Bhagavad Gita

  CHAPTER 3 KARMA YOGA (Yoga of Action) Lesson 3.1 (Verses 1-7) अथ तृतीयोऽध्यायः ।    कर्मयोगः February 29 – Chapter 3; Verses 1-2 February 29 – Day 60 Verse 3.01-3.02 अर्जुन उवाच ।   ज्यायसी चेत्कर्मणस्ते मता बुद्धिर्जनार्दन । तत्किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव ॥ ३-१॥   Arjuna uvācha jyāyasī chet karma ṇ aste matā buddhir janārdana tat ki ṁ karma ṇ i ghore mā ṁ niyojayasi keśhava (1)   அர்ஜுன உவாச 1  | ஜ் 3 யாயஸீ சே 1 த் 1 க 1 ர்மணஸ்தே 1   மதா 1   பு 3 த் 3 தி 4 ர்ஜனார்த 3 ன | த 1 த் 1 கிம் க 1 ர்மணி கோ 4 ரே மாம் நியோஜ 3 யஸி கே 1 ஶவ || 1 || Arjuna said:   1. If it be thought by Thee that knowledge is superior to action, O Krishna, why then, O Kesava, dost Thou ask me to engage in this terrible action?   Commentary: In verses 49, 50 and 51 of Chapter II, Lord Krishna has spoken very highly about Buddhi yoga. He again asks Arjuna to fight. That is the reason why Arjuna is perplexed now.   ...

  Chapter 3 - SANKHYA YOGA Summary of Third Discourse By Swami Sivananda   In order to remove Moha or attachment, which was the sole cause of Arjuna’s delusion, Sri Krishna taught him the imperishable nature of the Atman, the realisation of which would grant him the freedom of the Eternal. A doubt therefore arises in Arjuna’s mind as to the necessity of engaging in action even after one has attained this state.   Sri Krishna clears this doubt by telling him that although one has realized oneness with the Eternal, one has to perform action through the force of Prakriti or Nature. He emphasizes that perfection is attained not by ceasing to engage in action but by doing all actions as a divine offering, imbued with a spirit of non-attachment and sacrifice.   The man of God-vision, Sri Krishna explains to Arjuna, need not engage in action, as he has attained everything that has to be attained. He can be ever absorbed in the calm and immutable Self.   But t...

  February 28 – Day 59 Verse 2.71-2.72 विहाय कामान्यः सर्वान्पुमांश्चरति निःस्पृहः । निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः स शान्तिमधिगच्छति ॥ २-७१॥   vihāya kāmān ya ḥ sarvān pumānśh charati ni ḥ sp ṛ iha ḥ nirmamo nirahankāra ḥ sa śhāntim adhigachchhati (2.71)   விஹாய கா 1 மான்ய: ஸர்வான்பு 1 மாம்ஶ்ச 1 ரதி 1  நிஸ்ப் 1 ருஹ: | நிர்மமோ நிரஹங்கா 1 ர: ஸ ஶான்தி 1 மதி 4 கச் 1 ச 2 தி 1  ||71||   71. The man attains peace, who, abandoning all desires, moves about without longing, without the sense of mine and without egoism.   Commentary: That man who lives destitute of longing, abandoning all desires, without the senses of ‘I’ and ‘mine’, who is satisfied with the bare necessities of life, who does not care or has no attachment even for those bare necessities of life, attains Moksha or eternal peace. ( Cf. 2:55)   एषा ब्राह्मी स्थितिः पार्थ नैनां प्राप्य विमुह्यति । स्थित्वास्यामन्तकाले ऽपि ब्रह्मनिर्वाणमृच्छति ॥ २-७२॥   e ṣ hā brāhmī sthiti ḥ...

  February 27 – Day 58 Verse 2.70 आपूर्यमाणमचलप्रतिष्ठं समुद्रमापः प्रविशन्ति यद्वत् । तद्वत्कामा यं प्रविशन्ति सर्वे स शान्तिमाप्नोति न कामकामी ॥ २-७०॥   āpūryamā ṇ am achala-prati ṣ h ṭ ha ṁ samudram āpa ḥ praviśhanti yadwat tadwat kāmā ya ṁ praviśhanti sarve sa śhāntim āpnoti na kāma-kāmī (2.70)   ஆபூ 1 ர்யமாணமச 1 லப் 1 ரதி 1 ஷ்டம் ஸமுத் 3 ரமாப 1 : ப் 1 ரவிஶன்தி 1  யத் 3 வத் 1  | த 1 த் 3 வத் 1 கா 1 மா யம் ப் 1 ரவிஶன்தி 1  ஸர்வே ஸ ஶான்தி 1 மாப் 1 னோதி 1  ந கா 1 மகா 1 மீ ||70||   70. He attains peace into whom all desires enter as waters enter the ocean, which, filled from all sides, remains unmoved; but not the man who is full of desires.   Commentary: Just as the ocean filled with waters from all sides remains unmoved, so also the sage who is resting in his own Svarupa or the Self is not a bit affected though desires of all sorts enter from all sides. The sage attains   peace of liberation but not he who l...

  February 26 – Day 57 Verse 2.69 या निशा सर्वभूतानां तस्यां जागर्ति संयमी । यस्यां जाग्रति भूतानि सा निशा पश्यतो मुनेः ॥ २-६९॥   yā niśhā sarva-bhūtānā ṁ tasyā ṁ jāgarti samyamī yasyā ṁ jāgrati bhūtāni sā niśhā paśhyato mune ḥ (2.69)   யா நிஶா ஸர்வபூ 4 தா 1 னாம் த 1 ஸ்யாம் ஜாக 3 ர்தி 1  ஸம்யமீ | யஸ்யாம் ஜாக் 3 ரதி 1  பூ 4 தா 1 னி ஸா நிஶா ப 1 ஶ்யதோ 1  முனே: ||69||   69. That which is night to all beings, in that the self-controlled man is awake; when all beings are awake, that is night for the sage who sees.   Commentary: That which is real for the worldly-minded people is illusion for the sage, and vice versa. The sage lives in the Self; this is day to him. He is unconscious of worldly phenomena; this is like night to him, as it were. The ordinary man is unconscious of his real nature. So life in the Self is like night to him. He is experiencing the objects of sensual enjoyment.   This is day for him.   The Self is a ...

  February 25 – Day 56 Verse 2.67-2.68 इन्द्रियाणां हि चरतां यन्मनोऽनुविधीयते । तदस्य हरति प्रज्ञां वायुर्नावमिवाम्भसि ॥ २-६७॥   indriyā ṇ ā ṁ hi charatā ṁ yan mano ’nuvidhīyate tadasya harati prajñā ṁ vāyur nāvam ivāmbhasi (2.67)   இந்த் 3 ரியாணாம் ஹி ச 1 ரதா 1 ம் யன்மனோ  ‌னுவிதீ 4 யதே 1  | த 1 த 3 ஸ்ய ஹரதி 1  ப் 1 ரஞ்ஞாம் வாயுர்நாவமிவாம்ப 4 ஸி ||67||   67. For the mind which follows in the wake of the wandering senses, carries away his discrimination as the wind (carries away) a boat on the waters.   Commentary: The mind which constantly dwells on the sensual objects and moves in company with the senses destroys altogether the discrimination of the man.   Just as the wind carries away a boat from its couse, so also the mind carries away the aspirant from his spiritual path and turns him towards the objects of the senses.   तस्माद्यस्य महाबाहो निगृहीतानि सर्वशः । इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ॥ ...

  February 24 – Day 55 Verse 2.66   नास्ति बुद्धिरयुक्तस्य न चायुक्तस्य भावना । न चाभावयतः शान्तिरशान्तस्य कुतः सुखम् ॥ २-६६॥   nāsti buddhir ayuktasya na chāyuktasya bhāvanā na chābhāvayata ḥ śhāntir aśhāntasya kuta ḥ sukham (2.66)   நாஸ்தி 1  பு 3 த் 3 தி 4 ரயுக் 1 த 1 ஸ்ய ந சா 1 யுக் 1 த 1 ஸ்ய பா 4 வனா | ந சா 1 பா 4 வயத 1 : ஶான்தி 1 ரஶான்த 1 ஸ்ய கு 1 த 1 : ஸுக 2 ம் ||66||   66. There is no knowledge of the Self to the unsteady, and to the unsteady no meditation is possible; and to the un-meditative there can be no peace; and to the man who has no peace, how can there be happiness?   Commentary: The man who cannot fix his mind in meditation cannot have knowledge of the Self.   The unsteady man cannot practice meditation.   He cannot have even intense devotion to Self-Knowledge nor can he have burning longing for liberation or Moksha.   He who does not practice meditation cannot possess peace of mind.   How can th...

  February 23 – Day 54 Verse 2.64-2.65 रागद्वेषवियुक्तैस्तु विषयानिन्द्रियैश्चरन् । आत्मवश्यैर्विधेयात्मा प्रसादमधिगच्छति ॥ २-६४॥   rāga-dwe ṣ ha viyuktais tu vi ṣ hayān indriyaiśh charan ātmavaśhyair vidheyātmā prasādam adhigachchhati (2.64)   ராக 3 த் 3 வேஷவியுக் 1 தை 1 ஸ்து 1  விஷயானிந்த் 3 ரியைஶ்ச 1 ரன் | ஆத் 1 மவஶ்யைர் விதே 3 யாத் 1 மா ப் 1 ரஸாத 3 மதி 4 க 3 ச் 1 ச 2 தி 1  ||64||   64. But the self-controlled man, moving amongst objects with the senses under restraint, and free from attraction and repulsion, attains to peace.   Commentary: The mind and the senses are naturally endowed with the two currents of attraction and repulsion.   Therefore, the mind and the senses like certain objects and dislike certain other objects.   But the disciplined man moves among sense-objects with the mind and senses free from attraction and repulsion and mastered by the Self, attains to the peace of the Eternal.   The senses and the...

  February 22 – Day 53 Verse 2.62-2.63 ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते । सङ्गात्सञ्जायते कामः कामात्क्रोधो ऽभिजायते ॥ २-६२॥   dhyāyato vi ṣ hayān pu ṁ sa ḥ sa ṅ gas te ṣ hūpajāyate sa ṅ gāt sañjāyate kāma ḥ kāmāt krodho ’bhijāyate (2.62)   த் 4 யாயதோ 1  விஷயான்பு 1 ம்ஸ: ஸங்க 3 ஸ்தே 1 ஷூப 1 ஜாயதே 1  | ஸங்கா 3 த் 1 ஸந்ஜாயதே கா 1 ம: கா 1 மாத் 1 க் 1 ரோதோ  ‌4 பி 4 ஜாயதே 1  ||62||   62. When a man thinks of the objects, attachment to them arises; from attachment desire is born; from desire anger arises.   Commentary: When a man thinks of the beauty and the pleasant and alluring features of the sense-objects he becomes attached to them.   He then regards them as something worthy of acquisition and possession and hankers after them.   He develops a strong desire to possess them. Then he endeavors his level best to obtain them.   When his desire is frustrated by some cause or other, anger arises in his mind.   ...

  February 21 – Day 52 Verse 2.60-2.61 यततो ह्यपि कौन्तेय पुरुषस्य विपश्चितः । इन्द्रियाणि प्रमाथीनि हरन्ति प्रसभं मनः ॥ २-६०॥   yatato hyapi kaunteya puru ṣ hasya vipaśhchita ḥ indriyā ṇ i pramāthīni haranti prasabha ṁ mana ḥ (2.60)   யத 1 தோ 1  ஹ்யபி 1  கௌ 1 ன்தே 1 ய பு 1 ருஷஸ்ய விப 1 ஶ்சி 1 த 1 : | இந்த் 3 ரியாணி ப் 1 ரமாதீ 2 னி ஹரன்தி 1  ப் 1 ரஸப 4 ம் மன: ||60||   60. The turbulent senses, O Arjuna, do violently carry away the mind of a wise man though he be striving (to control them)!   Commentary: The aspirant should first bring the senses under his control. The senses are like horses.   If you keep the horses under your perfect control you can reach your destination safely.   Turbulent horses will throw you down on the way.   Even so the turbulent senses will hurl you down into the objects of the senses and you cannot reach your spiritual destination, viz, Param Dharma (the Supreme abode) or the abode of ete...

  February 20 – Day 51 Verse 2.59   विषया विनिवर्तन्ते निराहारस्य देहिनः । रसवर्जं रसो ऽप्यस्य परं दृष्ट्वा निवर्तते ॥ २-५९॥   vi ṣ hayā vinivartante nirāhārasya dehina ḥ rasavarja ṁ raso ’pyasya para ṁ d ṛ i ṣ h ṭ wā nivartate (2.59)   விஷயா வினிவர்த 1 ன்தே 1  நிராஹாரஸ்ய தே 3 ஹின: | ரஸவர்ஜம் ரஸோ  ‌ப் 1 யஸ்ய ப 1 ரம் த் 3 ருஷ்ட் 1 வா நிவர்த 1 தே 1  ||59 ||   59. The objects of the senses turn away from the abstinent man, leaving the longing (behind); but his longing also turns away on seeing the Supreme.   Commentary: Knowledge of the Self alone can destroy in toto the subtle Vasanas (latent tendencies) and all the subtle desires, all subtle attachments and even the longing for objects.   By practicing severe austerities, by abandoning the sensual objects, the objects of the senses may turn away from the ascetic but the relish or taste or longing for the objects will still remain.   Commentary by Swami Venkatesananda...