Bhagavad Gita - Daily - II CHAPTER 3-5 II

June 7, 2009

Gita 3-5

na hi kaschit kshanam api jaatu tisthati akarma-krt

kaaryate hi avashah karma sarvah prakriti-jair gunaih

" For, no one under any circumstances can remain even for a moment, without

undertaking action because everyone is compelled to act by the modes (Gunas)

born of Nature (Prakriti). "

Comment:

The field of Prakriti is separate from the field of self. The actions belong to

the field of Prakriti and the self does not perform any action. In Prakriti,

there is tired-ness but situated in the self it is rest. As long there is a

relationship with the Prakriti, the man cannot escape for even a moment from

engaging in action.

From " Gita Prabodhani " in Hindi by Swami Ramsukhdasji

Translation by Sri Madan Kaura

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Chapter 3, Verse 5 is as follows;

Na = not

Hi = for

Kashchit = anyone

Kshanam = a moment

Api = even

Jaatu = verily

TiShthati = remains

Akarmakrut = without performing action

Kaaryate = is made

Hi = for

AvashaH = helpless

Karma = action

SarvaH = all

PrakrutijaiH = born of nature

GuNaiH = by the qualities

English translation:-

None can ever remain really inactive even for a moment; for everyone is

helplessly driven to action by the impulses rooted in the three GuNaas i.e.

qualities namely Sattva, Rajasa and Tamasa, which are born out of Prakriti i.e.

the Mother Nature.

Comment:

Life in all its forms is characterized by activity; and constant change is the

law of life. No man can do without action, even for a fraction of a second. The

great English poet, William Wordsworth has described this state of perpetual

activity as follows;

" The eye cannot choose but see, we cannot bid the ear be still,

Our bodies feel where ever they be against or with our will. " -William

Wordsworth

So long as we lead embodied lives, we cannot escape from action. Without work,

no life form can be sustained in this mortal world. To be free from desire, from

the illusion of personal interest is the true non-action and not physical

abstention from activity.

One cannot abstain from basic activities of eating, sleeping, breathing, beating

of the heart etc. as these are the hallmarks of a vibrant state of every form of

life on this Earth. All these Karmas are born of Prakruti which is in a state of

continuous flux.

" Those who are enlisted as indoor patients in a hospital cannot get out of it

until they are cured. After the curing process is completed, they have no need

to be in the hospital. Similarly beings that suffer from the ailments of

ignorance are hospitalized in Prakruti. They are being effectively treated with

Karma for enlightenment. With the dawn of Brahma-Jnanam, they quit Prakruti and

attain action-less-ness. " …… Shri Ramakrishna Paramahansa.

Please refer verses 8 and 9 from chapter 5 in Shreemad Bhagawad Geeta, wherein

Lord Krishna has described that the knower of the Truth, united with the Self,

thinks that he does nothing at all; even though his sensory organs are engaged

in sense objects while performing various actions of seeing, hearing, touching,

smelling, eating, moving, sleeping, breathing, speaking, releasing, seizing,

opening and closing the eyes, almost like reflex actions. On the contrary, total

inactivity is the characteristic of utterly insentient matter.

There are three types of GuNaas of the inherent and intrinsic Vaasanaas that

initiate thought processes resulting into worldly desires and thus culminating

into concrete actions.

Tamasa is the state of ignorance, inertia and inactivity. In this state of being

indolent and indifferent, one is prone to inactivity. Nidraa (sleep), Aalasya

(laziness) and Pramaada (carelessness and blunder) are the hallmarks of a

Tamasic person.

Rajasa is the state of passion, desire, activity and resultant constant

agitations. A Rajasika person is always engaged in `Sankalpa and Vikalpa' i.e.

various mental resolves and hesitations. His mind is always vacillating between

emotions of pleasure and despair. He is in constant search of acquisition and

enjoyments of pleasures in this mortal world. Engagement in desire driven

activities coupled with constant restlessness is the hallmark of a Rajasika

person.

Sattva is the state of equanimity, serenity, purity and a fine balance between

one's physical body, mind and intellect. A Sattvika person is contemplative and

meditative. He is detached from worldly hurry-burry, din and bustle etc. He is

always focused on the ultimate Reality i.e. the Brahman that pervades the entire

Universe.

Please refer verse 40 in chapter 18 in Shreemad Bhagawad Geeta, wherein Lord

Krishna has asserted, " There is no being, either on the Earth or even in the

Heaven, who is free from these three GuNaas or qualities born of Prakruti i.e.

Mother Nature " .

However, the Self or the Aatman i.e. the subset of the Brahman has no such

GuNaas or qualities. It is immaculate and unsullied by the GuNaas. `Aksharam

Brahma Paramam' i.e. the Brahman is imperishable and immutable.

If all the three GuNaas are in equal proportion i.e. 33.33% then no action is

initiated. As per principles of Physics, if any one of the three internal forces

i.e. GuNaas, crosses this threshold then action gets initiated. Therefore, it is

in the interest of every Sadhaka to initiate action maximizing the Saattvika

GuNa because `Sattvaat Sanjaayate Dnyaanam' i.e. from Sattva GuNa arises Supreme

knowledge, whereas from Rajas Guna arises Greed and from Tamasa GuNa arise

heedlessness, delusion and ignorance. Please refer verse 17 from chapter 14 of

Shreemad Bhagawad Geeta. Lord Krishna's advice to Arjuna is that with the right

attitude of mind, one can conserve internal energy and maximise gain from an

action.

Thanks & Best Regards,

Shrikant Joshi

June 8, 2009

Gita 3-5na hi kaschit kshanam api jaatu tisthati akarma-krtkaaryate hi avashah karma sarvah prakriti-jair gunaih"For, no one under any circumstances can remain even for a moment, without undertaking action because everyone is compelled to act by the modes (Gunas) born of Nature (Prakriti)."Comment:'Na hi kascitksanamapi jatu tisthatyakarmakrt' — In the Disciplines of Action, Knowledge and Devotion, no striver can ever remain without performing actions. Hence the terms 'Kaschit' (anyone), 'ksanam1 (a moment) and 'jaatu' (verily) are uncommon. Here, the term 'kaschit' denotes, that no one whether he is wise or ignorant, can remain without performing action. Though a wise man may have no relation with his so-called body, yet actions are constantly performed by it. The term 'ksanam1 denotes, that a man does not assume that he performs actions constantly, but he cannot remain without performing action, even for a moment, so long as he assumes his affinity for the body. The term 'jaatu' means that a man cannot remain without performing action, in any state such as wakefulness, sleep, sound sleep and unconsciousness. The Lord explains the reason by the term 'avashah' (helplessly) in the second half of the verse, by declaring that he has to act helplessly by impulses bom of nature. Nature is ever changeful. A striver has to do nothing for himself. He has to perform actions sanctioned by the scriptures, for the welfare of others. So far as forbidden actions are concerned, they cannot be performed by a striver, because his aim is God-realization.Many people regard, only those actions as actions, which are performed by the gross body. But according to the Gita, the activities undertaken by the body, speech or mind are also regarded as actions (GIta 18/15). And those actions, whether physical or mental to which a man is attached, lead him to bondage.Generally, people regard their professions, such as business, service or teaching and nursing of children etc., as actions, but they do not consider eating, drinking, sleeping, waking and thinking etc., as actions. So, when they renounce their profession, they think that they are not performing actions. But it is a serious error on their part. All the activities performed by the physical body, for the purpose of earning a living, actions performed by the subtle body like sleeping and thinking and in trance, performed by the causal body, are all regarded as actions. So long as, a man has ego and sense of mineness with the body, the activities performed by body are actions as the body is an evolute of nature and nature is never inactive. So, a person having egoism and attachment to the body, cannot remain without performing action, in either of the states, either of activity or inactivity.'Karyate hyavasah karma sarvah prakrtijairgunaih' — Everyone is made to act helplessly, by the modes of nature (prakrti) because nature and its modes are ever active (GIta 3/27, 13/29). Though, the soul is inactive, detached, imperishable, uniform and unconnected, yet so long as, it being attached to nature and its evolute—the gross, subtle and causal bodies wants to derive pleasure and remains helpless under the control of nature (GIta 14/5). This helplessness of the self, under the control of nature, is due to affinity with nature. This has also been mentioned, in the eighth verse of the ninth chapter and the nineteenth verse of the eighth chapter.Individual nature is molded by tendencies and tendencies are born of modes and modes in their term evolve from prakrti. Therefore, to be subjected to nature or modes or prakrti is one and the same thing. As a matter of fact, subjection to the prakrti and its evolutes, is the root-cause of all bondage. The same, on different occasions, has been defined as subjection to time, nature, action and prakrti etc. So long as, the self (soul) does not become free from nature and its modes i.e. does not realize God, it remains helpless under the control of modes, time, nature, pleasures and even persons, property etc. But wehn it transcends the modes of nature and realizes the self or God, it does not remain helpless, it attains freedom which is axiomatic. Does not include Appendix and Noteworthy section. From "The Bhagavadgita - Sadhak Sanjivani" in English pg 216-263