Gita Chapter 18.11 to 18.15

Yastu karmaphalatyaagi sa tyaageetyabhidheeyate.
11. Verily, it is not possible for an embodied being to abandon actions entirely; but he who relinquishes the rewards of actions is verily called a man of renunciation.
COMMENTARY: Nature, and your own nature, too, will urge you to do actions. You will have to abandon the idea of agency and the fruits of actions. Then no action will bind you.

Anishtamishtam mishram cha trividham karmanah phalam;
Bhavatyatyaaginaam pretya na tu sannyaasinaam kwachit.
12. The threefold fruit of action—evil, good and mixed—accrues after death to the non-abandoners, but never to the abandoners.

Panchaitaani mahaabaaho kaaranaani nibodha me;
Saankhye kritaante proktaani siddhaye sarvakarmanaam.
13. Learn from Me, O mighty-armed Arjuna, these five causes, as declared in the Sankhya system for the accomplishment of all actions!

Adhishthaanam tathaa kartaa karanam cha prithagvidham;
Vividhaashcha prithakcheshtaa daivam chaivaatra panchamam.
14. The body, the doer, the various senses, the different functions of various sorts, and the presiding Deity, also, the fifth,

Shareeravaangmanobhiryat karma praarabhate narah;
Nyaayyam vaa vipareetam vaa panchaite tasya hetavah.
15. Whatever action a man performs by his body, speech and mind, whether right or the reverse, these five are its causes.

Gita Chapter 10.21 to 10.25

Aadityaanaamaham vishnur jyotishaam raviramshumaan;
Mareechirmarutaamasmi nakshatraanaamaham shashee.
21. Among the (twelve) Adityas, I am Vishnu; among the luminaries, the radiant sun; I am Marichi among the (seven or forty-nine) Maruts; among stars the moon am I.

Vedaanaam saamavedo’smi devaanaam asmi vaasavah;
Indriyaanaam manashchaasmi bhootaanaamasmi chetanaa.
22. Among the Vedas IamtheSama Veda; I am Vasava among the gods; among the senses I am the mind; and I am intelligence among living beings.

Rudraanaam shankarashchaasmi vittesho yaksharakshasaam;
Vasoonaam paavakashchaasmi meruh shikharinaamaham.
23. And, among the Rudras I am Shankara; among the Yakshas and Rakshasas, the Lord of wealth (Kubera); among the Vasus I am Pavaka (fire); and among the (seven) mountains I am the Meru.

Purodhasaam cha mukhyam maam viddhipaartha brihaspatim;
Senaaneenaamaham skandah sarasaamasmi saagarah.
24. And, among the household priests (of kings), O Arjuna, know Me to be the chief, Brihaspati; among the army generals I am Skanda; among lakes I am the ocean!

Maharsheenaam bhriguraham giraamasmyekamaksharam;
Yajnaanaam japayajno’smi sthaavaraanaam himaalayah.
25. Among the great sages I am Bhrigu; among words I am the monosyllable Om; among sacrifices I am the sacrifice of silent repetition; among immovable things the Himalayas I am.
COMMENTARY: Repetition of the Mantra is regarded as the best of all Yajnas or sacrifices. There is no loss or injury in this Yajna. Manu says: “Whatever else the Brahmana may or may not do, he attains salvation by Japa alone”.

Gita Chapter 8.05 to 8.10

giYam yam vaapi smaran bhaavam tyajatyante kalevaram;
Tam tamevaiti kaunteya sadaa tadbhaavabhaavitah.
6. Whosoever at the end leaves the body, thinking of any being, to that being only does he go, O son of Kunti (Arjuna), because of his constant thought of that being!
COMMENTARY: The most prominent thought of one’s life occupies the mind at the time of death. It determines the nature of the body to be attained in the next birth.

Tasmaat sarveshu kaaleshu maamanusmara yudhya cha;
Mayyarpitamanobuddhir maamevaishyasyasamshayam.

7. Therefore, at all times remember Me only and fight. With mind and intellect fixed (or absorbed) in Me, thou shalt doubtless come to Me alone.

Abhyaasayogayuktena chetasaa naanyagaaminaa;
Paramam purusham divyam yaati paarthaanuchintayan.
8. With the mind not moving towards any other thing, made steadfast by the method of habitual meditation, and constantly meditating, one goes to the Supreme Person, the Resplendent,

O Arjuna!
Kavim puraanamanushaasitaaram
Anoraneeyaamsam anusmaredyah;
Sarvasya dhaataaram achintyaroopam
Aadityavarnam tamasah parastaat.
9. Whosoever meditates on the Omniscient, the Ancient, the ruler (of the whole world), minuter than an atom, the supporter of all, of inconceivable form, effulgent like the sun and beyond the darkness of ignorance,

Prayaanakaale manasaachalena
Bhaktyaa yukto yogabalena chaiva;
Bhruvormadhye praanamaaveshya samyak
Sa tam param purusham upaiti divyam.
10. At the time of death, with unshaken mind, endowed with devotion and by the power of Yoga, fixing the whole life-breath in the middle of the two eyebrows, he reaches that resplendent Supreme Person.

THE YOGA OF WISDOM AND REALISATION

Summary of Seventh Discourse

Sri Krishna tells Arjuna that the supreme Godhead has to be realised in both its transcendent and immanent aspects. The Yogi who has reached this summit has nothing more to know. This complete union with the Lord is difficult of attainment. Among many thousands of human beings, very few aspire for this union, and even among those who aspire for it, few ever reach the pinnacle of spiritual realisation.
The Lord has already given a clear description of the all-pervading static and infinite state of His. Now He proceeds to explain His manifestations as the universe and the power behind it. He speaks of these manifestations as His lower and higher Prakritis. The lower Prakriti is made up of the five elements, mind, ego and intellect. The higher Prakriti is the life-element which upholds the universe, activates it and causes its appearance and final dissolution.
Krishna says that whatever exists is nothing but Himself. He is the cause of the appearance of the universe and all things in it. Everything is strung on Him like clusters of gems on a string. He is the essence, substance and substratum of everything, whether visible or invisible. Although everything is in Him, yet He transcends everything as the actionless Self. Prakriti or Nature is made up of the three Gunas or qualities—Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas. These three qualities delude the soul and make it forget its true nature, which is one with God. This delusion, termed Maya, can only be removed by the Grace of the Lord Himself.
Thus far Arjuna has been taught the highest form of devotion, which leads to union with God in His static aspect as also with His dynamic Prakriti. Krishna tells him that there are also other forms of devotion which are inferior as they are performed with various motives. The distressed, the seeker of divine wisdom, and he who desires wealth, worship Him, as also the wise. Of these the Lord deems the wise as dearest to Him. Such a devotee loves the Lord for the sake of pure love alone. Whatever form the devotee worships, the ultimate goal is the Lord Himself. The Lord accepts such worship, knowing that it is directed to Him only.

Gita Chapter 6.31 to 6.35

Sarvabhootasthitam yo maam bhajatyekatwamaasthitah;
Sarvathaa vartamaano’pi sa yogee mayi vartate.
31. He who, being established in unity, worships Me who dwells in all beings,—that Yogi abides in Me, whatever may be his mode of living.

Aatmaupamyena sarvatra samam pashyati yo’rjuna;
Sukham vaa yadi vaa duhkham sa yogee paramo matah.
32. He who, through the likeness of the Self, O Arjuna, sees equality everywhere, be it pleasure or pain, he is regarded as the highest Yogi!

Arjuna Uvaacha:
Yo’yam yogastwayaa proktah saamyena madhusoodana;
Etasyaaham na pashyaami chanchalatwaat sthitim sthiraam.
Arjuna said:
33. This Yoga of equanimity taught by Thee, O Krishna, I do not see its steady continuance, because of restlessness (of the mind)!

Chanchalam hi manah krishna pramaathi balavad dridham;
Tasyaaham nigraham manye vaayoriva sudushkaram.
34. The mind verily is restless, turbulent, strong and unyielding, O Krishna! I deem it as difficult to control as to control the wind.
COMMENTARY: The mind ever changes its point of concentration from one object to another. So it is always restless. It is not only restless but also turbulent and impetuous, strong and obstinate. It produces agitation in the body and in the senses. That is why the mind is even more difficult to control than to control the wind.

Sri Bhagavaan Uvaacha:
Asamshayam mahaabaaho mano durnigraham chalam;
Abhyaasena tu kaunteya vairaagyena cha grihyate.
The Blessed Lord said:
35. Undoubtedly, O mighty-armed Arjuna, the mind is difficult to control and restless; but, by practice and by dispassion it may be restrained!

Gita Chapter 6.21to 6.25

Sukhamaatyantikam yattad buddhi graahyamateendriyam;
Vetti yatra na chaivaayam sthitashchalati tattwatah.
21. When he (the Yogi) feels that infinite bliss which can be grasped by the (pure) intellect and which transcends the senses, and, established wherein he never moves from the Reality,

Yam labdhwaa chaaparam laabham manyate naadhikam tatah;
Yasmin sthito na duhkhena gurunaapi vichaalyate.
22. Which, having obtained, he thinks there is no other gain superior to it; wherein established, he is not moved even by heavy sorrow,—

Tam vidyaad duhkhasamyogaviyogam yogasamjnitam;
Sa nishchayena yoktavyo yogo’nirvinna chetasaa.
23. Let that be known by the name of Yoga, the severance from union with pain. This Yoga should be practised with determination and with an undesponding mind.

Sankalpaprabhavaan kaamaan styaktwaa sarvaan asheshatah;
Manasaivendriyagraamam viniyamya samantatah.
24. Abandoning without reserve all the desires born of Sankalpa, and completely restraining the whole group of senses by the mind from all sides,

COMMENTARY: The mind is so diplomatic that it keeps certain desires for its secret gratification. So one should completely abandon all desires without reservation.

Shanaih shanairuparamed buddhyaa dhritigriheetayaa;
Aatmasamstham manah kritwaa na kinchidapi chintayet.
25. Little by little let him attain to quietude by the intellect held firmly; having made the mind establish itself in the Self, let him not think of anything.

Gita Chapter 3.06 to 3.10

Karmendriyaani samyamya ya aaste manasaa smaran;
Indriyaarthaan vimoodhaatmaa mithyaachaarah sa uchyate.
6. He who, restraining the organs of action, sits thinking of the sense-objects in mind, he, of deluded understanding, is called a hypocrite.

Yastwindriyaani manasaa niyamyaarabhate’rjuna;
Karmendriyaih karmayogam asaktah sa vishishyate.
7. But whosoever, controlling the senses by the mind, O Arjuna, engages himself in Karma Yoga with the organs of action, without attachment, he excels!

Niyatam kuru karma twam karma jyaayo hyakarmanah;
Shareerayaatraapi cha te na prasiddhyed akarmanah.
8. Do thou perform thy bounden duty, for action is superior to inaction and even the maintenance of the body would not be possible for thee by inaction.

Yajnaarthaat karmano’nyatra loko’yam karmabandhanah;
Tadartham karma kaunteya muktasangah samaachara.
9. The world is bound by actions other than those performed for the sake of sacrifice; do thou, therefore, O son of Kunti, perform action for that sake (for sacrifice) alone, free from attachment!
COMMENTARY: If anyone does actions for the sake of the Lord, he is not bound. His heart is purified by performing actions for the sake of the Lord. Where this spirit of unselfishness does not govern the action, such actions bind one to worldliness, however good or glorious they may be.

Sahayajnaah prajaah srishtwaa purovaacha prajaapatih;
Anena prasavishyadhwam esha vo’stvishtakaamadhuk.
10. The Creator, having in the beginning of creation created mankind together with sacrifice, said: “By this shall ye propagate; let this be the milch cow of your desires (the cow which yields the desired objects)”.