Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 3 - Karma Yogah - Yoga of Action

 

 

CONTENTS

• PREAMBLE
• WHY THEN WORK AT ALL?
• LIFE IS WORK BUT THE NEED IS UNCONCERN FOR RESULTS
• WHAT IS ACTIONLESSNESS?
• WHY RENUNCIATION OF ACTION UNACCOMPANIED BY KNOWLEDGE DOES NOT LEAD TO PERFECTION?
• IMPORTANCE OF PERFORMING ALLOTTED DUTY
• UNSELFISH ACTION DOES NOT CREATE BONDAGE
• WHAT IS SACRIFICE?
• HOW CAN WELFARE BE ACHIEVED BY SACRIFICE?
• THOSE WHO ACT IN A SPIRIT OF SACRIFICE ARE SUPERIOR PERSONS
• ACTION SETS THE WHEELS OF THE COSMOS GOING
• TO THE ONE WHO REMAINS SATISFIED IN THE SELF, THERE IS NOTHING TO WORK FOR
• PERFORM ACTION WITHOUT ATTACHMENT
• EXAMPLES SET BY THE WISE
• HOW WORLD ORDER CAN BE MAINTAINED BY PERFORMING ONE’S OWN DUTIES?
• DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MAN OF KNOWLEDGE AND THE MAN ATTACHED TO ACTION
• BUT THE ENLIGHTENED MAN FEELS DIFFERENTLY
• HOW SUCH PERSONS OF IMPERFECT UNDERSTANDING SHOULD PERFORM ACTIONS?
• THE LORD REVEALS TO ARJUNA THE DEFINITE DISCIPLINE THAT WOULD LEAD HIM TO HIS HIGHEST GOAL
• RESULT OF SUCH ACTION BASED ON SURRENDERING IT TO THE SUPREME
• WHAT IS THE HARM IF THIS ADVICE OF THE LORD IS NOT FOLLOWED?
• ACTION IS DRIVEN BY ONE’S OWN NATURE
• ROLE FOR PERSONAL EXERTION
• DANGER IN PERCEIVING OTHER'S DUTIES AS BETTER THAN ONE’S OWN
• THE ENEMY IS DESIRE AND ANGER
• HOW DOES DESIRE AFFECT MAN?
• SEAT OF DESIRE
• CONTROL THE SENSES AND DESTROY THE DESIRE
• CONCEPTS & ISSUES
• LIVE AS THE GITA TEACHES YOU TO LIVE
• POINTS TO PONDER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preamble

This Chapter analyses from various points of view and establishes that the performance of prescribed duties is obligatory for everyone. Here Lord Krishna categorically and comprehensively explains how it is the duty of each and every  member of society to carry out their functions and responsibilities in their  respective stage of life according to the rules and regulations of the society  in which one lives. Further the Lord explains why such duties must be performed, what benefit is gained  by performing them, what harm is caused by not performing them, what actions  lead to bondage and what actions lead to salvation. All these points relating to duty have been described in great detail. Hence this chapter is entitled  “Karma Yogah: Yoga Of Action”.

In the previous Chapter Bhagavan advised that Arjuna's  duty was to work without pre-occupying himself with its result and at the same  time suggested that he should not be attached to inaction. He concluded His  advice with the advocacy of the path of attaining the state of steady wisdom  and Brahmi state by knowledge and renunciation.

Arjuna feels confused by the Lord’s praise of  righteous war (2.31-38) and the Buddhi Yoga i.e. equanimity of mind (2.49 &  50) as also about the man of steady wisdom in conclusion. These apparently  conflicting views seem to have perplexed Arjuna as to which path he has to  adopt for his self-development i.e. whether it is knowledge or action or either  together or total renunciation of both. The advice of The Lord here is that  selfless action performed in a spirit of dedication and surrender and with pure  motive is the right path.

WHY THEN WORK AT ALL?

arjuna uvaacha

jyaayasee chet karmanaste mataa buddhir janaardana

tat kim karmani ghore maam niyojayasi keshava  // 3.1 //

Arjuna  said

If you think that knowledge is superior to action, O  Janardana, why then do you ask me to engage in this terrible action, O Kesava?

vyaamishreneva vaakyena  buddhim mohayaseeva me
    tadekam vada nishchitya  yena shreyo'ham aapnuyaam  // 3.2 //

With  these apparently perplexing words you confuse my understanding, as it were;  therefore, tell me definitely that one thing by which I may attain the Highest  Goal.

Arjuna  misunderstands the teaching that work for reward is less excellent than work  without attachment and desire and believes that Sri Krishna is of the view that  knowledge without action is better than work. If Sankhya method of gaining  wisdom is superior, then action is an irrelevance. In this confusion he asks  Sri Krishna as to which of the paths he has to follow for his self-development  since he still believed that to fight against his people was a terrible action.  Hence, Arjuna requests Sri Krishna to teach him for certain either of the two –  knowledge or action - in accordance with the state and power of his  understanding by which he could attain the highest good i.e. complete  eradication of grief and infatuation and attainment of that imperishable.

The  confusion is only seeming. It is not the intention of the Lord to confuse  Arjuna but yet Arjuna is confused.

LIFE IS WORK BUT THE NEED IS UNCONCERN FOR RESULTS

sri bhagavaan uvaacha
    loke'smin dwividha nishthaa puraa  proktaa mayaanagha
    jnaanayogena saankhyaanaam karmayogena  yoginaam  // 3.3 //

Sri  Bhagavan said

In this world there is a two-fold path, as I said  before, O blameless One (Arjuna), the path of knowledge for men of  contemplation and the path of work for men of action.

The words ’As I said before’ indicate the beginning  of the created world. Even at the very beginning of the cycle of time, two  classes of people, those with contemplative and those with active temperaments,  were in existence.

Those of contemplative mind are born with a clear  knowledge of the Self and the non-Self. They easily renounce the world even at  the early age of their lives and concentrate their thoughts on Brahman always.  For them the path of knowledge is prescribed so that their ideas can mature and  blend with Brahman.

The understanding of those who believe in external  action as a means of self-unfoldment is still colored by the stain of duality.  The performance of unselfish action purifies their souls and enables them to  practice knowledge and contemplation.

The path of knowledge (Gnana Yoga) was described by  The Lord in verses 11-38 and the path of action (Karma Yoga) in verses 40-53 of  the Second Chapter which created confusion in the mind of Arjuna although never  intended by The Lord.

To consider the path of action and the path of  knowledge as competitive is to understand neither of them, they being  complementary. Selfless activity enables the mind to exhaust many of its  existing mental impressions and the mind thus purified prepares the one for the  reception of knowledge of the Absolute through meditation or contemplation. There  cannot be any knowledge of Brahman unless the mind is pure.

The Lord distinguishes two main types of seekers  viz., the active and the contemplative. Because temperamentally these two  categories are so wide apart that a common technique for spiritual development  cannot yield results. So Sri Krishna explains the two-fold path of  Self-development. Viz. Path of knowledge for the introverts whose natural  tendency is to explore the inner life of the Spirit and the Path of action for  the extroverts who have a natural bias for work in the outer world.

Those who are endowed with discrimination,  dispassion, six-fold virtues, and longing for liberation and who have a sharp,  subtle intellect and bold understanding are fit for Gnana Yoga or the Path of  Knowledge. The six-fold virtues are control of the mind, control of the senses,  fortitude, turning away from the objects of the world; faith and tranquility.  Those who have tendency for work are fit for  Karma Yoga or the Path of Action.

But this distinction cannot be the ultimate because  all men are in different degrees both introverts and extroverts. For the Gita,  the path of action is a means of liberation as efficient as that of knowledge  and these are intended for two types of people. The practice of a particular  spiritual discipline is determined by the competence of the aspirant. Both the  active and the contemplative have one goal viz. the realization of Brahman. The  path of action, however, does not directly lead to the realization.

WHAT IS ACTIONLESSNESS? 

 

na karmanaam anaarambhaan naishkarmyam  purusho’shnute
    na cha sannyaasanaad eva siddhim  samadhigacchati // 3.4 //

Not  by abstention from work does a man reach actionlessness, nor by mere  renunciation does he attain to perfection.

Action  as it is generally understood is the outcome of want and desire. Actionlessness  does not mean mere idling or abandoning of all actions. Although one can while  away his time doing nothing, his mind will be full of thoughts scheming,  speculating and planning over several matters. Desires generate thoughts at the  mental level which when expressed in the outer world become actions. Thus  thought is the real action. If one is free from thoughts, wishes, likes and  dislikes and has knowledge of the Self he can be said to have reached the state  of actionlessness. 

The  one who has reached such a state of actionlessness has neither the necessity  nor the desire for action as a means to the end. He has a perfect satisfaction  in the Self. Thus actionlessness and perfection are synonymous terms meaning,  becoming one with the Infinite and free from all ideas of want and desire.

Mere  renunciation or abandonment of action or running away from life does not lead  to perfection.  Through selfless  dedicated action, purification of mind is achieved and the purified mind helps  in attaining the Knowledge of the Self which is the ultimate Bliss. The natural  law is that every action has its reaction and hence the result of the action is  a source of bondage preventing the man from his union with the Supreme. What is  needed is not renunciation of works but renunciation of selfish desires. This  is naishkarmya, a state where one is unaffected by work.

WHY RENUNCIATION OF ACTION UNACCOMPANIED BY KNOWLEDGE DOES NOT LEAD TO PERFECTION?

 

na hi kashchit kshanamapi jaatu  tishthatyakarmakrit
    kaaryate hyavashah karma sarvah  prakritjair gunaih  // 3.5 //

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

Man  is always under the influence of triple tendencies of inactivity- based on his  Sattwic quality, activity- based on Rajasic quality, inactivity- based on  Tamasic quality. Even for a single moment nobody can ever remain without any activity;  even if one remains inactive physically his mind and intellect will always be  active. Sattwic actions help a man to attain liberation.  Rajasic and Tamasic actions bind a man to  worldliness.

So  long as we lead embodied lives we remain under the influence of these three  Gunas or mental tendencies and we cannot escape from action. Without work life  cannot be sustained. . But these Gunas cannot affect a man who has the  knowledge of the Self, for he has gone beyond them.  He has become a Gunatita - one who has  transcended the qualities of nature and for him the work ceases. The man who  has no knowledge of the Self who is called un-illumined, will be swayed by  ignorance and will be driven to action by the Gunas.

While  life remains, action is inevitable. Thinking is an act. Living is an act.  These acts cause many effects.  To be free from desire, from the illusion of  personal interest, is the true renunciation and not the physical abstention  from activity.

When  it is said that work ceases for a man who is liberated, all that it means is  that he has no further personal necessity for work which however does not mean that  he goes into masterly inactivity. He woks, but without egoism or any binding  necessity. Even in performing work he is not involved. When his egoism is  removed, his actions are governed by the Supreme Self seated in his heart. Free  from desire and attachment, one with all beings, he is released from the  bondage of actions. Such actions do not bear fruit in the same way as a roasted  or boiled seed loses its potency to sprout.

karmendriyaani samyamya ya aaste manasaa  smaran
    indriyaarthaan vimoodhaatma  mithyaachaarah sa uchyate  // 3.6 //

He  who restrains his organs of action, but continues to dwell in his mind on the  objects of the senses, deludes himself and is called a hypocrite. 

The  five organs of action - the Karma Indriyas - are the organs of speech, hands,  feet, genitals and anus. They are born of the Rajasic portion of the subtle  elements viz. organ of speech is born of ether element, hands of air, feet of  fire, genitals of water and anus of earth. Despite restraining these organs if  one sits revolving in his mind the thoughts regarding the objects of these  sense organs in order to give an impression that he is meditating on God, he is  called a self-deluded hypocrite and a man of sinful conduct.

True  renunciation is not just the control of the organs of action or abstention from  physical movement. It is the control of the mind and the organs of perception.  It is the absence of longing for the activity. An active mind and an action  less body do not indicate the life of sanyasa. We may control outwardly  our activities but if we do not restrain the desires which impel them, we have  failed to grasp the true meaning of restraint.

yastwindriyaani manasaa  niyamyaarabhate'rjuna
    karmendriyaih karmayogam  asaktah sa vishishyate  // 3.7 //

But  he who restrains his senses with his mind and directs his organs of action to  work, with no feeling of attachment - he, O Arjuna, is indeed superior.

The  science of right action and the art of right living are explained in this  verse. Mind gets its inputs through five organs of perception which are also  called sense-organs or organs of knowledge (Gnana Indriyas) from the outer  world of sense objects. These five sense organs are the eye (sense of sight),  ear (sense of hearing), nose (sense of smell), skin (sense of touch), and  tongue (sense of taste). Mind perceives the sense objects by interacting with  the sense organs and if that interaction is absent perception of objects by the  mind is not possible even though the objects might be within the range of the  sense organs. This verse asks the seeker to control the sense organs by the  mind.  This implies substitution of sense  objects by nobler and diviner alternatives for the mind to dwell upon.

When  the sense organs are thus controlled, a huge quantity of energy gets stored up  which unless properly directed will disturb the inner equilibrium of an  individual.  This verse says that the  pent up energies must be spent by directing the seeker's organs of action (explained  in the previous verse) to the appropriate fields of activities. Even when so  acting it is advised not to have attachment arising out of doership and enjoyership  so that instead of gathering new mental impressions one may use such activities  for exhausting the existing vasanas. Thus the very field of activity becomes a  ground for liberation. In the previous verse mere outer renunciation is  condemned and in this verse true spirit of inward detachment is commended.

IMPORTANCE OF PERFORMING ALLOTTED DUTY

 

niyatam kuru karma twam karma jyaayo  hyakarmanah
    shareerayaatraa pi cha te  na prasiddhyed akarmanah  // 3.8 //

Do  your allotted work; for action is superior to inaction.  Even the bare maintenance of the body would  not be possible if you remain inactive.

Allotted  action is one’s own duty as laid down in the scriptures to different persons in  accordance with their inherited tendencies, the stage in life and the order in  society. Non-performance of such bounden duties would mean inaction. The very  fact of living involves several natural and unavoidable actions which have to  be performed by all. Even bodily existence in health is just not possible if  one has to live in complete inertia and inaction.

UNSELFISH ACTION DOES NOT CREATE BONDAGE

 

yajnaarthaat karmano'nyatra loko’yam  karmabandhanah
    tadartham karma kaunteya muktasangah  samaachara  // 3.9 //

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

All work is to be done in a spirit of sacrifice, for  the sake of the Divine. Yajna here means any unselfish action done with a pure  motive. It is a self-sacrificing work undertaken in a spirit of self-dedication  for the good of all. Such actions cannot be self-serving but self-liberating  and do not bind the performer. An action which is not governed by the spirit of  unselfishness binds one to worldliness, however glorious it may be.

 WHAT IS SACRIFICE? 

 

sahayajnaah prajaah srishtwaa  purovaacha prajaapatih
    anena prasavishyadhwam  esha vo'stvishtakaamadhuk  // 3.10 //

The  creator (Prajapati ), having in the beginning created mankind together with  Yajna, said ‘by this you multiply’; this shall be the milch cow of your  desires'.

When  the Universe was created by the Creator - Prajapati - he simultaneously created  Yajna also, the spirit of self-dedicated activities which is seen everywhere,  e.g. shining of the sun and the moon, flowing of rivers, tolerance of the Earth  etc.,  All these activities show the  spirit of sacrifice without any selfish motives. The second part of the verse  means that no achievement is impossible for man if he knows how to act in the  spirit of self-effacement and self-sacrifice with the required amount of  non-attachment.

HOW CAN WELFARE BE ACHIEVED BY SACRIFICE?

 

devaan bhaavayataanena te devaa  bhaavayantu vah
    parasparam bhaavayantah shreyah param  avaapsyatha  // 3.11 //

Cherish  the Devas with this and may those Devas cherish you, thus cherishing one  another you shall gain the highest good.

ishtaan bhogaan hi vo devaa  daasyante yajnabhaavitaah
    tair dattaan apradaayaibhyo  yo bhungkte stena eva sah  // 3.12 //

Devas, cherished by the  sacrifice, will give you the desired objects.   Indeed, he who enjoys objects given by the Devas without offering in  return to them is verily a thief.

By performing actions as Yajna, as dedication to the Self, recognize and express your sense of  appreciation and gratitude to all the Devas, the presiding functionaries of  natural laws such as wind, fire etc.

By worshipping the various Devas in a spirit  of sacrifice, by being grateful to all the presiding deities of the unchanging  laws of nature, you recognize the Self behind all the Devas, behind all the laws of nature and natural phenomenon  in this creation. Thus, through the Yajnam- by propitiating the Devas, you  propitiate the Self itself.

In any sacrifice or ceremonial ritual we  propitiate the Devas by offering oblations to them. It is simply a way of  expressing our deep sense of appreciation and gratitude to them for the parts  that they play in this creation. Whether one is grateful or not, the sun rises,  the rain rains and the wind blows. But by recognizing their functions in this  creation, and by expressing one's deep appreciation and gratitude to them, one  recognizes the true nature of one's own function in this creation, one becomes  an active participant in this creation, and one progressively identifies  oneself with the creation and the creator - The Self, Brahman.

When you express your appreciation and  gratitude to the Devas, what do they do to you? Having been properly  propitiated, the Devas will protect you; nourish you by their functions. Thus,  may all the laws of nature - by their own natural functions, uplift you by  being an asset to you in your endeavors for gaining your overriding goal of  life, namely liberation.

By doing every work as a work of sacrifice totally dedicated to the Self, everything in  this creation becomes an asset to you for your own upliftment in life, for your  own true progress in life, for a life of non-binding, everlasting prosperity,  success and happiness, leading ultimately to Shreyas, total Fulfillment  in life. Therefore, mutually interacting with each other, may you reap the  supreme good, may you gain moksha.

What about the person who never says a  prayer, who has no sense of gratitude, but only wants to enjoy whatever he, can  get out of this world? The one who enjoys all the blessings of daily life  without even a sincere expression of gratitude to the Self (Devas) who made all such enjoyments possible, is indeed  a thief.

Thus in the Vedic view, every human being is  meant for action as a participant in this creation. Every one's destination is  the same, namely shreyas, moksha. One reaches this destination by doing  one's Karma with the attitude  of Karma Yoga - as an act of  sacrifice dedicated to the Self.

In this relative world man and Devas are  interdependent. They are nourished by one another. Men offer oblations to the  gods; gods in return ensure men’s welfare by sending rain and other gifts. Thus  a chain of mutual obligation binds together all created beings.

THOSE WHO ACT IN A SPIRIT OF SACRIFICE ARE SUPERIOR PERSONS

yajnashishtaashinah santo muchyante  sarva kilbishaih
    bhunjate te twagham paapaa  ye pachantyaatma kaaranaat  // 3.13 //

The  righteous who eat the remnants of the sacrifice are freed from all sins; but  those sinful ones who cook food only for their own sake, verily eat sin.

Sins  of the past are the cause for the present pains and the present sins are the  cause for future sorrows. All the causes for the sorrows in social life can be  removed if the members of the community find happiness in enjoying the results  of their efforts performed in true Yajna spirit.  As a contrast to this it is pointed out that  those who cook for themselves only meaning those who perform actions only with  selfish motives are eating nothing but sin. By doing the work in yajna spirit,  the selfish life is transformed into an unselfish one and the individual  becomes aware of the interdependence of all beings.

ACTION SETS THE WHEELS OF THE COSMOS GOING

 

annaad bhavanti bhootani  parjanyaad anna sambhavah
    yajnaad bhavati parjanyo  yajnah karma samudbhavah  // 3.14 //

 From food all creatures are born; from rain  food is produced; from sacrifice comes rain; sacrifice is born of action.  

karma brahmodbhavam viddhi   brahmaakshara samudbhavam
    tasmaat sarvagatam brahma  nityam yajne pratishthitam  // 3.15 //

Know  that action arises from the Vedas, and the Vedas from the Imperishable. Therefore,  the all pervading Vedas ever rest in sacrifice.

The  cosmic wheel of co-operative action is painted here. The living creatures are  born out of food and nourished by food.   The mineral wealth of the world becomes assimilable food because of the  action of the rain upon it. Rain is the cause for the conversion of mineral raw  material into nutritive food in life.   Similarly, in all fields of activity profit can be gathered only when  the field comes under conditions favorable for it to produce those  profits.  Self-dedicated activity - Yajna  - when performed in any field of endeavor will create conditions-rains- for the  field to yield profit - Annam- enjoyable by the society.

This  wheel of action is connected with and includes the Supreme.  The principle of right action has come out of  the Creator himself who is none other than the Imperishable Supreme Reality  expressed through the Vedas. Therefore, the all pervading Supreme is ever  centered in all efforts undertaken with an honest spirit of self-dedication for  the common good.  He who lives in unison  with this wheel of action is contributing to the harmony of life.

 evam pravartitam chakram naanuvartayateeha yah
    aghaayur indriyaaraamo  mogham paartha sa jeevati  // 3.16 //

He who does not follow the wheel thus set-in motion, but takes delight in the  senses, he lives in vain, O Arjuna.

Every  member of the Universe follows the principle of Yajna and contributes to the  smooth running of the Universal Wheel of Action. But among all the living  creatures only man has been endowed with the option of freedom of action - to  contribute to the harmonious working of the cosmic mechanism or strike a  discordant note. 

While  a majority of the people live abiding in the Law of Harmony, there are some who  do not believe in this Eternal Law and revolt against it. During such dark  periods nobody works with the spirit of Yajna without which no favorable  circumstances can be created (rain) for the productive potential to  manifest.  Such seekers of selfish  pleasures bring about discordance in the Wheel of Action.  They are considered to be living in sin and  that too in vain by the Gita.

In  these verses (10 to 16) the Vedic conception of sacrifice as an inter-link  between God and man is set in the larger context of the interdependence of  beings in the cosmos. He who works for himself alone lives in vain.

TO THE ONE WHO REMAINS SATISFIED IN THE SELF, THERE IS NOTHING TO WORK FOR 

 

yastwaatmaratir eva syaad  aatmatriptashcha maanavah
    aatmanyeva cha santushtas tasya kaaryam  na vidyate  // 3.17 //

But  for that man who rejoices only in the Self, who is satisfied in the Self, who  is content in the Self alone, verily there is nothing to do.

The  motivation for any human action in the outer world is to achieve better  satisfaction and contentment.  The man of  perfection does not depend on external objects for his happiness. He finds his  joy, bliss and contentment in his own Divine experience. When he has already  achieved satisfaction and contentment, no more desires arise in him.  Where there are no desires there is no action.  Such a realized man is a person endowed with Self-Knowledge. He has no worldly  duties to perform. He is the knower of Brahman.

naiva tasya kritenaartho naakriteneha  kashchana
    na chaasya sarvabhooteshu  kashchidartha vyapaashrayah  //3.18 //

He  has nothing to gain by what he does in this world, nor anything to lose by what  he leaves undone; nor is there anyone, among all beings, on whom he need to  depend for any thing.

An  ordinary man is required to act for earning profit or avoiding loss. But for a  man who discovered eternal satisfaction in his own Self and reached perfect  contentment therein no purpose is served by engaging himself in any action  because there is neither anticipation of gain nor fear of loss for him.  Such a person depends upon nothing for his  joy, neither on any being from the Creator, Brahma to a blade of grass nor on  any object.  

PERFORM ACTION WITHOUT ATTACHMENT

 

tasmaad asaktah satatam  kaaryam karma samaachara
    asakto hyaacharan karma param aapnoti  poorushah  // 3.19 //

Therefore,  always do without attachment the work you have to do; for by performing action  without attachment a man reaches the Supreme.

After  explaining the wheel of action Sri Krishna concludes His dissertation by asking  Arjuna to perform actions which are obligatory on his part in his present  status in life. Even here The Lord warns him to keep his mind away from the  pitfalls of attachments.

Though  the liberated man has nothing to gain by action or non-action and is perfectly  happy in the enjoyment of the Self, there is such a thing called desire less  action which he undertakes for the welfare of the world. The work done without  attachment is superior to the work done in a spirit of sacrifice which is  itself higher than work done with selfish aims. While this verse says that the  man reaches the Supreme performing actions without attachment, Sankara holds  that karma yoga helps us to attain purity of mind which leads to salvation. It  takes us to perfection indirectly through the attainment of purity of mind.

EXAMPLES SET BY THE WISE 

 

karmanaiva hi samsiddhim aasthitaa  janakaadayah
    lokasangraham evaapi sampashyan kartum  arhasi  // 3.20 //

Janaka  and others attained perfection verily by action only; even with a view to the  protection of the masses you should perform action.

Ancient  kings like Janaka and others attained perfection or liberation - samsiddhi - by the path of action, performing right actions in a spirit of detachment and  self-dedication. They set an example to the world by their lives of service and  achievement. They attained purity of mind through the performance of duty and  then realized Brahman.

Sri  Krishna means Arjuna too, belonging to a princely class, who has the  responsibility to protect his people, should act diligently and perform his  kshatriya duties without running away from the battle as he intended earlier.

We  can notice the modern leadership principle here.  Born as a king Arjuna has got a greater  commitment towards his subjects. He is a leader of men and a lot depends on him  and his activities. Therefore, it is his bounden obligation to keep his post  and discharge his duties diligently, risking all dangers and fighting enemies  for achieving Lokasangraha.

Lokasangraha stands for the unity of the world, the inter  connectedness of society, protection and maintenance by each other. If the  world is not to sink into physical misery and moral degradation, if the common  life is to be decent and dignified, religious ethics must control social  action. The aim of religion is to spiritualize everyday life for establishing universal  brotherhood on earth and maintenance of the world order.

HOW WORLD ORDER CAN BE MAINTAINED  BY PERFORMING ONE’S OWN DUTIES?

 

yad yad aacharati shreshthas  tattadevetaro janah
    sa yat pramaanam kurute lokas tad  anuvartate  // 3. 21 //

   
    Whatever  a great man does, that, others follow; whatever he sets up as the standard,  that, the world follows.

Common  people are more influenced by the living examples of great men than by the  abstract teaching of the scriptures. Man is a social animal.  He is also an imitating animal. He takes his  ideas of right and wrong from those whom he considers his superiors. The examples  set by the leaders are implemented by the followers. As is the quality of  leaders, so will be the quality of the followers. Whatever the persons in  authority do, the subordinates imitate.

Sri  Krishna implies that if Arjuna were to abandon his duty to act, then the entire  community will follow the low standard of retreating from action set up by him  which will lead to general social decadence. The Lord cites Himself as an  example for Arjuna to act.

na me paarthaasti kartavyam  trishu lokeshu kinchana
    naanavaaptam avaaptavyam  varta eva cha karmani  // 3.22 //

There  is nothing in the three worlds, O Partha, that has to be done by me, or is  there anything unattained that should be attained by me, yet, I continue to engage  myself in work.

Being  a Perfect man and a Yogi, Sri Krishna had nothing to gain in this world. His  entire life is an example of a perfect life of complete detachment. Even though  He had nothing that He did not gain nor had anything further to gain, He was engaging  Himself constantly in activity.

Here  Krishna speaks of Himself as the Godhead. Though He transcends all claims of  duty, yet He acts according to the scriptural injunctions to set an example to  others.

yadi hyaham na varteyam jaatu  karmanyatandritah
    mama vartmaanuvartante manushyaah  paartha sarvashah // 3.23 //

For,  should I not ever engage in action, without relaxation, men would in every way  follow my path, O Son of Pritha.

If  The Lord remains inactive the people also will imitate Him and sink themselves  in inertia and unproductive existence and great harm will come in the world.  The entire Universe survives and sustains itself by activity alone.  In these verses the word `I' implies Atman or  the Self-realized man of perfection. The God principle serves the pluralistic  phenomenal world as a substratum for its existence. 

utseedeyur ime lokaa na kuryaam karma  ched aham
    sankarasya cha kartaa syaamupahanyaam  imaah prajaah  // 3.24 //

If  I should cease to work, these worlds would perish.  I should then be the cause of confusion and  destruction of these people.

If  The Lord does not work it will not be conducive to the progress of the  Universe. The Universe is not chaos but a cosmos. Nowhere chaotic conditions  are observed in the working of the cosmic forces. Movement of planets, occurring  of seasons, laws of the oceans, various social orders and disiplines etc.,  always obey the law of nature or God.

The  Lord represents not only the law governing the outer world of things but also  the law that governs the inner world of thoughts and emotions. Human society is  divided into four castes on the basis of individual mental temperaments. In  case the law governing the inner temperaments does not function there will be  confusion in behavior and instability in the character of people bringing about  their own destruction.
 

saktaah karmanyavidwaamso yathaa  kurvanti bhaarata
    kuryad vidwaam stathaa saktash  chikeershur lokasangraham // 3.25 //

As  the ignorant men act from attachment to work, O Bharata (Arjuna), so should the  wise act without attachment, wishing the welfare of the world.

It  is well known that every member of the society by and large always keeps  himself busy through out his life time performing actions in his chosen field.  A man of Self-realization also works in the world with the same enthusiasm and  sincerity as an average man of the society with the difference that the actions  of the ignorant are motivated by attachments and anxieties for the fruits of  actions while the man of perfection will work without attachment and for the  purpose of the welfare of the world at large.

Attachment  becomes an obstruction only when it is ego-centric. But to the extent the  attachment envelopes the welfare of a larger section of the community it  gathers ethical value. Hence the advice to Arjuna is that he must fight as a  warrior who is called upon to protect the higher values of living unattached to  his ego-centric conception of himself and his people.

The  idea is that an ignorant person acts zealously for his personal happiness; but  a wise man should act, with the same zeal, for the welfare of others.

na buddhibedam janayed ajnaanaam  karmasanginaam
    joshayet sarva karmaani vidwaan yuktah  samaacharan  // 3.26 //

Let  no enlightened man unsettle the understanding of the ignorant people who are  attached to action; he should engage them in action, himself performing it with  devotion.

This  verse is a sort of precaution to the over-zealous explaining the art of giving  guidance to others. A society functioning in a particular way should not be  suddenly asked to stop and change its direction by a leader. On the contrary  the leader should fall in line with the generation and slowly and steadily  guide and help them to act in the right direction setting his own example. When  a man of equipoise works in the society at large, the chances are that he will  start advising on abstract ideologies and ethics which may make the ordinary  people to conclude that renunciation of all activities is the direct path to  Self-development and thus give up prematurely all work. The men of wisdom are  warned not to go against the spirit of the times.
  No  wise man should unsettle his generation's firm faith in their actions. He  should perform even the ordinary actions in a diviner and better way and set an  example to the world in performing actions without any selfish motive or  attachment so that the lesser folk may follow his example.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MAN OF KNOWLEDGE AND THE MAN ATTACHED TO ACTION

 

prakriteh kriyamaanaani gunaih karmaani  sarvashah
    ahamkaara vimoodhaatmaa kartaa'hamiti  manyate // 3.27 //

All  actions are being performed by the Gunas of Prakriti. But he, whose mind is deluded  by egoism, thinks ‘I am the doer’.

Earlier  it was explained how ignorance leads to desires, desires to thoughts and how  thoughts in conjunction with mental tendencies i.e.Gunas viz. Sattwa, Rajas and  Tamas- manifest themselves in the outer world as actions of different  qualities.   Nobler the thought, nobler  the action and meaner the thought, meaner the action and so on.

Thus  the Gunas modify themselves into the outside world, the body and the senses  which are called the modes of Prakriti. They are classified into twenty three  categories viz. intellect, ego, mind, the five subtle elements of ether etc.,  the ten organs of perception and action, and the five objects of senses viz.  sound, touch, sight, taste and smell. These are the performers of all action. The  word ‘action’ includes all the functions of the organs of perception and action (jnana indriyas and karma indriyas). The self looks on without  participating in any way in the action done by the body and the senses. Whatever  actions take place in this world are nothing but the operations of the  aforesaid modes of Prakriti and the absolute and formless Atma or the Self has  really nothing to do with them.

An  ignorant man, however, identifies the Self with the aggregate of the body and  the senses and calls it as ‘I ‘and thinks that the Self is the doer.

Even  though the Self or the soul has no relation with actions, the unwise man  identifying himself with the body and the senses associates himself with the  different actions of the body and thus assumes himself to be the doer of those  actions. In other words he thinks it is he who resolves, he who reflects, he  who hears, he who sees, he who eats, he who drinks, sleeps, walks and so on and  thus traces every action to himself. Thus he ascribes to the Self all the  characteristics that really belong to the Gunas. That is why action becomes the  cause of bondage to him. It is the reason for him to go through the process of repeated  births and deaths to reap the fruits of those actions

 

BUT THE ENLIGHTENED MAN FEELS DIFFERENTLY 

 

 

    tattwavittu mahaabaaho gunakarma  vibhaagayoh
    gunaa guneshu vartanta iti matwaa na  sajjate // 3.28 //

But  he who has true insight into the respective spheres of Gunas and their actions,  holding that it is the Gunas ( in the form of senses, mind etc.) that move  among the Gunas (objects of perception) does not get attached to them, O Mighty  Arjuna.

As  a contrast to the attitude of the ignorant man explained in the previous verse,  Sri Krishna here explains the attitude of the wise man who knows that the Self  is entirely distinct from the Gunas, their classification and functions. 

The  enlightened man who has obtained insight into the categories of the gunas and  actions, attributes every action of the mind, intellect, senses and the body to  the fact that it is the product of these gunas in the shape of all instruments  of perception such as the mind, intellect and senses that are moving within the  sphere of their respective objects, which are also products of the gunas and  that he has no relation with either.   Therefore, he does not get attached to either any action or to their  fruits in the shape of agreeable or disagreeable experiences.

The  difference between the active enlightened man and the active ignorant man is  that the former is beyond the influence of the gunas and considers himself as a  non-doer while the latter is controlled by the gunas and feels that everything  is being done by him.

prakriter gunasammoodhaah sajjante  gunakarmasu
    taan akritsnavido mandaan kritsnavin na  vichaalayet // 3.29 //

The  man of perfect knowledge should not unsettle (the understanding of) the foolish  who is of imperfect knowledge, who deluded by the Gunas of nature, attach  themselves to the functions of the Gunas.

Ignorant  people perform actions with the expectation of results.  The wise, who have knowledge of the Self,  should not disturb the conviction of such ignorant persons (people of  insufficient knowledge, or men of meager intelligence) because if their minds  are unsettled they will give up actions themselves and plunge themselves into  inertia.

Therefore,  in the beginning they should be encouraged to perform actions irrespective of  their attachment to its fruits and gradually they should be taught the goal of  selfless activities for the attainment of Self-realization. 

HOW SUCH PERSONS OF IMPERFECT UNDERSTANDING  SHOULD PERFORM ACTIONS?

 

mayi sarvaani karmaani  sannyasyaadhyaatma chetasaa
    niraasheer nirmamo bhootwaa yudhyaswa  vigatajwarah // 3.30 //

Surrendering  all actions to Me, with the mind intent on the Self, freeing yourself from the  longing and selfishness, fight unperturbed by grief.

THIS VERSE IS THE HEART OF THIS CHAPTER CONVEYING ITS CENTRAL THEME. THE LORD REVEALS TO ARJUNA THE DEFINITE  DISCIPLINE THAT WOULD LEAD HIM TO HIS HIGHEST GOAL 

 

Here  the word `me' means not Sri Krishna, the person but the Supreme Self, the  Divine Being, the Supreme Lord, the Eternal and the Omniscient, the Self of all.  The Lord asks Arjuna to fight on surrendering  all activities unto Him, with the mind always concentrated on the Self. Surrendering  all actions does not mean inactivity but acting without attachment and the  sense of possession with regard to them. Actions performed with egocentric and  selfish motives become a bondage. Actions performed without attachment and desires  are not actions at all in as much as they are not capable of producing any  painful reactions.

It  also means giving up of wrong motives behind actions. Purification of motives  is possible only when the mind is made to concentrate on the Self and the  Divine glory.  Actions performed with  such mind cannot be ordinary actions but they will be activities performed for  the sake of The Lord and are the expressions of the Supreme Will through an  individual.

The  Lord further advises action without longing, ego and mental perturbance.  Longing is an expectation of a happening at a future point of time. Ego is  one's own self-estimation based on his past.   To act without ego and longing thus means acting without the memories of  the past or the anxieties about the future but to live in the present.  Even in the present there is a chance for the  man of action to waste his time and energy in unnecessarily worrying about his  activities through his inborn nature. This anxiety and worry is what is called  here as mental fever or perturbance.

The  idea is that we must engage in work by self-surrender to the Lord who presides  over cosmic existence and activity. “Thy will be done” should be our attitude  in all work. We must do the work with the sense that we are the servants of The  Lord. The word `fight' indicates individual's confrontation with circumstances  and situations in daily life.

RESULT OF SUCH ACTION BASED ON SURRENDERING IT TO THE SUPREME

 

ye me matam idam nityam anutishthanti  maanavaah
    shraddhaavanto'nasooyanto muchyante  te'pi karmabhih // 3.31 //

Those  men who constantly practice this teaching of mine with faith and without  finding fault are also freed from the bondage of all actions.

Shraddha - faith - is a mental attitude. It is faith in one's own Self, in the Scriptures and in the teachings of the  spiritual preceptor.  It is a combination  of the higher emotions of reverence and humility. It is the sincerity of  purpose.

Sri  Krishna advocates Karma Yoga as a path that takes one ultimately to the Supreme  because through desire less activity alone when performed with full faith and without criticism and questioning we will be able to bring about Vasana-exhaustion  and thus make the mind purer for its meditative purposes.

The  words ‘they too are freed from the bondage of all actions’ are intended to show  that when by pursuing this discipline it is possible even for an ordinary  person to get over the binding effects of action by surrendering the results of  action to the Supreme, it should be much easier for Arjuna to attain that  state.

WHAT IS THE HARM IF THIS ADVICE OF THE LORD IS NOT FOLLOWED?

 

ye twetad abhyasooyanto naanutishthanti  me matam
    sarvajnaanavimoodham staan viddhi nashtaan  achetasah // 3.32 //

But  those who find fault with my teaching and do not practice it, deluded in all  knowledge and devoid of discrimination, know them to be doomed to destruction.

Sri  Krishna warns here that those who are obstinate in finding fault with His  teachings without practicing them are doomed for destruction.  Such people will be more and more deluded and  will lose their discrimination.

Karma  Yoga is a way of life and one has to live it if one wants to receive His grace.  The path of work is a process of elimination of desires in us. When egoism and  egocentric desires are eliminated the work done through such pure mind is a  divine action which will have enduring achievements.  To the extent an individual does not practice  this efficient way of work he loses his discriminative capacity and ultimately  will meet his destruction.

ACTION IS DRIVEN BY ONE’S OWN NATURE

 

sadrisham cheshtate swasyaah prakriter  jnaanavaan api
    prakritim yaanti bhootani nigrahah kim  karishyati // 3.33 //

Even  a wise man acts in accordance with his own nature; beings will follow nature;  what can restraint do?

The  question as to why some people do not follow the teachings of The Lord and  instead act on their own is answered in this verse; the reason is that their  lower nature proves too strong for them. Every one is conditioned by his  thoughts which in turn are influenced by his nature (tendency) or prakriti.  Even an honest person finds it difficult to practice the technique in life  shown by The Lord because of his own mental conditioning overwhelmed by his  incapacity to pursue the path of action.

Prakriti  is the mental equipment with which one is born as the result of the past acts  performed in a previous life. This nature is the mainspring of the man’s  action. This must run its course; there is no escape from this and even God  cannot prevent its operation (Shankara). Even He ordains that past deeds  produce their natural effects.

Restraint  or forcible repression of senses for renouncing activities cannot be of much  avail since actions flow inevitably from the workings of Prakriti and the Self  is only an important witness. This indicates the omnipotence of the nature over  the Self which makes us to act according to our nature, the law of our being.  However, this is not a statement of despair to the effect that there is no  scope for personal exertion to reach the highest goal and that the teachings of  Sri Krishna are all purposeless. On the other hand it is a call to find out our  true being and give expression to it as explained in the next verse.

ROLE FOR PERSONAL EXERTION

indriyasye'ndriyasyaarthe raagadweshau  vyavasthitau
    tayor na vasham aagacchet tau hyasya  paripanthinau // 3.34 //

The  love and hatred that the senses feel for their objects are inevitable. But let  none come under their sway; for, they are his enemies.

Attachment  and aversion of the sense organs to sense objects are natural to every one.  Although the sense objects as such are not capable of attraction or repulsion it  is the mind which produces such agitations because of its being conditioned by  vasanas. Thus mind develops attachment for the agreeable objects and aversion  for disagreeable ones. Sri Krishna does not advise running away from the sense  objects but emphatically says `Let none come under its sway' meaning that one  should be a master of the senses and not their victim.

If  we do not interfere attachments and aversions will determine our acts. So long  as we act in certain ways because we like them and abstain from some others  because we dislike them we will be bound by our actions.

But  if we overcome these impulses from our egocentric ideas and act from a sense of  duty, we cannot be the victims of the play of Prakriti. Thus in the process of  controlling the mind - stopping it from running after the objects of attachment  and aversion -   lies the personal  exertion for the seeker.  That is his  Purushartha.

Linking  this advice to the previous verse it can be understood that it is not possible  for anybody to renounce all his activities forcibly. But man can by changing  the aim of his life, turn the course of life from one direction to the other.  In other words, avoiding likes and dislikes he  can convert his actions as aids to God-realization.

DANGER IN PERCEIVING OTHER'S DUTIES AS BETTER THAN ONE’S OWN

shreyaan swadharmo vigunah paradharmaat  swanushthitaat
    swadharme nidhanam shreyah paradharmo  bhayaavahah // 3.35 //

Better  is one's own duty, though imperfectly performed, than the duty of another well performed.  Better is death in the doing of one's own duty;  the duty of another is fraught with peril.

Although  the word Dharma is meant here as duty, in a special sense it is one's own basic  nature or vasana. Swadharma is the type of vasanas one finds in his mind. To  act according to one's taste, inborn and natural, is the only method to live in  peace and joy. To act against one's vasanas is to act in terms of Paradharma  which is fraught with danger.

Here  the Swadharma of Arjuna is that of a prince and not that of Brahmana. He wanted  to take up the latter abandoning the former. In this verse Sri Krishna reminds  him that to act according to his own vasanas or Dharma, even though imperfect,  is the right path for his development. It is dangerous to suppress one's own  personality expression and imitate the activities of others, however divinely  they may be. There is more happiness in doing one's own work even without  excellence than in doing another's duty well. We must play our part, manfully,  be it great or small.

The  implication is that Arjuna's thought of desisting from fight and going in for  the calm and peaceful life of a Brahmana is prompted by man's natural desire to  shun what is disagreeable and adopt what is momentarily agreeable to the  senses.  He should on no account yield to  such weakness. It is indeed much better for a person to die while discharging  his own duty, though it may not have any merit, than doing the duty of another,  though it may be performed in a perfect manner, because the duty of another has  many pitfalls.

THE ENEMY IS DESIRE AND ANGER

 

arjuna uvaacha
    atha kena prayukto'yam paapam charati  poorushah
    anicchannapi vaarshneya balaad iva  niyojitah // 3.36 //

Arjuna  said
    But  under what compulsion does a man commit sin, in spite of himself, O Varshneya, and  driven, as it were, by force?

This  question raised by Arjuna is illustrative of our daily situations. Everybody  knows what is right and what is not right, what is good and what is bad. Yet  when it comes to action people are invariably tempted to commit the wrong.

Arjuna's  query is why this paradoxical confusion between one's ideology and one's own  actions. The Divine in us wants us to achieve great things but the animal in us  wants us to do most abominable things many times much against our will. We seem  to be constrained by an outside force. Arjuna wants to know the cause for this peculiar  phenomenon.

sri bhagavaan uvaacha
    kaama esha krodha esha rajoguna  samudbhavah
    mahaashano mahaapaapmaa viddhyenam iha  vairinam // 3.37 //

Sri  Bhagavan said
    It  is desire, it is anger born out of the quality of Rajas, all sinful and all devouring;  know this as the foe here (in this world).

The  cause of all sins and wrong actions in this world is desire. Anger is also a  desire expressed in another form. When a man's desire is not gratified he  becomes angry with those who stand as obstacles in the way of their  fulfillment.  When a desire arises the  quality of Rajas in a man urges him to work for its satisfaction.

The  desire-anger-emotion combination of three-in-one is the root cause which makes  an individual to compromise with higher values of existence.  Once the virus of desire enters the  intellectual computer the results are bound to be chaotic, blocking out the  entire wisdom because desire is never satiated by its gratification. One gets  rid of desire only through the constant practice of detachment. Therefore Sri  Krishna says desire is the man's greatest enemy on the earth because man  commits sin only at the command of desire against his will and better judgment  which lands him in terrible suffering in the form of repeated birth and death.

HOW DOES DESIRE AFFECT MAN?

 

dhoomenaavriyate  vahnir yathaadarsho malena cha
    yatho'lbenaavrito garbhas tathaa tenedam  aavritam // 3.38 //

As  fire is enveloped by smoke, as a mirror by dust and as an embryo by the womb,  so is this (knowledge) enveloped by that (desire).

`This'  means true knowledge or wisdom and `that' means desire which is clearly stated  in the next verse. The three different examples refer to the different degrees  to which desire in the form of ignorance envelopes and conceals the inner Light  in man and delude our capacity to think rationally.

Discrimination  is blocked by the sense of attachment in the mind for the worldly objects.  Desires fall under three categories depending upon the quality of attachments -  Tamasic - inert, Rajasic - active, and Sattwic -divine.

Even  Sattwic desires veil the discrimination just as smoke envelopes fire where rise  of the slightest wind of discrimination can dispel the smoke of desire. The  veiling is thin and hence it requires only a little effort to remove it.

For  the Rajasic where intellect is covered by desire prompted agitations, the  example is of wiping out of dust on a mirror. Here the covering by the  impurities is complete as compared to the Sattwic. In the case of smoke fire  can be at least perceived while dust completely blocks the reflection in a  mirror. Hence, in this case the efforts for the removal of the dirt of desires  require more time and effort.

In  the case of a Tamasic, diviner aspects are completely shut out from the view by  base animal instincts. The case of a foetus covered with amnion fluid in the  womb is given as an illustration. Here there is no method of removing the  covering until a definite period of time is elapsed. Similarly the low desires  can be removed only after a longer period of spiritual evolution a Tamasic has  to undergo.

aavritam jnaanam etena jnaanino  nityavairinaa
    kaamaroopena kaunteya dushpoorenaanalena  cha // 3.39 //

    O  Son of Kunti, wisdom is enveloped by this constant enemy of the wise in the  form of desire, which is unappeasable as the fire.

Desires  are insatiable. They are never satisfied by the enjoyments of the objects of  the desires. They grow more and more as does the fire to which fuel is added.  Desire screens off our capacity to discriminate right from the wrong, real from  the unreal. The ignorant man considers desire as his friend because his senses  are gratified. The wise man knows by experience that desire will bring nothing  but suffering to him. He knows that the enemy in the form of desire does not  allow the ideas of discrimination, dispassion and disinterestedness to get a  hold in the mind of a seeker and presents obstacles in the path of his  spiritual progress.  Hence it is said to  be the constant enemy of the wise but not the ignorant.

SEAT OF DESIRE

 

indriyaani mano buddhir  asyaadhishthaanam uchyate
    etair vimohayatyesha jnaanamaavritya  dehinam // 3.40 //

The  senses, the mind and the intellect are said to be its seat; through these it  deludes the embodied by veiling his wisdom.

If  the enemy's hide-outs are known it is easy to capture him. Similarly Sri  Krishna gives the clues to Arjuna as to where the enemies of wisdom lurk so  that he can locate and eliminate them. The Lord says the senses, the mind and  the intellect are seats of action for the desire to play havoc with the inner  serenity and equipoise of a man. The sense organs transmit the stimuli received  from the objects of enjoyment to the mind which working in close collaboration  with the intellect starts living in the experience of sense enjoyments.  To eliminate the inner enemy of desire at its  source - sense-organs, mind and intellect- is the crux of the problem.  How it is to be achieved is explained in the  following verses.

CONTROL THE SENSES AND DESTROY THE DESIRE

 

tasmaat twam indriyaanyaadau niyamya bharatarshabha
    paapmaanam prajahi hyenam jnaana vijnaana naashanam // 3.41 //

Therefore,  O the Best of the Bharatas, controlling the senses first, you kill this sinful  thing, the destroyer of knowledge and wisdom.

Sri  Krishna states that the first step to kill desire is to control the senses.  Desire is referred to here as a sinful thing posing a threat to both knowledge and  wisdom. Desire is a sinful thing because it leads us to live a life of lowly  nature.

Adi  Sankara defines Knowledge - Jnana - as the knowledge of the Self  acquired through a study of the scriptures and from a teacher. This is an  indirect knowledge or Paroksha Jnana. Vijnana or wisdom is the  direct knowledge or the personal experience, anubhava, of the things so  taught or Self-realization - Aparoksha Jnana. Thus desire oriented  agitations are not only an impediment to our direct personal spiritual  experiences but also to our indirect way of acquiring knowledge through the  study of scriptures.

indriyaani paraanyaahur indriyebhyah  param manah
    manasastu paraa buddhir yo buddheh  paratastu sah // 3.42 //

They  say that the senses are superior to the body; superior to the senses is the mind;  superior to the mind is intellect; and one who is superior even to the  intellect is He - The Self.

evam buddheh param buddhwaa  samstabhyaatmaanam aatmanaa
    jahi shatrum mahaabaaho kaamaroopam  duraasadam // 3.43 //

Thus knowing Him who is superior to the intellect and restraining the self by the Self, O Mighty armed, destroy the enemy in the form of desire, no doubt hard  indeed to conquer.

These  two verses conclude the third chapter of The Gita giving the seeker a technique  to conquer desire, the inner enemy. The Upanishadic method of meditation for  the withdrawal of ego from the outer world of sense objects to the inner world  of the Self for the purposes of curbing desire oriented tendencies and thereby  achieving Self-discovery is commended here. These verses give us the hierarchy  of levels of consciousness.

The  physical body is gross, external and limited. As compared to this the senses  are superior because they are subtler and more internal and have a wider range  of activity.  Superior to the senses is  the mind as it can direct the function of the senses (as it can undertake the  work of the senses also). Superior to the mind is the intellect because it is  endowed with the faculty of discrimination and finality; when the mind doubts,  the intellect decides. But The Self is superior to even the intellect because  the intellect draws its power to illuminate from the Self alone. The Self is  the indweller in the body, the Witness of the activities of the body, senses,  mind and intellect.

Sri  Krishna advises Arjuna to conquer desire with this understanding of the  superior power of the Self, though it is difficult to achieve. The Lord points  out that a man of discrimination and dispassion will be able to achieve this by  increasing his Sattwic quality and by appealing to the indwelling Presence, The  Self, through meditation. This controlling of the lower self i.e. the mind with  the knowledge of the Higher Self is termed here as ‘restraining the self by the  Self’.

The  technique of meditation is a conscious withdrawal of all our identifications  with our body, mind and intellect and thereby turning our awareness or  desire-faculty towards our diviner existence where the ego is under the perfect  control of the Self with no desires to agitate the mind any more.

Thus  a constructive re-organization of life is taught here by the Gita without the  suppression or rejection of the life's situations. “This  Chapter expounds the necessity for the performance of work without any selfish  attachment to results, with a view to securing the welfare of the world, with the  realization that agency belongs to the modes of prakriti or to God  himself.”

om  tat sat
     iti srimad bhagavadgeetaasu upanishatsu brahma  vidyaayaam yogashaastre sri krishnaarjuna samvaade karmayogo naama tritiyo'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 third  discourse entitled  The Yoga of  Action.

Concepts and Issues

Arjuna  is confused about the relative importance of knowledge and work. If the man of  knowledge is superior to the man of action, then why is he being asked to  pursue the path of action and undertake such a terrible act like a fratricidal  war?

Sri  Krishna replies that there are two types of people viz. the purely intellectual  and the physically active.  The path of  knowledge is prescribed for the intellectual, whereas the path of action is the  best for the physically dynamic.  But it  should be born in mind that dedicated action by itself cannot be the end. It is  only the means to achieve the final goal of Realization of the Self. On the  other hand, the path of wisdom takes one directly to the final goal.

The  path of knowledge is not the proper one for Arjuna as he, being a Kshatriya,  does not belong to the meditative and intellectual type. His natural aptitude  is for action and he can purify himself only through action.  So he has to discharge his duties in a  selfless spirit of pure devotion without expecting any fruits of such action..  If one understands the art of performance of actions without selfishness, one  is already in the path of knowledge as these two paths are not contradictory  but complementary.

An  action performed without any concern for the fruits thereof is not inaction  because such action never produces any psychological reaction and gains  wonderful results while inaction i.e. running away from action, produces  nothing but idleness.

All  beings always remain active.  Inaction is  against the law of nature.  Inaction by  external withdrawal of sense organs from the sense objects while the mind  remaining preoccupied with the thinking about those objects is hypocrisy or  escapism and self deception. A real seeker of wisdom is the one, who conquers  his organs of perception by his mind but employs his organs of action in the  selfless discharge of his duty.   Performance of one's duty is, in all respects, preferable to utter  inaction. One cannot live even the everyday ordinary life without doing  anything.

Only  those actions which are prompted by desires entail bondages of vasanas but not  those performed in the discharge of one's duty with no expectation of the  result and meant only as an offering at the feet of The Lord.  It is called performing of actions in the  spirit of Yagna i.e. sacrificing our selfish interests for the welfare of the  humanity at large.  Here the word Yagna  which means Vedic ritualism includes all self-less co-operative activities.

In  the beginning the Creator created all living beings with a capacity of yagna in  everybody i.e. to work with a selfless attitude, in a spirit of dedication for  the common welfare. The spirit of co-operation between the high and the low,  the rich and the poor, the wise and the dull, the spirit of give and take and  many more such noble and divine values of harmonious living in society are  meant by the word Yagna. He only commits stealing who is only ready to take but  not to give. People used to propitiate God by sacrifice who in turn bestowed  them with plenty and prosperity through rains, fertility of the soil to yield  nourishing food.

Mother  Nature provides many examples of the spirit of constant sacrifice like the Sun  giving light, the Earth satisfying all human requirements and the Fire giving  heat etc. Thus sacrifice is an unselfish action.  Prosperity and plenty are the direct results  of such dedicated actions.

The  capacity to do well in us has been given by the Creator, the Supreme,  manifested through its own creative urge. What we are bound to do in our  station in life we must do well for our own good and for the good of the entire  community. Wherever such a noble work is undertaken in a spirit of co-operation  (Yagna) there is God, the Highest. Those who have reached the highest state of  eternal contentment need not pursue this path because they have nothing to gain  by actions as the individuality in them created by ego has already ended and  they do not depend upon anyone for anything.

Sri  Krishna advises Arjuna that he still being a seeker of Knowledge should  discharge his duty in a spirit of dedication as an offering to The Lord citing  examples of King Janaka and others of Perfect Wisdom who attained Perfection  through selfless discharge of their duties. The Lord gives His own example of  engaging Himself in activities continuously although it is immaterial for Him  whether He acts or not.

The  reason for this is that the common people with limited intelligence imitate the  great and so if The Lord has to remain inactive, they will also remain idle  leading to indiscipline.

In view of what was told earlier the wise and the ordinary man should always be  engaged in activities, the only difference being the former performs action  with selfless motive while the latter does it with selfish motives. Here The  Lord warns Arjuna that the man of knowledge should desist from advising the  ignorant to improve as it is likely to be misunderstood by the latter resulting  in the cessation of action by them. To avoid such consequences, the wise should  set an example by sticking to the path of action.

Ignorance  of the nature of the Self creates desires, desires generate thoughts, and  thoughts produce actions. Due to ignorance and ego we think that we perform, we  succeed etc. while actually the actions are performed by the organs of action  in us. Because of the imperfect understanding we consider we are the doers and  hence we get attached to the anxiety for enjoying the fruits of our actions.  But in the case of a wise man, who identifies himself with the Self and has  gone beyond his ego sense, there is no attachment for the fruits of actions  because he knows that he, the Self, is not the performer of actions and that it  is only the sense organs which do the work.

The  ignorant can understand the higher values of action by dedicating himself to  the service of the society at large with pure selfless actions. All actions  have to be offered free from selfish motives at the feet of The Lord.  Such actions without selfish motives are not  done by the individual; he is only a medium through which the Divine Power  manifests itself, through all its actions. Those who perform actions in this  unselfish spirit, with full faith in The Lord and His teachings are released  for ever from the bondages caused by action.   The ignorant who criticize His teachings and work to promote their  selfish interests meet their own downfall.

The  vasanas (impressions, tastes and inclinations brought over from the previous births)  order our intellect and we cannot pursue any path other than that ordered by  the direction of our own present vasanas. Man's present behavior and attitude  to life are mostly governed by his past actions - vasanas. However, he can  raise himself if he masters his senses that produce attachment and hatred.  He should try not to become a slave of his  own senses.

The  mind is the storehouse of vasanas.  By  giving up selfish actions and attachment to their rewards, the vasanas do not  get multiplied and the ego, the sense of `I', ceases to exist.

One's  own duty is the best for oneself for one's own spiritual advancement.  Sometimes, man is forced to commit evil deeds in spite of all his efforts  against them. This is because of dual personality in everybody - good and evil  are found in varying proportions. Good thoughts prompt good actions and evil  thoughts encourage evil deeds.  This  lower nature is called ignorance which breeds desires.  Desire is the root cause of all evil.

Just  as smoke veils the bright fire, dust the reflecting surface of a mirror and the  unborn child by the mother's womb, so also the desire veils the Ever Pure Self,  the all-illuminating self-knowledge. Desire acts through the organs of  perception and organs of action at the mental and intellectual levels. So the  first task to destroy desire is to check and control senses. If that is  accomplished the All-illuminating Perfect knowledge reveals itself to be  experienced as the Self.

Man  is made up of the physical body, the senses, the mind and the intellect. Beyond  all these the pure Atman or the Self shines. The strategy to conquer desire is  to govern the mind by the intellect.

With  meditation upon the Self purify the intellect.   In him who has thus become one with the Self, the Lord of the Lords, all  desires are completely at rest for ever.

Live as the Gita Teaches You to Live

1. Action one must perform; but it should be  performed in the spirit of Yajna. The aim is Lokasangraha, the benefit at  large.
2. Interdependence of beings in the cosmos should  not be forgotten. He who works for himself alone lives in vain.
3. Leadership qualities are stressed. Set an  example to others in right living.

Points to Ponder

 

 

1. What was Arjuna's doubt in the beginning of the Chapter and what was Sri Krishna's clarification to it?
2. How does a man bound by action?
3. Who is a hypocrite?
4. What is the philosophy of action?
5. How can one be free from action?
6. What is the cosmic wheel of co-operation?
7. What is meant by Lokasangraha?
8. What is the difference between the activities of the wise and the ignorant?
9. Why it is important for the wise man to set an example to others in rightful living?






Harih Om