Summary from Sriram ji
- Class started with discussion on Praanaayaamaa. Should be practiced by everyone
- Chanted from verses 10 to 20
Verse 19:
तस्मादसक्त: सततं कार्यं कर्म समाचर |
असक्तो ह्याचरन्कर्म परमाप्नोति पूरुष: || 19||
tasmād asaktaḥ satataṁ kāryaṁ karma samāchara
asakto hyācharan karma param āpnoti pūruṣhaḥ
Translation: Therefore, giving up attachment, perform actions as a matter of duty because by working without being attached to the fruits, one attains the Supreme.
Bhagavaan starts with 'tasmāt', meaning therefore, a clear indication of bottom-line,
This is a concluding slokha of a particular set of ideas, giving all the details, supplemented with all information and arguments in previous 5 slokhas, and hence uses the word 'tasmāt'.
tasmāt—therefore; asaktaḥ—without attachment;
satatam—constant work to be done all the time;
asaktahsssatatam - It DOESN'T mean do work without interest.
Aaasakthi is interest. Note the Dheerga in this word Aaasakthi. Aaa also means one is focussed on karmaphala.
Here in this verse Bhagwan has used Asaktha - meaning, one is doing all the work but focus is not on a particular karmaphala, instead the focus is only on the task, does the best, and then takes/accepts what comes, as the result depends on so many factors.
kāryam—duty; karma—action; samāchara—perform;
Do avashya kaarya, not for the wants, it is for the needs. Any kaarya done for Lokakalyaan, even if one errs, it is forgiven as the intent is goodness/help, and Prathyavaayu (negative effect) will not touch one.
asaktaḥ—unattached; hi—certainly; ācharan—performing; karma—work;
param—the Supreme; āpnoti—attains; pūruṣhaḥ—a person
what is purushah - pura + sha. one who resides in the pura is purusha. Bhagavan. Here it is not the Brahmaandapura, it is the pindaandapura. It is the little one, the individual beings.
Poorushaha - refers to the aathma or the jeeva; jeeva gets its existence when purusha resides there. When jeeva does this kind of work, param-aapnoti, he gets moksha/liberation.
Further Interpretation/Discussion:
This is a summary of verse 14 to 18 as they are connected;
14 and 15 discussing cycles and sacrificing
16 - if one does not follow this wheel they are living in vain, so one should contribute and sacrifice
17 - one who is satisfied with one-self, then there is nothing else to be done. Krishna discusses this.
18 - again depending on no one
19 - what oneself should be doing, performing action without attachment. Also relates to verse 47.
Do the action for the good of the people, for helping others, perform work as is, and not think
about what one should gain from it, and that be happy and accept the result one gets.
Look at the issue neutrally, the result is more conclusive. Look for what happens, who needs to do what, not just for one-self, more for organization, a larger cause like others, country, thinking for the betterment of everyone around one.
People will appreciate the selfless-ness of such person and will join hands, and this can spread this thought process and attitude change to more people.
Summarizes the wheel of action, similar to Raama's abilities to break the bow at Svayamwara, How he removes all his attachments to his guru, to seetha, the things around him, didn't worry about other participating kings, and instead Raama single-focusses on the task to be done with his best efforts.
Removing distractions is very very important.
For example: In Mahabaarath, story of Matsya Yanthra Bhedini. Drona setsup water near by, a tree nearby and a fish tied in a branch in the top of the tree.
one has to see in the water, set the arrow, focus and then hit the fish eye. All disciples of Drona fail to do this, hitting at tree, etc.
Arjuna, the favorite student, comes, pulls the arrow up. Acharya asks what do you see, he says sky, on further focus he says tree, then he is asked to focus further, he says he can see the branch, then the body of the fish, and he is asked to still focus; he saw the head of the fish, finally the he sees the eye.
He is asked to release the arrrow, which he does and hits the eye.
Arjuna was able to remove his distraction and was successful with focussing on the task at hand.
Yagna bhavna, yaja deva poojayaam, the attitude with which one has to work, when all this is done focussing only on the task and not on a particular karmaphala, the jeeva then gets moksha.
Verse 20:
कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादय: |
लोकसंग्रहमेवापि सम्पश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि || 20||
karmaṇaiva hi sansiddhim āsthitā janakādayaḥ
loka-saṅgraham evāpi sampaśhyan kartum arhasi
karmaṇā—by the performance of prescribed duties; eva—only; hi—certainly; sansiddhim—perfection; āsthitāḥ—attained;
janaka-ādayaḥ—King Janak and other kings; loka-saṅgraham—for the welfare of the masses; eva api—only;
sampaśhyan—considering; kartum—to perform; arhasi—you should;
By performing their prescribed duties, King Janak and others attained perfection. You should also perform your duties to set an example for the good of the world.
Discussed story on Janaka's dream - current waking state is true, or dream state is true.
Nature of difficulties that Janaka and Arjuna will face as kings are similar, so it is a right example by Krishna of selecting Janaka
Loka sangraha is common between Janaka and Arjuna.
Each person has a role to play. Arjuna's role is a prince of the country, protect the values and rights of the people in his country.
Janaka aadhayahaa - Janaka and other kings. Janaka was one of the greatest Gnyaani at that time, because of that
Mahalakshmi herself came to him as a daughter Seetha.
Arjuna wanted to drop everything and run away. But Janaka though he had all the vaibhogas, he didnt drop anything
and run to the forest, he was a great gnyaani, many aacharyas would go to Janaka to get a clarification about Vairaagya.
He was still in the middle of the life, taking care of kingdom, people, and didn't enter into business of Rama and Sita while they had to go to the forest. Janaka did what he was supposed to do, his focus was on karma yoga and moksha.
He was there as long as he was needed, and later went to vaanaprastha and did what he was supposed to do there.
Loka Sangraha - it means guiding people, not just helping people, to go in the right direction. It is also to prevent people from going in wrong direction.
Janaka is the perfect example of Loka Sangraha, and Karma Yoga, Gnaayana, Vairaagya.
Assignment: Who was King Ashwapathi? and why was he indirectly mentioned in the slokha.
Verse 21:
यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जन: |
स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते || 21||
yad yad ācharati śhreṣhṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ
sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute lokas tad anuvartate
yat yat—whatever; ācharati—does; śhreṣhṭhaḥ—the best; tat tat—that (alone); eva—certainly; itaraḥ—common; janaḥ—people;
saḥ—they; yat—whichever; pramāṇam—standard; kurute—perform; lokaḥ—world; tat—that; anuvartate—pursues
Interpretation: whatever a great man setsup as the standard, the world follows. Whatever actions great persons perform, common people follow.
Whatever standards they set, all the world pursues.
Children follow what the parents are doing. Father can advice ill-effects of smoking, but if he is a smoker, the children usually also will get tempted to smoke, as they follow what they see. Bigger celebrities of a country are followed.
People felt protected when the paandavaas where ruling. when such heroes coming to a battle to a Dharmakhetra, battle of justice this time if Arjuna runs away, he is to be seen as a great king until he went to the ultimate war. This will be a bad example for his people, and his successor kings. Those who are in power, they make a change in a society, the kings could make a change, and that is not a time to oscillate. Bhagawan explains that people look up to Arjuna, and that he needs to do what is required.
This could also be seen as a way of Krishna answering here in this verse as a direct response addressing Arjuna's state of mind explained in Chapter1. Also in Chapter 2, Slokas 30 to 37 directly talks about why Arjuna should do this Dharma yudhdha. Those who are afraid of his
Gandeeva, they will ridicule him otherwise.
What Amitabh Bhachan does, everyone wants to do! Whatever a leader, or a celebrity does, people will do the same. The change has to come from inside.
A leader, a Shresta has to be careful as he has so much of responsibility towards the society.