Monday, July 6, 2020

Bhagwad Gita - Post 242


Verse 66




Abandoning all duties, take refuge in Me alone; I will liberate thee from all sins; grieve not.


Sri Sathya Sai Baba writes on this verse,


Note that the Lord said, “Abandon all dharmas (sarva dharmaan parithyajya)”, not “abandon all actions (sarva karmaan parithyajya)”. What then is the meaning of this statement? It means, “Perform all acts enjoined by the Lord for His glorification, without getting involved and lost in discussions of dharma and non-dharma.”


Although you know that there is nothing for you to acquire, for you have placed complete trust in the Lord and live only as an offering to the Lord, still, like Janaka and others, you have to engage in activity for the well-being of the world. 


The soul immanent in every being is not distinct from the Atma or soul that is in you. So, be eager to promote the well-being of all beings. Perform all acts enjoined by the scriptures for this sake, in the spirit of dedication, with no eye on the fruits thereof. This is true renunciation of the fruit of action (nish-kama-karma).


Understand the Gita well and, observing its injunctions, establish yourselves in the attitude of renunciation of the fruit of action. Do all duties as acts of worship, offerings to God. That is the sole task. Leave the rest to Him: the fruit, the consequence, the result. Then, you receive the grace of Hari and your life on earth is sanctified and becomes worthwhile.


(Gita Vahini)



Swami Sivananda writes,


This is the answer given by the Lord to the question put by Arjuna in chapter II verse 7, 

"I ask Thee which may be the better tell me that decidedly. I am Thy disciple, Suppliant to Thee teach me. All Dharmas, all action- righteous or unrighteous."



As per Vedanta 


Absolute freedom from all actions is intended to be taught here. Taking refuge in Me alone implies the knowledge of unity without any thought of duality knowing that there is nothing else except Me, the Self of all, dwelling the same in all. If thou art established in this faith, I shall liberate thee from all sins, from all bonds of Dharma and Adharma by manifesting Myself as thy own Self.


To behold forms is the Dharma of the eye. The support or substratum of all forms is Brahman. When you look at an object behold Brahman, Which is the one essence and abandon the form as it is illusory and unreal. 


Have the same attitude towards the other objects which pertain to the other senses. Give up the Jiva Dharma (the notions - I am the doer of actions, I enjoy. I am a Brahmana, I am a Brahmachari, I am endowed with a little knowledge and power, etc. and get yourself established in Brahma Bhavana (the understanding or knowledge I am Brahman). This is what is meant by taking refuge in Lord Krishna, according to the Vedantins.


In the path of devotion


Work ceaselessly for the Lord but surrender the fruits of all actions to the Lord. Take the Lord as your sole refuge. Live for Him. Work for Him. Serve Him in all forms. Think of Him only. Meditate on Him alone. See Him in all forms. 

Think of Him only. Meditate on Him alone. See Him everywhere. Worship Him in your heart. Consecrate your life, all actions, feelings and thoughts to the Lord. You will rest in Him. You will attain union with Him. You will attain immortal supreme peace and eternal bliss. This is the view of another school of thought.


Sankara's views on karma 

Sri Sankara very strongly refutes the idea that knowledge in conjunction with Karma (action) produces or leads to liberation. He says that Karma and knowledge may not go together in the same man, that karma helps the man to get purification of the heart, and that right knowledge of the Self alone will give him absolute freedom from Samsara


He says that work and knowledge are like darkness and light; that action is possible only in this universe of illusory phenomena which is the projection of ignorance and knowledge dispels this ignorance. 


We will continue contemplating on this verse in the next post as well and arrive at some conclusion after knowing what few other Masters have said on this unique verse.


Love.




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