Bhagavatgita a detailed study-chapter3-karmayoga

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arjuna uvaacha

36.aTha kEna prayujtho ayam paapam charathi poorushaH

anicChannapi vaarshNeya balaadhiva niyojithaH

 

Arjuna said:

 

But impelled by what man commits sin against his will, Krishna, as though compelled forcibly.

 

Arjuna expresses a wish to know more about the highwaymen, raga and dvesha so that he can avoid them. He observes that men commit sin as though impelled by some great force even though they know that it is wrong and asks Krishna the reason for this. A sin is something which you feel guilty of doing. Every one has an intellect which tells him what is right and what is wrong. A sinner is the one who goes and does something fully well knowing that it is wrong.

 

Sree bhagavaan uvaacha

 

The Lord said:

 

37. kaama esha kroha esha rajoguNa samudhbhavaH

mahaaSan mahaapaapmaa vidDhi enam iha vairiNam

 

 

it is desire, It is anger, born out of rajo guna. Know this , which is a great devour, instigating sin, to be the enemy here.

 

 

 

Kama and krodha, coupled as one, is the formidable enemy of man, says Krishna. Kama esha krodha esha rajogunasamudhbhavah , born out of rajas. The craving for something is kama which changes to krodha when obstructed. Hence they are not two but one,. Incited by which, man commits sin. The knowledge of right and wrong becomes obscured by this craving for the object of desire and hence Kama is called jnaninah nithyavairi, the perpetual foe of man. There can arise a doubt from what the Lord has said earlier that the nature is strong and man acts accordingly and restraint will not be of any use, that it is impossible to conquer one's nature and hence there is no salvation. If the nature and the aptitude is the result of past karma man seems to be helpless. But it is not so. The karma makes one experience the result but does not propel him into sin. The reaction of man on experiencing his karma is responsible for his future action and creates new karma. This reaction depends on the intensity of desire and aversion which could be overcome. How to do it is explained by Krishna here. First to conquer an enemy one has to know about him. This is shown in the next sloka.