March 12 – Bhagavadgita Chapter 3; Verses 3.20-3.21 (Day 72) Karma Yoga

 March 12 – Day 72

Verse 3.20-3.21

कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः ।

लोकसङ्ग्रहमेवापि सम्पश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि ॥ ३-२०॥ 

karmaṇaiva hi sansiddhim āsthitā janakādayaḥ
loka saṅgraham evāpi sampaśhyan kartum arhasi (20)

க¹ர்மணைவ ஹி ஸந்ஸித்³தி⁴மாஸ்தி²தா¹ ஜனகா¹த³ய: |
லோக¹ ஸங்ரஹமேவாபி¹ ஸம்ப¹ஶ்யன் க¹ர்து¹மர்ஹஸி ||20|| 

20. Janaka and others attained perfection verily by action only; even with a view to the protection of the masses you should perform action. 

COMMENTARY: Samsiddhi is Moksha (perfection or liberation).  Janaka, (Asvapati) and others had perfect knowledge of the Self, and yet they performed actions in order to set an example to the masses.  They worked for the guidance of men. 

Lesson 3.4 (Verses 21-26)

Being an Example to Others 

यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः ।

स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते ॥ ३-२१॥ 

yad yad ācharati śhreṣhṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ
sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute lokas tad anuvartate (21) 

யத்யதா³ச¹ரதி¹ ஶ்ரேஷ்ட² ஸ்த¹த்¹த¹தே³வேத¹ரோ ஜன: |
ஸ யத்¹ப்¹ரமாணம் கு¹ருதே¹ லோக¹ஸ்த¹த³னுவர்த¹தே¹ ||21|| 

21. Whatsoever a great man does, that other men also do; whatever he sets up as the standard, that the world follows. 

Commentary – Man is a social animal. He is an imitating animal too.  He takes his ideas of right and wrong from those whom he regards as his moral superior.  Whatever a great man follows, the same is considered as an authority by his followers.  They try to follow him.  They endeavor to walk in his footsteps. 

Commentary by Swami Venkatesananda [verses 20-21] 

Yet another reason why one should not abandon one’s duty is given here. People are fond of imitation and a sinful action is more readily copied than a virtuous one! Even a sage like king Janaka, therefore, persisted in the performance of his duties. People blindly follow their leader and if the leader is even slightly negligent in his duties, the followers totally abandon theirs!

So, then, firstly as a kind of reciprocity in return for the benefits that the yogi enjoys in this world, and secondly in order to set the right example for others to emulate, one should engage oneself in the performance of one’s duty, even though he has nothing to achieve thereby. This is a double-edged sword and has to be handled wisely. If the only motivation is to be an exemplar, it might give rise to hypocrisy; but rightly understood, even an initial hypocritical example might lead to right action.

Again, the sage who has cut off all attachment and who lives in complete dissociation of even his own body, will let the body exhaust its own karma and the past momentum. He does nothing; it is the body and mind that function in the world of matter. Why will he prevent them from doing so if he is unattached to them? True, he will not supply them with fresh fuel to gain more momentum. He is unattached, desireless and egoless, but if he even forcibly restrains them, he comes into contact with them and identifies the self with them. The worldly man is a slave of the senses, the ascetic holds them back, but they are both in contact with them. The sage is not. 

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