Arjuna said:-Oh! Janardana! If You consider Knowledge as superior to Action, then why do you direct me to this dreadful action? I feel that your seemingly conflicting statements are, as it were, confusing my reason . Kindly tell me definitely the one, which will bring me the highest honour. (III-1,2)
Sree Bhagavan said:-Oh! Unblemished Arjuna! In this world there are two paths of spiritual discipline laid down by Me in the long past; one is the Path of Knowledge for the Sankhyas and the other is the Path of Action for the Yogis.(III-3)
By mere abstention from action no one can reach the state of freedom from all actions; nor can any one reach the culmination of Knowledge merely by renouncing all actions.(III-4)
It is the law of nature that none can remain inactive even for a second; for every one is helplessly driven to some action according to his innate nature. If someone restrains his sense organs and remains inactive outwardly, but at the same time mentally broods over the various sense objects, that man of deluded intellect is called a hypocrite. Oh! Arjuna! On the other hand, if a man controls his sense organs by his mental power and acts through his organs of action without attachment, in accordance with the Yoga of Action, he is great . Therefore, you should necessarily perform the duties which are appropriate to your inherent nature; because action is superior to inaction. Remaining inactive, you cannot even sustain your body.(III-5,6,7,8)
You must,however, be aware that every action that is performed otherwise than for the sake of sacrifice(selfless work for common good), will bind the doer to this world.Therefore, Oh! Son of Kunti! all your actions should be performed for the sake of sacrifice and be free from attachment. In fact, when Brahma, the Creator created mankind, the spirit of sacrifice was also infused in them and He told them thus:-
"You shall prosper by this; this will grant you all your wishes.Propitiate the Gods through this and the Gods will propitiate you too in return; thus by mutual propitiation you will reach the highest goal. When the Gods are satisfied by your sacrifice,they will grant you all your wishes.One who enjoys the gifts granted by the Gods without offering them anything in return , is certainly a thief." (III-9,10,11,12)
Those noble men who partake of what is left over after sacrifice, (what they receive as a result of their selfless action performed for common good) will be relieved of all sins.(they will not be bound by their actions). One who cooks for the sake of his own benefit alone( one whose actions are directed towards selfish interests alone) will be eating only sin.(III-13)
All beings are sustained by food; production of food depends on rain; rain ensues from sacrifice; and sacrifice comes from selfless action.Selfless action, in turn, is enjoined in the Vedas and Vedas have emanated from the Indestructible Supreme. Thus the all-pervading Brahman( the Infinite ) is always dwelling in Selfless action.Arjuna!Any one who does not follow this cycle of creation, which has been set going in this world( i.e.does not perform his duties selflessly,) and leads a sensual life,his life is sinful and he lives in vain.(III-14,15,16)
But if a man finds delight, satisfaction and contentment in the Atman alone and nothing else,
he has no obligation to perform any kind of action.He has nothing to gain or lose in this world by performing or not performing any action; nor does he depend on any one for anything.Therefore, always do your duty without attachment. Man can attain the Ultimate Truth by performing action without attachment. (III-17,18,19)
In fact, King Janaka and many others have attained enlightenment only through action performed in this spirit. Having in view the welfare of the world too, you have a responsibility to set an example to the world by performing your duty in this spirit. Because whatever a great man does, others will imitate and whatever standard he sets up, the world will follow the same.(III-20,21)
Arjuna! Look at Me. I am not bound to perform any action in all the three worlds.There is also nothing that I do not already have to be acquired by action.Yet I go on working. If I do not continue to work untiringly as I do now, people will still follow my example in all matters. If ever I cease to work, it will be total ruin for the mankind. In other words, I would become the cause for all round confusion and universal destruction.(III-22,23,24)
Arjuna!The ignorant work with attachment; the wise should also work with the same diligence desiring the welfare of the world, but without attachment.In this process, the wise should be careful not to bewilder the minds of the ignorant attached to their actions.He ,having established himself in the Self, should show them by his own example and make them perform their duties without attachment(III-25,26)
Therefore, shake of this fever of ignorance. Dedicating all actions to Me with your mind fixed on Me, the Self in every being, freed from all desires for worldly rewards and without any feeling of ownership or possession, come forward and fight.(III-30)
Arjuna! not only you, but every man who follows this teaching of Mine faithfully and without reservation,will be released from the bondage of his actions.But those who scorn My teaching and do not follow them, take them as lost because their intellect is misguided and all their knowledge is a mere delusion .(III-31,32)
Even a wise man acts according to the tendencies of his innate nature. That being the case with every living creature, what use is there for external restraint?Attraction and aversion which the senses feel towards sense objects are natural phenomena.But you must not yield to such feelings because they are strong enemies in the path of spirituality.(III-33,34)
Arjuna! Beware! Performance of one's own duty, however imperfect it may appear to be, is far better than taking up the duty of another person, however perfectly it may be performed.Death in the performance of one's own duty will be glorious; but another one's duty will bring only fear and disgrace to you.(III-35)
Arjuna said:-Krishna! What makes a man do evil, even against his own will, as though by compulsion from an external source? (III-37)
Sree Bhagavan said:-The Rajoguna has an off-spring named lust, which often takes the shape of wrath. It is extremely ravenous and deadly; and know it as your enemy in this matter.
(The characteristics of the three Gunas namely, Sattwaguna, Rajoguna and Tamoguna are explained in Chapter XIV of Gita). As fire is coverd by smoke, mirror by dust and embryo by amnion, so is Knowledge covered by lust. Arjuna, Knowledge is thus covered by this eternal foe of the wise known as lust, which acts like an insatiable fire (III-38,39)
It is said that the senses, mind and intellect are its working ground ; and working on these three fields of action, it conceals Knowledge and deludes the embodied soul .Therefore, Arjuna! You must first control your senses and then kill this evil thing which obstructs knowledge and realisation of the Atman.(III-40,41)
The senses are said to be stronger than sense-objects; mind is stronger than senses and intellect is stronger than mind. But what is stronger than even intellect is this lust.Knowing that lust is stronger than even intellect, you must join your mind and intellect to the Supreme Atman and destroy this enemy in the form of lust that is difficult to control.(III-42,43)
Thus ends the Third Chapter of Sreemad Bhagavad Gita entitled
The Yoga of Action
But if a man finds delight, satisfaction and contentment in the Atman alone and nothing else,
he has no obligation to perform any kind of action.He has nothing to gain or lose in this world by performing or not performing any action; nor does he depend on any one for anything.Therefore, always do your duty without attachment. Man can attain the Ultimate Truth by performing action without attachment. (III-17,18,19)
In fact, King Janaka and many others have attained enlightenment only through action performed in this spirit. Having in view the welfare of the world too, you have a responsibility to set an example to the world by performing your duty in this spirit. Because whatever a great man does, others will imitate and whatever standard he sets up, the world will follow the same.(III-20,21)
Arjuna! Look at Me. I am not bound to perform any action in all the three worlds.There is also nothing that I do not already have to be acquired by action.Yet I go on working. If I do not continue to work untiringly as I do now, people will still follow my example in all matters. If ever I cease to work, it will be total ruin for the mankind. In other words, I would become the cause for all round confusion and universal destruction.(III-22,23,24)
Arjuna!The ignorant work with attachment; the wise should also work with the same diligence desiring the welfare of the world, but without attachment.In this process, the wise should be careful not to bewilder the minds of the ignorant attached to their actions.He ,having established himself in the Self, should show them by his own example and make them perform their duties without attachment(III-25,26)
Every action is really performed by the Gunas (The three inherent qualities of the individual;
Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas). But the individual who is deluded by his egoism thinks : "I am the doer".But he who has the true insight into the divisions of Gunas and their various functions, understands that interaction is between the Gunas and the sense objects ;therefore, he does not become attached to his actions.Those who are deluded by the Gunas identify themselves with Gunas and the resultant actions.The illumined souls should not create any confusion in the minds of those ill-informed ignorants, by refraining from work. (III-27,28,29)Therefore, shake of this fever of ignorance. Dedicating all actions to Me with your mind fixed on Me, the Self in every being, freed from all desires for worldly rewards and without any feeling of ownership or possession, come forward and fight.(III-30)
Arjuna! not only you, but every man who follows this teaching of Mine faithfully and without reservation,will be released from the bondage of his actions.But those who scorn My teaching and do not follow them, take them as lost because their intellect is misguided and all their knowledge is a mere delusion .(III-31,32)
Even a wise man acts according to the tendencies of his innate nature. That being the case with every living creature, what use is there for external restraint?Attraction and aversion which the senses feel towards sense objects are natural phenomena.But you must not yield to such feelings because they are strong enemies in the path of spirituality.(III-33,34)
Arjuna! Beware! Performance of one's own duty, however imperfect it may appear to be, is far better than taking up the duty of another person, however perfectly it may be performed.Death in the performance of one's own duty will be glorious; but another one's duty will bring only fear and disgrace to you.(III-35)
Arjuna said:-Krishna! What makes a man do evil, even against his own will, as though by compulsion from an external source? (III-37)
Sree Bhagavan said:-The Rajoguna has an off-spring named lust, which often takes the shape of wrath. It is extremely ravenous and deadly; and know it as your enemy in this matter.
(The characteristics of the three Gunas namely, Sattwaguna, Rajoguna and Tamoguna are explained in Chapter XIV of Gita). As fire is coverd by smoke, mirror by dust and embryo by amnion, so is Knowledge covered by lust. Arjuna, Knowledge is thus covered by this eternal foe of the wise known as lust, which acts like an insatiable fire (III-38,39)
It is said that the senses, mind and intellect are its working ground ; and working on these three fields of action, it conceals Knowledge and deludes the embodied soul .Therefore, Arjuna! You must first control your senses and then kill this evil thing which obstructs knowledge and realisation of the Atman.(III-40,41)
The senses are said to be stronger than sense-objects; mind is stronger than senses and intellect is stronger than mind. But what is stronger than even intellect is this lust.Knowing that lust is stronger than even intellect, you must join your mind and intellect to the Supreme Atman and destroy this enemy in the form of lust that is difficult to control.(III-42,43)
Thus ends the Third Chapter of Sreemad Bhagavad Gita entitled
The Yoga of Action
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