March 10 – Bhagavadgita Chapter 3; Verses 3.17-3.18 (Day 70) Karma Yoga

 Lesson 3.3 (Verses 17-20)

Self-Knowledge and Action

March 10 – Day 70

Verse 3.17-3.18

यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानवः ।

आत्मन्येव च सन्तुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते ॥ ३-१७॥ 

yas tvātma-ratir eva syād ātma-tṛiptaśh cha mānavaḥ
ātmanyeva cha santuṣhṭas tasya kāryaṁ na vidyate (17) 

யஸ்த்¹வாத்¹மரதி¹ரேவ ஸ்யாதா³த்¹மத்¹ருப்¹த¹ஶ்ச¹ மானவ: |
ஆத்¹மன்யேவ ச¹ ஸன்து¹ஷ்டஸ்த¹ஸ்ய கா¹ர்யம் ந வித்³யதே¹ ||17|| 

17. But for that man who rejoices only in the Self, who is satisfied in the Self, who is content in the Self alone, verily there is nothing to do. 

COMMENTARY: The sage does not depend on external objects for his happiness. He is quite satisfied with the Self. He finds his joy, bliss and contentment within his own Self. For such a sage who has knowledge of the Self, there is nothing to do.  He has already done all actions.  He has satisfied all his desires. He has complete satisfaction (Cf, 2:55) 

नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थो नाकृतेनेह कश्चन ।

न चास्य सर्वभूतेषु कश्चिदर्थव्यपाश्रयः ॥ ३-१८॥ 

naiva tasya kṛitenārtho nākṛiteneha kaśhchana
na chāsya sarva-bhūteṣhu kaśhchid artha-vyapāśhrayaḥ (18) 

நைவ த¹ஸ்ய க்¹ருதே¹னார்தோ² நாக்¹ருதே¹னேஹ க¹ஶ்ச¹ன |
ந சா¹ஸ்ய ஸர்வபூ⁴தே¹ஷு க¹ஶ்சி¹த³ர்த²வ்யபா¹ஶ்ரய: ||18|| 

18. For him there is no interest whatsoever in what is done or what is not done; nor does he depend on any being for any object. 

COMMENTARY: The sage who rejoices in his own Self does not gain anything by doing any action. To him no real purpose is served by engaging in any action. No evil (Pratyavaya Dosha) can touch him as a result of inaction. He does not lose anything by being inactive. He need not depend upon anybody to gain a particular object.  He need not exert himself to get the favour of anybody. 

Commentary by Swami Venkatesananda [verses 17-18] 

As long as you yourself are dependent on others, so long as your happiness and well-being are dependent on the services of others, serve and be good. These two verses both have a philosophic import and offer practical advice.

Is this not a common failing of man? He expects others to serve him and work for him. He wants to enjoy all comforts himself at the expense of fellow-men. He will cheat those dependent on him, but will moan and grumble if he himself is let down. Here is Kṛṣṇa’s sweet warning. As long as you expect others to serve you and to promote your prosperity, as long as your own happiness depends on what others do to you, take a deep interest in the happiness of others too. It is the re-statement of the golden rule: “Do unto others as you wish them to do unto you”.

However, there is a state of being where the sage rests in the self. He is not obliged to do or not to do. But what is the self in which the sage rests? Self is awareness – the all, the indivisible – not the fragmented thought-born personality which we selfishly call the self. Self is ‘the choiceless awareness’ in the words of Ramana Mahaṛṣi, ‘witness consciousness’ of Gurudev Sivananda, and ‘observation without an observer’ of Kṛṣṇaji. When it is veiled, another self (the ego) arises apparently, not really, and thinks (the mind) that it is dependent or independent of others. Awareness being self does not have a self to generate selfishness. The sage who rests in the self alone is unselfish! The entire universe is his body. He is like the sun: by his light he illumines all. He is one with all and thus does everything through everyone. Though he might apparently be inactive; yet, he does nothing, though the body and mind might be busy, for the fragmented ego has vanished with the lifted veil.

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