Bhagavad Gita - Daily - II CHAPTER 3-22 II

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Gita 3-22

 

na me parthasti kartavyam, trisu lokesu kincana

nanavaptam avaptavyam, varta eva ca karmani

 

" O Partha (Arjuna), there is nothing in the three worlds, that is for Me to do,

nor is there anything worth attaining which is unattained by Me; yet I engage

Myself, in action. "

 

Comment:

 

During His incarnation on earth, God always performs His duty. Therefore, if a

spiritual aspirant always performs his prescribed duty without attachment and

without any desire for fruit, he easily attains to God.

 

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Chapter 3, Verse 22 is as follows;

 

Na = not

Me = my

Paartha = O Arjuna!

Asti = is

Kartavyam = duty (obligatory)

TriShu = in the three

LokeShu = Worlds

Kin - Chan = anything

Na = not

Anavaaptam = unattained

Avaaptavyam = to be attained / obtained

Varte = I am engaged

Eva = also

Cha = and

KarmaNi = in action

 

English translation:-

 

O Arjuna! There exists no obligatory duty, whatsoever in all the three Worlds,

that is yet to be discharged by Me. There is nothing unattained for Me and

nothing yet to be obtained by Me. Nevertheless I ceaselessly engage Myself in

action.

 

Comment:

 

Lord Krishna had nothing to gain or lose in the royal battle purely on personal

basis. However, his role as the incarnation of Lord ViShNu was to restore the

balance in favour of righteousness in the then prevailing utterly corrupt,

immoral, degenerate, debased, debauched and self-indulgent culture in the Kuru

kingdom under the leadership of the Kauravas. In order to achieve that goal,

Lord Krishna encourages Arjuna to fight the battle in the spirit of selfless,

desireless and worry-less bounden duty.

 

Please refer Verses 8 and 9 of Chapter 4 in Shreemad Bhagawad Geeta, wherein

Lord Krishna has proclaimed that His birth and His distinct and decisive actions

of protection of the virtuous, the destruction of the wicked and organise

establishment of righteousness are indeed divine and unassailable.

 

After the completion of his studies and training in the Aashrama of the Sage

Saandipanee, Lord Krishna had offered his 'Guru-DakshiNaa' i.e. offerings to his

preceptor by bringing to life the dead son of his Guru Saandipanee. This is just

to illustrate the obvious fact that there was nothing impossible to Lord

Krishna.

 

In this Verse, Lord Krishna cites his own example to Arjuna. He appeals to

Arjuna as a very close and dear friend. It is matter of fact that a highly

logical and intellectual construct does not appeal to a person in the state of

emotional flux. In such a situation what works is personal appeal.

 

Whenever you tell a friend that let us have a cup of tea; if he is not in a good

mood, then invariably he declines. Thereafter if you appeal to him, " I am going

to have a cup of nice Darjeeling tea, why don't you please join me? An earnest

appeal from a dear friend and recollection of the flavour and aroma of

Darjeeling tea will certainly lead to his acceptance of the genuine offer.

 

Therefore, here is an earnest and cogent appeal from Lord Krishna to Arjuna,

" You are my dear friend and beloved devotee. Since I am engaged in action for

the benefit of the three Worlds, why don't you please join me in the

constructive and corrective measure to restore the imbalance set up by the

crafty and wicked Kauravas by defeating them in the epic battle? "

 

All the three Worlds put together cannot offer any incentive or motive to Lord

Krishna to initiate any action. He is always in the state of eternal bliss and

absolute fulfillment. He never rests on his laurels and glories. He is

ceaselessly engaged in actions that maintain order and balance in all the three

Worlds.

 

Thanks & Best Regards,

 

Shrikant Joshi

============================================================

 

To learn more -

please visit Hindi website: www.swamiramsukhdasji.org

please visit English website: www.swamiramsukhdasji.net

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Gita 3-23 & 24

 

yadi hy aham na varteyam, jatu karmany atandritah

mama vartmanuvartant, manushyah partha sarvasah

utsideyur ime loka, na kuryam karma ced aham

sankarasya ca karta syam, upahanyam imah prajah

 

" If I did not engage Myself in action, scrupulously, at any time, (great harm

will accrue; because) people in every way follow My path, O Partha (Arjuna). If

I did not perform action, these worlds would perish and I would prove to be the

cuase of confusion of castes and of the destruction of these people. "

 

From " Gita Prabodhani " in Hindi by Swami Ramsukhdasji

 

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Chapter 3, Verse 23 is as follows;

 

Yadi = if

Hi = surely / if ever

Aham = I

Na = not

Varteyam = engage in action / take part in action

Jaatu = even

Karmani = in (desireless and selfless) action

AtandritaH = unwearied / by giving up laziness or indolence

Mama = my

Vartma = path

Anuvartante = follow

ManuShyaaH = men / people

Paartha = O Arjun!

SarvashaH = in every way

 

English translation:-

 

O Arjuna! However in the most unlikely event, indeed by giving up indolence, if

I ever do not take part in (desireless, selfless) action; then people will

follow my footsteps in all respects and refrain from action.

 

Comment:

 

Lord Krishna, in His unassuming style, is consistently ever alert in adherence

to desireless, selfless actions for the benefit of the three worlds or rather

the entire Universe. Lord Vishnu in his every incarnation engages Himself in

unwearied actions. Even saints and sages are seen to engage themselves in

unwearied action for the welfare of all beings.

 

An unselfish man is more active than a selfish one. The service above self is

always spontaneous, enthusiastic and zealous, which is free from procrastination

and postponement. The half-hearted service of an ever calculating and crafty

man, who is full of lust and greed, is typically at most a lip service. An

unselfish man has more time and energy to work because he has no worry about

personal profit or loss.

 

We have the glorious examples of saints and sages before us, but we rarely

follow them. In a typical disdain, we generalise that all kings are men and all

men have feet of clay, indicating the fallibility of every human being to the

six enemies namely `Kaama' (lust), `Krodha' (anger), `Lobha' (greed), `Mada'

(superiority complex), `Moha' (attraction) and `Matsara' (jealousy).

 

Do we ever follow anyone's good example? Even in the lives of sage like

personalities, we try to pick out only defects as excuses to justify our own

indulgences and inactions. We discover human weaknesses in their personalities,

and we turn our blind eye on the vital spiritual truths illustrated in their

lives. It is indeed the worst tragedy for all human beings. In that

dysfunctional process, we fail to recognise that we are the real losers.

However, the moment we realise the emptiness, hollowness and the sorrowfulness

of our own pleasure-seeking lives, we shall desist from evil and no doubt

effortlessly we will follow the examples of `Maryaadaa Purusha Lord Raama' and

`Purushottama Lord Krishna'.

 

An ocean never rises in spite of billows. Yet it is an obvious fact that small

as well as giant waves cannot rise and sustain without an ocean. In the similar

manner, with the relentless activities of Lord Krishna as the personification of

the Brahman, the enlivening principle is made available to the entire beings in

the world.

 

Please refer the Verse 22 in Chapter 10, wherein Lord Krishna has declared,

" Bhutaanaam Asmi Chetanaa' i.e. I am the Pure Consciousness that enlivens every

life form that takes birth and sustains all activities in its individual

existence till the ultimate demise in the form of death. "

 

Please also refer the Verse 34 in Chapter 10, wherein Lord Krishna has

proclaimed, " MrutyuH Sarva HaraH Cha Aham UdbhavaH Cha BhaviShyataam' i.e. I am

the all devouring death and the birth of all future beings. "

 

Please refer the Verse 39 in Chapter 10, wherein Lord Krishna has asserted, " I

am that singular entity, which is the seed of all beings. O Arjuna, there is no

being whether moving or non-moving which can ever exist and sustain without Me. "

 

In this verse, Lord Krishna continues his earnest and emotional appeal to

Arjuna. People loved and looked up to Lord Krishna as a great soul with a

mission in life to accomplish `Loka – Sangraham' i.e. welfare of the people in

all walks of life. Lord Krishna projects the worst fear that if He ever stopped

His ceaseless activities then the entire world on the Earth will come to a

grinding halt and it will result into disastrous consequences and unimaginable

miseries to all beings.

 

Thanks & Best Regards,

 

Shrikant Joshi

============================================================

 

To learn more -

please visit Hindi website: www.swamiramsukhdasji.org

please visit English website: www.swamiramsukhdasji.net