THE HOLY GITA
CHAPTER THREE
KARMA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF ACTION
VERSE NUMBER 6
Text in Transliteration:
Karmendriyaani samyamya ya aaste manasaa smaran
Indriyaarthaan vimoodhaatmaa mirthyaachaarah sa uchyate
Text in English:
That deluded man is called a hypocrite who sits controlling
the organs of action, but dwelling in his mind on the objects of the senses.
COMMENTARY BY SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:
The functioning of the mind persists as long as the Jivatman is bound by Prakriti. And the way of the mind is to
be ever assuming modifications. Thought waves continue to rise in it while the
external sense organs are held under restraint. This conflict is harmful. It is
like applying brake to the wheels of the locomotive while the throttle-valve is
fully open. To shut the steam first and then to apply the brake is the proper
course. Any contrary action is disastrous to the locomotive. When man adopts this
kind of wrong restraint on himself in a violent way in order to control the
senses, he ruins the personality. Whatever mars man is evil. While yet in ignorance
man’s pretension to the renunciation of action is sheer hypocrisy which he
should not resort to.
SRI RAMAKRISHNA AS QUOTED BY SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:
Two friends went out one night intent on any entertainment
that they came by. As they walked on they met with a pious gathering listening devoutly
to the Holy Bhagavadhtam being explained. One of the two suggested that they wait
there and derived benefit from that sacred discourse. But the other preferred some
earthly enjoyment and walked away to a house of ill-fame. After a while the
first man thought he made a mistake in choosing that holy assembly. All the
time he was cogitating over the pleasure his companion was enjoying. The second
man on the other hand, was repenting of the base choice he had made and was imagining
of the divine bliss his friend was sharing with the devotees. The fist man was
sitting in a house of God and sinning while the second was craving for the
divine though physically placed in a bad environment. Sin and virtue accrue
ever from the frame of mind and never from the restrictions imposed on the
senses.
COMMENTARY BY DR. S. RADHAKRISHNAN:
We may control outwardly our activities but if we do not
restrain the desires which impel them, we have failed to grasp the true meaning
of restraint.
COMMENTARY BY SWAMI SIVANANDA:
The five organs of action, karma Indriyas are Vak (organ of speech), Pani (hands), Padam (feet),
Upastha (genital) and Guda (anus). They are born of the Rajasic portion of the
five Tanmmatras or suble elements; Vak from the Akasa Tanmatra(ether) pani from
the Vayu(air), Padam from the Agni Tanmatra (fire), Upashth from apas Tanmatra
(water), and Guda from the Prithvi Tanmatra (earth). That man who, restraining
the organs of action, sits revolving in his mind thoughts regarding the objects
of the senses is a man of sinful conduct. He is self deluded. He is a veritable
hypocrite.
The organs of action must be controlled. The thoughts should
also be controlled. The mind should be
firmly fixed on the Lord. Only then will you become a true yogi. Only then will
you attain to Self-realisation.
Comments of the blogger:
It should be noted that verse number 6 come after the 5
where it is postulated openly by the lord that none can remain for even a
moment without performing action. And performance
of action always involves the sense playing around the sense objects and this
is a must for the continuance of the universe and creation. But the Lord
says, in verse 5 that everyone is made
to act helplessly indeed by the qualities born of Nature!
We should not comprehend the two verses as the Lord saying
that YOU MUST ACT, NATURE WILL NOT ALLOW
YOU, EVEN FOR A SECOND, REMAIN WITHOUT ACTING. BUT AT THE SAME TIME YOU MUST
CURB YOURSELF TO THE EXTENT OF YOUR BEING INACTIVE.
In the whole universe,
except the sky and the Atman or Self or Soul nothing remains without action. Even
inside the inorganic objects like rock and water there is constant action, and
this is the tatva or truth or the philosophy of Siva Dhandava or Sri Nataraja’s
Cosmic Dance! So much so that every inorganic thing like rock has its own atom
number declaring the basic vibration level in the atoms. This the Dance of
Siva.
The combined study of the two verses as aforesaid makes it
clear that we have to act, because we have been wired that way, but there
should be moderation in all, and the endless pursuit of the materialism is a
sin in as far as it drags the soul from its Master through millennial rebirths,
each innings giving birth to more million of number of re-births. The Lord must
be understood as saying in these two verses as DON’T INCREASE THE NUMBER OF
YOUR REBIRTHS. AND, THOUGH ACTION IS YOUR BASIC MODE, YOUR SELF DOES NOT KNOW
OF NO ACTION, AND TO REALISE THAT, BECOME RESTFUL AND RESTRICT YOUR SENSES SO
THAT THEY SHALL NOT MAKE A DASH FOR THE SENSE OBJECTS. BUT, IF YOU ONLY PUT A
CURB ON YOUR SENSE OBJECTS LIKE SPEECH ORGAN, HAND, FOOT, PRIVATE PART AND THE
ANUS, WHILE FREELY ALLOWING THE INCOMING OF THE SENSE PLEASUES IN THE MIND,
BECAUSE IT IS SHEER HYPOCRICY.
Actions are there. Senses are in the mind which must be
curbed, which will have a SAY on the
sense objects, then you can attain slowly toward the supreme state of
actionlessness. So till then, without fear or favour, without likes or
dislikes, and without expectation of fruits of the actions, ever indulge in
your self ordained duty, O, Arjuna.
Even if you go into the forest after renouncing the world,
your mind would not be able to think of anything but the war that took place at
Krutkchetra. Because you are a kshatria and a kshatria is wired toward giving
battle when challenged. Even in the forest your senses would be lingering on
the battlefield, and thus, just curbing your vak, pani, padam, upashta and Guda
will never do. Take up the bow and arrow thrown by you and give mighty battle
and enjoy the whole world here and after death enjoy the heaven for ever!
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