Bhagwad Gita - Post 227

Verse 19

Knowledge, action and the actor are declared in the science of the Gunas (the Sankhya philosophy) to be of three kinds only, according to the distinction of the Gunas. Hear them also duly.

As an introduction to what is to follow immediately, here it is said that "knowledge", "action" and the "actor" (agent), all the three, because of the difference of the temperament in the individuals, at the given time of observation, fall under a three-fold division. 

Up to this time, all that we have heard is about karma, or action—right action, or proper action. 

Now we are led to another subject altogether: “The nature of knowledge, the nature of the object of knowledge, the nature of the one who knows or has the knowledge, the nature of all action whatsoever in the process of perception, and the nature of the doer in the context of perceiving or knowing, this I shall describe to you now.” 

There are three kinds of knowledge: sattvic knowledge , rajasic knowledge and tamasic knowledge. 

What is sattvic knowledge? It is that knowledge or wisdom or insight by which we are able to see the unity in the midst of the diversity of things, and we can locate the one Absolute manifesting itself in all these varieties of forms. 

The highest knowledge is this, the best knowledge is this; sattvic knowledge is this.

But, this knowledge is not given to everybody. We are not so superior in our evolution. There is rajas predominating in us. 

We always see things as distinct from one another. We cannot see any kind of connection of one thing with another in this world. Everything seems to be thrown pell-mell, here and there. Something here, something there—we do not know what is where. This is the kind of world in which we are living. That is rajasic knowledge, not the knowledge that sees oneness everywhere.

According to the Science of the Gunas, as enunciated in Kapila's Saankhya Yoga, "Knowledge," "Action" and "Actor" are each classified under these three categories. 

They are being enumerated here and Krishna invites the students of the Gita to 'listen attentively to them'. The implication must be that the Teacher is attracting the special attention of the student because of the importance of the theme.

Verse 20

That by which one sees the one indestructible Reality in all beings, not separate in all the separate beings—know thou that knowledge to be Sattwic (pure).

                  

Lord Krishna explains the threefold nature of knowledge commencing with sattva guna or mode of goodness. The knowledge by which one perceives in all jivas or embodied beings, the one immutable, undivided, imperishable and eternal atma or immortal soul existing within all from the highest demigod Brahma, the secondary creator down to immovable entities which are distinguishable from each other is situated in sattva guna.

The single reality pervading all existence is the Supreme Lord, the Creator, Maintainer and Energizer of all Existence. 

All creation is situated within Him and He is also within every atom of creation. Living entities in the state of bondage or liberation, they are all under His jurisdiction but those who have achieved moksha or liberation from material existence are promoted to the eternal spiritual worlds. 

The Supreme Lord although manifesting and residing within unlimited variegated forms simultaneously in an all pervading way, yet He Is distinctly separate from every jiva or embodied being of all gradations. 

This is the knowledge of distinctive characteristics and when developed into wisdom is situated in sattva guna the mode of goodness from whence arises moksha.

Love.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 226

Verse 17

He who is ever free from the egoistic notion, whose intelligence is not tainted by (good or evil), though he slays these people, he slayeth not, nor is he bound (by the action).

Swami Krishnananda picks up exactly from where He left, explaining the Cosmic Will as the Divine Providence and writes,

“We may confront the whole world if we like, and yet if our ego is annihilated completely, that is, if we do not have even an inkling that we are doing the action and feel that the Universal Will is operating through us, if that is the case, then we may even work the destruction of things, yet no result will follow as a nemesis of painful experience, provided we have totally annihilated our egoism and we do not even know that we are existing, and we always feel that the Universal is operating through us. Otherwise, we will be bound by anything that we do.”

Let us take a case of a Judge who has to announce the decision of hanging a convict or a policeman who has to be harsh with a culprit. 

At apparent level, yes, they are punishing someone. But it all depends on the inner conscience, on the motive behind their act and whether it is done with sense of doer-ship or it is just taken up as a part of their ordained Dharma.!

Regarding the sense of doer-ship, it is worthwhile to go through this interesting part.

It is said that Saint Tulsidas heard of Rahim’s style of giving alms, and asked him:

aisī denī dena jyuñ, kita sīkhe ho saina

jyoṅ jyoṅ kara ūñchyo karo, tyoṅ tyoṅ niche naina [v13]

“Sir, where did you learn to give alms like this? Your hands are as high as your eyes are low.” 

Rahim replied beautifully and in all humbleness:

denahāra koī aur hai, bhejata hai dina raina

loga bharama hama para kareṅ, yāte niche naina [v14]

“The giver is someone else, giving day and night. But the world gives me the credit, and so I lower my eyes.” Understanding that we are not the sole cause responsible for our accomplishments frees us from the egoistic pride of doer-ship. 

As per Sankara, this verse embodies the sum and substance of the Gita and even of all the Vedas. We start our lives thinking that we are the body. 

The scriptures, the Vedas, tell us that we are not the body, we are the jiva who has to use his body and mind to perform selfless service. Now, at the conclusion of the Vedas, & Vedanta, we are told that we are beyond the jiva. 
 

One who has achieved the true nature of the SELF, the immortal soul is not affected by material activities or influenced by worldly conceptions. 

If a situation arises on its own accord where such a one must perform actions they never think of themselves as the doer but consider that the Supreme Lord/Spirit is the doer of everything. 

Not even that, they rise beyond the thought about their actions.!! Actions emanate from them and they stand rooted in consciousness, as Stitaprajnas. 

Thus they are not fettered to actions and subsequently are not coerced to accept the resultant karma which forces one to experience the merits or demerits of actions.

Love.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 225

Verse 13

Learn from Me, O mighty-armed Arjuna, these five causes, as declared in the Sankhya system for the accomplishment of all actions!

Verse 14

The body, the doer, the various senses, the different functions of various sorts, and the presiding Deity, also, the fifth,

Verse 15

Whatever action a man performs by his body, speech and mind, whether right or the reverse, these five are its causes.

There are five conditioning factors behind any kind of movement, action, work, or whatever it be. 

Sankhya, which is the highest knowledge, and which details the varieties of results that follow from different kinds of karmas, tells us that there are five phases of an action. 

Body

The physical body has something to say about the quantum of work that we can execute, and also the quality of work that can be expected from us. Whether our body is strong and healthy, or whether it is weak and sick, is a factor that also is to be taken into consideration when we do any work.

Hence, according to the nature of the physical condition, there will also be the conditioning of the result that follows from the action. That is one aspect among the five.

Doer - Karta / Soul

Kartā means “the doer,” and refers to the soul. Although the soul itself does not perform actions, it inspires the body-mind-intellect mechanism with the life force to act. Further, it identifies with their actions, due to the influence of the ego. 

Therefore, it is responsible for the actions performed by the body, and it is called both the knower and the doer. 

The Prasna Upaniṣhad states: 

“It is the soul that sees, touches, hears, feels, tastes, thinks, and comprehends. Thus, the soul is to be considered both—the knower and the doer of actions.” 

For easier comprehension, we can understand this as soul+samskara or in very broader terms, the ego factor.

Various senses 

The instruments that we use in the performance of action also condition the work. Suppose we dig a pit. If we dig with our hands, we will get one type of result; but if we use a pickaxe or a shovel, or a bulldozer, then different kinds of results will follow. The kind of instrument that we use in the performance of action will also decide what kind of result will follow.

So, it is about how our 5 Karma Indriyas are used, that the action shapes up.

Different functions of Mind

Even when we are doing one work, twenty ideas may be in our mind at the same time, pulling us in different directions, and it does not mean that a person thinks only one thought at a time. Even when we are doing one work, if we are able to think only that and nothing else, we are really a great person. But, generally that is not possible. 

There is a memory of something that happened in the past, and an apprehension of something that could take place in the future, and a fear of something that is in the present.

These will distract the mind. These operations of the mind which distract are also conditioning factors in the performance of the work.

Proper functioning of mind with focused intellect / viveka is what we have understood as Self Efforts or purushartha and depending upon how we exercise this factor, our actions are performed by us. 

Presiding deity

This has been explained by various commentators in different ways.

Some say, these are the five elements.

Some say, this is the Atman and they justify this as under:-

“The five factors are the physical body, the five senses such eyes, ears, etc., the ego, the life airs which govern breathing and the atma the controller of them all. 

The Vedanta Sutra II.III.XXXIII beginning upadanat states: The atma of the jiva or embodied being at the death of the physical body takes the pranas along with it; therefore the atma is the controller.”

However, most appealing is the interpretation given by Swami Krishnananda who says, this is Divine providence or the cosmic will and explains,

“A thing that is not sanctioned by the Ultimate Will of the universe will not take place, however much we may sweat. That which is to happen will happen, whatever be our effort to prevent it; and that which is not to happen will not happen, even if we call for it. This is the inscrutable factor operating behind all things. 

Our very mind, our very body, our egoism, our mental faculty, our very existence, is conditioned by the central Cosmic Will; and if it does not permit any event to take place, that event will never take place even if millions of people work hard to make it happen. 

Whatever be our effort in the direction of guarding our person, our society, or our country, it has to be sanctioned by the Supreme Will. As Sri Krishna told Arjuna, “Go ahead. You will succeed.” But that sanction was not there for the Kauravas, and the opposite result followed.

Thus, the final operative factor is the central Universal Will, with which we have to always stand in a state of union and communion. We should not egoistically assert too much of our own individual agency in action. We are not the only agents. There are five agents in the performance of an action, and among those five there is one supreme principle which we cannot afford to forget: the existence of God in the world. The principle of divinity permeating all things—the immanence of God—ultimately decides all factors, though others also act as instruments”.

Love.