Bhagavatgita a detailed study chapter 18-Liberation through renunciation

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29.budDheh bhedham DhrtheH chaiva

gunathah thriviDham

SrNu

 

prochyamaanam aSesheNa prThakthvena Dhananjaya

 

Of

understanding and fortitude, Dhananjaya, you listen to the three kinds of

difference according to gunas, totally and also individually.

 

Jnanam

arises only through proper understanding, which is also of three kinds,

according to the gunas. Fortitude means consistency of effort essential for the

completion of a work which is also of three kinds.

 

30. pravrtthim cha nivrthhim cha kaaryaakaarye bhayaabhaye

 

banDham moksham cha yaa vetthi buddhiH saa paarTha

saathvikee

The

proper understanding of pravrtthi marga and nivrtthi marga, of what should be

done and what not, of fear and fearlessness and bondage and release , Arjuna, ,

is the saathvik understanding.

 

Pravrtthi

marga consists in performing the duties according to varna and asrama but as an offering to the

Lord and without attachmant, in short, as karmayoga. Karmayogis like Janaka and

yajnavalkya are the illustrations of this.Thismsi suited for those in

grhasthasrama.

 

Nivrtthi

marga is giving up all worldly activities and pursue the path to maoksha. This

is for sannyasi and saint-devotees like sanakaadhi, Narada rshabha Suka etc.

 

Saathvika

understanding is to know both pravrtthi and Nivrtthi as they are and without

confusion.

 

The

actions which should be done, kaarya, are those enji oined by the Vedas and the

dutties according to the varna

and asrama. Akaarya or the actions that should be avoided are those which go

against the above.

 

Fear,

bhaya comes out of ignorance of understanding one's duties and obligations and

the greatest fear of all is that of death. abhaya is the freedom from fear

which arise out of analysing the cause

of all fears including that death and

understanding that one is not the body, mind and intellect but the imperishable

Self.

 

Identification

with the body through ignorance creates

bondage, banDha due to the attachment to the body. Knowing this one gets free

from bondage, which is moksha.

 

31. yayaa Dharmam aDharmam cha

kaaryam cha akaaryam eva

Cha

 

ayaThaavath prajaanaathi budDhiH saa paarTha raajasee

 

raajasik

understanding, Arjuna, is that which misunderstands dharma and adharma and the act to be done and that not to be done.

 

Dharma is described in the dharmasastra as having

four parts, namely, sathyam, dhyaa, SaanthiH and ahimsaa. These should be

understood according to the context and circumstances. If one lacks proper

understanding , the acts of dharma will turn out to be adharma.

For

example an act of truth should be accompanied with the dhaya and ahimsa. This

was discussed in chapter17 sloka15 in explaining the Upanishadic injunction sathyam brooyaath priyam brooyaath.

 

Similarly

the actions that should be done and those to be avoided should be

understood properly according to the varna and asrama and also

with reference to the occasion.

 

32.aDharmam Dharmam ithi yaa manyathe

thamasaavrthaa

 

sarvaarThaan vipareethaan cha buddhiH saa paarTha

thaamasee

 

That

which understands adharma as dharma and like wise everything contrary to what

they are, Oh Arjuna, is thamasik.

 

Due

to delusion the thamasik doer understands dharma as adharma and vice versa. This

usually the conduct of those described as

aasurik in chapter16.

 

33. Drthyaa yayaa Dhaarayathe

manaHpraaNendhriyakriyaaH

 

Yogena avyabhichaariNyaa DhrthiH saa paarTha saathvikee

 

Arjuna,

unwavering consistent thought by which the mind , prana and senses are

established in yoga is sathvik Dhrthi.

 

This

is the state of integration described as sThithaprajna in chapter2.

 

34.yayaa thu DharamkaamaarThaan

Dhrthyaa Dhaaryathe

Arjuna

 

prasangena phalaakaangkshee DhrthiH saa paarTha

raajasee

 

But

when a man who is attached to the fruit of action is intent on attaining the

three purusharThas, dharma, arTha and kaama, (that is , without aspiring for

moksha) his Dhrthi, fortitude, Arjuna, is rajasik.

 

All

the desire motivated activities done with steadfast determination come under

raajasik Djrthi.

 

35. yayaa svapnam bhayam Sokam

vishaadham madhameva

cha

 

navimunchathi dhurmeDhaa DhrthiH saa

paarTha

thaamasee

 

One

who is steadfast in not abandoning sleep, fear, grief, depression and pride,Arjuna,

his fortitude is thamasik,

 

Even

a thasmasik doer may have steadfast determination due to obstinacy, laziness

and procrastination. This is called thaamasik Dhrthi.

 

All actions are undertaken with the expectation of

joy and no one proceeds to do something which will bring him unhappiness. But

the concept of joy and sorrow differs according to the temperament and to enjoy

eternal joy one must have a right idea of joy.

 

There are two paths prescribed to man, one is that

of preyas and the other is that of Sreyas. The former is the pleasant course of

action but not conducive to spiritual welfare. The latter is not pleasant nor

easy to follow but secures permanent happiness in the end. Hence Krishna classifies even the joy as threefold.

 

36. Yadhagre visham iva pariNaame amrthopamam

Thathsukham saathvikam proktham aathma

buddhiprasaadhajam

 

That which is like poison at first but becomes like

nectar in the end born from the serene state of mind focusing on the self, is

sAthvik pleasure.

 

37.vishayendhriyasamyogaath

yath thath agre amrthopamam

pariNaame visham iva thath sukham raajasam

smrtham

 

That pleasure arising from the sense contacts with

the objects , which is like nectar at first but turns out to be like poison in

the end is rAjasik.

 

Any discipline conducive to spiritual welfare is

difficult to pursue and hence like poison in the beginning but when it starts

yielding results it is like nectar. But the one who is full of desire and

enjoys his life goes on and on in to a

cycle birth and death, never getting a respite from samsara.

 

Even in the worldly sense all that fetch

longstanding joy are distasteful in the beginning like working hard to become

successful or to study hard to pass with flying colours. Only the one who

sacrifices his comforts in his youth, may he be a student or a business man, is

able to enjoy later the fruit of his labour . On the contrary, one who enjoys

his life while young comes to grief in his old age either due to disease or due

to poverty because sensual pleasures

result in sorrow when one is not able to enjoy them due to old age and due to

sickness which always results from overindulgence on sense objects.

 

39.Yadhagre

cha anubanDhe acha sukham mohanam

aathamanah

nidhraalasya pramaadhottham thath thaamasam

udhaahrtham

 

That pleasure which is deluding both in the

beginning and in the end, like that of sleep, laziness and mistaken notion is

thAmasik.

 

These may delude the individual into feeling happy

but it is not a real joy but a delusion. Typical example can be that of a

drunkard or drug addict.