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Chapter 4
An Important Fact
'Karmayoga' is not an action. It is selfless service. In it - non-attachment predominates. Service and non-attachment—both are not actions. Discrimination, plays an important role in both - of these. As the body, senses, mind and intellect etc., are acquired these are transitory. They should be used, only in rendering service to the world, because these have been acquired from the world. Moreover, these will have to be renounced. But, the Self or God Who is ours, can never be renounced. Only that which is really not ours, but we have assumed as ours, is renounced. In fact, this is not renunciation, it is discrimination.
All materials, (the body, senses, mind and intellect etc.,) are neither of the self, nor for the self, but are of the world and for the world. The self ever remains unaffected and uniform, while the materials are changing. Therefore whatever action is performed, with these materials is for the good of others, not for the self. In this there is a vital fact, that no action can be performed, without materials. Even the greatest writer cannot write, without ink, pen and paper, which are of the world. Therefore, when a person, uses the articles of the world for the world, he in fact, does not render any service to the world, he gives the things of the world to the world. Thus he merely uses his discrimination. Thus, it is discrimination which leads to renunciation and service.
Discrimination has been bestowed upon beings from time immemorial. Had it been the fruit of virtuous action, how could virtuous actions have been performed, without discrimination? It is discrimination by which one can resolve, to perform virtuous actions, by renouncing evil actions. As discrimination is self-evident, so is Karmayoga (Discipline of Action) which involves no labour. Similarly, in the Discipline of Knowledge, the self (Which is detached) is self-evident, while in the Discipline of Devotion, the affinity for God is self-evident.
Yajjnatva moksyase'subhat:—The self, is good and virtuous, while the ever-changing world, is bad or evil. The self, in spite of being an eternal fragment of God, and developing a disinclination for God, has got entangled in the perishable world. The Lord declares, that He will describe reality about action, by knowing, which he (Arjuna) will be liberated from its evil effect i.e., worldly bondage of the cycle of birth and death.
[The topic of knowledge of action, which begins in this verse, will be concluded in the thirty-second verse with the declaration, "Thus knowing, thou shalt be liberated".)
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