Chapter 18 Shloka 3

त्याज्यं दोषवदित्येके कर्म प्राहुर्मनीषिणः।

यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यमिति चापरे।।३।।

Many men of wisdom say that

some blemish is inherent in all actions,

therefore they must be relinquished.

Others say that actions that embody yagya,

tapas and daan are not worthy of abandonment.

Chapter 18 Shloka 3

त्याज्यं दोषवदित्येके कर्म प्राहुर्मनीषिणः।

यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यमिति चापरे।।३।।

The Lord says, O Arjuna!

Many men of wisdom say that some blemish is inherent in all actions, therefore they must be relinquished. Others say that actions that embody yagya, tapas and daan are not worthy of abandonment.

Lord Krishna says, “Arjuna, some people say that all actions are worthy of abandonment, since they are all tarnished and contain some blemish.”

Listen Kamla! Such people believe that:

1. All actions are a bondage.

2. Deeds performed as one’s duty also prove to be fetters.

3. Anyone who acts even to sustain himself, invites bondage. He must learn to survive on whatever foodstuff is offered to him by others.

4. One should renounce hearth and home and not stay for a long period of time in any one place.

5. One should renounce the household and immerse oneself in the study of the Scriptures.

6. Self realisation is the outcome of such renunciation.

7. One should also renounce one’s external attire.

8. One must change the colour of one’s attire to a fiery red.

9. “I am not this body, I am not the mind, I am not the intellect” – such people believe this to be the Truth and renounce all actions.

Summing up this topic, the Lord had already said to Arjuna in the initial stages of the Gita, that it is sheer cowardice to flee from one’s duty.

Why did Arjuna consider this war to be worthy of being renounced?

1. Because he did not wish to involve himself in what he considered to be ‘this terrible manslaughter’.

2. He did not wish to battle with those relatives whom he regarded as his parents.

3. He wished to renounce what he thought was a sinful action.

4. He wished to act nobly.

5. He did not perceive any benefit to his intrinsic Self through performing what he considered to be tainted deeds.

6. He did not wish for dominion even of the three worlds through killing his kith and kin.

He persisted:

1. “We shall only incur sin through killing the sinful.

2. What pleasure can we gain through such acts?

3. What happiness can we derive out of slaying our own kith and kin?

4. Even though these people are corrupted with greed and cannot perceive their sin, we must not retaliate.

5. Destruction of the family causes the destruction of ancient family traditions.

6. The destruction of the family causes the corruption of the women of that family and the downfall of its ancestors.

7. The destruction of the family causes the destruction of the dharma of the entire clan in generations to come.

8. It is indeed a cause of great sorrow that we are thus ready to commit this great crime of eliminating our own kith and kin in order to gain happiness and to fulfil our greed.

9. Even if the sons of Dhritrashtra kill me, it will be most beneficial for me if I desist from war.

10. How will I kill those whom I revere?

11. It is preferable to become a beggar than to kill my revered teachers.”

On the face of it, what Arjuna said seems reasonable in theory. Yet the Lord enjoined, “Fight this war!” He said, “Perform your duty and do not renounce your dharma. It is verily your dharma to wage this war.”

Endeavour to understand the true connotation of the words ‘Sanyas’ and ‘Tyaag’ in the light of the Lord’s own life. One can understand these meanings in the light of the lives of Lord Ram, Lord Krishna, Lord Jesus Christ, the Prophet Mohammed etc.

1. The Lord Himself is ever a Sanyasi.

2. The Lord is the Epitome of sanyas.

3. He is the Light of the Scriptures.

The life of the Lord, in theory and in practice, throws light on spirituality. That knowledge, which cannot be measured by His life, is sheer ignorance. It must not be accepted as true. If one considers the Lord to be the embodiment of sanyas, one will be able then to understand the true connotation of tyaag and sanyas. If we consider the Lord to be the manifestation, the theory and the proof of sanyas, one can indeed understand the true connotation of tyaag and sanyas. One will then refrain from supporting the prevalent connotation of sanyas which is akin to escape.

Maharishi Vyas, who authored the Gita, proclaimed Lord Krishna as God. Even though the Lord’s external demeanour did not match the present day connotation of sanyas, and the external disposition of Maharishi Vyas matched the present day interpretation of this concept, yet the latter proclaimed Lord Krishna as the Supreme Lord.

The Lord Himself says to Arjuna:

1. “Fight! You will not incur sin.

2. Do not care about victory or defeat – you must fight, this is your duty.

3. Care not about loss and gain, joy or sorrow.

4. Yoga results in proficiency in action.”

5. The Lord enjoined Arjuna to live like an ordinary man.

6. He has also warned against shattering the beliefs of others.

He described many qualities – both demonic and divine. Having said all, He reiterated, “Fight!” Then He said “I too, perform My duty.”

What is Adhyatam?

It could be said that Adhyatam or spiritual practice is synonymous with duty. Adherence to duty is also a consequence of yoga. The Supreme Yagya continually performed by Brahm Himself also symbolises His uninterrupted adherence to duty.

1. The sole aim of a human being is the performance of duty.

2. Sanyas or renunciation is also duty.

3. One must renounce whatsoever proves to be a hindrance in the performance of one’s duty.

4. Abidance in the Self is one’s primal duty; and adherence to duty is the route.

Actually, in the Gita the Lord expresses His opposition to the prevalent interpretation of the word ‘sanyas’ and warns us against this misinterpretation. This was the prime cause for the degradation of dharma and the prime reason for the Lord’s birth, since those who preached the principles of dharma became oblivious of those principles themselves. Therefore, understand the full connotation of sanyas, knowing the Lord Himself to be the Embodiment of sanyas. If renunciation is the path towards sanyas, you must understand what needs to be renounced.

The Lord says some people opine that yagya, tapas and daan must never be abandoned; such actions must be performed at all times.

Sanyas is internal

If one examines this carefully, one will understand that sanyas is not an external phenomenon. It is internal.

1. The renunciation of internal attachment is sanyas.

2. Internal mental renunciation is sanyas.

3. If one’s attachment to the body ceases, sanyas will be inevitable.

4. If the body no longer belongs to oneself, one will do nothing for its establishment.

5. All the other signs mentioned here will necessarily occur after the disappearance of all attachment.

That is, the absence of attachment will lead to:

a) non-duality;

b) detachment from the body;

c) detachment from the mind;

d) indifference towards one’s intellect, and indifference towards acclaim or insult.

Subsequently, that state which transcends all qualities will then inevitably occur, making one a gunatit. All thoughts and resolutions – both positive and negative – will become futile because no issue remains important enough for such ruminations. The mind will then become devoid of aberrations and ever satiated.

1. If the body is ‘mine’ then there is a cause for strictures.

2. If attachment with the body persists, then there is cause for planning ahead.

3. If the ‘I’ persists, then there are certain objectives in life. It is then that one dwells in duality – to do or not to do. Otherwise, of what avail are both nivritti – abstinence from action, and pravritti – indulgence in deeds? Whatever happens is acceptable.

Actions born of desire are performed for the body, mind and the intellect, for self-establishment. When attachment with the body no longer remains, how can fame or the lack of it matter to that individual? The heart of such a one beats in consonance with whosoever comes before him. His own body will never take precedence, so he simply does not remember the body-self. The mind and intellect of such a one no longer seeks anything. Such a one is ever satiated. Then what can he ever do for himself?

Actually, one can no longer speak of actions born of desire in such a one – they are eliminated because of the complete absence of attachment to the body and the absence of the intellect that is attached to the body. Even the concepts of renunciation and relinquishment are extraneous for that one because:

1. The sanyasi is completely forgetful of himself.

2. The sanyasi never remembers any selfish motives.

3. He is never concerned about what might befall him.

4. He is in deep sleep where he himself is concerned.

He abides in samadhi or constant absorption in the Self. He is ever immersed in whosoever comes before him. Thus it is said that such a one abides in non-duality.

If the ‘I’ is conscious of its individuality, then the ‘other’ also exists. If the ‘I’ forgets its separate entity, only the other remains. That ‘I’ which acknowledged the separate existence of the other, ceases to exist. Thus actions born of desire become extinct in the life of a sanyasi – and all the deeds of such a one are perfect in themselves.