Bg 18.1
arjuna uvāca
sannyāsasya mahā-bāho tattvam icchāmi veditum
tyāgasya ca hṛṣīkeśa pṛthak keśi-niṣūdana
Bg 18.2
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
kāmyānāṁ karmaṇāṁ nyāsaṁ sannyāsaṁ kavayo viduḥ
sarva-karma-phala-tyāgaṁ prāhus tyāgaṁ vicakṣaṇāḥ
Bg 18.3
tyājyaṁ doṣa-vad ity eke karma prāhur manīṣiṇaḥ
yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma na tyājyam iti cāpare
Translation
Arjuna said: 1. I desire to know severally, O mighty-armed, the essence or truth of "Renunciation, " O Hrishikesa, as also of 'Abandonment, ' O slayer of Keshi (Krishna).
The Blessed Lord said: 2. The Sages understand SAMNYASA to be "the renunciation of works with desire" ; the wise declare "the abandonment of the fruits of all actions" as TYAAGA.
3. That all actions should be abandoned as evil, declare some philosophers; while others (declare) that acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity should not be relinquished.
Commentary
The chapter begins with Arjuna's question, demanding of Lord Krishna a precise definition, and an exhaustive explanation, of the two terms used by the Lord in the Geeta, off and on, here and there. 'Renunciation' (Sanyasa) and 'Abandonment' (Tyaga) are the two technical terms used more than once in the Geeta. Though the question is asked in a spirit of academic interest, Krishna takes up the question in all seriousness. When a disciple expresses his doubt, he invariably fails to express his exact difficulty. However, it is the duty of the teacher to discover the difficulty of the student and clear his doubt, as even the Lord of the Geeta does here.
The logic of the entire chapter revolves around the meanings of 'Renunciation' and 'Abandonment.' Samnyasa without the spirit of Tyaga is incomprehensible, and if at all it is ever so practised, it can only be a sham pose. The bulk of the chapter maps out the tendencies, urges, impulses and motives, that are to be abandoned, so that true 'Abandonment' of the undivine personality can effectively take place. We must read the chapter in this spirit, or else it will surely fail to influence us.
SLAYER OF KESHI (Keshi-nishudana) --- Keshi was a Daitya who attacked Krishna in the form of a horse. Krishna killed him by tearing him into two halves.
DEFINING THESE TERMS AND INDICATING THE ENTIRE SIGNIFICANCE OF THEIR CONNOTATIONS, KRISHNA SAYS:
"Totally giving up all desire-prompted activities" is RENUNCIATION, and ABANDONMENT is "giving up of all anxieties for enjoying the fruits-of-action." As they stand, both of them read almost the same to the uninitiated; for, all desires are always for the fruits of our actions. Thus, "renouncing desire-motivated activity" and "renouncing our anxiety for the fruit" would read the same for those who see only their superficial suggestions.
No doubt, both mean giving up desire, but Tyaga is slightly different from Samnyasa; and yet, "abandonment" has an integral relationship with "renunciation." Action is an effort put forth in the present, which, in its own time, will, it is hoped, fulfil itself into the desired fruit. And, the fruit is what we reap later on as a result of the present action. A desireless action, therefore, belongs to the PRESENT, while the anxiety to enjoy the fruit (desire) is a disturbance of our mind regarding a FUTURE period of time. The fruit comes after the action; the fruit is the culmination of an action undertaken in the present.
Desire and agitation bring about restlessness, and the deeper the desire, the greater is the amount of dissipation of our energies within. A dissipated man cannot execute any piece of work with steady efficiency and true ardour. Also, it is to be noticed, desire is always ordered by the ego. Elimination of the ego is at once the sublimation of the individuality and the ascension of the individual from the lower realms of consciousness to the upper-most stratum of the effulgent universal Awareness, the One Eternal God.
The tragedy of life becomes complete if a desire-ridden individual comes under the endless persecution of steady anxiety to enjoy the fruits of his actions. Fruits-of-actions belong to the FUTURE and they are always ordered by the quality and quantity of the action in the PRESENT moment, and also by the circumstances available in the chosen field of activity. Naturally, without the "Abandonment" (Tyaga) of our clinging attachment to the expected FRUITS OF OUR ACTIONS, we will not discover the full potentialities of our own personality. Without this, our activities will naturally become ineffective, and ineffective activities can never provide for us enjoyable fruits.
In short, "Renunciation" is the goal to be reached through the process of "Abandonment" of our moment-to-moment anxiety to enjoy the fruits. "Abandonment" (Tyaaga) is the means to reach the goal of "Renunciation" (Samnyasa).
Both Samnyasa and Tyaaga are disciplines in our activities. Krishna is never tired of emphasising the importance of work. Neither of these terms indicates that work should be ignored; on the other hand both of them insist that WORK WE MUST. Work, however, can gain a total transmutation by the removal of the things that clog our efficiency, and thus every piece of work can be made to yield its fullest reward. Snapping the chains that shackle us with the past and the future, and working without being hustled by anxieties or henpecked by desires, in the full freedom and inspiration of the present, is the noblest way to perform actions. To a large extent, we can say that the definition of these two terms in the Geeta is more broad-minded and tolerant than the implications of these two words as we read in the Vedic lore.
SHOULD THE 'IGNORANT' PERFORM WORK OR NOT?
In the previous stanza it was conclusively declared that ABANDONMENT is the "way" and total RENUNCIATION is the "goal." On this theory of abandonment there is a school of philosophers, the Sankhyas, who declare: "ACTION SHOULD BE ABANDONED AS EVIL." According to them, all actions are productive of vasanas which cloud the realisation of the Self; and therefore, without exception, all actions should be renounced. Some commentators upon the Sankhyan philosophy point out that "WORK IS NOT TO BE ABANDONED, EXCEPT WHEN IT IS GOING IN WRONG CHANNELS, MOTIVATED BY DEMONIAC URGES LIKE PASSION, GREED, DESIRE ETC."
The philosophers not only indicate that all seekers should avoid unhealthy activities which have, in their reactions, a deadening influence upon the spiritual beauty in man, but also advise that every man should engage himself in creative, character-moulding, moral-rebuilding work that can aid the individual's personality-integration. This latter school of thinkers recommends that 'sacrifice' (Yajna), 'charity' (Daana) and 'austerity' (Tapas) should never be abandoned.
As students of the Geeta, we should know that Krishna wants Arjuna only to renounce all evil activities, and perform worldly work in a spirit of dedicated, selfless devotion. Krishna's Geeta calls upon man to make work itself the greatest homage unto the Supreme; this is SPIRITUAL 'Sadhana.'
Sources: vedabase.com; The Holy Geeta
arjuna uvāca
sannyāsasya mahā-bāho tattvam icchāmi veditum
tyāgasya ca hṛṣīkeśa pṛthak keśi-niṣūdana
Bg 18.2
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
kāmyānāṁ karmaṇāṁ nyāsaṁ sannyāsaṁ kavayo viduḥ
sarva-karma-phala-tyāgaṁ prāhus tyāgaṁ vicakṣaṇāḥ
Bg 18.3
tyājyaṁ doṣa-vad ity eke karma prāhur manīṣiṇaḥ
yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma na tyājyam iti cāpare
Translation
Arjuna said: 1. I desire to know severally, O mighty-armed, the essence or truth of "Renunciation, " O Hrishikesa, as also of 'Abandonment, ' O slayer of Keshi (Krishna).
The Blessed Lord said: 2. The Sages understand SAMNYASA to be "the renunciation of works with desire" ; the wise declare "the abandonment of the fruits of all actions" as TYAAGA.
3. That all actions should be abandoned as evil, declare some philosophers; while others (declare) that acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity should not be relinquished.
Commentary
The chapter begins with Arjuna's question, demanding of Lord Krishna a precise definition, and an exhaustive explanation, of the two terms used by the Lord in the Geeta, off and on, here and there. 'Renunciation' (Sanyasa) and 'Abandonment' (Tyaga) are the two technical terms used more than once in the Geeta. Though the question is asked in a spirit of academic interest, Krishna takes up the question in all seriousness. When a disciple expresses his doubt, he invariably fails to express his exact difficulty. However, it is the duty of the teacher to discover the difficulty of the student and clear his doubt, as even the Lord of the Geeta does here.
The logic of the entire chapter revolves around the meanings of 'Renunciation' and 'Abandonment.' Samnyasa without the spirit of Tyaga is incomprehensible, and if at all it is ever so practised, it can only be a sham pose. The bulk of the chapter maps out the tendencies, urges, impulses and motives, that are to be abandoned, so that true 'Abandonment' of the undivine personality can effectively take place. We must read the chapter in this spirit, or else it will surely fail to influence us.
SLAYER OF KESHI (Keshi-nishudana) --- Keshi was a Daitya who attacked Krishna in the form of a horse. Krishna killed him by tearing him into two halves.
DEFINING THESE TERMS AND INDICATING THE ENTIRE SIGNIFICANCE OF THEIR CONNOTATIONS, KRISHNA SAYS:
"Totally giving up all desire-prompted activities" is RENUNCIATION, and ABANDONMENT is "giving up of all anxieties for enjoying the fruits-of-action." As they stand, both of them read almost the same to the uninitiated; for, all desires are always for the fruits of our actions. Thus, "renouncing desire-motivated activity" and "renouncing our anxiety for the fruit" would read the same for those who see only their superficial suggestions.
No doubt, both mean giving up desire, but Tyaga is slightly different from Samnyasa; and yet, "abandonment" has an integral relationship with "renunciation." Action is an effort put forth in the present, which, in its own time, will, it is hoped, fulfil itself into the desired fruit. And, the fruit is what we reap later on as a result of the present action. A desireless action, therefore, belongs to the PRESENT, while the anxiety to enjoy the fruit (desire) is a disturbance of our mind regarding a FUTURE period of time. The fruit comes after the action; the fruit is the culmination of an action undertaken in the present.
Desire and agitation bring about restlessness, and the deeper the desire, the greater is the amount of dissipation of our energies within. A dissipated man cannot execute any piece of work with steady efficiency and true ardour. Also, it is to be noticed, desire is always ordered by the ego. Elimination of the ego is at once the sublimation of the individuality and the ascension of the individual from the lower realms of consciousness to the upper-most stratum of the effulgent universal Awareness, the One Eternal God.
The tragedy of life becomes complete if a desire-ridden individual comes under the endless persecution of steady anxiety to enjoy the fruits of his actions. Fruits-of-actions belong to the FUTURE and they are always ordered by the quality and quantity of the action in the PRESENT moment, and also by the circumstances available in the chosen field of activity. Naturally, without the "Abandonment" (Tyaga) of our clinging attachment to the expected FRUITS OF OUR ACTIONS, we will not discover the full potentialities of our own personality. Without this, our activities will naturally become ineffective, and ineffective activities can never provide for us enjoyable fruits.
In short, "Renunciation" is the goal to be reached through the process of "Abandonment" of our moment-to-moment anxiety to enjoy the fruits. "Abandonment" (Tyaaga) is the means to reach the goal of "Renunciation" (Samnyasa).
Both Samnyasa and Tyaaga are disciplines in our activities. Krishna is never tired of emphasising the importance of work. Neither of these terms indicates that work should be ignored; on the other hand both of them insist that WORK WE MUST. Work, however, can gain a total transmutation by the removal of the things that clog our efficiency, and thus every piece of work can be made to yield its fullest reward. Snapping the chains that shackle us with the past and the future, and working without being hustled by anxieties or henpecked by desires, in the full freedom and inspiration of the present, is the noblest way to perform actions. To a large extent, we can say that the definition of these two terms in the Geeta is more broad-minded and tolerant than the implications of these two words as we read in the Vedic lore.
SHOULD THE 'IGNORANT' PERFORM WORK OR NOT?
In the previous stanza it was conclusively declared that ABANDONMENT is the "way" and total RENUNCIATION is the "goal." On this theory of abandonment there is a school of philosophers, the Sankhyas, who declare: "ACTION SHOULD BE ABANDONED AS EVIL." According to them, all actions are productive of vasanas which cloud the realisation of the Self; and therefore, without exception, all actions should be renounced. Some commentators upon the Sankhyan philosophy point out that "WORK IS NOT TO BE ABANDONED, EXCEPT WHEN IT IS GOING IN WRONG CHANNELS, MOTIVATED BY DEMONIAC URGES LIKE PASSION, GREED, DESIRE ETC."
The philosophers not only indicate that all seekers should avoid unhealthy activities which have, in their reactions, a deadening influence upon the spiritual beauty in man, but also advise that every man should engage himself in creative, character-moulding, moral-rebuilding work that can aid the individual's personality-integration. This latter school of thinkers recommends that 'sacrifice' (Yajna), 'charity' (Daana) and 'austerity' (Tapas) should never be abandoned.
As students of the Geeta, we should know that Krishna wants Arjuna only to renounce all evil activities, and perform worldly work in a spirit of dedicated, selfless devotion. Krishna's Geeta calls upon man to make work itself the greatest homage unto the Supreme; this is SPIRITUAL 'Sadhana.'
Sources: vedabase.com; The Holy Geeta
