The Bhagavad-GT, with the Commentary of R Ankarchrya 9781142616878

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rHE BHAGAVAD-GITA WITH THE COMMENTARY OF

SRI

SANKARACHARYA

TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH BY A.

MAHADEVA

SASTRI,

b. a.,

Curator, Government Oriental Library, Mysore. >

1

1

J >

)

)

9 i

4 J

•

SECOND EDITION REVISEP AND IMPROVED, WITH ADDITIONAL NOTES.

MYSORE igoi.

[All Rights Reserved.

]

VEDIC RELIGION A

A

TMB BMASAITAB-MTA,

CARPENTIER PRINTED AT

The

G,

T. A.

Printing

MYSORE.

Works,

I

fof

TO THE MEMORY OF (A

A

A

i.i. Sri BhamarajGndraladayarlahadur, 6i.i.i., I'he

Late JVEaharaja of

WHO TOOK AN ACTIVE INTEREST

]VIysops,

IN THE REVIVAL OF

OUR ANCIENT LITERATURE AND RELIGION.

iviSSSOl

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. Under the designation " proposed to publish

VEDIC RELIGION

"

it

is

a series English translations of some

in

most important Ancient Scriptures of the Aryans with such authoritative commentaries as may throw more of the

upon

light

heads the

their

The Bhagavad-Gita

teachings.

series, as

embodying

in

justly

a most popular form the

essence of the whole Vedic Religion within a short compass.

The

publication of the present volume and the possibility of

prosecuting the work

— to me, of love —further on

due to the kindness and s. I.,

liberality of Sir

the Hon'ble Sir. S.

is

altogether

K. Seshadri Iyer,

Subrahmanya Iyer

k. c.

i.

e.,

***********

k.c.

and

Mr. A. Ramachandra Iyer (Judge, Chief Court, Bangalore). have throughout attempted a

literal translation

of the

Bhashya, the text of the Bhagavad-Gita being also

literally

I

The Bhashya has

translated in the light of the Bhashya.

been translated the of

Bhashya

it

in full

of a

except where a

whole verse or even

literal

translation of

of a considerable part

would be a mere repetition of the translation of the

corresponding portion of the text of the Gita case

I

;

which

in

have either altogether omitted the Bhashya or trans-

lated only those portions of the text than merely

which rather explain the meaning

show

in

what order the words

text should be construed or merely give their

equivalents.

Wherever a mere

literal

in the

synonymous

translation

of the

Bhashya is not likely to bring out its full import or leaves any room for doubt as to its meaning, I have added, in the form of foot-notes,

explanations mostly extracted from

Anandagiri's Tika, each such extract being marked(A)at the

Vm

PREFACE.

end. This Tika

and

is

always the clearest and most to the point

almost indispensable for a proper understanding of

is

some important portions disciple of

of the

An immediate

Bhashya.

Sri-5ankaracharya as he

is

reputed to be, he

should also be the safest guide. It

has always been

my

special

in its

English garb as clearly

as

could,

I

original,

aim

to

make

the

Bhashya

intelligible to a general reader

from

without unnecessarily departing

the

With

even as regards the structure of sentences.

have introduced into the translation as few technical terms as possible, whether of the Eastern or this

end

of the

in

view,

I

Western philosophy and theology. Where necessary,

original Sanskrit terms

English equivalents.

have been used along with their In some cases Sanskrit terms alone

have been used, inasmuch as

their English equivalents

are

The

found not to convey adequately the intended idea. exact sense of every such Sanskrit term will be found plained where

may be

Even itself, I

it

occurs for the

first

time

in the

gathered from the context in which

if

the translation be not quite clear

have no doubt that

it

clearly the

Bhashya

my

above referred

edition

is in

when

to.

or

to

The Bhashya,

by

read

will at least enable those

who

understand

in the original, especially as

given in

written

as

it

the author's peculiarly terse and archaic style, presents

in several places difificulties

of the different parts of

Bhashya

occurs.

it

are even slightly acquainted with Sanskrit,

ex-

—even as to

the exact

which follow one another

a discussion— which

Sanskrit

students

relation

in the course

who

are

not

thoroughly conversant with the author's style and system

PREFACE. of philosophy can scarcely

ix

overcome without the help

of

Anandagiri's T(ka or some such help as the present translation affords. It is, moreover, always a distinct j,'ain to lie

thus able to study the original and avoid the errors into

which commonplace readers may themselves to the translation.

,-^

fall if

they should confine

60Nn[iENTS. INTRODUCTION.

— The purpose of the Divine Incarnation. — The Gita and the Commentary. —Juana-Yogd the means to the Supreme Bliss. — How Karma-Yoga a means to the Supreme Bliss. — The specific subject and The

twofold Vedic Religion.

is

is

object of the Gita-Sastra.

pp. i-6.

ERRATA. Page.

—

GONirENTS. INTRODUCTION.

— The purpose of the Divine Incarnation. — The Gita and the Commentary. —Jnana-Yoga the means to the Supreme Bliss. — How Karma-Yoga a means to the Supreme Bliss. — The specific subject and The

twofold Vedic Religion.

is

is

object of the Gita-5astra.

pp. i-6.

First Discourse.

The Despondency

of Arjuna.

— Duryodhana armies ready for battle. — Arjuna's

Sanjaya narrates the course of the war.

— Both enemy. — Arjuna's

addresses Dro«a.

survey of the

words of despondency.

Arjuna's grief at the evils of war.

pp. 7-13.

Second Discourse. Sankhya-Yoga. Arjuna's weakness condemned by the seeks instruction

from the Lord.

Lord.

—Arjuna

— Self-knowledge

alone

— The doctrine that knowledge should be conjoined with works. — Sankhya and Yoga distinguished Conjunction inconsistent with the sequel. — Some cases of immortal. apparent conjunction explained. — The Self Endurance a condition of wisdom. — The Real and the unconcerned action. — The Self unreal. — The Self immutable. — The enlightened man has to renounce works eradicates misery.

is

is

in

is

Works

is

—

meant for the unenlightened. Knowledge of the Immutable Self is possible. -The enlightened should are

—

resort to Jiitina-Yoga.

room

for grief.

—

x\

— How

the Self

is

warrior should fight.

immutable.

—-No

— Yoga. — Yoga,

a

—— CONTENTS.

xii.

— Wisdom one. — No wisdom possible the the Yogin. — Karma- Yoga. worldly-minded. — Advice The merit of Wisdom. — Results of Karma- Yoga. — The safe course.

for

is

to

characteristic attributes of a perfect Sage. in

the Self.

—

Equanimity

(2)

in

—

Satisfaction

(i)

pleasure and pain.

—

(3)

— Devotion to the Lord. — Thought senses work mischief. — the source of — Sense-control leads of sense-objects to peace and happiness. — Sense-restraint conduces to steady The Universe, a mere dream to the Sage. knowledge. — the sage. — Subjugation of Works are not meant — Knowledge leads to Divine desire and personal

Absence of attachment, delight and aversion. (4) ComUnrestrained plete withdrawal of senses from objects.

—

(5)

evil.

is

(6)

for

(7)

self.

Felicity.

pp. 14-70,

Third Discourse.

Karma- Yoga. Arjuna's perplexity. Action.

— No conjunction

— Renunciation

cannot be the

effect of

an action.

or Action.

— The

paths of

— Conjunction

— Which

is

— Moksha inconsist-

Knowledge Knowledge and Action Karma-

Arjuna's question.

leads to

Knowledge and

enjoined in the scriptures.

ent with

Yoga

of

is better.

freedom from action.

—

— The

ignorant

are

swayed by Nature.— The unenlightened should not give up

Karma- Yoga The wheel of the world should be set going. — Karma- Yoga is not meant for the Self-knower. Arjuna qualified for Karma- Yoga. — The wise should set an

—The wise man's action as contrasted with that of the ignorant. — How an aspirant for Moksha

example

to the masses.

should do actions duct.

— Scope

for

Influence of man's nature on his con-

man's personal exertion.

— Desire

is

the

— xm.

CONTENTS.

enemy desire.

man

of

— How

Desire enshrouds wisdom.

— The

seat of

pp. 71-103.

to kill out desire.

Fourth Discourse. Jnana-Yoga.

— Divine Incarnations. — The the sole Incarnation. — J/;ana-Yoga

J«ana-Yoga.

Tradition of

purpose of Divine

means and

to

moksha.

salvation.

institution. soul.

?

divinely

ordered

without attachment does not

and inaction.

real nature of action

— The

Sage's action for

as

— Sacrifices effected

superior to other sacrifices.

by

benefits

human bmd the

— Who

bodily

a

maintenance.

action.

— Wisdom-

— Wisdom-sacrifice

— How and where one

should

Wisdom, a consumer of all sins wisdom actions. — The surest means to wisdom. — Wisdom, the

L

is

an example to the

does not bind him.

Sage's worldly action

sacrifice. is

Caste as a

— The Sage's worldly action

masses.

The

— Divine dispensation of worldly

—Action

— The

Sage

—

is

and

seek

of doubt.

killer

pp. 104-138.

Discourse.

Fifth

Samnyasa-yoga.

Which

is

better

the

for

ignorant.

Karma- Yoga

or

— The question not with reference to the enlightened. — Karma-Yoga and Sa;;myasa inapplicable to the enlightened. — Karma- Yoga suits the ignorant better Sa;;myasa

than Sa;;myasa goal.

is

?

— Sankhya

— Karma- Yoga

is

actions

— Karma- Yogin

means

a

actions do not affect him.

and Yoga lead to the same

—A

is

to

Sawmyasa.

—A

Sage's actions are

Sage's

really

no

untainted by the results of his

— The blissful embodied of a Sage. — Nature the source of activity. — Wisdom and unwisdom. — The Sage action.

life

has no more births.— The Sage sees the

is

One

in all

beings.—

— —

CONTENTS.

XIV.

The Sage

is

liberated while

from grief and rejoicing. path of Nirvana.

on earth.

still

— The

— Realisation

— The Sage

is

free

The

Sage's infinite joy

Lord by Dhyana-

of the

Yoga.

pp. 139-162.

Sixth Discourse.

Dhyana-Yoga.

Dhyana-Yoga

is

incompatible with works

—Action a stepping-stone Who a Yogin — Directions for the

in action.

is

?

is

to

Renunciation

Dhyana-Yoga.

practice of Yoga.

Consummation Further directions concerning the practice of Yoga. — The effect of Dhyana-Yoga. — Practice and Indifference are the surest means to Yoga. — Failures in Yoga and the after-career. — The best of the Yogins. pp. 163-187.

Seventh Discourse. VlJNANA-YoGA. Realisation of the

Lord by meditation. — Evolution

Universe out of Divine Praknti.

classes of

Gods.

— The root

Divine Principle

— Maya How to overcome devotees. — The ignorant worship inferior of ignorance. — Divine worship leads to

penetrating the Universe.

Four

— The

of the

it.

:

realisation.

pp.

188-200.

Eighth Discourse. Abhyasa-Yoga.

The seven

things to be realised by meditation

meditation of the Divine to

be meditated upon.

Pra»ava.

is

necessary.

— Meditation

— No re-birth on attaining

— The

of the to the

— Constant

Divine Being Divine

in

the

Divine Being.

The Day and the Night of Brahma. — The Highest Goal, how reached The Paths of Light and Darkness. — Excel-

—

lence of Yoga,

pp. 201-214.

— CONTENTS.

XV.

Ninth Discourse. Sovereign Wisdom and Secret. Brahma-jfiana

is

the best Religion.

— All

beings rest

in

— The

Lord is the source and the end of all beings. — The Lord is not bound by His acts. — The life of All the impious. — The ways of the faithful devotees the Lord.

—

worship goes to the Lord.

Vedic

ritual.

—The fruits of interested

—The Supreme watching

over

acts of

His devotee's

— Other devotees do but worship the Supreme in ignorance. — Facility in Devotion to the Supreme. — The impartiality of the Supreme. — Even the low-born attain salvation by Devotion. — The Yoga of Devotion. interests.

pp. 215-233.

Tenth Discourse. Divine Manifestations.

The Lord

is

the source of

all

manifestations

of the Lord's Glory conduces to Yoga.

His devotees with wisdom. Lord's manifestations manifestations.

— Arjuna's

— The

— The

— Knowledge Lord endows

question about the

Lord's enumeration of His

— Divine Glory described in brief. pp. 234-247.

Eleventh Discourse.

The Universal Form. Arjuna's prayer for a vision of the

Universal

Arjuna endowed with heavenly sight wherewith

to

Form. see

the

Form.— The manifestation of the Lord's UniVish;/u is one with the Unconditioned. — The versal Form Universal Form (continued). — The wonderfulness of the Theterribleness of the Universal Form Universal Form Arjuna's vision of the defeat of the enemy. — The splendour of the Universal Form. — The Lord's advent for destruction Universal

—

—— CONTENTS.

XVI.

of worlds

Arjuna's adoration

Arjuna's prayer

Lord's

the

for

of the

Form

Universal

— Arjuna's form. —The

forgiveness.

prayer for the Lord's resumption of His usual

Lord resumes His usual form. — Devotion as the sole means to the realization of the Universal Form. The essence of

—

the whole teaching of the Gita.

pp. 248-264.

Twelfth Discourse. Bhakti-Yoga.

Who

are

superior,

worshippers of Isvara, or the

the

—The worshippers of Isvara. — The worshippers of Akshara. — Salvation by worship of Isvara. Service of the Lord. — Abandonment of Abhyasa-Yoga of the Akshara-upasakas. the fruits of actions. — The worshippers of Akshara

?

life

pp. 265-276.

Thirteenth Discourse.

Matter and The main

subject of the discourse.

Identity of the soul with the evil only

Spirit.

through ignorance.

ed by sa7«sara.

Lord

— The body and soul The

— Kshetraj;?a

— Avidya inheres in

soul is

is

subject to

really unaffect-

the organ,

not

in

the

— Scriptural injunctions apply only to the state of bondage. — Bondage and liberation are not real states of the Self. — Scriptural injunctions concern the unenlightened Learned but deluded. — The relation of the Self to samskra a mere illusion. — The perception of the relation of avidya, due to illusion. — Summary of the Docetc., to the Self forms The Doctrine extolled. — Matter in trine Self.

is

is

all

Virtues

conducive

Brahman

Knowable

Brahman

is

Self-knowledge

to

is

the source of

its

Brahman,

the

beyond speech and thought

all

activity.— Brahman

is

uncondi-

—— CONTENTS.

XVll.

illusory — Brahman, the basic Reality in phenomena. — Brahman, theperceiver of the gu«as — Brahtioned.

all

man is all Brahman the

Brahman is

comprehended only by the wise. Brahman is the Cause of the one Self in all. is

—

Universe.

— Brahman

is

Illuminator of

the

all.

— The

— Seek the Light through devotion. — Prakriti and Purusha are eternal. — Prakriti and Purusha as the Cause of sawsara. — Avidya and Kama are the cause of rebirths. — Self-knowledge removes the cause of Light

is in

sawsara

the heart

The

o-f

every one.

paths to

four

Nothing

Self-knowledge

— The one Self in — Knowledge of the one Self leads to moksha. — Prakriti acts, not the the source and the abode of Self. — The Self — The unaffected by the fruits of acts. — The Self illumines Self — The doctrine summed up. pp. 277-338. exists outside the Self.

all.

is

all.

is

all.

Fourteenth Discourse. The Three Gunas.

the Universe from the union

— Knowledge of the origin for salvation. — Evolution of of Spirit and Matter. — The

— The

nature and functions of the

The

subject of the discourse.

of the universe is necessary

gu;jas

bind the soul.

gunas.

— The mutual action of the

when

a particular gana.

is

predominant.

as governed by the gu/zas.

summed up

—

gu;2as.

Realisation

— How

— Life

— The functions of the Self

of

to

know

after

death

the gu;zas

beyond the gunas

— The marks of a liberated soul — The conduct in of a Liberated one. — Devotion to the Lord leads to liberation. — Unity of Atman. pp. 339-354.

leads to immortality. life

Fifteenth Discourse.

The Supreme The Tree

of Saw/sara.

Spirit.

— Cut the Tree and seek the Goal.

——

XVm.

CONTENTS.

The Path Being.

to the Goal.

— Jiva

is

— The Goal

a ray of the Lord.

the body and departs from the eye of knowledge.

Immanence

it.

— (2)

Digestive Fire in the hearts of

all.

all

— How

— The Self

is

Jiva dwells in visible

only to

— No Self-knowledge without Voga.

of the Lord, (i) as the

Consciousness.

the Lord's Glorious

is

As

all-illumining

the all-sustaining Life

living organisms.

— The

imperishable universe.

—

(4)

—

As

Light of (3)

As the

the Self in

Lord beyond the perishable and the

— The

Glory

of

Self-knov\ledge. PP- 355-37^-

Sixteenth Discourse. Spirituality and Materialism.

— Materialistic disposition. — Results of the two dispositions. — The materialists.— The as guided by materialist's view of the world — Men's materialism. — The materialist's aspirations. — The materialist's sacrificial rites. — The materialist's neglect of Divine The materialist's Commandments — The three Gates of Hell to be avoided. — Let the Law guide thy Spiritual

disposition.

life

fall.

life.

pp. 372-383-

Seventeenth Discourse. The Threefold Faith.

—The three kinds of Faith. Men of Rajasic and Tamsic Faiths. — Threefold Food, Worship and Gift. — The three kinds of Food. — The three kinds of Worship. — Physical Austerity. — Austerity in speech. Mental Austerity. — The three kinds of Austerity according to Gu«as. — The three kinds of Gift. — How to perfect the The

ignorant, but faithful.

defective

acts.

— Works

teaching of the discourse

without faith

summed

up.

are fruitless.

— The

pp. 334-395.

— CONTENTS.

XIX.

Eighteenth Discourse. Conclusion. •

'

Sa;;myasa

'

and 'Tyagja' distinguished.

ignorant perform works

or

not

?

— The works

that the ignorant should perform

— Should

Lord's decree

— The

works

is

ation of

renunciations

— From

Sattvic.

works

all

for the ignorant.

of

works.

is

obligatory

works should be performed without attachment and Rajasic

the

Tamasic

— Renunciation

in

renunciation in works to renunci-

— Renunciation

— Effects of

of fruits

the two

alone possible

is

renunciations

after

— Factors in the production of an act. — The agency of the Self an illusion — Realisation of the non-agency of death.

is

the Self leads to absolution from the effects of

The Impulses

to

The Impulses

action

according

to

Knowledge.

— Tamasic

the guna.s.

— Sattvic

Knowledge.

works.

all

are

threefold

Knowledge.

— Rajasic

—

Action.

Sattvic

— Tamasic Action. — Sattvic Agent. Rajasic Agent. — Tamasic Agent. — Intellect and firmness are threefold according to gu«as. — Sattvic Intellect. Rajasic — Tamasic Insellect. —Sattvic Firmness. Rajasic Firmness. — Tamasic Firmness. — Pleasure threefold according to gu«as. — Sattvic Pleasure. — Rajasic Pleasure. — Tamasic Pleasure. — No man or god free from gu»as. — The sequel sums up the whole Doctrine. — Duties of the four castes ordained according to nature. — Devotion to one's own duty leads to perfection. — One ought not to abandon one's own duty. — Is entire renunciation of action Rajasic Action.

Intellect.

is

•

is

possible?— The Sankhya,

Buddhistic,

and

theories.— Refutation of the Vaiseshika theory. of the Pari/zama-Vada.-

The

enlightened

alone

The Lord's

Vaiseshika

— Refutation

theory of illusion

can renounce

action

entirely.

— CONTLNTS.

XX.

Perfection in

Karma- Yoga

Absolute Perfection

leads to absolute

consummation

the

is

— Is Self-knowledge possible at

ledge.

Himself

in

Pure Reason.

self-revealed.

— The

all?

to

—

Self-know-

of

— The Self reveals

— Cognition and the

Path

Perfection.

Cogniser are

Absolute Perfection.

— The

Knowledge attained by Devotion. Renunciation of all works is necessary for Absolute Perfection. Devotion to the Lard by works enjoined. Devotion to the Lord is the Secret of success in Karma- Yoga. Right Knowledge and Renunciation. What is the means the Highest Bliss, Knowledge or Works ? Selfto Knowledge alone is the means to the Highest Bliss. Knowledge cannot be conjoined with works. Refutation of the theory that salvation is attained by works alone. consummation

of

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

Refutation of the theory that the Nitya- Karma leads future births.

meant

— The Paths of

Works

Know.ledge and

for distinct classes of aspirants.

to

— Action

is

no are

a creature

— The theory of Avidya does not militate against the authority of Karma- Kri»^a. — Refutation of the theory of the Self's agency by mere presence. — The theory of Avidya concluded. — Qualification for instruction in the

of Avidya.

Gita Doctrine. merit of

Arjuna

—The merit of teaching

hearing the

Doctrine.

of his grasp of the

Lord and His

teaching.

:s:

the Doctrine.

— The

Teaching.

— The

Lord assured by

— Sanjaya

extols

the

pp. 396-479.

A

A

THE BIIAGAYAD-GITA WITH S'RI

SANKARACHARYA'S COMMENTARY. INTRODUCTION.

Naraya;/a

From

[

is

beyond tbe Avyakta

the Avyakta the

•

;

Mundane Egg

Mundane Egg, Earth made up of

born

is

worlds

\Yithin the

verily, are these

And

the seven Dvipas.

This

the is

;

a paura«ic verse speaking of the Antaryamin,

the Inner Guide and Regulator of

all souls.

here by the commentator in order that he

It is

may

quoted

begin his

important work, after the orthodox fashion, with the con-

God

templation of his favorite

(Ish/a-Devata), namely, Na-

raya«a, and further with a view to shew that the Pura»a (archaic

history),

the

Itihasa (ancient tradition) and

the

teach one and the same doctrine.

Naraya«a is, in the popular conception, the Creator who was brooding over Gitti

the waters just before the beginning of Creation. I.

lo.

According

to a subtler

Antaryamin, the Divine Being

have their being. far

transcends

it.

He It is

is

here spoken

is

conception, Na.raya«a in

whom

all

Manu is

the

embodied souls

not a creature of the Avyakta, but

the Avyakta, the Avyak/ita,

the undifferentiated matter,

union with Isvara,

Cf.

out of which,

when

in

Maya,

apparent

evolved the principle of Hira;/yagarbha,

of as A«(fa

or the

Mundane Egg, which

is

—

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

2

composed

An

of the five simple rudimental elements of matter.

intermingling of the five rudimental

elements of matter

gives rise to the principle of the Viraj, of which are formed

Earth and

the

Kusa,

Plaksha,

>•

'

'

J

till

-

.

'

continents are

5almala and

Saka,

Krau?;cha,

"^y/ikon'^s yi:sh;mpura»a Vol. '

or insular

For further particulars regarding

Pushkara.

'

•

'

I,

p. 109

The- twofold Vedic

.rrhrt Iloru created

'He

brdfer' tnerein'

and wishmg to secure Prajapatis" (Lords of

created the

flr'st

ff.]

Religion.

universe,

'tlie

these, see

such as Marichi and caused them to adopt

creatures)

Pravntti-Dharma,

Religion

the

of

Works.

created others such as Sanaka and Sanandana

them

regions.—

the other lokas or inhabited

The seven Dvipas

{Anandagiri).

Jambu,

all-

adopt

to

the

Nivntti-Dharma,

He

.

then

and caused

|

the

the

Religion

of

Renunciation, characterised by knowledge and indifference

worldly objects.

to

Works and

the twofold Vedic Religion of

is

Renunciation

maintains

that

Avorldly prosperity has long

nia«as downwards, * They are ten

names

in

number.

number.

Vishnupurana,

Mann

Cf.

\'ol.

I,

See pp. loo

They were without '

t

Wilson's

— 102.

remained

desire or pas-

of progeny.'

Part

I,

as to

These,

See

VishHupura»a,

The authorities names and number

Ch. VII. their

V.

P.,

tjjeclining

Vol. tq

I,

pp.

create

difier ;

— as

miiras, that ;

inspired with holy wisdom, estranged from the universe and undesir-

ous

— from

the

is,

all

the brah-

progeny,

of

ever

the boys,

first,

Ku-

ever pure and innocent.

The words dirghe«a '

ing a long time) in the

kalena' (mean-

Com. are

also

construed, as an alternative interpretation,

Then when

with the next following sentence. it

means

'a long time after,' i.e.,

the Krita and the Treta Vugas had been over and the Dvapara-Vuga was

see

77—78.

name

Sanatkumara, implies

sion,

Wilson's

the

—who sought welfare.

Authorities diSer as to their

and

in

been practised by

\

castes and religious orders (var»a-asrama)

J. 34, 35.

order

This Religion which directly leads to liberation

universe.

and

It

approaching

its

end.

— (A)

INTRODUCTION'.

The purpose When, owing

of the Divine Incarnation.

ascendancy of

to the

was overpowered by

religion

vanishing

faculty

Vish//u,

and

the

was

irreligion

it

'''

the universe, incarnated

Devaki by Vasudeva, Brahman,'

for

of spiritual

f

Himself as Knsh/za, begotten the preservation of the

life

(

Brahma^atva

was by the preservation

it

caused by

irreligion

discrimination,

of

votaries,

lust in its

was then that the original Creator (Adi-kartn), known as Naraya«a, wishing to maintain order in

advancing,

For

3

'

in

earthly

on the earth.

)

of spiritual

the

that

life

Vedic Religion could be preserved, since thereon depend distinctions

all

and religious order.

of caste

'

He

always possessed as

composed

of three

Gu«as

He

appears to the world as though

The words to this are

Com. corresponding

in the

'amsena sambabhuva.' As

But of the several forms of the

Vish,.u.

incarnation of God,

Krishna

hands recognised as a

full

Vish.m.

Accordingly,

'amsena'

to

on

is

all

incarnation of

.Inandagiri

ex-

mean 'svechchha-

nirmitena-mayamayena svarupena,' that "in

is,

own

an illusory form created by His

will.'

The Commentator here

.

.^

.

refers to the

^*^^

.^^

_

r\

,

,

.

V3

,

^^.^^^ for

^ady Devaki begat

the preservation of the

(Santi-parva. 47th ;?,«/„„fl,r „,(;„„

||

.

is

tl,g

Adhvaya

.)

"Earthly

explained by Nilaka«/ha to

y^^^^

,,,g

brahma».as, and

yaj)ias or sacrifices.'"

andII. others require the help of the brahma«as, the spiritual class u Ksnatnyas L-

.

performance of sacred

rites

and

in

th^ study of Scriptures.— (.\.) J,

^ ^^ 2^^'a^I ^

.

Brahman

earthlv

In the

:

^^^

^y Vasudeva

,

f

.

^

^OTT

Q^ln*ll?TI*1^\l'^t ..^j^^^

and

born and embodi-

is

.

.

following passage

or energies,

^

^^^

ai;isa

means a part, it would mean that Kiish«a was a partial incarnation of God

plains

knowledge, supre-

(infinite)

— belonging to Him as Vish/m, —the Mulaprakriti, the

First Cause,

He

of

might and vigour, controls the

macy, power, strength,

Maya,

is

The Lord,

j ,

For a

S3e xiv. 5

full

et

description of the Gu;ias

seq.

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

4

He

is

the Lord of creatures, and

is

ed and helping the world at large

unborn and indestructible,

by nature Eternal, Pure, [The special

stress

is

whereas really

;

Intelligent

and Free.

here on

laid

Maya

as belonging

and being under the control of the tsvara

to

intended to impress the idea that act

Maya

is

does not exist or

He

independently of Brahman, the Isvara.

to

school of the that

The

influence.

its

followers

is

quite

who

independent of Maya, unlike the individual souls subject

chiefly

of the historical

Sankhya-darsana hold, on the other hand,

Matter and

Prakriti and Purusha,

Spirit,

two

are

distinct principles, the former being as real as the latter

acting in unison with

Without any intention

who was

are

it.

— (A.)

of helping

]

His own, but with the

of

interest

and

He

His creatures.

sole

taught to Arjuna,

deeply plunged in the ocean of grief and delusion,

the twofold Vedic

Religion, evidently thinking

Religion would widely spread

when accepted and

that the

practised

by men of high character.

The Gita and the Commentary. It is this

Religion which was taught by the

the omniscient and

the Vedas)

Lord that

Veda-Vyasa (the arranger of the seven hundred verses called

adorable

embodied

in

Gitas.

This famous Gita-5astra

an epitome of the essentials

whole Vedic teaching; and

of the difficult

of its

is

to

Though,

understand.

teaching,

it

its

to

meaning

aff'ord

is

very

a clear view

has been explained word by word and

sentence by sentence, and several commentators,

its

still I

import

critically

examined by

have found that to the

laity

:

:

INTRODUCTION. appears to teach diverse and quite contradictory doct-

it

rines.

propose, therefore,

I

with a view to determine

Jnana-Yoga

to write

a brief

commentary

precise meaning.

its

the means to the Supreme Bliss.

is

The aim of this famous Gita-Sastra is, briefly, the Supreme Bliss, a complete cessation of sawsiira or transmigratory

life

and of

its

This accrues from that

cause.

Religion (Dharma) which consists in a steady devotion to the knowledge of the Self, all

-works.

preceded by the renunciation of

So, with reference to this Religion, the doctrine

Lord says

of the Gita, the

in the Anu-Gita''' as follows

" That religion, indeed, the

realisation

of

the Absolute." In the

same place "

He is without

weal and woe, seat,

And He

silent

also says

the

(Xsv.

quite sufficient for

state

Parva

of

Brahman,

xvi. 12.)

also said

is

it

is

:

merit and without sin, without

— he who

is

absorbed

in the

one

and thinking nothing." :

" Knowledge

is

characterised by renunciation."

{Ibid, xliii. 26.)

Here

also at the end

"

Abandoning

for shelter."

.

•

Arjuna all

is

contained

in

of that parva or section.

(xviii. 66).

chapters 16-51 It

professes to

bj a sort of recapitulation of the teaching

Sometime after was over, Arjuna

of the Bhagavad-Gita.

the fratricidal

requested tion

war

Knshna"

thus exhorted

dharmas, come to 'Me alone

This forms part of the Asvaniedha-

parva and

is

to repeat the instruc-

which had been conveyed

to

him on

the holy field of Kurukshetra, but which

had gone out of sh)ia

his degenerate mind. Kiithereupon protested that He was not

equal to a verbatim recapitulation of the Bhagavad-gita, but agreed, in lieu of that, to

impart to Arjuna the same instruction words through the medium of a

in other

certain ancient story."— See Sacred Books

0/ the East, Vol.

VIII, pp. 197—198.

THE

6

How Karma- Yoga Though

BHAGAVAt)-GitA.

is

a

means

Supreme

to the

Works,— which,

the Rehgion of

attaining worldly prosperity,

is

as a

Bliss.

means of

enjoined on the several castes

and religious orders,— leads the devotee to the region of the Devas and the like, still, when practised in a spirit of complete devotion to the Lord and without regard to the (immediate) results, (sattva-5uddhi).

tread

to

of

and thus

;

conduces

to the purity

The man whose mind

path

the

knowledge

it

(i

knowledge, ndirect]}^)

is

pure

and

the

to

with this very idea

in

competent

is

him

Religion

forms also a means to the Supreme Bliss. mind, the Lord says

mind

of the

comes

of

Works

Accordingly,

:

«

"

He who does actions, placing them in Brahman," " Yogins perform actions, without attachment,

for the purification of the self."

Tlie specific subject

and object

(v, lo, ii).

of the Qita = Sastra.

The Gita ^aslra expounds this twofold Religion, whose aim is the Supreme Bliss. It expounds specially the nature of'the Supreme Being and Reality known as Viisudeva, the Parabrahman, who forms the subject of the discourse. Thus the Gita-5astra treats of a specific subject with a ''''

specific object

and

object).

and bears a

A

realisation of all

explain

*

It

is

specific relation (to

knowledge of

human

its

the subject

teaching leads to the

Hence my attempt

aspirations.

it.

considered

commentator

incumbent on a

to state, before

ing on a work,

the

subject

commentand the

tlie

subject

object

ed

is

is

the Para-Urahnian

Salvation, Moksha.

for those

who

It is

whom

the subject as an exposition thereof,

which

it

stands to the three severally.Here

to the object as a

the

seek deliverance from

the turmoil of samsara.

intended, and the relation in

;

intend-

object, as well as the class of personsf or it is

to

means

It is

related to

of attaining

and it.

FIRST DISCOURSE.

THE DESPONDENCY OF ARJUNA. Sanjaya narrates the course Dhntarash/ra said

What

I.

did

they assembled

together on for battle,

the

O

Sa;»jaya said

:

sacred plain of

Sa;«jaya

?

:

Having seen the army

drawn up

the war.

FiVidns sons and mine do when

Kurukshetra eager

2.

of

of the

Pan^avas

Duryodhana then teacher and spoke (these) words

in battle-array, prince

approached his

:

Duryodhana addresses Drona. V

"

3.

O

teacher, look at this grand

sons of Pan^u,

army of the

marshalled by thy talented pupil,

the son of Drupada. 4.

in

"

Here are heroes, mighty archers, equal Yuyudhana, battle to Bhima and Arjuna,

—

Virata,

and Drupada, the master of

a great

car

(maharatha), * 5.

" Dhrishfaketu, Chekitana,

king of Kasi,

eminent •

Technically,

warrior

and the valiant Purujit and Kunti-Bhoja and that

man Saibya '

proficient

;

maharatha' means a '

in

military

science

who single-handed can archers,"

fight

a thousand

;

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

The

"

6.

Uttamaujas Draiipadij

I.

the brave

the son of Subhadra and the sons of

;

masters of great cars (maharathas).

all

are the most of

Yudhamanyu and

heroic

O

" But know,

7.

[DiS.

best of the twice-born,

who

among us, the leaders name to thee by way of

distinguished

my army;

these

I

example. " Thyself and Bhlshma, and Karna, and also

8.

Kripa, the victor in war, Asvatthaman and Vikarwa,

and

also Jayadratha, the son of

And many

"

g.

their

lives

weapons, 10. is

my

for

all

other heroes

given up

with

various

well-skilled in battle.

" This

army

of ours protected by

army of

under the protection of Bhima "

who have

fighting

sake,

inadequate, whereas that

11.

Somadatta

And

therefore do ye

is

theirs

Bhishma which

is

adequate. *

all,

occupying your

respective positions in the several divisions of the

army, support Bhishma only."

Both armies ready 12.

His mighty

oldest of the

13.

*

Then,

This sloka

is

lion's

all at

gloss

suggests various

which

all

-4

in

(Bhishma), the

order to cheer

him,

roar and blew his conch.

once, conches and kettledrums,

diftercntly interpreted

by difterent commei'.tators.

go to

grandsire,

Kauravas,

sounded on high a

for battle.

nandagiri's

interpretations

make Duryodhana mean

that

his

army,

larger

and led by an

abler leader than the enemy's, likely to

win the

battle,

is

more

;

:

THE DESPONDENCY OF ARJUNA.

6-^22,]

cymbols, drums and horns were played upon, and the sound was a tumultuous uproar.

Then,

14.

too,

Madhava and the son

of Vividu,

seated in a grand chariot yoked to white horses,

blew thair 15.

celestial conches.

blew

Hrlshikesa

Panchajanya,

the

and

Bhima, (the doer) of great conch Paun^ra.

Arjuna blew the Devadatta. terrible deeds, 16.

blew his

Kanti,

the son of

Prince Yudhish/hira,

blew the Anantavijaya, while Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughosha and the Manipushpaka. 17.

The king

of Kasi,

an

excellent

Sikhaniin, the master of a great car,

dyumna and

\'ira/a,

archer,

Dhrish/a-

and the unconquered Satyaki

Drupada and the sons of Draupadi, O lord of earth, and the son of Subhadra, of mighty arms, IS.

all

together blew their respective conches.

That tumultuous sound rent the hearts of people) of Dhritarash/ra's party, making both

ig.

(the

heaven and earth resound. Arjuna's survey of the enemy. 20-22.

Then

seeing the people of Dhritarash/ra's

party regularly marshalled, while the discharge of

weapons began, Arjuna, the son of ensign was a monkey, O King of his bow and said thus to K/ishna "

O

Achyuta

(Immortal),

between the two armies, that

Pa;/^u,

earth, took

place I

whose

may

my

up

chariot

just see those 2

:

THE BHAGAVAD-GiTA.

2^

who

stand here desirous to

whom

must

I

''

23.

and know with

fight,

fight in this strife of battle.

who

observe those

will

I

[DiS. I

are assembled

here and are about to engage in battle desirous to

do

service

war

in

the

to

evil-minded son

of

Dhritarash/ra," Sa/njaya said

O

24-25.

(Krishna)

descendant

Bharata, Hrishikesa

thus addressed by Guiakesa excellent

stationed that

armies

of

:

car

between

(Arjuna)

the

two

Bhishma and Drona and all the and said " O son of Pritha, look

in front of

rulers of earth, at thes3

:

assembled Kauravas."

Then

26-27.

the

son of Pritha saw arrayed

there in both the armies fathers and grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers,

sons, grand-

sons and comrades, fathers-in-law and friends.

When

27-2S.

the son

of Kunti

saw

all

the

kinsmen standing, he was overcome with deepest pity

and said thus

in

sorrow

Arjuna's words of despondency.

Arjuna said 28-29.

Seeing

these

arrayed and desirous to

kinsmen, fight,

O

Krishna,

my limbs droop A tremor comes

my mouth is dried up. my body and my hairs stand on

down, and on

:

end,

THE DESPONDENCY OP ARJUNA.

22—37-]

The

30.

skin

Ga;/^iva slips from

intensely burning.

is

my mind

stand and

O

And,

31.

kinsmen 32.

I

see

I

even

O

were.

omens foreboding

see

I

it

any good from

killing

my

in battle.

O

desire not victory,

dom, nor pleasures. to us,

my hand, and my am also unable to

whirling round, as

Kesava,

Nor do

evil.

is

I

II

Govinda

Of what

Of what

?

Krishna, nor kingavail

is

dominion

avail are pleasures

and

life ?

33-34.

They

for

whose sake dominion, enjoy-

ments and pleasures are sought standing, having staked teachers,

fathers,

maternal uncles,

b}'

us are here

and

wealth

:

sons as well as grandfathers

;

their

life

grandsons, bro-

fathers-in-law,

thers-in-law as also (other) relatives. 35.

to

kill,

These,

O

slayer of

though they

Madhu,

me, even

kill

dominion over the three worlds for the sake of the earth

O

36.

;

I

do not wish

for

the sake of

how much

less

!

Janardana, what delight shall be ours

after killing

the sons of Dhritarash/ra

?

On

kill-

ing these felons, sin only will take hold of us. ^},

We

had then better not slay our own kins-

men, the sons of Dhritarash/ra be happy, people

?

O

Madhava,

after

;

how can we slaying our own for,

[DiS.

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

12

I.

Arjuna's grief at the evils of war.

Though

whose intelHgence is stricken by greed, perceive no evil in the extinction of families and no sin in treachery to friends, yet, O 38-39.

these,

Janardana, should not we,

who

clearly see evil in

the extinction of a family, learn to refrain from this sinful

deed

On

40.

?

the extinction

memorial dharmas *

When

of a

famil}',

the

im-

family

disappear.

the dharmas disappear, impiety

(adharma)

of

that

overtakes the whole family, t

By the prevalence of impiety, O Krishna, women of the family become corrupt. Women

41.

the

there will be intermingling of castes

corrupted,

(varna-sa;;zkara),

O

descendant of

Vrish;zis.

Confusion of castes leads the family of these

42.

destroyers of families also to hell fathers

ings of

fall

these

for,

to hell), deprived

their fore-

of the offer-

I

and water.

p\)idsi (rice-ball)

By

43.

(down

;

deeds of the destroyers of

evil

which cause the intermingling of castes, the eternal dharmas of castes and families are

families

subverted.

We

44.

ary

is

have heard,

O

Janardana, that necess-

the dwelling in hell of the

men whose

family

dharmas are subverted. *

by

The

duties

th-3

family in

scriptural

and ceremonies practised accordance with

command,

the

t

of

Of the destroyed (according the destroyer

others).

to

some))

(accordiny to

some

I

38

— 47']

DESPONDENCY OF ARJUNA.

we have resolved to commit a great inasmuch as we are endeavouring to slay our

45. sin,

'^^^

Alas

!

kinsmen out of a craving

for

the pleasures of

dominion.

would be better for me, if the sons of Dhritarash^ra, with arms in hand, should slay me unarmed and unresisting in the battle. 46.

It

Sa;«jaya said 47. in

Having

:

said thus, Arjuna, sorrow-stricken

bow and arrows in the and sat down in the chariot.

mind, cast aside his

midst of the battle

-.|>2^V'4'y

thought, " &. (v. 12).

Moksha cannot avail a

who

the Bhagavad-gitu) also

actions by

all

bound, and

Therefore, the sages

released. action."'

is

:

duties

is

in-

(of their omission).

For, the sin arises only in the case of one

has not formally entered the fourth order, the order of

sa;;myasins. It

is

possible to imagine that a sawnyasin ting the agui-kdrya

—worship of

i.e.,

Neither of sin

when they have

is it,

—which

omission

II is

of

fire

— as students

when they are not

the

a hhdva

or

obligatory

iidmillc'lby all that

:i

nraliiiia-

by omitting a^ni-

kdrya (throwing fuel into the sacred

yet sa/«-

not formally renounced works. '=

indeed, possible to imagine the is

thuiiii a'cue incurs sin

Avill

the sacred

(Bralimacharins) do thereby incur nyasins,

must admit) not incur sin by omit-

certainly (as the opponent

fire)

iuJ the ^£dic -ludy, which arc both eu-

positive duties,

effect

— which

joiiH-fl

only on the

^'o

in fact is

i^iii

generation

— out is

first

of the

an abhdva onkr

i.asramai.

incurred by any rtliyiou-i

order of men neglecting the duties not enjoined en that cr Jcr.

kar.ma-voga.

iHiyoduction.]

mere negation

or

that the generation

for,

;

77 existence

of

out of non-existence is impossible is taught by the sruti in the words " How can existence arise out of non-existence ?"

[Chhdndogya-Upanishad

what

6-2).

,

inconceivable to us,

is

If viz.,

omission of prescribed duties,

conclusion that

'•

srtstra

a conclusion which

indicative,

no karma

of a conjunction of

Conjunction

is

to

saying

no

therefore

is

not

is creative,

acceptable to none.

Hence

hence also the absurdity

knowledge and

action.

inconsistent with Arjuna's question.

Arjuna's question

(in

iii,)

Second Discourse,

in the

is

or revelation

sa;/myasins; and

for

tantamount

is

and non-performance alike This would further lead to the

would only produce pain. absurd

that evil arises from the

performance

for,

;

\'eda should teach

no good and

that the \'eda ccjnduces to

authority

it

the

would

also be inexplicable.

w'as said

it

If,

by the Lord that both

knowledge and action should be simultaneously conjoined in

Arjuna himself, then his question

plained.

If

it

was taught

to

in

iii.

i.

cannot be ex-

Arjuna that both knowledge

and action should be conjoined

in

him, knowledge which

is

superior to action must certainly have been meant for him.

Then

there could be no occasion for the question, or

blams, which

Thou, It

O

implied in Arjuna's words " then Avhy dost

Kesava, direct

me

to this terrible action? "

(iii.

i.)

can by no means be supposed that knowledge, the supe-

rior of the in

is

the

two, was forbidden to Arjuna alone by the Lord

His previous teaching,

part

of

* For,

Arjuna distinguishing (one path from the otherj

it is

taiUaiuount to saying

an abhava which anuhhii^.

ii

—in which case the question on the

in itself

tlieit

cannot produce

iiivusttd with a iiu\str to

do

so by the sastra authority,

which

is

of

absolute

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

78

might

arise.

If,

on the other hand,

it

[DiS. III.

has been previously

taught by the Lord that knowledge and action are intended for two distinct classes of men respectively, on the

ground that a simultaneous

man

—

de\'otion

—on the part

of one

knowledge and action was impossible owing to mutual opposition, then the question (in iii. i) be-

their

comes

to

explicable.

Even supposing

that

was

question

the

asked from ignorance, the Lord's answer that devotion

knowledge and devotion classes of

distinct

to action

men cannot be

are

assigned to two

explained.

Neither can

the reply of the Lord be attributed to His ignorance. this very

answer of the Lord

and devotion persons

to

— follows

knowledge and

is this,

From

— that devotion to knowledge

action are assigned to distinct classes of

the impossibility of a

conjunction

of

action.

Wherefore the conclusion nishads

to

that

of the Gita

and

of all the

Upa-

moksha can be obtained by knowledge

alone, unaided (by action). If

a conjunction of the two were possible (for one man),

Arjuna's request to the Lord to teach him only one of the tw^o,

j;mna or karma, would be unaccountable.

The Lord,

moreover, emphatically teaches the impossibility of devotion to j/zana in the case of Arjuna, in the fore perform action only."

Which

is

(iv.

15).

Knowledge or Action.

better,

Arjuna said If

I.

it

If

it

O

:

be thought by Thee that knowledge

superior to action,

Thou,

words "do thou there-

O

Janardana,

Kesava, direct

me

why then

is

dost

to this terrible action

?

bad been meant that knowledge and action should

"

I

—

KAKMA-YOGA.

2]

79

be conjoined, then the means of salvation would be one only

and,

;

that

in

a groundless

case,

separation

of

knowledge from action would have been made by Arjuna declaring knowledge to

be superior to action.

If

the two

be regarded as constituting together a single means to a

same time be regarded

single end, they cannot at the distinct as

producing distinct

effects.

'•'

to be

Neither could

we

account what Arjuna said — " Why then dost Thou meaning to me to this terrible action " — as direct censure the Lord, on finding that He — for what reason for

if

?

Arjuna could not see clearly the

unwholesome course

knowledge was superior

— had exhorted

of action

after

him

to follow

declaring that

to action.

Now, if a conjunction karma only were intended

knowledge with the smartafor all by the Lord and under-

of

how could we then why dost Thou direct me

stood by Arjuna as so intended, the words of Arjuna terrible action

j

"

justify to this

?

^loreover,

With an apparently perplexing speech, Thou

2.

confusest as

I

it

were

my

with certainty that one

understanding. (wa})

by which

me may

Tell I

attain bliss.

No

doubt the I^ord speaks clearly

;

still,

to

me

of dull

imderstanding the speech of the Lord appears to be perplexThis

may be explained

with reference

—

When know-

to the present case thus:

ledge and action are held to form together

but one means to moksha, they cannot the

same time be supposed

distinct If this

as

were

to

producing distinct possible,

at

become effects.

Arjuna's consider-

ins of the

two as

might find some

distinct

from each other

justification.

Lord who had taught knowledge and action could not have enjoined mere action on Arjuna, and so there would be no occa§

For. then, the

a conjunction of

sion for Arjuna's complaint.

THE BIIAGAVAD-GITA.

So

[DiS. III.

Thereby "Thou confuses! as it were my understanding." Arjuna means — " It is not possible that Thou wouldst Thou who hast undertaken to remove my confuse me, ing.

confusion

Hence

?

say

He

understanding.'"

knowledge and

I

action,

'

Thou

confusest

— If

goes on:

Thou

which are intended

my

were

it

thinkest that

for

two

distinct

be followed by one and

classes of aspirants, cannot both

same person, then teach me one

the

^5

of the two,

knowledge

or action, after determining (within Thyself) that " this one

alone state

is

Arjuna, and

suited to

and powers of

is in

accordance with the

the two, knowledge or action, by which If

least

I

knowledge had been intended by the Lord an accessory to devotion to action,

Arjuna wish

know about

to

knowledge or

only of the two,

The Paths The Blessed Lord

of

He would

action, but

which case alone Arjuna might ask

would not be taught

for

to

be at

then should It

had not

teach him one not

both,

— in

one only, seeing that

to him.

Knowledge and Action.

gives the following reply, which

conformity with the question

is in

:

The Blessed Lord

said

:

In this world a twofold path was taught by

3.

Me

why

only one of them.

indeed been said by the Lord that

both

me that one of may attain bliss.

his understanding ;" teach

at first,

O

sinless

one

:

that of the Sankhyas by

devotion to knowledge, and that of the Yogins by

devotion to action. In this world castes, for

—with

whom

reference

to the people of the three

alone are intended the teachings of the

sastra (the Scripture),

— a twofold nish/ha or path of devotion

— 2

—

KARMA-YOGA.

3]

8l

was taught by Me, the Omniscient Lord, when at iirst, at the beginning of creation, I created people and revived the tradition of the \''edic doctrine for teaching them the means of attaining worldly prosperity and Bliss. What was that twofold path of devotion ? One of them was jwana-yoga, the devotion of knowledge — knowledge itself being yoga

—

—

suited

the Sankhyas, to those

Jo

knowledge

of the Self

possessed a clear

not-Self,

from the Brahmacharya (the

the world

who determined

asrama),

or

and the

who

light of the

the nature

who renounced first

of things in the

who belonged

Vedantic wisdom,

holy order

to the highest

known as the Paramahawsas, whose dwelt on Brahman only. The other was

class of sawnyasins

thoughts ever

karma-yoga,

Yoga

or devotion,

who were If

the

the devotion

it

— suited

of

action,

—action

itself

being

to yogins, to karmins, to those

inclined to action.

had already been taught or

Lord

the

in

Gita

— and

if it

is

going to be taught by

had been taught

in

the

— that both

knowledge and action should be one and the same person as a means to one

Vedas as well conjoined in

and the same end, how might the Lord teach Arjuna, who approached

Him

as a beloved pupil, that the

two paths

knowledge and action were respectively intended distinct

classes of aspirants

?

If,

of

for

two

on the other hand,

w^e

Lord meant that Arjuna, after hearing Him teach knowledge and action, would devote himself, of his own accord, to both of them simultaneously suppose, that

the

conjoined, but that to others

He

would teach that the two

paths were intended for two distinct classes of aspirants,

would be tantamount to saying that the Lord is subject to love and hatred and that therefore He is no then

it

n

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

82

authority

(in

such matters)

which

:

by no argument can a conjunction

is

of

[DiS. III.

absurd.

Wherefore

knowledge and action

be proved.

Karma-Yoga leads The

superiority of

Arjuna

And

(iii.

i),

must

it

knowledge

must be

also be

freedom from action.

to

because there

true,

true that

tjie

tended for sawmyasins only. Since

two paths are intended such

for

two

is

it

by

to

no denial of

path of knowledge

it.

is in-

has been stated that the

distinct classes of aspirants,

evidently the opinion of the Lord.

is

referred

to action,

Now

seeing that

Arjuna, afflicted as he was at heart on the ground that the

Lord had urged him

to action

which caused bondage, was

resolved not to perform action, the

Lord proceeds with

iii.

Or, the connection of what has gone before with

may

sequel

and devotion one

for

time.

man

be thus stated to action are to resort to

P'roni this

may

it

:

As devotion

mutually opposed,

Devotion to action

is

to

knowledge

it is

impossible

follow that each leads to the goal

But the truth

is

;

is

attained by

means

Lord says

:

latter,

of devotion to action, leads to

the goal directly, without extraneous help.

the

this

a means to the end, not directly, but

only as leading to devotion to knowledge whereas the

which

tlie

both of them at one and the same

independently of the other.

quite

4.

To show

this,

:

Not by abstaining from action does man win actionlessness, nor by mere renunciation does he 4.

attain perfection. 'Action' refers to the acts of worship (Yaj^^a) which,

formed

in this or a

per-

previous birth, conduce to the destruction

I

:

3

— 4]

KARMA-YOGA.

committed

of sins (sattva,

past and

the

in

anta/[-kara«a)

;

83 cause purity of mind

and by thus purifying mind, they

cause knowledge to spring up and lead to the path of devotion to

knowledge.

It is

said in the Maliabharata

"Knowledge springs in men on sinful karma, when the Self is seen mirror."

By

the

:

destruction of

in self as in

a clean

(5ahtiparva, 204-S.)

abstaining from action

man

cannot attain to actionless-

ness (naishkarmya), freedom from activity,

devotion

z. ^.,

in

the path of knowledge, the condition of the actionless Self.

From

the statement

that

by abstaining from

vity

opposite course,

freedom from attain

man wins

action,

not freedom from acti-

understood that by the

it is

by performing

i.e.,

action,

man

attains

For what reason, then, does he not freedom from activity by abstaining from action ? activity.

—

The answer follows: For, performance of action is means of attaining freedom from activity. Certainly there

is

no attaining of an end except by proper means. Devotion

to

action

is

the

means

of attaining freedom from activity,

devotion to knowledge,

— as taught

In the sruti, for instance,

here.

be a means to j/zana-yoga "

The Brahma?ms

seek to

the study of the \'edas,

Up.

in the

by

in the sruti as

karma-yoga

is

i.

a

c,

well as

declared to

following passage

know

yaj;?a or

this (the Self)

worship."

by

(Bri.

4-4-2^)-

In this passage,

karma-yoga

reaUsing the Self that

is

is

sought

pointed out as a means of after.

Here

(in

the

Bha-

gavad-Gita) the following passages point to the same view " But without Yoga, is

hard to attain."

O

(v. 6.)

mighty-armed, renunciation

:

— THE bhagavad-gIta.

84 "

[Dis.

Having abandoned attachment, Yogins perform

action for the purification of the Self."

" Sacrifice, gift and also of the wise."

Now,

(naishkarmya),"

austerity are the purifiers

objection

the following

beings, one

all

be raised:

— shows that actionlessness can be

attained

duties.

Our experience

also

freedom from activity can be attained

Of Avhat use then

action.

who

action to one

In reply the Lord says

is

the perform-

seeks for freedom from action

Nobody can

:

freedom from activity, or devotion

ledge

passage

activity

by abstaining from

i.e.,

—A

should resort to freedom from

favours the idea that

of

may

promised* immunity from fear to

by renouncing the prescribed

ance

(v. 11.)

(xviii. 5.)

the smnti, — " Having

in

III.

— by mere renunciation,

?

attain perfection,

in the

path of know-

by merely abandoning action,

without possessing knowledge.

The ignorant are swayed by Nature. For what reason, then, does a person not attain perfection, /. e., freedom from activity, by mere renunciation unaccompanied with knowledge for

gi\'en as follows

is

5.

None,

verily,

doing no action

;

?

— The reason

thus

asked

:

even for an instant, ever remains for every

one

is

driven helpless

to action by the energies born of Nature.

The

energies

Tamas.f

'

'.

guwas

Every one

+ Having promised crifice

(

that he

'

)

are

three,

means every

would

sa-

no animal, that he would do no

harm to any being as he used to do when he was a gnhastha, i.e.. having renounced

all

Sattva,

Rajas and

living being

that

the sacrificial rites enjoined on

is

a gri-

hastha. t

For a description of these, vide Dis-

coursp xiv.

i

— 4

—

KARMA-YOGA.

7]

ignorant,

a wise

(aj/?a),

" that

man

energies "

who knows he

not

(tlie

"

is otie)

meant

(iii.

Self)

who

is

for,

;

it is

said (of

unshaken by the

(xiv. 23.)

Since the Sankhyas have been

Yogins

85

from the

distinguished

the Karma-yoga, devotion to action,

3),

As

ignorant only, not for the wise.

for the

is

indeed the

for

by the gu?jas, and who in themselves are devoid of any change whatever, the Karma-yoga And this was explained at length in our is out of place. wise

who

are unshaken

comments on

ii.

21.

The unenlightened should not give up Karma = Yoga. Now,

him who knows not the

for

neglect the duty enjoined on him.

He who,

6. sits

Self,

it is

So, the

not right to

Lord says

:

restraining the organs of action,

thinking in his mind of the

sense?, self-deluded, he

is

objects of the

said to be one of false

conduct.

The organs

of action are the hand,

man, the man whose anta//-kara«a a hypocrite, a

man

is

&c.

The

self-deluded

thus deluded,

is

called

of sinful conduct.

But whoso, restraining the senses by mind, O Arjuna, engages in Karma- Yoga, unattached, with 7.

organs of action, he If the

ignorant man,

is

who

esteemed. is

only qualified for action, per-

forms action with the hand, with the organ of speech, •it

He who knows

by the guiias.and

is

immovable

thereforu said to have

The man who knows who has not completely

crossed over them. not the Self and

the Self

is

&c.,

controlled the body and the senses

alone (.\.)

is

driven

to action

by the

— he

gu;ias.

I

:

'

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

86

restraining the organs of of the result, he

[DiS. III.

knowledge by mind and unmindful

more worthy than the

is

other,

who

is

a

hypocrite.

Wherefore, 8.

'

action

Do

thou perform

(thy)

superior to inaction.

is

bounden duty

And even

;

for,

the main-

tenance of the body would not be possible for thee

by inaction.

Thy bounden one

is

bound

duty

the obligatory (nitya) act, that

is

to perform,

scriptures) as a

means

and which

action and inaction It is also

wrong

By

journey.

life's

not prescribed

to a specific end.

to inaction in point of result.

success in the

is

Action

Except

The

distinction

own

is

thus seen in our

to

suppose that actions lead

the

superior

between

experience. to

bondage

—^\Vhy

?

the case of action for Sacrifice's

in

sake, this world

is

action-bound.

sake Thereof, do thou, free

(in

inaction you cannot attain

and that they should not therefore be performed. g.

is

which

O

Action for the

son of Kunti, perform,

from attachment.

Sacrifice (Yaj«a) here

So, the sruti* says

'

means

Is vara,

the

Supreme Lord.

Yaj/za, verily, is Vish7?u.'

'

This world

means those persons who, as qualified for action only, are bound to do it and who accordingly psrform it. The world is not bound by action done for the Lord's sake. Perform action without

attachment.

For the following reason him who is qualified for it *

also, action

Taittiryya-Sa;;/hita, 1-7-4.

should be done by

7

—

KARMA-YOGA.

12.]

Having

10.

first

Mankind

;

let this

composed

:

created mankind together with

"By this shall ye you the cow of plenty.

Prajapati said,

sacrilices, the

propagate

87

The

ning of creation.

be to

Fiyst

of three castes. coiu

of plenty

:

the

:

at the begin-

cow which

yields

desires.

all

How

can this be achieved by sacrifice

11.

Gods

\\'ith this

do ye nourish the Gods, and the

nourish

shall

?

you

:

thus nourishing one

another, ye shall attain the supreme good.

"By this sacrifice ye nourish the Gods such as Indra. The Gods shall nourish you with rain, &c." 'The supreme good' is the attainment of the knowledge of Brahman in due course. Or, the 'supreme good' may mean 'svarga.'"' Moreover,

^'Nourished by the sacrifice, the Gods shall

12.

indeed bestow on you the enjoyments ye desire."

Whoso gifts,

he

enjoys is

— without offering to

verily a thief.

Pleased with your

who

enjoys what

is

the cravings of his *

Gods

sacrifices, the

enjoyments, including women,

all

Them — Their

'The supreme Kood' here spoken of

bestow on you

cattle, children,

given by Gods,

own body and

shall

i.e.,

he

who

&c.

He

gratifies

senses! without discharg-

whereas

hi the latter case

it

leads direct-

be either the knowledge of Brahman or svarga. The result depends upon the motive of the aspirant, according as he

+ '• c., he who is bent upon feeding his own body and senses w^ithout satisfying

desires salvation or worldly enjoyment.

ihe Gods, the A'ishis and the Pitris rcs-

lu the former case, the sacrifice leads to

pectively by sacrilicc, by the ^ludy of thu

iii:iy

purity of heart in this brith

or a subsequent

and ultimately leads

to

knowledge.

ly to

svarga.

sacred scriptures, and by oflspring.

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

88

ing the debt due to the Gods,

is

[DiS. Ill

a thief indeed, a robber of

the property of the Gods, &c.

On

the other hand,

The

13.

who

righteous,

the sacrifice, are freed from

remnant of

the

eat

all sins

but sin do

;

the impious eat

who cook

Those who,

performing sacrifices to the Gods,

eat

after

the remains

ambrosia

— are freed from

own

food— which

the

of

for their

all

sakes.

committed

sins

amnta,

called

is

&c.,

the five

at

'••

places of animal-slaughter (such as the fire-place), as well

as from those sins which result from involuntary acts of injury and other causes.

and cook food

for their

But as

own

to the others,

sakes,

what they

who

are selfish

eat is sin itself,

while they themselves are sinners.

The wheel

the world should be set going.

of

For the following reason also should action be performed by him who

it is

action that

— How —-The

answer

?

:

From

14-15.

food creatures

production of food

from

For,

qualified for action.

wheel of the world going.

sets the

follows

is

sacrifice

;

is

from rain

sacrifice

is

;

come rain

forth

;

the

comes forth

born of action

;

know

thou that action comes from Brahman and that =?

The

five places

fire-place,

the

referred to are the

water-pot,

the

cutting,

grinding and sweeping apparatus. These are the five places where injury to is

daily committed.-

here are said

to

The

sins

life

committed

be washed away by the

five

maha-yajuas

or

which every dvija ought

great

sacrifices

to perform,

and

"'hich are intended to satisfy the Bhutas, ^^"^

^'^^''^'

Pi"''S-

Vide

"'^"- ^^^

^°''^'

Uanu Ail 67— 7:.

^"'^

''^'^

:

12

—

KARMA-YOGA.

16.]

89

Brahman comes from the Imperishable. the all-pervading Brahman ever rests in All

living creatures,

when

which,

eaten,

Rain proceeds from

is

evident,

it is

Therefore, sacrifice.

are born from food,

converted into blood and semen.

sacrifice as

taught in the following text

from the smnti "

The

thrown into the

offering

from the sun comes rain this (food) all

p

fire

from rain food

;

{Maim,

creatures."

reaches the sun

iii.

76).

Yaj/;a or sacrifice here spoken of refers to

and

apurva;-''

apurva

this

is

;

;

and from

what

called

is

the result of the activities of

the sacrificer and his priests (ritviks) engaged in a sacrifice.

Veda (Brahman), and the Veda comes from the Imperishable, the Paramatman, Because the Veda has arisen from the the Highest Self. These

activities

Highest

Self,

comes out

are enjoined in the

— the Akshara, the Imperishable, as the breath

of a

man,

therefore, the Veda,

prehending as revealing i. e.,

it

treats

mainly of

though all-com-

things, ever rests in

all

sacrifices

sacrifice,

and the mode of

their

performance.

He who

16.

set in

motion,

follows

who

is

of sinful

senses, he lives in vain,

He who

not here the wheel thus

O

life,

indulging in

son of Pritha.

ought to perform action, but who, indulging

in

sensual pleasures, does not follow the wheel of the world

*

The unseen form

said to

\vhich a sacrifice

assume between the time of

performance and the time when

is

its

its re-

suits

become

short, the

manifested

;

it

being,

in

connecting link between the

two, the cause and the effect.

12

THE bhagavad-gIta.

go

[Dis. Ill

thus set revolving by Isvara. on the basis of the Veda and

he lives

'-

sacrifices,

The main

in vain.

action should be performed it is

of this section

drift, therefore,

In

intended.

iii.

4-8,

4-16)

(iii.

by the ignorant man,

was taught

it

that

till

for

is

that

whom

he attains

the qualification for Devotion to the knoAvledge of the Self,

man who knows

the

means

Devotion

of attaining

therefore

to

knowledge

were incidentally propounded (in

there

why

reasons

man who knows

the

has been

made

Karma = Yoga Now,

the

is

not

meant

cribed of his

own

for the

Self=knower.

set in

ask the

fol-

motion, to be

fol-

to

to

or

attainable by the ignorant

path

the

in

accord, a clear

He

already des-

of action

the Gita-sastra

he

is

the

passage of the

The brahma«as

Self),

understanding of the teaching o

proceeds to show that what

in the following

*.(.«.,

is

is

Mention,

it.

him only who has not yet attained the path of knowledge which the Sankhyas

of devotion in

the sastra,

"

and

In answer to this question, or with a view to afford,

?

taught

Self

many

or by

Self-knowers tread and which

by means

perform

Lord Himself supposes Arjuna

all,

devotion in

9-16)

iii.

from a neglect of action.

of evils arising

lowing question: Is the wheel, thus

lowed by

qualified

and, further,

;

not the

(therefore) qualified for action should too,

is

should resort to Devotion to action as a

only)

(for action

not the Self and

knowing who does

this,

(the

the

same sruti

is

intended to be

truth that

is

embodied

:

devotees of the Brahman, the Self,

not follow the

wheel by studying the Vedas and per-

and

free

from illusory

.ionning the sacrifices therein enjoined, as

commanded by

/svara.

— ,

1

6

—

1

KARMA-YOGA.

8]

knowledge, shake

illusion;

r

progeny, &c., cheri-

off all desires of

by those who are

of necessity,

shed,

9I

and they lead a mendicant

necessaries of

life for

They have nothing

life.

subject

still

That man,

17. Self, in

who

is

that

man

objects

— whose

of the senses

;

who

Self,

is

is

devoted

the Self, not in

is in

who

3-5-1).

content

the Sankhya, one

joy

;

Up.

nothing to do.

is

the

only with the Self,

v.'ho is satisfied

not with food-essence, &c.

do than

rejoices only in the

him there

for

— a sa;«nyasin,

Self-knowledge

to

—

who

with the

satisfied

the Self alone,

But

verily,

the barest

else to

resort to devotion to Self-knowledge." (Bri.

to

contented in the Self

;

others derive contentment from possession of external

all

things, whereas, disregarding these, he

only and has no desire for anything; the

man who knows

the Self, there

is

content in the Self

— for

is

such a man,

for

nothing to do.

Moreover,

For him, there

18.

ever in what there in

all

is

is

here no interest what-

done or what

not done.

is

Nor

is

beings any one he should resort to for

I

any object. For the man thus served by action.

rejoicing

— Does,

then,

vaya) arise from inaction

way

of incurring sin, or

this

world from inaction.

Brahma objects,

(Prajapati)

in the

any

?— No

no purpose

Self,

evil called sin (pratya-

evil

whatever, either by

by way of losing the

down

Nor

is

to

the

Self, arises in

there, in all beings

any whose support he has

is

from

sthavara or immovable to gain

by

action.

He

has no object whatever to gain, for which he_has to depend

[DiS. III.

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

92

upon any particular being if he were to have any object in view, then he would have to exert himself to gain that :

object.

Arjuna qualified

You have

attained to

not

for

Karma

the

right

yoga.

knowledge, which

corresponds to the all-spreading flood of water

{vide

ii.

46).

Wherefore:

Therefore, without

19

attachment, constantly

perform the action which should be done for, performing action without attachment, man reaches ;

the Supreme.

Performing action, without attachment, for the sake of the Isvara, man attains moksha, through attaining purity of

mind

(sattva-suddhi).

The wise should

set an example to the masses.

For the following reason

(shouldst thou perform

also

action):

By

and others tr}- to attain perfection. Even with a view to the protection of the masses thou shouldst per20

action

only,

indeed,

did Janaka

form (action).

The tried

wise kshatriyas of old, such as Janaka and Asvapati'''

by action alone

to attain

moksha

(sawsiddhi).

If

they

were persons possessed of right knowledge, then we should understand that, since they had been engaged in works they tried to reach

moksha with *

action,

i. e.,

\ide Chhandogya-Upanishad

without abandoning

v. 11.4, et. seq.

1

8

—

KARMA-YOGA.

21.]

action,

'•

with a view to

on the other hand, such

set

93

an example to the world.

men

as Janaka were persons

had* not attained right knowledge,

If,

who

then, (we should under-

moksha through action which purity of mind (sattva-suddhi).

stand), they tried to attain

the

means

of attaining

is

you think that obligatory works were performed by the ancients such as Janaka ^because they were ignorant, If

and that

it

does not follow from that fact alone that action

should be performed by another ledge and has done to

who

his duties,

all

possesses right know-

— even

then, as subject

your prarabdha-karma (the karma which has led you

this birth

as a kshatriya), and

to

having regard also to the

purpose of preventing the masses from resorting

to a

wrong

path, you ought to perform action.

Who

should secure the welfare of the world

The answer follows 21.

?

:

Whatsoever a great man

the other

And how

?

men do

;

does, that

whatever he

sets

alone

up as the

standard, that the world follows.

Whatever authority the

chief

in relation to the spiritual or

among men follows, whether

temporal matters, the same

is

regarded as the authority by his followers. If

*

you have a doubt even as regards the necessity there

Tho-,;°h such persons as

men

of right knowledge,

Janaka ware they

had no

right to enter the fourth order of sa);myasa, as

they were kshatriyas. In obedience

therefore to

their prarabdha-karma(i.f.,

karma which led them to that birth and which had to be worked out in that the

birth)

which caused them

to

be born as

went on in their spiritual career without renouncing works, lest, otherwise, the masses would follow proper their example. It is, however, kshatriyas, they

that they should attain

moksha

of their right knowledge.

in virtue

/

94 is for

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA,

[DiS. III.

why

do you not observe

the protection of the masses,

Me*? 22

have nothing whatsoever to achieve in

I

the three worlds,

O son

of P;'itha, nor

I

My

:

I

to achieve, for, there is

For, should

O

I

nothing unattained.

not ever engage in action,

men would

unwearied, path,

My

matters follow

in all

son of Pritha.

being the chief

And what harm

is

among men.

there in that

?

— The Lord says

These worlds would be ruined

24.

I

in action.

have nothing 23.

there any-

should be attained; yet

thing unattained that

engage

is

not perform action

;

I

if I

:

should

should be the cause of

and should destroy these

confusion of castes, creatures. If I

should not perforni action, then there would be no

action conducive to all

tlie

these worlds would

continuance of the universe, and

fall

into ruin.

Moreover,

I

would be

the author of confusion of castes, and thereby destroy these

Thus, though working

creatures. creatures,

I

would bring about

be unbecoming of Me, their

for

the

their ruin,

welfare of the

— which

would

lord.

The wise man's action as contrasted with that

of

the ignorant. Suppose, on the other hand, you matter) any other ir

t. e.,

why do you

ample and

try

to

man

not follow

prevent

tlie

— or suppose

(for that

thinks that he has achieved his ends

My

ex-

masses

from going astray by setting an example yourself.

I

— 21

—

KARMA-YOCA.

27.]

and has

95

realised the Self, even he should

fare of otliers,

though

for liimself

As ignorant men

25.

work

may have

he

i

for the wel-

nothing to do.

O

act attached to work,

iiharata, so should the wise

man

act,

unattached,

from a wish to protect the masses.

The

result of this action shall accrue to

who knows /

me."

The

for

large.

advice

he

:

Self,

nothing to do

is

be with a view to that welfare of the world at

it

To

,

man

any other person who, knowing the

thus seeks the welfare of the world, there

except

wise

the Self.

For me, or

such a

is oflfered

man who knows

minds of the

man cause ignorant who are

he should make them do filling

the Self, the following

:

Let no wise

26.

An

"The

ignorant expect the result of their action thus:

all

unsettlement in the attached to action himself

actions,

;

ful-

them with devotion.

ignorant

man who

is

attached to action believes "

should do this action and enjoy

should unsettle that firm

belief.

result."

its

No

wise

I

man

— What then should he do

?

Himself doing deligently and well the actions which the ignorant have to do, he should

In what 27.

way

is

an ignorant

make them do

man

egoism thinks

'

I

in

all

He whose mind

am

?

cases by the is

deluded by

the doer.'

Nature (Praknti, Pradhana) the

attached to actions

Actions are wrought

energies of Nature.

those actions.

is

the equipoised state

of

three gu«as or energies, viz., sattva (goodness), yajas §

Even he should perform

action in view of the welfare of others.

THE BttAGAVAD-GlTA,

96

(activity), tamas (darkness).

and

senses, that all our actions, conducive to temporal

The man whose mind

spiritual ends, are done.

ksLVSLua.

by

variously deluded

is

)

the Self,

who

i. e.,

the body and

the

himself with them

aha;/2kara,

ascribes to himself

senses

— he,

all

thinks "

of

the attributes

identifies

by nescience, sees actions

as regards every action, he

I

am

in

the

himdoer."

:

But he who knows the

28.

by egoism

and thus thoroughly

But as regards the wise man

(anta/j-

body and the senses with

identifying the aggregate of the

self:

by the gu/ias or the modi-

Nature, manifesting themselves as the body

fications of

and the

It is

[DiS. III.

truth,

O

mighty-

armed, about the divisions of the energies and (their)

functions,

is

attached, thinking that

not

the energies act upon the energies.

He who

is

versed in the classification of the energies

(gu»as) and their respective functions holds that

sense-organs

gies as

objects, but

attachment

not

the

move amid Self. Thus

the

energies

holding, he

the eneras

sense-

forms no

(for actions).

Now, 29.

Those deluded by the energies of Nature are

attached to

the

functions of the energies. ^,/He

who knows the All should who know not the All. /^

not unsettle the unwise

•

The

foolish

result."

believe "

we do

These men who are attached

to the results of their actions.

All

— the

action for the sake of

man who knows

to action look only

The man who knows

the Self

its

— should not

the

of himself

7

—

KARMA-YOGA.

32.]

men,

unsettle such

/.

^.,

97

he should not disturb their convic-

tion.

I How

an aspirant

How

then should action be performed by the ignorant

Moksha should do

for

man who seeks moksha and who only ? The answer follows

is

actions-

qualified for

action

:

Renouncing all actions in Me, with thy thought resting on the Self, being free from hope, 30.

from selfishness, devoid of

free

To me, Vasudeva,

fever,

do thou

the Divine Being, the

the Omniscient, the Self of

all,

surrender

fight.

Supreme Lord, actions, with

all

the wise thought that "I, the agent, do this for the Isvara's

sake as His liege."

Men who

31,

of

Mine with

Fevcy

:

anguish,

grief.

constantly practise this teaching

faith

and without

cavilling, they too

are liberated from actions.

Men who cavilling,

/.

always follow this teaching of Mine without without cherishing any feeling of envy

e.,

to-

wards Me, Vasudeva, the Supreme IMaster (Parama-Guru)

—they

too are

released

from actions,

i.

e.,

from dharma

and a-dharma, from the merit and demerit of actions. 32

But those who, carping

practise

it

not,

at this,

My

— know them as deluded in

ledge, as senseless

men doomed

teaching, all

know-

to destruction.

Influence of man's nature on his conduct.

Then, why do they, not following others' duties

and neglect

their

Thy

doctrine, perform

own ?Thus opposed 13

to

Thee,

\

:

TKE BHAGAVAD-GiXA.

98

why are they mand ?

not afraid of the sin of transgressing

Even

33.

man

the

own

with his

ity

[DiS. Ill'

of knowledge acts in conform-

nature

(all)

;

beings follow (their)

nature; what shall coercion avail

Nature (praknti)

is

Thy com-

?

sawskara (the latent self-repro-

the

dharma and a-dharma) the commencement of the present birth.

ductive impression of the past acts of

manifesting

Even

man

the

nature

it

;

itself at

own

own ?

Thus

nature.

What

nature.

prohibition avail

nature

knowledge acts according

That

to say, to

Me

follow

the shape of

shall coercion in

is

acts ac-

living beings

all

own

to his

man

needs no saying that an ignorant

cording to his their

of

or to

anybody

else,

is irresistible.

Scope for man's personal exertion.

— If every — nature only, -and there (Objection)

— then,

own,

exertion,

there

beiftg is

acts

according to

its

own

none that has no nature of

its

being possibly no scope for personal

(purushakara),

the Teaching (sastra)

would be

quite purposeless. (Ansicei')

:

— The Lord replies as follows

:

Love and hate lie towards the object of each sense let none become subject to these two 34.

;

for, the}'

As

;

are his enemies.

regards

all

sense-objects, such as sounds, there neces-

sarily arises

in

each sense love for an agreeable object,

and aversion

for a disagreeable object.

Now

I

shall tell

you

the scope for personal exertion and for the Tea-

where

lies

ching

(sastra).

/He who would follow the Teaching should

KARMA-YOGA.

33—35] at the

very commencement

99

above the sway of affection

rise

and aversion. For, what we speak of as the nature (prakriti) of a person draws him to its course only through love and

He

aversion.

own

then neglects his

doing those of others.

When, on

restrains these feelings

by means of

will

become mindful

own

ject to his

sway

;

the other hand, a person

enemy", then he

their

Teaching only, no longer sub-

of the

nature. Wherefore,

two

of these

duties and sets about

let

none come under the

they are his adversaries, obstacles

for,

to his progress in the right path, like thieves

Now,

man who

the

led

is

understand the Teaching

may is

on the road.

by love and aversion may mis-

may

he

;

think that one

man

follow the duty (dharma) of another because the latter

But

also a duty.

it is

Better one's

35.

not right to think so

own

:

duty, though devoid of

merit, than the duty of another well discharged.

Better

I

is

another

is

For a man merit

is

death in one's

own duty

the

;

duty of

productive of danger. to

die doing his

better than for

him

own duty though devoid

to live doing the

though perfectly performed..

of

duty of another

For, the duty of another

leads to danger, such as hell (naraka).

Desire

Though &c.,

and

is

the

enemy

of

man.

the source of evil has been pointed out in

in

iii.

34, yet

with a view to

elicit

ii.

62,

a concise and

what was but desultorily and vaguely for, the exact cause being known, expressed, he might Arjuna asks exert himself to exterminate it, clear statement

of

—

—

*

the

Viveka-jnana or Right knowledge

enemy;

for,

it

is

is

inimical to mi7/yer)

ig.

:

(Gautama's

as oneself, a dinner Institutes, xvii. 20.)

— They are not sinful

Even here

mind

rests

equal

is

birth

is

;

;

for,

overcome by them whose

on equalit}^

Brahman

must not

Spotless,

wherefore in

indeed,

Brahman

and the}'

rest.

Even while

living

here on earth, birth has been brought

under control by those sages who see the One, and whose intuition [i.

(anta/j-kara«a)

unwavering on the equality

Brahman in all creatures. Though, Brahman in such impure bodies as those of

c, homogeneity) of

to the ignorant,

rests

l8

—

SAMNYASA-YOGA.

19.]

I57

dog-eaters and the like appears to be contaminated by their

He

impurities, yet

He

Further,

spotless.

unaffected by

is

is

them and

not hetero^^eneous either, o\vinf(

any heterogeneous attributes inherent

to

Himself;

in

And

consciousnes s (chaitanya) has no attributes.

speaks of desire and the like as tra

— of the body,

also

of the

lars (antyaviseshas)

'

the

Kshe-

— and He

speaks

(xiii 6),

what are

called

'

ultimate particu-

as the basis of individual distinctions

existence in relation to

homogeneous and

in

Brahman

tlie

several bodies.

in

their

Hence Brahman

'•'

Wherefore they

one.

Not

only.

Lord

attributes of the

no evidence can be adduced to prove

is

for,

beginningless and without attributes

are there

in the Self, since

tlia

of the not-Self

Self as

Nor

(xiii. 31).

therefore

is

(the sages)

rest

the slightest can blemishes of

bodies affect them, since they liave no egotism and do not identify themselves with the aggregate of like.

It is

only to those

who

body and the

the

who

are egotistic and

identify

the Self with the aggregate of the body and the like, that the institute

persons gifts,

above

quoted

who are

some

is

applicable,

since

refers

it

to

the objects of honor. In honoring and giving

special

qualifications

are

taken into account,

such as a knowledge of Brahman, a knowledge of the six

knowledge of the four Vedas But Brahman is free from all attributes, good

auxiliary sciences (a;/gas), a

and the *

like.

According to the Vaiseshika system

of philosophy

'

niityn-viscsha'

is

that in-

are thus enumerated

definable peculiar attribute inherent in

^Ikasa (ether),

an eternal substance which distinguishes

^'"d

from another eternal substance.

it

that in

an eternal substance which marks

individual

its

identity.

such an attribute to

It is

account

is

The

only inferred in order

for a distinction

wise perceived.

existence of

The

which

is

other-

eternal substances

— The

atoms of and of Air Time, Space, /I tman (soul) :

Earth, of Water, of Light,

'"

Manas

'''o

(mind).

.4tman

is

The

nntyii-viseshas

only inferrible from a

distinction in the Self, for

sees no evidence.

;

which W-danta

Distinctions

in

the

^°'^y cannot certainly point to distinctions '" '^"^ S^'f since °"s'>'

a yogin can simultaneassume, various bodies.

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

158

and bad.

Hence

the statement

'

they rest in Brahman.'

Moreover, the institute quoted above

which

is

[DiS. V.

taken from a section

is

concerned with works (Karma), whereas this portion

of the GIta

(from

the end of the

to

13

v.

a section treating of 'renunciation of

The sage

is

all

adhyaya)

is

works.

from grief and rejoicing.

free

Because Brahman, the

Self, is blemishless

and homoge-

neous, therefore, 20.

He who knows Brahman

can neither rejoice

on obtaining the pleasant, nor grieve on obtaining tho unpleasant, in

— steady-minded, undeluded, resting

Brahman.

Pleasant and unpleasant objects can pain to them only

him who

sees

who

thepure

regard the body as the Self, not to Self,

by pleasant and unpleasant conscious that in all

t_he

creatures.

Brahman

Self

He

free

is

;

Moreover, resting

tacts,

He

comes

is

undoubtingly

homogeneous,

and spotless

objects.

from delusion. that

He

rests in

he does no action, he

is,

all action.

The sage's

21.

since the latter neve r

one,

is

described above

has renounced

cause pleasure and

With

in

infinite joy.

Brahman,

the self unattached to external con-

he finds the joy which

is

in the

Self; with

the Self engaged in the contemplation of I>rahman

he attains the endless joy.

When

his intuition

(antaA-kara«a)

is

uncontaminated by

attachment to things contacted by the senses, to the sound

a

— 19

—

SAMNYASA-YOGA.

22.]

and other

which are

se nse-objec ts

all

the sage realises the joy which there

intui^on

his

Samadhi,

in

anta/i-kara«a

(

)

159

is in

Yoga,

in

Therefore, he

bliss.

seeks for the endless joy of the Self should

momentary pleasure

the senses from the

withdraw

of external objects.

For the following reason also he should withdraw senses from external objects)

contacts are

only

which arc born

generators

beginning and an end,

O

(the

:

those delights

For,

22.

in

a deep and steady contemplation of Brahman,

then the sage attains the imperishable

who

When

the Self.

engaged

is

(to the Self),

external

of pain,

son of Kunti

;

of

having a

a wise

man

rejoices not in them.

The

pleasures that are caused

by contacts of the senses

with sense-objects are only generators of pain, delights are caused all

troubles arising

ceable to other,

them

by nescience (avidya). We do find that in the body (adhyatmika), etc., are tra'only'

in the

the S2ns23 from the

The

in this

indicates.

temporary, occurring

its

object

like cattle

realised

It is

and the

its

marks the beginend.

D elights a re

moment of interval (between A^nian who possesses discriminathe Supeme Reality does not re-

in the

the origin and the end).

joice in them.

is

Not only do they have a beginning and an

contact of a sense with

and who has

Seeing that there

mirage of sense-objects.

nin^j)f a pleasure, and their separation

tion

world, so in the

sawsara, the devotee should withdraw

the delights cause pain, but also end.

As

(delights) only.

—as the word

no trace of joy

since those

only quite ignorant

like,

found to rejoice

persons that are,

in the sense-objects.

THE bhagavad-gIta.

i6o

The path And

there

of

Nirvana.

also a wicked

is

path to Bliss, a most

difficult

an enemy on the

thing,

thing to deal with, the source

ward

of all evil, very difficult to

[Dis. v.

mighty

so that, very

off,

should be made, says the Lord, to repel the enemy

efforts

He

23.

that

:

able, while still here, to with-

is

stand, before liberation from the body, the impulse

of desire and anger, he

a Yogin, he

is

is

a

happy

man. While the body

still

up

:

here

is

Lord teaches

unavoidable during

numerable, and that

life,

not be trusted.. Desire (Kama)

thus marking death

is

since

its

moment

ken

heard

our senses,

of

anger (krodha)

is

the aversion

of,

or

for the

cause of pain, when being seen, heard

The impulse

and

causes are in-

of death

it

should

the longing for a pleasure-

giving agreeable object of our experience in the

liberation fioiii

that the impulse of desire

the very

till

Before

By

to the point of death.

as the limit, the

anger

while yet living.

:

when coming remembered

with;

and

disagreebale, for the of,

remembered.

or

mind (anta/i-kara//a) as indicated by hairs standing on end and by a joyful countenance and the impulse of anger is the mental agitation indicated by the trembling of the body, by of desire

(kama)

is

of the

the agitation

;

He who

perspiration, lip-biting, fiery eyes, and the like.

can withstand the impulses of desire and anger

and he

is

What man?

a

happy man here on

sort of a

man

— The Lord says

24.

Whoso

within, and

is

a Yogin,

earth.

resting in

Brahman

attains Brah-

:

has his

jo}'

whoso has

within and his pastime

his light within

only,

that

23

— 26]

l6l

SAMNYASA-YOGA.

Yogin attains Brahman's

himself becoming

bliss,

Brahman.

He

Within: in the Self.

Brahman,

—

c, he attains moksha,

/.

the bliss (nirva«a) in

attains

— while

still

living here

on earth. Moreover, 25.

whose ed,

The

are

welfare of Sages tion.

all

(/?ishis)

Intent,

Brahman's

attain

bliss,

— they

have been destroyed and doubts remov-

sins

who

sages

&c.

and intent on

self-controlled

the

beings. :

:

men

of right

knowledge and renuncia-

injuring none.

Moreover, 26.

To

who

the devotees

are free from desire

and anger, who have controlled w^ho have

known

their thought,

and

the Self, Brahman's bliss exists

everywhere.

Those who have renounced knowledge are

liberated,

all

actions and attained right

whether living or dead.

Realisation of the Lord by It

has been said that those who, renouncing

remain steady It

Dhyana-Yoga.

in right

knowledge obtain instant

all

actions,

liberation.

has often been and will be declared by the Lord that

Karma- Yoga, which is performed in complete dev^otion to the Lord and dedicated to Him, leads to moksha step by step :

fiyst

the purification

renunciation of

all

of the

actions,

mind,

and

then

lastly

knowledge,

moksha.

then

And now,

with a view to propound at length the Dhyana-Yoga, the

proximate means

to right

knowledge, the Lord teaches the 21

— THE BHAGAVAD-GITA,

l62

Dhyana-Yoga

in the following

Shutting out

27-28.

few aphoristic verses

all

V.

[DiS.

:

external contacts and

between the eye-brows, equalising

fixing the sight

the out-going and the in-going breaths which pass

through the

nostrils, controlling the

mind

having moksha as his highest goal,

and

intellect,

free

from desire, fear and anger,

ever (remains thus)

The sound and

senses,

is

— the

sage

who

verily liberated.

mind within These objects which are

other sense-objects enter the

through the respective organs.

when a man does not think of one who is given to contemplation

external are kept outside

A

them.

sage (muni)

is

(manana) and who renounces

moksha as

his

supreme

ly this kind of

life,

Keeping the body

actions.

he should always look up to

the posture described,

in

all

When

goal.

renouncing

the sage leads constant-

he

all,

is

no doubt liberated

:

he has nothing else to do for liberation.

What to

has he

know and 2g.

and

meditate upon

am

all

beings,

Dhyana-Yoga

— the Lord of

?

all sacrifices

all

worlds, the

— he goes to Peace.

Lord author and as

is

thus steadily balanced

Great Lord of

Naraya/ja, the

whose grace

is

in the

Me,

austerities, the

both as their

all,

whose mind

On knowing

Friend of I

— he

of all sacrifices their

Devata

sought by their means).

I

{i.

and

austerities,

c, as the

am

God

the Friend of

doing good to them without expecting any return for

Lying

in the heart of

fruits of all

all

beings,

I

am

actions and the witness of

knowing Me, they

it.

the dispenser of the all

cognitions.

On

attain peace, the cessation of all saw^sara.

—

SIXTH DISCOURSE. DHYANA = YOGA. Dhyana-yogfa

incompatible with works.

is

At the close of the next preceding Discourse, Dhyiina-

Yoga

— Yoga by meditation, —which

to right (v.

knowledge has been taught

Here commences

27-29).

the proximate

is

in

a few aphoristic verses

the Sixth Discourse

an external aid to Dhyana-Yoga

is

whom

hastha, (householder) on

perform

till

it

he

is

action

is

;

:

able to attain to Dhyina-yoga

— '•Now, since action which

be performed throughout limitation,

'

till

he

is

Yoga, action

said that he

is

who

who

for the

is

it

*

and

enjoined should

the meaning of the

is

Dhyana-Yoga'

?

not apply here, because

who wishes

sage

(vi. 3)

;

and because

If

it

to attain it

is

also

were meant that each of them

resort to both

would be useless

who has

action and renun-

to specify that action

renunciation are respectively intended for

that

;

has attained Yoga has only to resort to

Yoga — should

then

i:^)i-

vi. i.

wishes to attain to Yoga as well as he

attained to ciation,

'

the means'

renunciation (sama).

he

what

able to attain to

of the specification that, to

life,

—This objection does

(Ansii'ey):

and a

enjoined, should

bearing this in mind, the Lord extols action in {Objection)

which

Now, action,

occupies the position of a commentary thereon.

(karma)

means

The Samuchchaya-Vadin maintains

action

knowledge should be conjoined with

result.

if it

and

him who wishes

should produce the intended

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

164

Yoga and for him who has them into two distinct classes.

attained Yoga, or to

to attain

divide

{The opponent)

:

[DiS. VI.

— Among reUgious devotees (asraniins=gn-

who wish to attain Yoga, another class comprises persons who have alreadyattained Yoga, while the rest are those who neither wish to attain Yoga nor have attained Yoga and it is but right hasthas), one class

comprises persons

;

that the

two

first

separately as distinguished from

(Answer): (in vi. 3)

— No;

and the

the

'

the third. *

words

repetition of

has attained to Yoga at first

imply

'

the

'for

yoga

'

this, that

fruition of

same person who

the

to

renounce action

Thus, no action forms a necessary duty

Yoga

are also spoken of here

in the Sixth Discourse,

Yoga were meant

then there could be no occasion for the

inasmuch as

he,

Karma.

the fruit of

though a

An

(vi. 37, 38).

for

;

—

(it

If,

a grihastha,

supposition of his

failure in

Yoga,

may

action done, whether

{kamya), or obligatory and disinterested (juYj^), its effect

when he

life.

Failures in

ruin,

'

attained Yoga, this renunciation leading to the

Yoga.

throughout

devotee

sanie

in the clause

wished to attain to Yoga has only

when he has

and shown

classes should be specified

obtain

interested

must produce

cannot of course produce) moksha, which,

We

being eternal, cannot be produced by an action.

have

also said i that the obligatory duty (nitya-karma), as taught

by so great an authority as the Veda, must produce a

*

The opponent

drives at this conclu-

and third classes of aspirants are bound to perform Karma, those who have attained Yoga should

sion, that while the first

not, as

belonging to the order ofgriha-

sthas,

may

Karma, though they Yoga with a view to realise

renounce

practise

the true nature of the Self, i

result

Vide commentary on

iv. i8.

diivAna-ygga.

Introduction.]

of

own,

its

Veda would serve no be proper to speak of agnhastha

since, otherwise,

purpose. Neither would

it

ways

as a failure in both

;

165

for

the

he would

still

perform

Karma

and there would therefore be no occasion for a failure therein. {The oppoiunt): The Karma which has been done has

—

been oflered to the Lord

no

in

bring

result to the author.

{Ansii>er)'.—^o\ for, the

must lead

to

—

:

Yoga,

leads only to moksha.

It

no other

to

—The

result

;

offering

but, since he has failed in

but right to suppose that such a

it is

Lord

to the

Lord, when conjoined with Yoga, leads

of all actions to the

moksha and

Karma

offering of

greater results.

still

{The oppojunt)

to

Karma can

wherefore, such

;

man

will

be

ruined. {Ansiver):

— No;

ciation of action. at the

wife's aid

then

it

for,

the verses

It is

not possible to think of any

Dhyana

time of

vi.

10

ible

if

;

might be argued that loneliness

with a view to prohibit that aidf

— "without desire,

with the

life

regarding him

.

it

who may prove

were possible,

And what

The

—

is

question

a failure

in

kind of

enjoined

is

without property"

of a gnhastha.

renun-

10,14, enjoin

vi.

is

(vi. 10)

taught in

not compat(vi. 38), too,

both ways would

not arise.

{The opponent)

:

— In

vi. i,

a

man

of action (Karmin)

and a Yogin, and that he who does no action or keeps no

to be both a Sa>;myasin

it

is

fire

is

further

said said

cannot be a

Yogin or a Sa»/nyasin. {Ansiver): t

That

grihastha

to

is

taught in "the

— No; say,

se^el

who

is

is

vi. i,

merely extols the abandonment of

Dhyina-\j)ga _as

he cannot

not meant for a

fn vi. lo, 14, etc.

engaged

in

works;

for

fulfil

the conditions laid

down

— THE BIIAGAVAD-GITA.

l66

attachment

results

for

[DiS. VI.

which

of actions, performance of

forms an external aid (bahiranga) to Dhyana-Yoga,

which leads one

who

not he alone

to is

DhyAna-Yoga without

fire

{i. e.

due course). -y^lt

in

and without action that

is

is

both a Sa7;myasin and a Yogin, but also one devoted to action,

who, abandoning attachment forms them

for the results of actions, per-

for the purification of the

mind

(sattva-suddhi).

Thus by way of praise the latter is said to be a Sawmyasin and a Yogin. / It is, moreover, not proper to hold that one and the same proposition,"'' both praises the abandonment of attachment

for results of actions

Further, the Lord cannot contradict the

order.

smriti, the Pura;/as, the Itihasa

clearly teach that a

action

i.e

a Yogin. the

and forbids the fourth the

sruti,

and the Yoga-sastras, which

man who

is

without

fire

and without

who is literally a sa7;znya.sin — is a Samnyasin and To forbid the fourth order would contradict what

Lord Himself teaches

Therefore, for the sage

in iv. 13,

who

xii. 16, 19,

ii.

71.

wishes to attain Yoga and

has already entered on the career of a grihastha, action (such as the Agnihotra) performed without a desire for fruit

its

becomes, by v/ay of purifying the mind, a means to

Dhyana-Yoga. On this ground he and a Yogin by way of praise.

is

said to be a Sa7;myasin

Renunciation in action «

The Blssed Lord I.

He

of action,

:

who, without depending on the performs his bounden duty,

Sa7»nyasin and a Yogin fire

said

not he

:

and without action. * I'icle

note

1

on

p. 140.

who

is

he

fruits is

a

without

:

dHyana-yoga.

1.]

He who

desires the fruits of actions

but different from him

pendent on the

He who

167

the

is

man

is

dependent thereon

question

in

he

;

thus free from a desire for the fruits of actions

is

as a bounden duty

is

(nitya-karma),

end

specific

With a view

that he

is

view,

in

superior to those

spirit.

— not as

fire-sacrifice

a kamya-karma

done with a motive, as a means of attaining some

immediate thus

not de-

fruits of actions.

and performs action, such as the Agnihotra or or action

is

;

— he

who perform

who performs actions actions in a different

impress this truth, the Lord says

to

a Sa;/myasin and a Yogin.

He

should be regarded

as possessing both the attributes, the attributes of renun-

and steadfastness of mind (Yoga).

ciation (sa/«nyasa)

Not

he alone should be regarded as a sa;/myasin and a Yogin

who

is

without

sacrificial fires ties

and the

{Objection)

sastras,

it is

fire

nor engages

like

:

and without in

who

action,

other actions, such as austeri-

which require no help of

— In the

sruti, in

plainly taught that a

Sa«myasin or a Yogin

who

the

Lord teaches here a strange doctrine

fire

and performs actions

[Ansic'cr)

without

— This

fire

is

and without

is

sacrificial fires.

the sninti, and in the yoga-

one

is

neither lights

action.

How

that he

is it

who

a Sa//myasin and a Yogin

not to be regarded as a fault

;

is

that

lights ?

for,

it

is

intended to represent a devotee to action as a Sa»myasin

and a Yogin

He

is

in

a secondary

sense

two terms.

of the

regarded as a Sa/;myasin because of his renunciation

of the thoughts concerning the fruits of action

;

and he

is

regarded as a Yogin because he performs action as a means of attaining to

Yoga

or because he

cerning the fruits of actions

as

abandons thoughts concausing unsteadiness of

1

THE bhagavad-gIta.

68

Thus,

mind.

[Dis. VI.

only in a secondary sense that the two

it is

on the other hand,

terms are applied to him.

It

meant that he

Sawnyasin and a Yogin.

reality a

is in

Lord, accordingly, says

Do

2.

O

thou,

which they

call

not,

is

The

:

Pan^ava,

know Yoga

to be that

no one,

verily, be-

renunciation

;

comes a Yogin who has not renounced thoughts.

Do

thou understand that the Yoga, which consists

performance of action, in

is

that which those

who

in

are versed

the sruti and the smnti declare to be sawmyasa, the true

which consists

renunciation

abandonment

the

in

of all

action as well as its fruit. (Question)

:

Yoga which

— On

what point

of similarity

consists in the performance of action (pravntti)

and the pure Sawnyasa which consists action

between Karma-

(nivntti)

former with the

is

the representation

latter

— There

based

abstaining from

in

of identity

of

the

?

amount

of simi-

larity

between Karma- Yoga and pure sa/zmyasa so

far as the

agent

is

(Answey)

:

concerned.

has renounced

all

is

of course a certain

For, he actions

who as

is

a pure Sa;;myasin,

well as their accessories,

abandons thoughts (saw/kalpa) concerning their fruits,

who

all

actions and ^

—those thoughts causing the desires which impe' A

Karma- Yoga,

too,

renounces

thoughts of results, while he performs actions.

This the

one to action.

Lord teaches

follower of

in the following

words

:

No

devotee to action

who has not given up the thought of reward can be a for, the thought of reward a man of steadfastness ;

unsteadiness of mind. That

is

Yogin, causes

to say, that devotee to action

— DHYANA-YOGA.

1—^3]

who

has given up

Yogin, a

much

man

as

all

1

69

thoughts of reward will become a

of steadfastness, a steady-minded mati, inas-

thought of reward which

all

the cause of

is

unsteadiness has been given up.

Action

a stepping-stone to Dhyana-Yoga.

is

Thus, having regard

the

to

Sawmyasa and Karma- Yoga in case renounces

(the

likeness

between

pure

so far as the devotee in either

thoughts concerning

the. fruit

of

Karma-Yoga has been represented in \i. 2. as Sawmyasa with a view to extol it. And the Lord extols it because the Karmi-Yoga, practised without regard to action),

the fruit of action,

forms an external aid (bahira//ga) to

Dhyana-Yoga,

leads the devotee to Dhyiina-Yoga (in

He now

due course). is

means

a

/.>

not conscious cannot enjoy.

the

means that it Supreme Self.

is

very hard

This passage shows that creation

^^ue to ;

sruti

aj«ana or nescience,

is

10

— 13]

SOVEREIGN WISDOM AND SECRET.

higher being, that

I

am,

— not

knowing

like sYkasa,

I

Then by

beings.

am

I

the

Supreme

Self,

more intimately connected with things

than even akasa, that all

that

223

am

the Great Lord, the very Self, of

continually despising Me, these poor

creatures are ruined.

How

their condition pitiable)

(is

Of

12.

vain

hopes,

?

of vain

actions,

vain

of

knowledge, devoid of discriijiination, partaking only of the delusive nature of Rakshasas

They

vain

cherish

actions performed by

The agnihotra and

hopes.

them are

fruitless,

the Lord, because they neglect their

knowledge

is

fruitless.

They partake of see no self

They

and Asuras. other

because they insult

own

Self.

Even

their

are devoid of discrimination.

the nature of Rakshasas and Asuras.*

beyond the body and engage

They

in cruel deeds, their

rule of conduct being 'cut, break, drink, devour, rob others'

property.'

The

vva3's of

the faithful devotees.

who are engaged in devotion (Bhakti) who walk in the path of moksha,

But, the faithful the Lord, 13.

i.

c,

The Mahatmans, O son

to

of Pntha, partaking

of the nature of the Devas, worship

Me

with mind

turned to no other, f knowing (Me) as the imperishable source of

all

beings.

The nature

Mahatmans: the high-souled.j

^

*

After deuth such people will be born

as Rakshasas or Asuras.

The nature

of

in committing deeds and that of Asuras in rob-

+

Devas

of the

with the mind resting on

Innermost

own

Self,

who am no

Me, the

other than

Rakshasas consists

their

of cruelty,

J Those whose mind (sattva) has been purified by yajna or sacrifice, &c.

bing another's property, in the absence of charity

and

of sacrifice.

Self.

:

T"E BHAGAVAD-GiTA.

224 (Gods) consists

in their control

over the body, mind and the

and the hke. Beings

senses, in kindness, in faith all

[DiS. IX.

bhutas,

:

living creatures as well as all elements of matter.

How

(do they worship)

?

Always talking of Me, strenuous, firm in vows, and reverent, they worship Me with love, 14.

always devout.

They always talk of Me, .their Lord, They ever strive by way of subjugating

Brahman. the senses, by way

the very

of cultivating the virtues of self-control, kindness, innocence,

and the

Firm

like.

Me who am

in their

vows, they worship

Me

in love,

their very Self lying in the heart.

In what different ways do they worship

?

— Listen

:

Worshipping by the wisdom-sacrifice, others

15.

adnre Me, the All-faced,

in various

ways, as One,

as different.

Knowledge by

of the

this sacrifice

abandoned

all

Lord

of

is itself

Worshipping

a sacrifice.

wisdom, others* adore Me, having

other forms of worship.

And

that

knowledge

:-^Some worship with the knowledge of the real One, verily, is the Para-Brahman.' Some truth that worship with the knowledge that the Lord Vish/m Himself

varies thus

'

exists as different beings, as the sun, the

Others worship Him,

— who exists in

faced, thinking that the one

forms, with his face on

all

AH worship If

(as

they worship in so

Lord

sayest) worship

*

The Brahma-nishihas,

forms

the like.

— as the All-

exists in all the different

sides./

goes to the Lord.

many

Thou

all

moon and

different

Thee only those

who

?

ways,

how do

—The Lord says

are devoted to Brahman.

they

— 13

— 18]

SOVEREIGN WISDOM AND SECRET.

i6.

am

I

aushadha, fire,

I

Kratti

I

kratii, I

am

am

yajna,

is

ma»tra, Myself the butter,

a class of Vedic sacrifices.

Svadha

smnti.

the

ancestors (Pitns).

Or, svadha

The

am am

is

by

the chant with which the oblation I

offered to

food

the

all

am

the

is

—

I

is

am

offered

the medical the

mantra,

to the

which the

fire into

beings.

living

food in general, and aushadha

and the Devatas.

worship

aushadha means plants in general,

serving to alleviate sickness.

)

I

Yajiia is the

is

including rice and barley, eaten

food

svadha, I

the act of offering.

enjoined in

(

am

I

225

Pitns

offering

is

poured.

And, 17.

I

am

the father of this world, the mother,

am

the knowable,

Om,' and

also the T^ik,

the dispenser, and grandsire

the purifier, the syllable

'

;

I

the Saman, and the Yajus also.

The

dispenser

;

of the fruits of action.

And, 18.

I

am

the Goal, the Sustainer, the Lord,

Witness,

the

Friend,

the Abode,

the

the Origin, Dissolution

Shelter and the

and Stay

the

;

Treasure-house, the Seed imperishable. I

am

what

am

is

the goal, the fruit of action

done and what

the abode wherein

not done by

is

all

shelter for the distressed

I

;

all

am

the witness of

living beings.

living beings dwell. I

relieve

I

am

to

:

the

from distress those who / I do good without ex- \

Me. I am the Friend pecting any return, I am the source of the world. I that in which it is dissolved, and that in which it stays.

come

]

I

am

'

I \

29

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

226

am

[DiS. IX.

the treasure-house, that which living beings shall enjoy

in a future period.

am

I

causes the growth of

all

the imperishable seed, that which

endures as long as the world

saw/sara

(

indeed springs up without a seed stant,

it

is

germinate, and which

things that

;

)

endures. / Nothing

and since growth

is

understood that continuity of the seed never

confails.

And, ig.

rain,

give heat,

I

I

am

hold [back and send forth

I

the immortality as well as death, exist-

O

ence and non-existence,

As rays

the sun

send forth rain

I

some powerful rays by

give heat by

I

;

Arjiina. ;

and having sent

forth

it

certain

I

take

it

back by certain rays during eight months, and again send forth in the rainy season.

it

am

I

the immortality of the

gods (devas) and the death of the mortals. (the manifested, the effect),

the cause)

(to

;

and

which

am

I

— Indeed the

and the cause

by the

of

wisdom who

Me

or as different,

*

One

The manifested world

that the

non-existen^."''

'existence'

lives

of

spoken of as non-existence, as

im-

is

the un'

for

Me, adoring

to

of effects

and

are devoted to

— they reach Myself according

manifested cause as 'non-existence. We cannot indeed hold that the Divine then

we

are

is non-existence, driven to nihilism; nor can the cause be

essence

)

forms described above, and regarding

in various

spoken of as

be said

mentioned above, leading

sacrifices

Retirement as

is

it

Lord can never

fruits of interested acts of Vedic ritual.

Those men

Me

existence,

manifests itself in relation

be altogether non-existent; nor (can

The

am

the reverse, the non-existence

(the unmanifested, the cause).

effect is existence

I

it

is

possible to conceive existence arising out of non-existence "

How

;

for the sruti itself says,

can existence

existence

?

"

come

— (Chhand. Up.

out of non6.)

— 22]

l8

SOVEREIGN WISDOM AND SECRET.

But as regards those who are ignorant

knowledge.

their

and who long

for objects of desire,

Men

20.

of the three Vcdas, the soma-drinkers,

purified from sin, worshipping

pray

227

for the goal of

heaven

Me

by

sacrifices,

they reach the holy

;

world of the Lord of the Gods and enjoy

in

heaven

the heavenly pleasures of the Gods.

Men who know the three Vedas, the R\k, the Saman and the Yajus who drink Soma and are thereby purified from who worship Me as the Vasus and other gods by sins who seek for Svarga as sacrifices such as the Agnish^oma ;

;

;

the reward of their sacrifices

Indra

who had performed

;

— they

go

the world of

to

a hundred sacrifices, and there

enjoy supernatural (a-prakrita) pleasures. 21.

They, having enjoyed that spacious world

of Svarga, their merit (pu»ya) exhausted, enter the

world of the mortals; thus following the Dharma of the Triad, desiring (objects of) desires, they attain to the state of going

The Dharma of

which

is

the

Triad

:

and returning.

mere Vedic

ritual

enjoined by the three Vedas.

(karma) that

They have

to

go and return, and never attain independence anywhere.

The Supreme watching over His devotees' Now, free

as regards those

men

of right

interests.

knowledge who are

from desires, 22.

Those men who, meditating on

— to

Me

separate, worship

Me

are ever devout,

secure gain and safety.

I

all

around,

as non-

them who

—

)

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

228

I

Those men

[DiS, IX.

who worship Me

of renunciation (sa;;myasins)

around,* ever meditating on Me, regarding themselves

all I

'as non-separate,

Narayana, as their own

i

1

Self,

who

are ever devout,!

what

is

— to these who see the Reality,

secure gain.

I

not already possessed

preservation of what

i.e.,

[Objection):

— To

and

;

I

secure to

them

them

safety,

secure to

I

already possessed.

is

My

they form

in vii. 17, 18,

Supreme God,

looking upon the

i.e.,

/As

said

very Self and are dear to Me.

other devotees also the

Lord secures

He

(to

gain and safety. [Answer)

:

—True,

and

safety)

tees

work themselves

who

x^hose

work

for

;

but there

undoubtedly secures

is

this difference

also for their

them gain

while other devo-

:

own

gain and safety,

see nothing as separate from themselves do not

own

their

gain and safety.

Indeed these

latter

Lord alone is Wherefore the Lord Himself secures to them

never cherish a desire for their refuge.

life

or death

;

the

gain and safety.^

Other devotees do but worship the Supreme in ignorance. [Objection)

:

—

If other

their devotees also

[Answer) 23.

:

—Just

gods (Devatas) are Thyself only,

worship Thyself. so,

indeed

:

Even those who, devoted

worship

Them

with

faith,

to other Gods,

worship Myself,

O

son

of Kunti, in ignorance.

*

7

i.

e,

,

Who

infinite,— (A.

see

Me

all

around, as

+

Constantly and earnestly engaged in

dhyana.

— 22

—

SOVEREIGN WISDOM AND SECRET.

25.1

With faith: believing

22g

the efficacy (of the worship of

in

those Gods). \\'hy dost

Thou

say that they worship in ignorance

?

For, 24.

of

I

As

the

Devatii,--'

I

am

they do not

but

whence they

;

offered)

indeed the Enjoyer, as also the Lord,

sacrifices;

all

truth

am

(i. e.,

God

as the

the Enjoyer and the

of yaJHa or sacrifice, as said in

as

I

norance, they

The

fruit

am

fail

;

whom

to

Lord I

viii,

sacrifices are

of all

am

sacrifices

indeed the Lord

So they do not

4.

having worshipped

whence,

in

ig-

to attain the fruit of the sacrifice. +

certainly accrues

of sacrifice

who, devoted

in

fail.

enjoined in the sruti and the smnti.

know Me

know Me

worship

to other gods,

Me

I

them

to

also

in ignorance.

How ?— Votaries of the

25.

Gods go

the Pitris go the votaries

to

the

Gods

of the Pitris

;

;

to

to the

Bhutas go the worshippers of the Bhutas

;

My

worshippers come to Myself.

The

Gods, those whose devotion and vows are directed to the Gods, go to the Gods. The votaries of the

votaries of the Pitns such as the

performing sraddha and other *

As the Vasus and other Devatas

whom

the sacrifices are offered,

Enjoyer of all yamin, as

I

sacrifices; iind as the

am

to

the

Antar-

the Inner Regulator of

the

I am the Lord of all sacrifices. Not having dedicated their actions to

Universe, t

Me, they return to

this

world from the

Agnishvattas, engaged in

rites in

devotion to the Pitns,

region to which they attain as the result

of their sacrifice. :

The worship of the Gods is not quite The worshippers do attain results

useless.

suited to the form of worship, but they

have

to return to this

world after a time.

— — :

230

THE bhagavad-gIta.

go to the Pitns.

The Bhutas

[Dis. IX.

are the Vinayakas, the hosts

My

of MatJ'is, the four Bhaginis and the Hke. i.e.,

worshippers,

Vish?m's votaries, come to Myself. Notwithstanding

the equahty

Me

people do not worship

of' trouble,

Wherefore they

because of their ignorance.

alone,

attain very

small results.

Devotion to the Supreme.

Facility in

My

Not only do

devotees attain an endless result,

which there

attain a state from

but

also easy for

it is

When

26.

a

leaf,

them

one

flower, a

is

no return to

to worship

offers

fruit,

to

Me

water,

Me.

i. e.,

this world,

— How

?

with devotion a

—that

I

eat, offered

with devotion by the pure-minded. Because 27.

it is

co, therefore,

Whatever thou

whatever thou

doest, whatever thou eatest,

sacrificest,

whatever thou

whatever austerity thou engagest, offering to

do

it

as

an

Me.

Whatever thou doest in

givest, in

of thy

own accord

[i.e.,

not enjoined

the sistra) and whatever thou offerest in sacrifice as

enjoined in the sruti or the smriti, whatever thou givest

such things as gold

— to the

that as an offering to

Now 28.

listen as to

Thus

of actions

brahma7?as and others, ...do

all

Me.

what

will accrue to

you doing thus

shalt thou be liberated from the

which are productive

of

bonds

good and

mind with the Yoga of renunciation, and liberated, thou shalt come to Me.

evil

results

;

equipped

in

1

25

—

SOVEREIGN WISDOM AND SECRET.

29.]

Thus

when you thus

:

23

everything to Me. This (act of

offer

Me) constitutes the Yoga of renunciation. It is renunciation inasmuch as everything is off'ered to Me and It is also Yoga inasmuch as it is an action (karma). Thus, wath mind equipped with Yoga and renun-

ofTering everything to

;

thou shalt be liberated from bonds while yet living

ciation,

and when

body

this

dead, thou shalt

is

The impartiality :

b)estows

(Ansiiey)

Me.

the Supreme.

of

— Not so

the

since

:

The same

29. is

:

to

Lord has love and hatred, His grace on His devotees, not on others.

(Objection)

He

— Then

come

;

am

I

to all beings

none hateful or dear

;

to

;

Me

there

but whoso worship

with devotion, they are in Me, and

I

am

Me

also in

them.

am like

I

who

so

it,

I

bestow

My

My

In them also

part.

course, not in others.

hate the latter. Those

who

By

;

devoted

are

become pure

are rendered

bjing in their

hj Sun's

I

devotees, not on

in

to

Me,

mind,

in virtue of

where,

is

also

the

is

presence

as a matter of

who

for

i.

cannot (be said

c, their

though pervading ever

y-

reflected in a clean mirror, so

Supreme Lord present .

from whose minds

My

fit

Me,

I

of

as a

matter of course in those persons only

moved by

in

ever do good to them. Just as light,

am, only as a matter

I

minds presence. And,

and they are

course,

from those who

not owing to any attach-

this behaviour,

that very devotion of unthinkable grand-

eur

My

cold from those

'•'

performing the duties of their caste and order,

off"

off"

it

grace on

of course, but

ment on

'

and wards

Me, as a matter

to)

ward

Those who worship Me, the Lord, with devotion are

others. in

just as fire does not

:

at a distance

are

go near

fire

ix.

13

devotion.

that those are

partake of the

— (A)

all dirt It

has been re-

has been

devoted

said in

to the

Lord,

nature of the devas.

[DlS. IX.

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

232

attain salvation by Devotion.

Even the Iow=born

Now I to Me is

shall

you how excellent a thing devotion

tell

:

If

30.

one of even very

resorting to none else, he righteous, for he

He

rightly resolved

is

By abandoning power

is

worships Me,

must indeed be deemed

rightly resolved.

he

:

evil

evil life

is

ways

man

a

of good resolution.

in his external

life,

and by the

of his internal right resolution,

Soon he becomes righteous and attains do thou, O son of Kunti, proclaim eternal peace 31.

;

My

that

devotee never perishes.

Listen, this

He who 32.

O

is

is

the real truth

Me

devoted to

:

thou mayest proclaim that

in his inner soul

never perishes.

For, finding refuge in Me, they also who,

son of Pritha,

may be

vaisyas as well as siidras,

of a sinful birth

—women,

—even they attain to

the

Supreme Goal.

The Yoga

of Devotion.

How much

more then the holy brahma»as and devoted royal saints. Having reached this 33.

transient joyless world, do thou worship

Holy

:

human

of pure birth.

birth *

« As non-human of animals are not to the Lord,

is

the

bodies such as those

fit

those

which

This

for a life of devotion

who have

JT

attained to

world

means human

the

:

Me.

world of man,

of attaining

birth should lead a

to the Lord,

life

spiritual

of devotion

30

— 34']

SOVEREIGN WISDOM AND SECRET.

aspirations (purushartha), and which

is

233

very hard to attain.

^Moreover,

Fix thy mind on

34.

sacrifice to

with

Me

Me, be devoted to Me,

Me, bow down to Me.

as thy

Thus

Supreme Goal, thou

steadied,

shalt reach

Myself, the Self.

Me

:

Self of

Vasudeva. all

Steadied

beings, and

I

am

:

in

the

thought

Supreme

(chitta).

I

am

goal.

*-^'i^^^^i^i«^

30

the

TENTH DISCOURSE. DIVINE MANIFESTATIONS.

The Lord

is

the source of all manifestations.

In the seventh discourse and in the ninth, the essential

nature of the Lord and His manifestations have been pointed

Now

out.

necessary to point out

it is

what forms

in

being the Lord should be thought of; and

it is

to describe the essential nature of the Lord,

been described already,

With

stand.

— as

this view, the

it

Again,

Lord says

O mighty-armed,

word, which shall

I,

Supreme

:

who

— though

it

has

:

said

:

listen to

from a desire

speak to thee

also necessary

a hard thing to under-

is

The Blessed Lord 1.

of

for

My Supreme

thy well-being,

art delighted.

as revealing the unsurpassed Thing. Delighted

you are intensely delighted with

My

:

speech, as though you

are drinking the immortal nectar.

Why

should

He

speak of

— The Lord says

:

Neither the hosts of the Gods nor the Great

2.

know my origin Gods and the Great

i^ishis

the

it ?

;

Prabhava (interpreted as

Lordly Power." Rishis

:

for I

am

the source of

all

i^ishis.

oyigin)

may

also

such as BhHgu.

mean " Great

;

I

—

DIVINE MANIFESTATIONS.

5.]

235

Moreover,

He who knows Me

3.

as

less,

is

Because

I

none

wherefore,

and beginning-

the great Lord of the worlds, he

mortals

i^ishis,

as unborn

I

undeluded, he

am

liberated from all sins.

Gods and

the source of the

else

am

is

exists as the source of

unborn and beginningless.

beginningless, therefore

I

am

among

unborn.

My

Great

the

existence

Because

I

am

devoid

Undeluded:

of delusion. All sins: consciously or unconsciously incurred.

For the following reason worlds

also

I

am

the great Lord of the

:

4-5.

Intelligence,

wisdom, non-illusion, patience,

truth, self-restraint, calmness, pleasure, pain, birth,

death, fear, and security

;

innocence, equanimity,

contentment, austerity, beneficence, fame, shame (

these

arise

different kinds of dispositions of beings

)

from

Intelligence (

Me

alone.

(buddhi)

anta/f-karawa

thought.

He,

)

is

the power which the inner sense

has of understanding subtle objects of indeed,

possessed of this power. Self

;

is

said

Wisdom

and other such things.

to is

be intelligent

who

is

the knowledge of the

Non-illusion consists in acting

with discrimination when any thing has to be done or

known at the moment. Patience not being agitated in mind when assaulted or abused. Truth giving utterance to one's own actual experience of things, as heard or seen, :

:

with a view to impress

it

on the mind of another.

nstraint: quieting the external senses.

Calmness: the tran-

quillity of the inner sense or anta/;-kara«a

injuring

living

beings.

Contentment

:

Self-

Innocence: not

being satisfied with

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

236

[DiS.

bodily torture accom-

one's present acquisitions. Atisterity:

panied with the restraint of the senses. Benejicence (one's

may

own

Fame

permit.

dharma.

due to dharma.

:

All these different

:

sharing

own means

with others as far as one's

things)

X'

Shame

:

due to

a-

dispositions of living beings

mentioned above, such as intelligence, arise from Me alone, the Lord (Isvara), according to their respective karma. Moreover,

The seven Great

6.

i^ishis

as well as the four

ancient Manus, with their being in Me, were born

mind

of

and

;

theirs are these creatures in

the

world.

The seven great /^ishis such as Bhngu, as well as the four Manus of the past ages known as Savarwas, had directed their thoughts to

Me

exclusively and were therefore endow-

ed with the power ot Vish^m.

by mind

Born

alone.

of the Great

i?ishis

in

the

They were produced by Me creation of these Manus and

are these

creatures

comprising the

moving and the unmoving beings.*

Knowledge 7.

of

of

He who knows

Mine

is

*

The Lord (

prakriti

is )

in truth this glory

all,

but, as the

Omni-

all. He is also the Ruler He produced the Great Tfishis

Lord of

the Lord.

of

for

Manus had

,

is

Lords. Both these belonged to the primeval age and were born of the mind of

sclent all

there

;

it.

not only the material of

and power

endowed with unshaken Yoga

no doubt of

cause

the Lord's Glory conduces to Yoga.

The Great

ifishis

their thought

and

the

directed to the

and the Manus. The Great iJishis, from Bhcigu to Vasish/ha, were omniscient and were the original teachers of the Traditional wisdom. The Manus were the

denizens of this world are their creatures,

Rulers of creatures and were themselves

by birth and by knowledge.—

Omniscient Lord and were therefore en-

dowed with the power of Vishou and obtained wisdom and power. The present (A.)

)

)

5

—

DIVINE MANIFESTATIONS.

9']

He who knows and

)

My

— or

My

extent of

in truth this vast

achievement (Yoga)

237 being *

Yoga may here stand

for

power of achieving and he is controlling mighty things as well as Omniscience t endowed with unshaken Yoga, i. c, with steadiness in right what

born of Yoga,

is

the

viz.,

—

knowledge.

What dowed

?

:J

unshaken Yoga with which they are en-

that

is

— The answer follows

8.

am

I

evolves

;

the source of

:

all

from

;

Me

everything

Me, en-

thus thinking the wise worship

dowed with contemplation. Supreme Brahman, termed V^sudeva, am

the

I,

From Me

source of the whole world.

whole universe

in

all its

j

alone evolves the

changes, including existence and

Thus

disappearance, action, effect and enjoyment. ing, the wise

who know

engaged

ardently

in

the

the

Supreme

think-

Me,

Reality*^ worship

contemplation of the Supreme

the

Reality.

Moreover,

With

g.

their thought

on Me, with their

life

Mc, instructing each other, and ever speaking of Me, they are content and delighted. absorbed

*

+

in

He who knows Me ,-.

e.

,

he

as infinite.

who knows

— (A.)

the fact that the

and the Manns possessed their power and wisdom, as partaking of a very small portion of the Lord's

Great

ieishis

power and wisdom t

.

The knowledge

- (A. of the Conditioned

the doorway leading of the Unconditioned. §

to the

is

knowledge

°"

'"

Regulator, every thing

accordance with the Law.

Hit

'S

who

only those

f/jhc^vorldly

life

fit

for

Me

as

'^^

Lord as the Self of

all,

the Omniscient

life

of

all,

the

Cause of

Lord of all, they beMe. The knowledge of

come devoted to Supreme Reality

tion to the Lord.

a

When men know

leads to love, regard

and earnestness, and these lead by

moves

- (A.

see the emptiness

that are

devotion to the Lord.

the

— (A.)

Controlled and impelled

the Inner

— (A

.

to

devo-

)

[DiS. X.

THE BHAGAVAD-GlTA.

238

All their senses (pnwas) such as the eye are absorbed in

Or

Me.

—according

(prana)

life

is

to another interpretation

They

devoted to Me.

in

Me

ever speak of

They thus obtain satisfaction and the company of the beloved.

qualities. if

very as

wisdom, power, might and other

possessed of supreme

as

— their

are delighted

The Lord endows His devotees with wisdom. As

to those

who worship Me

devoutly in the ways men-

tioned above, 10.

To

with love,

these,

Me

worshipping

ever devout,

give that devotion of knowledge by

I

which they come to Me.

To them who

any purpose of the ir I

give

Me, not for Me, to them

are ever devout, worshipping o'v n, but out of love for

—

that devotion of right knowledge (buddhi-yoga) 0/

by which they ='— those who worship thought on Me" (x. 9) and so on kno\v^Me,

My

essential nature

Me

" with their

the

Supreme Lord, the

Why doest yoga) to

Thy

—

Thou

own

Self, as their

Self

.

give the devotion of knowledge (buddhi-

devotees

?

— And what

is

that obstacle in the

path leading to Thee which the devotion of knowledge that Thou givest to Thy devotees serves to remove ? In answer

—

to this question, the

11.

ing

Out

of

in their

Lord says

:

mere compassion self,

for

them,

I,

abid-

destroy the darkness born

of

ignorance, by the luminous lamp of wisdom. Those alone who are thus devoted to the Lord can attain to Buddhi-Yoga, that

karana produced by Dhyiina, by which they reach that form of the Lord which is

extremely superior condition of the antn h-

devoid of

*

all

limitations.

— (A.

g

—

DIVINE MANIFESTATIONS.

13.]

/Out of men compassion they is

may

attain bliss.

239

how

out of mercy, anxious as to

:

dwell in their anta/i-lvara«a''= which

I

engaged, in thinking exclusively of the Self and destroy

— that illusory knowledge which of discrimination, — by the lamp of

the darkness of ignorance,

caused by the absence

is

wisdom, by the lamp of discriminatory knowledge, fed by the

oil

wind

Devotion (Bhakti-prasiYda), fanned by the

of pure

of earnest meditation

by the cultivation of piety, chasti-

of right intuition purified ty

and other

on Me, furnished with the wick

which

virtues, held in the anta/i-kara«a

pletely detached

from

all

is

worldly concerns, placed

com-

in

\

the \

wind-sheltered enclosure of the mind which

is

withdrawn |

from the sense-objects and untainted by attachment and

and shining with the

aversion,

by

generated

light

incessant practice

of

of right

knowledge

concentration

and

meditation. /

Arjuna's question about the Lord's manifestations.

Having heard

Lord's Glory and His mysterious

of the

power, Arjuna says

:

Arjuna said

:

The Supreme Brahman,

12-13.

Light, the

Supreme

Purifier art

Supreme

the

Thou.

All the

on the plane of Spirit exclusively. Dark-

an Intellectual state that is found to illumine an object unknown before. Hence

ness here includes both the beginningless

it is

nescience and

itself

*

i- e.,

ill

the anta/i-karaHa functioning

the

illusory

perception

resuliing from that nescience.

It

cannot

be removed by matter or any material phenomenon, belonging as it does to the

lect

shining through a state of the intel-

such as the one induced by the teach-

ing of the 5astra.^It

manifesting

same class as darkness; therefore the Lord has said that He Himself destroys

by the

darkness. But the Spirit (Chaitanya) can-

and

not directly

remove darkness.

It is

only

removes ignorance by

that the Spirit

state, or

itself

is

either

an intellectual state

Spirit,

illusory

the Spirit

through an intellectual

that

pervaded

can destroy nescienc«3

knowledge,

)

)

)

THE BHAGAVAD-GJTA.

240

Thee

i^ishis declare

the Primal God,

[DiS.

X.

Divine Purusha,

as Eternal,

Unborn, Omnipresent

so said

;

the divine sage Narada, as also Asita, Devala and

Vyasa

and Thou Thyself also sayest

;

The Supreme Brahman', the

God

the

:

God who

Highest

existed before

all

(so) to

Self.

me.

The Primal

other Gods.

Rishis

:

such as Vasish^ha. 14.

I

sayest to vas,

O

which Thou

believe to be true all this

me

Gods nor the Dana-

for neither the

;

know Thy

Lord,

Because Thou

art

manifestation.

the source

of the

Devas and

others,

therefore,

Thou Thyself knowest Thyself

15.

O

Purusha Supreme,

of beings,

O God

O

as the Self,*

O

Source of beings,

of Gods,

O

Lord

Ruler of the world.

Knowest Thyself: as the .Lord,t as the

Is vara

possessed

wisdom, sovereignty and other powers.

of unsurpassed

Thou shouldstt indeed tell, without reserve, Thy divine Glories, by which Glories Thou

16.

of

remainest pervading 17.

O

*

shall

I,

these worlds.

Thou ;

Thyself,

in

i.

e

knowest Thyself,

without

,

i.

tioned nature of Thyself. not as something external.

e.

being

the uncondi-

As the —(A.

Self:

Not even Thy conditioned nature as can be the Lord of the Universe, Scd +

,

seen by others.

— (A.

know Thee, O Lord, art Thou

ever meditating,

what several be thought of by Me ?

Yogin;

to

taught

How§

all

things,

+

Since

Thy

ary to t;now, §

In what

nature, which

is

it is

necess-

invisible to others. (A.)

manner should

I,

who am

of dull understanding, meditate constantly on Thee, in order that my reason may thereby be purified so as to be able to

know Thy unconditioned

being:

— (A.

\

:

12

—

24I

DIVINE MANU'ESTATIONS.

20.]

mc

Tell

18.

O

afjain in detail,

Janardana, of

Thy power and Glory, for there is no satiety for me in hearing the immortal. Tell me in detail of Thy mysterious power (Yoga) and sovereignty (aisvarya) and the various things to be meditat-

—Janardana so called go (ardayati) — the Asuras,

ed upon. causes to

because

is

He

sends

those people (janas)

are the enemies of the Gods, to hell and the like

cause

He

salvation. fore

;

is

prayed

— Tell

me

there

for,

by

to

no

is

satiety

in

hearing

no limit to

Now

I

O

prominence,

in their is

thee of

tell

I

will tell

My

extent.

you

of

My

the

immortal

Thy mouth.

of His manifestations.

The Blessed Lord will

or be-

;

again of them, though described be-

The Lord's enumeration

Now

who

worldly success and

all people for

(ambrosia) of the speech issuing from

ig.

—or

said

My

:

heavenly Glories,

best of the Kurus; there

heavenly Glories,

in their pro-

where they are severally the most prominent.

minence,

i.

It is not,

indeed, possible even in a whole century to describe

all

e.,

of them, as there

Now,

is

no

limit to the extent of

Glories.

listen to this, in the first place

20.

I

heart of

am

the Self,

beings;

all

I

O am

Guc^akesa, seated in the

the

middle, as also the end, of

You should

think of

the heart within of '

My

conqueror of sleep

to think of

Me

Me

all '

or

as the

all

beginning and the beings.

as the innermost Self, seated in

— 'Guddkesa' means either thick-haired — He who unable

beings. '

Self

'

should think of

is

Me 31

in

those

)

[DiS. X«

THE BHAGAVAD-GiTA.

242

things which are mentioned below stay,

and the end of

Of

21.

all

for I

;

am the

source, the

beings.

am Vish«u of the radiSun I am Marichi of the

the Adityas

I

ances, the resplendent

;

;

Maruts; of theasterisms, the Moon.

Of the twelve

Adityas,

I

the Aditj^a

Of the Vedas

I

am

Gods

I

am

of the senses

am

I

am

I

the

the intelligence in living beings.

such as the Rudras and the Adityas.

:

as Vishnu.

the Sama-Veda,

Vasava of the Gods, and mind,

known

of Devatas.

Maruts are a kind 22.

am

am

Indra.

Of the eleven senses

ency or

intelligence, is that state of

which manifests

itself in

I

Vasava:

i.e.,

the mind. Chetana, senti''

the intellect (buddhi)

the aggregate of the

body and the

senses. 23.

And

of the

Rudras

I

am

Sawkara, of the

Yakshas and Rakshasas the Lord of wealth, and of the Vasus

I

am

Agni, of the mountains

I

am

the

Meru.

The Rudras The Lord of 24.

son of

are eleven in number, and the

ivealth

And

:

Kubera.

know Me

am

Skanda, of lakes

am

Byihaspati

the chief of priests, because he

•^

It

exhibits itself in it

the

throughout

and forming the medium

aggregate till

death.

for the manifes-

is

I

is

the house-

the general of the Gods. tation of

the

(Chaitanya.),

Spirit

— (A.

;

the Ocean.

I

hold priest of Indra. Skanda

O

the chief one, Brihaspati

of generals

body, pervading

eight.

of the household priests of kings,

P/'itha,

is

Vasus

Of

or Consciousness

— 20

— 28]

DIVINE MANIFESTATION'S.

the natural

made by

i.e.,

the

Gods

243

— reservoirs,

I

am

the

Ocean.

I

25.

Of the Great

am

the one syllable

/^ishis

I

Om

;'

'

am Bhrigu

;

of offerinp^s

of words I

am

the

of Japa (silent repetition), of unmovinerishable,

the Indefinable, the Unmanifest,

the

Omnipresent and the Unthinkable, the Unchangeable, the Immutable, the Eternal, having restrain-

—

ed

all

the senses, always equanimoas, intent on the

wel^re of all beings,

— they reach

Myself.

Because the Imperishable (Akshara) is

is

unmanifest.

He

not acces^ble to words and cannot therefore be defined.

He

is

not manifest to any of the organs of

unmanifestt

knowledge. They contemplate the Imperishable evety where all

round.^/M3ontemplation (Upisana) consists in ^proach-

by way of meditating it according to the Teaching (iistra) and dwelling for a long time steadily in the current of same thought (continuous) like

ing the object of worship

*a

thread of descending

object of contemplation

pervading

He

Is

oil. is

Imperishable

thus qualified

the ak4$a.

all like

—The He

is

:

He

is

who

is

the

omnipresent,

unthinkable, because

unmanlfiest. Whatex'er Is visible to the senses

thought of by the mind also ; but the Akshara

\

can be ;

is invisible j

to the senses

and

able (K(i/astha)

—

is '

/He is unchangemeans a thing which is good to all

therefore unthinkable.

K(i/a

'

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

268 appearance but to

that seed of sa;«sara

other things,

Accordingly

within.

evil

—which

— including

here

refers

it

XII

avidya (nescience) and

by

within, designated

full of evil

is

[DiS.

various terms such as Maya, /iyyrtATjVa (undifferentiated), as in Svetcisvataropanishad

'Ku/astha'

means He who is seated

as Its Lord. heap.'

— Or,

Kiiifastha

'

Hence He

is

'

and

lo)

(iv.

in the

Maya

in

may mean

immutable and

'

Gita

as Its Witness,

remaining

like a

They who

eternal.

contemplate the Imperishable, curbing

(vii. 14.)

and

senses,

all their

always equanimous whether they come by the desirable or the undesirable,

— they come to Myself. — Me

saying that they come to

wise

man

deemed

is

My

for,

;

it

very Self

It

needs indeed no

has been said that (vii.

Neither

18).

necessary to say that they are the best Yogins,

the

'

is it

— seeing that

they are one with the Lord Himself.

But,

whose thoughts are set on the Unmanifest for, the Goal, the Unmanifest, is very hard for the embodied to reach. Great indeed is the trouble of those who are engaged in 5.

Greater

is

their trouble ;

My

doing works for trouble of those able and

who

sake,

and so on

;

but greater

contemplate the Supreme Reality,

for the

body.

The

for

we

abandon

thos3

Therefore" their trouble

Salvation by worship Later on

—the

shall describe the

who is

trouble

their at-

Goal, the Imperishable,

hard for the embodied to reach, to their bodies.

the

identify themselves with the Imperish-

arising from the necessity of having to

tachment

still is

is

very

are attached

greater.

of Isvara.

conduct in

life

of the

worshippers of the Imperishable (Akshara-Upasakas). Because of the necessity there

is for

abandoning attachment

to the body.

,

— 4

— 9-] 6

BHAKTl-YOGA.

—

But those who worship Me, renouncing

7.

Me

actions in Me, regarding

all

Me

ing on

O

Supreme, meditat-

with exclusive devotion

them whose thought long,

269

fixed

is

on Me,

(yoga) I

for

;

become

ere

son of Pritha, the deliverer out of the

ocean of the mortal sa;»sara.

Me

the Isvara, the Lord.

:

Exclusive

God

object of worship except Myself,

Devotion (Yoga)

who

Me

up from the ocean

lift

their thoughts are

Sawsara

beyond

on

fixed

Me

an ocean, because

is

in the

having no other Universal Form.

Those

samadhi or steadfastness of mind.

:

are engaged in contemplating

Lord, will

:

exclusively,

the

I,

of mortal sawsara, since in it

the Universal is

Form.

very hard to cross

it.

Because

it is

Fix

S.

so, therefore,

th}^

mind

Thou

reason to Me.

in

Me

shalt

apply thy

exclusiveh-

no doubt

live

Me

in

alone hereafter.

Fix thy mind (manas)

Me, the Lord (buddhi)

purposes and thoughts

Universal Form. Fix

?

— Listen

:

Thou

shalt without

as Myself, on the death of this body.

doubt

Me thy

in

which resolves and determines.

also

be the result

Me

in the

—thy

— in

reason

— What fail

Thou

will

abide in shalt

not

it.

Abhyasa-Yoga. If

g.

thou art unable to

fix

thy thought steadi-

on Me, then by yoga of constant practice do thou seek to reach Me, O Dhana»jaya.

ly

If

you cannot

manner

I

fix

your thought on

Me

steadily

have mentioned, then seek thou to reach

Me

in

the

in the

;

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

270

[DiS. XII.

Universal Form, by yoga of constant practice (abhyasayoga).

from

Practice (abhyasa) consists in withdrawing thought

quarters and fixing

all

particular object.

steadfastness of

'

it

on one

again and again

AbhyAsa-yoga

'

means samadhana

mind acquired by such

or

practice.

Service of the Lord. 10. (If)

thou art not equal to practice either, then

be thou intent on (doing) actions

Even doing

actions for

My

for

My

sake.

sake, thou shalt attain

perfection.

Even

if

thou doest mere actions

practising yoga, thou first

attain

shalt

purity of mind,

attain

then

for

My

perfection

sake without ;

— thou shalt

yoga or steadfastness,

then knowledge, and then perfection (moksha).

Abandonment 11.

If

of

the fruits of actions-

thou art unable to do even

this,

then

refuged in devotion to Me, do thou abandon the fruits of all actions, self-controlled. If

thou canst not even be intent on doing actions

My

for

sake as thou hast just been taught, then do thou perform actions renouncing

them

all in

Me, and abandon the

fruit

of those actions.

Now He 12.

extols the abandoning of the fruits of

Better indeed

than knowledge

is

is

ately.

;

actions.

knowledge than practice

meditation more

;

esteemed

than meditation the abandonment of the actions

all

fruits of

on abandonment, Peace follows immedi-

;

—

9

27I

CHAKTI-YOGA.

II.]

Knowledge

better than practice

is

ignorance;!

than

better

than

better

;

accompanied with

knowledge

that

(dhyana) with knowledge

'^'-

meditation

is

meditation with

abandonment of the fruits of actions. From such an abandonment of the fruits of actions, accom-

knowledge

the

is

panied with the qualification

mentioned above, cessation

|

of sa;«sara and of the cause thereof follows immediately it

admits of no delay.

Abandonment of the fruit of all action is taught as a means to Bliss in the case of an ignorant person engaged in action, only when unable to tread the paths taught before, but not at

the fruit of

action

all

Wherefore the act of abandoning

first.

merely extolled by the declaration,

is

of the superiority of one over another

lin this verse,

has been taught as the course to be adopted

;

for

it

when a man

unable to follow the paths already taught.*

is

way does

In what praise

it

(

the

declaration

?

In the Ka^hopanishad results

(vi. 14) it

is

from the abandonment of

all

quite familiar

this is a truth

^

to

said that immortality

objects of desire

.1

either insj;

/j/uYisd (practice)

— occurring in

and the commentary— may (I)

the

mean

the act of listening to the teach-

of the

sriitis

knowledge, or

(2)

with a view to

obtain

the practice of

dhyana

f

Two

here

in

different

the

readings

MSS.

viveka-purvakdt, and

(2)

are found

bhashya

of the

:

(i)

aviveka-pfnvakat.

The former would mean

'

accompanied

and

objects of

all

who

is

steadily

with discrimination.' ^

The

trolled.' 1'

qualification (xii.

being

'

self-con-

ii).— (.\.)

The abandonment

of the fruits of

actions forms here the subject of praise,

because

with a firm resolve.— (A.)

;

the sruti and in the

In the case of the enlightened person

smriti. *

And

all.

desire are fruits of actions enjoined in

text

form a mere

)

it

is

the path intended to

be

taught in this connection-(A.)

A'

'=>""'".'"

J* Up. 4-4-6)-(A.)

'he sruti.

{Vide Bn.

—

engaged

of

Now

of the fruits of actions

praised

;

this point of

and because of

mere abandonment of the

similarity,

tjie

mere abandonment of desires even an ignorant man's abandon-

of desires.

constitutes a factor

— in

Peace imme diately follows

in contemplation,

abandonment

ment

[DiS.XII.

THE BHAGAVAD-GlTA.

J72

fruits of all actions is

—with a view to create a desire to follow the

course

same way that, in saying that the ocean was drunk by the brahma^a sage Agastya, even the brahmaj/as of this age are praised for the mere reason that they too the

are brahma»as.

Thus,

it

has been taught that Karma-yoga accompanied

with the abandonment of the fruits of actions

a

is

means

to

Bliss.

The Here,

it is

life

Akshara=upasakas.

of the

by presupposing a

distinction

between Isvara

—

and Atman, the Lord and the Self, that Yoga which consists in concentrating thought on the Lord, on the Universal

Form,

— and

the performance of works for the sake of the

Lord have been taught.

As

thou art unable to do this

Yoga

is

associated

with

hinted— in the words If either '(xii. 11) that Karmait is

ignorance

'

—

we

(ajfiana),

should

Karmayoga is not meant for the worshipper of the Akshara, for him who sees no distinction (between the Lord and the Self). Similarly, the Lord shows the impossibility of the worship Having of the Akshara to a Karma-yogin. To explain declared that the in the words 'They reach Myself (xii. 3) worshippers of the Akshara are independent as regards the attainment of liberation (kaivalya), the Lord (xii. 7) has shewn in the words for them I become the deliverer' understand that the Lord here means

to say that

:

—

—

'

—

.

II

—

BHAKTI-YOGA.

14.]

— that the others

(xii. 7)

external Being.

are dependent on the Lord,' on an

were deemed as the

If these

very* .Self of

would be the very Akshara themselves

the Lord, they

owing

273

to their realisation of the

identity

;_

so that

it

would

have been inappropriate to speak.ipf.thern as persons

M oreo

to be

Lord who is preeminently a well-wisher c^y\.rjuuare(fom mends to him only Karma-yoga (iv. 15) ba^e4 fOn an idea of distinction and Nor would any quite dissociated i^oi right knowledge. man like to be subordinate to another after knowing himself to be the Lord>t^rough proper sources of right knowdelivered

ledge

it is

ye*",.

the

There-

the two are mutually opposed states.

for,

;

fore t

by the Lord.

"'^

with reference to the worshippers of the Akshara,

to the saw/nyasins w^ho are devoted to right

have abandoned

— such as

those attributes

which form the 13-14.

desires, that

all

direct

He who

'

He

knowledge and

proceeds to teach

absence of hatred of any being

means

'

to immortality

hates no single being,

who

is

and compassionate to all, who is free from attachment and egoism, to whom pain and pleasure are equal, who is enduring, ever content and

friendly

balanced in mind, self-controlled, and possessed of firm

conviction,

whose thought and reason are

directed to Me, he

who

is

(thus)

devoted to

Me

is

dear to Me.

He hates nothing, not even that which causes him pain. He regards all beings as himself. He is friendly and compassionate. He is full of compassion for the distressed /. c, ;

* This is another reason why Karmayoga cannot be combined with Akshara-

Upasana

in

one and the same person

one and the same time.— (A).

at

+ Because the attributes mentioned below cannot, all of them, be cultivated

by the followers of

Karma,

who

ignorant of Self— (A).

35

are

h^has. offered security of

from

to all beings,

life

regard anything as

not

sin, ''b^-eidQes

[DlS.XII.

BHAGAVAD-GlTA.

"^^'E

274

the notion of

eg^di-sm, froii^

'

I

he

mine

'

a sawnya-

is

and

'

free

is

Pain and pleasure do

'.

him hatred and attachment. He remains unaffected when abused or'beaten. He is always content he thinks he has enoiigh whetiier he obtains or not the means not cause in

;

He

of bodily sustenance.

He

by a good thing or not.

whether he comes

Also 'satisfied

i.s

iS

fi

yoglri,

always steadfast

in

lie has a iirin conviction regarding the essential

thought.

Me

nature of the Self. This sa;//nyasin has directed to

Manas — purposes and thoughts — a?

sively his

exclu-

well as his

— the faculty of determining. Such a devotee dear to Me. /The same truth which was indicated dear to the wise man and he am very dear 17 — length. Me — here described Buddhi

is

in

vii.

'

to

I

'

at

is

He

15.

who

b)-

whum

not

\\'or]d is

and sorrow, he

the sawnyusin.

:

the

exhilaration of

is

and

from

free

dear to Me.

is

consists

Joy

afflicted

who

not afflicted by the world,

is

jov, envy, fear

He

is

in

the

elevation

or

mind (anta//-kara;7a) on attaining an and is indicated by horripilation, tears,

tlie

object of desire,

and so on. 16 clever,

He who

He

is

from wants,

unconcerned, untroubled,

undertakings, he

dear to

free

is

who

is

who

is

pure,

renouncing

(thus) devoted

to

all

Me

is

i\Ie.

indifferent

to the

body,

the

He He is

objects and their mutual connections.

purity both

internal

and external.

rightly on the spot in matters

W

senses, the is

sense-

possessed of

able to decide

demanding prompt

attention.

14

—

He

BHAKTI-YOGA.

19-]

2

does not take the side of a friend and the

habitually renounces

whether of

of desire,

all

this

world or of the uext.

,,: hadn

iC

He who

who

He

is full

of devot^

Thou

art''

Brahman. "-(Ma..rfukya^

— THE BHAGAVAD-GiTA.

292

[DiS. XIII.

be neglected as an

the traditional interpretation, he

is

ignorant man, though learned in

all sastras.

The

relation of the Self to

Now s4rin

if

samsara

is

a mere illusion.

as to the objections that the Isvara would be a sam-

He

be one with Kshetraj;/a, and that be no

be one witli the Isvara there can there

to

no sa;«sarin

is

these

:

objections

if

Kshetrajwas

sa/z^sara

because

have been met by

saying that knowledge and ignorance are distinct in kind and

admitted by

in effects, as {viz.,

isvara)

Him

to

is

all/'^

— To explain

:

The Real Entity

not affected by the defect (sawsara) attributed

through ignorance of that Real Entity. This has also

been illustrated by the

fact

does not wet the saline

soil.

water of the mirage

that the

And

the objection raised on

the ground that in the absence of a sawsarin there can

be

no sawisara has been answered by explaining that the sa;«sara

and the

sa///sarin are

{Objection)

of avidya

:

creatures of avidya.

— The very fact that

makes Him a

sa;«sarin

happiness and misery and so on {Ansii/ci')

— No

for,

;

of Kshetra (matter)

be

vitiated

—

and the

;

is

possessed

eftect thereof

directly perceived.

perceived

is

is

is

an attribute

and Kshetraj«a, the cogniser, cannot

;

by the

whatever blemish

what

—

Kshetrajua

l^lemish

due

to

it.

not inhering in KshetraJ7/a

To

explain

:

—you ascribe

comes under the cognised, and therefore forms a property of Kshetra, and not a property of Kshetrajua. Nor is Kshetraj/ja affected by it, since such intimate association to

Him,

it

of the cogniser

and the cognised

is

impossible.

If

there

should be such an association, then that blemish could not * That is to Lord and the

say,

by saying that the

soul are one in reality,

while illusion makes Kshetrajua a saHi-

sarin— (A).

MATTER AND

2.]

That

be cognised.

were properties of the

immediate

say,

to

is

Self,

Or,

perception'''?

that

all

Kshetraj//a

is

293

knowable

Since

t

is

it

Kshetra

has been determin-

to contradict

by saying that nescience and misery and the and

attributes

specific properties of

noth-

(xiii. i), it is

which may lead one

ing but sheer ignorance

and that

5-6)

(xiii.

the knower and none else

is

and nescience

misery

if

how could they be objects of how could they ever be regarded

as the properties of the Self?

ed that

SPIRIT.

it

like are the

Kshetraj«aand that they

are immediately perceived as such.

The perception

of the relation of avidya, etc,

to the Self I

Now

asks

[To explain

notion

is

:

(the opponent)

else

in

Hence

the question.

(Reply):

:

entity, or to

* If the Self

?

know

ask to

of

an

also perceive

own Him-

action.'!

what that + i„

nent

^^^^

is

stance form and

perceived, colour,

property of the perceiver.

is

Inheres

an independent

entity

is

wherein

following discussion, the oppo-

tries to

drive the Advaitin to the

conclusion that the Kshetrajna ,vith

is

tainted

Avidya and cannot therefore be

identicalwith the /5vara,while the Advaitin avoids

Whatever

vidya by

know whether avidya

in particular

absurd, since one and the

and the object

is

seen.

it is

something else which

could perceive His

He could

in

no independent entity outside Chit.

same thing cannot be both the agent

+

avidya

— (A)]

Do you

as an attribute in

.8

is

— By whomsoever

[To explain

which

this

Chit or Consciousness which

and there

;

is

which has an independent existence. But

nature,

self

— Whose

— This avidya w'hich accounts for the mistaken

cannot inhere

properties,

:

illusion.

not an independent entity and should inhere

something it

due to

is

as for in-

cannot be a

it

by shewing that the Kshetra-

can really hive no connection whatever with avidya which, cognised as it is

j,,^

by Him,

is

always distinct from him.

—

.

THE bhagavad-gitA.

294 it

inheres

the

In

?

question at

all, for,

cannot exist by

something then

case, there

first

[Dis. XIII,

no occasion

is

the

for

avidya be cognised, then, since

if

itself,

must be cognised as inhering

it

it

in

on the other hand, avidyi be not cognised,

else. If,

how do you know

that avidya exists at all?

The opponent perhaps means to ask what that entity wherein avidya inheres. Hence the question that follows.

is

(A)] {Opponent)'. {Reply)'.

— By whom By whom

is

There

possessor

its

Whose

is it

?"

When

who

:

Since avidya

since the Self wherein

own

consciousness

it

it is

is

For,

if

avidya

has that avidya.

not proper to ask,

the possessor of

for the question "

no occasion [To explain

perceived,

is

no use asking

is

avidya seen ?"

is

perceived, you perceive also the one

When "

?

— As regards this we say:

the question, " is

seen

is it

cows

is

seen, there

whose are the cows

?"

an object of cognition, and

inheres reveals Himself in one's

— there

is

no occasion

for the question.

(A)]

{Opponent)

:

— The illustration

immediate perception, immediate perception

;

their relation

immediate perception. have been meaningless. :

—

If

its

you

also an objecj: of

possessor both objects of

If they were, the question

you know

to

immediately perceived, avidya to

is

and so the question has no meaning.

But not so are avidya and

it

not analogous to the case

Since the cows and their possessor are objects of

in point.

{Reply)

is

what particular related, of

would

entity,

what

not

avail

is

the possessor of avidya

is

is

?

[The meaning

is

:

— Though

.

.

.

MATTER AND

2.]

not immediately perceived,

Where

avidya inheres. question

still,

.

SPIRIT.

you know

then any

is

295 in

what

occasion

entity

your

for

?

The opponent

not understand the

does

the reply and proceeds as follows: {Opponent)

— Since avidya

:

that should be got rid

of

drift

— (A)]

the cause of evil,

[So,

of.

— (A)] {Reply) — He who has can be no other — (A).] (Opponent) — Why,

is

real

I

ask to

is

it

a thing

know whose

is

avidya.

avidya will get rid of

:

should try and get rid of {Reply)

:

— Then you

{Opponent)

:

my

[Hence {Reply)

—

it

I

—

who have

I

[and

it

[and

I

(A.)]

know avidya and

the Self,

pos-

its

— (A)]

know, but not by immediate perception.

question

—-(A)]

—Then you know the

:

avidya,

your question has no meaning

[so that

sessor,

is

it

:

it,

by

Self

inference.*

How

can you perceive the relation between the Self and avidya It is

?

not indeed possible for you to perceive your Self as

related

to

cognises avidya)

moment

same moment

avidya, at the ;

(that

your Self

the cogniser (the Self) acts at the

for,

as the percipient of avidya. f

Neither can there be

a (separate) cogniser of the relation between the cogniser (the Self) (relation)

* The

;

and avidya, nor a separate cognition of that for then you would commit the fallacy of infinite may be

inference meant here

stated as follows

:— I must be because

the pos-

sessor of

avidya,

effects of

avidya such as misery.

have no avidya, efiects

;

for,

I

should

I

fggi (he efiects of

avidya— (A),

the

feel

If

not feel

those vyho have no

as for instance the liberated souls, do not

I

its

avidya,

t

The

Self cannot

be both the per-

ceiver and the perceived

time.— (A).

at

the

same

296

THE bhagavad-gIta.

regress (anavastba).

—

Self)

If

[Dis. XIII.

the relation between the cogniser (the

and the cognised could be cognised, another cogniser

should be supposed to exist cogniser

then another cogniser of that

;

then another of that again

;

;

and so on

the series would necessarily be endless.

hand, avidya

— or,

cognised, then

cogniser cognised.

not at

is

is

anything else

cogniser

the

;

—

is

the

So also the

he can never become the

Such being the case,"''' Kshetraj«a, the cogniser, all tainted by nescience, misery and the like.

[Objection)

He

on the other

ever the cognised only.

it is

ever

is

that matter,

for

If,

and thus

;

:

— There

the Self this blemish,

is in

that

viz.,

the cogniser of Kshetra or matter which

is

full

of

blemishes. (Answer)

:

— No

for,

;

it

is

only by a figure of speech that

the Self, the immutable Consciousness, cogniser, just figure, to in

ii.

ig,

as,

in virtue

27,

and

We

and other

v. 15

spoken of as the

of its heat, fire

do the act of heating. iii.

is

is

said,

by a

have shewn how here, places, the

Lord has

taught that the Self has in Himself no concern with action or with

its

or with

accessories

its

results, that

they are

imputed to the Self by avidya, and that they are therefore

And

said to belong to the Self only by a figure of speech.

we

how

shall also explain

the

same truth

is

taught

in

the

sequel. {Objection)

:

— Well

with action or with they are ascribed

if

*

!

if

the Self has in Himself no concern

accessories or with

its

(to

is

results,

the Self) by avidya, then

Because the Self cannot be cognised

by anything beyond, there

its

no proof

whatever that avidya inheres in the Self

And

it

and

would

the Self reveals himself in every

phase of consciousness.— (A),

;

2

—

MATTER AND

3-]

the rituals

that

follow

(

SPIRIT.

297

karmas ) are intended only

for the

ignorant, not for the wise.* (AtisK'cy)

:

—Yes,i

it

does follow, as

we

shall explain

when

commenting on xviii. ii. And in the section (xviii. 50, etseq.) where the teaching of the whole sastra is summed up, we No need here shall dwell more particularly on this point. on the subject; so we conclude

further

to expatiate

for

the present.

Summary

of

the Doctrine.

Here follows a verse which forms a summary teaching of the Discourse on Kshetra

which

course),

1,2;

xiii.

summary

is

for,

thirteenth Dis-

already contained in brief in the verses is

it

but proper

the whole doctrine

of

{i.e.,

of the

to

beforehand

give

to

a

be explained at length

in the sequel.

And what

and of what nature, and what its changes and whence is what and who He is and what His powers this hear thou briefly from Me. 3.

that

Kshetra

is,

;

;

'

what was spoken of as this body Kshetra is what it is in itself. Of what

^TJiat Kshetra' refers to

What

(xiii. i).

nature

what

He

this

:

is in

its

is

properties.

from what causes.

was spoken

that

• And

opposed

to

sacrificial

rituals

the sastra

with know-

— (A).

T The 5dstra demands from

And ic'hence is what Who He is etc.: Who :

of as Kshetrajiia

often says that' one should per-

form the ledge.

it

efliects arise

is

which

what

:

that

'

list

and what His

the knowledge of the existence of a

beyond the body, not also the knowledge that that Self is free from Self

all attributes,

such as hunger.

the ritua-

38

—

:

:

[Dis. XIII.

THE bhagavad-gIta.

298

powers (prabhavas,

saktis,

such as the power of seeing) are

from the upadhis or environments (such as the thou hear My speech describing briefly the true

which

arise

eye).

Do

Kshetrajua

nature of Kshetra and

in

these specific

all

and on hearing that speech, thou wilt understand The (five) and's imply that one should underthe truth. stand Kshetra and Kshetrajua in all these aspects.

aspects

;

—

The Doctrine The Lord now

extols

what

extolled.

He

has proposed to teach,

namely, the doctrine of the true nature of Kshetra and Kshetrajua, 4.

— with a view to interest the mind of the hearer

Sung by

in vari(3us

sages, in

hymns,

about Brahman, Sages (A^ishis)

The

R'lk.

many ways and

as also in the suggestive

full

Hymns

true nature of Kshetra and

also been taught in the Brahma-sutras,

treating of

Him

such as the

in the

i.e.,

has

passages

a man — such as "Only as the the words through (Bri. Up. 1-4-7), —

"

Self, let

in

which alone Brahman

They admit

:

Kshetrajua

Brahman,

contemplate

words

of reasoning and decisive.

such as Vasish^fha.

:

distinctly,

of no

is

known. They are

doubt,

i. e.,

they

full

are

of reasoning.

productive of

certain knowledge.

Matter

To Arjuna who prepared to hear 5.

has,

it,

the

in all its forms.

by

this praise (of the doctrine),

Lord says

The Great Elements, Egoism, Reason,

also the Unmanifested, the ten senses

the

five objects

been

of the senses;

as

and one, and

— 3

—

MATTER AND

6.]

The

Gyeat Elements

they pervade

Sl'IRlT.

299

(Mahabhiltas) are so called because

vikaras, all modilications of matter.

all

The

elements here referred to are the subtle ones (sukshraa), not the gross (sthula) elements, which latter will be spoken of as " the objects of the senses."

Egoism (Ahaw/kara): self-consciousness, of ego, the cause of is

'

the Great Elements'.

defined by determination and

is

Reason (Buddhi)

the cause of Aha;«kara.

The cause

of

fested, the

Avyak>ita or Undifferentiated, the

Reason (Buddhi)

is

consciousness

UnmaniEnergy of the

the Avyakta, the

So much alone is Praknti, divided eightfold." The ten senses are made up of the five " buddhi-indriyas", senses of knowledge such as hearing, so called because they produce knowledge, and

Lord

(Isvara-5akti) spoken of in

vii.

14.

—

—

of the five "karma-indriyas," senses of action such as speech

and hand, so called because they bring about aclion. And the one the manas, which is composed of thoughts and :

purposes (sa;«kalpa) and so on, five objects of the senses are

sound,

is

the eleventh sense.

etc.

The

The Sankhyas speak

of these as the twenty-four principles (tattvas).

Desire, hatred, pleasure, pain, the aggregate,

6.

intelligence, courage briefly described

Now,

the

;

— the Kshetrahas been thus

with

Lord proceeds

its

modifications.

to teach that

even those which

the Vaiseshikas speak of as the inherent attributes of (the Self) are merely the attributes of

Atman

Kshetra (matter), but

not the attributes of Kshetrajua (the knower of matter). Desire (ichchha) *

The

is

that

which impels a person who has once

/svara-Sakti here referred to

is

the root of the insentient matter, spoken of as

Maya

in

vii.

14,

not the root of

consciousness (chaitany.a) praknti in

its

;

i.e.,

the Mula-

eight modifications.— (A)

— THE BHAGAVAD-GiTA.

300

[DiS. XIII.

experienced a certain object of pleasure to seek

same

perceiving an object of the

class,

property of the inner sense (antaZt-kara^a) (matter) because

it

So

knowable.

is

again

get hold of this

This, namely

conducive to pleasure.

latter as

—to

— on

desire,

and

;

a

is

Kshetra

it is

that

also, hatved is

which leads a person, who once experienced a certain object of pain, to dislike an object of the

namely

this latter. This,

cause

made up because

the agreeable, the tranquil,

is

Even

of the Sattva principle.

it is

knowable.

Kshetra because

is

it

Pain

is

The aggregate

knowable.

which manifests

manifests

itself in

itself in

it is

Courage

is

a mental as

Kshetra because

qualities

is

it

Self.

It

is

Kshetra,

which the body

that by

knowable.

mentioned here stand

described, with

its

the

;

and

and other

Desire

the qualities of the

all

The Lord concludes

inner sense (anta/«-kara7/a). subject as follows:

for

fire

— pervaded by the

and the senses are upheld when they get depressed it is

is

it

the com-

is

—just

the aggregate

a burning metallic mass,

knowable.

and

;

Intelligence is

semblance of the consciousness of the because

Kshetra,

this is

the disagreeable

bination of the body and the senses. state

class on perceiving

Kshetra (matter), be-

hatred, is only

knowable. Pleasure

it is

same

Kshetra has been

modifications such as

the present

thus briefly

Mahat (Buddhi).

«

Virtues conducive to Self-knowledge.

The totality

Kshetra, of which the various modifications in their

have been spoken of as "

has been described

Elements' *.

body

in all its different forms,

to 'courage'

The cosmic body and

this

(xiii.

the individual

5-6).* shew

The thiit

from

(xiii. '

marks

he alone who has grown

difierent (viralvta) to

have been described here with a view

knowledge.

— (A)

them

i),

the Great

characteristic

bodies (saniasWideha and vyash/idehas) to

"

is

in-

qualified for

;

MATTER AND

6-7.]

30I

SPIRIT.

of Kshetrajua will be shortly described. In

Himself

will describe

Kshetrajua

xiii. 12,

in detail,

— that

be attained.

means

now,

But,

Lord

the

on which a sa;/myasin in the

Kshetra-

as

prescribes,

knowledge, virtues such as humility, which

to that

qualify a person for a knowledge of the

devotee

Lord

immortality

jua through a knowledge of whose powers

can

the

is

Knowable, intent

said to be a juana-nish/ha, a

firm

path of konwledge, and which are designated

as knowledge

(

juana

are the

because they

)

means

of

attaining knowledge. 7.

Humility, modesty, innocence, patience, up-

rightness, service of the teacher, purity, steadfastness, self-control

Humility

:

absence of self-esteem.

claiming one's

any

own

living being.

have done any injury.

not being affected

:

Service of the teacher

who

service to the preceptor (acharya) of attaining

the body

moksha.

by means

mind consisting

Purity

of water

in the

:

:

when

teaches the

and earths,

removal from

it

pro-

others

means

dirt

from

— the inner purity of

of the dirt of attach-

ment and other passions by cultivating the idea* that inimical to them.

exclusively

in

Steadfastness

the

of the self, of the

This aggregate

is

is

all efforts

Self-control:

control

aggregate of the body and the senses.

spoken of as the

recognition of evil in

is another reading of the + There commentary which means that the aggre'

self,

because

it is

of

some

Self-control consists in directing

to the right path the

The

concentration of

path of salvation.

service to the true Self.f

exclusively

:

to

doing acts of

washing away the

:

not

no injury

Innocence: doing

virtues. Patience

Modesty

all

body and the mind which objects of senses.

gate

'

is

— (A)

inimical to the Self and should

therefore be restrained.

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA

302 are

by nature attracted

XHI.

[DiS.

in all directions.

Moreover,

Absence of attachment

8.

and

senses,

for

also absence of egoism

evil in birth,

objects ;

of the

perception of

death and old age, in sickness and

pain; Absence of attachment

:

for sense-objects

pleasures seen or unseen. Perception, etc. evil there is severally in birth, etc. in

having to dwell

in the

uterus. Similarly in

womb

death.

Thus

and

The

such as sound, :

for

thinking of what

the evil in birth

lies

to issue out

through the

of old age

consists in

evil

the decay of intelligence, power and strength, and in being treated with contempt.

So

may

also

be seen the

evil

caused

by sickness such as head-disease or the evil caused by pain, whether adhyatmika, i.e., arising in one's own person, or ;

adhibhautika, daivika,

i.e.,

i.e.,

produced by external agents, or adhi-

produced by supernatural beings.

Or, the passage is evil.

may

be thus interpreted:

— Pain

shewn

Birth, etc., should be regarded as painful, as

Birth

above.

is

a misery

;

death

is

a misery

;

itself

old age

is

a

and sickness is a misery. Birth, etc., are all miseries, because they produce misery they are not miseries misery

;

;

in themselves.

From

this perception of the evil of pain

in

birth,

etc.,

there arises indifference to the pleasures of the body and of

and then the senses turn towards the Innermost Because the percepobtain a glimpse of the Self.

the senses Self to

;

tion of the evil of pain in birth, etc., conduces to knowledge, it is

itself

g.

spoken of as knowledge.

Unattachment, absence of

affection for

son,

MATTER AND

7-10.]

home and

wife,

the

like,

SPIRIT.

303

and constant, equanimity

on the attainment of the desirable and the undesirable

;

Unattnchment

absence of liking

:

form objects of attachment. attachment and consists

another, as in the case of a

when another

able

himself

The

like

alive

who

others

:

man who or

miserable and is

who

feels

dead.

alive or

are very dear, other dependants.

attachment and absence of affection are because they lead to knowledge.

Untermed knowledge

Constant equanimity

con-

not being delighted on attaining the desirable, and

sists is

in

happy or miser-

feels

when another

dead

or

complete identification with

happy

is

an intense form of

Affection is

in

may

things which

for

not chafing on

mity also 10.

is

attain. ng the undesirable.

(conducive

to)

This equani-

knowledge.

Unflinching devotion to

Me

in

Yoga of non-

separation, resort to solitary places, distaste for the

society of

men

;

apnthak-samadhi, a steady unYoga of non-separation flinching^ meditation on the One with the idea that there is :

no Being higher than the Lord, Vasudeva, and that therefore to)

He

is

our sole Refuge.

free,

Sclitary places

thieves and tigers

the

this devotion is (conducive

which are naturally free, or from impurities, as also from fear of serpents,

knowledge.

made

And

:

:

such as a jungle, the sandbank of a

temple of a God, and so on.

mind becomes calm like is possible is

of men

of the

solitude that the

so that meditation of the Self

and the

only in a solitary place. Wherefore resort to

said to be

solitude :

;

It is in

river,

(

conducive to

)

knowledge.

Society

ordinary unenlightened and undisciplined

\

)

I

— — THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

304 people, not

the enlightened and

of

cause the society of these latter

men, be-

disciplined

an aid to knowledge.

is

men

Distaste Jor the society of ordinary

because

[DiS. XIII.

knowledge,

is

leads to knowledge.

it

Moreover,

Constancy

II.

in Self-knowledge, perception of

the end of the knowledge of truth. This

knowledge, and what

to be

declared

is

opposed to

is

is

it

ignorance. Self-knowledge etc

tion,

knowledge

:

Knowledge

:

of the Self

of truth

and the

results

from the mature

development of such attributes as humility

means

are the

knowledge

is

of

like. Percep-

The end

attaining knowledge.

which

(xiii. 7),

of this

moksha, the cessation of mortal existence, of

sa;«sara.

The end should be

when one

perceives the end of the knowledge of truth that

one

endeavour

will

means from

*

to cultivate

that

of attaining

humility

of truth

'

'

to

kept in view

'

;

for,

it

only

the attributes which are the

knowledge.

These

attributes

perception of the end of the knowledge

— are declared to be

knowledge, because they are

What

conducive to knowledge.

is

opposed

to this

pride, hypocrisy, cruelty, impatience, insincerity

like-^is ignorance,

is

viz.,

and the

which should be known and avoided as

tending to the perpetuation of samsara.

Brahman, the Knowable.

What

that has to be

is it

answer to

known by this knowledge

this question the

Lord proceeds with

— Humility

like

{Objection)

self-control

:

and the

— In

xiii. 12, etc.

are only forms of

by them cannot be perceived Never indeed have we found humility and

{yama and niyama)

the Knowable.

?

;

—

lO

MATTER AND

12.]

SPIRIT.

305

Other attributes (mentioned above) serving to determine the

nature of anything.

And in

all cases,

it is

only the knowledge

or consciousness of an object that has been found to deter-

mine the nature of that object

of knowledge.

And,

certainly,

no object can bs determined through the knowledge of another object, any more than

fire

can be perceived through

the knowledge of a pot. (AnSii/ey):

— This objection

does not apply here

have said that humility and the

like are

for,

;

we

spoken of as know-

ledge because they conduce to knowledge, or because they are secondary or auxiliary causes of knowledge.

That which has to be known I shall desknowing which one attains the Immortal.

12.

cribe

;

Beginningless said to be

'

is

sat

'

That which has is.

knowledge

that

by way

or

'

It is

not

asat.'

be known,

to

— The Lord then

Supreme Brahman.

the

shall fully describe as It

I

goes on to describe what the result of

will be, in order to call the hearer's

atten-

—

h"m a desire to know^ of It. It, the unsurpassed One, the Brahman, just spoken of as That

tion

of creating in

'

which has

With ion

'

to be

known,' has no beginning.

a view to avoid tautology

anadimatparam

differently; thus:

'

into

*

''

some

anddi matparam

Brahman

is

split '

,

the express-

and explain

beginningless, and

lam

it

Its

Para-5akti, the Supreme Energy called Vasudeva.

(But

we

say)

:

— True,

tautology might thus be avoided,

provided the given interpretation were possible. *

Tautology involved in

dimat

,'

as

one

t.iking

compound,

'•

as

ana-

But the

Bhashyakara has done,

the

39

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

^06

[DiS. XIII.

interpretation does not hold good, for

expound the nature attributes.

It is

of

intended here to

it is

Brahman by denying

specific

all

a self-contradiction to speak of

Brahman same

as possessed of a particular kind of energy and at the

time as devoid of

all specific attributes.

Therefore tautology

should be explained as due to the exigencies of the metre.

Brahman

After saying that to immortality,

called

is

knowledge, the (existent)

He

is

or

{Objection)

worth knowing, and

'

Lord

It

— No; said. — How — Thus

Knovvable,

the

for

not said to be

*

sat

?

sat

is

does not become the

nor

'

He

'

asat.'

being inaccessible to speech, Brah-

:

man, the Knowable,

'

it

that

quite the right thing that has been

it is

:

is

proclaiming very loudly

to describe It as neither

(Aiiswey)

having thus

asat (non-existent).'

— After

:

after

by creating a desire

says:

going to speak of the

Lord

going to speak of what, as leading

hearer's attention

the

'

beyond speech and thought.

is

Upanishads only by a denial of all specialities,—' Not thus (BH. Up, 2-3-6) and not gross, not subtle {Ibid, 3-8-8) in the terms " It is is

defined in

all

'

*

—

'

not this." {Objection)

:

— That

spoken of as existing.

thing (alone) If the

terms to say that

which can be

Knowable cannot be spoken

of as existing, then It cannot exist. tion in

exists

It

is

And

it is

knowable

a contradic-

and that

It

cannot be spoken of as existing. {Ansuer):

— Neither

is It

non-existent, since It

is

not an

object of the consciousness of non-existence.

(Objection):— Ewevy state of consciousness involves either

— MATTER AND

12.]

SPIRIT.

307

the consciousness of existence or that of non-existence.

Such

being the case, the Knowable should be comprehended either

by a

state of consciousness

ness of existence, or by

panied with (ylnswey): senses. It

the

a

state of

consciousness accom-

consciousness of non-existence."

— No;

being beyond the reach

for,

not an

is

accompanied with the conscious-

object of consciousness

of the

accompanied

with the idea of either (existence or non-existence).

That

which can be perceived by the senses, such

thing, indeed,

as a pot, can be an

object of consciousness

accompanied

with the idea of existence, or an object of consciousness

accompanied with the idea of non-existence.

Knowable such can be known

other hand, the

and as

knowledge whi ch

of

Revelation),

beyond the reach

of the senses

through that instrument

solely

c alled

is

cannot be,

It

is

Since, on the

'5abda'

(the

Word,

i.e.,

an object of con-

like a pot, etc.,

sciousness accompanied with the idea of either (existence or non-existence) and

Now, tion in sat

'

'

is

therefore not said to be 'sat' or 'asat'.

as regards the allegation that

terms

to

say that the Knosvable

or 'asat', (we say that) there

is

a self-contradic-

it is

is

not said to be

no contradiction

;

for,

the sruti says, 'It is

other than the

known and above

the unknown.'

(Kena-Up.2-3.) [Objection): self-

contradictory,!

when, *

— Even the passage of the

If not.

after putting

just

as the sruti

up the

hall

you cinnot escape the conclu-

sion that lirahnian f If so, \vc

is

indefinable— (A).

do not accept the passage as

for

sruti just is

the

quoted

is

self-contradictory sacrifice,

it

says

authoritative, since that passage alone is

accepted as authoritative which contradiets

no accepted authority.

— (A)

THE BHAGAVAD-GJTA.

3o8

[DiS. XIII.

" (who knows) there exists (any good) in the next world ?" (Taittiriya-Sa7«hita, 6-1-1). {Aus7!>cr)

:

— No;

the passage which says that "It

is

than the known and above the unknown, teaches, by

something which should be accepted as

true,

"'^'

passage quoted by the opponent — " who knows

any good

world ?"

next

in the

—

its full

be read along with the injunction to which stands to reason

it

cannot be expressed

employed

Thus

it is

if

there exist

subsidiary.!

Brahman

say that for,

'sat';

or a certain

every

v.'ord

— when heard

— as associated with a certain genus,

a certain quality,

or

whereas the

import, should

to denote a thing denotes that thing

by another act,

to

words such as

in

itself,

a mere artha-vada, a

is

statement which, to be understood in

Moreover,

other

or a certain

mode

of relation.

and horse imply genera, cook and teacher imply acts, white and black imply qualities, ivealthy and cattle-owner But Brahman belongs to no genus \ imply possession. :

C07i>

wherefore

Being devoid of attributes.

(existent)'.

qualities.

cannot be denoted by such words as

It

were possessed

If It

It

Being actionless,

Up.

It is

without parts, actionless and tranquil."

that

it

The

(.Svet.

6-19).

is

to say,

we

should not reject

the passage as teaching no for,

act.

says:

"

That

no

possesses

cannot be indicated by a word implying an

>Sruti

*

sat

of qualities, then It could

be denoted by a word implying a quality. It

'

teaches this

Brahman

own Inner

Self,

is

new

truth,

no other

and

it

new

truth;

namely,

than one's

should therefore

be accepted as authoritative + *

in itself.-(A)

Hence it is no authority in itself— (A) Brahman is described in the sruti as

belonging to no colour,

and so

on.

class, as

— (A)

possessing no

—

:

—

12

It is

MATTER AND

13.]

not related to anythinj^ else

out a second, Self.

It

no object

is

Wherefore,

(of

30g

for It is one,

;

any

sense).

It

is

is

the very

can be

It

passages of the sruti like

same thing

the

to

with-

It

but right to say that

at all ;and the

point

following

Whence

is

it

denoted by no word the

SPIRIT.

away from Brahman, unable to approach Brahman) all words return." (Tait. Up. 2-4-1.) {i.e.,

—

Brahman

When

is

it

accessible to

may

the source of

is

said

that

Brahman

all

activity.

the

Knowable

is

not

the word or thought of 'sat' (existent), one

perhaps suppose

It to

be

'

asat

or non-existent.

'

To

prevent this supposition the Lord proceeds to declare Its existence as manifested through the

senses of

all

beings.

all living

[To explain

:

Since nothing

conditions and quite beyond

nay, since nature,

through the

upadhis,

everything

we

is

found which

is

devoid of

speech and thought,

all

experience

is

of

a contrary

— one may suppose that Brahman as described

above

must be a void or non-entity (sunya). To prevent this supposition, the Lord proceeds to teach that Brahman exists (i) as the Inner Self (Pratyak), (2) as the all

activity of the senses

whence

which

of the universe.

Self-consciousness

activity,

is

imaginary,

First of

of inference,

principle

like,

as the source

(3)

arises our consciousness of existence with reference

to all duality

way

and the

source of

all,

(4)

as Isvara or the

here, the

Lord

Lord proves, by

the existence of

Brahman

as the Inner

there must

some

self-conscious

:

be

(pratyak-chetana) behind insentient principles in

such as the physical body

;

for,

we

invariably find

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

3IO

lying behind

self-consciousness

such as a carriage

activity,

in

With hands and

13.

[DiS. XIII.

insentient

all

motion.

objects

in

— (A)]

everywhere, with eyes

feet

and heads and mouths everywhere, with hearing everywhere, That exists enveloping all.

The Knowable has hands and existence of Kshetrajna

sense-organs

'

is

by the upadhis of the

indicated

Kshetraj«a (the

living beings.

of all

conscious principle lying

behind the

sense-organs)

called because of the upadhi of Kshetra is

and

;

of various forms, such as hands, feet, etc.

caused

but illusory, and

is

the words "

should be

caused

^vhere

'

It is

as devoid of

KshetraJ7/a)

—

in the

it

it

only with a view to

sat

'

'

so-

Kshetra

this

All the variety

is

'

illusory,

has hands and

It

—

— that

still

feet

it

in It is is

every-

were an attribute of the Knowable, Accordingly indicate Its existence.

the saying of the sampradaya-vids

there

is

know

the right traditional :

asat

"

Though what

variety.

all

'

or

'

by upadhis

words that

—as though

as follows

is

has therefore been said

said to be

not

known

(in

spoken of

self-

Kshetrajwa by the variety in the upadhis of

in

Kshetra

The

everywhere.

feet

" That which

method is

— of

of teaching

devoid of

all

those

who

— which runs

duality

is

describ-

by superimposition and negation, by attribution and denial. Hands, feet and ed by adhyaropa and apavada,"

the

like,

constituting the limbs of

i.e.,

bodies in

all

Energy inherent andas such they are mere marks of

all

derive their activity from the

in the

ablef,

Its

and are spoken of

of as

speech.— All the

* Because

rest

belonging to

Know-

existence

only by a figure

should be similarly interpreted.— It

there must be self-conscious-

ness at the back

It

places,

of their activity.— (A)

t

t. e.,

they ^ct.in virtue of the mere

presence of that Energy.— (A)

— 13

—

MATTER AND

14]

(Brahman) pervading

SPIRIT.

311

whole animal creation,

exists in the world, in the

all.

Brahman

unconditioned.

is

The purpose of this verse is to prevent the supposition the that the Knowable is [really) possessed of the upadhis

—

sense-organs such as hands,

merely superimposed (upon

ing

;

devoid of qualities

the senses,

all

and karma-indriyas,

The

the organs of knowledge and the organs of action. inner senses,

— manas

are

yet enjoying, qualities.

;

the buddhi-indriyas

All the senses:

— which

unattached, yet support-

without the senses,

all

like,

It).

Shining by the functions of

14.

(yet)

and the

feet,

and buddhi,

— which

upadhis of the Knowable, are included

in

alike

form the

the term

*

all

the

Moreover, even hearing and other senses form

senses'.

upadhis only through the upadhi of the anta/f-kara«a, the inner sense. fests Itself

Thus, we should understand that Brahman manithrough the upadhis of external and internal senses

through the functions of

the senses,

all

viz.,

determination,

purposes and thoughts, hearing, speech and the is

to say,

the

functions of

Knowable

Why

The

the senses.

all

" It meditates as

^>-

functions, as

it

were,

it

were, through the

sruti says

It

moves as

:

it

were." (Bn.

4-3-7)-

should

Says the Lord

it :

not It is

mean

that

It

actually functions?

not possessed of any of the senses.

Wherefore,' the Knowable does not actually function the senses are functioning. "

That

like.

Without hands and

And feet

when

as regards the verse,

He

is

swift,

He

grasps

;

— THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

312

He

(5vet. there,

Up.

I.

hears without the ear."

3-19)-

Knowable has

the sruti implies that the

accomodate

to

He

sees without the eye,

XII

[DiS.

senses which

are

upadhis, but not

Its

and such other

possesses swift motion

Ara;iyaka,

(Taitt.

therefore

devoid of the senses,

that

It

The

The

is

the

verse

blind one

Because

11).

i.

all

actually

It

activities.

like the passage "

'''•

should be interpreted

saw the gem."

the varying functions of

to

Itself

power

the

It

is

unattached, devoid

of all attachments.

Brahman, the basic Reality Though is

of

It is so,

based on the '

sat

is

'

'

in all illusory

yet It supports

the Existent

sat,'

Not even the mirage and the like Hence it is said that It supports all.

Brahman, the perceiver is this

existence of the Sattva, Rajas, joyer,

everywhere the idea

for

present.

without a basis.

There

Indeed, everything

all. ;

phenomena.

of the

exist

Qunas.

another gate to a knowledge of the

yet

Though devoid of the gu«as, and Tamas yet the Knowable is the enKnowable

:

—

'

the perceiver, of the gu»as which, assuming

forms of sound and other (objects of

sense),

the

transform

themselves into pleasure, pain and delusion.

Brahman

is

all.

Moreover, 15.

* That

Without and within

is to say,

the arthavada passage

should not be understood in sense

;

it

its

must be so interpreted

literal

as

not

to

(all)

beings

;

the

contradict the main subject

section.

— (A)

unof the

:

MATTER AND

14-15.]

movin;:; as also the

Because subtle, That

moving.

incomprehensible

is

3I3

SPIRIT.

and near and

;

away

far

is

That.

What

Without:

lies

of the skin

and which

own

And

self.

man, lying

'

is

ivithin

is

regarded through ignorance as one's refers to the Inner Self, Pratyagat-

'

body.— The statement that It is may imply Its absence in the middle.

^'^

prevent this implication, the Lord says that

unmoving

inclusive

the

inside

'without and within'

To

body which

outside the

as also the moving.'

It

is

*

the

Brahman, the Knowmoving and unmoving,

It is

able, that appears as the bodies,

just as a rope appears as a snake.

Brahman (Objection)

:

—

is

comprehended only by the wise.

we perceive, the moving and the Knowable, then how is it that Brah-

things

If all

unmoving, were the

man

is

comprehended by everybody, as

not directly

'

This

It is'?

(Anszi'cy): It is subtle

—True, §

''

It

manifests Itself as everything

like the akasa.

;

but

Wherefore, on account of

Its

subtlety. It is incomprehensible to the unenlightened,

though

always known

to the

knowable

in Itself.

It is,

enlightened/as revealed 'All

Up.

this

is

the

however,

in the

Self

following texts

and the

Self alone'

(Bn.

2-4-6.)

Brahman and Brahman alone.' (/i/rf. 2-5-1.) It is far away when unknown for. It is unattainable by the unenlightened even in millions of years. And to the enlightened It is very near, because It is their own Self. 'AH

this is

;

t. e. in the body which intervenes between the Pratyagatman and external

objects, §

Beyond the reach

•f the senses.

40

'

—

:

THE BHAGAVAD-GiTA.

314

Brahman

[DiS. XIII*

the one Self in

is

all.

Moreover,

And

16.

were

undivided, yet remaining divided as

in beings

the Knowable It is

Still,

bodies,

it

in the different bodies,

appears to be different

inasmuch as

Brahman The Knowable of sustenance of

pyalaya,

rise to

{Objection)

where,

is

;

Universe; and

the

If

like the

the different

the period

devours them at

It

It

generates them

the Universe, just as a

an illusory snake. is

the

the Illuminator of

all.

Knowable, though existing everyIt is

— No. — What then

Moreover

all

sthiti,

time of dissolution.

not perceived, then

{Aimvev)

17.

—

in

supports beings during

Brahman

•

one

It is

the Cause of the Universe.

at the time of ntpatti, the origin of

rope gives

That,

manifests Itself only in the bodies.

It

is

at the

i.e.,

is

devouring, yet generating.

;

undivided

akasa.

supporter of beings, too,

;

it

but darkness (Tamas).

?

:

The Light even

That is said to be Kn jwledge, the Knowable, the

bayond darkness. Goal of knowledge,

of lights,

(

It

)

is

implanted in the

heart of every one. That, the Knowable, the sun. *

The

able,

Indeed these

existence of Brahman,

thfc

is

the Light even of lights

latter shine only

Know-

can be recognissd as the Light

il-

luminin};

(buddbiA

such as

when illumined by

the etc.

''

sun, (A.)

etc.,

and

reason

— if)

—

the

lij,4it '

MATTER AND

I*^.]

ot the

SPIRIT.

315

consciousness of the Self.

The Chants

That Light by which illumined the sun shines

say

:

'

(Taitt. Br. 3-12-9.)

'By

Its light all this shines

So says the smHti said to be

It is

also here

'—(Svet. Up. 6-14).

(in

the Bhagavad-gita xv. 12.)

uncontaminated by Tamas, by ajwana, by

nescience.

The Light Now,

is in

the heart of every one.

Brahman)

dejected at the thought of the knowledge (of

ing very difficult of attainment, the

such as humility 12-17

xiii.

when

;

and the same thing,

Lord says:

Know able,

7-11); th e

(xiii.

viz.,

be-

ICnovvledge,

as described in

the Knowable, which,

kiiown, forms the fruit of knowledge and is therefore said

and which as a thing

to be the Goal ofknoidedge,

forms the Knowable able,

who seemed

with a view to cheer up Arjuna

:

to

be

these three (knowledge, the

known Know-

and the Goal of knowledge) are implanted pre-eminentevery living being

ly in the heart (buddhi) of

it is

;

indeed

there that the three are distinctly manifested.

Seek the Light through devotion. Here follows the verse which concludes the subject

just

treated of: 18.

Thus the Kshetra,

as well as

knowledge and

the Knowable, have been briefly set forth. devotee, on

Thus the

'

knowing

this,

is

fitted for

My

M)-

state.

the Kshetra, described above (xiii-5-6), beginning with

Great elements' and ending with

'

firmness;' knoivledge,

comprising the attributes which have been beginning with

'

humility

'

and ending with

enumerated, '

perception of

:

•

THE BHAGAVAD-GlTA.

3l6

knowledge of truth'

the end of the

Knowable, described

[DiS. XIII.

(xiii.

and the

7-11);

have been

in xiii -12-17 ;-^these

set

forth in brief.

Such, indeed,

is

whole doctrine, the doctrine of the

the

Vedas and the doctrine of the Gita, taught (Question)

[Answey)

— Who — He who

who

devoted to Me,

is

knowledge

to attain this right

is fit

:

in brief. ?

Me —

regards

Vasudeva, the Supreme Lord, the Omniscient, the Supreme

— as the Self (Soul,

Guru who is

possessed (as

it

were) with the

sees or hears or touches

Thus devoted

Essence) of everything, idea that

ledge described above,

he

that he

all

nothing but the Lord, Vasudeva.

is

Me, and having attained the

to

i.e.,

he

is fit

to

attain to

right

My

know-

state,

i. e.,

he attains moksha. Prakriti and

Purusha are

eternal.

In the seventh discourse were described two Prakntis, the superior

and the

Kshetrajua; and

was

it

—

said that

may now be

they are the asked,

creatures

(vii. 6).

that the

two Prakntis, Kshetra and

womb

It

of all beings?

ig.

Know

— This question

thou that

are both beginningless all

Kshetra and

corresponding to

inferior,

how can

it

Kshetrajfia,

will

of all

be said are the

now be answered:

Prak^'iti as well as ;

womb

Purusha

and know thou also that

forms and qualities are born of Prakriti.

Praknti and Purusha, Matter and

Spirit, are

the

two

These two, Praknti and Purusha you should know have no beginning. As the Isvara is the eternal Lord, it is but right that His PraPrakntis of the Isvara, the Lord.

—

kntis also should be eternal.

—

The Lordship

of the Isvara

MATTER AND

iS-ig.]

SPIRIT.

317

two Prakntis by which He causes the origin, preservation and dissolution of the universe. The two Prakritis are beginningless, and consists indeed in

His possession

of the

they are therefore the cause of sawsara.

Some

construe the passage so as to

Prakritis are not primeval.

It is

mean

that the

two

by such an interpretation,

they hold, that the causality of the Isvara can be established.

on the other hand, Prakriti and Purusha were eternal,

If, it

would follow that they are the cause of the universe, and

that the Isvara

is

not the creator of the universe.

wrong to say so; for the Isvara would then be no isvara, inasmuch as there would be nothing for Him to rule It is

over prior to the birth of Prakfiti and Purusha. if

Moreover,

sawsara had no cause (other than Isvara), there could be

no cessation

'•

thereof; and thus the sastra

would have no purpose

(the scripture)

Likewise, there could be

to serve.

neither bondage nor salvation, i

Prakriti If,

and Purusha as the Cause

on the other hand, the

eternal, all this can be all

forms,

all

Prak/'itis

explained.— How?

of

samsara.

of the

Isvara be

— Know thou that

emanations (vikaras) from buddhi down to

the physical body, and

all

qualities (gu»as)

such as those

which manifest themselves as pleasure, pain, delusion and other mental

If the /s vara

states to be described hereafter, spring

were the

sole cause of

the universe, quite independently of the

from

sara.— (A) t

Before the birth of the two Prakntis,

two Prakntis, the sawisara would be endless, inasmuch as there is nothing to prevent even the emancipated souls from

there could be no bondage and conse-

being hurled into sa»isara, so long

there could be no cause which would ever

there

is

/svara, as the sole cause of

as

saw

quently no moksha.

were neither

If at

bondage

any time there nor

bring them into existence,— (A).,

moksha,

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

3l8

[DiS. XIII.

Praknti, Mayi\, composed of the three gu«as, that Energy

which constitutes thecause of

of the Isvara

(all)

emanat-

Know thou that they are all modifications of Praknti.* What then are those forms and qualities which are said

ions.

to

be born of Praknti 20.

?

— Says the

As the producer of the

ments t, Praknti

is

Lord effect

:

and the

said to be the cause

Purusha

encing pleasure and pain,

as experi-

;

is

instru-

said to be

the cause. The

effect

(karya)

(kara«as) are the

is

the physical body, and the instruments

thirteen

The

located in the body.

[

five

elements (bhutas) which build up the body, and the five

which

sense-objects

emanations of

are the

mentioned above, are included under the term all

qualities,

are born of

Praknti as ;'

'effect

and

such as pleasure, pain and delusion, which

Prak/'iti,

are included under the term

'

instru-

ments,' since those qualities are seated in the instruments,

the senses.

In the production of the physical body, of the

senses and their sensations, Praknti

generates them

for, it

body and the

all.

is

the cause of sa;«sara.

In the place of 'kara»a' which

read 'kara»a' which means cause.

other

;

is

the effect

* Praknti is that out of which all forms and qualities come into existence

source of

is

thus eternal and

is

the

forms (vikaras) and qualities (gunas), .^tman remains ever changeall

means instrument, some

—-Whatever

is

a modifica-

or emanation (vikara)

and that from which

Since PraAnti

said to be the cause,

Thus, as producing the physical

senses, Praknti

tion of another

is

it

less

emanates

the cause

and without qualities— M)

| or,

(according to another interpre-

tation), the effect ;

is

of that

Five

activity,

and the cause,

organs of sensation,

five of

Manas, Buddhi, and Ahankara.

MATTER AND

19-20]

Praknti

(kirana).

which comprise the same things

effect,

by the terms 'the

may

effect

effect

;

'^'-

were denoted

(that

or emanations

and the seven

praknti and viknti, cause and

Or,

effect,

are here

which are

t

it

at

once

and which are there-

Praknti-Vikritis, are spoken of as the cause.

fore called

In the production of these, the cause

them

cause and the

and the instruments').

be that the sixteen vikdms

spoken of as the

ing

319

source of the

the

is

SPIRIT.

is

Praknti, as generat-

all.

And now

will

how Purusha

be shown

the cause of

is

sawsara. ^Pnnisha,' 'Jiva,' 'Kshetyajna,' 'Bhoktyi (Enjoyer)'J are

all

synonymous terms. Purusha

is

said to be the cause,

as perceiving pleasure, pain, and other objects of experience. (

Objection

)

:

— Why

should

and Purusha be

Prakriti

regarded as the cause of sawsara by

way

of generating

causes and effects and experiencing pleasure and pain {AiiSK'ey

)'.

— How could

Praknti transforming

there be sawsara at

all

without

as causes and effects, as the

itself

?

body

and the senses, as pleasure and pain, and without the conscious Purusha experiencing them ? i When, on the other hand, there

avidya or nescience

is

— of

a conjunction

—

the

in

form of

Purusha, the experiencer, with

Praknti, the opposite, the object of experience, in

*

The

ten sense-organs,

ihe five sense-objects.

+T

..-.

VIZ., .

,

„/-.,. 01 these IS an cessor and successor.

is

•

,

•

J

emanation from us predein

turn the cause of

As producing

Mulapraknti

J .u five £ and the ^ elements. Each ,

r

is

all

t

ly

1^^ u . Aha»ikara, »u Mahat,

TX anmatras or rudimental J.

(A),

Manas and

— (A),

these,

its

the

their cause, their basis.—

The

all

its

three last terms are respective-

intended to show that Purusha here

referred to

Highest

principle, >^ 5

is

not the Paraniatman or the

Self, is is

an

intelligent d

(chetana) \

a conditioned being.

For, the /Itman

who

is

/

— (A)

ever

firee

(nitya-mukta) from sa>;isara, cannot of

Himself be subject

to sa»isara

— (A).

;

[DiS. XIII.

THE BHAGAVAD-GiTA.

32Q

transformations as the body and the senses, as pleasure

and pain, as causes and effects, then only is sawsara possiWherefore it is but right to say that Praknti and ble.

Purusha are the cause of sawsara the one generating the body and the senses, the other experiencing pleasures and ;

pains.

— What, then, the {Answer): — Sawsara

{Objection)

is

:

is

pain

;

and Purusha

this sa;«sara?"

experience of

pleasure and

the sa;;^sarin, as the experiencer of

is

pleasure and pain, f

Kama

Avidya and It

are the cause of rebirths.

has been said that Purusha

What

encing pleasure and pain. pleasure and pain) due to 21.

is

?

the sawsarin as is

this

experi-

(experiencing of

— The Lord says

Purusha,'when seated

in

Praknti, experiences

Attachment to the birth in good and evil

the qualities born of Prak?'iti. qualities

the cause of his

is

wombs. Because Purusha, the experiencer, in avidya or nescience, fies

— that

is

is

to say,

seated in Praknti,

because he identi-

with the body and the senses which

himself

emanations of Praknti,

— he

are

experiences the qualities born

of Praknti, manifesting themselves as pleasure, pain and

delusion

;

he thinks, "

I

am

happy,

I

am

miserable,

I

am

,4tnian be

pleasure or pain, the Self, the experienc-

subject

to

er remains

changes of state, then it is not proper to say that He is ever subject to sa«!sara.—

experience

His sa"!sara, and which makes

(A).

sajHsarin— (A).

*

The

objector

immutable

+

That

is

means:

(avikriya),

to say

:

If

not

while experiencing

quite unchanged.

(bhoga)

which

It

is

this

constitutes

Him

a

A

MATTER AND

20-21.]

deluded,

am

I

SPIRIT.

321

Over and above avidya

wise."

(the cause

His attachment to (/. c, identification of Himself what He experiences, namely, the (jualities of

of birth),

with

)

pain and

pleasure,

The

Purusha's birth. "

As

— delusion, — forms

his desire, so

is

Accordingly

attachment

Lord

the for

says

sruti

:

his will."

is

says

qualities leads

main cause of

the

here

him

Up. 4-4-5.)

{Byi. :

— The

to

experiencer's in

birtlis

good and

wombs.

evil

Or, the second half of the verse

supplying the word for qualities

good and

sawsara,' so as to

Devas and the

are those of

We

are those of lower animals.

— being

which are

The

opposed

(partly)

may

no teaching,

to

good and

Attachment

:

like

evil

;

wombs

also add, as implied

— the

wombs

of

men

(partly) evil.

maybe

sense of the passage

A^•idya,,

mean

wombs.

Good wombs here

be construed, by

the cause of His sa;//sara through births in

is

evil

'

may

explained as follows:

— spoken of as (Purusha's) being 'seated —and Kama or attachment qualities, together

in

for

Prak/'iti,'

constitute the cause of sawsara.'''

Self=knowledge removes the cause

of

This twofold cause has been taught here [i.e.,

in

order that

of bringing

we may

try to

remove

i.e.,

nlxuhma or matrnial

Avidya

beinj,'

the

cause, and

kama

the nimitUi or efficient

t

—

Vdiragya

it).

The means cause are

knowledge and indifference con-

joined with sa//myasa or renunciation

cause.

for avoidance,

about the removal of the (twofold)

Jnana and \'airagya,

*

samsara.

I

as has been clearly

knowledge coupled vvUh

s

UMiyas.i briiiRS

about the cc£S:ition of avid) a

,uul

kauia.-

,V.

leads

to

saj;inyasa

;

and

41

:

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

322

[DiS. XIII.

This knowledge, the knowledge

taught in the Gita-sastra.

of Kshetra and Kshetrajna, has been imparted in the begin-

And

ning of this discourse. xiii.

12,

(xiii.

12)

Now

and by attributing

has also been imparted

eliminating

teach

to

in

elements

foreign

alien properties

Lord proceeds

again the

knowledge

that

both by

seq.,

et.

it

(xiii. i^,et. scq.)

what

directly

is

Spectator and Permitter, Supporter, En-

22.

Great Lord, and also spoken of as the

the

joyer,

Supreme

Self,

Supreme

the Purusha

(is)

in this

body. Spectator (Upadrash^/'i)

When

self not acting.

in

a

sacrificial

ficial

act,

a bystander and a witness,

:

priests

act, there

is

and the

sacrificer are

another,

an expert

Him-

engaged in

sacri-

matters, sitting by their side, not taking part in the

and discerning what

is

good and what

acts of the sacrificer and of the priests

;

bad

is

the

in

just so, not taking

body and the senses, the Self is from them, a near witness of the body and the

part in the activities of the distinct

senses and

all

their acts.

— Or,

it

may

be also explained thus

;

The body, the sense of sight, Manas, Buddhi, and the Self are the seers. Of the-e, the body is the most external seer; and viewed from the body inwards, the Self is the innermost and nearest seer, and beyond Him there is no seer in the Thus, baing the nearest seer. He is spoken of as Upadrashf/'i.' Or, the Self is Upadrash^n because, like the

interior. '

Upadrash/n also

or

the

the sacrificial

rite,

He

watches

all.

He

is

Permitter (Anumantn), expressing approbation

satisfaction

engaged tion

in

in

while

concerning

the acts of

those

who

action.— Or, though Himself not engaged the

body and senses are

active,

He

are

in ac-

seems

MATTER AND

21-23.]

to

be active

in

never stands

that are engaged in

(Bhartn) body,

The

:

the

223

co-operation with them.

He

mere witness,

SPIRIT.

Self

way

the

called

those

of

Supporter

because the

Supporter,

the

Manas and Buddhi

senses,

being their

respective activities.

their is

in

— Or,

— which

aggregate

some one else, viz.^ the Self, and which are, or which convey, mere of the Intelligence are what they are, only as

together to serve the purposes of Intelligent

—

reflections

made by

that Intelligent Self. Enjoyer (Bhoktn)

svarupa',

e.,

i.

in

is

whose inherent nature

gence, just as heat perceived,

by the Self who

because

enjoyer

the

is

their

'

relations,

eternal

is

all

The Self

intelli-

are clearly

fire,

states

(buddhe/i-pratyaya/i), constituted of pleasure, pain

of

mind

and delu-

which, as they come into being, are permeated as

sion,

were by the

The Gnat Lord

intelligent Self.

the

whole universe and independent of

One

as well as the Lord,

all,

is

nitya-chaitanya-

the inherent nature of

mutual

:

:

He

it

As one with is

the Great

The Supreme 5^// (Paramatman) the Self who has been defined as the Spectator, etc., is Supreme, because He is :

superior to

the

all

Avyakta

those th'ngs

— which

— from

the physical

are through

body up to

ignorance mistaken for

Whence He is spoken of as 'Paramatman' Purusha, who transcends also. — Where is He ?

the Inner Self. in the 5ruti

—

the Avyakta, as will be described hereafter in xv. 17, in this

The

is

here

body. Self treated of in

xiii.

2

has been described at length,

and the subject has been concluded. As the Self thus described 23.

He who

to

him who knows

:

thus knows Purusha and Prak7'iti

together with qualities, whatever his conduct, he

—

—

THE BHAGAVAD-GlTA.

324

[DiS. XIII.

not born again.

is

He who knows

Purusha

in the

manner mentioned above,*

who directly perceives Him as his very Self, This I am,' he who knows Prakfiti or Avidya described above i with all its modifications, e., he who knows the Prakriti he

i.e.,

'

i.

as resolved into nothing (abhdva) by vidya or knowledge,

whatever

the prescribed

again

that

;

the death of

may

he

life

is,

lead,

duties

this,

:

acts),

engaged

is

he

in

not born

is

he will not have to put on another body on

stands firm

{Objection)

forbidden

or.

at the

i. e.,

end of the birth

How much

has attained wisdom.

who

whether he

(i. e.,

in the

more

in

which he

so the wise

man

path of duty.

— What acts are neutralised by knowledge

Absence of rebirth subsequent

to the attainment

of

know-

But, inasmuch as

ledge has indeed been taught here.

?

it

is

not right (to suppose) the annihilation, before producing their respective effects, of those acts

those acts which

had been done

may

in the

the

(in

attainment of knowledge or of

the

present birth) before

which were done

be done thereafter, or of those which

many

least three (more) births

past births, there should be at

for

;

it is

not right to suppose the

any more than to suppose the annihilation of the deeds whose fruits are being reaped in the present birth. And we see no distinction between (these ann

hilation of these acts

two groups •

As

ihe

of)

acts

J.

Accordingly, the three clasess of acts

basic Reality underlying

manifestations such as Jiva, /svara,

all

and so on.

t As .

,

,

— A. ,

.,

indefinable

as 1

(anirvachya), as the source of

11

all

-1

effects,

gun J

As

all

tbey must

acts alike result from aj)u!m. all

alike

be neutralised by

by

'^ose which have not

evil.

.

is

no force in

the possible argument that the acts %vhich

can be neutralised

beginningless, ,

knowledge, so that there

^

knowledge are yet

begun

their

not those which have already bc-'

their effects >•

•

by way of generating the

—

— MATTER AND

23.] give rise to

will

together

thiee

give

will

possibility of annihilation

a single birth.

Otherwise, the

of

would become

right to say that

[Answcv) the sruti

:

'

— No,

show

he

is

325

them combining

;

or

what has been done would and the sastra

lead to uncertainty everywhere, injunctions)

SPIRIT.

all of

births

rise to

;

scriptural

(all

Wherefore

useless.

it

not born again.'

(it is

right), as the following

passages of

:

{Mund. Up.

'

His deeds

*

He who knows Brahman, becomes Brahman

self.'

— {Ibid.,

perish.'

delivered

(

2-2-8.) It-

3-2-9).

For him there

'

not

is

is

only delay so long as he

from the present body

).

—

(

is

not

Chhand. Up.

6-14-2).

As

'

the soft WhxQS of the ishika reed are burnt in the

so

fire,

all his

Consumption and

will

reason

actions are burnt.'

of all acts has been taught here also

for,

only those acts

(nescience), from desire

which are the seeds

and

it

And

be taught also hereafter. '=

;

f

(kama) and such other

affections,

can cause future births

of all evil,

66. the all

Lord teaches Arjuna

Dharmas, thus showing

knowledge consumes all actions — A. These seeds of evil, termed klesas are

that

avidya, asmita, riiga, dvesha, and abhinivesa. Only those acts of dharma and adharma which are occasioned by these

klesas can bring about

ence.

37

this also stands to

has also been stated by the Lord here and there in

* In xviii. abandon

t

in iv.

which spring from avidya

the Gita that those actions which

to

[Ibid., 5-24-3).

But as

incarnate

to the acts of a

exist-

wise man,

are accompanied with

seeds have been

their

ledge

;

in so far as

his

fried

those acts are said

in

know,

to exist only

they present themselves to

consciousness,

pratitimatradehah.

Being karmnbhasas, mere semblances of karma, they are not eftective causes and cannot bring about births for

;

a burnt cloth,

instance, cannot serve the purposes

of a cloth

— A.

:

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA

326

egotism and desire of results.

" .

It is

As the

— but not

[DiS. XIII,

other actions

—are

productive

also said elsewhere,

fire-burnt seeds do not

sprout again, so the

body cannot be formed again by wisdom-burnt

affec-

tions." {Objection):

— Granted that knowledge consumes acts done

subsequently to the attainment of knowledge, inasmuch as they are accompanied with knowledge

how

ble to explain

but

;

can consume acts done

it

not possi-

it is

before the attainment of knowledge, and those

in

this

done

life

in the

several past births.

(Answer) '

all

acts'

:

— Do

not say so, because of the qualification

(iv. 37).

(Objection)

:

—

It

may mean

all

those acts only which are

done subsequently to the attainment of knowledge. (Answer)

Now

— No,

for,

their effects

do not perish

present birth

is

no reason

for the

contention that just

as regards the

which have begun

there

limitation.

as the actions

by way of bringing about the

in spite of

knowledge, so also

even those acts which have not yet begun to produce their effects

the

cannot perish, (we say)

former have,

effects.

like

it

— How — For, ?

Just as an arrow once discharged from a not, even after piercing

act

drops

till it

with which e.,

wrong.

an arrow discharged, begun their

aim does

i.

is

provided

at

an

through the aim, cease to

it

down on the exhaustion of the whole force was propelled," so also, though the purpose

its

action

is

11

Jt

checked

arises with

its

by some overpowering obstacle in the way. And Self-knowledge is no such obstacle in the way of the karma which

karma, as the

has brought about the present birth

in full.

even while that

bow

knowledge

;

arises,

for, it

power checked by latter

that

has already begun

to operate. Accordingly, the »;flects of the

pr«rabdha-karma should be worked out

— A,

—

:

MATTER AND

23-24.]

SPIRIT.

327

of the bodily existence has been gained, the effects of actions

which have produced the

body continue

the exhaustion of their inherent energy.

same arrow when not

as the

just

energy which

the cause of

is

its

discharged, can be withdrawn,

bow, so

also, the acts

before

as

till

(On the other hand), with the

yet propelled activity,

i.

when

c,

not

though already fixed

in the

which have not yet begun

their

own seat,''' can be neutralised by the knowledge of truth. Thus it is but right to say that when the body of a wise man perishes he is not born which only abide

effects,

in their

'

agam.

The four paths Now,

there are

to Self-knowledge.

several paths

and

to Self-knowledge,

they are mentioned here as follows

By meditation some behold

24.

by the

self

others

self,

others by

Karma- Yoga.

Meditation

(Dhyana)

the Self in the

by Sankhya-Yoga, and

consists in withdrawing

centration hearing and other senses into the

sound and other sense-objects,

from

Manas

into the Inner Intelligence,

Hence

Inner Intelligence).

(that

crane meditates as

were

it

;

is

*

Sviisraya,

By

s/ibhrisa

the inner sense

ing the

gence.

reflection

A.

then withdrawing

and then contemplating the

it

" the

comparison, it

were" (Chha. Up.

were

7-6-1)

a continuous and unbroken thought like a line

of flowing oil.

I. «.,

Manas away

the earth meditates as

the mountains meditate as

Dhyana

by con-

or

-

meditation the Yogins behold

anta/i

Manas

of Spiritual

-

karaiia,

+

f

the Self,

These Vogins, who are of the highest

contain-

dass of aspirants (uttamadhik.irins) be-

Intelli-

hold the Self, by meditation, to be identical

with the Parauuitman.

— A.

—

A

•

THE BHAGAVAD-GiTA.

238

[DiS. XIII.

the Inner Intelligence, in the self (Buddhi) by the

own

their

intelligence,

Dhyana.

anta/i-kara«a refined by

c, by the

i.

Sankhya consists

in

thinking thus

Rajas and Tamas, are Gu/^as, Atman acts, eternal,

Yoga

and

some f behold Karma is Yoga |, i.e., "'•'

formed

in the service

of action

the witness of their

By Sankhyaself.

that

Karma

is

Lord

or action which

(Isvara).

of speech

—

per-

Such a course

— inasmuch as

behold the Self by this Yoga of

j

action, which, causing purity of the rise to

these, Sattva,

Self in the self by the

of the

Some

'

the

— only by a figure

Yoga.

leads to

it

Yoga

is

is

:

from the Gu«as.'

distinct

by

self,

mind

(sattva), gives

knowledge.

Yet others,

25.

knowing

not

having heard from others

;

thus, worship,

they, too, cross beyond

death, adhering to what they heard.

But there are

'

yet others,

who, not able

to

know

the Self

described above by any one of the several methods already pointed out, learn from others, from acharyas or teachers

who

tell

them " Do thou thus

then engage full

in

worship,

i.

Even they

faith.

sawsara which

is

e.,

rpeditate

upon this"

;

they

they contemplate the idea in

cross

beyond death,

associated with

i. e.,

beyond

death— even they whose

equipment when connnencing to tread the path of moksha consists in what they have heard, i. e., who solely depend upon the authority of other's instructions and are

best

•

knowledge got through As investigation (vichara).

S-inkhya

intellectual

is

leading to Yoga, .,

,-

it is

spoken

of as

Yoga

I

These are the lowest

ants. t

These are

the aspirants of the middl-

ing class (madhyauuidhi)uirins)

— A.

Karma

nimd.— A. -^

itself.— A.

of mind,

leads to Yoga, to the concentration of

S

,

As causing purity

—

class of aspir-

MATTER AND

24-26]

themselves ignorant.

SPIRIT.

How much

more

329 so, then,

those

who

can independently appreciate evidence and discriminate.

Nothing exists outside the

The knowledge isvara

— of

in xiii. 2 lias

moksha.

identity of Kshetrajna with the

of the

with the

individual soul

the

Self.

been spoken of

— For what reason

Lord

the

in xiii. 12 as

so

is it

?

— as

taught

means

to

—The Lord proceeds to

explain the reason.

For,

Whatever being

26.

the moving,

know

thou,

born, the

is

O best of the Bharatas,

to be owing to the union of Kshetra [Ohjectiou):

— Of

what

Kshetrajna meant to be

sort is

this

that

and Kshetrajna.*

union of Kshetra and

The union

?

unmoving or

of Kshetrajna with

Kshetra cannot certainly be a relation through contact (sawyoga) of each other's parts, as between a rope and a vessel, parts.

inasmuch as Kshetrajna

Nor can

it

is,

like the akasa,

without

be of the nature of samavaya or insepar-

able inherence, inasmuch as

it

cannot be admitted that

Kshetra and Kshetrajna are related to each other as cause

and

efll'ect.

{Ansic'er)

:

— The union between

Kshetra and Kshetrajna,

between the object and the subject, which are opposed each other it

in nature, is of

the nature of mutual adhyasa

consists in confounding

them as well as

;

to

/.f .,

their attributes

with each other owing to the absence of a discrimination

between the nature of Kshetra and that of Kshetrajna, *

Everything

is

born of the union of

Kshetra and Kshetrajna

;

there exists no

being whatever apart h-oni

Kshetrajna

who

is

fore

knowledge of

lead to

one with the P.iramatman

;

like thcre-

that unity alone

moksha,— A.

42

can

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

330 the

[DiS. XIII.

union of a rope and a mother-of-pearl respectively

with a snake and silver when they are mistaken the one

owing

the other

union of Kshetra and Kshetrajna which

adhyasa other

—

— which

is

consists

in

— because of

— when

a

man

its

confounding the one with the

and

this illusion

opposition to the right

knowledge

attains

to a

knowledge

;

of

the distinction

between Kshetra and Kshetrajna as defined

when he

the sastra,

in

able to separate Kshetrajna from

is

nature of

of the

is

a sort of illusion (mithyajfulna)

vanishes

The

absence of discrimination.

the

to

for

Kshetra

like

the ishika reed from the munja-grass and to realise that

Brahman, the Knowable, which is devoid of all upadhis as described in the words " It is not said to be existent or non-existent "

(xiii.

12)

is

like

city

and only appears

birth has vanished in

reason that the wise

to

the

in

has been said

ledge

is tlie

It

man

is

(xiii.

23)

not born again

convinced

is

Kshetra

As

like

''

is

non-

the cause of it

(xiii.

stands to

23).

in all.

that the effect of right

cessation of births

know-

through the removal of

which form the seed of

has also been said that the cause of birth

the union of Kshetra and

Therefore, the right

knowledge which alone can remove

though already described,

in other

words as follows

He

sees, *

J.

e.,

is

Kshetrajna caused by avidya.

avidyji,

27.

sky),

the case of such a man,

avidya (nescience) and the sa;wsara.

when he

be existent.

The one Self It

Self,

a thing seen in a dreani, or like a gandharva-

nagara (an imaginary existent

own

and palaces projected by a juggler's

that, like the elephants art, or

his

will

again be described

the

Supreme Lord,

:

who

sees

effects (sa»iskara) ot

avidya

—A.

—

1

MATTER AND

26-27.]

remaining the same

SPIRIT.

33

undying

in all bcinjj^s, the

in

the dying.

The Supreme Lord exists, without any difference, in all living beings, from Brahma down to the unmoving object (sthavara). He is the Lord Supreme as compared with the body, senses, Manas, Buddhi, the Avyakta (the unmanifested,

i. e.,

the causal body, the ktiray/a-sarira, avidya) and the All living beings are perish-

individual soul (x\tman, Jiva).

Supreme Lord

able while the

is

Thus

imperishable.

there

a great disparity between the Supreme Lord and the

is

For,

created beings.

changing states

of all

(bhava-vikaras), the change of state called birth the other changes

all

quent to destruction, since the object Attributes can exist only

when

effects.

Thus

quite unlike

He

in all.

now

may

it

state subse-

does not exist.

Wherecomprehends

the substance exists. state

their

be seen that the Supreme Lord

beings and that

all

the root;

is

the preceding changes as well as

sees (rightly)

who

He

is

is

one and immutable

Supreme Lord

sees the

as

described.

[Objection)

particular

Hence is

:

—-Tlie

whole world sees

why

;

this

one

in

?

[Answey)

eye

all

itself

change of

fore, the denial of the final

the denial of

a being

ending with destruction occur subse-

There can be no change of

quently to birth.

of

:

—True, the world sees; but

the particularisation

affected with timiva

'

he alone

he alone

sees

with reference to him, he specified thus,

'

sees.'

sees

who

A man whose

Similarly here,

erroneously see

;

and

one moon luay be

the one undivided Self as described above

from those

sees erroneously.

more moons than one

who

sees.'

it

many

is

lie

who

sees

distinguished

distinct selfs

—

in

—

:

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

332 the words

'

he alone

[DiS. XIII.

Others, though seeing,

sees.'

who

not see, inasmuch as they see erroneously like those see

do

yet

more moons than one.

Knowledge

To

the one Self leads to moksha.

of

Knowledge described above by way the Lord proceeds as follows

praise the Right

of stating

results

its

:

Because he who sees the Lord, seated the

28.

same everywhere, destroys not the self by the therefore he reaches the Supreme Goal.

self,

He who realises that the Isvara described in the last precedc, he who sees that He dwells ing verse is the same i.

in all creatures alike

— destroys not his

Because he does not destroy the Supreme Goal, he attains moksha.

own

self,

by himself.

self

he reaches the

'•'

— No living being whatever

[Objection)

Where

itself.

then

not the self

destroys

prohibition

"

f

fire

in the sky, not in (Ansii/er)

necessity /

men *

:

the

is

by the

all

evil

is

two

knowledge veils

(

On

destroyed.

destruction of nescience false

(

aj»ana

niithyd-j,.S>^

:

FIFTEENTH DISCOURSE. THE SUPREME SPIRIT. The Tree Because fruits of

5amsara.

)

actions,

and the wise

who

knowledge, therefore those

Me

dependent on

living beings are

all

their

(

of

serve

for the

for the fruit of their

Me

with Bhakti-Yoga

(Devotion of Love) cross beyond the gu»as by

My

Grace,

through the attainment of knowledge, and attain liberation

(moksha)

;

much more

real nature of the

who

so those

rightly understand the

Lord proceeds

\\'herefore the

Self.

in

the present discourse to teach the real nature of the Self,

though unasked by Arjuna. First

he describes the nature of sawsara or mundane

by a

existence to

figurative

representation as a tree* in

produce vairagya or absence of

who

alone

is fit for

free

is

from

all

all

order

For, he

attachment.

attachment, and no other person,

attaining the knowledge of the real nature of the

Lord.

The Blessed Lord 1.

They speak

of the

said

indestructible

Asvattha

and branches below, whose leaves are the metres. He who knows it knows having

its

root above

the Vedas.

As Brahman with Maya lity is

subtle in point of time, as

* Sai/isara

cause S

it

f or the unmanifested potentia-

can

is l)e

represented as a tree becut

Brahman who

is

oft lilce

a tree.— A.

Kii/astha (immutable)

cannot by Himself be Ibe cause.— A,]

:

He This

is

is

the Cause

to

shew

antecedent of

all

He

as

He

how Brahman Brahman

"subtle in point of time." the Cause because

|,

is

is is

the invariable

eflects.— A,

THE BHAGAVAD-GlTA.

2c6

He

eternal, as

is

is

The One above

above.

which

He

great,

XV.

spoken of as the One

the root of this Tree of Sa;»sara,

is

therefore said to have

is

is

[DiS.

its

The

root above.

Sruti

says:

" is

With

above and branches below,

root

In the Pura//a also

said

it is

The root from which

has sprung

Asvattha

(Kai'ha-Up. 3-2-1).

eternal."

"

this

:

the Eternal Tree of Brahman"-^=

the Avyakta, the Unmanifested.

is

has

It

developed by the strength of the same (Avyakta).

trunk

Its hollows, the

Buddhi, the sense-apertures

is

Its

great elements Its boughs, the sense-objects Its leaves

and branches, dharmaand a-dharma

blossoms,

Its fair

pleasure and pain Its fruits affording livelihood to

And

creatures.

Highest

Self),

that Tree of

the Tree

this is the

of

f

and that Highest Self the

is

Brahman

mighty "sword

then attained to the Bliss of the

of

(the

(the essence) of

Having cut asunder and

Brahman.

with

resort

all

knowledge

j

split

and

none comes back

Self,

from there again."

They speak of the illusory sawsara as a tree rooted above. The Mahat, the Ahawkara ( Egoism ), the Tanmatras (the Elemental Essences),

etc.,

*

i.

branches as

it

were, and

;

'

c,

the

over, led,

man.

its

downwards whence the Tree is said to have branches below. They call this tree Asvattha because

these extend its

are

It is

Tree

governed,

occupied,

presided

guided, by Brah-

said to ba eternal because

cannot be cut except by knowledge.

it

—A.

t It is in this Tree of si»jsara that Brahman abides.—This portion is interpreted to mean " Brahman is the resort of this

'

Tree of sawsara verse has

nothing

its

else.

sslf.that,

for, this

;

It is

owing

avidya,

to

Himself in the form of :

infinite

uni-

Brahman and in indeed Brahman Him-

basis in

The knowledge

"

I

this

manifests

univcrse.-A.

am Brahman."-A.

;

THE SUPREME

1-2.]

SPIRIT.

357

same even till tomorrow, because it undergoes destruction every moment. The illusion (Maya) will not abide the

it

time without beginning, they

of sa/«sara having existed in

say that this Tree of sawsara as is

for,

;

it

rests,

known, on a continuous series of births which The without beginning or end and is thus eternal. is

well

Tree (

eternal

is

Sawsara

of

chhandases

are

)

\'a.}us a.nd

leaves

its

called because, like

Rik,

protect

do the Vedas

the tree, so

treating of

Sa;;/sara, as

Tree of Sa;«sara and

its

sara and

its

Vedas

such as

)

to

protect

dharma and

(

merit

)

and a-dharma

He who knows

fruits.

Root as described above

is

the

a knower

Indeed nothing

else,

not

remains to be known beyond this Tree of

iota,

its

— This

are so

they

{^chhad' to cover) the Tree

Teaching-of the \'edas.

Sawsara and scient.

(

;

serve to protect the Tree of

'"'

(demerit), with their causes

even an

were

it

metres

the

leaves,

S-kman

as

The metres

:

Just as the leaves of a tree serve

of Sa;«sara.

of the

thus

further qualified

is

is

Root.

He who knows

It is

therefore omni-

knowledge of the Tree of Saw?-

to extol the

Root.

Now

follows

members

of this

another figurative representation of the

Tree of Sa;«sara.

Below and above are its branches spread, nourished by the gu;?as, sense-objects its buds and below in the world of man stretch forth the 2.

roots ending in action.

From man down him up • The

to

the

unmoving objects below, and from abode of Brahma, the Creator of the Unito

ritualistic sections of the

treat of the path of ascent

Veda

and descent

of the soul

concealing

;

its

they protect defects.

— A.

sa>;isara

by

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

358

[DiS.

XV.

verse, whatever regions are attained as the suitable reward

—

knowledge and action, each varying according to the character of knowledge or of action, they are the spreadthey are nourished ing branches as it were of that Tree and fattened by the gunas of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, of

— ;

which form

material basis (upadana).

their

objects such as

sound are the buds, as

it

The

sense-

were, sprouting

from the branches of the physical and other bodies which The Highest Root of the are the result of actions.

—

Tree of Sawsdra has been mentioned already, and now will be mentioned the secondary roots as it were (of the universe), as leading to acts of

dharma

or

etc.,

These

tions.

below

"•''

which were caused by the

roots

are

spread

this

in

dharma and a-dharma,

fruits of ac-

world

—below the regions of Devas and the

rise to acts of

the

viz.,

feelings of attachment

latent impressions (vasanas) of the

and aversion,

a-dharma:

like

man

of

— and give

these acts springing

up

on the up-springing of those vasanas. Those roots are spread especially in the world of

known

to

all,

man.

It is

while here, as

men concern themselves with

that

is

well-

actionf.

Cut the Tree and seek the Goal.

And 3.

as to the Tree of Sawsara just described, Its

form

end nor

its

is

its

not perceived as such here, neither origin nor

cut asunder this

its

firm-rooted

existence.

Having

Asvattha with

the

strong sword of dispassion,

Then That Goal should be sought

4.

men

these feeUngs of attachment and aversion

T That is man body

are constantly present,— A.

engage

if

i.

c,

in

the linga-sariras

of

in

to

say,

it is

while in the hu-

especially, that

action.— A.

for,

one

is

ut to

— THE SUPREME

2-4.]

SPIRIT.

359

"

whither having gone none return again. that Primeval Purusha

refuge in forth the

As

such

:

I

seek

whence streamed

Ancient Current."

as described above.

ed by nobody here

;

for

much Hke

very

is

it

form as such

Its

is

perceiv-

a dream, a

mirage, a gandharva-nagaya (an imaginary city in the sky)

produced by a juggler's art appears."

has

point.'

indeed,

has therefore no

a beginning

it

this

It

;

existence

Its

no endt.

finality,

nobody knows

:

*

It

dis-

Neither

has proceeded from nature between the

its

i.e.,

appears and

it

—

and the end is perceived by nobody. Dispassion freedom from attachment to children, to wealth, and to the

origin

world.

Strong

:

strengthened by a resolute bent

:

mind

of

towards the Supreme Self and sharpened again and again on the whetstone of the practice of true discrimination. Cut asundey

Then of

:

uprooted the Tree of sa7«sara with

the aspirant should seek

Vish;m beyond that Tree.

this

Goal never return

be sought after in

Him,

Goal

;

/.

?

—

It is

— How

sought after thus

:

is

that Goal to

"

I

seek refuge

c,

He

to be

is

who is spoken of as the sought for by way of seeking refuge

Tree of up as it is by attachment etc., has no beginning and is not liable Co destruction in itself, and that that the

not even possible for one to cut

To remove

this idea, the

it

Lord

says that the Tree of Sawisara described

above,

and know the abode

the Primeval Purusha, "

One may suppose

asunder.

seed.

Those who have reached

to sawsara.

Saiiisara, constantly kept

it is

for

its

though not

perceived

through

for

one

to cut

knowledge.

T

—

it

asunder by means of

.\.

In the absence of knowledge, sa;Hsara

has no end, inasmuch as illusion, vasa-

nas (latent tendencies acquired

in

the

and works give rise to one another, by action and reaction Samsara is firmrooted and one should therefore put forth past)

;

our sense-organs, should be inferred to

a very strong effort to uproot

be as described above from the teachings

sorting to renunciation through practice

of the sastra (scripture).

So

it is

possible

of indiflerence.

— A.

it,

by

re-

THE bhagavad-gIta

360

[Dis.

XV.

Him.— Who is this Purusha — It is that Purusha from whom the emanation of the Tree of illusory Saw^sara streamed

in

?

as illusory sights (maya) issue from out of a

forth, just

juggler.

The Path

What

to the Goal.

sort of persons reach that

Goal

?

— Listen

:

Free from pride and delusion, with the

5.

evil

of attachment conquered, ever dwelling in the Self, their

having

desires

liberated from the

completely turned away,

pairs

known

of opposites

as

pleasure and pain, the undeluded reach that Goal Eternal. Dwelling,

etc.

:

constantly engaged

of the nature of the

Supreme

in the

Theiy

Self.

contemplation

desires,

etc

:

they

become sa/;myasins, all desires having fled without leaving any taint behind. That described above. :

The Goal That Goal

is

the Lord's Glorious Being.

is

again specified thus

That, the sun illumines not, nor the moon,

6.

That is having gone none nor

The

:

fire

;

My Supreme

Abode, to which

return.

sun, though possessed of the

power

of illumining

does not illumine that Abode, the Abode of Light.

Abode

to

which having gone none

return,

all,

That

and which the

sun and other (luminous bodies) do not illumine,

is

the

Highest Abode of Vish/m.

Jiva It

has been said

'to

is

a ray of the Lord.

which having gone none

return.' But,

as everybody knows, going ultimately leads to returning,

5-7.]

THE SUPREME

union to disunion.

How

returning of those

who have

how

may

that

A

7.

be

can

SPIRIT.

be said that there

it

reached that Abode

thus explained

is

361.

?

no

is

— Listen

;

:

ray of Myself, the eternal Jiva in the world

with manas the sixth,

of Jivas, attracts the senses,

abiding in Prakriti.

'An

— of

portion of Myself

integral

Naraya»a,

—

Supreme

the

Self, of

the eternal Jiva (individual soul) in sawsara,

is

manifesting himself in every one as the doer and enjoyer.

He

is

sun reflected

like the

in

the reflected

that very sun. is

the jar

is

;

sun

the reflected

is

and on the removal of water sun returns to the original sun and remains as

but a portion of the real sun

which

water

— Or,

it is

;

like the

by the upadhi

limited

but a portion of the

one with the

latter

(space) in the jar,

akasa

of the infinite

This akasa

jar.

akasa and becomes

on the destruction of the jar which

the cause of limitation

;

then

it

of

returns no more.

Thus

/

"

statement " to which having gone none return

is

the

quite

is

explicable. [Objection)

Self

:

— How can there be a portion of the Supreme

who has no

to destruction [Anstiiey) it is

I

t

If

— Our theory

He

has parts.

He

would be

liable

is

not open to this objection

;

for,

only a portion limited by the upadhi set up by avidya

was established

*

?

on the separation of parts.

a portion a.s

is

it

:

parts

lijs

it

were

an iniagmary portion.

This truth

at length in the thirteenth discourse.

been shewn ther e

matter of fact, Jiva

,

is

tliat,

as a

not a portion of

Paramfttman, that he the

Supreme

Self.

;

is

'•'

identical

— A. 46

witji

vas.

no

of

and accent.

inantras

Gifts

:

with

:

prescribed

fees (to priests).

Physical Austerity.

Now

the three kinds of austerity will be described

Worshipping the

14.

teachers and wise men,

and

ness, continence,

Gods,

the

— purity,

:

twice-born,

straightforward-

from

Jibstinence

injur}-

are

termed the bodily austerity. The body,

bodily austerity i.

e., in

of action,

:

that

which

which the body

— the doer,

etc.,

— of

is

is

accomplished by the

the

chief of

which the Lord

all

will

factors

speak

in xviii. 15.

Austerity in Speech. 15.

and

is

The speech which true, as also

causes

pleasant

also the practice of sacred

and

no

beneficial,

recitation,

form the austerity of speech.

excitement

are

and

said to

— THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

390 Excitcmcni

having respectively to do with 'Speech'

ment

is

attributes

is

invariable combination

which, though causing no pain, three of the other atttributes

and not

beneficial

is

so,

an agreeable speech which

So, the speech which,

speech.

wanting

— The speech that

?

that

is

wanting

is

though

in one,

the auste-

beneficial,

is

— What

is

forms the austerity

true, that causes

no excitement,

agreeable and good, forms the austerity of speech

as for example, "

Be

tranquil,

and practise yoga, and sacred recitation

so,

two, or three of the other attributes cannot

in one,

form the austerity of speech. then

;

in one, two, or

attributes cannot form

two or three of the other rity of

not true, not pleasant

wanting

is

or

cannot form the austerity of

three of the other attributes ;

two

— cannot form the austerity of speech

that speech which, though true,

speech

to others

devoid of one, is

i.e.,

excite-

of all these

That speech addressed

here meant.

:

and the unseen.

seen *

An

and so on.

'

the

by the attributes of causing no

specified

XVII.

Pleasant auJ beneficial

beings.

p.iin to living

:

[DiS.

:

my

will

this

son, study

(the

' ;

Vedas)

do thee good." Practice of

according to ordinances.

Mental Austerity. Serenity of mind, good-heartedness, silence,

i6.

self-control, purity of

nature,

—

this

is

called the

mental austerity. Good-heartedness

from Silence

its :

:

effects,

such as

even silence

control of thought, H-

i. e.

the state of

in

the, brightness

speech

i.

c. in

is

and thus the

the austerity practised specially

in regard to speech,

mind which may be

which speech

necessarily effect is

inferred

of the face, &c.

preceded by a

here put for the

plays the leading part.— A.

— THE THREEFOLD FAITH.

I5-18.]

cause,

the control of thought.

viz.,

(control of the mind.

This

(mauna) which means [concerns speech.

tlie

is

39I

Sclf-conivol

from

to be distinguished

control of thought

Honesty

a general

:

silence

so far as of

purpose

of Austerity according: to

Qunas.

Piwity of

mitiiyc

:

it

in

dealings with other people.

I

The three kinds

The Lord proceeds bodily, vocal

to

show

and mental,

that the foregoing austerity,

— as

practised by men,

and other

into classes according to Sattva

This threefold austerity,

17.

men

vout *

with utmost

gu//as.

practised by de-

no

desiring

faith,

divided

is

fruit,

they call Sattvic. Thi'Ci'fold

— body,

:

having respectively

speech,

and mind.

do with the three seats

to

With faith

believing

:

in the

existence of things (taught in the scriptures.)

That austerity which

practised

with the

object of gaining good reception, honour

and wor-

18.

and with hypocrisyt,

ship,

is

said to be of this t

is

world, to be Rajasic, unstable and uncertain.

Good

reception

:

in

words as

such

ma.na. of great austerities.'

of

making a

Honouy

of a transient effect.

in

minrl

:

With

no

shicere

unaffected

belief,

is

a good brah-

the act of rising to greet,

Wovship

Unstable

:

as

:

the wash-

productive

.

show.

in

success and failure— A. t

Here

reverential salutation, &c.

ing of feet, adoring and feeding.

* Balanced

:

'

;

for

mere

— A.

Yielding

fruit

only hi this

World— A.

— THE bhagavad-gIta.

392

That austerity which

19.

out of a

practised

is

XVII.

[Dis.

foolish notion, with self-torture, or for the purpose

of ruining another,

is

declared to be Tamasic.

The three kinds

Now

the threefold nature of

That

20.

which

gift

a duty to give

— to

is

of Gift.

gift will

given

who

one

be described.

— knowing

it

to be

does no service, in

place and in time, and to a worthy person, gift is

Given

held Sattvic.

to one,

etc

one who cannot return the good, or

to

:

one from

whom, though

return

expected.

is

that

able to return the good,

Place

Kurukshetra &c.

:

no

Time

:

to

such Sa/«-

kranti (passage of the sun from one Zodiacal sign to another), etc.

Worthy

:

as learned in the six sciences (angas) &c.

And

21.

that gift which

is

given

with a view

to a return of the good, or looking for the fruit, or

reluctantly, that gift

With a return

some

view, &=€

the

service,

(novv^)

22.

time,

with

:

hoping that he (the donee) or

will in

time

that the gift will secure for himself

unseen reward.

The to

held to be Rajasic.

is

gift

that

is

given at a wrong place or

unworthy persons, without respect or

insult, that is declared to

be Tamasic.

At a wrong place and time at a placa which is not sacred and which is associated with mlechchhas (Non-aryans), with unholy things and the like, and at a time which is not auspicious i.e., which is not marked with any such speciality :

as the sun's passage

from one zodiacal sign to another.

THE THREEFOLD FAITH.

I19-24.]

iJnwoythy pcisons [without

such as fools or rogues.

:

393 Without

respect

without the washing of

agreeable speech,

without worship, though the

be made

gift

feet,

:

or

proper time

in

[und place.

How The

to perfect the defective acts.

following instructions are given with a view to per-

fecting sacrifices, gifts, austerities, &c.

"

23.

": this has

Om, Tat, Sat

been taught

By

be the triple designation of Brahman*.

were created of oldt

and the

sacrifices.

Taught

in

By

:

that etc.:

the,

that

brahmanas and the Vedas

the Vedanta by the knowers

by the

to

triple designation, etc.

of

Brahman.

This

is

said in

praise of (the triple) designation.

with the utterance of

Therefore,

24.

the acts of sacrifice, in the scriptures,

gift

and

'0;;f,'

are

austerity, as enjoined

always begun by the students of

Brahman]:. Acts of

sacrifice

With

25.

:

'

acts in the form of sacrifice, &c.

Tat,

'

without aiming at the

fruits,

and austerity and the performed by the seekers of

are the acts of sacrifice

various acts

of gift

moksha. With

'

Tat

' :

designation of of gift ir

with the utterance of

Brahman.

The fruits

Tat

',

which

oi sacnhce, &c.

is

a

Acts

gUts oi laud, gold, &c.

\

When

a sacrificial rite or the like

found defective,

it

will

is

be perfected on

the utterance of one of the three designations.

:

'

— A.

+

At the bcf,'inning of creation by the

Prajapati.

+ +

,

— A.

.1 r. ...... Brahman here means 'Veda,'— A. 1

50

—

/ THE BHAGAVAD-GiTA.

394

The use

of

the use of

Om

'

Sat

'

is

'

and of

'

reality

Sat

'

and of goodness

the word

'

Sat

'

'

Now

:

used in the sense of

is

;

XVII.

has been explained.

'

given as follows

The word

26.

Tat

'

[DiS.

and so

O

also,

Partha,

used in the sense of an auspicious

is

act.

In expressing the reality of an object which for

man

expressing that a

employed.

It is

Brahman,

also used with

— as

— and

who

reference to the

in

not

is

word

the

viz.,

unreal

unreal

is

one of good conduct

is

designation of the

so, this is

who

example, the birth of a son

is

Sat,'

'

of

act

marriage and the like*.

Devotion to

£7.

sacrifice, austerity

spoken of as

also

Sat

'

connection with these Sdcrijicc

These

:

;

called

'

is

in

Sat.'

Spoken of

and austerity.

gift

gift

and even action

'

the act of sacrifice.

sacrifice,

:

is

and

:

by the learned.

Or,

'

tadarthiyam

karma may be interpreted to mean action for the sake of the Lord whose triple designation is the subject of treatment here. These acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity, even such of them as are not of the Sattvic class and are '

imperfect,

— turn out

to be

Sattvic

may be further explained thus A born is said to come into when son existence. From the stand-point, how*

It

:

he never

ever, sf the Absolute,

Thus

the

who

is

is

'

Sat

applicable

properly

alone

word

real,

is

unreal or

meaning

'

to

the

'real'

Brahman who

applied also to a son is

only relatively real.

word Sat,' app:icableto Brahman who is

Similarly,

exists.

'

properly absolutely

Good

and perfect ones, and

lipplied to a

good or

is

which

act

absolutely

man whose

Auspicious,

conduct

is

is

not

only relatively good, or to an is

not auspicious or which

only relatively auspicious. to

on

illustrate

how

to

This

is

imperfectly

is

only per-

and austerity the designation of Brahman may be applied— as enjoined here— with a view

formed acts of

to

make them

sacrifice, gift

perfect.

THE THREEFOLD

25-28.]

applying to them with

FAITH.

the

faith

395 of

designation

triple

Brahman.

Works without Because

all

become

these acts

perfect

when done

in

full

therefore,

faith,

Whatever

28,

called

'

practised, without

is

O

asat,'

and

sacrificed, given, or done,

is

whatever austerity is

faith are fruitless.

Partha

it

naught here or

is

it

;

faith,

hereafter.

Given

^sat

obeisance,

which

I

:

by the wise

;

may

trouble,

nor can

The teaching [

up

;

The

Deed

as they are

(the Isvara)

much

costing

brahma«as.

to the

:

quite

produce any

who,

endued with

to the nature of their

nauf^ht

as

it is

summed

may be

by

though

:

despised

thus

up.

summed

though ignorant of the

faith,

may

faith,

is

path

the

effect hereafter.

of the discourse

devotees,

scriptures, are yet

It

of no use here

teaching of this discourse

— There are

outside

be reached.

it is it

such as adoration and

:

and who,

according

be classed as Sattvic,

These should cultivate pure Sattva by avoiding Rajasic and Tamasic kinds of food, worship, gift and austerity, and resorting exclusively to Sattvic ones. Rajasic, or Tamasic.

When

and austerity are found

their acts of worship, gift,

defective,

they

designations of

may

be perfected by uttering the three

Brahman,

'

Om,

'

'

Tat,

'

and

'

their reason (buddhi) thus purified, they should

the study of scriptures

and

^A.

]

'

With

engage

in

subsequent stages of

Brahman. Thereby they Truth and are finally liberated.

investigation into the nature attain a direct perception of

in the

Sat.

of

EIGHTEENTH DISCOURSE. CONCLUSION.

*

In

way

Samnyasa

the of

and

'

'

Tyaga distinguished. '

present discourse the

summing

Lord proceeds

by

to teach,

whole of the Gita-

up, the doctrine of the

Sastra, as also the whole of the Vedic Doctrine. Verily, the

whole of the doctrine taught to be found in

only the distinction in

and

iydga\

preceding discourses

Arjuna,

this discourse.

know '

in the

I.

know

Of

sa/;inyasa

'

the truth,

severally,

O

O

'

O

however, asks to

meaning between

Arjuna said

is

samnyasa'

'

:

Mighty-armed,

I

desire to

Hrishikesa, as also of

'

tyaga',

Slayer of Kesin.

Samnydsa: the connotation of the term the connotation of the

term Hydga".

'

saiiiiiydsa.'

Severally

Kesin was an Asura

guished from each other.

Lord, the son of Vasudeva, slew, and the Lord

as

:

Tydga

distin-

whom is

:

the

therefore

addressed as 'Kesi-nishudana,' the Slayer of Kesin.

The words and there

'

sa;/myasa

in the

'

and

'

tyaga

'

preceding discourses,

have been used here their

connotations,

Wherefore, with

however, not being clearly distinguished.

a view to determining them, the Lord addresses Arjuna, who desired to know of them, as follows :

— CONCLUSION.

1-2.]

The Blessed Lord Sages understand

J.

'

397 said

sa;»nyasa

:

to be the

'

re-

nouncement of interested works the abandonment of the fruits of all works, the learned declare, ;

is

A

'

tyaga

'.

abandonment works (such as the Asvamedha, Horse-

few sages understand by

of kdmya-karmani, of sacrifice

acccompanied

)

learned declare that

'

saw/nyasa

'

'

the

with a desire for

tyaga

'

means abandonment

naimittiha,

works that are performed, ordinary and extra-ordinary duties,

fruits that

may

fruits of

the

all

of interested

of fruits (of works)

tyaga

'

is in

'

general idea

is

cloth

works and the abandon-

being intended

to

be ovpressed

concerned, namely, ahmidonment

— The

:

and extra-ordinary

of

?

It

that the

is it

like

is

woman's

'

sawnyasa as

the

They

are

jar

and

far

.

meaning as the words

'

'

'

nitya

and

naimittiha

ordinary

produce no

fruits.

their fruits is here

spoken

duties, are said to

abandoning of

works,

speaking of the abandoning of a barren

son.

[Amii'er)

:

— No such objection may be raised here,

in the opinion of the Lord, oidinary and occasional

To

of the

e.,

'*.

(Objection)

How

/.

any way one and the same so

not quite so distinct in '

and

accrue to the performer.

(by the two words), the meaning of the words

and

the

of

uitya

—

The abandonment ment

The

fruits.

explain the two words as meaning

two altogether

distinct things

in contravention to the

would be

accepted usage.

since,

duties

As explained here, the two words convey the same general idea with some distinction.^A.

THE BHAGAVAD-GiTA.

3g8

produce their own where,

(those alone

show

will

who have renounced

all

in

also that those

have to reap the are

bound

fruits of the

who

are not

ordinary

to perform.

xviii.

12,

alone

desire for the fruits of

works) have no connection whatever with those

Lord teaches

XVIII.

sawmyasins

teaching that

while

indeed,

He

as

fruits,

[DiS.

the

fruits,

sa;«nytisins

will

works which they

^

Should the ignorant perform works or not?

That action should be abandoned

3.

some philosophers declare

;

as an evil,

while others

(declare)

that acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity should not

be given up.

Some khyas,

an

etc.,

:

declare that

even by those

evil,

evil

philosophers, following the

may

this

all

who

doctrine

action should be are

fit

for

bondage

;

be interpreted to mean either that

or that

it

should be given

up as As an

given

Karma- Yoga.

should be given up as involving evil since

up

it is

like

San-

of the

all

Karma

the cause

passion

of

and

With regard to the same class those who are fit for Karma- Yoga), others

other such evil tendencies. of persons

{viz.,

say that the acts of

sacrifice, gift

and austerity ought not

to be abandoned. It is

here

;

the

and

Karma- Yogins it is

that form the subject of discussion

with reference to them that these divergent

views are held, but not with reference to the jfiana-nish^has (wisdom-devotees), the sa;;myasins who have risen (above all

worldly concerns).

above the path of connection.

Those persons who have been

Karma

in

iii.

3 are

raised

not spoken of in

this

— CONCLUSION.

2-3]

(Objection)

:

— Just as the persons

399

who

for

qualified

are

—

works form the subject of discussion here in the section where the whole doctrine of the sastra is summed up, though their path has already been specified

in

iii.

so

3,

wisdom, may also form

also the Sankhyas, the devotees of

the subject of discussion here, (Ausicey)

:

— No, because of the

inconceivability of their

abandoning of duty from delusion or on account of pain.

(To explain)

The Sankhyas (men

:

of

knowledge) perceive

in

the Self no pain whatever arising from bodily trouble, since

be the attributes of Kshetra

desire, pain, &c., are said to

Wherefore they do not abandon action

or matter.

of bodily trouble in the Self.

then

If

and pain.

Neither do they perceive action

they could ever perceive action in the

would be possible

it

obligatory works from

think

do nothing

I

In

delusion.

know the

at

truth renounce

&c. Therefore

it is

all

they abandon

fact,

'

(v. 8).

How

gu^^as

to

in

works has been described

whose case the supposition

possible,

—

Rajasic

relinquishers

defining the

anything,

trouble

of bodily

fear

(tyagins)

in

order

not

know

the

all

man who

is

And

Self.

— by

is silent,

steady-minded,

"

the

by the followthe

has transcended gu«as

undertakings... who

homeless,

praise

to

fruits of action resorted to

works who do

" renouncing

qualified for

of the abandon-

sawnyasin proper has been distinguished

when

v, 13,

only these that are censured as Tamasic and

abandoning of the ers of

in

only the other class of persons v/ho are

ing of duty from delusion or for it is

and

men who

those

ignorant of the true nature of the Self and are

works, and

Self,

imagine their abandoning of

to

works because they see that action pertains '

for fear

the

Lord,

— as

one

content with (xii.

i6

—

18).

THE bhagavad-gIta.

400

And

XVIII.

[Dis.

Lord will hereafter describe (his devotion) as " that supreme consummation of knowledge " (xviii. 50), Thus,

it is

the

who

not the sa;/myasins,

that are referred to here. fruits

of

works

are the devotees

only the abandoning of the

It is

by reason

that,

spoken of as sawnyasa

of its being

renunciation of

all

action

the sawnyasa proper that

(Answey)

:

— No,

Tamasic

is

is

works.

all

an impossibility,

spoken of

why

reason

the

states

11

xviii.

is

but not the sawnyasa

;

proper, that pre-eminent renunciation of

— Since

Sattvic,

in contradistinction to the

and Rajasic (abandoning of works)

[Objection):

wisdom,

of

only

is

it

in this connection.

because the passage referred to as a

statement of the reason

is

only intended to

praise

(some-

thing else enjoined). Just as the passage " on abandonment

peace closely follows "

donment

(xii,

of the fruits of works,

Arjuna who

is

ignorant

of

only a praise of the aban-

12) is

the

since

it

addressed to

is

and who could not

Self

therefore follow the several paths previously

spoken

of,

so

also, the

passage here referred to goes to praise the aban-

donment

of the fruits of action.

not possible for any

It is

one to point out an exception to the proposition " Re-

nouncing

all

and

actions by thought,

embodied one

self-

controlled,

the

rests happily in the nine-gated city, neither

" (v. at all acting nor causing to act.

Wherefore these alternative views regarding sawnyasa and tyaga concern On the those persons only for whom works are intended. other hand, the Sankhyas, Reality,

have only

to

those

follow

13).

who

the

see

the

path of

Supreme

knowledge,

accompanied with the renunciation of all works and they have nothing else to do, and do not therefore form the ;

subject of the alternative views set forth

here.

And

so

we

'

CONCLUSIOK.

y^.]

while commenting

established this proposition

and

at the

commencement

The Lord's decree

401

on

21

ii.

of the third discourse.

that the ignorant should

is

perform works.

Now,

as to these divergent views,

Me

Learn from

4.

O

donment, verily,

O

about this aban-

the truth

best of the Bharatas

;

abandonment,

men, has been declared to be

best of

of

three kinds.

Do

thou learn from

My

words the truth as

abandonment and renunciation

alternatives of

Abandommnt (tyaga) here, implying that

to

the

referred

to.

Lord has used this single word the meaning of tyaga and sawnyasa :

the

'

'

one and the same. Of Because in the sastras. is

three kinds it is

:

'

Tamasic, &c. Declared

know

hard to

the

:

that

fact

abandonment denoted by the sawnyasa is possible in the case of

the threefold (Tamasic, &c.)

words

tyaga

'

'

and

'

'

him alone who does not know the Self and for whom works are intended, not in the case of him who sees the Supreme

—

Reality,

— therefore no one,

other than

Myself,

teach the real truth about the subject.

from

Me

what

My — the

Lord's

— decree

is

able to

Wherefore, is

learn

as to the real

teaching of the sastra.

What

is

the decree then

?

— The Lord says

Practice of worship,

5.

should not be given up worship,

gift

;

gift, it is

and

quite

and austerity are the

:

austerity

necessary

;

purifiers of the

wise.

The

three sorts of action should be

performed;

for,

51

they

THE BHAGAVAD-GiTA.

|0:2

cause purity in the wise,

/.

XVIII.

[DiS.

who have no

c, in those

desire

for fruits.

The obligatory works should be performed without attachment.

But even those actions should be performed, this, O setting aside attachment and the fruits 6.

;

son of Pritha, Those actions,

My

is

c\:c

:

lirm

and highest

belief.

the acts of worship, gift and austerity,

which have been said

to be purifiers, should be

setting aside attachment

for

performed,

them and abandoning

their

fruits.

A

proposition was started in the words,

the truth about this

'

(xviii. 4)

been stated that worship,

;

'

Me

Learn from

and as a reason

etc., are the purifiers

for ;

it,

has

it

so that the

Words " even those actions should be performed this is My firm and highest belief" form a mere conclusion of the proposition started in xviii. 4. "Even those actions for, should be performed " cannot be a fresh proposition ;

it

is

better

construe the passage as

to

immediate subject

of the present section.

related

The word "even"

implies that these actions should be performed of liberation,

the

to

by a seeker

though they form the cause of bondage

the case of one wl'o has an attachment for the

a desire for their

fruits.

The words even '

certainly refer to actions other

(than the

actions

those'

acts

in

and

cannot

of worship,

etc).

But others explain no

fruits,

it is

:

Since obligatory (nitya) actions bear

not right to speak of " setting

ment and the

fruits."

actions " etc.,

the

aside attach-

Therefore in the words " even those

Lord teaches

that

even those works

CONCLUSION.

5-8.]

which are intended

403

to secure objects

of desire

—

c, even

/.

h'lmya or interested works, as opposed to nitya or obligatory

works

— should be

performed

how much more

;

then the

obligatory acts of worship, gift and austerity.

wrong

It is

to say so

;

for,

has been declared here that

it

even obligatory actions are productive of

words " worship, wise "

(xviii. 5).

and austerity are the

gift

To a

seeker of liberation

purifiers

who would

the

in

fruits,

of the

give up

even the obligatory works, looking upon th.em as the cause of bondage,

works

?

"

where

Even

an occasion to engage

is

actions "

these

in

interested

cannot refer to interested

(kamya) works, inasmuch as these have been despised as constituting an inferior path to be the cause of

are too far

bondage

(ii.

(iii.

49) and decisively declared 9,

ii.

removed from the present

ix.

45,

20,

21),

and

section.

Tamasic and Rajasic renunciations of works. Therefore for a seeker of liberation who is ignorant and is

bound

(therefore)

abandonment of an obligatory not proper the abandonment thereof from

Verily, the

7.

duty

perform works,

to

is

;

ignorance Not proper

is :

declared to be Tamasic.

since

it

is

admitted to be a purifier

To

case of an ignorant man.

and then

abandon

hold that a duty

is

the

in

obligatory

involves

a

self-contradiction.

Therefore, this sort of abandonment

is

due to ignorance

and

is

to

said

to

it

be Tamasic,

inasmuch as ignorance

Tamas. Moreover, 8. is

Whatever

painful,

act one

may abanion because

it

from fear of bodily trouble, he practises

is

:

:

THE bhagavad-gIta.

404

XVIII. no

obtain

shall

whatever of abandonment.

fruit

He

and he

abandonment,

Rajasic

[Dis.

does not obtain

renunciation of

moksha, which

then

the

is

fruit

of the

actions accompanied with wisdom.

all

Renunciation

What

the

is

works

in

StUtvic

is

Sattvic.

abandonment

?

— The

Lord

says

Whatever obligatory work

9.

merely because

it

deemed

(nitya)

These words

works produce

Or thus the

:

:

works are not declared

of

warding

non-performance.

in

the

performed,

do

doer in the form of self-regenera-

fruits for the

by way

when

works,

obligatory

the

produce their

the

Lord form, as we

fruits.

of obligatory

Scripture,

by

of the

— An ignorant man may even suppose that, though

fruits

tion, or

abandoning

which declares that obligatory

authority

the

said,

Arjuna,

abandonment

that

fruit,

O

to be Sattvic.

Abaiidoniiif^ etc.

have

done,

ought to be done,

attachment and also the is

is

But even

off

pratyavaya or the

this supposition

words " abandoning

fruits. "

the

is

of

sin

prevented

Hence

the

appropriateness of the words " abandoning attachment and the

fruits.

"

attachment

That abandonment

and of the

for,

{Objection)

referred to as

— '

It is

:

'

abandoning of

fruits of, obligatory

the ^threefold

sawnyasa

the

(xviii.

7)

works.

abandonment

— that

all

of works

—

forms the subject

Out of the three, the Rajasic and Tamasic (sorts of abandonment of works) have been treated of. How is it that the abandonment of attachof the present section (xviii. 4, &c.).

CONCLUSION.

S-IO.]

405

works is spoken of as the third? something Hke saying, " Three brahma^as have come

merit and of the It is

of

//'/u7s

;

two of them are

proficient

auxiHary sciences, and the third {Ans7iri')

:

of

works,

i. e.,

;

for,

abandonment

(the

praise

is to

the

of the

as

works and the abandonment far

a Kshatriya

six

compared with the abandonment of by comparing the two abandonments), both abandonments. In fact the abandonment of

works,

being alike

in so

is

or "

— No such objection can be raised here

object of this section fruits

sha^angas

in

the

as

of desire for the fruits

they alike imply abandonment.

by despising the two

Accordingly,

abandonment

sorts of the

do agree

of worhs,

as

and Tamasic abandonments, the abandonment of for the fniits of the works is praised as being the

Riljasic desire

Sattvic

abandonment

deemed

to be Sattvic'

the words

in

From renunciation

of all

When

the

man who

is

works

in

'

that

abandonment

is

to renunciation

works.

qualified for

(Karma- Yoga) per-

forms obligatory works without attachment and without a longing for results, his inner sense (anta/;-kara«a), unsoiled

by desire of

)

for

results

obligatory

and regenerated by

works,

becomes pure.

tranquil, the inner sense is

Now,

with a view to teach

for

fit

how

(the performance

When

pure and

contemplation of the Self.

the

man whose

inner sense

has been purified by the performance of obligatory works

and who

is

prepared to acquire the Self-knowledge,

may

gradually attain to jn4na-nish/ha or devotion in knowledge, the Lord proceeds as follows

:

THE BHAGAVAD-GtTA.

406

He

10.

to a

hates not evil action, nor

good one,

— he who

XVIII.

[DiS.

he attached

is

has abandoned, pervaded

by Sattva and possessed of wisdom, his doubts cut asunder. Evil action

Kamya-karma,

the

:

the

interested

action,

which becomes the cause of sawsara by producing a body.

He

does not hate

it?" Goorf

07it:

no attachment

moksha by ?

He

nitya-karma, obligatory action. for

it

by way

of thinking that

to devotion in knowledge.

— Of him who has

and who,

what

purifying the heart and thereby

knowledge and said

" of

action, thinking

evil

having

desire

for

karma).

— When

leads to

it

conducing to

abandoned attachment and

not attached to a good one

?

evil action

action

to

— When he

(

When

?

is

this

desire,

performs obligatory works

does he hate no

is

cherishes

— Of whom

abandoned attachment

fruit,

its

avail

and

nityais

he

permeated with

is

Sattva, which causes a discriminative knowledge of the Self

and the not-Self. As he gifted with

is

wisdom, with knowledge of

possessed of wisdom,

asunder by of the Self Bliss,

tlie is

is

his

alone the is

Self.

As he becomes

doubt caused by avidya abide

conviction that to

and that there

That

permeated with Sattva, he becomes

means

of

in the true

nature

the Highest

attaining

no other means.

when a man who is qualified (for KarmaKarma- Yoga in the manner described above

v and thereby becomes gradually refined kara^a), then he

knows himself

to

in

the

be that

self

he renounces

all

action in thought

out acting or causing to act

;

;

(anta/j-

who, as

Self

devoid of birth or any other change of condition, ;

cut

to say,

Yoga) practises

able

is

is

immut-

he remains with-

he attains devotion

in

wisdom,

:

CONCLUSION.

lO-II.]

i.

407 Thus, the purpose of

c, he attains freedom from action.

the

Karma- Yoga described above has been taught

in this

verse.

Renunciation of fruits

is

alone possible for the

ignorant.

For the unenHghtened man, on the other hand, who U-^ wears a body by way of identifying himself with it, who, not yet disabused of the notion that the Self action, firmly believes that he

who

is

works

the agent of

is

himself the agent,

is

— for him

thus qualified for Karma- Yoga, abandonment of is

all

impossible, so that his duty lies only in perform-

abandoning

ing prescribed works by

abandoning

To impress

works.

those

their

fruits,

— not

point,

this

in

the

Lord proceeds thus II.

Verily,

not

it is

being to abandon

abandons the

embodied

possible for an

actions

completely

fruits of actions

is

;

-

he who

verily said

to

be

an abandoner.

An

embodied being: a body-wearer,

himself with

the body.

called a body-wearer, for

that such a

man

ignorant ignorant

it

e.,

he

who

has been pointed out

meaning

is

identifies

of discrimination

does not concern himself

So, the

their agent.

No man

i.

it is

:

(in

can be

(ii.21, etc.)

actions) as

not possible for an

man to abandon actions completely. When an man who is qualified for action performs obligatory

works, abandoning merely the desire for the fruits of his actions, he

is

said to be an

a performer of works. applied to

him

abandonment

for

abandoner (tyagin) though he

This

— the

courtesy's

title

sake.

of all actions is possible for

" abandoner,"

Accordingly,

—

is is

the

him alone who,

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

408

[DiS.

Supreme Reality, is not a does not regard the body as the Self.

realising the

Effects of the

Now, what abandonment

and mixed,

which

benefit

of all actions

The

12.

body-wearer,'

'

two renunciations

the

is

threefold

—accrues

i. e.,

after death.

from

accrues

— The Lord says of action, —

?

XVIII

fruit

the

:

good,

evil,

death to non-abandoners,

after

but never to abandoners. Fruit

:

factors.

brought forth by the operation of various external a doing of avidya

It is

by a juggler's in the

thing

'

etc.

by

;

implies

fruit,

Evil

Good

:

glamour cast

like the

very etymology,

something

some-

Dharma and A-

:

such as hell (naraka), the animal kingdom,

in

one

;

to

the

followers

abandoners (sawnyasins) not to the real sawnyasins,

Mixed

the humanity.

accrue after death to

unenlightened,

word

the

vanishes,

that

(karma)

such as the Devas.

mixed together of fruits

:

its

Action

unsubstantial.

dharma.

it is

artj'very delusive, inhering, to all appearance,

Innermost Self

'phala,

;

Good and

:

These three

evil

sorts

non-abandoners,

to

the

Karma-yoga,

to

the

of

strictly so called

engaged exclusively

''

but

in the

never

path of

knowledge(jfiana-nish^ha) and belonging to the highest order of sawnyasins,

the

Paramahawsa-Parivrajakas.

exclusive devotion to Right

Indeed,

Knowledge cannot but destory

avidya and other seeds of sawsara. Accordingly, a complete abandonment

* That is to say, those who perforin works Without desire for their fruits

will

of

all

necessarily reap,

fruits of their respective

works

after death,

actions— A.

is

the

:

CONCLUSION.

12-14.]

409

him alone who has attained to Right Knowinasmuch as he sees that action and its accessories

possible for ledge,

and

unenlightened

for the

body,

man

identifying

which constitute

etc.,

sories,

by

results are all ascribed to the Self

its

;

but,

himself with

the

avidyd,

agent and acces-

action, its

complete abandonment of action

not

is

This truth, the Lord proceeds to teach

possible.

the following

in

verses

Factors in the production of an act.

These

13.

live

the accomplishment

factors in

O

of all action, know thou from Me, as taught

in the

Sankhya which

mighty-armed, is

the end of

action. These

which are going

:

exhortation

is

to

Lea/n

be mentioned.

:

this

intended to secure steady attention on

the

what follows, as well as to indicate the difference (in the view which is going to be presented) as to the nature of those things. In the words "taught in the Sankhya," the Lord praises them, as they are things that part of the hearer to

ought to be known. Sankhya in

which

ed.

all

It is

action,

The when

:

the Vedanta (the Upanishads)

the things that have to be

that

v'erses

which puts ii.

46.

and

iv.

an

end to

33 teach

which imparts Self-knowledge,

The

seat

is

'

all

are expound",

the end of

action

(karma).

that all action ceases

the knowledge of the Self arises

14.

known

qualified by the epithet " knta-anta

;

so that the Vedanta,

the end of action.'

and actor and the various organs,

and the several functions of various Divinity also, the

fifth

among

these

sorts,

and the

;

52

—

:

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

410

body which is the seat of desire, hatred, happiness, misery, knowledge and the like i. e., the seat of Adov: the enjoyer, partaking of the their manifestation. character of the upadhi with which it may be associated. The various organs such as the sense of hearing, by which to The

V

XVIII.

[DiS.

seat

the

:

;

:

Functions

&c.

sound,

perceiv^e

:

as outbreathing and inbreathing. in

number.

Divinity

Of

such

air (vayu),

of the

various sorts

:

twelve

such as the Aditya and other Gods

:

by whose aid the eye and other organs discharge

their

functions.

Whatever action a man does by the body, speech and mind, right or the opposite, these five 15.

are

Right opposite

causes.

its :

:

not opposed to dharma, taught in the sastra.

what

Even those

is

opposed

actions,

dharma and opposed

to

— the act

which are the necessary conditions of the expression "the right or

life

to sastra.

and the

of twinkling

are

The

like,

denoted by they are

the opposite", since

but the effects of the past dharma and a-dharma.

Its causes

:

the causes of every action, {Objection)

— The body,

factors in every action. in actions) in the

Why

(xviii.

14),

are necessary

do you speak of

(a distinction

words " whatever action a man does by

the body, speech or mind

{Answer):

etc.

" ?

— This objection cannot be

urged against us.

In the performance of every action, whether enjoined forbidden, one of the three

— body,

more prominent share than the and other

activities,

rest,

speech or

or

mind— has

a

while seeing, hearing,

which form mere concomitants of

are subordinate to the activity of that one.

All

life,

actions

\

CONCLUSION.

14-1^5]

411

are thus classed into three groups and are spoken of as per-

Even

formed by body, or speech, or mind. of fruition, the fruit of an

instrumentaHty of body, iieing

action

of the assertion that all the (xviii.

one of them

speech and mind,

more prominent than the

Hence no gainsaying

rest.

are the causes

five

time

through the

enjoyed

is

the

at

of action

14).

The agency

of the Self is

Now, such being

16.

an

illusion.

on the pure

as untrained in understanding, looks

man

Self as the agent, that

he who,

the case, verily,

of perverted

intelli-

gence sees not. Nozv

we

with reference to what

:

being the case

:

are speaking

Such

of.

every action being accomplished by the five

Now

causes described above.

reason v/hy the person here referred to of perverted intelligence.

this

case: is

said to be a

The unenlightened Self with

of his ignorance, identifies the

shows the

man

one, in virtue

the five causes

and looks upon the pure Self as the agent of the action, which is really accomplished by those five causes. Why does he regard them so

has not been trained

?

— For,

in the

—

his understanding

(buddhi)

Vedanta, has not been trained by

a master's teaching, has not been trained in the principles of reasoning.

Even he who, while maintaining

of the disembodied Self, looks

agent,

is

a

man

upon the pure Self as the

of untrained understanding

therefore see the truth about the therefore a

man

of perverted

takes a

wrong

to birth

and death.

direction,

is

Though

the existence

Self

and

intelligence,

vicious,

he does not

;

action.

— his

He

is

intelligence

continually leading

seeing, yet

he does not see

THE diiagavad-gItA.

412

XVI II.

[Dis.

man whuse //wrm-.idected eye sees many one who regards that the moon moves when

(the truth), like a

moons, or

like

the clouds arc in motion, or like a m.an who,

when

vehicle, regards himself as running

seated the

is

it

in

a

others

(the l»earcrs) that run. I

I^cflllsntlon of

the non n^cncy of the Self leads to

ahHoUition from

Who

then

answer follows

that

rightly

sees

?

— Thf

:

He who

17.

man

the wise

is

work*.

tfie effects of nil

whose mind

is

not tainted,

creatures, he kills not, he

He whose mind

from

free

is

egotistic notion,

— though he

these

kills

not l)f)und.

is

has been well trained

the

in

scriptures,

well-trained by a master's instructions, and well-trained

the soimd principles of reasoning, notion

that

am

'I

the

avidyA

— that arc the causes of

Supreme " )le

ble.

of

(Mnm/.

wise;

is

Up.

'

without

1.

I

2-1-2).

shall

commits no

I

am

go

(Ohjfctwn): praise,

—

I'vven

which

he

kill

is

pure and immuta-

naraka kills

is

an

upft.dhi

"

:

(hell)." all is

these

I

have

He

is

living

he bound by

effect of that act.

supposing that this

the statement

creatures, he does not

to

the

without

breath,

act of killing, nor

a-dharma as an

It is

am

I

Indestructible

the

he sees rightly; though

the fruit of

thus:

not tainted, does not repent thus

this; thereby

creatures, he

mere

than

action, not

all

am

I

thinks

whose antaA-kara/za fbuddhi), which

the Self,

done

actions,

higher

pure,

Sec.,

from the egotistic

ascribed to the Self through

five— the body,

mind,

He

agent.'

these

witness of their

is free

in

that

is

intended

" though he kills

all

as

a

these

" involves a self-contradiction.

'f'*»7.1

CONCLUJSION.

4»}

I

thinking

'

«uu the kiU^n

I

physkivl Knly, \v.. I

fiotit

tUo

quUtf

Knly,

uuplU^lby

)

—

;

ihunut»(>lf

v>t'

tl>p

th«? |HUt>

SpU

Knly,

Hut

•

|)urt»

jtimply

'

iuu«uitility i|

siuMti.

mul

it>tV>ri»

i't

iu*i

Iu

owr

uuelmu»ifUi"

(ii,

th

^5)

;

Imc*

w

jmtuiul to

**

Sollf

iu

tu

couj^.>u»«hI

mul Ho

httt!!»ovt»t\

rtuothpt.

tW thp

rhu!y th(c> yruti,

i«!!»tt\«ct», it *'

swuvls,

wum^ht

Ht\>

u>

ihj cv.>ujuuctio« ot

th«>

itJMpH,

tietiouH

thp

!