Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 3 - Karma Yogah: Yoga Of Action [Continued]

WHAT IS SACRIFICE? 

sahayajnaah prajaah srishtwaa purovaacha prajaapatih
anena prasavishyadhwam  esha vo'stvishtakaamadhuk  // 3.10 //

The creator (Prajapati ), having in the beginning created mankind together with
Yajna, said ‘by this you multiply’; this shall be the milch cow of your desires'.

When the Universe was created by the Creator - Prajapati - he simultaneously created Yajna also, the spirit of self-dedicated activities which is seen everywhere, e.g. shining of the sun and the moon, flowing of rivers, tolerance of the Earth etc.,  All these activities show the spirit of sacrifice without any selfish motives. The second part of the verse means that no achievement is impossible for man if he knows how to act in the spirit of self-effacement and self-sacrifice with the required amount of non-attachment.

HOW CAN WELFARE BE ACHIEVED BY SACRIFICE?

devaan bhaavayataanena te devaa bhaavayantu vah
parasparam bhaavayantah shreyah param avaapsyatha  // 3.11 //

Cherish the Devas with this and may those Devas cherish you, thus cherishing one another you shall gain the highest good.

ishtaan bhogaan hi vo devaa daasyante yajnabhaavitaah 
tair dattaan apradaayaibhyo yo bhungkte stena eva sah  // 3.12 //

Devas, cherished by the sacrifice, will give you the desired objects. Indeed, he who enjoys objects given by the Devas without offering in return to them is verily a thief.

By performing actions as Yajna, as dedication to the Self, recognize
and express your sense of appreciation and gratitude to all the Devas, the
presiding functionaries of natural laws such as wind, fire etc.
 
Whether one is grateful or not, the sun rises, the rain rains and the wind blows. But by recognizing their functions in this creation, and by expressing one's deep appreciation and gratitude to them, one recognizes the true nature of one's own function in this creation, one becomes an active participant in this creation, and one progressively identifies oneself with the creation and the creator - The Self, Brahman.

In this relative world man and Devas are interdependent. They are nourished by one another. Men offer oblations to the gods; gods in return ensure men’s welfare by sending rain and other gifts. Thus a chain of mutual obligation binds together all created beings.
 
THOSE WHO ACT IN A SPIRIT OF SACRIFICE ARE SUPERIOR PERSONS
 
yajnashishtaashinah santo muchyante sarva kilbishaih
bhunjate te twagham paapaa  ye pachantyaatma kaaranaat // 3.13 //

The righteous who eat the remnants of the sacrifice are freed from all sins; but
those sinful ones who cook food only for their own sake, verily eat sin.
 
ACTION SETS THE WHEELS OF THE COSMOS GOING 

annaad bhavanti bhootani  parjanyaad anna sambhavah
yajnaad bhavati parjanyo  yajnah karma samudbhavah  // 3.14 //

From food all creatures are born; from rain food is produced; from sacrifice comes rain; sacrifice is born of action.  

karma brahmodbhavam viddhi brahmaakshara samudbhavam
tasmaat sarvagatam brahma  nityam yajne pratishthitam // 3.15 //

Know that action arises from the Vedas, and the Vedas from the Imperishable.
Therefore, the all pervading Vedas ever rest in sacrifice.

evam pravartitam chakram naanuvartayateeha yah
aghaayur indriyaaraamo  mogham paartha sa jeevati  // 3.16 //

He who does not follow the wheel thus set-in motion, but takes delight in the
senses, he lives in vain, O Arjuna.

In these verses (10 to 16) the Vedic conception of sacrifice as an inter-link
between God and man is set in the larger context of the interdependence of
beings in the cosmos. He who works for himself alone lives in vain.

TO BE CONTINUED......

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 3 - Karma Yogah: Yoga Of Action
 
Here Lord Krishna categorically and comprehensively explains how it is the duty of each and every member of society to carry out their functions and  responsibilities in their respective stage of life according to the rules and
regulations of the society in which one lives. Lord explains why such duties
must be performed, what benefit is gained by performing them, what harm is
caused by not performing them, what actions lead to bondage and what actions
lead to salvation. 
 
In the previous Chapter Bhagavan advised that Arjuna's duty was to work without pre-occupying himself with its result and at the same time suggested that he should not be attached to inaction. He concluded His advice with the advocacy of the path of attaining the state of steady wisdom and Brahmi state by knowledge and renunciation. 
 
Arjuna feels confused by the Lord’s praise of righteous war (2.31-38) and the Buddhi Yoga i.e. equanimity of mind (2.49 & 50) as also about the man of steady wisdom in conclusion.

 WHY THEN WORK AT ALL? 
 
arjuna uvaacha
jyaayasee chet karmanaste mataa buddhir janaardana
tat kim karmani ghore maam niyojayasi keshava  // 3.1 //

Arjuna said
 If you think that knowledge is superior to action, O Janardana, why then do you ask me to engage in this terrible action, O Kesava?

vyaamishreneva vaakyena  buddhim mohayaseeva me
tadekam vada nishchitya  yena shreyo'ham aapnuyaam  // 3.2 //

With these apparently perplexing words you confuse my understanding, as it were; therefore, tell me definitely that one thing by which I may attain the Highest Goal. 

If Sankhya method of gaining wisdom is superior, then action is an irrelevance. In this confusion he asks Sri Krishna as to which of the paths he has to follow
for his self-development since he still believed that to fight against his people was a terrible action. 

LIFE IS WORK BUT THE NEED IS UNCONCERN FOR RESULTS 

sri bhagavaan uvaacha
loke'smin dwividha nishthaa puraa proktaa mayaanagha
jnaanayogena saankhyaanaam karmayogena yoginaam  // 3.3 //
  
Sri Bhagavan said
In this world there is a two-fold path, as I said before, O blameless One (Arjuna), the path of knowledge for men of contemplation and the path of work for men of action.
  
WHAT IS ACTIONLESSNESS? 
 
na karmanaam anaarambhaan naishkarmyam purusho’shnute 
na cha sannyaasanaad eva siddhim samadhigacchati // 3.4  //

 Not by abstention from work does a man reach actionlessness, nor by mere
  renunciation does he attain to perfection.

Action as it is generally understood is the outcome of want and desire. Actionlessness does not mean mere idling or abandoning of all actions.. If one is free from thoughts, wishes, likes and dislikes and has knowledge of the Self he can be said to have reached the state of actionlessness.  
 
WHY RENUNCIATION OF ACTION UNACCOMPANIED BY KNOWLEDGE
DOES NOT LEAD TO PERFECTION?

na hi kashchit kshanamapi jaatu tishthatyakarmakrit
kaaryate hyavashah karma sarvah prakritjair gunaih  // 3.5 //

Verily none can ever remain even for a moment without performing action; for everyone is made to act by the Gunas or qualities born of prakriti (nature), in spite of himself.
 
 While life remains, action is inevitable. Thinking is an act. Living is an act.  These acts cause  many effects.  To be free from desire, from the illusion of personal interest, is the true renunciation and not the physical abstention from activity.

karmendriyaani samyamya ya aaste manasaa smaran
indriyaarthaan vimoodhaatma mithyaachaarah sa uchyate // 3.6 //

He who restrains his organs of action, but continues to dwell in his mind on the
objects of the senses, deludes himself and is called a hypocrite. 
 
yastwindriyaani manasaa niyamyaarabhate'rjuna
karmendriyaih karmayogam  asaktah sa vishishyate // 3.7 //

But he who restrains his senses with his mind and directs his organs of action to work, with no feeling of attachment - he, O Arjuna, is indeed superior.

IMPORTANCE OF PERFORMING ALLOTTED DUTY

niyatam kuru karma twam karma jyaayo hyakarmanah
shareerayaatraa pi cha te  na prasiddhyed akarmanah  // 3.8 //
 
Do your allotted work; for action is superior to inaction. Even the bare maintenance of the body would not be possible if you remain inactive. 

Allotted action is one’s own duty as laid down in the scriptures to different persons in accordance with their inherited tendencies, the stage in life and the order in society. Non-performance of such bounden duties would mean inaction. The very fact of living involves several natural and unavoidable actions which have to be performed by all. Even bodily existence in health is just not possible if one has to live in complete inertia and inaction.

UNSELFISH ACTION DOES NOT CREATE BONDAGE
 
yajnaarthaat karmano'nyatra loko’yam karmabandhanah
tadartham karma kaunteya muktasangah samaachara  // 3.9 //

The world is in bondage to work unless they are performed for the sake of Yajna (sacrifice). Therefore, O Son of Kunti, give up attachment and do your work as  a sacrifice. 

All work is to be done in a spirit of sacrifice, for the sake of the Divine. Yajna
here means any unselfish action done with a pure motive. It is a self-sacrificing work undertaken in a spirit of self-dedication for the good of all. Such actions cannot be self-serving but self-liberating and do not bind the performer. An action which is not governed by the spirit of unselfishness binds one to worldliness, however glorious it may be.

TO BE CONTINUED......