Bhagwad Gita - Post 38

Verse 14

Annaad bhavanti bhootaani parjanyaad anna sambhavah;

Yajnaad bhavati parjanyo yajnah karma samudbhavah.

From food come forth beings, and from rain food is produced; from sacrifice arises rain, and sacrifice is born of action.

Verse 15

Karma brahmodbhavam viddhi brahmaakshara samudbhavam;

Tasmaat sarvagatam brahma nityam yajne pratishthitam.

Know thou that action comes from Brahma, and Brahma proceeds from the Imperishable. Therefore, the all-pervading (Brahma) ever rests in sacrifice.

Verse 16

Evam pravartitam chakram naanuvartayateeha yah;

Aghaayur indriyaaraamo mogham paartha sa jeevati.

He who does not follow the wheel thus set revolving, who is of sinful life, rejoicing in the senses, he lives in vain, O Arjuna!

Verse 17

Yastwaatmaratir eva syaad aatmatriptashcha maanavah;

Aatmanyeva cha santushtas tasya kaaryam na vidyate.

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.

Verse 18

Naiva tasya kritenaartho naakriteneha kashchana;

Na chaasya sarvabhooteshu kashchidartha vyapaashrayah.

For him there is no interest whatsoever in what is done or what is not done; nor does he depend on any being for any object.

Verse 19

Tasmaad asaktah satatam kaaryam karma samaachara;

Asakto hyaacharan karma param aapnoti poorushah.

Therefore, without attachment, do thou always perform action which should be done; for, by performing action without attachment man reaches the Supreme.

Verse 20

Karmanaiva hi samsiddhim aasthitaa janakaadayah;

Lokasangraham evaapi sampashyan kartum arhasi.

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

Verse 21

Yadyad aacharati shreshthas tattadevetaro janah;

Sa yat pramaanam kurute lokas tad anuvartate.

Whatsoever a great man does, that other men also do; whatever he sets up as the standard, that the world follows.

Verse 22

Na me paarthaasti kartavyam trishu lokeshu kinchana;

Naanavaaptam avaaptavyam varta eva cha karmani.

There is nothing in the three worlds, O Arjuna, that should be done by Me, nor is there anything unattained that should be attained; yet I engage Myself in action!

Verse 23

Yadi hyaham na varteyam jaatu karmanyatandritah;

Mama vartmaanuvartante manushyaah paartha sarvashah.

For, should I not ever engage Myself in action, unwearied, men would in every way follow My path, O Arjuna!

Verse 24

Utseedeyur ime lokaa na kuryaam karma ched aham;

Sankarasya cha kartaa syaam upahanyaam imaah prajaah.

These worlds would perish if I did not perform action; I should be the author of confusion of castes and destruction of these beings.

Verse 25

Saktaah karmanyavidwaamso yathaa kurvanti bhaarata;

Kuryaad vidwaam stathaa saktash chikeershur lokasangraham.

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

Verse 26

Na buddhibhedam janayed ajnaanaam karmasanginaam;

Joshayet sarva karmaani vidwaan yuktah samaacharan.

Let no wise man unsettle the minds of ignorant people who are attached to action; he should engage them in all actions, himself fulfilling them with devotion.

Verse 27

Prakriteh kriyamaanaani gunaih karmaani sarvashah;

Ahamkaaravimoodhaatmaa kartaaham iti manyate.

All actions are wrought in all cases by the qualities of Nature only. He whose mind is deluded by egoism thinks: “I am the doer”.

Verse 28

Tattwavittu mahaabaaho gunakarma vibhaagayoh;

Gunaa guneshu vartanta iti matwaa na sajjate.

But he who knows the truth, Oh mighty-armed Arjuna, about the divisions of the qualities and their functions, knowing that the Gunas as senses move amidst the Gunas as the sense-objects, is not attached.

Verse 29

Prakriter gunasammoodhaah sajjante gunakarmasu;

Taan akritsnavido mandaan kritsnavin na vichaalayet.

Those deluded by the qualities of Nature are attached to the functions of the qualities. A man of perfect knowledge should not unsettle the foolish one of imperfect knowledge.

Verse 30

Mayi sarvaani karmaani sannyasyaadhyaatma chetasaa;

Niraasheer nirmamo bhootwaa yudhyaswa vigatajwarah.

Renouncing all actions in Me, with the mind centered in the Self, free from hope and egoism, and from (mental) fever, do thou fight.

Continued...

Bhagwad Gita- Post 37

Third chapter 

Verse 1

Arjuna Uvaacha

Jyaayasee chet karmanaste  mataa buddhir janaardana;

Tat kim karmani ghore  maam niyojayasi keshava.

Arjuna said:

If it be thought by Thee that knowledge is superior to action, O Krishna, why then, O Kesava, dost Thou ask me to engage in this terrible action?

Verse 2

Vyaamishreneva vaakyena  buddhim mohayaseeva me;

Tadekam vada nishchitya yena  shreyo’ham aapnuyaam.

With these apparently perplexing words Thou confusest, as it were, my understanding; therefore, tell me that one way for certain by which I may attain bliss.

Verse 3

Sri Bhagavaan Uvaacha:

Loke’smin dwividhaa nishthaa  puraa proktaa mayaanagha;

Jnaanayogena saankhyaanaam  karmayogena yoginaam.

The Blessed Lord said:

In this world there is a twofold path, as I said before, O sinless one,—the path of knowledge of the Sankhyas and the path of action of the Yogis!

Verse 4

Na karmanaam anaarambhaan  naishkarmyam purusho’shnute;

Na cha sannyasanaad Eva  siddhim samadhigacchati.

Not by the non-performance of actions does man reach action less ness, nor by mere renunciation does he attain to perfection.

Verse 5 

Na hi kashchit kshanamapi  jaatu tishthatyakarmakrit;

Kaaryate hyavashah karma  sarvah prakritijair gunaih.

Verily none can ever remain for even a moment without performing action; for, everyone is made to act helplessly indeed by the qualities born of Nature.

Verse 6 

Karmendriyaani samyamya  ya aaste manasaa smaran;

Indriyaarthaan vimoodhaatmaa mithyaachaarah sa uchyate.

He who, restraining the organs of action, sits thinking of the sense-objects in mind, he, of deluded understanding, is called a hypocrite.

Verse 7 

Yastwindriyaani manasaa  niyamyaarabhate’rjuna;

Karmendriyaih karmayogam asaktah sa vishishyate.

But whosoever, controlling the senses by the mind, O Arjuna, engages himself in Karma Yoga with the organs of action, without attachment, he excels!

Verse 8 

Niyatam kuru karma twam  karma jyaayo hyakarmanah;

Shareerayaatraapi cha  te na prasiddhyed akarmanah.

Do thou perform thy bounden duty, for action is superior to inaction and even the maintenance of the body would not be possible for thee by inaction.

Verse 9

Yajnaarthaat karmano’nyatra  loko’yam karmabandhanah;

Tadartham karma kaunteya muktasangah samaachara.

The world is bound by actions other than those performed for the sake of sacrifice; do thou, therefore, O son of Kunti, perform action for that sake (for sacrifice) alone, free from attachment!

Verse 10

Sahayajnaah prajaah srishtwaa purovaacha prajaapatih;

Anena prasavishyadhwam esha vo’stvishtakaamadhuk.

The Creator, having in the beginning of creation created mankind together with sacrifice, said: “By this shall ye propagate; let this be the milch cow of your desires (the cow which yields the desired objects)”.

Verse 11

Devaan bhaavayataanena te devaa bhaavayantu vah;

Parasparam bhaavayantah shreyah param avaapsyatha.

With this do ye nourish the gods, and may the gods nourish you; thus nourishing one another, ye shall attain to the highest good.

Verse 12

Ishtaan bhogaan hi vo devaa daasyante yajnabhaavitaah;

Tair dattaan apradaayaibhyo yo bhungkte stena eva sah.

The gods, nourished by the sacrifice, will give you the desired objects. So, he who enjoys the objects given by the gods without offering (in return) to them, is verily a thief.

Verse 13

Yajnashishtaashinah santo muchyante sarva kilbishaih;

Bhunjate te twagham paapaa ye pachantyaatma kaaranaat.

The righteous, who eat of 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.

Continued....

Bhagwad Gita - Post 36

Third Chapter - Yoga of Action

In order to remove Moha or attachment, which was the sole cause of Arjuna’s delusion, Sri Krishna taught him the imperishable nature of the Atman, the realization of which would grant him the freedom of the Eternal. 

A doubt therefore arises in Arjuna’s mind as to the necessity of engaging in action even after one has attained this state. 

This chapter opens with Arjuna’s dilemma. He asks Sri Krishna, “You maintain that knowledge is superior to action. Then why do you ask me to engage in this terrible action? Tell me one definite path that will take me to sreya, the highest spiritual Goal.” 

Sri Krishna clears this doubt by telling him that although one has realized oneness with the Eternal, one has to perform action through the force of Prakriti or Nature. 

He emphasizes that perfection is attained not by ceasing to engage in action but by doing all actions as a divine offering, imbued with a spirit of non-attachment and sacrifice.

The man of God-vision, Sri Krishna explains to Arjuna, need not engage in action, as he has attained everything that has to be attained. He can be ever absorbed in the calm and immutable Self. 

But to perform action for the good of the world and for the education of the masses is no doubt superior. Therefore, action is necessary not only for one who has attained perfection but also for one who is striving for perfection. 

Sri Krishna quotes the example of Janaka, the great sage-king of India, who continued to rule his kingdom even after attaining God-realization. 

Prakriti or Nature is made up of the three qualities—Rajas, Tamas and Sattva. The Atman is beyond these three qualities and their functions. Only when knowledge of this fact dawns in man does he attain perfection.

The Lord tells Arjuna that each one should do his duty according to his nature, and that doing duty that is suited to one’s nature in the right spirit of detachment will lead to perfection. 

Arjuna raises the question as to why man commits such actions that cloud his mind and drag him downwards, by force, as it were. 

Sri Krishna answers that it is desire that impels man to lose his discrimination and understanding, and thus commit wrong actions. Desire is the root cause of all evil actions. If desire is removed, then the divine power manifests in its full glory and one enjoys peace, bliss, light and freedom.

Sri Krishna then gives the way out. Rise to a higher desire, the lower will lose its hold over you. He concludes with a highly inspiring message – Kill the formidable enemy in the form of desire by rising to the highest desire, that of Self Realization. 

The warrior in Arjuna is provoked and responds.

Love.