विवेचन सारांश

An intelligent person knows the meaning of true renunciation, and does not consider himself as the doer of any activity.

akuśalaṃ karma - unfavourable tasks
kuśale karma - favourable tasks

Why does a task become unfavourable? The reasons are as follows:

• Inconvenient
• lack of expertise
• non-rewarding

A task becomes favourable when

• it is easy and convenient
• doer has expertise in that area
• is more rewarding, bringing name and fame.

Sri Krishna says that a person who does not renounce the attachment to the karma (atyagi) prefers the favourable tasks over the unfavourable ones. However, a tyagi (who has renounced the karma) does not differentiate between any task. He neither hates unfavourable ones nor attaches to favourable ones. He is undoubtedly (chinnasaṃśayaḥ) intelligent (medhāvī) and saturated with sattvic guna (sattvasamāviṣṭo). Jnaneshwar Maharaj says that a tyagi is like the water that flows through the channels in the field without any discretion or bias. 

Sri Krishna makes a decisive statement that it is impossible for an embodied being (dehabhṛtā) to give up on action totally. The same was emphasized in chapter 3

na hi kascit ksanam api jatu tisthaty akarma-krt
karyate hy avasah karma sarvah prakrti-jair gunaih (3.5)
No one can refrain from doing anything, even for a moment.

However, we can free ourselves from the results which are bound to follow the actions. One has to bear the fruits of the actions, but should not be bound to it. Actions are like seeds that we sow in the soil. We have to reap what we sow. Good and right actions deliver good results, and vice versa.

Sri Krishna is not giving a superficial suggestion, but a detailed analysis of the different types of results of the karmas done, as can be seen in the next shloka.

Every action, be it simple or complex, will give results, which can be classified into 

These results are applicable to the atyagi, who is attached to the fruits of the action. The results will follow such a person even after his death. For example, learning Gītā in this lifetime is considered as a result of our past lives good karmas.

While an Atyagi will have to bear the results, a tyagi or sannyasi (who has given up on the fruits) is free from the results which will have no bearing on him. He will be liberated from the world. Hence, it is extremely important to become a sannyasi from within ourselves, not just externally (wearing an orange robe and detaching oneself from the world). Internally, one should become a sattvic tyagi, doing good without expectation of any return. A true sannyasi is one who has samatva bhaav (equanimous in all situations) and has relinquished the fruits of his duties. 

Sri Krishna takes us to an important topic - He gives a detailed analysis of how all activities happen in the universe. Thus far, we learnt about karma mimamsa - how a task binds us, and what should and shouldn't be done. 

Once a karma is done, different parameters come into picture and influence the karma. Sri Krishna says that the knowledgeable people (well versed in Vedanta ) are aware that five basic components are essential for the completion of any act/ karma. 

He refers to Arjuna as Mahabaho (man of great strength), implying that Arjuna is a task master, excellent in any activity he undertakes, and hence should be aware of these details.

Body is the first necessary element, without which no action can be undertaken. The body needs a doer, which is the ahankar ('I'ness) or the individual atma that results within the body and identifies itself with the body. The Atma is in fact like uncontaminated pure gold, while the Jīvātmā is the gold contaminated with impurities in order to give it a form or shape. The impurities relate to the characteristics of Prakṛti which get incorporated into the Atma when it enters into a body. The sense organs form the instruments of accomplishing any task. In addition, physical and mental efforts are also needed. 

daivaṃ refers to the accumulation of our past karmas and current Sādhanā. Our past karmas can be the facilitators of our tasks or obstacles. Current Sādhanās help to remove the obstacles. It should not be noted that destiny / fate is only 1/5th of the success formula. Instead of blaming destiny for our failures, we should focus on other parameters like efforts and Sādhanā to see fruition of our actions. These five components work not only at the individual level, but also at the organisational or society level. Take farming as an example:

Sri Krishna further elaborates that the five components contribute to all actions, be it noble (nyāyyaṃ) or evil (viparītaṃ), that are accomplished by the use of body (śarīra), speech (vāk) and mind (manah). 

Body, speech and mind are the three subtle internal components that help accomplish the tasks. For example, the thought of learning Gītā pops up in your mind. You vocalise your thought to a friend, who forwards the link of the program. Using the body, you register for the class.

Sri Krishna has explained in the 17th chapter how to put the body, speech and mind, to the best possible use, when He spoke about sharira tapah, Vāngmaya and manasic tapah.

devadvijaguruprājña, pūjanaṃ śaucamārjavam,
brahmacaryamahiṃsā ca, śārīraṃ tapa ucyate. 17.14 

anudvegakaraṃ vākyaṃ, satyaṃ priyahitaṃ ca yat,
svādhyāyābhyasanaṃ caiva, vāṅmayaṃ tapa ucyate. 17.15

manaḥ prasādaḥ saumyatvaṃ, maunamātmavinigrahaḥ,
bhāvasaṃśuddhirityetat, tapo mānasamucyate. 17.16
If one follows these means as gateways, every act will become a sattvic act (tapah). These elements will ensure successful accomplishment of any task, be it noble or evil. Negative tasks (like creation of bombs for destruction purposes) also use the same set of parameters. 

One may ask what is the role of Atma in these tasks?
In all these instances, the Atma does not come into picture at all. It is neutral and detached from the actions.

Sri Krishna elaborates on the differences in thought process of the enlightened jnani and the others who consider themselves as the doer.

The ignorant people with limited knowledge (akṛtabuddhitvān) misconstrue that the atma is the doer. But what is the actual role of the Atma?

Consider that you are working in a well-lit room. The light in the room helps you to work, but the light by itself is not doing the work. Similarly, all the actions are done by the body under the light of the Atma; the atma is not doing the actions. Just like the Sun is not responsible for the hurt that it's reflection causes to your eyes, the Atma is not responsible for any actions done by the body. All credit goes to the Prakṛti, as described in chapter 3.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni, guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ,
ahaṅkāravimūḍhātmā, kartāhamiti manyate 3.27
Prakṛti is the cause of all actions; however, because of ego-driven misidentification, the unwise wrongly assumes the self to be the doer.

Because of our misidentification and ahankar generated by our lack of knowledge, we get deluded and have the foolish (durmatiḥ) notion that the self is the doer. 

What is the vision of the intellects?
Those people who do not have the ego of being the doer (nāhaṅkṛto bhāvo), whose intellect is not tainted (buddhiryasya na lipyate), are not bound by any actions (na nibadhyate). Sri Krishna states that even if such a person slays someone (hatvāpi sa imāṃllokān), he is free from incurring any sin.

It may seem strange that Sri Krishna is talking about something terrible like killing. It should not be misunderstood that He is advocating killing. We must remember that the conversation was happening on the battlefield, where Arjuna was fearful of committing a sin by killing his own people. Sri Krishna is assuring him that he would not be committing a sin if he wages the war as a duty without any personal malice.

Consider the role of an executor whose duty is to hang anyone who is sentenced to death. He is not committing a crime because he is just doing his duty of following the orders of the judge, and not killing due to his personal grudge or tainted intellect. However, if he kills someone out of personal interest/ vengeance, he is liable for punishment. Similarly, the soldiers protecting our country are not functioning with a personal motive of enmity; it is their duty, hence they are not tainted by their act of killing the enemies.

We should be intelligent enough to decide what is right; what is duty and what is not. Only an intellect that is not clouded by ignorance will not fall prey to the mistakes and will not incur sins. We can free ourselves from the side effects of the karma, if we have the right intellect. Swamiji advices us to study our scriptures in order to have an awakened intellect. Jnaneshwar Maharaj opines that Mahabharata is a garden full of trees of wisdom. 

Bhagavān gives us step by step directive to enhance our intellect, and be free from the karma.

Bhagavān says that there are three impulses (karmacodanā) that inspire any action to occur:

Take for example, a child decides to make tea for himself.

However, just the presence of these three has not yet transpired into action. When the desire gets converted into physical activity, the impulses get transformed into constituents of actions  (karmasaṅgraha).

That is, the inspiration turns into action.

The constituents of actions (jñānaṃ, karma, kartā) come under the influence of Prakṛti and naturally will be influenced by the three gunas (tridhaiva guṇabhedataḥ). jñānaṃ, karma, and kartā fall into three types (sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic) as per the science of Sāṃkhya darshan, and will be explained in the upcoming shlokas.The session culminated with a prayer and chanting of Hanuman Chalisa.

Gururaja Bhat ji
Q: Who is greater between Hanuman ji and Arjuna?
A: Both are great and belong to different yugas; one cannot compare them. Hanuman ji is said to be an avatar of Shiv ji, and is a giver of Ashtasiddhi. Arjuna is an ideal human. If we want to become like Arjuna, we should bow down to Hanuman ji and seek his blessings.

Q: Why do we conclude the sessions with Hanuman chalisa?
A: This practice started around the time of Ram Pratishta. Swamiji says that we must recite Hanuman chalisa if we want to regain our country's super power. Hanuman's power increased when he was reminded of them. When we sing his stutis, he blesses us and his powers hidden within us increase. The more people recite it the more powerful it will become. Hanuman ji is the key to get everything, as stated in the Ramraksha stotra. Hence, we conclude the sessions with Hanuman chalisa.