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Chapter Three

KAPITEL TRE:

Karma-yoga

Karma-yoga

TEXT 1:
Arjuna said: O Janārdana, O Keśava, why do You want to engage me in this ghastly warfare, if You think that intelligence is better than fruitive work?
TEXT 1:
Arjuna sagde: O Janārdana, O Keśava, hvorfor vil Du inddrage mig i denne grufulde krig, hvis Du mener, at intelligens er bedre end frugtstræbende arbejde?
TEXT 2:
My intelligence is bewildered by Your equivocal instructions. Therefore, please tell me decisively which will be most beneficial for me.
TEXT 2:
Min intelligens forvirres af Dine tvetydige instruktioner. Vil Du ikke derfor godt fortælle mig én gang for alle, hvad der er bedst for mig?
TEXT 3:
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O sinless Arjuna, I have already explained that there are two classes of men who try to realize the self. Some are inclined to understand it by empirical, philosophical speculation, and others by devotional service.
TEXT 3:
Guddommens Højeste Personlighed sagde: O du syndfrie Arjuna, Jeg har allerede forklaret, at to slags mennesker forsøger at erkende selvet. Nogle er tilbøjelige til at forstå selvet gennem empirisk filosofisk spekulation og andre gennem hengiven tjeneste.
TEXT 4:
Not by merely abstaining from work can one achieve freedom from reaction, nor by renunciation alone can one attain perfection.
TEXT 4:
Man kan ikke blive fri for reaktioner blot ved at afholde sig fra at handle eller opnå fuldkommenhed gennem forsagelse alene.
TEXT 5:
Everyone is forced to act helplessly according to the qualities he has acquired from the modes of material nature; therefore no one can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment.
TEXT 5:
Alle tvinges til at handle hjælpeløst ifølge den natur, de har erhvervet sig fra den materielle naturs kvaliteter. Derfor kan ingen afholde sig fra at gøre noget, ikke engang i et eneste øjeblik.
TEXT 6:
One who restrains the senses of action but whose mind dwells on sense objects certainly deludes himself and is called a pretender.
TEXT 6:
Den, der afholder sanserne fra at handle, men hvis sind dvæler ved sanseobjekterne, bedrager med sikkerhed sig selv og kaldes en hykler.
TEXT 7:
On the other hand, if a sincere person tries to control the active senses by the mind and begins karma-yoga [in Kṛṣṇa consciousness] without attachment, he is by far superior.
TEXT 7:
På den anden side er en oprigtig person, der uden tilknytning forsøger at beherske de aktive sanser med sindet og påbegynder karma-yoga [i Kṛṣṇa-bevidsthed], klart den bedste.
TEXT 8:
Perform your prescribed duty, for doing so is better than not working. One cannot even maintain one’s physical body without work.
TEXT 8:
Gør din foreskrevne pligt, for at gøre det er bedre end at være uvirksom. Man kan ikke engang opretholde sin fysiske krop uden at arbejde.
TEXT 9:
Work done as a sacrifice for Viṣṇu has to be performed; otherwise work causes bondage in this material world. Therefore, O son of Kuntī, perform your prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain free from bondage.
TEXT 9:
Arbejde skal gøres som et offer til Viṣṇu, ellers vil arbejde binde én til denne materielle verden. Gør derfor dine foreskrevne pligter for at tilfredsstille Ham, for på den måde vil du altid forblive fri for trældom, O Kuntīs søn.
TEXT 10:
In the beginning of creation, the Lord of all creatures sent forth generations of men and demigods, along with sacrifices for Viṣṇu, and blessed them by saying, “Be thou happy by this yajña [sacrifice] because its performance will bestow upon you everything desirable for living happily and achieving liberation.”
TEXT 10:
Ved skabelsens begyndelse udsendte Herren over alle skabninger generationer af mennesker og halvguder sammen med offer til Viṣṇu og velsignede dem med ordene: “Bliv I lykkelige gennem dette yajña [offer], for det vil give jer alt, I kan ønske jer i livet med hensyn til at leve lykkeligt og opnå befrielse.”
TEXT 11:
The demigods, being pleased by sacrifices, will also please you, and thus, by cooperation between men and demigods, prosperity will reign for all.
TEXT 11:
Når halvguderne finder behag i jeres offergaver, vil de også behage jer, og således vil der igennem samarbejde mellem mennesker og halvguder herske velstand for alle.
TEXT 12:
In charge of the various necessities of life, the demigods, being satisfied by the performance of yajña [sacrifice], will supply all necessities to you. But he who enjoys such gifts without offering them to the demigods in return is certainly a thief.
TEXT 12:
Når halvguderne, der har ansvar for de forskellige livsfornødenheder, bliver tilfredsstillet igennem yajña (offerhandlinger), vil de forsyne jer med alle nødvendigheder. Men den, der nyder disse gaver uden at give dem tilbage til halvguderne, er bestemt en tyv.
 
TEXT 13:
The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin.
TEXT 13:
Herrens hengivne bliver frigjort for enhver form for synd, fordi de spiser mad, der først er blevet givet som offer. Andre, der blot tilbereder mad for deres egen sansenydelses skyld, spiser med sikkerhed kun synd.
TEXT 14:
All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajña [sacrifice], and yajña is born of prescribed duties.
TEXT 14:
Alle levende kroppe ernærer sig af korn, der frembringes af regn. Regn kommer som resultat af yajña [offer], og yajña udspringer af foreskrevne pligter.
TEXT 15:
Regulated activities are prescribed in the Vedas, and the Vedas are directly manifested from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Consequently the all-pervading Transcendence is eternally situated in acts of sacrifice.
TEXT 15:
Regulerede handlinger foreskrives i Vedaerne, og Vedaerne er manifesteret direkte fra Guddommens Højeste Personlighed. Følgelig er den altgennemtrængende Transcendens for evigt til stede i offerhandlinger.
TEXT 16:
My dear Arjuna, one who does not follow in human life the cycle of sacrifice thus established by the Vedas certainly leads a life full of sin. Living only for the satisfaction of the senses, such a person lives in vain.
TEXT 16:
Min kære Arjuna, den, der i dette menneskeliv ikke følger det af Vedaerne således etablerede kredsløb af offerhandlinger, lever med sikkerhed et liv i synd. En sådan person, der kun lever for at tilfredsstille sine sanser, lever forgæves.
TEXT 17:
But for one who takes pleasure in the Self, whose human life is one of self-realization, and who is satisfied in the Self only, fully satiated – for him there is no duty.
TEXT 17:
Men for den, der finder glæde i selvet, hvis menneskeliv er et liv i selverkendelse, og som er tilfreds i selvet alene og helt fyldt op, findes der ingen pligter.
TEXT 18:
A self-realized man has no purpose to fulfill in the discharge of his prescribed duties, nor has he any reason not to perform such work. Nor has he any need to depend on any other living being.
TEXT 18:
Et selvrealiseret menneske har intet formål at tjene ved at udføre sine foreskrevne pligter og ingen grund til ikke at gøre et sådant arbejde. Lige så lidt har den selvrealiserede sjæl behov for at afhænge af noget andet levende væsen.
TEXT 19:
Therefore, without being attached to the fruits of activities, one should act as a matter of duty, for by working without attachment one attains the Supreme.
TEXT 19:
Man bør således handle af pligt uden at være knyttet til handlingens frugter, for ved at handle uden tilknytning opnår man den Højeste.
TEXT 20:
Kings such as Janaka attained perfection solely by performance of prescribed duties. Therefore, just for the sake of educating the people in general, you should perform your work.
TEXT 20:
Konger som Janaka opnåede fuldkommenhed blot igennem foreskrevne pligter. Du bør derfor gøre dit arbejde udelukkende for at uddanne folk i almindelighed.
TEXT 21:
Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.
TEXT 21:
Uanset hvad en stor mand gør, følger almindelige mennesker i hans fodspor. Og lige meget hvilke normer, han sætter igennem sit eksempel, efterstræbes de af den ganske verden.
TEXT 22:
O son of Pṛthā, there is no work prescribed for Me within all the three planetary systems. Nor am I in want of anything, nor have I a need to obtain anything – and yet I am engaged in prescribed duties.
TEXT 22:
O Pṛthās søn, der er Mig intet arbejde foreskrevet inden for de tre planetsystemer. Jeg savner heller intet, og Jeg har ikke behov for at skaffe Mig noget. Ikke desto mindre er Jeg beskæftiget med foreskrevne pligter.
TEXT 23:
For if I ever failed to engage in carefully performing prescribed duties, O Pārtha, certainly all men would follow My path.
TEXT 23:
For hvis Jeg nogensinde skulle undlade omhyggeligt at gøre Mine foreskrevne pligter, ville alle mennesker med sikkerhed følge i Mine fodspor, O Pārtha.
TEXT 24:
If I did not perform prescribed duties, all these worlds would be put to ruination. I would be the cause of creating unwanted population, and I would thereby destroy the peace of all living beings.
TEXT 24:
Hvis Jeg ikke fulgte de foreskrevne pligter, ville alle disse verdener blive styrtet i fordærv. Jeg ville være skyld i, at der opstod uønsket befolkning, og derved forstyrre freden hos alle levende væsener.
TEXT 25:
As the ignorant perform their duties with attachment to results, the learned may similarly act, but without attachment, for the sake of leading people on the right path.
TEXT 25:
Ligesom de uvidende gør deres pligter på grund af tilknytning til resultatet, kan den vise også handle, men uden tilknytning, for at lede befolkningen på rette vej.
TEXT 26:
So as not to disrupt the minds of ignorant men attached to the fruitive results of prescribed duties, a learned person should not induce them to stop work. Rather, by working in the spirit of devotion, he should engage them in all sorts of activities [for the gradual development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness].
TEXT 26:
For ikke at forstyrre sindet hos uvidende mennesker, der er knyttede til de frugtstræbende resultater af deres foreskrevne pligter, bør en lærd person aldrig opmuntre dem til at ophøre med deres arbejde. I stedet bør han ved at arbejde i en ånd af hengivenhed involvere dem i alle mulige handlinger [så de gradvist kan udvikle Kṛṣṇa-bevidsthed].
TEXT 27:
The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature.
TEXT 27:
Den åndelige sjæl, der forvirres af indflydelsen fra det falske ego, anser sig selv for at være den, der udfører handlinger, der i virkeligheden bliver gjort af den materielle naturs tre kvaliteter.
TEXT 28:
One who is in knowledge of the Absolute Truth, O mighty-armed, does not engage himself in the senses and sense gratification, knowing well the differences between work in devotion and work for fruitive results.
TEXT 28:
O stærkarmede Arjuna, den, der har viden om den Absolutte Sandhed, involverer sig ikke i sanserne og sansenydelse, for han kender meget vel forskellen på arbejde i hengivenhed og arbejde for frugtstræbende resultater.
TEXT 29:
Bewildered by the modes of material nature, the ignorant fully engage themselves in material activities and become attached. But the wise should not unsettle them, although these duties are inferior due to the performers’ lack of knowledge.
TEXT 29:
Fordi de uvidende vildledes af den materielle naturs kvaliteter, involverer de sig helt i materielle handlinger og bliver tilknyttede. Men skønt deres pligter er af en lavere natur på grund af manglende viden, bør den forstandige ikke forstyrre dem.
TEXT 30:
Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with full knowledge of Me, without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy, fight.
TEXT 30:
Kæmp derfor, Arjuna, og overgiv alle dine handlinger til Mig i fuld viden om Mig uden at begære vinding og uden nogen form for besiddertrang eller sløvhed.
TEXT 31:
Those persons who execute their duties according to My injunctions and who follow this teaching faithfully, without envy, become free from the bondage of fruitive actions.
TEXT 31:
De personer, der gør deres pligter ifølge Mine anvisninger, og som trofast og uden misundelse følger denne lære, bliver befriet for de frugtstræbende handlingers trældom.
TEXT 32:
But those who, out of envy, disregard these teachings and do not follow them regularly are to be considered bereft of all knowledge, befooled, and ruined in their endeavors for perfection.
TEXT 32:
Men de, der af misundelse lader hånt om denne lære og ikke følger den fast, må anses for at være berøvet al kundskab og holdt for nar, og alle deres bestræbelser efter fuldkommenhed vil være dømt til undergang.
TEXT 33:
Even a man of knowledge acts according to his own nature, for everyone follows the nature he has acquired from the three modes. What can repression accomplish?
TEXT 33:
Selv et forstandigt menneske handler i overensstemmelse med sin egen natur, for alle følger den natur, de har erhvervet sig fra naturens tre kvaliteter. Hvad kan undertrykkelse udrette?
TEXT 34:
There are principles to regulate attachment and aversion pertaining to the senses and their objects. One should not come under the control of such attachment and aversion, because they are stumbling blocks on the path of self-realization.
TEXT 34:
Der er principper, hvis formål er at regulere tiltrækning og aversion over for sanserne og deres objekter. Man må ikke lade sig styre af tiltrækning og aversion, for de er forhindringer på vejen mod selverkendelse.
TEXT 35:
It is far better to discharge one’s prescribed duties, even though faultily, than another’s duties perfectly. Destruction in the course of performing one’s own duty is better than engaging in another’s duties, for to follow another’s path is dangerous.
TEXT 35:
Det er langt bedre at gøre sine egne foreskrevne pligter, selv om de gøres mangelfuldt, end at gøre en andens pligter perfekt. At gå sin undergang i møde under udførelsen af sin pligt er bedre end at involvere sig i en andens pligter, for det er farligt at følge en andens vej.
TEXT 36:
Arjuna said: O descendant of Vṛṣṇi, by what is one impelled to sinful acts, even unwillingly, as if engaged by force?
TEXT 36:
Arjuna sagde: O Vṛṣṇis efterkommer, hvad er det, der driver én til syndige handlinger selv mod ens vilje, som om man var tvunget til at handle?
TEXT 37:
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world.
TEXT 37:
Guddommens Højeste Personlighed sagde: Arjuna, denne verdens altfortærende syndige fjende er intet andet end begær eller lyst, der affødes af kontakt med lidenskabens materielle kvalitet og senere forvandles til vrede.
TEXT 38:
As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, the living entity is similarly covered by different degrees of this lust.
TEXT 38:
Som ild er dækket af røg, som et spejl er dækket af støv, eller som et foster er dækket af moderlivet, er det levende væsen på samme måde tildækket af forskellige grader af dette begær.
TEXT 39:
Thus the wise living entity’s pure consciousness becomes covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust, which is never satisfied and which burns like fire.
TEXT 39:
Således bliver det vise levende væsens rene bevidsthed tilsløret af dets evige fjende i form af begær, der aldrig kan tilfredsstilles, og som brænder som ild.
TEXT 40:
The senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust. Through them lust covers the real knowledge of the living entity and bewilders him.
TEXT 40:
Sanserne, sindet og intelligensen er sædet for dette begær. Igennem disse tilslører begæret det levende væsens virkelige viden og forvirrer ham.
TEXT 41:
Therefore, O Arjuna, best of the Bhāratas, in the very beginning curb this great symbol of sin [lust] by regulating the senses, and slay this destroyer of knowledge and self-realization.
TEXT 41:
O Arjuna, du bedste blandt Bharataerne, hold derfor allerede fra første færd dette mægtige symbol på synd [begær] nede ved at regulere sanserne og slå denne ødelægger af viden og selverkendelse ihjel.
TEXT 42:
The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he [the soul] is even higher than the intelligence.
TEXT 42:
De aktive sanser står over død materie; sindet er overordnet sanserne; intelligensen står endnu højere end sindet; og han [sjælen] står endog over intelligensen.
TEXT 43:
Thus knowing oneself to be transcendental to the material senses, mind and intelligence, O mighty-armed Arjuna, one should steady the mind by deliberate spiritual intelligence [Kṛṣṇa consciousness] and thus – by spiritual strength – conquer this insatiable enemy known as lust.
TEXT 43:
O stærkarmede Arjuna, når man således forstår sig selv som transcendental til de materielle sanser, sindet og intelligensen, må man styrke sindet med en bevidst åndelig intelligens [Kṛṣṇa-bevidsthed] og således med åndelig styrke besejre denne umættelige fjende, der kaldes begær.