CHAPTER III
The sun peeped out of the clouds and smiled. A slight
drizzle had cooled the sizzling atmosphere. Some parrots flew in a mad rush
screeching with excitement. Everything was calm and peaceful. Everything was
bright and beautiful. Even the minds of the Great Master and His beloved
disciple were entwined in a blissful union.
“Lord! What is Brahman? What is its nature? How does one
realize the Truth? How does one maintain the state of realization even at the
time of death?”
At last…At last…a sensible question!
Krishna lost no time.
Krishna at that sacred moment of transferring knowledge
was not the son of Devaki; he was not Vaasudeva, son of King Vasudeva; he was Vaasudeva,
the divinity which resides in every existing object as its essence!
The shadow-identity of the cowherd form was discarded!
He was now the SUN witnessing the play of the manifold
Creation.
He was Brahman manifesting as sacred speech!
There was no teacher no disciple; there was only GITA,
the divine song of Para Brahman!
“My Friend!
You are indeed one in a million; for, now you are aspiring
for the perfect knowledge, attaining which nothing ever remains to be known!
My nature is two-fold; higher and lower. The elements, the
mind, the intellect, and the ego-sense make up my lower nature. The ‘Pure
Consciousness’ which supports all these is my higher nature. The entire range
of creations is supported by this dual nature of mine.”
Krishna was not Krishna anymore!
Was it the formless Brahman itself explaining about
itself?
What words could suffice when THAT speaks about THAT?
Krishna never
spoke here. No words were exchanged.
Only ‘Silence’ reigned. He was THAT! THAT never speaks!
Arjuna sat there with his body trembling in horripilations;
eyes streaming forth blissful drops of pearls; his mind stilled into
‘nothingness’!
The Master spoke in silence! The disciple was freed of
all delusions!
The Lord spoke in silence! The devotee was merged in silence.
How long? Neither of them knew!
[Sage Vyaasa indeed did his best to put into words what THAT
spoke in silence]
एषा तेऽभिहिता साङ्ख्ये बुद्धिर्योगे त्विमां
शृणु ।
बुद्ध्या युक्तो यया पार्थ कर्मबन्धं प्रहास्यसि
॥
I gave
you the theoretical aspects of Self –Knowledge.
Now
listen to the actual realization process of it.
Endowed
with such a knowledge
you will
be freed of the shackles of ‘Action’.
“Arjuna! I had given a briefing about the discriminative
knowledge necessary for the attainment of the Supreme State.
But let me impart the practical means of achieving it. Once you perfect the
practice and sincerely put all your efforts in it, you will indeed be freed of
the ‘shackles of action’ which are binding you.”
“What in truth is the ‘shackle
of action’?”
“The ‘doer-ship’ you attach to
all actions.”
“I am the doer! Am I not? How
can you say that I do not do anything?”
“See for yourself! Your legs move; your hands work; mouth
speaks; eyes see; ears hear; tongue tastes;
skin feels; mind thinks ; intellect discriminates.”
“Yes; but I indeed am all
these.”
‘Rethink! Are these ‘you’ or
‘yours’?”
“They indeed belong to me; but I
do not know it all the time.”
“That is why I am going to tell you the ‘secret method’ by
which you will never get chained by the ‘actions performed by the instruments’
which you falsely consider as your own.”
“True! I do not deny it! But the methods taught vary and
failures hit you at every step; many turn insane unable to reach the goal they
set their hearts at!”
“Maybe..! But the method which I am going to teach is the
easiest and the best; termed by the wise as the ‘Yoga of Knowledge’!”
“But Krishna…; now after
all these years of passion-filled life, can I still expect some good gains out
of this method? You must already know that I am not actually well qualified for
such a great enterprise!”
नेहाभिक्रमनाशोऽस्ति प्रत्यवायो न विद्यते
।
स्वल्पमस्य धर्मस्य त्रायते महतो भयात् ॥
There is
no loss when you undertake this; there is no diminution.
Even a
little practice of this method will free you
from the great fear (of Samsaara).
“Better late than never my friend! Moreover in this
wonderful path there is no need for procrastination. You can start on this path
anytime; now itself; this moment; here; in this battlefield! Any moment is an
auspicious one, once the mind has been made up.”
“But, I have my family, duties
etc. Even now you are forcing me to enter the battlefield! How can I?”
“Forget about it Arjuna! This is so easy and practical. You
need not swerve from your ordained duties towards your family, society etc. You
can practice this method anywhere anytime irrespective of what work you are
engaged in.”
“And the result, Krishna?
Are you sure you know what you’re saying? I am sorry; I am not disrespecting
your intelligence or wisdom. But you see, I am an ordinary man of the world and
if I am going to risk all my time and efforts in practicing some method, which
may fail, it would not be worth much. I expect some definite results and a
guarantee of success in whatever enterprise I engage in!”
“My friend! I am sure about the knowledge about what I am
explaining. And trust me; even if you
practice this method only for a few years, nay months; no- even for a few days,
you will find yourself a different person –cheerful, equanimous and most
important of all you will become absolutely fearless”
“Fearless! Ha ha ha!” Arjuna laughed aloud.
“Me, the Great Arjuna; the wielder of the greatest weapons
of the three worlds; the Great Gaandivi! Afraid of what, O Gopala?”
“Of what..? Just now….a few minutes back, you were giving me
a discourse on the evil consequences of war! What was the main fear that forced
you to refrain from shooting the first arrow from your mighty bow and starting
the great battle of Dharma? What stopped you mighty arm from moving? Are you
absolutely fearless as you proclaim? No, my friend! You ‘were’ and ‘are’ afraid
of the one common enemy; the one who can never be conquered! Any man even if he
be the mightiest conqueror of the three worlds, yet bows before this ‘Great
Death’! Nobody can destroy death! Yes! Your one and only unconquerable enemy
can be got rid of for ever- if you apply yourself sincerely even a little in
this practice! Now ...are you satisfied,
my cousin?”
Arjuna sat back more comfortably and got ready!
His mind gathered up in absolute concentration, anxious not
to miss any of the nectar like knowledge dripping from the wonderful dark bee
hives in front of him. Even the endless chattering of the siblings hiding in
the innumerable bowers of the gigantic Kadamba tree did not seem to enter his
ears. He was now aiming his mind like an arrow towards the ‘Knowledge-sparrow’
seated on the faraway tree of the ‘unfathomable intellect of the cowherd
saint’! Would success ever evade him?
व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिरेकेह कुरुनन्दन।
बहुशाखा ह्यनन्ताश्च बुद्धयोऽव्यवसायिनाम् ॥
O Joy of Kuru dynasty!
Those who are resolute in their purpose have single minded determination.
But the intellects of those with irresolute minds branch out endlessly in
various ways.
Krishna continued enthusiastically!
A good sincere disciple is rare
to find even if the Guru is Krishna!
“O Kuru-Nandana! Listen attentively to this instruction
disclosing the ‘greatest means’ to the ‘Highest Good’! Of course; you have to
be completely open-minded and rational when you are going to analyze the good
and bad of this path!
For, all along you have been taught many methods, many a
spiritual practice which of course have never given a proper result. Those with
‘cultured minds’ decide on ‘one single path’ which will yield a ‘definite
result’ and never become anxious about it. But those of ‘irresolute minds’,
those of ‘uncultured minds’, they go after many a path with insincerity and end
up in the same zero point from which they started!
यामिमां पुष्पितां वाचं प्रवदन्त्यविपश्चितः
।
वेदवादरताः पार्थ नान्यदस्तीति वादिनः ॥
कामात्मानः स्वर्गपरा जन्मकर्मफलप्रदाम् ।
क्रियाविशेषबहुलां भोगैश्वर्यगतिं प्रति ॥
भोगैश्वर्यप्रसक्तानां तयापहृतचेतसाम् ।
व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिः समाधौ न विधीयते ॥
Interested
only in the superficial statements of the Vedas;
arguing
that there is nothing more than that;
filled
with various desires in their minds;
interested in the attainment of the heaven;
the
ignorant make flowery statements
about
the rituals filled with various rites
as
leading towards various pleasure of the senses,
but
which actually result only in binding one to repeated births.
For
those intent on attaining the pleasure of heavens,
with their minds dwelling only on that,
the mind
though resolute,
does not
get stabilized in the Self-state of composure.
Krishna continued:
“You will meet many a philosopher who will describe his own
method as the best and the surest.
Saivaites proclaim that ‘SHIVA’ is the ‘Supreme Deity’;
which is thoroughly contradicted by the Vaishnavites who hold that ‘Lord Naaraayana’
is the ‘Supreme Controller’ of the worlds!
Buddhists or ‘Shoonya-vaadins’ speak of the ‘Supreme State’ as ‘Void’; some others call it as
the freedom from births and deaths.
The ‘Saankhyas’ state that ‘Prakriti’ is the ‘ultimate
source’ of the world when ‘she’ is enjoined with ‘Purusha’. ‘Shaaktas’ state,
that the ‘Power of the supremacy’ is the ‘Cause’ of the world.
Whereas the ‘Materialists’ deny all these and proclaim that
wine, wealth and women are the supreme enjoyments of life.
There is no agreement at all among all these followers of
different cults either in the principles followed or the end that is reached.
One wants to press the lotus feet of Naaraayana in humble
service; another wants to witness the ‘Cosmic Dance’ of Shiva; still another
wants a permanent place in Indra’s heaven!
Which is the Highest Good? Which indeed should a man strive
for? Nobody, not even the wisest of the world can definitely declare! For, all
the philosophical cults in this sacred land base their principles on the
profound statements of the Vedas and the Upanishads; and each appear to be very
convincing when one listens to the flowery speeches of these wonderful men!
Even these so-called ‘Works of Divinity’, the ‘Vedas’ which
are referred to by all these cults as the ‘Supreme authoritative Knowledge’
have two kinds of followers; one addicted to the ‘Action portion’ of the Vedas
and the other to the ‘Knowledge portion’ of the same.
How can the ‘Vedas’ which are proclaimed as the ‘supremely
sacred texts’ have opposing theories encouraging contradictory spiritual
practices? The unwise intellectuals are
engaged only in attracting the audience with their capacity to coin words in a
sophisticated language and revel in translating the ‘words of the Vedas’ in a
variety of ways.
For the unwise indiscriminating ones, Vedas are not fully revealed.
Like the blind men describing an elephant, these ignorant
ones hold on to one particular portion the Vedas alone and fail to have a
comprehensive view of the ‘Great Texts’ unable to find the secret of the
knowledge hidden in the vague and ordinary words of the Vedas. They waste their
time in worthless arguments about the literal outer meanings of the texts and
declare that there is nothing beyond the verbal hymns of these texts. Their
goal is only the fulfillment of their own latent desires. Their minds desire
for the maximum level of pleasures and aim at reaching heaven after death.
Their polluted minds dream of worlds filled with divine damsels, unlimited
enjoyments, miraculous powers and eternal embodiments as divine beings. They
perform ‘Sacrifices’ and please the Gods and obtain merits and go to heavens
after their deaths. But after the merits get exhausted they return to earth to
continue the fulfillment of their unfulfilled ‘Vaasanaas’.
They get caught in the ‘cycle of births and deaths’ and are
ever in the performance of actions to fulfill their ‘never -ending’ desires.
Such minds which have only ‘pleasure- seeking’ as their goal can never attain
equanimity.
These Vedas which proclaim ‘Karma’ or ‘Rituals’ as the ‘only
duties to be performed by men’ have impermanent heavens as their goal; they are
concerned only with the three lower ‘Gunas’ of the human minds.
त्रैगुण्यविषयो वेदा निस्त्रैगुण्यो भवार्जुन
।
निर्द्वन्दो नित्यसत्त्वस्थो निर्योगक्षेम आत्मवान् ॥
Vedas are concerned with people having the three Gunas.
Arjuna! You become freed of all the three Gunas.
You remain freed of the duality. Be always established in true nature.
Do not be anxious about the goal to be attained.
Remain in the Self-state.
Krishna continued:
“All actions can be categorized into three divisions;
lethargic actions, desire-oriented actions and virtuous actions. The desire for
heavens is actually a desire for fulfilling the basest desires of the mind and
can be termed as ‘Taamasic’, the darker side of the mind. The performance of
rituals is only pleasure oriented and seeks to fulfill selfish desires, and can
be termed ‘Raajasic’ or dusty. The virtuous actions like worshipping Gods, or
charity etc are also aimed at gaining merits so the innermost desires will be
fulfilled and are ‘Saatvic’ or ‘light-like’. All these three Gunas create three
types of worlds; dark, dusty and light-filled.
They still keep you away from the ‘Truth’ which is far
beyond the reach of actions colored by any of these three Gunas. Vedas devoid
of ‘Knowledge portions’ are concerned with just the ‘world of three Gunas’.
But, O Arjuna! You rise above these Gunas! You get rid of
the dualities of ‘I and you’, ‘I and mine’ etc.
When you analyze, you will discover that these ideas of duality always divide you into
two; always make you an incomplete part of something else; always prompt you to
act one way or another; these are just ‘ideas colored by the three Gunas’.
Rise above these ‘dualities’! Be a mighty master! Don’t be
anxious about any of the happenings of the world. Accept anything that life
offers! Do not dwell upon the past or future! Live always in the present!
Only when you rise above dualities; only when you stop
identifying with the mind, body and intellect; only when you understand that
you are the very power which makes all these exist; only when you find your
‘Self’; then and then alone you have attained the ‘highest good’!”
“In your opinion, Vedas do not
lead to the ‘Highest good’?” Arjuna questioned.
यावानर्थ उदपाने सर्वतः संप्लुतोदके ।
तावान्सर्वेषु वेदेषु ब्राह्मणस्य विजानतः
॥
What
value is there for the well-water
when one
is surrounded by water all over,
that is
the value the Vedas get allotted by a Knower
who has
realized the Brahman.
Krishna answered:
“No Arjuna! I never said that Vedas do not lead to the
‘highest good’! I simply mentioned that their ‘true meaning’ has always evaded
the impure seekers and has lead to the formation of varieties of confusing
theories.
After a comprehensive study of the Vedas along with their
‘Knowledge-portion’ is completed, then only can one reach a state that is
beyond the Vedas. And you can then kick away the ladder of the Vedas after you
climb up the terrace of ‘freedom’.
You can be ‘so free’ that you are freed even from the
knowledge that you sought;
‘so free’ that you have nothing more to know anything
further;
‘so free’ that you can laugh blissfully even when the worst
disasters rush like waves to drown you;
‘so free’ that death becomes a curry to be consumed in your
daily meal adding a new aroma to your life;
‘so free’ that the whole world is seen as a creation of names and forms authored by you and makes you
chuckle aloud;
‘so free’ that you ultimately understand that you never were
bound;
‘so free’ that instead of seeking freedom from births and
deaths, you know that you were never bound;
‘so free’ that all the Gods become puppets in your hands;
‘so free’ that words like ‘freedom and bondage’ lose their
meanings;
‘so free’ that you know your ‘true being’ as untouched by the ladders of knowledge of
any sort.
You will then transcend the barriers of ‘I and you’; ‘space
and time’; ‘God and devotee’. You will be freed of desires, anxieties,
passions, furies, attachments, sense pleasures; inner tendencies. You will be
completely freed of all the worldly dirt.
Even the Vedas reveal their unreal character in the end and
are absorbed into the ‘all pervasive Self’ once the ‘Truth’ is attained. The
Vedas lose their validity and usefulness to a ‘Knower of the Self’!
What purpose does the well water serve when one is flooded
all around with water? By this statement I am not commenting that the Vedas are
senseless or useless; do not misunderstand my words!
These texts are ‘knowledge’ arising from the deep depths of
the ‘hearts of Great Knowers’! They are the ‘very foundation’ on which all
other ‘sources of knowledge’ are based! However, even these ‘Sacred Texts’ do
not serve any purpose to the man who has gone beyond the limitations of words
and their meaning!
Vedas- the ‘ultimate essence of knowledge’ equal a ship used
for crossing the deep waters of the ‘ocean of ignorance’; but what use is the
ship to a man who has reached the ‘shore of Supreme Bliss!”
Arjuna still felt despondent. He said:
“True! I understand you Gopala! The futility of all my
worthless endeavors…; whereas the true goal of my life was waiting for me
beyond the hurdles of words, thoughts, and knowledge! All my life till now was
just a waste! Is there any hope still left for me? Can I ever attain that
blissful state where even the Vedas on which every branch of knowledge rests,
melts into nothingness? Is there for me a simple practice to lead me up
quickly? Do I have a chance…. Still…?”
“Why not? It is now or never! Anybody at any time can
sincerely practice this ‘means of knowledge’ and attain the ‘same state’ that
the sages of yore attained through severe penance! Age, status, gender,
education or experiences prove no impediments in this path!”
“Krishna!
I want quick results! Already I am on my way to the other world!”
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन ।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भू मा ते सङ्गोस्त्वकर्मणि
॥
You have the right only to chose your work; not the results thereof.
Do not be after the result of the action. Do not avoid doing work also.
योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय
।
सिद्धसिद्ध्योः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते
॥
You have attained many a wealth by your endeavor!
Established in this Yoga of Knowledge,
equal minded towards success and
failure, do actions without attachment.
This equanimity alone is known as
the perfect method of attaining
the Supreme state.
Krishna continued:
“Arjuna! Do not be anxious! It is very easy! Just keep acting in this world as before; as
ordained by the society and the family you are born in; but take care never to
covet the fruits of action; but perform every action as if it is the ‘utmost
important thing’ at that moment.”
Arjuna’s voice was high pitched as he argued back
vehemently.
“But, Krishna…! How is it
possible? Any action performed definitely carries a result at the end and how
can you not covet it? Every action we perform is result-oriented; but for the
result, the action would not be performed at all! If I shoot an arrow at some
object I do have a purpose in my action. I do expect some result to occur! How
can I throw away the result? If not prompted by the idea of the result thereof,
I will cease to perform any action whatsoever! If I really discard the fruits
of my action, I will be branded as the most foolish person in all the three
worlds!”
“Arjuna! I did not exactly say that you should throw away
the fruits of the actins performed by you.
Do not miss the true meaning of my words. What you say is
indeed is very true! I do not deny that at all!
Without the ‘idea of a result’ nobody can do anything in
this world. Let me clarify the idea of ‘action bereft of fruit’!
Let us first analyze the sphere of actions. Some actions
like bathing etc are daily duties to be performed mechanically without any
great result waiting at the end to hug you.
Some actions indeed are performed with the definite idea of
obtaining a result. What is the outcome of that result? It is either good or
bad; gain or loss; liked or disliked! The result is dependent on one’s own
sincerity, talent or fate-ordained. For, some unknown force always arises out
of nowhere and destroys sometimes the ‘good effects’ of the actions in a
second; whereas some fortunate persons seem to get ‘good results’ with the
least of efforts.
But, whatever the case, you cannot just walk out of the
result of the action which you have performed! But, suppose, you perform all
actions with utmost sincerity; with all your capability squeezed into that one
action you are performing at that time, then what happens? The result has to be
perfect unless the ‘mythical- fate’ interferes to spoil it!
‘Fate’ can be defined as the result of a total chaos created
in the human world. As an individual, you may have to succumb to it without a
question. But other than that there is nothing else to make your action go
wrong! Even if the ‘cruel-fate’ has decided to shower its wrath upon your
actions to harass you with vengeance, can’t you laugh at the ‘un-fair fate’ by
least bothering about the pros and cons of the actions and perform all your
actions to your complete satisfaction -
to ‘utmost perfection’, and be one step ahead of the fate?
Suppose , as you are performing any action, even if the
‘idea’ of the result does not disturb you; if you are just ‘action-oriented’
than ‘result-oriented’; if the mind is rid of the ‘least bit of anxiety’ about
the result; then, can the result ever turn out to be worthless? Does not
‘anxiety about the result’ disturb the ‘performance of the action’ and
eventually end up in ‘failure’?
Take the example of a potter who is designing pots to earn
his livelihood! If he was worried only about the silver coins he may get for
his art-work, he would never be able to make the best ones! Whereas, if he did
not think about the result at all ; if he did not worry about the monetary
gains which are sure to come anyhow; if he engaged himself in his work with
complete concentration; if he forgot all the surrounding world of people and
objects around him; if he devoted himself in his work with single-minded
attention; if he forced his entire thought-force into the little pot he is
making; if his mind is beyond the
boundaries of past and future but remains only in the present; then and
then alone will his ‘pot’ become a ‘perfect one’ and also beget a ‘perfect
result’!
If you think you can value ‘his work’ in terms of money, you
are mistaken; the joy he gets out of his
‘perfect work’ is far superior to the joy
of the getting the money offered
to him for his ‘precious pot’! Who knows!
He may be so overjoyed about his ‘creation’, he may refuse to sell the
pot; or he may reluctantly sell it to eke out a living, as a necessity ordained
by the ‘stupid non-existent fate’!
But, I can vouchsafe this much; that the potter indeed was a
‘Sage in contemplation’ when he was creating that pot!
So my friend! What I suggested to you was nothing but this ‘worship
of work’; ‘to perform actions without attachment to the result’! By the
ordinance of the ‘Creator’, all actions have to produce results whether one
wants it or not!
But, if a person is capable of performing one’s duties
untouched in the mind by the results of one’s actions; unaffected by the pains
and pleasures that hit him almost at every corner of his life; then would he be
bothered by anything in this world?
‘Results’ – you have to bear with; True! But why bother about them so
much? Why should the ‘elation at a good result’ and ‘depression at a bad
result’ constantly play a ball with your mind?
If all the men and women of this world made this ‘principle
of unattached work’, the ‘foundation of their lives’; if everybody ‘acted’ and
never ‘reacted’; what words can describe the glory of such a society?
‘Perfect Action’ – ‘has to’ – ‘must’ – produce ‘Perfect
Result’! Even if uncontrollable forces turn your ‘perfect action’ into
‘imperfect result’, even then, you should be able to smile; for, you had done
your ‘best’!”
Krishna continued:
“A person who worships his work is
a Sage without matted locks and a saffron robe! Anybody, man, woman or child,
can be a successful model of the society if the ‘secret of perfect work’ is
achieved! However do not under-estimate
the greatness of a Sage who does ‘silent work’ residing in some lonely spot far
from the maddening rush of the world; for, he also works ‘to rise above the
works’! A ‘man of the world’ can be a Sage in the midst of the society; and a
‘man of God’ can be a worker in the midst of a forest; both work; both are great; great equally; both are the
two pillars of the society; both deserve adorations from the world.
कर्मेन्द्रियाणि सम्यम्य य आस्ते
मनसा स्मरन्
इन्द्रियार्थान्विमूढात्मा मिथ्याचारः
स उच्यते ॥
The idiot who controls the organs of action and
remains thinking about the sense
objects in his mind,
is called a hypocrite.
Arjuna! Reach the state of
‘inaction’ through ‘perfect action’! By physical control alone you cannot
pretend to be a ‘yogi’. Allow your ‘organs of action’ to work; but keep the
mind away from the lures of the ‘organs of knowledge’.
By sitting with closed eyes, in a
pretended posture of meditation you cannot become a ‘yogi’. You have to practice
the art of ‘closing the mind’s eye’ while moving in the midst of countless
responsibilities and duties; yet perfecting each point of the action as if that action alone is the most important thing
in your life at that moment. Do everything through the mind, intellect and the
body; yet be aware always that you do not do anything. Be a witness of your own
actions. Become an outsider observing intently every point of your action.
Become a ‘Karma yogi’!”
“Perfect work! Yes I agree that it
is essential for a successful society; but ‘freedom from work’? You still have
not answered my query, my dear Krishna; you
still are pushing me back to the ‘wheel of work’!”
“Again the same doubt? And the
answer is again the same!
‘Karma yoga’ is the only path that
leads you away from the deep mires of work. When you perform any action
undisturbed in your mind about the results of that action; least anxious about
the comments of others; ready for any result, good or bad; cheerful while
performing the work and cheerful when receiving the result; never getting
either depressed or excited; when you develop the ‘art of equanimity’; then and
then alone, you become fit for the climbing the ladder leading to the ‘highest
good’. I do not say that it is very easy !
Yes, you have to struggle at the
beginning stages; equanimity does not arise in one day or one month; it is a
slow process, yet the surest process for attaining the ‘ highest good’.
The fervor of listening to flowery
speeches of unrealized souls or reading philosophical texts may not last long!
Many a times even when you are sincerely applying yourself to such a practice,
failures might occur; you may lose your peaceful disposition unknown to
yourself!
But keep trying; one day you may
find yourself unmoved by any of the happenings of the outside world; yet
perform your duties perfectly well and live in a blissful world of your own.”
Arjuna listened attentively to the golden words of the Sage in royal
robes.
He was swallowing the words of the
Supreme Teacher, like a bee sucking honey from a flower, anxious not to miss
even a tiny drop of the nectar-like words. His mind had started the journey
inwards. The war felt like a dream; his brothers, his enemies - all were
becoming vague figures of a fiction; even the ever-charming Subhadraa, his one
and only ‘true- love’, was now just a ‘name and form’ in the limitless canvas
of the Supremacy! He sat there transfixed as it were…! He was lost as it
were..! His mind was silent as it were..!
दूरेण ह्यवरं कर्म बुद्धियोगाद्धनञ्जय
बुद्धौ शरणमन्विच्छ कृपणाः फलहेतवः
॥
बुद्धियुक्तो जहातीह उभे सुकृतदुष्कृते
तस्माद्योगाय युज्यस्व योगः कर्मसु
कौशलम् ॥
Action (with the mind intent on the anxiety
about the results)
is far
inferior to the path of Knowledge, O Expert in accumulation of Wealth!
Take shelter in Knowledge.
Those who do result-oriented works are
wretched.
He who is endowed with Knowledge
discards (the anxiety of) both the good and
bad of the results.
Strive to attain the Self-state through
Knowledge.
The Self-state always entails perfection in
action.
