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SALVATION THROUGH RENUNCIATION
Arjuna said: I wish to know the nature of renunciation and
sacrifice, and the difference between the two, O Lord Krishna. (18.01)
DEFINITION OF RENUNCIATION
AND SACRIFICE
Lord Krishna said: The sages
define renunciation as abstaining from all work for personal profit. The wise
define sacrifice as the sacrifice of, and the freedom from, a selfish
attachment to the fruits of all work. (See also 5.01, 5.05, and 6.01) (18.02)
We have
used the word 'renunciation' for Samnyasa, and 'sacrifice' for Tyaga in this
rendering. A renunciant (Samnyasi) does not own anything. A true renunciant
works for others and lives for ¾ not on ¾ others. Samnyasa means complete renunciation of
doership, ownership, and personal selfish motive behind an action, whereas
Tyaga means renunciation of the selfish attachment to the fruits of all work,
or working just for God. A person who does sacrificial services (Seva) for God
is called Tyagi or a KarmaYogi. Thus a Tyagi who thinks that he or she is doing
all works just to please God will always remember Him. Therefore, it is
mentioned in verse 12.12 that Tyaga is the best spiritual practice. The words
“Samnyasa” and “Tyaga” are used interchangeably in the Gita because there is no
real difference between the two (See verses 5.04, 5.05, 6.01, and 6.02).
According to the Gita, Samnyasa does not mean living in the forest or any other
secluded place outside society. Samnyasa is a state of mind that is completely
detached from the outcome or the fruits of work.
Everybody
desires peace of mind, but that is only possible for one who works for God
without being attached to results ¾ and dedicates the results of all work to God. This is
not necessarily the same as offering all one's material wealth and possessions
to one's guru as propagated by some sects.
Some philosophers say that all work is full of faults and
should be given up, while others say that acts of sacrifice, charity, and
austerity should not be abandoned. (18.03)
O Arjuna, listen to My conclusion about sacrifice. Sacrifice is
said to be of three types. (18.04)
Acts of service, charity, and austerity should not be
abandoned, but should be performed because service, charity, and austerity are
the purifiers of the wise. (18.05)
Even these obligatory works should be performed without
attachment to the fruits. This is My definite supreme advice, O Arjuna. (18.06)
THREE
TYPES OF SACRIFICE
Giving up one's duty is not proper. The abandonment of
obligatory work is due to delusion and is declared to be in the mode of
ignorance. (18.07)
One who abandons duty merely because it is difficult or because
of fear of bodily affliction, does not get the benefits of sacrifice by
performing such a sacrifice in the mode of passion. (18.08)
Obligatory work performed as duty, renouncing selfish
attachment to the fruit, is alone to be regarded as sacrifice in the mode of
goodness, O Arjuna. (18.09)
Renunciation
of attachment to sensual pleasures is the real sacrifice (Tyaga). The
perfection of Tyaga comes only after a person becomes free from the clutches of
attachments and aversions (MB 12.162.17). There is no eye better than the eye
of Self-knowledge, no austerity better than truth, no pain greater than
attachment, and no pleasure greater than Tyaga (MB 12.175.35). One cannot
become happy without Tyaga; one cannot become fearless without Tyaga; and one
cannot attain God without Tyaga (MB 12.176.22). Even the bliss of trance should
not be enjoyed just for the sake of enjoyment. The Gita recommends renunciation
while living in the world ¾ not renunciation of the world as commonly
misinterpreted.
Christ
said: If you want perfection, give away everything you have, and then follow Me
(Matthew 19.21). No one can serve two masters. You cannot serve both God and
mammon ¾
the material desires (Matthew 6.24, Luke 16.13). Christ did not hesitate to
sacrifice his own life for the noble teachings. Lord Rama gave up His kingdom
and even His wife for the establishment of righteousness (Dharma). Give up
attachment and attain perfection by renunciation is the message of the Vedas
and the Upanishads. Selfless service or “Tyaga” is the essence of the Gita as
given in this last chapter. A person who is Tyagi cannot commit sin and is
released from the cycles of transmigration. One can cross the ocean of
transmigration and reach the shores of salvation in this very life by the boat
of Tyaga.
The Nine
Types of Renunciation leading to salvation, based on the teachings of the Gita,
are: (1) Renunciation of actions forbidden by the scriptures (16.23-24), (2)
Renunciation of lust, anger, greed, fear, likes and dislikes, and jealousy
(3.34, 16.21); (3) Spurning of procrastination in the search of Truth (12.09),
(4) Giving up feeling pride in one’s knowledge, detachment, devotion, wealth,
and charitable deeds (15.05, 16.01-04); (5) Rejection of selfish motives and
attachment to the fruits of all works (2.51, 3.09, 4.20, 6.10), (6)
Renunciation of the feeling of doership in all undertakings (12.13, 18.53), (7)
Giving up thoughts of using the Lord to fulfill selfish, material desires
(2.43, 7.16); (8) Spurning attachments to material objects, such as a house,
wealth, position, and power (12.19, 13.09); and (9) Sacrifice of wealth,
prestige, and even life for a noble cause and protection of righteousness
(Dharma) (2.32, 4.28).
One who neither hates a disagreeable work, nor is attached to
an agreeable work, is considered a renunciant (Tyagi), imbued with the mode of
goodness, intelligent, and free from all doubts about the Supreme Being. (18.10)
Human beings cannot completely
abstain from work. Therefore, one who completely renounces selfish attachment
to the fruits of all work is considered a renunciant. (18.11)
The threefold fruit of works — desirable, undesirable, and
mixed ¾
accrues after death to one who is not a renunciant (Tyagi), but never to a
Tyagi. (18.12)
FIVE
CAUSES OF ANY ACTION
Learn from Me, O Arjuna, the five causes, as described in the
Sankhya doctrine, for the accomplishment of all actions. They are: The physical
body, the seat of Karma; the modes of material Nature, the doer; the eleven
organs of perception and action, the instruments; various life forces; and the
fifth, the presiding deities of the eleven organs. (18.13-14)
These are the five causes of whatever action, whether right or
wrong, one performs by thought, word, and deed. (18.15)
Therefore, the one who considers one’s body or the Spirit
(Atma, soul) as the sole agent, do not understand, due to imperfect knowledge.
(18.16)
One who is free from the notion of doership and whose intellect
is not polluted by the desire to reap the fruit ¾ even after slaying these
people ¾
neither slays nor is bound by the act of killing. (18.17)
Those who
are free from the notion of doership, free from likes and dislikes of their
work, and detached from the fruits of work become free from Karmic reactions
even for the act of killing.
The subject, the object, and the knowledge of the object are
the threefold driving force to an action. The eleven organs, the act, and the
agent or the modes of material Nature are the three components of action.
(18.18)
THREE
TYPES OF KNOWLEDGE
Self-knowledge, action, and agent are said to be of three
types, according to Sankhya doctrine. Hear duly about these also. (18.19)
The knowledge by which one sees one and the same immutable, undivided divinity in all
creatures, such knowledge is in the mode of goodness. (See also 11.13, and
13.16) (18.20)
The knowledge by which one sees each individual as different
and separate from one another; such knowledge is in the mode of passion.
(18.21)
The irrational, baseless, and worthless knowledge by which one
clings to one single effect ¾ such as the body ¾
as if it is everything, such knowledge is in the mode of darkness of ignorance
(18.22)
THREE
TYPES OF ACTION
Obligatory duty performed without likes and dislikes and
without selfish motives and attachment to the fruit, is in the mode of
goodness. (18.23)
Action performed with ego, with selfish motives, and with too
much effort, is in the mode of passion. (18.24)
Action that is undertaken because of delusion, disregarding
consequences, loss, injury to others, as well as one’s own ability, is in the
mode of ignorance. (18.25)
THREE
TYPES OF AGENT
The agent who is free from attachment, is non-egotistic,
endowed with resolve and enthusiasm, and unperturbed in success or failure is
called good. (18.26)
The agent who is impassioned, who desires the fruits of work,
who is greedy, violent, impure, and affected by joy and sorrow, is called
passionate. (18.27)
The agent who is undisciplined, vulgar, stubborn, wicked,
malicious, lazy, depressed, and procrastinating is called ignorant. (18.28)
THREE
TYPES OF INTELLECT
Now hear Me explain, fully and separately, the threefold
division of intellect and resolve, based on modes of material Nature, O Arjuna.
(18.29)
O Arjuna, that intellect is in the mode of goodness which
understands the path of work and the path of renunciation, right and wrong
action, fear and fearlessness, bondage and liberation. (18.30)
That intellect is in the mode of passion which cannot
distinguish between righteousness (Dharma) and unrighteousness (Adharma), and
right and wrong action, O Arjuna. (18.31)
That intellect is in the mode of ignorance which accepts
unrighteousness (Adharma) as righteousness (Dharma) and thinks everything to be
that which it is not, O Arjuna. (18.32)
THREE
TYPES OF RESOLVE, AND THE FOUR GOALS OF HUMAN LIFE
That resolve is in the mode of goodness by which one
manipulates the functions of the mind, Prana (Life forces, bioimpulses) and
senses for God-realization only, O Arjuna. (18.33)
That resolve is in the mode of passion by which one, craving
for the fruits of work, clings to duty, wealth, and pleasure with great
attachment, O Arjuna. (18.34)
Doing
one's duty, earning wealth, material enjoyment, and attaining salvation are the
four noble goals of human life for the householder in the Vedic tradition. Lord
Rama said: One who is engaged only in sense gratification, abandoning duty and
earning wealth, soon gets into trouble (VR 2.53.13). One who uses duty, earning
wealth, and enjoying sensual pleasure in a balanced manner without any one of
the three being harmed by the other two attains salvation (MB 9.60.22). A person
completely involved in acquiring and preserving material wealth and possessions
has no time for Self-realization (MB 12.07.41). One can obtain all four noble
goals by devotion to the Lord (VP 1.18.24). One should first follow Dharma by
doing one’s duty righteously. Then one should earn money and make economic
progress, fulfill all noble material and spiritual desires with the money
earned, and progress towards salvation, the only noble goal of human birth.
As human
beings are always afraid of death, a rich person is always afraid of the tax
collector, thieves, relatives, and natural disasters (MB 3.02.39). There is
great pain in accumulating, protecting, and losing wealth. The desire for
wealth accumulation is never satisfied; therefore, the wise consider
contentment as the supreme pleasure (MB 3.02.46). People are never satisfied
with wealth and material possessions (KaU 1.27). One should always remember
that we are just the trustees of all wealth and possessions.
That resolve is in the mode of ignorance by which a dull person
does not give up sleep, fear, grief, despair, and carelessness, O Arjuna.
(18.35)
THREE
TYPES OF PLEASURE
And now hear from Me, O Arjuna, about the threefold pleasure.
The pleasure that one enjoys from spiritual practice results in cessation of
all sorrows. (18.36)
The pleasure that appears as poison in the beginning, but is
like nectar in the end, comes by the grace of Self-knowledge and is in the mode
of goodness. (18.37)
One who
enjoys the ocean of the nectar of devotion has no use for the sensual
pleasures that are like water of a pond (BP 6.12.22). The river of material joy
dries up quickly after the rainy season if there is no perennial source of
spiritual water. Material objects are like straws to a Self-realized person.
Sensual pleasures that appear as
nectar in the beginning, but become poison in the end, are in the mode of
passion. (See also 5.22) (18.38)
Two paths ¾ the
beneficial spiritual path and the pleasant path of sensual pleasure ¾ are
open to us. The wise choose the former while the ignorant chooses the latter
(KaU 2.02). Sensual pleasures wear out the vigor of the senses and bring
diseases in the end (KaU 1.26). Sensual pleasure is not the object of precious
human birth. Even heavenly enjoyment is temporary and ends in sorrow. Those who
are attached to sensual delights are like fools who choose poison in exchange
for the nectar of devotion (TR 7.43.01). The ignorant ones, due to delusion,
do not think that they are taking poison while drinking it. They only know
after the result, and then it is too late (VR 7.15.19). It is the natural
tendency of the senses to go easily toward external sensual pleasures as water
flows downstream. Regrets follow the fulfillment of all sensual and material
desires.
Worldly
pleasure is like a mirage in the desert. Thirsty persons reckon it as water
until they come to drink it and find nothing. Worldly happiness is temporary
and flickering, whereas happiness derived from spiritual life is permanent and
continuous. Ramakrishna said: One does not feel intensely restless for God
until all worldly desires are satisfied. Manu is of the opinion that it may be
easier to control the senses after enjoying sense pleasure and discovering its
uselessness and harmfulness (MS 2.96). Desirelessness comes easily after most
of our desires are fulfilled. A person may be healthy and wealthy but still
unhappy without a taste of spiritual pleasure. A spiritually mature person does
not miss worldly pleasures.
Pleasure that confuses a person in the beginning and in the end
as a result of sleep, laziness, and carelessness, is in the mode of ignorance.
(18.39)
There is no being, either on the earth or among the celestial
controllers in the heaven, who can remain free from these three modes of
material Nature. (18.40)
DIVISION OF LABOR IS BASED
ON ONE’S ABILITY
The division of human labor into four catagories is also based
on the qualities inherent in peoples’ nature or their make up. (See also 4.13)
(18.41)
In the
ancient Vedic system, activities of human beings were categorized into four
social orders, based on the three modes of material Nature. These four orders
are often mistaken for the caste system of modern times in India and elsewhere
that is based on birth only. These four, universal, social orders of human
society, as described by Lord Krishna, relate to persons’ nature, quality, and
work, not their birth. Those who were dominated by the mode of goodness and
were peaceful and self-controlled were called Braahmans. Those who were
controlled by passion and preferred to engage in administration and protective
services were labeled Kshatriyas. Those under the mixed modes of passion and
ignorance, engaged in farming and trades, were called Vaishyas. Those mostly in
the lowest mode of ignorance were called Shudras, and their nature was to serve
the other three social orders.
The Vedas
compare human society with a person whose four main limbs represent the four
broad types of works and workers in society. The Vedas also state that their
words are for all mankind, for all people (YV 26.02). There are only two types
(or castes) of people ¾ the decent and the indecent (Gita 16.06).
Intellectuals who have serenity, self-control, austerity,
purity, patience, honesty, transcendental knowledge, transcendental
experience, and belief in God are labeled as intellectuals (Braahmans). (18.42)
An
intellectual is one who has the above-mentioned qualities (MB 3.180.21).
Anybody may be called 'intellectual' if he or she possesses the divine gift of
Self-knowledge (RV 10.125.05, AV 4.30.03). Intellectualism is an acquirement ¾ a quality
or state of mind ¾
rather than a caste or creed. The illuminated ones who know the Absolute Truth
and are in touch with the Supreme Being are the real Braahmans and are next to
God. All are born equal, but can become superior or inferior by deeds only.
Whenever a
sector of any society gives predominance to caste, creed, race, religion,
color, gender, or place of birth over the ability of an individual, the seeds
of that society’s downfall and inefficiency are planted and begin to grow. The
devil of discrimination knows no national boundaries. It is unfortunately
practiced by ignorant persons all over the world in one form or another. It is
a human temptation and a manifestation of a superiority complex. The wise
should try to overcome all types and shades of bias. All are the children of
God, equal in His eyes, and should be treated as such. A person, for the
progress of society, must be judged by his or her ability ¾ not
by any other standard.
Those having the qualities of heroism, vigor, firmness,
dexterity, steadfastness in battle, charity, and administrative skills are
called leaders or protectors (Kshatriyas). (18.43)
The ideal
protector possesses uncompromising, unrelenting opposition to evil-doers in
society. The duty (Dharma) of a protector is to fight all unrighteousness
(Adharma) and injustice in society.
Those who are good at cultivation, cattle rearing, business,
trade, finance, and industry are known as business men (Vaishyas). Those who
are very good in service and labor are classed as workers (Shudras). (18.44)
A Shudra
is a person who is ignorant of spiritual knowledge and identifies with the
material body due to ignorance. According to Lord Krishna, these four
designations or types are not determined by birth. A Shudra-type person may be
born in any family. The results of one's previous activities or Karma return as
one's nature and habits.
People are
either born with certain qualities or develop them through training and effort.
One who does not have the requisite qualities of the four social orders of
society, cannot be categorized improperly by virtue of birth or position only.
ATTAINMENT
OF SALVATION THROUGH DUTY, DISCIPLINE, AND DEVOTION
One can attain the highest perfection by devotion to one’s
natural work. Listen to Me how one attains perfection while engaged in one’s
natural work. (18.45)
One attains perfection by
worshipping the Supreme Being ¾ from whom all beings originate and by whom all this
universe is pervaded ¾ through performance of one’s natural duty dedicated to
Him. (See also 9.27, 12.10) (18.46)
One’s inferior natural work is better than superior unnatural
work, even though well performed. One who does the work ordained by one’s inherent
nature, without any selfish motive, incurs no sin (or Karmic reaction). (See
also 3.35) (18.47)
One’s natural work, even though defective, should not be
abandoned because all undertakings are enveloped by defects as fire is covered
by smoke, O Arjuna. (18.48)
Nothing in
this world has only good or only bad qualities. There is no perfect
undertaking. All ventures have both good and bad aspects (MB 12.15.50). It is
not what you do ¾ but how you do it ¾ that
is important. Work becomes worship when done with an attitude of adoration of
the Lord.
The person whose mind is always free from selfish attachment,
who has subdued the mind and senses, and who is free from desires, attains the
supreme perfection of freedom from the bondage of Karma by renouncing selfish
attachment to the fruits of work. (18.49)
Learn from Me briefly, O Arjuna, how one who has attained such
perfection, or the freedom from the bondage of Karma, attains Supreme Being,
the goal of transcendental knowledge. (18.50)
Endowed with purified intellect; subduing the mind with firm
resolve; turning away from sound and other objects of the senses; giving up
likes and dislikes; living in solitude; eating lightly; controlling the mind,
speech, and organs of action; ever absorbed in yoga of meditation; taking
refuge in detachment; and relinquishing egotism, violence, pride, lust, anger,
and proprietorship ¾
one becomes peaceful, free from the notion of "I, me, and my", and
fit for attaining oneness with the Supreme Being. (18.51-53)
When the
torch of meditation fuses Selfless service, Self-knowledge, and devotional love
during the thoughtless state of trance, the rays of enlightenment radiate,
divine communion is perfected, the fog of ignorance disappears, and all
material and sensual desires evaporate from the mind.
Absorbed in the Supreme Being, the serene one neither grieves
nor desires. Becoming impartial to all beings, one obtains the highest
devotional love for God. (18.54)
By devotion one truly understands
what and who I am in essence. Having known Me in essence, one immediately
merges with Me. (See also 5.19) (18.55)
There is
no doubt God can be known only through faith and unswerving devotion (BP
11.14.21). There are numerous spiritual practices ¾ not just one ¾
prescribed in the scriptures to get that faith and unswerving devotion.
Knowledge and devotion are one and the same like a tree and its seed. The
entire process of spirituality gets started by the spark of grace that comes
only as faith, and not by any other method.
Delusion
of Maya prevents people from knowing and seeing God. As one cannot see the
ever-existing salt in ocean water with the eye, but can taste it by the tongue,
similarly, the Self can be realized only by faith and devotion, not by logic
and reasoning. God may be realized not only by meditation and Self-knowledge,
but also through ecstatic personal love and intense devotion to one’s personal
deity.
Only they
know You to whom You make Yourself known; the moment one knows You, one becomes
one with You (TR 2.126.02). The knower of the Spirit becomes like Spirit (BrU
1.04.10, MuU 3.02.09). The Kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17.21). No one
can enter the Kingdom of God unless one is born again (by realizing that one
is not this body, but Spirit behind the body) (John 3.03). Whoever does not
receive the Kingdom of God like a child, will never go there (Mark 10.15). The
Father and I are one (John 10.30). To truly understand God is to become one
with God.
A KarmaYogi devotee attains the eternal immutable abode by My
grace ¾
even while doing all duties ¾ just by taking refuge in Me (by dedicating all action
to Me with loving devotion). (18.56)
Sincerely offer all actions to Me,
set Me as your supreme goal, and completely depend on Me. Always fix your mind
on Me and resort to KarmaYoga. (18.57)
Everything
we use or eat should be first offered to the Lord, the giver of all things,
before we put it to our own use. This includes ¾ but is not limited to ¾
food, a new dress, a new car, a new house, and a new baby. Offering everything
to the Lord is the highest form of worship that one has to learn and practice
every day. According to Swami Chidanand Saraswati (Muniji) this verse means to
have His name in your heart and on your lips, and to have His work in your
hands.
KarmaYoga
saves one from being entangled in the wheels of transmigration and leads to
liberation. KarmaYoga is recommended even for one who does not believe in God,
who has no knowledge of God, who has no faith and devotion, and consequently
cannot follow any other spiritual path.
You shall overcome all difficulties by My grace when your mind
becomes fixed on Me. But if you do not listen to Me due to ego, you shall
perish. (18.58)
KARMIC BONDAGE AND
THE FREE WILL
If due to ego you think: I shall not fight, your resolve is
vain because your own nature will compel you to fight. (18.59)
O Arjuna, you are controlled by your own nature-born Karmic
impressions. Therefore, you shall do ¾ even against your will ¾ what
you do not wish to do out of delusion. (18.60)
The mind
often knows right and wrong, but it runs after evil ¾ reluctantly ¾ by
the force of Karmic footprints. The wise should always keep this in mind before
finding fault with others.
WE BECOME THE PUPPETS OF
OUR OWN FREEWILL
To satisfy
the free will of the ignorant, overwhelmed by the three modes of material
Nature, the good Lord creates an environment conducive for engaging in unwanted
actions. Our free will is like the very limited freedom of a dog on a leash. As
a facilitator, God reciprocates with everyone according to their desires and
allows them to fulfill desires generated by free will. Lord uses His illusory
kinetic energy called Maya to engage the living entities in good and bad acts
according to their desires and their previously accumulated good and bad Karma.
The Supreme Lord — as the
controller abiding in the inner psyche of all beings — causes them to work out
their Karma like a puppet (of Karma created by the free will) mounted on a
machine. (18.61)
The Supreme Controller (Ishvara) is the
reflection of the Supreme Spirit in the body. The Supreme Lord organizes,
controls, and directs everything in the universe.
The Lord
has made Karmic laws as the controller of all living beings. Therefore, one
must learn to gladly endure all that fate imposes by taking refuge in Him and
following the commandments (TR 2.218.02). Vedas declare that the Lord, using
Karma, makes us dance as a juggler would make his monkey dance (TR 4.6.12).
Without the laws of Karma, the scriptural injunctions, prohibitions as well as
self-effort would have no value at all. Karma is the eternal justice and the
eternal law. As a result of the working of eternal justice, there can be no
escape from the consequences of our deeds. We become the product of our own
past thinking and action. Therefore, we must think and act wisely at the
present moment, using the scriptures as a guide.
The
doctrine of Karma and reincarnation is also found in the following two verses
of the Koran: Allah is He who created you and then sustained you, then causes
you to die, then gives life to you again (Surah 30.40). He may reward those who
believe and do good works. No one is able to escape His law of consequences
(Surah 30.45). People cannot escape from the consequences of their deeds, for
as we sow, so we reap. Cause and effect cannot be separated because the effect
exists in the cause as the fruit exists in the seed. Good and evil deeds follow
us continually like our shadows.
The Bible
also says: Whosoever shedeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed
(Genesis 9.06). It is believed that all references to Karma and reincarnation
were taken out of the Bible during the second century with the noble aim of
encouraging people to strive hard for perfection during this very life. Those
who believe in reincarnation must avoid laziness and procrastination, stress intense
spiritual discipline, and try their best to get Self-realization in this very
life as if there were no reincarnation. Live as though this is your last day on
this earth. One cannot achieve anything through laziness and procrastination.
One cannot
take wealth, fame, and power from here to hereafter; but one can convert these
into good or bad Karma and carry it into the next life. Even death cannot touch
one’s Karma. Those who have acted very piously in the past life achieve fame in
this life without much endeavor.
Seek refuge in the Supreme Lord alone, with loving devotion, O
Arjuna. By His grace you shall attain supreme peace and the Eternal Abode.
(18.62)
Thus, I have explained the knowledge that is more secret than
the secret. After fully reflecting on this, do as you wish. (18.63)
PATH OF SURRENDER IS THE
ULTIMATE PATH TO GOD
Hear once again My most secret, supreme word. You are very dear
to Me; therefore, I shall tell this for your benefit. (18.64)
Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, offer service to Me, bow
down to Me, and you shall certainly reach Me. I promise you because you are My
very dear friend. (18.65)
Set aside all meritorious deeds
and religious rituals, and just surrender completely to My will with firm faith
and loving devotion. I shall liberate you from all sins, the bonds of Karma. Do
not grieve. (18.66)
The
meaning of abandoning all duties and taking refuge in the Lord is that a seeker
should perform all duties without selfish attachment as an offering to the Lord
and totally depend only on the Lord for help and guidance. The Lord takes full
responsibility for a person who totally depends on Him. If you find a good
solution and get attached to it, the solution will soon become your next
problem. The scripture says: The wise should not be attached even to righteous
deeds for their entire life, but should engage their mind and intellect in
contemplation of the Supreme Being (MB 12.290.21). One should develop a spirit
of genuine self-surrender to the Lord by offering everything to Him, including
the fruits of spiritual discipline. We should connect all our work with the
divine. The world is controlled by the laws or will of God. One has to learn to
abide by His will. Be thankful in prosperity and resigned to His will in
adversity.
In order
to be free from pious or impious results that bind one to this material world,
it is necessary to offer every action to God. When a devotee sincerely works
for God, God protects that devotee from the touch of Maya, the external energy
of the Lord. If one voluntarily depends on the supreme Lord under all
circumstances, then the good and bad results (sins) of work automatically go to
Him, and one is free from sin.
A true
devotee perceives: O Lord, I remembered You because You remembered me first.
One breaks away every yoke of bondage and becomes free in this very life as
soon as one gains the knowledge and a firm conviction that everything is done
by the will of God, that it is His world, His sport, and His battle, not ours,
and regards oneself as a mere actor in the divine play and the Lord as the
great director in the cosmic drama of the soul on the stage of creation.
Surrendering of individual will to divine will is the culmination of all
spiritual practices, resulting in joyful participation in the drama of joys and
sorrows of life. This is called liberation, or Mahayana in Buddhism. One cannot
see God as long as one does not completely get rid of the notion of doership
and ownership. The grace of God is triggered when one becomes firmly convinced
that one is not the doer and at once becomes free in this very life. Lord
arranges for the science of Self-realization to be revealed to a surrendered
soul.
Surrendering to God does not
involve leaving the world, but realizing that everything happens in accordance
with His laws and by His direction and power. To fully recognize that everything
is controlled and governed by a divine plan is to surrender to Him. In
surrender one lets the divine plan rule one’s life without giving up one’s best
effort. It is the complete renunciation of individual existence or the ego. It
is the feeling: O my beloved Lord, nothing is mine, everything — including my
body, mind, and ego — is Yours. I am not God, but a servant of God; save me
from the ocean of transmigration. I tried to get out of the ocean of the
material world using all the methods given in the scriptures, and failed. Now I
have discovered the ultimate process — the process of seeking divine grace
through prayer and surrender. God can be discovered by seeking His help in
discovering Him and not by spiritual practices alone. Thus, one should start
the spiritual journey as a dualist, experience monism, and again come back to
dualism. A successful journey begins and ends at the same place.
The process of surrender may be
called the fifth or the ultimate path of yoga ¾ the other four being the
path of selfless service, metaphysical knowledge, devotion, and meditation. The
Good Lord directs the mind and senses of the living entities according to their
Karma-born desires. But in case of surrendered devotees, however, He controls
the senses directly according to His desires and in the best interest of the
devotee. Let Him be the driver of your spiritual journey and you just enjoy the
ride. Muniji beautifully explains this process. He says: Every pain, every
ache, every discomfort becomes His gift and grace when you lay it in His lap.
If you put the reins of your life-chariot in His hands, you will be ever happy,
ever peaceful. This is the lesson of ultimate surrender.
It is the divine grace or power
that comes in the form of self-effort. The divine grace and self-effort, as
well as dualism and monism, are nothing but two sides of the same coin of
Reality. The grace of God is always available — one has to collect it. To win
the grace is not easy. One has to earn it by sincere, spiritual discipline and
effort. Grace is the cream of that effort — our own good Karma. It is said that
self-effort is absolutely necessary, but the last rung of the ladder to the
Supreme is not self-effort, but praying for His grace in the spirit of
surrender. When everything is surrendered to Him and one truly understands that
He is the goal, the path, the traveler, as well as the obstacles on the path,
vice and virtue become powerless and harmless as a cobra with fangs removed.
According
to Shankara, if any object other than the Supreme Being — the Cosmic Energy
Field — appears to exist, it is unreal like a mirage or like the presence of a
snake in the rope. When one firmly understands that there is nothing else
except the Supreme Being and His sport, all Karma gets exhausted; one
surrenders to His will, and attains salvation. Yukteshwar said: Human life is
beset with sorrow until we know how to surrender or tune in with the divine will
that baffles our intellect. The Koran says: Whoever follows My guidance, no
fear shall come upon them; neither shall they grieve (Surah 2.38). The
Upanishad says: The knower of the Supreme goes beyond grief.
This knowledge should never be spoken by you to one who is
devoid of austerity, who is without devotion, who does not desire to listen, or
who speaks ill of Me. (18.67)
To speak
of wisdom to a deluded person, to glorify sacrifice to a greedy person, to
advise sense control to an irascible person, and to discourse on Lord Rama’s
exploits to a lecher, is as useless as sowing seed on barren ground (TR
5.57.01-02). It is not for any soul to believe, save by the permission of
Allah. You should not compel one to believe (Surah 10.100-101). Anyone to whom
God has not granted the light (of knowledge) will have no light (Surah 24.40).
The study of Gita is meant only for sincere persons. According to Ramakrishna,
one can understand Him as much as He makes one understand. Guru Nanak said: O
Beloved; only they to whom You give the divine knowledge, obtain it.
According
to the Bible: Do not give what is holy to dogs. Do not throw your pearls in
front of pigs. They will only trample them under their feet (Matthew 7.06). No
one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him or her to me (John
6.44). The recipient of knowledge must have spiritual inclination and
sincerely seek it. Knowledge given without being asked for serves no purpose
and should be avoided. There is a time for everything under the heaven. We
cannot change the world; we can change only the lives of a few sincere souls
whose time for a change has come by His grace.
THE HIGHEST SERVICE TO GOD,
AND THE BEST CHARITY
One who shall propagate this
supreme secret philosophy ¾ the transcendental knowledge of the Gita ¾ amongst My devotees, shall
be performing the highest devotional service to Me and shall certainly come to
Me. No other person shall do a more pleasing service to Me, and no one on the
earth shall be more dear to Me. (18.68-69)
Ignorance
is the mother of all sins. All negative qualities, such as lust, anger, and
greed, are nothing but a manifestation of ignorance. The giving of the gift of
knowledge is the best charity. It is equivalent to giving the whole world in
charity (MB 12.209.113). The best welfare is to help others discover their real
nature that is the source of everlasting happiness rather than to provide
material goods and comforts for temporary happiness. The Bible says: Whoever
obeys the law, and teaches others to do the same, will be great in the Kingdom
of Heaven (Matthew 5.19). Happiness is not attained through wealth and sense
gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy cause (Helen Keller).
GRACE OF
THE GITA
Those who study our sacred dialogue shall be performing a holy
act of propagation and acquisition of self-knowledge. This is My promise.
(18.70)
God and
His words are one and the same. The study of the Gita is equivalent to worship
of God. Life in modern society is all work and no spirituality. Swami Harihar
says: “Daily study of only a few verses of the Gita will recharge mental
batteries and add meaning to the dull routine life of modern society.” For
serious students, daily study of one chapter of the Gita or several verses from
the forty selected verses given in the end of this book is highly recommended.
Whoever hears this sacred dialogue with faith and without cavil
becomes free from sin, and attains heaven ¾ the higher worlds of
those whose actions are pure and virtuous. (18.71)
A summary
of the “Glory of the Gita” as elaborated in the scriptures is given below.
Reading this Glory of the Gita generates faith and devotion in the heart that
is essential for reaping the benefits of the study of the Gita.
The goal
of human birth is to master the mind and senses and reach one’s destiny. A
regular study of the Gita is sure to help achieve this noble goal. One who is
regular in the study of the Gita becomes happy, peaceful, prosperous, and free
from the bondage of Karma, though engaged in the performance of worldly duties.
Sins do not taint those who regularly study the Gita, just as water does not
stain a lotus leaf. The Gita is the best abode of Lord Krishna. The spiritual
potency of the Lord abides in every verse of the Gita. The Bhagavad-Gita is the
storehouse of spiritual knowledge. The Lord Himself spoke this supreme science
of the Absolute containing the essence of all the scriptures for the benefit of
humanity. All the Upanishads are the cows; Arjuna is the calf; Krishna is the
milker; the nectar of the Gita is the milk; and persons of purified intellects
are the drinkers. One need not study any other scripture if one seriously
studies the Gita, contemplates the meaning of the verses, and practices its
teachings in one’s daily life.
The affairs of the world are run by the first
commandment of the creator — the teachings of selfless service — so
beautifully expounded in the Gita. The sacred knowledge of doing one’s duty
without looking for a reward is the original teaching that alone can lead to salvation.
The Gita is like a ship by which one can easily cross the ocean of
transmigration and attain liberation. It is said that wherever the Gita is
chanted or read with love and devotion, Lord makes Himself present there to
listen and enjoy the company of His devotees. Going to a place where Gita is
regularly chanted or taught is like going to a holy place of pilgrimage. Lord
Himself comes to take the devotee to His Supreme Abode when that devotee leaves
the physical body contemplating the knowledge of the Gita. One who regularly
reads, recites to others, hears, and
follows the sacred knowledge contained in the Gita is sure to attain
liberation from the bondage of Karma and attain Nirvana.
Though
engaged in the performance of worldly duties, one who is regular in the study
of the Gita becomes happy and free from Karmic bondage. All the sacred centers
of pilgrimage, gods, sages, and great souls dwell in the place where the Gita
is kept and read. Help during troubles comes quickly where the Gita is recited,
and the Lord dwells where it is read, heard, taught, and contemplated. By
repeated reading of the Gita, one attains bliss and liberation. One who
contemplates the teachings of the Gita at the time of death becomes free from
sin and attains salvation. Lord Krishna personally comes to take such a person
to His Supreme Abode ¾ the highest
transcendental plane of existence.
The grace
of the Gita cannot be described. Its teachings are simple as well as abstruse
and profound. New and deeper meanings are revealed to a serious student of the
Gita, and the teachings remain ever inspirational. The interest in a serious
study of the Gita is not available to all but only to those with good Karma.
One should be very earnest in the study of the Gita.
The Gita
is the heart, the soul, the breath, and the voice of the Lord. No austerity,
penance, sacrifice, charity, pilgrimage, vow, fasting, or continence equals the
study of the Gita. It is difficult for any ordinary person, or even for the
great sages and scholars, to understand the deep, secret meaning of the Gita.
To understand the Gita completely is like a fish trying to fathom the extent of
the ocean, or a bird trying to measure the sky. The Gita is the deep ocean of
the knowledge of the Absolute; only the Lord has a complete understanding of
it. Nobody, other than Lord Krishna, should claim authority on the Gita.
O Arjuna, did you listen to this with single-minded attention?
Has your delusion born of ignorance been completely destroyed? (18.72)
Arjuna said: By Your grace my delusion is destroyed; I have
gained Self-knowledge; my confusion with regard to body and Spirit is
dispelled; and I shall obey Your command. (18.73)
When one
realizes Him by His grace, the knots of ignorance are loosened, all doubts and
confusions are dispelled, and all Karma is exhausted (MuU 2.02.08). The true
knowledge of the Supreme Being comes only by His grace.
Sanjaya said: Thus, I heard this wonderful dialogue between
Lord Krishna and Arjuna, causing my hair to stand on end. (18.74)
By the grace of sage Vyasa, I heard this most secret and supreme
yoga directly from Krishna, the Lord of yoga, Himself speaking to Arjuna before
my very eyes of clairvoyance granted by sage Vyasa. (18.75)
O King, by
repeated remembrance of this marvelous and sacred dialogue between Lord
Krishna and Arjuna, I am thrilled at every moment, and (18.76) recollecting
again and again, O King, that marvelous form of Krishna I am greatly amazed,
and I rejoice over and over again. (18.77)
BOTH
TRANSCENDENTAL KNOWLEDGE AND ACTION ARE NEEDED FOR A BALANCED LIVING
Wherever there will be both
Krishna, the Lord of yoga (or Dharma in the form of the scriptures), and Arjuna
with the weapons of duty and protection, there will be everlasting prosperity,
victory, happiness, and morality. This is my conviction. (18.78)
Where
there is Dharma (righteous duty), there is the grace of Lord Krishna; where
there is the grace of Lord Krishna, there will be peace and victory (MB
6.43.60). Everlasting peace and prosperity in the family are possible only by
performing one’s duty with full metaphysical knowledge of the Absolute. Peace
and prosperity of a nation depend on mastering both the knowledge of scriptures
and the knowledge of the use of weapons of protection as well as science and
technology. It is said that science and technology without spirituality are
blind, and spirituality without technology is lame.
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