 Bhagavad Gita Commentary–Twenty-five
by Swami Nirmalananda Giri
From the Beginning to the End
“In the beginning the Lord of beings created all men, to each his duty. ‘Do this,’ He said, ‘And you shall prosper. Duty well done fulfills desire like Kamadhenu the wish- fulfiller.’”
As a rule, in translations of the Gita the word translated “duty” is dharma. However in this and the following verses the word is yajna, which means sacrifice or offering. A more accurate translation of this is given in our own metrical translation of the Bhagavad Gita for singing:
“In the beginning with mankind Prajapati made sacrifice, said: ‘By this shall you multiply: this shall be granter of desires.’” Whose life is it, anyway?
Life is to be lived according to its purpose: the ultimate evolution/liberation of the individual. When life is lived in this way, every act is an offering to Spirit, both individual and Absolute. To live for the short-term goals of the ego, conditioned completely by our present status in just this one limited incarnation, is folly to the point of insanity. But we do just that, binding ourselves tighter and closer to the wheel of birth and death. Like Scrooge’s partner, Jacob Marley, we forge chains which we bear with us for untold ages.
“It is my life and I will do what I want” is the stupidest thing a human being can say, except, perhaps, for: “I don’t see the need for a God.” Both are expressions of an insular ignorance almost cosmic in scope.
Every act must be begun and carried out within the perspective of our personal evolution. For our life is really an extension of the Divine Life–nothing else.
It was only logical, then, for Saint Paul to write: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” That is, we must not live according to the seeming “reality” of the world, but rather transform ourselves by living in the context of sacrifice. For to do so will accomplish the Divine plan (will). As Saint Paul also wrote: “This is the will of God, even your sanctification.”
Much earlier Patanjali taught in the Yoga Sutras that Ishwarapranidhana–offering of the life to God–was the path to the superconscious experience of samadhi. Why?
Why, then, did Brahma tell the first humans that living in sacrifice (offering) would result in prosperity and fulfil desire? Because when we live in harmony with the divine plan the entire cosmos works in concert to accomplish our perfection–which includes the supplying of all we need to live both the earthly and the spiritual life. Those who live in this manner only desire that which furthers their enlightenment. Krishna implies this elsewhere in the Bhagavad Gita also. The “gods”
“‘Doing of duty honors the devas: To you the devas in turn will be gracious: each honoring other, man reaches the Highest.’” Our more literal version is: “‘May you foster the gods by this, and may the gods then foster you; then, each the others fostering, you shall attain highest welfare.’”
Who are “the gods”? The meaning is twofold.
First, the gods are highly evolved beings that have control over physical and astral forces. They are not to be confused with those of lesser (though powerful) evolution that, in the grip of ego, reward and punish those who please or displease them. Such deluded beings have been worshipped in various forms throughout the world.
The Devas spoken of by Krishna are those who supervise the operations of the universe. When human beings live in accordance with material laws they aid in the processes of creation and are blessed by the Devas, for they help them in their work. Conversely, they hinder the Devas when they break natural laws and despoil the world around them. Krishna is advocating both a material and a spiritual ecology.
Second, the higher faculties of the human being are also devas, “shining ones,” for they enable the person to understand outer and inner phenomena and give him the capacity to direct or alter such phenomena. When we live in accordance with our true nature and do those things that support and further our evolutionary impulse we are “fostering the gods.” Our material nature becomes an assist to higher consciousness. It is only those who are violating nature, inner and outer, that complain of the human condition and this world as obstacles and even injurious.
It is no wonder, then, that a cornerstone of Buddha’s Noble Path was Right Action, for through it “ man reaches the Highest.” Fostering the gods
“‘Please the devas: your prayer will be granted.” But he who enjoys the devas’ bounty showing no thanks, he thieves from the devas.’”
This, too, is a matter of cosmic and individual import. Those who live according to the Eternal Dharma find that they receive the fulfillment of all needs. Those who exploit both the world and their own bodies and minds are “thieves” that shall find themselves imprisoned by this world and by their own corrupted nature.
“Pious men eat what the gods leave over after the offering: thus they are sinless. But those ungodly cooking good food for the greed of their stomachs sin as they eat it.”
In India there is the concept of prasad (literally: grace), that which has been first offered to God and then partaken of by the devotee. It is believed that the essence of the offering has been received by God and replaced with divine energy which greatly purifies and uplifts whoever partakes of the prasad. Miracles, such as healing, have taken place at the consumption of prasad, and many notice a definite increase in spiritual awareness after eating prasad.
That there is a basis to this was demonstrated in an ashram in the Himalayan foothills. A resident rat, known as “Mother’s Bhakta,” would only eat prasad. This was tested many times by putting identical items where he could find them. Some would be prasad and others would be ordinary food. He never touched the regular items but ate only the prasad. This occurred for many years.
Our whole life should be prasad. First it should be offered (sincerely) to God and ordered accordingly. Then what we enjoy as “leftovers” will accrue to our spiritual benefit. Although the cooking of food is the example used in this verse, the principle applies to every aspect of life.
If we can live in the attitude of our life being an offering it will profoundly affect us. For one thing, it will keep us from that which is unfit to offer God: unworthy or selfish deeds or the injury of others. Taking this idea seriously can transform our lives and deliver us from mishaps and follies.
To realize that we are not living “our” life but the Divine Life which has been bestowed on us is a foundation stone of intelligent living. “Food”
Food is much more than mere “comestibles.” The upanishads speak a great deal about food (annam) as a metaphysical concept. The Taittiriya Upanishad says: “From food are born all creatures, which live upon food and after death return to food. Food is the chief of all things. It is therefore said to be medicine for all diseases of the body. Those who worship food as Brahman gain all material objects. From food are born all beings which, being born, grow by food. All beings feed upon food, and, when they die, food feeds upon them.” Here we see that “food” represents the cosmic life principle: Brahman Itself. This really could not be otherwise, since Brahman is all that exists.
In the Gita, “food” is the life that is lived as prasad. So Krishna continues:
“Food quickens the life-sperm: food grows from the rainfall called down out of heaven by sacrifice offered: sacrifice speaks through the act of the ritual [of the consecrated life]. This is the ritual taught by the sacred scriptures that spring from the lips of the Changeless: know therefore that Brahman the all-pervading is dwelling for ever within this ritual.” That is, the consciousness, the seed of divine realization, is inherent in a life lived as an offering to the Supreme. The foolish
Before Krishna tells us about the life-path of the wise, he disposes of the foolish in a single short verse: “If a man plays no part in the acts thus appointed his living is evil his joy is in lusting. Know this, O Prince: his life is for nothing.” More literal is Swami Sivananda’s translation: “He who does not follow the wheel thus set revolving, who is of sinful life, rejoicing in the senses, he lives in vain, O Arjuna!” Basically, the idea is that those who live for their personal gratification, with no wider interest or perspective, and who are oriented toward the body and its addictions (falsely called “needs” by the body-involved) live to no real purpose, for death in a moment sweeps away everything they value, leaving them only with their addictions to dominate them in future lives. A horrible prospect, indeed. They are truly the living dead. As Krishna said in the last chapter: “The wind turns a ship from its course upon the waters: the wandering winds of the senses cast man’s mind adrift and turn his better judgment from its course. When a man can still the senses I call him illumined. The recollected mind is awake in the knowledge of the Atman which is dark night to the ignorant: the ignorant are awake in their sense-life which they think is daylight: to the seer it is darkness.” Freedom
“But when a man has found delight and satisfaction and peace in the Atman, then he is no longer obliged to perform any kind of action. He has nothing to gain in this world by action, and nothing to lose by refraining from action. He is independent of everybody and everything.”
When our consciousness is centered in the Self we are out of the game and “home free.” As Sri Ramakrishna frequently said, using the gamed of hide-and-seek as a metaphor: “If you play hide and seek there is no fear once you touch the ‘granny.’” And: “If you can but touch the ‘granny,’ you can live anywhere after you have turned into gold.”
In atmic consciousness we become free from all compulsion to act–and equally free from any compulsion to inaction. We are truly free, able to act or not act, having transcended that duality by becoming its masters, not by becoming incapacitated in relation to them. Nevertheless…
Lest we fall into inertia, considering it a virtue, Krishna continues: “Do your duty, always; but without attachment. That is how a man reaches the ultimate Truth; by working without anxiety about results. In fact, Janaka and many others reached enlightenment, simply because they did their duty in this spirit.”
And what is the motivation for this commended action?
“Your motive in working should be to set others, by your example, on the path of duty. Whatever a great man does, ordinary people will imitate; they follow his example. Consider me: I am not bound by any sort of duty. There is nothing, in all the three worlds, which I do not already possess; nothing I have yet to acquire. But I go on working, nevertheless. If I did not continue to work untiringly as I do, mankind would still follow me, no matter where I led them. Suppose I were to stop? They would all be lost. The result would be caste-mixture and universal destruction.” (“Caste-mixture” is an interpretive translation. Literally, the word samskarasya means only “confusion.”) “The ignorant work for the fruit of their action: the wise must work also without desire pointing man’s feet to the path of his duty.”
What is there really to comment on all this? The meaning is very clear, as is most of the Gita. To be honest, there is virtually need at all for any commentary on the Gita in the sense of explanation or clarification. What is valuable are practical reflections or meditations on the profound truths to be found in this miraculous book. Showing the way
Now we come to a supreme counsel: “Let the wise beware lest they bewilder the minds of the ignorant hungry for action: let them show by example how work is holy when the heart of the worker is fixed on the Highest.”
Movement (action) is life, whereas cessation of all movement is death. So it is natural for human beings to engage in action. The trouble is in the motive. So Krishna tells us that the wise must also work–often even more than others–to show how action should be carried on. Here, too, we see that the inner disposition is the secret. To engage in action intent only on the action itself or on the desired result is ignorance. Action done with the consciousness directed toward God as the ultimate “result” is wisdom. Action is then the path to freedom rather than the way of bondage.
Read the Bhagavad Gita online: The English text of the Gita posted on this Web Site is arranged according to the meter of the original Sanskrit text so it can be sung–as it is done every morning in our ashram and in most of the ashrams of India.
1) A legendary cow, mentioned in the Mahabharata. [Go back]
2) Bhagavad Gita 3:10 [Go back]
3) Prajapati: Progenitor; the Creator; a title of Brahma the Creator. [Go back]
4) i.e., created [Go back]
5) Romans 11:1,2 [Go back]
6) Thessalonians 4:3 [Go back]
7) The inhabitants of heaven. [Go back]
8) Bhagavad Gita 3:11 [Go back]
9) Bhagavad Gita 3:12 [Go back]
10) Bhagavad Gita 3:13 [Go back]
11) Taittiriya Upanishad 2:1:3 [Go back]
12) Bhagavad Gita 3:14, 15 [Go back]
13) Bhagavad Gita 3:16 [Go back]
14) Bhagavad Gita 2:67-69 [Go back]
15) Bhagavad Gita 3:17, 18 [Go back]
16) A royal saint mentioned in the Upanishads. [Go back]
17) Bhagavad Gita 3:19, 20 [Go back]
18) Bhagavad Gita 3:20-24 [Go back]
19) Bhagavad Gita 3:25 [Go back]
20) Bhagavad Gita 3:26 [Go back] |
