Bhagawad Gita Ch.3 Ver.23-29 [Sri Adi Shankara]

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23. Indeed O Arjuna! if at any time, I do not work tirelessly, men will

in

all possible ways, tread that path of Mine.

 

23.1 Again, if at any time, Arjuna! I do not tirelessly, without

indolence,

work, men will follow, in all possible ways, that path of the best of men,

namely of Myself.

 

24.0 What harm is there if they do so? Answer:

 

24. If I don't work, the worlds will perish; I may cause confusion, and

may

ruin these living beings.

 

24.1 If I work not, all the worlds 'will perish'-will be ruined in the

absence of work that maintains their equilibrium. Also I shall cause

confusion,

and thus destroy these living beings. Seeking to confer a blessing on them,

I

might work their ruin. It will ill accord with My character as God.

 

25.0 Like Me, if you think you have reached goal of being a knower of

Self in

your own right, you may have no duty to perform; still you should work to

promote others' well-being. Says the Lord:

 

25. Prince of the Bharata line! just as the ignorant wrok with attachment

to

that work, so should the wise work, unattached, seeking the world's

integration.

 

25.1 'With attachment to that work' the ignorant work, thinking that the

fruits of the work will accrue to them; so, the wise man, a knower of the

Self,

should work 'unatached'. Why should he do so? Listen! Out of eagerness to

work

for the world's integration.

 

 

 

26.0 For Me, the Self-knower, thuseager to promote the world's

well-being, or

for any other like Me, there is no duty other than the promotion of that

well-

being. Hence is this instruction addressed to the knower of the Self.

 

26. The integrated man of wisdom should not bewilder the mind of the

ignorant

attched to works; performing them all, let him cause them (also) to do so.

 

26.1 Bewilderment of the mind is a split in, a jolt to, the conviction,

"I

must do this work and enjoy its fruit". The man of wisdom should not cause

it to

the ignorant who do not discriminate and are attached to works. What then

should he do? He should cause them to do all works by doing them himself,

integratedly.

 

27.0 How does the unwise man, ignorant of the Self, get attached to

works?

Answer:

 

27. Works are being done in all ways by the constituents of Prakrti. He

whose mind is deluded by egoism thinks 'I am the agent.'

 

27.1 Prakrti is Pradhana the state of equilibrium of the constituents,

sattva, rajas, and tamas. These constituents are transformations of Prakrti

as

effects and instruments. By these are works, secular and scriptural, done

in

all possible ways. Egoism is the conceit of self in the complex of effects

and

instruments-the body and sense-organs. He whose inner sense is deluded in

manifold ways by egoism, who identifies himself with the body and its

instruments due to ignorance, ascribes works to the Self, thinking, "I am

the

doer of works."

 

28.0 As for the wise man:

 

28. O Hero! on the contrary, the knower of the truth of the distinction

between constituents of Prakrti and their operations does not attach himself

to

works knowing that constituents operate amidst constituents.

 

28.1 On the contrary, O hero! 'the knower of the truth' i.e.,-the

distinction

between Prakrti's constituents and their works. The idea refers to the

knower

of the truth of the class of constituents and the class of works. The

constitutents of Prakrti are the essence of the instruments of works; the

same

constituents operate amidst themselves as objects. The Self does not

operate at

all. So deeming, the truth-knower does not get attached.

 

Again,

 

29. Those who are deluded by Prakrti's constituents cling to the works of

 

these constituents. The knower of the whole ought not to destabilize the

dull

and partial knowers.

 

29.1 Those who are wholly deluded by Prakrti's constituents cling to the

works of these constituents, thinking, "We work for the fruits of works."

The

knower 'of the Whole' of the Self, should not destabilize the dull-witted,

partial knowers who cling thus to works. The spitting of their

understanding is

destabilization. That is ought not to be attempted is the idea.