Srimad Bhagavadgita -Ramsukhdas 134

Srimad Bhagavadgita Sadhaka Sanjivani -Swami Ramsukhdas

Chapter 2 Appendix:-The Lord has mentioned the glory of equanimity in four ways in the thirty-ninth and fortieth verses karmabandham prahasyasi:-By equanimity a man shakes off the shackles of Karma (action), nehabhikramanafo'sti:-There is no loss of effort. pratyavayo na vidyate:-There is no adverse result of this effort. svalpamapyasya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat:-Even a little practice of this discipline (dharma) protects one from the great danger of birth and death. Though in the first point the three remaining points are included, yet there is a little difference in them; as The Lord first in the normal way declares that by equanimity a man shakes off the shackles of Karma (action). The reason of bondage is the attachment to the modes viz., it is his assumed affinity with Prakrti (Matter) and its evolutes (Gita 13/21). In equanimity there is no affinity with Prakrti and its evolutes; therefore the man is freed from the shackles (bondage) of action. As in the world many virtuous and sinful actions are done, but those actions don't bind us because we have no relationship with them, similarly the even-minded person has no relationship with the actions done by his body. If equanimity merely begins viz., there is an aim of attaining equanimity, there is inquisitiveness to attain it, then this beginning is not destroyed. The reason is that the aim to attain the imperishable is also imperishable while the aim to gain the perishable, is also perishable. The aim to gain the perishable leads to destruction (fall) while the aim to attain equanimity leads to salvation—jijnasurapi yogasya aabdabrahmativartate' (Gita 6/44). There is no adverse result of this equanimity. If there is any error in pronouncing the sacred text in the performance of actions which are done with a desire for fruits, the result of those actions can be adverse. But if there is equanimity in life, and an error is committed, and if there is slip in carefulness, the action does not give adverse result (bondage). For example if a paid servant while lighting a lantern in the dark drops it and breaks it, we are angry with him. But if our friend who never wants anything from us, drops the lantern and it is broken, we don't get angry but ask him not to mind it as it matters little. Therefore he who performs actions with the desire for fruit, may have adverse result of his actions but how can the result of the actions of the person, who doesn't covet any fruit, he adverse? It can't be.