THE HOLY GITA
CHAPTER THREE
KARMA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF ACTION OR THE METHOD OF ACTION
VERSE NUMBER 29
Text in Transliteration:
prakrter guna sammoodhaah sajjante guna karmasu
taan akrtsnavido mandaan krtsnavin na vicaalayet
Text in English:
Those deluded by the Gunas of Prakriti get attached to the
funtiouns of the Gunas. The man of perfect knowledge should not unsettle the
mediocre whose knowledge is imperfect.
COMMENTARY BY SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:
No differentiation can be made between the skin and pulp in
a tender fruit. It is only after it matures and ripes that this difference
comes about. Even so the mediocre make no distinction between the
action-fabricated Prakriti and the actionless Atman. They are therefore
entangled in karma. Attempt at discrimination between Atma and Prakriti will
only lead to confusion of understanding. There is no harm in their perfoming
their duties with attachment. They should therefore be encouraged to be more
and more active. Work with attachment has its place in the evolution of man.
COMMENTARY BY DR.S.RADHAKRISHNA:
We should not disturb those who act under the impulsion of
nature. They should be slowly delivered from the false identitification of the
self with the ego subject to nature. The true self is the divine, eternally
free and self-aware. The false self is the ego which is a part nature, which
reflects the workings of prakriti. Here the true self, on the Samkhya analysis,
is described as inactive, while prakriti is active and when purusha identifies
itself with the activity of prakriti, the sense of active personality is
produed. The Gita does not support the Samkhya view of the withdrawal of
purusha from prakriti by complete inaction. Discernment does not imply inaction
but it involves action done in a way that does not hinder the attainment of
release. If we realize that the atman or the ture self is the detached witness,
serene and impartial, no action binds us, though we engage in the great battle
against imperfection and sorrow and work for world solidarity.
COMMENTARY BY SWAMI SIVANANDA:
The ignorant people do action with the expectation of
fruits. The wise people who have the knowledge of the Self should not distract
the faith or conviction or belief of such ignorant persons. If they unsettle
their minds they will give up action and become victims of inertia. They will
lead an idle life. They should be encouraged by the wise to do actions of the
sakama type ( actions for the sake of their fruits) in the beginning. The wise
ones should turn the minds of the ignorant by giving them gradual instructions
on Karma Yoga ( yoga of Selfless, desireless action) and its benefits, viz.,
purification of the heart that leads to the attainment of Self-realisation.
Comments by the blogger:
Most of us belong to the second category and are attached to
the actions for the fruits thereof. I am one such an imperfected person. The advice
here given by the Lord would not take in as perfect even the most eligible of
students, Arjuna! So nobody should fall in this trap and consider themselves as
perfected souls. There is not even one perfected soul to be found among a crore
people. so we should not mistake the Lord speak to us. He speaks, on the
contrary, the really perfected souls like Sri Ramakrishna, his chela, Swami
Vivekananda, Swamis like chidbhavananda and Sivanananda. Others are imperfect
in their own way.
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