If, O Krishna you consider that Buddhi (mind-development) is superior to Karma (action), why do you urge me to engage in this terrible deed?

You confuse me with statements that seem to contradict each other; tell me for certain the one way by which I could reach the highest good.

Sri Bhagavan said In this world there is a two-fold path, as I said before, O Sinless One (Arjuna), the path of knowledge for men of contemplation(Sankhya) and the path of action(Karma) for Yogis(men of action).

Not by merely abstaining from work can one achieve freedom from reaction, nor by renunciation alone can one attain perfection.

Verily none can ever remain even for a moment without performing action; for everyone is made to act by the Gunas or qualities born of prakriti (nature), in spite of himself.

One who restrains the senses and organs of action, but whose mind dwells on sense objects, certainly deludes himself and is called a pretender. On the other hand, he who controls the senses by the mind and engages his active organs in works of devotion, without attachment, is by far superior.

Perform your prescribed duty, for action is better than inaction. A man cannot even maintain his physical body without work.

The world is in bondage to work unless they are performed for the sake of Yajna (work done as sacrifice to Bhagvan Vishnu). Therefore, O Son of Kunti, give up attachment and do your work as a sacrifice.

In the beginning, the creator Brahma created being with the Yajna(Sacrifice) and said "By Yajna(Sacrifice) you propagate, and grow, let Yajna(Sacrifice) be your wish-fulfilling cow of plenty. By this Yajna(work done as a sacrifice), you please devatas(deities) and then those devatas(deities) will nurture you. In this way, supporting each way, you shall obtain supreme good

After being satisfied by the Yajna(religious sacrifice) the Devatas(demigods) will give you all necessities to perform your duties. One who enjoys these without passing unto service of others is a thief.

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.

All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajna [sacrifice], and yajna is born of prescribed duties.

Know that activity springs from Brahman and Brahman arises from the imperishable (Self); therefore the all-pervading 'Brahman' is ever established in sacrifice.

One who does not follow this cycle thus set in motion, lives in error, revelling in the senses, he lives in vain O Arjuna.

One who is, however, taking pleasure in the self, who is illuminated in the self, who rejoices in and is satisfied with the self only, fully satiated--for him there is no duty.

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.

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.

Even kings like Janaka and others attained the perfectional stage by performance of prescribed duties. Therefore, just for the sake of educating the people in general, you should perform your work. Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow in his footsteps. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.

O Son of Partha! In these three worlds, there is nothing for me to do. Yet, I engage myself in action and always do actions that are to be done. In case definitely, if I do not engage myself in work without being lazy and sleeplessness, O Partha! Certainly all men would follow my path. If I stop doing my duties, people following me and believing me as their ideal will change their attitude. Society will perish and I will mix up truth and false, create confusion and in the end cause their destruction.

As the ignorant perform their duties with attachment to results, similarly the learned may also act, but without attachment, for the sake of leading people on the right path

A person with wisdom should not quote about abandonment and should not unsettle the minds of the ignorant people indulged in performing actions with attachment,. Rather while performing his own obligations, he should make others also to act.

All types of actions are made to happen due to the modes of nature. But one who has the ego says I am the doer. The modes of nature act in a being. Only those modes makes a person to take action. By knowing this, wise person, by realizing it an interplay of modes, does not get attached with them and does not have false pride of being doer.

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.

Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with mind intent on Me, and without desire for gain and free from egoism and lethargy, fight. One who executes his duties according to My injunctions and who follows this teaching faithfully, without envy, becomes free from the bondage of fruitive actions.

But those who carp at My teaching and do not practice this teaching of Mine —know them to be seriously deluded and devoid of reasoning, and therefore lost.

Even a man of knowledge acts according to his own nature, for everyone follows his nature. What can repression accomplish?

Attachment and aversion for sense objects abide in the sense-organs; let none come under their sway; for they are one’s foes.

Translation by Ramanujacharya
Better is one's own duty, though devoid of merit, than the duty of another well-done. Better is death in one's own duty; the duty of another is fraught with fear.
Translation by Madhavacharaya
Preferable is one's own ordained Dharma (Perennial Principle) even tough imperfect than following Dharma ordained for others, even though followed perfectly. Death in the performance of one's own Dharma is preferable for the Dharma ordained for others is fraught with danger.

Arjuna said: But, impelled by what, O Krishna, does one err even against one's own will, constrained as it were, by force? The Blessed Lord said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material modes of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring, sinful enemy of this world.

The way in which smoke covers the fire, dust covers the mirror and the embryo is covered the womb, similarly, this knowledge is covered by lust.

Wisdom is obscured by this constant enemy of the wise, O Arjuna, in the form of lust,which is as insatiable as fire.

The senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust, which veils the real knowledge of the living entity and bewilders him.

Therefore, O Arjuna, the best of the Bharatas, in the very beginning curb this great symbol of sin [lust] by regulating the senses, and slay this destroyer of knowledge and self-realization.

It is said that the senses are superior to dull matter: the mind is superior to the senses; the intellect is higher than the mind; but what is greater than intellect is the soul. Thus knowing that [soul] which is beyond intelligence and abiding the self within the Self, O Mighty Warrior, slay this enemy in the form of lust, stubborn even to be subdued.(by Madhvacharya) Alternate translation ---------------------------- Thus knowing soul (conscious) to be transcendental to material senses, mind and intelligence, one should control the lower self by the higher self and thus-by spiritual strength-conquer this insatiable enemy known as lust.(By Prabhupada)