The Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 3 : The Yoga of Action

अथ तृतीयो‌உध्यायः ।

अर्जुन उवाच ।

ज्यायसी चेत्कर्मणस्ते मता बुद्धिर्जनार्दन ।

तत्किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव ॥ 1 ॥

व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे ।

तदेकं वद निश्चित्य येन श्रेयो‌உहमाप्नुयाम् ॥ 2 ॥

श्रीभगवानुवाच ।

लोके‌உस्मिन्द्विविधा निष्ठा पुरा प्रोक्ता मयानघ ।

ज्ञानयोगेन साङ्ख्यानां कर्मयोगेन योगिनाम् ॥ 3 ॥

न कर्मणामनारम्भान्नैष्कर्म्यं पुरुषो‌உश्नुते ।

न च संन्यसनादेव सिद्धिं समधिगच्छति ॥ 4 ॥

न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् ।

कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः ॥ 5 ॥

कर्मेन्द्रियाणि संयम्य य आस्ते मनसा स्मरन् ।

इन्द्रियार्थान्विमूढात्मा मिथ्याचारः स उच्यते ॥ 6 ॥

यस्त्विन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्यारभते‌உर्जुन ।

कर्मेन्द्रियैः कर्मयोगमसक्तः स विशिष्यते ॥ 7 ॥

नियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं कर्म ज्यायो ह्यकर्मणः ।

शरीरयात्रापि च ते न प्रसिद्ध्येदकर्मणः ॥ 8 ॥

यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणो‌உन्यत्र लोको‌உयं कर्मबन्धनः ।

तदर्थं कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्तसङ्गः समाचर ॥ 9 ॥

सहयज्ञाः प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा पुरोवाच प्रजापतिः ।

अनेन प्रसविष्यध्वमेष वो‌உस्त्विष्टकामधुक् ॥ 10 ॥

देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु वः ।

परस्परं भावयन्तः श्रेयः परमवाप्स्यथ ॥ 11 ॥

इष्टान्भोगान्हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते यज्ञभाविताः ।

तैर्दत्तानप्रदायैभ्यो यो भुङ्क्ते स्तेन एव सः ॥ 12 ॥

यज्ञशिष्टाशिनः सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषैः ।

भुञ्जते ते त्वघं पापा ये पचन्त्यात्मकारणात् ॥ 13 ॥

अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसम्भवः ।

यज्ञाद्भवति पर्जन्यो यज्ञः कर्मसमुद्भवः ॥ 14 ॥

कर्म ब्रह्मोद्भवं विद्धि ब्रह्माक्षरसमुद्भवम् ।

तस्मात्सर्वगतं ब्रह्म नित्यं यज्ञे प्रतिष्ठितम् ॥ 15 ॥

एवं प्रवर्तितं चक्रं नानुवर्तयतीह यः ।

अघायुरिन्द्रियारामो मोघं पार्थ स जीवति ॥ 16 ॥

यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानवः ।

आत्मन्येव च सन्तुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते ॥ 17 ॥

नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थो नाकृतेनेह कश्चन ।

न चास्य सर्वभूतेषु कश्चिदर्थव्यपाश्रयः ॥ 18 ॥

तस्मादसक्तः सततं कार्यं कर्म समाचर ।

असक्तो ह्याचरन्कर्म परमाप्नोति पूरुषः ॥ 19 ॥

कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः ।

लोकसङ्ग्रहमेवापि सम्पश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि ॥ 20 ॥

यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः ।

स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते ॥ 21 ॥

न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन ।

नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि ॥ 22 ॥

यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः ।

मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ॥ 23 ॥

उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां कर्म चेदहम् ।

सङ्करस्य च कर्ता स्यामुपहन्यामिमाः प्रजाः ॥ 24 ॥

सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत ।

कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथासक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसङ्ग्रहम् ॥ 25 ॥

न बुद्धिभेदं जनयेदज्ञानां कर्मसङ्गिनाम् ।

जोषयेत्सर्वकर्माणि विद्वान्युक्तः समाचरन् ॥ 26 ॥

प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः ।

अहङ्कारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते ॥ 27 ॥

तत्त्ववित्तु महाबाहो गुणकर्मविभागयोः ।

गुणा गुणेषु वर्तन्त इति मत्वा न सज्जते ॥ 28 ॥

प्रकृतेर्गुणसंमूढाः सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु ।

तानकृत्स्नविदो मन्दान्कृत्स्नविन्न विचालयेत् ॥ 29 ॥

मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि संन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा ।

निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वरः ॥ 30 ॥

ये मे मतमिदं नित्यमनुतिष्ठन्ति मानवाः ।

श्रद्धावन्तो‌உनसूयन्तो मुच्यन्ते ते‌உपि कर्मभिः ॥ 31 ॥

ये त्वेतदभ्यसूयन्तो नानुतिष्ठन्ति मे मतम् ।

सर्वज्ञानविमूढांस्तान्विद्धि नष्टानचेतसः ॥ 32 ॥

सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्याः प्रकृतेर्ज्ञानवानपि ।

प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि निग्रहः किं करिष्यति ॥ 33 ॥

इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ ।

तयोर्न वशमागच्छेत्तौ ह्यस्य परिपन्थिनौ ॥ 34 ॥

श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् ।

स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ॥ 35 ॥

अर्जुन उवाच ।

अथ केन प्रयुक्तो‌உयं पापं चरति पूरुषः ।

अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजितः ॥ 36 ॥

श्रीभगवानुवाच ।

काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः ।

महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम् ॥ 37 ॥

धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथादर्शो मलेन च ।

यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम् ॥ 38 ॥

आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा ।

कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च ॥ 39 ॥

इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिरस्याधिष्ठानमुच्यते ।

एतैर्विमोहयत्येष ज्ञानमावृत्य देहिनम् ॥ 40 ॥

तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ ।

पाप्मानं प्रजहि ह्येनं ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम् ॥ 41 ॥

इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः ।

मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्यो बुद्धेः परतस्तु सः ॥ 42 ॥

एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना ।

जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम् ॥ 43 ॥

ॐ तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादे

कर्मयोगो नाम तृतीयो‌உध्यायः ॥3 ॥

Confused, Arjuna asks why Krishna seems to advocate the path of knowledge and understanding while pushing Arjuna to do action. Krishna then explains two paths: knowledge (Sankhya or jnana) and action (karma). Some people are suited to the first path, and others to the second. Krishna proposes that right action is another form of worship and that only by doing necessary and right action can the Self find freedom. Right action from "great men" also sets a standard for ordinary people to follow. Krishna notes that he himself engages in action despite needing or desiring nothing. If he were to stop, humankind would follow his example and fall into the trap of inaction. Krishna also encourages Arjuna to take the egocentric I out of his actions and avoid the trap of thinking "I am the doer" of any action. Instead, Arjuna should understand that action is simply the gunas acting upon the gunas. Krishna insists that "it is better to do your own duty / badly, than to perfectly do / another's."

Arjuna then asks Krishna what drives men to evil action. Krishna explains they are driven by the guna called rajas, or the quality that includes passion and violence. The presence of too much of this guna causes people to act out of desire and anger, thus causing evil action. To avoid this, Krishna insists, the mind must be stronger than the senses and understanding of the Self stronger than the mind.

Analysis

To understand why some people are born to take the path of action while others the path of understanding, it is important to return to the caste system. Arjuna, being of the warrior caste, is suited to the path of action through his birth. Someone of the Brahmin, or priest, caste would likely be suited to the yoga of knowledge and understanding, practiced in meditation and the study of scripture.

Central to Krishna's explanation of action versus inaction or wrong action is the concept of the three gunas. Guna can be translated as "quality" or "trait," and the three gunas are the three primary qualities of all existence. They are sattva: purity and constructiveness; rajas: passion; and tamas: darkness and destruction. An imbalance of these qualities results in an imbalanced world. In the example Krishna uses, a person with too much rajas will be ruled by passion and ego and thus engage in evil or wrong action.

The concept of duty is central to Krishna's discussion and the worldview of the individuals involved. "Duty" is the rough translation of the Sanskrit word dharma, which can be explained as an all-encompassing ideology that includes ritual and moral behavior. As Krishna explains in these verses, neglect of dharma "would have bad social and personal consequences." Arjuna attempts to honor his dharma to the best of his ability. He struggles to understand where his true duty lies and how he can best perform "worship" in this situation. Krishna explains that Arjuna's duty and worship lie in following through on his dharma, which, as a warrior, is to fight the battle in front of him.

Certainly, let's integrate some key shlokas (verses) from Chapter 3 of the Bhagavad Gita into the application part for daily love and relationships:

1. Understanding Paths in Relationships:

   - Shloka 3.25: "One who is adept in the science of work is also detached and is a true mystic without any faults. He who works as a sacrifice, who is of a strong mind and body, who controls his passions, and who is detached, who dedicates all his actions to the Supreme, is truly wise."

   Application: In our relationships, let's strive to be like the adept mystic described here—detached from expectations, dedicated in our actions, and wise in our approach to love.

2. Embracing Right Action:

   - Shloka 3.26: "The wise man who performs his duties without attachment, surrendering the results unto the Supreme, is unaffected by sinful action, as the lotus is untouched by water."

   Application: In our love, let's focus on performing our duties without attachment to outcomes, surrendering the results to the greater good of the relationship. This way, we remain unaffected by the inevitable challenges, much like a lotus in water.

3. Balancing Passion in Relationships:

   - Shloka 3.37: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world."

   Application: Recognize the role of passion in relationships, aiming to balance it to prevent it from transforming into destructive behaviors or unnecessary conflicts.

4. The Importance of Duty (Dharma):

   - Shloka 3.35: "It is far better to discharge one’s prescribed duties, even though they may be faulty, than another’s duties. Destruction in the course of performing one’s own duty is better than engaging in another’s duties, for to follow another’s path is dangerous."

   Application:Uphold the principle of duty in relationships. Focus on your responsibilities and commitments, even if imperfect, rather than trying to fulfill someone else's role, as this can lead to complications.

5. Overcoming Ego in Actions:

   - Shloka 3.30: "Renouncing all attachment to the fruits of his activities, ever satisfied and independent, he performs no fruitive action, although engaged in all kinds of undertakings."

   Application: Let's approach love with a mindset of selflessness, renouncing attachment to outcomes, and finding satisfaction in the act of giving and nurturing the relationship.

By incorporating these teachings into our daily interactions, we can create a foundation of love and understanding that aligns with the principles of duty, wisdom, and balanced action from the Bhagavad Gita.

नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि नैनं दहति पावकः🙏