Bhagavat Gita a detailed study-chapter4The truth about action

January 28, 2009

20. Thyakthvaa karmaphalaasangam nithyathrptho niraSrayaH

karmaNi abhipravrttho api naiva kinchith karothi saH

Giving up the desire for the result of action ever contented and independent, he does not do anything even if he is engaged in action.

Krishna elaborates on what was said in the previous sloka here by giving a picture of the wise man described therein.

He is never an agent of action, kartha, because he has renounced the desire for the fruits of his actions . He is ever content, being dependent on nothing for his happiness and even though he may seem to work like others he is actually inactive, because of his total detachment.

21. niraaSeeh yatha chitthaathmaa thayktha sarva parigrqhaH

Saareeram kevalam karma kurvan na aapnothi kilbisham

Free from desire, self controlled, giving up all possessions and doing only the action physically he does not suffer from any evil effect.

He who is free from all expectations reaps no merit, punya, even from good actions nor sin as all his actions are pure. A mere act does not produce punya or papa but only the motive behind the act makes it sinful or otherwise. Even killing need not be a sin if it is to protect others from getting killed. At the same time even a virtue like speaking the truth may result in sin if by telling the truth someone will come to harm. Arjuna was urged to fight and it was an act of dharma. Seetha did not tell the truth about Hanuman in order to protect him and it was no sin. On the other hand we have a story of a hermit who went to hell because he told the truth.

He was sitting in his asram when a cow fled past him to escape from its pursuers and when they asked him he pointed out the direction the cow has taken as he had vowed to speak the truth. Thus he incurred the sin of killing a cow. Krishna says, niraaseeryathachiththaathma thyaktha sarvaprigrahah, free from expectations, controlling himself mentally and physically, renouncing all possessions, incurs no sin or acquires no merit, for all his actions are consumed in the fire of knowledge.

22.yadhrcChaalaabha santhushtaH dhvandhvaatheetho

vimathsaraH

samaH siddhaavasiDhou cha krthvaa api na nibaDhyathe

Contented with what ever he gets by chance, risen above the pairs of opposites, free from envy and remaining even-minded with both success and failure, he is not bound even though he is engaged in action.

This means that his actions do not result in bondage because he is yadrchchaalaabhasamthushtah, content with his lot, dvndvaatheethah, beyond dualities like gain and loss and likes and dislikes. And he is vimathsara, without envy, in short he has equanimity, samah siddhaavasiddhou.

An ascetic who is samah is devoid of elation and depression and takes what comes with out being affected by it. He is always convinced. that he is not the doer but it is his gunas which are interacting with those outside. Only other people ascribe agency to him. Thus in spite of continuing his regular activities to maintain his body and soul together he does nothing at all. All his actions get dissolved and do not produce any result that affects him.