THE HOLY YOGA, CHAPTER 4, JNANA KARMA SANYASA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF RENUNCIATION OF ACTION IN KNOWLEDGE OR THE WAY OF KNOWLEDGE, VERSE NUMBER 32

THE HOLY YOGA

CHAPTER 4

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

VERSE NUMBER 32

Text in Transliteration:

evam bahuvidhaa yajnaa vitataa brahmano mukhe

karmajaan viddhi taan sarvaan evam jnaatvaa vimoksyase

Text in English:

Various yajnas such as these are spread out in the storehouse of the Vedas. Know them all to be born of karma; and thus knowing you shall be free.

COMMENTARY BY SWAMI SIDBHAVANANDA:

The four-faced Brahma, Veda, prakriti, Nature, phenomenon, maya—all these terms refer to the same reality. The knower of Veda is he who knows how Nature functions. Nature is the embodiment of karma. And there is in it a divine design of karma. They who convert karma into Yajna (sacrifice) construe and conform to the sacred plan of Nature. All the happenings in Nature are capable of being converted into Yajna (sacrifice). While karma in its ordinary form is binding, in the form of Yajna it is liberating.

DR.S.RADHAKRISHNAN’S VERSION OF THIS STANZA:

Thus many form of sacrifice are spread out in the face of Brahman (i.e. set forth as the means of reaching the Absolute). Know thou that all these are born of work, and so knowing thou shalt be freed.

COMMENTARY BY SWAMI SIVANANDA:

Various kinds of sacrifices are spread out at the mouth of Brahman, i.e., they are known from the Vedas. Know that they are born of action, because the Self is beyond action. If you realize that “these actions do not concern me, they are not my action, and I am actionless, you will surely be liberated from the bondage of Samsara by this right knowledge

Comments by the blogger:

In Verses 25 to 30 the Lord of Gita lists out various kinds of Sacrifices.

This universe is the body of Iswara. That is why the four Vedas are called as such, Veda. Veda means to know. One who knows the design of the universe or prakriti or Nature is the knower of the Veda. This universe is filled with three gunas or tendencies, namely, Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic. Sattvic is the character full of light and knowledge. Rajasic is full of action of various kinds. Tamasic is inertia and darkness. These are three tendencies. The cosmos consist of these three tendencies or gunas as the Man. We are also the storehouse of these three gunas or tendencies. Actions are a divine design of the Universe, according to Swami Sidbhavananda.  Nature is full of action. Both sentient and insentient are action oriented. Take a piece of rock or a handful of earth, much action is taking place there! We cannot see this with our naked eyes. If we take the irreducible atom of this rock or earth, then we can see much action taking inside the action. The acting protons and neutrons can be seen as a streak of light at one angle and a dot at another. So much action takes place even in the so-called inert rock or earth. The planets and the distant stars are ever on the action mode. The sky is the only non-acting element. It acts as the anvil on which various pieces of metals are hammered and shaped. All our actions are made possible because of the non-acting sky. The universe thus filled with three gunas or tendencies is teeming with non-stop action.

 Anything and anyone coming into the plan of Nature has to act. No one can remain without action. While our atman is without action, we have to act non-stop. Even while we sit idly our inner organs and our mind act non-stop. So there is no escape from action. Once we act it binds us. Because this universe is filled with the maya or illusion of Ishwara! So we get the “I do this and that” mentality which is called ego. But actions which are carried out without selfishness and ego becomes a sacrifice. The scheme of  Nature is Sacrifice. Sacrifice alone saves us. When actions of all kinds are done as sacrifices, then it ceases to bind us. Then we can reach our original state. Thus sacrifices are spread on the face of the Brahman or are in His Nature or prkriti. He who can understand these basics and indulge in actions is never bound.

Ok, what about us, that is, many of us who cannot turn the majority of our daily actions into sacrifices and we indulge in actions for their fruits.   

Is it a crime to study for the examinations with a view to score high marks?

Is it a crime to join in a job and expect emoluments for the work we do?

It is not a crime. But all our selfish actions are binding. So what? We have to come here time and time again. whereas our original state is coextensive with Eternal Brahman. To get back to our original state, we have to do things which will not bind us. The Hindu saints found this out thousands of years ago. That is why the word “swaga” is used in every Vedic sacrifice even now. In the Agni, there are things poured as oblations. At the time the word “swaga” is used. Swaga means to return back what was given to us. This society gives us education. We must give back to the society by educating some pupils free of costs or we must spend our hard earned money for the education of the poor pupils. They must, in their turn, utter swaga and return back not to us, for we did it as an act of sacrifice, to some other poor pupils and thus the public weal must be fostered.

Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that all the sacrifices listed out by Him should be understood as having been born of Karma or action. So action in itself is not a sin. So take up your bow and quills Arjuna and indulge in your self- ordained duty or give battle to the people arrayed against your army! This is what the Lord tells Arjuna. He tells him not to fight for his victory. But never shun the action and the duty. Indulge in your skathriya duty or duty of a warrior with mind not expecting the fruits. Then, even if you kill thousands, your hands will not be tarnished.

Now all the modern States have Army, Navy and Air Force. In a just fight if the men kill thousands of human beings it will not sully them. Why go so far? The modern independent country, Iraq was invaded for its petrol wealth by the US and the UK principally. Even in that war, since the duty of a soldier was to obey the State authority, no sin will attach to the individual soldiers. The sin will bind the leaders who indulge their military and air power. The leaders must collect the sin, and their totally wrong decision deliberately taken will bind them and few people and officers privy to the decision of invading a modern sovereign country. So Arjuna should fight. We all should fight our individual war without fear and favour. Then, irrespective of the result, if we had indulged in the action it will not bind us.

Even in the case of our daily conduct, we do so many acts, good and bad. We must try to minimise the bad and maximise the good. And it is no crime to eat and drink with moderation and kiss your spouse. We must study our scriptures daily without fail. Nothing or none should be allowed to interfere in our daily reading and daily prayer. Ten minutes prayer and deep faith in the Lord would do miracles. We would start to love all. It is a must. We must love our enemies too. But we need not go out and tell them that! We must have adroitness. Thus we will come back to the earth’s plane with surroundings and self-will to do more good. And at one stage we would start to indulge in internal sacrifice alone. Then it would be a matter of births before we shall have realised the Lord in us.