Bhagwad Gita - Post 46

Verse 30

Mayi sarvaani karmaani

Sannyasyaadhyaatma chetasaa;

Niraasheer nirmamo bhootwaa

Yudhyaswa vigatajwarah.

Renouncing all actions in Me, with the mind centered on the Self, free from hope and egoism (ownership), free from (mental) fever, (you) do fight!

After many verses, the commentary for this verse is taken largely from Chinmaya’s commentary, as it is unique.

RENOUNCE ALL ACTIONS IN ME --- We have already noticed that by the first-person pronoun, Lord Krishna means the Supreme Self, the Divine, the Eternal. 

Renouncing all activities unto Him, with a mind soaked with devoted remembrances of the Self, the Lord advises Arjuna to act on. 

Renunciation of action does not mean an insipid life of inactivity. Actions performed through attachment and desires are renounced the moment we take away from action the ego-centric and the selfish stink.

A serpent is dangerous only as long as its fangs are not removed. The moment these are taken out, even the most poisonous reptile becomes a tame creature incapable of harming anyone. 

Similarly, action gives rise to bondage only when it is performed with a heart laden with selfish desires. Actions performed without desires are not actions at all, in as much as they are incapable of producing any painful reactions. Here, the renunciation of action only means the giving up of the wrong motives behind the actions.

Not only is it sufficient that we renounce thus all wrong actions, but we have also to make a few adjustments in our inner instruments in order to bring out an unobstructed flow of the Creator's Will through us. These are indicated here by the two terms "without hope" and "without ego."

WITHOUT HOPE --- Hope is "the expectation of a happening that is yet to manifest and mature in a FUTURE PERIOD OF TIME." Whatever be the hope, it belongs not to the present; it refers to a period of time not yet born.

Hope is an appointment, a desire filled expectation. Only when there is appointment, there can be a possibility of disappointment, when the results for which we hope are not achieved. 

(After the post on Pujari-prasad and subsequent talk on the same shared with few, we should commit to Swami that henceforth, our prayers would be only our expression of Love towards Him and we shall not seek anything in particular in return. No more prayers for fulfillment of any Hopes / any desires / any results, please. He is there to bestow on us whatever we require. We need not push Lord for the same.)

WITHOUT EGO --- Our ego-centric concept of ourselves is nothing but "a bundle of happenings and achievements of ours which took place, or were gained, in the past moments." 

Ego is therefore "the shadow of the past," and it has an existent reality only with reference to THE DEAD MOMENTS OF THE PAST.

CALL TO FIGHT ---- The term "fight" is to be understood here "as our individual fight with circumstances, in the silent battle of life." Thus, the advice is not for Arjuna alone, but to all men who would like to live life fully and intelligently! 

What are the salient aspects of the instruction imparted thus far to Arjuna?

Lord Krishna wants Arjuna to act and sensibly at that, so he, Arjuna, has to be made to appreciate what actions is all about and why it is needed.

That is why after a few cursory remarks on the Atma, Lord Krishna switches to the topic of action (Karma Yoga) and lays it on thick. 

Of course, action cannot be done in a spiritual vacuum and it ultimately has to be linked to Atma, life’s ultimate goal etc. In other words, all actions must be spiritualized. How is this to be done? Krishna gives two guidelines

1)      Do your duty without bothering about the consequences.

2)    Dedicate all actions to me.

When these instructions are followed, all actions automatically become sacrifice or Yagna, in the larger sense!!!

Love.

PS - With this, we come to the end of third chapter.