March 13 – Bhagavadgita Chapter 3; Verses 3.22-3.24 (Day 73) Karma Yoga

 March 13 – Day 73

Verse 3.22-3.24

न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन ।

नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि ॥ ३-२२॥ 

na me pārthāsti kartavyaṁ triṣhu lokeṣhu kiñchana
nānavāptam avāptavyaṁ varta eva cha karmaṇi (22) 

ந மே பா¹ர்தா²ஸ்தி¹ க¹ர்த¹வ்யம் த்¹ரிஷு லோகே¹ஷு கி¹ன்ச¹ன |
நானவாப்¹த¹மவாப்¹த¹வ்யம் வர்த¹ ஏவ ச¹ க¹ர்மணி ||22|| 

22. There is nothing in the three worlds, O Arjuna, that should be done by Me, nor is there anything unattained that should be attained; yet I engage Myself in action! 

Commentary – I am the Lord of the universe and therefore I have no personal grounds to engage Myself in action.  I have nothing to achieve as I have all divine wealth, as the wealth of the universe is Mine, and yet I engage Myself in action.

Why do you not follow My example? Why do you not endeavor to prevent the masses from following the wrong path by setting an example yourself?  If you set an example, people will follow you as you are a leader with noble qualities. 

यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः ।

मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ॥ ३-२३॥ 

yadi hyahaṁ na varteyaṁ jātu karmaṇyatandritaḥ
mama vartmānuvartante manuṣhyāḥ pārtha sarvaśhaḥ (23) 

யதி³ ஹ்யஹம் ந வர்தே¹யம் ஜாது¹ க¹ர்மண்யத¹ன்த்³ரித¹: |
மம வர்த்¹மானுவர்த¹ன்தே¹ மனுஷ்யா: பா¹ர்த² ஸர்வஶ: ||23|| 

23. For, should I not ever engage Myself in action, unwearied, men would in every way follow My path, O Arjuna! 

Commentary – If I remain inactive, people also will imitate Me and keep quiet.  They will all become Tamasic and pass into a state of inertia. 

उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां कर्म चेदहम् ।

सङ्करस्य च कर्ता स्यामुपहन्यामिमाः प्रजाः ॥ ३-२४॥ 

utsīdeyur ime lokā na kuryāṁ karma ched aham
sankarasya cha kartā syām upahanyām imāḥ prajāḥ (24) 

உத்¹ஸீதே³யுரிமே லோகா¹ ந கு¹ர்யாம் க¹ர்ம சேத³ஹம் |
ஸங்க¹ரஸ்ய ச¹ க¹ர்தா¹ ஸ்யாமுப¹ஹன்யாமிமா: ப்¹ரஜா: ||24|| 

24. These worlds would perish if I did not perform action; I should be the author of confusion of castes and destruction of these beings. 

Commentary – If I did not engage in action, people would also be inactive.  They would not do their duties according to the Varnashrama Dharma (code of morals governing their own order and stage of life).  Hence confusion of castes would arise.  I would have to destroy these beings. 

Commentary by Swami Venkatesananda [verses 22-24] 

God, when he incarnates himself here in this world, also engages himself in unwearied action. That is as it should be. Saints and sages are seen to engage themselves in unwearied action for the welfare of mankind. The unselfish man is more active than the selfish one. The former’s service is spontaneous, enthusiastic, and zealous, free from procrastination and postponement which characterize the half-hearted service of the calculating man of lust and greed. The unselfish man has more time and energy to work because he has no worry about profit and loss.

We have the glorious examples of saints before us, but we do not follow them. (Do we ever follow anyone’s good example?) Even in their lives we try to pick out only defects as excuses for our own indulgence. We discover human weaknesses in their personalities, and we turn our blind eye on the vital spiritual truths illustrated in their lives. It is the worst tragedy. We are the real losers. The moment we realize the emptiness and the sorrowfulness of our own pleasure-seeking life, we shall desist from evil, and without seeming to and without effort, follow the example of the good.

“One should try to live for a hundred years, doing one’s duty”. —Īśāvāsya upaniṣad. 

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