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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
!