March 21 – Bhagavadgita Chapter 3; Verses 3.36-3.37 (Day 81) Karma Yoga

 March 21 – Day 81

Verse 3.36-3.37

अर्जुन उवाच ।

अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुषः ।

अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजितः ॥ ३-३६॥ 

Arjuna uvācha

atha kena prayukto ’yaṁ pāpaṁ charati pūruṣhaḥ
anichchhann api vārṣhṇeya balād iva niyojitaḥ (36) 

அர்ஜுன உவாச¹ |
அத² கே¹ன ப்¹ரயுக்¹தோ¹‌யம் பா¹ப¹ம் ச¹ரதி¹ பூ¹ருஷ: |
அனிச்¹ச²ன்னபி¹ வார்ஷ்ணேய ப³லாதி³வ நியோஜித¹: ||36||

 Arjuna said:

36. But impelled by what does man commit sin, though against his wishes, O Varshneya (Krishna), constrained, as it were, by force? 

COMMENTARY: Varshneya is one born in the family of the Vrishnis, a name of Krishna.  

श्रीभगवानुवाच ।

काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः ।

महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम् ॥ ३-३७॥ 

Śhrī Bhagavān uvācha
kāma eṣha krodha eṣha rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ
mahāśhano mahā-pāpmā viddhyenam iha vairiṇam (37) 

ஶ்ரீப⁴க³வானுவாச¹ |
கா¹ம ஏஷ க்¹ரோத⁴ ஏஷ ரஜோகு³ணஸமுத்³ப4வ: |
மஹாஶனோ மஹாபா¹ப்¹மா வித்³த்⁴யேனமிஹ வைரிணம் ||37|| 

The Blessed Lord said:

37. It is desire, it is anger born of the quality of Rajas, all-sinful and all-devouring; know this as the foe here (in this world). 

COMMENTARY: Bhagavan: Bhaga means the six attributes, viz., Jnana(knowledge), Vairagya (dispassion), Kirti (fame), Aishvarya (divine manifestations and excellences), Sri (wealth), and Bala (might).  He who possesses these six attributes and who has a perfect knowledge of the origin and the end of the universe is Bhagavan or the Lord.

The cause of all sin and wrong action in this world is desire.  Anger is desire itself.  When a desire is not gratified, the man becomes angry against those who stand as obstacles on the path of fulfilment.  The desire is born of the quality of Rajas.  When desire arises, it generates Rajas and urges the man to work in order to possess the object.  Therefore, know that this desire is man’s foe on this earth.  (Cf. XVI. 21) 

Commentary by Swami Venkatesananda [verses 36-37] 

The question is extremely pertinent; if nature (God’s nature) is responsible for all actions, and if it is inevitable that the senses should automatically respond to the stimuli from the sense-objects, then how is man responsible for any evil that may proceed from such response? Why is it said that a particular action is sinful and a particular person a sinner?

Kṛṣṇa goes straight to the root of the problem and reveals the true culprit. Desire is sin. Anger or hate is sin. Rāgā (likes) and dveṣā (dislikes) are sinful. When man is prompted to perform an action by desire or selfish motive, he sins.

If the inner motive or attitude alone is the governing factor, then can we stretch this rule to cover our sins? Obviously not. For we should never forget that we shall know our duty truly only if our mind is tranquil and our intelligence united with God. Ordinarily, we should adhere to accepted moral standards. Such acceptance immediately leads to inner tranquility. When there is tranquility, insight is bright, unagitated. Desire arises when insight is veiled and when there is unawareness. When insight becomes aware of the arising of desire, the distinction between natural urges (like hunger and thirst) and unnatural craving is realized; the unnatural does not happen and the natural is not translated into ‘my desire’ by thought. Thus the way for unawareness and lack of insight to encourage pursuit of pleasure and the formation of likes and dislikes is not paved.

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