Gyaneshwari -Sant Gyaneshwar
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Chapter-18
Release
The blessed Lord said: 2. Renouncing of actions motivated by desire, the wise know to be renunciation; the abandonment of the fruits of all actions, the learned declare, is relinquishment. Actions prompted by desire, involve the performance of sacrifices such as the horse-sacrifice, sinking of wells with or without steps, laying out pleasure gardens, or making grants of lands or new towns, observing diverse vows with ceremonies – all these actions consisting of sacrifices and social works (Ishtapurta) spring from desire. Such actions involving enjoyment of their fruit lead to bondage (96-100). O Arjuna, an embodied person cannot avoid the occasions of birth and death. One cannot escape his destiny (i.e. what is written on his forehead), nor can he wash off his complexion. In the same way, one cannot evade the experience of the fruit of a motivated action, as one cannot become free unless he pays off his debt. Even if a motivated action gets casually performed without any motive, even then it has the natural power to make one experience its fruit. This is in the same way as a mock fight with blunt weapons causes an injury, or jaggery put in the mouth tastes sweet, or the foot placed on a live coal thinking it to be ashes, burns (101-105). Therefore, the seeker should not perform such actions even out of fun. Just as one should vomit poison which has entered the stomach, one should abandon motivated actions. Such abandonment is called renunciation, so said Lord Krishna, who dwells in our hearts and is the witness of all our actions. Then he added, just as the abandonment of riches removes fear of thieves, so the renunciation of motivated actions, destroys all desires too. |
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