Bhagavad Gita - Daily - II CHAPTER 3-8 II

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Gita 3-8

 

niyatam kuru karma tvam, karma jyaayo hi akarmanah

sharira-yaatraapi ca te, na prasiddhyed akarmanah

 

" Do perform your duty as prescribed by the scriptures; for action is superior to

inaction. Besides, even the maintenance of the body would not be possible for

you, by not performing action. "

 

From " Gita Prabodhani " in Hindi by Swami Ramsukhdasji

 

 

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Chapter 3, Verse 8 is as follows;

 

Niyatam = bounden / obligatory

Kuru = perform

Karma = action

Tvam = you

Karma = action

JyaayaH = superior

Hi = for

AkarmaNaH = inaction

Shareera-Yaatraa = maintenance of physical body

Api = even

Cha = and

Te = your

Na = not

Prasiddhyet = would be possible by

AkarmaNaH = inaction

 

English translation:-

 

Engage yourself in bounden / obligatory duty; for action is superior to

inaction, and if you become inactive, even the mere maintenance of your physical

body, would not be possible.

 

Comment:

 

Let us take a cue from our Mother Nature. Wherever water stagnates in a pond, it

becomes dirty and filthy with the passage of time and it starts smelling foul.

On the contrary, a running water stream continues to be pure, clear and

refreshing. If one wishes to succeed in life, attain material prosperity, mental

peace and reach the ultimate goal of Self-realisation, then one has to follow

the example of a river which moves, overcomes all obstacles in the way and

ultimately merges with an ocean. It reminds me of the famous quote of Lord

Krishna in verse 8 in chapter 7; " RasaH Aham Apsu " i.e. I am the sapidity in

water.

 

In the Sanskrit language `Niyatam' means prescribed, ordained or predetermined

by the scriptures. `Niyatam Karmas' i.e. bounden duties consist of two

components; `Nitya Karmas' i.e. regular and day to day routine duties and

`Naimittika Karmas' i.e. occasional and special duties. The allotted duties are

according to one's VarNa (Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shoodra), Aashrama

(Brahmacharyam, Grihastha, Vaanaprastha and Samyak-Nyaasa), natural inclinations

and social / cultural ethos.

 

The Sanskrit language being a very flexible language, there can be two types of

sentence constructions (Anvayas) with drastically different meanings as

illustrated below;

 

1. " Tvam Niyatam Karma Kuru " i.e. First you decide what are your bounden duties.

Every bounden duty is a complex mathematical function of multiple variables like

your Sva-Karma (own duty that appeals to your physical body, mind and

intellect), Sva-Dharma (own personal call of character based on age), Sva-Bhaava

(own natural likings) and Saha-Ja Karma (work that is born along with your own

natural birth); and then perform those bounden duties.

 

2. " Tvam Karma Niyatam Kuru " i.e. you always remain engaged in action. If there

are no qualifiers to an action, then one may mis-construe them as if free for

all scenarios.

 

In my personal opinion, the first sentence construction is the most logical and

relevant one.

 

Action is the insignia of life. If you do not initiate simple physical actions

then you are bound to vegetate and turn senile. Even sensual and material

enjoyments depend upon the physical and mental wellbeing of every person.

Willful neglect of physical action is indeed detrimental to both the material

and the spiritual progress of every Sadhaka. Therefore, inaction is tantamount

to being confined to a death bed. It is not the delayed action but the timely

action is of paramount importance. While making daily Chapaatis (Indian wheat

bread), one has to turn a Chapaati just in time so that it does not get burnt.

`Just in time action' is called `Kanban' principle in the Japanese cultural

ethos. Kanban is a signaling system to trigger timely action. Kanban has been

popularised by Mr. Taiichi Ohno of Toyota Motor Corporation by encouraging

timely action by its entire workforce. Kanban has resulted into Toyota's

superior quality of its products and processes and thus Toyota has become a

worldwide success story.

 

It is the basic principle that wherever duties are considered of prime

importance; people, societies and nations flourish and on the contrary if rights

are considered as of prime importance, then they perish. Duties towards parents,

to family members, to society and to nation are the foundations of the Indian

cultural ethos.

 

When one shirks his bounden duty, he is bound to waste his precious time in

heedlessness, laziness and sleep. Eventually, he is very likely to commit

forbidden actions including heinous crimes. Therefore, it is better to be

performing timely action with detachment rather than staying away from

performance of action.

 

Please refer verse 24 in chapter 16 in Shreemad Bhagawad Geeta, wherein Lord

Krishna advises Arjuna, " Therefore, let the scripture be your authority for

determining what should be done and what should not be done. By proper

interpretations of guidelines and rules in the scripture, you shall perform your

bounden duty in this mortal world. "

 

Similarly, please refer verses 40 to 48 in chapter 18 in Shreemad Bhagawad

Geeta. Especially the verse 48, wherein Lord Krishna advises Arjuna, " You should

not give up work suited to your own nature, even though it may be inherently

defective, for all enterprises are clouded by defects, even fire is concealed by

smoke. "

 

Lord Krishna's advice to Arjuna is, " Do not be victimized by your own idleness,

otherwise you will suffer physical debilities as well as intellectual

deterioration. Being born as a warrior, it is your bounden duty to fight for the

cause of righteousness. In the process of fighting, there will be blood shedding

and killing of your kith and kin. But that is precisely your `Swa-Dharma' as

well as `Niyatam Karma' that you ought to perform. "

 

Thanks & Best Regards,

Shrikant Joshi.

[Guest guest]

Gita 3-8

 

niyatam kuru karma tvam, karma jyaayo hi akarmanah

sharira-yaatraapi ca te, na prasiddhyed akarmanah

 

" Do perform your duty as prescribed by the scriptures; for action is superior to

inaction. Besides, even the maintenance of the body would not be possible for

you, by not performing action. "

 

Comment:—

 

'Niyataih kuru karma tvam1 — A man is permitted to perform two types of actions

— those as laid down in the scriptures such as, fasts and worship etc., and the

allotted duty according to one's caste, order of life, nature and circumstance,

such as eating food, doing business, construction of a house and guiding a

person who has lost his way and so on. It is very difficult for a man to

thoroughly perform all actions as laid down in the scriptures. But he can very

easily abandon the forbidden actions; Non-performance of prescribed actions is

not very harmful. Abandonment of forbidden actions, such as falsehood, theft and

violence etc., is very beneficial. When he abandons forbidden actions, actions

sanctioned by the scriptures, are automatically performed by him.

 

In the Discipline of Action, those action according to one's caste and

sanctioned by the scriptures, is one's allotted duty, whether it is terrible or

mild. Here Lord Krsna explains to Arjuna, that as a Kshatriya (member of the

warrior class) it is his duty to fight (Gita 18/43). Though the action involves

violence and bloodshed, yet it is his allotted duty. In the second chapter also,

the Lord told him that having regard for his own duty he should not falter (Gita

(2/31). In fact 'svadharma' (One's own duty) and 'niyatakarma' (allotted duty),

both are one and the same. For Duryodhana being a member of the warrior class,

it was his duty to fight, yet it was not his allotted duty, as being unjust he

wanted to usurp the Pandava's kingdom. For him, it was not a righteous and

prescribed, duty.

 

'Karma jyayo hyakarmanah'—The Lord, in this verse is, answering the question put

in the first verse, by using the same term 'jyayah' (superior). There, Arjuna

put the question why He was urging him to perform the terrible action of waging

the war, when according to Him knowledge was superior to action. In response to

his question the Lord declared, a person following the path of action, to be

superior to person, following the path of inaction. Thus, Arjuna wants to escape

the battle, while the Lord exhorts him to fight, as it is his allotted duty.

Therefore, the Lord in the eighteenth chapter declares, " One should not abandon

the duty suited to one's nature, even though it may be easy " (18/48), because by

abandoning it, one is exposed to sin and one continues to be attached to it.

Therefore, performance of allotted duty, is superior to renunciation of actions.

 

Performance of actions without attachment, is far superior to those performed

with attachment, because by doing so, affinity for actions is totally renounced.

Therefore, the Lord in the first half of this verse, orders Arjuna to perform

his allotted duty without attachment, while in the second half He declares that

maintenance of the body would not be possible by inaction either.

 

In the Discipline of Action the Lord's main principle is " Action is superior to

inaction. " The same fact has been pointed out by the Lord, when he declares,

" Let not thy attachment be to inaction " (GIta 2/47). The reason is, that he who

shirks his duty wastes his time in heedlessness, laziness and sleep or performs

forbidden actions, which mislead him to a downfall.

 

It is better to be detached from actions by performing them, rather than through

their non-performance. A person is in bondage, due to desire, attachment,

partiality etc., whether he performs actions or not. In the path of action, if

an aspirant has the aim to renounce desire, it can be renounced very easily,

through the performance of action for the good of others.

 

'Sarirayatrapi ca te na prasiddhyedakarmanah'— Arjuna had a misconception in his

mind, that his affinity for actions would be automatically renounced, if he did

not perform action. Therefore, Lord Krsna persuades him to perform actions by

several pleas, one of these was, that even the maintenance of body would not be

possible, by inaction.

 

As in the Discipline of Knowledge, affinity for the world is renounced by

discrimination, in the Discipline of Action, affinity is renounced by performing

one's duty sincerely and thoroughly. Therefore, the Discipline of Action, should

in no way be regarded as inferior to the Discipline of Knowledge. A Karmayogi,

regarding the body as belonging to the world, uses it in rendering service to

the world i.e., he has no sense of 'mineness', with it. He identifies the

physical, subtle and causal bodies respectively, with the gross, subtle and

causal world, while a Jnanayogi identifies himself with Brahma, the Absolute.

 

Thus a Karmayogi, identifies the insentient elements while a Jnanayogi,

identifies the sentient ones. As in the Discipline of Knowledge, affinity for

the world is renounced by discrimination, in the Discipline of Action, affinity

is renounced by performing one's duty sincerely and thoroughly. Therefore, the

Discipline of Action, should in no way be regarded as inferior to the Discipline

of Knowledge. A Karmayogi, regarding the body as belonging to the world, uses it

in rendering service to the world i.e., he has no sense of 'mineness', with it.

He identifies the physical, subtle and causal bodies respectively, with the

gross, subtle and causal world, while a Jnanayogi identifies himself with

Brahma, the Absolute. Thus a Karmayogi, identifies the insentient elements while

a Jnanayogi, identifies the sentient ones.

 

From " the Bhagavadgita - Sadhak Sanjivani " in English pg 272-275 by Swami

Ramsukhdasji.

 

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