Notes by Kamala

Notes by Shrimathi

Notes by Srimathi (Shloka 21 to end of chapter)

Bhagawad Geeta Chapter 3

14 Mar 2021

Slokas from 21 –

21- Whichever action a great man does, the other men also do. Man is essentially an imitating animal. Students can be disciplined by teachers. Children’s behavior is entirely depending upon and controlled by the purity and culture of parents.

22 &23 - Krishna says there is no duty for me to all the three worlds. Nor do I have anything to gain or lose. Yet I am engaged in prescribed duties. If I did not carefully perform the prescribed duties all men would follow my path in all respects. In nature everything acts constantly and sincerely. The entire universe survives and sustains itself on activity.

24 – If I ceased to perform prescribed actions all these worlds would perish. I will be responsible for the pandemonium and thereby destroy the peace of the world.

25- As ignorant people do their duties with attachment to results, so the wise should act without attachment for the sake of leading people on the right path. The Man of self-realization will act in the world with same enthusiasm, with hopes and fears but without attachment to anxieties for fruits of action.

26- The wise should not create confusion in the ignorant people who are attached to the fruits of action by inducing them to stop work. Rather they should perform their duties in an enlightened manner and inspire the ignorant also to do their duties.

27 – All activities are created by the quality of Gunas. But the man in ignorance deluded by false identification with the body and thinks he is the doer.

28 - The wise people distinguish the soul from gunas and karmas. They know that it is gunas are the sense organs and treat gunas as objects.

29 – Although many know that all actions are attempts of mental impressions to fulfill our desires in the outer worlds the wise know the truth and becomes quiet and unattached in all activities.

30 – Krishna says, performing all actions as an offering to me, constantly meditating on me as supreme , Become free from desire and selfishness and free from mental grief fight now.

31 – Those who listen to these teachings with profound faith and without criticism are released from the bondage of karma.

32 – But those who find fault with my teachings, they will be deluded of knowledge and lose discrimination and bring about their own ruin.

33 – All people are propelled by their natural tendencies. So even Wise people act according to their nature. Then when nature is too powerful what restrain can do?

34 – Attachment and dislikes for the objects of the senses are abide by the sense organs. Man should not be swayed by this as they are his enemies.

35 – It is far better to follow one’s own duty though it is not perfect rather than others duty which is perfect. Better is death in one’s own duty. To acting against our vasanas may be dangerous.

36 – Arjuna asks – O Krishna why is a person impelled to commit sinful acts even unwillingly, as if by force.

37 – Krishna replies – It is desire which is the root cause. A constant agitation of the mind caused by desire result in anger. Desire and anger are the enemies of man in the world.

38 – Just as fire is covered by smoke, a mirror covered by dust and a fetus concealed in the womb, similarly knowledge is covered by desire.

39 – The capacity to discriminate the real from the unreal, the permanent from the impermanent and the true from false is screened off by the insatiable desires.

40 – The senses the mind and intellect are said to be the seat of this enemy - desire. It deludes our wisdom.

41 – Therefore first restrain your senses and kill the enemy. Control the senses and cast off the desire.

42 – This stanza gives how to cast off desire. The senses are superior to the body. Mind is superior to senses. Intellect is superior to mind. And the one who is superior to the intellect is the Atman.

43 - Thus knowing the soul to be superior to material intellect subdue the senses, mind and intellect by the strength of the soul and kill this enemy.

Through knowledge alone is ignorance will end and hence by knowing the self alone we can end the ignorance of the self.

End of Third Chapter.