विवेचन सारांश
Synthesis of Knowledge and Action
The third Chapter of the Bhagavadgītā is about the Yoga of Karmā (action) which describes how one can connect with Śri Bhagavān. Hence it is termed as ‘Karmā-Yoga’ (way to connect with HIM through action). Lokmanya Tilakji considered this chapter as the most important because every person has to perform Karmā till his last breath. Tilakji, from the prison of Mandalay, wrote his views on Karma Yoga chapters 3, 4 and 5 to give direction to masses for further action in the struggle for freedom.
We have seen that how Arjunā was filled with moha (delusion) and did not want to fight. He abandoned his weapons saying he cannot use them to kill Bhisma Pitamah or Acharya Drona. Śri Bhagavān directed Arjuna to give up his weakness and act like a warrior.
क्लैब्यं मा स्म गमः पार्थ नैतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते । क्षुद्रं हृदयदौर्बल्यं त्यक्त्वोत्तिष्ठ परन्तप ॥2.3 ॥
It does not befit you to yield to this unmanliness. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O vanquisher of enemies.
Swami Vivekanand was also inspired by these words and he coined a message for our Nation and its people at that time saying
उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत
Get up, awaken and work towards attaining your goal.
The actual teaching of ŚrimādBhagavadgīta starts from verse 11 of chapter 2 after Arjunā takes Śaranāgati (complete surrender) of Parameśvara.
कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभाव: पृच्छामि त्वां धर्मसम्मूढचेता: |
यच्छ्रेय: स्यान्निश्चितं ब्रूहि तन्मे शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम् || 2.7||
Arjunā said to Śrī Bhagavān, “I don’t know what is Śreyās (superior) for me. I am your disciple and have completely surrendered to you. Please guide me what to do”. We all should learn from Arjunā that how one should surrender oneself to Paramātma and then only one can attain the true knowledge.
To shed Arjuna's delusion, Śrī Bhagavān disclosed the true knowledge of the Self (Sankhya Yoga), wherein HE explained the immortal, eternal and imperishable nature of the Self, The Atma Tattva.
नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूय: |
अजो नित्य: शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे || 2.20||
Atma is not born, nor does it ever die; after having been it does not cease to be, unborn, eternal, changeless and ancient, it is not killed when the body is destroyed.
नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि नैनं दहति पावक: |
न चैनं क्लेदयन्त्यापो न शोषयति मारुत: || 2.23||
No weapon can cut the soul into pieces, nor can it be burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind.
HE further put forth characteristics of a Sthitaprajña (a person with steady wisdom). Initially Śrī Bhagavān used very harsh words to awaken the pride in Arjun by saying to him that such action of impotence ill behove a Kshatriya warrior of his caliber. HE explained to Arjuna that he would only be killing their bodies as the soul is imperishable and eternal. HE asked Arjuna to come out of his despair and get up to fight in the war as it was his duty.
The answers to questions like - Who am I? What relation do I have with the Supreme? How a Sthitaprajña gets connected with Śrī Bhagavān - are provided in the previous chapter wherein Sri Bhagwan also praised Gyan-Yoga as a better way to attain Brahman than Karma Yoga. Arjuna is confused and asked in that case why YOU are asking me to follow Karma Yoga?
3.1
arjuna uvāca :
jyāyasī cetkarmaṇaste, matā buddhirjanārdana,
tatkiṃ(ṅ) karmaṇi ghore māṃ(n), niyojayasi keśava. 3.1
One thing Arjuna failed to realize was that Bhagavan's instruction was meant to urge Arjuna to face the conflict in his own mind instead of running away from it. There are many conflicts to be faced in life and the human mind is the biggest battlefield in the world. That is why Tukaram Maharaj has said:-
vyāmiśreṇeva vākyena, buddhiṃ(m) mohayasīva me,
tadekaṃ(v̐) vada niścitya, yena śreyo'hamāpnuyām.॥3.2॥
Arjunā asks Śrī Bhagavān: if HE considers knowledge to be superior to action, then why is HE engaging him in this terrible war.
In Chapter 1, Arjun had decided that he would not fight in the war but after his complete surrender to Sri Bhagwan in Chapter 2, now he is asking permission from Sri Bhagwan to not fight in the war. He says he does not know what is śreyās - the right thing for him to do. HIS saying that both the Gyan Yoga and Karma Yoga are two paths to reach Paramatma, then why does HE insist that he should adopt the Karma Yoga path. Arjuna wants HIM to tell him which path would be śreyās -right path for him to follow.
Sant Dnyaneshwar's couplet was quoted here wherein he depicts the confused mental state of Arjuna where he says:-तरी रोगिया कैसनि जिये । सांगैं मज ॥
श्रीकृष्णा विवेकु या कारणें । पुसिला तुज ॥
तरी अनुसरलिया काई । ऐसें कीजे ? ॥
Preyas means what we like and the way of living which gratifies out senses. On the other hand, śreyās means something which is superior and better for us. In order to attain śreyās, we have to give up preyas. For example, if a person is diabetic, then he has to give up eating sweets.
We can connect with our śreyās through Gita. The way to go about is " GITA PADHE PADHAYE JEEVAN MEIN LAYE " As we all are learning Gīta, teaching Gīta, but the question is how to bring it in our lives? The answer is Śaranāgati (surrender).
Śrībhagavānuvāca :
loke'smindvividhā niṣṭhā, purā proktā mayānagha,
jñānayogena sāṅkhyānāṃ(ṅ), karmayogena yoginām. 3.3
AccordinglyBhagavan had earlier reprimanded Arjuna but now Arjuna has completely surrendered to HIM, he is ready to listen to the things of interest, even the unpleasant ones, therefore the HE addresses him as anagha meaning sinless.
मजचिपासूनि प्रगटा । अनादिसिद्धा ॥
एकु ज्ञानयोगु म्हणिजे । जो सांख्यीं अनुष्ठिजे ।
जेथ ओळखीसवें पाविजें । तद्रूपता ॥
एक कर्मयोगु जाण । जेथ साधकजन निपुण ।
होऊनियां निर्वाण । पावती वेळे ॥
हे मार्गु तरी दोनी । परी एकवटतीं निदानीं ।
जैसी सिद्धसाध्य भोजनीं । तृप्ती एक ॥
Śrī Bhagavān answers that HE has already explained the two paths that lead to emancipation of a human being: Sānkhya-Yoga (the path of Knowledge) and Karmā-Yoga (the path of Action). The person has to decide, which path he has to choose, that will undoubtedly depend on the pravritti (way of thinking) of a person.
Although the final destination is same for all, but there are different methods that can be employed to reach there. For example, if someone has to go to Delhi, he can go by bus, car, train or plane. The person will decide according to his capability. Similarly, from the various means to attain HIM, Śrī Bhagavān advises Arjunā to follow the path of karmāyoga as that is the most superior for him.
Śrī Bhagavān feels Arjunā has predominant Rājasika Guna and being a Kshatriya, his pravritti (way of thinking) would be more suitable for a Karma Yogi.
Here the difference between provisions and food was used to explain the concept of both these Yogas. The Gyan Yogi had prepared his food in his several previous births but a Karma Yogi would have to use the provisions and cook the food in this birth before he can eat that.
Besides even if he left the war and went to meditate, his mind would keep wondering what was going on in the war and whether his brothers were loosing the war!
This pravritti (way of thinking) of a person, was further illustrated by an example of Sant Gondavlekar who was a great believer of Naam Japa and would encourage all who came to visit his Ashram to join him in Chanting 'Shree Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram'. There were some construction workers working in his Ashram for some repair work. Seeing Maharaj constantly using the Japa Mala (rosary) and chanting, the workers felt that this Maharaj had a very easy life where as they had to work hard to break stones to earn their living. Maharaj heard them and invited them to sit for the whole day with Japa Mala and Chant the name of God and Maharaj offered to pay them without working. The workers did so for the first day but the very next day refused and told the Maharaj that it was easy for them to break stones than chanting the name of God the whole day.
It is not possible for everyone to sit in dhyāna (meditation), although it might seem to others that it is quite easy. But when it comes to concentrating on the Supreme, not everyone can do it.
na karmaṇāmanārambhān, naiṣkarmyaṃ(m) puruṣo'śnute,
na ca sannyasanādeva, siddhiṃ(m) ṣamadhigacchati. 3.4
Most people give up on action as they are afraid of the result but to attain Brahman the mind needs to reach the condition where it does not want to do anything, does not want to know anything and even does not want anything at all in life. Till the time this condition is achieved by the mind, a person has to keep working and training his mind not to worry about the result.
na hi kaścitkṣaṇamapi, jātu tiṣṭhatyakarmakṛt,
kāryate hyavaśaḥ(kh) karma, sarvaḥ(ph) prakṛtijairguṇaiḥ. 3.5
There is no one who can remain without action even for a moment. All beings are compelled to act by the three gunas (Rājasika, Sāttvika, Tāmasika) obtained from prakriti (Nature). Our actions of eating, sleeping, sitting even breathing is considered as action. So as per our prakriti (Nature), we all are engaged in various activities all the time.
The steering of car was compared to sattvaguna which takes the car in the correct direction, petrol was compared with with rajoguna as it allows the car to move forward and the brakes with tamoguna as it stops the car from moving. As all the three are equally important for driving a car, in the same way, all have vital role in our lives too. They impel us to work and engage in useful activities.
karmendriyāṇi saṃyamya, ya āste manasā smaran,
indriyārthānvimūḍhātmā, mithyācāraḥ(s) sa ucyate. 3.6
Those who restrain the external organs of action and do not seem to perform any action, while at the same time continue to enjoy the sense objects, are best called as mithyā-āchārah (hypocrite).
An elderly Guru had advised his two young disciples to not touch Kanchan (Gold ) and Kamini (a Woman). Once the two disciples were walking in the Himalayas to go back to their hermitage. On their way to the hermitage; they had to cross a branch of river Ganga.
There was a young maiden sitting close to the river, whose village was just across the river. Scared as she was to cross the river by herself, she approached them to help her cross the river. “Sure” said the elder disciple, lifted her up in his arms and carefully crossed the river. The young maiden went on her way, after thanking the monk for his timely help. The younger disciple couldn’t accept this gesture by the elder one and soon his face wore a pensive look.
They reached their hermitage but the younger disciple looked very perturbed, sensing it the Guru asked him what the matter was. The disciple complained, “Master, we have sworn not to touch a woman, but he carried her in his arms! You tell us not to think of women but he touched her!” The Guru asked the other disciple about the incident and he replied that he had helped a woman cross the river but had forgotten all about it. Guru said to the younger disciple with a smile, “He carried her across the river and left her on the other side, but you are still carrying her.”
Quoting the above story, it was explained that the most essential thing is to have control on organs of perception and mind. If a person controls the activities outwardly but do not restrain the desires which impel him, then he is a hypocrite.
yastvindriyāṇi manasā, niyamyārabhate'rjuna,
karmendriyaiḥ(kh) karmayogam, asaktaḥ(s) sa viśiṣyate. 3.7
The mind gets immersed in sensual pleasures of Gyanendriyas (nose, eyes, tongue, skin and ears) and Karmendriyas (organs of action). It has to be brought under control so it will use the senses for śreyās and not preyās.
A child is attracted to a TV program and not ready to work has to be trained to complete his homework first before he is allowed to watch the TV program. Similarly, slowly the mind can be trained to use all senses for right actions without attachment to either the activity or its result.
niyataṃ(ṅ) kuru karma tvaṃ(ṅ), karma jyāyo hyakarmaṇaḥ,
śarīrayātrāpi ca te, na prasiddhyedakarmaṇaḥ. 3.8
One should perform all the prescribed duties, as action is superior to inaction. The activities should never be ceased as the mind gets purified by performing actions. One cannot sustain with inaction, as even to live, one has to perform the action of breathing, eating etc. But, if every action is performed as a duty towards HIM, it becomes yajña.
Two types of Karmas - Actions were explained here.
(i) Vihit Karma - are general actions to be performed by a person or broad spectrum of duties.
(ii) Nihit Karma - are specific duties.
These were illustrated with the example. A mother takes care of the household doing all the chores (Vihit karma), but if on a particular day her child is sick her Nihit Karma would be specific duty for that day like to take the child to a doctor and give medicines for the child's recovery.
Similarly Arjun's Vihit Karma or general duty was to protect his people but now when the War had become a reality his Nihit Karma was to fight. Even if Arjun left the War he would not be able to leave all his actions so it would be better for him to fight and do his required duty.
yajñārthātkarmaṇo'nyatra, loko'yaṃ(ṅ) karmabandhanaḥ,
tadarthaṃ(ṅ) karma kaunteya, muktasaṅgaḥ(s) samācara. 3.9
Work must be always done as a yajña (sacrifice) to the Supreme; otherwise it will cause bondage in this material world. In return, that yajña will bestow upon the performer, all his wishes.
For a yajña (sacrifice) there are usually three fires lit in the center of the offering ground. Oblations are offered into the fire. Among the ingredients offered as oblations in the yajna are Ghee, Milk, Grains etc. The fire has the authority to make these sacrifices reach different Devas who are the energies of the Universe like Varun Deva - Deva for Water, Vayu Deva - Deva for winds etc. These Devas in turn take care of smooth working of this world and beyond. By offering various sacrifices to them we are eligible to seek their blessings and boons as per our scriptures.
Everyone is required to contribute as per their capability for these yajña (sacrifice) as these are for community welfare and with everyone participating in these yajña (sacrifice) the work can be done smoothly and properly.
sahayajñāḥ(ph) prajāḥ(s) sṛṣṭvā, purovāca prajāpatiḥ,
anena prasaviṣyadhvam, eṣa vo'stviṣṭakāmadhuk. 3.10
Tapas (control over mind and body) and dāna (charity) can be done alone but yajña is always a teamwork. TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. No one can survive alone in this world as we all are dependent on each other.
GOD stands for Generator, Operator and Destroyer. This śrishti (Creation) has been created by Brahmaji through a yajña.
All the activities like shining of the Sun or flowing of rivers, show the spirit of sacrifice without any selfish motives. We benefit when we work as a team.
I studied in a school which I didn't build, I walk on the roads, I didn't make, I read the books from a library I didn't build, I eat the food given by trees and plants I didn't grow ! Just like I am using things done by others I too have the duty to work for others in whatever capacity I can as my oblation to this yajña of inter-dependent mankind. Only working with cooperation we are assured the benefits from this yajña of Mankind.
One needs to look at our own revered Gurudev Govind Dev Giri ji Maharaj who is holding the responsibility of the treasurer of Sri Ram Mandir, he has prepared countless volunteers to reach the Gyana Ganga of the Gita from house to house and this Ghar Ghar Gita Gyan Yagya is being completed. Many such Karma Yogis are still performing Yagna Karma. If One performs the duties assigned according to their nature, the desires of the heart will automatically be fulfilled.The session ended with obeisance to the Supreme followed by a question answer session.
Question and Answer session
Prem Lata Tukaram ji
Question: What is Stithprajna?
Answer: Stithprajna is to be steadfast in wisdom.In the last 18 verses of the second Chapter HE has showcased HIS self portrait... the qualities of a role model. These qualities lead one to the epitome of knowledge and make him a true Jñāni. One needs to strive to reach this goal.
Dolly Ji
Question: What is the easiest way to rid oneself of all vices like kaam, krodh, moh, lobh etc.
Answer: Naam japa is the best way to rid oneself of these vices. One needs to be in company of the Supreme and other saints who are free from these vices. Naam japa illumines the antah karan and purifies one from all vices. Tulsi Das ji also prays to Ram ji to seat in his mind and heart so that there is no room for bad thoughts.
Shailaja Ji
Question: I would like to know more about Gulab Rao Ji Maharaj
Answer: He is one of the highly acclaimed saints of India. He was born in Vidharva. He is known as 'Prajnachakshu' as he was blind since childhood. He lost his mother at an early age and was ill treated by his step mother. Inspite of his blindness and a difficult childhood, he read many scriptures with the help of others and then wrote 130 texts to enlighten the world. He had predicted that Bhagavadgītā will be the best text to guide mankind in his spiritual endeavors.
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