III
In order to
remove Moha or attachment, which was the sole cause of Arjuna’s delusion, Sri Krishna
taught him the imperishable nature of the Atman, the realisation of which would grant him
the freedom of the Eternal. A doubt therefore arises in Arjuna’s mind as to the
necessity of engaging in action even after one has attained this state.
Sri Krishna
clears this doubt by telling him that although one has realised oneness with the Eternal,
one has to perform action through the force of Prakriti or Nature. He emphasises that
perfection is attained not by ceasing to engage in action but by doing all actions as a
divine offering, imbued with a spirit of non-attachment and sacrifice.
The man of
God-vision, Sri Krishna explains to Arjuna, need not engage in action, as he has attained
everything that has to be attained. He can be ever absorbed in the calm and immutable
Self. But to perform action for the good of the world and for the education of the masses
is no doubt superior. Therefore, action is necessary not only for one who has attained
perfection but also for one who is striving for perfection. Sri Krishna quotes the example
of Janaka, the great sage-king of India, who continued to rule his kingdom even after
attaining God-realisation.
Prakriti or
Nature is made up of the three qualities—Rajas, Tamas and Sattwa. The Atman is beyond
these three qualities and their functions. Only when knowledge of this fact dawns in man
does he attain perfection.
The Lord
tells Arjuna that each one should do his duty according to his nature, and that doing duty
that is suited to one’s nature in the right spirit of detachment will lead to
perfection.
Arjuna
raises the question as to why man commits such actions that cloud his mind and drag him
downwards, by force, as it were. Sri Krishna answers that it is desire that impels man to
lose his discrimination and understanding, and thus commit wrong actions. Desire is the
root cause of all evil actions. If desire is removed, then the divine power manifests in
its full glory and one enjoys peace, bliss, light and freedom.
Arjuna said:
1. If it be
thought by Thee that knowledge is superior to action, O Krishna, why then, O Kesava, dost
Thou ask me to engage in this terrible action?
2. With
these apparently perplexing words Thou confusest, as it were, my understanding; therefore,
tell me that one way for certain by which I may attain bliss.
The Blessed Lord said:
3. In this
world there is a twofold path, as I said before, O sinless one,—the path of knowledge
of the Sankhyas and the path of action of the Yogis!
4. Not by
the non-performance of actions does man reach actionlessness, nor by mere renunciation
does he attain to perfection.
COMMENTARY:
Even if a man abandons action, his mind may be active. One cannot reach perfection or
freedom from action or knowledge of the Self, merely by renouncing action. He must possess
knowledge of the Self.
5. Verily
none can ever remain for even a moment without performing action; for, everyone is made to
act helplessly indeed by the qualities born of Nature.
COMMENTARY:
The ignorant man is driven to action helplessly by the actions of the
Gunas—Rajas, Tamas and Sattwa.
6. He who,
restraining the organs of action, sits thinking of the sense-objects in mind, he, of
deluded understanding, is called a hypocrite.
7. But
whosoever, controlling the senses by the mind, O Arjuna, engages himself in Karma Yoga
with the organs of action, without attachment, he excels!
8. Do thou
perform thy bounden duty, for action is superior to inaction and even the maintenance of
the body would not be possible for thee by inaction.
9. The
world is bound by actions other than those performed for the sake of sacrifice; do thou,
therefore, O son of Kunti, perform action for that sake (for sacrifice) alone, free from
attachment!
COMMENTARY:
If anyone does actions for the sake of the Lord, he is not bound. His heart is
purified by performing actions for the sake of the Lord. Where this spirit of
unselfishness does not govern the action, such actions bind one to worldliness, however
good or glorious they may be.
10. The
Creator, having in the beginning of creation created mankind together with sacrifice,
said: “By this shall ye propagate; let this be the milch cow of your desires (the cow
which yields the desired objects)”.
11. With
this do ye nourish the gods, and may the gods nourish you; thus nourishing one another, ye
shall attain to the highest good.
12. The
gods, nourished by the sacrifice, will give you the desired objects. So, he who enjoys the
objects given by the gods without offering (in return) to them, is verily a thief.
13. The
righteous, who eat of the remnants of the sacrifice, are freed from all sins; but those
sinful ones who cook food (only) for their own sake, verily eat sin.
14. From
food come forth beings, and from rain food is produced; from sacrifice arises rain, and
sacrifice is born of action.
15. Know
thou that action comes from Brahma, and Brahma proceeds from the Imperishable. Therefore,
the all-pervading (Brahma) ever rests in sacrifice.
16. He who
does not follow the wheel thus set revolving, who is of sinful life, rejoicing in the
senses, he lives in vain, O Arjuna!
COMMENTARY:
He who does not follow the wheel by studying the Vedas and performing the
sacrifices prescribed therein, but who indulges only in sensual pleasures, lives in vain.
He wastes his life.
17. But for
that man who rejoices only in the Self, who is satisfied in the Self, who is content in
the Self alone, verily there is nothing to do.
18. For him
there is no interest whatsoever in what is done or what is not done; nor does he depend on
any being for any object.
COMMENTARY:
The sage who rejoices in his own Self does not gain anything by doing any action. To
him no real purpose is served by engaging in any action. No evil can touch him as a result
of inaction. He does not lose anything by being inactive.
19.
Therefore, without attachment, do thou always perform action which should be done; for, by
performing action without attachment man reaches the Supreme.
20. Janaka
and others attained perfection verily by action only; even with a view to the protection
of the masses thou shouldst perform action.
21.
Whatsoever a great man does, that other men also do; whatever he sets up as the standard,
that the world follows.
22. There
is nothing in the three worlds, O Arjuna, that should be done by Me, nor is there anything
unattained that should be attained; yet I engage Myself in action!
23. For,
should I not ever engage Myself in action, unwearied, men would in every way follow My
path, O Arjuna!
24. These
worlds would perish if I did not perform action; I should be the author of confusion of
castes and destruction of these beings.
25. As the
ignorant men act from attachment to action, O Bharata (Arjuna), so should the wise act
without attachment, wishing the welfare of the world!
26. Let no
wise man unsettle the minds of ignorant people who are attached to action; he should
engage them in all actions, himself fulfilling them with devotion.
27. All
actions are wrought in all cases by the qualities of Nature only. He whose mind is deluded
by egoism thinks: “I am the doer”.
COMMENTARY:
Prakriti or Nature is that state in which the three Gunas exist in a state of
equilibrium. When this equilibrium is disturbed, creation begins and the body, senses and
mind are formed. The man who is deluded by egoism identifies the Self with the body, mind,
the life-force and the senses, and ascribes to the Self all the attributes of the body and
the senses. In reality the Gunas of nature perform all actions.
28. But he
who knows the truth, O mighty-armed Arjuna, about the divisions of the qualities and their
functions, knowing that the Gunas as senses move amidst the Gunas as the sense-objects, is
not attached.
29. Those
deluded by the qualities of Nature are attached to the functions of the qualities. A man
of perfect knowledge should not unsettle the foolish one of imperfect knowledge.
30.
Renouncing all actions in Me, with the mind centred in the Self, free from hope and
egoism, and from (mental) fever, do thou fight.
COMMENTARY:
Surrender all actions to Me with the thought: “I perform all actions for the sake
of the Lord only.”
31. Those
men who constantly practise this teaching of Mine with faith and without cavilling, they
too are freed from actions.
32. But
those who carp at My teaching and do not practise it, deluded in all knowledge and devoid
of discrimination, know them to be doomed to destruction.
33. Even a
wise man acts in accordance with his own nature; beings will follow nature; what can
restraint do?
COMMENTARY:
Only the ignorant man comes under the sway of his natural propensities. The seeker
after Truth who is endowed with the ‘Four Means’ and who constantly practises
meditation, can easily control Nature if he rises above the sway of the pairs of
opposites, like love and hate, etc.
34.
Attachment and aversion for the objects of the senses abide in the senses; let none come
under their sway, for they are his foes.
35. Better
is one’s own duty, though devoid of merit, than the duty of another well discharged.
Better is death in one’s own duty; the duty of another is fraught with fear.
Arjuna said:
36. But
impelled by what does man commit sin, though against his wishes, O Varshneya (Krishna),
constrained, as it were, by force?
The Blessed Lord said:
37. It is
desire, it is anger born of the quality of Rajas, all-sinful and all-devouring; know this
as the foe here (in this world).
38. As fire
is enveloped by smoke, as a mirror by dust, and as an embryo by the amnion, so is this
enveloped by that.
39. O
Arjuna, wisdom is enveloped by this constant enemy of the wise in the form of desire,
which is unappeasable as fire!
40. The
senses, mind and intellect are said to be its seat; through these it deludes the embodied
by veiling his wisdom.
41.
Therefore, O best of the Bharatas (Arjuna), controlling the senses first, do thou kill
this sinful thing (desire), the destroyer of knowledge and realisation!
42. They
say that the senses are superior (to the body); superior to the senses is the mind;
superior to the mind is the intellect; and one who is superior even to the intellect is
He—the Self.
43. Thus,
knowing Him who is superior to the intellect and restraining the self by the Self, slay
thou, O mighty-armed Arjuna, the enemy in the form of desire, hard to conquer!
COMMENTARY:
Restrain the lower self by the higher Self. Subdue the lower mind by the higher mind.
It is difficult to conquer desire because it is of a highly complex and incomprehensible
nature. But a man of discrimination and dispassion, who does constant and intense Sadhana,
can conquer it quite easily.
Thus in the
Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita, the science of the Eternal, the
scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the third discourse
entitled:
“The Yoga of Action”
Chapters: 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18