Arjuna, with eyes full of tears and compassion, and overwhelmed with pity, his mind distressed and bewildered, spoke the following words to Krishna.

Why, in such a crisis, this weakness, unbecoming of a noble man like you? It does not lead to heaven; it brings disgrace, O Arjun!

"O Partha, son of Pritha, do not yield to this unmanliness. It does not become you. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O scorcher of foes!"

"How can I, O Madhusudana, fight in battle with arrows against Bheeshma and Drona, who are worthy of reverence?"

It is better to live in this world by begging than to slay these great souls for the sake of maintaining the body. If they are killed, the wealth and pleasure we enjoy will be tainted with blood.

Nor do we know which is better: whether we conquer them or they conquer us. The sons of Dhritarashtra, after slaying whom we do not wish to live, are now standing before us on the battlefield.

"O Krishna, with my heart confounded by weakness and doubt, I ask you to tell me conclusively what is best for me. Please advise me, your disciple, who is surrendered unto you."

I cannot foresee any outcome other than that of killing my relatives in battle, which will lead to their suffering. Even if I were to obtain unrivaled and flourishing sovereignty over the earth without rival or challenger, or supremacy over the gods themselves.

Saying this, Arjuna—Hrishikesha (Krishna), the one who controls the senses and the mind—told Govinda (Krishna), "I shall not fight," and then fell silent, O Bharata (Dhritarashtra’s son).

Lord Krishna, smilingly, spoke these words to Arjuna amidst the armies.

You grieve for those who should not be grieved for, yet speak wise words; wise men do not grieve for the dead or the living.

Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.

As the boyhood, youth, and old age come to the embodied soul in this body, similarly, the soul attains another body; the wise man is not deluded by this.

O son of Kunti (Arjun), the contact between the senses and the sense objects gives rise to fleeting perceptions of happiness and distress. They are temporary and come and go. Bear them patiently, O Arjuna.

"He who is not troubled by these, O noblest among men, who remains the same in pain and pleasure, he is fit for immortality, O best of men!"

The unreal has no existence, and the real never ceases to be; the truth about both has been realized by the seers of truth.

Know that which pervades the entire body is indestructible. No one is able to destroy the imperishable soul.

"These bodies of the embodied soul, which is eternal, indestructible, and immeasurable, are said to have an end. Therefore, fight, O Arjuna!"

He who thinks that the soul kills, and he who thinks of it as killed, are both ignorant. The soul kills not, nor is it killed.

For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.

"O Partha (Arjuna), how can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible, eternal, unborn, and immutable, kill anyone or cause anyone to kill?"

As a person discards old clothes for new ones, similarly, the soul discards old bodies to take up new ones.

Weapons cannot cut the soul; Fire cannot burn it; Water cannot wet it; Wind cannot dry it.

This self cannot be cut, burned, wet, or dried. It is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable, and eternal.

This self is said to be unmanifested, incomprehensible, and unchanging. Therefore, knowing this to be so, you should not grieve.

Even if you think of Him as being eternally born or eternally dead, still, you should not lament like this, mighty-armed Arjuna.

For one who has been born, death is certain, and for one who has died, birth is certain.
Therefore, in an inevitable situation, you should not grieve.

O Bharata (Arjuna), all beings are unmanifest before birth, manifest in the interim, and unmanifest again after death. What is there to grieve about?

Some look at the soul as amazing, some speak of it as amazing, and some hear of it as amazing, while others, even after hearing about it, cannot understand it at all.

The embodied soul is eternal, indestructible, and immeasurable, O Arjuna. Therefore, you should not grieve for any creature.

Even considering your own duty, you should not waver. Indeed, for a warrior, there is no better engagement than fighting for upholding righteousness.

By happenstance, Partha, have opened for the happy warriors a wide-open gateway to heaven, such as that attained in battle.

If, however, you do not perform your religious duty of fighting, then you will certainly incur sins for neglecting your duties and lose your reputation as a fighter.

Even the noblest and eternal beings will speak of your disgrace, for to one who has been honored, dishonor is worse than death.

"From your perspective, it would be better to live with the alms begged rather than to kill these great souls who are your own relatives, the Kauravas, and teachers, who have always been respected and revered."

"Your enemies will speak many unkind words and scorn your abilities. What could be more painful than that?"

Whether you will be killed in the battle and attain heaven or you will emerge victorious and enjoy the earth's riches, therefore, get up with determination, O son of Kunti, and resolve to fight.

Having made pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat the same, engage in battle for the sake of battle; thus you will not incur sin.

"Listen to this wisdom I have taught you, Arjuna. When you have absorbed this knowledge, you will break free from the bondage of karma."

There is no loss of effort in this world, and no harm can come from following the right path. Even a little effort made on this path can protect you from great danger.

O Arjuna, intellect is one-pointed for those who are steadfast in their determination, but for the irresolute, the intellect is many-branched and endless.

Those with limited understanding, who are inclined towards the flowery words of the Vedas, and who advocate that there is nothing beyond this, are attached to the rituals of scripture. They believe that enjoyment and power are the ultimate goals and purposes of life.

Those with limited understanding, who are inclined towards the flowery words of the Vedas, and who advocate that there is nothing beyond this, are attached to the rituals of scripture. They believe that enjoyment and power are the ultimate goals and purposes of life.

For those whose minds are attached to the pleasures and powers of the world, such resolute determination does not arise.

O Arjuna, the Vedas discuss the three modes of material nature. Rise above these modes, free yourself from duality, and remain steady in your true self, detached from material possessions.

Just as a well filled with water serves all purposes, similarly, a person who truly understands the essence of all knowledge mentioned in the Vedas is like a wise scholar.

You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction.

Perform your duty equipoised, O Arjuna, abandoning all attachment to success or failure. Such equanimity is called yoga.

"O Dhananjaya, keep far from actions that are done through personal desire and attachment to their fruits. Let your motivation be in selfless wisdom."

A person who is endowed with wisdom casts aside both good and bad deeds in this world. Therefore, strive for Yoga, which is the art of skillful action.

Those who are wise, and who have renounced the fruits of their actions, are freed from the bondage of birth and death and go to the place which is beyond all miseries.

When your intellect crosses the mire of delusion, then you will achieve dispassion for things heard and things yet to be heard.

When your intellect, which is confused by the conflicting opinions of the scriptures, becomes steadfast and undisturbed in deep contemplation, then you will attain the discipline of yoga.

What is the language of one who is situated in wisdom and self-restraint, O Kesava? How does one of steady intelligence speak? How does he sit? How does he walk?

When one gives up all desires of the mind, O Arjuna, and is satisfied in the Self alone by the Self, then they are said to be of steady wisdom.

"One whose mind remains undisturbed amidst misery, who does not crave for pleasure, and who is free from attachment, fear, and anger, is called a sage of steady wisdom."

One who remains unattached everywhere, experiencing neither happiness nor distress, their intelligence is firmly fixed in spiritual wisdom.

When one completely withdraws the senses from the sense objects, just as a tortoise withdraws its limbs into its shell, their wisdom is firmly established.

When a person abstains from eating, their senses withdraw from the objects of enjoyment, leaving behind the taste. But even the taste ceases for one who has realized the Supreme.

For even a wise person who strives, the senses are turbulent, forcibly carrying away the mind.

One who restrains all his senses, and keeps the mind focused on Me, is known to be steadfast in wisdom.

When a person dwells on objects, an attachment to them arises. From attachment arises desire, and from desire, anger is born.

From anger comes delusion; from delusion, confusion of memory; from confusion of memory, the loss of reason; from the loss of reason, one goes to complete ruin.

But a person who acts with control over their emotions, free from attachment and aversion, and with their senses under control, attains serenity.

By the grace of tranquility, one’s sorrow disappears, and the intellect of those who are serene quickly becomes steady.

"For one who is not connected to the Divine consciousness, there is no possibility of peace. And for one who is not in peace, how can there be happiness?"

For those who are always engaged in the wandering of the mind, the senses, being turbulent, forcibly carry away the mind, even of a man of discrimination, striving for perfection, as a strong wind sweeps away a boat on the water.

Therefore, O mighty-armed, one whose senses are restrained from their objects is certainly of steady intelligence.

That which is night for all beings, the self-controlled one is awake in that. Where all beings are awake, that is the night for the seer.

As rivers flow into the ocean, which is ever full but remains undisturbed, those who are like that, their desires fulfilled, attain peace; not those who covet desires.

Giving up all desires, free from craving, without any sense of possession or pride, such a person attains peace.

This is the state of Brahman, O Partha. Upon attaining it, one is never deluded. Being established in this state, even at the hour of death, one is merged into Brahman.