Bhagwad Gita - Post 92

Yeshaam twantagatam paapam

Janaanaam punyakarmanaam;

Te dwandwamohanirmuktaa 

Bhajante maam dridhavrataah.

But those men of virtuous deeds whose sins have come to an end, and who are freed from the delusion of the pairs of opposites, worship Me, steadfast in their vows.

If man is deluded by Yoga maya of Lord and is not able to know the Unmanifest Lord, then how is it that some people are seen to exclusively pursue Unmanifest Lord and are able to get free from the delusion of pairs of opposite.

The delusion of duality, as we saw earlier, is a condition that we are cast into right from birth. This delusion further strengthens maya that prevents us from accessing Eswara. 

Having explained the condition of most people who are trapped in this situation, Sri Krishna now describes the people who have come out of maya. He says that only those who have conducted enough meritorious acts and wiped out their sins acquire the firm resolution to directly access Eswara.

 
Let us revisit what exactly is meant here by merits and sins. What is a sin? Any time that our mind and senses drag us into the world and force us to conduct actions born out of selfish desire, we commit a sin. When this happens again and again, it adds to the moha or delusion that blocks our discrimination or viveka.

The vicious cycle of Karma, depicted through diagram in the MBCA post, is worth a re-visit at this juncture.

The diagram is reproduced below, which  explains the same.

Also, the  5 kinds of coloring / ego, how they impact our acts/decisions were learnt, which is given through a visual flow below. How our first act/karma in our first ever birth and then, how all subsequent karmas have shaped up is captured below.

(Readers may go through Karma theme posts / MBCA theme posts one by one, which will be of immense use)

Conversely, whenever we perform an unselfish action that is in line with our swadharma or duty, we commit a merit. In doing so, we do not add to the stock of delusion, but in fact purify our mind.

  
Therefore, Sri Krishna says that only those who perform unselfish actions are fit to approach Eswara. The message is clear: do your duty because it is the only way to contact Eswara. 

Once the reactions to past sinful activities are terminated the obstruction to realization is neutralized and one is freed from the delusion arising from attraction and aversion to the dualities such as pleasure and pain, joy and grief, success and failure, etc. 

(Readers may recall that this was the exact exposition on "Paapavidhoora" in the Jaya Shankara bhajan talk shared with few of you separately in the last week)

At this time, one becomes qualified and is able to become steadfast in his vow, in his faith towards the Lord. 

Here, the vow (with steadfastness)  means, vow to realize and merge with the un-manifest Lord, Brahman, through intense  spiritual sadhana.

Love.