bhagavad-giitaa adhyaaya 5 (English)

In this chapter, Arjuna expresses some confusion about the teachings of Kr's'n'a, and he asks him to clarify them. This is the proper attitude of a disciple. If a disciple doesn't understand the teachings of the guru, he should ask him to clarify further, and if the guru is unable or unwilling to do so, he is not a genuine guru. The attitude that one should simply do what the guru says without questioning is not supported in the Bhagavad-giitaa, or in other vais'n'ava scriptures. Then Kr's'n'a further explains that an advanced soul, a knower of the truth, will perform actions, but without attachment to the results, and that peace is obtained when the results of action are abandoned. This is true abandonment. He also explains, that when someone is liberated from desire and anger, he is connected with the supreme and ready for extinction in brahma. This extinction in brahma does not mean complete annihilation of the soul, but it means the annihilation of one's material existence. When someone doesn't rejoice what is dear, and doesn't grieve what is disliked, there is nothing that can bind him to material existence any more, and thus he is liberated. In the last verse of this chapter, Kr's'n'a explains that the liberated hermit knows Kr's'n'a to be the friend of all beings, the great god of all worlds, and the enjoyer of observances of sacrifices. This indicates that the liberated and connected soul still knows the personal aspect of Kr's'n'a. Thus, the chapter does not talk about an impersonal type of liberation, but a liberation where one still knows Kr's'n'a's personal form.

Next adhyaaya

Aj:Øün: uv:ac: s:nny:as:ö km:üN:aö ká\Na p:Øn:y:<üg:ö c: S:ös:es: . y:cCÕðy: Ot:y:<rðk÷ t:nm:ð b:ÒÝeh s:Øen:eÁ:t:m:Î / 1 /	Arjuna spoke: Again you praise abandonment of actions and divine union, o Kr's'n'a. Tell me definitely which one of these two is better! (1)
Â:iB:g:v:an:Øv:ac: s:nny:as:H km:üy:<g:Á: en:HÂ:ðy:s:krav:ØB:> . t:y:<st:Ø km:üs:nny:as:atkm:üy:<g:< ev:eS:\y:t:ð / 2 /	S''rii Bhagavaan spoke: Abandonment and divine union through action both result in the ultimate goal, but between both of them, divine union through action excels abandonment of action. (2)
wðy:H s: en:ty:s:nny:as:i y:< n: ¾ðeÄ n: ka{Ïx:et: . en:¾ün¾< eh m:hab:ah< s:ØK:ö b:nD:atp:Òm:Øcy:t:ð / 3 /	He, who does not hate or desire, is to be known as an eternal renouncer, for someone who is indifferent to the opposite pairs, o Mahaabaahu^*, becomes happily released from bondage. (3)
s:a{ÏKy:y:<g:> p:àT:gb:al:aH )v:d¡nt: n: p:¡NRt:aH . Okm:py:a¡sT:t:H s:my:g:ØB:y:<ev:ündt:ð Pl:m:Î / 4 /	Children, not learned men, proclaim understanding and divine union to be different. Surely someone, who has performed one of them, experiences the complete result of both. (4)
y:ts:a{ÏKy:òH )apy:t:ð sT:an:ö t:½<g:òrep: g:my:t:ð . Ok÷ s:a{ÏKy:ö c: y:<g:ö c: y:H p:Sy:et: s: p:Sy:et: / 5 /	That position, which is obtained by understandings, is also approached by divine unions. He, who sees understanding and divine union as one, he really sees, (5)
s:nny:as:st:Ø m:hab:ah< dØHK:m:apt:Øm:y:<g:t:H . y:<g:y:ØVt:< m:Øen:b:ÒüÉ n: ec:rðN:aeD:g:cCet: / 6 /	but abandonment, o Mahaabaahu^, is an uncomfortable way to gain pain. A hermit, who is concentrated in divine union, does not obtain brahma after a long time^. (6)
y:<g:y:ØVt:< ev:S:Ø¹atm:a ev:ej:t:atm:a ej:t:ð¡ndÒy:H . s:v:üB:Üt:atm:B:Üt:atm:a kÙv:üÀep: n: el:py:t:ð / 7 /	One, who is concentrated in divine union, and whose self is purified and subdued, and whose senses are conquered, and who is the living soul of all living souls, is not attached even though acting. (7)
n:òv: ek¡Wc:tkr<m:iet: y:ØVt:< m:ny:ðt: t:¶v:ev:t:Î . p:Sy:WS:àNv:nsp:àS:¡nj:G:ÒÀSn:ng:cCnsv:p:nSv:s:n:Î / 8 /	The concentrated knower of the truth would think: "I do nothing at all", even while seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, walking, sleeping, breathing, (8)
)l:p:¡nv:s:àj:ng:àÇÀÙ¡nm:\:eÀem:\:Àep: . E¡ndÒy:aN:i¡ndÒy:aT:ðü\:Ø v:t:ünt: Eet: D:ary:n:Î / 9 /	chatting, releasing, seizing, opening his eyes, closing his eyes; meanwhile making himself remember that the senses depend on the sense objects^*. (9)
b:ÒÉNy:aD:ay: km:aüeN: s:¤ö ty:Vtv:a kr<et: y:H . el:py:t:ð n: s: p:ap:ðn: p:¼p:*:em:v:amB:s:a / 10 /	He, who performs actions after placing them in brahma, and after abandoning worldly association, he is not attached by misfortune, like a lotus-leaf is not attached by water. (10)
kay:ðn: m:n:s:a b:ØdÏDy:a kñv:l:òer¡ndÒy:òrep: . y:<eg:n:H km:ü kÙv:ü¡nt: s:¤ö ty:Vtv:atm:S:Ø¹y:ð / 11 /	Yogiis perform action with their body, mind, intellect, even with their very own senses, after abandoning worldly association, for their own purity. (11)
y:ØVt:H km:üPl:ö ty:Vtv:a S:a¡nt:m:apn:<et: n:òeÅkim:Î . Ay:ØVt:H kam:karðN: Pl:ð s:Vt:< en:b:Dy:t:ð / 12 /	After abandoning the results of action, the connected person obtains definitive peace. The unconnected, who is intent on his result, is fettered by the fulfillment of desire. (12)
s:v:ükm:aüeN: m:n:s:a s:nny:sy:ast:ð s:ØK:ö v:S:i . n:v:¾arð p:Ørð dðhi n:òv: kÙv:üÀ kary:n:Î / 13 /	After resigning all actions with his mind, the master remains happy. The soul in the town of nine passages^* is truly not acting nor causing to act. (13)
n: kt:àütv:ö n: km:aüeN: l:<ksy: s:àj:et: )B:ØH . n: km:üPl:s:öy:<g:ö sv:B:av:st:Ø )v:t:üt:ð / 14 /	The master does not create the actions, nor the state of being performer, nor the connection between action and result, of the world, but its own condition arises. (14)
n:ad¶:ð ksy:ec:tp:ap:ö n: c:òv: s:Økát:ö ev:B:ØH . Awan:ðn:av:àt:ö wan:ö t:ðn: m:ØÊ¡nt: j:nt:v:H / 15 /	The ruler does not accept anyone's mischief and certainly not anyone's virtue. Human beings are bewildered by that ignorance which is concealed by knowledge, (15)
wan:ðn: t:Ø t:dwan:ö y:ð\:aö n:aeS:t:m:atm:n:H . t:ð\:am:aedty:v:jwan:ö )kaS:y:et: t:tp:rm:Î / 16 /	but to them, in whom that ignorance was destroyed by the knowledge of the self, the knowledge illumines that supreme like the sun. (16)
t:ºØ¹y:st:datm:an:st:eÀÅast:tp:ray:N:aH . g:cCnty:p:Øn:rav:àe¶:ö wan:en:D:Üüt:klm:\:aH / 17 /	Intelligences obtain that, selves obtain that, steadinesses obtain that, final resorts obtain that without returning again, and so do knowledges bereft of impurities. (17)
ev:½aev:n:y:s:mp:Àð b:ÒaÉN:ð g:ev: h¡st:en: . S:Øen: c:òv: Ã:p:akñ c: p:¡NRt:aH s:m:deS:ün:H / 18 /	Learned men are impartial observers of a braahman'a, who is well accomplished in disciplined science, a cow, an elephant, and even a dog and a dog-eater. (18)
Ehòv: t:òej:üt:H s:g:<ü y:ð\:aö s:amy:ð ¡sT:t:ö m:n:H . en:d<ü\:ö eh s:m:ö b:ÒÉ t:sm:adÏb:ÒÉeN: t:ð ¡sT:t:aH / 19 /	The creation is certainly conquered in this world by them, whose mind is situated in equality, for brahma is faultless and impartial. Therefore, they are situated in brahma. (19)
n: )Æ\y:ð¡tp:Òy:ö )apy: n:<e¾j:ðtp:Òapy: c:ae)y:m:Î . ¡sT:rb:Øe¹rs:mm:ÜZ< b:ÒÉev:dÏb:ÒÉeN: ¡sT:t:H / 20 /	The knower of brahma, who has firm intelligence, and is unbewildered and situated in brahma, would not rejoice after obtaining what is dear, and not grieve after obtaining what is disliked. (20)
b:aÊsp:S:ðü\v:s:Vt:atm:a ev:ndty:atm:en: y:ts:ØK:m:Î . s: b:ÒÉy:<g:y:ØVt:atm:a s:ØK:m:x:y:m:Sn:Øt:ð / 21 /	One, who is unattached to the touches of external objects, acquires the pleasure in himself. The one, who is connected in brahma through yoga, reaches undecaying pleasure, (21)
y:ð eh s:ösp:S:üj:a B:<g:a dØHK:y:<n:y: Ov: t:ð . Aa½nt:v:nt:H k>nt:ðy: n: t:ð\:Ø rm:t:ð b:ØD:H / 22 /	for the enjoyments, which are produced from mutual touch, and which have a beginning and an end, are truly sources of pain, o Kuntii's son^*. The sage does not rejoice at them. (22)
S:Vn:<t:ihòv: y:H s:<ZÙö )aVS:rirev:m:<x:N:at:Î . kam:#<D:<»v:ö v:ðg:ö s: y:ØVt:H s: s:ØK:i n:rH / 23 /	He who can withstand the agitation, which arises from desire and anger, even in this world, before liberation from the body, he is connected, and he is a happy man. (23)
y:<\|nt:Hs:ØK:<\|nt:raram:st:T:ant:jy:<üet:rðv: y:H . s: y:<g:i b:ÒÉen:v:aüN:ö b:ÒÉB:Üt:<\|eD:g:cCet: / 24 /	Whoever is internally happy as well as internally delightful and indeed internally bright, that yogii, who is absorbed in brahma, accomplishes extinction in brahma. (24)
l:B:nt:ð b:ÒÉen:v:aüN:m:à\:y:H x:iN:klm:\:aH . eCÀ¾òD:a y:t:atm:an:H s:v:üB:Üt:eht:ð rt:aH / 25 /	Self-restrained saints, who are delighted in the benefit all living beings, and whose impurities have been destroyed, and whose doubts are cut off, gain extinction in brahma. (25)
kam:#<D:ev:m:ØVt:an:aö y:t:in:aö y:t:c:ðt:s:am:Î . AeB:t:< b:ÒÉen:v:aüN:ö v:t:üt:ð ev:edt:atm:n:am:Î / 26 /	Extinction in brahma occurs entirely for ascetics with restrained consciousness, who are liberated from desire and anger, and who have understood themselves. (26)
sp:S:aünkátv:a b:ehb:aüÊaöÁ:x:ØÁ:òv:ant:rð B:ÒÙv:<H . )aN:ap:an:> s:m:> kátv:a n:as:aBy:nt:rc:aerN:> / 27 /	After removing external touches, and indeed set his sight internally in the eyebrows, and after balancing praan'a^* and apaana^*, the movers inside the nose, (27)
y:t:ð¡ndÒy:m:n:<b:Øe¹m:Øüen:m:<üx:p:ray:N:H . ev:g:t:ðcCaB:y:#<D:< y:H s:da m:ØVt: Ov: s:H / 28 /	the hermit, whose senses, mind, and intelligence are restrained, and whose final resort is liberation, and whose desire, fear, and anger have disappeared, he is indeed always liberated. (28)
B:<Vt:arö y:wt:p:s:aö s:v:ül:<km:hðÃ:rm:Î . s:ØÆdö s:v:üB:Üt:an:aö watv:a m:aö S:a¡nt:m:àcCet: / 29 /	After knowing me to be the enjoyer of observances of sacrifices, the great god of all worlds, and the friend of all living beings, he obtains peace. (29)