Hari Om.
This is a summary of the first 10 minutes of class, including the story, for quick reference. 

The king of a particular kingdom is very upset by the level of corruption in the kingdom, and is not able to find out who is really involved. He speaks to his ministers to try to find a solution. One of his ministers has a seemingly strange plan, but the king is willing to go along with this, and do whatever it takes, because the coffers are being depleted. The plan is that a tank should be constructed at the top of a hill, and an announcement is made to the villagers that on Amavasya, one representative from each home should carry a glass of milk and pour it into the tank. So on Amavasya, one member of each family walks up the hill with a covered glass, climbs the ladder on the side of the tank, opens the lid of the tank, and pour the contents of their glass into the tank. Then, at dawn on the following morning, there is a town meeting on the hill at the tank. The lead minister goes up the ladder and peers into the tank and gasps. The intrigued king decides to climb the ladder to find out what is in the tank. When the king looks into the tank, he only sees water, there is no milk. The king exclaimed that there were clear orders for each family to put milk in the tank, yet no one put milk in the tank. The king understood that the finger could not be pointed at anyone in particular. No one was willing to do what was instructed by the court/kingdom.  All the villagers bowed their heads in shame, no one could meet the eyes of the king. A little boy in the crowd offered the king an explanation- Because my family thought that another family would pour milk, we did not put any milk. 

So this is the sentiment- I do not need to contribute because someone else will contribute, or because I have been denied. So one does not contribute time, effort, attention, or resources. So one should do introspection and ask oneself~ What is my duty in the context of different relationships? Is there a tendency to be half-hearted? What do I need to do? Not hide behind another person. 

So, one may have varied reasons why one does not do karma.
Bhagavan Shri Krishna tells that one should not hide or dodge responsibility.
I have a particular slot in the larger scheme of things. And if I do not do, who will do? 

ॐ

कर्म योग
कर्म is inevitable.
One may have romantic ideas about reducing कर्म, because कर्म comes with baggage and one does not want baggage.
भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: explains that शरीरयात्र (श्लोक ८) is not possible without कर्म |
But कर्म can feel like a burden, with a long ever-growing to-do list of pending activities/responsibilities, and only temporary solutions. So, one may feel that one has not done enough, or that one is not enough.

Everyone experiences this burden of कर्म | The fisherwoman on the bus, who has a heavy basket of fish on her head, refuses to put it down. She keeps the heavy basket on her head thinking- it is my basket of fish, and if I do not carry it, then the train will have to carry my basket. She does not consider that the train is that which is carrying her from one point to the next.

In the same way, the train is the flowing blessings of ईश्व‍र | And one stands with one’s basket of कर्म, thinking – I am the one who has to do it all, I am never enough, I feel so exhausted/tired.
But, really this heavy basket of कर्म that one thinks that one cannot put down, is actually fully pervaded by भगवान् | The carried basket of कर्म, the different types of कर्म performed, the laws of कर्म are all shaped by भगवान्, and the results of कर्म is also all भगवान् |
So, if one puts the basket down, the train is not going to feel the burden.

This is the transformation from कर्म to कर्म योग | It is the surrender to भगवान्, with the understanding that one is able to do कर्म thanks to भगवान्, and that one gets पुन्य or पापा, with resultant happiness/sorrow due to भगवान् |
So, one need not feel the weight of the basket, as one has learnt to put it down by understanding that the train/ईश्व‍र that is carrying one, will also carry the heavy basket.
But this basket/कर्म gives one an identity/sense of significance, so one holds on to it for dear life. However, this very basket/कर्म becomes बन्धन, if कर्म is not transformed to कर्म योग |

श्लोक १०
सहयज्ञा: प्रजा: सृष्ट्वा पुरोवाच प्रजापति: ।
अनेन प्रसविष्यध्वमेष वोऽस्त्विष्टकामधुक् ॥ १०॥

यज्ञ in this श्लोक is another word for कर्म योग |

पुर – at the beginning,
प्रजापति: – Lord Brahma-ji, the creator i.e. the function of भगवान् involved in manifestation.
प्रजा: सृष्ट्वा – having created these different beings,
then Lord Brahma-ji also created यज्ञ, and then He said,
अनेन – by this, i.e. by this यज्ञ i.e. by worshipful/reverential कर्म / कर्म योग,
प्रसविष्यध्वम् – may you multiply.
May this यज्ञ be इष्टकामधुक् – something that you like and may this यज्ञ/कर्म योग be like a wish-fulfilling cow.
OR
Let this Knowledge of ब्रह्मन्, fulfill all your desires.

In the वैदिक lifestyle, there are certain संस्कार-s/rites of passage/milestones which are performed for purification/seeking blessings.
So, यज्ञ refers to all these कर्म-s presented in the कर्म काण्ड portion of the वेद |
So, if one wants something, one can do regular क्रिया and get the result.
However, by doing one’s कर्म which is enjoined by the वेद, it enhances the results of कर्म that one is already getting.

Nowadays, most do secular rituals, e.g. a birthday is incomplete without a cake being cut. So just as these rituals carry meaning, so too by understanding the significance of the वैदिक ritual, it becomes meaningful. For instance, there are rituals for the act of conception, before a mother becomes pregnant, when a child’s hair is first cut, when the child’s first solid food is eaten. Also, the child’s start of the study of वेदान्त is an important milestone, and usually occurs between 8-11years and is marked by the initiation into the Gayatri Mantra.

So, different rituals/mantras to be chanted are present in the वेद, and this was revealed along with the manifestation of this creation.
The ऋषि-s did not compose the वेद; the वेद was revealed through the ऋषि-s.
So, along with this manifestation, the वेद which was unmanifest was revealed to those who were eligible i.e. the ऋषि-s. And the rituals revealed form the कर्म काण्ड portion of the वेद |

Kamadhenu was the wish-fulfilling cow of the great ऋषि Vasishta. When King Vishvamitra came to the forest with his retinue, they became tired & hungry, so unannounced they sought the hospitality of Sage Vasishta. Due to His wish-fulfilling cow, ऋषि Vasishta was able to receive the King and his entourage graciously and serve them a bountiful platter. (अतिथिदेवो भव – treat the unannounced guest as God) The King was surprised that such a lean ऋषि living in the forest could supply such a grand meal. Upon questioning, Sage Vasishta revealed that He had a cow called Kamadhenu. Obviously, King Vishvamitra wanted the cow, but Sage Vasishta explained that the cow only yielded to ऋषि-s of his calibre. So, King Vishvamitra did a lot of तपस् and became a great ऋषि; but of course, at that point He did not care for Kamadhenu.

So too, Kamadhenu is present in the वेद | So whatever कर्मफल is desired, by doing that specific कर्म enjoined by the वेद, one can have it all.
However, with the disposition of कर्म योग, whether one gets the desired result/not, one is okay with whatever is.
So, success when performing कर्म is getting items ticked off of a to-do list, whereas success in कर्म योग is being okay with whatever the result is, knowing that it is प्रासाद from भगवान् |

Therefore, यज्ञ is an important part of one’s life-
~ converting कर्म into कर्म योग, as well as
~ the कर्म mentioned in the कर्म काण्ड portion of the वेद which helps in (i) fulfilling one’s wishes, as well as (ii) one’s rites of passage.

श्लोक ११
देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु व: ।
परस्परं भावयन्त: श्रेय: परमवाप्स्यथ ॥ ११॥
भगवान् now talks of the देवता-s/presiding deities i.e. the intelligence that makes everything possible.

So, by the कर्म rituals, one is making offerings to the देवता-s.
Therefore, may one make these offerings to the देवता-s.
And, as a result of which, may those देवता-s also propitiate one.

So, the principle of reciprocity is highlighted. Reciprocity is a fundamental aspect of धर्म |
Therefore, a balance must be seen between what is given and what is received.
And so, it is not that there are inert laws of nature, rather there is an intelligent cause who is भगवान्, with different deities/heads of department responsible for different phenomena. In this way there is enforcement & application of the laws of nature.
So, may one recognize the presence of these presiding deities.
If one does not recognize these presiding deities, still water flows for one, wind blows for one etc.
But, with their recognition, one feels more connected to the entirety, and it is part of one’s sacred responsibility to acknowledge the different देवता-s for all things that one gets.

So, the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता which is the essence of the वेद, milked by भगवान् श्री कृष्ण:, tells us that which cannot be known by direct perception or inference.
Here, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: tells of the presiding deities that are responsible for all various phenomena, who are to be propitiated.
And because this is a relationship of reciprocity, one will gain the greatest good by doing things for the other i.e. for the देवता-s.
The देवता-s are not demanding, but by making offerings to them, one feels connected to the total, and also gains पुन्य |
So, may one do this देव-यज्ञ |

One has the freedom to relate to any देवता, in any way that one wishes ~ as a friend, child, teacher etc.
One may have a इष्टदेवता that one prays to every day.
Then, there is a कुलदेवता, who is the deity of the family.
Also, there is a ग्रामदेवता, the deity worshipped by a community, and who blesses the community in that form.

Story
The king of a particular kingdom is very upset by the level of corruption in the kingdom, and is not able to find out who is really involved. He speaks to his ministers to try to find a solution. One of his ministers has a seemingly strange plan, but the king is willing to go along with this, and do whatever it takes, because the coffers are being depleted. The plan is that a tank should be constructed at the top of a hill, and an announcement is made to the villagers that on Amavasya, one representative from each home should carry a glass of milk and pour it into the tank. So, on Amavasya, one member of each family walks up the hill with a covered glass, climbs the ladder on the side of the tank, opens the lid of the tank, and pours the contents of their glass into the tank. Then, at dawn on the following morning, there is a town meeting on the hill at the tank. The lead minister goes up the ladder and peers into the tank and gasps. The intrigued king decides to climb the ladder to find out what is in the tank. When the king looks into the tank, he only sees water, there is no milk. The king exclaimed that there were clear orders for each family to put milk in the tank, yet no one put milk in the tank. The king understood that the finger could not be pointed at anyone in particular. No one was willing to do what was instructed by the court/kingdom. All the villagers bowed their heads in shame, no one could meet the eyes of the king. A little boy in the crowd offered the king an explanation- Because my family thought that another family would pour milk, we did not put any milk.
So, this is the sentiment- I do not need to contribute because someone else will contribute, or because I have been denied. Therefore, one does not contribute time, effort, attention, or resources. So, one should do introspection and ask oneself~ What is my duty in the context of different relationships? Is there a tendency to be half-hearted? What do I need to do? Not hide behind another person.
So, one may have varied reasons why one does not do karma.
Bhagavan Shri Krishna tells that one should not hide or dodge responsibility.
I have a particular slot in the larger scheme of things. And if I do not do, who will do?

श्लोक १६
एवं प्रवर्तितं चक्रं नानुवर्तयतीह य: ।
अघायुरिन्द्रियारामो मोघं पार्थ स जीवति ॥ १६॥

चक्रं ~ wheel i.e. the cosmic wheel ~ the धर्म of things and the laws of nature.
So, these are already set in motion and moving.
For instance, day turns into night, and then again into day, and so on.
But, one never thinks- what if the planet falls off its orbit? The earth is both rotating & revolving, but one does not worry about this, one just trusts in the धर्म/laws of nature.

So, this cosmic wheel is already in motion. And if one does not follow this wheel, and one does not make their contribution in their given time slot, or scheme of things where one is, then this is अघ |
अघ = पापा i.e. bad कर्म |
So, one lives a life of पापा by not doing what is supposed to be done.
Why?
This person is इन्द्रियाराम: i.e. one who is caught up with the pleasures of the senses, and is willing to do anything for this.
E.g. for the sake of my senses, one is willing to commit injury, like wearing animal fur coats.

So, the one who does not contribute to the चक्र that is already set in motion, is living a life of पापा, only caught up in the senses, and therefore a waste of life.
What is different from this person & an animal? One eats, drinks & procreates and that is all, and then life is over. And some justify this lifestyle.
But due to the धर्म in one’s heart, one feels uncomfortable with this type of behavior. Instinctively, there is this intelligence that lets us know what is the right thing to do, though one may not always go along with it.

श्लोक १७
यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानव: ।
आत्मन्येव च सन्तुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते ॥ १७॥

The person spoken of in श्लोक १७,
contrasts the person who is caught up with the senses, who does not contribute due to inertia/laziness, only wants to hide under the carpet, or likes to behave helplessly.
One can have learned helplessness, e.g. with respect to technology there is an unwillingness to learn a new platform.
One is fearful of making a mistake when learning something new & different, and this prevents one from learning.
When one is fearful, one cannot learn; one needs to be relaxed in order to learn.

So, one has their own reasons for contributing more/less in a certain situation, for dodging responsibility.
If one steps up & stretches oneself, then one’s comfort zone increases.
Otherwise, one’s comfort zone becomes a conditioned zone, and then anything other than that comfort zone becomes threatening to one.
And it is okay to feel an initial uncomfortable feeling as one expands their comfort zone.

So, this person who does not pitch in as required, is contrasted with the one who is आत्मरति: i.e. the one who recognizes oneself as limitless and delights in the आनन्द that one is. This is the description of the स्थितप्रज्ञ |
Here, आत्मरति: does not refer to the personality- one is not delighting in one’s thoughts, emotions or desires. It is the one who delights in आत्मा as myself. This brings a deep sense of contentment, and one is आत्मा तृप्त: | There is no want for anything to be different.
As the wave, one always will feel less than and pushed around, so one has to establish one’s identity and negotiate terms etc..
Even if one were to become a tsunami wave, it will cause a lot havoc, and also it is only a temporary form.
With the shift in identity to I am water, I understand that I am the basis of the entire ocean; without me there is no form called as ocean. And with this understanding there is आत्मा तृप्त: |

So, for this ज्ञानी, who knows & delights in the self, there is a sense of complete contentment, with nothing to be done.
But we see the wise person ever engaged in a lot of projects.
कर्म is done for कर्मफल |
But, for the wise person कर्म is done for लोकसंग्रह i.e. for the well-being of others.

कर्म for the wise person is done out of fullness. There is nothing to be done for the sake of fullness, because one already knows one’s fullness.
But for the otherwise person i.e. the one ignorant of my true nature, कर्म is done for the sake of fullness- for अर्थ, काम, धर्म, and erroneously for मोक्ष |

We can relate to this doing कर्म out of fullness. For instance, when one sings in the shower, there is no judging, no ulterior motive, there is no agenda. One does this कर्म only out of delight, without wanting anything.

So, the ज्ञानी does out of one’s fullness. It does not matter if one’s contribution is valued/not, or if the help is not accepted.

For the योगी, the state of mind is very important.
योग as a dualistic system based on सांख्य, there is the belief that पुरुष(I-आत्मा) and प्रकृति (अनात्मा) are mixed and so we have to separate the two. This is not the absolute teaching of वेदान्त |
Because, here one wants to be free from a second real entity i.e. अनात्मा e.g. in the form of disturbing thoughts.
So then one does कर्म turning inward and plays with the mind, e.g. by turning on music to calm the mind.
But here द्वैतम् is maintained between me & the disturbing thoughts.
Therefore, this is not a wise person.

Then, contrary to the inward योगी, the भोगी is always in pursuit of ‘external’ भोग for the sake of fullness.
And then the रोगी is the one who is always talking about what disease they have.

So, the योगी, भोगी, रोगी are not wise/आत्मरति: |
The योगी is obsessed with their internal landscape. The भोगी is obsessed with sense pleasure. And the रोगी is obsessed with health.
So, these should not be confused with a wise person / the goal of वेदान्त |

So, कार्यं न विद्यते –
For the ज्ञानी, कर्म is not done for the sake of fullness.
This is because कर्तृत्वम् (the sense of doer-ship) is recognized to be मिथ्या |
कर्मफल is only for the कर्ता, the one whose identity is that I am the doer wanting experience.
When this कर्ता identity has been falsified, because कर्तृत्वम् is recognized to not be absolutely real, only a temporary identity,
one recognizes that between thoughts/actions I am there as limitlessness,
and really, I am a limitless being in & through all thought-forms.
The one going through all stages versus the one who is constant / always there –
देहिनोऽस्मिन्यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा ।
तथा देहान्तरप्राप्तिर्धीरस्तत्र न मुह्यति ॥ १३॥ ~ Chapter 2

So, कार्यं न विद्यते – one does not do for the sake of fullness, but if one can contribute, why not?

So, the ज्ञानी is-
– आत्मरति: i.e. there is आत्मा तृप्त: | For this ज्ञानी who knows & delights in the self, there is a sense of complete contentment, with nothing to be done.
– This ज्ञानी does कर्म for लोकसंग्रह i.e. for the well-being of others.
– The ज्ञानी does कर्म out of fullness. There is no अर्थ, काम, धर्म, मोक्ष to pursue for the sake of fullness, because one already knows one’s fullness.
– The ज्ञानी does not really even do कर्म; because कर्म is done by the कर्ता, and the ज्ञानी understands that कर्तृत्वम् is मिथ्या |

श्लोक १८
नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थो नाकृतेनेह कश्चन ।
न चास्य सर्वभूतेषु कश्चिदर्थव्यपाश्रय: ॥ १८॥

For this आत्मरति:, there is no purpose in कृतेन (doing) & अकृतेने (not doing).
And this आत्मरति:, does not depend on another being to recognize that I am full.

In life, there is a certain basic level of dependence on another. Minimal dependence is for food, clothes, shelter; for शरीरयात्रा dependence on the पञ्चमहाभूत-s is required.
So, physically one cannot live completely independently.
Emotionally one can become independent by discovering the expansiveness of my heart, through living a life of कर्म योग |
Therefore, one’s level of dependence on another behaving in a certain way is not there. One can grow to realize that what matters to me is how loving, supportive and productive I am. If the other does, or does not do, it is okay either way. There is acceptance of the other person’s behavior; not resignation. And this is not a bitterness/hurt where I do not want to depend on anyone.
It is a recognition of my fullness/completeness, so I do not need any validation/recognition.

For some time, there will be dependence on गुरु, so that one can see the Truth, so that much will be there.

The wise person does कर्म out of fullness, though the wise person has no need to do कर्म |
But, for an other-wise person, कर्म is done because one is seeking fullness. On one’s own, one does not want to do कर्म, but because of one’s desires, that are influenced by society, one gets on the treadmill of कर्म | And if one examines one’s life, almost all कर्म (will-based action) is done for the sake of fullness.
But here, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: points out that with understanding the truth, one no longer does कर्म for the sake of fullness.

In the performance of any कर्म, e.g. raising a dog/child, managing a job, managing a relationship(not limited to romantic relationships, but any relation), makes us think that a lot of work is required.
But we should have a harmonious relationship with कर्म | Because if one thinks that कर्म is a burden, then one wants to get out of कर्म at the first opportunity due to laziness, inertia or fatigue. I think~ I do not want to do this.
Or, even if I do the कर्म, I see the futility of it. E.g. We see Arjuna in battle considering that even if I win the battle, victory is not sweet for me as I remain stuck anyway. Because, what I am seeking is freedom from insecurity and complete acceptance of myself. So there is no happiness if I win or lose, I remain stuck.
Therefore, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: starts to teach Arjuna the nature of reality of I the जीव |

In Chapter ३, श्लोक २१, भगवान् explains that whatever a श्रेष्ठ person does, most will follow, e.g. celebrities are used to sell brand name products, because whatever a celebrity does, I also want the same.

So, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: reminds Arjuna that if you want to run away from कर्म, because of the mistaken thinking that it will bring peace of mind with complete acceptance and freedom from insecurity that you have been seeking all your life, this is not going to happen.

So, भगवान् teaches-
(i) As long as one lives, कर्म is unavoidable.
(ii) How one should approach कर्म i.e. with an attitude of कर्म योग |
(iii) Who is the one who performs कर्म ~ this will-based action is performed by a human being which gives पुन्य & पापा, with respective experiences of सुखम् & दु:खम् |

Now, भगवान् personalizes the teaching-

श्लोक २२
न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन ।
नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि ॥ २२॥

Here, भगवान् speaks from the standpoint of Himself as भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: indicating the relationship of a wise person with कर्म |
He addresses Arjuna as पार्था and says-
त्रिषु लोकेषु ~ in all the 3 worlds i.e. भू: (Earth), भुव:(in between), स्व:(स्वर्ग).
The वेद tells us that there are 14 लोक-s i.e. planes of experiences.
And भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: explains that He has a lot to do in order to maintain all different processes in these लोक-s.
E.g. We perceive the rising & setting of the sun due to the movement of the Earth at the same pace without fatigue.
There are so many laws of nature that are predictable and reliable that we take for granted. These are not mechanical laws of nature. There is intelligence in these laws that cannot rest in something inert, it can only rest in a conscious being.

So, भगवान् says that across all 3 लोक-s, there is nothing to be gained by me.
न अनवाप्तम् अवाप्तव्यम् ~ there is nothing possible to be gained by me in any given world, which is not yet gained.
There is nothing to be done by me.

मे ~ for me,
कर्तव्यम् ~ duty; that which must be done.

Notably भगवान् highlights that although there is no need for Him to do कर्म,
कर्मणि वर्त एव ~ I am still involved in कर्म all the time.
E.g. If we look at the manifestation of भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: we see Him playing pranks as a child, then going to the गुरुकुल in Sandeepany, ruling over the kingdom of Dwarika, his relationship with the Pandava-s, and then the Mahabharata war.
So, we see non-stop कर्म | भगवान् does not go meditate in a cave for 10-12 years. But though performing non-stop कर्म, He says कर्तव्यं न अस्ति ~ for me, there is nothing to be done.

So here भगवान् alludes to कर्म that is done for the sake of duty versus कर्म that is done for binding desires.
If कर्म is play for me, there is no seeking in order to gain for me. Rather, it is doing for the joy of doing, or in order to contribute.
It is a ridiculous notion to not have any expectation from performing कर्म |
But, I no longer define myself by the outcome of an event.

Why? Because I am aware that I am bigger than time.
Time is only for the body. For instance, does one feel 70 years old? No, even if the body is 70 years old, there is no age for the mind. It may seem that the mind/सूक्ष्मशरीर is enclosed within the body, but the सूक्ष्मशरीर actually pervades the entire physical body. For instance, we observe that while this human being sits stationary in a chair, the mind wanders all over to all galaxies, not limited by this physical manifestation.
So, one should ask oneself this question- how is it that all other activities are limited to the body, but the mind can soar all over? If the mind was only limited to the body, this would not be possible.

So, the relationship with कर्म for a wise person is that one sees that I am अकर्ता i.e. I am not a doer.
So, we see Lord कृष्ण: doing so much, with devotees all around him. And we also saw the example of the successful King Janaka who continued to manage his kingdom though having ब्रह्मविद्या, as this was his duty.

Pujya Swamiji had accompanied His गुरु, Swami Chinmayananda to Uttarkashi. There, they met with Swami Tapovan Maharaj. परम गुरु Swami Tapovan Maharaj recognized that Swami Dayananda seemed keen on वेदान्त, doing so much सेव to Swami Chinmayananda-ji, and so asked~ why are you returning to the city? At the time Pujya Swamiji (this was before he had taken संन्यास) explained that I have a lot of responsibilities e.g. mother to look after etc. To this परम गुरु Swami Tapovan Maharaj replied- you see this River Ganga, it is a नुत्य प्रवह of responsibilities i.e. a constant flow of one responsibility after the next.
This anecdote shows that one can never say that I have no more responsibilities.
So, responsibilities will keep flowing, but I have to decide when I want to see what is the reality of all of this.
But, one is so caught up with responsibility/duty.
So, when there is something to be done, there is a sense of compulsion. Therefore, it is worth asking, what for?

There may be the desire to show support for the other- one’s partner, child etc..
But one should be clear about the goal of all relationships- it is to contribute. Its purpose is not perpetual happiness. In this way one liberates the relationship from the burden of expectation. Only then there can be relaxation.
Or else one is like a hungry creature looking for crumbs of happiness in a relationship. It is unreasonable to put all of one’s expectations on one relationship/person, this will certainly create havoc for that relationship.

So, कर्तव्यत i.e. in doing, there is no escape.
But what भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: really wants us to enquire into is ~ Am I कर्ता? Am I really the doer of all कर्म ?

श्लोक २३
यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रित: ।
मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्या पार्थ सर्वश: ॥ २३॥

भगवान् also says that although for me there is nothing to be done, I am still involved in all types of कर्म |
Because, यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं ~ suppose I do not do anything, then,
मम वर्त्म ~ my path i.e. what I am doing,
मनुष्या: सर्वश: वर्तन्ते ~ people will follow.

E.g. Emperor Ashoka was a prior King of Bharata. He converted to Buddhism, which was fine. But, his withdrawal from his duty created problems with the breaking up of the kingdoms that he was in charge of. He also abandoned his army. Therefore, at that time many small battles broke out throughout India. So, ideally, when he removed himself from his duties, he should have gotten a suitable successor to fill his place.
So, this becoming passive in the name of religion is not helpful.

For instance, talks of world peace do not account for human insecurity. So, in every society, from the tribal to the advanced, there is the need for a defense force.
E.g. what can one do if another wants to take over your country territory? One can try to talk peace if the other has a similar agenda. But, if the other is all out for war then this is not possible.
So, if one were to become lazy or have inertia, or say peace & no war, and disband the army, there will be chaos.

There are always a lot of excuses to not perform कर्म |
In the name of peace, one may choose not to say anything in a given situation.
There is the illusion that I want peace at all cost, so I will stay quiet, or maybe one is afraid to say the truth.
There can be an uncomfortable silence, as things are allowed to build up without one saying anything.
Then, an outburst of accusations can begin with a small trigger, due to doubting of the other person’s intentions.
So, this staying quiet can be an excuse that one hides behind in not performing कर्म |

But really, one cannot hide behind not performing कर्म, as one cannot escape कर्मफल |
E.g. fire will burn if one places the finger in it.

In this way भगवान् explains that although I am not कर्ता, I am still involved in all kinds of कर्म, as I am aware of the responsibility of being a role model to so many people, as people will follow my actions.

श्लोक २४
उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां कर्म चेदहम् ।
सङ्करस्य च कर्ता स्यामुपहन्यामिमा: प्रजा: ॥ २४॥

चेत् ~ if,
अहम् कर्म न कुर्याम् ~ I do not do कर्म,
then all these लोक:(beings) will perish ~ the sun will not rise, the wind will not blow,
and I will then become the कर्ता of सङ्कर: | (सङ्कर् ~ confusion, versus शङ्कर् ~auspiciousness).

So, here भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: is saying that if I do not do कर्म, I will become the author of confusion in the world.
So भगवान् says that people look up to Me, and if I do not do, then all beings and the world will perish, so it would be like I have destroyed all these people.

Also, people want their leaders to lead.
So, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: does not allow people to observe/think that He does not do anything despite the prevalent अधर्म in society. Or, for example. if a lot of injustice is happening in society, people would talk about why is the Prime Minister or President not doing anything about this.

People act out of रागद्वेष |
So, if there is no outlet for this, what would one do? For example, there were people who were exhausted with work prior to the pandemic. And then with the pandemic when one is isolated at home, the comfortable home becomes like a prison. So, all habits & daily rituals add value/meaning to life.

The reason for all crime is due to रागद्वेष (cravings & aversions).
The intensity of a desire can consume and lead to crime in order to make a quick buck, homicide due to jealousy, stealing due to lust. So, due to रागद्वेष, one is willing to go to any length.

So, one should try to reduce this strong subjectivity of रागद्वेष to preference.
E.g. if a preferred type of food is unavailable, one does not throw a fit, but just makes do with what the situation offers.

One’s likes & dislikes add to the richness/color of the personality. But if there is a binding desire, then रागद्वेष is in charge, and all hell breaks loose.

श्लोक २५
सक्ता: कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत ।
कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथासक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसंग्रहम् ॥ २५॥

अविद्वांस ~ people who are not wise,
कर्मणि सक्ता: ~ are attached to the outcome of the action, and the कर्म |

For instance, the perfectionist is so attached to how things should be done, and so ends up overworking due to the thinking that no one can do it as I do it. But instead of training another to be competent, one thinks that I am indispensable to the project. So, सक्त: is this attachment to the way that things should be done, e.g. how the house should be maintained, how the relationship should be, how the work situation should be.

So, just as the अविद्वांस does कर्म for the sake of their attachment to कर्म,
so too even the wise person does कर्म |
So, on the surface, both the unwise & the wise do कर्म |
But, the wise person does कर्म being असक्त: i.e. not having any sense of attachment to the outcome. So, one does one’s best, with the knowledge that the laws of कर्म are at work. So, there is surrender while one is doing कर्म, before doing कर्म and after doing कर्म |
And whatever the results are, it is fine; the play of life goes on. I enjoy myself regardless.

So why does the wise person do anything? चिकीर्षु: i.e. because one is desirous of doing. (चिकीर्षु: = कर्तुम् इच्छु: ; जिज्ञासा = ज्ञातुम् इच्छु:)
The wise person does कर्म for लोकसंग्रह i.e. for the protection of people. Because if धर्म is to be upheld in society, who is to be protected? धर्म lies in the धर्मी i.e. the one who practices धर्म | So, these people who uphold धर्म have to be protected. धर्म lives in the heart of the धर्मी | Because धर्म is living the right values of kindness, compassion, justice. It is not a monolithic structure to be secured.

So, with respect to भगवान् श्री कृष्ण:, we see Him ever engaged in all kinds of कर्म – from ruling his kingdom to even being Arjuna’s driver. He chooses to be there in person for Arjuna in the midst of the battle as His driver.
And He always does with a smile on His lips, often playing a flute indicating His lightheartedness- seeing everything as play/fun, with the knowledge that nothing touches me.

So, how often does one have कर्म योग attitude?
* श्लोक ३१ *
ये मे मतमिदं नित्यमनुतिष्ठन्ति मानवा: ।
श्रद्धावन्तोऽनसूयन्तो मुच्यन्ते तेऽपि कर्मभि: ॥ ३१॥

भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: says – What I have said in terms of offering one’s कर्म to भगवान्, this should be done नित्यम् (always).

E.g. Some अश्रम-s have a timetable with कर्म योग scheduled for a specific time. But this slated कर्म योग is really a time-slot for collective सेव |
कर्म योग is not time-bound ~ there is no specific time to offer one’s कर्म to भगवान्, or to be accepting of others.
Collective सेव is good because depending on one’s personality/culture, the way things are done may be different, so there can be reason for disagreement, and then eventual acceptance & accommodation.

So, कर्म योग does not fit into a scheduled time slot. कर्म योग is a 365-24/7 disposition that one tries to bring into one’s life.

कर्म योग does not fit into the should/should not list that we create for ourselves. Relax. It is to see the vision, and approach with a gentleness towards oneself, but also be tough on oneself too.

So, the मानवा:(people) who follow this teaching and try to bring in कर्म योग, how are they supposed to do it?
Be equipped with श्रद्धा | श्रद्धा means trust. श्रद्धा does not mean faith.

I trust the Teacher who teaches about कर्म योग |
And अनसूयन्त: ~ I do not find fault with the teaching.

This is why giving the benefit of doubt to people is an important quality to develop.
How can one trust the Teacher if one does not trust one’s partner, children, co-workers?

We can look at 4 कृपाs(trusts)-
(i) आत्मा कृपा – Trust in oneself.
(ii) ईश्वर कृपा – Trust in भगवान्, or भगवान्’s grace.
(iii) शास्त्र कृपा – Trust in our शास्त्र |
(iv) पर कृपा – Trust in the other, whomsoever the other may be.

Everyone has faced situations where their trust has been affected.
It makes one not trust the other. One feels disconnected, isolated, lonely, always second guessing the other. There can be grounds for not trusting the other.

So, as a person, am I a trusting person?
Do I trust myself to do the right thing? When given a difficult situation, I trust myself to do my best.
And I trust the other. If someone says something, it is not that they have malice in their heart and they are out to get me; it is their प्रकृति | And similarly it is my स्वभाव that determines my hot-headed response.

श्रद्धा in Teacher is part of our needed 6-pack i.e. षट्क संपत्ति: (the 6-fold wealth) of a वेदान्त student.
श्रद्धा in शास्त्र does not come naturally, it comes from a trust in life.
This happens when one comes to terms with the कर्म in one’s life, and understands that no one deliberately gives me a tough time. I am only experiencing my own choices which have fructified. There is no one to blame.
And then, by extension one can have a working trust in the Teacher and the Teaching.

The Teacher comes with the package of the Teaching.
So, if one does not want to relate to the Teacher, then there is a problem.
Why not relate? Because all of us are rebellious, all of us struggle with authority. There are different ways that one’s rebelliousness manifests, e.g. not switching on one’s video during class. And then one makes excuses for this.
So, if I do not go along with a small, non-forceful request by the Teacher, then how am I going to listen to the words of the शास्त्र from the Teacher? Then, one will have doubts.
Or for instance if we get caught up in analyzing the personality or any idiosyncrasy (which we all have) of the Teacher, then the Teaching is lost since we were paying attention to प्रकृति instead of आत्मा |
The Teacher-student relationship is for the purpose of the Teaching, for nothing else.
Any criticism that the mind comes up with, e.g. maybe we should get a 20-point bullet point list of the class teaching etc., it is an unequipped अहंकार trying to take on the role of the teacher.

श्रद्धा वन्त: अनसूयन्त: मुच्यन्ते तेऽपि कर्मभि: –
On the other hand, my trust in शास्त्र will bless me. Because I will accept the words of शास्त्र that reveal that I am limitless आत्मा, despite any कर्म that I do. I am free from all सत्त्व, रजस् & तमस् | So, with श्रद्धा, one is मुच्यन्ते कर्मभि ~ one is free from the effects of कर्म, only with self-knowledge.
Because the cause of all suffering is अपूर्णता & अविद्या | So, the only solution is knowledge.
So, more or less कर्म is not the answer. It is not to withdraw from all responsibilities and meditate in a cave. It is to recognize that I am not defined by the कर्म that I do.

This is a difficult concept to come to terms with as the media’s messages tell us that we are less or more because of what we do. Often one of the first questions asked in a conversation is ~ what do you do? And it is often profession-based.
Also depending on the outcomes of different life events, e.g. divorce, one defines oneself and one may feel bad about oneself. So, one allows कर्म to define me.

But शास्त्र tells that I am not कर्ता | I am अकर्ता, I am अभोक्ता, I am चैतन्य-consciousness. To be with this vision, I have to have trust, or else in the teaching there will be a lot of apparent contradictions in one’s mind.
Because at one point, the Teacher will talk about doing a lot of कर्म, and then later on the same Teacher/Teaching will say to withdraw from कर्म |
So, one must be present for the entire journey or else one only gets little bits & pieces. शास्त्र study is not a buffet-style approach where one chooses to accept part of the teaching and not accept another part. That is one’s रागद्वेष operating. Therefore, one should have श्रद्धा to see all of it.

Therefore, in traditional वेदान्त study, meeting with the गुरु from time to time is important; this is not just necessary when one has a problem.
This is an individual journey with a definite pursuit. Therefore, relationally one needs to have trust in one’s गुरु for their own sake. One has to trust the Teacher in order to trust the words of the Teaching.
One’s own personal study e.g. listening to many videos on one’s own, creates one’s own idea of the Teaching and this does not work.

* श्लोक ३२ *
ये त्वेतदभ्यसूयन्तो नानुतिष्ठन्ति मे मतम् ।
सर्वज्ञानविमूढांस्तान्विद्धि नष्टानचेतस: ॥ ३२॥

With श्रद्धा/trust, one says that well वेदान्त says that I am limitless, however right now I feel limited, but I will enquire into this. This is a trusting & open attitude.
Whereas, those who find fault in the Teaching, will say that वेदान्त is rubbish.
Then, someone may even say things like- Swami-s are not to be trusted, that they hypnotize.
So, there are those who are critical for no reason.

For instance, some people actually start a sentence with ‘no’. It has become a part of one’s vocabulary, such that one is not even conscious of it.
E.g. if one keeps on telling a kid ‘no’, the kid will turn around and also say ‘no’ to one.
One can relate to this by trying not to say ‘no’ for one week, or even just for an hour.
This is not glorifying the word ‘yes’, but ‘no’ can indicate resistance to things, people and situations.
So, one can reflect on when to say ‘no’, as this can extend to one being critical of the Teaching.

So, what happens to such a person?
If a person does not have the विवेक to discriminate between what is eternal and what is temporary, it is likely that the person will be confused about what is the right thing to be done in a given situation i.e. धर्म versus अधर्म, e.g. speaking more or shouting less.

सर्वज्ञान ~ in all one’s interactions, in all different domains of knowledge,
नष्ट (destruction) ~ one is likely to be lost i.e. there is constant confusion about what is the right thing to be done.
E.g. should I give this person one more chance or not? etc.
Confusion in one’s mind on many things, will deplete one’s energy. This back & forth vacillating saps a lot of energy.

So, as one follows the vision, one should try to have a working trust, at least try to see if it works.
E.g. after cataract surgery, and the bandages come off, one insists on a guarantee from the doctor that one would be able to see, before one opens the eyes.
Really one just has to open one’s eyes to see.
So, similarly one has to open one’s eyes to the प्रमाण i.e. the means of knowledge that reveals the Truth. I have to allow the प्रमाण to work, so that much working trust should be there.
So, श्रद्धा is required for this learning.

The scenario is different in an academic setting. One is not asked to have श्रद्धा in the teacher.
But, in वेदान्त, the qualities of the अधिकारी are the required qualifications, not one’s secular qualifications.

So, there should be trust in life, in भगवान्, in कर्म, trust that pervades me.
So that one allows the शास्त्र to work.
Otherwise one remains lost, and cannot be freed from the hold of कर्म, and the cycle continues.

* श्लोक ३३ *
सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्या: प्रकृतेर्ज्ञानवानपि ।
प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि निग्रह: किं करिष्यति ॥ ३३॥

Even the ज्ञानवान्-s (i.e. the one who has ज्ञानम्) i.e. the wise person, also behaves according to प्रकृति |
So, whatever action the ज्ञानवान् does, it is because of प्रकृति |
And भूतानि (all beings) follow their own स्वभाव,
निग्रह: किं करिष्यति~ then what is the use of control?

This is not a deterministic statement.
We see different ज्ञानी-s with different life trajectories.
For instance, Pujya Swamiji Dayananda Sarasvati traveled a lot, taught classes, and initiated a lot of projects.
Whereas his गुरु, Swami Tarananda Giriji lived quietly in Haridwar and said that I will only teach the people who come to Me.
So, each has their own स्वभाव, and we cannot say that one way is right and the other is wrong i.e. traveling the world versus staying in one place. Each has their unique प्रारब्ध and they don’t resist it.
Wisdom has nothing to do with one’s lifestyle. So though there may be different personalities, the knowledge is the same. But we tend to be judgmental.

But, the question arises- if one’s behavior is due to one’s स्वभाव, then should one attempt to control it?…श्लोक ३४

* श्लोक ३५ *
श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुण: परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् ।
स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेय: परधर्मो भयावह: ॥ ३५॥

This is an oft quoted verse especially in the context of not running away from one’s स्वधर्म |
But what is my स्वधर्म? Figuring out one’s स्वधर्म may take a lifetime…

One’s स्वधर्म is a combination of things:
(i) सामान्य धर्म ~ the practice of values like honesty, truthfulness, compassion, justice etc. with all beings.

(ii) विशेष धर्म ~ one’s responsibility related to family members, relatives, i.e. looking at all of one’s roles- partner, parent, colleague, employer/employee, citizen & my contribution to society.
Pujya Swamiji says that real growth happens when one grows from being a consumer to being a contributor.
So, I should ask myself, what is my ratio of consumption to contribution?

(iii) पञ्चमहायज्ञा ~ my responsibility to:
– पितृ ~ Parents and ancestors.
– ऋषि ~ Teachers, Knowledge and our Vedic culture.
– भूत ~ our eco-system i.e. all living beings.
– देवता-s ~ presiding deities over the cosmic forces.
देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु व: ।
परस्परं भावयन्त: श्रेय: परमवाप्स्यथ ॥ ११॥ Chapter 3.
– मनुष्य ~ our fellow beings.
(For more on this one can check out Podcast #153 Panchamahayajna – the 5 sets of relationships we must honor~ https://discoveratma.com/153-panchamahayajna-the-5-sets-of-relationships-we-must-honor/)

So, we are connected to all five, so it is not a matter of choice but rather responsibility.

In one’s thinking, there is this ‘beggarly’ notion that I have to extend my arms to receive. So, one should shift to thinking that I have the power to give. Even the helpless & dependent babe can give a smile, so everyone can give something. So, what can I give?

(iv) In addition to this, there may be a cause which one resonates with, and wants to work on. E.g. If one was a victim of abuse, one may feel strongly about helping those who are survivors of abuse. Or one may want to contribute to education or healthcare etc.

Along this vein, in the build-up to Republic Day we are exploring at least 26 ways that we can contribute to Bharat. (https://www.youtube.com/c/DiscoverAtma)

So, we have to figure out our स्वधर्म |

And here भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: says that whatever is one’s स्वधर्म, it is better to do this, even if it is विगुण: (not perfect & a struggle), than to do someone else’s धर्म | It is okay to struggle with one’s own स्वधर्म, as this struggle will help one to grow into maturity.

Often, we are kind & compassionate about someone else’s problems, but within one’s own family it is not so. Therefore, as a minimum, we should find ways to live in harmony with one’s own family.
Only I can do what I have to do in my given role as a parent, child, sibling, partner.
My unique स्वधर्म is laid out for me.

So too Arjuna’s स्वधर्म is laid out. As a क्षत्रिय who is accomplished, and a leader amongst men, he cannot lament and say that I will do साधु धर्म and go to Rishikesh and live a life on भिक्षा |
This is not acceptable. As if one does not do their स्वधर्म, a lot of things will fall apart.

Therefore, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: makes a strong statement- that even if one dies whilst performing one’s धर्म, that is better than performing another’s धर्म |
Also, if one tries to perform the धर्म of someone else, there will always be fear.

When one tries to play the role of someone else, one makes a mess, because in so doing-
(i) I am shedding my own responsibilities,
E.g. Extra-marital affairs bloom as one tries to perform the धर्म of being another’s partner instead of figuring out how can I be a better spouse to my own marriage-partner.
(ii) Not giving the other person a chance to be capable and do what they are supposed to be doing.

And with doing another’s job, there is the fear- Am I doing this correctly? Should I be doing, or not doing?
It may seem attractive to do the work of someone else, but this is not correct.

It is about learning to be comfortable with all roles that I am assigned and performing my responsibilities in those roles.
This by itself is a huge cycle of learning, because we usually resist doing.
E.g. One may choose to escape into वेदान्त and meditate instead of having to try to relate to one’s husband/wife, and so use this as an escape method. But one loses out on the opportunity to fight & make-up with one’s partner, and to learn and grow from this encounter.
Therefore, one should be clear about what one is doing and not dodge responsibility.

Also, भगवान् is explaining that whatever be one’s slot, the purpose is not to do the best कर्म possible, as each कर्म is limited with limited results. There is no perfect कर्म |
It is to gain maturity with the performance of धर्म |
As performing धर्म is not easy; one is constantly struggling with रागद्वेष |
But, in time, the more one performs one’s स्वधर्म, one grows bigger than one’s रागद्वेष and sees oneself free from रागद्वेष, as रागद्वेष reduces to preferences.
And then there is the recognition that I am more than all different situations & experiences.
And with this, there is a tremendous courage to fight any battle of injustice, e.g. inheritance issues within families etc.

So, having spoken about रागद्वेष, doing one’s स्वधर्म, and the signs of a wise person (including not to disturb the one who is not wise),
Arjuna now asks a question-
* श्लोक ३६ *
अर्जुन उवाच ।
अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुष: ।
अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजित: ॥ ३६॥

He addresses Lord कृष्ण: as वार्ष्णेय |

Duryodhana also asks a similar question in the महाभारत –
जानामि धर्मं न च मे प्रवृत्ति: |
जानाम्यधर्मं न च मे निवृत्ति: ||
केनापि देवेन हृदि स्थितेन यथा नियुक्तोऽस्मि तथा करोमि ।
I know what is धर्म, but I cannot seem to engage in धर्म, and I also know what is अधर्म but I cannot seem to disengage from अधर्म | Something seems to sit in my heart which impels me, and I go along with that inner voice.

Here, Arjuna asks a similar question-
केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं ~ By what are we impelled to do पापा ?
E.g. I do not want to be rude, but the words seem to tumble out of my mouth. Or, I don’t want to cut corners, but I end up cutting corners. I want to do the right thing and contribute to taxes, but I make excuses for filing my taxes incorrectly, saying that anyway the government has not done anything for me.

So, by what are people impelled to do acts of अधर्म ?
Though there is no इच्छा (desire) to do something wrong, it seems like I am being pushed with momentum to do so.
I know all the right things to do, but I do not do this. Why?

भगवान् replies-
* श्लोक ३७ *
श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भव: ॥
महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम् ॥ ३७॥

एष ~ this (which you are familiar with),
काम/desire ~ binding desire,
and the क्रोध (anger) that arises due to non-fulfillment of desire,
is borne of too much रजस् in you.

And what about this binding desire? महाशन: ~ it is a big glutton. Like a fire, it is अनल: (never enough). [अलम्-enough]
So, this fire wants more, and as a result it is महापाप्मा (great पापी), impelling one to do acts of अधर्म |
So, may you know that this is your true enemy.

भगवान् explains further with 3 metaphors-
* श्लोक ३८ *
धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथादर्शो मलेन च ।
यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम् ॥ ३८॥

These metaphors illustrate how difficult it is to remove the binding nature of desire.

(i) Like the blazing वह्नि (fire) being covered by clouds of धूम (smoke). So too, knowledge is there of what is the right thing to do in a given situation, but binding desire covers it. So, one has to wait for the smoke to die down, or not stoke the fire, or allow a nice wind to blow the smoke away.

(ii) Like दर्श:(mirror) covered by a lot of मल (dust). The glass of the mirror by itself is clear & transparent. But, if it is covered by dust, then effort has to be put forth to remove the dust.

(iii) Just as a fetus is covered by the womb. Therefore, so too knowledge is covered by desire.

We have to understand that desire is not a bad thing.
E.g. wanting nice vacations, desiring desert after meals, tv watching, wanting to be validated.
But, binding desire means that it must be done, if one is not able to fulfill the desire then the result is a most unpleasant mood.
So binding desire means that this desire must be fulfilled at all costs, and one does not care about the consequences.
E.g. addictions – one may steal in order to fulfill an addiction.

These particular 3 metaphors are used to indicate the varying effort needed to remove some of these binding desires. For instance, some desires can just be easily blown away. Or another desire may require more effort, like wiping the dust off a mirror. Or some desires are so binding, that they take a long time, like an entire gestational period for the knowledge to shine forth. And like pregnancy/childbirth, this desire is also struggled with.

Now भगवान् explains for us the concept that was just illustrated-
* श्लोक ३९ *
आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा ।
कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च ॥ ३९॥

So, we know the meaning of the prior metaphors in श्लोक ३८ because भगवान् now clearly uses the words ज्ञानम् & काम in this श्लोक |

Even for the ज्ञानिन:(wise person), know that this person’s ज्ञानम् can also be covered by this नित्यवैरि (constant enemy) in the form of काम |

Any binding desire is a symptom of अपूर्णत (sense of incompleteness), and I seek to be complete by fulfilling the desire.

E.g. Only if I go on holiday, then all is well with the world.
Or, I must succeed in anything & everything that I do. But what is the definition of success?
Then, I whip myself and think less of myself if I don’t succeed. Also, I don’t want others to think less of me, so I push myself & others too.

These desires are good, but when one takes them to the extreme, saying that it must happen in this way, then the desires are binding.
Everyone wants to succeed, but when there is an insistence on success with no scope for failure or no plan B, then pressure is put on oneself, and for what?
The definition of success is that I will feel complete.

So, where is this काम present?
* श्लोक ४० *
इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिरस्याधिष्ठानमुच्यते ।
एतैर्विमोहयत्येष ज्ञानमावृत्य देहिनम् ॥ ४०॥

Our country’s defense forces try to figure out where the enemy is so that they can have a strategy to attack. So where is this काम?

The अधिष्ठानम्/locus is in इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धि: (my own senses, in my mind, in my intellect). Knowledge is also there. So, these binding desires are always doing आवरण (covering) of the knowledge that is there.

So, this situation is tougher than expected, as it is not an external enemy to battle, but rather an internal enemy.
So, then one may loathe/hate oneself, thinking why do I not have enough willpower to deal with my desire?

So, भगवान् continues-
* श्लोक ४१ *
तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ ।
पाप्मानं प्रजहि ह्येनं ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम् ॥ ४१॥

Therefore, knowing that all acts of अधर्म are committed due to the binding nature of desire, which is a glutton, making one commit to things that one does not want to commit to,
therefore, one should learn to have mastery over one’s senses, mind & intellect, and destroy the real enemy.
So, who is the real enemy i.e. the enemy of one’s knowledge? Binding desires.

Therefore, भगवान् is telling us that, may you have more-
(i) दम: – mastery over the way you use your body.
(ii) शम: – mastery over the resolution of the mind.

So, only I can work on this binding nature of desire, by seeing the havoc that it causes for me, and may I destroy it.

भगवान् has already spoken of कर्म योग – with the spirit of कर्म योग, may you surrender this to me.
Whatever is the nature of one’s desires, do not worry too much about it, instead offer it to भगवान् |
भगवान् Himself told us this in श्लोक ३० –
मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि संन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा ।
निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वर: ॥ ३०॥

Then, without the sense of me & mine, do what has to be done.
So, instead of worrying- how will it be, what will happen, will it work out? One can surrender all doubts & anxieties. One can take time to make a commitment, but then once the commitment is made, one should go with it. Then, one’s धर्म should be performed in this commitment.

* श्लोक ४२ *
इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्य: परं मन: ।
मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्यो बुद्धे: परतस्तु स: ॥ ४२॥

Along with कर्म योग बुद्धि:, may you see that you are not touched by your desire.
And so भगवान् shows us how to do दृग्-दृश्य (seer-seen) विवेक |
This is an inquiry that we do in order to understand who is the seer & what is the seen.

So, we can start with our experience. Looking at our surroundings, one sees the computer screen, and as one moves one’s gaze around the room, there is the recognition that the prior object is displaced by the current object in one’s view. So, that which is दृश्य (seen) changes. That which is unchanging is my eyes with respect to the different sights.

But then even my eyesight changes. When I go to the ophthalmologist, the lens before my eyes is adjusted until I see clearly. The ophthalmologist asks- Can you see clearly with these lenses? So, how can I see whether I see clearly or not?
This is because my eyesight is changing, and so it is also दृश्यम् | When there is smoke or fog, I cannot see.
So, the mind (दृग्) determines whether I can see clearly or not with respect to the changing eyesight (दृश्यम्).

Then, if one is asked- how do I feel, or what did I have for breakfast, how do I know the answer to this question?
I see the thoughts & emotions of the mind. I observe the mind changing with its different memories, feelings, and thoughts.
So, the mind is दृश्यम्/seen, but I-आत्मा am दृग् (the seer).

This दृग्, I-आत्मा, am untouched by what is happening in the mind.

E.g. Clay pot. Does one ask clay- how are you dealing with your binding desires? No. It is the pot with form, thinking itself to be finite/limited/अपूर्णता that has the desire to be complete. For clay there is no struggle whatsoever.

So, with respect to desire management, one can have
(i) कर्म योग बुद्धि: – go after the desire, aligning it with धर्म, and offering it to भगवान् |
and alongside this also have,
(ii) the understanding that I-आत्मा am untouched by all desire.

The mind is greater than the sense organs.
For instance, the ears within its sphere of operation, can only hear within a certain decibel level.
However, मनस् (the mind) with its function of memory & feeling/desires can have feelings/desires not limited to a specific sphere. E.g. one can desire to go to Mars.
So, the nature of the mind is pervasive, whereas the various sense organs are localized.

Then, compared to मन:, बुद्धि: (the intellect) is superior. मन: wanders all over the place, but बुद्धि: is firm & resolute. E.g. in the grocery store, मनस् thinks that I want all these things, but बुद्धि: remains firm that this is all that I need. The बुद्धि: has the function to be able to take decisions.

But that which is superior to this बुद्धि: is स:(He) i.e. I-आत्मा / the Truth.

The nature of desire could be anything.
In each experience of binding desire, if I don’t do, there is the feeling of not being productive.
But one should be able to see that desire is fleeting, it comes & goes.
Between 2 thoughts or 2 desires, there is no desire nor desirer. In deep sleep there is no desire.
Between any 2 tasks, there is no struggle with desire; what is, is me आत्मा |
And I also see that I am untouched by the nature of desire, regardless of how intense it is.
E.g. one may have the binding desire to control one’s spouse, thinking he/she should listen to me.
But one should recognize that I am untouched by all of this.

* श्लोक ४३ *
एवं बुद्धे: परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना ।
जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम् ॥ ४३॥

भगवान् addresses Arjuna and tells him, that though physically you are strong,
what is more superior than your बुद्धि: ?
So, knowing I-आत्मा, I recognize that I am much more than the mind/desires etc.
Once I am rooted in my strength, then desires have no sting.

Therefore, may you destroy the enemy in the form of binding desires, which is difficult to understand.

SUMMARY OF CHAPTER THREE
श्लोक १- ७ ~ Introduction to कर्म & कर्म योग; the lifestyles of कर्म योग & संन्यास/ज्ञान योग |
श्लोक ८- २० ~ Elaboration on कर्म योग, particularly the fact that one cannot escape कर्म | As long as one lives, there is कर्म to be done.
श्लोक २०- २९ ~ What a wise person should avoid doing; highlighting the need for श्रद्धा |
श्लोक ३०- ३५ ~ Some nuances of कर्म योग |
श्लोक ३६- ४३ ~ The problem of binding desires, and the solution to binding desires.

Throughout, the topic of रागद्वेष was covered. One should note that रागद्वेष is not a problem by itself, but when one comes under the spell of रागद्वेष with binding desire, then this is a problem.
Therefore, may one have the mastery of this.

One can overcome binding desire with-
(i) कर्म योग बुद्धि:
(ii) साक्षी meditation.

Each chapter ends with ~ ॐ तत् सत् | ॐ is the only reality.
The conclusion of the chapter reiterates that श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता is the essence of the उपनिषद्, talking of ब्रह्मविद्या i.e. the knowledge of the Reality-I, and the knowledge of योग i.e. the knowledge of how to live this life.
And this knowledge is shared through the dialogue between भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: and Arjuna, in this chapter on कर्म योग |
Notably, this chapter starts with कर्म and ends with ज्ञानम् |
This completes the third chapter.

ॐ

It is noteworthy that Pujya Swamiji repeated the Brahmarpanam prayer/prayer before meals twice-
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् ।
ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ॥ २४॥

* श्लोक ४ *
अर्जुन उवाच ।
अपरं भवतो जन्म परं जन्म विवस्वत: ।
कथमेतद्विजानीयां त्वमादौ प्रोक्तवानिति ॥ ४॥
Here, Arjuna has a question.
Arjuna tells भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: that I know about your birth and life, but विवस्वान् was born a very long time ago, so Arjuna thinks, how is it possible that भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: taught विवस्वान् ?
Arjuna, may have been wondering~ is everything okay with You श्री कृष्ण:? We pray to सूर्य भगवान्, so how is this possible? Where is the proof that You indeed taught this to विवस्वान् ?

* श्लोक ५ *
श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि जन्मानि तव चार्जुन ।
तान्यहं वेद सर्वाणि न त्वं वेत्थ परन्तप ॥ ५॥

भगवान् responds that indeed there have been many births (जन्मानि-plural for birth); that so many lives have passed for you and me. In this way भगवान् references rebirth.
भगवान् says- And I happen to know all of my lifetimes/manifestations,
but, त्वं न वेत्थ ~ you(परन्तप- Arjuna, the scorcher of all enemies) don’t know.
Our mind is so caught up dealing with memories of this lifetime, imagine how difficult life would be if we remembered all prior lifetimes?!
So here भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: is hinting that He is भगवान् |

* श्लोक ६ *
अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन् ।
प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय सम्भवाम्यात्ममायया ॥ ६॥

Here, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: says-
I am अज: ~ I was never born,
I am अव्ययात्मा ~ my knowledge does not change/reduce/decline,
I am ईश्वर: ~ ऐश्वरस्य भाव: i.e. overlordship- the one who doesn’t have a boss.
I am the causeless cause, the Lord of all भूत (beings); both the material and the intelligence is भगवान् |

My own प्रकृति I wield and use this material cause as an instrument for सम्भवामि (to come into manifestation).
आत्ममायया ~ I am not born as a result of कर्म, but by my own creative power.
So, for the Magician, there is no magic. The Magician knows the sleight of hand used in performing the trick. But to the onlooker/experiencer, it seems as if it is magic. For the Magician, he wields his own power.
In this way, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: refers to Himself as भगवान् |

So we see from श्लोक १- ८ that स्तुति/glory is done of the गीता with:
– स्तुति/glory of the परम्पर,
– reference to the manifestation called as अवतार |
So here भगवान् is leading up to why He comes on this Earth.

So, Arjuna’s question in श्लोक ४ is a valid question because in Arjuna’s mind, he knows भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: in this lifetime.

But when भगवान् says, I am भगवान्, it is not a statement of arrogance, it is a statement of Truth.
I am भगवान्, I was never born, I oversee all that happens. माया is my शक्ति and I wield it.

So the question comes- why is all this?
Arjuna may have had that question- why did भगवान्, the Lord of all beings who wields प्रकृति & माया, come here?
So, then श्लोक ७ & ८ come which are famous verses which refer to being an अवतार |
अवतार is an incarnation/manifestation of भगवान् |

So, भगवान् says-
* श्लोक ७ *
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत ।
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ॥ ७॥

यदा यदा- Whenever,
धर्मस्य ग्लानि: भवति- there is a decline in धर्म,
भारत् ~ Arjuna (descendent of भारत्),
अभ्युत्थानम् अधर्मस्य ~ when there is an increase in अधर्म, with wrong living everywhere,
तदा ~ then,
आत्मानं सृजामि अहम् ~ I bring myself into a particular incarnation.

श्लोक ८ further describes the purpose of अवतार –
* श्लोक ८ *
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् ।
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ॥ ८॥

So, the purpose of अवतार is to protect the साधु-s/good people i.e. the one’s aligned with/committed to धर्म |
One’s commitment to धर्म shows as one being a धर्मी i.e. one lives धर्म |

सामान्य धर्म includes:
– अहिंसा ~ causing the least injury,
– दया ~ compassion,
– दान ~ giving what I have,
– इन्द्रियनिग्रह ~ mastery of the sense organs.
In values, there is always scope for one to improve and grow more.
– With the value of सत्यम्, people know that they can depend on me. If I give my word, they know that I will honor it, and that I will speak the Truth. This is because one is aligned to functional reality. One is focused on what is, instead of what is not and what I do not have.
– शौचम् ~ value for cleanliness both external and internal. So internally one does not nurse a lot of regret/guilt.
But, one has so much hurt/guilt. So, one should deal with it by either processing it or throwing it out, but one should not carry it forward.

So, भगवान् says that I have come as an अवतार, so people can live a good life i.e. a life of धर्म |
One should recognize that there is goodness in me, and see the goodness elsewhere, and know that I do what I can to contribute to a lot of change. And this goodness & धर्म can be the basis for the pursuit of काम & अर्थ |

So, people doing good should be protected.

What about those doing अधर्म?
दुष्कृताम् विनाशाय ~ destroy those who are following अधर्म |
This should not be taken literally.

Some people, e.g. a terrorist may not be available for any transformation, and because they are killing civilians, they have to be destroyed i.e. they have to be killed. In this way हिंसा is as important as अहिंसा | But, one should note that the धर्म of the civilian is अहिंसा; हिंसा is reserved for the defense force, if required.

अधर्म can also ‘die’ when a person has a change of heart and no longer does actions that are अधार्मिक् |
For instance, laws can cause fear in people and so prevent अधर्म |
For example, in Saudi Arabia one’s hand can be chopped off for stealing. So, the fear of the consequence is the motivating factor that keeps the person in line.

But also, one should see the value of values.
सामान्य धर्म may be presented as moral injunctions. But we are naturally rebellious and so do not want to follow.
But if I see the value of values, e.g. दानम्, then I give as a person.
But one should not give as overcompensation. E.g. Karana from the Mahabharata was very denied and deprived in childhood. He took the value of दानम् to an extreme. He was born with armor, but he gave it away when it was requested of him because he wanted to uphold the identity that he did not refuse anyone who came to him. In this way he endangered his own life.
So, one should not take a value to the extreme; one should understand the context and apply it.
With respect to दानम्, one should see what giving does for me & others too.
When one lives a life of धर्म, one feels happy about it, and rests comfortably. And this is okay to feel happy about the good I did, knowing that I am definitely contributing to the happiness of others also.

So, the reason for divine incarnation is for धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय~ the purpose of establishing धर्म | It is to-
(i) Protect the people who are धार्मिक् |
(ii) Destroy/convert the people who are अधार्मिक् |
(iii) Establish धर्म |

Through the constitution/justice system, it enforces certain behavior based on crime & punishment.
But धर्म is a self-regulating framework, where by understanding the value of धर्म, everyone regulates themselves because of the understanding of the consequences of doing wrong.

E.g. Self-regulation for Kumbha Mela- though there are kilometers of people, there is no stampede with resultant death. The police on horseback move around the crowds and due to the fear of being trampled, everyone becomes organized and self-regulated.
धर्म is like this.

When one does not follow धर्म, e.g. if one hurts another, one regrets it, and it gnaws at one.
This is because धर्म lies in one’s heart. This is भगवान्’s gift so we are able to self-regulate due to this voice of धर्म |
This voice should be loud & clear, but sometimes we subdue and pacify this voice.

The more I create division in the way I think and act, e.g. I think something but do something else, then I am not together as a person. Then, I am not available for any pursuit.
And if there is this internal conflict, there is no harmony/happiness. Then, there is no more meaning left in life.
This is the disturbance in धर्म at an individual level.

Then, there is धर्म at the level of society, where what is good is rewarded. There are structures, guidelines and organizations that uphold ethics.
So, when भगवान् talks of the establishment of धर्म, He is talking of the establishment of धर्म at the level of society also.

So, in order to establish धर्म, in every युग, भगवान् takes अवतार |
Time is cyclical. One कल्प is 4 युग-s.

In the वराहपुराण, धर्म is presented metaphorically as a bull. (see Slack under Gita-amrtam channel for PDF on this)
The four legs of the bull represent सत्यम्, शौचम्, तपस् and दानम्, which are very important for धर्म |
(i) सत्ययुग – All 4 legs of the bull are present i.e. people practiced धर्म | At this time, the ऋषि-s had a lot of power so a mere utterance by Them could bring a curse or blessing.
(ii) त्रेतायुग – The bull stands on 3 legs, due to committed पापा |
(iii) द्वापरयुग – The bull stands on 2 legs, as people became more corrupt.
(iv) कलियुग – The bull stands on only 1 leg. So, there is complete decline of धर्म | There are many predictions of what is to come. Currently we are in the beginning/golden age of कलियुग, so this is not the terrible part of कलियुग |

So, भगवान् will come in every युग in order to establish धर्म |
This is not in the sense of Him being a Saviour.
It is to rekindle धर्म in one’s heart so that we self-regulate, and have ethical practices in our work & dealings with others, and so re-establish धर्म |

ॐ

So far we have seen श्लोक-s १-८ | भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: spoke of the परम्परा and how He taught विवस्वान् | This highlights that this knowledge is not something new. Also, this knowledge is to be gained live through a Teacher-student relationship.
भगवान् also said that there is a decline in the people seeking, learning and understanding this knowledge. भगवान् is making this statement at least 3000 years ago, so what to talk about our current predicament?
Access to this knowledge may be there, but one’s commitment and discipline in this pursuit is iffy.
Then, भगवान् responded to Arjuna’s question about अवतार | Arjuna thinks that I know श्री कृष्ण:’s date of birth, so how can He say that that He taught विवस्वान्?
So, then भगवान् taught what an अवतार (divine incarnation) is, and the purpose of an अवतार |
Importantly, the purpose of an अवतार is to establish धर्म | धर्म is established in our hearts as
धर्मी-s. धर्म is not something abstract, it is not an institution to be established. It is for one to be धार्मिक् and see the value of having the values of धर्म e.g. अहिंसा, शौचम्, आर्जवम् (straightforwardness), संतोष:, आत्मविनिग्रह | We looked at 8 of these values in our last class. Once we are धार्मिक्, then whatever institution we are a part of, or we run will be धार्मिक |
For short term gains, each one compromises. Then, all of us complain about corruption but we never complain that we are corrupt.
So भगवान् says- to establish धर्म, सम्भवामि युगे युगे ~ I come into being every time.
An अवतार is not a saviour coming here to rescue us. We can save ourselves. Only when there is too much decline in धर्म, then भगवान् comes. We have been blessed with enough शक्ति to know the right thing to do, and to act upon it. So, one should have the willpower and the ‘won’t-power’ to know what one should say yes to, and what one should say no to. This is an important part of self-mastery.
So, all this can be managed well, when one leads one’s life with धर्म |

Continuing alone the lines of अवतार, भगवान् shares-
*श्लोक ९*
जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वत: ।
त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म नैति मामेति सोऽर्जुन ॥ ९॥

भगवान् helps Arjuna to shift his attention from form to the Reality through this verse.

य: वेत्ति तत्त्वत: ~ The one who knows in reality (तत्त्वत:),
मे दिव्य जन्म ~ my divine birth.
Lord कृष्ण:’s birth was not due to कर्म | Everyone else’s birth is due to कर्म ~ पुन्य & पापा |

So, the one who know the reality i.e. one’s own स्वरूप |
What happens to that person?
त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म न एति ~ that person does not have a rebirth,
माम् एति ~ he gains me.

Gaining/reaching is due to the perception that I don’t have it. Therefore, understanding my स्वरूप is an ‘as though’ gain, just as when one recognizes that the missing spectacles were ever sitting so lightly on my forehead. So too, I do not recognize my nature due to अविद्या |

So वेदान्त is about shifting one’s reality of the form.

We all agree that if I am in touch with reality then I am sane.
As part of the psychological evaluation, the Mental Status Examination is done to check how oriented a person is to the reality of his/her situation with respect to time, place etc..
Now, extending this, are we in touch with the reality of ourselves?

From the perspective of the person with hallucinations/delusions, this person is in their own world, and may think that the doctor is the insane one.

प्रातिभासिक सत्यम् is one’s subjective reality. What is real to me is my रागद्वेष and how I have divided my world into the things that I like and am drawn towards, and the things that I dislike and so avoid.
Each person has their राग – cheesecake, nature, a desire to travel, punctuality etc.

E.g. If another is unpunctual, it may cause a little annoyance.
But if one’s राग is punctuality, then one has the thinking that there must be punctuality with no excuses for lack of punctuality. So, the राग for punctuality makes one unwilling to be oriented to functional reality i.e. one is so caught up with the other’s lack of tardiness that one cannot see past this to the person’s genuine reason for being late, or the other’s good qualities. These are ignored due to one’s राग |
So, one’s प्रातिभासिक सत्यम् (subjective reality) is everyone should be punctual because I am punctual, and if another is not punctual then I do not want to engage with them.
With orientation to functional reality, I understand that there are people who are habitually late, for whatever reason. Therefore, for me to work with the habitual late-comer I have to be oriented to functional reality. I understand that this person is a part of the team that I am working with for this particular project. So, I keep aside this punctuality aspect, and do what I can, working with what I have, and working together with this person.

So, if I can suspend/keep aside this रागद्वेष, and work on the larger picture, then I am awake to व्यवहारिक सत्यम् i.e. functional/empirical reality.
But, if I get caught up with my likes/dislikes, then I remain stuck at प्रातिभासिक सत्यम् |
Then, I lose the opportunity to engage with this other person who may have other skills & talents, this person who I have to anyway work with on this project.

What is in and through this subjectivity that I have?
What is it in and through all the forms? It is ‘is’-ness i.e. पारमार्थिक सत्यम् / Absolute Reality, without which there can be no form.
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचि
नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूय: ।
अजो नित्य: शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो
न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ॥ २०॥ Chapter 2.
So, the nature of the आत्मा (is-ness, consciousness) is me, as well as the person who is not punctual, the project and the company.
So, this consciousness is everything in and through all forms.
So, all 3 levels of reality are actually one ~ पारमार्थिक सत्यम् |

E.g. The ocean – there can be a boss wave and an employee wave, both operating on different wavelengths ~ one punctual and one not. Or there can be a company with all 10 like-minded waves, all moving together.
But, what is in and through all waves? Water.
What is in and through all forms, and even one’s subjectivity? Consciousness.
Therefore, one can shift attention from the form of wave, to the reality of water. So too, one can shift attention from me-the person to the reality of consciousness.

So, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: explains that He happens to have a form and what a life~ born in a prison, an arduous journey, His own family members(Uncle Kamsa) trying to kill Him, and in the greatest battle He chooses to be a charioteer, and despite His greatness He is not able to avert the war.

So, there are 3 orders of reality.
By bringing in the disposition of कर्म योग into one’s life, one moves from subjectivity to objectivity.
So, though I have my रागद्वेष that I want to fulfill, and these रागद्वेष consume me,
I align my रागद्वेष to धर्म and make it as an offering to भगवान् , and so I do my duty.
E.g. Even if it is difficult to interact with one’s in-laws, one at least does the minimum required to do one’s duty to them.
I do not have to be best of friends with everyone in every situation, but I do my best, and do not hold on to reactions.
Or else I get affected. E.g. I am very upset by my late colleague, but my late colleague remains in ignorant bliss to my internal turmoil. Even if I say something, the other wonders- what’s the big deal, I was only a little late. So due to one’s strong subjectivity, there is a lot of internal conflict and suffering.
So, one should move from one’s subjectivity to the objectivity of this functional world.
Otherwise, one has an exhausting time which is all about managing one’s रागद्वेष |
By aligning myself with the facts and interactions/relationships of this functional reality; and not avoiding nor running away from certain aspects of life, I have balance in life.
Then, I have the space and leisure to have this मोक्ष pursuit.
Then one understands:
~ all along ईश्वर was pervading all, as the material & intelligent cause.
~ तत्त्वमसि – it was just like a dream, I-आत्मा was pervading as the material & intelligent cause, all the way.

How did भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: appear?
It was the collective पुण्य of all people who prayed for an अवतार |
What level of reality is His birth? It is not व्यवहारिक सत्यम् as He had no opening capital with an account of पुण्य or पाप to fructify into a birth.
But भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: appeared and was simultaneously available for 1000s of people.
भगवान् श्री कृष्ण:’s birth was a divine birth and has प्रातिभासिक सत्यम् | This does not mean that His birth was subjective. He could appear for many simultaneously, but he was not born of कर्म |

But really, the reality/basis of any form is तत्त्वत: |
For the one who knows this truth, and is not dazzled by any form, ignorance is gone, so there is no chance for rebirth.
Once one cuts the roots of अविद्या/ignorance, there is no scope for branches i.e. there is no chance for rebirth.
It is not just about reducing कर्म or काम/desire management. Because other desires will pop up, e.g. romantic spiritual desires like going to Uttarkashi and sitting by Ganga to meditate.

कर्म & काम can be managed and reduced to just a few life priorities- in this way 1000s of desires can be distilled into 5-6 priorities.
There is also scope to improvise.
Often we want to show love for someone, but this depends on how that person wants to receive love. Even if one is married for a long time, one should specify/say how one wants to receive love. E.g. All the spouse really wants is help in the kitchen.
One should not feel that the other should figure it out, or think that I am being demanding, or worry about lack of spontaneity. Sometimes, we just have to spell out what we want, and clarify our position.

So, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: is both प्रातिभासिक सत्यम्, and definitely पारमार्थिक सत्यम् since He is भगवान्’s अवतार only. So, श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता is all about भगवान्’s Teaching, and this is our सत्यम् also.

प्रातिभासिक सत्यम् ~ One’s subjectivity i.e. the unique likes and dislikes that make up the personality.
व्यवहारिक सत्यम् ~ One’s interaction with others i.e. one’s alignment to functional reality with harmonious relationships.
पारमार्थिक सत्यम् ~ Absolute Reality in and through all forms.

I-आत्मा am सत्यम्, all forms are मिथ्या (dependent reality)

Some erroneously think that the goal of spirituality is to have a divine vision of भगवान् | This is indeed a blessing.
But here, भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य in His भाष्य uses the words सम्यक् दर्शनम् | सम्यक् दर्शनम् is the clear and complete vision of seeing that me and भगवान् are one. Notably, this term was not used in Chapter 11 when Arjuna gained the divine vision of भगवान् in all His glory |

People especially उपासक-s have different divine visions that may be dazzling. But the important question is did the blessing of this divine vision help to reduce the separation/division between me and भगवान् ?

भगवान् delves further into the topic of तत्त्वत: in श्लोक १० | …

After suggesting that people may worship भगवान् and भगवान् will bless them, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: goes on to talk of the 4-fold division of society.

* श्लोक १३ * – second line
चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागश: ।
तस्य कर्तारमपि मां विद्ध्यकर्तारमव्ययम् ॥ १३॥

In the second line of this श्लोक, भगवान् says ~ although I am the author/कर्ता and have created this 4-fold division, may you know that I am not the कर्ता and I am अव्ययम् (ever-changeless).

So here, भगवान् is drawing our attention to our connection with कर्म, and कर्म’s connection to अविद्या |

In one’s relationship with कर्म, there are some कर्म-s that we enjoy doing very much and have a राग for that type of कर्म, e.g. walking in nature, playing with my pet, working, ticking off tasks, being with children, listening to music, artwork etc.
Or there may be द्वेष to certain कर्म, e.g. confronting someone, unpleasant conversations, doing chores ~ dishes, laundry.
So, there is this weird, mixed relationship with कर्म- due to राग we are drawn to certain कर्म, and due to द्वेष, I want to avoid certain कर्म | So every day, in every situation, one is figuring out what to do and what not to do based on this.

So, भगवान् is telling us-
Yes, one is the कर्ता and कर्म is to be done by every being, including me.
But, my problem is not what कर्म is to be done, or not done.
It feels like this is my problem since the कर्म to be done, or not done, evokes a strong reaction in me ~ I really want to do it, or I really don’t want to do it..
So, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: wants me to know that the कर्म to be done is not the issue, rather what is important is the conclusion that I have made about mySelf on the basis of the कर्म that I have to do, or I am not doing.
E.g. I may have never-ending Sanskrit homework that I do not want to do.
So, I manage my mixture of emotions in the light of the कर्म that has to be done, and, although I am the कर्ता, I should know that I am really not the doer.
So, भगवान् compassionately draws attention to my स्वरूप | My nature is सत्यम्-consciousness and I am never touched by पुण्य or पापा |

* श्लोक १४ *
न मां कर्माणि लिम्पन्ति न मे कर्मफले स्पृहा ।
इति मां योऽभिजानाति कर्मभिर्न स बध्यते ॥ १४॥

कर्म does not affect me. This is not from the standpoint of emotional maturity. It is not that one is indifferent, neutral or apathetic, and so one says that कर्म does not affect me.

कर्म is borne of काम (desire), and काम is borne of अविद्या | So jokingly it is as if कर्म is the grandkid of अविद्या | So how can the grandkid affect the grandmother?
Therefore, it does not matter if one does lots/less कर्म, or avoids/goes towards कर्म |
More importantly- has the अविद्या about who I really am gone away?
Because कर्म has to be done, it cannot be avoided.
There are only 2 choices with respect to performing कर्म-
(i) If I understand my true nature, then I perform कर्म out of the fullness of me.
(ii) If I do not know my absolute nature, then I perform कर्म with कर्म योग बुद्धि: |

So, being a role model, भगवान् says ~ although as भगवान् I have created this सृष्टि together with the 4-fold division of the वर्ण system, whatever actions done by me, do not affect me. I am सत्यम् |
And, with regards to कर्मफल, there is no longing.
For instance, whatever happens to pot, clay is not bothered ~ if pot is pulverized into powder, or pot is broken into pieces, or pot has some wondrous form; none of these affect its substance clay.
So here भगवान् directs our attention to that which is सत्यम् i.e. I, my स्वरूप |
So, the person who knows this, this person is not bound by कर्म |
But, one is bound by कर्म, because if one doesn’t do feel-good कर्म, one feels incomplete, or one feels unduly bothered by not being able to avoid कर्म that one has द्वेष for.
So this is the bondage of कर्म – I must do this action to be satisfied, or I really have to avoid this circumstance at all costs.
But, the one who knows my स्वरूप, that person is not bound by कर्म |

* श्लोक १५ *
एवं ज्ञात्वा कृतं कर्म पूर्वैरपि मुमुक्षुभि: ।
कुरु कर्मैव तस्मात्त्वं पूर्वै: पूर्वतरं कृतम् ॥ १५॥

भगवान् goes on to say-
Even मुमुक्षु-s i.e. people seeking मोक्ष, get to know me in this manner (i.e. my स्वरूप), and they did कर्म | They did not run away from कर्म |

So one should look at their day-
~ What is the कर्म that I try to avoid doing? Or I may have some guilt about not doing something. These are indications of my द्वेष |

So, even the people seeking मोक्ष, they have sought to know me in this way, and they never ran away from the कर्म that is to be done i.e. one’s duty.

So, भगवान् tells Arjuna-
तस्मात् ~ Therefore,
you also please do कर्म |
You are not the first one who wants to avoid कर्म, nor will you be the last one.
पूर्वै: पूर्वतरं कृतम् ~ just as the previous people before you did कर्म,
and these people were मुमुक्षु-s, but they did not run away from society nor their duty, so too one should do one’s कर्म |

Because कर्म is not an indicator of one’s true identity, although society has hypnotized one into believing that the outcome of an event defines me.
E.g. One lost/quit their job- other people may be helpful or not about this circumstance, but overall one will feel lousy about oneself due to this event. So कर्मफल i.e. the event binds one.
Because my identity is shaken up by this life event.
And even so one’s identity changes based on the criteria that one judges oneself on, which is based on society’s expectations. And so, upon further contemplation, one wonders, why did I do that? E.g. Why did I get married? Why did I go to that university?
So, it is good to be honest with oneself, understanding that I felt the pressure to do so.
But, the sharp sword of honesty should be backed by gentleness, as when one cuts oneself, it takes time to heal. And already we get so many cuts from society anyway, so we don’t need to be more harsh with oneself.

So, verse 14 & 15 highlights that I should shift my attention to the सत्यम् that I am.
Or one can focus on भगवान् – though भगवान् has His role, and has done certain things, what is भगवान्’s स्वरूप? भगवान् is ever untouched by the कर्म to be done i.e. I am सत्यम् |
And all कर्म has the status of dependent reality, and though there is कर्मफल, one is not bound by it.
One is only bound by कर्म when one thinks that my identity is intertwined with the कर्म |
E.g. one thinks that I had a life of great struggle so I am exhausted. One can be physically exhausted, but the mental/emotional exhaustion is because I believe that I am just this limited form that has gone through these events.
So, भगवान् is saying that we should shift attention.

ॐ

Here भगवान् श्री कृष्ण is showing us the (weak) connection between कर्म and ज्ञानम् (knowledge).
Arjuna’s dilemma is~ should I do घोर (cruel) कर्म? i.e. कर्म that will cause a lot of deaths.
And it is not that Arjuna was a pacifist- he was a warrior and he had definitely tasted blood and had fought many battles unafraid. But here there is a hesitation to fight in this particular war.

Challenging situations are a good test for me to see if I do what is required of the situation, or if I withdraw. One’s initial tendency is to withdraw. I do not want to deal with conflict or suffering. I am not sure if I will be able to handle the situation, or if the other will be able to handle it. The reasons for not wanting to do something may be many. As in Arjuna’s case, the कर्म to be done may be long overdue. However, still I procrastinate, I want to buy time.
And then there is confirmation bias, where one’s clever mind looks only for that information that confirms my point of view, so I can feel happy about myself.

After भगवान् श्री कृष्ण talks of the 4-fold division that He created in society for its smooth functioning, He then switches our attention to the स्वरूप of भगवान् i.e. one’s own nature, which can never be negated nor defined.

भगवान् had previously given the example of King Janaka- despite being a king, and being busy, dealing with all problems; he was a wise person.
So, भगवान् says that despite all कर्म that I have done in creating this जगत्, I have not really done this. And it is not that भगवान् is abdicating His responsibility, but rather He is shifting one’s attention to the consciousness that one is.

Given that this is the case, people who want मोक्ष, did not abandon their responsibility in the name of this exalted pursuit of वेदान्त | They did what they had to do. Because at some prior point in time, they had made choices, and so now they fulfill their responsibilities in accordance with those choices that were made.
So, भगवान् says that even मुमुक्षु-s perform कर्म, therefore Arjuna may you please perform कर्म |

Now भगवान् श्री कृष्ण asks a question to Arjuna. And then goes on to answer it.
* श्लोक १६ *
किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिता: ।
तत्ते कर्म प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात् ॥ १६॥

किं कर्म? What is कर्म?
किं अकर्म? What is अकर्म?

Even कवय: i.e. people who are very bright and intelligent.
(कवि ~ poet.)
Here कवय: refers to the one who is मेधावि i.e. the one who uses one’s memory & intelligence; the one for whom learning is there; and anger/sadness does not cloud one’s faculty of reasoning.
For instance, we are often quite good at advising others, but not so good at following our own advice.

So, कवय: i.e. even people who are very bright and intelligent, these scholars/seers,
they are मोहिता: i.e. confused,
about what is कर्म & अकर्म (actionless-ness).

Therefore, I will tell you more about what कर्म is.
Because,
यत् ज्ञात्वा ~ once you know,
मोक्ष्यसे अशुभात् ~ you will be released from that which is अशुभात् i.e. that which is inauspicious, the cycle of suffering.

N.B. – भगवान् श्री कृष्ण does not say यत् ध्यात्वा (by meditating).
भगवान् says यत् ज्ञात्वा i.e. there is an emphasis on knowledge.
So, we should understand that meditation is not the answer to all suffering.

But, by knowing more about कर्म, and all that surrounds it, one will be released from suffering.

* श्लोक १७ *
कर्मणो ह्यपि बोद्धव्यं बोद्धव्यं च विकर्मण: ।
अकर्मणश्च बोद्धव्यं गहना कर्मणो गति: ॥ १७॥

बोद्धव्यम् implies that this should be done.
The वेद, and the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता in particular, talks of the कर्म that is to be done.

If one is confused, or one wants to continue to be confused, then, one does not want to do कर्म |
This is because it seems like कर्म is painful and requires a lot of effort.
This becomes obvious to one, when one looks around and sees the responsibilities that I have- one only has to look at one’s relations~ family, friends, colleagues, in order to understand this.
E.g. At home, situations require some actions to be done i.e. there is some लौकिक कर्म to be done.
And then, there is also कर्म related to the पञ्चमहायज्ञा i.e. how I relate to भगवान् through यज्ञा, दानम्, तप: |
So, the कर्म that the वेद talks of is important- it is to be known.

And the कर्म that is to be avoided must be known as well.
Two things that the वेद says NOT to do are-
1. Do not eat meat.
2. Do not drink alcohol.

So, if I do not eat meat, nor drink alcohol, then I am okay with this, and agree with these values.

But, if I am a social drinker, then I am challenged by this statement of the वेद |
I make excuses for myself and say- Well I never overdo it. I never regret my behaviour after I drink. Or, other people are addicted to tea and coffee, so what’s so wrong with a couple of drinks?

Or with respect to meat, one justifies meat-eating by misusing the example given in class of भगवान् वेदव्यास’s mother being a fisherwoman, and so He definitely must have eaten fish as a kid. Or, one incorrectly references the Ramayana and points to Lord Raama eating meat, in order to justify one’s misdeed.

The वेद teaches us not to eat meat from the standpoint of अहिंसा | But no value is absolute, E.g. There are exceptional circumstances given in Ayurveda.

And why should one not drink alcohol? Because one’s बुद्धि: becomes compromised. No great nor noble acts follow the drinking of alcohol.

In this way action-consequence is pointed out by the वेद |
So, it is also important to know what is to be avoided.

An important line in this श्लोक is- गहना कर्मणो गति: |
Once one starts digging into कर्म, it is difficult to understand its flow.

For instance, why did I marry Person X? How did I land up with this person?
कर्म may explain it to a certain extent, but the more one digs into it, one finds that everyone’s कर्म is interrelated- my parents, my partner’s parents, my friends, and so many more relationships.
So many things are related, so whose कर्म is primarily responsible? It is difficult to say.
So कर्म is difficult to understand.
After all, कर्म is the grandchild of अविद्या |
One can go digging, and Astrology may be able to give a peek into the कर्म pattern in one’s life, but this is not deterministic. Astrology can give a hint to the likely patterns that will emerge according to one’s personality, but everything is not predetermined.
This is because my choices also play a role.

So, the question is, if I take to वेदान्त or spirituality, should I stop doing what I normally do & enjoy?
Because, one may have romantic ideas that one should stop doing certain things.
So, with ज्ञानम् & कर्म, there are some questions that we have.

Recognizing our dilemma, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण says this verse-
++**श्लोक १८**++ very important verse++
कर्मण्यकर्म य: पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म य: ।
स बुद्धिमान्मनुष्येषु स युक्त: कृत्स्नकर्मकृत् ॥ १८॥

The person who is युक्त: / a योगी / together as a person,
[ युक्त:/योग: share the same युज् धातु ].
कृत्स्नकर्मकृत् ~ completely, this person can say – been there, done that.
So, this is a part of one’s journey before संन्यास i.e. all open loops are closed, there is no unfinished business; whatever one wanted to do, it is expected that one has done that before taking संन्यास |
Because prior, one thinks that all the कर्म that one does, is for the sake of one’s fulfillment.
But when one is ready for संन्यास- there are no unfulfilled desires, no more to be achieved in this world, there is no more agenda, nothing to be gained.
Why? Because the mistaken notion that कर्म will give me complete fulfillment is no longer there.
The glory of कर्म is such that I have exhausted the possibilities that कर्म will give me complete fulfillment through the different roles that I play. It is not that responsibilities end.
Ritually, responsibilities may end with संन्यास | But, with संन्यास, one recognizes that no one owes me anything, and I don’t owe anyone anything. There is no sense of entitlement.

So, what are we talking of?
That relative fulfillment that comes with bringing in कर्म योग बुद्धि: into all areas of my life, so that there are no dark corners in my life.
And what about such a person?
This person who has done everything that has to be done has a particular vision i.e. कर्मण्यकर्म य: पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म य: ।

But first, one has to see that in all roles that I play, that I remain as a simple person.
I relate to my mother as a daughter, to my partner as a wife, to my son as a mother. I relate to my colleagues, friends, as a citizen, as a group member.
So, I-the person am playing all these different roles, and in playing these different roles, I-the person fill the role up.
As mother, daughter, professional, I-the-person fill up the role. But, I-the-person am independent of the role.

Is there a physical distance between me-the person and me as the mother?
No- where the mother/role is, the person is.
So, how can I say that the person is independent of the role?
This is because I am not in any role 365-24/7. When I go to sleep, I am no longer the mother.
When I am interacting with my work colleague, I am not playing the role of mother.
So, I play the role of mother to my children, but not to my partner nor work colleague.
I have no confusion about this, I just relate accordingly in the different relationships, according to whatever I think is the purpose of the relationship.

But no one ever thinks about the purpose of a relationship.
Everyone marries, so I marry; everyone works, so I work; everyone has children, so I have children.
So, one should be clear about the purpose of every relationship.
In general, my role is to care for and support/contribute to the happiness of the other. And this love & support manifests differently according to the role I play. E.g. my love & support for my parent versus my child would manifest differently.

And this being so, if I have a problem with my boss at work, I should recognize that this is limited to this particular relationship only.
However, if I am not in touch with I-the-person who am filling up the role, then what happens is that though the distressing event/encounter is over, and I am out of that physical space; the suffering continues, as I continue to carry the experience with me.
A problem can travel with me all over the world, for many years if left unresolved.
But, if I recognize that this experience is only limited to this particular role, then I need not bring the foul mood into other interactions. Or else everyone gets a piece of my mind, and the whole world feels gloomy to me.
So, I should understand that this was only one experience in one of my many roles, and so this event should be isolated and kept to the role in that relationship. And so, I count my blessings of the people in my life in other relationships.

So, I recognize that I am that simple person, independent of all these roles.
The roles depend on me, but I do not depend on the role; though there may be emotional fulfillment from a role.

One should appreciate that the simple role-less neglected person fills up all roles.
If not for this person, there would be no role whatsoever.
A lot of one’s suffering is because I have confused the role to be me.
E.g. A mother describes all the wonderful meals that she prepares for each member of the family according to their preference. But, when asked- what do you like, she is at a loss for words.
So, one is so engrossed/identified with the provider/mother role, that mistakenly one may think that if that role is not there, then I am not there. I am decimated if the role is not there. I do not know who I am without the role.

And often my greatest sadness is because I have confused the role to be me.
I think that one specific role is me.
E.g. I think that I am only the work-professional, or only the partner, or only the parent.
And I move between one of these 3 roles.
And then thinking myself to be the role, there will be burn-out; and then I find myself wanting to be away from all these roles.

So, I should recognize that I am free from all roles; that the roles depend on me. The roles cannot exist without me. I fill up the roles, but I am independent of the roles.
I choose to play the roles. The roles are important to me, but they do not define me. The roles are not my defining reality.
It will take time for this understanding (that I am not the role) to sink in, because my greatest happiness & fulfillment comes from my roles.

And it is not that we are denying one’s roles. One can enjoy one’s roles. But one should also see this reality~ that I-the-person am free from all roles.
I can pick up the role, and I can drop it.
And this unnoticeably happens effortlessly for us-
E.g. If I go to a party, I interact with 4-5 different people, and I relate to each person differently. There is no confusion. I can relate to person A, and then temporarily suspend that role when I speak to person B.
The same happens when I am speaking to my partner, whilst also trying to address my son.
I pick up and drop roles effortlessly within fractions of a second.

So, in this seemingly innocuous action is a moment of great wisdom as it shows that I can relate to person A, and I do not decimate my role with person A when I relate to person B. But in my vision I have temporarily suspended my role with person A, as I relate to person B. There is no confusion. I can pick up & drop roles seamlessly.
This reveals that I am more than the role.
It is not that I am not the role. I fill up the role.
And there is no perfect role~ no perfect partner relationship, no perfect parent-child relationship, no perfect गुरु-शिष्य relationship.
If it is good enough~ okay. I enjoy and am contented with what is there.

In this chapter 4, we see that श्लोक-s १८-२४ talk of the nature of knowledge.
This is the reason why the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता is called as ब्रह्मविद्या, since these verses talk of the essence of the उपनिषद् i.e. the nature of आत्मा | We previously saw that Chapter 2 also discussed this topic.
So, both ब्रह्मविद्या and योग शास्त्र are the recurrent themes presented across the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता |

It is beautiful that both are presented.
If it were only ब्रह्मविद्या, as in the उपनिषद्, then the situation is- I want knowledge, but I am not prepared for it.
Pujya Swamiji gives the example of the bachelor who has just moved to the city, and is trying to make a cup of chai. His apartment is bare, so he asks for some hot coals from his neighbour. But, he has no wares to carry them in. He grabs some newspaper and directs her to place the coals in there, even though this is not the appropriate पात्र | Unfortunately the coals never make it back to his next door apartment, because the newspapers are unable to support the hot coals.
The problem was that he did not have the appropriate पात्रता (capacity to receive something).

If someone is exposed to ब्रह्मविद्या, and is prepared in terms of a spontaneous कर्म योग बुद्धि:, such that one is in harmony with all relations in the world, then smooth understanding ensues.
But most of us do not have enough पात्रता |
We have enough मुमुक्षुत्वम् i.e. a desire for मोक्ष, and a willingness to work towards it in terms of preparing oneself.
Therefore, योग शास्त्र is important in order to prepare oneself in the context of one’s maturity regarding all aspects of life. For instance, I come to understand & accept my relationship with कर्म – the situations that unfold in life and how I respond to them.

And if only योग शास्त्र is presented, then one would have a calm contemplative mind, be more effective in one’s relationships, and have harmony, but sooner or later one will ask the question~ for what? If anyway I am going to die, then what is the point of being effective or productive- I came from dust, and will return to dust, so what is all this for? Then, there may seem to be no purpose…

So, this is the beauty of the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता, as both ब्रह्मविद्या and योग शास्त्र go hand in hand. One always has the insight as to why I am preparing myself- so that I qualify for ब्रह्मविद्या |
And, when the goal is clear, one sees that death is just an event, and that any changes that happen are only to the body/mind. I-आत्मा remain ever-untouched. And आत्मा is who I truly am. So, all conflict & suffering fade away.
If I am not ready for ब्रह्मविद्या, it is enough to prepare oneself for a harmonious life.

So, verses १८-२४ relate the nature of आत्मा, and these verses are given from the standpoint of कर्म |
आत्मा is referred to by many words, from different standpoints:-
– In chapter 2, we saw the word स्थितप्रज्ञ(wise person) referring to the one whose प्रज्ञ(wisdom) is well-established.
– पूर्ण: refers to I-आत्मा complete in and of oneself.
– अव्ययम् means no व्यय (decline/decay). So, no facelift nor corrective surgery is required for I-आत्मा |
So, from different standpoints, depending on the conclusions made about oneself, different words are used.

Here, in these current verses, अकर्ता (not-the-doer) and अभोक्ता (not-the-experiencer) are used for आत्मा | Sometimes, भोक्ता is translated to mean enjoyer, but one can be the भोक्ता of both सुखम् & दु:खम् | Therefore, experiencer is a more apt translation.

When one looks at one’s day, there are a set of experiences & a set of कर्म, across many roles. In an experience, I can be both the कर्ता and the भोक्ता | E.g. If I try a new dish- in the preparation I am the कर्ता, and in the enjoyment, I am the भोक्ता | In attending a program- I am कर्ता through my participation, and I am भोक्ता as I listen to what others say.

So, in all our lives, on a daily basis, across all roles and relationships, what gets formed and entrenched is the identity of कर्ता (doer) and भोक्ता (experiencer). This identification is natural since one is doing so much कर्म and also having so many experiences- whether I contribute to the कर्म experienced, or it is someone’s कर्म towards me.
So, all the time one’s identity is कर्ता-भोक्ता, this is the identity of the अहंकार/ego.
And one spends all of one’s life trying to manage this identity. E.g. one uses productivity hacks to increase/decrease कर्म, change one’s experiences, and even spirituality becomes a part of one’s experiences.
And कर्ता-भोक्ता being my identity, I can go from lifetime to lifetime having different kinds of experiences and doing different kinds of कर्म |
But here भगवान् श्री कृष्ण points out that as आत्मा, I was never the doer nor the experiencer.

भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य gives the example that if 2 boats are moving at the same speed, one can feel stationary in relation to the other. So, in action one can experience actionless-ness.
Another example is- if one is on a boat, and looks at a ship in the distance, the ship does not appear to be moving. So, in the seeming actionless-ness, there is movement/action.
So, do these everyday experiences show literal actionless-ness and action? No.
Similarly, one can be doing a lot of कर्म so one seems to have the identity of कर्ता | But if one does enquiry and it is discovered that I am आत्मा who is not the कर्ता,
then, the wise person can say that I-आत्मा was never the doer.
We may see the wise person running around and doing projects, e.g. King Janaka did all kinds of projects, and was involved in all ministries and working for His subjects.
But, even through the performance of different कर्म-s, there is no more अविद्या(ignorance) because the person has discovered that I was ever आत्मा |
So, though appearing to be doing a lot of activity, the body & mind is understood as मिथ्या with a status of dependent reality. And I-आत्मा am not touched by any of this.

Just as I am the person across the different roles that I play- I am the role, the role is not me. Without me, there is no role. That role is not my entire identity.
The role is just a uniform that I wear in this particular context/situation/phase in my life.

भगवान् श्री कृष्ण explains that as आत्मा (pure existence-consciousness, without any limits/boundaries), I was never the कर्ता (doer) nor भोक्ता (experiencer).

As भोक्ता, I have to come to terms with the hurt that I have experienced.
Generally, one is not able to move beyond the identity of the doer/experiencer because one does not feel fulfilled as the doer- there is always scope to do more in any role, and definitely there is scope to experience more e.g. more travel, experiencing family milestones.
So, one looks forward to these experiences and it feels as if life is incomplete without X,Y,Z experiences.
The current experience is that कर्ता & भोक्ता feel अपूर्ण(incomplete).

Will there be a time where I pile on more कर्म and then finally I will be fulfilled?
No matter how exalted the कर्म is, अपूर्णत (the sense of incompleteness) continues as there is identification with the human condition. And so, along with this human identification, existential sorrow is a given.
One can push the limits and enjoy all the glories of one’s शक्ति-s, but remaining as the कर्ता-भोक्ता, one will never be enough.
This is the humbling reality, it is not being pessimistic.
So, one can relax because the human situation is that the body-mind will have a certain lifespan and death will come as an event, sooner or later.
If this is the final conclusion, then one had better reconcile with it. But this is not the Reality.

In reality, I was never born, I will never die; I cannot be negated.
An inability to be negated is the definition of being real.
One may negate oneself on the basis of perception, e.g. the body is born, and dies.
Or one may say~ you say that I am eternal, but I don’t feel like that. So, this too is one’s perception.
So, one should talk from the standpoint of प्रमाण – वेदान्त says that I was never born, that I will never die, that I am always there.
But, the identity that I hold on to is centered around कर्तृत्वम् (doership)- I have not achieved enough, or भोक्तृत्वम् – when will these events happen; this didn’t happen to me.
If doer-ship & experiencer-ship were real, then they would NOT come and go. For instance, in deep sleep, if one is kicking someone, one is not voluntarily doing it. Because, कर्तृत्वम् & भोक्तृत्वम् are not there in deep sleep.

श्रवणम् (systematic listening to a Teacher) is not just audio perception. As I go with the words, I have no choice. I do not know what will be said next. I can close my ears, but once I am listening I cannot control the input. This is how perception works. Similarly there is no कर्तृत्वम् with seeing. One has कर्तृत्वम् up to the point of opening one’s eyes, but then there is no choice in what is seen.
So, listening to वेदान्त is not a कर्म | One can just relax, and the Teacher does the job through the use of words; and I recognize that yes, this is talking about me.
When listening there may be भोक्तृत्वम् with some emotion, or reaction being evoked.
But, when listening one is not the कर्ता |
And in between 2 thoughts, one is not the कर्ता nor the भोक्ता |

So, all of this points to that I was never the कर्ता nor the भोक्ता | And the wise person understands this.
I am the limitless, as though going through human experiences via a human medium.

This theme of कर्तृत्वम् and भोक्तृत्वम् continues in the rest of the verses.
भगवान् continues by discussing aspects on the nature of knowledge, and the wise person’s lifestyle-

* श्लोक १९ *
यस्य सर्वे समारम्भा: कामसङ्कल्पवर्जिता: ।
ज्ञानाग्निदग्धकर्माणं तमाहु: पण्डितं बुधा: ॥ १९॥

For this wise person,
सर्वे समारम्भा: ~ all projects that the person undertakes,
काम सङ्कल्प वर्जिता: ~ are free from काम सङ्कल्प (binding desire i.e. the will that this should/should not be done).

But, if there is no desire/will, then why is one undertaking a project?
For लोकसंग्रह: i.e. for the benefit of everyone.
For instance, our closing prayer is a prayer for everyone, no one is excluded-
ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः
सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु
मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत् ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
So, the wise person sees the need in society and responds to it with a project.

How is this person’s lifestyle?
There is no more अविद्या(ignorance), due to ज्ञानम्(knowledge).
ज्ञानाग्नि i.e. the fire of knowledge has दग्ध (burnt away) the कर्म |

There are 2 understandings of this burning away of कर्म by ज्ञानम् –
(i) ज्ञानम् (knowledge) is opposed to अज्ञानम् (ignorance).
So, when knowledge is there, ignorance is not there. The sense of doer-ship and experiencer-ship is no longer there.
ज्ञानम् is knowledge of oneself, the nature of the world, भगवान् |

(ii) There is a connection between अविद्या, कामा and कर्म | And there is so much कर्म in one’s account.
अविद्या is that I don’t know who I am.
Therefore, there is a sense of अपूर्णता/incompleteness.
And because of incompleteness, I feel pushed/impelled to do कर्म, depending on the nature of कामा |
E.g. I must go to India, and so I cannot sit quietly with this कामा – I have to look at flights etc.
So, अविद्या leads to कामा, and then कर्म | So there is this constant sequence.

For the wise person, there is no more अविद्या |
Then, what about प्रारब्ध कर्म (कर्म that has already begun in this lifetime)?
Does the person with clarity drop dead? No, this does not happen.
Because प्रारब्ध कर्म has begun, so पुण्य & पापा continues in this lifetime, and a series of situations are encountered.
These are experienced by the wise person like a roasted seed i.e. there is experience for this lifetime, but there is no more seedling/sprout for reincarnation/rebirth.
So, in this sense कर्म is burnt away. The sense of doer-ship and experiencer-ship is no longer there.

Even if one enjoys a ripe mango, one sees that the भोक्ता is a dependent identity, and what I really am is आत्मा |
Obviously, this reasoning does not stand in a court of law.
For instance, one cannot kill another and then say that I am not the doer, I am आत्मा |
It is a given that धर्म is the framework of life. And धर्म lived by deliberate practice becomes spontaneous. Wisdom only comes after having धर्म as a solid framework foundation of this life.

काम सङ्कल्प वर्जिता – In this way, the लक्षण of the ज्ञानी becomes the साधन for the मुमुक्षु |
How does one deal with one’s binding desire?
So, first one should align one’s desire with धर्म | Then, one can fulfill the desire with कर्म योग बुद्धि: |
Then, one gains the required maturity for knowledge.

One does not have to give up one’s desires. One can have desires but distill them into priorities.
Just as with respect to exercise, there may be a variety of options- cardio yoga, zumba, running, walking, cycling. But one would not have time to do all of this. So, what is one’s priority? Is it strength, stamina, endurance, flexibility? So, one can identify one or two options, and then stick with this.

So, in all desires, I should question- what is this for? And then, one can be creative and combine things- e.g. working- out and housework.
So, desires can be distilled when one understands what is the larger need that I want to meet.
Then, the clamor of different desires/कर्म does not bother one as much.
And then, the pressure of social media or relatives do not bother one. People can suggest, but if I am clear about my priorities, then I am not bothered/pressured by their suggestions. I just understand their suggestions as an expression of their care for me.

And भगवान् uses the phrase पण्डितम् बुधा: here in this verse. The first time He used the word पण्डिता: was when He began the Teaching of ब्रह्मविद्या in 2.11.
श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
अशोच्यानन्वशोचस्त्वं प्रज्ञावादांश्च भाषसे ।
गतासूनगतासूंश्च नानुशोचन्ति पण्डिता: ॥ ११॥
There, He told Arjuna that- you speak words of wisdom, but there is no reason to grieve.

The theme of आत्मा being अकर्ता (non-doer) and अभोक्ता (non-experiencer) continues.
It is easy to gloss over आत्मा being अकर्ता (not the doer).
The additional aspect to this understanding is that even the law of कर्म is sustained by आत्मा |
So though आत्मा is अकर्ता (never the doer),
but yet I-आत्मा as though give कर्म a validity, reliability and reality that it actually does not have.
So, from the standpoint of the absolute reality, is कर्म really कर्म?

E.g.
From the Reality standpoint, some action is performed, as though, by the different waves in the ocean.
What is the reality of the waves? Water- which is सत्यम् |
So, the movement of the waves is really the movement of water.
In a given form, some कर्म is performed by the wave. But what sustains the form of the wave? All the way it is water.
आत्मा sustains the ‘individual wave’, which is water only ( i.e. the individual which is I-आत्मा-consciousness only).
AND also, all movement/ नियति/order of कर्म, I-आत्मा sustain.

Therefore, to delve into this understanding, different kinds of कर्म are mentioned.

In 4.18, we see that the vision of the wise person is revealed in the context of कर्म and अकर्म, अकर्ता and कर्ता |
Then, श्लोक १९-२४ highlight some aspects of a wise person and some aspects of the lifestyle of a wise person.
A wise person can be a गृहस्थ or a संन्यासी | The lifestyle is just where one’s life priorities are.
Importantly, regardless of one’s lifestyle, no one is denied this knowledge.
E.g. King Janaka was a successful king, who continued to manage his kingdom after gaining knowledge.

श्लोक २२ continues with another aspect of the wise person’s way of living-
* श्लोक २२ *
यदृच्छालाभसन्तुष्टो द्वन्द्वातीतो विमत्सर: ।
सम: सिद्धावसिद्धौ च कृत्वापि न निबध्यते ॥ २२॥

In this description of a wise person, whatever लाभ (gain) comes, one is संतोषः (happy/content).

This श्लोक makes reference to a संन्यासी going for भिक्षा |
भिक्षा generally is in the form of food, and is just enough for शरीरयात्रा |
For instance, in Rishikesh there would be क्षेत्र-s which would give simple free food of roti with watery dhal to these संन्यासी-s who study there, as भिक्षा |
So, the wise person is the one who is संतोषः with whatever comes. Whatever comes is recognized as प्रसाद | And if nothing comes, then one just makes do, e.g. drinks water from Ganga-Mata. This is यदृच्छालाभसन्तुष्ट: |

So, प्रसाद बुद्धि: has to be at a high level in order for one to accept whatever comes. Some things are more easily accepted, and a lot of things one resists and struggles with- for instance the disposition/annoying habits of one’s partner, one’s colleagues, or some things about oneself.
So, समत्वम् and प्रसाद बुद्धि: are to be extended into all areas of my life. This is my साधना | It is not a forceful acceptance; it is to relax and glide into the understanding of dropping resistance.

द्वन्द्व अतीत: ~ not affected by pairs of opposites.
द्वन्द्व(dual), अतीत: (transcends).
If one has राग for one thing, one cannot avoid having द्वेष for the opposite.
E.g. If one has राग for धर्म, one’s tolerance level for those practicing अधर्म is low.
राग is anything that one gets obsessed with, or feels has to be done. It is making anything ABSOLUTE- it must be, always, at all times, places & situations.
Everyone wants to live a धार्मिक life, whether this is discerned or not.
Another example is that just because I am vegetarian, I believe that everyone should also be vegetarian. But this does not make sense because 70% of India is non-vegetarian.
So, if I have a value, and I understand the exceptions to the value, then I have understood the value of the value. E.g. In Ayurveda, allowances are made to consume meat if one lives in the mountainous cold regions, because in these places there is no other vegetation.

So, one should recognize the value of the value. And recognize that for every value, there are exceptions, only then I can be relaxed and balanced. This is not moral relativism or subjectivism. It is recognizing the reality of any value. Because every value is universal, but relative in application.

So with the attitude of द्वन्द्व अतीत:, one is not affected by opposites.
One swings to one extreme, if one position is important to me. If I define myself by my likes/dislikes because this is what makes my personality, then I will be intolerant of anything opposed to that. So, some balance is needed.
One recognizes that आत्मा sustains everything, including the opposites- hot/cold, all seasons, all values etc.

One is also विमत्सर: i.e. free from मात्सर्य (jealousy).
E.g. Jealousy consumed Duryodhana, as he had murderous feelings towards his cousins, and could not stand them being happy. He did not have the पुण्य to reach the stage of recognition that he needed help and should seek guidance from a गुरु to manage this मात्सर्य | So instead of trying to extinguish the jealousy, he justified it, and acted upon it. For him, it was unacceptable for others (the Pandavas) to be happy.

But it is easy to be happy if one revels in the happiness of others.
I-the person do not need to be happy; if another is happy then okay. But this feeling comes with seeing another happy, where one wishes I was like that.
E.g. One easily becomes jealous whilst seeing the lives of others through the filtered lens of Instagram. One thinks- I also want that; why is this not happening in my life.

मात्सर्य is one of the षड्रिपु (6 inimical forces) that exist in all of us.
These षड्रिपु are काम (binding desire), क्रोध (anger), लोभ (greed), मोह (confused thinking), मद (arrogance) and मात्सर्य (jealousy).
These are called enemies because they are not conducive to one’s happiness & growth. When one acts upon it, and it consumes one, it is likely that one will perform an act of अधर्म |

E.g. With binding desire, I must have what I want, regardless of the other.
Then, in chapter 2 we saw that thwarted/obstructed काम results in क्रोध | Therefore it is not completely effective to merely manage one’s anger by various techniques like drinking water, counting to 10 etc., because due to the intensity of काम, क्रोध arises which one is impelled to act upon.

Or, as a result of मोह (confused thinking),one does unthinkable things. E.g. if someone does something wrong, one thinks that that person is inherently bad, and on the basis of this one shames/humiliates the person, but really, I have also made mistakes.
For instance, the 3-year-old falls down and the mother is angry with this child who accidentally tripped whilst attempting to keep up with the mother’s pace. Instead of comforting the fallen child, the immediate reaction is that- it is all your fault, how can you fall down, you are not supposed to fall down.
So, these situations seem instinctual, happening in the spur of a moment, but it is a series of reactions- you fell down, it is your fault, you never listen to me etc.
So, like this one has confusion about all kinds of thinking.

षड्रिपु is part of the psychological landscape. It is synonymous to अपस्मार (the unconscious) seen in the मूर्ति of Dakshinamurthy. This षड्रिपु/अपस्मार are emotions and reactions.
To some extent, they may even be helpful. For instance, how can one have mastery, if one did not have काम or क्रोध?
All of this षड्रिपु is there due to अविद्या which leads to human insecurity. Therefore, one cannot avoid it.

In Psychology, षड्रिपु is referred to as the shadow self.
Literally, we all have a shadow when we walk out in the sun. But metaphorically, this shadow self is also there with these aspects of jealousy, hatred, being judgmental etc.. These can be managed, pushed under the carpet, minimized, or allowed to have free reign.
E.g. People who have the habit of showing anger may have grown up with the idea since childhood that if one does not assert oneself in an angry way, then no one will listen to me. So, this becomes a habitual pattern.
So, we must appreciate what happens to us when one is in the throes of any of these-काम (binding desire), क्रोध (anger), लोभ (greed), मोह (confused thinking), मद (arrogance) and मात्सर्य (jealousy).
Do I just justify it? E.g. With respect to लोभ (greed), do I justify wanting more of everything and find supportive reasons, or do I ask myself- do I really need this.

So, highlighted in this verse is that the wise person is free from jealousy.
So, one is genuinely happy when another is doing well, because one is not threatened by others doing well.
E.g. People who spend a long time on social media feel depressed since one compares oneself to others, and so it reminds oneself that I do not have what those other people have.
If someone is happy, then why can I not be equally happy for that person?
But there is the feeling that- I am not enough, I do not have enough, etc.

The wise person is free from all of this, and not just because of emotional management, but one recognizes that I-आत्मा pervade everything~ all forms.
So, if any form is my form, then if that form is doing well, then that is great because it is my form anyway.

Then with respect to सिद्धि and असिद्धि i.e. any kind of accomplishment or failure, there is समत्वम् |

कृत्वापि न निबध्यते ~ Even if the person is involved in all kinds of projects, really speaking the person is not doing any kind of कर्म |

* श्लोक २३ *
गतसङ्गस्य मुक्तस्य ज्ञानावस्थितचेतस: ।
यज्ञायाचरत: कर्म समग्रं प्रविलीयते ॥ २३॥

For this ज्ञानी, सङ्ग (the sense of being attached) to objects/situations has gone away.
This is sometimes misunderstood as ‘practicing detachment’. One mistakenly thinks that ‘being detached’ will free one from all conflicts. No.
It is to understand that I-आत्मा am ever-detached.
So then, what is attached? अध्यास is the extra value that I superimpose/place on relationships/objects that- this will complete me.
All things have their utility value, but the erroneous thinking that this thing/person will complete me is not there for the wise person.
So, this wise person is free from सङ्ग /dependence. Free from Dependence is actually a better translation than detachment for गतसङ्गस्य |
This means I can relate to all people with love and support, but not be dependent on them. These people do not have to fulfill criteria on my behavior checklist manifesto, in order for me to be okay. This is great freedom for me.

So, of this person, who is free from dependence, who is मुक्त: (liberated),
the चेतस् (mind), where is it rooted/anchored? ज्ञानावस्थित ~ It is rooted in self-knowledge.
So, what does this person do? One continues to do कर्म, because it is not possible for someone to not do कर्म, but this कर्म is performed for the sake of यज्ञ i.e. it is worshipful कर्म | So, everything is an offering.

The कर्म of such a person is समग्रं प्रविलीयते |
With अविद्या gone, due to विद्या/knowledge, there is only the कर्म of this lifetime that the wise person is exhausting.
So, if this person dies, in this person’s कर्म bank account there is a bunch of कर्म; so to whom will that कर्म go to?
The one who claims the कर्म i.e. पुण्य or पापा, is the कर्ता (doer). And the कर्ता is no longer there with the death of the body of a जीवन्मुक्त i.e. with विदेहमुक्ति | But really, even before death, there is no कर्ता, since कर्तृत्वम् (sense of doer-ship) has been falsified.
कर्तृत्वम् has been seen to be मिथ्या with a status of dependent reality.
So, the wise person who is free from अविद्या, is also free from its grandchild कर्म & its effects.

So, all कर्म is to be looked upon as यज्ञ |
यज्ञ is commonly referred to as a ‘sacrifice’. But a more suitable though loose translation is a ‘fire ritual offering’.
To do a यज्ञ, the वेद is the प्रमाण (means of knowledge).

What does one do in a literal यज्ञ?
There is the होम कुण्ड (fire pit) in which different rituals are performed for different goals/ends.
In a given ritual, there will be the one performing the ritual, and in most cases because we do not know how to perform the ritual, we depute the pandit/priest/purohit, who is professionally trained, to perform the ritual on our behalf.
The fire is kindled in order to invoke the grace of अग्निदेवत |
अग्निदेवत is the best courier service to all the देवत-s, as whatever oblations are offered, faithfully and totally it is taken to the appropriate देवत | We know this because the वेद tells us so.

As a part of the ritual, a 5-fold offering is made. The principle is that 5 symbols of the पञ्चमहाभूत (5 great elements) are used, since the entire world is made up of these पञ्चमहाभूत |
These are-
(i) पृथिवी- food/fruits are offered.
(ii) आप – water is offered.
(iii) अग्नि – fire is present, since all offerings are made to अग्नि |
(iv) वायु – मंत्र-s are chanted; fragrance is used.
(v) आकाश – flowers are offered.

So, this 5-fold offering indicates that all that I can offer to You is made up of the पञ्चमहाभूत, and I am symbolically offering this to You.

So then, can anything be offered? No. A यज्ञ has a protocol with stipulations. There are many do-s & don’t-s. For instance- how big the fire should be, when you need to offer. The materials that are used for यज्ञ should be clean & pure, and are especially put aside for use in the यज्ञ |

The वेद tells that if I perform a certain ritual, then I will get the specific results.

From the standpoint of perception, a यज्ञ may seem like a weird action with a few people seated around a hot fire, offering things into the fire which become ash at the end of the ritual, and there is chanting going on. So, an onlooker may think that this looks crazy.
But from the Vedic standpoint, it is awe-inspiring.
The difference between these 2 reactions is only श्रद्धा, because in the latter case one understands the principle behind the ritual, and comprehends that I am able to offer all this and that I trust that-
(i) this ritual will help,
(ii) this ritual is a powerful one because it has been revealed to me by the वेद,
(iii) the ritual tells me things that I do not know,
(iv) I am invoking the देवत/देवत-s. And when I invoke the देवत, the देवत will come,
(v) I invoke the देवत’s grace, and the देवत will bless me because I do the यज्ञ sincerely with devotion.

Towards the end of the ritual, the priest will say “न इदम् मम” ~ meaning that I give You totally, that I fully surrender all materials to You. This statement is needed because we all have a tendency to hold on to things.

So, the offering is made to the different देवत-s.
A long ladle is used to make the offerings of ghee etc. And there are stipulations- for instance only when certain मंत्र-s or words are uttered, then the offering can be made. Also, one looks closely at the kind of flame created (there are 7 kinds of flame). And it is also said that the form of the देवत appears in अग्नि i.e. the fire takes the form of that which is there in the ध्यान श्लोक | E.g. Just before ललित सहस्रनाम or विष्णु सहस्रनाम, there are contemplative verses that helps one to have a form to arrest the mind.

In कर्म, there can be a lot of variables, e.g. how the materials are procured, how they are offered, the level of devotion etc.) So, even in यज्ञ, there is no perfect कर्म, which is why we ask for forgiveness at the end of the यज्ञ | Because though we do it with the right intention, it is possible to commit an error/omission, so we ask that this कर्म done completely with our full heart be accepted.

And then in order to complete the ritual, दक्षिणा is given to whomsoever performed the ritual on one’s behalf.

So, this is the वैदिक ritual/ यज्ञ |

Now, this same metaphor of यज्ञ is being used for the next verse.
* श्लोक २४ *~ Beautiful verse on यज्ञ
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् ।
ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ॥ २४॥

This verse is chanted before we eat, like grace before meals.

For any कर्म, there are different कारक-s involved.

Here, the vision of the wise person is that all that is here is ब्रह्मन्-the limitless and that is me.
So, how will the कर्म of that person be?

ब्रह्म अर्पणम्(ladle/मंत्र-s) – the ladle used for the कर्म is ब्रह्मन्; the मंत्र-s chanted as offering is ब्रह्मन् |
Because if one is saying that all that is here is ईश्वर, then is there a place where ईश्वर is not? Or is there a time when ईश्वर is not there?
In one’s dream, is there any part of the dream that I do not touch? The whole dream has come from me- the entire intelligence & material of the way that things are in the dream has all come from me. E.g. If I dream of a safari in Tanzania- the various animals, the safari jeep, the grasslands – all are me, I am there everywhere.
So, this vision of the wise person is that the instrument that I am using, or the मंत्र-s that I am chanting are ब्रह्मन् |

ब्रह्म हवि: – हविस् are the oblations that are offered, e.g. barley or rice. So, what is offered is also ब्रह्मन् |

Where is this being offered? ब्रह्माग्नौ (7th case) – It is being offered into the अग्नि/fire. This is also ब्रह्मन् |

ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यम् – This sincere seeker who wants to ‘reach’ ब्रह्मन्; this seeker is also ब्रह्मन् |

ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना – This person sees that all the कर्म resolves in ब्रह्मन् |
The law of कर्म is sustained by ईश्वर | The स्वरूप of ईश्वर is ब्रह्मन्- the limitless being.
ईश्वर is just the name given to that function which helps different things to manifest.

So, all the way, the कारक-s- the कर्ता (doer), the कर्म performed, the instrument used, the purpose for which the person is doing (e.g. to have a child, or to have harmony between husband & wife, or appeasing a particular planet) – all of them are ब्रह्मन् |
So, ब्रह्मन् is not missed in day to day living.

There is no learning of the theory of वेदान्त, and then this is followed by practice. There is no divide like this.
In other disciplines of knowledge this is possible. E.g. in कर्मकाण्ड there is this divide. Also, when one is learning Sanskrit, just श्रवणम् is not enough, one has to practice a lot. Also, just by knowing the recipes in a cookbook, the food is not produced.
So, there are some things to be understood, and some things to be done on the basis of the knowledge that one has.
But the person gets confused and thinks- okay, I get what वेदान्त is saying, so now what should I do? If this question is asked, then one has not gotten what वेदान्त is saying.
If by doing the कर्म which one is supposed to do, one feels good, then the person should do this कर्म |

So, the vision of the wise person is that everything is ब्रह्मन् |
It is easy to say that everything is ब्रह्मन् and gloss over it.
OR, in the context of this metaphor provided we recognize that each though different is seen as ब्रह्मन् – the form is different, the purpose is different; but all of it is sustained by ‘is’-ness. This is ब्रह्मन्, This is me.

The कर्म which is performed, whether it be a यज्ञ as mentioned in this श्लोक, or otherwise is ब्रह्मन् |
So, in the upcoming verses, we will see a series of कर्म that one performs, that one can relate to.

The theme to take away from this श्लोक is that in the offering/surrender, there is knowledge, and all the factors are ब्रह्मन् |
The more we see this, the more is our attitude of surrender.

* श्लोक २५ *
दैवमेवापरे यज्ञं योगिन: पर्युपासते ।
ब्रह्माग्नावपरे यज्ञं यज्ञेनैवोपजुह्वति ॥ २५॥

These योगिन: i.e. these different people who are given to कर्म योग, what do they do?
They perform यज्ञ, and in that they invoke दैवम् i.e. grace, the different deities. And so, this is their form of worship.

And what do the others do? Others refer to the संन्यासी-s.

So, two lifestyles are being mentioned continuously in the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता –

(i) कर्म योग is where one is pursuing धर्म, अर्थ, काम, along with मोक्ष. So right now, one has a lot of life priorities that are very important to one, e.g. I want my kids to be married, and I want to be a grandparent etc.

In कर्म, there are a lot of variables that one has no idea about. One is working hard on a project, and has made all the effort, and somehow things do not work out. So then, what should one do?
So then one should acknowledge the grace of भगवान् |
This is objectivity; this is not being religious. One recognizes that I am not controlling the law of कर्म – I do not know what पुण्य or पापा is going to fructify, and so I make an attempt to gain some पुण्य, and also learn to be okay with knowing that I have done my best. I have done this कर्म, and may I have the strength to deal with whatever I get.
Because a lot of our conflict is because of our resistance- we do not want things to be in a particular way.

So, this is what the कर्मयोगी does i.e. performs a lot of rituals.
Nowadays, very few people perform अग्निहोत्र | अग्निहोत्र used to be a very important part of the Hindu lifestyle.
अग्निहोत्र is a ritual that is performed in the morning and in the evening, and is for the well-being of the family. But there are stipulations there. Once one decides to perform अग्निहोत्र, then it is a commitment until one’s death. So, people don’t take up this कर्म due to concerns about not being able to perform if I am travelling etc. So, what has happened now is that people perform पूजा | And even so, people have hesitation about पूजा |
So, the कर्मयोगी-s perform these.
Because the कर्मयोगी wants धर्म, अर्थ, काम, then taking care of the invisible variable is a good thing to ask.

E.g. If one goes to a coffee chain and orders coffee, one does not hesitate in telling the barista about what kind of coffee one wants. So, if one does not hesitate to tell the coffee-guy, then why is there this great hesitation to tell भगवान् what I want? This difference in standard in asking for what I want is incomprehensible.
But one has the thinking that I must not ask भगवान् for anything. So then why is it okay to ask Amazon to deliver things to me? One asks everyone specifically for what one wants, but the being who can help me and sustains all of me from the form standpoint, one does not ask. There need not be any hesitation to ask. Whom else should one ask? One should ask the one who is more powerful than me, who continues to bless me every moment.
So as a कर्मयोगी one should ask.
If one is blessed with so much पुण्य, that everything worked out well, and one is very hardworking and has never really had to ask, then okay. But if one has to ask, then one should not hesitate to ask.

So, the कर्मयोगी can perform all these different rituals.

(ii) संन्यासी
The last ritual that is done by a संन्यासी is the one to become a संन्यासी | In this ritual, one thanks all the देवत-s, saying that you have blessed me with so much, and that I no longer need all these different things that you have blessed me with, and also I am not vying for your position. देवत is also a position/role, and one can aim for a देवत’s position if one does elaborate मंत्र साधना over many lifetimes.

After this last ritual, the संन्यासी no longer has a relationship with अग्नि, in the sense that one no longer wants things in terms of धर्म, अर्थ, काम |
So whatever minimum is gotten for शरीरयात्रा is enough.

In order to reach this level of maturity, one would have been there, done that, and realized that I can manage without all of this.

So, what does the संन्यासी do?
To do any कर्म is expensive- one needs the material and the दक्षिणा for the pandit/purohit.
So, the संन्यासी offers oneself. This is not सती with offering oneself into the fire.
It is ब्रह्माग्नि i.e. the fire of knowledge.
So, what is offered? अहंकार |
This ज्ञान यज्ञ i.e. this ritual of knowledge is spoken of here. And later on, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण will talk of this ज्ञान यज्ञ being more superior to any other कर्म, because all other कर्म-s strengthen the identity of being कर्ता |
The कर्ता(doer) cannot help but be affected, as the कर्ता is the भोक्ता, so what is done affects one. If one is doing- one may get, or not get, or get different from what is expected, so one is always affected. This is the drama of the life of the कर्ता-भोक्ता |

But, for the one who starts the enquiry, the अहंकार commits suicide and is no longer there. Because in the recognition that everything is ब्रह्मन् / ईश्वर, there is nothing left to be offered.
But, initially there is an offering.
So, all wrong/false/मिथ्या notions which can be negated and so do not have absolute reality, are offered into the fire of Self-knowledge.

So, two lifestyles are given, and the way in which the यज्ञ should be performed in each lifestyle is given.

Arjuna is on the battlefield, so what is भगवान् श्री कृष्ण talking to him about यज्ञ ?
So, He does not literally mean यज्ञ, as all the यज्ञ-s that would have been needed to be performed to help secure victory would have previously been performed, so what यज्ञ is भगवान् speaking of?
So, He is talking of the whole understanding of offering/surrender and what that means because in the vision there is surrender, and also in the surrender, there is vision. Both ways one can look at this.

Then further, He talks about self-mastery.
If one cannot do these rituals, still everyday one is listening, watching, speaking, eating/drinking. So, one can make these activities into यज्ञ |
This we shall see more of in the next class…

ॐ

वसुदॆव सुतं दॆवं कंस चाणूर मर्दनम् ।
दॆवकी परमानन्दं कृष्णं वन्दॆ जगद्गुरुम् I
We seek the grace of जगद्गुरु, the गुरु for the entire universe, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: in every class.

There are 2 streams that flow alongside each other in वेदान्त | These are:
(i) Self-mastery ~ कौशलम्, संयम |
(ii) Self-discovery ~ enquiry into आत्मा i.e. आत्मा विचार |

The stream of self-mastery has many साधना-s. Self-mastery is so that we can use the mind and body as our instruments for our many pursuits, with the one major pursuit being मोक्ष |
So, for how long should one pursue self-mastery? Until one understands the Truth.
If one already understands the Truth, a lot of self-mastery would have been spontaneous in one’s life.

If one has a strong achiever identity i.e. there is the strong identity of कर्ता (the doer) and भोक्ता (the experiencer), one can take on this self-mastery as a lifelong साधना & challenge, thinking that I will be the master of my destiny.

Now, the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता offers us a more expansive understanding of mastery i.e. that mastery is achieved in the larger framework of धर्म |
Because one can be a master cyber-criminal, but this is not good for the people at the receiving end of this.
So, mastery includes the understanding of भगवान् ~ nothing that I can perform and no results that I get are untouched by the order that is भगवान् |

How or what shall I surrender?
So, now we see a series of verses from श्लोक २५-३० that are giving us different options for different kinds of साधना-s. Because we may be partial to one साधना, or one of our राग-s may be this particular activity, and so how can I convert my whole life into a साधना? How can I convert my whole life into a surrender unto भगवान् ?

In श्लोक २५ we saw that the कर्मयोगी can perform rituals/यज्ञ unto the deity for different ends, e.g. for a child, for harmony in a marriage, for removal of obstacles, for success in a business venture etc.
And the संन्यासी-s offer themselves- all conclusions/notions that one has about oneself, one questions, and stands purified in the fire of knowledge.

* श्लोओक २६ *
श्रोत्रादीनीन्द्रियाण्यन्ये संयमाग्निषु जुह्वति ।
शब्दादीन्विषयानन्य इन्द्रियाग्निषु जुह्वति ॥ २६॥

Here we see a helpful imagery from the कठोपनिषद्, which uses the chariot. There are five elements in this chariot-
(i) the Chariot.

(ii) Five horses –
Each of the five horses represents a sense organ, and each has their respective area of exploration as they move into the world. The horses are wild and just go all out in their sphere of operation.
– the sense organ of sound is attracted to music,
– the sense organ of sight is stimulated by all that one must watch and read,
– the sense organ of touch is attracted to comforting touch,
– the sense organ of smell is attracted to pleasant fragrances,
– the sense organ of taste is stimulated by food. We all go to great lengths in order to plan for and procure our meals; a lot of events can be dictated by food.

So, all of these are important for all of us. The horses of the sense organs can be let wild into the world- for instance, whatever is one’s fancy, one can go all out towards that. Or, the reins of how the sense organs need to move in the world can be decided by the mind.

(iii) Reins – is the अंतःकरण with the function of the mind i.e. that which throws up different kinds of desires, e.g. I am pondering over lunch ~ should I have Thai, or Japanese?
So, the outward going horse can drag one along as one ponders over the menu, and the reins will throw up the different desires. But who makes the decision? The charioteer.

(iv) Charioteer – is the deciding function i.e. the बुद्धि: of the अंतःकरण | The बुद्धि: will decide that today I will have Thai food. The options are many, so the बुद्धि: stays firm and sticks with one based on all the desires that are thrown up.
For whom does the बुद्धि: decide? The master of the chariot.

(v) The master of the chariot i.e. the one for whom the chariot is being driven.
This is the one who is illumining all the shenanigans of the sense organs, and desires/pursuits. All of this is happening for the master of the chariot i.e. आत्मा |

So, in our regular pursuits which are श्रोत्रादि i.e. all that one can hear etc.(see, smell, taste, touch),
are offered into संयम अग्नि i.e. the अग्नि of self-mastery. [संयम has another meaning in योग शास्त्र ]
So, does one pluck out the ears and throw them into the fire? Obviously, no.

In the activities of the different sense pursuits, there is both restraint and some movement in that direction.
1) If the reins of the horses are too tight, such that the horses cannot move, then one will suffer. Because one will keep having desires but because the controls are very tight, one is not able to enjoy anything. One feels guilty for every enjoyment. So, this is not appropriate.
2) If the reins of the horses are too loose, then the horses will decide what one needs to do. One is pulled in all different directions, as the sense organs decide what one does, instead of the mind/intellect.

We live in this multi-sensory world where there in constant sensory input i.e. constant knowledge from these ज्ञानेन्द्रिय | ज्ञानेन्द्रिय are the sense organs of knowledge, but what we decide to do with the knowledge received may vary. E.g. If something tastes nice, one can choose to indulge in more, or just enjoy a small serving.
The sense organs do not decide. In the light of one’s pursuits, one decides how much to pursue, what to do in any kind of pursuit etc.
The purpose of any pursuit that one has is self-mastery. We get to enjoy wonderful fragrances, beautiful sights, charming/harmonious sounds, delectable tastes, but one does not get carried away with it, because all of it is meant to serve me. It is meant to bring me some enjoyment, but at the same time I am not conditioned by the enjoyment.
For instance, if one has very particular taste, then even as one travels the world, one must have one’s rice & lentils. So, one misses out on the wonderful cuisine offered in all the different cultures. When one corners/limits oneself, then the scope of enjoyment also gets limited.

So, enjoyment is good, but one should offer one’s enjoyment into self-mastery, with some framework of धर्म |
E.g. With respect to vegetarianism, for the sake of 2.5 inches of tongue, one does not kill an animal for meat. For the few seconds that the food is on the tongue, is it really worth it? So, this is an extension of अहिंसा |

So, in all of one’s pursuits, may one offer it into the अग्नि of self-mastery.

Then, there is another अग्नि~ इन्द्रिय अग्नि i.e. the fire of the senses. Here the metaphor is that each of the senses is like the हवन् कुण्ड् with offerings to be made. How does one decide what to offer?
Whatever is appropriate one should offer- how much to see, how much to listen etc. are the decisions to be made. Even if it is वेदान्त or योगासन, one cannot spend 8-12 hours or more, per day on this. Also, excessive मंत्र chanting without guidance can produce a lot of heat in the body. So, all these activities must be guided, because it is not necessary that more of a good thing is a good thing. There must be appropriateness.

So, here the teaching is that may we be alert, deliberate and conscious with what we are consuming. This is not just limited to scrutinizing what one eats, but this discernment should be applied to all sensory input (see, hear, taste, touch).

Discernment does not mean that one swings to an extreme, e.g. one thinks that when I watch news, I become very disturbed, therefore I am not going to watch any news. One is a part of this system, so one cannot ignore the news, one should at least look at the headlines. But one thinks that the news is too toxic- this topic of toxicity makes us into soft creatures who cannot handle toughness.
It is easy to say that a person or situation is toxic, so I will run away from this- this is one’s द्वेष masquerading as the seeming toxicity of the other person. There may be people who seem to be always whining and complaining, having negative things to say, so one can try to contribute some positivity to this situation. But running away from what I perceive as toxic under the guise of controlling oneself is not self-mastery.
For instance, one may think that when I talk to people I get disturbed because I think over what I should have said and what I should not have said etc., so then one avoids talking to people. So, it seems as if people have become a source of disturbance for me, but really is it that one’s own thoughts about people have become a source of disturbance for me. So, this need not be so.

So, with respect to the mastery of the sense organs, given the nature of one’s pursuits, and where one is in one’s current age and stage of life,
being deliberate, conscious and alert about what do I see, what do I consume, what do I hear is very important as one has limited attention, and one does not want it to be scattered. So, there are management and productivity books that one can read to help with building these good habits.

So, we exercise discipline in the use of our sense organs and offer this unto संयम (self-mastery) i.e. ईश्व‍र-izing & spiritualizing all of our pursuits. It is not to say that this is a pleasure pursuit and so it is not spiritual.
Everything is made spiritual by recognizing that everything is touched by the order that is ईश्व‍र |
So, there is no reason to feel guilty with moderation and the framework of धर्म, as all the pursuits of pleasure of the sense organs, I offer it unto ईश्व‍र | It is all a यज्ञ – whatever I eat, see, smell, taste, touch.

Then, it also helps with शम: and दम: for अधिकारित्वम् i.e. the preparedness for वेदान्त |
One can get disturbed when one sees certain things, so how do we resolve it?
So, one may see news of the Ukraine-Russia situation or about the Kashmir fights, so this will naturally evoke a reaction.
So then does one immediately go into a binary type of thinking that those are the bad guys who I hate, and then feel very righteous about myself. Or, do I sit with the discomfort and recognize that maybe I do not fully understand all of it- yes, this does not seem right, and maybe I need to learn more. I can pray, I can educate myself, I can have another perspective. So, various options are there. In this way I am not disturbed, or I do not continue to be disturbed by the goings-on of the world. Because there is already enough to disturb one, and this disturbance will impinge on my pursuits.

So, right at the beginning the reins are in my hands as to how much I consume.
Mastery does not mean denial. If the reins/controls are too tight, then one cannot enjoy this world which is such a blessing, but if the reins are too loose, then one is all over the place. So, it should be just adequate. And this balance is dynamic~ we master it by mastering it. So, effort is required so that the mind and body are fully available for my pursuits.

For instance, if one is a social media analyst then one would need to spend many hours per day on social media because this is one’s job. But even if this is not my job, it is so easy to spend a lot of time on social media as one gets pulled into the rabbit-hole of the offerings of social media. So self-mastery is to remember that the reins are in my hands.

* श्लोक २७ *
सर्वाणीन्द्रियकर्माणि प्राणकर्माणि चापरे ।
आत्मसंयमयोगाग्नौ जुह्वति ज्ञानदीपिते ॥ २७॥

This talks about संन्यासी-s since सर्वाणीन्द्रियकर्माणि i.e. all sense pursuits(ज्ञानेन्द्रिय-s/organs of knowledge), and the कर्मेन्द्रिय-s/organs of action are both being offered unto आत्मसंयम अग्नि |
आत्मसंयम अग्नि is self-mastery that has been stoked by ज्ञानदीपिते |
Especially for a संन्यासी, the pursuit of अर्थ & कामा is at its least minimum, therefore a lot of time is spent in meditation, contemplation and learning. Therefore, one needs to be fully available for this pursuit.
Therefore, there is a certain वैरग्य/objectivity that I have been there and done that. It is not that one has द्वेष, but whatever sight/sound/travel etc. has served its purpose for me. My mind does not get carried away all the time by what I am feeling, or what I am thinking, or what I should/should not be doing. The mind has resolved, and one is fully available, borne out of विवेक/clear thinking about what is important to me at this time and stage in life, having made the commitment to मोक्ष |

With self-mastery, one can use the mind to master the body. And one can also use the body to master the mind.
This is not a dualism.
E.g. in school, one may think that when I am in the right mood, I will study. However, the right mood never happens, and one stays distracted. Then, after a few hours pass, one feels even worse about oneself because then time has also passed.
So, instead one compels oneself to do the desired action. In this way one gets going on the project, even if one does not feel like it, and then one finds that the mind will align.

So, sometimes there is शम: i.e. in the light of different pursuits, I am also resolving psychologically my mental status, centering myself despite the disturbance.
And then, one can also take the help of physically getting into the activity, and as one starts doing the activity, one gets into the right mood.
So, both शम: & दम: is needed.
दम: is mastery at the level of the body which contributes to a more centered mental status, and शम: is centering oneself and resolving issues that may have disturbed one and then one is in the right frame of mind for action.

Then, there are many more यज्ञ-s(prayerful offering/ritual) mentioned. These are used as a metaphor for different activities of our lives.

* श्लोक ३१ *
यज्ञशिष्टामृतभुजो यान्ति ब्रह्म सनातनम् ।
नायं लोकोऽस्त्ययज्ञस्य कुतोऽन्य: कुरुसत्तम ॥ ३१॥

यज्ञशिष्टामृत – अमृत is nectar. शिष्ट is what is left over at the end of the यज्ञ, for instance in a proper fire ritual offering, there will only be भस्म (sacred ash) left. And of course, there is the नैवेद्यम् that is offered, i.e. some food that is offered, which is received as प्रासाद |
So, it can be that kind of प्रासाद, or the कर्म that we’re doing and therefore the कर्मफल that we are getting as प्रासाद |

So, those who partake of that, i.e. those who look upon it as प्रासाद, what happens to them?
यान्ति ब्रह्म सनातनम् – they gain ब्रह्मन्, That is eternal.

So, the attitude of प्रासाद बुद्धि: is the attitude that कर्म is done with. And there is no secular कर्म, as all कर्म is sacred. It’s up to me whether I recognize it or not.
Why is it sacred? Because it is pervaded by भगवान् | And, if one has a problem with भगवान्, then one should get over it, or resolve it.
So, throughout the day one is involved in all kinds of कर्म – the people I am meeting, the situations that are in front of me, whatever be the nature of my work, my interactions with people, and in terms of दम, how I am using my sense organs. So, it is to recognize that this is a यज्ञ- there is discipline involved, so therefore all of धर्म comes into the picture.

So, all that is leftover i.e. a cultural representation meaning कर्मफल after the कर्म is over; one gains this.
Because of looking at one’s different kinds of कर्म as कर्मफल प्रासाद, so then what happens is that one’s resistance to people, to situations, and to oneself reduces. One does whatever one can, and then one is in the right frame of mind to undertake the inquiry into ब्रह्मन् | So, it is really referring to अंतःकरण शुद्धि, because this कल्मषा: i.e. the impurities that are mentioned, are really रागद्वेष | So, even just performing one’s कर्म with the attitude of surrender and that whatever I am experiencing is प्रासाद, including my breath, that helps me to gain ब्रह्मन् through अधिकारित्वम्/preparedness.

Now, one of the things we note in the शास्त्र, i.e. including the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता, is that there is स्तुति (praise) and therefore there might be an element of exaggeration. And there is also निन्दा (criticism) i.e. something is criticized or the limitations of something is pointed out, so that we can decide accordingly.

So here in the first line of this verse #31, it is not that you do कर्म, and you gain knowledge. Rather, it is highlighting that you gain the अंतःकरण शुद्धि so that you have the right mind to inquire into ब्रह्मन् |
Otherwise, one can be stuck, and for instance say- how do I deal with the hurt that I experienced 20 years ago? That can be the constant theme for some. So then one needs some other techniques, and there are a lot of techniques to help oneself.

So, contrasting the first line with the second one- so for the one who does not ~ अयम् न यज्ञ: i.e. for the one who does not perform कर्म with this attitude of यज्ञ/surrender, this person does not gain much in this world.
And कुत: अन्य:?~ And so what will the person gain in some other world? (rhetorical question). Because, in this world you are not able to make the most of it, so in another world, what are you going to gain?
It’s like this- So if somebody is dying, this dying person very rarely says that I’m ready to go now. So, suppose Lord Yama comes, and Lord Yama can come to anyone at any time, one does not have to be at the ripe old age of 95 years for Lord Yama to come. So, Lord Yama comes and says- Come with me. Then, the dying person says- No, no, no, please, I don’t want to die. So, Lord Yama can very well say- Why not? Your time is up. Whatever you wanted to do, if you’ve not done it in the past 50 years, what are you going to do in another one year of your life?

So really, what are we waiting for? One thinks- I will do this on one fine day, so we have our reasons for it. But all the people who are struggling, who don’t want to die, well what is one going to do tomorrow, which one was not able to do today?

So, this living a complete life i.e. living your life by your priorities is not necessarily about achieving X Y Z in the context of कर्मफल | It’s about making the adequate effort towards one’s priorities.
Because, is there really a time when something is done? Only one’s cake can be done, nothing else can be really done.
What can be done? Only cake. That’s it.
So, one says- Oh, I wanted to have a child. Well the कर्म related to this is never really done, until the child is no more (i.e. dies). So, there will always be something which will preoccupy one.
Any venture is like this. For instance, even if one sold off one’s company, from time to time you’d like to know what’s happening and then you realize- oh no, these people are making a mess of it. So then of course, you will appoint yourself as advisor, and then they don’t bother about any of your advice. So now what shall one do?

So, this ‘whatever could have been gained in this world’, if we don’t have an element of acceptance, then there is a constant restlessness because nothing is enough- what people do for one is not enough, one is ever dissatisfied with all of one’s relationships because they don’t understand me, and one doesn’t understand them etc.
And then in terms of one’s कर्म, because there is not acceptance- one thinks I must strive for more, and I’m ambitious etc., so the कर्म that I’m doing is never enough. One can’t sleep peacefully, one is just lengthening this to-do list, and then day after day there is restlessness, it’s not enough, it’s never enough.

So, even the satisfaction of having pursued धर्म, अर्थ, काम in this world, and enjoying the results of it is not available to one because there is no acceptance, there is no element of surrender.
Then, what shall we say? Even if one goes to some tourist destination like Mauritius, there also one finds fault- there are some who are like this, anywhere they go, they will always find fault, from the airport to the driveway. Now it’s a different thing if you’re in the business of hotels, but at least one will appreciate something that is nice.
This constant fault finding in everything and everyone, it helps one to sink into depression.
So tha