Wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita 9

Arjuna said:

1. If, O Janârdana, according to You, knowledge is superior to action, why then, O Keshava, do You engage me in this terrible action?

 2. With these seemingly conflicting words, You are, as it were, bewildering my understanding—tell me that one thing for certain, by which I can attain to the highest.

The Blessed Lord said: 

3. In the beginning of creation, O sinless one, the twofold path of devotion was given by Me to this world—the path of knowledge for the meditative, the path of work for the active.

4. By non-performance of work none reaches worklessness; by merely giving up action no one attains to perfection. 

5. Verily none can ever rest for even an instant, without performing action; for all are made to act, helplessly indeed, by the Gunas, born of Prakriti (Primal Matter).

6. He, who restraining the organs of action, sits revolving in the mind, thoughts regarding objects of senses, he, of deluded understanding, is called a hypocrite.

7. But, who, controlling the senses by the mind, unattached, directs his organs of action to the path of work, he, O Arjuna, excels. 

8. Do you perform obligatory action; for action is superior to inaction, and even the bare maintenance of your body would not be possible if you are inactive. 

9. The world is bound by actions other than those performed for the sake of Yajna (Sacrifice); do you therefore, O son of Kunti, perform action for Yajna alone, devoid of attachment.

—Bhagavad Gita, 3:1-9