Bhagavatgita a detailed study chapter 18-Liberation through renunciation

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The sloka 38 was left out and I am sending the revised version of slokas 29 to 48

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.

 

 

36.

sukham thvidhaaneem thriviDham SrNu me bharathrshabha

 

abhyaasaath

ramathe yathra dhuhkhaantham cha

nigacChathi

 

The joy is of three kinds, of bull among the clan of

Bharatha, listen, in which one revels in and also attains the end of sorrow.

 

 

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.

 

 

37. 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.

 

38.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.

 

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.