III - Karma Yogam

1/III. Arjuna said "Krishna, if you consider Knowledge as superior to Action, then why do you urge me to this dreadful action, Kesava"

2/III. "You are, as it were, puzzling my mind by these seemingly involved expressions; therefore, tell me difinitely the one discipline by which I may obtain the highest good" .

3/III. Sri Bhagavan said "Arjuna, in this world two courses of Sadhana (Spiritual discipline) have been enunciated by Me in the past. In the case of the Sankhyayogi, the Sadhana proceeds along the path of Knowledge; whereas in the case of the Krmayogi, it proceeds along the path of Action"

4/III. "Man does not attain freedom from action (culmination of the discipline of Action) without entering upon action; nor does he reach perfection ( culmination of the discipline of Knowledge) merely by ceasing to act"

5/III. "Surely none can ever remain inactive even for a moment; for everyone helplessly driven for action by nature-born qualities"

6/III. "He who outwardly restraining the organs of sense and action, sits mentally dwelling on the objects of senses, that man of deluded intellect is called a hypocrite"

7/III. "On the other hand, he who controlling the organs of sense and action by the power of his will, and remaining unattached, undertakes the Yoga of Action through those organs, Arjuna, he excels"

8/III. "Therefore, do you perform your allotted duty; for action is superior to inaction. Desisting from action, you cannot even maintain your body"

9/III. “Man is bound by his own action except when it is performed for the sake of sacrifice. Therefore, Arjuna, do you efficiently perform your duty, free from attachment; for the sake of sacrifice alone”

10/III. “Having created mankind alongwith the spirit of sacrifice at the beginning of Creation the Creator, Brahma, said to them, “You shall prosper by this; may this yield the enjoyment you seek” ”

11/III. “Foster the gods through this (sacrifice), and let the gods be gracious to you. Each fostering other disinterstedly, you will attain the highest good”

12/III. “Fostered by sacrifice, the gods will surely bestow on you unasked all the desired enjoyments. He who enjoys the gifts bestowed by them, without giving them in return, is undoubtedly a thief”

13/III. “The virtuous who partake of what is left over after sacrifice are absolved of all sins. Those sinful ones who cook for the sake of nourishing their body alone eat only sin”

14,15/III. “All beings are evolved from food; production of food is dependent on rain; rain ensues from sacrifice, and sacrifice is rooted in prescribed action. Know that prescribed action has its origin in the Vedas, and the Vedas proceed from the Indestructible (God); hence the all-pervading Infinite is always present in sacrifice”

16/III. “Arjuna, he who does not follow the wheel of creation thus set going in this world (i.e., does not perform his duties), sinful and sensual, he lives in vain”

17/III. “He, however, who takes delight in the self alone and is gratified with the Self, and is contented in the self, has no duty”

18/III. “In this world that great soul has no use whatsoever for things done nor for things not done; nor has he selfish dependence of any kind on any creature”

19/III. “Therefore, go on efficiently doing your duty without attachment. Doing work without attachment man attains the Supreme”

20/III. “It is through action (without attachment) alone that Janaka and other wise men reached perfection. Having an eye to maintenance of the world order too you should take to action”

21/III. "For whatever a great man does, that very thing other men also do; whatever standard he sets up; the generality of men follow the same"

22/III. "Arjuna, there is nothing in all the three worlds for Me to do, nor is there anything worth attaining unattained by Me. Yet I continue to work"

23/III. "Should I not engage in action, scrupulously at any time, great harm will come to the world; for, Arjuna, men follow My way in all matters"

24/III. "If I cease to act, these worlds will perish; nay, I should prove to be the cause of confusion, and of the destruction of these people"

25/III. "Arjuna, as the unwise act with attachment, so should the wise man, seeking maintenance of the world order, act without attachment"

26/III. "A wise man established in the Self, should not unsettle the mind of the ignorant attached to action, but should get them to perform all their duties, duly performing his own duties"

27/III. "All actions are being performed by the modes of Prakrti (Primordial Matter). The fool, whose mind is deluded by egoism, thinks; " I am the doer""

28/III. "He, however, who has true insight into the respective spheres of Gunas (modes of Prakrti) and their actions, holding that it is the Gunas ( in the shape of the senses, mind, etc.,) that move among the Gunas (objects of perception), does not get attached to them, Arjuna"

29/III. "Those who are completely deluded by the Gunas (modes) of Prakrti remain attached to those Gunas and actions; the man of perfect Knowledge should not unsettle the mind of those insufficiently knowing fools"

30/III. "Therefore, dedicating all actions to Me with your mind fixed on Me, the Self of all freed from hope and the feeling of meum and cured of mental fever,fight"

31/III. "Even those men who, with an uncavilling and devout mind, always follow this teaching of Mine are released from the bondage of all actions"

32/III. "They, however, who, finding fault with this teaching of Mine, do not follow it, take those fools to be deluded in the matter of all knowledge, and lost"

33/III. "All living creatures follow their tendencies; even the wise man acts according to the tendencies of his own nature. What use is any external restraint?"

34/III. "Attraction and repulsion are rooted in all sense-objects. Man should never allow himself to be swayed by them, because they are the two principal enemies standing in the way of his redemption"

35/III. "One's own duty, though devoid of merit, is preferable to the duty of another well performed. Even death in the performance of one's own duty brings blessedness; another's duty is fraught with fear"

36/III. Arjuna said, "Now impelled by what, Krishna, does this man commit sin even involunatarily, as though driven by force?"

37/III. Sri Bhagavan said, "It is desire begotten of the element of Rajas, which appears as wrath; nay, it is insatiable and grossly wicked. Know this to be the enemy in this case"

38/III. "As a flame is covered by smoke, mirror by dirt, and embryo by the amnion, so is Knowledge covered by it (desire)"

39/III. "And, Arjuna, Knowledge stand covered by this eternal enemy of the wise, known as desire, which is insatiable like fire"

40/III. "The senses, the mind and the intellect are declared to be its seat; screening the light of Truth through these; it (desire) deludes the embodied soul"

41/III. "Therefore, Arjuna, you must first control your senses; and then kill this evil thing which obstructs Jnana (Knowledge of the Absolute or Nirguna Brahma) and vijnana (Knowledge of Sakar Brahma or manifest Divinity)"

42/III. "The senses are said to be greater than the body; but greater than the senses is the mind. Greater than the mind is the intellect; and what is greater than the intellect is he (the Soul/Self)"

43/III. "Thus, Arjuna, knowing that which is higher than the intellect and subduing the mind by reason, kill this enemy in the form of Desire that is hard to overcome"

-- END OF CHAPTER - III --

-- OM THATH SATH --