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 12

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 12

Text in Transliteration:

Kaankshantahkarmanaam siddhim yajanta iha devatah

Kshipram hi manushe loke siddir bhavati karmajaa

Text in English:

Longing for success in action on eart, they worship the gods; for quickly is success born of action in this world of man.             

COMMENTARY BY SWAMI SIDBHAVANANDA:

The higher the ideal the more arduously one has to prepare oneself for it and the longer one has to wait for it. Self-knowledge is harder to attain than the fruits of action. What is perceived by the senses is portrayed as the word of man, where quick results can be obtained; but they are impermanent in character. The ignorant seek for sense-objects easily obtainable. Access to a monarch is hard to get, but it is very consequential. Acquaintance with a petty page of a monarch is easily got. Devotion, wisdom, salvation and such like divine gifts come to worshipper of Iswara. Votaries of the minor gods get their deserts accordingly. Ideals vary according to the mental attainments of people.

COMMENTARY BY SWAMI SIVANANDA:

It is very difficult to attain to the knowledge of the Self or Self-realisation. It demands perfect renunciation. The aspirant should possess the four means (discrimination,, dispassion, sixfold virtues, and longing for liberation. The sixfold virtues are: control of the mind, control of the senses, fortitude, turning away from the objects of the world, faith and tranquillity) and sixfold virtues, and practise constant and intense meditation. But worldly success can be attained quickly and easily.

The Vedic injunctions based upon castes and order are meant for the men of this world only.

Comments by the blogger:

The worshipers of the gods long for success in action on earth. There is nothing wrong in worshiping the God Himself for success in action on earth. For example, a student may worship for success in action, which is his preparation for the exam. According to the Lord, success in this world is easy. But we only know how difficult achieving success in this world. Yet the Lord makes it sound easy. Why?

Thousands of millions of people pray to God for the fulfillment of their desires. God in Git says that there are three kinds of people who worship Him.The first type is those worshipers who ask God’s intervention in the fulfillment of their worldly wants and desires. The second type of people is athose who want to wriggle out of some problems or for curing some diseases. And the third type of worshipers is worshiping the Lord for its own sake. And God says all the worshipers are dear to Him!

So there is nothing wrong in worshiping the Lord for the attainment of worldly things and for getting over some hurdles. The thing is where we draw the line. If a boy worships God to pass the exams and in college for the fulfillment of love for a girl and when he marries her for sons and daughters and good employment etc. Then he continues to pray the Lord for promotion in his job and to get over the various illnesses as and when he or any one of his family suffer from. Then he worships for his grown up daughters’ getting good husbands and prosperity in their houses. He continues to pray for good daughters-in-law for his sons and pray they should bring hefty dowry. And then he worships the Lord for good grandchildren off his daughters and sons. When that happen he worships that they should grow well and get admission in prestigious schools. And at some point of time, he gives up his ghost. God will definitely tell him why he couldn’t reserve even a second a day for the sake of the Lord his Maker!

We must not worship the Lord like this, even though the Lord declares openly even such devotees are dear to him. It is in the context that even such worshipers come into the fold of His beloved people. And another reason is that even such devotees, if they behave themselves, stand good chances to improve as they progress in the chain of birth and death and gradually would mature into good Yogis. For it is a sure thing. That is why Nature or Prakriti is there. She schools us and we gradually lose interest in worldly things and affairs and at some point take up to the practice of yoga with intense yearning.

God is not against the worshipers of various gods for the worldly things and says attainment of success in this world is easy. It is Sri Bhagavan who says that and we must believe Him. For Swami Sivananda has listed out the things and attitude a yoga practitioner must have and in the face of such arduous things success in this world should certainly be considered easier. And the swami says further that the Vedic injunctions about castes and classes of people do not apply to people when it comes to practising Yoga. Anyone can practise intense meditation providing he or she has got the necessary attitudes and attributes listed by the Swami Sivananda in the commentary on this verse.