VERSE NUMBER 1 OF KARMA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF ACTION

THE HOLY YOGA

CHAPTER THREE

KARMA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF ACTION

VERSE NUMBER 1

Text in Transliteration:

arjuna uvacha

jyaayasee chet karmanas to mataa budhir janardana

tat kim karmani ghore maam niyojayasi kesava

Text in English:

Arjuna said:

If it is held by you, O Janardana, that knowledge is superior to action, why then do you, O Kesava, enjoin on me this terrible action?

COMMENTARY BY DR.S.RADHAKRISHNAN:

 Arjuna misunderstands the teaching that work for reward is less excellent that work without attachment and desire and believes that Krishna is of the view that knowledge without action is better than work and asks, if you think that knowledge is superior to action, why do you ask me to engage in this frightful work? If the samkhya method of gaining wisdom is superior, then action is irrelevance.

COMMENTARY BY SWAMI SIVANANDA:

In verses 49, 50 and 51 of chapter II Lord Krishna has spoken very highly about Buddhi yoga. He again asks Arjuna to fight. That is the reason why Arjuna is perplexed now.

Comments by the blogger:

In the chapter number II samkhyam and yogam were taught by the Lord Krishna to the falsly  aggrieved Arjuna. In samkhyam the Lord extolled the possession of the Self as the ultimate possession, besides dealing elaborately the nature of the Atman, the indweller. He glorified Atman and explained how it cannot be slain by the sword, scorched by fire, wetted by water and dried by the air. And he elaborated on the eternal nature of the Atman and transitory and perishable nature of the bodies. He taught that what Arjuna was called upon to do was to just slay the bodies, and he could not do anything to the indwelling Atman. After this theoretical exposition of the Nature of the Atman, the Lord went on to the action or practical side of the yoga, whereby one can attain self-possessin through the otherwise tainted actions by carrying out them without any expectation of the fruits. Then, after understanding this, Arjuna wants to know the Nirai-jnani or the Brahma-Jnani. While extolling the greatness of the Brahma-Jnani, Sri Krishna sings an eulogy of such a Jnani who has attained the one-up-ment with the Altumate Brahman. Now Arjuna once again sways, and asks, if the way of wisdom were such why did the Lord thrust this terrible war on him.

Any war for a kshatria cannot be a terrible one. And this heaven begetting war has been placed on a platter to him, having come unsaught, in the course of which if he dies he would go to the Heaven and  wins, would rule the world. So it is not a terrible thing to give battle for Arjuna. To save the world by ridding it of the wicked people this war has become a cosmic necessity, and for Arjuna there could be no such chance coming his way. Still he sways. And the benefit is in the form of the 16 more chapters including the present one.