CHAPTER4- JNANAKARMASANYASAYOGA
THE TRUTH ABOUT ACTION
Sree bhagavan uvaacha
1.imam vivasvathe yogam prokthavaan aham avyayam
vivasvaan manave praaha manuH ikshvaakave abraveeth
The Lord said
I taught this yoga to the Sun and he told it to Manu who told it to Ikshvaku.
2. evam paramparaapraaptham imam raajarshayo vidhuH
sa kaalena iha mahathaa yogaH nashtaH paramthapa
Thus the royal sages knew this yoga obtained through tradition, but it became extinct in course of time, Arjuna.
3. sa eva ayam mayaa the adhya yogaH prokthaH puraathanaH
bhakthaH asi me sakhaa cha ithi rahasyam hi ethath utthamam
The same is the yoga, which is a great secret is taught by me to you now because you are my devotee and friend.
The discipline of knowledge along with renunciation of result through yoga of action has been explained so far in the previous chapters. Now Krishna sets out the authenticity of Karmayoga by tracing it back to the Sun. He says `imamvivasvathe yogam prokthavaan aham avyayam,' "I taught this immortal yoga to the Sun." Krishna further says that this yoga was known to the rajarshis, who were the descendents of the Sun and it became extinct in course of time. The yoga is ancient and a supreme secret and Krishna tells Arjuna that He will impart the knowledge to Arjuna as he is a devotee and a friend.
The Lord says that He taught this karmayoga to the Sun. This means, there could not be a better example of a karmayogi than the Sun. He shines to all and stands as a witness to everything that happens, good or bad and is not affected by anything. He goes on doing his duty as ordained by the Lord. This quality is imparted to the Sun by the Lord only and that is why He says `aham vivasvathe prokthavaan imam yogam, I told this to the Sun.
As all beings came from Manu it is said that the Sun taught this to Manu, who did his karma without attachment, following the command of the Lord. Ikshvaku is the descendant of the Sun and hence as the kings of the solar race were reputed to be karmayogins it is mentioned that it was parampara praptham, handed down by tradition.
What Krishna meant by saying that this yoga became lost in course of time is that, there was a general decline in dharma by the time the Mahabharatha war started .Hence it was rare to find karmayogis among the royal sages like Ikshvaku and Janaka. Bheeshma might have been the sole exemption.
The yoga is referred to as the supreme secret because it is the way to the supreme and could not be understood or followed easily without the proper guidance from a guru.
Krishna says to Arjuna that he was instructing this yoga to him because Arjuna was his devotee and friend. To receive a upadesa one must have faith and should be close to the guru. Arjuna being the faithful follower of Krishna and had great love for him Krishna thought that he was the fitting recipient to the secret means of salvation.
4. aparam bhavatho janma param janma vivasvathaH
kaTham ethath vijaaneeyaam thvam aadhou prokthavaan ithi
Arjuna said,
Your birth is later and that of the Sun was earlier. Then how can I understand your saying that taught this yoga to the Sun.
Now , Arjuna, who has been hitherto considering Krishna as the son of Devaki, though with great reverence and adoration, comes out with a legitimate doubt. He expresses his disbelief that Krishna had expounded the yoga to the Sun as the birth of Krishna was much later than the Sun, who was of ancient origin.
But Arjuna was not totally unaware of the divinity of Krishna. He has seen that during the rajasuyayaga and during their exploits together before the war and also from Bheeshma and others. But he simply wanted to know the real truth about the incarnation of the Lord as Krishna, not for his own sake but for the others who may not understand it. Even though he knew who Krishna was he wanted it to be reiterated by Krishna Himself.
Sree Bhagavan uvaacha
5. bahooni me vyatheethaani janmaani thava cha arjuna
thaan aham vedha sarvaaNi na thvam vetTha paranthapa
Many lives have passed of Me and you, Arjuna, and I know them while you do not.
Now for the first time Krishna reveals His true identity as the Self of all, though it was hinted at in the third chapter of the Gita `mayi sarvaani karmaani sanyasya.' The Supreme Self is the sarvajna, omniscient, not being contaminated by karma and it is only the individual transmigratory self, jiva, who has limited knowledge due to karma. The pure self has no karma as Krishna asserts in the third chapter `na me partha asthi karthavyam.' As if sensing the question in the mind of Arjuna that if Krishna is none other than the Supreme Self why should He be born at all?
Krishna was explaining in the second chapter that though the bodies change the self changes not. This is what is meant here by saying "you have had may lives and so have I." The embodied soul, jeeva, goes on entering the cycle of birth and death but there is no birth for the real self. And for the Lord who is the inner self of all there is no birth at all. Then what did Krishna mean by saying that He also had many births and why?
This is explained in the next three slokas.
6.ajo api san avyayaathmaa bhoothaanaam eeSvaro api san
prakrthim svaam aDhishTaaya sambhavaami aathmamaayayaa
Though I am birthless, and immutable self, though I am the Lord of all beings, I am born by my own maya assuming my own nature.
The upanishat says that the Brahman, the supreme self, willed to become many, `thath aikshatha bahu syaam prajaayEya,' (Chan.Up.) and we find in the purushasuktha the words, `ajaayamaano bahuDhaa vijaayathe,' the unborn takes many births. Here the word birth should be understood as manifesting and not being born in the usual sense.
Desika describing the birth of Krishna says that Devaki, the eastern direction produced the Lord , the moon, implying that He was not born in the usual way but as He says in this sloka `sambhavaamiaathmamaayayaa,' He only made Himself manifest as the moon coming out in the East.
Prakrthim svaam aDhishTaaya means employing own nature. That is , the Lord manifests in mortal form without giving up any of His innate nature such as the mastery over all beings, imperishability and birthlessness.
Sruti tells us that even a fraction of the Supreme Being is whole and complete by itself.' Om poornamadhfpoornamidham poornaath poornam udachyathe poornasya poornam aadhaaya poornameva avasishyathe.' That is whole;. This is whole; what has come out of the whole is also whole. When the whole is taken out of the whole, the whole still remains whole
It sounds mind boggling! Not really .Let us examine this. We know that the Lord is everywhere. Does it mean that He fragments himself and is present in all beings? No. He is present everywhere in His complete form only. For example it is not possible to cut the AkAsa into parts because it is one whole. But the space inside the pot is seen as ghatAkAsa while the space outside is mahAkAsa. But both are the same and forms one whole. Similarly the Brahman being one whole, is present everywhere as one whole.
So when the Lord comes out as an incarnation, He appears in the form in His full glory. That is all. He puts on different costumes and comes down as incarnations like an actor and He acts according to the role He assumes. The costumes are supplied by His own maya, aathmamaayayaa.
Ramanuja in his commentary says that the word maya means knowledge according to the lexicon of Yaska. It is maya to others but it is the knowledge of the Lord, who is the sarvajna. Just because we do not understand it we call it maya, as the magic of the magician to whom it is not magic but knowledge.
Hence what Krishna means by `prakrthim svaam aDhishTaaya sambhavaami aathma maayayaa,' is this:
Keeping His infinitely auspicious qualities in tact, He assumes a form in His incarnations through His own maya. By appearing in the world in mortal form and going through the functions and experiences of the humans, the Lord puts Himself under the influence of His own maya by His own free will.
Why should He do so? This is explained in the next two slokas.
7. yadhaa yadhaa hi Dharmasya glaanih bhavathi bhaaratha
abhyutThaanam aDharmasya thadhaa aathmaanam srjaamyaham
Whenever there is a decline in dharma and rising of adharma I manifest Myself.
8. parithraaNaaya saaDhoonaam vinaaSaaya cha dhushkrthaam
Dharma samsThaapanaarThaaya smbhavaami yuge yuge
For the protection of the good and the destruction of the wicked and to establish dharma I incarnate in every yuga.
The purpose of incarnation is explained here. When there is dearth of dharma and abundance of adharma the Lord manifests Himself to protect the good and to punish the wicked. But this is not as simple as that. It is known the Lord took the incarnations of Varaha, the Boar and Nrsimha , the man lion to punish the demons Hiranyaksha and Hirnayakasipu and to protect the devotees like Prahlada and to retrieve the earth from the ocean. How does this apply to the statement `yadhaa yadhaa hi dharmasya glaanih,' decline in dharma and `abhyutThaanam adharmasya,' uprising of adharma. For this we have to examine the meaning of the episodes of Varaha and Nrsimha.
The mythology has it that the doorkeepers of vaikunta were cursed by the sanakaadhi and they chose to have three births opposing the Lord rather than many as devotees because they wanted to return to the service of the Lord quickly. But the Puranas and Ithihasas are not fairy tales but have deeper significance. Even so, to the believers in modern age it is necessary to show that our Puranas and Ithihasas are not mere stories to be swallowed without thinking. Let us see what was the significance of these two avatharas that support the statement in the sloka `yadhaa yadhaahi .'
The word hiranya means gold and aksha eyes. The one who has his eyes on the gold is a hiranyaaksha The hiranyabuddhi in contrast with bhagavatbuddhi denotes a materialistic outlook which envelopes the whole world eclipsing bhagavatbuddhi, the spiritual outlook. The whole world becomes immersed in materialism. The mahaavaraaha, the Big Boar is also vrishaakapi, dharma incarnate. Bhaagavatha puraana describes the Varaaha as Yajnavaraaha, the embodiment of yajna. This idea is also presented in chapter 3, where the Absolute Reality, Brahman, is said to be established in yajna, which means that the yajna signifies dharma. That was why the asuras destroyed the yajna activities to show their antagonism to the Lord. Thus Mahaavaraaha alone could save the world from hiranyabuddhi.
The earth was described as looking like a small ball on the tusk of the Varaaha implying that for those with bhagavatbuddhi the material world is thuchcha, of no value. The oceans were only knee deep for the Varaaha, the wild boar, who was fierce looking for the wicked but gentle to devotees.
Hiranyaaksha and his brother Hiranyakasipu, kasipu meaning food and clothing, stand for materialism. Prahlaadha denotes bhagavatbhakthi which is hindered by hiranyabuddhi. When the true devotee is persecuted by the materialistic world the Lord manifests as a man-lion for the protection of His bhaktha.
Hiranyakasipu's boons signify the dhvandhva, the pair of opposites, the presence of which can never destroy the enemy within and without. The desire for gold, represented by Hirnyakasipu can only be quelled a dhvandhvaatheetha, the intellect that has transcended the pairs of opposites, sukha-duhka, joy and sorrow, laabha- alaabha, gain and loss, jaya ,ajaya , success and failure. Nrsimha is described as na mrgam na maanusham , which does not mean that He is half man and half lion but that He is indescribable, being the Supreme Reality.
When the two door keepers were born as asuras for three births, the Lord killed them both in one incarnation when they were born as Raavana, Kumbhakarna and as Sisupaala ,Dhanthavakra, But He needed two incarnations, namely that of Varaaha and Nrsimha to kill them as Hiranyaaksha and Hiranyakasipu, who personify madha, arrogance, and krodha, anger respectively. Of the six internal enemies of man, Ravana stands for kaama, desire, Kumbhakarna for moha, delusion and Sisupaala and Dhanthavakra represent maathsarya envy and lobha, avarice. This shows that it is more difficult to conquer anger and arrogance than the others.
Taken in this sense the words `yadha yadha hi dharmasya,' etc. mean that whenever there is adharma overpowering dharma the Lord manifests Himself, and His avataras were numerous, the ten commonly known being the most prominent ones where the manifestation is complete displaying the divinity in full.
One may doubt that when the evil is rampant at present why the Lord is not manifesting Himself. One answer given by the commentators is that the Lord is more concerned with the protection of the devotees rather than punishing of the wicked and when a devotee like Prahlada was tormented He would appear but now there is not even one Prahlada among us, all being Hiranyakasipus in varied degrees! But looking at it from different angle, the incarnation is happening all the time, only we are not aware of it because we lack the devotion and faith. Whenever there is manifestation of good, may it be someone who comes to your rescue in a crisis or some pure soul saves you by right advice there you can see the manifestation of divinity.
The reason why the Lord is not appearing in a clearly manifest form is because He alone knows when the time is ripe for it. He did not come as soon as the demons started harassing the world. The karma of everyone has to be worked out and He is the karmaphaladhaathaa, one who apportions the results of karma to everyone. But the most important thing to remember is that He never ever forsakes His true devotees.
Only question that remains in this context is why the Lord should destroy the wicked?
Can He not change their nature by mere will or even without coming down as an incarnation?
The answer to the first question is that destruction is not annihilation. Only the body is destroyed as and when the karma pertaining to that particular body is exhausted. The Lord kills the asuras who are freed from evil impulses and get a better life being killed by Him. Like cutting off a decayed limb for the sake of the welfare of the body, the physical body is destroyed for the welfare of the soul.
The answer to the second question pertains not to the dhushtanigraha, destruction of the wicked but to the anugraha, showing grace to the devotees. For instance He could have killed Ravana from where He was and need not have taken the trouble of going to the forest as a human being and lose his wife etc. It was to prove true the boon given by Brahma , who was also His devotee and it is an example sishtaparipalana but more than that it was to bless the rishis and other devotees like Guha, Sabari and Vibeehsana and to give joy to all by His beautiful form and qualities. Similar is the incarnation of Krishna. The anugraha shown in these avatharas outweigh the nigraha.
9. janma karma cha me dhivyam evam yo vetThi thattvatahH
thyakthvaa dheham punarjanma na ethi maam ethi paandava
The one who knows my divine birth and my actions as it is truly, does not get rebirth when he leaves his body but reaches Me only, Arjuna.
10. veetharaagabhayakroDhaah manmayaa maam upaaSrithaaH
bahavo jnaanathapasaa poothaah madhbhaavam aaSrithaaH
Many have attained my state, purified by the austerity of knowledge, freed from desire, fear and anger, being engrossed in Me and resorting to Me.
To understand the true nature of the Supreme Self, `janma karma cha me dhivyam' is the right knowledge and one who acquires this transcends the cycle of birth and death, thyakthvaa dheham punarjanmanethi maamethi,' and attains the mukthi. This is the path of emancipation which existed from time immemorial and many have attained it by jnanathapas, the austerity of knowledge, which consists of getting rid of desire, fear and anger, veethraagabhayakrodhaah, through utter dependence on the Lord, perceiving Him in everything `manmayaa maamupaasrithaah.' Thus they attain the status of the Lord, which signifies the state of salvation, Mukthi.
Understanding the truth of the birth, which is only manifestation and actions, which are not comprehensible by all, is possible only through contemplation on the Lord and His incarnations which results in the perception of the Lord Himself. Such a yogi transcends the cycle of transmigration and reaches the ultimate.
The sloka 10 outlines all the three paths to salvation, namely, karmayoga, bhakthiyoga and jnanayoga.
VeetharaagabhayakroDha, freedom from desire, fear and anger implies karmayoga, Desire for the result of action creates fear in the form of anxiety and failure to get the result provokes anger. When the same action is done as karmayoga without expectation of result, the desire, fear and anger are eradicated. Manmayaa maamupaSrithaaH indicates bhakthiyoga.. When the mind is engrossed in the Lord all other desires are automatically removed and the only desire is the union with the Lord. The devotee performs all actions as a service and as an offering to the Lord. As a result of bhakthi they become purified by the knowledge of the real nature of the Lord and comprehend His manifestations and His actions fully. Thus they cross over the samsara and attains the Lord, never to enter into embodiment again.
11. ye yaThaa maam prapadhyanthe thaan thaTha eva bajaamyaham
mama varthmaa anuvarthanthe manushyaaH paarThasarvaSaH
Whoever approaches me in whatever manner I show my favour to them in the same manner. People proceed along the path only in all respects.
In whatever form one seeks the Lord, He appears in the same form to the devotee. The criticism of Hinduism being pantheistic is proved wrong by this. There is only one God who can be called by any name or conceived in any form; provided the worshipper remembers that He is not limited to that name or form. The Lord who is everywhere, in and out of all being is naturally present also in the particular form in which one thinks of Him. So Krishna affirms that all men follow His path only.
Not only the different forms of the Lord, Rama ,Krishna, Siva, etc. is mentioned here but also the attitude with which the people approach Him. This is further elaborated in the sloka `chathurviDhaa bajanthe maam,' in 7th chapter.(BG.7-16)
Krishna was looked upon and loved by people in different ways. As a son by Yasodha, as a friend by uddhava, Arjuna and others, as a saviour by Droupadi, as a lover by gopis, as a husband by his wives etc. He acted and showered His grace in the same manner as they approached Him. Similarly it was in Ramavathara. Even to Ravana , Kamsa , Sisupala and others who considered Him as their enemy, He appeared to them in the same role and killed only their physical body and finally purifying them from their evil propensities and absorbing them into His fold.
The Brahman, the supreme reality is the inner self of all and the power behind all actions of all beings sentient or insentient. The electricity is everywhere but comes through each instrument in that particular form and for that particular function. When the instrument is switched off the electricity is still there but unmanifest. Similarly in some, the divinity is manifest and in others it is dormant and hidden by ignorance of different degrees
"All follow my path only," may create a doubt whether even the evildoers follow the path of the Lord. It is like this. To go up a mountain, the path appears sometimes to go downhill but eventually it leads you to the top. Once started on the journey of life one has to go through the path chosen by the karma and sometimes it takes one away from the Lord but still it is a journey uphill only. One can reach a destination quickly by air or more slowly by other transport or one could take a circuitous route not knowing where to go. But like the mountainous path it goes one way only and finally you have to reach the top. All act only for the sake of attaining happiness, including the wicked, and the real happiness comes only on attaining the Supreme, the brahmananda. The embodied soul will not rest till he reaches there.
12. kaankshanthah karmaNaam sidDhim yajantha iha dhevathaaH
kshipram hi maanushe loke sidDhiH bhavathi karmajaa
Desirous of results of action people worship minor deities. The result of actions in this world is swift.
There are various activities prescribed in the Vedas to fulfill the worldly desires and also the desire to go to heaven, which is as transient as the rest. For this purpose various deities are worshipped and invoked by yajnas etc. All these devathas are vested with limited power by the Lord and sanction the fruit of the action once the conditions of the ritual are followed meticulously. But they are not concerned about the outcome of the fulfillment of desires which may not be conducive to happiness as expected. But the Lord does not give what we ask for but only what is good for us. That is why the devotees who pray for something do not always get it. Here it is necessary to examine the term devatas, minor gods.
In this world men seeking the fruition of their activities worship the minor gods, says Krishna, Who are the minor gods referred to here? It does not mean any particular deity but imply only the limited power which men seek to fulfill their desires, and the activities undertaken for that purpose are desire motivated. It is like asking a millionaire for a few coins. But the actions that are prescribed in the veda for desired ends definitely bear fruit in this life itself, though transient.. But the result of the desire motivated actions need not and often do not bring happiness. A man who diligently pursues a course of action in order to amass wealth is also a worshipper of a minor deity, namely, money . The action undoubtedly gives the desired result but the effect of it may turn out to be quite the reverse. Under the circumstances can a man, who is engaged in desire motivated activity, be considered as following the path of the Lord? The answer to this is given later in the seventh chapter of the Gita, in the sloka, `udhaaraassarva evaithe' (Ch.7-18)
13. chaaturvarNyam mayaa srshtam guna karmavibhaagaSaH
thasya karthaaram api maam vidDhi akarthaaram avyayam
The four orders of society are created by Me according to the differences in their attitude and actions. Though I am the creator know me to be a non-agent of action and immutable.
Why should there be any difference in the activities of the .people if all are following the same path? The answer is given by Krishna that the difference is due to the propensities which differ according to the inborn qualities. "They were created by Me," says the Lord ,"according to the mode of prakrthi predominant in each, and apportioning duties corresponding to them, " and this is the basis of classification of the four orders of society, namely, braahmana, kshatriya, vaisya and sudra. So the Bhagavatgita very clearly specifies that the caste system was manmade and does not have the authority of scriptures. Chaahurvarnyammayaa srshtam gunakarma vibhaabasah, and not by birth as already explained in the previous chapter, sloka10
Krishna reiterates the same idea in the chapter 18 slokas 41 to 44 where the different attributes of the four orders of society and their actions are elaborated which serves as the commentary on the word guNa karma vibhagaSaH.
The word aptitude is very important in classifying men which is in accordance with their natural instincts and interests depending on the texture of the three guNas operating on them. This determines m not only the class to which one belongs but also defines his svadharma. This aspect of avadharma is also expounded in the 18th chapter later.
The meaning of the second line seems to create ambiguity. Saying that I am the creator and yet I am not the agent of action and I am immutable, sounds self contradictory. But it is not so. He is the creator in the sense that everything originates from Him. He is the karmaphaladhatha and hence He causes the birth of everyone according to his karma and in the varna suited for exhausting their karma. But He is not the kartha in the sense that it is not according to His whims and fancies but it is the karma of the individual that determines his birth. This idea of non-agency of the Lord is made clear by the next sloka.
14. na maam karmaNi limpanthi na me karmaphale sprhaa
ithi maam yo abhijaanaathikarmabhiH na saH baDhyathe
Actions do not affect Me nor do I have desire for the fruit of action. The one who knows Me as such is also not bound by actions.
If the Lord is the creator, will the fruit of His action accrue to Him? No, says Krishna.
Na maam karmaani limpanthi na me karmaphale sprha. Neither the action nor the fruit adhere to Him. This can be explained as follows: The expression `I' actually means the Self only and taken in that sense, the agent of action is the Self because without the self the action can never take place, but the Self is only saakshi bootha, a witness-self. And therefore the self is neither the doer nor the enjoyer. Similarly the Lord who is the inner self of all is not affected by the actions of the individual beings. The ancient seers knew this and identifying themselves with the Lord their real Self they discharged their duties with detachment and with the welfare of the world at heart.
15.evam jnaathvaa krtham karma poorvaiH api mumukshubhiH
kuru karma eva thasmaath thvam poorvaiH poorvatharam krtham
Knowing this, the aspirants for mukthi in the past, performed their actions. Hence you also act as the ancients did previously.
This sloka is a sort of summary to the previous slokas in the chapter. Krishna cited the example of the rajarshis like Janaka who were doing nishkama karma and also showed that He Himself does karma for the sake of protection and sustenance of the world. Those who knew that the Lord has no agency and is not affected by the action or its result will also be freed from karma, says Krishna. Hence he advises Arjuna to do karmayoga as those before him did.
In order to follow the path of Karmayoga the seeker must be very clear as to which actions will lead him to bondage and which will secure release from bondage. Krishna has been insisting on the importance of doing one's duty and cited the example of the ancients in by-gone days. The reason for doing so is due to the fact that it is difficult to decide which actions are to be done and which are to be given up. This is elaborated in the next few slokas.
16. kim karma kim akarma ithi kavayaH api athra mohithaaH
thath the karma pravakshyaami yath jnaathvaa mokshyaseaSubhath
Even the wise are deluded as to which is action and which is inaction. I shall tell you about that action knowing which you will be freed from evil.
Karma- action, akarma- nonaction
kavayaH- the word kavi is normally used in the sense of poet but here means the wise denoting one with insight and intuition.
They are also deluded, mohithaaH, meaning that they also are under the influence of gunas and hence fail to understand the real nature of what is karma and what is akarma.
17.karmaNaH hi api bodDhavyam bodDhavyam cha vikarmaNaH
akarmaNaH cha bodDhavyam gahanaa karmaNaH gathiH
The nature of action, should be understood, and also that of variegated and prohibited action.. Knowledge about non-action also must be acquired. The path of action is very difficult.
karmaNaH- (the nature)of action
bodDhavyam- should be known
vikarmaNaH- (the nature )of vikarma, variegated or prohibited action
akarmaNaH- (the nature )of non-action
gahanaa –difficult or unfathomable ( is)
karmaNaH gathiH- the path of action
Karmayoga had been explained by Krishna in the previous chapter and here He elaborates on karma and akarma, action and inaction. In order to follow the path of Karmayoga the seeker must be very clear as to which actions will lead him to bondage and which will secure release from bondage. Krishna has been insisting on the importance of doing one's duty and cited the example of the ancients in by-gone days. The reason for doing so is due to the fact that it is difficult to decide which actions are to be done and which are to be given up. Even the sages are deluded in respect of the questions as to what is action and what inaction is, says Krishna, and tells Arjuna that He will instruct him on this subject so that he can follow the path of Karmayoga without being riddled with doubt.
The average man seems to have no doubt at all in this matter because to him action is exertion of some kind and inaction is immobility. But there are not only karma and akarma, action and inaction, but also vikarma, prohibited action. What is laid out in the Vedas are karma in accordance with one's nature and position in this world. These have to be done but without attachment. At the same time one ought to know what are the actions prohibited by the Vedas and should avoid them. For example a thief may say that stealing is what comes to him naturally and demanded by his status in the society because he is not trained for any other work. This kind of activity is denoted by vikarma. On the other hand there are certain actions which need not be done and abstaining from them will be akarma.
Ramanuja however defines vikarma as viviDhathaam aapannam karma, variegated action. Karma according to him is mokshasaaDhanabhootham, the action which has to be done to attain release from bondage. Vikarma is varied action, such as nithya, obligatory, naimitthika, occasional and kaamyakarma, desire prompted. Akarma on the other hand is non-action on acquiring the knowledge of the self.
Nithya karma is the duty that should be done normally such as svadharma and that ordained by the Vedas like agni hothra, sandhyavandhana, aradhana etc. naimitthika karma is that done on special occasions like sraaddha , yajna, marriage, propitiating the holy men etc. The rest is desire motivated and should be given up by one aspiring for moksha.
It is variegated because different nithya naimitthika karmas are prescribed for different kind of people according the rules of varna and asrama. For instance the food differs for people in different orders of society and also the duty towards society and family. Nithya and naimitthika karma thus differs according to one's svadharma. The prohibited action also varies according to the state in life and the class of society to which one belongs. Hence to understand this clearly is very difficult. Even the sages have been known to slip from their svadharma getting confused between karma and vikarma.
When one reaches the final state of enlightenment there is no need for him to do any karma and whatever he does becomes akarma.
To put this in a simple language, any work that brings a result that affects the doer is karma and that which does not affect the doer in anyway is akarma. A man of divine wisdom, jnani, does not think that he is doing anything because he does not identify himself with the body, mind and intellect and does not possess ahamkara, ego. As mentioned in the last chapter he considers his actions as the interaction between the gunas in him an those outside, gunaaguneshu varthantha ithi mathvaa na sajjathe. Only the man whose intellect is clouded with ego thinks that he is the doer.
This idea can be well brought out by a story about sage Vyasa and Krishna.
Once Krishna told a gopi to take food for Vyasa, who was at the other side of river Yamuna. But she was not able to cross the river as Yamuna was in spate. Krishna told her to pray that if Krishna was a nithya brahmachari, ever celibate, the river should part. Probably the gopi had her own doubts but she had explicit faith in Krishna and did as he told her and the river parted and she went to the other side and gave the food to Vyasa. But again there was flood and she could not go back .
Then Vyasa told her that if he was nithya upavasi , ever fasting, the river will part. This time the girl was really perplexed because just then he ate the whole food brought by her and termed himself a nithya upavasi. She expressed her doubt to Vyasa and also told him what Krishna said about Himself.. Vyasa explained that both of them being jeevanmukthas the function of their bodies did not touch their real Self. The real `I' which is the pure Self is neither the doer nor the enjoyer. The same point is brought out by Sankara in Bajagovindam as `yogaratho vaa bhogaratho vaa sangaratho vaa sanga viheenaH yaya brhamaNi ramathe chittham nandhathi nandhathi nadhathi eva.' Whether he is seen practicing yoga or seemingly indulgent in bhoga his inner bliss remains unalloyed. He is always happy because his mind is revels ever in Brahman.
The one who knows this is wise says Krishna in the next sloka.
18. karmaNi akarma yaH paSyeth akarmaNi cha karma yaH
sa buDdhimman manushyeshu sa yukthaH krthsnakarmakrth
The one who sees inaction in action and action in inaction, is wise, integrated and is the one who has finished all his actions(that is, he has no need of any more action)
Krishna starts elucidating the truth about action that has to be known. The wise men sees inaction in action, karmaNi akarma, and vice versa, akarmaNi cha karma yaH paSyeth. The one who can do this is yuktha, integrated and krthsnakarmavith, has the real knowledge of action,
This appears to be a self contradicting statement on the surface but it is not so in reality. Seeing akarma in karma is with respect to the actions done without attachment giving up the desire for the fruit of such actions. This could be understood by the above story of Vyasa and Krishna. Since the result of such actions do not affect the doer who identifies himself with his Self and not with his body, mind and intellect. Another example of seeing akarma in karma is the incident that happened in the life of Jadabharatha cited in Bhagavathapurana.
Bharatha, a king in ancient times left his kingdom in pursuit of knowledge and led an ascetic's life. But due strange circumstances he became attached to a deer cub and had to take another birth as a deer, in which due to the wisdom acquired in his previous janma he shed his body and was born as an enlightened sage in his next and last birth. Once he was asked to carry the palanquin of King Rahugana, which he did without hesitation as he was totally devoid of ego. When his gait did not match that of others the king got irritated and seeing his well built body, sarcastically remarked that perhaps it was too much of a burden for him. Bharatha replied "I do not have any strain because I am not doing any work." When he said `I' he meant his Self and not his body. So this is a case of seeing akarma in karma.
But more perplexing is the idea of seeing karma in akarma. The word inaction, akarma is usually understood as abstention from action or keeping still. Bur even when we are keeping quiet our mind is active. So it appears that inaction is when even the mind is silent or in a state of Samadhi. But it is not as simple as that. The great sages who are found even today in Himalayas doing meditation are in fact engrossed in great activity, namely bringing blessings to mankind. The classical example can be Lord Ranganatha who is reclining on His Seshasayana . As Krishna Himself said in the previous chapter, utseedheyuh ime lokaah kuryaam karma chedhaham, If the Lord is really inactive the world will collapse. Also identifying the Lord with the anatharaathma , the real Self, there can be no activity without the Self, which in reality is not the doer. This is karma in akarma.
This idea can be very simply verified in daily life.
When we are moving in a vehicle, provided the movement is very smooth and not felt as such, it looks as though we are still and the other objects outside are rushing in the opposite direction. Similarly when we look at a distant object it looks as though it is stationary whereas it may be moving and the movement is not visible due to the distance. The difference between a man of wisdom and a man of the world is similar to that between a man of scientific knowledge who knows that the earth is moving and an ignorant man who thinks that it does not.
The word krthsnakaramkrth, one who has completed all actions should be understood in the light of the sloka 22 of the previous chapter, `na me partha asthi karthavyam-----vartha eva cha karmaNi,' where Krishna says that there is nothing need be done by Him but still He continues to act. The same idea is reiterated in the sloka 14 of the present chapter as `na maam karmaaNi limpanthi na me karmaphale sprhaa.' This is made clearer in the subsequent slokas of the chapter.
19. yasya sarve samaarambhaaH kaamasankalpavarjithaaH
jnaanaagnidhagDha karmaaNam tham aahuH panditham buDhaaH
The one, all activities of whom are free from desire and wish and hence all his actions are burnt in the fire of knowledge is called a wise man by those who has acquired true knowledge.
The knowledge of what is action and what is inaction resulting in the perception of action in inaction and vice versa, is like a fire. He, whose actions are devoid of desire, offers all his actions in this fire. Such a man alone can be called a panditha, a man of wisdom.
SamaarambhaaH means actions of a man of wisdom. Aarmbha is anything that is started meaning an action. The prefix `sam' is added to denote that all his actions are free from desire and wish and therefore well done,YogaH karmasu kousalam, (Ch2.50) the prefix `sam' denotes the high quality of anything such as in sampaSyathi samSrNothi etc. meaning right perception and right hearing .
Kaama and sankalpa- kama is desire and sankalpa usually means the will to do something. I have translated it as wish because willing could not be avoided in all actions good or bad, that is whether they are conducive to spiritual progress or not. Wish on the other hand could be synonymous with the sanga mentioned in the second chapter n the sloka `Dhyaayatho vishayaan pumsaH sangaH theshu upajaayathe sangaath sanjaayathe kaamaH.' This can be explained as follows.
When we see something tempting for instance our mind dwells on it and gets attached to the object and wish to get it is born. Then the desire for it is aroused. A typical example of this process could be seen in Ramayana. Ravana having heard, only heard of not even seen, the beauty of Seetha and he constantly thought about her and the wish to have her rose in his mind. Then the desire, kama, overpowered him which could not be controlled until he went and brought her, and finally destroyed himself illustrating the words of Krishna in the sloka 63 ,chapter2, budDhinaaSaath vinaSyati This is the case with all desire motivated activities.
But in the activities of the one who has perfect self control, both kama and sankalpa are absent. He does all his actions as his duty appropriate for the varna and asrama and the situation in which he finds himself in this world. He has offered all his actions to the real self, the brahman in Him and does not identify himself with his body, mind and intellect which causes delusion and kindles desire. This is what is meant by jnaagnidhagDha karmaaNam, the one whose actions are burnt in the fire of knowledge. When he seed is burnt no shoots come out of it. Similarly when the desire motivated actions are burnt in the fire of knowledge , that is, when the same actions are done without selfish motive and expectation of result they do not produce more karma. Such a man alone can be said to have acquired wisdom. This idea is elaborated in the rest of the chapter.
20. Thyakthvaa karmaphalaasangam nithyathrptho niraSrayaH
karmaNi abhipravrttho api naiva kinchith karothi saH
Giving up the desire for the result of action ever contented and independent, he does not do anything even if he is engaged in action.
Krishna elaborates on what was said in the previous sloka here by giving a picture of the wise man described therein.
He is never an agent of action, kartha, because he has renounced the desire for the fruits of his actions . He is ever content, being dependent on nothing for his happiness and even though he may seem to work like others he is actually inactive, because of his total detachment.
21. niraaSeeh yatha chitthaathmaa thayktha sarva parigrqhaH
Saareeram kevalam karma kurvan na aapnothi kilbisham
Free from desire, self controlled, giving up all possessions and doing only the action physically he does not suffer from any evil effect.
He who is free from all expectations reaps no merit, punya, even from neither good actions nor sin as all his actions are pure. A mere act does not produce punya or papa but only the motive behind the act makes it sinful or otherwise. Even killing need not be a sin if it is to protect others from getting killed. At the same time even a virtue like speaking the truth may result in sin if by telling the truth someone will come to harm. Arjuna was urged to fight and it was an act of dharma. Seetha did not tell the truth about Hanuman in order to protect him and it was no sin.
On the other hand we have a story of a hermit who went to hell because he told the truth.
He was sitting in his asram when a cow fled past him to escape from its pursuers and when they asked him he pointed out the direction the cow has taken as he had vowed to speak the truth. Thus he incurred the sin of killing a cow.
Krishna says, niraaseeryathachiththaathma thyaktha sarvaprigrahah, free from expectations, controlling himself mentally and physically, renouncing all possessions, incurs no sin or acquires no merit, for all his actions are consumed in the fire of knowledge.
22.yadhrcChaalaabha santhushtaH dhvandhvaatheetho vimathsaraH
samaH siddhaavasiDhou cha krthvaa api na nibaDhyathe
Contented with whatever he gets by chance, risen above the pairs of opposites, free from envy and remaining even-minded with both success and failure, he is not bound even though he is engaged in action.
This means that his actions do not result in bondage because he is yadrchchaalaabhasamthushtah, content with his lot, dvndvaatheethah, beyond dualities like gain and loss and likes and dislikes. And he is vimathsara, without envy, in short he has equanimity, samah siddhaavasiddhou.
An ascetic who is samah is devoid of elation and depression and takes what comes with out being affected by it. He is always convinced that he is not the doer but it is his gunas which are interacting with those outside. Only other people ascribe agency to him. Thus in spite of continuing his regular activities to maintain his body and soul together he does nothing at all. All his actions get dissolved and do not produce any result that affects him.
23. gatasangasya mukthasya jnaanaavasThitha chethasah
yajnaaya aacharthaH karma samagram pravileeyathe
All the actions of one, who is without attachment and free, done in the spirit of sacrifice, are completely dissolved.
An ascetic who is samah is devoid of elation and depression and takes what comes without being affected by it. He is always convinced. That he is not the doer but it is his gunas which are interacting with those outside. Only other people ascribe agency to him. Thus in spite of continuing his regular activities to maintain his body and soul together and those necessary for his station in life, that is his varna and asrama, he does nothing at all. All his actions get dissolved and do not produce any result that affects him. The reason for this is given by Krishna is that, he is gathasanghah, one whose attachments have vanished, mukthah, liberated and jnanaavasthitha chethaah one whose mind is established in knowledge. His action itself is a yajna.
The one who has given up attachment of his body and everything connected with it including the sensual and worldly activities is denoted as gathasanga. He is neither attached to the karma nor to its result, that is, a karmayogi. He is muktha , free because he is not affected by the karma and the result of it. This has been already brought out in the sloka 20 by the word niraaSrayaH. He is said to be nithyathrptha because his mind is ever engaged in the contemplation of the Lord, having acquired the true knowledge. This is indicated by jnaanaavasThitha chethas.
Sarvam karma prvileeyathe- All his karma is dissolved. The karma which has already started to give result does not affect him because he has no attachment to his body. Since he does all karma as a duty and as an offering to the Lord with the spirit of sacrifice their results do not cause any karma in future. The karma which has not yet started to give result is also dissolved since he has the jnana that prevents future birth. This is the meaning of karma samagram pravileeyathe.
In the third chapter of the Gita it was said that all actions except those done with the spirit of yajna produce bondage. Here Krishna elaborates on the different kinds of yajna to explain the meaning of yajna. All the actions done in accordance with varnasramadharma without selfish interest are yajnas. Different types of yogis follow different means of attaining salvation which are described here as yajnas in the subsequent slokas.
24. brahmaarpaNam brahmahavih brahmaNaa hutham
brahmaiva thena ganthavyam brahkarmasamaaDhinaa
Brahman is the instrument with which the offering is put in the fire. Brahman is the oblation. It is offered by Brahman into the fire of Brahman. By the one who meditates on Brahman by his actions , Brahman alone is reached.
Why does the action fail to produce result that affects the doer but gets dissolved? To the enlightened who have acquired the perception that sarvam khalu idham brahma, all this is Brahman, all their activities are done with a spirit of yajna .The means of a yajna like the ladle with which the offering is put in the fire, brahmaarpanam, the thing that is offered, havih, the fire itself, agnih, the one who does the yajna and the yajna itself, everything is Brahman. The word brahmaarpanam is used not as a compound but as arpanam brahma, the means of yajna is Brahman. This sacrificer who concentrates on the act that is Brahman reaches Brahman alone, brahmaiva thena ganthavyam brahmakarmasamaadhinaa. One whose intellect is established in Brahman is one having brahmakarmasamaadhi and the goal to reach for him is Brahman. All his actions lead him to Brahman-realisation. This verse implies that the right perception of Brahman everywhere in everything is the means of emancipation. Such jnana itself becomes the fire that consumes all the karma of the doer so that he experiences no more samsara as a result of his karma.
25. dhaivameva apare yajne yoginaH paryupaasathe
brahmaagnou apare yajnamyajnenaeva upajuhvathi
Daivamevaapare -some yogis do the karmanushtaana like worship of the Lord in any form and other activities as laid out in the Vedas according to varna and asrama as yajna. Here the word yogi refers to the one who does all these activities with detachment and without desire, shedding the thought of `I' and `Mine.' The yajna here is deva yajna which includes yaga, japa and worship to deities as prescribed in the Vedas..
Of five kinds of yajnas to be performed by a grhastha, man of the world, brahmayajna, the study of Vedas and acquiring the knowledge of Brahman, devayajna, the performance of worship like japa, homa and the other activities done to propitiate the divine, pitryajna like sraaddha and others done towards the pitrs, manes, manushya yajna which are services of charity, hospitality and welfare of mankind and bhootha yajna, kindness and service to living beings other than humans, Deva yajna has been mentioned above and brahma yajna is denoted by brahmmaagnou apare yajnam yajnenaiva upajuhvathi, others offer their selves in the fire of brahman being endowed with the awareness of their identity with Brahman.
The knowledge of their real self being nothing but Brahman as the advaita contends, or that their real Self is the Lord of whom everything including their individual self is the body or part of Him, as professed by visishtadvaita, gives the perception that the world is not as it appears to be but only Brahman in reality. The purpose of mentioning this kind of yogis as distinct from those described at the outset by the verse `brahmaarpanam brahmahavih----- ` is to show that while the former is an enlightened soul the latter refers to the state prior to enlightenment as the knowledge that the world is not as it appears to be leads to the awareness of Brahman everywhere.
26. Srothraani indhriyaNi anye samyamaadhishu juhvathi
Sabdhaadheen vishyaan anye indhriyaagnishu juhvathi
Others offer the senses ear in the fire of restraint. Some others offer the sense objects like sound etc. in the fire of senses.
27. sarvaaNi indhriyakarmaaNi praanakarmaNi cha apare
aathmasamyamayogaagnou juhvathi jnaanadheepithe
Some others offer all the functions of the senses and the vital airs in the fire of the yoga of restraint kindled by knowledge.
Here Krishna elaborates yet another kind of discipline , namely, self control, indriya nigraha, which, when done as a yajna leads one to samaadhi. When mind is integrated in Brahman it is samaadhi. For that to happen the mind must turn away from the sense experience. This control of the mind from running after sense objects is described as a yajna of which three stages are required.
1. Srothraaneendhriyaanyaadhaou samyamaagnishu juhvathi, sacrifice the ear and other senses in the fire of restraint. Restraining the senses is described as offering them in the fire of restraint. Once the senses are restrained when they contact the sense objects it is like sacrificing the sense objects like sound, in the fire of senses,
2.sabdhaadheen indhriyaanyanyeindhriyaagnishu juhvathi. The sense objects do not create any reaction as the senses are restrained already.
3.The next stage is when all the activities of the senses sarvaaneendhriya karmaani and of the vital breaths praanakarmaani are sacrificed in the fire of aathmasamyama, self restraint, kindled by knowledge. Jnanadheepithe.
Aathmasamyama is the state of samaadhi when there is no activity of the senses or vital breath because the mind is integrated in Brahman consciousness. It is akin to the deep sleep state where body, mind and intellect do not exist and hence no activity can be ascribed to them, yet it is different, since it is not under the influence of ignorance as in deep sleep but it is full of awareness born out of jnana. This is what is implied by the word jnanadheepithe., illumined by jnana.
28. dhravyayajnaa thapoyajnaa yogayajnaaH thaThaa apare
svaaDhyaayajnaanayajnaaH cha yathayaH samSithavrathaaH
Others, self controlled and firm of resolve, perform the sacrifice of material objects or austerities or yoga, while others offer their scriptural study and knowledge.
Dravya yajna which normally means the yajna as it is commonly understood, that is offering material objects in the fire chanting manthras, it also includes sacrifice of any material objects including money, done for the purpose of charity. Spending rightfully earned money, (nyaayathaH dhravyaaNi, says Ramanuja) for worship of the Lord or for the welfare of the needy and in holy places , all this comes under dhrayayajna. This is mostly done by householders, those who are in the grahastasrama,
Thapoyajna means the austerities like vrathas, like ekadasi vrata which could be done by householders and rigorous disciplines undertaken by the ascetics, which only those in vanaprastha asrama, could perform. When any austerity is done as an offering to the Lord and not for selfish purposes it becomes a yajna.
Yogayajna is differently interpreted by the acharyas like Ramanuja and Sankara. While Ramanuja takes it to be an aspect of karmayoga only because of the contexr, (iha yogasabdhaH karmanishTaaprakaraNaath thadhvishayaH) namely, devoting one self to making pilgrimages to holy places, Sankara takes it to means ashtangayoga. As yoga without context denotes only ashtangayoga and also because Krishna proceeds to talk about pranayama etc. subsequently which is a part of ashtanga yoga it would be relevant to examine what the term ashtangayoga means.
It is so called because of its eight angas , limbs. They are, Yama, Niyama, Aasana, Praanaayasma, Prathyaahaara, Dhaarana, Dhyaana and Samaadhi.
1. Yama - Ahimsaastheyabrahmacharyaaprigrahaa yamaah – This consists of ahimsa, nonviolence mental and physical, sathyam, truthfulness in thought, word and deed, astheya, not appropriating something that belongs to others, brahmacharya, celibacy, aparigraha, non- possession.
2.Niyama – souchasanthoshathapasvaadhyaayesvarapranidhaanaani niyamaah - Soucha, purity of body and mind, santhosha, contentment and joy, thapas, spiritual disciplines like upavasa and vratha, svaadhyaaya, learning the scriptures conducive to salvation, isvarapranidhaana, worship of the Lord.
3. Aasana - Sthirasukhamaasanam – A comfortable posture , but not too comfortable to induce sleep! The yoga discipline prescribes the kind of posture in which the head, neck and spine are in a straight line and the eyes looking towards the nose, neither open nor closed.
4.Praanaayama – Svaasaprchvaasayorgathivichchedhah – Breath-control exercises.
5.Prathyaahaara - Indhriyaanaam prathyaahaarah - Withdrawing the senses from the sense objects and merge them in the consciousness of the Self.
6. Dhaarana - Desabandhah chitthasya dhaaranaa.- concentrating on a particular object for a long time is dhaaranaa. In this context it means concentrating on Brahman.
7. Dhyaanam - Thathra prathyayaikathaanatha dhyaanam – Dhaaranaa continued for long duration of time with continuous meditation like the trickling of oil, thailadhaaraavat, is dhyaana.
8. Samaadhi - When the object of meditation, the act of meditation and the meditator, all the three merge into one it is called Samaadhi. Here the consciousness that `I am meditating' is absent and there is only the presence of the object of meditation and nothing else.
SvaaDhyaaya jnaanayajna refers to those who do the study of Vedas and sastras and acquire knowledge as an offering to the Supreme self, meaning, only with the purpose of attaining the Lord and not for self aggrandizement.
Since most of these disciplines come under the yajnas mentioned in this sloka and the pranayama being mentioned separately, it is not irrelevant to interpret the term yogayajna as Ramanuja does.
All these seekers are termed as yathayaH, striving and samSithavrathaaH, of firm determination
29.apaane juhvathi praaNam praaNe apaanam thaThaa apare
praaNaapaana gathee rudDhvaa praaNaayaamaparaayaNaaH
Some sacrifice the inward breath into outgoing breath and others as vice versa. Some intent of pranayama, control both inward and outgoing breath.
This sloka describes the pranayama which is elevated to the status of yajna. The first type of breath control refers to rechaka, emptying breath, and the second to pooraka, filling with breath and the third to kumbaka, holding breath respectively.
30. apare niyathaahaaraaH praaNaan praaNeshu juhvathi
sarve api ethe yajnavidhaH yajna kshapitha kalmashaaH
Others with restricted diet, sacrifice the vital breath in the vital breath. All these are conversant with the mode of sacrifice and have their sins washed off by their yajna.
The main idea in these two slokas is that even to practice pranayama with detachment towards the result and done as karmayoga with the sole intention of liberation, is yajna only.
The technique of pranayama cannot be explained in detail as it should be learnt through a guru. But the general meaning of the slokas are as follows.
When the inward breath, prana is inhaled it merges in the apana which is situated at the base of the body. This is denoted as offering prana in apana, as in a fire. On the other hand when the outward breath apana is let out fully it merges in prana , which is mentioned as offering apana into the fire of prana.
When the breath is held it is the sacrifice of the pranas into the pranas because all the five pranas are stopped in their respective places.
The five pranas are, praaNa. the life breath, Apaana, which does the excretion, samaana, causing digestion, vyaana , which causes circulation and udhaana, the breath of evolution.
The word niyathaahaara , restricted diet, denotes the necessity of diet control for spiritual evolution. This is mentioned again in the fifth chapter as an important requisite of yoga.
All the different kinds of yajnas mentioned so far are extolled in the second half of the sloka 30. Those who perform all these yajnas are described as yajnavidhaH and yajnakshapitha kalmashaaH. They all know the meaning of yajna and perform all their actions with the spirit of yajna and hence their sins are washed away through the yajna.
31.yajnaSishtaamrtha bhujaH yaanthi brahma sanaathanam
na ayam loko asthi ayajnasya kuthaH anyaH kurusatthama
Oh the greatest of kurus, those who partake the nectar of the remnants of a yajna attain the supreme self. Even this world is not for those who do no sacrifice. How could there be other world for them?
Unless all the actions are performed with the spirit of yajna and the result of actions are accepted as the prasadha or grace of the Lord and shared equally there is no way to get released from the bondage. On the other hand those who follow this discipline outlined above attain salvation.
The statement that those who do not do all their activities in the spirit of yajna do not enjoy this world and hence also the other world should be understood properly. By `this world' the experience as an embodied soul is meant. Unless one learns to act without selfish motive and as an offering to the Lord, all his actions are binding and will produce further births. Hence the other world, namely the freedom from bondage will not result from desire motivated actions.
But a question arises that we normally see the people who have no devotion or spiritual outlook but are out and out materialistic do prosper and enjoy everything in this world and those who act selflessly often suffer. This is the result of their past karma not necessarily in this birth but in the previous birth. Present karma unless done with the spirit of yajna is bound to yield result but again not necessarily in this birth but may be in next birth. This holds true even for those who commit sin but are not punished and on the contrary have a good life.
Those who know the all the pleasures are transitory and often followed by suffering wish to be free from the bondage of karma and for those the yajnas specified in the foregoing slokas are prescribed.
32. evam bahuviDhaa yajnaaH vithathaaH brahmaNo mukhe
karmajaan vidDhi thaan sarvaan evam jnaathvaa vimokshyase
Thus many kinds of yajna are elaborated in the Vedas. Knowing them all to be born out of action you will be free from bondage.
The word brahma here means veda as the yajnas are described only there. Even if the word is taken to mean the Brahman or Brahma the creator, it will not be out of context because the Vedas which are the source of all karma originated from Brahman and expounded by Brahma. As the man is supposed to act in accordance with the injunctions and prohibitions laid out in the Vedas, all the yajnas which have to be done employing the body, mind and intellect are mentioned as karmaja, born out of action.
The statement evam jnaathvaa vimokshyase implies that by knowing the true meaning of the word yajna and doing all actions with the spirit of yajna one gets freed from bondage.
Through out the chapter it has been stressed that karma cannot be avoided and the path to salvation consists not in giving up action but doing them as karmayoga. This is what is meant by the above statement.
33. Sreyaan dhravyamayaath yaajnaath jananayajnaH paranthapa
sarvam karma akhilam paarTha jnaane parisamaapyathe
The yajna of knowledge, oh scorcher of foes, is superior to those done with material objects. All actions, Arjuna, reach their completion in knowledge.
Krishna winds up the explanation about various kinds of yajna by claiming that jnanayajna is superior to dravya yajna, done by offering material things, which implies all the yajnas prescribed in the Vedas in the karmakanda. The reason for this is given by Krishna as sarvam karmaakhilam partha jnane parisamaapyathe. All the vedic karmas though they produce good results are nevertheless binding and cause rebirth. Only when the same karma is done without attachment and ego, shedding the thought of `I' and `Mine' it becomes the means of self realization, the ultimate goal of life. This is implied by the statement, all actions without exception ,sarvakarma akhilam, culminate in knowledge., jnane parisamaapyathe.'
What does Krishna means by the terms jnanayajna and jnana? The real knowledge, jnana which is the awareness of Brahman, the Absolute Reality, is termed as that, by knowing which one does not revert back into delusion such as the one Arjuna was experiencing, because that gives the insight to perceive all beings in oneself as well as in Brahman. This is the awareness that everything is in God and God is in everything. Jnanayajna denotes the way to acquire this jnana and consists of the yogic disciplines like learning the scriptures, practising the self control and cultivating viveka, discrimination and vairagya, detachment.
34. thath viddhi praNipaathena pariprSnena sevayaa
upadhekshyanthi the jnaanam jnaaninaH thatthvadharSinaH
Know this knowledge by prostration, repeated questioning and by service. The wise who have the knowledge of reality will impart it to you.
praNipaatha is dhandavath praNaama, falling at the feet.
pariprSna is asking repeatedly to clear all the doubts with earnest desire to know.
Seva- The service at the feet of the master with all humility.
These are the qualifications to acquire jnana from the guru.
To get this knowledge Krishna directs Arjuna to approach a guru with full faith and humility and ask him with genuine interest Two questions may arise with respect to this advice of Krishna to Arjuna.
1. Was that a proper time and place to ask Arjuna to approach a guru in order to acquire wisdom because the intention of Krishna in giving out the Gita was to make Arjuna fight the ensuing battle?
2. What was the utility of the eighteen chapters of Gita if even after hearing it Arjuna still needed a guru to acquire jnana?
Krishna , like a surgeon performing an emergency operation to remove a bullet, preached Gita in order to remove the delusion in the mind of Arjuna and gave him a glimpse of the highest knowledge which made Arjuna to rise up to the occasion and fight. As the surgeon relinquishes the post operative treatment to the physician, Krishna advises Arjuna to approach guru to continue his learning if he so wishes.
.The Gita was forgotten by Arjuna as soon as he started fighting when his natural propensity surfaced and he became a kshathriya and nothing else Arjuna asked Krishna after the war to tell him the Gita again but Krishna replied that He Himself had forgotten what He said because Arjuna was not ready for jnanayoga and what was given to him at the outset of the war was only an emergency treatment
Krishna did not want to impart the jnana Himself because the spiritual instruction should be given in a proper manner in order to culminate in self-realization The disciple has to approach the guru in obeisance, pranipaatha, and with humility and obedience, seva and learn through exhaustive questioning, pariprasna. Then the guru who is a jnani and tathvadarsi, a realized master, will impart the knowledge of Brahman. What is implied here is that unless the student has humility, faith and healthy enquiring mind he cannot acquire spiritual knowledge.
35.yath jnaathvaa na punaH moham evam yaasyasi paandava
yena bhoothaani aSesheNa dhrkshyasi aathmani aTho mayi
Knowing which , Arjuna , you will never lapse back into delusion again and by that knowledge you will see all beings without exception in your self and also in Me.
The knowledge referred to here is that which can be obtained through
a guru as detailed in the previous sloka.. This is the knowledge of Brahman knowing that everything is nothing but Brahman and this idea is further elaborated in the 6th chapter. When one attains the perception `sarva khalu idham brhama, all this is brahman,' he sees Brahman not only in his self but also in the inner self of his self, that is, in the Lord. This is the meaning of `dhrkshyasi aathmani aThao mayi.'
The delusion of Arjuna was only due to the identification with the body and not with the self, which made him feel that he was the agent of action. When all actions are dedicated to the Lord with the spirit of yajna, realizing that all actions are due to the interaction of the gunas within and without, the sense of agency is removed and hence there is no more delusion being armed with the knowledge `kam ghaathayathi hanthi kam,' as mentioned in the second chapter. This comes only with the identification with the self and knowing that all the differences are due to the conditioning of the body, mind and intellect. This knowledge will arise only through the instruction from a guru.
36.api cheth asi paapebhyaH sarvebhyaH paapakrthamaH
sarvam jnaanplavenaiva vrjinam samtharishyasi
Even if you are worst sinner, paapakrtthama, among all the sinners, With jnana as a boat, plava, you will cross over, samtharishyasi, all sins vrjinam (as in a river)
Then Krishna completes the discourse on jnana by extolling the glory of it. The perception of all beings right from the creator to a blade of grass as nothing but Brahman becomes the raft that takes one beyond all sins. Even a worst the sinner will cross over the sea of sins, says Krishna, if he acquires jnana, which means that the sinner would not acquire jnana unless he .becomes pure due to some merit acquired in his previous life like Valmiki. The phrase `api cheth asi,' meaning "even if you are the worst sinner does not refer to Arjuna who was not a sinner but it is to illustrate the effect of jnana even towards a sinner. This point is reiterated in chapter 9 by the slokas `api cheth sudhuraacharo,'and `kshipram bhavathi dharmathma,' where it will be explained in detail.
37. yaThaa eDhaamsi samidDhaH agniH bhasmasaath kuruthe arjuna
jnaanaagniH sarvakarmaaNi bhasmasaath kuruthe thaThaa
As a fire, agniH, when kindled, samidDhaH, reduces all fuel, eDhaamsi, to ashes, bhasamasaath kuruthe, the jnana burns all karma to ashes.
How does jnana destroy sin? The answer is proffered with an example. as a kindled fire reduces all fuel to ashes the fire of knowledge reduces all work to ashes.. The idea is that the knowledge which gives right perception robs all karma of the power to produce result. Here ` all karma' means the karma accumulated in the past lives, sanchitha, which has not yet started to produce result and that which is done after the dawn of knowledge, aagaami. The karma which has caused the present birth praarabdha, has to be exhausted.
38. na hi jnaanena sadhrSam pavithram iha vidhyathe
thath svyam yogasamsidDhah kaalena aathmani vindhathi
There is no greater purifying agent than the jnana. The one well equipped with yoga acquires this knowledge in due course.
39. SradDahaavaan labhathe jnaanam thathparaH samyathendhriyaH
jnaanam labDhvaa paraam Santhim achirena aDhigacchathi
The one who has absolute faith gets this knowledge being intent on acquiring it and by self control. Then having acquired the jnana he enjoys utmost peace very soon
There is no greater purifier than jnana, which like fire burns all impurities due to karma. All the other purifying agents, internal like yama, dama, dhyana, japa and the rest and external ones like visiting temples, religious austerities, bathing in the holy rivers and so on are only the means of acquiring jnana. `Pavithraanaam pavithram yo mangalaanaam cha mangalam, `says Bhishma in his discourse on Vishnusahasranama. The Lord is purity in the pure and auspiciousness in the auspicious .So the knowledge of the Lord who is the Supreme Self is the purifier of all .One who practices Karmayoga and dhyanayoga, yoga of action and yoga of meditation acquires this knowledge in course of time, through sraddha, absolute faith. provided he is intent on it, thathparah and through self control, samyathendhriyah, when he attains the supreme peace instantaneously.
The secret of success even in the worldly pursuits comes only to him who is sraddhaavan, thathparah and samyathendhriyah. When for instance a man aims to become a great business magnate, he requires these three qualifications. He must have faith in his endeavour as otherwise half hearted effort will not fetch the desired result, he must be intent on his pursuit and he must have absolute control over himself and be ready to sacrifice all his other pleasures for the sake of his success in business. All the principles taught to the management trainees in modern days are found in Bhagavatgita.
40. ajnaScha aSradDhadhaanaScha samSsyaathmaa vinaSyathi
naayam loko asthi na parah na sukham samSyaathmanaH
The ignorant, ajnaH and the one who has no faith, aSradDhadhaanaH and the one who doubts (the validity of this jnana) are lost forever and for them there is no happiness in this world and in the next.
That liberation follows from the right perception is the unshakable doctrine established in all the sasthras. There can be no doubt regarding this and the one who doubts this and has no faith can never hope to attain happiness either in this life or the next.
Without faith nothing can be achieved as for instance when you ask for directions to a place you have to have faith in the one who directs you. Similarly one who has no faith in scriptures or in the word of the saints will not acquire wisdom. A man who digs for water will get it only if he digs deep enough in one place and not if he tries in different places giving up each one after a little effort.
The word doubt should not be confused with enquiry. Earlier Krishna said that one should repeatedly question the master to acquire jnana. This is not doubt but the earnest desire to know the truth .Normally in usage especially in vernacular, the word samsaya means a doubt about something not clear. But samsaya here means the doubt about the validity, whereas praSna means a legitimate doubt with a desire to know
41. yogasannyasthakarmaaNam jnaanasamChinnasamsayam
aathmavantham na karmaaNi nibaDhnanthi dhananjaya
Oh Dhanajaya, actions do not bind him who is of firm wisdom, who has renounced them through karmayoga and whose doubts are removed by jnana.
42.thasmaath ajnaanasambhoothamhrdhsTham jnaanaasinaa aathmanaH
Chithvaa enam samSayam yogam aathisTha utthishTha Bharatha
Therefore Arjuna, by cutting off the doubt aroused through ignorance by the sword of self- knowledge, rise up and practice this karmayoga.
True knowledge, jnana cuts away all the knots of the heart created by ignorance and uncertainty and the results of his karma do not bind him who has burnt them away in the fire of knowledge through the practice of Karmayoga,. The Upanishad declares bhidhyanthe hrdhayagranthih cchidhyanthe sarvasamsayaah kheeyanthe chaasya karmaani thasmindhrshte paravare. The knots of the heart hrdhayagranthi are the misconceptions due to non-perception which are cut asunder, all doubts vanish and all karma is destroyed for the one who experiences the Brahmasaakshaathkaara.
Therefore, , says Krishna, `slaying the doubt in your heart born out of ignorance with the sword of jnana, stand up to do your duty,' The lack of discrimination regarding what is right and what is wrong creates a doubt in the mind and one cannot decide whether or not to perform an action. This is due to the ignorance of what is real and what is not, which is the cause for the accumulation of karma. As a result of this one goes through the cycle of birth and death, suffering the ills of samsara as a consequence. This lack of discrimination is represented by the doubt in the heart, which jnana alone can destroy. This jnana can be acquired only through Karmayoga and dhyanayoga., performing one's duties without attachment in the spirit of Yajna and at the same time contemplating on the Lord, the Supreme Self.
The two disciplines enunciated so far, namely, Karmayoga and dhyanayoga or acquiring jnana through contemplation are not mutually exclusive but they appear to be so to Arjuna because he is not able to understand them properly. This necessitates the fifth chapter of the Gita where Krishna points out that the two are not mutually contradicting but only indicate two different stages..