March 16 – Bhagavadgita Chapter 3; Verses 3.27-3.29 (Day 76) Karma Yoga

 March 16 – Day 76

Verse 3.27-3.29

प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः ।

अहङ्कारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते ॥ ३-२७॥ 

prakṛiteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśhaḥ
ahankāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (27) 

ப்¹ரக்¹ருதே¹ஹே க்¹ரியமாணானி கு³ணை: க¹ர்மாணி ஸர்வஶ: |
அஹங்கா¹ரவிமூடா⁴த்¹மா க¹ர்தா¹ஹமிதி¹ மன்யதே¹ ||27|| 

27. All actions are wrought in all cases by the qualities of Nature only. He whose mind is deluded by egoism thinks: “I am the doer”. 

COMMENTARY: Prakriti or Pradhana or Nature is that state in which the three Gunas, viz., Sattva, Rajas and Tamas exist in a state of equilibrium. When this equilibrium is disturbed, creation begins and the body, senses and mind are formed. The man who is deluded by egoism identifies the Self with the body, mind, the life-force and the senses, and ascribes to the Self all the attributes of the body and the senses. He, therefore, thinks through ignorance, “I am the doer”.  In reality the Gunas of nature perform all actions. (Cf. III.29; V.9; IX.9,10; XIII.21, 24,30,32; XVIII.13,14) 

तत्त्ववित्तु महाबाहो गुणकर्मविभागयोः ।

गुणा गुणेषु वर्तन्त इति मत्वा न सज्जते ॥ ३-२८॥ 

tattwa-vit tu mahā-bāho guṇa-karma-vibhāgayoḥ
guṇā guṇeṣhu vartanta iti matwā na sajjate (28) 

த¹த்¹வவித்¹து¹ மஹாபா³ஹோ கு³ணக¹ர்மவிபா⁴க³யோ: |
கு³ணா கு³ணேஷு வர்த¹ன்த¹ இதி¹ மத்¹வா ந ஸஜ்ஜதே¹ ||28|| 

28. But he who knows the truth, O mighty-armed Arjuna, about the divisions of the qualities and their functions, knowing that the Gunas as senses move amidst the Gunas as the sense-objects, is not attached. 

Commentary – He who knows the truth that the Self is entirely distinct from the three Gunas and actions does not become attached to the actions.  He who knows the truth about the classification of the Gunas and their respective functions understands that the qualities as sense-organs move amidst the qualities as sense-objects.  Therefore, he is not attached to the actions.  He knows, “I am Akarta – I am not the doer”.  (Cf. XIV. 23) 

प्रकृतेर्गुणसम्मूढाः सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु ।

तानकृत्स्नविदो मन्दान्कृत्स्नविन्न विचालयेत् ॥ ३-२९॥ 

prakṛiter guṇa-sammūḍhāḥ sajjante guṇa-karmasu
tān akṛitsna-vido mandān kṛitsna-vin na vichālayet (29) 

ப்¹ரக்¹ருதே¹ர்கு³ணஸம்மூடா⁴: ஸஜ்ஜந்தே¹ கு³ணக¹ர்மஸு |
தா¹னக்¹ருத்¹ஸ்னவிதோ³ மந்தா³ன்க்¹ருத்¹ஸ்னவின்ன விசா¹லயேத்¹||29|| 

29. Those deluded by the qualities of Nature are attached to the functions of the qualities. A man of perfect knowledge should not unsettle the foolish one of imperfect knowledge. 

Commentary – The ignorant people do action with the expectation of fruits.  The wise people who have the knowledge of the Self should not distract the faith or conviction or belief of such ignorant persons.  If they unsettle their minds they will give up actions and become victims of inertia.  They will lead an idle life. They should be encouraged by the wise to do actions of the Sakama type (actions for the sake of their fruits) in the beginning.  The wise ones should turn the minds of the ignorant by giving them gradual instructions on Karma Yoga (Yoga of selfless, desireless action) and its benefits, viz., purification of the heart that leads to the attainment of Self-realization.

Commentary by Swami Venkatesananda [verses 27-29] 

What is nature? It is God’s nature. In accordance with God’s will, the qualities in his nature are constantly active. We are also part of his nature. We are all cells, as it were, in the cosmic body of God, but we assume to ourselves an independent personality on account of ignorance.

This individuality is a mystery. It is truly indivi-(sible)-duality. We are all truly indivisible, one in him. We are all together the body of God. To realize this is wisdom. To forget it is ignorance.

In our own body, for instance, at every moment millions of cells are performing various vital functions. They work in harmony, in accordance with the dictates of the single unified life-force that commands all of them. There is, therefore, harmony and health in the whole body. In the same way, if all of us feel and realize that we are the body of God and carry out his will, there will be peace and prosperity in this world; but the foolish ones assume false egoism and thus create disharmony and disaster.

Expressions like ‘good and evil’, ‘right and wrong’, lose their significance in this light. But the wise man will not disturb the mind of those who believe in them!

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