OurKarnataka.Com : Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3 : Karma Yoga (Yoga of Action)

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Chapter 3
KarmaYoga (Yoga of Actions)

Synopsis:
1-8: Importance of the performing one's duty, in a detached way, as per GnanaYoga and KarmaYoga.
9-16: It is good and necessary to sacrifice.
17-24: It is necessary for the wise as well as the god to act wisely; for betterment of the whole world.
25-35: Definitions of the wise and unwise; how to perform action without attraction or repulsion.
36-43: How to overcome desire ?

Click here for shlokas in groups 3.1-3.10 | 3.11-3.20 | 3.21-3.43

3.1 Ac±Áw® Eî¯X®:
b¯ã‡®±› Xµ°q®Êî®±ÁošµÙ î®±q¯ …±vÜcÁw®u®Áw® |
q®rÊº N®î®±Áp Uµ²°Šµ° î®¾¯º x‡µ²°c‡®±› Nµ°ý®î® ||1||

3.1 Arjuna said:
O Janardhana (Krishna), if you consider spiritual knowledge as superior to actions, why are you urging me to participate in this horrendous activity (of War) ?

3.2 î¯ãï±ýµä°nµ°î® î¯Nµã°w® …±vÜº îµ²°œ®‡®±›°î® îµ± |
q®uµ°N®º î®u® xþÏq®ã ‡µ±°w® ýµä°‡µ²°œ®î®¾¯y®¼Èä‡®¾¯î®¾¬ ||2||

3.2 My mind is puzzled by your words; hence please tell me that by which I can certainly obtain the ultimate good.

3.3 §°„Â®S®î¯w®±î¯X®
Œµ²°Nµ°›âw¬ væïuÂ¯ xÇ¯Õ y®¼Š¯ yµ½äN¯Ù î®±‡®¾¯w®uÂ® |
b¯Ýw®‡µ²°Sµ°w® š¯0P¯ãw¯º N®î®±Á‡µ²°Sµ°w® ‡µ²°Tw¯º ||3||

3.3 The God (Krishna) Said: (Bhagavan = the possessor of all opulence)
O Arjuna, In this World, I have declared two kinds of faith: a "SankhyaYogi", where one proceeds in the direction of Knowledge and a "KarmaYogi", where one proceeds in the direction of karma (Actions); both resulting in the union of individual consciousness and the ultimate consciousness.

3.4 w® N®î®±Án¯î®±w¯Š®0„Â¯w¬ wµ¶Ç®Êî®±ãÁº y®¼Š®±Çµ²°ý®±äqµ |
w® X® š®0w®ãš®w¯uµ°î® ›vÜº š®î®±vÃS®X®Ðr ||4||

3.4 One can not get freedom from "actions" without performing the prescribed duties (in Vedic Writings). Nor can he attain freedom by just renouncing actions.

3.5 w® Ÿ N®þÏq¬ £®oî®±z b¯q®± rÇ®Õq®ãN®î®±ÁN®³q¬ |
N¯‡®±Áqµ œ®ãî®ý®: N®î®±Á š®î®Á: y®äN®³rbµ¶S®±Ánµ¶: ||5||

3.5 One can not remain without performing any action (Karma), not even for a moment. For, all the living entities are helplessly forced to action by qualities of material nature.

3.6 N®îµ±Á°0vä‡®¾¯p š®0‡®±î®±ã ‡®± BšµÙ° î®±w®š¯ š®âŠ®w¬ |
C0vä‡®¾¯s¯Áw¬ ïî®±²lÂ¯q¯â ï±s¯ãX¯Š®: š® EX®ãqµ ||6||

3.6 One who, after having controlled the (five) sense-organs, remains thinking about the objects of the senses, that foolish being is a hypocrite.

3.7 ‡®±›Ùq®æ0vä‡®¾¯p î®±w®š¯ x‡®±º‡®¾¯Š®„Â®qµ°c±Áw® |
N®îµ±Á°0vä‡µ±¶: N®î®±Á‡µ²°S®î®±š®N®Ù: š® ïþÇ®ãqµ ||7||

3.7 O Arjuna, But anyone who controls the sense organs and the resulting actions with his mind (will power), and remains unattached.. he is the superior one and undertakes the Yoga of action (of uniting the individual consciousness and the ultimate consciousness.)

3.8 x‡®±q®º N®±Š®± N®î®±Á q®æº N®î®±Á b¯ã‡µ²° œ®ãN®î®±Áo: |
ý®‹°Š®‡®¾¯q¯äz X® qµ° w® y®ä›uµÜÉã°u®N®î®±Áo: ||8||

3.8 Hence, you should perform the "Actions" prescribed in the Vedic writings because "actions" are better than "inactions" and by renouncing activities, you can not even maintain your body.

3.9 ‡®±b¯Ýs¯Áq®Êî®±Ánµ²°w®ãq®ä Œµ²°Nµ²°‡®±º N®î®±Á…0uÂ®w®: |
q®u®s®Á N®î®±Á N¹0qµ°‡®± î®±±N®Ùš®0S®: š®î®¾¯X®Š® ||9||

3.9 O the Son of Kunti (Arjuna), this whole world is bound by actions except for those actions which are performed for the sake of sacrifice unto the Lord. So, perform your duties and actions, without attachment, for the purpose of sacrifice.

3.10 š®œ®‡®±b¯Ý: y®äb¯: š®³Ç¯ÔÉæ y®¼Šµ²°î¯X® y®äb¯y®r: |
Awµ°w® y®äš®ïÇ®ãuÂ®æîµ±°Ç® îµ½°›ÙÉæÇ®ÔN¯î®±uÂ®±N¬ ||10||

3.10 When the Prajapathi Brahma created the mankind, he said: "may you evolve by the performance of the sacrifice, and may this yield all that is desirable to you".

3.11 uµ°î¯w¬ „Â®î®‡®±q¯wµ°w® qµ° uµ°î¯ „Â¯î®‡®±0q®± î®: |
y®Š®š®ÞŠ®º „Â¯î®‡®±0q®: ýµä°‡®±: y®Š®î®±î¯y®éÉãs® ||11||

3.11 (Brahma Said) "By sacrificing unto the Supreme Lord, let the demigods be appeased. By appeasing the demigods, which is mutual and you will get the supreme blessings."

3.12 CÇ¯Ôw¬ „Âµ²°S¯w¬ Ÿ îµ½° uµ°î¯ u¯š®ã0qµ ‡®±cÝ„Â¯ïq¯: |
qµ¶u®Áq¯Ùw®y®äu¯‡µ±¶„Âµ²ã° ‡µ²° „Â®±0NµÙ šµÙ°w® Iî® š®: ||12||

3.12 "The demigods who are appeased by your sacrifices unto the supreme lord, will grant you all the desired necessities of life." He who enjoys all these granted necessities, without offering them to the Lord, is a thief.

3.13 Spiritual people take what is left after sacrificing to the supreme lord will be absolved of all sins. Those who consume everything themselves without offering, will eat only sin.

3.14 Aw¯Ýq¬ „Â®î®0r „Â®²q¯x y®cÁw¯ãq¬ Aw®Ýš®0„Â®î®: |
‡®±b¯Ýq¬ „Â®î®r y®cÁwµ²ã° ‡®±cÝ: N®î®±Áš®î®±±u®áî® ||14||

3.14 Living entities are evolved from food; food depends on rainfall. Rainfall occurs from the sacrifice unto the supreme Lord. This sacrifice is based on performing actions (Karma) as per Vedic writings.

3.15 N®î®±Á …äœµ²â°u®áî®º ïvÜ …äœ¯â£®Š®š®î®±±u®áî®º |
q®š¯âq¬ š®î®ÁS®q®º …äœ®â xq®ãº ‡®±bµÝ° y®är™Õq®º ||15||

3.15 One should understand that the actions have their origin in Vedic Scriptures; Vedic scriptures originated directly from the the God. Therefore, the all-pervading ultimate truth is always present in performing sacrifices.

3.16 Iî®º y®äî®rÁq®º X®N®äº w¯w®±î®q®Á‡®±r°œ® ‡®±: |
AU¯‡®±±‹0vä‡®¾¯Š¯îµ²° îµ²°U®º y¯s®Áš® d°î®r ||16||

3.16 O Partha (Arjuna), One who does not perform the actions (Karma) as prescribed in the Vedic scriptures, that being living in sin wastes his life full of sense gratification.

3.17 ‡®±š¯ÙÉæq®âŠ®rŠµ°î® š¯ãu¯q®âq®³y®Ùý®Ï î®¾¯w®î®: |
Bq®âwµã°î® X® š®0q®±Ç®Ôš®Ùš®ã N¯‡®±Áº w® ïU®ãqµ ||17||

3.17 However, one who takes delight in self alone, self illuminated and satisfied within the self, no activities (Karma) exists for him.

3.18 wµ¶î® q®š®ã N®³qµ°w¯sµ²Á° w¯N®³qµ°wµ°œ® N®ý®Ïw® |
w® X¯š®ã š®î®Á„Â®²qµ°Ç®± N®þÏu®s®Áî®ãy¯ý®ä‡®±: ||18||

3.18 In this world, that great soul (explained in the previous shloka) gains no purpose by performing actions nor incurs any sin for not performing any actions. He never needs to depend on anyone.

3.19 q®š¯âu®š®N®Ù: š®q®q®º N¯‡®±Áº N®î®±Á š®î®¾¯X®Š® |
Bš®Nµ²Ù° œ¯ãX®Š®0N®î®±Á y®Š®î®¾¯yµ½ä°r y®¼Š®±Ç®: ||19||

3.19 Therefore, (O Arjuna) perform the prescribed actions perfectly, without any attachment or interruption. By performing prescribed actions (Karma), one achieves the highest good.

3.20 N®î®±Ánµ¶î® Ÿ š®0›vÜî®¾¯›Úq¯ cw®N¯u®‡®±: |
Œµ²°N®š®0S®äœ®îµ±°î¯z š®0y®ý®ã0N®q®±Áî®±œ®Á› ||20||

3.20 By Performing the actions (prescribed by the Vedic scriptures), King Janaka (Father of Sita, hence she is also called Janaki) and other wise men reached perfection. In similar way, you too should perform for the sake of the benefit to the entire world.

To be Contd....

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References:
1. The Bhavadgita or the Song Divine: Gita Press, Gorakhpur, India.
2. Selected shlokas of Bhagavadgita set to Music by Vanaraj Bhatia and Produced by Music Today.

Click here if you would like to Contribute. You can help us typing the shlokas in Kannada and also by interpreting them (if you know some Sanskrit.)
Click here if you would like to send Feedback.

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