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Chapter 4
Link:—Describing the divine character of His actions, in the preceding verse, and citing examples of ancient seekers of liberation, in the next verse, the Lord advices Arjuna to perform his duty disinterestedly.
evarh jnatva krtarir karma pfrrvairapi mumuksubhih
kuru karmaiva tasmattvarir purvaih purvataram krtam
Having known this, the ancient seekers of salvation also performed action (Karma); therefore, do thou atso perform action, as the ancients did, in former times. 15
Comment:-
[The Lord here, concludes the topic of the divine character of actions, which He began in the ninth verse.]
Evam jnatva krtam karma purvairapi mumuksubhih:—Arjuna was a seeker of liberation (salvation), but he did not think that the performance of his duty (of fighting) would lead him to salvation. So he wanted to renounce the duty, as to him it was horrible (Gita 3/1). Therefore, Lord Krsna urges Arjuna to attain salvation, through performing his duty, and cited the example of ancient seekers of liberation, who attained salvation by performing their duty. The Lord, is emphasizing the same fact here, which He mentioned, in the twentieth verse of the third chapter, by citing the example of Janaka and others, and, in the first and second verses of this chapter, by citing examples of Vivasvan, Mann and Iksvaku etc.
It is mentioned in the scriptures, that when desire for liberation is aroused in a striver, he should abandon actions, because in that case, he becomes eligible to attain knowledge (wisdom), rather than to perform actions.[1] But here, He urges Arjuna, a seeker of liberation, to perform his duty in a disinterested manner, and cites the example of other ancient seekers of liberation.
Karmayoga (Discipline of Action) consists, in remaining established in Yoga (union wim God) while performing duty, and in performing duty while remaining firm in Yoga. Actions are performed for the world, while Yoga (union with God) is for one's own self. Performance of actions and non-pertormance of actions, are two states. A Yogi, transcends the two, without being attached to either of the two. This Yoga is detachment incarnate. This is not a state. It is God-realization.
The Lord, in the fourteenth verse, declared, "Actions do not taint (bind) Me, since I have no craving for the fruit of actions." A person, who having known this skill (Karmayoga) performs actions, by renouncing the desire for fruit, is not bound by actions, as the Lord declares, "He who is attached to the fruit of action,
is bound" (Gita 5/12). Actions, which a man performs, in order to gain pleasures or wealth or honour and praise or paradise etc., bind him (Gita 3/9). But, if he performs actions, for the well being of others, without any selfish motive, to renounce his affinity for the world, the actions do not bind him (Gita 4/23). The reason is, that when actions are performed for others, the flow is towards the world and thus attachment for them perishes. No new affinity for them is born, because there is no desire - for the fruit.
Kuru karmaiva tasmattvam pnrvaih purvataram krtam:—The Lord orders Arjuna to perform actions, for the welfare of the world, like other seekers of liberation, because he is also a seeker of liberation. All the mundane materials, such as, the body, senses, mind and intellect etc., required for the performance of actions, have their identity with the world, while they are different from the self. They have been acquired from the world, so that service to the world may be rendered, with them. If they are used by a person in performing actions for himself, he gets attached to those actions, but if all actions are performed for the welfare of others, he is not attached to them. As soon as, this attachment is renounced, he realizes his Yoga i.e., union with God, which is eternal.
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