Contents
Shri Sankara's Gita Bhashya
(Sri Sankaracharya's Commentary on the Gita)
CHAPTER -3
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Karma Yogah (WAY OF ACTION)The two kinds of wisdom, one relating to the path of Action (pravrtti) and the other to the path of Renunciation (nivrtti), with which the (Gitā-) Śāstra was intended to deal, have (respectively) been indicated by the Lord as wisdom in Yoga and as wisdom in Sāmkhya (H-39). In the verses, commencing from, "When a man completely casts away all the desires"[1] to the end of the (foregoing) Chapter, He lays down that the duty of those who have betaken themselves to Sāmkhya-wisdom is to renounce action and declares in the verse, "This is the Brāhmic state"[2] that by devotion to that (wisdom) alone, they attain fulfilment. And, as for Arjuna, He has declared in the verse, "Your right is to. work alone, neither let your attachment be towards inaction" 11-47), that his duty lay in the performance of works, betaking himself to the Toga-wisdom ; but He has not stated that, thereby, supreme felicity (śreyas - moksa) would be attained.[3] Noticing this, Arjuna's mind became agitated and he gave expression (to the Lord) to his thought: Having made me- a devotee and a seaker after liberation hear about the direct means to final beatitude, namely devotion to the Sāmkhya-wsdom, why does He (the Lord) charge me to engage in work, which is patently full of many evils,[4] and which even as a step does not, with certainty,[5] lead to the attainment of the supreme felicity?" His agitation is thus justifiable. And his question, "If knowledge is considered superior to action, etc." (IH-1). reflects his perplexity And the words spoken by the Lord to dispel (the doubt implicit in) the question elucidate the distinction already stated (between Sāmkhya and Yoga)-(lll-3). |
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