Chapter-2 : Sankhya

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA

सांख्य योगः

Sankhya Yoga- The Yoga of Knowledge

CHAPTER 2

The Message of Strength - Arjuna declines to Fight against the Revered Ones - Spiritual Anguish - The Harbinger of Grace - Consistency is Yoga - Atman is Immortal - Nature of Death - Feelings Pertain to Body - The Real and the Unreal - Be not Attached to Karma - Rebirth of the Embodies - Atman is Super-Mundane - The Materailistic Standpoint - Atman Transcends Mind and Speech - Swerve not from Duty - Transform Karma into Karma Yoga - The Way of the Worldly - The Key to Yoga - The Enlightened Defined

सञ्जय उवाच :            

तं तथा कृपयाविष्टं अश्रुपूर्णाकुलेक्षणम् ।            

विषीदन्तमिदं वाक्यमुवाच मधुसूदनः ।। (१)

Sanjaya said:
To him who was thus overcome with pity and who was despondent, with eyes full of tears and agitated, Madhusudana (the destroyer of Madhu) or Krishna spoke these words: (1)

श्री भगवानुवाच :            

कुतस्त्वा कश्मलमिदं विषमे समुपत्थितम् ।            

अनार्यजुष्टम् अस्वर्ग्यम् अकीर्तिकरमर्जुन ।। (२)

The Blessed Lord said:
Whence is this perilous strait come upon thee, this dejection which is unworthy of you, disgraceful, and which will close the gates of heaven upon you, O Arjuna? (2)

क्लैब्यं मा स्म गमः पार्थ नैतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते ।           

क्षुद्रं हृदयदौर्बल्यं त्यक्त्वोत्तिष्ठ परन्तप ।। (३)

Yield not to impotence, O Arjuna, son of Pritha. It does not befit thee. Cast off this mean weakness of the heart! Stand up, O scorcher of foes! (3)

अर्जुन उवच :           

कथं भीष्ममहं संख्ये द्रोणं च मधुसूदन ।           

इषुभिः प्रतियोत्स्यामि पूजार्हावरिसूदन ।। (४)

Arjuna said:
How, O Madhusudana, shall I fight in battle with arrows against Bhishma and Drona, who are fit to be worshipped, O destroyer of enemies? (4)

गुरूनहत्वा हि महानुभावान्           

श्रेयो भोक्तुं भैक्ष्यमपीहलोके ।           

हत्वार्थकामांस्तु गुरूनिहैव           

भुञ्जीय भोगान् रुधिर प्रदिग्धान् ।। (५)

Better it is, indeed, in this world to accept alms than to slay the most noble teachers. But if I kill them, even in this world all my enjoyments of wealth and fulfilled desires will be stained with (their) blood. (5)

न चैतद्विद्मः कतरन्नो गरीयो          

यद्वा जयेम यदि वा नो जयेयुः ।          

यानेव हत्वा न जिजीविषाम-          

स्तेऽवस्थिताः प्रमुखे धार्तराष्ट्राः ।। (६)

I can hardly tell which will be better; that we should conquer them or that they should conquer us. Even the sons of Dhritarashtra, after slaying whom we should not wish to live, stand facing us. (6)

कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभावः          

पृच्छामि त्वां धर्मसंमूढचेताः ।          

यच्छ्रेयः स्यान्निश्चितं ब्रूहि तन्मे           

शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम् ।। (७)

My heart is overpowered by the taint of pity; my mind is confused as to duty. I ask Thee: Tell me decisively what is good for me. I am Thy disciple. Instruct me who has taken refuge in Thee. (7)

न हि प्रपश्यामि ममापनुद्या-          

द्यच्छोकमुच्छोषणमिन्द्रियाणां ।          

अवाप्यभूमावसपत्नमृद्धं          

राज्यं सुराणामपि चाधिपत्यम् ।। (८)

I do not see that it would remove this sorrow that burns up my senses, even if I should attain prosperous and unrivalled dominion on earth or lordship over the gods. (

सञ्जय उवाच :          

एवमुक्त्वा हृषीकेशं  गुडाकेशः परन्तपः ।          

न यित्स्य इति गोविन्दमुक्त्वा तूष्णीं बभूवः ।। (९)

Sanjaya said :-
Having spoken thus to Hrishikesha, Arjuna said to Krishna, “I will not fight” and became silent. (9)

तमुवाच हृषीकेशः प्रहसन्निव भारत ।          

सेनयोः उभयोर्मध्ये विषीदन्तमिदं वचः ।। (१०)

To him, who was despondent in the midst of the two armies, Krishna, as if smiling, O Bharata, spoke these words. (10)

श्री भगवानुवाच :          

अशोच्यानन्नशोचस्तवं प्रज्ञावादांश्च भाषसे ।          

गतासूनगतासूंश्च नानुसोचन्ति पण्डिताः ।। (११)

The Blessed Lord said:
Thou has grieved for those that should not be grieved for, yet thou speakest words of wisdom. The wise grieve neither for the living nor for the dead. (11)

Commentary : The philosophy of the Gita begins from this verse.
Bhishma and Drona deserve no grief because they are eternal in their real nature and they are virtuous men who possess very good conduct. Though you speak words of wisdom you are unwise because you grieve for those who are really eternal and who deserve no grief. They who are endowed with the knowledge of the Self are wise men. They will not grieve for the living or for the dead because they know well that the Self is immortal and that It is unborn. They also know that there is no such a thing as death, that it is a separation of the astral body from the physical, that death is nothing more than a disintegration of matter and that the five elements of which the body is composed return to their source. Arjuna had forgotten the eternal nature of the Soul and the changing nature of the body. Because of his ignorance, he began to act as if the temporary relations with kinsmen, teachers, etc., were permanent. he forgot that his relations with this world in his present life were the results of past actions. These, when exhausted, end all relationship and new ones crop up when one takes on another body.
The result of past actions is known as karma and that portion of the karma which gave rise to the present incarnation is known as prarabdha karma.

न त्वेवाहं जातु नाशं न त्वं ने मे जनाधिपाः ।          

न चैव न भविष्यामः सर्वे वयमतः परम्  ।। (१२)

Nor at any time indeed was I not, nor thou, nor these rulers of men, nor verily shall we ever cease to be hereafter. (12)

Commentary : Lord Krishna speaks here of the immortality of the Soul or the imperishable nature of the Self (Atman). The Soul exists in the three periods of time (past, present and future). Man continues to exist even after the death of the physical body. There is life beyond.

देहिनोऽस्मिन्यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा ।          

तथा देहान्तरप्राप्तिर्धीरस्तत्र न मुह्यति ।। (१३)

Just as in this body the embodied (soul) passes into childhood, youth and old age, so also does it pass into another body; the firm man does not grieve thereat. (13)

Commentary : Just as there is no interruption in the passing of childhood into youth and youth into old age in this body, so also there is no interruption by death in the continuity of the ego. The Self is not dead at the termination of the stage, viz. childhood. It is certainly not born again at the beginning of the second stage, viz. youth. Just as the Self passes unchanged from childhood to youth and from youth to old age, so also the Self passes unchanged from one body into another. therefore, the wise man is not at all distressed about it.

मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः ।          

आगमापायिनोऽनित्याः तांस्तिक्षस्व भारत ।। (१४)

The contacts of the senses with the objects, O son of Kunti, which cause heat and cold, pleasure and pain, have a beginning and an end; they are impermanent; endure them bravely, O Arjuna. (14)

Commentary : Cold is pleasant at one time and painful at another. Heat is pleasant in winter but painful in summer. The same object that gives pleasure at one time gives pain at another time. So the sense-contacts that give rise to the sensations of heat and cold, pleasure and pain come and go. Therefore, they are impermanent in nature. The objects come in contact with the senses or Indriyas, viz., sin, ear, eye, nose, etc., and the sensations are carried by the nerves to the mind which has its seat in the brain. It is the mind that feels pleasure and pain. One should try to bear patiently heat and cold, pleasure and pain and develop a balanced state of mind. (Cf V.22)

यं हि न व्यथयन्त्येते पुरुषं पुरुषर्षभं ।          

समदुःखसुखं धीरं सोऽमृतत्वाय कल्पते ।। (१५)

That firm man whom, surely, these afflict not, O chief among men, to whom pleasure and pain are the same, is fit for attaining immortality. (15)

Commentary : Dehadhyasa or identification of the Self with the body is the cause of pleasure and pain. The more you are able to identify yourself with the immortal, all-pervading Self, the less will you be affected by the pairs of opposites (Dvandvas, pleasure and pain, etc.)
Titiksha or the power of endurance develops the will-power. Calm endurance in pleasure and pain, and heat and cold is one of the qualifications of an aspirant on the path of Jnana Yoga. It is one of the Shatsampat or sixfold virtues. It is a condition of right knowledge. Titiksha by itself cannot give you Moksha or liberation, but still, when coupled with discrimination and dispassion, it becomes a means to the attainment of Immortality or knowledge of the Self. (Cf. XVIII.53)

नासतो विद्यते भावो नाभावो विद्यते सतः ।         

उभयोरपि दृष्टोऽन्तस्त्वनयोस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः ।। (१६)

The unreal hath no being; there is no non-being of the real; the truth about both has been seen by the knowers of the Truth (or the seers of the Essence). (16)

Commentary : The changeless, homogeneous Atman or the Self always exits. It is the only solid Reality. This phenomenal world of names and forms is ever changing. Hence it is unreal. The sage or the Jivanmukta is fully aware that the Self always exists and that this world is like a mirage. Through his Jnanachakshus or the ye of intuition, he directly cognizes the Self. This world vanishes for him like the snake in the rope, ater it has been seen that only the rope exists. he rejects the names and forms and takes the underlying Essence in all the names and forms, viz., Asti-Bhati-Priya or Satchidananda or Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute. Hence he is a Tattvadarshi or a knower of the Truth or the Essence.
What is changing must be unreal. What is constant or permanent must be real.

अविनाशि तु तद्विद्धि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् ।         

विनाशमव्ययस्यास्य न कश्चित् कर्तुमर्हति ।। (१७)

Know that to be indestructible, by Which all this is pervaded. None can cause the destruction of That, the imperishable. (17)

Commentary : Brahman or Atman pervades al the objects like ether. Even if the pot is broken, the ether that is within and without the pot cannot be destroyed. Even so, if the bodies and all other objects perish, Brahman or the Self that pervades them cannot perish. It is the living Truth, Sat.
Brahman has no parts. There cannot be either increase or diminution in Brahman. People are ruined by loss of wealth. But Brahman does not suffer any loss in that way. It is inexhaustible. Therefore, none can bring about the disappearance or destruction of the Self. It always exists. It is always all-full and self-contained. It is Existence Absolute. It is immutable.

अन्तवन्त इमे देहा नित्यस्योक्ताः शरीरिणः ।         

अनाशिनोऽप्रमेयस्य तस्माद्युध्यस्व भारत ।। (१८)

These bodies of the embodied Self, Which is eternal, indestructible and immeasurable, are said to have an end. Therefore fight, O Arjuna. (1

Commentary : Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna the nature of the all-pervading, immortal Self in a variety or ways and thus induces him to fight by removing his delusion, grief and despondency which are born of ignorance.

य एनं वेत्ति हन्तारं यश्चैनं मन्यते हतम् ।         

उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायं हन्ति न हन्यते ।। (१९)

He who takes the Self to be the slayer and he who thinks It is slain, neither of them knows. It slays not, nor is it slain. (19)

Commentary : The Self is non-doer (Akarta) and as It is immutable, It is neither the agent nor the object of the act of slaying. He who thinks “I slay” or “I am slain” with the body or the Ahamkara (ego), he does not really comprehend the true nature of the Self. The Self is indestructible. It exists in the three periods of time. It is Sat (Existence). When the body is destroyed, the Self is not destroyed. The body has to undergo change in any case. It is inevitable. But the Self is not at all affected by it. Verses 19, 20, 21, 23, and 24 speak of the immortality of the Self or Atman. (Cf. XVIII. 17)

न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचि-        

न्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः ।        

अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो        

न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ।।  (२०)

It is not born, nor does It die; after having been, It again ceases not to be; unborn, eternal, changeless and ancient, It is not killed when the body is killed. (20)

Commentary : This Self (Atman) is destitute of the six types of transformation or Bhava-Vikaras such as birth, existence, growth, transformation, decline and death. As It is indivisible (Akhanda), It does not diminish in size. It neither grows nor does It decline. It is ever the same. Birth and death are for the physical body only. Birth and death cannot touch the immortal, all-pervading Self.

वेदाविनाशिनं नित्यं य एनमजमव्ययम् ।        

कथं स पुरुषः पार्थ कं घातयति हन्ति कम् ।। (२१)

Whosoever knows It to be indestructible, eternal, unborn and inexhaustible, how can that man slay, O Arjuna, or cause to be slain? (21)

Commentary : The enlightened sage who knows the immutable and indestructible Self through direct cognition or spiritual Anubhava (experience) cannot do the act of slaying. He cannot cause another to slay also.

वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय        

नवानि गृह्णाति नरोऽपराणि ।        

तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णा -        

न्यन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही ।। (२२)

Just as a man casts off worn-out clothes and puts on new ones, so also the embodied Selfcasts off work-out bodies and enters others which are new. (22)

नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि नैनं दहति पावकः ।        

न चैनं क्लेदयन्त्यापो न शोषयति मारुतः ।। (२३)

Weapons cut It not, fire burns It not, water wets It not, wind dries It not. (23)

Commentary : The Self is indivisible. It has no parts. It is extremely subtle. It is infinite. Therefore, sword cannot cut It; fire cannot burn It; water cannot wet It; wind cannot dry It.

अच्छेद्योऽयमदाह्योऽयमक्लेद्योऽशोष्य एव च ।        

नित्यः सर्वगतः स्थाणुरचलोऽयं सनातनः ।। (२४)

This Self cannot be cut, burnt, wetted, nor dried up. It is eternal, all-pervading, stable, immovable and ancient. (24)

Commentary : The Self is very subtle. It is beyond the reach of speech and mind. It is very difficult to understand this subtle Self. So Lord Krishna explains the nature of the immortal Self in a variety of ways with various illustrations and examples, so that It can be grasped by the people.
Sword cannot cut this Self. So It is eternal. Because It is eternal, It is all-pervading. Because It is all-pervading, It is stable like a statue. Because it is stable, It is immovable. It is everlasting. Therefore, It is not produced out of any cause. It is not new. It is ancient.

अव्यक्तोऽयमचिन्त्योऽयमविकार्योऽयमुच्यते ।        

तस्मादेवं विदित्वैनं नानुशोचितुमर्हसि ।। (२५)

This (Self) is said to be unmanifested, unthinkable and unchangeable. Therefore, knowing This to be such, thou shouldst not grieve. (25)

Commentary : The Self is not an object of perception. It can hardly be seen by the physical eyes. Therefore, the Self is unmanifested. That which is seen by th eyes becomes an object of thought. As the Self cannot be perceived by the eyes, It is unthinkable. Milk when mixed with buttermilk changes its form. The Self cannot change Its form like milk. Hence, It is changeless and immutable. Therefore, thus understanding the Self, thou shouldst not mourn. Thou shouldst not think also that thou art their slayer and that they are killed by thee.

अथं चैनं नित्यजातं नित्यं वामन्यसे मृतम् ।        

तथापि त्वं महाबाहो नैवं शोचितुमर्हसि ।। (२६)

But even if thou thinkest of It as being constantly born and constantly dying, even then, O mighty-armed, thou shouldst not grieve. (26)

Commentary : Lord Krishna here, for the sake of argument, takes up the poular supposition. Granting that the Self is again and again born whenever a body comes into being, and again and again dies whenever the body dies, O mighty-armed, thou shouldst not grieve thus, because birth is inevitable to what is dead and death is inevitable to what is born. This is the inexorable or unrelenting Law of Nature.

जातस्य हि धृवो मृत्युर्ध्रवं जन्म मृतस्य च ।        

तस्मादपरिहार्येऽर्थे न त्वं शोचितुमर्हति ।। (२७)

For certain is death for the born, and certain is birth for the dead; therefore, over the inevitable thou shouldst not grieve. (27)

Commentary : Birth is sure to happen to that which is dead; death is sure to happen to that which is born. Birth and death are certainly unavoidable. Therefore, you should not grieve over an inevitable matter.

अव्यक्तादीनि भूतानि व्यक्तमध्यानि भारत ।        

अव्यक्तनिधनान्येव तत्र का परिदेवना ।। (२८)

Beings are unmanifested in their beginning, manifested in their middle state, O Arjuna, and unmanifested again in their end. What is there to grieve about? (2

Commentary : The physical body is a combination of the file elements. It is seen by the physical eyes only afer the five elements have entered into such combination. After death, the body disintegrates and the five elements go back to their source; it cannot be seen. The relationship as son,friend, teacher, father, mother, wife, brother, and sister is formed through the body on account of attachment and Moha (delusion). Just as planks unite and separate in a river, just as pilgrims unite and separate in a public inn, so also fathers, mothers, sons and brothers unite and separate in this world. This world is a very big public inn. People unite and separate.
There is no pot in the beginning and in the end. Even if you see the pot in the middle, you should think and feel that it is illusory and does not really exist. So also there is no body in the beginning and in the end. That which does not exist in the beginning and in the end must be illusory in the middle also. You must think and feel that the body does not really exist in the middle as well.
He who thus understands that nature of the body and all human relationships based on it, will not grieve.

आश्चर्यवत्पश्यति कश्चिदेन-        

माश्चर्यवद्वदति तथैव चान्यः ।        

आश्चर्यवच्चैनमान्यः शृणोति        

श्रुत्वाप्येनं वेद न चैव कश्चित् ।। (२९)

One sees This (the Self) as a wonder; another speaks of it as a wonder; another hears of its as a wonder; yet having heard, none understands it at all. (29)

Commentary : The verse may also be interpreted in this manner. He that sees, hears and speaks of the Self is a wonderful man. Such a man is very rare. He is one among many thousands. Thus the Self is very hard to understand.

देही नित्यमवध्योऽयं देहे सर्वस्य भारत ।        

तस्मात्सर्वाणि भूतानि न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि ।। (३०)

This, the indweller in the body of everyone, is every indestructible, O Arjuna; therefore, thou shouldst not grieve for any creature. (30)

Commentary : The body of any creature may be destroyed, but the self cannot be killed. Therefore, you should not grieve regarding any creature whatever, Bhishma or anybody else.

स्वधर्ममपि चावेक्ष्य न विकम्पितुमर्हसि ।    

धर्म्याद्धि युद्धाच्छेयोऽन्यत्क्षत्रियस्य न विद्यते ।। (३१)

Further, having regard to thy duty, thou shouldst not waver, for there is nothing higher for a Kshatriya than a righteous war. (31)

Commentary : Lord Krishna now gives to Arjuna worldly reasons for fighting. Up to this time, He talked to Arjuna on the immortality of the Self and gave him philosophical reasons. Now He says to Arjuna, “O Arjuna ! Fighting is a Kshatriya’s own duty.

यदृच्छया चोपपन्नं स्वर्गद्वारमपावृतम् ।    

सुखिनः क्षत्रियाः पार्थ लभन्ते युद्धमीदृशम् ।। (३२)

Happy are the Kshatriyas, O Arjuna ! who are called upon to fight in such a battle that comes of itself as an open door to heaven. (32)

Commentary : The scriptures declare that if a Kshatriya dies for a righteous cause on the battlefield, he at once goes to heaven.

अथ चेत्त्वमिमं धर्म्यं संग्रामं न करिष्यसि ।    

ततः स्वधर्मं कीर्तिं च हित्वा पापमवाप्स्यसि ।। (३३)

But if thou wilt not fight this righteous war, then having abandoned thine own duty and fame, thou shalt incur sin. (33)

Commentary : The Lord reminds Arjuna of the fame he had already earned and which he would now lose if he refused to fight. Arjuna had acquired great fame by fighting with Lord Siva. Arjuna proceeded on a pilgrimage to the Himalayas. He fought with Siva who appeared in the guise of a mountaineer (Kirata) and got from him Pasupatastra, a celestial weapon.

अकीर्तिं चापि भूतानि  कथयिष्यन्ति तेऽव्ययाम् ।    

संभावितस्य चाकीर्तः मरणादतिरिच्यते ।। (३४)

People, too, will recount thy everlasting dishonor; and to one who has been honored, dishonor is worse than death. (34)

Commentary : The world also will ever recount thy infamy which will survive thee for a long time. Death is really preferable to disgrace to one who has been honored as a great hero and mighty warrior with noble qualities.

भयाद्रणादुपरतं मंस्यन्ते त्वां महारथाः ।    

येषां च त्वं बहुमतो भूत्वा यास्यसि लाघवम् ।। (३५)

The great car-warriors will think that thou hast withdrawn from the battle through fear; and thou will be lightly held by them who have thought much of thee. (35)

Commentary : Duryodhana and others will certainly think that you have fled frfom the battle from fear of Karna and others, but not through compassion and reverence for elders and teachers. Duryodhana and others who have shown great esteem to you on account of your chivalry, bravery and other noble qualities, will think very lightly of you and treat you with contempt.

अवाच्यवादांश्च बहून् वदिष्यन्ति तवाहिताः ।    

निन्दन्तस्तव सामर्थ्यं ततो दुःखतरं नु किम् ।। (३६)

Thy enemies also, caviling at thy power, will speak many abusive words. What is more painful than this ?

Commentary : There is really no pain more unbearable and tormenting than that of slander thus incurred.

हतो वा प्राप्स्यसि स्वर्गं जित्वा वा भोक्ष्यसे महीम् ।    

तस्मादुत्तिष्ठ कौन्तेय युद्धाय कृतनिश्चयः ।। (३७)

Slain, thou wilt obtain heaven; victorious, thou wilt enjoy the earth; therefore, stand up, O son of Kunti, resolved to fight. (37)

Commentary : In either case you will be benefited. Therefore, stand up with the firm resolution: “I will conquer the enemy or die.”

सुखदुःखे समे कृत्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ ।    

ततो युद्धाय युज्यस्व नैवं पापमवाप्सयसि ।। (३८)

Having made pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat the same, engage thou in battle for the sake of battle; thus thou shalt not incur sin. (3

Commentary : This is the Yoga of equanimity or the doctrine of poise in action. If anyone does any action with the above mental attitude or balanced state of mind, he will not reap the fruits of his actions. Such an action will lead to the purification of his heart and freedom from birth and death. One has to develop such a balanced state of mind through continuous struggle and vigilant efforts.

एषा तेऽभिहिता सांख्ये बुद्धिर्योगे त्विमां श्रृणु ।    

बुद्ध्यायुक्तो यया पार्थ कर्मबन्धं प्रहास्यसि ।। (३९)

This, which has been taught to thee, is wisdom concerning Sankhya. Now listen to wisdom concerning Yoga, endowed with which, O Arjuna, thou shalt cast off the bonds of action. (39)

Commentary : Lord Krishna taught Jnana (Knowledge) to Arjuna till now. (Sankhya Yoga is the path of Vedanta or Jnana Yoga, which treats the nature of Atman or the Self and the methods to attain Self-realization. It is not the Sankhya philosophy of Sage Kapila). He is now going to teach Arjuna the technique or secret of Karma Yoga endowed with which he (or anybody else) can break through the bonds of Karma. The Karma Yogi should perform work without expectation of fruits of his actions, without the idea of agency (or the notion “I do this”), without attachment, after annihilating or going beyond all the pairs of opposites such as heat and cold, gain and loss, victory and defeat, etc. Dharma and Adharma, or merit and demerit will not touch that Karma Yogi who works without attachment and egoism. The Karma Yogi consecrates all his works and their fruits as offerings unto the Lord (Iswararpanam) and thus obtains the grace of the Lord (Iswavaraprasada).

नेहाभिक्रमनाशोऽस्ति प्रत्यवायो न विद्यते ।    

स्वल्पमप्यस्य धर्मस्य त्रायते महतो भयात् ।। (४०)

In this there is no loss of effort, nor is there any harm (production of contrary results or transgression). Even a little of this knowledge (even a little practice of this Yoga) protects one from great fear. (40)

Commentary : If a religious ceremony is left uncompleted, it is a wastage as the performer cannot realize the fruits. But it is not so in the case of Karma Yoga, because every action causes immediate purification of the heart.
In agriculture there is uncertainty. The farmer may till the land, plough and sow the seed; but he may not get a crop if there is no rain. This is not so in Karma Yoga. There is no uncertainty at all. Further, there is no chance of any harm coming out of it. In the case of medical treatment great harm will result from the doctor’s injudicious treatment if he uses a wrong medicine. But it is not so in the case of Karma Yoga. Anything done, however little it may be, in this path of Yoga, the Yoga of Action, saves one from great fear of being caught in the wheel of birth and death. Lord Krishna here extols Karma Yoga in order to create interest in Arjuna in this Yoga.

व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिरेकेह कुरुनंदन  ।    

बहुशाखा ह्यनन्ताश्च बुद्धयोऽव्यवसायिनाम् ।। (४१)

Here, O joy of the Kurus !, there is but a single one-pointed determination; many-branched and endless are the thoughts of the irresolute. (41)

Commentary : Here, in this path to Bliss there is only one thought of a resolute nature; there is single-minded determination. This single thought arises from the right source of knowledge. The student of Yoga collects all the dissipated rays of the mind. He gathers all of them through discrimination, dispassion and concentration. He is free from wavering or vacillation of the mind.
The worldly-minded man who is sunk in the mire of Samsara has no single-minded determination. He entertains countless thoughts. His mind is always unsteady and vacillating.
If thoughts cease, Samsara also ceases. Mind generates endless thoughts and this world comes into being. Thoughts, and names and forms are inseparable. If the thoughts are controlled, the mind is controlled and the Yogi is liberated.

यामिमां पुष्पितां वाचं प्रवदन्त्यविपश्चितः ।    

वेदवादरताः पार्थ नान्यदस्तीति वादिनः ।। (४२)

Flowery speech is uttered by the unwise, taking pleasure in the eulogizing words of the Vedas, O Arjuna, saying, “There is nothing else.” (42)

Commentary : Unwise people who are lacking in discrimination lay great stress upon the Karma Kanda or the ritualistic portion of the Vedas, which lays down specific rules for specific actions for the attainment of specific fruits and extol these actions and rewards unduly. They are highly enamored of such Vedic passages which prescribe ways for the attainment of heavenly enjoyments. They say that there is nothing else beyond the sensual enjoyments in Svarga (Heaven) which can be obtained by performing the rites of the Karma Kanda of the Vedas.

There are two main division of the Vedas – Karma Kanda (the section dealing with action), and Jnana Kanda (the section dealing with knowledge). The Karma Kanda comprises the Brahmanas and the Samhitas. This is the authority for the Purvamimamsa school founded by Jaimini. The followers of this school deal with rituals and prescribe many of them for attaining enjoyments and power here and happiness in heaven. They regard this as the ultimate object of human existence. Ordinary people are attracted by their panegyrics. The Jnana Kanda comprises the Aranyakas and the Upanishads which deal with the nature of Brahman or the Supreme Self.

Life in heaven is also transitory. After the fruits of the good actions are exhausted, one has to come back to this earth-plane. Liberation or Moksha can only be attained by knowledge of the Self but not by performing a thousand and one sacrifices.

Lord Krishna assigns a comparatively inferior position to the doctrine of the Mimamsakas of performing Vedic sacrifices for obtaining heaven, power and lordship in this world as they cannot give us final liberation.

कामात्मानः स्वर्गपरा जन्मकर्मफलप्रदाम् ।    

क्रियाविशेषबहुलां भोगैश्वर्यगतिं प्रति ।। (४३)

Full of desires, having heaven as their goal, (they utter speech which is directed to ends) leading to new births as the result of their works, and prescribe various methods abounding in specific actions, for the attainment of pleasure and power. (43)

भौगेश्वर्यप्रसक्तानां तयापहृतचेतसाम् ।    

व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिः समाधौ न विधीयते ।। (४४)

For those who are attached to pleasure and power, whose minds are drawn away by such teaching, that determinate reason is not formed which is steadily bent on meditation and Samadhi (superconscious state). (44)

Commentary : Those who cling to pleasure and power cannot have steadiness of mind. They cannot concentrate or meditate. They are ever busy in planning projects or acquisition of wealth and power. Their minds are ever restless. They have no poised understanding.

त्रैगुण्यविषया वेदा निस्त्रैगुण्यो भवार्जुन ।    

निर्द्वन्द्वो नित्यसत्त्वस्थो निर्योगक्षेम आत्मवान् ।। (४५)

यावानर्थ उदपाने सर्वतः संप्लुतोदके ।    

तावान्सर्वेषु वेदेषु ब्राह्मणस्य विजानतः ।। (४६)

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते म फलेषु कदाचन ।    

मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूः मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ।। (४७)

योगस्थः कुरु  कर्माणि  सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय ।    

सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्यिः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते ।। (४८)

दूरेण ह्यवरं कर्म बुद्धियोगाद्धनञ्जय ।    

बुद्धौ शरणमन्विच्छ कृपणाः फलहेतवः ।। (४९)

बुद्धियुक्तो जहातीह उभे  सुकृतदुष्कृते ।    

तस्माद्योगाय युज्यस्व योगः कर्मसु कौशलम् ।। (५०)