Glory of the Gita- third chapter-story by Paramesvaran

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The main theme of the chapter is karmayoga and the most important sloka

that defines it is,

 

mayi sarvAnNi karmANI sanyasyaDHyAthma chEthasA

nirASeer nirmamo bhoothvA yuDhyasva vigathajvarah(BG.3-30)

 

Surrendering all work to Me without the sense of doership and with a

mind free from desires and attachments fight on in the world, says

Krishna to Arjuna

 

The Supreme self is the Chaitanya and without it the man is a jada.The

way of impulses lead one astray and it is quite common , says the Lord,

'sadhrsam chEshtathE svasyAh prakrthEh jnAnavAn api

prakrthim yAnthi bhoothAni nigrahahkim karishyathi'(BG.3-33)

Even a man of knowledge behaves according to his nature and all beings

are led by their natural impulses and how can it be repressed?

Her knowledge is only learning from scriptures but not real knowledge

of Brahman, the supreme reality.

This chapter extolls one's svadharma and denounces adopting an action

which is against svadharma, which is what Jada was doing, inspite of

being born in a family of priests he neglcted his svadharma and engaged

in dushkarma.

The way out of this plight is also shp own in the chapter by the last

sloka,

Evam budDHEh param budDHvA samsthabyAthn mAnam AthmanA

jahi Sathrum mahAbAhO kAmarupam dhurasadham (BG.3-43)

Knowing the ParamAthman to be even beyond the intellect, kill this

enemy called desire,who is 'mahASanO mahA pApma,'voracious and great

sinner.So with the help of Chaithanya the inner self the Jada is able

to attain salvation.

sarojaRamanujam