(18) This being so, (the five factors being the cause of all Karma) whoever, on account of untrained understanding, thinks the Self as the doer, he, the man of perverted intelligence, does not know the truth about the nature of Atma or the nature of Karma.

(4) Actions do not taint Me, nor have I desire for the fruit of actions; He who knows Me thus is not bound by karma.

(2) Not knowing whether [he be] dead or not, [a state of] lucidity cometh [to the deceased. If the instructions be successfully applied to the deceased while he is in that state, then, by the meeting of the Mother-Reality and the Offspring-Reality, karma controlleth not. Like the sun's rays, for example, dispelling the darkness, the Clear Light on the Path dispelleth the power of karma.

(3) £ Yajnavalkya/ said he, 'when the voice of a dead man goes into fire, his breath into wind, his eye into the sun, his mind into the moon, his hearing into the quarters of heaven, his body into the earth, his soul (atman) into space, the hairs of his head into plants, the hairs of his body into trees, and his blood and semen are placed in water, what then becomes of this person (purusa)? ' 'Artabhaga, my dear, take my hand. We two only will know of this. This is not for us two [to speak of] in public/ The two went away and deliberated. What they said was karma (action). What they praised was karma. Verily, one becomes good by good action, bad by bad action. Thereupon Jaratkarava Artabhaga held his peace.

(14) You are from all phenomena released; hence, to the King of Dharma, I bow down. You preached neither is nor is not for all things by causes are created. There is neither self nor doing nor thing done, but good or evil karma is infallible.

(18) Ordained by the Sastras, that action, performed by one not desirous of the fruit, without attachment, free from love and hate, is called Sattvic karma.

(24) O nobly-born, when thou art driven [hither and thither] by the ever-moving wind of karma, thine intellect, having no object upon which to rest, will be like a feather tossed about by the wind, riding on the horse of breath. Ceaselessly and involuntarily wilt thou be wandering about. To all those who are weeping [thou wilt say], 'Here I am; weep not.' But they not hearing thee, thou wilt think, 'I am dead!' And again, at that time, thou wilt be feeling very miserable. Be not miserable in that way.

(18) In the accomplishment of Karma, the five factors are 1. the (seat) body, 2. the doer, 3. the various senses, 4. the various and different functions, and 5. the presiding deity, the fifth.

(18) That action which is done by one longing for desires, or again with egotism, or with much effort, is declared to be Rajasic (Karma).

(18) O Arjuna! bound by your own Karma, born of your own nature, that which in a deluded state you do not wish to do, even that you will do helplessly.

(1) Now next, a Consideration of the Activities. — Prajapati created the active functions (karma). They,. when they had been created, strove with one another. * I am going the double meaning of a word, a procedure characteristic of the Upamshads. The word lokya may here be translated 'world-wise or * world-procuring/ When properly instructed, a son is ' world-wise ' in his own attainment of the world through knowledge. He is also * world-procuring ' for his father, in that he is able, through the discharge of appointed filial duties, to help the departed spirit of his father to attain a better world than would otherwise be possible. from the hell called Put, therefore he is called putra (son) [i.e. deliverer from hell],' to speak/ the voice began. ' I am going to see/ said the eye. 6 I am going to hear,' said the ear. So spake the other func- tions, each according to his function. Death, appearing as weariness, laid hold and took possession of them, and, taking possession of them, Death checked them. Therefore the voice becomes weary, the eye becomes weary, the ear becomes weary. But Death did not take possession of him who was the middle breath. They sought to know him. They said: ( Verily, he is the best of us, since whether moving or not moving, he is not perturbed, nor perishes. Come, let us all become a form of him.' Of him, indeed, they became a form. Therefore they are named ' vital breaths ' after him. In whatever family there is a man who has this knowledge, they call that family after him. Whoever strives with one who knows this, dries up and finally dies.— So much with reference to the self.

(5) The devotees of karma yoga act for self-purification with body, mind, intellect and also senses, abandoning all attachment.

(5) That state (Moksha) reached by men of Knowledge is also reached by men of Action (Karma yogis). He who sees the oneness of Jnana and Karma, really sees.

(3) The Blessed Lord said: O sinless Arjuna! In ancient times two paths of spiritual description were spoken by me – the Jnana yoga for the followers of the path of knowledge, and Karma yoga for the followers of the path of action.

(3) The Lord Buddha once again enquired of Subhuti, saying: “What think you? May an Anagami (having entire immunity from reincarnation) thus reflect within himself, ‘I have obtained the fruits which accord with the merit of an Anagami?’” Subhuti replied, saying: “No! Honoured of the Worlds! And why? Because, Anagami is merely a designation meaning ‘immunity from reincarnation’; but in reality there is no such condition as ‘immunity from reincarnation,’ hence Anagami is merely a convenient designation.”

(8) The Lord said: Brahman is supreme, imperishable. Its essential nature is called Adhyatma (Self-knowledge); the act of sacrifice that causes the birth of beings is named karma (action).

(7) By thus being set face to face, however weak the mental faculties may be, there is no doubt of one's gaining Liberation. Yet, though so often set face to face, there are classes of men who, having created much bad karma, or having failed in observance of vows, or, their lot [for higher development] being altogether lacking, prove unable to recognize: their obscurations and evil karma from covetousness and miserliness produce awe of the sounds and radiances, and they flee. [If one be of these classes], then, on the Fourth Day, the Bhagavan Amitabha and his attendant deities, together with the light-path from the Preta-loka, proceeding from miserliness and attachment, will come to receive one simultaneously.

(4) This very [doctrine] has been declared in the verse: — This eternal greatness of a Brahman Is not increased by deeds (karma), nor diminished. One should be familiar with it. By knowing it, One is not stained by evil action. Therefore, having this knowledge, having become calm, subdued, quiet, patiently enduring, and collected, one sees the Soul just in the soul. One sees everything as the Soul. Evil does not overcome him; he overcomes all evil. Evil does not burn him; he burns all evil. Free from evil, free from impurity, free from doubt, he becomes a Brahman. This is the Brahma-world, O king/ said Yajnavalkya. [Janaka said:] ' I will give you, noble Sir, the Videhas and myself also to be your slave.'

(41) Those of heavy evil karma cannot possibly fail to be liberated by hearing this Doctrine [and recognizing]. If it be asked, why? It is because, at that time, all the Peaceful and Wrathful Deities being present to receive [one], and the Mar as and the Interrupters likewise coming to receive [one] along with them, the mere hearing of this Doctrine then turneth one's views, and liberation is obtained; for there is not flesh and blood body to depend upon, but a mental body, which is [easily] affected. At whatever distance one may be wandering in the Bardo, one heareth and cometh, for one possesseth the slender sense of supernormal perception and foreknowledge; and, recollecting and apprehending instantaneously, the mind is capable of being changed [or influenced]. Therefore is it [i.e. the Teaching] of great use here. It is like the mechanism of a catapult. It is like the moving of a big wooden beam [or log] which a hundred men cannot carry, but which by being floated upon water can be towed wherever desired in a moment. It is like the controlling of a horse's mouth by means of a bridle.

(9) The worst of the worst, [those] of heavy evil karma, having not the least predilection for any religion — and some who have failed in their vows — through the power of karmic illusions, not recognizing, although set face to face [with Truth], will stray downwards.