Bhagawad Gita Ch.3 Ver.16-22 [Sri Adi Shankara]

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So,

 

16. He who fails to conform to the cycle of functions thus established

is,

Arjuna! a sinner; he revels in the sphere of sense-life; he lives in vain.

 

16.1 The cycle of cosmic functions, preceded by the Vedas and sacrifices,

has

been set in motion by God. In the world, he who, being competent only to do

 

work, fails to conform to this cycle of functions, leads a life of sin. He

delights in sense-contacts with objects, Arjuna! He lives in vain.

 

16.2 Therefore the upshot of this context in this Bhagavad Gita 3.4-16,

is

that of the ignorant man, called upon to do it, must do ti. Before gaining

competence to address oneself to the discipline of Self-Knowledge, one, who

is

ignorant of the Self and called upon to work, must undertake the discipline

of

Karma Yoga. This idea has been elucidated in the Bhagavad Gita from 3.4 to

3.8.

A variety of reasons in support of it has been advanced in the verses 3.9 to

 

3.15-reasons that are valid for one ignorant of the Self and called upon to

work. The errors involved in ignoring the call to work have also been

stated.

 

17.0 In this context is raised the question whether all should conform

tot he

established cycle of activities or only he who is ignorant of the Slef and

has

failed to rise to the level of the discipline of Knowledge i.e., the sphere

of

the Samkhya who know the self, the performance of Karma Yoga, set forth

earlier,

being but the means to attain the discipline of Knowledge. In anticipation

of

this question on Arjuna's part, and in order to facilitate a discriminating

grasp of the contents of the sastra, the Lord unfolds the imports of the

sastra

which the Gita also seeks to convey.

 

The following is that teaching:

 

17. For the man who delights solely in the Self, who is content with the

Self, wh finds satisfaction alone in the self, there is no duty to perform.

 

17.1 That Samkhya or man of knowledge, devoted to Self-knoweldge, who

delights solely in the Self, and not in objects; who is content exclusivley

with

the Self, and not with pleasing the palate etc.,-that man is the renouncer

who

finds satisfaction in the Self. All poeple are generally pleased with

external

possessions. Disregarding them, the renouncer finds satisfaction in the

Self

alone; he is detached from all else-this is the import. The idea is that

for

such a Self-knower there is no duty to perform.

 

18. He has nothing to gain from work done or left undone. On no beings

does

he depend as regards any interests of his own.

 

18.1 He who is in love with the Supreme Self has no purpose of hiw own to

 

accomplish through any work done. Does he then, incur the sin of omission

or

pratyavaya, by not doing any work? Here in this world, surely, he does not

incur the sin of omission by his failure to do work, either-a sin entailing

a

loss to his Self. Again, on no particular being, from Brahma to stocks and

stones, does he depend for gaining any end through his activity.

 

18.2 However, you have not won this status, comparable to the all-round

inundation (vide Bhagavad Gita 2.46), namley the height of right perception.

 

This being the case,

 

19. Therefore, nattache, always do the work that has to be done; for,

doing

work with detachment, man attains the Supreme.

 

19.1 Therefore, unattached, i.e. without clinging to the fruits of works,

 

always do the work that calls for the doing-the obligatory work. Because,

by

doing works for the sake of God, man attains supreme liberation, through the

 

purification of the mind.

 

Also because,

 

20. Janaka and others achieved perfection through works alone. At least,

to

promote the welfare of the world, you ought to do works.

 

20.1 It is weel known that wise Ksatriyas in the past sought perfection

or

liberation by means of works alone. Who were they? Janaka and others like

him,

for example, Asvapati. If they are held to have attained right perception

due

to their past operative works (Prarabdha Karma), directed to world's

welfare,

they attained perfection while still doing works i.e. without renouncing

them.

This is the sense of this verse. If, however, Janaka etc., had not attained

 

right perception, the verse may be taken to mean that they sought perfection

 

through the process of working, the means of mental purification.

 

20.2 Now you may think that even these ancient Ksatriyas, Janaka and so

forth, discharged their duties because they were ignorant of Self, and,

therefore, that another, a perfect man with the right perception, need not

follow suit. Still, being subject to operative works, you ought to work in

order to promote world's welfare, i.e. to safeguard people from falling into

 

wrong paths of conduct.

Thanks and kind regards

 

21.0 Why should world's welfare be promoted? Listen:

 

21. Whatever is done by the best of men, others also do; the world

conforms

to the standard that he sets.

 

21.1 Whatever work the best, the foremost man, does, other men also,

following him, do. Again only the standard sets up, secular or Vedic, the

world

accepts as authoritative.

 

22.0 If you question even this obligation to pormote the world's welfare,

why

don't you observe the example I set?

 

22. I have, Arjuna! no duty whatsoever to discharge in all the three

worlds;

there is nothing I have not won, and nothing remains to be won by Me; still

I

ceaselessly work.

 

22.1 In all the three worlds, Arjuna! no duty wahtsoever exists for Me to

 

discharge. Why? 'There is nothing unobtained, and nothing yet to be

obtained,

by Me. Nevertheless I ceaselessly work.