Shloka 45
कर्मयोग–ज्ञानयज्ञ–अवतारोपदेश
Karma-Yoga, Jñāna-Yajña, and Avatāra Instruction
त्रैगुण्यविषया वेदा निस्त्रैगुण्यो भवार्जुन । निर्दन्दो नित्यसत्त्वस्थो निर्योगक्षेम आत्मवान्
traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna | nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho niryoga-kṣema ātmavān ||
Sañjaya said: “The Vedas largely operate within the sphere of the three guṇas. Therefore, O Arjuna, rise beyond the three guṇas—be free from the pairs of opposites such as joy and sorrow, remain steadily established in enduring purity and truth, be unconcerned with acquisition and preservation, and be self-possessed.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not let spiritual life be confined to guṇa-driven aims promised by ritual and worldly reward. Cultivate inner steadiness: transcend the pull of sattva-rajas-tamas, remain even-minded amid opposites, and act without anxiety for gain and security—rooted in self-mastery.
On the battlefield discourse, the teaching shifts Arjuna’s attention from reliance on Vedic ritual promises toward a higher discipline of equanimity and inner freedom, preparing him to act rightly without being bound by desire, fear, or fluctuating emotions.