Gita Satsang - Chapter 5 : Verse 11-15 - Jan. 22, 2001

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Namaste,

 

Namaste,

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mat chittaaH mat gata-praaNaaH bodhayantaH parasparam.h .

kathayantaH cha maa.n nitya.n tushhyanti cha ramanti cha ..

 

shriimad-bhagavad-giitaa 10:9

'With their thought on Me, with their life absorbed in Me,

instructing each other, and ever speaking of Me,

they are content and delighted.'

Ch.10:v.9.

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Gita [cotd.] Ch. V : ver. 11-15 [with Shankara-Bhashya, tr.

Sw.Gambhirananda]*

 

[from now on I am omitting the pada-chchheda, pada-artha, and anvaya

sections. pada-artha is given by Shankara in the commentary; the

other two I shall add only if a majority of readers request it.]

 

##shlokaH . [= verse]

kaayena manasaa bud.hdhyaa kevalairindriyairapi .

yoginaH karma kurvanti saN^ga.n tyaktvaatmashuddhaye .. 11..

 

##anuvaadaH . [= translation]

11. By giving up attachment, the yogis undertake work merely through

the body, mind, intellect and even the organs, for the purification

of themselves.

 

Since tyaktvaa, by giving up sa~Ngam, attachment with regard to

results; yoginaH, the yogis, men of action; kurvanti, undertake;

karma, work; kevalaiH, merely- this word is to be construed with each

of the words, body etc., so as to deny the idea of ownership with

regard to all actions-; kaayena, through the body; manasaa, through

the mind; buddhyaa, through the intellect; and api, even; indriyaiH,

through the organs, which are devoid of the idea of ownership, which

are unassociated with ownership thus: 'I act only for God, and not

for my gain'; aatmashuddhaye, for the purification of themselves,

i.e., for the purification of the heart, therefore you have

competence only for that. So you undertake action alone.

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And also since,

 

##shlokaH . [= verse]

yuktaH karmaphalaM tyaktvaa shaantimaapnoti naishhThikiim.h .

ayuktaH kaamakaareNa phale sakto nibadhyate .. 12..

 

##anuvaadaH . [= translation]

12. Giving up the result of work by becoming resolute in faith, one

attains Peace arising from steadfastness. One who is lacking in

resolute faith, being attached to the result under the impulsion of

desire, becomes bound.

 

tyaktvaa, giving up; karma-phalam, the result of work; yuktaH, by

becoming resolute in faith, by having this conviction thus-'Actions

are for God, not for my gain'; aapnoti, attains; shaantim, Peace,

called Liberation; naishhThikiim arising from steadfastness. It is

to be understood that he attains this through the stages of

purification of the heart, acquisition of Knowledge, renunciation of

all actions, and steadfastness in Knowledge.

 

On the other hand, however, he who is ayuktaH, lacking in resolute

faith; he, phale saktah, being attached to result; thinking, 'I am

doing this work for my gain'; kama-kaarena, under the impulsion of

desire-kara is the same as karana (action); the action of desire

(kama-kara; under that impulsion of desire, i.e. being prompted by

desire; nibadhyate, gets bound. Therefore you become resolute in

faith. This is the idea.

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But one who has experienced the supreme Reality-

 

##shlokaH . [= verse]

sarvakarmaaNi manasaa sa.nnyasyaaste sukhaM vashii .

navadvaare pure dehii naiva kurvanna kaarayan.h .. 13..

 

##anuvaadaH . [= translation]

13. The embodied man of self-control, having given up all actions

mentally, continues happily in the town of nine gates, without doing

or causing (others) to do anything at all.

 

aaste, he continues; sukham, happily; sa.nnyasya, having given up;

sarva-karmaaNi, all actions-nitya, naimittika, kaamya and nishhiddha

(prohibited actions); [see note on p. 128.-Tr.] manasaa, mentally,

through discriminating wisdom-i.e. having given up (all actions) by

seeing inaction in action, etc. Freed from the activities of speech,

mind and body, effortles, placid in mind, and devoid of all external

wants which are different from the Self, he continues happily. This

is what has been said.

 

Where and how does the vashii, man of self-control, i.e. one who has

his organs under control, remain? This is being answered: nava-

dvare pure, in the town with nine gates, of which seven [Two ears,

two eyes nostrils, and mouth.] are in the head for one's own

experiences, and two are below for urination and defecation. As

possessed of those gates, it is called the 'town with nine gates'.

Being like a town, the body is called a town with the Self as its

only master. And it is inhabited by the organs, mind, intellect and

objects, like citizens, as it were, which serve its needs and which

are productive of many results and experience. Renouncing all

actions, the dehii, embodied one, resides in that town with nine

gates.

 

Objection: What is the need of this specification? For all embodied

beings, be they monks or not, reside in bodies to be sure! That

being so, the specification is needless.

 

The answer is: The embodied one, however, who is unenlightened, who

perceives merely the aggregate of the body and organs as the Self,

he, in his totality, thinks, 'I am in a house, on the ground, or on

the seat.' For one who experiences the body alone as the Self, there

can certainly be no such conviction as, 'I am in the body, like one's

being in a house.' But, for one who realizes the Self as distinct

from the aggregate of body etc. it becomes reasonable to have the

conviction, 'I am in the body. It is reasonable that as a result of

knowledge in the form of discriminating wisdom, there can be a mental

renunciation of the actions of others, which have been ignorantly

superimposed on the supreme Self. Even in the case of one in whom

has arisen discriminating wisdom and who has renounced all actions,

there can be, like staying in a house, the continuance in the body

itself-the town with nine gates-as a consequence of the persistence

of the remnants of the results of past actions which have started

bearing fruit, because the awareness of being distinct (from the

body) arises while one is in the body itself. From the point of view

of the difference between the convictions of the enlightened and the

unenlightened persons, the qualifying words, 'He continues in the

body itself', do have a purpose to serve.

 

Although it has been stated that one continues (in the body) by

relinquishing actions of the body and organs ignorantly superimposed

on the Self, still there may be the apprehension that direct or

indirect agentship inheres in the Self. Anticipating this, the Lord

says: na eva kurvan, without himself doing anything at all; and na

kaarayan, not causing (others) to do, (not) inducing the body and

organs to activity.

 

Objection: Is it that the direct or indirect agentship of the

embodied one inheres in the Self and ceases to be after renunciation,

as the movement of a traveller ceases with the stoppage of his

movement? Or, is it that they do not exist owing to the very nature

of the Self?

 

As to this, the answer is: The Self by Its nature has neither direct

nor indirect agentship. For it was stated, 'It is said that...This

(Self) is unchangeable' (2.25). 'O son of Kunti, although existing in

the body, It does not act, nor is It affected' (13.31). And it is

also stated in the Upanisad, 'It seems to meditate, as it were; It

seems to move, as it were' (Br. 4.3.7).

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##shlokaH . [= verse]

na kartR^itva.n na karmaaNi lokasya sR^ijati prabhuH .

na karmaphalasa.nyogaM svabhaavastu pravartate .. 14..

 

##anuvaadaH . [= translation]

14. The Self does not create agentship or any objects (of desire) for

anyone; nor association with the results of actions. But it is

Nature that acts.

 

prabhuH, the Self; na sR^ijati, does not create; lokasya, for anyone;

kartR^itvam, agentship, by saying 'Do this'; or even karmaani, any

objects-such objects as chariot, pot, palace, etc. which are

intensely longed for; nor even karma-phala-samyogam, association with

the results of actions-association of the creator of a chariot etc.

with the result of his work.

 

Objection: If the embodied one does not do anything himself, and

does not make others do, then who is it that engages in work by doing

and making others do?

 

The answer is: tu, but; it is svabhaavah, Nature- one's own (sva)

nature (bhava)-characterized as ignorance, Maya, which will be spoken

of in, 'Since this divine Maya' (7.14); pravartate, that acts.

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But from the highest standpoint-

 

##shlokaH . [= verse]

naadatte kasyachitpaapaM na chaiva sukR^itaM vibhuH .

aGYaanenaavR^itaM GYaanaM tena muhyanti jantavaH .. 15..

 

 

##anuvaadaH . [= translation]

15. The Omnipresent neither accepts anybody's sin nor even virtue.

Knowledge remains covered by ignorance. Thereby the creatures become

deluded.

 

vibhuh, the Omnipresent; na adatte, neither accepts; kasyachit,

anybody's-even a devotee's; paapam, sin; na ca eva, nor even; does He

accept sukR^itam, virtue offered by devotees. Why then are such

virtuous acts as worship etc. as also sacrifices, charity, oblation,

etc. offered by devotees? To this the Lord says: Jnanam, knowledge,

discriminating wisdom; remains aavR^itam, covered; aj~naanena, by

ignorance. tena, thereby; jantavah, the creatures, the non-

discriminating people in the world; muhyanti, become deluded thus-'I

do; I make others do; I eat; I make others eat.'

 

 

 

Regards,

 

s.

[Guest guest]

Namaste:

 

Verse 11

Lord Krishna talks of the Karmayogi who is predominantly a man of

action. Just as in the previous verses He described how and in what

spirit the mind, intellect, sense, vital airs and body of a

Sankhyayogi acte. In the present verse He tells us how and in what

spirit the Karmayogi who is predominantly a man of action works. The

statement that a Karmayogi who performs his actions in the above

manner is not touched by sin but attains purity of heart, raises

several questions:

1 Does the practice of Karmayoga lead to the purification of the

heart?

2 Does Karmayoga bring some higher reward in addition to the above?

3 What is the harm if one performs noble actions with an interested

motive?

The Lord throws some light on these questions in the next several

verses:

 

Verse 12

The word `Yuktah' was interpreted here in the sense of a `Karmayogi'

and it should be noted that the meaning of this word varies according

to the context. In this verse, it has been used with reference to one

who has renounced the fruit of all one's actions therefore, here it

must be taken to mean a `Karmayogi'. Here it has been stated that the

Karmayogi remains untainted by his actions and attains peace in the

shape of God-Realization, whereas the man who works with an interested

motive gets into bondage in the shape of birth and death. But the

picture of the Sankhyayogi was left incomplete. Taking up the broken

thread again, the Lord now proceeds to describe the state of the

Sankhyayoga.

 

Verse 13

Although a Sankhyayogi, as judged by his own viewpoint, ceases to

have any connection with the body, mind and senses, and remains

constantly established in identity with God, the embodiment of Truth,

Knowledge and Bliss, still, in the eyes of the world, he is no more

than one encased in a mortal body. Hence he has been called a `Dehi.

The same word has been used in verse 20 of Chapter 14 also with

reference to one who has risen above the three Gunas or modes of

Prakrti. And the Sankhyayogi has been called a `Vasi'

(self-controlled) because from the worldly point of view the

activities of his mind, intellect, and senses are regulated according

to the injunctions of the scriptures and conducive to the interests of

the world order. The Sankhyayogi no longer identifies himself with

the body and the senses nor regards them as his own; therefore, he

neither claims the doership of actions performed by them nor holds

himself even indirectly responsible for them.

 

The nine cavities of the human body referred to as nine gates in this

verse are: a pair, of eyes, a pair of ears, a pair of nostrils and a

mouth-all located in the 'head or uppermost part of the human body,

and the organs of reproduction and defecation situated in the lowest

extremity of the trunk. Being the seats of four out of five senses of

perception and three out of the five organs of action, these nine

cavities represent the ten Indriyas; and hence relegating actions to

the body of these nine gates is equivalent to relegating the functions

of the ten Indriyas to the Indriyas themselves. Being the seat of all

the ten Indriyas as well as the mind, the body too denotes the

aggregate of all the instruments of action. Actually renouncing all

forms of activity one cannot even carry on one's existence. Therefore,

a Sankhyayogi's renunciation is only mental, a renunciation through

the faculty of discrimination and reasoning of doership as well as of

instrumentality in respect of all actions. It is in order to bring out

this idea clearly that the verb `Samnyasya' has been qualified by the

word `Manasa'.

 

Verse 14

The word `Prabhuh' in this verse denotes the almighty God, the

creator, preserver and destroyer of the whole creation. The

scriptures, wherever they speak of God as responsible for the creation

etc, of the universe, refer only to God with attributes. The Lord

seeks to convey that the doership of men with reference to their

actions is not ordained by God. Under the spell of egotism the

ignorant regard themselves as the doer. To be more explicit, God does

not commission that one must perform a certain good or evil act; for

in that case the injunction and interdiction of the scriptures would

become futile and meaningless. Lord Krishna points out that due to our

ignorance, we associate our actions, by assuming doership through

attachment to the fruits of our actions. Had these been predetermined

by God, it would become impossible for any one to shake off the

bondage of karma to attain salvation. Our strategy therefore should

be to renounce the fruit of our actions as well as attachment to those

actions.

 

Now the Lord explains how does one performs a good or evil act if God

didn't ordain the doership: The Lord says that all this is being done

by Prakrti, or Nature, appearing in the form of the three Gunas -

Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. These gunas are responsible for the morbid

feelings such as likes and dislikes etc, and good and evil actions and

their latencies. Every one of us (jivas) who have not risen above

them have been fully buried underneath. Consequently, we are possessed

by the sense of doership, deluded by egoism, attached to the actions

along with their fruits and got bound by them. In reality, however,

the Atman has got nothing to do with these.

 

Here arises another question: Does the Lord Himself reap the fruit of

the good and evil actions of the pursuer who has dissociated from the

actions and the fruits of the actions by offering them to the Lord?

This question is answered by the Lord in the following verse:-

 

Verse 15

The Lord answers by saying that He does not receive the virtue or sin

of anyone! Implicitly, the Lord conveys that all actions are performed

by everyone through His energy; it is He who endows everyone with

energy, intelligence and senses etc, according to their past Karma; He

does not receive the actions performed by them nor he reaped their

fruit Himself. In the last verse of this very chapter and also in the

twenty-fourth verse of Chapter 9, the Lord says that He is the enjoyer

of all sacrifices and austerities. How are we to reconcile those

statements with that contained in this verse?

 

At first it may appear that there is a contradiction between these two

statements. But after contemplation, we should be able remove our

confusion. It should be noted that the whole universe is a

manifestation of Ishwara (God) with attributes. Hence it is He who

enjoys all sacrifices in the form of divinities. Nevertheless, in

reality He has nothing to do with our actions or their fruit. This is

why He says that He does not receive the virtue or sin of anyone. He

is the enjoyer of all our sacrifices and austerities and at the same

time, He is very unconnected with them in the same way as He is unborn

though accepting birth (chapter 4, verse 6) and remains a non-doer

though performing the functions of creation, preservation and

destruction of the universe (chapter 4, verse 13). Hence it is but

reasonable to say that God does not receive the virtues of anyone.

 

regards,

 

Ram Chandran