Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 18 - Moksha Sannyaasa Yogah - Yoga of Liberation by Renunciation

 

 

CONTENTS

• PREAMBLE
• RENUNCIATION IS TO BE PRACTICED NOT TOWARDS WORK BUT TO THE FRUITS OF WORK
• RELINQUISHMENT
• THREE KINDS OF RENUNCIATION
• THREE TYPES OF FRUITS OF TYAGA
• WORK IS A FUNCTION OF NATURE
• KNOWLEDGE AND ACTION
• THREE KINDS OF KNOWLEDGE
• THREE KINDS OF WORK
• THREE KINDS OF DOER
• THREE KINDS OF UNDERSTANDING
• THREE KINDS OF STEADINESS OR FORTITUDE
• THREE KINDS OF HAPPINESS
• ONE'S NATURE (SWABHAVA) AND STATION IN LIFE (SWADHARMA)
• PERFECTION THROUGH PERFORMANCE OF DUTY
• KARMA YOGA AND ABSOLUTE PERFECTION
• PERFECTION AND REALIZING BRAHMAN
• THE HIGHEST DEVOTION
• FINAL APPEAL
• HOW TO FOLLOW THE DOCTRINE?
• CONCLUSION
• CONCEPTS AND ISSUES
• LIVE AS THE GITA TEACHES YOU TO LIVE
• POINTS TO PONDER
• FINALE

Preamble

The closing Chapter is a summary of the entire Gita. If the 2nd Chapter  is its Profile, the 18th is its Review. This is the longest Chapter  in the Gita having 78 Verses.

Moksha  consists in securing lasting freedom from the bondage of mundane existence in  the form of birth and death and realizing God who is no other than Bliss.  Summing up the substance of all the previous Chapters, the present one  discusses in detail, under the terms of ‘Sannyasa’  and ‘Tyaga’ respectively the paths of  Knowledge and Action, both of which are the means to the attainment of Moksha.
 
It  was explained that there are three types of personalities depending on their  temperaments or Gunas. They are Sattwic-good, Rajasic-passionate and  Tamasic-dull. This Chapter discusses how these Gunas create differences among  individuals in their capacity to sacrifice, in their wisdom, in their actions,  fortitude and happiness.

The  teaching of the Gita has been wound up in Verse 66 of this Chapter with an  exhortation to offer all actions to God who is the same as Moksha. It is for  these reasons that this Chapter has been entitled “Moksha Sannyaasa Yoga” or  Yoga of Liberation by Renunciation.

RENUNCIATION IS TO BE PRACTISED NOT TOWARDS WORK BUT TO THE FRUITS OF WORK

arjuna uvaacha
    sannyaasasya   mahaabaaho tattwam icchaami veditum
    tyaagasya cha hrisheekesha prithak keshinishoodana  // 18.1  //

Arjuna  said
    I  desire to know the true nature of sannyaasa and tyaga as distinguished from  each other,
    O  mighty Hrishikesa, O Slayer of Kesi.

This  Chapter begins with Arjuna's question seeking the precise definition of  Sannyasa - renunciation and Tyaga - relinquishment. These terms are used in many places in different contexts in the Gita with apparent varying meanings.  Sri Krishna replies this question exhaustively.

The  central theme of this discourse revolves around the meanings of these two words. It guides us what types of tendencies, urges, impulses and motives are to be relinquished or abandoned so that true renunciation of the non-divinity  in oneself can take place.

sri bhagavaan uvaacha
    kaamyaanaam karmanaam nyaasam sannyaasam  kavayoviduh
    sarvakarmaphalatyaagam praahustyaagam  vichakshanaah  // 18.2 //

Sri  Bhagavan said
The  renunciation of works induced by desire is understood by the sages to be Sannyasa  while the surrender of the fruits of all works is called tyaga by the wise.

Total  giving up all desire-prompted activities is renunciation while giving up of the  fruits of actions is relinquishment. On the face of it these two statements  appear to have the same implication because desires are always for the fruits  of actions. Although both mean giving up of desire, Sannyasa is giving up of  desire motivated action while Tyaga is giving up of desire for the fruits of  actions.

Action  is the effort put forth at present to attain its fruit in future. The fruit is  a culmination in future of the present action. A desire-prompted action relates  to the present while anxiety to enjoy its reward which is a mental disturbance  relates to the future in the time-frame. A disturbed mind cannot execute any  action with efficiency. Thus renunciation is the goal to be reached through  abandoning the anxiety for the enjoyment of the fruits of actions.

Both  Sannyasa and Tyaga are disciplines in our activities. These terms do not  indicate that work should be ignored. On the other hand Gita insists that we  must always work. But work can be executed with efficiency if these two factors  viz. desire prompted action and desire for its reward are eliminated in which  case the work becomes an inspired and noble action.

Inertia  or non-action is not the ideal. Action without any selfish desires or  expectation of gain, performed in the spirit that `I am not the doer, I am  surrendering myself to the Universal Self' is the ideal set before us. The Gita  does not teach the complete renunciation of works but the conversion of all  works into nishkama karma or  desireless action.

tyaajyam doshavadityeke karma praahurmaneeshinah
    yajnadaanatapahkarma na tyaajyamiti chaapare // 18.3  //

Some  philosophers declare that all works should be relinquished as evil; others  declare that acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity should not be given up.

As  against the principles of work stated in the previous verse, some philosophers  (Sankhyas) declare that action itself should be abandoned as an evil because  they produce Vasanas obstructing the realization of the Self while some others  say that acts of sacrifice (Yajna), charity (Dana) and austerity (Tapas) should  never be given up.

However  the imports of Sri Krishna’s teachings in the Gita is that only evil activities  are to be renounced and that all the spiritual activities and one’s own duties should  be pursued in a spirit of dedicated selfless devotion and thus transform the  work itself as a homage to the Supreme.

RELINQUISHMENT

nishchayam shrinu me tatra tyaage bharatasattama
    tyaago hi purushavyaaghra trividhah samprakeertitah  // 18.4 //

Hear  from Me the conclusion or the final truth about this relinquishment, O Best of  the Bharatas; relinquishment verily, O Best of Men, has been declared to be of  three kinds.

Sri  Krishna promises Arjuna that He will explain what constitutes Tyaga or spirit  of relinquishment and its various kinds.

yajnadaanataph karma na tyaajyam kaaryameva tat
    yajno daanam tapashchaiva paavanaani maneeshinaam  // 18.5 //

Acts  of sacrifice, gift and austerity should not be given up, but should be performed;  for verily sacrifice, gift and also austerity are the purifiers of the wise.

The  Lord says that practice of worship, charity and austerity should not be given  up because these activities bring about a discipline in the mind and its inner  peace and equilibrium which are necessary for spiritual unfoldment and final  experience of the Infinite.

etaanyapi  tu karmaani sangam tyaktwaa phalaani cha
    kartavyaaneeti me paartha nischitam matamuttamam //  18.6 //

But  even these actions should be performed leaving aside attachment and the desire  for rewards, O Partha, this is My certain and conclusive conviction.

Even  these actions viz. sacrifice (Yajna), charity (Dana) and austerity (Tapas)  should be performed without any attachment i.e. without any sense of egoism and  desire for its rewards. Ego and its desires are the components of attachment.  When ego tries to satisfy its desires it develops a relationship with the  outside world of things and beings. This relationship is attachment. If any  action is performed with attachment, the expectations of its fruits affect the  efficiency in the action undertaken.

To  be rid of attachment and to be free from anxieties regarding the fruits of  actions that will accrue at a future time are the roots of the Krishna doctrine in the Gita. Detachment is not a matter  of outward action or inaction; it is the possession of the impersonal outlook  and inner renunciation of ego while performing action.

THREE KINDS OF RENUNCIATION

niyatasya  tu sannyaasah karmano nopapadyate
    mohaattasya parityaagas taamasah parikeertitah // 18.7  //

    Verily  the renunciation of obligatory action is not proper; the relinquishment of the  same from delusion is declared to be Tamasic.

Relinquishment  of obligatory duties is considered as the worst. Obligatory duties mean  unavoidable duties such as daily worship and special duties such as certain  rituals on special occasions both individually and from the view point of the  society in which one lives. As the performance of these duties makes the  aspirant’s heart pure, giving up of such duties is considered as Tamasic. 

duhkhamityeva yat karma kaayakleshabhayaat tyajet
    sa kritwaa raajasam tyaagam naiva tyaagaphalam  labhet // 18.8 //

He,  who abandons action from the fear of bodily trouble because it is painful, does  not obtain the merit of renunciation by doing such Rajasic renunciation.

If  anyone gives up his obligatory duties because they are painful or on account of  fear of bodily suffering such Tyaga is considered as Rajasic because for a man  of action to perform his duties only so long as they are not risky to his  person is no heroism at all. Hence The Lord says that such a person shall not  attain any fruit of his renunciation.

kaaryamityeva   yatkarma niyatam kriyate'rjuna
    sangam tyaktwaa phalam chaiva sa tyaagah saatwiko  matah // 18.9 //

Whatever  obligatory action is done, O Arjuna, merely because it ought to be done,  abandoning attachment and also the fruit, that renunciation is regarded as Sattvic.

A  man of pure nature performs actions that have fallen to his lot in accordance  with his capacity and inherent nature. He is not filled with pride in  performing action nor does he hope to gain any reward therefrom. When a man  performs his obligatory duties without the spirit of doership and selfishness,  his mind is purified and becomes fit for Self Realization. This kind of  renunciation of attachment in performing action as also the expectation of the  rewards of such action is considered Sattvic.

It  will be noted from the above three verses that the discussion is not so much  about what is to be renounced as to how and where one should act. Thus the  concept of Tyaga in the Gita is a subjective renunciation of selfishness and  desire in the field of activity and not giving up the world and one's duties  and actions in it. Acting in the outside world, renouncing ego and egocentric  desires, an individual grows in inward purity.

na dweshtyakushalam karma kushale naanushajjate
    tyaagi sattvasamaavishto medhaavee chhinnasamshayah  // 18.10 //

The man of renunciation, intelligent and pervaded by purity, with his doubts dispelled,  has no aversion to disagreeable work and no attachment to agreeable action.

The  question how does such a person, purified through Sattvic Tyaga, gain the  highest spiritual experience is answered here.

A  man of Sattvic relinquishment never hates any disagreeable work and environment  nor gets attached to any agreeable fields of action and favorable scheme of  things. He does his duties under all circumstances, agreeable or disagreeable,  without getting elated when successful or dejected when faced with obstacles.

He  is not overwhelmed by joy or sorrow; he is always equanimous. He is independent  of the happenings around him. Even the low impulses like jealousy, anger,  passion, greed etc. do not influence him. He does not become a victim of his  own mental impressions, Vasanas.

Such  a man is considered to be pervaded by purity. He is said to be educated,  cultured and with clear vision of his goal without getting hampered by all  sorts of doubts. He is termed a man of understanding, a Medhavi.

He  knows his field of activity and his own divine nature. He is fully aware of the  instruments of action and his relationship with the world outside. But a  majority of people identify themselves with doership and live in the world  conditioned by the happenings around. Such an average man who works with an ego  and attachment must learn to work at least renouncing the fruits of his action  which is explained in the next verse.

na hi dehabhritaa shakyam tyaktum karmaanyasheshatah
    yastu karmaphalatyaagee sa tyaageetyabhidheeyate //  18.11 //

Verily  it is not possible for an embodied being to renounce actions entirely; but he  who relinquishes the rewards of actions is verily called a man of renunciation.

Since  all of us are embodied and therefore cannot abandon all activities so long as  the body is alive, the only way is to direct all our actions in such a way as  to bring harmony in our inner lives.

If  Tyaga of Sattva type is not possible due to attachment to the world, relinquishment  of attachment or anxiety to the fruits of actions which will materialize at a  future time is advised by The Lord. A man who abandons his longing to enjoy the  rewards for his action is called a Tyagi.

THREE TYPES OF FRUITS OF TYAGA

anishtamishtam mishram cha trividham karmanah  phalam
    bhavatyatyaaginaam  pretya na tu sannyaasinaam kwachit // 18.12 //

The  threefold fruit of action - desirable, undesirable and mixed - accrues after  death to those who have no spirit of renunciation, but never to the  relinquishers.

Earlier  three types of Tyaga were discussed. Now three types of fruits of Tyaga are  explained. The fruits of action mean not only the results of actions accruing  at a future date but also the changes that take place at the mental plane or in  the thought process itself. Such changes or reactions in the mind are of three  types viz. the disagreeable - those that are positively bad, the agreeable -  those that are positively good and the mixed - those that include both good and  bad.

As  the present determines the quality of the future, after death, the next  embodiment and its environment would depend upon the type of vasanas produced  in the present actions. This is called the Theory of Re-incarnation.

The  Lord explains that for a man of renunciation (Sannyasa) there cannot be any  response to the actions done in the past or in the present; he realizes the  Bliss. The pleasant, unpleasant and mixed reactions - Karma Phalam- are  applicable only to those who have an ego-centric identification with actions as  well as their results. Relinquishment of the sense of ego and the anxiety for  the results and serving the world as a service to The Lord is Tyaga.

WORK IS A FUNCTION OF NATURE

panchaitaani mahaabaaho kaaranaani nibodha me
    saankhye kritaante proktaani siddhaye sarva  karmanaam // 18.13 //

Learn  from Me, O mighty-armed Arjuna, these five factors, as declared in the Sankhya  doctrine, for the accomplishment of all actions.

adhishthaanam tathaa kartaa karanam cha  prithagvidham
    vividhaashcha prithakcheshtaa daivam chaivaatra  panchamam / 18.14 /

(Body)  the seat  of action, (ego) the doer, the  various sense organs of perception ,the different functions of organs of  actions  and the presiding Deity also,  the fifth

shareeravaangmanobhiryat karma praarabhate narah
    nyaayyam vaa vipareetam vaa panchaite tasya hetavah  // 18.15 //

Whatever  action a man performs by his body, speech and mind, whether right or the  reverse, these five are its causes.

The  concept of work is analyzed in these verses. When it was told that action can  be done without egocentric desires and attachments to fruits the consequential  question is what constitutes action or work. Sri Krishna says that there are  five aspects of action or five-fold division of work which are already laid  down in the Sankhyan philosophy.

The  five components of action are  

•The body -Adhishthaanam -the gateway for the entrance and existence of stimuli  

•The ego -Karta- which seeks fulfillment of the action through the body  

•The organs of perception - Karanam - through which the inner personality comes into contact with the field of enjoyment and satisfaction  

•The organs of action and  

•the presiding deities of the organs of perception which make them work properly.

The  deities represent an unseen power other than the human factors. Each of the  sense organs is controlled by a reflection of Consciousness called Presiding  deity.

It  is this non-human factor that interferes and disposes of human effort. It is  the wise, all-seeing will that is at work in the world. In all human actions,  there is an unaccountable element which is commonly called luck, destiny, fate  or the force accumulated by the acts of one's past lives. It is called here daiva.

The  task of man is to drop a pebble in the ocean of time and he may not see the  ripple reach the other distant shore; he may plant the seed but he may not see  the harvest which lies in the hands higher than his own.

As  all the items listed above will have to function in a coordinated manner for  the accomplishment of any task undertaken, be it by the body, speech or mind or  whether they are right or wrong, they are called the causes of all actions.

tatraivam sati kartaaram aatmaanam kevalam tu yah
    pashyatyakritabuddhitwaan  na sa pashyati durmatih // 18.16 //

Such  being the case, the man of perverse mind who, owing to his untrained  understanding, looks upon the Pure Self as the doer, he does not see.

The  Self is always actionless. It is always the silent witness. But a man of  perverted understanding attributes agency to the pure Self as the doer because  of misapprehension of the facts. He equates the body with the Self because of  his lack of knowledge of the pure, actionless Self. Though he sees with his  physical eyes, he does not behold the one eternal essence which is the  substratum of everything.

yasya naahankrito bhaavo buddhiryasya na lipyate
    hatwaapi  sa imaam llokaan na hanti na nibadhyate // 18.17 //

He  who is free from the egoistic notion, whose understanding is not tainted (by  good or evil), though he slays these people, he slays not, nor is he bound (by  the action).

The  realm of matter is the field of activity and the life's sorrows and agitations  belong to it. Although the Spirit is independent of the field, because of Its  identification with the field It feels happy or unhappy according to the  condition of the field at any given moment. Similarly ego which is the result  of man's self projections and unhealthy contacts with the outside world is the  cause of man's sufferings. Therefore Sri Krishna says that those who have no  sense of egoism and whose intelligence is not vitiated by false values of  possession, acquisition etc. perform no action although they act.

The  statement `performing no action while acting' means that even while a man of  above mentioned temperament is acting in the world, such actions leave no  mental impressions (Vasanas) in him and he remains detached. An egoless man of  wisdom while working in any field is an expression of the Infinite Will and in  that attitude of surrender and dedication actions performed by him leave no  vasanas in him. Hence The Lord says `though he kills he does not kill'.

Thus  Arjuna is told that if he can act in the world without identifying with things  around him and does his duty in the consciousness of the Divine, even if he kills  his kith and kin, teachers etc. he would not be committing any crime and the  killings would not leave any murderous impressions in him.

In  a way we can say that the teachings of the Gita are concluded here. At the  beginning Sri Krishna stated the proposition: “The self slays not nor is slain”  (2.19) and gave the immutability of the Self as the reason (2.20). He also  briefly introduced the idea (2.21) that an enlightened person is not compelled  to engage in action and explained it in detail through the treatise. Now He  concludes His discourses by saying that “the wise man slays not nor is he  bound”.

The  essence of the teaching is this: A sannyasi is free from ego and identification  with the body. He renounces all actions because it is brought about by  ignorance of the true nature of the Self. Therefore the threefold fruit of  action – desirable, undesirable and mixed – does not affect him. It is only the  unenlightened man that is affected by it.

In  the following verses Sri Krishna explains why different people act differently  under different impulses and keep different basis for their actions. Each one  of these factors is divided under three categories of human nature viz. Sattvic,  Rajasic and Tamasic.

KNOWLEDGE AND ACTION

jnaanam jneyam parijnaataa trividhaa karmachodanaa
    karanam karma karteti trividhah karma sangrahah //  18.18 //

Knowledge,  the known (the object of knowledge) and the knower form the threefold incitement  to action; the instrument, the object and the agent form the threefold basis of  action.

The  threefold impulse that propels activity (Karma  Chodana) and also the basis of action (Karma  Sangraha) are explained here.

The  impulse to action is made up of Knowledge (Jnanam),  the Known (Jneyam) and the Knower (Parijnata). They indicate the  experience, the experienced and the experiencer respectively. No action is  possible without these three constituents. From the experiencer the impulse for  action comes out as a desire, from the experienced as a temptation and from the  experience as a memory of enjoyment.

The  basis of action comprises of the instruments of action in the form of organs of  perception, mind and understanding. The object of action is that which is  sought for and reached through action by the doer. The doer is in the form of  ego that sets the organs going.

Thus  an activity consists of 

•an agent having a desire 
•who maintains in his mind a clear picture of the end or the goal and  
•who possesses all the necessary instruments to act.

The  performance of an action, either to obtain or to avoid a thing, is possible  only when there is conjunction of these three; if any one of these items is  absent no activity can take place. All actions inhere in these three: the  instrument, the object and the doer; hence, they form the bases of action.

jnaanam karma cha kartaa cha tridhaiva gunabhedatah
    prochyate gunasankhyaane yathaavacchrinu taanyapi  // 18.19 //

Knowledge,  action and the doer (agent) are declared in the science of the Gunas to be of  three kinds, according to the distinction of the Gunas; hear them also duly.

Knowledge,  action and the actor or the doer fall under three categories because of  differences in the temperaments or Gunas in an individual at any given time.  These classifications are exhaustively discussed in the following verses.

Since  knowledge, action and the doer are characterized by the three Gunas, they fall  into the nature of Prakriti or Nature or Matter. They have no connection with  the Atman or the Self.
 

THREE KINDS OF KNOWLEDGE

sarvabhooteshu yenaikam bhaavamavyayameekshate
    avibhaktam vibhakteshu tajjnaanam viddhi saatwikam  // 18.20 //

The  knowledge by which one sees the one indestructible Reality in all beings,  undivided in the divided - know that knowledge to be Sattvic.

prithaktwena tu yajjnaanam naanaabhaavaan  prithagvidhaan
    vetti sarveshu bhooteshu tajjnaanam viddhi raajasam  //18.21 //

But  that knowledge through which one sees multiplicity of beings in different  creatures by reason of their separateness - know that knowledge to be Rajasic.

yattu kritsnavadekasmin kaarye saktamahaitukam
    atatwaarthavadalpam cha tattaamasamudaahritam // 18.22  //

But  the  knowledge  which is confined to  one single effect as if it were the whole,  without concern for the cause, without grasping the real and narrow - that is  declared to be Tamasic.

Sattvic :  That knowledge which can recognize the flux of things, which can feel the  harmony underlying the unity in the diversity of forms and behaviors, which can  live in the awareness of the One Life that pulsates in every living being i.e.  Brahman or the Supreme Reality is the genuine achievement of a Sattvic  intellect. Through this knowledge one Imperishable Being is seen in all  existences. Though the body, mind and intellect equipments take different forms  in different living creatures, the Sattvic knowledge recognizes all of them as  the expressions of one and the same Non-dual Truth, Atman, which is the Essence  in all of them.

Rajasic :  That knowledge which looks upon other living entities as different from one another  is passionate or Rajasic. An intellect to which the world is an assortment of  various types, behaving under various moods differently, an intellect that  recognizes the world as made up of an endless incomprehensible plurality has  Rajasic knowledge. Finding creatures happy or unhappy, wise or ignorant, ugly  or beautiful, a man endowed with Rajasic knowledge thinks that different souls  dwell in different bodies.

Tamasic :  That knowledge which regards without any reason and understanding a particular  path or view as the sole end and sticks to that opinion with arrogance and  egoism, that knowledge which considers the entire world of things and beings as  meant for its owner and his pleasures alone and which does not recognize  anything beyond its ego is Tamasic. This knowledge is of the lowest type of  spiritual seekers which ignores totally the Divine Presence.

Thus  the knowledge of the Sattvic perceives oneness underlying the universe, that of  the Rajasic recognizes the plurality of the world and that of the Tamasic is  egoistic with a perverted view of the world.

It  has to be noted that this categorization and that which will follow in this  Chapter is not for judging others but to evaluate oneself and take corrective  steps for self-improvement when wrong tendencies are observed

THREE KINDS OF WORK

niyatam sangarahitam araagadweshatah kritam
    aphalaprepsunaa karma yattat saatwikamuchyate // 18.23  //

An  action which is obligatory, which is free from attachment, which is done  without love or hatred by one who is not desirous of any reward - that action  is declared to be Sattvic.

yattu kaamepsunaa karma saahankaarena vaa punah
    kriyate bahulaayaasam tadraajasamudaahritam // 18.24  //

But  that action which is done by one longing for the fulfillment of desires or gains,  with egoism or with much effort - that is declared to be Rajasic.

anubandham kshayam himsaam anavekshya cha paurusham
    mohaadaarabhyate karma yattat taamasamuchyate // 18.25  //

That  action which is undertaken from delusion, without regard to the consequence,  loss, injury and one's own ability- that is declared to be Tamasic.

The  threefold nature of action (Karma) is described.

Sattvic : Sattvic actions are those that are one's own  obligatory duties towards the society, performed without any attachment to the  fruits thereof and that are not motivated by likes and dislikes. These duties  are just performed spontaneously. Fulfillment and joy are sought in the very  work itself. Such Sattvic actions are undertaken only by men who possess Sattvic  knowledge. A Sattvic action is the purest producing peace and harmony in the  field of activity. It is an obligatory action undertaken for its own sake in an  attitude that work itself is worship. Such inspired activities are undertaken  without any attachment and any anxiety for the rewards. They are not guided by  likes or dislikes of the performer. Action itself is fulfillment.

Rajasic : Rajasic activities are those that are propelled by  desires waiting for their fulfillment that are performed in a self-centered  vainglorious attitude of `I'ness and which are undertaken with great strain and  labor on the part of the doer. They are undertaken by men of Rajasic knowledge.  Rajasic action is undertaken to satisfy one's desire in a spirit of arrogance, egoism  and vanity. Such actions involve considerable effort and strain.

The  consciousness of suffering, the sense that we are doing something disagreeable,  that we are passing through grim suffering and toil takes away value from the  act. To feel consciously that we are doing something great, that we are  sacrificing something vital is a failure of the sacrifice itself.

But  when the work is undertaken for the cause, it is a labor of love and sacrifice  itself is not felt as a sacrifice. Doing unpleasant things from a sense of duty,  feeling the unpleasantness all the time is Rajasic. Doing it gladly in utter  unself-consciousness, with a smile on the lips is Sattvic. It is the difference  between an act of love and an act of law, an act of grace and an act of  obligation.

Tamasic : Tamasic actions are those that are undertaken  without any regard for the consequences thereof and that bring disaster and  sorrow to all including the performer. They emanate in an individual out of his  misconception about the goal of life. They are undertaken by men of Tamasic  knowledge.

THREE KINDS OF DOER

    muktasango'nahamvaadi dhrityutsaahasamanvitah
        siddhyasiddhyor nirvikaarah kartaa saatwika uchyate  // 18.26 //

He  who is free from attachment, non-egoistic, endowed with fortitude and  enthusiasm and unaffected by success or failure is called Sattvic.

raagee karmaphalaprepsur lubdho himsaatmako'shuchih
    harshashokaanvitah kartaa raajasah parikeertitah //  18.27 //

Passionate,  desiring to obtain the fruits of actions, cruel, greedy, impure, easily elated  or dejected, such an agent is said to be Rajasic.

ayuktah praakritah stabdhah shatho  naishkritiko'lasah
    vishaadee deerghasootree cha kartaa taamasa uchyate  // 18.28 //

Unsteady,  vulgar, unbending, cheating, malicious, dejected, lazy and procrastinating - such  an agent is called Tamasic.

Sattvic : A doer who has no attachment to the field in which he  is acting, who is not egoistic, who is full of persistence and zeal unmindful  of obstacles on the path, who is not perturbed by the results of his actions,  be they success or failure, is considered a Sattvic-Karta.  He is ever conscious of the power of the Infinite Light in all his activities  at all times.

Rajasic : A doer who yields to passions, desires and  attachments, who eagerly seeks the fruits of his work, who is selfish, greedy  and insatiable, whose acts cause harm to others, who is not pure in his means,  who is tossed between joys and sorrows of life is considered Rajasic Karta.

Tamasic : A doer who has no control over his own base mental  impulses and instincts, who is arrogant, vulgar and obstinate in his own wrong  conclusions, who is unsteady, despondent, deceitful, indolent, procrastinating  and malicious is considered Tamasic  Karta.

THREE KINDS OF UNDERSTANDING

buddherbhedam dhriteshchaiva gunatastrividham  shrinu
    prochyamaanamasheshena prithaktwena dhananjaya // 18.29  //

Hear  the threefold division of the intellect and fortitude according to the Gunas,  as I declare them fully and distinctly, O Dhanajaya.

pravrittim cha nivrittim cha kaaryaakaarye bhayaabhaye
    bandham moksham cha yaa vetti buddhih saa paartha  saatwikee // 18.30 //

That  which knows the path of work and renunciation, what ought to be done and what  ought not to be done, fear and fearlessness, bondage and liberation - that  intellect is Sattvic, O Partha.

yayaa dharmamadharmam cha kaaryam  cha akaaryam eva cha
    ayathaavatprajaanaati buddhih saa paartha raajasee  // 18.31 //

That  by which one incorrectly understands Dharma and Adharma and also what ought to  be done and what ought not to be done - that intellect, O Partha, is Rajasic.

adharmam  dharmamiti yaa manyate tamasaavritaa
    sarvaarthaan  vipareetaamshcha buddhih saa paartha taamasee // 18.32 //

That  which, enveloped in darkness, regards Adharma as Dharma and views all things in  a perverted light - that intellect, O Partha, is called Tamasic.

Three  types of understanding (Buddhi) are explained. Understanding or Buddhi means  the intellectual capacity in the individual to grasp what is happening around.

Sattvic : The understanding that can readily judge things that  are to be done (Pravritti) and things  that are to be avoided (Nivritti),  that can readily discriminate the beings and situations in its field of  activity, that can distinguish between the right field of pursuit and wrong  field of false ideas, that understands fear and fearlessness is considered as  the Sattvic Buddhi, an understanding  of purity.

Rajasic : The understanding that erroneously judges both the  right and the wrong that makes faulty conclusions about what should be done and  what should not be done due to inaccurate egoistic pre-conceived notions is  considered Rajasic Buddhi.

Tamasic : The understanding that deems the wrong as the right,  reversing every value due to ignorance, sees all things in a perverted way,  always against the truth is considered as the Tamasic Buddhi. In fact this is no understanding at all; it can  only be a perpetual misunderstanding.

THREE KINDS OF STEADINESS OR FORTITUDE

dhrityaa yayaa dhaarayate manah praanendriyakriyaah
    yogenaavyaabhichaarinyaa dhritih saa paartha  saatwikee // 18.33 //

The  unwavering fortitude by which, through Yoga, the functions of the mind, the  life-force and the senses are restrained - that fortitude O Partha, is Sattvic.

yayaa tu dharmakaamaarthaan dhrityaa dhaarayate'rjuna
    prasangena phalaakaangkshee dhritih saa paartha  raajasee // 18.34 //

But  the fortitude, O Partha, by which, one holds fast to duty, pleasure and wealth,  and craves for the fruits of action from attachment, that fortitude is Rajasic.

    yayaa swapnam bhayam shokam vishaadam madameva cha
           na vimunchati durmedhaa dhritih saa paartha taamasee // 18.35 //

That  by which a stupid man does not give up sleep, fear, grief, despair and also  arrogance - that fortitude , O Parthia, is Tamasic.

  The  three kinds of Fortitude (Dhriti) is  explained. Fortitude is consistency of purpose and self-application with which  every individual pursues his field of endeavor chosen for him by his Buddhi to  achieve a set goal without allowing himself to be distracted by the obstacles  on the way. Its power is proportional to the detachment from regrets over the  past and anxieties for the future.

Sattvic : The fortitude by which one controls the activities of  the mind, organs of perception and organs of action is the Sattvic Dhriti. The consistency with which one steadily controls  one's mind and sense organs and their activities through single-pointed  concentration upon a given goal is of the Sattvic type.

Rajasic : The consistency with which one firmly holds on to  duty, pleasure and wealth, ever desirous of enjoying the fruits of his action  is of Rajasic Dhriti. He follows  Dharma-duty- only to gain the heavens, pursues wealth to gain power in life and  works for pleasure to achieve sensual satisfaction.

Tamasic : The steadiness of purpose with which one does not  abandon one's dreams and imaginations, fear and agitation, grief and sorrow,  depression and arrogance is of Tamasic  Dhriti and such a person is called Durmedha,  a fool.

THREE KINDS OF HAPPINESS

sukham twidaaneem trividham shrinu me bharatarshabha
    abhyaasaadramate yatra duhkhaantam cha nigacchati  // 18.36 //

And  now hear from Me, O Best among the Bharatas, of the threefold pleasure in which  one rejoices by practice and by which one comes to the end of sorrow.

yattadagre vishamiva parinaame'mritopamam
    tatsukham saatwikam proktam aatmabuddhi prasaadajam  // 18.37 //

That  which is like poison at first but in the end like nectar - that pleasure is  declared to be Sattvic, springing from a clear understanding of the Self.

vishayendriya samyogaad yattadagre'mritopamam
    parinaame vishamiva tatsukham raajasam smritam // 18.38  //

That  pleasure which arises from the contact of the sense-organs with the objects,  which is at first like nectar and in the end like poison is declared to be  Rajasic.

yadagre chaanubandhe cha sukham mohanamaatmanah
    nidraalasyapramaadottham tattaamasamudaahritam // 18.39  //

That  pleasure which at the beginning and at the end deludes the Self, which arises  from sleep, indolence and heedlessness is declared to be Tamasic.

Happiness  is the universal aim of life. Only it is of different kinds according to the  Gunas which dominate our nature. If Tamas predominates in us, we are satisfied  with violence and inertia, blindness and error. If Rajas prevails, wealth and  power, pride and glory give us happiness. True happiness of human beings lies  not in the possession of outward things but in the fulfillment of the higher  mind and spirit, in the development of what is most inward in us. It may mean  pain and restraint but it will lead us to joy and freedom. We can pass from the  happiness of knowledge and virtue to the eternal calm and joy, Ananda of the Spirit, when we become one  with the Highest Self and one with all beings.

Sattvic : The joy arising out of the inner self-control and  consequent self-perfection which looks though painful and arduous in the  beginning, is enduring in the long run, in contrast with the fleeting joys of  sensual satisfaction. It is the result of inner discipline and contemplation.  This brings about tranquility in the intellect and from this tranquility of the  intellect emerges Sattvic happiness. This happiness that arises from consistent  effort lasts long and yields greater sense of fulfillment which is the result  of an individual's balanced and self-disciplined life of high ideals and divine  values of life.

Rajasic : This pleasure arises only when the sense-organs are  directly in contact with the sense-objects. In the beginning it is alluring but  it creates a sense of exhaustion and dissipation in the enjoyer in the long  run. It is also vitiated by the anxiety about its diminution and ultimate loss.  Therefore the temporary happiness provided by the sense-objects is termed  Rajasic.

Tamasic : This type of happiness arises from 1. sleep - not the  physiological every day sleep but the non-apprehension of Reality and the  incapacity to perceive the goal of life- 2.indolence - the incapacity of the  intellect to think correctly about the problems that it faces to arrive at a  correct judgment - and 3. Heedlessness - ignoring the values of higher ideals.

Sattva, rajasika and tamasika gunas in different combinations form the basis for the  fourfold classification of human beings in a society into Brahmana, Kshatriya,  Vaishya and Shudra.

The  Lord gives a brief resume of the three spiritual disciplines to reach Brahman -  Karma Yoga, path of action for the body, Bhakti Yoga, path of devotion for the  mind and Jnana Yoga, Path of knowledge for the intellect.

Pursuing  the path of action a seeker drops the bulk of the vasanas, desires. His mind  becomes purified. His intellect becomes sharp. He rises to the path of  knowledge and acquires spiritual values. He develops commitment to God and thus  enters the path of devotion. The three disciplines prepare the seeker for  concentration, meditation upon the Supreme through which he realizes Brahman.

Krishna appeals to Arjuna to drop his ego and seek the supreme  Self within. Every person functions helplessly according to one’s own nature. Krishna assures Arjuna that He has imparted the knowledge  necessary to take the plunge, leaving the choice to him to reflect and decide  his course of action. 

ONE'S NATURE (SWABHAVA) AND STATION IN LIFE (SWADHARMA)

na  tadasti prithivyaam vaa divi deveshu vaa punah
    sattwam  prakritijairmuktam yadebhih syaat tribhirgunaih // 18.40 //

There  is no being on earth or again in heaven among the Devas, who is free from these  three Gunas born of prakriti (nature).

This  verse concludes the discussion so far made about the three Gunas influencing  the personality and the behavioral pattern of the living organisms. Sri Krishna  says that there is no creature either on the earth or among the Gods in the  heaven who is free from the influences of these three Gunas. The play of these  three Gunas is the very expression of Prakriti. Put together they are the  manifestations of Maya which make the individuals differ from each other.

With  these three measuring rods Sri Krishna classifies the entire humanity under  four distinct types. The criterion of this classification of man is the quality  of his inner equipments responsible for achievements in the field of his  activities.

The  fourfold division of society is based on this principle. Certain well defined  characteristics determine these four classes in the community. They are never  determined by birth. This classification of society is as follows:

•Brahmans - who have major portion of Sattwa and a little Rajas with minimum Tamas.
•Kshatriyas - who have mostly Rajas with some Sattwa and very little Tamas.
•Vaishyas - who have more Rajas, very little Sattwa and some Tamas.
•Sudras - mostly Tamas, very little Rajas and negligible Sattwa.

braahmanakshatriyavishaam shoodraanaam cha  parantapa
    karmaani pravibhaktaani swabhaavaprabhavairgunaih  // 18.41 //

Of  Brahmanas, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas, as also the Sudras, O Arjuna, and the  activities are distinguished in accordance with the qualities born of their own  nature.

Sri  Krishna applies the characteristics of various Gunas to the social fabric and  classifies the entire mankind under four different heads viz. Brahmanas,  Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Sudras.

Different  kinds of duties are assigned to each of these categories of individuals  depending on their nature (Swabhava) which in turn depends on the Gunas predominating in them. This classification  is based on the quality of the inner personality of the individuals and not on  the accident of their birth.

The  fourfold order is not peculiar to Hindu society. It is of universal  application. The classification depends on types of human nature. Each of the  four classes has certain well defined characteristics though they are not to be  regarded as exclusive. They are not always determined by heredity.

The  Gita cannot be used to support the existing social order with its rigidity and  confusion. The Gita enlarges the scope and meaning of the theory of the  fourfold order. Man's outward life must express his inward being; the surface  must reflect the depth. Each individual has his inborn nature-Swabhava- and to  make it effective in his life is his duty-Swadharma. Each individual is a focus  of the Supreme, a fragment of the Divine. His destiny is to bring out in his  life this divine possibility. The Gita lays the utmost emphasis on Swadharma –  the dharma or duty of an individual – as determined by his Swabhava, his inner  nature formed as a result of his own past actions.

The  one Spirit of the universe has produced the multiplicity of souls in the world,  but the idea of the Divine is our essential nature, the truth of our being, our  Swabhava and not the apparatus of the Gunas, which is only the medium of  expression. If each individual does what is appropriate to him, if he follows  the law of his being, his Swadharma, then God would express Himself in the free  volitions of human beings. All that is essential for the world will be done  without a conflict.

But  men rarely do what they ought to do. When they undertake to determine events  believing that they know the plan of the whole, they work mischief on the  earth. So long as our work is done in accordance with our nature, we are  righteous and if we dedicate it to God, our work becomes a means of spiritual  perfection. When the divine in the individual is completely manifested, he  attains the eternal, imperishable status. The problem that human life sets to  us is to discover our true self and live according to its truth; otherwise we  would sin against our nature.

The  emphasis on Swabhava indicates that human beings are to be treated as  individuals and not as types. Arjuna is told that he who fights gallantly as a  warrior becomes mature for the peace of wisdom. There are four broad types of  nature and answering to them are four kinds of social living. The four classes  are not determined by birth or colour but by psychological characteristics  which fit us for definite functions in society.

shamo damanastapah shaucham kshaantiraarjavameva  cha
    jnaanam vijnaanam aastikyam brahmakarma  swabhaavajam // 18.42 //

Serenity,  self-restraint, austerity, purity, forgiveness and also uprightness, knowledge,  realization and belief in God are the duties of the Brahmanas, born of their  own nature.

The  duties of the Brahmanas are enumerated:

•Serenity (Shama) - Controlling the mind from running after the world of objects in pursuit of sensual enjoyment.

•Self restraint (Dama) - Controlling the sense organs from conveying the external stimuli to the mind.

•Austerity (Tapas) - Conscious physical self denial to save human energy from sense indulgence and directing such energy towards spiritual awakening.

•Purity (Shaucham)- External cleanliness and internal purity.

•Forgiveness or Forbearance (Kshanti) - To be patient and forgiving even against wrongs committed against oneself.

•Uprightness (Arjavam) - A quality that makes the individual straightforward in all his dealings and thus becoming fearless.

•Cultivating and practicing these six qualities are the life-long duty of a Brahmana. Three more duties are added by The Lord as a code of conduct or duties in the spiritual side of a Brahmana. They are :

•Knowledge (Jnanam) - Knowledge of all that Upanishads deal with.

•Wisdom (Vijnanam) - Personal experience of the knowledge so acquired. Knowledge is that which is imparted while wisdom is that which is experienced within oneself. Wisdom is living the knowledge gained by studies.

•Faith (Astikyam) - Conviction to live what one has learnt and understood.

shauryam tejo dhritirdaakshyam yuddhe  chaapyapalaayanam
    daanameeshwarabhaavashcha kshaatram  karmaswabhaavajam // 18.43 //

Prowess,  splendor, firmness, dexterity and also not fleeing even in a battle, generosity  and leadership are the duties of Kshatriyas, born of their own nature.

The  qualities of a Kshatriya are enumerated:

•Prowess and splendor - Vigor to meet challenges in life.

•Firmness or fortitude - Zeal and consistency of purpose.

•Dexterity - Alertness and foresight.

•Not fleeing even from a battle - Not to accept defeat in any field of activity.

•Generosity - Compassion to those in need of help.

•Lordliness - Self confidence in one's own ability and possessing leadership qualities.

These  are the duties of the Kshatriyas, the men of action.

 krishigaurakshyavaanijyam vaishyakarma swabhaavajam
    paricharyaatmakam karma shoodrasyaapi swabhaavajam  // 18.44 //

Agriculture,  cattle rearing and trade are the duties of the vaishya class born of their own nature;  action consisting of service is the duty of the Sudra class born of their own  nature.

The  duties of Vaishyas and Sudras are stated in this verse.

Thus  the mental temperament of a man determines what class he belongs to and each  class has been given a set of duties to perform in the world. If a man does a  type of work for which he is not fit temperamentally, chaos follows.

Each  class of people mentioned here has to work with a spirit of dedication for  their own evolution and sense of fulfillment. When each one works according to  Vasanas in him and fully devotes himself to the prescribed duties, he develops  within himself and attains gradually the State of Perfection.

It  is not a question of identical opportunities but equal opportunities for all  men to rise to the highest station in social life, for men differ in their  powers. Each one should have the opportunity of achieving his human fullness,  the fruits of wisdom and virtue, according to his effort and condition.

The Varna rules recognize  that different men contribute to the general good in different ways. Society is  a functional organization and all functions which are essential for the health  of society are to be regarded as socially equal. Individuals of varying  capacities are bound together in a living organic social system; the process is  not an attempt to achieve uniformity, which is impossible, but at an integrated  variety. All men are not equal in their capacities but all men are equally  necessary for society and their contributions from their different stations are  of equal value.

swe swe karmanyabhiratah samsiddhim labhate narah
    swakarmaniratah siddhim yathaa vindati tacchrinu //  18.45 //

Each  man, devoted to his own duty, attains perfection. How he attains perfection  while being engaged in his own duty, hear now.

Within  the power of our nature, we must live up fully to our duty. By thus working in  the field ordered by one's own vasanas, renouncing ego and its desires and with  a spirit of dedication and total surrender to the Infinite, mind's evolution  starts. How this is achieved is explained in the following verses.

PERFECTION THROUGH PERFORMANCE OF DUTY

yatah pravrittirbhootaanaam yena sarvamidam tatam
    swakarmanaa tamabhyarchya siddhim vindati maanavah  // 18.46 //

He  from whom all the beings have evolved and by whom all this is pervaded, by  worshipping Him through the performance of his own duty, man attains  perfection.

When  a man acts according to his Swabhava and Swadharma he can attain joy and relief  only when he learns to work and achieve in a spirit of total self-surrender.

From  whom all beings evolved and by whom all is pervaded: Body, mind and intellect  are by themselves inert. They can discharge their functions only if they are  prompted by Consciousness. To remember constantly that Consciousness - the  Atman - which makes the activities to happen through the body equipments is to  become a witness to all the agitations in life without getting agitated.

Work  becomes worship, by aligning the mind through the performance of activity, to  the consciousness of the Self. This change of attitude towards work removes  drudgery in work situations converting dreariness into meditation. Sri Krishna  says by so performing one's own duties one can attain the highest Perfection.  Apart from yielding the reward work itself becomes a fulfillment and the doer  becomes an integrated personality.

shreyaanswadharmo vigunah paradharmaat swanushthitaat
    swabhaavaniyatam karma kurvannaapnoti kilbisham // 18.47  //

Better  is one's own duty though imperfectly carried out than the duty of another well performed.  He who does the duty ordained by his own nature incurs no sin.

This  theme was discussed in Ch.3.35 also. It is no use employing our minds in tasks  which are contrary to our nature. Every one has his place and everything has a  purpose in the scheme of things for each can do something which the others  cannot do so well. In each of us lies a principle of divine expression. It is  our real nature, Swabhava, finding partial expression in our various  activities. By following its guidance in our thought, aspiration and endeavor,  we progressively realize the intention of the Spirit for us.

sahajam karma kaunteya sadoshamapi na tyajet
    sarvaarambhaa hi doshena dhoomenaagnirivaavritaah  // 18.48 //

One  should not abandon, O Kaunteya, the duty suited to one's nature, though it may  be defective, for all undertakings are clouded by defects, as the fire by smoke.

The  factors that determine our actions are the temperaments and the environment  that bring forth new tendencies in us. Sri Krishna indicates that a spiritual  seeker must constantly strive to stand apart from the effects of environments  as the man is a master of his circumstances.

The  statement that all actions are clouded by defects as fire by the smoke means  that actions are always blended with `I am the doer sense' which creates new  vasanas and therefore they are full of defects. This defect is as much  unavoidable as the smoke in fire. As ventilation reduces the impact of the  smoke the more we concentrate on the Consciousness Divine, the less will be the  assertion of ego and egocentric desires in us and therefore the work we  undertake will be purified to that extent.

KARMA YOGA AND ABSOLUTE PERFECTION

asaktabuddhih sarvatra jitaatmaa vigatasprihah
    naishkarmyasiddhim paramaam sannyaasenaadhigacchati  // 18.49 //

He  whose intellect is unattached everywhere, who has subdued his self, from whom  desire has fled, he, by renunciation, attains the supreme state of freedom from  action.

The  Gita is not tired of repeating that restraint and freedom from desire are  essential to spiritual perfection. Attachments to objects, a sense of ego, are  the characteristics of our lower nature. If we are to rise to knowledge of our  true Self, we must conquer our lower nature with its ignorance and inertia, its  love of worldly possessions, etc.

The  state of actionlessness or transcending all work does not mean complete withdrawal  from all work. Such a question is not possible so long as we live in the body.  The Gita insists on inner renunciation. As the ego and nature are akin, the  liberated soul becoming Brahman, the Pure Self, described as silent, calm, and  inactive, acts in the world of Prakriti, knowing what the latter is.

The  highest state is here described, not positively as entering into The Lord but  negatively as freedom from Kama, Desire.
 

PERFECTION AND REALIZING BRAHMAN

siddhim praapto yathaa brahma tathaapnoti nibodha  me
    samaasenaiva kaunteya nishthaa jnaanasya yaa paraa  // 18.50 //

Learn  from Me in brief, O Kaunteya, how he who has attained perfection reaches  Brahman (The Eternal), that supreme state of knowledge.

When  our intellect becomes free from its attachments and thus controls our mind and  body, then alone we are fit for renunciation of the lower ego-sense and reach  for the Infinite Self which is the process of meditation.

buddhyaa vishuddhayaa yukto dhrityaatmaanam niyamya  cha
    shabdaadeen vishayaamstyaktwaa raagadweshau  vyudasya cha // 18.51 //

Endowed  with pure intellect, firmly restraining oneself, turning away from sound and  other objects of sense and abandoning both hatred and attraction.

viviktasevee laghwaashee yatvaakkaayamaanasah
    dhyaanayogaparo nityam vairaagyam samupaashritah //  18.52 //

Dwelling  in solitude, eating but little, with speech, body and mind subdued, always  engaged in meditation and concentration taking refuge in dispassion.

ahamkaaram balam darpam kaamam krodham parigraham
    vimuchya nirmamah shaanto brahmabhooyaaya kalpate  // 18.53 //

Having  abandoned egoism, strength, arrogance, desire, anger and covetousness, free  from the notion of `mine’ ness and tranquil in mind, he becomes worthy of  becoming one with Brahman.

The  process of meditation and attaining the Supreme - Brahman - is discussed. The  prerequisites or the qualities which are necessary for meditation are as follows: 

•Pure intellect - An intellect without tendencies to acquire, possess and enjoy sense objects. 

•Controlling the mind and senses - By receiving the external stimuli the sense organs distract the mind from concentrating on the Infinite and hence they have to be controlled.

•Renouncing sense objects - By controlling the sense organs the external stimuli such as sound, form, touch, taste or smell can be prevented from reaching the mind through the respective channels of ears, eyes, skin, tongue and nose. Once this is achieved sense objects automatically lose their value and attraction.

•Abandoning attraction and hatred - When the mind is thus protected it cannot, by itself, get agitated by recapitulating agreeable or disagreeable incidents or things.

Thus  a successful meditator is one who has an intellect purified from all extrovert  desires, who has brought the mind and sense organs under the control of the  intellect, thereby preventing them from running after sense objects and who has  given up the ideas of likes and dislikes. 

•Dwelling in solitude - seeking a place where there will be least disturbance. 

•Eating but little - Temperate eating habits. 

•Subduing body, mind and speech - Elimination of egocentric attitude in all our thinking, action and relationship with others. 

•Ever engaged in meditation and concentration - After the mind is quietened it has to be kept continuously busy by contemplation on The Lord in an attitude of complete identification with Him. 

•Taking refuge in dispassion - It is a state where the mind finds no attraction for the objects of the senses. This attitude of dispassion or vairagya is necessary for the spiritual growth.

Thus  a true seeker of a higher life must seek solitude, live in temperance, subdue  his body, mind and speech and must live in a spirit of dispassion.

The  qualities that are to be renounced for meditation are:

Although  Sri Krishna lists out these qualities, they are in fact basically only one  which is the sense of `I-ness'. When this sense of doership develops,  egocentric vanity takes over the individual claiming a false sense of power,  pride and arrogance. For an individual working under the influence of power and  arrogance, lust and anger are natural while he tries by any means to acquire  more and more wealth and protects what has already been acquired.

The  Lord advises to abandon the following six qualities and thus become egoless and  tranquil. 

•egoism 
•strength 
•arrogance 
•desire 
•danger 
•covetousness

This  is the peace arising out of wisdom and satisfaction experienced in the Realm of  Perfection. When the sense of agency and the endless chase of sense gratifications have been renounced the seeker experiences a relative quietitude  within him.

This  verse does not say that such an individual has reached Perfection but it only  says that he is worthy of becoming one with Brahman. Thus what has so far been  discussed is only the preliminary preparation for the final Realization.

THE HIGHEST DEVOTION

brahmabhootah prasannaatmaa na shochati na  kaangkshati
    samah sarveshu bhooteshu madbhaktim labhate paraam  // 18.54 //

Having  become one with Brahman, being serene in the Self, he neither grieves nor  desires. Regarding all beings as alike he attains supreme devotion to Me.

After  eliminating egoism and its manifestations in the form of power, pride, lust,  passion and sense of possession the seeker experiences greater peace within as  he becomes free from all false evaluations of life.

bhaktyaa maamabhijaanaati yaavaanyashchaasmi  tattwatah
    tato maam tattwato jnaatwaa vishate tadanantaram //  18.55 //

By  devotion he knows Me in essence, what and who I am ; then having known Me in My  essence, he forthwith enters into Me, the Supreme.

The  knower, the devotee, becomes one with the supreme Lord, the Perfect Person, in  Self-knowledge and Self-experience. Jnana, supreme wisdom and bhakti, supreme  devotion, have the same goal. To become Brahman is to love God, to know Him  fully and to enter His being. Entering Him means that when the ego is replaced  by God Consciousness the individuality vanishes. The conception of  individuality or `I-ness' ends and he attains Brahmanhood.

By devotion he knows Me in essence, what and who I  am:
The devotee knows that the Lord is devoid of all  names and forms caused by maya and is of the nature of the Absolute. He  knows that the Lord alone is the essence of the diverse manifestations caused  by His maya.

Then having known Me in My essence, he forthwith  enters into Me, the Supreme:
Having known that the Lord is non-dual, unborn,  undecaying, unchanging and of the nature of spirit and Consciousness, he  attains Brahmanhood.  The acts of knowing  and entering are not two separate and consecutive actions. To know the Lord  truly is to be completely absorbed in Him.

APPLICATION OF THE TEACHING TO ARJUNA'S CASE

sarvakarmaanyapi sadaa kurvaano madvyapaashrayah
    matprsaadaadavaapnoti shaashwatam padamavyayam // 18.56  //

Doing  all actions, always taking refuge in Me, by My grace, he obtains the eternal,  indestructible state or abode.

Performing  all actions and taking refuge in Him mean rendering selfless service in society  which should be without the sense of agency and with a sense of dedication to  Him.  In an individual to the extent his  mind and intellect are available for the spiritual truth; he is under the grace  or blessings of The Lord. An individual thus working in the field of activity  reaches the Immortal   State, the state of  Perfection.

The  above three verses indicate that the ultimate goal of the paths of knowledge,  devotion and action is the realization of the seeker's oneness with the  Supreme. This is the Integral Sadhana synthesizing the methods of Devotion, Work and Knowledge through disciplining  body, mind and intellect.

All  disciplines pursued from the body level to control the mind and make it turn  towards the Ideal are called KARMA YOGA.

All  methods to canalize the emotions for controlling the mind and make it  contemplate on the Higher are called BHAKTI YOGA.

All  the study and reflection, detachment and meditation practiced at the  intellectual level whereby the mind is enabled to experience the Infinitude is  called JNANA YOGA.

Practicing  all these three Yogas is disciplining the human personality in all its three  layers of body, mind and intellect which transforms the perceiver, feeler and  thinker in the man. This is the outstanding contribution of Gita to the Hindu  culture.

chetasaa sarvakarmaani mayi sannyasya matparah
    buddhiyogamupaashritya macchittah satatam bhava // 18.57  //

Mentally  renouncing all actions in Me, having Me as the highest goal, resorting to the  Yoga of discrimination you ever fix your mind on Me.

macchittah sarvadurgaani matprasaadaat tarishyasi
    atha chet twam ahamkaaraan na shroshyasi  vinangkshyasi // 18.58 //

Fixing  your mind on Me, you shall by My grace overcome all obstacles; but if from  egoism you will not hear Me, you shall perish.

Mentally  renouncing all actions in Me and having Me as the highest goal: Both the ego  and egocentric anxieties for enjoying the rewards are to be renounced and then  actions are to be performed keeping The Lord as the goal.

Resorting  to the Yoga of discrimination: To discriminate the right from the wrong and  pursuing the path of selfless action is the Buddhi Yoga.

Ever  fix your mind on Me: One who surrendered himself before The Lord and serves all  his creatures can alone fix his attention constantly on Him. A devotee who  carries out all his activities in dedication to Him experiences the Immutable State of the Self.

Most  of our obstacles in life are imaginary due to false fears and anxieties. By  constantly remembering The Lord and through His grace all the obstacles on the  path can be overcome. But because of ego and egocentric desires if the path  shown by The Lord is not to be followed by the seeker then he will by his own  ideas and emotions become incapable of achieving anything worthwhile; he will  perish, says Sri Krishna.

In  the following verses Sri Krishna tries to go over the philosophical ideas to Arjuna  to solve the problem of his despondency and motivate him to accomplish his  immediate task ahead.

yadahamkaaram aashritya na yotsya iti manyase
    mithyaisha vyavasaayaste prakritistwaam niyokshyati  // 18.59 //

If  filled with egoism, you think ‘I will not fight’, vain is your resolution; for  your nature will compel you.

swabhaavajena kaunteya nibaddhah swena karmanaa
    kartum necchasi yanmohaat karishyasyavasho'pi tat  // 18.60 //

O  Kaunteya, bound by your own karma (action), born of your own nature, that which  from delusion you wish not to do, even that you shall do helplessly against  your will.

Sri  Krishna tells Arjuna that if he is under the impression that he would not fight  due to self-importance, self-conceit and the temporary illusion of escapism, it  would merely be an exercise in futility because being a Kshatriya, his Rajasic  temperament will dominate and force him to fight.

The  Lord continues that in spite of his determination not to wage war Arjuna will  be compelled to fight by the power of his own nature ordered by his Karma or  vasanas existing in him at that moment. This is the law of life.

eeshwarah sarvabhootaanaam hriddeshe'rjuna  tishthati
    bhraamayan sarvabhootaani yantraaroodhaani maayayaa  // 18.61 //

The  Lord dwells in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, causing all beings, by His  illusive power, to revolve, as if caught in a machine.

The  relations of our inborn nature and its fateful compulsion are regulated by the  Divine who dwells in our hearts and guides our development. The power that  determines events is not a blind, unthinking will which we call fate or  destiny. The Spirit that rules the cosmos, The Lord who presides over the  evolution of the cosmic plan, is seated in the heart of every being and will  not let him rest.

The  Supreme is the inmost self of our existence. All life is a movement of the  rhythm of His life and our powers and acts are all derived from Him. If, in our  ignorance, we forget this deepest truth, the truth will not alter. If we live  consciously in His truth, we will resign all actions to God and escape from our  ego. If we do not, even then the truth will prevail. Sooner or later we will  yield to the purpose of The Lord. The Supreme desires our free co-operation.  When we become the media for the light of God, He uses us for His work.

As  puppets are moved by a string-puller seated behind the scene, so also the  created beings move and act on the stage of the world under the control of the  Lord seated in the hearts of all. Compare this with 9.10.

tameva sharanam gaccha sarvabhaavena bhaarata
    tatprsaadaatparaam shaantim sthaanam praapsyasi  shaashwatam // 18.62 //

Take  refuge in Him alone with all your soul, O Bharata. By His grace you will gain  Supreme Peace and the Everlasting abode.

We  must be conscious of the Divine on all the planes of our existence. Arjuna is  called upon to understand the will of God and do his duty. He must change the  whole orientation of his being; give up self-conceit, for all creatures are  under the control of the Supreme Lord. He must put himself at the service of  the Supreme. His illusion will then be dispelled; the bond of cause and  consequence will be broken. He will attain shadow less light, perfect harmony  and Supreme Blessedness.

iti te jnaanamaakhyaatam guhyaad guhyataram mayaa
    vimrishyaitadasheshena yathecchasi tathaa kuru // 18.63  //

Thus  has the wisdom more profound than all profundities been declared to you by Me. Reflect on it fully,  and then do as you choose.

This  verse can be considered as the conclusion of The Lord's discourses to Arjuna in  the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Sri Krishna says that he has declared to Arjuna  (through him to the entire humanity) all the essential features of the right  way of living and its noble endeavors for which there is nothing more to add.

This  knowledge is more secret than all the secrets because it is not easy for one to  understand the Gita way of life and its vision of the goal in all their  implications unless one is initiated into them. Even the very sharp intellect  will fail to feel the presence of the subtle, eternal and infinite Self. Sri  Krishna advises Arjuna to think and reflect over what all He had declared and  thereafter take such decision as he thinks proper without blindly accepting  what has been told to him. Teaching is not indoctrination. Thus The Lord leaves  the decision to act and lead a higher life to Arjuna's own free and sweet  choice after considering all the points brought to his notice.

There  is no compulsion involved and free choice is the characteristic of Hinduism as  the human personality cannot grow morally and ethically through coercion. The  Supreme does not impose His command; we are free at any moment to reject or  accept the Divine call. The integral surrender should be made with the fullest  consent of the seeker. God does not do the climbing for us but supports us  whenever we stumble, comfort us when we fall. He is prepared to wait till we  turn to Him. Thus The Lord's approach is counseling but not commanding. The  scriptures serve the purpose of telling man what he should do and what he  should not. It is up to man himself to choose the right and to reject the wrong.

FINAL APPEAL

sarva guhyatamam bhooyah shrinu me paramam vachah
    ishto'si me dhridhamiti tato vakshyaami te hitam //  18.64 //

Listen  again My supreme word, most secret of all; because you are dearly beloved of  Me, I will tell you what is good for you.

Although  Arjuna was given a free choice to make his independent decision he gave an  impression that still some doubts and misgivings were lurking in his mind.  Therefore Sri Krishna tells Arjuna that He will again confide in him the  profoundest wisdom, the supreme secret because he is His dearest friend. This  secret is revealed in the following two verses.

manmanaa bhava madbhakto madyaajee maam namaskuru
    maamevai'shyasi  satyam te pratijaane priyo'si me // 18.65 //

Fix  your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, worship to Me, bow down to Me, you shall  even come to Me ; truly this is my pledge to you, for you are dear to Me.

Sri  Krishna repeats the salient features of the philosophy of the Gita for the  benefit of Arjuna and through him for all of us.

The  Lord lays down four conditions for the success of a seeker. To the one in whom  these are present an assurance of reaching Him is given. In order to avoid  anybody taking His words lightly He adds that this is His true promise and  specifically conveys this secret to Arjuna because he is dear to Him and The  Lord loves him.

These  conditions are:

•Fix the mind on The Lord, ever remembering Him.
•Regard Him as the sole refuge.
•Ever devotedly identify with Him through the process of performing selfless activities and
•Dedicate them to Him in an attitude of reverence and sacrifice.

The  ultimate mystery, the supreme teaching with which The Lord wound up Chapter  9.34 is repeated here. Thought, worship, sacrifice and reverence, all must be  directed to The Lord. We must surrender ourselves to God. Our spiritual life  depends as much on our going to Him, as on His coming to us. It is not only our  ascent to God but His descent to man. He is waiting only for our trustful  appeal to Him.

sarva dharmaan parityajya maamekam sharanam vraja
    aham twaa sarvapaapebhyo mokshayishyaami maa  shuchah // 18.66 //

Abandoning  all Dharmas (of the body, mind and intellect), take refuge in Me alone; I will  liberate you from all sins, do not grieve.

This  is the noblest of all the verses in the Gita having brilliant import and yet  this is the most controversial. Philosophers, translators, reviewers, critics  and commentators have put forward several interpretations of this verse each  maintaining their own point of view.

It  is the answer given by The Lord to the question put by Arjuna in Chapter 2.7 –  ‘My heart is overpowered by the taint of pity, my mind is confused as to duty.  I ask you. Tell me decisively what is good for me, I am your disciple. Instruct  me who has taken refuge in You'.

Leaving aside  all these divergent opinions we can understand this verse as follows.

This essential  property of a substance is called its Dharma. Therefore, the  "essential Dharma" of man is the Divine Spark of Existence,  the Infinite Lord, and the Atman. With this understanding of the term Dharma,  we can appreciate that it differs from mere ethical and moral rules of conduct,  all duties in life, all duties towards relations, friends, community, nation  and the world, all our obligations to our environment, all our affections,  reverence, charity, and sense of goodwill etc. Thus to live truly as the Atman,  and to express Its Infinite Perfection through all our actions and in all our  contacts with the outer world is to rediscover our Dharma.

In this Verse,  the Lord wants us to accomplish three distinct adjustments in our inner  personality. They are: (1) Renounce all Dharmas through meditation; (2)  surrender to My refuge alone; and while in the state of meditation, (3) stop  all worries. And as a reward He promises: "I shall release you from all  sins". This is a promise given to all mankind.

Abandoning all dharma (Sarva-Dharman Parityajya) - As a mortal, finite ego, the  seeker is living with the Dharmas of his body, mind and intellect, and  exists in life as a mere perceiver, feeler, and thinker. The  perceiver-feeler-thinker personality in us is the "individuality"  which expresses itself as the "ego." These are not our 'essential' Dharmas.  And since these are the 'non-essentials,' "renouncing all dharmas"  means "ending the ego." "To renounce" therefore means  "not to allow ourselves to fall again and again into this state of  identification with the outer envelopments of matter around us". Extrovert  tendencies of the mind are to be renounced. "Develop introspection diligently"  is the deep suggestion in the phrase "renouncing all dharmas."

Come to me alone  for shelter (Mam-ekam Sharanam Vraja) -  Self-withdrawal from our extrovert nature will be impossible unless the mind is  given a positive method of developing its introvert attention. By  single-pointed, steady contemplation upon Me, the Self, which is the  One-without-a-second, we can successfully accomplish our total withdrawal from  the misinterpreting equipments of the body, mind and intellect. Lord Krishna  commands His devotees to come to His shelter whereby they can accomplish the  renunciation of all their false identifications.

I shall release  you from all sins (aham twaa  sarvapaapebhyo mokshayishyaami) - That which brings about agitations and causes  dissipation of the energies is called "sin". The actions themselves  can leave their "foot prints" upon the mental stuff, and these marks  are called vasanas. To erase all vasanas completely is to  stop all thoughts - the total cessation of thought-flow viz. "mind”. Transcending  the mind-intellect-equipment is to reach the plane of Pure Consciousness, the  Krishna-Reality.

Be  not grieved (Maa shuchah) - When both the above conditions  are accomplished, the seeker reaches a state of tranquility in meditation. Lord  Krishna wants the seeker to renounce all his "anxieties to realize."  Even a desire to realize is a disturbing thought that can obstruct the final  achievement. Arjuna was perturbed by the various duties, ritualistic and  ethical, that the war will result in the confusion of castes and indifference  to the ancestors as well as in the violation of sacred duties of reverence for  the teachers etc. Sri Krishna tells him not to worry about these laws and  usages, but to trust Him and bow down to His will. If he consecrates his life,  actions, feelings and thoughts, and surrenders himself to God, He will guide  him through the battle of life and he need have no tears or fears. Surrender is  the only way to self-transcendence. This is the Lord’s assurance to all  humanity.

The  stanza is important inasmuch as it is one of the most powerfully worded verses  in the Gita wherein the Lord undertakes to do something helpful for the seeker  in case he is ready to obliterate his ego and put forth his best efforts.

“We  should willingly yield to His pressure, completely surrender to His will and  take shelter in His love. If we destroy confidence in our ego and replace it by  perfect confidence in God, He will save us. He asks us of total self-giving and  gives in return the power of the Spirit which changes every situation.

When  we turn to Him and let Him fill our whole being, our responsibility ceases. He  deals with us and leads us beyond all sorrow. It is an unreserved surrender to  the Supreme who takes us up and raises to our utmost possible perfection.  Though the Lord conducts the world according to the fixed laws and expects us  to conform to the law of right action based on our nature and station in life,  if we take shelter in Him, we transcend all these. A seemingly outer help must  come to man, for his soul cannot deliver itself from the trap in which it is  caught by his own effort”.

  HOW TO FOLLOW THE DOCTRINE?

idam te naatapaskaaya naabhaktaaya kadaachana
    na chaashushrooshave vaachyam na cha maam  yo'bhyasooyati // 18.67 //

This  is never to be spoken by you to one who is devoid of austerities or devotion,  nor to one who does not render service, or who does not desire to listen, nor  to one who talks ill of Me.

Having  elaborated the entire doctrine of Gita and re-stated its philosophy, Sri  Krishna prescribes the rule that should be followed for imparting this  knowledge to others. The Lord enumerates the necessary qualifications which are  in the nature of adjustments in the inner personality that are necessary for a  sincere student of the Gita.

In  other words the following types of people cannot be benefited by the study of  Gita. 

•Those who do not live an austere life i.e. those who do not have control over their body and mind. 
•Those who do not have any devotion i.e. those who do not have any capacity to identify themselves with the ideal that they want to reach. 
•Those who do not render service, i.e. those who are not able to serve others and who are selfish having no sympathy for others and 
•Those who criticize The Lord i.e. those who do not have any respect or desire even to listen the philosophy of Gita.

Only  those who are disciplined, loving and have a desire to serve are capable of  understanding the message; others may listen to it and abuse it.

ya imam paramam guhyam madbhakteshwabhidhaasyati
    bhaktim mayi paraam kritwaa  maamevaishyatyasamshayah // 18.68 //

He  who with the highest devotion to Me will teach this supreme secret to My  devotees, shall doubtless come to Me.

na cha tasmaanmanushyeshu kashchinme priyakrittamah
    bhavitaa na cha me tasmaadanyah priyataro bhuvi // 18.69  //

There  is none among men who does dearer service to Me than he; nor shall there be  another on earth dearer to Me.

It  is an Upanishadic commandment that not only one should study the scripture  himself but must pass on the benefit of such knowledge to others in the society  according to the best of his ability. If the knowledge is not so conveyed to  others there cannot be any mobility of intelligence or fluidity of inspiration  in him.

Sri  Krishna promises the highest reward of reaching Him to the one who is capable  of conveying the truths of Gita to others. The Lord also suggests that such a  teacher who spreads the knowledge of Gita is dearest to His heart as there is  none equal to him in the world either at present or in times to come. Sri  Krishna says that there can be none else more dearly to Him than such a  preacher for he is doing the greatest service to Him by earnestly and devotedly  trying to spread the immortal principles expounded in the Gita.

It  is not necessary that one should become first a master of the entire Gita.  Whatever one has understood one must immediately learn to give it out to those  ignorant of even that much.

The  great ones who have crossed the ocean   of Samsara and help  others to cross are the dearest to The Lord. More important than this is that  one must honestly try to live the eternal principles of the Gita in one's own  life so that he becomes eligible to be the dearest to The Lord.

adhyeshyate cha ya imam dharmyam samvaadamaavayoh
    jnaanayajnena tenaaham ishtah syaamiti me matih // 18.70  //

And  he who studies this sacred dialogue of ours, by him I would be worshipped  through the Yajna of Knowledge; such is My conviction.

After  glorifying the teachers who spread the wisdom of Gita, even those who study  this sacred text are applauded. The philosophy of life as given out in  Gita in the form of a dialogue between Sri  Krishna, the Infinite and Arjuna, the Finite Man, will attract a student to its  profundity and transform him to the highest through what The Lord calls as Gyan  Yagna.

Just  like the Fire God is invoked in a sacrifice and then oblations are offered into  it, the study of Gita and regular contemplation on its significance ignites the  Fire of knowledge in the student into which he offers his own false values and  negative tendencies as oblations. This is what is implied in the phrase Gyan  Yagna. Sri Krishna says that such students are the greatest devotees of the Infinite.

shraddhaavaan anasooyashcha shrinuyaadapi yo narah
    so'pi muktah shubhaamllokaan praapnuyaat  punyakarmanaam // 18.71 //

Even  the man who listens to it with faith and without malice, he too, being  liberated, shall attain to the happy worlds of the righteous.

The  Lord suggests that even listening to the Gita discourses is immensely useful.  Sri Krishna indicates two conditions by fulfilling which alone one can gain the  maximum joy and perfection out of the discourses on Gita viz. 
•Full Faith: One should have the capacity to discover, understand and live up to the ideals contained in the subtle meanings of the spiritual declarations and 
•Free from Malice: One should not have any prejudice against the very philosophy of Gita; otherwise its teachings will never appeal to the listener.

To  the extent we learn and live the principles of right living as propounded in  the Gita, to that extent we can live a life of achievement.

kacchidetacchrutam paartha twayaikaagrena chetasaa
    kacchid ajnaanasammohah pranashtaste dhananjaya // 18.72  //

Has  this been heard by you, O Partha, with an attentive mind? Has the delusion  caused by your ignorance been dispelled, O Dhananjaya?

Sri  Krishna enquires Arjuna whether he has understood what has been expounded by  Him all along and whether his distraction of thought, caused by false values  and judgment of affairs, has been dispelled.    The implication is to hear from Arjuna to what extent these discourses  benefited him.

CONCLUSION

arjuna uvaacha
    nashto mohah smritirlabdhaa twatprasaadaanmayaachyuta
    sthito'smi gata sandehah karishye vachanam tava // 18.73  //

Arjuna  said
    Destroyed  is my delusion, as I have gained my memory (knowledge) through your grace, O  Achyuta. I stand firm with my doubts dispelled. I shall act according to your  word.

Arjuna  confesses that his confusions have ended as if he were woken up from a state of  unconsciousness. This statement of Arjuna is not a mere meek acceptance of the  arguments of Sri Krishna.

It  is an affirmation of re-gaining and re-cognizing his own real nature on account  of the awakening of the hero in him as well as his confirmation that the  neurosis which conquered his mental make up temporarily has vanished. The  awakening of wisdom is the end of ignorance. In this state all vacillations of  the mind, doubts and despairs, dejections and hesitations, fears and weaknesses  disappear.

With  such a rejuvenated mind Arjuna declares that he will do according to the word  of The Lord who is nothing but Pure Existence. This is the surrendering of oneself  to one's own inner personality. To surrender oneself and declare that he would  do The Lord's bidding is the beginning and the end of all spiritual life. There  is no more sense of separate existence for the declarer apart from the Godhead.  This evolution means shedding of all pretences and evasions.

“Arjuna  turns to his appointed action, not with an egoistic mind but with  Self-Knowledge. His illusions are destroyed, his doubts are dispelled. The  chosen instrument of God takes up the duty set before it by The Lord of the  world. He will now do God's bidding. He realizes that He made us for His ends,  not our own. Arjuna had the onset of temptation and won his way to a liberating  victory. He now feels that he will fulfill the command of The Lord. It is our duty  to live in the spirit of this verse and remember that we seek not our own will  but the will of Him who sent us. To will what God wills is the secret of Divine  Life”. Dr.S.Radhakrishnan.

When  Arjuna uttered the words “karishye  vachanam tava” (“thy will be done” as a Westerner would say) he gave up his  separate existence and identified himself with the work of the Lord. This  evolution means a great shedding of all pretences, assumptions and evasions. It  is a kind of vastrapaharana, a  stripping-off of the mind and intellect.
 

sanjaya uvaacha
    ityaham vaasudevasya paarthasya cha mahaatmanah
    samvaadam imam ashrausham adbhutam romaharshanam //  18.74 //

Sanjaya  said
    Thus  have I heard this wonderful dialogue between Vaasudeva and the high-souled  Partha causing my hair to stand on end.

Earlier,  Arjuna proclaimed that he will not fight and became despondent. It is the same  Arjuna now entirely revived who declared that all his doubts were cleared and  he shall abide by `His Will'. Thus the Arjuna disease has been cured by the  Krishna Therapy.

Sanjaya  concludes his running commentary in the last five verses of the Gita. They  contain his expressions of the glory of the Gita, the revival of Arjuna, his  own reaction as he listened to the dialogue between The Lord and Arjuna and the  affirmation of his faith in the true culture of the Hindus.

The  conversation between Vaasudeva and Arjuna is a dialogue between the `Higher'  and the `Lower' in man. It is between the Spirit and the Matter.

Vaasudeva  is a symbolism that stands for the Consciousness that illumines the concept of  time projected by the intellect of man. Vaasudeva is the Atma, the Self. Partha  represents the matter. The act of understanding oneself as the matter vesture  is the art of unveiling the Infinite through the finite, the technique of which  is the theme of the Gita.

Sanjaya  describes the philosophy of the Gita so far heard by him as marvelous and  wonderful because it revealed the real personality of Arjuna. Arjuna is  referred as high souled because of his great achievement in understanding the  philosophy of the Gita and shedding all his confusions which is something  worthy of appreciation. This is also a warning to Dhritarashtra about the  consequences of war with the rejuvenated Arjuna.

vyaasaprasaadaacchhrutavaan etad guhyamaham param
    yogam yogeshwaraat krishnaat saakshaat kathayatah  swayam // 18.75 //

Through  the grace of Vyasa, I heard this supreme and most secret Yoga taught by Krishna Himself, the Lord of Yoga, in person.

In  this verse Sanjaya expresses his gratitude to Sage Veda Vyasa who had given him  the special faculty to see and hear from a distance all that transpired in the  battlefield of Kurukshetra so that he might report the events to the blind  king, Dhritarashtra.

He  terms what had been heard by him from Sri Krishna as the supreme and the most  profound Yoga. His joy is more due to his hearing the philosophy of Gita  directly from the Lord than listening to the discourse itself and hence Sri  Krishna is referred to as the Lord of all Yogas. This is also an indirect  reminder to the blind king about the futility of war with Pandavas.

raajan samsmritya samsmritya samvaadamimam adbhutam
    keshavaarjunayoh punyam hrishyaami cha muhurmuhuh  // 18.76 //

O  King, as I recall again and again this wonderful and holy dialogue between  Kesava and Arjuna, I am thrilled with joy again and again!

Sanjaya  describes the deep impression created in his mind by listening to the Gita Philosophy.  He says the discourse between Sri Krishna and Arjuna - between God and Man,  between the Perfect and the Imperfect, between the Higher and the Lower - is at  once wonderful and holy. The response in Sanjaya is so powerful that he says it  had given him the utmost thrill of joy again and again.

The  implication is that the Gita should be studied and reflected upon continuously  until we are re-educated in the way of life as expounded in It. The reward for  such a study is to know the very purpose of our existence and to activate the  power in us to tackle intelligently the chaotic happenings around us.

taccha samsmritya samsmritya roopamatyadbhutam  hareh
    vismayo me mahaan raajan hrishyaami cha punah punah  // 18.77 //

    And  as often as I recall that most wonderful form of Hari, great is my  astonishment, O King! And I thrill with joy again and again!

Sanjaya  confesses that he had been enchanted not only by the philosophy of the Gita but  also even by the memory of The Lord's magnificent form as the total manifested  Universe.

The  dialogue of Sri Krishna and Arjuna and the fact of God are not philosophical  propositions but are spiritual facts. We do not learn their meaning by simply  recounting them but by dwelling upon them in a spirit of prayer and meditation.

yatra yogeswarah krishno yatra paartho dhanurdharah
    tatra shreervijayo bhootirdhruvaa neetirmatirmama  // 18.78 //

Wherever  there is Krishna, The Lord of Yoga and  wherever there is Partha, the Archer, I think, there will surely be prosperity,  victory, welfare and morality.

In  this concluding verse of the Song Divine Sanjaya summarizes the assessment of  his total experience of hearing the conversation between Sri Krishna and  Arjuna.

Sri  Krishna, The Lord of Yoga - All through the Gita Sri Krishna represented the  Self, the Atman, the substratum upon which everything happens. He can be  invoked within us by means of any one of the techniques of Yoga taught in the Gita.

Arjuna,  ready with the bow - Partha represents in the Gita a confused, limited,  ordinary mortal with all his weaknesses, agitations, fears and pairs of  opposites. When he has thrown out his instruments of action i.e. bow and  arrows, there can be no hope of success or prosperity for him. But when he is  ready with his bow he is prepared and willing to use his faculties to face the  challenges of life.

Taken  these two together - Sri Krishna, the Yogeswara and Arjuna, the Dhanurdhara -  they symbolize a way of life wherein man, with the spiritual understanding,  gets ready to face the battle of life . For him success is assured.

The  teaching of the Gita is Yoga and the teacher is Yogeswara. When the human soul  becomes enlightened and united with the divine, fortune and victory, welfare  and morality are assured.

Today's  confusions and conflicts in society and man's helplessness against the flood of  events, in spite of his achievements in science and mastery over matter, is due  to his failure to invoke the Yogeswara in him. A happy blending of the sacred  and the secular is what is advised in the Gita as a policy for right living.

Sage  Veda Vyasa visualizes a world order in which man pursues a way of life in which  the spiritual and material values are well balanced. Material prosperity  without inner peace is savagery while spirituality without material well being  is madness. Spiritual vision and social service should go together.

The  double purpose of human life, personal perfection and social efficiency is  indicated here. Human perfection is a kind of marriage between high thought and  just action where the priesthood and the kingship move together. This,  according to the Gita, must be, for ever, the aim of man.

This  last Chapter of the Gita is called `The Yoga of Liberation by Renunciation'  because to renounce false values in us is at once to rediscover the Divine  nature in each one of us which is the essential heritage of man. To discard the  animal in us (Sannyasa) is the Liberation (Moksha) of the Divine in us.

om tat sat iti

   srimadbhagavadgeetaasu upanishatsu brahma vidyaayaam yogashaastre

       sri  krishnaarjuna samvaade moksha sannyaasa yogo naama ashtaadasho'dhyaayah ||

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  eighteenth discourse entitled  The Yoga of Liberation by Renunciation.

Concepts and Issues

This  is the last and the longest Chapter dealing with renunciation and liberation  concluding the whole discourse.

Every  action has five causes and it is foolish to consider the Atman, the Self, as  the doer. One who does actions without the sense of doership and with an  untainted mind is never bound by them.

There  is nothing in the three worlds that is not free from the effect of these gunas.

Swabhava  or inborn nature determines one’s own duties. By worshipping The Lord through  devoted performance of one’s duties, one can attain spiritual perfection. That  is why one should never forsake one's duties even if they appear to be  imperfect or defective.

One,  who has controlled his body, speech and mind, lives in a secluded place and practices  meditation on the Self, will become fit to attain the state of Brahman. Such a  one, able to see the same Lord in all, obtains intense devotion to Sri Krishna.  Through such devotion he understands Him and enters into Him.

Now  Sri Krishna assures Arjuna that by doing all actions and offering them unto Him  he will attain the eternal abode, after having crossed over all the  difficulties. In case he does not listen to this advice, he will perish. It is  egoism that is prompting Arjuna to say that he will not fight. However, his very  nature as a kshatriya will force him to fight, falsifying his resolve.

Sri  Krishna declared to Arjuna that he might do as he pleased after pondering over  what all He said. He urges him to be totally devoted and dedicated to Him by  renouncing all Dharmas and He, the Supreme Lord, will free him from all sorrows  and take care of him.

The  discourse ends with an advice that this sacred knowledge should not be given to  unworthy persons bereft of austerity and devotion, but only to those endowed  with devotion to The Lord. Even the study of this discourse endears one to him.

Sanjaya  confesses his great joy for having heard this wonderful discourse directly from  Sri Krishna and seen His Cosmic Form. He declared that wherever there is Sri  Krishna, the Yogeswara, the Lord of the Yoga and Arjuna, the Dhanurdhara, the  wielder of the bow, success, wealth and eternal good will accrue.

Live as the Gita Teaches You to Live

Sri  Krishna has laid down in very clear terms the Rules of the Game of Life in the  following three verses of this Chapter. The final response of Arjuna in Verse  18.73 to Sri Krishna’s advice is equally a pole-star for all of us to follow.  It is for us to take advantage of the light or  continue to fumble about in darkness.

tameva sharanam gaccha sarvabhaavena bhaarata
    tatprsaadaatparaam shaantim sthaanam praapsyasi  shaashwatam // 18.62 //

Take refuge in Him alone with all your soul, O  Bharata. By His grace you will gain Supreme Peace and the Everlasting abode.

manmanaa bhava madbhakto madyaajee maam namaskuru
    maamevai'shyasi  satyam te pratijaane priyo'si me // 18.65 //

Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, worship to  Me, bow down to Me, you shall even come to Me ; truly this is my pledge to you,  for you are dear to Me.

sarva dharmaan parityajya maamekam sharanam vraja
    aham twaa sarvapaapebhyo mokshayishyaami maa shuchah  // 18.66 //

Abandoning all Dharmas (of the body, mind and  intellect), take refuge in Me alone; I will liberate you from all sins, do not  grieve.

Points to Ponder

  1.  What is the difference between Sannyasa and Tyaga ?
  2.  What are the five factors in the accomplishment of an action?
  3.  What are the essential factors for realising the Self?
  4.  Write short notes on: 
       •Knower, Known and Knowledge  
       •Three kinds of Jnaanam, Karma, Doer, Buddhi, Dhriti, Sukha  
       •Fourfold classification of society

Finale

The  Bhagavad Gita is one of the most translated religious classics of the world.  The beauty and the sublimity of the work, its eternal relevance to the problem  of human life and its universal approach that helps us view the whole of  creation as one must have been the inspiration behind the many scholars to  undertake the task of translating and interpreting it as a labor of love.

Though  Gita forms part of the great epic Mahabharata it can as well stand on its own  as an independent work. Notwithstanding the fact that Gita was taught on the  battlefield of Kurukshetra urging Arjuna to fight, it has nothing to do with  war or bloodshed, but only with discharging one's sacred duties of life, however  unpleasant they may be.

Though  given by Sri Krishna to Arjuna several centuries ago its declarations like  `Remember Me and fight' (8.7) can help and inspire anyone of us, torn between  the problems in life, even now. The principle of unity in multiplicity as indicated  by the Cosmic Form (11.9-13) and the underlying Divinity as taught in 7.7 helps  us to cultivate a holistic approach to the whole universe of which the planet  earth is only a small part.

If  the Mahabharata is an encyclopedia of Indian religion and culture, Srimad  Bhagavad Gita is its essence. It is, therefore, no wonder that Hindu tradition  compares the Mahabharata to a lamp and the Gita to the light in it.

Gita Mahatmyam:

  Greatness of the Bhagavad Gita
  (It is customary  to read this at the end of the day’s Gita study)

The  greatness of Gita is described in the Varaha Purana. Bhagavan Vishnu Himself  says therein that if one is devoted to the constant practice of the Gita he  would be happy in this very world in spite of his Prarabdha Karma. No evil,  however great, can affect him who meditates on Gita; he will be like the lotus  leaf untouched by the water.

Where  there is a book of Gita, where it is studied, they are all holy places - in  fact they are Prayaga and similar other places where Devas, Rishis, Yogis, etc.  reside.

Where  Gita is read, help comes forthwith. Where Gita is discussed, recited, taught or  heard, there Sri Bhagavan Vishnu Himself invariably resides without any doubt.  Gita is The Lord's abode standing on whose wisdom He maintains the three  worlds.

The  Gita is His Supreme Knowledge. It is inseparable from Brahman - this Knowledge  is Absolute, Imperishable, Eternal, and the Essence of His Inexpressible State.  It is the Knowledge encompassing the whole of the three Vedas, supremely blissful  and consisting of the realization of the true nature of the Self.,/p>

The  one who recites Gita daily either wholly or partly acquires merit or attains  the highest plane of human evolution. By practicing the Gita, he attains the  supreme Mukti. Even a dying man  uttering the word "Gita" attains the life's goal. Even the one who  hears the meaning of the Gita is freed from sin. He who meditates on the  meaning of Gita is regarded as Jivanmukta and after the destruction of his body he attains the highest plane of  knowledge.

Finishing  the reading of Gita without reading its Mahatmya as declared in the Varaha  Purana is an exercise in futility and a wasted labor. On the other hand he who  studies Gita followed by the reading of its Mahatmya obtains the fruit stated  herein and reaches that goal which is difficult to attain.

Sage  Suta confirms that he who after having finished the reading of Gita studies  this eternal greatness of Gita will obtain the fruit described therein.

Thus  ends in the Varaha Purana the discourse entitled The Greatness of the Gita
 
Note: Leaving aside the poetic liberty, it may be construed from the above that  the one who assimilates the teachings of the Gita as “A User’s Manual for Every  Day Living” in his practical life is an embodiment of the Gita  itself. He would be a true Jnani, a Jivanmukta.

om  poornamadah poonamidam poornaat poornamudachyate
    poornasya  poornamaadaaya poornamevaa vasishyate
    Om Shantih Shantih Shantih ||

That is infinite; this is  infinite; from that infinite this infinite comes.
  From that infinite, this  infinite removed or added, Infinite remains infinite.

Brahman is limitless,  infinite number of universes come out from and go into the
  Infinite Brahman; yet  Brahman remains unchanged.

 



Harih Om Tat Sat

    Sarve janaa sukhino bhavanthu