Bhaga vad
Geeta
Chapter 4, Yoga of Renunciation.
Lord Krishna
continues
What is action
and what is inaction? This question has confused many and even the great sages.I shall explain to you what action or Karma is,
knowing which you shall be liberated from all misfortune.One
has to understand what action is , what forbidden
action is and what inaction is.
Those who
perform their every deed without desire for the fruits, cleansed by the power
of knowledge, the sages declare them as wise. Free from attachment to results,
they are always self content, even when they engage in work they dont see any action at all.Such
people are free from envy and prejudice, unchanged in success or failure and
they are never bound by Karma. They offer fruits their works have reaped as a
sacrifice to the Lord. Some pour oblations into fire. Some offer their sense
facilities into the fire of self restraint. Some bear penenance
as sacrifice and others do yogic exercises or vedic chanting.All these people understand the meaning of
sacrificial worship.Through worship their sins are
consumed away.They eat the food that has been blessed
in the sacrifice. Thus they realize Brhman,
the eternal God. He who does not worship God can not be happy even in this
world. What then can he expect from any other?.All these and many other forms of worship are precscribed by the scriptures. All of these involve some
kind of action.
The form of
worship that consists in contemplating the Brahman is superior to ritualistic
worship with material offerings. Contemplating this knowledge is better as a
rite than material offerings because such wisdom is the goal to which offerings
will lead. For this knowledge you should enquire with humble heart, prepared to
serve. Those who know, perceivers of truth will impart their wisdom to you. In
this world nothing else exists that purifies as this knowledge can. With
such knowledge one can attain supreme peace. Therefore wield the sword of
knowledge and get rid of the doubts in your heart. Follow this yoga
faithfully and arise and fight, O Arjuna.
Comments:
By now Arjuna is thoroughly confused and so are we, as to what is better. Lord Krishna seems to praise renunciation with knowledge and then He also extolls Karma yoga, Yoga of action. Which is better of the two?.This is the central theme of Bhagvad Gita. The choice between the life of a monk and the life of a house holder. The next chapter which is called renunciation or yoga of Sanyasa very clearly explains various ways of sanyasa and what is best for Arjuna.Though the next chapter is called Sanyasa it is still a chapter of Karma Yoga and we will see how next time.
Chapter 5 Yoga of Renunciation
Arjuna asks
You praised renunciation first, then you extolled Karma Yoga. Which is better of the two. O Krishna, tell me what is best. ... ( continued)
References The Song of God translated bt swami Prabhavananda and Christerpher Isherwood, Lectures by Swami Tadathmananda of Arsha Bodha from web site at
http://arshabodha.org/ab/wcms/en/home/teachings/index.html