THE HOLY GITA , CHAPTER 4, JNANA KARMA SANYASA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF RENUNCIATION OF ACTION IN KNOWLEDGE OR THE WAY OF KNOWLEDGE , VERSE NUMBER 20

THE HOLY GITA

CHAPTER 4

JNANA KARMA SANYASA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF RENUNCIATION OF ACTION IN KNOWLEDGE OR THE WAY OF KNOWLEDGE:

VERSE NUMBER 20

Text in Transliteration:

Tyaktvaa karmaphalaasangam nityatrrpto niraasrayah

Karmany abhipravrtto ‘pi nai ‘va mimchit karoti sah

Text in English:

Having abandoned attachment to the fruits of action, ever content, depending on nothing, though engaged in karma, verily he does not do any anything.

COMMENTARY BY SWAMI SIDBHAVANANDA:

What inaction is, is not to be gauged with things and affairs external. It is truly the state of the mind that indicates action and inaction. The postman delivers letters containing happy as well as unhappy tidings which affect the addressees, but not the deliverer. The wise man similarly engages himself in actions which are all according to him adorations of the Lord. He has not desire whatsoever. Unattached that he is, he is ever content. There is no need for him to depend on anybody, great of small. The man with this frame of mind is fixed in inaction.

Spiritual discipline is indispensable for the attainment of Self-knowledge. But the case of men of adamant faith is different; the get at this knowledge very easily.

SRI RAMAKRISHNA AS QUOTED BY SWAMI SIDBHAVANANDA:

The Gopies returning home once found no boatman to ferry them across the river Yamuna to Brinkavan. The perplexed milkmaids presented their plight to the sage Vyasa who had also arrived there just then with the same intent. “Be not worried on this score; I shall lead you all to the other bank. But give me something first to appease the hunger,” said the sage. Cream, butter and condensed milk were offered to him accordingly. After doing full justice to the dainties, Vyasa stood up and implored. “O Yamuna Devi, if it is a fact that I am fasting today, stop flowing and make way for us to get to the other bank. The river did stop flowing and the group safely walked to the opposite side. The Gopis then pleaded with the sage to explain the anomaly in his statement that he fasted while actually he feasted on the delicacies which they had supplied him. Vyasa explained himself: “The ceaseless hankering of my heart for Sri Krishna is my spiritual fasting. The idea that ‘I eat’ is not allowed to enter the mind. Your dishes were all offered as oblation to the Maker presiding over this body.”  

Maharishi Vyasa’s life in conformity with Truth and his faith in the Almighty worked this miracle.

COMMENTARY BY DR.S.RADHAKRISHNA:

Cp. Ashtaavakrageetaa. “He who is devoid of existence and non-existence, who is wise, satisfied, free from desire, does nothing even if he may be acting in the eyes of the world.”

“He who , without attachment to them, surrenders to God all religious practices ordained by the scriptures, obtains the perfection of non-action; the promised fruit is only to attract us to action.”

COMMENTARY BY SWAMI SIVANANDA:

The same idea of inaction in action is repeated here to produce a deep impression on the minds of the aspirants. He who works for the well-being of the world and he who performs actions without egoism and attachment for the fruits, to set an example to the masses, really does nothing at all though he is ever engaged in activity, as he possesses the knowledge of the Self which is beyond all activity and as he has realised his identity with It.

As Brahman the Absolute is self-contained, all the desires are gratified if one realises the Self. He is ever satisfied and does not depend on anything, just as a man who has the favour of the king does not depend on the minister or the government official for anything. (Cf; IV.41)

Comments by the blogger:

The same idea is repeated and rephrased here. If a person indulges in actions abandoning attachment to the fruits thereof, he will become very independent in this world filled with fruit-seekers. New stream of water would come only to that well off which water is hauled. The unused well will not be supplied by the new streams of water. The water in such unused well will taste bitter and have a bad smell.  When the  man gives without any inhibition and expectation he becomes enriched with new resources and his life is enriched beyond all expectations. The selfish man’s riches are like the water which has fallen into disuse. He cannot enrich his life. He cannot become an adornment to the Lord. The man who gives without expectation is always engaged, but he will not be bound.

They say that in order to give up bad habits good habits must be made to replace them and then even the good habits must be given up for God has no habits! In God no action takes place. Only prakriti or nature all actions are possible. Actually the tri-guna prakriti (the nature with three gunas or tendencies, namely Sattva, Rajas and Tamas—light, action-oriented and inert or darkness respectively) is full of actions. Though we are pure self co-extent with God we are deluded by the illusion of  nature. That makes us forgetful of our pure nature. So desire crop up in hundreds at a time. And that makes us become action-oriented.

But he who always works, like a Mother Teresa, a Mahatma Gandhi, to give two recent examples, and never ceases to work verily does not do anything. When Mother Teresa went to America she was given a rousing welcome by all. In one of her speeches, she advised the American women to keep their chastity intact! If Manu, the great lawmaker lays down certain rules and regulations for women it is criticised as coming from a male chauvinist. Swami Sidbhavananda says the merit of a society can be gauged by the self-control the people have. If women start in a society to lose chastity and have free premarital sex, it heavily tells upon the healthiness of the society. Women have some peculiar virtues denied to men, at the same time, unlike in the animal kingdom, women are also vested with all the charms and beauty of the world. If the society treats them as pleasure-giving objects and receptacles for their wild oats, that society started to perish. Self-control and self-discipline are as important for the individual man as for the society. Otherwise all virtues go to dogs.

Now, a few words aside: can we always live like a Buddha, like a Jesus Christ, like a Mother Teresa, like a Mahatma Gandhi? Can’t a guy have some pleasures in society for himself and for his beloved family? Can’t a guy enjoy himself? Can’t a guy look out for the comforts of the members of his society? Should self-discipline and self-control be stretched to the limitless asceticism?

Not at all, ladies and gentlemen! As I have said earlier, the Taiteeriya Upnishad counsel us to live a full life! It says live your life! But in our mental evolution at a point of time or rebirth, the above noted selfless giving would become not only feasible but it would be the only thing which would bring succour for our soul! Till then we must lead a good life. We must read our Scriptures daily. The rest of the things will be taken care of by God’s prakriti or nature.