Bhagavatgita a detailed study chapter 18-Liberation through renunciation

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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.

 

40.

na thadhasthi prThivyaam vaa dhivi dheveshu vaa punaH

 

Satthvam prakrthijaiH muktham yath ebhih

syaath thribhiH

gunaiH

 

There is no being on earth or among the devas in

heaven free from the nature of these three gunas.

 

The word prThivyaam includes all the worlds below earth also and dhivi denotes all the

worlds above. Both sentient and insentient beings are the compositon of the

three gunas and the word punaH mean that

this is so again and again in the process of creation.

 

So far Krishna has explained the thyaga as

performing karma according to one's varna

and asrama without attachment and expectation of result. Now he starts

elucidating the various karmas of the different class of people as ordained by

their gunas.

 

Krishna here describes the

attributes of the four varnas according to the three gunas.

 

41.

brahmaNakshathriyavisaam SoodhraaNaam cha paranthapa

 

karmaaNi pravibhakthaani

svabhaavaprabhavaiH guNaiH

 

The actions of brahmana, kshathriya, vaisya and

sudra, oh scorcher of foes, are

determined by the nature of their gunas.

 

This is just an elucidation of the earlier statement,

 

chathurvarNyam

mayaa srshtam guNathrayavibhaagaSah

(BG.4-13) `The four orders of society are created by Me

according to the differences in their attitude and actions.'

 

 

 

 

42.

Samo dhamaH thapaH Soucham kshaanthiH aarjavam eva

Cha

 

Jnaanam vijnaanam aasthikyam brahmakarma

Svabhaavajam

 

The nature of actions of a brahmana is described as

that consisting of control of senses and the mind, austerity, purity,

forbearance, uprightness, knowledge, and application of it and faith.

 

The strength of a brahmana consists in these

qualities. Vasishta, brahmarshi could not be conquered by Visvamithra even

though he did not fight back. Kshaanthi is the patience hat comes from the

mental strength.Visvamithra said, being astounded by the power of Vasishta,

said,

 

Dhik

balam kshathriya balam brhamthejobalam balam,

 

Fie on the strength of a kshathriya, the power of a brahmin

is the real power.

 

43.Souryam

thejo DhrthiH dhaakshyam yudDhe chapi

Apalaayanam

 

Dhaanam eeSvarabhaavScha kshaathram karma

Svabhaavajam

 

Valour, invincibility, steadiness, adroitness, and

non-fleeing from battle, generosity and lordliness are the traits of a

kshathriya. An example of a kshathriya endowed with all these qualities was

Bheeshma.

 

44.

krshiH gourakshyavaaNijayam vaiSyakarma svabhaavajam

 

Paricharyaathmakam karma Soodhrasyaapi

svabhaavajam

 

Agriculture, cattle-breeding and trade are the

natural duties for a vaisya and for sudhra it is one of service.

 

So whichever karma that is natural to one is due to

the texture of the three qualities that makes the individual and this makes it

all the more clear that the varnas are by nature of the individual and not by

birth.

 

 

45.

sve sve karmaNi abhirathaH samsiddHim labhathe naraH

 

svakarmanirathaH sidDhim yaThaa vindhathi

tatha SrNu

 

Intent on doing his own work, one will be able to

attain salvation Listen How he

accomplishes this while engaged in his own work.

 

 

46.yathaH

pravrtthiH bhoothaanaam yena sarvam idham

Thatham

 

svakarmaNaa tham abhyarchya sidDhim

vindhathi

maanavaH

 

Worshipping Him, from whom the actions of all beings

originate and by whom all this is pervaded, through his own work, the man

attains salvation.

 

The veda says,

 

braahmaNo

asya mukham aaseeth bahoo raajaanyaH krthaH

 

ooroo

thath asya yath vaiStaH padhbhyaam Soodhro ajaayatha

 

The Brahmins were born from the face of the Lord.

This signifies their svadharma being the learning and the teaching of the Vedas

and sastras. Kshathriyas were born from the arms. Thus they stand for the

strength needed for protection. Vaisyas who are supposed to travel and procure

the needed commodities for the society are born from the thighs of the Lord.

Soodhras are born from the feet signifying service to the society. It is to be

noted that no varna is inferior being originated from that limbs of the Lord ,

least of all being the soodhras because it is the feet of the Lord all bow down

to.

 

Next comes the sloka which was misinterpreted often

and was the cause of the evil that is perpetrated by the caste system.

 

47.SreyAn

svadharmO vigunah paradharmAth vanushtithAth

 

svabhAva niyatham karma kurvan naapnothi

kilbisham

 

Better is one's own duty, however badly done than

that of another because by doing his duty ordained by his nature no one incurs

stain.

 

Krishna has explained so far about

doing work as worship and the work which comes naturally to one is that to be

undertaken. So there is no mention about doing the work which is assigned to

the caste in which one is born because

the caste- distinction is man-made and has no sanction of the

scriptures.

 

Here it should be noted that Arjuna wanted to give

up his duty as a kshathriya because it involved killing of his elders and opted

for the life of a hermit and Krishna, in saying that his own work , though

considered to be faulty is better than that of another , namely that of a

recluse, though it may seem to be superior. The reason for this is given in the

next sloka.

 

48.Sahajam

karma kountheya sadhoshamapi na thayajeth

 

sarvArambhA hi

dhosheNadhoomerAgnirivAvrthAh

 

One should not relinquish work that comes naturally

to him though it may be imperfect because all work is enveloped by

imperfections as the fire with smoke.

 

The meaning is that any work undertaken may be

difficult at first and may present a picture that the grass is greener on the

other side. It is usually the case in the world. Everyone complains about his

lot and thinks that the other man is

doing a much simpler job and getting better results. but when he switches jobs he finds that he was not cut out for it

and finds himself to be a square peg in a round hole. This is most important in

students when they select a course of study just because that presents a

possibility of getting more lucrative jobs, instead of pursuing course for which they have the aptitude. This

they do out of their own desire or by the persuasion of their parents.

 

Spiritually speaking, it means that till one is

ready for jnanayoga karma yoga is the best. Krishna

elaborates on the jnana yoga next and culminates His discourse by extolling

bhakthiyoga.