Contents
Shri Sankara's Gita Bhashya
(Sri Sankaracharya's Commentary on the Gita)
CHAPTER -3
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In the Śruti which sets out the means for realising the (realm of the ) Self, spoken of as the object to be realised, "The Brāhmanas seek to know this (Self) by the recitation of the Vedas, by yajña (worship), etc."[1], karma-yoga is declared as a means to jñana-yoga. Here also, the Lord is going to declare the same in such passages as : "Renunication (of action), O mighty-armed, is hard to attain without performance of action" (V-6); "Devotees in the path of work perform action, forsaking attachment, for the purification of the self (-mind)" (V-ll); "Yajña, gift and also austerity are purifying to the wise'[2]. Here a doubt arises-from the Smrti passage, "Having granted protection from fear to all creatures, one should take to action lessness"[3], it is evident that actionlessness can be attained even by renunciation of the prescribed duties ; from worldly experience also, it is very well-known that actionless ness is attained by non-performance of actions ;what then is the need for a seeker after actionlessness to take to action? To this, the Lord replies- Neither by mere renunciation, by simply abandoning action, without possessing Knowledge, does he attain to perfection, abidance in devotion to Knowledge, characterised by actionlessness. For what reason, then, can a person not attain to perfection, of the nature of actionlessness, through mere renunciation of action, destitute of Knowledge? On this enquiry for the reason, the Lord says. |
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