CHAPTER3-KARMAYOGA
THE YOGA OF ACTION
Arjuna uvaacha—Arjuna said
1. jyaayasee cheth karmaNasthe mathaa budDhih janaardhana
thath kim karmaNi ghore maam niyojayasi kesava
Oh Krishna, if you deem that knowledge, budDhiH, is superior, jyaayasee, to action,karmaNaH, why do you insist, niyojayasi, on my doing this terrible deed, ghore karmaNi?
2. vyaamiSreNeva vaakyena budDhim mohayasi iva me
thath ekam vadha niSchithya yena Sreyo aham avaapnuyaam
You seem to confuse me with contradicting statements. Tell me for certain which will fetch me the highest good.
Krishna told Arjuna to fight and do his duty without attachment , which itself is baffling to Arjuna in his present state of mind , and in the same breath Krishna explains the path of renunciation by describing the state of the sthithaprajna. Arjuna now raises a legitimate doubt about the real intention of Krishna and says vyamisreneva vaakyena buddhim mohayasi iva me meaning, "I don't think that this is your intention but it looks as though you want to confuse me, by extolling about the path of knowledge after insisting the importance of doing my duty." He asks Krishna that if the path of jnana is superior, why Krishna should goad him to fight, which is dreadful, tatkim karmani ghore maam niyojayasi Kesava. Then Arjuna asks Krishna not to beat around the bush and tell him, ekam vadha nizschithya, which is good for him, sankhya the path of knowledge or yoga the path of action.
Sri bhagavaan uvaacha-- The Lord said
3. loke asmin dhviviDhaa nishTaa puraa prokthaa mayaa anagha
jnaanayogena saankhyaanaam karmayogena yoginaam
In this world there are two ways of reaching the ultimate good have been taught by Me, Arjuna, one is yoga of knowledge for the contemplative and other is karmayoga for those who are bent on action.
Like an eminent physician Krishna has given Arjuna a shot in the arm to bring down the fever of despondency by describing to him the state of realization in which one attains peace. This has brought him out of his delusion about dharma `dharmasammoodachetaah ,' but he is now confused as to what is good for him , the path of knowledge or that of action. Anyway, confusion is better than delusion! Now the doctor is ready to treat the patient by milder doses of medicine and Krishna gave Arjuna a glimpse of the ideal to be attained in order to take his mind away from his dilemma, namely, katham Bhishmam aham sankhye Dronam ca ishubhih pratiyothsyami "How can I fight Bhishma and Drona." Now Arjuna is ready to take normal advice as he is out of his delirium.
There are two courses of spiritual discipline says Krishna,
The path of knowledge and
The path of action
This is not left to the choice of the individual. One cannot decide that from tomorrow onwards he will give up all actions and follow the path of renunciation unless he is capable of doing so. Here it should be noted that Krishna has not repudiated the superiority of knowledge to action but what He means is that the two are to be practiced by different agents.
Sankhya means budDhi; intellect and those who follow the path of intellect for attainment of self realization are called Sankhyas in this context. For this they should have achieved chittaSuddhi, purification of mind by following the disciplines of self control which has been described in the previous chapter about the sThithaprajna, with a mind free from desires and attachments. Even to reach that it is said that the mind should be focused on the Divine `thaani sarvaaNi samyamya yuktha aaseetha mathparaH,' (Ch.2-61) . This has been explained in the commentary on the sloka 58 of the last chapter.
Those who are not fit to follow this path of knowledge are qualified for karmayoga, acting without attachment to the result and doing everything as an offering to the Lord. Thus the two ways are for different aDhikaris and there is no contradiction.
Who is an aDhikaarri? It is explained by Ramanuja thus:
The aDhikaari is one who has arThithvam, wish for a particular method of action and also has saamarThyam, capacity to do it. The one who worships the Supreme without attachment of the fruits of karma gets his mind purified and he is then becomes qualified for jnanayoga. Thus both are complementary and not contradictory. So to the unenlightened, karmamarga is the best
and Krishna is going to elaborate on it in this chapter.
4.na karmaNaam anaarambhaath naishkarmyam purushaH aSnuthe
na cha sannyasanaath eva sidDhim samaDhigacChathi
Mere non-performance of action does not result in freedom from action nor the renunciation of action brings attainment of perfection.
Unless one is ready for renunciation it is not possible to give up action. If Krishna has confirmed that the path of knowledge is superior, Arjuna would have been delighted because it is exactly what he wanted. The path of karma which involved fighting is what he detested. Krishna is not going to help him to take an easy way out and tells him that mere abstention from work is not renunciation.
naishkarmyam- The state in which one gets freedom form works even though he goes on acting. That is, freedom from work means freedom from the bondage from karma. This is achieved by nishkaama karma, acting without attachment which is denoted by naishkarmyam.
karmaNaam anaarambhaath- When it is said that one has to do karma without expecting result the usual alternative appears to be not doing the work at all. This is what is referred to as karmaNaam anaarambha, not beginning any work, which has already been forbidden in chapter 2 by the sloka ` karmaNyevaaDhikaarasthe,' (2.47) where Krishna said `ma the sango astu akarmaNi,' "you should not resort to inaction." The same is reiterated here.
Sannyasanaath eva- by mere renunciation of work
Both the above phrases seem to mean the same thing but it is not so. The first refers to karmayoga and the second to jnanayoga. To do karma yoga it is essential to do karma without attachment. Through nishkama karma one reaches the state of sThithaprajna gradually when the next phrase applies. That is, even a sthiTha prajna does not desist from karma but the karma does not create any bondage for him as he has attained sidDhi.
The reason why one should not give up karma is explained in the next two slokas.
5.na hi kaSchith kshaNam api jaathu thishTathi akarmaNaH
kaaryathe hi avaSam karma sarvaH prakrthijaiH guNaiH
No one can even for a moment stay without doing any work. He is made to act by the gunas that are inherent in him which is not in his control.
It is impossible for anyone to give up work altogether because everything, like eating, walking, sleeping etc. is working only. The motivation for action is the gunas which are the natural constituents of mind and body, and everyone acts according to the texture of the gunas within him. So unless one reaches the state of gunaatheetha, in other words sThithparjna, he cannot escape the influence of the gunas over his actions. A gunatheetha is not affected by the action as the sense of agency, that is, the feeling that `I am the doer,' is absent in him. This will be explained in detail later.
6,karmendhriyaaNi samyamya ya aasthe manasaa smaran
indhriyaarThaan vimooDaathmaa miThyaachaaraH sa uchyathe
One who controls his indhriyas of action but dwells on the sense objects with his mind is a hypocrite and is deluded.
Man does not attain freedom from karma by giving it up because it is virtually impossible to remain inactive. How a man acts depends upon his propensities and if he controls his senses and refrain from action he will be mentally dwelling on the sense objects . Such a man is vimoodaatma and mithyaachaara, says Krishna, he is a deluded person and a hypocrite. Therefore action is superior to inaction.
It is easier to control the indhriyas than to control the mind. If one stops his indriyas from contacting the sense objects as for instance one desists from food on an ekadasi day, not as a spiritual discipline but only because it is traditional will be dwelling on the food which he could enjoy the next day and he may even tell his folks to keep the food which he could not eat that day, for him to consume the next day. This is dwelling on the sense object with the mind. That is, physically stopping the indhriyas. This is not sense control which precedes mind control as a spiritual discipline. Such a man is called a hypocrite who deludes himself and other that he has achieved self control.
7. yaH indhriyaaNi manasaa niyamya aarabhathe arjuna
karmendhriyaiH karmayogam asakthaH sa visishyathe
Oh Arjuna, One who controls the indhriyas with his mind and starts karmayoga with his organs of action he excels all.
Since it is not possible to stop doing action one should act on but the same actions must be transformed into karmayoga. What ever one has been doing, according to his nature and position, as his duty, should now be done giving up attachment. This is the karmayoga and the first step towards the final freedom from bondage.
We should remember that the Gita is meant for the man of the world and not for the recluse. Arjuna wanted to abandon karma which is impossible because he was not mentally ready for it and hence Krishna tells him how to transform the same karma into nishkamakarma.
Control of the senses must come from within through the mind. When the indhriyas are controlled it means that the indhriyas will be functioning as before but the impact of the sense objects is not there. When one sees something desirable the eye receives the sensation but it does not affect the mind. This is what is meant by controlling the indhriyas by the mind.
One who does the karmayoga with his karmendhriyas with detachment is the karmayogi. But this includes jnanendhriyas as well, as karmendhriyas cannot function without the former. Jnanendhriyas, namely, eyes, ears, tongue, skin and nose receive the sensations from the sense objects and the karmendhriyas, hands, feet , organs of procreation and excretion, and the tongue (which is both because we speak as well as taste with the tongue) act accordingly.
8.niyatham kuru karmathvam karMajyaayo hi akarmaNaH
Sareerayaathraapicha the na prasidDhyeth akarmaNaH
You do your obligatory duties because action is better than inaction. Even the sustenance of life and body will not be possible for one who does not act.
Krishna rounds up the answer to the question of Arjuna in the first sloka here. He extols karma and says that karma is unavoidable and hence it should not be abandoned. It is not what you do that matters but how you do it. Even a jnani has to act as explained in the previous slokas. Hence Krishna advises Arjuna to go on doing the work which is his svadharma according to his varna and asrama but do it without attachment. How to do this is explained in the subsequent slokas.
Niyatham karma is what is ordained by one's nature and station in life. For Arjuna as a kshathriya, fighting for the right cause is the svadharma , the karma natural to his disposition. Hence he could not avoid it. This was explained in the sloka 5 as kaaryathe hyavasaH karmasarvaH prakrthijaiH gunaih.
The word akarma here means merely abandoning action and not in the sense it is used in the next chapter. In Gita the words are to be understood according to the context because the terms such as yoga and brahma are used in different sense in different contexts.
10. sahayajnaaH prajaah srshtvaa purovaacha prajaapathiH
anena prasavishyaDhvam yo asthu ishtakaamaDhuk
Creating the yajnas in the beginning along with the people the creator said, “May you prosper with this which will be like kamadhenu to you giving all you want.
Yajna was created along with man, says, Krishna, so that man can prosper by it Yajna as elaborated in the karmakanda of the Vedas are supposed to yield the fruit for which they were performed. The same done without attachment brings about release from the bondage of karma. To understand this one has to know something about the way yajnaas are performed.
Yajna in those days was a cooperative endeavor undertaken for the welfare of the society. It was done by the people from all the varnas, which were formed on the basis of the division of labor and not birth. Brahmanas were so called because they were the custodians of the knowledge of the Vedas which culminates in the realization of Brahman. The word Brahman in Sanskrit denotes the Absolute Reality, veda and yajna. Hence they were in charge of conducting the yajna, or the priests. Kshathriyas were those who protect the people from enemies and maintain law and order. The king, a kshathriya was usually the yajamaana, the master of the ceremony, as he had the authority to organize. Vaisyas were the men of trade who supplied the commodities needed by the society and they were in charge of providing the materials for the yajna. Sudras were the unskilled labourers doing the manual work. All contribute their share towards the success of the yajna and what is left over as the result of the yajna is distributed equally to all.
11. dhevaan bhaavayhatha anena the dhevaa bhaavayanthu vaH
parasparam bhaavayanthaH SreyaH param avaapsyaTha
By this (yajna) please the devas who will in turn please you. Thus supporting each other you will attain the highest good.
Apart from the ritualistic sacrifice by which the term yajna, is understood commonly, scripture has enjoined five yajnas for a householder.
1. Brahmayajna, study or listening, sravana, of the scriptures to get knowledge of the reality and to expound the same to others
2. Deva yajna, worship of the divine, yaga yajnadhi to propitiate the devas
3.Pitryajna, propitiating the pitrs through shraaddha, tarpana etc.
4.Manushya yajna, helping others and hospitality.
5. Bhootha yajna, service and kindness to other beings.
Hence all this which are varnasramadharma and also svadharma which includes all this and the duties according to one's nature and station in life are denoted by the word yajna. If we please the devas they will please us means that if we do our duty the devas, which are the powers that yield good results will also do their duty.
12. ishtaan bhogaan vo dhevaa dhaasyanthe yajnabhaavithaah
Thair dhatthaan apradhaayebhyo yo bunkthe sthena eve saH
The devas thus propitiated by yajna will give you all you desire. He who enjoys the gift of the devas without sharing it is a thief.
Now, if we examine the words of Krishna, ishtaan bhogaan hi vo devaah dhasyanthe yajnabhaavithaah, `fostered by sacrifice the gods will give all the desired results' which only mean that if we do our duty towards devas, the powers behind the natural elements, they will be kind to us and bestow their bountiful blessings.. We seem to be learning this the hard way, judging by the state of affairs at present.
The purpose of life is to do all the actions that are expected of you in this world as a responsible , considerate, well meaning individual without selfish motive, as your duty, not being affected by their success or failure. Krishna says that one who does all his work not as a yajna but with the desire to enjoy the result without sharing it with others is a thief. All the blessings in life are given by God and no one has the right over them by himself. So all the work must be done without attachment to the result and with the spirit of sacrifice.
This can be achieved through jnana but more easily with bhakthi. Do all your actions as an offering to God thinking He is the agent and not you, and accept whatever comes as His prasada. He promises that He will look after you 'Yogakshemam vahaamayaham' and 'Aham thvaam sarva paapebhyah mokshayishyaami maa suchah', which holds good whether He is the Nirguna brhaman of advaita or Lord Narayana of visishtadvaita.
Ramanuja explains that the word prajapathi or creator means only the Lord as He is the creator of all. So also He is the power behind the devas and ordain them to do their respective duties. Krishna says in the 9th chapter "I am the only enjoyer and only Lord of sacrifice." The devas form His sareera as He is the inner self of all.
13.yajnaSishtaaSinaH santhah muchyanthe sarvakilbishaiH
bhunjathe the thu agham paapaah yo pachanthi aathma kaaraNaath
The good, who partake what remains of yajna is freed from all sins but the one who cooks for himself only consumes sin.
This has reference to the five yajnas specified for the householders as it is tantamount to discharging the debt to the creations and the creator. The Lord has created the world of sentient and insentient beings and provided everything for men who are supposed to live in perfect coordination. As nothing is created by man he is indebted to the world and nature for what he enjoys through sense gratification. Hence he has to discharge his duty to the world of beings and nature which is denoted by the five yajnas mentioned in the commentary of the11th sloka. After performing these without attachment as an offering to God, the householder has to enjoy what is left over.
All worldly activities like agriculture, business and arts and crafts besides the vedic karmas of performing sacrifice etc. are riddled with faults. Even in the daily activities of the house, the usage of mortar, grindstone, stove, water tank, broomstick etc involve some himsa and we incur sin, not to speak of killing mosquitoes, cockroaches etc.! The one who does the five yajnas without selfish motive but for the welfare of all, being grateful for the gifts of nature and the divine, partakes what ever is left over as the blessing of the Lord , is freed from all sins of this sort.
On the other hand, one who earns and accumulates money and possessions for himself and appropriates what is not due to him by right is the one mentioned here as `yo pachathi aathmakaaraNaath,' one who cooks for himself. He is called sinner who eats sin by his actions.
Why should one do these yajnas ? It is to preserve the wheel of creation. Krishna explains this in the subsequent slokas.
14. annaathbhavanthi bhoothaani parjanyaath annasambhavaH
yajnaathbhavathi parjanyaH yajnaH karmasamudhbhavaH
All beings originate from food which is produced by rain which comes from sacrifice and sacrifice is the result of activity.
15.karma brahmodhbhavam vidDhi
brahma aksharasamudhbhavam
thasmaath sarvagatham brahma
nithyam yajne prathishTitham
All action spring from the Vedas and Vedas have their origin in the imperishable reality, Brahman. Therefore the all pervading Brahman is ever established in yajna.
16.evam pravarthitham chakram na anuvarthayathi iha yah
aghaayuh indhriyaaraamaH mogham paarTha sa jeevathi
The one who does not follow the wheel of action set in motion, lives in sin, gratifying his senses and his life is in vain.
Krishna then sets out to describe the wheel of creation. All beings are evolved from food; production of food is dependent on rain; rain ensues from sacrifice, and sacrifice is rooted in action, which is Brahmodbhava, has its origin in the Vedas. The fact that every action culminates in Brahman is shown by saying that all acts sprang from Vedas, and Vedas proceed from akshara, the indestructible reality, Brahman. Hence the all pervading reality, Brahman is always present in sacrifice, yajna.
Ramanuja takes the word brahma to mean prkrthi of which the physical body is constituted and the body is controlled by the inner self, the Lord, who is the imperishable reality. Actually the word brahma has several meanings, such as vedas, yajna, etc. besides the supreme reality, Brahman. It also implies brahmaanda or the cosmic egg from which the whole gross universe emerged, in other words the primordial nature or prakrthi. It is in this sense Ramanuja interprets the word brahma.
Annaath bhavanthi bhoothaani- The Upanishad says, annadDhyeva khalu imaani bhoothaani jaayanthe annena jaathaani jeevanthi (Taitt.Up.) All beings are produced from annam and by annam all beings live. The word annam does not mean only food like rice and grains but all that goes to make the production and sustenance of beings.
Parjanyaath annasambhavah-As water is the main factor necessary for the production of food it is said that rain, which is the main source of water is the cause of food. Parjanya means rain.
Yajnaath bhavathi parjanyaH- All yajnas as explained above done for the welfare of the world cause the rain, apart from the ritualistic effect of the yajnas ordained in the Vedas. The devas are propitiated by yajna, it is said in the earlier sloka which means that the natural elements when preserved properly by man yield their bounty, of which rain in proper time is the greatest blessing for the welfare of mankind. That is why we have the auspicious blessing, `kale varshathu parjanyaH,' uttered in the completion of all rituals.. We have also the saying in Tamil, `nallaar oruvar uLarEl avar poruttu ellOrkkum peyyum mazai,' if there is one good soul who does his duty as an offering to God, that is, with the spirit of yajna, all will be benefited by rain.
YajnaH karmasamudhbhavaH- As explained earlier the five yajnas and the ritualistic sacrifice depends on performing the actions according to varna and asrama as ordained in the Vedas. This also explains the next line karma brahmodhbhavam, the actions are based on Vedas, when the word brahma is taken to means the Vedas, or on the prakrthi as explained by Ramanuja and as mentioned earlier in this chapter, kaaryathe hyavasaH karma sarvaH prkrthijaiH guNaih(Ch.3.5)
In whichever meaning the word brahma is used, there is no doubt that it has its origin in the imperishable reality , alshara, which really implies the aksharabrahman, or the supreme Lord.
Thasmaath sarvagatham brahma nithyam yajne prathishTitham- Vedas originated from Brahman and yajna is the product of Vedas. Hence Brahman is ever established in yajna. The Lord is yajnasvaroopa as He Himself says later, `aham krathuH aham yajnaH,' (ch.9.16)
Krishna further insists the necessity of doing one's duty and says that one who does not perform his duty with a spirit of sacrifice is aghaayuh,indhriyaaraamah, sinful and sensual, and his life is worthless. These words emphasises the importance of working in harmony with the world, selfless and without attachment, which is Karmayoga, elaborated subsequently.
Last but not least, even the vedic rituals of yajna like agnihothra have their beneficial results which was seen even in our times during the Bhopal disaster when the family who was performing the agnihothra was not affected by the poisonous gas. The smoke of the homa purifies the atmosphere, which, if continued diligently would not have destroyed the ozone layer and the environmental hazards would have been absent.
17.yaH thu aathmagathiH eva syath
aathma thrthrpthaH cha maanavaH
aathmani eva cha santhushtaH
thasya kaaryam na vidhyathe
But to him who delights only in the self, and satisfied with the experience of the self, and who rejoices in the self there is no need for action.
Karmayoga is to be followed by one who has not attained jnana. To a sthithaprajna, however, there is no duty because he has no desire for anything as he does not depend upon any thing or anyone for his happiness, being delighted in the Self alone.
aathmarathiH- The enlightened one is not interested in anything else except in the experience of the Athman. All other desires have left him. This refers to the past desires.
aatmathrpthaH- he has attained all that he wanted and hence he is perfectly contented not desiring anything else. This pertains to future desires.
Aathmani eva santhushtaH- he is perfectly happy and rejoices in his experience of the self so that no other sensual attractions have any influence over him. This has reference to the present.
Hence the sThithprajna has no desires fulfilled or to be fulfilled except the enjoyment of the self. Therefore he has nothing to gain by action which is denoted by thasya kaaryam na vidhyathe, he has no more work to do as he has become krthakrthya, one who has done everything that is to be done.
So does it mean that a jnani is actionless? No. Normally one acts motivated by desire or without attachment as a karmayoga in order to become free from the bondage of karma. Desire motivated activity binds one by creating more and more karma. So one starts doing the works without attachment which makes him cast off the effects of karma that has not started to yield result and also he does not accumulate fresh karma. But the karma which has already d started to yield results, prarabdhakarma, has to be exhausted by experiencing the result. Hence even an enlightened one has to exhaust his karma as long as he is in the embodiment and once he leaves this embodiment he is free from karma and is not born again but attains mukthi.
Now the jnani also has to act in this world as long as he is alive because as said earlier in this chapter, sarreeayathraa api na prasidDhyeth akarmaNah, even the sustenance of the body will not be possible without acting. But the jnani does only the minimum work that is necessary for maintaining his body and soul.
18. naivathasya krthena arThaH na akrthena iha kaSchana
na cha asya sarvabhootheshu kaSchith arThavyapaaSrayaH
There is nothing to be gained by him ( the one described above) nor by not doing any work. He does not depend on any being on earth for attaining anything.
The idea expressed in the previous sloka is reiterated here. Since the enlightened one has everything he wants because of his contentment in reveling in the self, there is no purpose for him to do any work there is nothing necessary for him to gain from anybody or anything.
The one who has surrendered to the Lord acts in this world as the agent of the Lord and does not feel that he is doing anything. All work that he seems to be doing is done by the Lord through him.
But this state is achieved only by the one who has attained perfection through karmayoga, jannayoga or bhakthiyoga. Till then one has to go on doing karma without attachment. This is what Krishna tells Arjuna in the following slokas.
19. thamaath asakthah sathatham kaaryam karma samaachara
asalthaH hi aacharan karma param aapnothi poorushaH
Therefore do what has to be done always without attachment. The man attains the supreme by doing his work with detachment.
thasmaath- therefore- that is, there is no karma only when one reaches the state of sThithaprajna. Therefore till you reach that stage you have to do karma.
askathaH sathatham- But the karma should be done without attachment, meaning , with no desire for the fruit.
Kaaryam karma- one should continue the work that has to be done. This includes the activities according to varna and asrama and nature and situation.
Samaachara – aachara means `do.' Samaachara means to do well. As it is declared in the last chapter, yogaH karmasu kousalam. To perform the work well with sincerity and involvement is part of karmayoga.
The reason for this is given as follows. Only one who does his work with detachment reaches the supreme. Krishna gives illustration to substantiate this statement in the next sloka.
20. karmanaiva hi samsidDhim aasThithaah janakaadhayaH
lokasangraham eva api sampaSyan karthum arhasi
Janaka and others achieved the highest state of perfection through karmayoga only. You must perform action at least by having the welfare of the world in mind.
Here Krishna cites the example of Janaka, the father of Sita, who was an example of karmayogi. It is said that Janaka was not at all perturbed when someone told him, just to test his detachment that his palace was in flames. He seemed to have said that he owned nothing in this world as everything belongs to God. And that God's will be done. Janaka and others like him, (such as Prahlada and Ambarisha,) says Krishna, attained perfection without renouncing their works.
The reason they were performing their karma even though they had no purpose to be achieved for them by it, was that, they had to do so for the guidance of the world. They did their work well, though not attached to the result, to set an example to the people Why should they do so is explained in the next sloka.
21.yath yath aacharthi SrEshtaH thath thath eva itharah janah
saH yath pramaanam kuruthe lokaH thath anuvarthathe
Whatever a great soul does the others do likewise. Whichever value is held up by them the world also follows him.
The reason for which Janaka and others went on doing their duty for the welfare of the world was that the world follows the doings of the foremost man and conforms to the standards set by him.
It is human nature to look up to the one who is supposed to be an ideal, in any walk of life, more so, in spirituality. People tend to follow such ideal personalities in thought and deed. If the evolved persons like Janaka and others cease to do any karma, people will think that that is the right path and will follow them without the necessary mental attitude to do so. Hence it will result in chaos giving rise to pseudo sannyasins, as we are very well aware of, at present!
We have an example of such a mahapurusha even in our times. Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, Ramana and kanchi Paramacharya of recent times were all doing the worship and other ritualistic acts for the welfare of the society and to set an example to others, even though they needed no such auxiliaries to their spiritual attainment.
22. na me paarTha asthi karthavyam thrishu lokeshu kimchana
naanavaaptham avaapthavyam vartha eva cha karmaNi
There is nothing I must do in all the three worlds. There is nothing to be attained by Me which has not already been attained. Still I go on working.
For an ordinary human being there are duties in this world only. But the Lord is the controller of all the three worlds. In spite of that He does not have any karma in any of these worlds because He is sathyakamasathyasankalpa and avvapthasamasthakaama. There is nothing to be gained by Him by action but still He goes on doing His work of creation, sustenance and annihilation.
23. yadhi hyaham na vartheyam jaathu karmaNi athandhirthaH
mamavarthmaanuvarthanthe manushyaaHpaarThasarvasah
If I do not act incessantly the people will follow me in all ways.
As the Lord of the universe He had to guide and lead beings even by retribution so that they will eventually come to realize their real nature and be freed from ignorance and delusion. By saying that if He does not act the world will follow suit, Krishna means that the mortals will not be guided towards the right path and will destroy themselves pursuing the sensual pleasure with no restraint. No one will be interested in doing anything but desire only the result without working for it. This is explained more fully in the next sloka.
24. uthseedheyuH ime lokaah na kuryaam karma chedhaham
sankarasya cha karthaa syaam upahanyaam imaah prajaaH
If I cease to act these worlds will perish and there will be chaos all around.
It should be remembered that throughout the discourse of Gita Krishna was not talking as the son of Devaki but only as the Supreme Self .In the same vein He is saying "There is nothing for me to do in all the three worlds but still I am incessantly working though there is nothing to be obtained by me by doing so." Krishna gives two reasons for doing so. First as Krishnavasudeva, He is the leader of His times and in accordance with His own saying `yadhyadhaacharathi sreshtah' He is bound to set an example to others. Secondly, speaking as the Lord Almighty, if He stops His work, namely sustaining the world He Himself created, there will be chaos all around. Even to a nonbeliever it is an undisputable fact that the world follows a certain order and functions in a pattern which requires some Super Intelligence, call it God or by any other name, but its existence is unquestionable. So, when Krishna says "If I cease to act these worlds will perish" He is talking as the Supreme Self.
Krishna, even as a son of Devaki, was an example of a sthithaprajna, when we consider the exploits and behaviour, which no ordinary human being is capable of. He was portrayed in Bhagavatha in exactly the same way as He himself describes a realized soul, in Bhagavatgita. Rama says to Kaikeyi `Rshibhisthulyam maam vidhdhi', "Know me to be similar to a sage", to show His equanimity on being told to give up the throne and go to the forest. Krishna lived in Ramaavathara what He later said as Krishna. In Krishnavathara the Lord was described as looking after the cows, as an ordinary cowherd though He need not have taken all the trouble and by His look itself He could have accomplished all. But as He said in the previous sloka , if he did now act his part the others will also cease from work. The same principle as explained in respect of a jnani who goes on doing his duty even though he has nothing to gain by it, applies to the Lord also.
Later in his avatara as Krishna, when he was the charioteer to Arjuna, he was described to be acting the part fully, including washing the horses and relieving their itch etc.
25.sakthaaH karmaaNi avidhvaamso yaThaa kurvanthi
bhaaratha
kuryaath vidhvaan thaThaa asakthaH chikeershuH
loka sangraham
Just as the ignorant do the actions with attachment the wise should act without attachment wishing only the welfare of the world.
Vidhvaan- The normal meaning of the word is ‘learned one.’ But here it is not mere learning that is indicated because of the adjective asakthaH which means one who is detached. So it means the enlightened one to whom it has been said earlier that there is no work need to be done.
avidvaamsaH- again this word meaning ignorant, refers to the one who is well versed in the sastras but has attachment to the result of the actions ordained in the Vedas and do them with faith but desiring the result.
The actions of the two kinds of men described above are similar as both do them with faith and sincerity but the vidhvaan does them
without attachment and for the welfare of the world and the other does it and with attachment to the result of his actions.
It is partly in answer to Arjuna’s question in the seccnd chapter of the Gita, ‘sthithadheeh kim prabashetha samaaseetha vrajetha kim’, “ How does a sthitha prajna speaks, acts and lives,” Krishna now says, Sakthaah karmanyavidhvaamso yathaa kurvanthi bhaaratha kuryaathvidhvaan thathaasakthah chikeershshurlokasangraham, the enlightened one would act in exactly the same way as an unenlightened but without attachment.
But should not the wise teach the unwise to be detached? The answer is no and this is explained in the next sloka.
26. na buddhibhedham janayeth ajnaanaam karmasanginaam
joshayeth sarva karmaNi vidvaan yukthaH samaacharan
The wise should not bewilder the mind of the ignorant who are attached to action. He should only guide them by doing the work himself with detachment.
No one can be told to be detached. When the mind is filled with desire for the result of actions just by telling the person to give up desire and get detached will not fetch any result. If the person who advises is respected, the people who are ignorant may follow the advice by giving up action altogether.
There is a story told by Mukkur Lakshminarasimhachariar swami which is relevant here. A man who did not know the meaning or proper splitting up of words heard the nama padhmanaabhomaraprabhuH, (the akaara in amaraprabhuh being subdued in pronunciation) and thought that the Lord who is in the tree is Padmanabha. He used to chant the nama and go round the tree in front of his house. One wise and pious man saw him doing that and told him that the word actually means padhmanaabho amaraprabhuH, Padmanabha, the Lord of the devas. Then the poor man did not know how and where to worship Padhmanabha who is the Lord of the devas and left of his worship of the tree and became depressed. Then the Lord appeared in the dream of the wise devotee and asked him "Why did you confuse the man? Am I not in the tree as well?" This story has different versions in different regions. But the moral of the story is that those who do anything with faith even out of ignorance should not be disturbed till the ignorance is removed.
Here in the context, those who follow the varnasramadharma and the vedic rituals even if with the desire for the fruit, should not be disturbed as it will only confuse them because they do not have the wisdom to see that the fruits of the desire motivated actions are transitory. It is better for them to continue to act in the same manner as it will eventually lead them to the truth than by giving up action by which they will be destroyed. This point is more clearly brought out in a later chapter where Krishna describes the four kinds of devotees.
Then how should the wise guide the ignorant? Only by doing the same actions without attachment and by seeing them the others will follow them eventually.
27.prakrtheH kriyamaaNaani gunaiH karmaaNi sarvaSaH
ahamkaaravimooDaathmaa karthaa aham ithi manyathe
All actions are due to the gunas of prakrthi in all respects. The one is deluded by ego thinks that he is the doer.
In this sloka Krishna explains why the ignorant act with attachment. The activities of the world are due to the three gunas , satthva rajas and tamas of which the prkrthi, the evolving of the whole world of objects and beings is constituted. The evolutes of prakrthi consist of the indriyas, the elements and the mind. This includes the body which is the product of the five elements. Detailed explanation of prakrthi and its evolutes will be given in chapter 7.
The three gunas satthva , rajas and thamas, are in all beings in different proportions and also in the sense objects and sense organs. So when an action takes place it is the interaction of the gunas within and gunas outside. Depending on the gunas the attachment arises with different objects. But those who are ignorant identify themselves with the gunas and consider themselves as the doer which includes enjoyer as well. This is the meaning of the sloka and it is elaborated further in a subsequent sloka.
Now , when the term ignorant, ajna is defined as the one who does the activities according to his varna and asrama and other ritualistic works ordained by the Vedas, but with attachment to the results therein, there arises a question whether a man who is not aware of the Vedas and sastras and the works ordained therein, that is, a layman with no knowledge whatsoever, but acts with faith being told what to do by others or worships the Lord like the one in the example who worshipped the Lord in a tree, quoted in the previous sloka, is of no consequence.
The latter is included in the term ajna, but the purpose of mentioning the one who acts according to the injunction of the Vedas as ajna, is to emphasis that even such a one should not be disturbed but should be left to his own devices and the wise should guide only by their actions and not by words. This is known as dhanda apoopa nyaya, the maxim of the stick and cakes(vadas). When a cake is tied to a stick and it is said that the stick was pulled and bitten by the rat it goes without saying that the cake was also eaten by the rat.
Another point to be noted here is that if a person with no knowledge has faith and devotion to the Lord he need not do any karma laid down by the sastras but his pure devotion is enough. As such he could not be classified at all with ajna unless his devotion itself is desire motivated in which case it ceases to be devotion. Whatever he does with pure devotion becomes an offering to the Lord and he is already on the road to salvation. This is why all the saints and acharyas stressed that mere faith and devotion is enough as Purandaradasa puts it, japavondhariyenu thapavondhariyenu upavaasanariyenendhalaiya bhEdaa apaaramahima sree purandharavitalana upaayadhidhali nene manavE, you need not torment yourself with japa thapa etc which you do not know but Vittala is the only means of attaining salvation in kaliyuga where His nama is enough. Kaliyugathalli hari naamava nenadhare, His name will uplift you.
28. thathvavith thu mahabaho gunakarmavibhaagayoH
gunaaH guNeshu varthanatha ithi mathvaa na sajjathe
But the enlightened one who knows to distinguish the guNas and their works, is not attached, with the view that the guNas are operating on their respective counterparts.
What is meant by distinguishing gunas and their works? The three gunas exist in every one in different proportions. Their actions will also be according to the three gunas. The wise view the gunas as being separate from them because they do not identify themselves with their body, mind and intellect and do not think "I am the doer," as the ignorant do. He understands when he is doing anything it is the gunas in him interacting with the gunas outside and hence he is not affected and remains detached.
29. prakrtheH guna sammoDaah sajjanthe guNakarmasu
thaan akrsthnavidhaH mandhaan krthsnavith na
vichaalayeth
Those who are deluded by the gunas get attached to them and their works. Those who know everything should not disturb them who do not know at all.
Krishna reiterates what is said in the sloka 26. Ignorance of the real nature of prakrthi and its evolutes makes one feel that he is the doer and as a result he gets attached to the works. . The wise as explained earlier should not disturb them because until they have the knowledge about prakrthi and its gunas it is not possible to enlighten them and will result only in creating confusion in their minds.
30. mayi sarvaaNi karmaaNi sannyasya aDhyaathmachethasaa
niraaSeeah nirmamo bhoothvaa yuDhyasva vigathajvaraH
By offering all actions to Me with the mind engrossed in the self, fight on without anxiety, without expectation and ego-centric impulses.
Krishna here starts to reply to the plea of Arjuna in the second sloka `yath Sreyo niSchitham broohi,' asking Krishna to tell him what was good for him. In the sloka 28 Krishna said that the wise are not affected by knowing, guNaaH guNeshu varthanatha, that the gunas inside are interacting with gunas outside.
What is meant by `gunaaguneshu varthantha?' When one gets anger he thinks "I am angry" and does not say that his anger is the interplay of rajas and thamas in him towards those outside When one learns to stand apart and views his actions as an outsider he will be aware of the gunas, the constituents of his body and mind, moving among those of the sense objects outside, producing the various emotions, with which he identifies himself.
How to cultivate the attitude `gunaaguneshu varthantha?
Krishna shows the way to do this
"Dedicate all your actions to Me," He says "with your mind fixed on Me, the self of all, thus freed from desire and ego, act on in the world."
The word yuDhyasava though meaning `fight on,' implies all actions.
By Mayi sarvaaNi karmaaNi sannyasya Krishna means that one should give up the sense of agency and desire for fruit but should do everything as an offering to God. When a servant does the work of his master he does it well to the best of his ability but is not anxious about the result and does not think that he is the doer but only executes the order of his master. What he gets out of it is the will of the master.
aDhyaathmachethasaa- with mind engrossed in the self , meaning, in the self of all, the inner self of the individual self, that is the Lord.
niraSeeH – without expectation of the result, that is , giving up the desire for the result.
nirmamaH- without egoistic impulses. When one sheds the sense of agency there is no more ego.
vigathajvaraH- without anxiety for the result.
This can be illustrated by an example cited by Sri Ramakrishna.
A servant maid takes care of her ward in the best manner possible with involvement but she is not anxious and simply does it as her duty and once she goes back to her house she no more worries about it. Also while she was doing her work her mind is always with her child she had left behind. Like this one's mind should always be engaged in the thought of the Lord.
31.ye me matham idham nihyam anuthishtanthi maanavaaH
SraddhaavanthaH anasooyanthaH muchyanthe thepi
karmabhiH
Those who follow this teaching of Mine , always with full faith and without cavil, even they get freed from action.
Krishna gives three qualifications to attain freedom from action and bondage. It is to be noted that freedom from action is not inaction which is confirmed in the sloka 33. First , one should follow the teaching about karmayoga by Krishna and act upon it, secondly he should have absolute faith that this is the right path and thirdly he should not cavil at it.
Me matham- the word matham is normally understood as religion or sect of religion but it literally means the view or thought. The word is derived from the root `man,' to think. Here it means merely "what has been said by Me"
Ye Nithyam anuthishtanthi- those who follow this always.
maanavaah- refers to men in general without distinction of varna asrama etc.
SraddhaavanthaH- who have faith. We see that even in worldly affairs as when one wants to find his way to a destination, one must have faith in following the directions given or he gets lost. It is much more so if one aspires for spiritual progress.
anasooyanthaH- who do not cavil that is, find fault or pick holes in the theory. This type of persons were referred to in the second chapter as `vedha vaadharathaaH , naanyath asthi ithi vaadhinaH. These people argue that their view alone is right and will not accept anything else.
When one has Sraddha naturally he would not cavil. The atheists and materialists for instance, put forth arguments very convincingly to refute the views of the upanishats, the essence of which is the Gita. These existed even from ancient times and were called chaarvakas, or chaaruvakas, because their speech is charu, beautiful to the worldly as it justifies the sensual indulgence. Their maxim is `yaavajjeeveth sukham jeeveth rNamkrthvaa ghratham pibeth; basemee bhoothee thu dhehe asmin ounaraagamanam kuthaH.' This means, one should enjoy all the pleasures as long as he lives even if it requires to get into debt in order to eat ghee (denotes luxurious life) because once this body is consumed in flames where is the return?
The api muchyanthe sarva karmabhiH- even they are freed from karma. Here the word `the api, even they,' means those who are not jnanis but have faith in the Lord and His teachings and follow His instructions on karmayoga. Freedom from works means that they will not be affected by the actions because in due course they will cultivate detachment and give up the sense of agency. This has been explained in sloka 17 as 'thasya kaaryam na vidhyathe.'
Ramanuja classifies the persons who will be freed from karma into three categories.
1. ayam eva sSaasthraarThaH ithi ethath me matham nisChithya anuthishTanthi
Those who believe that what has been said by Krishna in the Gita is the essence of sasthra, (upanishat) as the means of liberation and follows the teaching.
2.ananuthishTanthaH api asmin SasthraarThe SraddhaDhaana bhavanthi
Even if they do not follow they have faith that this is what has been said in the sasthras. Such persons will soon take up the path of karmayoga because they believe in it.
3. aSraddhaDhaanaa api evam SaasthraarTham na sambhavathi ithi na abhyasooyanthi
Even if they do not have faith that this is the right path to follow, may be due to their inadequacy to do so, at least they do not cavil at it saying this is not what has been said in the sasthras. They may sooner or later feel that this is the right path, by trial and error and follow it.
Hence all these will be freed from karma eventually as opposed to those who are faithless and cavil at the teaching of the Gita, and who are lost as described in the next sloka.
32. ye thu ethath abhyasooyanthaH
na anuthishTanthi me matham
sarvajnaanavimooDaan thaan
vidDhi nashtaan achethasaH
Those who cavil and do not follow my teachings, Know them to be lost, devoid of all knowledge and insensate.
Men are of two kinds. Those who believe in the scriptural teachings and those who do not. The former may find it difficult to follow the teachings such as karmayoga but believe that it is the right path and may strive towards it. Krishna shows sympathy on such people which is displayed in the next sloka. The latter do not believe and do not want to follow the path for salvation and indulge in sensual pleasures. Such people have lost their reasoning and are no better than animals, overpowered with rajas and thamas. Krishna describes about them in detail in a later chapter. Thus they are lost and proceed downwards in the ladder of evolution and may not try to elevate themselves for many lives until it is time for them to see the error of their ways.
33. sadhrSam cheshtathe svasyaaH prakrthEH jnaanavaan api
prakrthim yaanthi bhoothaani nigrahaH kim karishyathi
Even those who are endowed with knowledge act only according to their nature. All beings follow their natural instincts. What can a restraint do?
This refers to the former kind of people mentioned in the last sloka. They may have the knowledge about karmayoga and also believe in it but may lack the strength to curtail their desires. Krishna shows mercy on them and says that they cannot help acting as they do because the natural behaviour is based on the texture of the gunas and until they learn to transcend the gunas it is impossible to reach the ultimate in karmayoga.
Here the word prakrthi, nature, means the attitude and behavior formed due to the impressions of past karma.
The word jnaanavan could also be taken to mean a man of wisdom who has no desires and is well established in yoga and to say that he also acts according to his nature, sadhrSam cheshtathe svasyaaH prkrtheH, means, even a man of wisdom though he is freed from karma, goes on acting in the world as mentioned earlier in the chapter, to exhaust his prarabdha, and the manner in which they act will be different according to their individual nature. We see that the realized masters like Ramakrishna, Ramana etc. and also the acharyas like Sankara, though they were all telling the same truth, their way of teaching and their actions in the world were different.
If everyone acts according to nature and restraint cannot be applied how can one evolve himself and what is the use of the scriptures? The way to do this is elucidated in the subsequent slokas.
34.indhriyasya indhriyasyaarThe raagadhveshouvyavasthithou
thayoH na vaSam aagacCheth thou hi asya paripanThinou
Desire and aversion is attached to each sense object through the respective sense organ. One should not come under their sway because they are his enemies.
External restraint is of no use unless the inner equipment, consisting of mind and intellect, is trained with the discipline of discrimination and detachment, viveka and vairagya. So, Krishna tells Arjuna, a man should never allow raga and dvesha, attraction and repulsion to overpower him because they are like highwaymen on the path of perfection.
The way to evolve spiritually involves the control of desires and aversion. We contact the outer world through our senses which create desire for the pleasant sense experience and aversion for the unpleasant. This desire and aversion leads one to action, either to acquire the desired object or to shun the undesired one. Thus the attachment to result through desire and aversion create further karma and one gets bound by that and goes through the cycle of birth and death.
Hence raga and dvesha, desire and aversion are the two highwaymen who plunder the travellers on their way to spiritual progress. They lure them by the attachment to sense objects away from their goal and finally destroy them by robbing their wealth, namely, the discrimination.
Perhaps Krishna sensed the doubt in the mind of Arjuna that simply by not acting such as refraining from fighting he could get rid of likes and dislikes which propitiated the war and hence why should Krishna force him to fight. So Krishna enforces the performance of svadharma which no one can or should avoid doing, in the next sloka.
35. SrEayaan svadharmo viguNaH paradharmaath
svanushtithaath
svadharme niDhanam SreyaH paraDharmo bhayaavahaH
It is better to do one's own duty however faulty than the duty of others even if meritorious. Death doing one's own duty is preferable because that of others is wrought with fear.
This is not only oft quoted sloka but also often misinterpreted. Those who want to perpetuate the caste system quote this to suit their purpose. The meaning of the sloka, `one's own duty, though devoid of merit is preferable to that of another, though more meritorious,' is often misconstrued to mean that one should stick on to the work or kind of life with which he is born and should not strive to come up in life. They quote the words paradharmo bhayaavahah, another's duty is fraught with fear. .
There is no other word more misunderstood in sanskrit than the word svadharma,. It really means the work suited to one's own nature, which may change as the individual changes. It is not uncommon to find that a person qualified to be an engineer, for instance, turn out to be a successful businessman because he has the inborn talents to become one, or a man giving up his successful profession and choose a less lucrative one because his attitude has changed. So svadharma is what naturally comes to you and not something which others do, however tempting it may appear to be. Here in the context Arjuna wanted to give up his svadharma which is that of a warrior and Krishna points out that to leave his duty as a kshathriya is dangerous as he will come to ruin as he is not fit for other life, say, that of a sanyasi.
The varnasrama dharma was prescribed for the people according to their aptitudes and nature as Krishna himself says in the next chapter(4-13) Thus it is not due to birth, as we have example for this in srimadbhagavatha (vide skandha5 chapter4) where it is mentioned that out of the 100 sons of Rshabha , of whom Bharatha was one after whom our country came to be known as bhaaratha varsha, 81 of them were humble, learned and pure and became brahmanas.
We also have an example in the kaThaasarith saagara of Somadeva the story about a housewife and a butcher who were more evolved than a yogi who acquired occult powers and who took advice from them to do his duty without attachment, giving up raga and dvesha.
arjuna uvaacha—Arjuna Said
36.aTha kEna prayuktho ayam paapam charathi poorushaH
anicChannapi vaarshNeya balaadhiva niyojithaH
But impelled by what man commits sin against his will, Krishna, as though compelled forcibly.
Arjuna expresses a wish to know more about the highwaymen, raga and dvesha so that he can avoid them. He observes that men commit sin as though impelled by some great force even though they know that it is wrong and asks Krishna the reason for this. A sin is something which you feel guilty of doing. Every one has an intellect which tells him what is right and what is wrong. A sinner is the one who goes and does something fully well knowing that it is wrong.
Sree bhagavaan uvaacha – The Lord Said
37. kaama esha kroha esha rajoguNa samudhbhavaH
mahaaSano mahaapaapmaa vidDhi enam iha vairiNam
it is desire, It is anger, born out of rajo guna. Know this, which is a great devour, instigating sin, to be the enemy here.
Kama and krodha, coupled as one, is the formidable enemy of man, says Krishna. Kama esha krodha esha rajogunasamudhbhavah , born out of rajas. The craving for something is kama which changes to krodha when obstructed. Hence they are not two but one,. Incited by which, man commits sin. The knowledge of right and wrong becomes obscured by this craving for the object of desire and hence Kama is called jnaninah nithyavairi, the perpetual foe of man. There can arise a doubt from what the Lord has said earlier that the nature is strong and man acts accordingly and restraint will not be of any use, that it is impossible to conquer one's nature and hence there is no salvation. If the nature and the aptitude is the result of past karma man seems to be helpless. But it is not so. The karma makes one experience the result but does not propel him into sin. The reaction of man on experiencing his karma is responsible for his future action and creates new karma. This reaction depends on the intensity of desire and aversion which could be overcome. How to do it is explained by Krishna here. First to conquer an enemy one has to know about him. This is shown in the next sloka.
38. Dhoomena aavriyathe vahnih yaThaa aadharSo malena cha
yaThaa ulbena avartho garbhaH thaThaa thena idham
aavrtham
This, idham, (true knowledge) is obscured by that, thena, (desire) as the smoke obscures the fire, Dhoomena aavriyathe vahniH, the dirt covers the mirror, aadharSaH malena, and the womb hides the embryo, ulbena aavrtho garbhaH.
39. aavrtham jnaanam ethena jnaaninaH nithyavairiNaa
kaamaroopeNa kountheya dhushoorEna analena cha
The wisdom, jnana, is enveloped by this perpetual enemy of the one who aspires for knowledge, jnaaninaH nithyavairiNaa, called desire, kaamaroopeNa, which is an unquenchable fire, dhushpooreNa analena..
He word alam means enough. The fire is called anala because it is never quenched by adding fuel.
Wisdom becomes obscured by desire as the fire is by the smoke, mirror by dirt and the embryo by the womb the desire is insatiable like fire. This is why it is termed as a formidable and perpetual enemy of man. Desire never becomes extinguished by fulfilling it. On the other hand it only increases like fire being fed with fuel.
The three analogies given to describe the obscuration of wisdom by desire are significant. First is the fire being obscured by smoke? This denotes a nature predominant of satthva where the wisdom is slightly obscured as the fire with smoke. Once the smoke clears of its own accord the fire becomes visible. Similarly a person who is of saathvik temperament needs only a little help from the sastras or his guru to clear his ignorance which is only slight like smoke that conceals the fire. The next example of mirror covered with dust refers to one who has more rajas and thamas due to karma accumulated in the past lives. It takes time for a mirror to become covered with dust. This can be removed only through persistent effort like cleaning a mirror with a cloth. That is, the wisdom can be acquired only through diligent spiritual discipline. The third example of the foetus being concealed in the womb is applicable to those whose nature is predominant of thamas. The ignorance is so great that it can be removed only in course of time just as the baby is born only at the appropriate time.
Jnaaninah nithyavairee- the perpetual enemy of a jnani. Here the word jnani does not mean the one who has acquired wisdom but the one who is striving for it., cultivating viveka and vairagya. Till he becomes fully detached the desire presents a hazard as it could overpower him any time if he is not alert. So it is termed as a permanent enemy always lurking in the shadow to pounce upon in a weak moment and has to be fought against. To the ignorant on the other hand, the desire is not recognized as an enemy but appears as a friend since the fulfilling of it is pleasurable.
Kama means only the sensual pleasures which take one away from the spiritual progress. The desire for attaining the Lord and to serve Him etc. is not referred to as kama.
40.indhriyaaNi mano budDhih asya aDhishTaanam uchyathe
ethaiH vimohayathi esha jnaanam aavrthya dhehinam
The indhriyas, mind and intellect are the seat of this (desire). By these it deludes the embodied self by obscuring the knowledge.
41. thasmaath thvam indhriyaaNyaadhou
niyamya bharatharshaBha
paapmaanam prajahi hi enam jnaanavijnaananaasanam
Therefore, oh bull among men, by controlling the indhriyas in the very beginning kill this sinful one, paapmaanam, which destroys both knowledge and realization.
The first step towards fighting the enemy consists in locating him. Krishna points out that the senses, mind and intellect are abode, adhishtaanam, of desire and hence the control of these is the only way to vanquish and destroy this foe of man who hides behind the senses, mind and intellect using them as his fortress deludes the embodied soul by obstructing jnana and vijnana, knowledge and realization .
Krishna compared the desire to a highwayman who robs the intellect of the discrimination in the earlier sloka and an enemy who overpowers the embodied soul by force. Here he describes the desire as the enemy who infiltrates into one's territory and conquers by delusion.
The individual jiva, embodied soul is like a king with a prime minister and deputy prime minister, namely, the intellect and the mind. The ten senses are the officers under them. The desire is the enemy who enters the city, the heart, disguised as a friend and first brings the officers, indhriyas, under his influence, who introduces him to the mind, the deputy prime minister, who is fickle and easily swayed by temptation. The enemy offers bribes of sensual enjoyments The intellect, the prime minister, though wise, lacks discrimination and yields to the temptation. Then the king is also dragged into the mire and robbed of his inherited wealth, the joy divine.
Hence Krishna advises Arjuna to destroy this enemy by finding his hideouts, namely indhriyas, manas and buddhiand implies that he could do so by calling him mahabaahu, mighty armed. The desire will over power these only if they are not under the control of the self. Hence the indhriyas, mind and intellect should be controlled before they fall prey to desire through viveka, discrimination and vairagya detachment. Krishna then proceeds to show the way to control the body, mind and intellect in order to conquer desire in the next to slokas.
42.indhriyaaNi paraaNi aahuH indhriyebhyaH param manah
manasasthu paraabudDhih yo budDheH parathasthu saH
The senses are said to be superior (to the body), the mind is superior to the senses and the intellect is superior to the mind. But the Self is superior even to the intellect.
43. evam budDgheh param budDhvaa
samsthbhya aathmaanam aathmanaa
jahi Sathrum mahaabaaho
kaamaroopam dhuraasadham
Thus knowing the Self to be higher than the intellect and subduing the self by the Self, destroy this enemy called desire who is unassailable, oh mighty armed.
Krishna then proceeds to show the way to control the body, mind and intellect in order to conquer desire.. The senses are said to be greater than the body but greater than the senses is the mind. Intellect is greater than the mind but the Self is the greatest of all. Therefore the inaccessible enemy in the form of desire can only be destroyed by resorting to the support of the Atman, the Self.
This is the reflection of the Upanishad,
indhriyebhyaH paraa hi arThaaH arThebhyascha param manaH
manasasthu paraabudDhiH budDheh aathmaa mahaan paraH. (kato.1-3-10)
The Upanishad also gives the analogy that the self is the owner of the chariot called body, and the intellect is the charioteer while the mind is the rein and the senses are the horses. The sense objects are the path along which the horses proceed. If the charioteer , namely the intellect is strong with discrimination and detachment he is able to hold the mind, the reins, properly and the horses ,the senses, are under his control. If the intellect is weak, the horses drag the chariot with its reins held loose, along the path of sense objects as they like. When the intellect identifies itself with the Self it develops discrimination, viveka and detachment, vairagya.
To understand this we must examine the process by which the desire overpowers man. As explained in the analogy in sloka 41, the desire overpowers the intellect through the senses and the mind. When the intellect is armed with viveka and vairagya it can control the mind and intellect and the desire becomes powerless.
. Does Krishna advise that one should wish for nothing in life and live like a vegetable? No! It is absolutely alright to have a wish for something or enjoy anything with which the senses come into contact. But, as already explained in the previous chapter, only when the mind dwells upon the object it becomes desire. So mind is more powerful than the senses. But even then the intellect has got the power to turn one away from the object of desire. To do this the intellect should identify itself with the self and not with the mind. This is what Krishna means by saying, samsthabhyaathmanamaathmana, controlling the intellect by the power of the. Self, Atmashakthi. How to acquire this is explained by Krishna in the subsequent chapters of the Gita.