. For those who are mentally devoted and wise, renouncing the reward which is the result of their actions, and liberated from the necessity of regeneration, attain to that place which is free from all disease. When thy mind shall have worked through the snares of delusion, then wilt thou attain to indifference to the 12 RHAGAVAD-gItA. CHARTER THR SECOND. doctrines, which are either (already) received or have yet to be received. When thy mind, once liberated from the Vedas, shall remain un- wavering, and constant in contemplation, then shalt thou attain to devotion.” COMMENTARY. REASON. The expressions you have uttered are from your popular beliefs, and though they are words of wisdom, yet nevertheless you are mistaken. Do you not know that there is but one tribe of humanity throughout the world ; and though men differ from each other in colour, dress, and tongue, the organization of all men is one, and each has a characteristic feature externally unlike the other ? Also, do you not know that the soul of each man is an emanation from the universal Father, u the Al- mighty ” ? He is but one, and there is no second to Him ; and since from that One alone all souls have emanated, the entire emanation is naturally of one caste, and any division therein, by popular opinion, would be an innovation, giving rise to jealousy and hatred, which you know must be avoided. The Almighty is eternal, and anything that emanates from Him must also be eternal. All souls are from Him, and are eternal ; and being such, they always exist. 0 Mind, child of Matter and Spirit ! you are the first-born, the Adam of the Christian Scripture, and Desire your wife, the Eve, placed in the domain of the heart, the Garden of Eden, a seat of worldly delight and pleasure on one side, and Paradise, or supreme felicity, on the other. Man is liable to slavery and emancipa- tion. You know from experience that you are the governor or ruler of the human system, and when you, beyond what is fitting, lean towards or attach yourself to worldly pleasure, you gather the forbidden fruit, Passion, and pass a life of anxiety, trouble, and misery; but by my noble gift, if you pay greater attention to it, and endeavour to liberate yourself from too close attachment to worldly pleasure, you gain what is called true happiness and tranquillity of mind. Experience has taught you that matter is mutable ; the pleasure and pain to be derived from everything you are surrounded with in this world is also changeable and momentary. Accordingly, the popular opinion formed by you, or accepted by bthers, is vague and not founded on truth, and therefore it should be BHAGAVAD-GfrA. CHAPTER THE SECOND. 13 disregarded, A sensible man should not be troubled about that. The tender feelings that now and then rise up within you, consequent on your weakness, you must put down by me, who am capable of’ over- coming them. It is by me alone man acquires impassibility towards all external influence, and equanimity in regard to the internal in- fluence of Passion. The ever-existing God can only be approached by discerning the truth, and acting in the path of Virtue. Every man must himself accomplish his true end, with me as his guide, and persevere after it; for I am the gift to man from God, the only- begotten Son (to use the term of the Christian creed), which exists in every human being, and through whom it can, with this interpretation alone, be justly said that every man must be saved. Remember, what I dictate and Experience attests is self-duty, and performing this in opposition to popular opinion, is in no way committal of sin, or doing evil in the sight of God. Popular opinion, superstition, and other vague notions, are the offsprings of ignorance; and as ignorance is born with the body, so also it will die with it, and must exist always. The existence and change of popular opinion is inevitable, and you should not be sorry for it. 0 Mind! you must remember this life is a state of probation, a battle field, TSpT, between the opposing forces of Passion and Intelligence, and you should not act the coward ; there is nothing better for a warrior than a lawful war. It is the best exercise for the spirit to be continually combating matter for truth, and waging battle against deceit ; for the only path to happiness is t^e power over Passion. Some men, taking Scripture as their only guide, put their entire trust in it. These men are egregiously deceived. As many uses as there are in a tank filled with water, so many are there in the Scriptures to a priest ; that is, as water may be used for numerous purposes, so texts may be turned by priests to their own private profit in a variety of ways ; for the priests in every nation of the world have established a monopoly in religious instruction, and have made them- selves thereby venerated, turning texts of their Scriptures to their own self-interest, in fulfilment'of their professional creed, for they are well acquainted with those texts, and know how to wield them. 14 BHAGAVAD-gItI. CHAPTER THE SECOND. TEXT. ARJUNA SPOKE. “'What is the description of one confirmed in spiritual knowledge, and constant in contemplation, 0 Krishna ? How does a man of steady meditation converse? How does he act when at rest, how when in action ? ” COMMENTARY. MIND. What is the description of one who remains constant in contempla- tion ? TEXT. KRISHNA SPOKE. “ When he has put away all desires which enter the heart, and is satisfied by himself in himself, he is then said to be confirmed in spiritual knowledge. When liis heart is not troubled in adversities, and all enjoyment in pleasures is fled ; when he is free from passion, fear, and anger, and constant in meditation, he is called a ‘ Muni/ That man possesses spiritual knowledge who is free from desire towards any object, and neither delights in nor is averse to whatever he meets with, be it good or bad. And when he draws in his senses from the objects of sense, even as a tortoise draws together its limbs on each side, he is possessed of spiritual knowledge. The objects of sense turn away from a man who refrains from food. Even appetite turns away when it perceives his extreme freedom from appetite. For often the agitated senses of a prudent man, even though he strive (to subdue them), carry off his heart by violence. Let a man, restraining all these, remain in devotion when at rest, and intent on me alone. For lie, whose senses are under his control, possesses spiritual knowledge. Attach- ment to objects of sense arises in a man who meditates upon them; from attachment arises desire; from desire passion springs up; from passion comes bewilderment; from bewilderment, confusion of the memory ; from confusion of the memory, destruction of the intellect ; from destruction of the intellect, he perishes. But he who approaches the objects of sense with senses free from love and hate, and beneath his own control, having his soul well-disposed, attains to tranquillity BHAGAVAD-GfTA. CHAPTER THE SECOND. 15 of thought. In this tranquillity there springs up in him a separation from all troubles. For the mind of him whose thoughts are tranquil soon becomes fixed (on one object). He who does not practise devotion has neither intelligence nor reflection.