Bhagawad Gita Ch.3. Verses 8-15 [Sri Adishankara]

[Guest guest]

[Translation by Warrior. Text typed by Sri Shankar]

 

8.0 Such being the case,

 

8. Always do prescribed work; work is superior to inaction. Indeed, even

 

life in the body is impossible without working.

 

8.1 Work prescribed by the sastras is obligatory, is to be done always by

one

called upon to do it; ffo fruit is associated with it. That work, Arjuna!

you

must do, because work is superior to inaction or non-doing as regards

consequences. How? 'Life in the body', even its continuance, cannot be

secured

without working. Thus has the distinction between working and non-working

been

marked in this world.

 

9.0. Also your notion that work makes for bondage and must not be done is

 

wrong. How?

 

9. This world is bound by works other than those done as sacrifice, O son

of

Kunti. Free from attachment, do work as sacrifice.

 

9.1. 'Sacrifice is indded Visnu' (Taittriya Samhita 1.7.4)-this makes

sacrifice equivalent to God. What is done for Him is work as sacrifice;

through

works other than those done as sacrifice are people upon to work,-bound by

works. Through non-sacrificial works this world is bound, such works

proving a

bondage; but never through sacrificial works. Therefore, Arjuna! free from

attachment to the fruits of works, perform works as sacrifice.

Thanks and kind regards

 

10.0 For the following reason also work has to be done by one entitled to

do

it.

 

10. Bringing forth creatures together with sacrifice, the Lord of

creatures

said of old: Multiply by means of sacrifice; let it yield whatever you

seek.

 

10.1 'Together with sacrifice' i.e. the creatures were brought forth

together

with sacrifices. 'Creature' point to the classes. 'Bringing them forth' or

 

generating them, 'of old', at the beginning of creation, 'the Lord of

creatures', the creator, said: By means of the sacrifice do you mulitply or

 

increase. Let this sacrifice prove to be the cow that yields all that you

seek,

the specific fruits you seek.

 

How?

 

11. By means of this sacrifice nourish the Devas; let the Devas nourish

you.

Mutually nourishing, may you win the supreme good.

 

11.1 'Nourishing theDevas' i.e. Indra and others, by means of sacrifice,

and

let the Devas, by means of reains etc., 'nourish' you, i.e. cause you to

flourish. Thus, mutually nourishing, achieve the 'supreme good' or

emancipation

by gaining knowledge.

 

Besides,

 

12. The Devas nourished by the sacrifices will give you the enjoyments

you

seek. Verily he is a thief who enjoys without giving back to the Devas (a

share

of) the gifts given by them.

 

12.1 The Devas will give you the enjoyments you seek-wives, cattles,

children

etc., that you seek, since they have been 'noursihed' or pleased, by you

through

sacrifice. Without giving back a share of these enjoyments granted by the

Devas

i.e., without discharging the debt owed to them, whosoever enjoys or pleases

his

body and sense organs, is verily a thief; he has misappropriated the wealth

of

the Devas.

 

On the contrary those

 

13. Good men who partake of what remains after offering sacrifices are

liberated from all sins; whereas the sinners who cook for their own sake

live on

their sins.

 

13.1 Those who habitually feed on the ambrosial food that remains

sacrificing

to the Devas are partakers of the sacrificial leavings. These good men are

liberated from all the sins involved in the five-fold killing, connected

with

the hearth etc., and also from other sins incurred through heedless

slaughter,

etc. On the other contrary, those sinful seekers eat sin who cook only for

feeding themselves.

 

14.0 For the following reason, too, work must be done by one called upon

to

do it; for, work is what operates the wheels of the universe. How? Listen:

 

14. Living beings are born of food; food is produced by rain; rain is due

to

sacrifice. Sacrifice is the offspring of work.

 

14.1 Living beings, obviously, are born of the consumed food that is

transformed into blood and semen. Food is produced by rain which is a

product

of sacrifice; vide Manu, 3.76. The oblation, properly placed in the fire,

goes

upo to the sun. teh oblation, properly placed in the fire, goes up to the

sun.

Rain is due to the sun, and food due to the rain. Of food are born living

beings. 'Sacrifice' means the unique power engendered by the activity of

the

priests and the sacrificer. This activity is the work whence the 'unique

power'

the apurva, is born.

 

15.0 Whence is this sort of 'work' or energy born? Answer:

 

15. Know that this work is born of the Vedas, and that the Vedas are born

of

the Imperishable Reality. Therefore, the all-pervading Veda is eternally

rooted

in sacrificial work.

 

15.1 Work is born of Brahman. Brahman is the Veda. 'Born of Veda' means

 

revealed by the Veda. Work, in this context, is of this description.

Again,

Brahman or Veda is born of the Imperishable or Brahman, the Supreme Self.

That

Brahman here means the Veda is the sense. Since Brahman, the Veda, is

directly

derived from the Supreme Self-the Imperishable Spirit-like the vital breath,

 

therefore, the all-revealing and eternal Veda is established for all times

in

sacrificial work, the latter being a dominant theme of the Vedas.