Srimad Bhagavad Gita -Ramanujacharya 97

Srimad Bhagavad Gita -Ramanujacharya

Chapter-3 Karma Yogaḥ

evaṃ pravartitaṃ cakraṃ nānu vartayatīha yaḥ | aghāyur-indriyā rāmo moghaṃ pārtha sa jīvati || 16 || 16. One who does not follow this cycle thus set in motion, lives in error, revelling in the senses, he lives in vain O Arjuna. Commentary Thus, this cycle is set in motion by the Supreme Being. From food originate embodied Jīvas which are denoted by the word 'beings'; from rain food is produced; from sacrifice comes rain; sacrifice is achieved by activities which are accomplished by an agent; and activity arises from the embodied Self; and again the body is endowed with life from food. In this manner there is a sequence. which revolves like a wheel through the mutual relation of cause and effect. Hence, if one who is engaged in spiritual practice — whether qualified for Karma Yoga or Jñāna Yoga — does not keep in motion this wheel which revolves in a cycle through mutual relation of cause and effect— that person, by not maintaining his physical being by means of the remnants of sacrifice, lives in error. The senses become the pleasure -gardens of one whose mind and body are not nourished by the 'remnants of sacrifices.' Rajas and Tamas begin to preponderate. Being thus deflected from Self-realisation, he rejoices only in sensegratification. Therefore, even if he were to strive for Self-realisation, it would be fruitless. So therefore his life is wasted, O Arjuna. Sri Krishna now says that the performance of the 'Five Great Sacrifices' etc., according to social status and stage of life, should only be renounced by one who is liberated — whose vision of the ātman does not depend on any external means.