The Hindu Philosophy of Life, Ethics and Religion.
OM-TAT-SAT
S'RIMAD BHAGAVADGITA RAiUSYA
OR
KARMMOGA-S ASTRA
Including an external examination of the Gita, the
Original Sanskrit stanzas, their English translation,
commentaries on the stanzas, and a comparison of
Eastern with Western doctrines etc.
BY
BAL GANGADHAR TILAK, B.A., LL.B.,
Law Lecturer, and Pleader, Pooka ; Sometime Additional Membee
of the council of h. e, the governor of bombay for making
Laws, Author of Orion or Researches into the Antiquity of the
Vedas, Arctic Home in the Vedas, Vedanga Jyotish AND Vsdic
Chronology, FOUNDER OF THE 'Kesan ' AND THE Maratha
Newspapers Etc. Etc.
TRANSLATED BY
8HALCHANDRA S1TARAM SUKTHANKAR, M.A., LL.B.,
Solicitor, High. Court, Bombay.
Gibbs Prizeman ; Petit Prizeman ( Oercle Litteraire ) ;
Dakshina Fellow; etc.
Vol. II.
FIRST EDI^OI^
( 10,000 Copies
iasmad asaktah satatam karyam karma samacara I
asakto hy acaran karma paramapnoti purusah H ( Gita, 3. 19 ).
SAKA YEAR 1857 ; 1936 A. D.
POONA.
Price (in India) Rs. 6/-
Y/arious Vernacular Editions
OF THE
GITA-RAHASYA
MARATHI
First Edition, June 1915.
Second Edition, September 1915.
Third Edition, September 1918.
Fourth Edition, 1923.
First Edition in two parts, 1924-1926.
HINDI
First Edition, 1917.
Second Edition, 1918.
Third Edition, 1919.
Fourth Edition, 1924.
Fifth Edition, 1925.
First Edition in two parts, 1926.
Sixth Edition, 1928.
Seventh Edition, 1933.
GUJARATHI
First Edition, 1917.
Second Edition, 1924.
BENGALI
First Edition, 1924.
KANARESE
First Edition, 1919.
TELUGU
First Edition, 1919.
TAMIL
First Edition, (First Volume only), out of print
Works of the Late LOK. B. G. TILAK-
(ENGLISH)
1. The Arctic Home in the Vedas ( Price Rs. 5 ).
2. The Orion, or Researches into the Antiquity of the-
Vedas ( Price Rs. 2 ).
3. The Vedic Chronology and the Vedanga Jyotisha
(Price Rs. 3.).
4. THE GITA-RAHASYA.
English, in two volumes. Price Rs. 10
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5. S'RlMAD BHAGAVADGITA,
(text, translation and important commentaries)
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GENERAL RULES REGARDING
THE TRANSLATION.
(i) Wherever a philosophical Sanskrit word used in the
Marathi text (not being a technical philosophical term which
has been Anglicised), has been rendered by me into English, I
have, wherever necessary, placed immediately after such
rendering the actual word used by the author in the original, in
italics, and within brackets ; e. g., bodily (kayika), Self -Realised
{atma-jnanin), occasional (naimittika), etc. This has been done to
enable such of my readers as are acquainted with Sanskrit to
understand what the Author himself wanted to say, in case my
rendering has not been correct.
(ii) If the word in the original text is a technical philoso-
phical word, which has been Anglicised, I have used the word
in Roman characters, beginning with a capital letter, e. g.,
Jlva, Paramesvara, Prakrti, Paramatman, Atman etc.
(iii) Diacritical signs have been used in order to ensure
correct pronunciation by the reader, whose attention is -drawn
to the tabular statement at p. viii showing what diacritical
sign has been used for indicating which sound.
(iv) Technical philosophical English words are used with
an initial capital letter in order to distinguish them from
when they are not so used, e. g., Real, Matter, Spirit, the
Imperceptible, Knowledge, Mind, Consciousness, the Quality-
less etc., unless the words have been used as adjectives, or in a
non-technical sense, e. g., the qualityless Brahman etc
(v) If in the text itself, there is a Sanskrit word in
brackets after another Sanskrit word, (which latter one has
been rendered by me into English), the Author's word in
brackets, though in Sanskrit, has not been put into italics, in
order to distinguish the case from where I have put such words
in italic characters, in brackets, after the rendering, as
mentioned in (i) above.
(vi) If the Sanskrit word in the original has been retained
in the translated text,' its rendering in English is placed after
it in brackets; e.g., the Mrya (product), karma (Action) etc.
This has been done only where the retention has been necessary
on account of the context.
viii GENERAL RULES RE : THE TRANSLATION
(vii) I have not added anything of my own in the translated
text except as follows :-In almost all places where the Author
has given a Sanskrit quotation, he has immediately after-
wards translated this quotation or given a summary of it in
Marathi ; and this, of course, has been translated into English.
In some places, however, the Author has not translated a
Sanskrit quotation into Marathi ; and in these cases, I myself
have translated it into English, for the convenience of the
reader not acquainted with Sanskrit ; but, wherever this has
been done,.I have added the word " — Trans." after the trans-
lation. Any inaccuracies in such translations, would, of course,
be mine. Where, however, such a quotation has been from
the Glta itself, I have rendered into English, the translation of
that quotation, as made by the Author himself, in his trans-
lation of the stanzas of the Glta ( as appearing in this Volume ).
B. S. SUKTHANKAR.
SCHEME OF TRANSLITERATION OP SANSKRIT
3T ...
...
a
3> ...
... k
Z ..
... th
3T ...
... b
sir ...
...
a
^ ...
■ •■ tCfh
3 1 ..
. ... d
V ...
... bh
I ...
...
i
T ...
... g
5 ..
. ... dh
H ...
... m
3g •••
...
I
*r ...
... gh
or ..
. ... y.
T ...
... y
g - ...
...
u
w ...
... n
a ..
. ... *
T ...
... f
3T ...
• ••
u
^3" •••
... c
«r ..
. ... th
<& ...
■•# v
* ...
...
T
® ...
... ch
«t ••
. ... d
n ...
... V
«r ...
...
e
3T ...
... J
*r ..
. ... dh
*T ...
... i
<t ...
• •a
ai
Igt •••
.. jh
H ..
. ... n
<r ...
... 8
3*t ...
• ■■
o
3T ...
... n
T ..
. ... v
*r ...
... s
3ft ...
...
au
5 ...
... t
"*r ..
... ph
t ...
... h
-{armsmra)rh, : ( usarga) ah , $r ks, % .jn
•S (avagraha) '
THE NUMBER OF VERSES ATTRIBUTED TO THE
VARIOUS CHARACTERS FIGURING IN THE
GITA IN ORDER OF ADHYAYAS.
Chapter.
Dhrtarastra. Safijaya.
Arjuna.
, Lord
Sri Krsna.
Total
No.
I ...
1
25
21
...
47
|II ...
...
3
6
63
72
Ill ...
...
••*
3
40
43
IV ...
...
••
1
41
42
v ...
...
...
1
28
29
VI ...
...
...
5
42
47
VII ...
...
...
• •*
30 *
.30
VIII ...
...
...
2
26
28
IX ...
...
...
...
34
34
X ...
...
...
7
35
42
XI ...
...
8
33
14
55
XII ...
...
...
1
19
20
XIII ...
...
...
...
34
34
XIV ...
...
...
1
26
27
XV ...
...
...
...
20
20
XVI ...
...
...
...
24
24
XVII ...
• ••
• ••
1
27
28
XVIII ...
...
5
2
71
78
1
41
84
574
700
x PICTORIAL MAP OF PHILOSOPHICAL SCHOOLS
EXPLANATION OF THE PICTORIAL MAP OF THE
PROMINENT SCHOOLS OF INDIAN PHILOSOPHY
mentioned in the GHA-RAHASYA.
Shown on the wrapper
and opp. page 18.
( Volume I ).
The river is the River of Time, on the banks which are the*
various Ages through which India has passed, namely, (1) the
Vedic Age, (2) the Age of the Gita, (3) the Age of Buddha,
(4) the Age of Shri Shankaracharya, (5) the Age Dnyaneshvara,
Tukarama and others being the Age of Devotion, (6) the Age of
Shri Samartha Ramadasa, showing the revival of Action, and
(7) the deputation of Indian Leaders at the gates of the Houses
of Parliament and (8) Mahatma Gandhi, in the Present Age. '
Nos. 1, 2, 6, 7 and 8 are the Ages of Action, or of Karma-
Yoga starting with the Vedic Karma age, and ending with the
present days, and forming a big L, which means the Lucky
Ages ; whereas Nos. 3", 4 and 5 are the Ages of Renunciation,
which are only a small passing cloud on the Karma-Yoga
tradition of India.
The narrow bed of the river in the Ages of Renunciation,
spreads out as it flows down along the plains of the Ages of
Action, suggesting the widening out of the view-point of
Philosophy from the narrow Pass of Renunciation to the broad
Fields of Action.
The two inset pictures in the form of the ' Svastika ' show
the five Pandavas on the Kuru field, and the five Indian
leaders near the Houses of Parliament, in each case, on the-
Field of Action. The last picture is of Mahatma Gandhi, the-
latest Karma-Yogin of India.
R. B. TlLAK.
(Reprinted from Vol. I for ready re fere ace
for the convenience of the Reader)
Detailed Contents of Yolume I with special reference-
to the subject-matter of chapters I to XIII
CHAPTER I— INTRODUCTORY.
The importance of Srlmad Bhagavadglta — the words used'
at the end of each chapter of the Gits showing the conclusion
of the chapter — the meaning of the word 'Gita,' — description of
several other Gltas and the inferiority of these Gltas and of
the Yoga-Vasistha etc. — methods of examination of a book —
modern external critics of the Bhagavadglta — the explanation
of the moral of the Gita as given in the Mahabharata — the
Prasthanatrayl ( i. e„ the Upanisads, the Vedanta-Sutras and
the Bhagavadglta), and the doctrine-supporting commentaries
on it — explanations of the moral of the Gita according to these
commentaries — Sri Samkaracfirya — Madhusudana — 'Tat-Tvam-
Asi ' — the Paisaca-Bhasya — Ramanujacarya — Madhvacarya —
Vallabhacarya — Nimbarka Sridharsvami — Jnanesvara — the
point of view of all of them is to support some doctrine or
other — the method of finding out the import of a work, without
seeking to support a doctrine — how that method is neglected
by the doctrine-supporting method — the introductory remarks
and the concluding portion in the Gita — the deadlock arising
from mutually conflicting Ethical principles, and the resulting
confusion as to one's duty — the advice in the Gita for solving
that confusion ... ... ... p. 1 to 39'
CHAPTER II. EARMA-JIJNASA-
( THE DESIRE TO KNOW THE BIGHT ACTION )
Two English (foreign) examples of the doubt about duty — ■
the importance of the Mahabharata from this point of view — the
doctrine of Non- Violence (ahimsa-dharma), and the exceptions to
it — 'the doctrine of Forgiveness (ksama), and the exceptions to-
it — the discrimination between Truth (saiya) and Falsehood
(anrta) according to our Sastras — a comparison of that discrimi-
nation according to English (foreign) Ethics — superiority andi
importance of the point of view of our philosophers — the
observance of a vow (pratijfia) and its limitations — the doctrine
xii DETAILED CONTENTS OF VOLUME I
of Not-Stealing, and the exceptions to it — the exceptions to
the doctrine that 'living is more important than dying' —
self-defence — duties owed to one's mother, father, preceptor
(guru) and other revered persons, and the exceptions to the
same— the relative importance of the restraint of Desire (kama\
Anger (krodha) and Avarice (lobha) — the occasions and the
limits of Time and Place for showing courage, and other
virtues—the relative importance of different courses of
Action — the subtle distinction between Morality (dharma) and
Immorality (adharma), and the wonderfulness of the
Glta... ... ... ... ... p. 40-69
CHAPTER III.
KARMA-YOGA-S ASTRA.
(The Science of Right Action).
The importance of the Desire to know the Right Action
(karma-jijnasa) — the first Chapter of the Glta and the necessity of
the Science of Right Action — the definition of the meaning of
the word 'Karma' — the subject of Karma according to Mimamsa
writers — the definition of the meaning of the word ' Yoga '
according to the Glta — Yoga = Karma-Yoga, and that is the only
doctrine which is expounded — synonyms for Right Action
(karma) and Wrong Action or Non-Action (akarma) — the three
methods of scientific exposition, namely the Materialistic
(adhibhautika), the Intuitionist (adhidaivika), and the Metaphy-
sical (adhyatmika) — why these methods came into existence — the
opinion of Comte — the Metaphysical point of view is the best
according to the Glta — two meanings of the word 'dharma' (i)
with reference to the next world and (ii) with reference to this
world — the system of the four castes and other systems — it is
* dharma ', because it maintains the world — 'dharma' in the form
of precepts (codana) — ordinary rules for distinguishing between
righteous and unrighteous Action (dharmadharma) — the doctrine
of ' mahajano yena gatah sa panihah \ i. e., 'that path is the true
one which is followed by the great', and the exceptions to it—
the doctrine of l ati sarvatra varjayet', i. e., 'avoid extremes', and
its incompleteness — the definition of Righteousness by consi-
dering what is not objected to (avirodha) — the object of the
science* of Karma-Yoga ... ... ... p. 70-101
DETAILED CONTENTS OF VOLUME I xiii
CHAPTEE IV.
ADHIBHAUTIKA-SUKHAVADA.
( The Materialistic theory of Happiness ).
An indroduction to the outlines of the subject — principles-
determining Morality (dharnza) and Immorality (adharma) —
Carvaka's doctrine of unalloyed selfishness — 'far-sighted
selfishness ' of Hobbes — Philanthropy is as much an inherent
desire as selfishness — the doctrine of Yajnavalkya of the benefit
of the Atman (atmartha) — the doctrine of the combination of
self-interest and other 's-interest, or 'enlightened self-interest' —
the objections to that doctrine — the doctrine of giving higher
importance to other's-interest — the doctrine of 'the greatest
good of the greatest number' — the objections to that doctrine —
who is to decide in what the greatest good of the greatest
number lies, and how — the superiority of the Eeason (buddhi)
of the doer, over the Action itself — why one should do goo'd to
others — the perfect state of mankind — that which is meritorious
(sreya), and that which is pleasurable (preya) — the transitoriness
of Happiness and Unhappiness, and the immutability of Moral
principles ... ... ... ... p. 102-12S
CHAPTEE V.
SUKHA-DUHKHA-VIVEKA.
( The Consideration of Happiness and Unhappiness ).
The inclination of everyone towards Happiness — the
characteristic features of and difference between Happiness and
Unhappiness — whether Happiness is an independent thing, or
means only the absence of Unhappiness — the opinion of the
School of Eenunciation — the refutation of that opinion — the
doctrine of the Gita — Happiness and Unhappiness are two
independent feelings ( bhava ) — the contrariety between the
Happiness and Unhappiness arising in this world — whether
there is more of Happiness or of Unhappiness in worldly life —
the Western theory that there is a preponderance of Happiness —
that worldly life is full of happiness does not follow from the-
fact that all mankind does not commit suicide — the uncontrol-
lable growth of the Desire for Happiness — the impossibility of
xiv DETAILED CONTENTS OF VOLUME I
-extinguishing the Desire for Happiness by enjoying Happi-
ness — therefore, there is a preponderance of Unhappiness in
worldly life — the propositions of our philosophers, consistent
with this point of view — the opinion of Schopenhauer — the
usefulnesss of Dissatisfaction — how to avoid its evil effects-
experiencing of Happiness or Unhappiness is within one's
•control, and characteristic features of the Hope for Fruit of
Action — prohibition of the Abandonment of Action, since
Unhappiness can be averted only by giving up Hope for Fruit
■of Action — the limits of restraint of the organs — the four
aphorisms (sutras) of the doctrine of Eight Action — the animal
nature of Bodily, that is, of Material Happiness — the superi-
ority and immutability of Happiness which is born of the
Atman, that is, of Metaphysical Happiness — the blending of
•these two kinds of Happiness is the ideal aceordiug*,tp the
doctrine of Right Action— the happiness born of the enjoyment
of 'Bodily pleasures, is inconstant and unfit to be an
ideal— the incompleteness of the Doctrine of Material
Happiness ... ... ... ... p. 129-166
CHAPTER VI.
ADHIDAIVATA-PAKSA AND KSETRAKSETRAJ-NA-
VICARA.
( The Intuitionist School and the Consideration of the
Body and the Atman ).
The Western School of 'Conscience' — similar references
in Indian philosophical works to the Goddess of the Mind
( manodevata ) — the objections of the Materialistic school
against the Intuitionist school — the decision as to what ought
not to be done can be quickly made, by habit and practice—
' Conscience ' is not an independent force — the objections of the
Metaphysical school — 'the great factory of the human Body —
the respective functions of the organs of Perception and the
•organs of Action — the respective functions of the Mind and the
Reason — the difference and inter-relation between the Discern-
ing (Pure) Reason (vyavasayatmiM buddhi) and Practical Reason
{vascaiatmika buddhi) — the Discerning Reason is initially one,
but is of three different kinds, according as it is sattvika, etc. —
DETAILED CONTENTS OF VOLUME I xv
Conscience is included in, and not different from, Discerning
Eeason — the nature of the Consideration of the Body and the
Atman, and of the Perishable and the Imperishable, and its
relation to the doctrine of Karma-Yoga (Right Action) — the
meaning of the word ' ksetra ' (Body) — the existence of the
' ksetrajfia ' that is, of the Atman — introduction to the Consi-
deration of the Perishable and the Imperishable ... p. 167-201
CHAPTER VII.
KAPILA-SAMKHYA-SASTRA OB KSARAKSARA-
VICARA.
(The Kapila-Samkya Philosophy or the Consideration of the
Mutable and the Immutable).
Systems of philosophy dealing with the Mutable and the
Immutable — the Atomic Theory of Kanadas — Kapila-Samkhya-
-the meaning of the word ' Samkhya ' — works dealing with the
Kapila-Samkhya System — the Doctrine of Satkarya-vada (some-
thing being produced out of something which existed) — the
fundamental substance of the world, or Prakrti is one — sattva,
.raja, and tama are its three constituents — the Static or samya
condition (samyavastha) of the three constituents, and the
creation of various objects by their mutual intermixtures —
Matter (Prakrti) is imperceptible, unbroken, homogeneous, and
inactive — the evolution of the Perceptible (vyakta) out of the
Imperceptible (avyakta) — Mind and Reason spring from
Matter — the Gross (Materialistic) Monism (Non-Dualism) of
Haeckel, and, tracing the origin of the Atman from Matter are
not acceptable to Samkhya philosophy — Matter (prakrti) and
Spirit ( purusa) are two independent Principles — of these, the
.Spirit ( purusa) is inactive, qualityless, and apathetic, and all
activity is of Matter ( prakrti) — the unf urlment of the Cosmos
is due to the union of the two — Release (moksa) is attained by
Realising the difference between Matter and Spirit — whose is
the Release, of Matter or of the Spirit ?— innumerable Spirits
of the Samkhya system, and the sole Spirit of the Vedantists —
-the condition of being beyond the three constituents (triguriatita-
vastha) — the difference between the doctrines of the "Samkhya
system, and similar doctrines of the Gita ... p. 202-228
xvi DETAILED CONTENTS OF VOLUME 1
CHAPTER VIII.
THE CONSTRUCTION AND DESTRUCTION OF THE
COSMOS.
The unfurlment of Matter — the characteristic features of
(Spiritual) Knowledge (jnana) and worldly knowledge
(vijnana) — the various theories as to the Creation of the Cosmos,
and their ultimate oneness — the modern theory of Evolution, and
its similarity to the Samkhya theory of the ' Developing-out '
of the Constituents (gunotkarsa) — an exposition of the theory of
the order of unfurlment of the Constituents of Matter, or of
the theory of the development of Constituents ( guyotkarsa-
vada, or gariaparindma-vada ) — the growth from Prakrti, first,
of Discerning Reason (vyavasayatrrtika buddhi), and then of
Individuation (ahamkara) — their innumerable sub-divisions
under- three main heads — the growth from Individuation of
eleven elements, including the Mind, in the organic world, and
of the five Subtle (fine) Elements called 'Tanmatras' in the
inorganic world— the reason why there are only five fine
elements (Tanmatras), and only eleven subtle organs — the evo-
lution of the Gross from the Subtle — Cosmic Tree of 25
elements — The Cosmic Tree (brahrm-vrksa) of the Anuglta and
the Pipal-Tree {asvattha) in the Glta — the different Samkhya and
VedSntic methods of classifying the twenty-five elements — the
relative tabular statement — the order given in books on
Vedanta of the creation of the five gross primordial elements — ■
and the subsequent growth of all gross objects by Pancikarana
(unifying of five) — its comparison with the Trivrtkarana
(union of three) mentioned in the Upanisads — the living
creation and the Subtle Body (linga-sarira) — the difference
between the Subtle Body according to the Vedanta and the
Samkhya philosophies— the activity (bhava) of the Reason, and
the Karma of Vedanta— Cosmic Destruction (pralaya) — the
period from Cosmic Creation to Cosmic Destruction — the
duration of a Kalpayuga— the day and night of Brahma-
deva, and the duration of his life — the contrast and similarity
of this Theory of the Evolution of the Cosmos with other
theories. " ... ... ... ... p. 229-267
DETAILED CONTENTS OF VOLUME I xvii
CHAPTER IX.
ADHYATMA.
( The Philosophy of the Absolute Self )
Objections to the Duality of Matter and Spirit— the
method of considering that which is beyond both — th©
Absolute Self ( paramatma or para purusa) is beyond both — the.
Trinity of Matter (Cosmos), Spirit (Jlva) and the Highest
Isvara (Paramesvara) — the description of the form of the
Paramesvara as given in the Glta — the Perceptible (vyakta}
or Qualityful (saguya) form, and its inferiority — the Impercep-
tible, capable of Perception by illusion ( Maya ) — the three
divisions of the Imperceptible into (i) qualityful (ii) quality-
less and (iii) qualityful-qualityless — similar descriptions
in the Upanisads — the methods of worship (vidya) and symbols.
( prattka ) mentioned in the Upanisads for worship ( upasana ) — -
of the three imperceptible forms, the qualityless is the
best — (p. 289) — the scientific exposition of the above doctrines — ■
the moot meanings of the words 'Qualityful' (saguva) and
' Qualityless ' (nirguna) — 'the natural idea of Immortality — how
the Knowledge of the universe is acquired, and what it consists
of — the description of the process of acquiring Knowledge, and
definition of Names and Forms — the Appearance of Names
and Forms, and the Thing-in-Itself (vastu-tatva)— the definition
of the Real (satya); Names and Forms are unreal (asatya)
because they are perishable, and the Thing-in-itself (vastu-tatva}
is Real, because imperishable— the Thing-in-Itself is the
imperishable Brahman, and Names and Forms are illusory — -
the meaning of the words Real (satya) and Illusory (mithya)
in Vedanta — the embodiment of Material Sciences is Names,
and Forms (p. 302) — the theory of vijnana is not acceptable
to Vedanita — the ancientness of the doctrine of Maya — the
form of the immutable (nitya) Brahman, clothed in Names
and Forms, and of the Embodied (sarira) Atman is the same —
why both are said to be of the form of Consciousness
(cit)— the identity of the Brahman and the Atman is expressed
by saying: "what is in the body (pirida) is also in the Cosmos
(brahmanda)" — the bliss of Realising the Brahman (brahma-
nanda )— the death of the Ego — the fourth state ( turiyavastha )
iii-iv
xviii DETAILED CONTENTS OF VOLUME I
and the exclusive contemplation of the One Entity, without
separate consciousness of the Known and the Knower
( rrirvikalpa-scnnudM )— the ultimate limit of Immortality and
the death of Death (p. 321) — the growth of Dualism ( dvaita-
vada) — both the Glta and the Upanisads propound the
Non-Dualistic Vedanta— - how the qualityful Maya ( Illusion )
grows out of the Qualityless ( nirguna ) — the ' vivarta ' theory
and the ' guvapaririama' theory — the doctrines of the
Philosophy of the Absolute Self, in short, regarding the
Cosmos ('jagat), the Personal Self (jiva) and the Highest
Isvara ( Paramesvara ), ( p. 336 )— the Reality or Unreality
of the Brahman — 'Om-Tat-Sat ' and other symbols of
the Brahman — how the Personal Self {jlua) is a part of the
Paramesvara — the Paramesvara is unbounded by Time and
Space (p. 341)— the ultimate doctrine of the Philosophy of
the Absolute Self— the feeling of Equability ingrained in
the bodily organs — the nature of Release (moksa) and a
description of the State of Perfection (siddhavastha), (p. 346) —
an exposition giving the literal meaning of the Nasadlya-
Sufcta in the Rg- Veda— the inter-relation between the previous
and the subsequent chapters ... ... p. 268-358
CHAPTER X.
KARMA-VD?AKA AND ATMA-SVATAMTRYA.
(The Effect of Karma and Freedom of Will).
The Maya-world and the Brahman-world — the strata of
the Body ; and the Subtle Body to which Karma clings — the
mutual relation between Karma, Names and Forms, and
Maya — the definitions of Karma and Maya — as the origin of
Maya cannot be found, it is eternal, though it is dependent —
the expansion of Matter embodied in Maya, or the Cosmos,
is Karma— therefore, Karma is also eternal — the uninterrupted
working of Karma — the Paramesvara gives the Fruit of
Action according to the Action, without interfering with the
matter (p. 368) — the adherence of the bond of Karma, and an
introduction to the theory of Freedom of Natural Inclination
{pravrtti svatamtrya)—th.e division of Karma into Accumulated
(samdta), Commenced (prUrabdha), and To-Be-Performed
(hiyamava) — the Accumulated Karma is exhausted only by
DETAILED CONTENTS OP VOLUME I xix
its being suffered (" prarabdha harmav-am bhogad eva ksayah") —
the Doctrine of ' Naiskarmyasiddhi ' (Release by refraining
from Action) of the Mlmamsa School, is not acceptable to the
Vedantists — there is no escape from the Bond of Karma,
except by JfiSna (Knowledge)— the meaning of the word
' Jfiana ' — the Embodied Atman is free to acquire Knowledge
(p. 389), but as it does not possess implements for doing so, it
is to that extent dependent — even the most trifling Action,
performed for obtaining Release is not wasted— therefore,
success will be obtained sometime or other by ha'rd work —
rthe nature of the Destruction of Karma— one cannot escape
Karma, but should give up the Hope of Fruit— the bond of
Karma is in the Mind, not in the Karma — therefore, whenever
Jnana is acquired, Release is the only possible result — the
importance, nevertheless, of the hour of close of life (p. 400)
the Karma-kanda and the Jfiana-kanda — the Yajfia prescribed
by the Srutis, and that prescribed by the Smrtis — the state of
a householder involving the performance of Action — its two
divisions into Knowledge-full and Knowledge-less Action —
different ultimate states accordingly — the DevaySna and the
Pitryana paths — whether these words indicate the time of
•death, or deities — the third path namely, the path to hell— a
■description of the condition of one who is Free from Re-birth
ijivanmukta) ... ... ... ... p. 359-415.
CHAPTER XL
SAMNYASA and KARMA-YOGA.
(Renunciation and Karma-Yoga.)
The question of Arjuna as to whether Samnyasa or Karma-
Yoga was the better course — similar paths of life according to
Western philosophy — synonyms of the words 'Samnyasa' and
'Karma-Yoga'— 'meaning of the word ' Samnyasa ' — Karma-
Yoga is not a part of Samnyasa, but both are independent of
each other — the confusion created in this matter by commen-
'tators — the clear doctrine of the Gita that the path of Karma-
Yoga is the better of the two — the perversions made by the
commentators belonging to the School of Renunciation — the
reply to the same — Arjuna cannot be looked upon as Ignorant
,(ajnani), (p. 432) — the reason given in the Gita. why Karma-
Yoga is superior — from times immemorial, the course df conduct
xx DETAILED CONTENTS OP VOLUME I
(acara) has been two-fold, and therefore, useless for determining:
which is better — the three Nisthas according to Janaka and the
two Nisthas according to the Gita — it does not follow that Karma
should be renounced, because it creates a bond ; it is enough if
one renounces the Hope for Fruit of Action — it is impossible to
renounce Karma — if one renounces Karma, one will not get
even food to eat — even if as a result of Knowledge, there is no
duty of one's own to perform, and one's desires are extinguished,
one cannot escape Karma — it is, therefore, essential to continue
Karma desirelessly, even after the Acquisition of Knowledge—
the illustrations of the Blessed Lord and of Janaka — the
giving up of the Hope of Fruit of Action — indifference towards
the world (vairagya) and enthusiasm for Action ( p. 455 ) —
Universal Welfare (lokasamgraha) and the nature of it — this
is the true resolution of the Eealisation of the Brahman
(brahmajnana) — still, this universal welfare must be obtained
according to the arrangement of the four castes and desirelessly
(p. 46?) — the path of leading one's life in four stages, which is
described in the Smrti texts — the importance of the state of a
householder (grMsthasrama) — the Bhagavata doctrine — the
original meanings of the word 'Bhagavata' and 'Smarta' — the
Gita supports the Karma-Yoga, that is to say, the Bhagavata
doctrine — the difference between the Karma-Yoga of the Gita
and the Karma-Yoga of the Mlmamsa School — the difference
between Bhagavata Samnyasa and Smarta Samnyasa — points of
similarity between the two— the ancientness of the Vedic
Karma-Yoga in the Manu-Smrti and of the Bhagavata
doctrine— the meaning of the words used in the Gita to show
the close of a chapter — the wonderfulness of the Gita, and the
appropriateness of the three parts of the Prasthanatrayi
(p. 490)— a concise statement in a tabular form showing the
points of difference and similarity between the Samnyasa
(Samkhya), and Karma-Yoga (Yoga)-the different ways of
leading one's life— the doctrine of the Gita that Karma-Yoga
is the best of all— hymns (mantra) from the Isavasyopanisad
. in support of this proposition— a consideration of the
Samkarabhasya on those hymns— authorities from the Manu>
and other Smrtis in support of the fusion of Knowledge and
■ Action . ... ... _ w _ p< 416-50&
DETAILED CONTENTS OF VOLUME I xxi
OHAPTEE XII.
SIDDHAVASTHS. AND VYAVAHARA.
( The State of a Perfect, and Worldly Affairs )
The perfect state of society — in this state, everyone is a
Steady-in-Mind (sthitaprajfla) — the climax of Morality — the
.Sthitaprajiia according to Western Philosophy — the state of a
.Sthitaprajfla, which is beyond laws — the behaviour of the
Karma-yogin Sthitaprajna is the climax of Morality — the
difference between the Morality of a selfish society, and the
Absolute Ethics in the State of Perfection — the description of the
best of men according to the Dasabodha — but, the immutability
of Ethical principles is not affected by this difference
>{p. 526) — on what basis this difference is observed by the
Sthitaprajna — the welfare or happiness of society, or the benefit
of all living beings — but Equability of Reason (samya-buddhi)
is superior to these external considerations — a comparison of
the doctrine of Equability of Reason with the theory of ' the
greatest good of the greatest number ' — living in the world
with Equability of Reason — philanthropy and one's own
maintenance — Self-Identification ( atmaupamya ) — the compre-
hensiveness, importance, and logical explanation of that
doctrine — 'the universe is the family' ('vasudhaiva-kutumbakam')
(p. 544) — though one might acquire Equability of Reason, one
cannot give the go-bye to considerations of who is deserving
and who not — absence of enmity ( nirvaira ) does not mean
inactivity, or non-resistance — ' measure for measure ' — the
restraint of evil-doers — the justification of patriotism, clan-
pride etc, — observing the limits of Time and Place, and Self-
defence — the duty of the Jfianin (scient) — universal welfare and
Karma-Yoga — summary of the subject — self-interest, other's-
interest, and the highest interest (paramartha) ... p. 510-565
CHAPTER XIII.
BHAKTI-MARGA
(The Path of Devotion.)
The difficulty of ordinary persons of small intelligence in
Realising the qualityless form of the Brahman — the* means of
xxii DETAILED CONTENTS OF VOLUME I
acquiring Knowledge, Religious Faith (sraddha) and Reason —
both these are mutually dependent — the accomplishment of
practical purposes by Faith — though one may acquire Know-
ledge of the Paramesvara by Faith, that is not; enough — in
order to be able to assimilate that Knowledge, it is necessary
to contemplate on the Paramesvara with an intense and
desireiess love — this is called DEVOTION — the Contemplation
of the .Qualityful Imperceptible, is laborious and difficult of
achievement — therefore, it is necessary to have some definite
object for -worship — the Path of Knowledge and the Path of
Devotion lead to the same goal — nevertheless, Devotion cannot
become a Nistha like Knowledge — the visible form of the
Paramesvara, accessible by love, which is taken for Devotion —
the meaning of the word ' pratika ' — the meaning of the words
' raja-wdya ' and ' raja-guhya ' — the lovingness in the Gita
(p. 586) — any one of the innumerable manifestations of the
Paramesvara can be taken as a symbol (pratika) — different,
symbols taken by different people and the resulting confu-
sion — how that can be avoided — the difference between the
symbol (pratika) and the belief with which one worships the
symbol — whatever the symbol is, the result obtained is
according to one's belief about it — worship of different deities
— but the One who gives the Fruit is the Paramesvara and not.
the deity — whichever deity is worshipped, that becomes an
informal worship of the Paramesvara — the superiority of the
Path of Devotion in the Glta, from this point of view — the
purity or impurity of Devotion and Love — improvement takes
place by gradual degrees, as a result of industry, and perfection
is reached after many births — that man who has neither Faith
nor Reason is lost — whether by Reason or by Devotion, the
knowledge of the same Non-Dual Brahman is obtained (p. 601) —
all the doctrines pertaining to the theory of Causality
(karma-vipaka-prakriya) and the Philosophy of the Absolute
Self, also stand good in the Path of Devotion — See, for.
instance, the form of the Personal Self (' jiva'), and of the
Paramesvara according to the Glta— nevertheless, there is
sometimes a verbal difference in these doctrines— for instance,.
Karma now becomes the same as the Paramesvara — dedication,
to the Brahman (brahmarpayia) and dedication to Krsna*
DETAILED CONTENTS OF VOLUME I xxiii
(krsyarparia) — but these verbal differences are not made, if
confusion results — the fusion of Faith and Spiritual Knowledge
in the Glta Religion—there is no room for ' Samnyasa ' in the
Path of Devotion — there is no conflict between Devotion
( bhakti ) and Action ( karma ) — devotees of the Blessed Lord
and Universal Welfare — worship of and sacrifice to the
Blessed Lord by one's own Actions only — whereas the Path
of Knowledge is open to the three re-generate classes, the Path
of Devotion is open to women and to Sudras etc. — there is
Release, even if one surrenders oneself to the Paramesvara at
the time of death— the superiority of the Eeligion of the Glta
over other religions ... ... ... p. 566-618
xxiv CONTENTS OF CHAP. XIV, XV & APPENDICES
DETAILED
Contents of chapters XIV and XV and of the Appendices,
which are included in the Second Volume
of the Book.
:o:-
CHAPTER XIV.
GITADHYlYA-SAMGATI.
( The Continuity of the chapters of the Gita ).
Two methods of proving a subject-^scientific and catechistic
— the good and bad aspects of the catechistic method — the
beginning of the Gita — the first chapter— in the second
■chapter, the subject-matter starts with only two Paths of life,
namely, the Samkhya and the Yoga — the exposition of Karma-
Yoga in the third, fourth and fifth chapters — Equability of
Reason ( samya-buddhi ) is better than Karma — it is impossible
to get rid of Karma — Karma-Yoga is superior to Samkhya-
Nistha — the necessity of the control of all organs in order to
attain Equability of Reason (samya-buddhi) — the method of
control of the organs mentioned in the sixth chapter — it is not
proper to divide the Gits into the three parts, Action (karma),
Devotion (bhakti) and Knowledge ( jnana )— Knowledge and
Devotion are the means of attaining Equability of Reason,
according to the Karma-Yoga— therefore, the Gita cannot be
divided into three six-chaptered parts, one part for Hvam,' one
for Hat' and one for 'asi' — the exposition of 'jfiana' and 'vyfiana'
is given in chapters VII to XII, for the successful practice of
Karma-Yoga, and not independently — a summary of chapters
VII to XII — even in these chapters of the Gita, Devotion and
Knowledge have not been dealt with independently, but are
intermingled with each other, and they have been given the
single name 'jfiana-vijflana' — a summary of chapters XIII to
XVII — the summing up in the eighteenth chapter is in support
of Karma-Yoga — theref ore, considering the introductory and
final chapters (upakrama-upsamhara) according to rules of the
Mlmarhsa, Karma-Yoga is seen to be the doctrine propounded
by the Gita— the four-fold goal of human life (purusartha) —
*artha' (wealth) and ' Jmrna ' (Desire) must be consistent with
CONTENTS OF CHAP. XIV, XV & APPENDICES xxv
'dharma' (Morality)— but Release (moksa) is not in conflict
with Morality (dharma) — how the Glta came to be explained
away as supporting Eenunciation — Is not Samkhya+Desireless
Action = Karma-Yoga, to be found in the Glta ?— nevertheless
Karma-Yoga is the doctrine ultimately expounded — prayer to
(the followers of the Path of Renunciation.
CHAPTER XV.
UPASAMHARA.
( Resume or Summary )
Difference between the science of Karma-Yoga and the
formulating of rules of Worldly Morality (acara-safngraha) —
the erroneous idea that Ethics cannot be properly justified by
Vedanta — Glta does that very thing — the Exposition of the
religion of the Glta solely from the point of view of Ethics —
Reason is superior to Karma — the Nakulopakhyana — similar
theorems in Buddhism and Christianity — comparison of the
doctrine of Equability of Reason in the Glta, with the two
Western doctrines of ' greatest good of the greatest number '
and ' Conscience '—similarity between Western Metaphysics
and the Exposition in the Glta — the doctrines of Kant and
Green — Vedanta and Ethics — the reason why there are various
codes of Ethics, and differences of opinion about the construc-
tion of the Body and the Cosmos — the important part of the
Metaphysical exposition in the Glta — the harmonising of
Release ( moksa ), Ethics and worldly life — Renunciation
according to Christianity — the Western idea of Action based on
■the search for Happiness — comparison of the same with the
Karma-marga in the Glta — difference between the arrangement
>of the four castes and Ethics — the Western Karma-marga is
based on elimination of pain, and the Glta religion is based on
Desirelessness — a short history of the Karma-Yoga in the
Kaliyuga — Jain and Buddhist monks — the Samnyasin followers
■of Samkaracarya — the Mahomedan rule — the Devotees of the
Blessed Lord, the galaxy of saints, and Ramadasa — the living-
ness of the Glta religion — the fearlessness, immutability, and
.equality of the Glta religion — prayer to the Almighty. *
xxvi CONTENTS OF CHAP. XIV. XV & APPENDICES
APPENDICES.
An External Examination of the Glta.
The Glta has been included in the Mahabharata for a
proper reason and at a proper place, it is not spurious nor
interpolated — PAET I : the useful purpose of the GITA and the
MAHABHARATA — the present form of the Glta — the present
form of the Mahabharata — the seven references in the Maha-
bharata to the Glta — similar stanzas and similarity of language
in both — also similarity of meaning — which proves that the
Glta and the Mahabharata were written by the same author —
PART, II : A comparison of the GITA and the UPANISADS—
similarity of language and similarity of meaning — the
Metaphysical Knowledge in the Glta is taken from the
Upanisads — the theory of Maya (Illusion) in the Upanisads
and in the Glta — What the Glta contains more than the
"Upanisads — the consistency between the Samkhya By stem and*
Vedanta — the worship of the Perceptible or the Path of
Devotion — but the most important subject is the exposition of
the Path of Karma-Yoga — the Yoga mentioned in the Glta for
the control of the organs, the Patanjala Yoga, and the
Upanisads — PART III : — Which was first in point of time, the
GITA or the BRAHMA-SUTRAS ?— the clear reference to the
Brahma-Sutras in the Glta — the repeated reference in the
Brahma-Sutras to the Glta by the word ' Smrti ' — a considera-
tion of the relative chronological position of the two books —
the Brahma-Sutras are either contemporary with or prior in
point of time to the present Glta, but not- subsequent — one sound
reason for the Brahma-Sutras being referred to in the Glta —
PART IV_:—The RISE of the BHAGAVATA DOCTRINE,,
and the GITA — the Path of Devotion in the Glta is consistent
with Vedanta, Samkhya and Yoga — it is not that the doctrines
of Vedanta have been subsequently inserted in the Glta —
the most ancient form of the Vedic religion is pre-eminently
for Action — the subsequent growth of Vedanta, Samkhya, and
Renunciation — the harmonisation of the two Paths of life had'
been arrived at already in ancient times — the subsequent
growth of Devotion — the consequent necessity for making:
Devotion consistent, from its very inception, with the former
paths of life — that is the trend of the Bhagavata doctrine, and,
CONTENTS OF CHAP. XIV, XV & APPENDICES xxvii
also of the Glta — the combination of Spiritual Knowledge with
Action in the-Glta is from the Upanisads, but there is the addi-
tion of Devotion — the ancient treatises on the Bhagavata doctrine,,
the Glta and the Narayaniyopakhyana — the date of Sri Krsna
and of the growth of the Satvata or Bhagavata religion is the
same — that time, is about 700 to 800 years before Buddha, or
about 1500 years before Christ— the reasons for thinking so —
the impossible position arising out of a different conclusion —
the original aspect of the Bhagavata religion supports Inaction —
the next aspect is Devotional — and the final aspeet is for
Qualified Monism ( Visistadvaita ) — the original Glta is
about 900 years before Christ— PART V:— THE DATE OF
THE PRESENT GITA— the date of the present Glta is the
same as of the present Mahabharata — out of these, the present
MahSbharata is prior in point of time to Bhasa, Asvaghosa
Asvalayana, Alexander, and the method of starting the year
with the Sun in Aries (Mesa), but subsequent to Buddha?
so it is about 500 years prior to the Saka era — the
present Glta is prior in point of time to Kalidasa,
Banabhatta, the dramatist Bhasa, the Puranas, Baudhayana,
and the Mahayana sect in Buddhism, that is, about 500 years
before the Saka era— PART VI : GITA and the BUDDHIST
LITERATURE — the similarity between the description of the
' Sthitaprajla ' in the Glta. and the ' Arhata ' of Buddhism —
the nature of the Buddhist religion, and its growth out of the
previous Brahmin religion — Buddha has discarded the doctrine
of the Atman in the Upanisads, and has adopted only a course
of conduct consistent with Renunciation (nivrtti) — the visible
reasons for this Path of life according to the Buddhist religion,
or the four arya truths — the similarity between the Vedic Smarta
religion, and the duties of a householder according to
Buddhism — all these ideas are originally from the Vedic
religion — the reason, nevertheless, for considering the Maha-
bharata and the Glta independently — the improbability of the
subsequent Devotional Buddhist religion having been evolved
out of the original Renunciatory Buddhist religion, which
denied the existence of the Atman— -the growth of the Maha-
yana Sect — reasons for concluding that the Path of Devotion
based on Action (pravrtti) in the Mahayana creed has been
xxviii CONTENTS OF CHAP. XIV, XV & APPENDICES
adopted from the Glta, and the consequent conclusion as to the
date of the Glta— PART VII :-GITA and the CHRISTIAN
BIBLE — the improbability of the Glta having adopted any
principle from the Christian religion — the Christian religion
is not a gradual and independent development out of the
Jewish religion— opinions of old Christian scholars as to how-
it came into existence — the Esin sect and Greek philosophy —
the astonishing similarity between the Buddhist and Christian
religions— but the priority in point of time of the Buddhist
religion is undoubted — evidence in support of the fact that the
Buddhist monks (yatin) had entered Jewish territory in
ancient times — the high probability, therefore, of the
elementary principles of Christianity having been adopted from
Buddhism, and consequently from the Vedic religion or from
the Glta— the resulting irresistible conclusion as to the
undoubted antiquity of the Glta.
ABBREVIATIONS xxir
Explanation of the Abbreviations used in the Glta-
Rahasya, and information about the treatises
referred to by the Abbreviations.
: o: :o :
NOTE : — These are not in the same order as in the original,
as they have been re-arranged according to the English
Alphabet, whereas in the original, they are arranged according
to the Marathi Alphabet — Trans.).
Ai. Bra. Aitareya Brahmarta ; pancika and khanda, (Dr, Honda's
Edition).
Ai. or 1 Aitareyopamsad ; chapter, kharida and stanza ( Ananda-
Ai. U. J srama Edition ).
Asta. A&tavakragita; chapter and stanza, ( Gtta-Samgraha
published by Messrs Ashtekar & Co. )
Atharva. Atharvaveda; the figures after this show respectively 5
the kanda, the sukta, and the rca.
Bhag. Brlmad Bhagavatapurana, (Nirnaya-Sagara Edition).
Bha. Jyo. Bharatiya Jyotih Sdstra ( Written by the late
Balkrishna Dikshit ).
Br. or 1 Brhadaranyakopanisat ; adhyaya, brahmarta and mantra
Brha. J ( Anandasrama Edition ). The usual reference is to the
Kanvapatha, but in one place, there is a reference to
the Madhyandina-sakha.
Bra. Su. See. Ve. Su. below.
Chan. Chandogyopanisat ; chapter, khanda and mantra. (Anan-
dasrama Edition).
Da. or \ The Dasabodha of Sri Samartha ( Edition of the
Dasa. J Satkaryottejaka Sabha, Dhulia ).
Ga. Tukarama's G-aiha (Damodar Savlarama's Edition, 1900).
Gl. Bhagavadgita, chapter and stanza ; Gi. Sam. Bha. ; Qlta
Samkarabhasya. Gita. Ra. Bha , Qlta Bamanujabhasya.
The Anandasrama Edition of the Gita and of the
Samkarabhasya contains at the end a glossary, which I
have found very useful ; and I am very grateful for it
to the compiler. The Rarridnujabhasya is the one
printed in the Venkatesvara Press; The Madhva-
bhazya is the one printed by Krishnacharya of Kumbha-
konam ; The Anandagiri Commentary, and the
Paramartha-prapa, are those printed in the Jagadhi-
jcxx ABBREVIATIONS
tecchu Press ; the Madhusudana Commentary is the
one printed in the Native Opinion Press ; the Sridhari
and Vamant (Marathi) Commentaries are those printed
in the Nirnayasagara Press ; the Paisacabhasya is the
one printed in the Anandasrama Press ; the Tatvadtpika
of the Vallabha school is the one printed in the Guzarati
Printing Press ; the Nllakanthl is from the Bombay
Mahabharata ; and the Brahmanandi is the one printed
in Madras ; these are the commentaries of which I
have made use. But, as the Guzarati Printing Press
has recently published together in one volume all
these commentaries except the PaisacabKasya and the
Brahamanandl, as also the commentary of the
Nimbarka School and some other commentaries, in all
fifteen, that one volume is now sufficient for all needs.
GT Ea° r 1 Qit&'R a fo as y a - The first essay of this book.
Hari. Harivamsa ; parva, chapter and stanza (Bombay Edition).
Isa. Isavasyopanisat. (Anandasrama Edition).
, Jai. Su. The Mimamsa-Sutras of Jaimini ; chapter, pada, and
sutra. (Calcutta Edition).
.'Jn5. Jnanesvart with translation ; Indira Press Edition.
Ka. or 1 Kathopanisat ; valll and mantra (Anandasrama
Katha. J Edition).
3£ai. KaivaLyomni$at; khanda and mantra; Twenty-eight
Upanisads (Nirnaya-Sagara Edition).
Kausl. Kausitakyupanisat or KausztaM Brahmanopanisat ;
chapter and khanda ; sometimes the first chapter of
this Upanisad is referred to as the third chapter
according to the order of the Brahmanas ; (Ananda-
srama Edition).
Kena. Kenopanisat ( = Talavakaropanisat ), khanda and mantra
(Anandasrama Edition).
.Ma. Bh§. &riman Mahabharata. The following letter shows the
various Parvas, and the numbers are of the chapters
and the stanzas. I have everywhere used the Sanskrit
Edition published at Calcutta by Babu Pratapchandra
Roy. If the same stanzas have to be referred to in
-the Bombay edition, they will be found a little in
advance or behind.
ABBREVIATIONS xxxi
Maitryu. Maitryupanisat or Maitrayanyupaisat ; prapatJiaka and
mantra (Anandasrama Edition).
Manu. Manu-Smrti, chapter and stanza. (Dr. Jolly's Edition ;
but in the Mandalik's or in any other edition, these
stanzas will mostly be found in the same places ; the
commentaries on Manu are from the Mandalik
edition).
"Matsya. Matsya-Purana (Anandasrama Edition).
Mi. Pra. Milinda Prasna, Pali text, English translation.
(Sacred Books of the East Series).
Mun. or 1 Mundakopanisat ; mundaka, khanda and mantra
Munda. J ( Anandasrama Edition ).
INar. Pan. Narada Pafi-caratra. (Calcutta edition).
JSTa. Su. Narada-Sutras (Bombay edition).
Nrsimha. U. Nrsimhottara tupantyopanisat.
Panca. Pancadasl with commentary (Nirnaya-Sagara Edition).
Patanjala-Sa. Patanjala-Yoga-Sutras. (Tukarama Tatya's
Edition).
Prasna. Prasnopanisat ; prasna and mantra. (Anandasrama
Edition).
Bg. Rg-veda ; mandala, sukta, and rca.
Bamapu. Ramapurvatapinyupanisat (Anandasrama Edition).
,S. B. E. Sacred Boolts of the East Series.
Sam. Ka. Samkhya Karika (Tukarama Tatya's Edition).
San. Su. Sanddya-Sutras (Bombay Edition).
Siva. Siva-glta ; chapter and stanza ; G-ita-Samgraha of
Messrs Ashtekar & Co.,
Surya. Gi. Surya-Glta ; chapter and stanza, (Madras Edition).
.Sve. Svetasvataropanisat ; chapter and mantra (Anandasrama
Edition).
Tai. or \ Taittiriya Upanisat ; valll, anuvaka, and mantra
Tai. TJ. J (Anandasrama Edition).
Tai. Bra. Taittiriya Brahmana; kanda, prapathaka, anuvaka
and mantra (Anandasrama Edition).
Tai. Sam. Taittiriya Samhita ; kanda, prapathaka, anuvaka and
mantra.
'Tuka. Ga. Tukarama's Gatha ; See Ga. above.
Vaja. Sam. Vajasaneyi Samhita ; chapter and mantra (Bebar
Edition).
xxxii ABBREVIATIONS
Valmlki Ra. orl Valmlki Ramayana; JcUnda, chapter and
Va. Ra. J stanza (Bombay Edition).
Ve. Su. Vedanta-Sutras or Brahma-Sutras ; chapter, pada, and
t sutra.
Ve. Su. Sam. Bha. Samkarabhasya on the Vedanta-Sutras ; the
Anandasrama Edition has been used everywhere.
Visnu. Visnu-Purana ; a?wsa, chapter, and stanza (Bombay
Edition).
Yajia. Yajnavalkya-Smrh ; chapter and stanza (Bombay
Edition) ; I have in one or two places referred to the
Apararka commentary (Bombay Edition) on this.
Yo. orl Yoga-Vasistha ; chapter, sarga, and stanza. There'
Yoga. J are two sub-divisions, Pu. (purvardha) and
U. ( uttarardha ) of the sixth chapter (Commentated'
Nimaya-Sagara Edition).;
NOTE : — Besides these, there are many Sanskrit, English,
Marathi, and Pali treatises, which have been mentioned in,
various places ; but as a general rule, the names of those books-
have been given in full, wherever they occur, or they have
been mentioned in such a way as to be easily intelligible ;
and -they have, therefore, not been mentioned in the above list.-
PROMINENT PERSONALITIES ON THE U-iTA.
MB. TILAK, AND THE GTTA-RAHASYA.
( Continued from p. xxm of Vol. I).
(8) SHRIMANT BALASAHEB PANT PRATINIDHI,
The Bhagvadgeeta has been regarded from time immemorial
as one of the three prasthanas or the status books -of Indian
philosophy, and is commented on in their own way by eminent
Acharyas like the great Shankara, Ramanuja, Nimbarka,
Madhva, Vallabha, and others, each of whom, however, being
the pioneer of an independent school of philosophy, twisted the
import of this great book in such a way as to make it in
conformity with his own system. -The illustrious Dnyaneshwar
wrote his first treatise on this book in Marathi and the Geeta-
Rahasya of the late Lokmanya Tilak is its only be'fitting
successor. The author of the Dnyaneshwari had prominently
in his view its devotional aspect, which he naturally emphasised
in his work ; but, as the author of the Geeta-Rahasya rightly
points out, the " Geeta " is neither a book of knowledge nor of
devotion nor of action : but rather a harmonious combination of
them all. Geeta-Rahasya can thus be said to be the most
honest and impartial commentary on the book.
The work of translating such a book into English was by
no means easy for Solicitor Sukthankar ; and he too ought to
have realised it at the time of undertaking this job. His
responsibility was twofold : to make the translation
intelligible, and at the same time not to cause any damage to
the original ; and judging from the translation that we have in
hand, he can be very well said to have carried out his work
most satisfactorily. We went through almost all the portion
of the translation and found it to be quite interesting and
intelligible without the help of the original. That the
translation is most strictly faithful to the text only shows his
self-control and unbiassed bent of mind, which a true translator
ought to have. To make the translation worthy of the original,
Solicitor Sukthankar seems to have spared no pains. '
v — vi
xxxiv PROMINENT PERSONALITIES ON THE GITA ETC.
Geeta-Rahasya, apart from being one of the greatest
philosophical treatises in Marathi, is the crown-work of the late
Lokamanya ; and was badly in need of such a translation for
becoming known to the world at large. The Geeta-Rahasya
being an indicator to its writer's philosophy of life, the
-translation will not only help the world to judge the writer and
realise the value of his original work, but will also help it to
understand the real meaning of the Geeta itself and make it
aware of him as a master-intellect that everybody can be proud
of. We must all be very grateful to Solicitor Sukthankar
for his commendable work of translation, and hope him every
due and well deserved reward for his efforts.
(9) THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE FAIZ B. TYABJI,
High Court, Bombay.
It is a sincere pleasure to me to hear that Lokmanya
Tilak's scholarly works are being rendered available in
English The Gita has been frequently translated into English
though it is not surprising that scholars are not altogether
satisfied with the renderings that have so far been published.
A work giving a really spiritual interpretation of this inspiring
work must supply an urgent need of the young men and
women of to-day. The danger of being cut off from what is
considered religion requires particular attention in these days.
The danger is the more serious, as our young men are apt to
fear that their spiritual needs cannot be met from texts that
are the foundations of religion. The great religions, it is true,
have had their foundations in the East. But, it is thought that
their interpretation, so as to adopt them to the needs of to-day,
must be sought from the West. To turn, therefore, to the most
spiritual expressions of our own religious teachers, as inter-
preted by the modern teachers in the East, is an extremely
necessary part of the educational experiences through which we
.should all pass. To men of ripe experience, it must be a
peculiar satisfaction to have such a work available. I am
looking forward with keen interest to this publication.
PROMINENT PERSONALITIES ON THE GlTA ETC. xxxv
(10) SIR MOHAMMAD IQBAL.
I have always held the Bhagavad-Gita in the highest
'.admiration.
(11) SRI MEHER BABA,
The Bhagavad-Gita has exerted a tremendous spiritual
influence on humanity at large. As the Blessed Lord Sri Krishna
-was born a Hindu, the Gita is more often than never regarded
as a sacred book of the Hindus ; but really speaking, it is a
sacred book of not merely the Hindus but of the entire human
race. The message that it contains was meant not merely for
India, but for the whole world. Let mankind act in accordance
.with its message, and the universal brotherhood will surely be
.automatically brought about.
Those who cast doubts on the perfect sainthood of Shri
Krishna, know not what they are doing. He was certainly a
• God-incarnate ; and because He was a Sadguru, a Perfect
Saint, He was successful in inundating the world with
spirituality and lofty spiritual teachings.
-(12) Rao Bahadur Vidvatkulasekhara C. V. VAIDYA,MA.,LL.B.
THE AGE OF THE GITA AND GITAOAYANTI.
I propose to place my views on the " Age of the Gita " as
succinctly as possible. When was this unique work composed,
is the question which naturally arises in every mind.
The Gita itself purports to state that it was taught by
Lord Sri Krsna to Arjuna, hero of the Mahabharata War, on the
field of battle, before the fight commenced, but when the fighters
were actually facing each other, ready to commence the fight.
It follows, therefore, that the date of the Gita is the date of the
commencement of the Bharata fight. This date is the subject of
dispute between European scholars, followed by some Indian
scholars, and myself. I hold that the date assigned to the fight
hy all ancient Indian writers, especially astronomers, is the
correct one, viz. Margaslrsa Suddha 13, Pre-Saka 3180
(3102 B. O). I will not enter into the details of the controversy
here, but merely indicate my grounds.
xxxvi PROMINENT PERSONALITIES ON THE GITA ETC.
The Bharata heroes are referred to in the 'Satapatha.
Brahmana ', and the date of this Brahmana has been fixed by
Shankar Balkrishna Dikshit, a great modern Indian
astronomical researcher, at about 3,000 B. G. from the
astronomical statement in it that the Krttikas rise exactly in
the East. Attempt has lately been made by Winternitz to.
dislodge this date by suggesting that the statement (tpTT W
&(rtor : sn^ft ft??!* « reqr?i% ) in the ' Satapatha ' means only that
the Krttikas come on the East line, and not that they rise in the
East. Bui this rendering is negatived by the very next sentence
' all other stars deviate from the East ' (^refrfa £ 3T ST^rm H^r=m%'
^tr^cf) in the ' Satapatha ', as shown by me in detail in an
article published in the Bhandarkar Research Institute Journal.
If, then, Pariksit and others, mentioned in the ' Satapatha ' of.
3,000 B. C. as recent kings, are taken to be the grandson and
great-grandsons of Arjuna, the date of the fight, viz. one year
before the commencement of the Kali age, given by all
Indian astronomers, or 3102 B. O., is perfectly borne out by the
'Satapatha' statement. European scholars, and some Indian
scholars, too, place the fight about 1400 B. C. on the strength
of the pedigrees of kings given in Puranas from the Nine
Nandas to Brhadratha, son of Jarasandha. The evidence of
the Puranas, however, has no value when compared with the
evidence of the 'Satpatha'. Indeed, Purana genealogies are
not reliable, particularly for ancient dynasties, especially as
they are contradicted by the evidence of Megasthenes, recorded
about 320 B.C., as shown by me in detail in " Mahabharata-
Mlmarhsa", a Hindi work. This 'short summary of the con-
troversy will show to the reader that the year of the Bharata
fight must be taken to be 3102 B. C.
With regard to the exact -day of the fight, there is also,
a controversy. But the difference is only of two days. The
Gita-Jayanti day is Margaslrsa suddha 11, 'EkadasI' day ;
hut the statement in the Mahabharata and the course of the
fight as described therein lead to no other day than suddlia 13,
and this is the date accepted by old writers and' commentators
of the Mahabharata. They have consented*, to hold the Jayanti
for 3 days continually, viz., from Ekadasi to , Trayoda&i.
PROMINENT PERSONALITIES ON THE GlTA ETC. xxxvii
To speak in English dates, the Mahabharata fight commenced
in December 3102 B. C, and the ' Gita ' was preached on
the morning of that day.
Having placed before the reader the day by date and year
.on which the doctrines of the ' Gita' were preached by Sri Krsna,
we go on to state that this cannot be the date of the ' Gita ' as
it is before us. For the first chapter, etc., cannot have belonged
.to the teaching, as it was actually given. The whole story
is told afterwards by some one, and that is Vyasa undoubtedly.
As the teaching of Christ is given in several books of the
.New Testament written by St. John and others, so Vyasa
may be taken to be the writer who first recorded this teaching
in a work to be studied and recited When this was written
by Vyasa cannot be definitely stated. He must, however,
have done it within a few years of the fight, and we may
roughly say that the date of the original ' Gita ' is somewhere
about 3100 B. C.
But it is clear that the work as it is before us is not exactly
that of Vyasa. We know for certain that the original work of
Vyasa, called ' Jaya ' or Victory (H^r srag^fc^ , SPIT RTflTft
"fr^tw*) was twice recast or further expanded, once by Vaisam-
,payana, who related ' Bharata ' to Janamejaya, and again by
Sauti, who related it to Saunaka and other Brahmins in
Naimisaranya. This work has three names, viz. ' Jaya ',
* Bharata ', and ' Mahabharata ', and the extent of the 'Bharata',
■ of Vaisampayana is also given as 24,000 slokas, while that of
the Mahabharata is, as is well-known, one.lakh of verses. The
original of th8 ' Gita ', no doubt, belonged to the ' Jaya '
. ( Victory) of Vyasa ; but the work as it is before us belongs, in
our opinion, most certainly, to the ' Bharata' of Vaisampayana,
and not to the Mahabharata of Sauti. The arguments for this
view are given at length in the last chapter of Mahabharata-
Mlmaihsa ; but it may here be stated briefly that the greatness
• of this work is described even in the Mahabharata itself,
wherein it is related that Arjuna again asked Sri Krsna
to teach him what was taught on the battlefield. But Sri
Xrsna answered : " What I told you then, being in the required
'Yogic mood (*farg%H %<TCfr), I cannot tell you again. I will
xxxviii PROMINENT PERSONALITIES ON THE GlTA ETC.
tell you, however, another episode". And thus the ' Anuglta "
s introduced in the Mahabharata. Then, again, the verses in.
the ' Gita, ' are constantly repeated in the Mahabharata through-
out its length as of some authoritative work. It is hence
certain that the ' Gita ' does not belong to the Mahabharata of
Sauti but it belongs to the ' Bharata ' of Vaisampayana. The
date of the former is conceded to be about 250 B. C. as shown
at length in " Mahabharata-Mlmamsa " (Chapter I) ; but the
date of Vaisampayana's ' Bharata ' cannot be indubitably
fixed, and hence the date of the ' Gita-', as it is to-day, is
uncertain.
But, there are various arguments which point to 1400 B. C
speaking roughly in centuries, as the probable age of the ' Gita '.
In the first place the language of the ' Gita, ' strikes one as a'
spoken language and not classical Sanskrit of the time when it
was dead and spoken only by Pandits. We know that Buddha
preached his new religion to the people in Pali, a Prakrit ; and
hence it is certain that in his time Sanskrit was dead as a.
spoken language of the common people. The ' Gita ', therefore,'
precedes Buddha of 500 B. G. Again, there is no reference to
Buddhism in the ' Gita ', though there are many references to
the doctrines of Buddhism in the ' Mahabharata '. Some people
think that in Chapter XVI there is a reference to Buddhist'
tenets in the description of the Asurl character. But this is &•
description of Atheists. Por Buddhism is in favour of
Renunciation, and not the enjoyment of the world. On the /
other hand, there is not the least doubt that ' Gita ' is post-
TJpanisadic. The doctrine of Renunciation was first preached*
by the ' Brhadaranyaka \ and it pervades the spirit of all the
thirteen old Upanisads. It is clear the 'Gita' is not for
Renunciation. Indeed, Arjuna is actuated by that spirit when
he asks the first and subsequent question in the Gita and Sri
Krsna sums His preaching in the pithy verse (*riw: *&?Ml%ar
re= £*W«R T f4 t I cfsffeg *tfywjraif*4*n*Ti fifeima n Gl. 5. 2.). This 1
is wrongly interpreted by those who believe that the object of
the ' Gita ' is to preach ' Sarimyasa '. Lokamanya Tilak has-
pointed out its true import, which is also the natural one. As-.
the " Maitrayanlya TJpanisad" must be dated 1900 B. <X
PBOMINENT PEESONALITIES ON THE GlTA ETC. xxxix
roughly, as shown by Tilak from an astronomical statement in
it, the ' Glta ' must be placed between 1900 B. G and 500 B. C-
This is a wide range, no doubt ; but it supplies one with limits,
which are certain and unassailable.
There are a few arguments which will give us a more
definite approximation to the probable date. It has been rightly
shown by some scholars that the ' Glta ' is not only pre-
Buddhistic but pre-Paninlan. Many forms in it are against.
Paninl's rules. More interesting still is ( HRTTHT JmfflWf.SP? ) as
the month names are modern and not Vedic names, new names
being introduced about 2,000 B. C. according to Shanker
Balkrishna Dikshit. But, according to Vedanga Jyotisa, the
first month is Magha, and hence the ' Glta, ' seems to be prior
to the ' Vedanga Jyotisa ' also, the date of which is about 1190'
B. C. even according to the calculation of Archbishop Pratt,
who worked the date out for Max Muller. Dikshit takes its date
to be about 1400 B. C. It may thus be taken without much
difficulty that 1400 B. C. is the probable date of the Gita.
Another sentence furnishes a further argument in favour of
this date. It may be accepted that Sri Krsna was already
c onsidered a divine being, indeed as an incarnation of the Highest
Deity at the time of the Glta ; but not probably Arjuna. Yet,
when Sri Krsna says ( ' f*rfM =HSfCl-SRiT mugct'MT yn'gfST': ', ), he
lays the foundation of Arjuna-worship. From Paninl's Sutra
( ' ^T^5T^HnKtt=i;»3[ ' ), we are sure that during Panini's time both
Vasudeva and Arjuna were worshipped, though Arjuna lost his
position later on. Glta is therefore pre-Paninlan undoubtedly.
If we take the date of PaninI to be about 800 B. 0., as most
Indians Scholars do, though Europeans scholars place him about
300 B. G, we may take, the Glta to about 1200 B. O. or at least
to 1,000 B. C. When we further remember that Sri Krsna
identifies Himself with Margaslrsa as being the first of months,
as in other things, we can take the Glta, still further back, i. e.,
about 1,400 B. 0., before the latest possible date for Vedanga
Jyotisa.
The exact age of the Glta is, no doubt difficult to
determine for want of detailed knowledge of the political,
social and religious history of India, before Buddha. The-
xl PROMINENT PERSONALITIES ON the GITA ETC.
doctrine of Ahimsa is preached no doubt in the Glta. But it is
not the doctrine of Buddha. It had already been preached by the
Upanisads (ariftrac mm 1931*1* *fi3w Chandogya), and the
Glta keeps to it. Himsa in sacrifice is not Himsa as Hindus
then believed. Buddha prohibited it altogether. This religious
question is not at the root of the teaching of the Glta. The
question which was agitating Arjuna was wholly a moral one ;
and related, not to the slaughter of animals in sacrifices to God'
but to the slaughter of men in battle, slaughter of even relatives
even in a just war. The question was only a moral or a political
one no doubt ; but in India all questions are only a part of the
great question : what is the duty of man in this life both from
the worldly point of view and the view of the highest goal of
human existence ? It was hence necessary that the question
should be discussed fully from these points of view and the
Bhagavad-Glta discusses it so thoroughly from all sides and in
such a simple yet eloquent manner, in language so deep and
meaningful, that the Glta will always remain at the head of
religious, philosophical and moral treatises. The answer of
Sri Krsna to the vital question which is at the root of the Glta
is remarakable. The view is summed up at the end in the verse:
(Extract from Mr. C. V. Vaidya's article in the
Kalyan Kalpataru, Gita Number, 1935.
Glta Press, Gorakhpur, INDIA.)
(13) MRS. SOPHIA WADIA.
GITA-JAYANTI.
It is computed that Moksada Ekadasi— the eleventh day of
Marga-Sirsa, which is auspicious to those seeking spiritual
realization— was the day when Sri Krisna began to deliver on
the field of duty His Sermon to the mentally confused Arjuna.
lneref ore that day is regarded as the birth-day of the Gita Yery
many Hindus celebrate this day-Gita-Jayanti. The Bhagavad-
gita is reverenced as the song of life, and its reciters and
PROMINENT PERSONALITIES ON THE GtTA ETC. xli
readers are said to attain fortune, victory, prosperity and
-righteousness. That its doctrines emancipate the human soul
and enlighten it with Wisdom and Peace is a well-recognized
fact.
The message of the Gita has a universal appeal. Its
teachings are fundamentally psychological and practical ; they
are addressed to man, the thinker, from whom no blind belief in
ithem is demanded, but whose reason is kindled into conviction.
The Gita is a drama ; its characters are human passions and
principles in Nature personified. Its historical back-ground
and martial ' melange ' have misled some, but more and more is
it being recognized that the Gita symbolizes the eternal
struggle between the material and the spiritual in every human
being. Any thinking individual is capable of recognizing that
the story of the Gita is the story of life. The more one listens
to the Song of life, the more one realizes that it is the song of
his own life. Thus the Gita is understood by each thinking
•soul in his own way, according to his own stage in evolution.
To each the Gita offers the solution of his own problems. Thus
any deluded mortal of any community using the lessons taught
can become enlightened and immortal.
The Gita has not only universal appeal ; its influence is
universalizing. It may be regarded as the book of democracy ;
it teaches that Spirit is the seed of all, and in the hearts of all
beings It is rooted. The pure democratic doctrines of the Gita
do not advocate any process of levelling down all human beings
to an equality in material things ; they advocate the realization
of an existing unity in Spirit, Which manifests as harmony in
diversities. The socialism of the Gita is founded on the maxim
of noblesse oblige and the method of attaining it is by the
unf oldment of nobility at every stage and in every station of
life. The social philosophy of the Gita recognises the divisions
and differences of the human kingdom, and it does not attempt
the impossible task of doing away with or ignoring them ; it
teaches their meaning and purpose, and reveals that they are
but the results of the natural processes of evolution. Thus, for
example, the Gita does not say that castes and classes are
•useless and should be destroyed ; it explains Varnas or castes
xlii PROMINENT PERSONALITIES ON THE GlTA ETC.
from the point of view of the soul; they are expressions of
varying qualities of the evolving human consciousness. By-
merit and merit alone a man is of high or low caste or class, and,
birth, family, religion or wealth do not determine the soul's
station in life ; its own qualities bespeak its stage of evolution.
By self-control and self -effort any sinner can become pare.
The inspiration of the Gita produces a series of progressive
awakenings, but all of them result in reliance on the Self
within, which is perceived as the Inner Ruler. No prophet, no
priest can save that Self ; no king, no emperor can have power-
over it. It is its own saviour and holds sway over its own.
kingdom of the mind, its own empire of the heart. Thus the
Gita destroys priest-made orthodoxy and sectarianism, but does
not leave the man barren and lonely ; for it brings to him the
companionship of the Sage and the Prophet. It illuminates for
the Muslims his Koran, for the Parsi his Avesta, for the
Christian his Bible. These are no more regarded as infallible
books, but as avenues leading to the understanding and.
appreciation of their great recorders. For example, the teaching
about Sraddha will purify and deepen the faith of the Muslims ;
the austerities and mortifications of body, speech, and mind, will
make the Zoroastrian more enlightened about the triad of good
deeds, good words, and good thoughts, which he reveres ; the
Sikh's martial ardour, the Jain's gentleness, will become more
elevated qualities ; the Christian will learn why ordinarily he
is not able to live up to the Sermon on the Mount, and by.
what stages he can reach the position where he will be able
to do so ; and so on. That which is the force of evil in every
religion will weaken, and the unifying spirit of true religion,
will become more and more manifest.
The principle of democracy, in which each grade of
intelligence has its duties to discharge, contributes substantially
to the unfoldment of the quality of self-reliance. The philo-
sophy of the Gita is the philosophy of responsibility to neigh-
bour and stranger, to country and race, to the whole of nature*
visible and invisible; its practice resolves itself into the-
Religion of Duty. The performance of duties requires a discern-
PROMINENT PERSONALITIES ON THE GHA ETC. xliii
merit of what are not our duties ; otherwise like Arjuna, we--
shall want to run away from our real duty, thinking that it
consists in giving way to the enemy within and making peace
with the wrong-doer in the world. The Gita has a unifying
force ; that power can bind men and women of different religions
into a single whole; for, he who practises self-control, who
attempts purification of his own thoughts, words and deeds, who
endeavours to live his days and years in an enlightened
manner, comes in unison and harmony, unconsciously to himself,
with all others who are engaged in the same task.
To make the celebration of "Gita-Jayanti" an institution,
we must first restore the book to its original position, from
which it has fallen to assume a sectarian character. It is not
a religious code but a spiritual poem ; its teachings, both meta-
physical and ethical, have naught to do with religious rites,
priests or temples ; it is not other-worldly — it deals with the
problems of life in this world. Its message is clear, its langu-
age is simple, and no man needs an intermediary to approach
it or to appreciate it. It is not fragmentary and there are no
lacunae to be filled up by some expounder or by some study of
other texts. It itself is perfectly rounded off; in itself it is
complete. It grades off gently to depth after depth in the
mighty ocean of wisdom. It rises tier over tier like an awe-
inspiring mountain. Any man, any woman, in the East as in
the West, can find his or her own place in its scheme, the very
next step to be taken by him, the way to take that step, and the
way to keep on progressing.
The right approach to the Gita consists in having our mind:
fresh to penetrate its verses. The effect is magical.
(Extract from Mrs. Sofia Wadia's article in the Kalyaac
Kalpa-Taru, Gita Number 1935, Gita Press, Gorakhapur*.
INDIA).
TRANSLATOR'S FOREWORD.
It is with a feeling of relief, and of satisfaction at having
discharged my duty (kartavya), that I am laying down the
pen on the last line of the translation of the Glta-Rahasya.
In completing this volume, I have adhered to the General
Rules of Translation printed at page xxxix of Volume I,
which I have re-printed at pp. vii-viii of this Volume for
the convenience of the readers. Notwithstanding the suggestion
made in some of the reviews of Volume I of this translation,
that a free rendering of the text would appeal more to the
public, I have followed the standard rule of translation, namely,
of faithfulness to the text, with due regard to the idiom of
the language into which the text is translated; because, my
aim has not been to give the public what they would like
to have, but what they ought to, and are entitled to have.
The generality of the reviewers of Volume I have not,
I am glad to feel, attacked the philosophy of the author or
his conclusions as to the Path of Life preached by the Bhagavad-
glta.^ And I have been much encouraged in the preparation
■ of this Volume by the appreciatory and heartening reception,
which has been accorded to Volume I.
It would be outside the scope of my commission to express
any opinion in this Foreword on the conclusions of Author
regarding the Message of the Gits.
In spite of scrupulous care taken in going over the proofs,
some mistakes have inevitably crept in; but they are so patent,
•that I have not considered it necessary to add a list of errata
and corrigenda.
■ f a v* n L ° f the IndeX 0f Defini tions ( Terminological Express-
ions), has been compiled by -me by way of cross-reference
to Part I; and it is hoped that it will serve the purpose of
tirae of my readers, who know the Terminological Expressions
only m Engteh, and cannot understand them in Sanskrit.
For the education, however, of these readers, I have added
TRANSLATOR'S FOREWORD xlv
after the English word, the actual Sanskrit terminological
expression for which it stands in the translation, wherever
I have considered that necessary.
In concluding, I wish to express my sincere appreciation
of the trouble taken by the Bombay Vaibhava Press in putting
the Second Volume through the Press with the greatest possible
speed, which was consistent with the correct printing of the
copy ; and of the consistent courtesy shown and the ungrudging
help given to me in the matter of proofs and of carrying out
the corrections.
I am glad to see that this Volume is going to be published
on the auspicious Rama-Navami day, which happens, incident-
ally, to be the birth-day of the Publisher Mr. R. B. Tilak.
& ^mt w\3x( wr^rnr i
Maha-Shivaratri, \ u q cjTtir „_. 1(r _. 13
22nd February, 1936. J R S " &T -'KTHANKAB.
CONTENTS OF VOLUME II.
( GENERAL )
Subject.
Title-page
Various vernacular editions of the Glta-Rahasya
"Works of the late Lokamanya B. G. Tilak
1 General Rules regarding the translation
.Scheme of transliteration
Number of stanzas in the Gita, and to whom
attributed ...
Explanation of pictorial map of schools of
philosophy
Detailed contents of Vol. I with special reference
to the subject-matter of Chapters I to XIII ...
Detailed contents of Chapters XIV and XV and
Appendix included in Vol. II
Explanation of Abbreviations
Prominent personalities on the Gita, Mr. Tilak,
and the Glta-Rahasya-
' Translator's Foreword ...
Contents of Volume II (General) ...
List of Illustrations
• Chap. XIV : Continuity of Chapters of the Gita
Chap. XV: Conclusion
APPENDIX. (External Examination of the
Bhagavadglta — General Remarks )
Part I— The Gita and the Mahabharata ...
Part II — The Gita and the Upanisads
Part III— The Gita and the Brahma-Sutras.
Part IV— The rise of the Bhagavata Religion
and the Gita
Part V— The date of the present Gita
Part VI— The Gita and the Buddhistic
literature
Part VII— The Gita and the Christian Bible.
. Author's Preface to his commentated Transla-
tion of the Gita,
- Detailed contents of subjects in the
chapters of the Gita ...
various
Page.
iii
v
vi
vii
viii
ix
xi to xxiii
xxiv to xxviii
xxix to xxxii
xxxiii to xliii
xliv to xlv
xlvi to xlviii
xlviii
621 to 663
664 to 714
715 to;720
720 to 739
739-to 748
749 to 758
759 to 784
785 to 800
800 to 820
820 to 831
835 to 837
838 to 850
CONTENTS OF VOLUME II xlvii
Subject. Pa S e -
"The Original stanzas of the GITA, with their
translation, and the commentary on it ... 851 et seq.
Chap. I— The Yoga of the Dejection of
Arjuna ... ... - 851 to 865
Chap. II— The Yoga of the Samkhyas
(Samkhya-Yoga) ... ... 866 to 908
Chap. Ill— The Yoga of Right Action
(Karma-Yoga) ... ... .909 to 938
Chap. IV— The Yoga of Knowledge and the
Abandonment of (Fruit of)
Action ... .» 939 to 967
Chap V— The Yoga of Renunciation
(Samnyasa) ... ... 968 to 980
Chap. VI— The Yoga of Meditation (Dhyana) 981 to 1009
Chap. VII— The Yoga of Spiritual Know-
ledge (jnana) and Empirical
Knowledge (vijnana) 1010 to 1026
Chap. VIII— The Yoga of the Imperishable
Brahm&n ... ... 1027 to 1043
Chap. IX— The Yoga of the King of Sciences,
and the King of Mysteries ... 1044 to 1061
Chap. X— The Yoga of Manifestations ... 1062 to 1078
Chap. XI— The Yoga of the Vision of the
Cosmic Form ... ... 1079 to 1094
Chap. XII— The Yoga of Devotion (Bhakti). 1095 to 1105
Chap. XIII— The Yoga of the distinction
between the Body (ksetra)
and the Atman (ksetrajna) ... 1106 to 1123
Chap. XIV— The Yoga of the Division (of
Prakrti) into Three Consti-
tuents ... ... 1124 to 1133
Chap. XV— The Yoga of the Purusottama ... 1134 to 1147
Chap. XVI— The Yoga of the Division into
Godly and Ungodly Endow-
ment ... ... 1148 to 1157
xlviii CONTENTS OF VOLUME II
Subject. Page.
Chap. XVII — The Yoga of the Division into
three kinds of Faith ... 1158 to 1170
Chap. XVIII— The Yoga [of Release
and Renunciation ( of the
Fruit of Action ) ... 1171 to 1210'
INDEXES :—
An Index showing the beginning of the first
quarter of each stanza ... ... 1 to 12
An Index of the words in the Bhagavadgita 13 to 76
An Index of Personages (not authors) re-
ferred to in the Glta-Rahasya ... 77 to 78
An Index of Foreign Authors referred to
in the Glta-Rahasya ... ... 79 to 80
An Index of Authors, (not foreign) and of their
Works, referred to in the Glta-Rahasya 81 to 88
An Index of Definitions (Terminological
Expressions) —
Part I— Sanskrit ... ... ... 89 to 99
Part II— English ... ... ... 99 to 111
General information about Hindu Religious
Treabises... ... ... 112 to 115-
Glossary of important Sanskrit terms ... 116 to 123
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
The Author in his study ... to face p. 621
The sacred battle-field called Kuru-Ksetra... „ p. 851
The Funeral procession of the Author ... „ p. 1210
Statue of the Author at Chowpati Sands, Bombay ,. Index.
VOLUME II
xlviii CONTENTS OF VOLUME II
Subject. Page.
Chap. XVII— The Yoga of the Division into
three kinds of Faith ... 1158 to 1170
Chap. XVni— The Yoga of Release
and Renunciation ( of the
Fruit of Action ) ... 1171 to 1210'
INDEXES :-
An Index showing the beginning of the first
quarter of each stanza ... ... 1 to 12
An Index of the words in the Bhagavadglta 13 to 76'
An Index of Personages (not authors) re-
ferred to in the Glta-Rahasya ... 77 to 78^
An Index of Foreign Authors referred to
in the Glta-Rahasya ... ... 79 to 80
An Index of Authors, (not foreign) and of their
Works, referred to in the Glta-Rahasya 81 to 88
An Index of Definitions (Terminological
Expressions) —
Part I— Sanskrit ... ... ... 89 to 99-
Part II— English ... ... ... 99 to HI.
General information about Hindu Religious
Treatises... ... ... 112 to 115
Glossary of important Sanskrit terms ... 116 to 12S
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
The Author in his study ... to face p. 621
The sacred battle-field called Kuru-Ksetra... „ p. 851
The Funeral procession of the Author •... „ p. 1210
Statue of the Author at Chowpati Sands, Bombay ,. Index.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE CONTINUITY OF THE CHAPTERS
OF THE GITA
(GITADHYAYA— SAMGATI)
"pravrth laksanam dharmam rsir riSrayano 'bravit I
Mahabharata, Santi. 217. 2.*
It will have been noticed from the Exposition made by, me
so far that the BhagavadgltS, that is to say, the Upanisad
sung by the Blessed Lord, has promulgated the following
doctrine, namely, that (i) acquiring complete Equability of
Reason by Realising the universal identity of the Atman in
all created things, whether by the Contemplation on the
Absolute Self or by Devotion, while being engaged in Action,
and (ii) continuing to perform all the various duties which
have befallen one in worldly life according to the injunctions
of the Sastras, even after the acquisition of that Equability of
Reason, without thinking of taking up Asceticism (samnyasa),
■ is the highest goal (purusartha) or the best path of living one's
life for man in this world. Nevertheless, as the order in
which this Exposition has been made in this book, is different
from the order adopted in the Glta, it is necessary to
consider succinctly in what way the whole of this subject-
matter has been arranged in the Glta. Any subject-matter
can be dealt with in two ways ; the one is the scientific
method, and the other is according to the Puranas.
Out of these, the method of explaining how the funda-
■ mental principles of the doctrine to be established can be
derived from things which everybody easily understands by
logically arranging and putting forward all the pros and cons
of the doctrine under discussion, is known as the scientific
*"The Rsi Narayana has preached an Energisfcic (pravrtii-
laLfanam) doctrine (dharma)". This Rsi is one of the two Rsis
Nara and Narayana ; and it has been mentioned before that Arjuna
and Sri Krsna were their respective incarnations. I have quoted
in the foregoing pages the statement in the Mahabharata that the
Narayanlya doctrine has been advocated in the Glta.
ess GlTA-RAHASYA OB karma-yoga
(sastriya) method. Geometry is an excellent example of this
method, and the method adopted in the Nyaya-Sutras or the
Vedanta-Sutras falls into this class. Therefore, wherever the
Bhagavadgita refers to the Brahma-Sutras or to the Vedanta-
Sutras, it is stated that the subject-matter expounded in those
Sutras has been expounded in the form of intentional and
definite propositions; cf., " brahma-sutra padais caiva hetu-
madbhir viniscitaih " (Gl. 13. 4), (i.e., " this subject-matter has
been expounded by stating the reasons (hetu), and the
conclusions, in absolutely definite words (pada) in the Brahma-
Sutras " — Trans,). But although, the exposition of the subject-
matter in the Bhagavadgita is scientific, yet, it has not been
made in this, that is, in a scientific way. The subject-matter
in the Glta has been described in the easy and entertaining
form of a conversation between Sri Krsna and Arjuna ; and
therefore, at the end of each chapter, we find the words
" srl krsriarjuTia samvade ", ( i.e., "in the conversation between.
Sri Krsna and Arjuna "—Trans.), which show the method of
exposition adopted in the Glta, after the words " bhagavadgita-
supanisatsu brahmavidyayarh yogasastre ", (i.e., " of the Science
of Yoga, included in the cult of the Brahman, expounded in
the XTpanisad sung by the Blessed Lord" — Trans). I have used
the word 'paaranoM (i. e., "in the fashion of the Puranas" —
Trans.) with reference to the catechismal exposition, in order-
to clearly show the difference between that method of exposition
and the scientific method. It would have been absolutely
impossible to go into a thorough discussion of all the various-
matters which are included in a comprehensive word like-
' dharma ' (Morality) in such a Catechismal or ' pauranika '
exposition extending over only 700 stanzas. Yet, it is
a matter of great surprise that all the various subjects,
which arise in the Glta, have been crammed together,,
without mutual conflict, in that way in the Glta though
succinctly; and this proves the wonderful skill of the author
of the Glta, and explains the propriety of the statement
made in the beginning of the Anugita, that the advice given
in the Gita was given with an 'extremely Yogic (yoga-ynkta)
frame of mind'. There was no reason to explain once more
in detail those matters which were already known to Arjuna.
CONTINUITY OF CHAPTEKS OF THE GITA 623
"His chief difficulty was whether or not he should commit such
a terrible act like warfare, and if so, how; and when Sri
Krsna advanced any particular logical argument in His reply,
Arjuna would raise objections to it. The exposition made in
the Glta in the form of this catechism is naturally very
succinct or short in some places, whereas there have been
repetitions in other places. For instance, the description of
the developing-out of three-constituented Matter has appeared
with slight differences in two places (Gl. Chap. I and XIV);
whereas, although the description of the Sthitaprajna, the
Bhagavad-bhakta, the Trigunatita, and the Brahma-bhuta is
one and the same, yet, the same has been repeated on different
occasions from different points of view. On the other hand,
the doctrine that 'artlia' (wealth) and 'kuma' (desire), are proper
when not inconsistent with dharma (Morality), has been
enunciated in the single sentence " ' dharmaviruddhah kamo'smi"
(7. 11), (i. e., "I am that kama (Desire), which is not contrary
to dliarma (Morality)" — Trans). In consequence, although all
these various subjects have appeared in the Glta, yet, the readers
of the Glta get confused as a result of their not being
acquainted with the traditions of the ancient doctrines of the
religion of the Srutis, the religion of the Smrtis, the Bhagavata
religion, the Samkhya philosophy, the Purva-Mlmamsa, the '
Vedanta Philosophy, the Theory of Causality (kamza-vipaka)
etc.. on the authority of which the Knowledge in the Glta
has been expounded ; and as they do not really understand
the method of exposition, they think that the Glta, is
something unintelligible ; or that it must have been expounded
before the scientific method of expounding things had come
into vogue, and that there are, on that account, to be found
inconsistencies or an incomplete exposition in various
places in the Glta ; or that at any rate, the Knowledge expound-
ed in it is inaccessible to their intelligence. If one refers
to the various commentaries for clearing one's doubts, one gets
all the more confused, since almost all the commentaries are
in support of some doctrine or other, and it becomes extremely
difficult to harmonise the mutually conflicting opinions of the
commentators. I know several even very learned readers, who
have got confused in this way. In order that such a difficulty
624 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
should no more remain, I have so far expounded the various
subjects described in the Glta, by scientifically arranging
them in a way I thought best. If I now explain how these
various subjects have more or less figured in the conversation
between Sri Krsna and Arjuna, by reference to the questions
or doubts expressed by Arjuna, my whole Exposition will
become complete, and it will be easier for me to sixm up the
entire subject-matter in the next chapter.
My readers must first remember that the Glta was preached
by one omniscient, all-powerful, prosperous, and highly
revered Ksatriya to another powerful archer-warrior, in order
to induce the latter to perform his duties according to the
law of warriors at a date when our India was well-known
on all sides as enjoying the happiness of Spiritual Knowledge,
material wealth, worldly success, and complete self-govern-
ment. Mahavlra and Gautama Buddha, the protagonists of
the Jain and Buddhist religions respectively, both belonged to
the warrior class ; yet, Sri Krsna did not, as was done by
both of them, adopt only the Path of Renunciation from the
Vedic religion, and open the door of the Path of Renunciation
to all classes, including the warrior class; and the advice
given in the Bhagavata religion is that not only the warrior
class, but even Brahmins must adopt the path of taking part
in all worldly activities, till death, with a desireless frame
of mind, while possessing the Peace ( santi ) pertaining to the
Path of Renunciation. But whatever advice is given, it is
necessary that there should be some occasion for giving it ;
and in order that the advice given should become fruitful,
a desire to receive the Knowledge of that advice must, in
the first place, have arisen in the mind of the disciple.
Therefore, in order to explain both these things, Vyasa has
explained in detail in the FIRST CHAPTER of the Glta, the
occasion for Sri Krsna to give this advice to Arjuna. The
armies of the Kauravas and the Pandavas were standing on
the field of Kuru, to fight with each other, and the fight was
about to start, when Sri Krsna, at the desire of Arjuna, took
and left his chariot in the middle of both the armies, and said
to him, "look at these Bhlsma, Drona, and others with whom
you have to fight". Then, when Arjuna had looked at both the
CONTINUITY OF CHAPTERS OF THE GXTA 625
armies, he saw that his own ancestors, uncles, grand-fathers,
maternal uncles, brethren, sons, grand-sons, friends, relatives,
preceptors, co-disciples etc. were ranged on both sides, and that
all of them would be killed in the war ! It was not that the
war had sprung up suddenly. The decision to fight had been
arrived at, and the recruiting of the armies on both sides had
been going on for many days. Nevertheless, when Arjuna saw
the realistic vision of the destruction of the entire clan by
this internecine war, even a great fighter like him felt unhappy,
and he said : "Alas ! are we going to bring about this terrible
destruction of our own clan in order that we should get the
kingdom ? Is it not better to beg ? " And he said to Sri Krsna : "It
does not matter if I am killed by my enemies ; but, I do not wish
to commit terrible sins like patricide, or the murder of one's
preceptors, or fratricide, or ohe destruction of the entire clan,
ever if I were to get the kingdom of the three worlds". His body
began to tremble, he lost control over his limbs, his mouth
became dry, and with a very unhappy face, he threw down his
bow and arrows and sat down in his chariot. This part of the
story is mentioned in the first chapter, which is called the
' Yoga of the Dejection of Arjuna ' ; because, although the
whole of the Glta deals with only one subject-matter, namely,,
'the philosophy of Karma-Yoga included in the cult ( vidya ) of
the Brahman', the subject-matter principally described in each
chapter is looked upon as a portion of this philosophy of
Karma-Yoga, and each chapter is, with reference to the
subject-matter in it, called this Yoga, that Yoga etc. And all
these Yogas taken together, make up the entire 'Philosophy of
Karma-Yoga included in the cult (vidya) of the Brahman '. I have
explained in the beginning of the book the importance of the
first chapter of the Glta; because, if one does not clearly
understand at the outset what the question before one is, one
cannot alsc clearly understand the answer to that question.
If the sum and substance of the Glta is to be understood as
being that one should abandon worldly life, and take either to
Devotion to the Blessed Lord, or the Path of Renunciation,
then there was no necessity to give that advice to Arjuna, as he
was ready to give up the terrible warfare of his own accord and
to go begging round the world. The author of the Glta could have
626 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
put into the mouth of Sri Krsna a stanza or two containing
such words as : "Hullo! what a nice thing you have said ! I
am very glad to notice your repentance 1 Come ; let us both
give up this worldly life which is full of Action, and redeem
our respective Selfs by the Path of Renunciation or the Path
•of Devotion ! " ; and he could have thus ended the Gits. Then,
if the war had taken place thereafter, and Vyasa had mis-
employed his speech by spending three years (Ma. Bha. A.
62. 52) in describing it, Arjuna and Sri Krsna at any rate would
not have, been to blame for it. It is true that the thousands of
warriors, collected together on the battle-field of Kuru, would
have derided Arjuna and Sri Krsna ; but, would a man who was
bent on redeeming his own Self, pay even the slightest attention
to such derision? Whatever the world said, the Upanisads
themselves have said: "yad ahar eva virajet tad ahar eva
pravrajet" (Ja. 4), i. e., "that moment when you repent, that
very moment you should renounce the world, and not delay the
matter". Even if one says that the repentance of Arjuna was
not based on Self-Realisation, but on Ignorance (molia), yet,
the fact that there was a repentance at all, would finish
half the task ; and it was not impossible for the Blessed
Lord to remove his Ignorance and to give that repentance
the foundation of Knowledge. Even among those who follow
the Path of Renunciation or the Path of Devotion, there
are examples of persons who have given up worldly life, as
they had for some reason or other got tired of such life,
and later on obtained complete perfection; and Arjuna could
have been dealt with in the same way. One could easily
have found in the field of Kuru, the handful of saffron colour
necessary for colouring the clothes of Arjuna like those of
a Samnyasin, or the cymbals, drums, and other instruments
necessary for him for singing the praises of the Blessed Lord.
But instead of doing so, Sri Krsna has on the contrary
said to Arjuna in the beginning of the SECOND CHAPTER
that: "O Arjuna, whence have you got this disastrous
idea (kasmala) ? This impotency (Jdaibya) is unworthy of
you! your reputation will go to dogs! therefore, give up this
weakness (daurbalya) and stand up and fight!" But when
in spite of that advice, Arjuna reiterated his previous unmanly
CONTINUITY OF CHAPTERS OF THE GlTA 627
*ale of woe, and said to Sri Krsna with a pityful expression
on his face: "how shall I kill such great and noble-souled
persons like Bhisma, Drona etc. ? My mind is confused by
the doubt as to whether it is better to die or to kill them ;
•therefore, tell me which of these two paths is the more
meritorious; I am surrendering myself to You", Sri Krsna
saw that Arjuna was completely under the sway of this
despondence; and smiling a little, He started imparting
Knowledge to him with the words " asocyan anva socas tvam
■etc. ". Arjuna wanted to act like a Jnanin (scient), and was
boasting about Renunciation of Action; and therefore, the
Blessed Lord has commenced His advice with the description
of the two paths (Nisthas) of ' Abandonment of Action' and
'Performance of Action', which were being followed in
the world by Jfianins; and He first tells Arjuna that
whichever of the two paths was adopted by him, he would
yet be wrong. HE then gives advice to Arjuna, upto the
words, "esa te 'bhihita samkkye buddhih" etc. (Gl. 2.
11-39), (i. e., "I have given this advice or Knowledge to
you, or made this Exposition, according to the Sarhkhya
system"— Trans. ) regarding the Path of Knowledge or
Sarhkhya system, on the basis of which Arjuna had begun to
speak of Abandonment of Action; and then He tells Arjuna,
upto the end of chapter, that fighting was his true duty
consistently with the Path of Karma- Yoga. If some such
stanza like "esa te'bhihta sathkhye" had come before the
•stanza asocyan anva socastvam" etc., this same meaning would
have been conveyed in a more pronounced way. But, it has
come in the course of conversation, in the form of: "so far,
I have explained the system of the Sarhkhyas, I shall now
explain to you the philosophy of Karma-Yoga", after the
exposition of the Sarhkhya system was over. In either case,
the meaning is the same. I have clearly explained the
difference between the Sarhkhya or Renunciatory path and the
Yoga or Activistic path in the eleventh chapter above ; and I
ishall, therefore, without repeating the same subject-matter here
■only say that, abandoning Action and taking to Asceticism
for obtaining Release, after a man has acquired Knowledge by
performance of such Actions as are enjoined on the
628 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
particular castes for the purification of the Mind, having"
regard to the different stages of life, is known as the Samkhya
path ; and not abandoning Action at any time, but continuing
the performance of Action desirelessly, so long as life lasts, is
known as Yoga or Karma-Yoga, The Blessed Lord first says
to Arjuna: "in as much as the Atman is imperishable and
immortal according to the Philosophy of the Absolute Self
expounded in the Samkhya system, this idea that you are going 1
to kill Bhisma etc. is wrong in its very inception ; because, the
Atman is not killed, nor does it kill. Just as a man changes
one set of clothes and puts on another, so does the Atman give
up one body and take up another ; that is all. But it is not
right, on that account, to imagine that the Atman is dead and>
to lament for it. Well ; if, on the ground that the idea that
' I am going to kill ' is an illusion, you ask Me, why you
should fight at all, then, My answer is, that it is the duty of the
warrior class not to withdraw from that warfare which befalls
that class according to the Ssstras ; and as even according to
the Samkhya philosophy, it is considered meritorious to perform.
in the beginning all Actions which befall one according to the
arrangement of the castes and the stages of life, people will
find fault with you if you do not do so ; nay, falling in the
fight is the duty of soldiers. Then why are you dejected?
Give up the Karma-vision that ' I am killing and he
is dying '; and perform that Action which befalls you-. .
in the course of life, with the idea that you are merely doing,
your own duty, so that you will thereby incur no sin
whatsoever ". This is the advice given consistently with the
Samkhya philosophy. But that still leaves untouched the
doubt, that it is better not to fight and to renounce the world,
immediately on feeling the repentance (if possible), if, according
to the Samkhya doctrine, it is considered more meritorious to give-
up all Action and to renounce the world after the purification,
of the Mind. These doubters say that it is not enough to reply
that Manu and other Smrti writers have dictated that one should
renounce the world in old age, after having completed the
state of a householder, and that one must live in the state of
a householder in youth; because, if renouncing the world
sometime or other is the most meritorious course of action, the-
CONTINUITY OF CHAPTERS OF THE GlTA 639
proper course is to do so without delay, as soon as one
gets tired of worldly life ; and that is why there are such
statements in the Upanisads as, " brahmacaryad eva pravrajet
grliad va variad w" (Ja. i), (i.e., "one should renounce the
world whether in the state of a celibate, or a householder, or of
a denizen of the woods " — Trans.). That ultimate goal which
is to be obtained by renouncing the world is obtained by the
warrior by falling on the battle-field. It is stated in the
Mahabharata that :-
dvav imau purusavyaghra suryamandala bhedinau i
parivang yogayuktas ca raij£ cabhimukho hatah II
(Udyo. 32. 65)
that is, " O, tiger in the shape of a man ( purusavyaghra ), there
are only two persons who can pierce the constellation of the
Sun and reach the sphere of the Brahman ; the one is the
Ascetic steeped in Toga, and the other is the warrior who falls
on the battle-field while fighting " ; and we find a stanza
conveying the same import in the book on Economics
(arthasastra) by Kautilya, that is, by Canakya, to the effect
that :
yan yajna samgliais iapasa ca viprah
svargaisinah patra ca yais ca yanti I
ksanena tan apy ati yanti surah
pranam, suyuddhesu parityajantah n
(Kauti 10. 3, 150-153 and Ma. Bha. San. 93-100)
that is: " Warriors, who give up their lives in warfare, go in
a moment far beyond that sphere which is obtained after death
by Brahmins desiring heaven, by means of many sacrificial
offerings, or of austerities "; that is to say, that goal which
is reached not only by austere ascetics or those who have
renounced the world, but even by those who perform sacrifi-
cial ritual, is also reached by the warrior who falls on the
field of battle. This is the summary of the advice given
in the Gita to the effect that, "the gateway of heaven in the
shape of war, is rarely found open by a warrior ; if you die
630 GlTl-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
da the war, you will obtain heaven, and if you gain victory,
you will obtain the kingdom of the world" (2. 32, 37).
Therefore, it could even be maintained, according to Samkhya
.philosophy, that whether Arjuna took up Asceticism or fought,
the result would be the same. Nevertheless, the definite conclu-
-sion that he must fight under any circumstances is not arrived
at by the logical arguments advanced by the Samkhya school.
.Realising this difficulty which would arise for Arjuna by
following the Samkhya philosophy, the Blessed Lord has
after finishing with the exposition of the Samkhya system,
start.ed with the exposition of the Path of Karma-Yoga;
and, in order to clear to clear this doubt, the Blessed Lord has,
upto the last chapter of the Gita, expounded by giving
various examples, this Karma-Yoga — that is, this position
that Action must be performed, and that instead of such
Action coming in the way of Release, such Release is,
on the other hand, obtained while performing Action.
'The central principle of the Karma-Yoga is that in order to
decide whether a particular Action is good or bad, one has
first to see whether the Practical Reason (vasanatmika buddhi)
of the doer was pure or impure, rather than considering the
external effects of that Action (Gl. 2. 49). But, as the question
whether the Practical Reason (vasanS) was pure or impure has
ultimately to be decided by the Pure (or Discerning) Reason
- { vyavasayatmika buddhi ), the Desire does not become pure and
equable, unless the Discerning Reason is equable. It is,
therefore, stated at the same time, that in order to purify the
.Practical Reason, one must also in the first instance steady
the Discerning Reason by means of Concentration (Gl. 2. 41).
-If one considers the ordinary activities of the world, the
■ majority of people are seen, engrossed in the Vedio ritual or
■ sacrifices etc., based on Desire, for the acquisition of various
.forms of happiness based on Desire ; and on that account their
Desire is seen to be keen to-day on obtaining this fruit or
'to-morrow some other fruit, that is, engrossed in selfish
■ interests and constantly changing. But, such persons cannot
■possibly get the permanent happiness of Release, which is of
.greater importance than the transient result in the shape of
heaven, etc. Therefore, the mystic import of the Path of
CONTINUITY OF CHAPTERS Of THE GITA 631
Karma- Yoga is now explained to Arjuna (2. 47-53) by Ms being-
told that: "give up this desire-prompted activity of Vedio
Karma, and learn to perform Action desirelessly; your authority
extends only to the performance of Action ; obtaining or not
obtaining the Friut of Action is a matter which is never within
your control (2. 47); those who perform Action believing that
the giver of the fruit is the Paramesvara, and with the equable ■
frame of mind that it is same whether or not the Fruit of the-
Action is obtained, are not affected by the sin or the merit of the-
Action; therefore, acquire this Equable Reason; this Equability
of Reason is known as Yoga — that is, the device of performing-
Action without thereby committing sin; when you have learnt
this Yoga, you will obtain Release notwithstanding that you-
may be performing Action ; it is not that Action has to be
abandoned in order to attain Release" etc. After the Blessed'
Lord had explained to Arjuna that that person whose Reason ■
had become equable in this way, was to be called a
'Sthitaprajfia' (Steady-in-Mind), (2.53), Arjuna again asked'
the Blessed Lord to tell him how such a Sthitaprajfia behaves.
Therefore, the description of the course of life of such a-
Sthitaprajfia has been given at the end of the second chapter ;
and it is ultimately said that the intellectual state of such a
Sthitaprajfia is known as the Brahml state (the state of being
merged in the Brahman). In short, the advice given in the
Glta to induce Arjuna to fight has been started with the-
description of the two Nisthas, which have become acceptable
to Jnanins in this world, namely, the two paths of
'abandoning Action' ( Samkhya ) and 'performing Action''
(Yoga); and the war has first been justified on the basis of the
SSrhkhya system of philosophy; but, seeing that that argument
was inconclusive, the science of Realisation according to the
Path of Yoga or Karma-Yoga has been started immediately -
afterwards; and after having mentioned that even a little
observance of this Karma-Yoga is highly meritorious,,
the Blessed Lord has in the second chapter come to the stage ■
of saying that in as much as the Reason which inspires the
Karma is looked upon as superior to the Karma itself in-
the Path of Karma-Yoga, Arjuna should perform Actions after
having made his Reason equable like that of a Sthitaprajfia,,.
■632 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
so that he would not incur any sin. Let us now see what further
questions arise. As the root of the whole of the exposition of
the Gita is in the second chapter, I have dealt with that matter
somewhat at length.
The question of Arjuna at the beginning of the THIRD
CHAPTER is : "if in the Path of Karma-Yoga, the Reason is
•superior to the Karma itself, then it will be enough if I make
my Reason equable like that of a Sthitaprajna; why do you ask
me to perform such a terrible act like war ?". Because, saying
that the Reason is superier to the Action, does not answer the
question why war should be carried on, and why one should not
renounce the world after making one's Reason equable. It is
not that one cannot abandon Action (perform Karma-Samnyasa)
with an equable Reason. Then, where is the objection
io an equable-minded person abandoning Action according
i;o the Ssmkhya Path ? This question is now answered by the
Blessed Lord by saying : " it is true that I have mentioned
to you the two paths of Samkhya and Yoga ; but no man
■soever can entirely give up Action. So long as he is clothed
in a body, Matter ( prakrti ) will by its inherent nature, compel
him to perform Action ; and if you cannot escape this Action,
which is the result of Prakrti, it is more meritorious to
equabilise and steady your mind by. exercising control over the
organs, and to perform all your various duties merely by the
organs of Action. Therefore, go on performing Action, for
if you do not do so, you will not be able even to obtain food
to eat (3.3-8). Action has been created by the Pararnesvara ;
riot by man. When Brahmadeva created the universe and
all created beings, he at the same time also created the
' Yajna ' (sacrificial ritual), and told the created beings that
they should obtain their own welfare by means of this Yaj'fia ;
and as those Yajfias cannot be performed without Action
{ karma ), therefore, Yajna is nothing but Karma. Therefore,
it must be said that man and Karma have been created at the
same time. But, as the sole purpose of this Karma is the
Yajfia, and as the Yajna is the duty of man, therefore; the
fruit of this Karma does not create a bondage for man. Now
it is true, that a man who has become a Jfianin has no more
any duty left to be performed for his own benefit ; and at the
CONTINUITY OF CHAPTERS OF THE GlTA 633
•same time, he is in no way concerned -with other people.
But, from this it does not follow, that one should not perform
Action ; because, as nobody can escape Action, one comes to
the necessary conclusion that such Action must now be
performed desirelessly for the benefit of others, though it is
not necessary to perform it for one's own selfish interests
<(Gi. 3. 17-19). Bearing these things in mind, Janaka and
other Jnanins have engaged in Action in ancient times, and
I the Blessed Lord, am doing the same. Besides, bringing
about ' lokasamgraha' (universal welfare), that is, putting
■people on the path of self -amelioration by placing before their
eyes a good example in the shape of one's conduct, is one of the
most important duties of Jnanins (Scients). However Know-
ledgeful a Jfianin may be, he does not escape the activities of
Prakrti; therefore, far from giving up Action, it is more
meritorious to even lose one's life, if necessary, while performing
Actions as duties according to one's own religion (dharma), (3.
30-35)". Such is the advice which the Blessed Lord has given in
this chapter. Seeing that the Blessed Lord had in this way
placed the entire responsibility of Action on the shoulders of
Prakrti, Arjuna next asks why a man commits sin, though he
has no desire to do so. In reply the Blessed Lord has said that
kama (Desire), krodha (anger), and other mental emotions
■forcibly stupify the mind; and that, therefore, everybody should
control his mind by controlling the organs ; and He has then
closed the chapter. In short, after establishing the necessity
•of the Karma- Yoga by saying that (i) though the Reason may
have become equable like that of a Sthitaprajna, no one can
escape Karma and that (ii) Karma must be performed
desirelessly, for universal benefit (lokasamgraha), if not for
one's own self-interest, the Blessed Lord has by saying,
"Dedicate all Actions to me" (3. 30-31) given in this chapter
the first glimpse (sate uvaca) of the central principle of the
Path of Devotion, namely, of performing all Actions with the
idea of dedicating them to the Paramesvara.
Nevertheless, this subject-matter has not been exhausted
in the third ohapter, and the FOURTH CHAPTER has been
started for further dealing with the same subject. In order
that Arjuna should not think that the disquisition made so far
634 GlTA-RAHAYSA OE KARMA-YOGA
■was something, new, which had been invented by the Blessed -
Lord merely for the purpose of inducing him to fight, He has ■
in the beginning of the fourth chapter mentioned the tradition
of this Karma-Yoga, that is, of the Bhagavata or Narayaniya
religion, in the Tretayuga. After the Blessed Lord had said to
Arjuna that in the beginning of the Yuga i(. e., "adau"),
He had taught this Path of Karma-Yoga to Vivasvata,
Vivasvan to Manu, and Manu to Iksvaku, but that as
it had been lost in the interim, He had again preached
the same Yoga (the Path of Karma-Yoga) to Arjuna, Arjuna
rejoined by asking how the Blessed Lord could have been in
existence before Vivasvan. In reply to that question, the
Blessed Lord has accounted for his several incarnations by
saying that He had to take those incarnations for protecting
saints and destroying evil-doers and establishing the true
religion ; and He has justified the Karma-Yoga by saying that
though He was in this way performing Action for universal
welfare ( lokasamgraha ), He had not acquired or suffered for the
merit or the sin of the Action, because He was not attached
to the Action ; and saying to Arjuna that Janaka and others
had in ancient times followed that Yoga, understanding the
underlying principle of it, He has advised Arjuna to do the
same thing. He has here repeated the doctrine of the
Mimarhsa school mentioned in the third chapter that " Action
( karma ) performed for sacrificial ritual does not create
bondage " ; and pointed out that (i) though throwing sesamum,.
rice, etc., into the fire or slaughtering animals, was a kind of
sacrifice, yet, it was a sacrifice of a lower order, being merely
a sacrifice of wealth, and that (ii) burning all such mental
emotions, as desire, anger, etc., into the fire of self-control or
sacrificing all Action into the Brahman with the words,
' na mama ' (i. e.j 'this is not mine ') were sacrifices of a higher
order ; and having in this way given a more detailed and
comprehensive definition of the word 'Yajna*, the Blessed
Lord now advises Arjuna that all Actions should be
performed giving up the Hope for Fruit for the purpose of this
YajEa. Because, although Actions performed for the purpose of
the Yajfia do not by themselves create bondage according to the
Mimaihsa doctrine, yet, one cannot escape obtaining the fruit
CONTINUITY OF CHAPTERS OF THE GlTJL 635
of the Yajfia; and, therefore, if even the Yajfia itself is
performed desirelessly, neither the Actions performed for the
purpose of the Yajfia, nor the Yajna itself will create bondage.
The Blessed Lord has ultimately preached that (i) the
Realisation (jfiana ) that all created things are located in one's
self, or, in the Blessed Lord, is known as ' Equability of
Reason'; that (ii) when this Realisation has come, all Actions
are reduced to ashes and do not bind the doer; that (iii) "sarva
karmakhUani partha jnane parisamapyate", i. e., "all Action is
ultimately merged in Knowledge" ; that (iv) Action by itself
does not create bondage, which results from Ignorance, and
that (v) therefore, Arjuna should give up Ignorance ; and
follow the path of Karma- Yoga and stand up to fight. In
short, the subject-matter of JNANA. (Knowledge)-" has here
been introduced in this chapter by saying that in order to
successfully follow the Path of Karma- Yoga, Knowledge in
the form of Equability of Reason is necessary.
It is true that the reasons why Action should be per-
formed, that is, the necessity of the Karma- Yoga, has been
explained in the third and fourth chapters ; but as, already in
the second chapter, after explaining the Knowledge contained
in the Sarhkhya philosophy, the Blessed Lord has, even in the.
course of the description of the Karma-Yoga, said over and
over again that the Reason was superior to the Action, it now
becomes necessary to explain which of these two paths is
superior. Because, if one says that both the paths are of
equal importance, it follows that people are free to choose
whichever of the two paths they prefer, and that it is not
necessary to follow only the Path of Karma-Yoga. This very
doubt came into the mind of Arjuna and he has, in the
beginning of the FIFTH CHAPTER, said to the Blessed Lord,
" Do not mix up the two paths of Samkhya and Yoga, but tell
me definitely which of the two is superior, so that it will be
convenient for me to act accordingly "; and the Blessed Lord
lias removed the doubt of Arjuna by saying that though both
the paths are equally productive of Release, yet, the Path of
* The word 'Knowledge' has been used by me throughout as
synonymous with 'Bealisation' for translating the word 'Jfima' —
Translator.
o A
636 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
Karma-Yoga is the better one of the two — " karma-yogo
visisyate", (i.e., "Karma-Yoga is the better one" — Trans.),
(5. 2). For further emphasising this doctrine, the Blessed Lord
also says that, not only does one attain by means of Karma-
Yoga the same Release which can be attained by Renunciation
or by the SSrhkhya Path, but that unless the desireless frame
of mind prescribed in the Karma-Yoga is acquired,
Renunciation itself is useless ; and that once such a desireless
frame of mind is acquired, one does not fail to attain the
Brahman, notwithstanding that one may be performing
Action according to the Path of Yoga. Then, where is the
sense of raising a hue and cry that the Sarhkhya Path is
different from the Yoga Path? If one cannot abandon the
hundreds of Actions, which one usually performs, such as,
walking, speaking, seeing, hearing, smelling, etc., even if one
wants to give them up, then the wisest course is not to take
the trouble of abandoning Action, but to perform it with
the idea of dedicating it to the Brahman. Therefore, true
philosophers continue performing Actions desirelessly, and
thereby ultimately acquire Peace (santi) and Release (moksa).
The Isvara does not ask you either to give up Action or to
perform Action. All this Action is the manifestation of
Prakrti ; and as bondage is a characteristic of the Mind, the
man, who performs Action after he has become Equable in
Reason, that is, after he has become " sarvabhUtatrnabhutatmd ",
(Le., " the Self which is identical with the Self (Atman) of all
created beings" — Trans.), is not bound thereby. It is stated,
in short, at the end of this chapter that (i) the man whose Mind
has become equable towards the dog, the Oandala, the Brahmin,
the cow, the elephant, etc., and who has started performing
his various activities after having realised the identity
of the Atman (Self) embodied in all created things, obtains
Release in the shape of brahma^nirvaija wherever he is ; that
(ii) it is not necessary for him to go anywhere else for the
purpose, or to look out for some other means for obtaining
Release; and that (iii) he is always free, unbound, and
Released.
The same subject-matter is continued in the SIXTH
CHAPTER, and the Blessed Lord has here explained in what
CONTINUITY Of CHAPTERS OF THE GlTl 637
•way that Equable Reason oan be acquired by which, one can
obtain success in the practice of Karma-Toga. In the very
first stanza, the Blessed Lord has expressed His firm opinion
that the man who performs all Actions which fall to his share,
as duties, and without entertaining the Hope of Fruit, is the
true Yogin, or the true Samnyasin; and that the man who sits
■quiet giving up the worship of the Fire (agrd-hotra) etc. is not the
true Samnyasin. HE then goes on to explain the principle of
the Independence of the Atman by saying that whatever Action
has to be performed in the shape of the control of the organs,
for steadying the Mind, according to the philosophy of
Karma-Yoga, must be performed by oneself ; and that if one
■does not do so, one cannot properly blame anybody else ; and
-after this, there is in this chapter principally a description of
how Yoga in the shape of the control of the organs can be
acquired according to the Patafijala-Yoga-Sastra. It is further
.-stated in this chapter that it is nevertheless not enough to merely
./control the organs by means of religious observance (yamaj
restraint of the Mind {myoma), physical postures (asana), control
of the breath (pranayama), etc.; and the necessity of the Realisa-
tion of the universality of the Atman has been emphasised in
.this chapter by saying that the frame of mind of the man
cmust become Equable towards all created beings as described
jja the words " sarvabhviastham atmanam sarvabhviam catmam "
(6. 29), (i. e., "all created beings are located in one's Self and one's
Self is located in all created beings" — Trans.), or, in the words
"yo mam pasyati sarvatra sarvaih ca mayi pasyati" (6. 30), (i. e.,
"he who sees that I the Paramesvara am everywhere, and that
everything is located in me" — Trans.). At this juncture, Arjtma
experiences the doubt that if this Yoga of Equability of Reason is
not acquired in one life, it will become necessary to begin the
whole thing over again in the next life, and the story will be
repeated in every birth ; and that on account of this recurrence
.In every life, it will not be possible to ever attain Release by
this means. In order to remove this doubt, the Blessed Lord
has explained, that nothing is wasted in the path of Karma-
Yoga, that the impressions received in the previous birth are
carried forward into the next birth in which the practice of
Karma-Yoga can be oarried on further, and that Release is
C5S GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
ultimately obtained by gradual degrees ; and He has at the-
end of this chapter, again given to Arjuna a- clear andi
definite advice, that as the Path of Karma-Yoga is in this-
way the most superior path, and one which is gradually
accessible, Arjuna should eschew the various paths of
performing Action as such ( i. e., without giving up the-
Hope of Fruit), or the practice of austerities, or the
abandonment of Action after Acquisition of Knowledge, and
become a Yogin, that is, one who follows the Desireless-
Karma-Yoga.
Some persons are of the opinion that the exposition of
Karma-Yoga has come to- an end here, that is, at the end of the-
sixth chapter ; that thereafter, the Blessed Lord has described
the Path of Knowledge and the Path of Devotion as two-
' independent ' paths, that is to say, as paths which are
mutually independent, or are the same in importance as the
Karma- Yoga, but different from it, and as such, proper to be-
followed as alternatives for the Path of Karma-Yoga; that
the Path of Devotion has been described from the seventh to-
the twelfth chapters and the Path of Knowledge in the
remaining six chapters ; and that if the eighteen chapters of
the Glta are divided up in this way, six chapters each can.
be allocated to Action ( karma ), Devotion ( bhakti ) and.
Knowledge (jnana), and the Gita becomes equally divided,
amongst the three paths. But this opinion is wrong. It becomes-
clear from the opening stanzas of chapter V, that the-
question of Arjuna was (i) whether he should- give xxg> the
fight having regard to the principles of the Samkhya
philosophy, or take part in it though he saw the terrible-
consequences of it in front of his eyes ; and; (ii) if. so, how
the sin of it could be obviated ; and this doubt was not going,
to be satisfied by giving an ambiguous and childish reply like :.
"Release can be obtained both by Knowledge and by
Karma-Yoga", or, " if you want it, there is alsothe third path
of Devotion". Besides, when Ajjuna was asking for definite-
guidance about one particular course of Action, it would be-
incorrect to imagine that, omniscient and clever Sri Krsna
avoided the issue and showed him three independent and
alternative courses of Action. Really speaking, the Glta.
CONTINUITY OF CHAPTERS OF THE GITA" 639
•considers only the two paths of 'Renunciation' (Sarhnyasa), and
•' Energism ' (Karma-Yoga), (Gl. 5. 1) ; and there has been given
the definite decision that out of the two, the Path of Karma-
Yoga is 'the superior path (Gl. 5, 2). Devotion has nowhere
been mentioned as a third independent Nisflia (Path of Release).
Therefore, the theory of three independent paths of Spiritual
Knowledge, Action, and Devotion, is a creation of doctrine-
-supporting commentators; and as in their opinion the Gits
•considers only the means of obtaining Release, they have
evidently got the idea of these three paths from the Bhagavata
•(Bhag. 11. 20. 6). But these commentators have not realised
■that the conclusions reached in the Bhagavata-Purana are not
"the same as those in the Bhagavadgita. Even the author of
<the Bhagavata accepts the theorem that Release cannot be
•obtained by mere Action, and that Spiritual Knowledge
is a necessity. But the Bhagavata-Purana says in addition
that although Spiritual Knowledge and Desireless Action
'{naiskarmya) are both productive of Release, yet, both of them
(that is to say, the desireless Karma-Yoga of the Gita) are
useless without Devotion — " naislcarmyam apy acyutabKavavarji-
■tam na sdbhate j-mnamalam nirmjamm " (Bhag. 12. 12. 52 and
1. 2. 12), ( i. e., "Desireless Action unaocompanied by
Devotion to the Unfallen {acyuta), does not befit pure and
stainless Knowledge" — Trans. ). Prom this point of view, it is
■quite clear that the author of the Bhagavata considers
Devotion as the only true Nistha, that is, the ultimate Release-
giving state. The Bhagavata does not say that the Devotee
of the Blessed Lord should not perform Action with the idea
•of dedicating it to the Isvara, nor does it say that Action
must be performed. The Bhagavata says that whether one
performs Desireless Action or not, these are all different
varieties of the Path of Devotion (Bhag. 3. 29. 7-19) ; and that
if there is no Devotion, all Karma-Yogas will bring a person
back to worldly life, that is, into the cycle of Birth and Death
■(Bhag. 1. 5. 34, 35). In short, as the entire emphasis of the
author of the Bhagavata is on Devotion, he has included even
»the Desireless Karma-Yoga into the Path of Devotion, and
.maintained that Devotion is the only true Nistha. But, Devotion
is not the principal subject-matter of exposition in the Gita ;
640 GITA-RAHASYA OK KARMA-YOGA
and therefore, interpolating this doctrine or terminology of
the Bhagavata into the Glta is as improper as fixing the bark
of a vata-tiee on a pippala-txee. Saying that Release cannot
he obtained unless one has Realised the Paramesvara, and.
that Devotion is an easy way for such Realisation, is fully
acceptable to the Glia. But the Glta does not insist on this-
particular path, and says that the Spiritu%l Knowledge,
necessary for attaining Release should be obtained by every-
body by whichever path he finds easy ; and the most important
issue in the Glta is whether or not one should perform Action-
after the Acquisition of Knowledge ( Spiritual Knowledge );
Therefore, the Glta starts with the consideration of the two
paths of ' taking part in worldly affairs ' and 'abandoning,
worldly affairs', which are both followed by the Birth-released
(jivanmukta) in this world; and instead of naming the first of
these two paths as 'Bhakti-Yoga' (the Device of Devotion), as
has been done by the author of the Bhagavata, the Glta retains
the terminology of the ancient Marayamya doctrine by
referring to the ' Performance of Action with the idea of
dedicating it to the Paramesvara ' as ' Karma-Yoga ' or ' Karnia-
Nistha,' and to the 'Abandonment of Action after Acquisition of
Knowledge " as ' Sarhkhya ' or ' Jnana-Nistha.' If one considers-
the matter, after accepting this terminology of the Glta,
Devotion can never become a third independent Nistha (path
of Release) of the same grade as Knowledge, or Action.
Because, no third position about Karma can now exist
except the two affirmative and negative paths of 'performing.
Action' and 'not-performing, or abandoning, Action' (Yoga
and Sarhkhya). Therefore, if one has to determine what Nistha-
is followed by the Devotee, one cannot decide the matter
by merely considering the fact that he follows the Path of
Devotion ; and one has to consider whether or not he performs
Action. Devotion is only a means of reaching the
Paramesvara ; and although Devotion may be called a ' Yoga ''
in the sense that it is a ' sadhana ' (means), (Gl. 11 26), yet,
Devotion can never become an ultimate Mstha. If, after the
Knowledge of the Paramesvara has been acquired by means
of Devotion, a man continues to perform Action, he is called
a ' Karma-nistha * ; and if he abandons Action, he is called.
CONTINUITY OF CHAPTERS OF THE GITA 641
a ' Sarhkhya-nistha '. And the Blessed Lord lias clearly
indicated his opinion in the fifth chapter, that out of these two
paths, the path of performing Action is the more meritorious.
But, the important objection of the School of Renunciation
against Action is, that by performing A.etion, the Realisation
of the Paramesvara is obstructed ; and that Action must be
abandoned, as there can be no Release unless the Knowledge
of the Paramesvara has been acquired. It is stated in a.
general way in the fifth chapter that this objection is
groundless, and that one can obtain the same Release by the
Path of Action, as can be obtained by the Path of Renuncia-
tion (Gl. 5. 5). But, as this general proposition has not been
fully developed in that chapter, the Blessed Lord is now
dealing in the sixth chapter with the important question,
namely, how the Knowledge of the Paramesvara, and
ultimately Release, is obtained by Action, while Action is
being performed, which question had been incompletely dealt
with in the fifth chapter. That is why, instead of saying
that the Path of Devotion is an independent path, the Blessed
Lord has in the beginning of the seventh chapter said to
Arjuna, that,
mayyasakta manah partha yogam yufljan madasrayah I
asamsayam samagram mam yatha jftasyasi tacchrnu II
(G3. 7. 1).
that is, " Partha, listen to the way (which I am explaining
to you) by which (yatha) you will undoubtedly acquire
complete knowledge of Me, while you are following the Path
of Yoga, that is, of Karma- Yoga, keeping your mind fixed on
Me, and having surrendered yourself to Me " ; and this very
thing has been described in the next stanza as ' JnSna-vijnana '
(GL 7. 2). The words "yogam yunjan" in the first stanza
quoted above, namely, in the stanza " mayyasaktamanah, ",
etc., which words (yogam yunjan) mean, ' while you are
performing the Karma- Yoga', are most important, but no
commentator seems to have attached any great importance to
those words. 'Yoga' is necessarily the 'Karma-Yoga' which
has been described in the first six chapters ; and this stanza
642 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
means that 'now', that is, from the seventh chapter, the Blessed
Lord is starting a description of that path or 'vidW by which
the complete knowledge of the Blessed Lord can be acquired
while the man is practising this Karma- Yoga. That is to say,
this stanza has been intentionally placed at the commencement
of the seventh chapter, in order to show the relation between
the first six chapters and the next chapter ; therefore, it is highly
improper to neglect this stanza and to say that "the Path of
Devotion has been described as an independent path by itself
after the first six chapters". Nay ; I will even say that the
words ' yogam yunjan ' have been intentionally used in this
stanza in order that such a misinterpretation should not be
made by anybody. It has been shown in the first five chapters
of the Gita, -after fully explaining the necessity of Karma
(Action), that the Path of Action is superior to the Path of
Renunciation ; and then in the sixth chapter, the means
mentioned in the Patafijala-Yoga for acquiring that control
•over the organs which is necessary for the Karma-Yoga, have
been described. But this does not exhaust the description of
Karma- Yoga. Control of the organs is a kind of exercise for
the organs of Action. It is true that by this exercise, one can
keep one's organs under control; but if the Desire of a man is
sinful, having the control of the organs is useless ; because, we
see that when the Desire is sinful, many persons utilise the
powers acquired by the control of the organs, for performing
such sinful actions as propitiation (jararfa) or killing frnaramJ
etc. Therefore, it is stated in the sixth chapter that
simultaneously with controlling the organs, one must also
purify one's Desire so that one Realises that " sarwbhutastham
Stmanam sarvabhutam catmani " (i.e., " all created beings are
located in one's self, and one's self is located in all created
beings " — Trans. ), ( Gl. 6. 29 ). And this purification of
Desire is impossible, unless one has Realised the purest
form of the Paramesvara, by Realising the identity of
the Brahman and the Atman. In short, even if one has
acquired the control of the organs necessary in the Path of
Karma- Yoga, one does not thereby drive rasa, that is, the liking
for objects of pleasure, out of the Mind. The Blessed Lord has
stated already in the second chapter of the Gita, that in order
CONTINUITY Of CHAPTERS OF THE GITA 643
tthat this rasa or Desire for objects of pleasure (visaya-vasaria)
•should go out of the Mind, one has to fully Realise the Parame-
svara (Ol. 2. 59). Therefore, that means, that is, vidhi, by which
this Knowledge of the Paramesvara is acquired by a man, while
he is following the Path of Karma-Yoga, is being described by
the Blessed Lord from the seventh chapter. Prom the words,
" while practising the Karma-Yoga ", it follows that this
Knowledge has to be acquired while the Karma-Yoga is being
practised, and that Karma or Action has not to be abandoned
for acquiring that Knowledge ; and therefore, the statement that
the Paths of Devotion and of Spiritual Knowledge are two
independent paths, which have been described from the seventh
chapter onwards as alternatives for the Path of Karma-Yoga,
is groundless. As the Karma-Yoga in the Gita has been
adopted from the Bhagavata religion, the description of the
vidhi (means) mentioned in the Karma-Yoga for the acquisition
■of Knowledge, is nothing but the description of the means
mentioned in the Bhagavata or the Narayanlya doctrine ; and
that is why Janamejaya has been told by Vaisarhpayana at the
•end of the Santi-parva that "the Bnergistic (pravrttipara)
Narayanlya doctrine, together with the incidental forms of
worship, have been described in the Bhagavadgita " (seethe
•stanzas quoted at the beginning of the first ohapter ). As said
by VaisarhpSyana, this path also includes the vidhi (practices)
xelating to the Path of Renunciation ; because, although the
■distinction between these two paths is, that in one of them,
Karma has to be performed, whereas in the other, Karma has
to be abandoned, yet, as the Spiritual and worldly Knowledge
4 jnana-vijflana ) necessary in both is the same, the practices
prescribed for acquiring Spriritual Knowledge are common to
both. Therefore, in as much as, the express words " while
•following the Path of Karma- Yoga " ■ have been used in the
above stanza, it follows that (i) the exposition of Spiritual
Knowledge ( jflana ) and worldly Knowledge ( mj-fiana ) in
the seventh and subsequent chapters is principally in support
•of Karma- Yoga ; that (ii) the practices relating to the Path
■of Renunciation, which have been inoluded in that jnana-
.vijnana have been so included on account of the comprehensive
nature of that jfiana-mjUana, and that (iii) this jnana-mjHana,
644 GITA-BAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
has not been mentioned for supporting the Samkhya Path
and suggesting that Karma-Yoga should be abandoned..
Another thing, which has to be borne in mind, is that though
the followers of the Samkhya school attach importance to
Spiritual Knowledge, they attach no importance whatsoever
to Action ( karma ) or Devotion ( bhakti ) ; whereas, Devotion
has been looked upon as easy and important in the Gita.
Not only is that so, but even while dealing with the-
subjects of Spiritual Knowledge and Devotion, Arjuna is
being constantly given the advice that "therefore, you
must perform Action, that is, fight " ( Gl. 8. 7; 11. 33 ; 16. 24 ;.
18. 6). Therefore, one is forced to come to the conclusion
that the exposition of jUana-vijnana in the seventh and the
subsequent chapters of the Gita is supplementary to, and in
support of, the Path of Karma- Yoga mentioned in the first
six chapters; and that those chapters do not contain any
independent exposition of the Samkhya Path or of the Path
of Devotion. And when this conclusion has once been.
arrived at, the Gita cannot be divided into three mutually
independent parts dealing respectively with Bnergism,
Devotion, and Spiritual Knowledge. One also realises that
the conclusion drawn by some persons from the two facts
that (i) the sacred canon ' Tat-Tvam-Asi ' has three parts, and
that (ii) the Gita, has eighteen chapters, that because six.
times three is eighteen, the Gita should be divided into three
equal portions of six chapters each, and the first six chapters
should be looked upon as dealing with'Tvam', the second
six chapters with ' Tat ', and the third six chapters with
' Asi ', is purely imaginary. Because, the one-sided theory
that the whole of the Gita deals only with the Acquisition
of the Knowledge of the Brahman, and does not contain
anything more than an exposition of the canon ' Tat-Tvam-Asi"
falls to the ground as shown above.
When in this way, an explanation has been given as to why
the Paths of Devotion and Knowledge have been included in
the Gita, one can easily understand the continuity between the
chapters seven to seventeen inclusive, of the Gita. It has been
stated previously in the sixth chapter, that one has to consider
the form of the Paramesvara, by which the Mind becomes 'free-
CONTINUITY OF CHAPTERS OF THE GlTA 6 45
from love of pleasure' (rasa-varja) and equable, once from tie-
point of view of the Perishable and Imperishable (ksarakgara),
and again from the point of view of the Body and the Atman ;
and that, by such consideration, one arrives at the ultimate
conclusion that " whatever is in the Body (pi-pda), is also in
the Cosmos (brahmatjtda) ; and the same subjects now appear in
the Glta. But, when one considers the form of the Paramesvara
in this way, one sees that it is sometimes perceptible
(cognisable by the organs) and sometimes imperceptible ; and
then, one has, in the course of this consideration, also to-
consider which of these two forms is the superior form, how
the inferior form arises out of the superior form, and many
other similar questions. One has also now to decide, whether
this worship of the Paramesvara, which has to be performed
in order to fully Realise the Paramesvara and to make one's
Reason steady, equable, and Self-devoted (atma-nistha), should be
the worship of the perceptible form or of the imperceptible
form ; and one has to explain why although there is only one
Paramesvara, one comes across diversity in the perceptible
universe. There is no wonder that eleven chapters were required
to explain all these subjects in a systematic way. I do not
say that the Glta does not contain any exposition of Devotion
and of Spiritual Knowledge. All that I say is that (i) the
practice of looking upon Bnergism, Devotion, and Spiritual
Knowledge as three independent and equivalent Nisthas, and
making an equal division of eighteen chapters of the Glta
amongst these three, as on a partition between the members of
a joint family, is not proper ; that (ii) the Glta supports only
one path, namely, the Path of Karma-Yoga based on
Knowledge, in which Devotion is the most important
factor; and that (iii) the exposition in the Bhagavadgita of
Ssmkhya philosophy, of Spiritual and worldly Knowledge,
and of Devotion has been nade only incidentally, for
supplementing and supporting the exposition of the Path of
Karma-Yoga, and not for dealing with those subjects as in-
dependent subjects. Let us now see how, on the basis of this
conclusion, the subject-matter of Spiritual and worldly Know-
ledge ( jflana-mjflana ) has been divided amongst the various
chapters, for supplementing and for emphasising the exposition
GITA-RAHASYA OK KARMA-YOGA
of the Karma-Toga.
In the SEVENTH CHAPTER, the consideration of the
perishable and the imperishable world ( ksaraksara ), that is,
of the entire Cosmos, has been started; and the Blessed
Lord has, in the first place, explained the nature of the
imperceptible or imperishable Parabrahman, by saying
that this entire universe, which is made up of Spirit (purusa )
and Matter (prakrti), consists of "My superior and inferior
( parapara ) forms, and that those who worship Me, Realising
this My imperceptible form which is beyond Maya, acquire
an Equable Reason ( samabuddhi ), and are given an excellent
final state by Me " ; and He has then described His own form
by saying that, " all deities, all created things, all Yajnas,
all Action, and the Absolute Self are Myself, and there
is nothing in the world except Me ". Then, as Arjuna has
in the beginning of the EIGHTH CHAPTER asked what is
meant by 'adhyaima ', ' adtriyajna ' ' adhidaiva ' and ' adMbhuta ',
the Blessed Lord has in reply explained to him the meanings of
those words, and said that, " I do not neglect that man who
has realised this My form " ; and He has then gone on to
briefly explain what the imperishable or immortal Principle
of the world is ; when and how the entire world is destroyed ;
and what states are ultimately reached respectively by
those who Realise and understand the true form of
the Paramesvara, and by those who merely perform desire-
prompted Aotion, without acquiring Knowledge. In the
NINTH CHAPTER the same subject-matter is continued, and
it is said that Realising by means of Devotion, the
tangible form of the intangible Paramesvara, which has in
this way filled the entire universe, and surrendering oneself to
Him wholly and solely, is the easy or royal and practically
experienceable path of Realising the Brahman ; and that that
very path is also known as the ' king of all cults ' and the
'king of all mysticisms. ' Nevertheless, the Blessed Lord does
not forget to mention every now and then in these three
chapters, that the person who is following the Path of
Spiritual Knowledge or the Path of Devotion, must continue
performing Action, which is the most important principle in
CONTINUITY OF CHAPTERS OF THE GITA 647"
the Path of Karma-Yoga. For instance, it is stated in the-
eighth chapter, that " tasmat sarvesu kalesu mam anusmara yudhya
ca", i. e., "therefore, continue to keep Me before your mind at
all times, and fight" (8. 7) ; and in the ninth chapter, that "by
dedicating to Me all Action whatsoever, you will be free from
the meritorious or evil effects of the Action" (9. 27, 28). After
explaining to Arjuna in the TENTH CHAPTER the statement
made by Him earlier, that "the entire Cosmos has sprung from
Me, and is My form", by saying that everyone of the
excellent things in the world is an incarnation of the Blessed
Lord, and giving many examples, the Blessed Lord has, at
the desire of Aijuna, actually shown to him in the
ELEVENTH CHAPTER, His Cosmic form, and proved to'
him the truth of the position that the Paramesvara is All-
pervading, by placing before his eyes such His Cosmic Form.
But, immediately after having satisfied Arjuna in this way, by
actually showing him His Cosmic Form, that the true doer was
the Paramesvara, He has said to him : " I am the true doer and
you axe merely a tool ; therefore, give up all doubts, and fight"
(Gl. 11. 33). Although it has been proved in this way, that there
is only one Paramesvara in the world, yet, in as much as there
are such statements in various places as : "although I am imper-
ceptible, fools look upon me as perceptible" (7. 24); "yad aksaram
vedavido vadanti" (8. 11), i.e., "Him, Whom the knowers of the
Vedas, ref er to as the Imperishable" ; "It is the Intangible,,
which is also known as the Inexhaustible" (8. 21); "not Realising
My true form, fools believe that I have taken up a human form"
(9.11); "among all the cults (vidya), the cult of the Absolute
Self is the most excellent" (10. 32); and, as said by Arjuna,
"tvam aksaram sadasat tat paramyat" (11. 37), (i.e., "You are
the so* (Real), and the asat (Unreal), and the aksara (Imperish-
able) which is beyond both sat and asat "—Trans.), which,
statements mean that the imperceptible form of the-
Paramesvara is the most excellent form, Arjuna, in the
' beginning of the TWELFTH CHAPTER, asks the Blessed.
Lord the question whether the worship of the Paramesvara
which has to be performed, should be the worship of the
perceptible form or of the imperceptible form. To this, the
Blessed Lord replies that the perceptible form described in the-
648 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
ninth chapter is the easier one to worship ; and after describing
■the state of the highest Devotee of the Blessed Lord as being
similar to that of the Sthitaprajna, described in the second
chapter, He closes this chapter.
Although it is seen in this way, that it is not possible to
•divide the Glta. into three independent portions dealing with
Energism, Devotion, and Spiritual Knowledge, yet, some
people think that it is easy to divide the Spiritual and
worldly Knowledge described from the seventh chapter into
■the two divisions of ' Devotion ' and ' Knowledge ' ; and they
say that the second division of six chapters deals with Devo-
tion. But, anybody will realise after only a little thought,
that this opinion is wrong; because, the seventh chapter
starts with the Spiritual and worldly Knowledge of the
perishable and the imperishable world, and not with Devotion ;
and if it is argued that the subject-matter of Devotion has
come to an end with the twelfth chapter, then we find state-
ments in different places in the subsequent chapters preaching
Devotion, such as, " those who do not Realise My form by
Intelligence, should worship Me, relying on ,the state-
ments of others " (Gl. 13. 25) ; " that man who offers me
unadulterated Devotion, reaches the sphere of the Brahman "
'{14. 26); "that man who Realises the form of the Purusottama,
only offers Devotion to Me " (Gl. 15. 19), and ultimately in the
eighteenth chapter, " give up all other religions and worship
Me " (Gl. 18. 66). Therefore, it cannot be said that the advice
to follow the Path of Devotion is contained only in the
second division of six chapters. In the same way, if
the Blessed Lord had intended to say that Devotion
.•stood on a different footing from Spiritual Knowledge, then
He would not have said "I am now explaining to
.you that same Spiritual and worldly knowledge" at the
■commencement of the seventh chapter (7. 2), that is to
say, at the commencement of the second division of six
-chapters which, according to these objectors, deals with
Devotion, after having introduced the subject-matter of
Knowledge in the fourth chapter (4. 34-37). It is true that the
■' king of cults ' (raja-vidya) or the ' king of mysticisms ' {raja-
■gukya), which is the actually realisable (pratyaktiawgamya)
CONTINUITY OF CHAPTERS OF TEE GITS. 649
Path, of Devotion, has been mentioned in the subsequent ninth
•chapter ; but at the very commencement of that chapter, there
is a statement that : "I am explaining to you Spiritual
Knowledge side by side with worldly knowledge" (9. 1). It,
"therefore, follows that the subject-matter of Devotion has been
included in the Gita in the subject-matter of Spiritual
Knowledge. In the tenth chapter, the Blessed Lord has
described his own Manifestations (vibhuti) ; but this very
'thing has been referred to by Arjuna as ' adhyatma ' in the
commencement of the eleventh chapter (11. 1] ; and, as has been
stated above, we find several statements that the imperceptible
:f orm is superior to the perceptible form, inter-mixed here and
there with the descriptions of the parceptible form of the
Paramesvara. When, having regard to these statements,
Arjuna asks in the commencement of the twelfth chapter
whether the worship to be performed is the worship of the
Perceptible or of the Imperceptible, the Blessed Lord has stated
dn reply, that the worship of the Perceptible, that is to say,
Devotion, was the easier course ; and immediately thereafter
in the thirteenth chapter, He commences the description of
"' Knowledge ' (jfiana ), and of the Body (ksetra) and the Atman
(ksetrqjna) ; and He also says at the commencement of the
fourteenth chapter that : "param bhuyah pramhsyami jnanaTiam
Jnanam uttamam " (14. 1), i. e., "I am again describing to you
completely that same Spiritual and worldly Knowledge ", as
was stated by Him at the commencement of the seventh
•chapter ; and even while explaining this Knowledge, the
thread of Devotion is kept running in the texture. Prom this
•it follows, that the Blessed Lord did not intend to deal with
-Spiritual Knowledge and Devotion individually and indepen-
dently, and that both these matters are woven together in the
•exposition of the Spiritual and worldly Knowledge (jnana-
vijfbana) begun in the seventh chapter. That Devotion is
something distinct and Spiritual Knowledge is also something
distinct, is a stupid theory which has been started by the
advocates of those respective paths ; that is not the opinion of
•the Gita. The Knowledge of the form of the Paramesvara,
which has to be acquired by means of meditation on the
Absolute Self in the Path of the worship of the Imperceptible
650 GITA.-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
(the Path of Knowledge), is also essential in the Path of
Devotion ; but in the worship of the Perceptible (the Path of
Devotion), this Knowledge can, in the beginning, be taken for
granted by means of Faith from others (13. 25) ; and that is
why the Path of Devotion is actually realisable and ordinarily
pleasant (9. 2) for everybody, and the Path of Knowledge (or
the worship of the Imperceptible) is difficult (12. 5) ; but, the
Glta makes no other distinction between these two paths. The-
ideal in the Path of Karma-Yoga, namely, making the
Reason (buddhi) equable after acquiring the Knowledge of the-
Paramesvata, is reached by both these paths. Therefore, the
worship of the Perceptible and the worship of the Imperceptible-
are both equally acceptable to the Blessed Lord ; yet, as even-
the Jnanin needs to perform worship to some extent or other,,
the Blessed Lord has said, that the devout Jnanin is the most
excellent one among the four varieties of Devotees (Gl. 7. 17) ;.
and He has in that way eliminated the conflict between the-
Path of Devotion and the Path of Knowledge. While the
description of Spiritual and worldly Knowledge is going on,,
it is, in any case, inevitable that there should be a special
reference to the worship of the Perceptible in one chapter and
to the worship of the Imperceptible in another chapter as
occasion arises. But, in order that this should not give rise
to the misunderstanding that these two matters are distinct,
from each other, the Blessed Lord has not forgotten to say
that the perceptible form is inferior to the imperceptible-
form, while describing His perceptible form, and to say that
Devotion is essential, while describing His imperceptible-
form. Nevertheless, as three or four chapters have been used.
up in describing the Cosmic Form and the Manifestations of
the Blessed Lord, there is no objection to these three or four-
chapters (and not to a division of six chapters) being referred
to as 'the Path of Devotion ' in a comprehensive way, if some
one prefers to do so. But in any case, this can never mean
that Devotion and Spiritual Knowledge have been distinguished,
from each other in the Glta, and that these two paths have
been described as INDEPENDENT paths. In short, in order
to acquire the Equability of Reason which is the most
important factor in the Karma-Yoga, one must acquire the
CONTINUITY OF CHAPTERS OF THE GlTA 651
KNOWLEDGE of the all-pervasive form of the Paramesvara,
whether such Knowledge is acquired by the worship of the
Perceptible, or of the Imperceptible ; and there is no distinction
between the two except that of facility. It must, therefore,
be borne in mind that this is the sum and substance of the-
whole of this argument ; and that the whole of the portion of
the Gita from the seventh to the seventeenth chapter has been
given only one name in the Gita, namely, ' jnami-mjnana ' or
'adhyatma'.
After the physical eyes of Arjuna had got the actual
experience that the Paramesvara occupies and pervades the
whole of the BRAHMANDA (Cosmos), that is to say, the
perishable and the imperishable universe, by having seen the
Cosmic Form of the Paramesvara, the Blessed Lord explains,
in the THIRTEENTH CHAPTER, the doctrine of the Body
and the Atman, namely, that the same Paramesvara occupies the
PINDA (Body), that is to say, the Body of man, or the ksetra,
in the shape of the Atman ; and that the Knowledge of this
Atman, that is to say, of this ksetrajfia, is also the Knowledge
of the Paramesvara. Having first described the Paramatman,
that is, the Parabrahman, on the authority of the Upanisads
by the words "anadi mat param brahma" etc., it is shown
later on that the same subject-matter of the Body and
the Atman has been included in the Samkhya exposition
of 'Prakrti' (Matter) and 'Purusa' (Spirit) ; and it is ultimately
said that he who Realises the difference between Prakrti
and Purusa, and Realises the all-pervading Paramatman,
with 'jnana-caksu' (Spiritual eyes) is RELEASED. But even '
in this, the thread of Action has been kept in the texture, by
saying, "everything js done by Matter (prakrti), and the
Atman is not the doer, and by Realising this, Action {karma)
does not create bondage" (13. 29) ; and the thread of Devotion
is kept in the texture, by saying "dhyaneriatmani pasyanW
(13. 24), (i. e., "see the Atman by meditation" — Trans.). In
the FOURTEENTH CHAPTER, the subject of this Jfiana is
continued, and there is a description as to how, although there
is only one Atman or Paramesvara, diversity arises in the world
as a result of the difference of the saitva, rajas and tamos con-
stituents of Prakrti, according to Samkhya philosophy ; and it
5—6
652 GITA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
is stated that, he who realises that these are the activities of
Matter (prakrti), and that he is not the doer, and who serves the
Paramesvara by Devotion, is the true Released and Trigunatlta
{beyond the three constituents) ; and in reply to the question
■of Arjuna, the state of the Trigunatlta is described in the end
in the same way as was the state of Sthitaprajna and the
Devotee. In the FIFTEENTH CHAPTER, there is in the
beginning a reference to the description of the Paramesvara as
a Tree, which is to be found in Srarti texts, and it is stated that
what is called the 'unfoldment of Prakrti' in Samkhya philo-
sophy is nothing else but that Pipal (asvattha) Tree; and at the
end, Arjuna is told that by worshipping the Purusottama (the
Absolute purusa), Who is beyond the Perishable and the
Imperishable, man is gradually Released ; and that Arjuna
should do the same thing. In the SIXTEENTH CHAPTER,
it is said that men are divided into those possessing Divine
wealth and those possessing ungodly wealth, in the same way
as there arises diversity in the world as a result of the different
constituents of Matter (prakrti) ; and there is a description of
how they act respectively (what their Karma is), and what
goal is ultimately respectively reached by them. The
SEVENTEENTH CHAPTER contains an Exposition, in reply
to a question of Arjuna, of how the diversity resulting from
"the different constituents of three-constituented Prakrti is also
to be seen in devotion, charitable gifts, sacrificial ritual,
austerity etc.; and in the end, the word 'tat' in 'Om-Tat-Sat',
the symbol of the Brahman, has been explained as meaning
"Action performed desirelessly'; and 'sat' as meaning 'Action,
which, though good, has been performed desirefully' ; and it is
explained that this common Symbol pf the Brahman also
supports the Path of Karma-Yoga. In short, the summary
■of these eleven chapters is, that there is only one Paramesvara
in the world, whether one Realises Him by seeing. His Cosmic
Form ot by one's Spiritual eyes ; that He is the Atman in the
Body, as also the Imperishable. within the Perishable universe;
that He pervades the visible world, and is also outside or
beyond that world; that although He is One, one comes across
diversity or difference in the visible world as a result of the ■
difference in the constituents of Prakrti ; that as a result of this ,
CONTINUITY OT CHAPTERS OF THE GTTA 653
allusion (Maya) or of this difference in the constituents of
Matter, there are many differences or divisions in Knowledge,
Faith, Austerity, Sacrificial Ritual, Steadiness, Charity, as also
among ! men; and that, man should Realise the Unity in this
• diversity and should equabilise and steady his Reason by
worshipping that One and Permanent Principle — whether that
worship is of a perceptible object or of an imperceptible object
— and should with such desireless, sattiika, or equable Reason,
perform all the activities which befall him according to his
• status in life, as mere duties and nothing more. As I have
■exhaustively dealt with this j'nana-vijnana in the former
■ chapters of this book, that is, of this Gitl-Rahasya, I have not
■ given a more exhaustive summary of the eleven chapters — from
the seventh to the seventeenth chapters — in this chapter. As my
present object is only to consider the continuity between the
various chapters of the Glta, I have given here only that
.portion which is necessary for that purpose.
In as much as the Reason is considered superior to the Action
dn the Karma-Yoga, the Blessed Lord has started by explain-
ing to Arjuna what is meant by Jnana-Vijfiana, that is, the
Realisation of the unity of the Atman in all created beings,
or the all-pervasiveness of the Paramesvara, which (Realisation)
is necessary for making the Reason pure and Equable ; and He
.has so far explained how this Knowledge is impressed on the
heart as a result of the worship of the Perceptible or the Im-
perceptible, according to one's intellectual capacity ; and how
'the Reason acquires stability and equability, and Release is
'thereby reached without abandoning Action. This subject-
matter has been considered in the light of the Perishable and
■the Imperishable and of the Body and the Atman. Neverthe-
less, the Blessed Lord has said that after the Reason has become
. equable in this way, it is better to perform Action, while life
lasts, for the benefit of the world, and giving up the Hope of
Fruit (phalasa), rather than abandoning Action ( Gi. 5. 2 )»
' Therefore, the stage of Asceticism described in the Smrti texts
finds no place in the Karma-Yoga; and as Arjuna felt a doubt
that there was likely to be a conflict between this Karma-Yoga
and the Manu Smrti and other Smrti texts, he has, in the
.Commencement of the EIGHTEENTH CHAPTER, asked' the
654 GlTA-RAHASYA OB. KARMA-YOGA
Blessed Lord for an explanation- of the difference between."
Tyaga (Abandonment) and Sarhnyasa (Renunciation). To this
the Blessed Lord has replied that as the etymological meaning
of the word ' Sarhnyasa ' is ' to leave,' and as the Hope of Fruit
is left in the Karma-Yoga, though Karma is not left, Karma-
Yoga is essentially a 'Sarhnyasa' ; because, although one does
not take up the robes of a mendicant and go about begging in
the Karma-Yoga, yet, the essence of Sarhnyasa. (Renunciation)'
or Vairagya (indifference to the world), according to the
Smrtis, is making the mind desireless; and that essence is to be-
found in the Path of Karma- Yoga. Here, however, another -
doubt arises, namely : when the Hope of Fruit has been
abandoned, the hope of acquiring heaven also does not remain ;
and therefore, there does not remain any more the necessity of
performing the sacrificial ritual- etc., which has been enjoined"
by the Srutis. Therefore, the Blessed Lord has definitely
advised that in as much as these Actions have the effect of
purifying the Mind, one must perform them along with other -
Actions, though with a desireless frame of mind, and so keep
going the cycle of sacrificial ritual for universal benefit. When-
in this way all the questions of Arjuna had been answered, the
Blessed Lord has dealt with the suttdka, rajasa and tamasa
divisions into which all of the following things, namely,
Knowledge, Action, Doer, Reason, Steadiness, and Happiness-
fall according to the different constituents of Matter, and Ha-
has in this way finished the subject-matter of the diversity of
these constituents. Then, after having explained that out of
these, the desireless Action, the desireless Doer, the unattached'
Reason (anasakta-buddhi/, the happiness arising out of Non-
Attachment and the Realisation of the Unity of the Atman,.
arising out of the Realisation of the principle of "'avtbhaktam'
ribhaktesu. " ( i. e., " the unity in the diversity "-—Trans. ) are-
sattmka, and most excellent, the Blessed Lord has justified the
arrangement of the four castes on- the basis of the same
principle, and said that man becomes Accomplished (krtakrtya)
in this world, and acquires Peace and Release only by con-
tinually performing as duties and desirelessly, all the various
Actions, which befall him- according to the arrangement of the
four castes ; and He has further- explained to Arjuna that as-
CONTINUITY OF CHAPTERS OF the GITA 655
is an inherent quality of Matter {prakrti), and one
■cannot escape it, even if one wants to abandon it, lie should
surrender himself to the Paramesvara believing that He is the
, doer as also the one Who causes things to be done, and perform
all Actions desirelessly ; that the Blessed Lord is that
Paramesvara ; and that Arjuna should put faith in Him and
worship Him, and He would redeem Mm from all sins. And
having in this way, definitely prescribed the Path of Devotion,
■the Blessed Lord brings to a close the Activistic ( pravrttipara )
religion mentioned in the Glta. In short, the advice in the
■GltS starts with the consideration of the two paths of Sarhkhya
and Karma- Yoga, which had been brought into vogue by
learned people after deeply meditating on worldly life and the
life after death ; and the Path of Karma- Yoga which has been
declared to be the superior one of the two, has also been finally
advocated in the eighteenth chapter, that is, at the end of the
•Glta, after having described in the sixth chapter, the Patanjala-
Yoga necessary for making it (Karma-Yoga) successful, and
described in the subsequent eleven chapters the means (vidhi),
by which Release is ultimately obtained as a result of
the Acquisition of the Knowledge of the Paramesvara
while following it, by giving an exhaustive description of
the Knowledge relating to the Body (pirida) and the
Cosmos ( brahmanda ). And it was only when Arjuna had
heard this justification made by the Blessed Lord, of the
excellence of this Yoga or ' Device ' of performing all
Actions, for universal benefit, according to one's own status
in life, looking upon them as duties merely, and with the
idea of dedicating them to the Paramesvara, without in any-
way thereby prejudicing the benefit of the Atman in the shape
of Release, that he gave up the idea of renouncing the world and
becoming a mendicant ; and by his own free will — that is, not
.because the Blessed Lord had said so, but because he had fully
•understood the science of the Doable and the Not-Doable —
.prepared himself for the fight. The Gits was commenced to
be preached for the purpose of inducing Arjuna to fight, and
■the Glta also ends in the same way (Gi. 18. 73).
From the continuity of the eighteen chapters of the Glta
\which has toeen mentioned above, it will be seen that the Glta
656 GITA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
is not a pot-pourri of three independent Nisthas of Action,
Devotion, and Spiritual Knowledge, nor a blanket made up
by sewing together pieces of linen, silk, and embroidery ; but
that this very fine and costly texture in the shape of the Glta,
which bears the name of 'Karma- Yoga', has been woven from
beginning to end with "a mind, which was fully engrossed
in Yoga", after the threads of cotton, silk and embroidery had'
been properly placed in their respective places. It is true that
this method of exposition is somewhat looser than a strictly
scientific method, because it is catechismal; but when one
realises that by such a conversational exposition, the barren-
ness of a scientific exposition has been obviated, and that the
Glta has become replete with easiness and affectionateness, no
one will be ever so little sorry, that the insipid block system
of ' reason ' and ' conclusion ' followed in a scientific exposition,
which appeals only to the intelligence, has been avoided. It
will likewise be evident from the above disquisition, that
though the system of exposition followed in the Glta is con-
versational, that is, Pauranic, yet, there is no difficulty on
that account in the way of applying to it all the critical tests
of the Mlmarhsa school, and thereby drawing the conclusion of.
the Gita. If one considers the COMMENCEMENT of the Glta,
it will be seen that the Gita has been enunciated with the idea of
preaching the Activistic Path of Karma-Yoga, with the help of
the Vedanta-Sastra, to Arjuna, who had come out to fight accord-
ing to the religion of a warrior, after he had got involved in the •
discrimination between the Moral and the Immoral ; and it
has been shown by me already in the first chapter, that the
CONCLUSION {upasaihKara) and the result (phala) of the
Glta is also to the same effect, that is to say, Activistic. I
have shown that the advice given in the Glta to Arjuna.
contains at least a dozen times in so many words, and
indirectly innumerable times, the injunction "Fight," that is,
"perform Action" ( this is, abhyasa ) ; and as there is no work in.
Sanskrit literature other than the Glta which preaches Karma-
Yoga (this is, apurvata), the fact that the Glta supports the
Karma-Yoga is all the more firmly established by the two
Mlmarhsa tests of ABHYASA and APURVATA. Out of the
various tests prescribed by the Mlmarhsa school for determin-
CONTINUITY OF CHAPTERS OF THE GITA 657
ing the conclusion of a book, only two remain to be considered
with reference to the Glta, namely, ARTHAVADA and
UPAPATTI. With reference to them, it has become quite
clear from the individual consideration of these questions in
the various previous chapters, as also from the reference tc
the arrangement of the chapters of the Glta made in this
chapter, that 'Karma-Yoga' is the only subject which has been
dealt with in the Glta. Therefore, even if all the tests laid
down by the Mlmamsa school for determining the import of a
book are applied to the Glta, it becomes clear beyond all doubt,
that Karma- Yoga based on Spiritual Knowledge, in which the
highest place is given to Devotion, is the subject-matter dealt
with in the Glta. There is also no doubt that all other imports
which have been ascribed to the GitS are merely doctrine-
supporting ; but although these alleged imports are doctrine -
supporting, yet, unless I explain how it was possible to place
these doctrine-supporting interpretations on the Glta — and
especially the one in support of Samnyasa (Renunciation)—
the discussion of these doctrine-supporting interpretations is
not exhausted. I will, therefore, briefly consider how it was
possible for these doctrine-supporting commentators to interpret
the Glta as being in support of Samnyasa, and finish this
chapter,
Our philsophers have laid down the doctrine that as man is
a rational animal, his principal duty or goal (puru^artha)
is to discern the essential principle underlying the Body and
the Cosmos ; and this is what is known as "Release" in
religion. Nevertheless, having regard to the usual activities
of the visible world, it has been laid down by our Sastras, that
this goal of mankind is four-fold, that is, it consists of duty
{dhartna), wealth (artha), desire (kama), and Release (moksa).
As has been mentioned before, the word 'dharma' (duty) is to
be understood here as meaning worldly, social, and moral
duty. When the goal of mankind has in this way been con-
sidered to be four-fold, the question whether these four parts
of it are or are not mutually promotive, naturally arises.
Although there may be a verbal difference about the doctrine
that there is no Release unless a man has acquired the
KNOWLEDGE of that Principle which pervades both the
658 GlrS.-RAHA.SyA OB KARMA-YOGA
Body and the Cosmos, by whatever means such Knowledge
has been acquired, yet, such difference of opinion is not funda-
mental. At any rate, this doctrine has been adopted into the
Glta religion. The Glta also fully accepts the doctrine that if
one wishes to acquire the two parts, namely, 'wealth' and
'desire', of that goal, that has to be done according to moral
principles. The only thing, therefore, which remains, is to
decide the mutual relationship between dharma (that is, the
worldly duties pertaining to the four castes), and Release. All
shades of opinion accept the position that there can be no
Release unless the Mind {citta) has been first purified by means
of dharma. A considerable amount of time is taken up in this
purification of the Mind (citta). Therefore, even considering
the matter from the point of view of Release, it follows that
worldly life has got to be gone through consistently with
* dharma' in the period of time before the purification of the
Mind (Manu. 6. 35-37). 'Sarhnyasa' means 'giving up', and
if a man has not successfully led his worldly life with
the help of 'dharma', what has he to give up ? or, in other
words, how can that 'hapless fellow' ( karanta ) who cannot
properly attend to his worldly life (prapanca), properly attend
to the highest benefit (paramartha ) ?, (Dasa. 12. 1. 1-10
and 12. 8. 21-31). Because, whether the object relates to
this worldly life or to the highest benefit, hard labour,
firmness of mind, fortitude, and other similar qualities are
required for aohieving it ; and it is quite clear that a man who
does not possess these qualities will not be able to achieve any
goal whatsoever. But though some persons accept this
position, yet, they say that when a man has acquired the
Knowledge of the Atman by continued effort and by control of
the mind, he begins to look upon all worldly activities in the
shape of the enjoyment of the objects of pleasure as insipid ;
and, just as a serpent casts off the skin which has become
useless to it, so also does the Jnanin give up all worldly objects
of pleasure, and become steeped in the contemplation of the
form of the Paramesvara (Br. 4. 4. 7). As this path of
leading one's life gives the highest importance to Spiritual
Knowledge ( jfiana ) after the abandonment of worldly affairs,
it is called the Path of Knowledge or the Ssriikhya Path ; or,
CONTINUITY OF CHAPTERS OF the GITA 659
'because it consists of the abandonment of all worldly affairs,
'.it is called tlie Path of Renunciation (samnyasa). But the
•Glta religion says to the contrary, that not only is dharma
necessary for the purification of the Mind, but it is necessary
:to continue doing the same Actions, merely as duties, and as
part of one's religion, and desirelessly, and for the good of
■ others, even afterwards, that is, after the purification of the
Mind, although worldly activities in the shape of enjoyment
of objects of pleasure may become unnecessary for one's own
benefit. If a Jnanin does not do so, there will remain nobody
who can serve as an example for others, and the world will
• come to an end. No one can escape Action in this world of
Action, and if the Mind (buddhi) has become desireless, no
-action which is performed obstructs Release. Therefore, it is
the duty also of Jnanins, not to give up worldly life, but
to continue worldly activities, so long as life lasts, with
an apathetic frame of mind. This path of leading one's life
which has been preached in the Glta, is known as the Path
of Karma (Karma-nistha) or Karma-Yoga. But although the
Karma-Yoga has in this way been proved to be the most
• excellent way of leading one's life in the Glta, it has nowhere
vilified the Path of Renunciation, but has on the other hand
■. stated that it is productive of Release. And it is quite clear,
that the Blessed Lord could not condemn as unacceptable that
.path which was followed in the commencement of the world by
Sanatkumara and others, and later on by Suka, Yajnavalkya
. and others. Considering worldly affairs as sweet or as insipid,
depends to a certain extent on a man's inherent nature,
resulting from the previous prarabdha (commenced) Karma;
and it has been stated before that in spite of a man's having
• acquired Knowledge, he cannot escape suffering for that
Karma which is prarabdha. Therefore, if a Jnanin is filled
with a sincere disgust for worldly life and renounces the
world, as a result of such an inherent nature, which results
•from his prarabdha karma, there is no sense in finding fault
with him. The perfect man (siddha) whose Reason has become
unattached (nihmnga) and pure, as a result of the Realisation of
•the Atman, at least places before the eyes of people, in his own
dl orm, an example of the highest purity of human intelligence,
660 GITA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
and of the immensity of human strength involved in keeping"
under control the most uncontrollable mental emotions which are-
naturally entranced by objecte of pleasure, if he does nothing
else ; and such a performance is no mean performance from the
point of view of universal welfare {lohasamgraha). This-
accounts for the respect in the public mind for the Path of
Renunciation ; and that reason has also been accepted by the
Gita from the point of view of Release. But when one does ■
not merely consider ' inherent nature ' or ' prarabdha karma ',
but considers scientifically how a JfiSnin, who has acquired
complete Freedom of the Atman, should thereafter lead his life
in the world of Action, the Path of the Abandonment of
Action is seen to be inferior in merit ; and one has to draw the
conclusion drawn by the Gita, that the Path of Karma-Yoga
followed in the commencement of the world by Marici and.
others and later on by Janaka and others, must be followed by
Jnanins in the world, for universal welfare. Because, it now
logically follows that Jnanins must perform the work of
keeping going the universe which has been created by the
Paramesvara ; and as in this Path of Karma-Yoga, the power
of Jnana is added to the power of Karma without any conflict, .
it is seen to be superior to the pure Sarhkhya Path.
When one considers what the main difference between the
two paths of Sarhkhya and Karma-Yoga is, we arrive at.
the equation SAMKHYA + NISKAMA-KARMA== KARMA-
YOGA ; and, as has been stated by Vaisarhpayana, considera-
tion of the Sarhkhya-Nistha is easily included in the considera-
tion of the Activistic Karma- Yoga advocated by the Gita (Ma.
Bha. San. 348. 53) ; and that is how the commentators on the
Gita who support the Path of Renunciation have found it easy
to claim that the Gita advocates the Samkhya or the Sarhnyasa.
Path. If one neglects those stanzas in the Gita which prove
that Action is meritorious and which preach Action ; or, if one ■
passes a remark on one's own responsibility that they are
merely an ' arthavada ', that is, incidentally laudatory ; or, if
by some other device the factor of rdskama-karma (Desireless-
Action) is subtracted from the abovementioned equation, the
same equation is oonverted into- Samkhya = Karma-Yoga; and
it becomes easy to say that the Gita supports the Sarhkhya.
CONTINUITY OF OHAPTEES OF THE GIT! 661
Path. But, such interpretations are totally inconsistent with
the beginning (upakrama) and the conclusion (upasamhara) of
the Glta ; and saying that Karma- Yoga is inferior and that
Sarhkhya is the chief subject-matter of exposition in the Glta
is, as I have clearly shown in many places in this book, as
unreasonable as calling the owner of a house a guest and
calling the guest the owner ; and, in the course of my exposi-
tion, I have also refuted the theories that only Vedanta, or
only Devotion, or only Patafljala-Yoga, has been advocated by
the Glta. What is there which cannot be found in the Gits ?
The Glta has adopted something or other from the various
important paths prescribed in the Vedic religion for obtaining
Belease ; and even then, the true mystic import of the Glta
is something which is quite different from all the paths
according to the rule " bhutabhrn na ca bhutastho" ( Gl. 9. 5 ),
(that is, "supports all created things, and yet is not in them"
— Trans.). The doctrine that there is no Release if there is
no Knowledge, which pertains to the Path of Renunciation,
that is, to the TJpanisads, is acceptable to the Glta ; but, as
that proposition has been tacked on to the proposition of
Desireless Action, the Bhagavata doctrine in the Glta easily
includes the Path of Asceticism. Nevertheless, instead of
interpreting the words — 'samnyasa' or 'vairagya' as meaning the
Abandonment of Action, the Glta says that true vairagya
(Abandonment) or true samnyasa (Renunciation) lies in the
Abandonment of the Hope of Fruit, and lays down the ultimate
doctrine that the Desireless Karma-Yoga is better than the
Karma-Samnyasa of the TJpanisads. The Glta also accepts the
doctrine of the orthodox Mlmamsa school that if sacrificial
ritual is observed merely for the purpose of the sacrifice, it does
not create bondage. But, if the word 'Yajfia' (sacrifice) is taken
in a comprehensive meaning, all Actions performed after
abandoning the Hope of Fruit are a great 'Yajfia' in them-
selves ; and the Glta has, by taking that comprehensive meaning,
amplified that doctrine by saying that performing all
Actions according to the duties enjoined on the four castes,
continually, and desirelessly, is the highest duty of mankind.
The Glta has considered the Sarhkhya theory regarding the
creation of the world as superior to the TTpanisad theory;
•662 GlTA-EAHASYA OK KARMA-YOGA
nevertheless, the Glta has not stopped with Matter (prakrti)
• and Spirit (purusa) according to Samkhya philosophy, but
has taken the chain of the creation of the universe right to
the eternal Paramatman of the Upanisads. The Glta, has also
described the doctrine (vidhi) of the Narayanlya or Bhagavata
religion consisting of the worship of Vasudeva, namely, that the
Knowledge of the Absolute Self should be acquired by Faith
and Devotion, as it is more difficult to acquire it by Intelligence.
But, even in this matter the Glta does not merely copy the
Bhagavata religion; and, discarding the theory of the
Bhagavata religion regarding the birth of the Personal Self
( Jlva) from Vasudeva, as has been done in the Vedanta-Sutras,
it has completely harmonised the doctrines of the Bhagavata
•religion relating to Devotion with the doctrines of the
Upanisads relating to the Body and the Atman. The only
remaining Path of Release is the PStarijala-Yoga. But,
although the Gita, does not say that the Patafijala-Yoga is the
principal duty of man, yet, since the control of the organs is
necessary for making the Reason equable, the Glta to that
extent recommends the practices of yama, (religious observance)
■niyama ( restraint of the Mind ), asana (bodily postures), etc.,
mentioned in the Pataiijala-Yoga. In short, all the various
means mentioned in the Vedic religion for obtaining Release
have been to some extent or other referred to and prescribed in
the Glta, as occasion arose, in considering the Karma-Yoga in
all its bearings. If all these injunctions are considered
independent of each other, there arise inconsistencies ; and it
appears that the various doctrines mentioned in the Glta, are
mutually contradictory ; and this impression is fortified by
;the doctrine-supporting commentaries of various commentators;
but, when one lays down the proposition, as has been done by
me, that the principal object of the Gita is to harmonise
.Spiritual Knowledge with Devotion, and to support the Karma-
Yoga on that basis, all these apparent inconsistencies
•disappear ; and one cannot but admire the super-human wisdom
•of the Gita in bringing about a fusion between Spiritual
Knowledge, Devotion, and Karma-Yoga in a most comprehen-
sive way. Just as the form of the Ganges does not change
whatever the number of rivers which come and join it, so also
CONTINUITY OF CHAPTERS OF THE GITA 663"
is the case with the Glta. Whatever it may contain, the
Karma-Yoga ultimately remains the principal subject-matter
of the Glta. But, though the Karma- Yoga is thus the
principal subject of the Glta, yet, as the essence of the
philosophy of Release has been beautifully described in it,
side by side with the Philosophy of Action, the Blessed Lord
has said to Arjuna, in the beginning of the Anuglta, that this
Glta religion, which was propounded to enable him to
properly discriminate between the Doable and the Not-Doable
is fully competent to place the Brahman within one's reach —
" sa hi dharmah suparyapto hrakmatiah. padavedane " (Ma. Bha.
Asva. 16. 12) ; and that those who follow this path do not need
any other arduous worship for attaining Release. I fully
realise that this statement will not be appreciated by people
who advocate the Path of Renunciation and who maintain that
Release is impossible unless all Action is abandoned ; but there
is no help for that. Not only does the Glta not support the
Path of Sarimyasa or any other path of renunciation, but, I
will go further and say that the Glta has been preached in
order to satisfactorily explain, from the point of view of the
Knowledge of the Brahman, why Action should not be
abandoned even after the Acquisition of Knowledge. Therefore,
the followers of the Path of Renunciation must remain
satisfied with the numerous Vedic treatises which support the
Path of Samnyasa, instead of attempting to foist Samnyasa on
the Glta. Or, just as the Blessed Lord has without pride
referred to the Path of Renunciation in the Glta as leading to
Release, so also and with the same equable frame of mind,
should the followers of Samkhya philosophy say : "as the
Paramesvara intends the world to go on, and as He from time
to time takes incarnations for that purpose, the Path of
carrying on the activities of worldly life , with a desireless
frame of mind, even after the Acquisition of Knowledge, which
has been preached by the Blessed Lord in the Glta, is the
most proper path to be followed in the Kali-yuga".
CHAPTER XV.
CONCLUSION.
( ITPASAMHAJRA )
tasmat sarvesu kalesu mam anusmara yudhya ca I*
GlTA 8. 7.
Whether one considers the continuity of the various
•chapters of the Glta, or analyses all the various subject-matters
dealt with in it according to the logical method of the
Mlmamsa school, it follows clearly that (i) the various
interpretations, which have been put on the Glta by doctrine-
■ supporting commentators, who have looked upon the Karma-
Yoga as inferior, are not correct ; and that (ii) harmonising the
Monistic ( advaita ) Vedanta of the TJpanisads with the
Philosophy of Devotion, and in that way accounting for the
mode of life of great and noble people, or, to mention the
■matter briefly, Karma-Toga fused with Spiritual Knowledge
and Devotion, is the true purpose of the Glta. Although
performing the ritual prescribed in the Srutis and the Smrtis
throughout life, as directed by the Mlmamsa, may be following
the injunctions of the Sastras, yet, this mechanical ritual,
which is devoid of Spiritual Knowledge, can never satisfy an
intelligent person ; and if one considers the philosophy of the
■Upanisads, not only is it difficult to grasp for people of ordinary
intelligence, as it is based purely on Eeason, but the Samnyasa
•or Renunciation, advocated by it, conflicts with universal
benefit ( lokasamgraha }. Therefore, the Blessed Lord has
•preached in the Glta the philosophy of life-long Desireless
Action, based on Spiritual Knowledge, and in which the
highest importance is given to Devotion, so as to effect a
fusion between Intelligence (Jnana), Love (Devotion), and
physical capacity (kartrtva), and so as to enable the ordinary
affairs of the world to be carried on satisfactorily, without
prejudicing Eelease ; and it follows from the Commencement
(upakrama) and the Conclusion (upasafiihara) of the Glta, that this
* "Therefore, at all times, remember me and fight. " The word
■'fight' has been used having regard to the occasion ; but it does not
mean only 'fight', but must be taken to mean 'perform all Actions
.pertaining to your status in life'.
CONCLUSION 665
■ advice covers the entire sum and substance of the philosophy
■ of the Doable and the Not-Doable, and that the disquisition on
the Doable and the Not-Doable was the true reason for
.preaching this religion to Arjuna. Which Action is righteous,
meritorious, just, or beneficial, and which, on the other hand, is
•unrighteous, improper, unjust or harmful, can be explained in
'two ways. The one way is not to explain the inherent reason
or the justification for the advice, but merely to say that if a
; particular thing is done in a particular way, it is right,
and if done in another particular way, it is wrong.
Injunctions like 'Do not cause death', 'Do not steal', 'Speak the
•truth' (satyafh vada), Act righteously (dharmam cara) etc. are of
this kind. These injunctions or courses of conduct are definitely
laid down in the Mami-Smrti, and other Smrtis, and in the
Upanisads. But as man is a rational animal, he is not
satisfied with such didactic injunctions, and he naturally feels a
■ desire to understand the true reason why they were laid down ;
and he naturally thinks over and finds out the eternal and
fundamental principle at the bottom of these rules of conduct.
■ Going to the bottom of worldly morality in this way, and
finding out the underlying fundamental principles, is the
-purpose of PHILOSOPHY (Sastra); and merely putting
together and mentioning the rules, is known as AGARA-
• SAMGRAHA. The code of rules of conduct (acara-samgraha)
relating to the Path of Action is to be found in the Smrti
texts; and the Bhagavadglta contains a conversational or
Pauranika, but philosophical {sastrlya) disquisition on the
fundamental principles of that code. Therefore, it is more
iproper to say that the subject-matter of exposition in the Glta
■is THE SCIENCE OF KARMA-YOGA (Karma-Yoga-Sastra),
.instead of saying that it is KARMA-YOGA; and this word,
■■that is, SCIENCE OF YOGA (Yoga-Sastra) has been used in
the Gita in the concluding portion of every chapter showing
■the end of the chapter. This Science of Karma-Yoga in the
-Glta has been called the Science of Proper Conduct (sadvartana),
•the Science of Good Behaviour (sadacara), Philosophy of
Ethics, Critique of Ethios, Elements of Ethics, the Science of
.Duty, the Discernment of Right and Wrong, or the Science of
.Sociology, by Western philosophers, who either do not believe
666 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
in the life after death, or consider it as inferior. These are ■
merely Materialistic names ; and their way of criticising is •
also a purely Materialistic way. Therefore, the majority of
the persons who have read the books of such Western writers
think that Morality or Ethics has not been dealt with in any
work in Sanskrit literature. The most profound philosophy in
India is the Vedanta philosophy ; and if one considers our
modern Vedanta works, they are seen to be principally
indifferent about worldly affairs. Then, how can we find in
them any consideration of Karma-Yoga or of Ethics ? This
subject-matter cannot be dealt with in books on Grammar, or
on Logic ; and in the Smrti texts, one cannot find anything more-
than a code of religious precepts. Therefore, it is the common
belief of many persons, that our ancient writers, being steeped-
in the deep contemplation of Release, have forgotten to deal)
with the subject-matter of Morality or Ethics. This mis-
understanding will be removed if one carefully considers the
Mahabharata or the Glta. But, as the Mahabharata is a very
extensive work, it is very difficult to read the whole of it and 1
to give careful thought to the subject-matter in it ; and:
although the Glta is small, yet, there is a strong belief, that it
deals only with the question of Release, on account of the
doctrine-supporting commentaries on it. But no one has
taken the trouble to think that the Path of Samnyasa and the
Path of Karma-Yoga were both in vogue in India from Vedic
times ; that the numbers following the Path of Karma-Yoga
were a thousand times greater than of those following the Path
of Samnyasa ; and that the great and noble persons, whose
lives have been described in the Puranas, were supporters of
Karma- Yoga. Then, was not even one of these persons'
inclined to vindicate the Path of Karma-Yoga followed by
him ? If it is said that there are no works on Karma-Yoga,,
because all Spiritual Knowledge is confined to the Brahmin
caste, and the Vedantist Brahmins are apathetic towards
Action, that statement too would be incorrect. Because, in
the times of the Upanisads, and also afterwards, there were
Jnanins like Janaka and Sri Krsna among the Ksatriyas; and
even learned Brahmins like Vyasa, have written the biogra-
phies of great Ksatriyas. In writing these biographies, would,
CONCLUSION 667
it not be necessary to explain the key-note of the character and
lives of those men ? This key-note was Karma- Yoga or the
philosophy of worldly life ; and in order to explain this
principle, subtle points of righteous or unrighteous conduct
have been dealt with in several places in the Mahabharata,
and ultimately the Glta has dealt with those principles of
Ethics, which have been responsible for the maintenance of
the world, consistently with the view-point of Release. There
are also many such instances in the other Puranas. But, as
all other expositions on the subject turn pale by the side of the
brilliance of the Gita, the Bhagavadglta has become the most
important work on the philosophy of Karma-Yoga. I have
dealt with the true nature of this Karma-Yoga in the foregoing
chapters. Yet, it cannot be said that this exposition of the
doctrine of the Glta is complete, unless one compares the
ethical principles propounded by Western philosophers with
the fundamental spiritual principles of the Doable and the
Not-Doable enunciated in the Glta. In making this compari-
son, it is also necessary to compare the Philosophy of the
Absolute Self in the East with such philosophy in the West.
But the knowledge of the Absolute Self in the West has not
gone much beyond our knowledge. As this fact is commonly
accepted, there is not much of a necessity to compare the-
Eastern metaphysical philosophy «with the Western meta-
physical philosophy ; * and the only thing which remains is
the comparison of the Eastern with the Western science of
Ethics or Karma-Yoga, which science according to many has
not been expounded by our philosophers. But, the considera-
tion of even this one subject is so comprehensive, that it will
be necessary to write an independent treatise in order to-
deal with it exhaustively. Yet, as I did not consider it proper
* A comparison of our Vedanta with Western Philosophy
has been made by Prof. Denssen in his book called the Elements: of
Metaphysics; and at the end of the second edition of this book, there is
printed the lecture delivered by Prof. DeusEen before the Eoyal
Asiatic Society at Bombay, when he had come to India in 1893, on
the subject : " On the Philosophy of Vedanta". Besides this, the
work, The Religion and Philosophy of the Upanisa&s, Written on this-
subject by Prof. Deussen also deserves to be read.
7—8
668 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
to omit this matter altogether from this book on that account,
I have touched upon only the most salient and important points
in that subject in this concluding chapter.
As the words ' Righteousness ' and ' Unrighteousness ', or
' Morality ' and ' Immorality ', can, strictly speaking, be
applied only to the Actions of intelligent beings, it can be
realised, after even a little consideration, that Morality does
not rest only on Action, but rests on Reason. This is what is
meant by saying : " dharmo U tesam adhiko visesah ", i.e.,
" knowledge of Right and Wrong is the specific quality of
man, that is, of intelligent beings ". It is true that we refer
to a bullock or to a river, as mischievous or terrible
respectively, having regard to the effect their action or
activity has on us ; but if a bullock gives us a push, no one
files a suit against him ; and if a river gets flooded and crops
are washed away, and thereby " great wrong to a great many
persons " is caused, no one on that account calls the river bad,
or refers to it as a marauder. In answer to this position,
many object: once it is admitted that the rules of Right and
"Wrong apply only to the affairs of men, what is the objection
to considering the Tightness or wrongness of the Action of
men, merely from the point of view of the Action ? But even
this question is not difficult to answer. Because, even if one
leaves aside lifeless objects or animals born in the unen-
lightened species of birds or beasts, and considers only the
actions of human beings, yet, in as much as the wrongs
committed by men in a moment of insanity or unknowingly,
are considered forgivable by people, or even according to law,
one has necessarily to consider, in the first instance,
the Reason of the doer, that is to say, the motive with
which he did the act, and whether or not he had realised
the consequences of the act, when one is determining the
righteousness or the unrighteousness of the doer. It is not
difficult for a rich man to give large sums of money in charity
as . he wishes. But although this his act may be ' good ',
yet, when one has to decide the true moral value of
it, sueh value cannot be determined merely by considering
the fact of this gift made in an off-hand way. One has to
consider whether or not the Reason of that rich person was
CONCLUSION 669
governed by religious faith (sraddM) ; and, though, there may
be no other evidence except this off-hand charitable gift for
coming to a decision on that point, yet, the fact remains that
no one looks upon this gift as of the same moral value as
another gift made by a person with religious faith ; at any
rate there is room for doubt. At the end of the Mahabharata,
after the entire question of righteousness and unrighteousness
has been dealt with, there is a story which very well brings
•out this position. In the Asvamedha sacrifice (yajna) made by
Yudhisthira, when he ascended the throne, millions of people
■were satisfied, and began to sing his praises for the munificent
.gifts of food and other objects made by him. Then a lustrous
mungoose {•nakula) came there and said to them: "All your
.praises are useless. However great the Yajna made by
Yudhisthira may be, it cannot be equal in merit to that
sacrifice which was made for a guest in former days, in this
very Kuruksetra, by a poor Brahmin, who lived by unchavrtti,
that is, by gleaning grain left in the fields, and who gave all
■the sattu food, which was spread out before himself and his wife
and children, to a hungry mendicant, who suddenly came to beg
for alms, just when they were about to start to eat, notwith-
standing that he and they had been without food for many
days ". (Ma. Bha. Asva. 90) The mouth and half the body of
this mungoose was of gold ; and the reason given by him for
saying that the merit of the Yajna performed by Yudhisthira
was less than the merit acquired by the poor Brahmin, who
had given one seer of sattu grain to a mendicant was as
follows : " I rolled about in the remnants of food left over
in the house of that Brahmin after the mendicant had
ipartaken of it, and on that account my mouth and
half of my body has become golden; but although I rolled
.about in the remnants of food left over after eating in the
pandal erected by Yudhisthira for the Yajna, the rest of my
body has not become golden". In this case, if one sees only
what leads to 'the greatest good of the greatest number',
by taking into account only the external effects of the Action,
one will have to come to the conclusion, that the merit of
.•satisfying one hundred thousand mendicants is a hundred
thousand times more than the merit of satisfying one beggar.
670 GlTA-RAHASYA. OE KARMA-YOGA
But, will this conclusion be correct, not from the point of"
view of religion merely, but even of morality? Acquiring
a large amount of wealth, or getting an opportunity of
performing big acts for the benefit of others, does not depend
merely on anybody's virtuous conduct; and if one has to
consider the small act performed by the poor Brahmin according
to his means as of little ethical or religious merit, because
it was not possible for him to perform a large Yajfia for want
of money, one will have to come to the conclusion that the
poor need never entertain the hope of becoming religious or
moral like the rich. According to the principle of Freedom
of Will, keeping his mind pure was a matter within the
control of the poor Brahmin ; and if there is no doubt that
his charitable instinct was as pure as that of Yudhisthira, then,,
notwithstanding the smallness of the act performed by him,
the ethical merit of this Brahmin and of the small act
performed by him, must be considered to be the same as that .
of Yudhisthira and of the magnificent Yajna performed by him.
Nay; from the fact that he made a self-sacrifice by making.
a gift of food in order to save the life of a mendicant, not-
withstanding that he himself was poor and without food for
many days, it follows that his Reason was purer than that of
Yudhisthira ; because, it is a universally accepted fact that .
purity of mind, like courage and other qualities, is truly
proved only in times of adversity; and even Kant has, in the
beginning of his book on Ethics, expressed an opinion that .
that man whose moral rectitude does not flinch even in times of <
adversity is the truly moral man. The same thing is conveyed i
by what was said by the mungoose. But the purity of the
heart of Yudhisthira had been tested not only by the Yajna>
performed by him after he had ascended the throne, that is,
in times of prosperity, but also before that, that is, on many.'
trying occasions, in adverse circumstances, just as in the-
case of the Brahmin ; and as the proposition of the writer of-
the Mahabharata was, that Yudhisthira was morally great,
even according to the subtle law relating to righteous and*
unrighteous conduct laid down above, he has called the-
mungoose a 'wviler'. Still, from the statement in the Maha-
bharata that that Brahmin attained the same final state which*
CONCLUSION 671
is reached by people who perform the Asvamedha Yajfia, it
'follows that though the merit of the act of the Brahmin might
not, in the opinion of the writer of the Mahabharata, have bean
.greater than that of the Yajna of Yudhisthira, yet, he certainly
■looked upon the ethical or religious merit of both as at least
the same. Even in ordinary life, we follow the same principle,
and consider the moral merit of a millionaire giving a thousand
rupees for a pious object, as the same as that of a poor man
who gives one rupee by way of subscription. It is likely that
'this illustration might be considered -by some as new, on
account of the use of the word ' subscription ' ; I, therefore, say
that in the exposition of Morality and Immorality made in
the Mahabharata, while the story of the niungoose was being
told, it is said :
sahaS7-aiaktis ca satam satasaktir daiapi ca I
dadyad apas ca yah saktya sarve tulyaphalah smrtah 1 1
(Ma.Bha.Asva.90.97),
'that is, "a man who owns a thousand giving a hundred, a man who
owns a hundred giving ten, or some one according to his ability
. giving only a drink of water, all these (acts) are of the same
merit, and equally beneficial"; and the same is the purport
conveyed by the sentence "patram puspam phdam toyam etc "
■ (01. 9. 26), (i. e., "a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or even water" — Trans.),
in the Glta. This principle has been adopted not only in our
■religion but also in the Christian religion. The Lord Christ has
•said in one place that : " Bor unto whomsoever much is given,
of him shall be much required" (Luke. 12. 48); and there is a
: statement in another place in the Bible, that one day, when
the Lord Christ had gone to church and the work of collecting
funds for charitable purposes was going on, He said : "Verily I
:say unto to you, that this poor widow hath cast more in, than all
.they, which have cast into the treasury" (Mark. 12. 43 and 44),
•on seeing an extremely poor widow giving both the pice which
■.she had, in charity. This clearly proves that even the Lord
■Christ had accepted the position that the merit of an act has to
be determined by reference to the Reason of the doer ; and that
•when the Eeason of the doer is pure, even a small act is very
672 GtTl.-EAHA.SYA OB KARMA-YOGA
often of the same ethical merit as a larger act. If one considers •
the effect of the impurity of the Reason on the moral merit of
an Action, in the opposite case, that is, when the Reason is not-
pure, it will be seen that killing in self-defence a man who has
attacked you for murdering you, and killing a rich traveller
for the sake of his money, are ethically entirely different, .
though the act of killing is the same in both the cases. The
German poet Schiller has described a similar incident towards ■
the end of his drama William Tell ; and the distinction which
has been made by him there between two externally exact
actions, on account of the purity or the impurity of the
Reason, is the difference between the 'abandonment of self-
interest' (svartlwAyaga) and the 'destruction of self-interest'
(svartha-hatya). This shows that whether the two acts are-
unequal or are equal to each other, the difference between them,
from the point of view of Morality, arises from the difference
between the motives of the doers. This 'motive' is also known,
as ' Intention ', ' Desire ', or ' Reason ' ; because, although the
scientific meaning of the word 'Reason' is the 'Discerning,
organ', yet, as 'Knowledge', 'Desire', and 'Intention' are all the
results of the activity of this mental organ, it is usual to also ■
refer to all these as 'Reason' ; and as has been stated before,
the Equable Reason of the Sthitaprajna is a combination
of the steadiness of Pure Reason and the purity of
Practical Reason. The Blessed Lord did not ask Ar juna to •
consider how many persons would be benefited or how many
persons ruined by the war being carried on. On the other hand, .
the Blessed Lord has said, "Whether Bhisma will die or Drona
will die as a result of the carrying on of the war, is a minor
consideration ; the principal question is with what frame of
Reason you are going to enter the fight ; and if your Reason ■
is like that of a Sthitaprajna, you will incur no sin if Bhisma
and Drona are killed while you are performing your duty with
that pure and untarnished Reason. You are not fighting with a ■
Hope of Fruit in the shape of causing the death of Bhisma.
You have only asked for a share of that kingdom to which you
have acquired a right by birth ; in order to avoid the war, you,
have not failed to take it lying down as much as possible, and
have even tried conciliatory ambassadors ; but when you saw-
CONCLUSION 675
that this course of propriety and of gentleness was of no avail,
you have started the war, as there was no other alternative.
For this, you are not to blame at all ; because, it is your duty,
to acquire these rights ultimately by fight, if necessary, in
the interests of publio welfare, according to the religion of
Ksatriyas, instead of wasting time in begging like a Brahmin,
( Ma. Bha. U. 28 and 72 ; and Vanaparva 33. 48 and 50 )".
Accepting this logical reasoning of the Blessed Lord, Vyasa
has satisfied Yudhisthira later on in the Santiparva (San. ch. 32
and 33). But though the Reason is thus considered to be the
superior factor in deciding what is right and what is wrong,
it becomes necessary to explain what is meant by Pure Reason ;
because, as both the Mind and the Reason are evolutes ( vikara )
of Matter (prakrti ), they can inherently be of three kinds, that
is sattvika (static), rajasa (active) and tamasa (ignorant). There-
fore, the Gita has said that, that Reasoning Faculty which
Realises the Form of the permanent Atman, which (Atman)
is beyond the cognizance of Reason, which (form) is common
to all created things, is to be called the pure or the sattvika
Reason in the Philosophy of Karma- Yoga. The sattvika Reason
is also known as the Equable Reason; and the word 'Equable''
means " which recognises and Realises the unity or identity
of the Atman which inhabits all created things". That
Reason which does not Realise this identity, is neither pure,
nor sattvika. When one has thus decided that this Equability
of Reason is the most important factor in determining questions-
of Morality, the next question which naturally arises is, how to
recognise this evenness or Equability of Reason ; because, as
the Reason is an internal organ, one cannot see by one's eyes
whether it is good or bad. Therefore, in order to find out
whether or not the Reason is pure and equable, one must in the
first instance consider the external Actions of the man ; other-
wise, a man will by his mouth say that his Reason is pure and
equable, and by his hands do whatever he likes. Therefore, the-
Sastras have laid down the proposition that the true Knower
of the Brahman has to be recognised by considering his nature;
arid that if he is a mere talker, he is not a true saint. In
describing the characteristics of the Sthitapraj&a or of the
Devotee of the Blessed Lord, the Bhagavadglta principally
674 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
■describes how such persons behave in the world towards other
people ; and in the thirteenth chapter, ' Jnana ' (Knowledge)
has also been defined in the same way, that is, by explaining
the effect of Jnana on a man's nature. From this it will be
seen, that the Glta does not say that one need not at all
consider the external Actions of a man. But, although
behaviour, that is to say, external Action, and principally
external Action in times of adversity, has to be considered
in order to test whether the Reason of any particular
person — and specially of another person — is or is not Equable,
yet, we must also bear in mind, that we cannot come to a
faultless conclusion as to the morality of a person merely from
his external behaviour. Because, although under certain
•circumstances, an external Action may be small, yet, its moral
value is as high as that of a big act, as will be proved from the
story of the mungoose mentioned above. Therefore, our Sastras
have laid down that (i) whether the external act is big or small,
-and whether it is beneficial to one person or brings happiness
to many persons, that cannot be given higher importance than
as being an evidence of a pure Reason ; that (ii) after deciding to
what extent the Reason of the doer is or is not pure, by con-
sidering this external Action, one has ultimately to decide the
morality or otherwise of such Action, by reference to the purity
■of Reason to be ascertained in this way; and that (iii) questions
of Morality cannot be properly decided merely by con-
sidering external Actions. And, that is why the Equable
and Pure Reason, that is, Desire, has been given a high plaoe
in the Karma- Yoga in the Glta, by saying that "the Reason is
superior to the Action" (2. 49). In the book on the Bhagavata
religion called Narada Pancaratra, which is later in date
that the Glta, Markandeya says to Narada :-
■manasa'm praijiriam eva mrmtormtitekarcnjam I
manonurupam vakyam ca vakyena prasphutavi manah ii
(Ns. Pan. 1. 7. 18).
that is, "the Mind is the only cause (the root cause) of all
the Actions of mankind. As the Mind is, so does the man
apeok; a man's Mind expresses itself in what he says". In
CONCLUSION 675
.•short, the Mind (that is, the determination of the Mind) comes
.first, and then all Actions take place. Therefore, Buddhist
writers have also accepted the doctrine of the Gita relating
; to Pure Reason for distinguishing between the Doable and
the Not-doable. For example, in the well-known Buddhistic
work on Morality" known as Dkammapada, it is stated right
in the beginning that :-
manopubbamgama dhamrm manoseththa (srestha) manomaya I
manasa ce padutthena bhasati va karoti va l
tato na dukkham anveti cakkam va vahato padam i)
( Dhammapada 1 ).
that is: "the Mind, that is, the activities of the Mind
■come first, and the righteous or unrighteous Action comes
afterwards; (this being the order) the Mind is considered
as principal and superior in this matter, and all these
- tendencies ( dharnma ) must be said to be based on the
Mind; therefore, according as the Mind of the doer is
pure or vicious, so does his speech or action become
good or bad ; and he enjoys happiness, or suffers unhappiness,
accordingly later on"*. Similarly, Buddhist writers have
also accepted the corollary drawn from this doctrine in the
Upanisads and in the Gita. ( Kausi. 3. 1 ; and Gl. 18. 17), that
the Sthitaprajna, whose mind has once become completely pure
and desireless, cannot afterwards be guilty of any sin, and that
whatever he does, he is free both from sin and merit ; and it is
■ stated in many places in Buddhistic works that the ' arhat '
'that is, the ' man who has reached the state of perfection ', is
always pure and sinless (Dhammapada, 294 and 295 ; Milinda-
Pra. 4. 5. 7).
From what has been stated above the Western Intuitionist
• sohool, which worships and takes the decision on questions of
* This stanza, in Pali has been interpreted by different persons
,in different ways; but in my opinion this stanza is based on
the principle, that in order to determine the propriety or
impropriety of any particular Action, one has to consider the
nature of the Mind of the doer. See the commentary of Max
IMUller on his English translation of the Dhammapada (S. B. E.
"Vol. X. pp. 3, 4).
676 GlTA-RAHAYSA OR KARMA-YOGA
Morality from the deity of Conscience, and the Western.
Materialistic school, which asks you to decide all questions of
Morality by the sole external test of ' the greatest .good of
the greatest number ', will both be seen to be one-sided and.
scientifically insufficient ; because, Conscience is not some
independent thing or deity, but is included in Pure Reason ;
and when it has been so included, the decision of Conscience
about the Duty and the Non-duty oan never be faultless ;
because, the Conscience of every man is sattvika, rajasa or
tamasa according to his inherent nature. And if you say that
questions of Morality have to be decided by the purely
external material test of 'the greatest good of the greatest
number', the Reason cf the' doer is left entirely out of
calculation ; and if some one has taken in advance skilful
precautions for reducing as far as possible the injurious
external effects of his theft or of his immoral behaviour,,
one has to say that his evil doings are less objection-
able from the point of view of Materialistic Morality.
That is why the Vedic religion is not the only religion
which has insisted on the purity of the body, the speech, and
the mind ( Manu. 12. 3-8 ; 9. 29 ) ; but, even in the Bible,
adultery or immoral behaviour is not considered purely a
bodily sin; and a man's looking with immoral intentions towards
a woman not his wife, or a woman looking with similar inten-
tions towards a man not her husband, have also been considered,
adulterous (Matthew. 5. 28). And in the Buddhistic religion,
it is stated that the purity must be not only bodily but also of
the speech, and of the Mind (Dhamma. 96 and 391). Besides,
Green says in addition that if one considers only external
happiness as the highest ideal, there is a chance of rivalry
between men and men or between nations and nations for
acquiring it, and of quarrels arising in consequenoe ; because,
it is, as a rule, not possible for a person to acquire the external,
means of obtaining external happiness without reducing the
happiness of others. The same is not the case with the
Equable Reason. This internal happiness is self-obtained,
that is to say, it can be acquired by any one for himself
without interfering with the happiness of another. Not only is
this so, but that man, who has acquired the inherent nature of
CONCLUSION 677
behaving with equability towards all created things by-
realising the unity of the Atman, cannot either secretly or
openly commit any sin ; and it does not remain necessary to
say to him : "Always consider in what the greatest good of the
greatest number lies". Because, in the ease of a man, it
necessarily follows that whatever he does, will be done by him
after proper consideration. It is not that proper consideration
is necessary only for determining the correctness of moral
Actions. What should be the state of a man's conscience when
he makes that proper consideration, is the important question ;
because, the conscience of every one is not the same. Therefore,
when one says that Equability of Reason must always inhabit
the Conscience, it is not necessaiy to also say that one should
take into proper account the welfare of the greatest number,
or of all created beings, or of the entire creation. Western
philosophers have now started saying that man has duties not
only towards all living beings in the human species, but also
towards living beings among dumb animals; and these duties
must be inoluded in the philosophy of the Doable and the
Not-Doable ; and it will be seen that from this comprehensive
point of view, the words 'welfare of the entire creation'
(sarvabhuta-hita) are more comprehensive than the words "the
greatest good of the greatest number of human beings " ;
and that, all this is inoluded in Equability of Reason. If, on
the other hand, one takes the case where the Reason of a
particular person is not pure and equable, then, although he
may be perfectly capable of deciding by calculation in what
' the greatest good of the greatest number ' lies, it is not
possible that he will be inclined towards moral Action;,
because, being inclined towards any good Action, is the
quality of a Pure Mind, and not of a calculating Mind. If
some one says that we need not consider the inherent nature or
the mental frame of such a calculative person, and that if his
calculation is correct, a correct decision is arrived at between
the Duty and the Non-Duty, and we get what we want, than,
such a position is wrong. Because, although every one
ordinarily understands what is pain and what is happiness,
yet, in discriminating between various kinds of pain and
happiness, one has in the first place to decide what value-
'678 GlTA-RAHASYA OK KARMA-YOGA
has to be assigned to which particular pain or happiness ;
and, as there does not now exist any definite external
instrument like a thermometer for deciding these values,
nor is there any likelihood of such an instrument being
invented in the future, every one has to decide the true value
of any particular pain or happiness with the help only of his
own mind. But, as the man who is not saturated with
-the feeling of Self-Identification (atmaupamya), according
to which " another man has the same feelings as I ",
cannot properly gauge the intensity of pain or happi-
ness, he cannot make a true valuation of this pain or
happiness ; and then there is a natural mistake in the values
of pain and happiness taken by him for arriving at a decision,
and there is very often a chance that all his calculations will
go wrong. Therefore, one must not ascribe much importance
to the calculating process of ' considering ' in the phrase
' considering the greatest good of the greatest number '; and
one has ultimately to say that the true seed of Morality is that
Pure, Self-Indentifying and greedless Reason which has
become Equable towards all created things, and by which the true
value of the pain or happiness of the greatest number of other
.persons has first to be decided. Morality is the inherent
nature of a Conscience which is mineless, pure, loving, equable,
-or, in short, which is endowed with the sattva constituent ; it is
not the result of mere discriminating calculation. Therefore,
when Yudhisthira had ascended the throne after the Bharati
war, and Kunti, who had been made happy by the prowess
of her sons, was about to leave the kingdom along with
Dhrtarastra in order to live in the woods, she did not expatiate
■on the advice of doing ' the greatest good to the greatest
number', but simply said " maims te mahad astu ca"(Ma. BhS.
Asva. 17. 21), i.e., " 0, my son, may your Mind be always
great". Those Western philosophers, who have maintained
that considering in what the greatest good of the greatest
number lies, is the true, scientific, and easiest test of Morality,
have, in the first place, taken for granted that every one has
the same pure Mind as themselves ; and with that data, they
have given advice as to the way in which questions of
Morality should be solved. But, as the data of these
CONCLUSION 679
philosophers is not correct, their principle of determining-
questions of Morality becomes one-sided and insufficient.
Not only is this so, but their writings give rise to the
foolish impression that if instead of troubling about
making his Mind, nature, or moral character more and more pure •
and sin-fearing, a man learns to make a proper calculation
about the external effects of his Actions, that will be
quite enough for him to become ' moral '; and therefore, those
persons who have not overcome their selfish natures, become
crafty, scheming, or hypocritical (Gits 3. 6); and the whole
of society is likely to suffer to that extent. Therefore, the
doctrine of the Glta that, (i) considering the external effects
of Action, even merely as a test of Morality, is insufficient
and inferior (krpana); and that (ii) in this matter, that is, in
Karma- Yoga (a) one has ultimately to rely on the Equability
of Keason, which is expressed in external Actions, and which
remains unchanged even in times of adversity, and (b) the
true test of Righteous Action is Knowledge-full and
unlimited Pure Reason, or rectitude, is, in my opinion, more
to the point, more comprehensive, more correct, and more
faultless than the Western Intuitionist or Materialistic
doctrines.
Leaving aside the Materialistic and Intuitionist works
on the Philosophy of Ethics by Western writers, and consi-
dering only those works which deal with the subject purely
from the Metaphysical point of view, it will be seen that in
them, as in the Glta, Purity of Reason is considered of greater
value than the Action itself. For instance, take the 'Meta-
physics of Morals' and other books on Morality written by
Kant. Although Kant has not adopted the doctrine of the unity
of the Atman in all created beings, yet, after minutely con-
sidering the question of Pure Reason and Practical Reason, he ■
has come to the conclusions* that : (1) rather than determining
the ethical value of any particular act, by considering its •
* See Kant's Theory of Ethics, translated by Abbott, 6th Edition.
This book contains all these propositions; the first proposition is -
at pages 10, 12, 16, and 24; the second, at pages 112 and 117; the •
third, at pages 31, 68, 121, and 290; the fourth, at pages 18, 38, 55,.
and 119; and the fifth, at pages 70-73 and 80.
680 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
external result, namely, how many persons will be benefited and
to what extent, one should determine that value by considering
to what extent the Praotioal Reason (vasana) or Desire of that
person is pure ; (2) this Desire ( or Practical Reason, i. e.,
vasanatmaka buddhi ) of a man oan be considered to be pure,
stainless, and independent, only when,, instead of being
engrossed in the happiness of the organs, it remains continually
within the control of the Pure Reason (that is to say, when it
acts according to the dictates of the Pure Reason regarding
the Duty and the Non-Duty) ; (3) there is no necessity of laying
down rules of Morality for that man whose Desire has become
purified in this way, • as a result of the control of the organs,
after it has been so purified ; these rules are necessary only for
■ordinary persons ; (4) when the Desire has been purified in this
way, whatever acts it inspires the man to do, are dictated after
considering "what will happen to me, if some one else does to
me what I do to him," and (5) this purity or independence of
Desire cannot be accounted for, unless one leaves the world of
Action ( karma-srsti ) and enters the world of the Brahman
{brahma-srqti). But as the ideas of Kant regarding the Atman
and the world of the Brahman, were to a certain extent
incomplete, Green, though he belonged to the school of Kant,
has, in his Prolegomena to Ethics ( § § 99, pages 174-179 and
223-232) first laid down that the inaccessible Principle, which
saturates the external world, that is, the Cosmos (brahmar),da)
is partly incarnated in the shape of the Atman in the piij4a
(that is, in the human body) ; and he has later on laid down
■the propositions that (i) it is the intense Desire of that
■permanent and the independent Principle in the human body,
namely, the Atman, of Realising its most comprehensive,
■social, and all-pervading form, which compels human beings
•to perform good actions and that (ii) the permanent and un-
changing happiness of man lies in this Realisation, whereas the
happiness afforded by objects of pleasure is non-permanent. In
short, itwill be seen that though this point of view of both
Kant and Green is Metaphysical, yet, Green has justified the
discrimination between the Doable and Not-Doable, and the
Freedom of Will, on the basis of the Pure Atmic form which
,:is« seen uniformly expressed both in the Body • (piriida ) and in
nrwnT.TTSTO'W 681
■the Cosmos (brahmanda), instead of confining himself to the
•activities of Pure Season. Although, these doctrines of
Western Materialistic moral philosophers are not identical
with the doctrines of the Glta mentioned below, one will
■certainly see the strange similarity between the two. These
doctrines of the Glta are as follows: (1) the Desiring (i.e.,
vasariatmika) Reason of the doer, is of higher importance than
his external Actions; (2) when the Pure (vyavasayatmka)
Reason has become Self-Engrossed (atmormstha), and free
from, doubt, and equable, the Practical Reason of itself also
becomes pure and holy; (3) that Sthitaprajfia whose Reason
has become equable and steady in this way, is himself always
beyond Rules of Conduct; (4) his behaviour, or the Rules of
Morality arising out of his Self-Identifying Reason, become
authoritative and standards for ordinary men; and (5) there
is only one Principle in the shape of the Atman, which
pervades both the Body (pinda) and the Cosmos ( brahrnayxja ),
and the Atman within the body craves to Realise (this is
Release, or Moksa) its pure and all-comprehensive form ; and
when a man has Realised this pure form, he acquires the Self-
Identifying (atmaupamya) vision towards all created things.
Yet, as the doctrines of Vedanta philosophy with reference
■to the Brahman, the Atman, Illusion (Maya), Freedom of
Will, Identity of the Brahman and the Atman, Causality
etc., are much more advanced and definite than the doctrines
■of Kant and Green, the disquisition on Karma-Yoga made in
the Glta. on the authority of Vedanta and of the Upanisads is
metaphysically much more unambiguous and complete ; and
■the modern German Vedantist Prof. Deussen has, in his
book Elements of Metaphysics, accepted this same method
of dealing with Ethics. Deussen was a follower of
Schopenhauer, and he has accepted in toto the doctrine
of Schopenhauer that "it is impossible to destroy unhappi-
ness, unless Desire is destroyed, in as much as Desire
is the cause of worldly life; and it is the duty of every
one to destroy Desire "; and he has clearly shown in
-the third part of his book referred to above, how all
principles of Ethics can be substantiated on the basis of this
Metaphysical proposition. After showing that Desireless
682 GlTA-RAHASYA OK KARMA-YOGA
Action is the sign and the result of Destruction of Desire,,
since (i) Abandonment of Action is totally unnecessary for
destroying Desire, or after Desire has been destroyed, and (ii)
the fact whether Desire has been destroyed or not, can be
proved by nothing so well as by Actions performed desirelessly
for the benefit of others, Deussen has laid down the proposition
that, Desirelessness of the Mind, is the root of proper behaviour
and of Morality ; and he has at the end of his argument quoted
the verse " tasmad asaktah satatam karyam karma samacara "
(Gi. 3. 19), * which shows that he must have thought of this
argument by reading the Glta. Whatever may be the truth,
the fact that these ideas were universally current in our
country long before Deussen, Green, Schopenhauer, and Kant,
and even possibly hundreds of years before Aristotle, is not a .
small matter. Many persons are now-a-days under the
impression that Vedanta means giving up family life and enter-
ing the dry process of acquiring Release ; but this idea is not ■
correct. Vedanta philosophy has come into existence for
considering as scientifically as possible such deep and difficult .
questions as, (i) going beyond whatever can be actually seen
in the world and determining who man is, (ii) determining
what the Principle at the bottom of the universe is, (iii> ■
defining the relation between man and that Principle, and.
what the highest ideal of man in this world is, having regard
to that relation ; (iv) finding out the mode of life which must be
adopted by man in order to reach that ideal, or (v) in what way,,
which ideal can be reached etc. etc. ; and striotly speaking, the
whole of Ethics, or the consideration of how men should be-
have towards each other in worldly life, will be seen to be apart
of that profound philosophy. Therefore, Karma-Yoga has to be
justified on the basis of Vedanta ; and whatever the followers
of the Path of Renunciation may say, Vedanta philosophy
undoubtedly falls into the two divisions of Pure Vedanta and"
Moral or Practical Vedanta, in the same way as Mathematics
is divided into Pure Mathematics and Applied Mathematics.
Kant even says that the moot questions about the 'Paramesvara''
(the Highest Atman), 'Immortality,' and 'Freedom (of Will)'"
*See Deussen's Elements of Metaphysics , Eng. Trans., 1909
p. 304.
CONCLUSION 683:
have come into the human mind, only as a result of considering
the Ethical questions, " How should I behave in the world ? "„
or, "What is my true duty in this -world" ? ; and that deciding:
questions of Morality by a calculation of the pure external
happiness of mankind, without satisfactorily answering these
ethical questions, will result in encouraging the animal
instincts in the human mind, which are fascinated by objects
of pleasure, and thereby cutting at the very root of the-
principles of true Morality. "' It is not necessary now to-
explain in so many words why and how Vedanta has entered the-
Gita, even if the subject-matter of the G-Ita is Karma-Yoga. Kant
has written two books on this subject, which are known as the
Critique of Pure Reason and the Critique of Practical Reason.
But as the Bhagavadgita not only deals with both these
subjects consistently with the philosophy of the Upanisads,
but also includes a disquisition on the Path of Devotion
based on Religious Faith, it has become acceptable and
authoritative on all hands.
If, keeping the question of Release aside for the time-
being, 'Equability of Reason' is accepted as important, as being
the moral principle involved in the discernment of the Doable-
and the Not-doable, it also becomes necessary to briefly
consider why and how other paths arose in the Philosophy of
Ethics, in addition to that of the Metaphysics of the Glta.
Dr. Paul Carus*, a well-known American philosopher, answers-
this question in his book on Ethics by saying that : " a man's-
ideas about the fundamental principles of Ethics vary accord-
ing to his idea of the mutual relationship between the Body
(pinda) and the Cosmos (brdhmanda). Unless there is some
* « Empiricism, on the contrary, cuts up at the roots of the
morality of intentions (in which, and not in actions only, consists
the high worth that men oan and ought to give themselves)...
Empiricism, moreover, being on this account allied with all the.
inclinations which (no matter what fashion they put on) degrade
humanity when they are raised to the dignity of a supreme
practical example is for that reason much more dangerous
than mysticism " Kant's Theory of Ethics pp. 163 and 236-238.
See also Kant's Oritijue of Pure Season (trans, by Max Mailer)
2nd Ed. pp. 640-657.
9—10
684 GlTA-RAH ASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
definite belief regarding the inter-relation between the Body and
the Cosmos, no question of Morality can really speaking arise.
It is possible that we may behave morally, although we may
have no definite belief as regards this inter-relation ; but, as
this behaviour will be like something done in sleep, it would
be more proper to refer to it as some bodily (kayika) activity
resulting from bodily laws, instead of referring to it as moral
behaviour". For instance, a tigress is ready to sacrifice hei
own life for protecting her cubs ; but we do not say that this
her behaviour is a moral act, but we say that it is her
inherent nature. This answer very well explains how several
schools of thought have arisen in the matter of principles of
Ethics. Because, that principle which solves the questions,
' Who am I ?', ' How was the world created ? ', ' What is my use
in this world ?', etc., is the principle by which every thinking
person ultimately decides the question how he is to behave
towards other people in his life. But these questions cannot be
answered in the same way in different countries and at
different times. According to the Christian religion, which is in
vogue in Europe, the Creator of man and of the Universe is
the qualityful Paramesvara mentioned in the Bible; and it is
stated there that He first created the world, and laid down
the Commandments of moral conduct for man ; and Christian
•philosophers were originally of the opinion that these
Commandments, which were laid down consistently with the
idea relating to the Body and the Cosmos mentioned in the Bible,
' -were the root of all Morality. When it was found later on that
these Commandments were insufficient to meet all the ordinary
activities of life, it came to be maintained that the
* See The EtUcal Problem by Dr. Oarus, 2nd Ed., p. 111.
'.'Our proposition is that the leading principle in ethics most
■ be . derived from the philosophical view back of it. The
world-conception a man has, can alone give character to the
jri-neiple in his ethics. Without any world-conception, we have no
' efchi<Ss (i.e., ethics in the highest sense of the word). We may act
• morally like 'dreamers or somnambulists, but our ethics would in
vthat<:ase be a. mere moral instinct without any rational insight
into its rakon d' itre ". ■ •
■ CONCLUSION 685
Almighty (Paramesvara) had given Conscience to man in
order to supplement or clarify these Commandments. But,
as they later on realised the difficulty that a thief and an
honest man have not the same kind of Conscience, there
came into vogue the opinion that (i) although the Will of
the Almighty was the foundation of Ethics, yet this His Will
had to be ascertained by considering in what the greatest
good of the greatest number lay ; and that (ii) there was no
■other means of understanding the nature of that Will. All
these opinions are on the basis of the belief of the Christian
people, regarding the mutual inter-relation of the Body and
the Cosmos, to the effect that some qualityful Almighty is
the creator of the world, and that it is His Desire or Command-
ment that man should act morally. But when, as a result
of the growth of the Material sciences, it came to be seen
that the doctrines enunciated in the Christian scriptures
.regarding the creation of the Body and the Cosmos were not
correct, the question whether there was or was not some
■creator of the world like the Paramesvara came to be left
aside, and the question whether, or not the edifice of Bthies
and morality could be erected on the foundation of things
which were actually visible began to be considered; and it
began to be maintained that the greatest happiness or benefit
■of the greatest number, or the growth of 'humanness', were the
visible principles which were the fundamental principles of
Ethics. In this exposition, no reason is adduced as to why
a man should try to obtain the greatest good of the greatest
number ; and it is only said that such is the constantly growing
inherent tendency of mankind. But, as human nature also
includes other visible tendencies like selfishness etc., there arose
differences of opinion even in this school of thought. It is
not that these expositions of Ethics are entirely faultless.
'But, as all the philososhers "belonging to this school of thought,
placed no belief or confidence in the proposition that there is
at the bottom of the universe some imperceptible Element,
■which is beyond the visible objects in the universe, they have
always attempted to somehow or other explain away all the
difficulties which arise in their path by some external or visible
principles. It will be seen from this how, although every one is
686 GlTA-KAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
in favour of Ethics and Morality, there is always a divergence-
in the various expositions, on account of there being different
opinions regarding the construction and the inter-relation of
the Body and the Cosmos ; and that is why I have divided the
exposition of Ethics into three divisions in the third chapter
of this book according to the Materialistic, Intuitionist, and
Metaphysical view-points regarding the construction of the-
Body and the Cosmos ; and have af terwads considered indivi-
dually the most important doctrines of each school of thought.
Those who believe that the entire visible universe was created
by some qualityful Paramesvara, do not consider the question of
Morality beyond considering the Commandments of the
Almighty as given in their scriptures, or the dictates of Con-
science, which according to them, was created by the power of
that Paramesvara. I have called this school of thought
the 'Intuitionist' (adhidahika) school ; because, a qualityful
Paramesvara is after all a deity. Those who believe that there
is no invisible Principle at the root of the universe, or that if
any such principle exists, it is inaccessible to human intelli-
gence, erect the edifice of Morality on the foundation of the
principle of the greatest good of the greatest number or the
highest development of humanness, which are visible principles.
I have named -this school of thought, the 'Materialistic'
(adMbhautika) school. Those who believe that there is some
eternal and intangible Principle like the Atman at the root of
the Name-d and Form-ed universe, take the exposition of
Ethics beyond the Materialistic exposition; and they decide'
the question of the duty of human beings in this world by
harmonising the Knowledge of the Atman with Morality or
religion. This school of thought has been named by me
'Metaphysical' (adhyatmika) school. The actual practical
Morality of these three schools is one and the same ; but, a®
the opinion of each school of thought regarding the construct-
ion and inter-relatian of the Body and the Cosmos is different,
the fundamental principles of Ethics are slightly different in,
each school. Just as Grammar does not create a new language,,
but only finds out the rules relating to the language in ordinary
use, and helps the growth of that language, so is the case with:
Ethics. Ever since the day on which the human being cama
CONCLUSION 687
into existence in this world, man has been keeping his conduct
pure with the help of his own intelligence, according to the
circumstances of his country and of his times ; and those high-
principled and noble-minded people, who have come to birth
from time to time, have laid down rules for the purification of
behaviour, in the shape of inspirational commands (codaria),
according to their own ideas. The philosophy of Ethics has
not come into existence for breaking up these rules and making
new rules. Rules of Ethics, such as, "Do not commit murder",
"Speak the truth", "Do good unto others" etc., have been in
vogue from ancient times. But Ethics has to consider only
what the basic principles of Morality are, in order that it
should be convenient to expand those principles of Morality ; and
therefore, whatever school of ethical thought is taken, the rules
of Ethics, which are now in vogue, are everywhere more or
less the same. The only differences which arise in these rules,
are regarding the form of the exposition of those Tules ; and
the statement of Dr. Paul Cams that the chief reason for these
• differences is the difference of opinion regarding the construc-
tion and inter-relation of the Body and the Cosmos is seen to
be true.
The fact that Modern Western Materialistic philosophers,
who have written on the subject of Ethics, such as, Mill,
Spencer, Comte etc., have given up the easy and comprehensive
principle of Self-Identification (atmaupamya) and have
attempted to erect the edifice of Morality on the external
principle of 'Universal benefit' (sarvabhuta-Mta), or 'the greatest
good of the greatest, number', is due to the fact that their
opinion regarding the construction of the Body and the Cosmos
is different from the ancient opinions. When this has been
thus proved by me, those who do not accept these new-fangled
opinions, and wish to give deep consideration to such questions
as "Who am I ?" ; 'What is the thing known as the universe?";
"How do I perceive this universe ?" ; "Is the external world
independent of me, or not?"; "If so, what is the fundamental
element at the root of it ?"; "What is the relationship between
that Element and myself ?"; "Why should one man sacrifice
his life for the sake of another?" ; "If it is true, according to
-the rule, 'whatever has come into existence, is sure to die', that
688 GlTA-RAHASYA:OR KARMA-YOGA
the world on which we lire along with all created beings is
sometime or other going to be destroyed, why should we
destroy our own happiness for the sake of future mortal
generations?"; or, those persons again who are not satisfied
with the solution, that philanthropy and other mental
tendencies are the inherent tendencies of the visible, non-
permanent, world of Action, and who wish to go to the root of
these tendencies, cannot but turn to the eternal philosophy of
the Absolute Self. And that is why Green has started his
book on Ethics with the doctrine that the Atman which
comes to Know the perceptible world, must be different from
that perceptible world ; and that is also why Kant has first
dealt with Pure Reason and then written his Critique of Prac-
tical Reason or of Ethics. Although the statement that man
is born for the happiness of himself or of many, may appear
tempting at first sight, it is not really correct. If one considers
for a moment whether those noble souls, who are prepared to
sacrifice their lives only for the sake of Truth, do so only
with the motive that future generations should have more
and more of physical happiness, one is forced to admit that
man must be having something as his highest ideal in this
world, which (ideal) is more important than the transient
material happiness of himself or of others. Which is that ideal ?
Those who have Realised the permanent, eternal, Element
in the shape of the Atman, which is clothed in the Name-d
and Form-ed, that is, visible, though perishable, Appearance-
of the Body and the Cosmos, by personal Realisation,
reply to this question by saying that the first duty of every
intelligent person in this world is to Realise the eternal,.
superior, pure, immortal, and all-pervasive form of his own
Atman, and to be merged in it. That man, who has in this,
way Realised the Unity of the Atman pervading all created
things, and every atom of whose body and organs is saturated
with this Knowledge, does not stop to contemplate on the-
question whether the world is or is not transient, but automati-
cally takes to the work of universal benefit, and becomes the
protagonist of Truth. Because, he has fully Realised the true-
nature of the Eternal Truth, which is untouched by past,.
present, or future. This metaphysically perfect state of a man
CONCLUSION ■ ,.-■ 689.
is the original souroe of all rules of Morality ; and this what
is known in Vedanta as 'Release' (moksa). Whatever system
of Morality is taken, it cannot be independent of this ultimate
ideal ; and, therefore, in expounding Ethics or the Karma-Yoga,
one cannot but surrender oneself to this principle. The desire
for universal welfare is only a tangible form of the intangible
fundamental principle of the Unity of the Atman in all created
things ; and the qualityful Paramesvara, and the visible world,
are nothing but visible forms of the imperceptible, all-pervasive,
Atman, which is embodied in all created things. And not only
is Knowledge incomplete, unless one has gone beyond these
visible forms and Realised that imperceptible form, but the
highest ideal of every human being in this world, namely,
reaching the ultimate perfect state of the Atman in the Body,
is not attained unless this Knowledge has been acquired. Take
the case of Morality, or of worldly life, or of religion, or of any
other Science, Metaphysical Realisation is the ultimate culmi-
nation of all of them; of: "sarvam karmakhUam partha jfiane
parisamapyate" (Gl. 4. 33), (i. e., "O Partha, all Action whatsoever,
ultimately culminates in Knowledge" — Trans.); and as our
Path of Devotion is based on this principle, the doctrine,
'the principle of Equability of Reason, which comes into
existence as a result of Realisation, is the root of good conduct
(sadacaraya) and of Release', remains unchanged even in the
Path of Devotion. The only important objection against this
principle, established by Vedanta philosophy, is the belief
of some. Vedantists, that it is absolutely essential to abandon
all Aotion after one has come to the stage of Realisation.
And therefore, the Gita has, after showing that there is no-
conflict between Knowledge and Action, expatiated on the
Karma- Yoga doctrine that Jfianins must, notwithstanding that
they have destroyed Desire, perform all Actions, purely as
duties, for universal benefit, and with the intention of
dedicating them to the Paramesvara. It is true that the
advice given to Arjuna is a special advice to fight, as he has
been asked to fight and to dedicate all Actions . to the
Paramesvara ; but that advice has been given consistently with
the occasion which then existed (01. 8. 7). AH persons e. g.
farmers, carpenters, ironmongers, agriculturists. ' grain-dealers
690 GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
merchants, Brahmins, clerks, etc., must keep going their
various activities pertaining to their respective positions in
life, with the intention of dedicating them to the Paramesvara,
and thereby carry out the maintenance and uplift of the world,
in the same way as Arjuna ; and the SUMMARY of all this
advice is that when every one in this way sticks to whatever
profession or position in life is his by birth, with a desireless
frame of mind, he, the doer, does not thereby commit any sin ;
that all Actions are essentially the same ; that the fault, if
any, lies in the Reason of the doer, and not in the Action
(Karma) ; and that, when a man performs all Actions after
equabilising his Reason, he thereby only performs the worship
of the Paramesvara, and, not having committed any sin,
ultimately attains Release. But, those persons, who have made
a firm determination not to enter the deep waters of the
consideration of the Atman and the Non-Atman by
trangressing the borders of the perishable and visible universe,
because it is improper to do so, (especially, in these modern
days), give up the high level of man's highest ideal of
Realising the identity of the Brahman and the Atman, and
start the exposition of their philosophy of Ethics with the
inconstant, if visible, Materialistic principles of ' the benefit of
mankind', or ' the benefit af all created things '. But just as
one cannot say that a tree has become a different tree, as a
result of one's having lopped off the top of it, so also does the
philosophy of Ethics invented by Materialistic philosophers
not become a new philosophy, merely because it is headless or
incomplete. Even in our India, Sarhkhya philosophers, who
do not admit the identity of the Brahman and the Atman, and
who look upon each Purusa (Spirit) as a separate entity, have
fixed the characteristics of the three constituents, sattva, rajas
and tamas, after considering which of those constituents is
responsible for the maintenance of the world, andwhioh, for
the destruction of the world ; and they have maintained that
it is the duty of every man to reach the highest state of the
saWvika constituent, and that by doing go, one attains the state
of the Trigunatita (beyond the three constituents), and acquires
Release ; and the same import has been conveyed, with a slight
difference, in the seventeenth and the eighteenth chapters of
CONCLUSION 691
■the Gita. * Whether you call it the ' highest development of
-the sattvika constituent ' or, you call it the 'highest expansion of
philanthropy, or humanness ' in Materialistic terminology, it
is just the same. Not only have all these Materialistic
principles been fully enunciated both in the Mahabharata and
in the Gita, but it is clearly stated in the Mahabharata, that if
one considers the worldly or the external use of rules of Right
and Wrong (dharmadharma), one sees that these moral rules are
for the good of all created beings, that is, for universal good.
But, instead of somehow or other getting rid of the matter like
Materialistic philosophers, by relying merely on the Perceptible,
and indulging in verbosity because they have no faith in the
Imperceptible, although they realise that Materialistic
principles are insufficient for philosophically distinguishing
between the Duty and the Non-duty, the Blessed Lord has in the
Gita taken the ladder of these principles right up to the funda-
mental, imperceptible, and permanent Element at the root of
the Body and Cosmos, and established a complete harmony
between Release, Morality, and worldly life on the basis of
philosophy ; and, therefore, it has been clearly stated in the
beginning of the Anugita (Ma. Bha. Alva. 16. 12) that the
principles, which have been enunciated for distinguishing
between the Duty and the Non-duty, ultimately lead to
Release. Those who are of the opinion that it is not necessary
to harmonise the science of Release with Ethics, or Meta-
physics with Morality, will not realise the importance of
this exposition. But such people as are not indifferent
about this matter, will certainly consider the argument in
support of Karma-Yoga as superior to or more acceptable,
than the purely Materialistic exposition of the subject. As
philosophy was not as highly developed metaphysically in
any country in ancient times as in India, it was not possible
that such a Metaphysical exposition of Karma-Yoga ( Right
Action) should have been made in any country ; nor has it been
so made.
* The book named, The Hindu System of Moral Science written
by Babu Kishorilal Sircar M. A., B. L., is of this kind, that is, it is
baaed on the foundation of the three constituents, sattva, rajas, and
tamas.
692 GfTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
I have considered in the eleventh chapter above the pros and
cons of the doctrine that, rather than abandoning Action some-
time or other in this life, it is better to continue performing the
same Actions, desirelessly and for the public welfare, cf : "karma,
jyayo hi/ akarmayah" (i. e., "Action is superior to Inaction" —
Trans.), which has been enunciated in the Gita, notwithstanding
that it accepts the position that worldly life is inconstant, and
that there is more of unhappiness than happiness in such
life (Gl. 9. 33). But, in comparing this Karma-Yoga of the
Gita with the Western philosophy of Action, or our philosophy
of Renunciation with the Western philosophy of Abandonment
of Aotion (karma-tyaga), it is necessary to deal at greater length
with this matter. The doctrine that Release cannot he
attained, unless one goes out of this painful and insipid worldly
life, was first brought into the Vedic religion by the writers
of the Upanisads and the Sarhkhya philosophers. The prior
Vedic religion was Energistic, that is to say, it dealt with
ritualistic Action, But, if one considers religions other than
the Vedic religion, it will he seen that most of them had
accepted the Path of Renunciation from the very commence-
ment. For instance, the Jain and Buddhistic religions are
both from the very beginning in favour of Renunciation; and
the preaching of Christ is also to the same effect. The
original Christian religion has preached the same principle:
as was preached by Buddha to his disciples, namely, :
"abandon worldly life, live like an ascetic, and do not look at
or speak with women" (Mah&parinibbana Sutta 5. 23). Whereas
Christ preached : "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself
(Matthew 19. 19), St. Paul has preached "Whether there-
fore, ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all
to the glory of God"(l Cori. 10.31); and both these com-
mandments are similar to the preaching of the Gita, that.
all Actions should be performed by Self-Identification and
with the idea of dedicating them to God (Gi. 6. 29 and 9. 27).
But from that it does not follow, that the Christian religion is
Energistic like the Gita religion ; because, the ultimate ideal
of the Christian religion is, that man should attain immortality,
and be redeemed ; and as the Christian religion has maintained
that that ideal cannot be reached without giving up one's
CONCLUSION 693
home, the original religion of Christ must be said to have been
renunciatory. Not only did Christ himself remain unmarried
till the end of his life, but when a young man came and said
to Him : "I have from my youth up followed all such command-
ments as ' Honour thy father and thy mother ', ' Love thy
neighbour as thyself ' etc. ; what good thing shall I do, that I
may have eternal life ?", Christ gave him the plain answer : " If
thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the
poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven ; and come and
follow me " (Matthew, 19. 16-30 and Mark, 10. 21-31) ; and
immediately afterwards He turned to His disciples and said :
" It is easier for a camel to go through, the eye of a needle, than
for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God ". One may
safely say that this is only a copy of the advice given by
YSjnavalkya to Maitreyl that : " amrtatvasya tu riasasti vittena "
(Br. 2. 4. 2), i.e., " if you have money, you need not entertain
any hope of obtaining immortality ". Christ has nowhere
preached what has been preached by the Glta, namely, that for
obtaining immortality, it is not necessary to give up worldly
life, and that it is enough if all Actions in such life are
performed desirelessly. On the other hand, whereas Christ has-
preached that, as there is a permanent conflict between worldly
wealth and God (cf : "Ye cannot serve God and Mammon",
Matthew 6. 24), therefore, " if any man come to me, and
hate not his father, and mother, and wife and children,
and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also,
he cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14. 26), St. Paul, the-
disciple of Christ has preached that : "It is good for a man
not to touch a woman" (I. Cori. 7. 1). In the same way, I have
shown above the similarity between the statement in the
Brhadaranyakopanisad (Br. 4.4.22) that, "Mmprajaya karisyamo
yesam no 'yam atrria 'yam lokah", (i. e., "as we see that the whole
world is nothing but our itman, why should we have any
(other) generation?"; see p. 433, Vol. I supra — Trans.), and
the following words uttered by Christ: "Who is my mother?
and who * are my brethern ? For whosoever shall do the will of
* This is the standing advice of those who advocate the Path,
of Benimciation. The words "ia te banta kas te puirah" (i. e. "what
is thy wife ? what is thy son ?" — Trans.) uttered by Samkaraoarya
694 GCTl-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
tny Father, which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and
sister, and mother" (Matthew, 12. 46-50). It follows from
these statements in the Bible itself, that the Christian religion,
like the Jainisra or Buddhism, originally advocated the
giving up of worldly life, that is, supported Renunciation;
and if one considers the ancient history of the Christian
religion, it is seen that consistently with the preaching of the
Lord Christ to his disciples that : "Provide neither gold, nor
silver, nor brass, in your purses", the earliest of Christian
preachers used to live in a state of Renunciation. * The
practice of Christian preachers or of followers of Christ, of
taking up the state of householders and leading a family life,
is the result of the reform which came afterwards ; that was
not the original Christian religion. Even in these days, people
like Schopenhauer maintain that worldly life is full of pain,
and on that account discardable; and I have mentioned
before that the question whether it was better to spend
one's life in philosophical contemplation, or to spend
it in diplomatic activity for public welfare, had arisen
in Greece in ancient times. In short, this Western
philosophy of the Abandonment of Action and our
philosophy of Renunciation are to a great extent similar to
are well-known ; and there is a statement in the Buddhacarita (Life
of Buddha) by Asvaghosa (6. 45) that Buddha had said : "kvaham
■matuli km sa mama" (i. e., "what am I to my mother, what is she
to me ? "—Trans.)
* See Paulsen's System of Ethics (Bng. trans) Boob. I, Chap. 2
and 3 ; esp. pp. 89-97. ''The new (Christian) converts seemed to
renounce their family and country... their gloomy and austere
a'peat, their abhorrence of the common business and pleasures of
life, and their frequent predictions of impending calamities
inspired the pagans with the apprehension of some danger which
would arise from the new sect". Historian's History of t,he World,
Yol. VI. p. 318. The German poet Goethe has, in his poem Faust
said : Thou shalt renounce ; that is the eternal song which rings
in everyone's ears ; which our whole life long, every hour is
hoarsely singing to us" (Faust. Part I lines 1195-1198). I can
quote many other authorities in support of the position that the
original Christian religion was renunciatory.
CONCLUSION 695
each other ; and one may safely say that the Western method
of supporting that philosophy is the same as the Eastern
method. But, as the reasons given by Western philosophers
for proving that the Path of Action is better than that of
Abandonment of Action are different from the reasons adduced
in the Glta for following Energism, this difference must be
mentioned here. The supporters of the Western Materialistic
Path of Action say, that we must look upon the greatest good
of the greatest number or of all the beings in the world — that
is, their Material happiness— as the highest ideal in this world,,
and that it is the duty of everybody, while working for the
happiness of everybody else, to also become engrossed in the
same happiness ; and for supporting this position, many of the
philosophers say, that there is more of happiness than of
unhappiness in life. From this point of view, one has to say
that the followers of the Western Path of Action are such as-
" take part in the worldly life in the hope of obtaining,
happiness ", and that those who follow the Western Path of
Abandonment of Action are "tired of worldly life"; and for
this reason, they are respectively called ' Optimists ' and
' Pessimists '*. But the two paths mentioned in the Bhagavad-
glta are different from these paths. By being induced to take-
part in worldly life by the enticement of physical material
pleasure, whether one's own or of other people, the sattvika
mental frame in the shape of Equability of Reason suffers to a
certain extent at least. The Glta, therefore, says that (a) whether
worldly life is productive of happiness or of unhappiness,.
if one cannot give up worldly affairs even if one wants to do-
so, there is no sense in considering whether they produce
happiness or unhappiness ; that (b) whether there is happiness
or unhappiness, one must consider it a great good fortune
* James Sally has in his book called Pessimism described the
two paths of Optimists and Pessimists. Out of these ' Optimist ''
means ' enthusiastic ', and ' Pessimist' means ' tired of life'; and
I have mentioned in a previous note (see p. 420 supra), that these
words are synonymous with the words 'Toga' and 'Samkhya''
used in the Glta ; and the same idea is explained above in detail.
There is a third path who ' desire to prevent unhappiness ', and
Sully has described this path as ' Helliorism '.
696 GlTA-KAHASyA OE KAEMA-YOGA
-that one has got a human birth ; and that (c) it is the duty of
every human being to (i) suffer whatever fate befalls him
in the inevitable activity of this world of Action, without
allowing his heart to be discouraged, and with an equable
frame of mind, as described in the words, " duhkyesv amdvigna-
manah sukhesu vigatahsprhah" (Gl. 2. 56.), (i. e., "with an
undejected mind in the midst of unhappiness. and being free
from desire in the midst of pleasures" — Trans.), and to
{ii) go on p3rf orming life-long whatever portion of Action has
fallen on one's shoulders, for the maintenance of the world,
according to one's status in life, consistently with the injuetions
of the Sastras, and not for this purpose or that purpose, but
desirelessly. In the times of the GIta, the arrangement of
the four castes was in full swing ; and that is why it is stated
in the GIta that different social duties are allocated to different
persons according to the arrangement of the four castes ; and
it is shown in the eighteenth chapter how these differences
arise according to the divisions of the constituents and of
Karma (Gl. 18. 41-44). But, one must not, on that account i
draw the conclusion that the principles of Ethics enunciated
in the GIta apply only to the arrangement of the four castes.
The writer of the Mahabharata was fully alive to the fact
that the compass of the principles of Ethics like, Non- Violence
( ahimsa) etc.. is not restricted to the four castes, and that these
principles ordinarily apply to the whole of mankind. It is,
therefore, clearly stated in the Bharata, that the maintenance of
the Non-Aryans, who were outside the four castes who observed
these principles, must be made by the king according to these
general Ethical principles (S3n. 65. 12.-22); and instead of
making the exposition of principles of Ethics depend on any
particular arrangement of society, such as the arrangement of
the four castes, the GIta has based it on universal Metaphysical
philosophy. The chief conclusion of the Ethics of the GIta is,
-that, one must perform all one's duties according to the
iSastras, desirelessly, and by Self-Identification ; and this
applies ' equally well to all persons in all countries. But,
•although this universal principle of Ethics of a Self-Identify-
S*ig vision '.and of ; 'Desireless Action is thus established, it is
also necessary to give SOme'explanatiohof how those Actions,
OONCLTJSIOtf 697
to which that principle has to be applied, fall to the lot of
different persons in this world. The arrangement of the four
castes has, therefore, been mentioned in the Glta, as it was the
most simple and natural illustration, whioh applied to the
circumstances of that particular age ; and the arrangement of
■society in those days has been concisely explained in the Glta
according to the division of 'constituents of Matter' (gum).
and Action. But this is not the principle idea of the Glta ; and
it must be borne in mind that the comprehensive doctrine of
the Glta is that, even where this arrangement of four castes is
not in vogue, or is not rigorously observed, a human being
comes into existence to perform whatever duties come to his
•share, for the maintenance of society, according to the arrange-
ment of society which may then be in vogue, as duties,
-desirelessly, courageously, and enthusiastically, for the public
good, and not for the enjoyment of pleasure ; and the opinion
advanced by some that the Ethics expounded in the Gits is
based on the arrangement of the four castes is not correct.
The Glta says that whether the society is a Hindu society or
a non-Hindu society, whether it is an ancient society or a
modern society, whether it is an Eastern society or a Western
society, if the arrangement of the four castes applies to that
■society, then according to that arrangement, and if it does not
apply, then according to any other arrangement of society
which may be applicable to it, that duty which has fallen on
one's shoulders or which, being possible, may have been taken
up by one as a duty, of one's own choice, becomes a moral
duty ; and giving up these moral duties, and, on the spur of the
moment, taking up that which is proper .for some one else, on
■some pretext or other, is wrong from the point of view of
Morality, as also from the point of view of public good. This
is what is meant by the statement in the Gita: " svadliarme
■nidlianam sreyah paradharmo bhayavahah" (Gi. 3. 35), i. e., "even
if one has to die in the performance of those duties which are
•one's own, that is meritorious.; but, taking up the duties
■{dharma) of another person is dangerous"; and, it is well-known
in the Maharashtra that Rama Shastribuva said to the elder
Madhavrao Peshva, who was a Brahmin by caste, and who
ihad taken up the career of a,, soldier having regard to -the
698 GlTA-BAHASYA OK KARMA-YOGA
circumstances prevailing at the time, that : " by your not
wasting time in prayer and worship, but spending it for
protecting society by taking up the career of a soldier, you
will acquire happiness in this life and in the next ". The
chief object of the Glta is not to show what would be the
proper arrangement for the maintenance of society. The
summary of the Glta religion is that, whatever the arrange-
ment of society may be, one should enthusiastically perform
all the duties which have come to one's share, according to ■
one's status in life, and acquire the benefit of the Atman in the
shape of the happiness of all created things. It is true that
the Actions, which the Sthitaprajna of the Glta performs by
way of duties, are naturally productive of public good. But,
the Sthitaprajna of the Gita does not entertain the egotistical
feeling that 'I' am by 'MY' actions causing public good; and,
as Equability of Reason has become an inherent nature with
him, all the Actions which are performed by him, purely as
duties, according to whatever arrangement of society may be
in vogue at any particular time, are naturally productive of
public good. The modern Western moral philosopher, on the
other hand considers worldly life as an embodiment of happi-
ness, and bespeaks the performance of Actions which produce
public good in order to enable everybody to obtain this happiness
of worldly life: this is the important difference between the-
Karma-Yoga of the Glta and the Western Materialistic Path
of Action.
Nevertheless, it is not that all modern Western philo-
sophers subscribing to the Path of Action, consider worldly
life as productive of happiness. There is also a class of
Karma- Yogins in the West like Schopenhauer, who, while
admitting that worldly life is principally full of unhappiness,
maintain, that one should not give up worldly life, but should'
try as much as possible to reduce the unhappiness of others*
since it is the duty of a wise man to reduce this general
unhappiness as much as possible; or who desire 'to reduce
unhappiness *. And there is a great deal of similarity between
this' path and the Karma-Yoga of the Glta. Where it is
stated in the Mahabharata that : "sukMd bahutaram duhkham-
finite tiatra xxmsayab", i- e., "in worldly life, unhappiness.
conclusion m
is proportionately greater than happiness", it is also stated
by Manu to Brhaspati and by Narada to Suka that .—
na janapadikam duhkham ekah sodium arhafi I
asocan pratikurvlta yadi pasyed upakramam 11
(San. 305. 5 and 330. 15),
that is, "it is not proper to lament about that unhappiness
which is universal; instead of lamenting about the matter,
one ( the Jnanin ) should use such means as occur to him
for obviating that unhappiness". From this it becomes quite
clear, that even the writer of the Mahabharata had accepted
the doctrine that, although worldly life is full of unhappiness*
the wise man should busy himself with reducing such
universal unhappiness. But, this is not what the Gita is
trying to preach. There must still be a considerable amount
of improvement in the Western Karma- Yoga which attempts
to reduce unhappiness, before it can come to the level of
the Karma-Yoga in the Gita, which gives greater importance
to the happiness resulting from Self-Identification, than to
mere Material happiness, and which preaches that all worldly
affairs should be carried on, while experiencing this happiness
born of Self-Identification, merely because they are duties,
and without entertaining the rajasa pride that, '"I" (the doer)
am performing Action with the idea of reducing the unhappi-
ness of others". Western philosophers are always more or
less engulfed in the idea that Material happiness, whether of
oneself or of others, is the true highest ideal of man in this
world — whether that ideal is reached by increasing the means
of happiness or by reducing unhappiness — it is not possible to
find in their philosophy, the desireless Karma-Yoga of the
Gita, which looks upon worldly life as inevitable, although it
might be productive of unhappiness, and preaches Action for
universal good ( loka-samgraha ). It is true that all these
persons follow the Path of Action ; but it is easy to see the
difference between the two, even from the point of view of
Pure Morality, namely, that the Western Energism desires
happiness or desires the obviation of unhappiness, that is to
say, in either case, desires something, and is sakama (based on
Desire), whereas the Karma-Yoga of the Gita is always
11—12
700 GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
indifferent about the Fruit of Action — or, if the same meaning
is conveyed in other words, the Karma- Yoga of the Glta is
sattvika and the Karma- Yoga of the West is rajasa ( Gl. 18.
23 and 24 ).
The Energistic path, or the Path of Karma-Yoga based on
Spiritual Knowledge, of continually performing all worldly
affairs as pure duties with the idea of dedicating them to the
Paramesvara, and thereby making a sacrifice to, or worshipping
lifelong, the Paramesvara, which has been preached by the
Glta, is known as the ' Bhagavata religion '. The essenoe of
this path is contained in the words : " sve sve harmony abhiratah
mmsiddMih labhate varah " (Gl. 18. 45). This doctrine has been
propounded in the Vana-parva in the story of the Brahmin
and the hunter ( Vana. 208 ), and in the Santi-parva in the
conversation between the merchant Tuladhara and Jajali
(San. 261) in the Mahabharata, and even in the Manu-Smrti,
after the enunciation of the path to be followed by ascetics, it
is stated that this Karma- Yoga of the Vedantist ascetic (veda-
satimyasika) should also be followed, and that it will lead to
Release ( Mami. 6. 96, 97 ). It becomes clear from the word
' veda-samnyasika ' ( Vedantist ascetic ), as also from the
descriptions to be found in the Veda-Samhitas and in the
Brahmanas, that this path had been in vogue in our India
from times immemorial. Nay, if it were otherwise, our country
would never have reached that prosperity, which it had ; for,
it is clear that in any country whatsoever, the persons who
wield the destinies of the country must be supporters of the
Path of Action. But the important point of our Karma- Yoga
is that even such nation-builders must, without giving up the
Knowledge of the Brahman, keep Action inter-linked with it ;
and, as has been stated above, this path came to be called the
' Bhagavata religion, ' because the Blessed Lord BhagavSn
enunciated this path logically, and emphasised it, and gave it
wide circulation. On the other hand, it becomes quite clear
from the Upanisads that some Jnanins were inherently
inclined from the very beginning towards the Path of
Samnyasa ; or at any rate, that after going through the state of
a house-holder in the beginning, they, towards the end of their
lives, used to conceive the desire of taking up Asceticism,
CONCLUSION 701
"whether they actually took it up or not. Therefore, it cannot
also be said that the Path of Renunciation (samnyasa) was
■something new. But; there is no doubt that, although both
these paths were in this way in vogue in India since ancient
times, on account of diversity of human nature, yet, in the
times of the Vedas, the path of Ritualistic Action of the
Mlmamsa school was more in favour ; and that in the times of
■the Kauravas and the Pandavas, the Karma-Yoga had to a
great extent put the Path of Renunciation into shade.
Because, our religious treatises have clearly said that in the
Kali-yuga, that is, after the date of the Kauravas and the
Pandavas, the Path of Renunciation was prohibited ; and in
as much as every religion is prima fade a sign of whatever is
■customary at that time, according to the rule, "acaraprabkavo
■dharmaK' (i. e., "Morality springs from custom" — Trans.), (Ma.
Bha. Ami. 149, 137 ; Manu. 1. 108), it is quite clear that the
Path of Renunciation (samnyUsa) must have lost ground as a
custom long before the writers of the religious SSstras enun-
ciated this prohibitory rule *. The question now naturally
arises as to why this Karma- Yoga based on Spiritual Know-
ledge, which was at one time in full swing, started its
■decadence, if it was in this way predominant in the beginning
and matters had come to the stage of considering the Path of
Renunciation as objectionable in the Kali-yuga ; and why the
■opinion has gained ground even in the Path of Devotion, that
tthe Path of Renunciation alone was superior. Some persons
■say that this difference was brought about by the first
:6amkaraearya. But if one considers history, it will be seen
.that this idea is not correct. As has been stated by me
already in the first chapter, the teachings of the school of
Samkaracarya fall into two divisions, (1) Knowledge or
Realisation of Non-Duality based on the doctrine of Maya
■(Illusion), and (2) the Path of the Renunciation of Action.
Out of these two, although the Upanisads have advocated
Renunciation along with the Realisation of the Non-Dual
Brahman, yet, as this inter-relatiojjietweea Ahe two is not of
a permanent nature, it does oeffollow from the •acceptance of
* See the quotations j^fvek above in the loot-notk to p. 476,
Vol. I of this book. ' ' '■ '•"' ' s
702 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KAEMA-YOGA
the Non-Dualistic Vedanta, that one must also accept the-
doctrine of Renunciation. For instance, not only were
Janaka and others, who had fully learnt the Non-Dualistic-
VedSnta from Yajnavalkya and others, followers of the Path
of Action, but even the G-Ita has advocated the Path of Action
based on Spiritual Knowledge, instead of advocating, the Path
of Renunciation, although it has adopted the doctrine of the-
Realisation of the Non-Dual Brahman from the Upanisads..
Therefore, it must be first borne in mind that the accusation-
against the School of Samkaracarya that it encouraged.
Renunciation, does not apply to the Non-Dualistic basis of
that cult, but may probabely be ranged against the doctrine of
Renunciation included in the cult. Although this Path of
Renunciation was not something new which had been invented*
by Sri Samkaracarya, yet, it is true that he removed the-
inferiority which had become attached to it, as it had' been,
included among the things prohibited in the Kali-yuga. But',.
if the Path of Renunciation had not acquired favour with
people before the date of Samkaracarya for some other reason,,
it is doubtful whether his advocacy of Renunciation wouldi
have gained as much ground as it hid. Christ has said that
when one cheek has been slapped, one should proffer the other-
cheek also for being slapped (Luke. 6. 29). But if one considers
how many followers of this position are to be found among;
the European kingdoms, it will be seen that something does-
not come into vogue merely because a religious preacher has>
praised it, but that there are at first some other substantial-
reasons why the minds of people are attracted towards it, and-
why there is thereafter a change in the public customs, and a>
sympathetic change in the religious rules. This is what is--
meant by the saying in the Smrtis that 'Custom is the root of
law or religion'. Schopenhauer sponsored the Path of Renun-
ciation in Germany in the last century ; but we find that that
seed has not even yet taken root in that country; and Nietzsche
has found greater favour there than Schopenhauer ; and even
if we turn to India, we find that although the Path of
SamnySsa was already in vogue in the times of the Vedas long,
.before Samkaracarya, it had never put the Karma-Yoga into-
the shade. It is true that there are directions in the Smrtis.
CONCLUSION 703
4hat one should renounce the world towards the end of life.
But they too have not done away with Action in the previous
.•stages of life; and although the works of SamkaracSrya
advocate Abandonment of Action, yet, his own life bears
testimony to the fact that he had no objection to Jnanins, or
•even Samnyasins, performing the Action of universal welfare
according to their own qualifications, e. g., for establishing
religion ( Ve. Su. Sam. Bha. 3. 3. 32 ). If the teaching of
• Saihkaracarya based on the Smrtis had been responsible for the
predominance of the Path of Eenunciation, Ramanujacarya,
vwho belongs to the modern Bhagavata school, would have had
no reason to give an inferior position to the Karma-Yoga in
his commentary on the Gita, in the same way as SarhkarScarya.
But, if the Karma-Yoga, which had once been very powerful,
has been put into shade even by the renunciatory Path of
Devotion included in the Bhagavata cult, one must say that
ithere must have been some other reasons for its having thus
lost ground, which apply equally to all countries or all cults.
In my opinion the first and the most important of these
jeasons was the growth and the development of the Jain and
the Buddhistic religions; and as both these religions had
•opened the door of Renunciation to all the castes, the Path of
Renunciation has gained ground even with the warrior
iksatriya) class from the date when these two religions came
into vogue. But although Buddha had in the beginning
preached the inactive Path of Renunciation, yet, soon
■thereafter, there was a reform in the Buddhistic religion,
consistent with the Karma-Yoga of the Gita, by it being
preached that Buddhistic ascetics should not remain in the
woods, in solitude, like rhinoceroses, but should continually
exert themselves for the propagation of religion and for public
.good (See Appendices) ; and history proves to us that as a
result of this reform, societies of energetic Buddhistic ascetics
leached Tibet in the North, Burma, China, and Japan in the
East, Ceylon in the South, and Turkestan and the adjoining
European oountries like Greece, etc., in the West. The
.promulgators of the Jain and Buddhistic religions were born
about 600 to 700 years before the Salivahana era, whereas
;Samkaracarya was born about 600 year after that era. As the
704 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
eminence of the societies of Buddhistic ascetics,, working ire
the propagation of religion, was before the public eyes in the
intervening period, there arose a kind of liking or respect for
the life of an ascetic in the public mind, long before-
Sarhkaraearya was born; and although Sarhkaraearya had:
refuted the Jain and the Buddhistic doctrines, yet, he gave a
Vedic turn to the respect which reigned in the public mind for
the life of an ascetic, and brought into existence Vedic ascetics-
for the establishment of the Vedic religion, instead of the
Buddhistic religion, who were as active and energetic as fee
Buddhist ascetics. It is true that these (Vedic) Sarhnyasins-
led the lives of celibates, and used to wear clothes and carry
a staff, which were the emblems of Renunciation ; yet, they,.
like their spiritual preceptor, continued the work of establish-
ing the Vedic religion. Seeing in this way, that Sarhkaraearya.
had established an institution similar to the Buddhist societies
of ascetics, a doubt may even at that time have arisen as to-
whether there was any difference between the teachings of
Srimat Sarhkaraearya and the Buddhistic teachings ; and-
possibly Sarhkaraearya has on that account said in his
commentary on the Chandogyopanisad that: "Buddhistic and
Sarhkhya asceticism is outside the purview of the Vedas and
false ; and as the Path of Renunciation enunciated by me is-
consistent with the Vedic religion, it is true" (Ohan. Sam. Bha. 2.
23. 1), in order to clear that doubt. Whatever may be the case,,
there is no doubt that Asceticism was first introduced in the
Kaliyuga by the Buddhist and Jain teachers. It is, however,,
cpiite clear from history that even the Buddhist ascetics later on
performed Action for spreading religion or for public good and
that the societies of Vedic ascetics, brought into existence by
Samkaraoarya for defeating the Buddhistic ascetics, also-
did not abandon Action altogether, but re-established the Vedic-
religion by their activities. But soon after that, our country
began to be invaded by Mahomedans ; and as the Ksatriya.
rulers, who were maintaining and protecting the country by
their prowess against foreign invasions, and also simul-
taneously, the prowess of our country, began to die out during,
the Mahomedan regime, the original one-sided opinion that the-
Jiath of sitting idle, taking the name of God ( saying ' Hari ',.
CONCLUSION 705
' Hari ' ) was the only proper way out of the two paths of
Benunciation and Bneigism, must have become more and more
acceptable to people for leading their worldly lives, as it was
more in keeping with the particular external circumstances
then prevailing. That state of things did not prevail before,
is apparent from the following stanza adopted in the Sfidra
Kamalakara from Visnu-Purana namely : —
apahaya rdjam karma krsna krsiieti vadinah i
te harer dvesinah papah dharmartham janma yad dhareh u*
that is, "those who give up the duties which are theirs (accord-
ing to their religion) and (simply) sit saying 'Hari', 'Hari,', are
really enemies of Hari, and sinners ; because, even Hari has
taken birth for protecting religion". Really speaking, such
persons do not belong either to the fold of Samnyasins or of
Karma-Yogins ; because, they do not give up worldly affairs as
a result of Spiritual Knowledge and intense apathy towards
the world, as is done by Samnyasins ; nor do they desirelessly
perform the duties which have fallen on them as a result of
the injunctions of the Sastras like Karma-Yogins, while they
take part in worldly affairs. Therefore, these nominal
Samnyasins must be classified under a third category, which
has not been mentioned in the Gita. When people acquire-
this neutral mentality from any cause whatsoever, Religion
cannot but ultimately be destroyed. This very state of things
was responsible for the Parsi religion being thrown out of
Iran, and the Vedic religion in India was also on the point of
being "samulam ca vinasyaii" (i. e., "destroyed root and branch"
— Trans.) for the same reason ; but the recrudescence of the
Bhagavata religion enunciated in the Gita along with
Vedanta after the fall of Buddhism, prevented this evil
consequence from manifesting itself in our country. A few
years before the Hindu dynasty of Daulatabad was destroyed
by Mahomedans, JnaneswaTa Maharaj, by our good fortune,
gave " a native clothing " to the Bhagavadgita, and brought
* I have not come across this stanza in the edition of the
Visnu-Purana published in Bombay. Yet, as it has been adopted
by an honest writer like Kamalakara Bhatta, I cannot say that it
is without authority.
706 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
about an " over-flow of the knowledge of the Brahman " pro-
pounded by the Glta into the Maharashtriya provinces ; and
about the same time, other saints were preaching the Path of
Devotion mentioned in the Glta, in other provinces. As the
illustrious teaching of the Glta, which looked equably towards
Mahomedans, Brahmins, and people of lower castes etc., and
which was based on Knowledge, was being preached on all
sides simultaneously, although in the shape of Devotion
combined with Renunciation, not only was the danger of the
Hindu religion being totally obliterated averted, but it began
to gain some kind of influence on the bigoted Mahomedan reli-
gion, and to enter Mahomedan saints like Kabira and others ;
and about the same time, Shahzada Dara, the elder brother of
Aurangazeb, got the Upanisads translated into Urdu under his
own supervision. If the Vedic Path of Devotion had been based
on the pure ritualistic basis of Religious Faith, without being
connected with Spiritual Knowledge, it is doubtful whether it
would have retained this strength. But as this modern revival
of the Bhagavata religion took place during the Mahomedan
rigime, it also was more or less devotional, that is, one-sided ;
and the Karma- Yoga of the original Bhagavata religion, which
had once lost its independent importance, did not regain it ;
and the saints, philosophers and preceptors of this period
began to say that Karma-Yoga was only a part of the
Path of Devotion, instead of saying that it was a part of or a
means in the Path of Renunciation. I think that the only
«xception to this then prevalent opinion is the works of Sri
Samartha Ramadasa Svami ; and any one who wishes to see
the true glory of the Path of Action, in pure and inspired
Marathi language, must study the Dasabodha of Sri Samartha
Ramadasa, and especially the latter portion of it. SivSji
Maharaj was blessed by the advice of Sri Samartha Ramadasa ;
and later on, when the necessity of explaining the elements
of the Karma-Yoga was being felt in the time of the
Marathas, prose translations were made of the Mahabharata,
and not of the Sandilya-Sutras or of the commentary of the
Brahma-Satras, and they began to be studied in the form of
o"? bakhars ". These translations are still kept in the library at
Tanjore. If this course had been carried on further without
CONCLUSION 707
interruption, one-sided commentaries on the Glta would
nave been left in the back-ground, and the fact that the
■essence of Ethics and Morality in the Mahabharata has been
described in the Karma- Yoga of the Glta, would certainly
have been realised by people. But, by our misfortune, this
revival of the Karma-Toga was not long-lived.
This, however, is not the place to describe the religious
history of India. My readers will have realised from the
brief and succinct statement made above, that the religion
propounded in the Glta contains some sort of life, brilliance,
and power ; and that this power was not lost in spite of the
fact, that there was an intermediate fortuitous revival of the
Samnyasa religion. The root meaning of the word ' dharma '
(morality) is " dharanat dharmah " (i.e., " Morality is that
which upholds" — Trans.); and it ordinarily falls into the
•two divisions, (1) ' dealing with life after death ' (paralaukika)
and (2) ' dealing with worldly life ' {vyavaharika), or (1) the
philosophy of Release (mdksa-dharmd), and (2) Ethics (niti-
dharma), as has been stated by me in the third chapter.
Whether you take the Vedio religion, or Buddhism, or the
■Christian religion, the principal object of each of them is that
the world should be maintained and that man should
ultimately attain Eelease; and therefore, each of these
•.religions deals to some extent or other with worldly notions of
Eight and Wrong, simultaneously with the philosophy of
Release. Nay, we may even say that in ancient times, no
difference used to be made between the philosophy of Release
And worldly Morality ; because, every one then fully believed
•that in order to obtain a proper state after death, one's conduct
in this world must also be pure. Not only was it so, but
people used to believe that there is one and the same founda-
tion for happiness after death as for happiness during life.
But, as a result of the growth of the Material sciences, this
belief has now lost ground in the Western countries, and
people have begun (i) to consider whether Morality, that is,
those rules by which the world is maintained, can or cannot be
based on something other than the philosophy of Release, and
<ii) to base Sociology on a Materialistic, that is to say, a
-visible or perceptible foundation. But, how will all the needs of
708 GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
human beings be satisfied by that which is only perceptible T
Even the class-denoting words, ' tree ', ' man ', etc., carry an,
imperceptible idea. It is true that a mango-tree or a rose-tree
are specific objects which are Visible ; but the common noun>
' tree ' does not specify any visible or perceptible objeot ; and
all our activities are of the same nature. From this it follows,,
that in order that the idea of the Imperceptible should come
into the mind, it is necessary to have some percetible object
before the eyes. But, it is equally true that the Percetible is not
the final stage, and that we cannot take a single step forward
or complete even a single sentence without the support of
the Impercetible. Therefore, if one abandons the imperceptible-
idea of the Parabrahman in the shape of the Identity of the
Atman in all created beings, which is taken as a foundation-
for Ethics from the point of view of Metaphysics, it still-
becomes necessary to worship as a God, " the whole of
mankind, " which is a non-visible, that is, an imperceptible
thing ; and even ninety-nine per cent Materialistic philosophers-
have now begun to earnestly preach that we should include in
mankind all the past and future generations, in order to satisfy
the natural desire of human beings for immortality ; and that-
worshipping wholly, solely, and lovingly this magnified God,.
or spending one's whole life in the service of it (mankind), or
sacrificing one's selfish interests for it, is the highest duty of
every body in this world. This is the summary of the doctrines-
preached by the French philosopher Comte, and this religion has-
been given by him the pretty name of "Religion of the entire
mankind" or shortly "Religion of Humanity". * The same is-
the case with the modern German philosopher Nietzsche. This
philosopher has, in the nineteenth century of the Christian era,
definitely proclaimed that "God is dead " ; and he says that
Metaphysics is all bosh. Nevertheless, after admitting the
doctrines of Causality and of Re-incarnation from the-
Materialistic point of view, he has admitted in all his books,
* Oomte has named his doctrine the *' Beligion of Humanity" ;
and the -whole of it has been expounded in his work A System of
Positive Polity (Eng. trans, in four volumes). This book contains a
very clever discussion of the question how society can be established.
and maintained even from the purely Materialistic point of view.
CONCLUSION 709
that performing such action as can he again performed hy us
birth after hirth, and having such an arrangement of society as
will lead to the creation in future of such a human animal as
has all its mental faculties fully developed, and in a state
of complete perfection, is the duty and the highest ideal
of man in this world. From this it will be seen, that even
those, who do not admit the science of Metaphysics, have to-
take something or other as the highest ideal in dealing with
the question of Morality and Immorality, and that such ideal
is in one way 'imperceptible' (avyakta). Because, whether you
ask people to worship the magnified deity in the shape of the-
'whole of mankind', and to thereby bring about the benefit
of the entire human kind, or you ask people to perform Action
in such a way that at some time or other in the future a
human being will be created which is in the most completely
perfect state, both these ideals of the Materialistic moralists-
are invisible or imperceptible to the eyes of those for whom
this preaching is intended. Although this preaching of Comte
and Nietzsche may be contrary to a purely Intuitionist
devotional religion like Christianity, which is devoid of
philosophy, yet, all the above-mentioned Materialistic-
ideals can without any difficulty be included in the highest
ideals of the science of Morality and Immorality, or of Ethics,
based on the foundation of (i) the ideal of the Realisation of
the identity of the Atman in all created beings, or of (ii) the
state of perfection of the Karma-Yogin Sthitaprajna (one
whose Reason has been steadied by the practice of Karma-Yoga) j
and therefore, one need not entertain the fear that this-
Materialistic philosophy will ever give a set-back to the
Vedic religion, which is replete with the Knowledge of
the Absolute Self. If it is necessary to look upon the highest
ideal as imperceptible, why should it be restricted to-
"mankind'?; and even if the 'State of Perfection' is to be
considered as the highest ideal, how is that ideal better
than the Materialistic ideal which is common both to man
and animal ? These are the questions which now face us ; and
when one attempts to answer these questions, one has
ultimately to take shelter in the one, indescribable, highest
Element, which is the foundation of the entire moveable and
710 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
immoveable creation from the Metaphysical point of view. The
Material sciences have had an unprecedented growth in modern
times, and our knowledge of the visible world is a hundred
times more extensive than before; and that Eastern nation which
will fail to acquire the knowledge of those sciences, following
the principle of measure for measure', will undoubtedly fail
to resist the onslaught of new civilised Western countries.
But, however much the Material sciences may grow, the
inherent tendency of the human mind to try to understand the
Boot Cause of the universe, will never be fully satisfied by
Materialistic explanations. The knowledge of the perceptible
world by itself does not account for everything; and even
evolutionists like Spencer frankly admit that there must be
some imperceptible Substance at the root of the Name-d and
Eorm-ed visible world. But, they say that as it is impossible
to understand the characteristic features of this permanent
and eternal Substance, no science can be based on the
foundation of such a Substance. The German philosopher Kant
also admits the incognoscibility of the imperceptible Substance
at the root of the creation ; yet, he is of opinion that the
science of Ethics must be based on this incognoscible
Substance. Schopenhauer goes further, and maintains that
this imperceptible Substance is of the nature of Desire, and
the English Moralist Green maintains that this Substance at
the root of the creation has been partially incarnated in the
human body in the shape of the Atman ; and as for the Glta,
it clearly says that, "mcmudvamio fivaloke jivabhutah sanatanah"
(GI. 15. 7), (i. e., "parts of My eternal essence take the form of
Life, in the world of Life (the world of Action)" — Trans.). The
writers of the Upanisads say that this imperceptible Substance
at the root of the universe, is permanent, one, immortal,
independent, and of the form of the Atman, and that nothing
more can be said about it ; and it is doubtful whether human
knowledge will ever go beyond this conclusion ; because, as
the imperceptible Substance at the root of the world is invisible
to the organs, that is, necessarily quality less, this quality less
Substance cannot be described by any words which denote a
quality, or an object, or an Action ; and that is why it is called
"'ajfleya' (unknowable). But though this knowledge, which we
CONCLUSION 711
acquire of the imperceptible World-Substance, cannot be des-
cribed to a greater extent in words, and though it may be small to
all appearances, yet, as it is the sum and substance of all
human knowledge, the exposition of worldly Ethics must be
made by reference to it; and it will be apparent from the
exposition made in the Gita that there cannot be the slightest
difficulty in the way of doing so properly. In order to properly
understand how the thousands of activities in the world should
be carried on — for instance, how commerce should be carried
on, how wars should be fought out, what medicine should be
given to a sick person and in what circumstancs, or how one
should measure the distances of the Sun and the Moon etc. — one
will always need the knowledge of the Name-d and Form-ed
visible world ; and in order to carry on this worldly activity
more and more skilfully, one must undoubtedly study the
Material sciences deeper and deeper. But that is not the
subject-matter of the Glta. The chief object of the GitS is to-
explain which is the most excellent state of man from the
Metaphysical point of -view, and to decide the fundamental
principles of Ethics as regards the Doable and the Not-Doablfr
on that basis. I have shown in the previous chapters that
(i) although the Materialistic view is indifferent about Release
which is the Metaphysical ideal, yet, that view is insufficient-
even for definitely deciding the elementary principles of
Ethics; that (ii) that point of view cannot satisfactorily
answer the moot questions of Freedom of Will, or the per-
manence of ethical principles, or the inherent desire in the
human mind to attain immortality ; and that (iii) one has-
ultimately to necessarily enter into the question of the Atman
and the Non-Atman. But the province of Metaphysics does-
not end there. And it must be borne in mind that the
Materialistic theory of Happiness does not explain what the
most perfect- state of a human being is, as satisfactorily as it
is explained by the science of Metaphysios, since the funda-
mental basis of Righteous Action (sadacarmia) is the ohange,,
which takes place in the character or the nature of a man, as a
result of the particular Peace (santi) which is acquired by the-
human Atman by the continual worship and direct Realisation
of that Immortal Substance which is at the root of the world.
712 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
Because, pure bodily pleasures are the ideal only of animals,
and they can never fully satisfy the intelligence of an
intelligent human being ; and, it has already been fully
explained in previous chapters, that Happiness and Unhappi-
ness are transient, and that Duty is permanent. Looking at
the matter from this point of view, it will be seen that (i) this
most advanced religion of the Glta will never be found
inferior to the purely Materialistic philosophy, which considers
human actions from the point of view that man is only a
■superior kind of animal, since the religion relating to the life
■after death and the Ethics preached in the Glta, have both been
explained with reference to the permanent and immortal
World-Substance; that (ii) this our Gita religion is a
permanent, undauntable religion; and that (iii) the Blessed
Lord has not left the necessity for Hindus to rely on any other
book, or religion, or opinion in this matter. Nay, the words
"abhayam. vai prapto'si", i.e., " Now, you have nothing to fear "
(Br. k 2. 4), which were addressed by Yajfiavalkya to Janaka,
after the entire Knowledge of the Brahman had been explained
to him (Janaka), may literally and in several meanings, be
applied to the religion of the Glta.
The religion of the Glta, which is a combination of
Spiritual Knowledge, Devotion, and Action, which is in all
respects undauntable and comprehensive, and is further
perfectly equable, that is, which does not maintain any
distinction between classes, castes, countries, or any other
distinction, but gives Release to everyone in the same
measure, and at the same time shows proper forbrearance
towards other religions, is thus seen to be the sweetest and
■immortal fruit of the tree of the Vedic Religion. In the Vedic
Religion, higher importance was given in the beginning
principally to the sacrifice of wealth or of animals, that is
to say, principally to Action in the shape of ritual ; but,
when the Knowledge expounded in the TJpanisads taught
later on that this ritualistic religion of the Srutis was
inferior, Samkhya philosophy came into existence out of
it. But as this Knowledge was unintelligible to
ordinary people, and as it was specially inclined towards
Abandonment of Action, it was not possible for ordinary people
CONCLUSION 713
40 be satisfied merely by the religion of the Upanisads, or by
■the unification of the Upanisads and the Sarhkhya philoso-
phy in the Smrtis. Therefore, the Glta religion fuses the
Knowledge of the Brahman contained in the Upanisads, which
is cognoscible only to the Intelligence, with the ' king of
mysticisms' (raja-guhya) of the worship of the Perceptible
which is accessible to Love, and consistently with the ancient
tradition of ritualistic religion, it proclaims to everybody,
■though nominally to Arjuna, that, "perform lifelong your
•several worldly duties according to your respective positions in
ilife, desirelessly, for the universal good, with a Self -Identifying
vision, and enthusiastically, and thereby perpetually worship
'the deity in the shape of the Paramatman (the Highest Atman),
Which is Eternal, and Which uniformly pervades the Body of
all created things as also the Cosmos ; because, therein lies
your happiness in this world and in the next" ; and on that
■account, the mutual conflict between Action, Spiritual
Knowledge (Jfiana), and Love (Devotion) is done away with,
:and the single Gita religion, which preaches that the whole
•of one's life should be turned into a Sacrifice (Yajna), contains
'the essence of the entire Vedic religion. When hundreds of
•energetic noble souls and active persons were busy with the
■benefit of all created things, because they looked upon that as
•their duty, as a result of their having Realised this eternal
•religion, this country was blessed with the favour of the
Paramesvara, and reached the height not only of Knowledge
'but also of prosperity ; and it need not be said in so many
•words, that when this ancient religion, which is beneficial
in this life and in the nest, lost following in our country, it
(our country) reached its present fallen state. I, therefore,
now pray to the Paramesvara, at the end of this book, that
■there should come to birth again in this our country such
noble and pure men as will worship the Paramesvara according
rto this equable and brilliant religion of the Glta, which
itarmonises Devotion, Spiritual Knowledge, and Energism ; and
I end this Exposition of the Mystic Import (rahasya) of the
<Glta by addressing to my readers the following hymn, with a
714 GITA-RAHASYA OB KARMA- YOGA
prayer that if there is any omission or excess in this hook,
they should rectify such mistakes with an Equable vision : —
samara va akutih samaria hrdaySni vah I
samianam astu vo mano yatha vah susahasati I
yatlia vah susahasati u *
OM-TAT-SAT-BRAHMARPAN"AM-ASTU
that is,
( OM-TAT-SAT ; this is dedicated to the Brahman. >
* This hymn has come at the end of the Rg-Yeda Samhita.
This is a speech addressed to people assembled in a sacrificial pandal.
It means : "May yonr opinions be uniform ; may your hearts be
uniform, may you all be of the same mind ; thereby you will acquire
the strength of unity", 'asati' is the Vedic form of 'asti' (i. e.,
'may it be' — Trans.). The words "yatKa vah susaKasaii" have been-
expressed twice, in order to show that the book has come to an end.
APPENDIX
APPENDIX.
(PARIS'ISTA-PRAKARANA)
AN EXTERNAL EXAMINATION OP THE
BHAGAVAD-GITA.
ariditva rsim chando daivatam yogam eva ca I
yo 'dhyapayej japed vapi papiyaii jayate t.u sali II *
(SMBTI).
I have in the previous chapters shown how Sri Krsna
induced Arjuna to fight, after having proved to him with the
help of the Vedanta-Sastra that (i) the Karma-Yoga was more
meritorious; that (ii) in the Karma-Toga, Eeason was the
important factor ; that (iii) Release was obtained by performing
Actions according to one's own status in life with a Reason
which had become Equable as a result of the Realisation of
the Identity of the Brahman and the Atman or by the worship
of the Paramesvara ; and that (iv) nothing else is necessary for
obtaining Release, and that He did this in order to correct Arjuna,
who, after having first visualised the actual form of the terrible
destruction of the clan and of the community which was sure
to arise on account of the BharatI war, was on the point
of renouncing his duties as a soldier, and taking up the life
of an ascetic. When I have in this way defined the true
import of the Glta, it is easy to meet the objections, which
have been raised, to the effect that ' there is no reason to
include the Glta in the Mahabharata ', etc., as a result
•of the misunderstanding that the Gits is a book which deals
* "That man who teaches or recites any incantation ( mantra )
■without knowing the Etsi, metre, (chcmda), deity (devata), and
purpose (yiniyoga) of it, commits a sin". This is a statement from
some Smrti text, bat I cannot find out from which text. But the
•root of it is in the Arseya Bmhmana Sruti text (Arseya. 1). That
is, as follows : — " yo ha va aviditar^yacohandodaivatairahma^ma
mantrena yajayati m 'dhytipayati va sthcmuih varcchati gj.riam m
jiratipadyate \ ". The Rsi, metre, etc., of any incantatioa are its'
external aspects ; and one should not recite the incantation unless
■one knows these aspects. The same rnle mast be applied to a book
like the Glta.
718 GITA-RAHASYA OR KAEMA-YOGA
purely with. Vedanta and supports Inaction. Because, just as
Srl-Krsna had compelled Arjuna to abstain from murdering:
Yudhisthira, by explaining to Mm the difference between Truth
(satya) and Falsehood (anrta) in the Karnaparva, so also was the
advice given in the Gita necessary to induce Arjuna to fight ;
and considering the matter even from the literary point of
view, it is clear that the exposition of the principles of Morality
and Immorality in worldly life, or of the Doable and the
Not-Doable, have been ultimately mentioned in the Glta, as-
it was necessary to mention in some place or other the-
•fundamental principles underlying many similar incidents in
various places in the Mahabharata. In the Vanaparva, in the
conversation between the Hunter (vyadha) and the Brahmin,,
the Hunter has justified why he carries on the trade of selling:
flesh on the authority of Vedanta ; and in the conversation
between Tuladhara and Jajali in the Santiparva, Tuladhara has-
justified his profession of a merchant in a similar way
(Vana. 206-215; and San. 260-263). But this justification
refers only to those respective professions. In the same way,
though there are dissertations in several places in the
Mahabharata on the questions of Non-Violence, Truth, etc.,.
yet, as they also are one-sided, that is to say, are made only
with reference to the subject-matter in question, these disserta-
tions cannot be said to be the principal part of the Mahabharata -
nor do these one-sided dissertations explain whether or not
people should take as illustrations the lives of those great-
persons like Sri Krsna and the Panda vas, for describing whose
magnificent deeds, the Mahabharata was written by Vyasa,.
and should act accordingly. If worldly life is fruitless, and if it is
the better course to take up the life of an ascetic sometime or
other, one is faced with the questions why Sri Krsna or the-
Pandavas should have taken part in these useless activities.
as also why Vyasa should have laboured for three years (Ma,
Bha. A. 62. 52), and written a book of nearly a hundred
thousand verses for glorifying those activities for the general-
good, with whatever motive they might have taken part in
those activities. These questions are not satisfactorily solved'
by saying that the duties prescribed for the various castes and
the different stages of life are for the purification of the Mind ;
APPENDIX 719
hecause, acting according to one's duties, or the other activities
of the world, occupy in any oase only an inferior place from
the point of view of the School of Renunciation. Therefore,
it was necessary to answer the above-mentioned objections,
which cut like an axe at the roots (mule kutharah) of the
conduct of those noble souls, whose lives had been described
in the Mahabharata, and to explain in detail in some place or
other in the Mahabharata whether or not a man should take
part in worldly affairs, and if so, how a man should perform
his various duties in worldly life without obstructing his own
Eelease by such Action. But it would not have been proper
to deal with this subject-matter in the Nalopakhyana,
Ramopakhyana, and other subsidiary chapters in the
Mahabharata ; because, in that case, such an exposition would
have been considered subsidiary like those subsidiary chapters.
Also, if the Glta had been crammed into the exposition of the
■various subjects which had been dealt with in the Vanaparva
and the Santiparva, it would certainly have lost its importance ;
and that is why this independent philosophy of the Doable
and the Not-Doable has been dealt with, with all the arguments
in support of it, at the psychological moment when the
TJdyogaparva was over, and the Bharati war, the most
important part of the Mahabharata, was about to start, by
jaising to that war an objection, which was seemingly
unconquerable from the point of view of Morality. In short,
■even if we keep aside for the time being the traditional story
ttat Sri Krsna preached the Glta to Arjuna at the commence-
ment of the war, and consider the matter from the point of
view that the Glta is a Vedic epic included in the Mahabharata
for explaining Morality and Immorality, we will see that the
place which has been chosen in the Bharata for the preaching
of the Glta is suoh as is even poetically a most proper one for
impressing the importance of the Glta on the minds of people.
When the propriety of the subject-matter of the Glta, as also
■of the place where it has been put in the Mahabharata has been
•explained in this way, the objection that there was no necessity
■to preach this Spiritual Knowledge on the battle-field, and
4hat the text must have been interpolated into the Mahabharata
&t a later date, or the question whether ten stanzas or one
720 GlTA-RAHASYA OK KARMA-YOGA
hundred stanzas are the important stanzas in the BhagavadgitS,
no longer remain; because, when it was once decided that
certain subjects must for certain reasons be included
in certain places in the Mahabharata, in order to explain
Morality, and to justify the Bharata being expanded into
the Mahabharata, the writer of the Mahabharata did not
care how much space was taken up in fully expounding those
subject-matters, as will be seen from the other chapters of the
Mahabharata. Yet, as it is necessary to consider what amount
of substance there is in the various other theories which have
been advanced as regards ths external examination of the Gits,
and as I have now occasion to do, so, I have in the following
seven parts of this chapter, dealt seriatim with seven of these
subjects, namely, (1) the Glta and the Mahabharata, (2) the Glta
and the TJpanisads, (3) the Glta and the Brahma-Sutras, (4) the
rise of the Bhagavata religion and the Glta, (5) the time or date
of the Glta as it now exists, (6) the Glta and the Buddhistic
literature, and (7) the Glta and the Christian Bible. I must,
however, make it clear to start with, that, as external critics
examine the Mahabharata, the Glta, the Brahma-Sutras, the
TJpanisads etc., merely as literature, that is, from the worldly
and historical point of view, I also propose to deal with the
above-mentioned subjects from the same points of view.
PART I.— THE GITA AND THE MAHABHARATA.
The statement made by me above that the Glta, which
supports Action, has been inoluded in the Mahabharata for
sufficient reasons, and at a proper plaoe, for morally justifying
the lives of great persons like Sri Krsna, and that it must have
been a part of the Mahabharata, is fully confirmed if one
considers the construction of these two books. But before
entering into such a comparison, it is necessary to^ briefly
consider the present form of these two books. Srimat Samkar-
aoarya has stated at the very outset in his commentary on
the Glta, that there are 700 stanzas in the Glta ; and we find
the same number of stanzas in all the available editions of
the book. Out of these 700 stanzas, there is one stanza of
Phrtarastra, 40 of Safijaya, 84 of Arjuna, and 575 of the
Blessed Lord. But the Glta-Mahatmya (Eminence of thfr
- The GlTA asd the MAHABHARATA 721
GIta) of five and a half stanzas at the commencement of that
chapter of the Bhlsmaparva, which comes a/ter the eighteen
chapters of the Gita are over, that is, of the 43rd chapter of the
Bhlsmaparva, in the edition of the Mahabharata published at
the Ganpat Krishnaji Press at Bombay, it is stated that :-
satsatani saviniiani slokanam pralia kesavah 1
arjunah saptapancasat saptasastim tu saujayah l
dhrtarastrah slolcam ekam gttaya manam ucyaie n
that is : " In the GIta, there are 620 stanzas of Kesava, 57 of
Arjuna, 67 of Sanjaya, and 1 of Dhrtaristra ", in all 745 stanzas.
These stanzas are to be found in the edition of the
Mahabharata printed by Mr. Krishnacarya, according to the
reading adopted in the Madras Presidency ; but we do not
find them in the edition of the Mahabharata printed in
Calcutta ; and Mlakantha, who has written a commentary on
the Bharata, has said with reference to these five and a half
verses, that " gaudaih na pathyante " (i.e., " they are not to be
found in the Gauda, that is, Bengali, reading " — Trans.). It
would, therefore, appear that these five and a half stanzas
have been interpolated into the Mahabharata; but even if
these five and a half stanzas are considered an interpolation,
yet, it is not possible to say how these 45 stanzas, which are-
in excess of the stanzas of the Gita which are now available.
were obtained by anybody. As the Mahabharata is a very
extensive treatise, it is possible to interpolate stanzas into it,
or to take away existing stanzas ; but the same is not the case
with the Gita. The GIta was a text in daily recital, and there
were formerly many people and there are still some people,
who can repeat the whole of the Gita by heart in the same way
as the Vedas. We do not come across many variant readings
in the present Gita, and that is why the few variant
readings which exist are well-known to the commentators.
Nay, it may even be said that the Gita has been made to
contain exactly 700 stanzas, in order that nobody should be
in a position to add to or take away from that number ; then,
how have 45 stanzas — and those too of the Blessed Lord — been
included in the Gita in the Bombay and the Madras
editions of the Mahabharata ? The total number of stanzas
733 GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
attributed to Sanjaya and Arjuna is the same according to
this arrangement, as in the present available editions of the
Glta, namely, one hundred and twenty-four ; and as there is a
likelihood of ten other stanzas being attributed to Safijaya, on
account of difference of opinion, just as the seventeen stanzas
"pasyami devan", etc., in the eleventh chapter (11. 15-31) have
been so attributed, one can say that although the total of the
stanzas attributed to Safijaya and Arjuna may be the same,
there might have been a difference in counting the respective
stanzas attributed to Arjuna and Safijaya. But, one cannot
account for the 45 additional stanzas, that is, for 630, instead
of the now available 575 stanzas attributed to the Blessed
Lord. If it is said that a praise (stotra) or ' a description for
purposes of meditation ' (dkyana) of the Glta or some other
similar subject has been included in this chapter, then, not
only is such subject-matter not to be found in the Bombay
edition of the Bharata, but that edition has a Glta of only
700 stanzas. Therefore, there is no alternative except to take
as authoritative the present Glta of 700 stanzas. This
disposes of the Glta. But if one considers the Mahabharata, the
difference in the matter of the Glta is as nothing. There is a
statement in the Mahabharata itself that it contains a hundred
thousand stanzas ; but we do not come across that number of
stanzas in the now available editions of the Mahabharata, and
the number of chapters in the various Parvas is also not
according to the index given in the beginning of the Bharata,
as has been clearly proved by Rao Bahadur Chintamanrao
Vaidya in his criticism on the Bharata. In these
ciroumstances, one has to take in hand only certain definite
editions of these two treatises for purpose of comparison ; and
therefore, I have compared them by taking as authoritative
the Glta of 700 stanzas, which was accepted as authoritative by
Srlmat Samkaracarya, and the edition of the Mahabharata
printed in Calcutta by Babu Pratapchandra Roy; and the
references in this book to the stanzas quoted from the
Mahabharata are acoording to the above-mentioned edition of
the Mahabharata printed at Calcutta. If these verses have to
be referred to in the editions printed by Krishnacharya
according to the Bombay or Madras readings, they will be
I - THE GIT a and THE MAHABHARATA 723
found either in advance of or subsequent to the place mentioned
by me.
If one compares the Glta of 700 stanzas and the edition of
the Mahabharata printed by Babu Pratapchandra Eoy at
Calcutta, it will firstly be seen that it is stated in many places
in the Mahabharata itself that the Bhagavadglta is a part of
the Mahabharata. The first of these references is in the index
given in the second chapter of the Adiparva. There is first
a statement, where the various Parvas have been described,
that "purvoktam bhagavadgitaparva bhtstnavadhas tatah" (Ma.
Bha. A. 2. 69) ; and afterwards in enumerating the chapters and
the stanzas in the 18 parvas, there is a clear reference to the
Bhagavadglta in the description of Bhismaparva as : —
kaimalam yatra parthasya vasudevo mahamatih I
mohajam nasayamasa hetubhir moksadarsibhih 11
that is, " in which treatise, Yasudeva has removed the
dejection of Arjuna, due to Ignorance, by showing him the
Path which leads to Release". In the same way, in the first
chapter of the Adiparva, where Dhrtarastra is explaining his
growing despair regarding the success of Duryodhana and
others, starting each stanza with the words "yada srausam", it
is stated that "when Arjuna became confused, and Krsna
showed to him His Cosmic Form, I despaired of victory"
(Ma. Bha. A. 1. 179). After these three references in the
Adiparva, it again became necessary to refer to the Glta in
describing the Narayanlya religion at the end of the Santiparva.
The four names Narayanlya, Sttvata, Bkantika, and Bhagavata
are synonymous; and this chapter explains the devotional
energistic path preached by Rsi Narayana or by the Blessed
Lord to Narada in the Svetadvlpa. (San. 334. 351). The
underlying principle of this Bhagavata religion is, that by
worshipping Vasudeva in solitude, and by carrying on one's
duties in the world according to one's religion, one attains
Release ; and I have already shown in previous chapters that
it has also been maintained in the Bhagavadglta, that the
Karma-Yoga is superior to the Path of Renunciation. In
describing the tradition of this Narayanlya doctrine,
Vaisarhpayana says to Janamejaya that this doctrine had been
724 GlTA-RAHASYA OK KARMA-YOGA
preached to Narada by Narayana Himself, and that the same-
doctrine has been "kathito HARIGITASU samasavidhi kalpatah"
(Ma. Bha. San. 346. 10), i. e., "mentioned in the Hariglta or the
Bhagavadglta". It is also stated later on in the eighth stanza
of the 348th chapter, that :
samupodhe svanlkesu latrupaiidavayor mrdhe I
arjune vimanske ca glta bhagavnfa svayam, II
that is, "these rites of the solitudinal (ekantika) Narayaniya
doctrine, were taught by the Blessed Lord to the dejeeted
Arjuna on the occasion of the war between the Kauravas and
the Pandavas" ; and the tradition of the Karayanlya doctrine
in that war has been given there ; and it is again stated that
this path, as also the path of ascetics, that is, the Path of
Renunciation, have both been mentioned in the HARIGITA
(Ma. Bha. San. 348. 53). Besides these six references in the
Adiparva and the Santiparva, there is also one more reference
to the Bhagavadglta in the AnugitSparva included in the
Asvarnedhaparva. Some days after the BharatI war was over,
and Yudhisthira had been placed on the throne, when Sri
Krsna and Arjuna were one day sitting together, and Sri
Krsna had said to Arjuna : "It is no more necessary for me
to stay here ; I wish to go to Dvaraka", Arjuna said to Him,
that he had forgotten what Sri Krsna had preached at the
commencement of the war, and requested Him to preach the
same thing again (Asva. 16). Then, to satisfy this request,
Sri Krsna preached the Anuglta to Arjuna before going to
Dvaraka. In the beginning of this Anuglta, the Blessed Lord
has Himself said that : "It is your misfortune that you have
forgotten the advice which I gave to you in the commencement
of the war. It is impossible for Me to repeat the same advice
in the same way again, and therefore I will tell you instead
.something else" (Ma. Bha. Asva. Anuglta 16.9-13); and some
of the chapters of the Anuglta are similar to those of the Glta.
The Gits has thus been referred to SEVEN times in the
Mahabharata, including this reference. Therefore, it follows
from the intrinsic evidence in the Mahabharata itself, that the
Bhagavadglta is a part of the present Mahabharata.
But, as the course of doubts is uncontrolled, some persons
are not satisfied even by these seven references, and they
I - THE GITA AND THE MAHABHARATA 725
inquire why it may not be said that these references were
themselves also interpolated into the Mahabharata afterwards ;
and thus their doubt as to whether or not the Glta was a part
of the Mahabharata still remains. This doubt has its origin
in the idea that the Glta deals only with the Knowledge of the
Brahman. But, as I have already shown that this idea itself
is incorrect, this doubt should, strictly speaking, not remain.
Nevertheless, instead of depending solely on this evidence, I
shall now show, by reference to other evidence also, that this
doubt is unfounded. When there is a doubt whether or not
two works were written by one and the same author, literary
oritios consider two matters in the first place, namely,
SIMILARITY OF DICTION and SIMILARITY OF
MEANING. Out of these, similarity of diction includes not
only the words themselves, but also the composition.
Considering the matter from this point of view, one must see
to what extent the diction of the Glta is similar to the diction
of the Mahabharata. But as the Mahabharata is a very
extensive work, the diction in it varies according to the-
occasion. For instance, if one refers to the description of the
fight between Karna and Arjuna in the Karnaparva, it will be
seen that the diction in this parva is different from the diction
of the other parts of the Mahabharata. Therefore, it is difficult
to definitely say whether or not the language of the Glta is
similar to the language of the Mahabharata. But if one
considers the matter in a general way, then, as Mr. Kashinath
Trimbak Telang* says, the language and the metrical
arrangement of the Glta is archaic (arm) or ancient. For
instance, Kashinathpant has shown that the meanings in which
the words 'anta' (Gl. 2. 16), 'bhasa' (Gl. 2. 54), 'Brahma'
(=prakrti. Gi. 14. 3), 'Yoga' (=Karma-Yoga),andtheoonsoDant
'ha' used for completing the meter (Gl. 2.9) etc. have been used
* The translation of the Bhagavadgita made by the late
Mr. Kasinath Trimbak Telang, has been published in the Saered
Books of the East Series Yol. VIII, edited by Prof. Max Miller. To^
this translation, a critical dissertation has been added by him by way
of introduction in the English language. The references made to-
the opinions of the late Mr. Telang in this Appendix are (with one-
exception) to this introduction.
726 GlTl-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
:in the Glta, do not appear to have been used in the same sense
in the poems of Kalidasa etc. ; and we come across the form
'"namaskrtva" in stanza 11. 35, and a compound like "sakyaahani'
in stanza 11. 45, though as variant readings, which are contrary
to the grammar of Panini. Also in the phrase "semninam aham
skandah" (Gl. 10. 24), the sixth case (possessive) form
"senaninarn" is not correct according to Panini. The late
Mr. Telang has not given detailed illustrations of archaic
metrical construction. But I think that he has called the
metrical arrangement of the Glta 'archaic' (arm) with special
reference to the 36 stanzas in the eleventh chapter, which
■contain the description of the Cosmic Form (Gl. 11. 15-50).
In each stanza, out of these 36, there are eleven letters to a
line. But there is no meter which is consistently followed, and
we find that if one line is in the indravajra meter, the second
is in the upendravajra, the third in the salini, and the fourth
• one in a different meter altogether; and there are thus eleven
different meters to he found in these 36 verses, that is, 144
lines. Nevertheless, each line contains only eleven letters,
and the rule seems to he followed that the first, fourth, eighth
and the last two letters are long (guru) and the sixth one is usually
short (laghu); and therefore, an inference may be drawn that these
•stanzas have been written in the tristupa metre used in the
Rg-Veda or in the Upanisads. We do not come across
■odd-numbered meters of eleven letters to a line like this in any
poem of Kalidasa. In the £akuntala, the stanza: "ami vedifii
paritah klptadMsfiyah" is in this meter. But Kalidasa himself
has described this meter as 'Rk.-chanda' that is, a meter used
in the Rg-Veda. Prom this it is clear that the Glta was
written when archaic meters were in vogue. We come across
■similar archaic words and "Vedic metres in other places in the
Mahabharata. But another convincing proof of the similarity
of diction of the two books is the similar stanzas to be found
in the Mahabharata and in the Glta. Examining all these
stanzas in the Mahabharata and ascertaining correctly how
many of them are to be found in the Glta is a very difficult
■task. Yet, in reading the Mahabharata, I found stanzas
in it which are either word for word similar to the stanzas in
4he Glta, or are similar but with slight verbal alterations, and
The GIta and the mahabharata
727'
these are not a few in number. This easily solves the question?
of the similarity of language or diction. We find the
following stanzas or semi-stanzas either word for word the
same or with only one or two words different in the Glta and
in the Mahabharata (Calcutta edition) : —
GITA. MAHABHARATA.
1. 9, nana sastra praharana Bhlsma-parva 51. 4. As in the
etc. Glta, Duryodhana is again
(semi-stanza). describing his army to-
Dronacarya.
1. 10, aparyaptam etc.
(whole stanza)
1. 13-19, (Eight stanzas)
1. 45, alio bata mahatpapam
etc.
(whole stanza)
Bhisma. 51. 6.
Bhlsma. 51. 22-29. The stanzas-
are just the same as in
the Glta, with slight,
verbal alterations.
Drona. 197. 50. Same as in the
Glta, with slight verbal
alterations.
19, ubhau tau na vijanitah Santi. 224. 14. In the Baliva-
etc. sava-samvada, with verbal
(semi-stanza) alterations ; and in the
Kat'hopanisad (2. IS).
2. 28, avyaktadini bhutani etc.
(whole stanza)
Strl. 2. 6 ; 9. 11. Instead of
' avyakta ', the word.
' abhava ' is used ; rest is-
the same.
2. 31, dharmyaddhi yuddhac Bhlsma. 124. 36. Bhlsma says
chreyo etc. the same words to Karna.
(semi-stanza)
2. 32, yad drcchaya etc.
(whole stanza)
Karna. 57. 2. Instead of
' Partha ', the word 'Karna'
is used in the conversation-
between DuTyodhana and-
Karna.
728 GlTA-RAHASYA OK KARMA-YOGA "
2. 46, yavan artha udapane Udyoga. 45. 26. Has appeared
etc. with slight verbal altera-
(whole stanza) tions in the Sanatsujatlya
chapter.
i,. 59, visaya rinivartante etc. Santi. 204 16. Has appeared
(whole stanza) -word for word in the
conversation between
Manu and Brhaspati,
2. 67, indriyanUm hi earatam Vana. 210. 26. Has appeared
etc. with slight verbal altera-
(whole stanza) tions in the conversation
between the Brahmin and
the Hunter; and there is
also the ' rupaka ' (simile)
of the chariot in the
earlier portion.
'2. 70, apvryamS-nam acala Santi. 250. 9. Has appeared
pratistham etc. word for word in the
(whole stanza) Sukanuprasna.
3. 42, indriyani paravyahuh Santi. 245. 3 and 247. 2. Has
etc. appeared with slight ver-
(whole stanza) bal alterations twice in
the Sukanuprasna; but
this stanza is originally
from the Kathopanisad
(Katha. 3. 10).
4. 7, yada yada hi dharmasya Vana. 189. 27. Has appeared
etc. word for word in the
(semi-stanza) Markandeyaprasna.
4 31, riayam loko 'stya yajfla- Santi. 267. 40. Has appeared
sya etc. in the GokSpillya chapter,
(semi-stanza) and the whole chapter
deals with the Yajfia.
4. 40, nayaih loko 'sti na Vana. 199. 110. Has appeared
paro etc. word for word in the
(semi-stanza) Markandeya-samasya-
parva.
I - THE GITA AND THE MAHABHABATA 729
5. 5, yat samkkyaih prapyate Santi. 305. 19 and 316. i. Has
sthanam etc. appeared i i these two
(whole stanza) places with slight verbal
alterations in the con-
versation between Vasis-
tha and Karala and bet-
ween Yajfiavalkya and
Janaka, lespectively.
"5. 18, vidya viTiaya sampanne Santi. 238. 19. Has appeared
etc. word for word in the
(whole stanza) Sukanuprasna.
6. 5, atmaiva hy atmano ITdyoga. 33. 63, 64. Has
bandhuh etc. appeared word for word
(semi-stanza and half in the Viduranlti.
of the next stanza)
4. 29, sarvabhutastkarn atma- Santi. 238. 21. In the Sukami-
■nam etc. prasna, and also in the
(semi-stanza) Manu-Smrti (Manu.12.91),
Isavasyopanisad (Isa. 6)
and literally in the Eai-
valyopanisad (Kai. 1. 10).
■f. 44, jijnasur api yogaeya Santi. 235. 7. Has appeared
etc. with slight verbal altera-
(semi-stanza) tions in the Sukanuprasna.
8. 17, sahasra yuga paryan- Santi. 231. 31. Has appeared
tarn etc. This stanza has literally in the Sukanu-
been given in the Glta prasna; and the method
without first explaining of computation of a 'yuga'
what ' yuga ' means. has also been mentioned
previously. This has
appeared with slight
verbal alterations also in
•the Manu-Smrti (Manu.
1. 73).
'8. 20, yah sa sarvesu bhutequ Santi. 339. 23. Has appeared
etc. twice with slight verbal
(semi-stanza) alterations in the NarS-
yanlya-dharma.
730
GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
IS.
14.
32, striyo vaisyas tatka etc.
(■whole stanza and half
of the nest stanza)
13, sarvatah panipadam
(whole stanza)
30, yada bhuta prthag
bhavam etc.
(whole stanza)
18, urdkvam gacchanti
satvastha etc.
(whole stanza)
Asva. 19. 61 and 62. These
verses have appeared with'
slight verbal alterations
in the Anuglta.
13. 13, sarvatah panipadam Santi. 238. 29. and Asva. 19. 49.
This stanza has appeared,
word for word in the-
Sukanuprasna and in the
Anuglta as also in other
places. It is originally
from the Svetasvataro-
panisad (Sve. 3. 16).
Santi. 17. 23. The same words
have been addressed by
Yudhisthira to Arjuna.
Asva. 39. 10 This stanza has
appeared word for word
in the conversation
between the disciple and
the preceptor in the
Anuglta.
16. %\,triiidhamnaraJcasy edam Udyoga. 32. 70. Has appeared
etc. word for word in the
(whole stanza) Viduranlti,
17. 3, sraddhamayo yam puru- Santi. 263. 17. Has appeared
sah etc., in the portion on Devotion
(semi-stanza) . in the conversation bet-
ween Tuladhara and'
Jajali.
18. 14, adhisthanamtatha karta Santi. 347. 87. Has appeared 1
etc. word for word in the
(whole stanza) Narayanlya-dharma.
In this way, it is seen that 27 whole stanzas and 12
semi-stanzas appear sometimes word for word the same, and
sometimes with slight verbal differences both in the Maha-
bharata and in the Glta ; and if a more thorough examination
is made, there is a likelihood that one may come across many
I— The GlTA and the MAHABH&RATA 731
other stanzas and semi-stanzas which are common to both.
If one wishes to see in how many places there are common
combinations of two words or three words, or of quarter
portions of a stanza, which are common to the Mababharata
and to the Gita, the above-mentioned list will have to be
considerably increased""'. But, if we leave aside the similarity
of words, and consider merely the question of similarity of
stanzas in the above list, we cannot but say that the
Mahabharata and the Glta must, have been written by the
same hand. Considering the matter with reference to the
different chapters, we see that out of the above-mentioned
33 stanzas, 1 comes in the Markandeya-prasna, J in the
Markandeya-samasya, 1 in the Brahmin-Hunter conversation,
2 in the Viduraniti, 1 in the Sanatsujatlya, 1 in the Manu-
Brhaspati conversation, 6-J- in the Sukanu-prasna, 1 the
Tulsdhara-Jajali conversation, 1 in the Vasistha-Karala and
Yajilavalkya-Janaka conversation, 11 in the Narayanlya-
dharma, 2i in the Anuglta, and the rest in the Bhisma, Drona,
Karrta, and Stri parvas ; and in almost all these places, these
stanzas have come at proper places with reference to the
anterior and posterior contexts and are not interpolations.
Nay, some of these stanzas seem to have been taken into the Gita
by way of summarising. For instance, in order to understand
the stanza " sahasra yuga paryantam " etc. (Gl. 8, 17), it would
have been necessary to define the words ' varsa ' and 'yuga ';
and in the Bharata (San. 231) and the Manu-Smrti, this stanza
has been given after first defining these words. But in the
Gita, this stanza has been mentioned without defining ' yuga '
* If one considers the whole of the Mahabharata from this
point of view, there will be at least a hundred similar portions of
stanzas ; but I will mention only a few out of them here: Mm
bhogair jisiiem va (Gi. I. 32); naitat vay npapadyate (GI. 2. 3);
trayale mahato Ihayat (2. 40); asantasya kutuh, mkhaih (2. 66);
■utsldeyur ime loBh (3. 24); mam durnigraham cala?h(6. 35); mam
alma hhutalhamnah (9. 5) ; mogMia mogha karmanak (9. 12) ; samah
sarve-su bhute.;ii (9. 29) ; dlptmaUrkadyutim etc. (11. 17); sana Iftutahite
ratah (12. 4) ; tulya ninda stutih (12. 19); samtusto yena fonacil(l2. 19);
*samalo$takma Xammnah (14. 24) ; trividha karmacodana (18. 18) j
nirmamah santah (18. 53) ; brahmabtiuyaija kalpate (18. 53) ; etc., etc.,
15—16
732 GITA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
«te. Considering the matter from this point of view, it cannot
be said that these stanzas could have been adopted from the
Glta into the various chapters of the Mahabharata ; and it is
improbable that all these stanzas have been taken into the
Gits from all those various chapters. Therefore, one is bound
to come to the conclusion that the writer of the Glta must
have been the same as the person who wrote these chapters.
I must also mention here that, just as, many stanzas from the
Manu-Smrti find their way into the Mahabharata, * so also can
we trace to the Manu-Smrti, the whole of the stanza " sahasra
yuga paryantam" (8. 17) in the Glta, with slight verbal
alterations; and the semi-stanza " sreyan svadharmo viguriah
paradharmat svanustkitat " (Gl. 3, 35 and Gl. 18. 47) with the
alteration that instead of ' sreyan ', the word ' varam ' has been
used; and the semi-stanza " sarva bhutastham atmanam"
i Gl. 6. 29 ), with the variation "sarva bhutesu catmanaih"
(Manu. 1. 73 ; 10. 97 ; 12. 91). In the Anusasanaparva of the
Mahabharata, there is even a clear reference to the Manu-
Smrti in the words " mamma bhihitam sastram " (Anu. 47. 35).
If instead of considering the similarity of words, one
considers the similarity of meaning, the same conclusion is
fortified. I have in previous chapters shown the similarity
between the Karma-Yoga of the Glta and the Energistic
Bhagvata or Narayanlya religion. It is true that the genesis
of Sarhkarsana from Vasudeva, Pradyumna from Sarhkarsana,
Aniruddha from Pradyumna, and Brahmadeva from Aniruddha,
being the genesis of the visible world mentioned in the
ITarayanlya-dharma (San. 339. 71, 72) has not been adopted in-
to the Glta. There are besides other differences between the
religion of the Glta and the Narayaniyareligion. But, although
the idea of the four-fold (catur-vyuha) Paramesvara is not
accepted by the Glta, yet, if one considers the propositions of
the Glta that, (i) the devotion to the singular (eka-vyuha),
Vasudeva is the 'king of paths' ; that (ii) whatever other deities
are worshipped, that amounts to the worship of Vasudeva;
* Prof. Bulher has, in his translation of the Manu-Smrti,
published in the Sacred Books of the East Series (Vol. XXV,
pp. 533, efc seq.), included a list of the stanzas from the Manu-Smrti
which are to be found in the Mahabharata.
I— THE GITS. AND THE MAHABHARATA 733
that (iii) devotees are of four kinds ; that (iv) devotees of the
Blessed Lord must perform their duties according to their
religion, and keep going the cycle of Yajnas ; and that (v) it is
not proper to take to Renunciation (samnyasa) etc., one comes
to the conclusion that the Glta religion is the same as the
Bhagavata religion ; and as I have stated hefore, the tradition
of Vivasvan-Manu-Iksvaku is common to both. In the same
way, the Vedanta or the Spiritual Knowledge expounded in
the Glta is consistent with the Knowledge of the Brahman
as mentioned in the Sanatsujatiya, the Sukanu-prasna,
the Yajftavalkya-Janaka conversation, or the Anugita, as
will be appreciated by any one who reads those chapters.
Just as the Glta, while accepting the 25 Fundamental Elements
of Kapila-Samkhya philosophy, and the doctrine of the
efflorescence of the constituents ( guy.otkarsa), yet accepts
as Eternal, a further Element beyond Prakrti (Matter)
and Purusa (Spirit), so also has it been maintained in
detail, in the Vasistha-Karala-Janaka conversation, and in the
Yajnavalkya-Janaka conversation in the Santiparva that
there is a ' 26th ' Element beyond the 25 Elements, and
that one does not obtain Isolation (kaivalya) unless one has
acquired the Knowledge of that ' 26th ' Element. It is not
that this similarity of thought appears only with reference
to Karma-Yoga and Spiritual Knowledge ; but there are
many chapters to be found in the Mahabhaiata which
correspond with the other subsidiary subjects in the Glta.
For instance, in the beginning of the first chapter of the
Glta, Duryodhana has described both the armies to Dronacarya,
and he has again given the same description later on in the
51st chapter of the Bhismaparva to Dronacarya. There is
in the beginning of the Santiparva, a dejection expressed by
Yudhisthira, which is similar to the dejection experienced by
Arjuna in the latter part of the first chapter of the Gita ; and
when there was occasion to kill Bhisma and Drona by ' Yoga \
Arjuna has again uttered similar words of dejection (Bhisma.
97. 4-7 and 108. 88-94). Arjuna has said in the beginning
of the Glta that it was no use obtaining victory if he were
to kill those very persons for whom that happiness was to
he acquired (Gl. 1. 32, 33); and later on, after all the Kauravas
734 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
had been killed in the war, Duryodhana has given expression
to the same sentiment (Salya. 31. 42-51). As in the beginning
of the second chapter, two different paths, namely, the Samkhya
and the Karma-Yoga have been mentioned, so also have two
paths been described not only in the Narayanlya-dharraa,
but also in the JapakopakhySna, and the Janaka-Sulabba
conversation in the Santiparva (San. 196 and 320); and the
ideas expressed in the third chapter that Karma (Action) is
superior to akarrna (Inaction), and that if one does not perform
Action, he will not find even food to eat, are expressed in the
beginning of the Vanaparva by DraupadI to Yudhisthira
(Vana. 32); and the same ideas have been repeated again in
the Anuglta. The idea that Brahmadeva created the Yajna
and human beings at the same time etc., which appear in the
Glta, appear also in other places in the Santiparva, besides
in the descriptions of the Narayamya religion (San. 267), and
also in the Manu-Smrti; and the idea that there is no sin in
performing Action according to one's own religious duties, has
also appeared in the Tuladhara-Jajali conversation, and
in the Brahmin-Hunter conversation ( San. 260-283 and Vana.
206-215). Besides this, the little information which the Glta
contains regarding the creation of the Cosmos, in the seventh
and eighth chapters, is similar to the description of such
creation given in the Sukanuprasna in the Santiparva
( San. 231 ) ; and the information regarding the various
physical postures (asanas) prescribed in the Patafijala-Yoga,
which appears in the sixth chapter of the Glta is again
repeated in detail in the Sukanuprasna ( San. 239 ), and later
on in the 300th chapter of the Santiparva and also in the
Anugita (Asva. 19). The description of ordinary and best
things given in the conversation between the preceptor and
the disciple (Asva. 43 and 44), and the description of the
manifestations of the Blessed Lord given in the tenth chapter
of the Gita, may without the slightest doubt be said to be
exactly the same in meaning. It is stated in the Maha-
bharata that the Cosmic Form which was shown by the Blessed
Lord to Arjuna, was also shown by Him to Duryodhana and
others at the time of previous conciliatory efforts, and to
TJttanka, after the war was over, when Sri Krsna was
I— The GlTA astd the MAHABHAEATA 735
going back to Dvaraka; and also that it was shown by
Narayana to Narada, and by DasarathI Kama to Parasu-
rama. ( U. 130; Asva. 55; San. 339 ; Vana. 99 ). It is true
that the description of the Cosmic Form given in the
Gits, is more detailed and beautiful than the descriptions
in all these four places; but considering the matter from
the point of view of similarity of subject, there is nothing
new in the description in the Glta, as will be clearly
seen by anybody who reads these various descriptions.
There are to be found descriptions in the Anuglta (Asva. 36-39),
and also in other places in the Santiparva (San. 285 ; and
300-311) as to how diversity comes into being in the world
as a result of the sattva, rajas, and tamas constituents, what
the characteristic features of these constituents are, and how
all the activity is of these constituents and not of the Atman,
which are similar to the descriptions in the 14th and 15th
chapters of the Glta. In short, although the description of
certain things given in the Glta may be more exhaustive,
having regard to the occasion where it appears in the Glta,
and although the arrangement, of those various subjects may
also be different in the Glta, yet, we come across ideas in the
MahSbharata which are more or less the same as those in
the Glta, but are spread out in some place or other ; and I
need not say that with this similarity of ideas, there is also
to some extent a similarity of diction. The similarity in the
matter of the month of Margaslrsa is indeed astounding. As
this month has been given primary importance in the GJta,
as is shown by the words " masanam margasirqo 'ham " (Gl. 10.
35), so also, where there was twice occasion to mention the
names of months with reference to fasting in the Anusasana-
parva of the Mahabhfirata, the counting of the months has
been started with Margaslrsa (Anu. 106 and 109). The
ideas of Self-Identification, or of universal good, as also the
difference between the Materialistic, Intuitionist, and Meta-
physical aspects, and the description of the Devayana and
the Pitryana paths taken after death, which appear in the
Glta, have also appeared several times in the Mahabharata ;
but as this has been dealt with in great detail in the previous
chapters, I shall not repeat the same subject-matter here.
736 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
Whether one considers the similarity of diction, or the
similarity of subject-matter, or the six or seven references to
the Gita, which we find in the Mahabharata, one cannot but
come to the conclusion that the Gita is a part of the
Mahabharata, and that the same man who wrote the Maha-
bharata as it now exists, must also have written the Gita as
it now exists. But, I have seen people attempting to disregard
all those proofs, and to dispose of them with scant respect in
some way or other, and to prove that the Gita is an inter-
polation. But, in my opinion, the line of reasoning adopted
by these critics, who treat external evidence as no evidence,
and who yield to the domination of the demon of doubt in
their hearts, is illogical, and therefore, unacceptable. If it
could not be reasonably explained why the Gita should be a
part of the Mahabharata, it would be a different matter. But,
when it is proved, as has been stated in the beginning of this
Appendix, that (i) the Gita is not a purely devotional treatise,
or one which deals purely with Vedanta; that (ii) it was
necessary to preach the Activistic Gita, in order to explain
the principles of Morality, or the undercurrents whioh guided
the lives of exemplary great' men, as described in the
Mahabharata, and that (iii) there was no better place, even from
the poetic view-point, for placing the Gita, than the place in
which it appears in the Mahabharata, one comes to the
necessary conclusion that the Gita has been included for
proper reasons and at the proper place in the Mahabharata,
and that it is not an interpolation. The Ramayana is also
an excellent and a universally respected archaic epic like
the Mahabharata; and in it also the principles of
veracity, filial duty, maternal duty, regal duty etc.,
have been cleverly explained with reference to the
various incidents in it. But, as it was not the original
intention of Valmlki to make that epio "replete with many
incidents, full of numerous doctrines regarding Morality and
Immorality, and capable of giving to everybody exemplary
illustrations of properly moral lives", it goes without saying
that the importance of the Mahabharata is greater than that
of the Ramayana, from the point of view of the decisions
contained in them respectively with reference to Morality and
I— The GITA and the MAH5.BHa.RATA 737
Immorality, the Doable and the Not-Doable, and Ethics. The
Mahabharata is not merely an epic or merely a history, but
it is a Samhita (summary) dealing with delicate situations of
Duty and Non-Duty ; and if such a religious epitome does not
contain the scientific and logical description of the Philosophy
of Karma-Yoga, where else could it come ? Such an exposition
could certainly not have been included in a treatise which
deals merely with Vedanta. An epitome of religion is certainly
the most proper place for it; and if the writer of the
Mahabharata had not so included it, this immense book, which,
deals with religious and moral duties— which is in fact the
fifth Veda — would to that extent have remained incomplete.
The Bhagavadgita has been included in the Mahabharata in
order to fill up this gap, and it is our great good fortune that
India found an excellent Jiianin and a noble soul like the
writer of the Mahabharata, who was as proficient in worldly
affairs as in Vedanta, for sponsoring the subject-matter of
Karma-Yoga.
Though it has thus been proved that the present Bhagavad-
gita is a part of the present Mahabharata, yet, this matter
must be dealt with in greater detail. We understand the words
'Bharata' and 'Mahabharata' as synonymous ; but, as a matter
of fact, those two works are different from each other.
Considering the matter grammatically, any book which would
contain a description of the illustrious deeds of the kings of
the Bharata clan could properly be called 'Bharata'. The
etymology of the words 'ESmayana' and 'Bhagavata' is the
same; and on that account, any book which contains a
description of the Bharati war would be sufficiently identified
by being called 'Bharata', however extensive it were. The
Bamayana is not a small work ; then why is it not called
'Maha-Ramayana' ? ; and why should the Bharata be called
'Maha-Bharata' ? It is stated at the end of the Mahabharata
that the work has been given the name 'Mahabharata' on
account of its two features of (i) greatness (mahatva) and of
(ii) dealing with the Bharata clan (bbaratatva), (Svarga. 5. 44).
But if we take the mere literal meaning of the word
'Mahabharata', it means 'the big Bharata'; and if this meaning
is accepted, the question whether there was a 'small' Bharata
738 GlTA-RAHASYA OK KARMA-YOGA
and whether such a small Bharata did not contain the
Gita, naturally arises. There is a statement in the Adiparva
of the present Mahabharata, that the Mahabharata consists of
24000 stanzas, not taking into account the sub-chapters
(iipakhyann), (A. 1. 101) ; and it is said later on that this was
originally known as 'Jaya* (A. 62. 20). The word 'Jaya'
seems to intend to convey the idea of the 'victory' (jaya) of
the Panda vas in the Bharatl war; and if that meaning is
adopted, it will be seen that the book called 'Jaya' originally
contained only a description of the Bharatl war, and that
several sub-chapters were added later on to this historical book,
so as to make of it the large work known as the 'Mahabharata',
which dealt both with history and with Ethics. This
conclusion is fortified by the specific reference to two different
works named, 'Bharata' and 'Mahabharata', in the incantation
Telating to oblations to Rsis to be found in the
Asvalayana-grhya-siitra, which runs as : — "sumanfu-jaimini-
vaisampayarta — paila — sufra — bhasya — bharata — mahabharata
— dharmacaryah" ( A. Gr. 3. 4. 4 ). When the 'little Bharata'
had thus been inoluded in the 'Mahabharata', the 'little
Bharata' ceased to exist as an independent work, and
it was naturally believed that only one work, namely the
^Mahabharata ' was the Bharata. Even in the present
version of the Mahabharata, there is a statement that the
Bharata was first recited by Vyasa to his own son Suka, and
afterwards to his other disciples (A. 1. 103) ; and it is clearly
stated that the five disciples Sumantu, Jaimini, Paila, Suka,
and Vaisaihpayana wrote five distinct Bharata-Samhitas
or Mahabharatas (A. 63. 90) ; and there is a story that out
of these five Mahabharatas, Vyasa retained only the Maha-
bharata of VaisampSyana, and the Asvamedhaparva out of
the Mahabharata of Jaimini. This explains why the names
Sumantu etc., appear before the mention of the words ' Bharata-
Mahabharata* in the incantation about oblations to Rsis.
But it is not necessary to enter so deep so into that subject-
matter here. The conclusion which has been drawn by
Rao Bahadur Chintamanrao Vaidya in his criticism on the
Mahabharata, after considering this subject-matter, is in my
opinion correct; and therefore, it is quite enough if I say
II— THE GITA AND THE UPANISADS 739
here that the present version of the Mahabharata is not the
original Mahabharata, but that there were various editions
of the Bharata and the Mahabharata ; and that the present
Mahabharata is the form it ultimately acquired. It cannot
be said that the first original Bharata out of these did not
contain the Glta. It is quite clear that the writer of the
Mahabharata has written the present Glta on the authority
of former works, just as the Sanatsujatiya, the Viduranlti,
the Sukanuprasna, the Yajnavalkya-Janaka conversation,
the Visnu-sahasranama, the Anugita, the Narayanlya-dharma
and other chapters were so written, and that it was not
written independently. At the same time, it cannot be
definitely said that the writer of the Mahabharata did not
make any change in the original Glta. From what has been
stated above, anybody will come to the conclusion that the
present Glta of 700 stanzas is a part of the present Maha-
bharata, that both have been compiled by the same hands,
and that the present Glta, has not been subsequently interpolated
by anybody into the present Mahabharata. I will say
later on what in my opinion is the date of the present Maha-
bharata, as also what I have to say regarding the original
Glta.
PART II-THE GITA AND THE UPANISADS.
Let us now consider the inter-relation between the Glta
and the various Upanisads. Not only have the various
Upanisads been generally referred to in the present
Mahabharata, but the description about the warfare between
the Vital Organs (prartendriya ) contained in the Brhadara-
nyaka and the Chandogya (Br. 1. 3 ; Ohan. 1. 2) appears in
the Anugita (Asva. 23) ; and the words " na me steno janapade "
etc., uttered by the king Kaikeya Asvapati (Chan. 5. 11. 15),
appear in the Santiparva, where the story of that king is
related (San. 77. 8). Similarly, the principles enunciated in
the Brhadaranyaka, that"na pretya samjflasti",i, e., "after
death, the Knower (jnata) does not any more possess any
name (mmjna)", and that the Knower is merged in the
Brahman (Br. 4. 5. 13) appear in the Santiparva in the
conversation between Janaka and Pancasikha; and in the
740 GfTA-BAHASYA. OB KARMA-YOGA
same plaoe, at the end, the illustration of the river and the
sea, which appears in the Prasna and the Mundaka Upanisads
(Prasna. 6. 5 ; Mun. 3. %. 8), has been used with reference to-
the man who has become free from Name and Form. Besides,
the comparison of Reason with a charioteer, after comparing
the organs with horses, which appears in the conversation
between the Brahmin and the Hunter (Vana, 210), and in the
Anuglta, has been taken from the Kathopanisad (Ka. 1. 3. 3) ;
and the stanzas " esa sarvesu bhutesu gudliutma " (Katha. 3. 12),
and " anyatra dharmad anyatradkarmut" (Katha. 2. 14)
also appear with slight verbal alterations in the Santiparva
(187. 29 and 331. 44). I have already stated above that the
stanza " sarvafah. panipadam " etc., from the Svetasvatara
appears several times in the Mahabharata, as also in the
Glta. But this similarity does not end here, and there are
numerous other sentences from the Upanisads, which appear
in various places in the Mahabharata. Nay, we may safely
assert that the Spiritual Knowledge in the Mahabharata has
been practically adopted from the Upanisads.
Not only is the Spiritual Knowledge contained
in the Bhagavadglta consistent with the Upanisads,
like the Mahabharata, but, as has been stated by me in the
ninth and the thirteenth chapters above, the Path of
Devotion described in the Gits is also fully consistent
with this Spiritual Knowledge. Without, therefore, repeating
the same subject-matter, I will only say here in short, that
the non-lamentability of the Atman mentioned in the second
chapter of the Glta, the form of the Imperishable Brahman
described in the eighth chapter, the consideration of the Body
( ksetra ) and the Atman ( ksetrajfia ) contained in the thirteenth
chapter, and especially the form of the 'Knowable' (jfleya)
Parahrahman described in that chapter, are all subjects which
have been literally copied into the Glta from the Upanisads.
Some of the Upanisads are in prose, whereas others are in
verse. Expressions from the prose Upanisads cannot, of course,
come as they are in the Glta, which is in verse form ; yet, the
ideas "whatever is, is; and whatever is not, is not" (Gl. 2. 16),
"yam yam vapi smaran bhavam" etc. (Gl. 8. 6), (i.e., "whatever
ideas are entertained in the Mind" etc.— Trans.) etc., which
II— The GfTA and the UPANISADS 741
appear in the Glta, are from the Chandogyopanisad ; and the
ideas and sentences, "ksine puriye" etc. (Gl. 9. 21), "jyotisam
jyotih" (Gl. 13. 17), or " matrasparsah" (Gi. 2. 14) etc., are from
the Brhadaranyakopanisad, as will be apparent to anyone
who has read those Upanisads. But, if one does not consider
the prose Upanisads, but considers only the Upanisads in
verse form, this similarity becomes more explicit; because,
some verses from these verse-formed Upanisads have been
taken literally and word for word into the Glta. For instance,
six or seven stanzas from the Kathopanisad have been taken
as they are, or with slight verbal alterations into the Glta.
The stanza " ascaryavat pasyati" etc. (2, 29) in the Glta is very
similar to the stanza "ascaryo vakta" etc., in the second
valli of the Kathopanisad (Katha. 2. 7); and the stanza
"na jayate mriyate va kadacit" etc. (Gi. 2. 20), and the semi-
stanza "yad icchanto brahmacaryam caranti" etc. (Gi. 8. 11),
are word for word the same in the Glta and in the Katho-
panisad (Katha. 2. 19; 2. 15). I have already mentioned
above that the stanza "indriyaiai paranyahuh" (Gl. 3. 42)
in the Glta has been taken from the Kathopanisad
(Katha. 3. 10). Similarly, the simile of the pippala (asvattha)
tree in the fifteenth chapter of the Glta, has been taken
from the Kathopanisad; and the stanza "na tad bhasayate
suryo" eto. (Gi. 15. 6), has been adopted into the Glta
with slight verbal alterations from the Katha and the
Svetasvatara Upanisads. Many other ideas and stanzas from
the Svetasvataropanisad find their way into the Glta. I have
shown above in the ninth chapter that the word 'Maya' appears-
for the first time in the Svetasvataropanisad, and that it must
have been taken from that place into the Glta and the
Mahabharata. Besides this, the description of the place proper
for the study of Yoga, given in the sixth chapter of the Glta,
namely, "sucau dese pratisthapya" etc. (Gi. 6. 11) seems to be
taken from the incantation "same sucau" etc. (Sve. 2. 10), and
the words " samam kayasirogrivam " etc. (Gi. 6. 13) seem to
have been taken from the incantation "trir unnaiam stkapya
samam sarlram" (Sve. 2. 8), if one considers the similarity of
wording between the two. Similarly, the stanza "sarvatdk
pampadam" etc. and the following semi-stanza are also seen
742 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
to be word for word the same both in the Glta (13. 13) and in
the Svetasvataropanisad ( Sve. 3. 16 ) ; and the words
"anorardyBmsam" or "adityavarnam tamasah parastal" are also
to be found both in the Glta (8. 9) and the Svetasvataropanisad
{Sve. 3. 9, 20). Further similarity of wording between the
Gita and the Upanisads is apparent from the fact that the two
semi-stanzas "sarvabhutastham atmanam ( Gl. 6. 29 ) and
"vedais ca sr,rmir aham eva vedyo" (Gl. 15. 15) are to be found
just as they are in the Kaivalyopanisad. But it is not
necessary to further point out this similarity of wording.
Nobody oan entertain the slightest doubt that the Vedanta in
the Glta has been enunciated on the authority of the Upanisads.
What has to be principally considered is whether there is a
difference between the exposition of it in the Upanisads and
the exposition in the Gita ; and if so, what that difference is.
We will, therefore, now turn to that subject-matter.
The Upanisads are numerous, and the language of some
of them is so modern, that one can clearly see that these
Upanisads are not of the same date as the older Upanisads.
Therefore, in considering the similarity of subject-matter
between the Glta and the Upanisads, I have principally referred
in this chapter, for purposes of comparison, to those Upanisads,
which are mentioned in the Brahma-Sutras. If one tries to
examine the similarity between the theories in these Upanisads
and the Spiritual Knowledge in the Glta, one will see, first of
all, that though the characteristic features of the qualityless
Parabrahman is the same in both, yet, in describing how the
Qualityful came into existence out of the Qualityless, the
Glta uses the words 'maya' or 'ajSana' instead of the word
'avidya'. I have explained above in the ninth chapter that
the word 'maya' has appeared in the Svetasvataropanisad, and
that this word is synonymous with 'avidya' embodied in Names
and Forms ; and I have shown above that some of the stanzas
from the Svetasvataropanisad appear word for word in the Glta.
The first conclusion to be drawn from this is, that although the
doctrine "sarvam khalv idam brahma" (Chan. 3. 14. 1), or "sarvam
atmanam. pasyatf (Br. 4. 4. 23), or "sarvabhutesu catmamni" etc.
(tsa. &), or possibly even the whole of the Spiritual Knowledge
in the Upanisads has been adopted into the Glta, yet, it was
II— The GITA ahd the UPANISADS 743
only after the word 'maya' came to be used in the Upanisads
with reference to Name-d and Form-ed 'avidya', that the Gita
has come to be written.
Now, if one considers what difference exists between the
respective expositions of Vedanta in the Gita and the Upanisads,
one sees that greater importance has been given in the Gita to
the Kapila-Samkhya philosophy. In tie Brhadaranyaka or
the Chandogya, which deal with Spiritual Knowledge,
Samkhya philosophy has not even once been mentioned ; and
although the words 'avyakta', 'mahau' etc. from Samkhya
philosophy are found in the Katha and other Upanisads, yet,
those words are clearly interpreted there according to "Vedanta
philosophy and not according to Samkhya philosophy ; and the
same argument applies to the exposition in the Maitryupanisad.
The idea of boycotting Samkhya philosophy has been carried
to such an extent, that the diversity of Names and Forms
in the world has been explained in the Vedanta-Sutras by
the 'Trivrt-karana' (union of three Elements) consistently
with the Chandogya, instead of by reference to the 'Paiiclkarana'
(union of five Elements) of Samkhya philosophy (Ve.
Su. 2. 4. 20). Although this method of explaining the
Perishable and Imperishable in Metaphysics without the
slightest reference to Samkhya philosophy has not been
adopted in the Gita, yet, it must also be borne in mind that
Samkhya doctrines have not been taken as they are into the
Gita. The Samkhya doctrine that the visible world came
into existence from the three-constituented imperceptible Matter
{prakrti) by the process of the 'developing-out of the consti*
tuents' ( guxtotkarsa ), and that the Spirit (purusa) is
qualityless and is the See-er, is accepted by the Gita. But
the Samkhya doctrine regarding the Perishable ( ksara ) and
Imperishable (aksara) has always been mentioned in the
Gita with the rider of the Non-Dualistic Vedanta that Matter
(prakrti) and Spirit {purusa ) are not independent Elements,
but are the forms or manifestations ( vibhuti ) of one and the
same Parabrahman in the shape of the Atman. This tacking
on of the order of creation of the universe according to the
Dualistio Samkhya philosophy with the Non-Dualistic
doctrines of the Upanisads, which looks upon the Brahman
744 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
and the Atman as one and the same, is to be found in the
exposition of Metaphysics in other places in the Mahabharata,
as in the Glta ; and thereby the inferenoe made above, that
the Glta and the Mahabharata must have been written by
one and the same person, is intensified.
The Path of Devotion or the worship of the Perceptible
contained in the exposition in the Glta is an important matter
which is not found in the Upanisads. It is true that mere ritualis-
tic performances like Yajfias etc., are considered inferior, from
the point of view of Spiritual Knowledge, in the Upanisads
as also in the Bhagavadgita ; but we do not come across the
worship of a perceptible human-formed Paramesvara in
the older Upanisads. As the Realisation of the imperceptible and
qualityless Parabrahman is difficult, the writers of the
Upanisads admit the principle that one must worship the
Mind, Ether, the Sun, Fire, Yajia, and other similar
qualityful symbols. But the symbols, which have been
mentioned in the ancient Upanisads for worship, do not
include the human-formed Paramesvara. It is stated in
the Maitryupanisad that Rudra, Siva, Visnu, Acyuta,
Narayana, etc., are all forms of the Paramatman (Mai. 7. 7) ;
and the Svetasvataropanisad even contains _ the words
' Mahesvara ' etc ; and there are also in the Svetasvatara
such expressions as "jnatva devam mucyate sarvapaiaih"
(Sve. 5. 13), (i. e., "by Realising God, all bonds are broken" —
Trans.) or, "yasya deve para bhaklih" (Sve. 6. 23). But one
cannot definitely say that human-formed incarnations of
Narayana, Visnu etc ; are intended by these expressions ;
because, the deities Rudra and "Visnu are both Vedic, that is,
ancient; and it cannot be said that the above-mentioned
Upanisads did not refer to the ancient sacrificial ritual, which
was later on given the form of the worship of Visnu, as shown,
by the words "ijajno mi visyuh" (Tai. Sam. 1. 7. 4). Never-
theless, if some one says that the idea of human-formed
incarnations was conceived in those days, that cannot be
said to be improbable; because, the word 'bhakti' (Devotion)
which is to be found in the Svetasvataropanisad cannot
at first sight be properly applied to worship in the shape of
a Yajiia. As the expressions used in the MahanSrayana
II— The GlTA and the UPANISADS 745
Nrsimhatapanl, EamatapanI, or GopalatapanI Upanisads are
clearer than those in the Svetasvataropanisad, such a doubt can
really speaking not arise at all about them. But, as there are no
means for definitely fixing the dates of these Upanisads, one
cannoi, with their help, satisfactorily solve the question as to
when the worship of the human-formed Visnu came into vogue.
Nevertheless, the fact that the Vedie Path of Devotion is very
a,ncient is satisfactorily proved in other ways. The
•grammarian Panini, after first mentioning in a sutra that the
word ' bhaktih ' is to be taken as meaning ' that, towards which
Devotion exists ' (Pa. 4. 3. 95), says in another sutra, namely,
'" vasudevarjmiabhjam bun" (Pa. 4. 3. 98), that the man who
is devoted to Vasudeva should be called ' Vasudevaka ', and
the man who is a devotee of Axjuna should be called
* Ar junaka ' ; and Patanjali, in commenting on this in his
Mahabhasya, has said that the word ' Vssudeva ' in this
sutra is the name of a K^atriya, or of the ' Bhagavanta '.
Dr. Bhandarkar has proved that the commentary of Patanjali
was written about 250 years before the Christian era; and
there is no dispute about the fact that Panini belonged to
a much earlier period. Besides, even Buddhistic religious
texts contain a reference to Devotion; and I have proved
later on in detail that the Bhagavata religion must have been
the cause for principles of Devotion entering into the
Buddhistic Mahayana cult. Therefore, it is proved beyond
doubt that the Path of Devotion was well established in
India long before the date of Buddha, that is to say
necessarily more than 600 years before the Christian era.
The Narada-Paficaratra, or the Bhakti-SQtras written by
Sandilya or Narada, are later in point of time. But thereby,
the ancientness of the Bhagavata religion, or of the Path
of Devotion, is in no way affected. It will be seen from the
exposition made in the Gita-Rahasya that (i) the present Path
of Devotion has been gradually evolved out of the forms
of worship of the Qualityful mentioned in the ancient
Upanisads ; that (ii) the Patafijala Yoga has given further
importance to the Path of Devotion, as in that Yoga some
perceptible or visible object has to be placed before the eyes
for fixing the mind ; and that (iii) the Path of Devotion has
746 GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
not come into India from anywhere else, nor was there any
neoessity for it to come from anywhere else. Supporting,
from the point of view of the VedSnta of the Upanisads >
this Path of Devotion, and especially the worship of Vasudeva,
which had in this way come into existence in India, is an
important part of the subject-matter of the Glta.
But a still more important part of the Glta is the harmoni-
sation of the Karma-Yoga with Devotion and the Knowledge
of the Brahman. Although the Upanisads have considered
the duties fixed for the four castes, or the ritualistic per-
formances mentioned by the Srutis as inferior, yet, some
of the Upanisads say that they have got to be performed for
the purification of the Mind, and that it is not proper to
give them up even after the Mind has been purified. Never-
theless, several of the Upanisads may be said to ordinarily
incline towards Abandonment of Action. There are statements
in some Upanisads, as in the Isavasyopanisad, that Action
must be performed so long as life lasts, such as, " kurvaim
eveha karmani", (i.e., "Action must ba performed in this
world" — Trans.); but no other Upanisad has justified this
Karma- Yoga, which had been in vogue from ancient times,
by doing away with the conflict between Spiritual Knowledge
and Worldly Action as has been done in the Glta. Way,
one may safely say that the doctrines of the Glta on this
matter are different from the doctrines enunciated by many
of the writers of the Upanisads, As I have fully discussed
this question in the eleventh chapter of the Gita-Rahasya,
I do not propose to take up more space by dealing with
it here.
The 'acquisition of Yoga' ( yoga-sadhana ), which has been
referred to in the sixth chapter of the Glta, has been fully
and scientifically dealt with in the Patafijala Yoga-Sutras ;
and these Sutras are now-a-days considered an authoritative
text on this subject. These Sutras are divided into four
chapters. The word ' yoga ' has been defined in the commence-
ment of the very first chapter as " yogas cittavrttinirodhah ",
(i. e., " Yoga means the control of the activities of the Mind "
— Trans. ) ; and it is stated that " abhyasavairagyabhyam tan-
mrodhah ", that is, " this control (nirodhdh) can be acquired.
II - THE GITA AND THE UPANISADS 747
by practice and by indifference to the world " ; and afterwards
the means of acquiring the Yoga such as, yama, niyama, asana,
prariayama, etc. have been described; and in the 3rd and 4th
chapters, it is explained how perfection and the supernatural
powers of ' ariirrialaghima ' (i. e, 'self-contraction,levitation'etc. — -
Trans.) are acquired by the ' asamprajnata ' or ' nirvikalpa '
sarriadhi (non-differentiating mental absorption), and how by
this kind of concentration, one ultimately reaches Release in the
shape of ' Brahma-nirvana '. In the Bhagavadgita also, there
is first mentioned the neoessity of the control of the Mind
(Gi. 6. 20) ; and after stating that the Mind must be controlled
by the two means of practice ( abhijasa ), and indifference to
the world ( vairagya ), (Gl. 6. 35), it is ultimately stated how
one should acquire the non-differentiating mental absorption,
and what happiness that gives. But on that account, one-
cannot say that the Bhagavadglts accepts as correct the.
Patamjala-Yoga, or that the Patanjala-Sutras are earlier in
point of time than the Bhagavadgita. The Blessed Lord
has nowhere advised that one should spend one's life holding
one's nose in the hand for controlling the breath, in order
to acquire perfect concentration, as directed in the Patafijala-
Sutras. Control of the Mind and mental absorption have been
mentioned in the Glta as means for acquiring that Equability of
Mind, which, is necessary for acquiring Karma-Yoga. Therefore,
it must be said that in this matter, the Glta comes nearer to the
Svetasvatara or the Hatha Upanisads than the Patanjala-Sutras.
The Dhyanabindu, Churika, and Yoga-tattva Upanisads deal
with Yoga. But, as Yoga is the principal subject-matter in
them, and its praises are sung everywhere, it is not proper to
attempt to fully harmonise these one-sided Upanisads with the
Glta, which considers the Karma-Yoga as the most superior path ;
and such a harmony cannot in fact be brought about. In the
introduction to his English translation of the Bhagavadgita,
Mr. Thompson has said that the Karma-Yoga in the Glta is
a form of the Patafijala-Yoga; but such a thing is absolutely
impossible ; and I say that this confusion has arisen in the
mind of Mr. Thompson, because he has not understood the
correct meaning of the word 'Yoga' in the Gita. Because,
whereas the Gita Karma-Yoga is Energistic, the Patanjala-Yoga
17-1.8
748 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
is just the opposite, that is to say, renunciatory ; and it is,
therefore, not possible that the one should have come out of
tho other; and it is nowhere stated in the Gita that such is
the case. Nay, the original meaning of the word 'Yoga' was
Karma- Yoga; and one may safely say that that word came to
bo commonly understood in the single meaning of 'Yoga* in
the shape of 'Concentration of the Mind', after the days of the
Patafijula-Sutras. Whatever may be the case, the Desireless
Path of Action adopted in ancient times by Janaka and others
was similar to the Yoga, that is, the Karma-Yoga of the Gita ;
and it has clearly been adopted from the Bhagavata religion
traditionally handed down by Manu to Iksvaku etc., and was
not derived from the Patafija la-Yoga.
This will have clearly shown to my readers the similarity
and tho dissimilarity between the Gita-doctrine and the
Upani-ads. Most of these matters have been dealt with by .me
in the ( ! lUi-Rahasya. I shall, therefore, say here only this much
that, although the Knowledge of the Brahman in the Gita
has been mentioned on the authority of the Upanisads, yet, the
Gita has not merely copied the Metaphysical Knowledge in
the rpanisuls, but by adding to it the worship of Vasudeva,
;is also the fcjamkhya Science of the Perishable and the
imperishable, that is to say, of the creation of the universe,
it has principally expounded tho Vedic religion of Karma-
Yoga, which is easy to follow, and is beneficial in this life and
the next ; and in this way the Gita is superior to the Upanisads.
ft is, therefore, not proper to stretch the meaning of the Gita
doctrinal] y, in order to establish a non-existing harmony
bet wwn the Gita and tho renunciatory Upanisads, except in
thi) mattwr of the Knowledge of the Brahman. It is true that
tho Metaphysical Knowledge in both is the same. Yet, although
tho head in tho shape of the Spiritual Knowledge is the same,
tho Samkhya path and the Karma- Yoga are the two equally
important hands of the Vedic religion; and the Gita has
emphatically supported Action based on Knowledge, as has
been done in the Isavasyopanisad, as is clearly shown in the
eleventh chapter of the Gita-Rahasya,
Ill - The GlTA and the BRAHMA-SUTRAS 749
PART III— THE GfTA AND THE BRAHMA-SUTRAS.
Having in this way considered the similarity and the
dissimilarity between the Bhagavadglta and the Upanisads,
which chiefly deal either with Spiritual Knowledge, or with
Devotion, or with Yoga, it is really speaking not necessary to
compare the Glta with the Brahma-Sutras; because, as
Badarayanacarya has written his Brahma-Sutras in order to
•systematically consider the Metaphysical doctrines mentioned
in the various Upanisads, these Sutras cannot contain any
thoughts which are not in the Upanisads. Still, there is a
clear reference to the Brahma-Sutras at the beginning of the
13th chapter of the Bhagavadglta, where the subject-matter of
the Body and the Atman is being dealt with, in the words :
rsibhir bahudha gltain clumdobliir vividliaih prthak I
brahma-sUtrapadais caiva hetumadbhir vimscitaih li
(Gl. 13. 4),
that is, the Body and the Atman have been described " in
various ways, in different metres, by different Rsis, dis-
connectedly; and also definitely and logically in the
Brahma-Sutra-padas" ; and, if one considers these Brahma-Sutras
to be the same as the present Vedanta-Sutras, it follows that
the present Glta must have been written after the date of the
present "Vedanta-Sutras. It is, therefore, very necessary to
determine which these Brahma-Sutras are, in order to fix the
date of the Glta* Because, there is no work now available
besides the Vedanta-Sutras, which bears the name of Brahma-
Sutras, nor has such a work been referred to anywhere ; and it
is not proper to say that the GUa was written after the date
of the present Brahma-Sutras ; because, it is traditionally
believed that the Glta is more ancient than these Brahma-Sutras.
Possibly, the phrase "brahma-sutra-padaih" has been interpreted
in the Sarhkarabhasya to mean "the phrases in the Srutis or
the Upanisads, which refer to the Brahman", in order to get
■over this difficulty. But, on the other hand, Anandagiri, who
* This subject-matter has bsen considered by the late
Mr. Telang ; and Prof. Tukaram Bamchandra Amalnerkar B. A. has
also published -an essay on this subject iu 1895.
750 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
has written a commentary on the Samkarabhasya, and
Ramanujacarya and Madhvacarya, who are other commentators
on the Gita, have said that the words "brahma-sutra-padais eaiva"
meantheSutras "aihato brahmajijnasa" etc. of Badarayanaearya;.
and Srldhara Svami interprets them in both ways. We have,
therefore, to determine the true meaning of this stanza
independently. This stanza mentions TWO DIFFERENT places,
where the subject-matter of the Body and the Atman have been
described; for, it says that this subject-matter has been
mentioned "in DIFFERENT ways, by different Rsis, DISCON-
NECTEDLY," and also (caiva) "definitely and logically in the
Brahma-Sutra-padas" ; and this is apparent from the word
'caiva' (i. e., 'and also'). Not only are these two places different,
but the first place, namely, the description given by R?is, is
"in different metres, and disconnected, and in different ways" ;
and, as appears by the third case plural termination of the
word 'rsibhih', it has been made by VARIOUS Rsis; whereas,
the other description oontained in the B.rahma-Sutra-padas
is "definite and logical". This is the special difference
between the two, which has been brought out in this
stanza. The word 'hetuniat' appears in various places in
the Mahabharata, and means an ' exposition made according
to the method of logicians, by showing reason and
conclusion'. Take for instance, the conversation of Sulabha.
with Janaka, or what Sri Krsna said in the Darbar of the
Kauravas, when He went there as an ambassador. It is stated
in the Mahabharata itself that the first conversation was
'hetumat' and ' arlhavat' (San. 320. 191); and that the other
one was 'sahetuka' (Udyo. 131. 2). From this, it follows
that where pros and cons are discussed, and some unambiguous
and definite conclusion has been drawn at the end, that method
of dealing with the subject is called ' hetumadbhir virriscitaih '.
These words cannot be applied to miscellaneous and inconsis-
tent conclusions drawn in one way in one place and in
another way in another place. Therefore, if we have to-
maintain the distinction and contrast between "rsibhih.
bahudha vividhaih prthak" (i. e., "by Rsis, in different places,
indifferent ways, and disconnectedly" — Trans.) and "hetu-
madbhir viniscituih" (i. e., " definitely and logically" — Trans.),,,
Ill - THE GITA AND THE BRAHMA-SUTRAS 751
it becomes necessary to say that the words "the description, in
various ways, by different Rsis, disconnectedly, and in different
metres" intend to mean the disconnected and miscellaneous
•sentences appearing in the different Upanisads ; and that the
words "definite and logically advanced Brahma-Sfitra-padas "
signify the description in the Brahma-Sutras, in which
a definite and unambiguous conclusion has been drawn in the
■end by showing pros and cons. It must also be borne in mind
that, as the ideas mentioned by the Rsis in the Upanisads
were related by them, as they occurred to them, that is to say,
disconnectedly, the true import of the Upanisads cannot be
understood unless the ideas contained in them are harmonised.
A.nd, therefore, it becomes necessary to mention the work in
which the Upanisads have been harmonised with each other by
the explanation of reasons and conclusions, at the same time
when the Upanisads themselves are mentioned.
When this stanza in the Glta has been interpreted in this
way, it is quite clear that the Upanisads and the Brahma-
Sutras were earlier in point of time than the Glta.
There is, of course, no dispute about the most important
ones of these Upanisads; because, the stanzas from these
Upanisads are found to have been copied word for word
into the Glta. But, there is room for doubt where the
Brahma-Sutras are concerned; because, although the word
■* BhagavadgltS ' has not appeared literally in the Brahma-
Sutras, yet, the BhagavadgltS is believed by the writers of the
Bhasyas to have been referred to by the word ' Smrti ' in some
of the Sutras at least. The Brahma-Sutras, which, according
to the Samkarabhasya, refer to the BhagavadgltS by the word
'' smrti ' are principally the following ones. —
BRAE MA-SUTRAS GITA
chapter, pada, and sutra Chapter and s.tanza.
1. 2. 6, xmrtes ca I Gl. 18. 61, isvardh sarvabhu-
tanam etc., (whole stanza)
1. 3. 23, api ca smaryate I Gl. 15. 6, na tad
suryah etc.
1. 36, upapadyate capy- Gl. 15. 3, na rupam asyeha tatho-
upalabhyateca\ paldbhyate etc. .
753 GlTl-RAHASYA OR KARMA- YOGA
2. 3. 45, API CA SMARYATE I Gl. 15. 7, mamaivamso jivaloke
jivabhutah etc.
3. 2.17, darsayati catho api Gl. 13.12, jneyamyat tat p-avak-
smaryate I syami etc.
3. 3. 31, aniyamah sarvasam- Gl. 8. 26, iuklakrsve gatl
avirodhah sabdanumana- hyete etc
bhyam I
4. 1. 10, smaranti ca I Gl. 6. 11, sucau dese etc.
4. 2. 21, YOGINAH PRATI CA Gl. 8. 23, yatra kale tvana-
SMARYATE I vrttim avrttiih caiva yogi-
ndh etc.
Even if some out of these 8 references are considered
ambiguous, yet, in my opinion the fourth (Bra. Su. 2. 3. 45)
and the eighth (Bra. Su. 4. 2. 21) are absolutely unambiguous ;
and it must be borne in mind that on this question the four
commentators, Sarhkaracarya, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya,
and Vallabhacarya, are of the same opinion. The sutra
" api ca smaryate " (2. 3. 45) i. e., "and the Smrti says the same
thing ", appears in the Brahma-Sutras, in the course of the
consideration of the mutual inter-relation between the
Personal Self ( jwatman ) and the Absolute Self (paramatman ),,
after it has first been definitely stated in the sutra, " natrna
, sruter nityatvac ca tabhyah" (Bra. SQ. 2. 3. 17), that the
Individual Self is not created from the Highest Self like
the other objects in the world ; after stating in the
sutra, " amso nanavyapadesat" etc. (2. 3. 43), that the Jlvatman is
a ' part ' (amsa) r of the Paramatman, and after giving the
authority of the Srutis by saying "mantra varriac ca" (2. 3. 44)
This Smrti is the sentenoe " mamaivamso jivaloke jivabhutah.
sanatanah" in the Gita (Gl. 15. 7) according to all the
oommentators. But the last reference is even more unambi-
guous than this. I have stated above in the tenth chapter
that the two periods of Devayana and Pitryana occupy the
six months of the Uttarayana and the six months of the-
Daksinayana respectively; and that instead of interpreting
these phrases as indicating 'time', BadarayanScarya has-
Ill - The GITA and THE BRAHMA-SUTKAS 753
interpreted them as meaning the respective deities presiding
during those periods of time (Ve. Su. 4. 3. 4). The autra,
"yoginah prati ca smaryate" (Bra. Su. 4. 2. 21), that is, "these
periods of time are proper in the case of Yogins according
to the Smrti", has been written in answer to the doubt whether
the words ' daksiyayana ' and 'uttarayaya', are never to be
understood as indicating 'time'; and it has been clearly-
stated in the Gita in the following words, that these periods
of time are proper for Yogins, namely, "yaira kale tvanavrttim
avrttim caiva yoginah." . From these references, one has to say
with the commentators that in these two places at least the-
woid ' smrti' used in the Brahma-Sutras has reference only
to the Bhagavadglta.
But if one believes that the Brahma-Sutraa have been
specifically mentioned in the Gita, and that the Gita has been
specifically referred to in the Brahma-Sutras by the word
'smrti', there arises an inconsistency between the two from
the point of view of date of writing; because, as the Bhagavad-
glta contains a clear reference to the Brahma-Sutras, the-
Brahma-SQtras must be looked upon as prior in point of
time to the Gita; and if one interprets the word 'smrti' in the
Brahma-Sutras as meaning the Gita, the Gita becomes earlier
in point of time than the Brahma-Sutras. The same Brahma-
Sutras cannot once be earlier in point of time and again later
in point of time than the Gita. Well ; if, in order to escape-
from this difficulty, we interpret the words " brahmasutra-
padaih", as has been done in the SamkarabhSsya, then the words
" JietumadbMr wniscitaih" become meaningless; and if we say
that the word 'smrti' used in the Brahma-Sutras refers to some.
Smrti other than the Gita, then we have to say that all the
commentators were wrong ; and even if we say that they were-
all wrong, the fact still remains that we cannot say what
work is referred to by the word ' smrti '. Then, how are we-
to get out of this difficult position? In my opinion, there
is only one way in which we can escape this difficulty. If we
say that the same man who wrote the Brahma-Sutras also
gave their present form to the Bharata and to the Gita, the
difficulty is solved. It is usual to refer to the Brahma-Sutras
as ' VySsa-Sutras ', and Anandagiri has stated in his comment-
754 GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
ary on the Sarhkarabhasya on the sutra, " sesatvat purusartha-
indo yathanyesviti jairmnih" (Ve. Su. 3. 4. 2), that Jaimini was
the disciple of Vyasa, who wrote the Vedanta-Sutras ; and
in the same way, he has described the Brahma-Sutras in the
opening stanzas of his work in the following terms, namely,
" srlmadvyasapayonidMr mdhirasau", Vyasa, the writer of
the Mahabharata, had five disciples named, Paila, Suka,
Sumantu, Jaimini, and Vaisampayana ; and I have, on the
authority of the present Mahabharata, referred aboye to the
story that Vyasa taught the Mahabharata to them. When
one takes both these things together, and considers the matter,
one can draw the inference that the work of giving their
present form to the original Bharata and to the Glta included
in it, as also that of writing the Brahma-Sutras was done
by one and the same Badarayana Vyasa. This does not .mean
that Badarayanaoarya wrote something new in the shape
of the present Mahabharata. All that I mean to say is that
as the Mahabharata is a very extensive work, some portions
of it may have been lost or become disintegrated at the
time of Badarayana ; and that Badarayanaoarya may, therefore,
have critically examined different portions of the Maha-
bharata whioh were then available, and either corrected or
supplemented them wherever he found the book to be
disconnected or incorrect or incomplete, or added indexes etc.,
and in that way either revived the book or given it its
present form. It is well known that even in Marathi literature,
Ekanatha has in this way revised the Jnanesvarl; and there
is even a story that as the Vyakarana Mahabhasya in Sanskrit
literature was once lost, Ohandrasekharacarya had to revive it
agaia In this way, one can easily understand how the
stanzas of the Glta are to be found in the other chapters of
the Mahabharata ; and the fact of the clear reference to the
Brahma-Sutras in the Glta and of the reference to the Glta in
the Brahma-Sutras by the word 'smrti', is easily explained. As
the original Glta, which is the foundation of the present Glta,
was available even before the time of Badarayanaoarya, it was
ief eire.d to in the Brahma-Sutras by the word 'smrti'; and it
is stated in the Gita, while revising the Mahabharata, that the
subje.ct-rnatter of the Body and the Atman has been considered
Ill - THE GITA AND THE BRAHMA-SUTRAS 755
in detail in the Brahma-Sutras *. There are other references
in the present Mahabharata to sutra-woiks, similar to the
reference to the Brahma-Sutras in the present Gita. For
instance, in the Astavakra-Dik conversation in the Anusasana-
parva, we find the sentence, "anrtah striya ity evam sutrakaro
vyavasyati " ( Ami. 19. 6 ). Similarly, there are also clear
references elsewhere in the Mahabharata to the Satapatha-
brahmana (Santi. 318. 16-23), the Pancaratras (Santi. 339. 107),
the Nirukta of Yaska (Santi. 342. 71), and Manu (Ami. 37. 16).
But, as it was not usual for people to learn by heart all the
parts of the Mahabharata, a doubt naturally arises about the
extent to which the reference to other books in the Mahabharata
in other places besides the Gita, can be looked upon as reliable
for the purpose of the determination of the date of either.
Because, those parts which are not learnt by heart can easily be
tampered with by the addition of interpolated stories or stanzas.
Yet, in my opinion, there is no reason why we should not take
advantage of these other references in order to prove that the
reference to the Brahma-Sutras in the Gita is not a sole, or
an unprecedented, and therefore, an unreliable reference.
* The Brahma-Sutras are the most important book on
Vedanta, and the Gita is the most important book on Karma-Yoga,
as has been shown by me in previous chapters. Therefore, if
my inference that the Brahma-Sutras and the Gita were written
by one and the same person, that is, by Vyasa, is correct, Vygsa
becomes saddled with the authorship of both these books. I have
proved this above by inferential argument. But in the new
•edition of the Mahabharata according to the southern recension,
which has been published by Mr. Krishnacarya of Kumbakonam,
we find the following 34th staqza in the 212th chapter of the
Santiparva (in the Varsneyadhyatma-prakarana) in the description
of how the various sciences and histories came into existence at
the beginning of the Yuga, namely,
vedantafoirmayogam ea vedavid brahmavid vilhuh \
dvaipuyano nijagraha silpakastraih bhrguh punah \\
In this stanza, " mdwitakwmayogam, " is a compound word in the
singular number. But that has to be interpreted aB meaning «Vedanta
and Karma- Yoga'. Possibly the original reading was ''tedantam.
756 GrtTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
I have proved above by critically examining the meaning:
of the words in the stanza " brahma-sutra-padms caiva" etc.,.
that the Bhagavadgita contains a reference to the present
Brahma-Sutras or Vedanta-Satras. But, I think there is.
another important and forcible reason for this reference to
the Brahma-Sutras having come into the Bhagavadgita,
and that too in the 13th chapter, that is, in the chapter
which deals with the subject of the Body and the Atman»
I have already explained in the previous chapters that though
the essential principle of the worship of Vasudeva has
been taken into the Bhagavadgita from the Bhagavata or
the Pancaratra religion, yet, the four-fold (catur-vyuya) theory
of the Pafiearatra religion regarding the coming into existence
of Sarhkarsana, that is Jlva (Personal Self) from Vasudeva,.
of Pradyumna, that is, the Mind (mams) from Sarhkarsana,.
and of Aniruddha, that is, Individuation (ahamkara) from
Pradyumna, is not accepted by the Bhagavadgita. The
Brahma-Sutras lay down the dootrine that the Personal Self
(jivatman) has not sprung from anything else (Ve. Su. 2. 3. 17)
and that it is an eternal ' part ' (amsa) of the Highest Atman,
\galh ca ", and in writing or in printing, the diacritical
nasal sign ' m ' in 'nta m ' may have been diopped. It is clearly
stated in this stanza that Vyasa obtained the two sciences of
VedSuta and Karma- Yoga, and that Bhrgu obtained the Hlpa-
iastra (i. e., 'the fine or mechanical arts ' — Trans.). But, this
stanza is not to be found in the edition printed in the Ganpit
Krishnaji Press in Bombay or in the Calcutta edition. The 212th
chapter of the Santiparva in the Kumbakonam edition is the 210th
chapter of the Bombay and Calcutta editions. I am very gratefal
to my friend Dr. Ganesh Krishna Garde for having drawn my
attention to this stanza in the Kumbakonam recension. According
to his opinion, the word ' karmayogtt ' in this place refers to
nothing else but the Glta, and the authorship of both the Gita and
the Vedanta-SStras is by this stanza given to Vyasa. Some doubt
may arise on this point, because this reading is to be found in
only one out of three editions of the Mahabharata ; but it at least
proves that my inference about the author of Vedanta being
the same as the author of Karma-Yoga, is neither new, nor without
authority.
Ill - THE GITA AND THE BRAHMA-SUTRAS 757
( paramatman ), ( Ve. Su. 2. 3. 43). Therefore, Badarayanacarya
has, in the second part of the second chapter, found fault with
the Bhagavata doctrine, by saying that the genesis of
Samkarsana from Vasudeva according to that religion is not
possible (Ve. Su. 2. 2. 42) j and, by arguing that, since the Mind
is an organ pertaining to the Personal Self, it is impossible
for Pradyumna (Manas) to spring from Jiva (Ve. Su. 2. 2. 43)»
because, we never see it happen in the world that the
cause or the means spring from the doer, he has to that
extent logically refuted the Bhagavata doctrine. To this,
the followers of the Bhagavata doctrine are likely to reply
that they consider Vasudeva (Isvara), Samkarsana (Jiva),
Pradyumna (Manas), and Aniruddha (Ahamkara) as four
equal Jnanins, and look upon the genesis of the one from
the other as merely symbolical or unimportant. But, from this
point of view, instead of there being one Paramesvara, one
gets four Paramesvaras ; and the Brahma-Sutras, therefore,
say, that even this reply is not satisfactory ; and Badarayana
has ultimately expressed his opinion that the idea that
Jiva has sprung from the Paramesvara is not acceptable
to the Vedas, that is, to the Upanisads. (Ve. Su. 2. 2. 44, 45).
It is true that the Bhagavadglta has adopted the principle of
of Action based on Devotion of the Bhagavata religion.
Nevertheless, the doctrine of the Gita is that the Jiva has not
sprung from the Paramesvara, and is not a 'son' of the
Paramesvara, but a part (amsa) of the Paramatman (Gl. 15. 7).
This doctrine about the Jiva does not form part of the original
Bhagavata doctrine ; and it was, therefore, necessary to explain
on what authority it had been based; because, if that had not
been done, there was a likelihood of a misunderstanding arising
that while accepting the Energistic Devotional principle of
the Bhagavata doctrine, the Bhagavadglta was also accepting
the arrangement of the 'four-folded genesis' (caturvyuha) in
that doctrine. Therefore, when there was occasion to refer to
the nature of the Individual Self (Jivatman) in the chapter on
the Body and the Atman, that is to say, in the very beginning
of the 13th chapter, it became necessary for the Blessed Lord
to explain that "My opinion about the Atman (kssetrajna), that
is, the Jiva, is not the same as in the Bhagavata doctrine, but
758 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA -
is consistent with the opinion of the Rsis, who have written
the Upanisads". And thereafter, it became necessary for Him
to say in the natural course, that, as different Rsis had given
disconnected descriptions in the different Upanisads, He
accepted the harmonisation of all those opinions in the
Brahma-Sutras (Ve. Su. 2. 3. 43). Considering the matter from
this point of view, it will be seen that the Path of Devotion
in the Bhagavata doctrine has been adopted in to the Glta in
such a way that the objections taken to that doctrine in the
Brahma-Sutras could be obviated. Ramanujacarya has in
his commentary onthe Vedanta-SQtras given a different meaning
altogether to these Sutras (Ve. Su. Ra. Bha. 2. 2. 42-45). But,
in my opinion, these interpretations are stretched, and not
acceptable. Thibaut seems to be inclined to accept the view
of the Ramanujabhasya ; but from the writings of Thibautj one
does not get the idea that he has properly understood the true
nature of this discussion. Even in the description of the
Narayaniya doctrine, which is made at the end of the
■Santiparva of the Mahabharata, it is first stated that "Vasudeva
IS ALSO (sa em) Sarhkarsana, that is, Jlva, or the Atman" (See
.San. 339. 39 and 71 and 334. 28 and 29) ; and the further descent
•of Pradyumna from Sarhkarsana etc. has then been mentioned ;
and in one place, it is clearly stated that some consider the
Bhagavata doctrine as four-folded (calur-vyuka), others as three-
folded (tri-vyuha), others as two-folded (dvi-vyuha), and others
again as single-folded {eka-vyuha), (Ma. Bha. San. 348. 57). But
instead of accepting these various aspects of the Bhagavata
•doctrine, the present Glta has accepted only that aspect of it,
which would be consistent with the opinions of the Upanisads
.and the Brahma-Sutras on the question of the mutual inter-
relation between the Body and the Atman; and when this
■matter is taken into account, one clearly understands why
it was necessary to refer to the Brahma-Sutras in the Glta.
.Nay, we may even go so far as to say that the present Glta
has made an improvement in this respect on the original
Glta.
IV - The BHAGAVATA RELIGION and the GITA 759
PART IV— THE RISE OP THE BHAGAVATA
RELIGION AND THE GITA.
I have stated in several places in the Glta-Rahasya, and
also above in this Appendix, that the principal subject-
matter of the Gita is to harmonise the Spiritual Knowledge
of the Upanisads, and the Samkhya theories about the Mutable
and the Immutable, with Devotion, and' principally with
Desireless Action; and thereby to fully justify the Karma-
Yoga scientifically. But, those who do not realise the skilful-
ness of the Gita in harmonising these various subjects, or
those who have a pre-oonceived notion that it will be difficult
to harmonise all these subjects, get the impression that many
of the statements in the Gita are mutually conflicting. For
instance, these critics object that the statement in the
thirteenth chapter, that all whatsoever, which exists in this
world, is nothing but the qualityless Brahman, is inconsistent
with the statement in the seventh chapter that all this world
is nothing but the qualityful Vasudeva (7. 19) ; as also that
the statement that " Friend and foe are alike to Me " (9. 29)
is inconsistent with the other statement that "Jnanins and
Devotees are much beloved of Me" (7. 17; 12. 19), both of
which statements have been made by the Blessed Lord. But
I have explained in many places in the Glta-Rahasya, that
there is no real conflict between these statements, and that
although it was necessary to make these apprently conflicting-
statements in considering the same question, once from the
Metaphysical point of view and again from the point
of view of Devotion, yet, the Gita has finally harmonised
them from the comprehensive philosophical point of view.
But, even to this explanation it is objected by some, that
(i) although it is now possible to thus harmonise the
Realisation of the imperceptible Brahman, with the Devotion
to the perceptible Paramesvara, yet, it is impossible that
there could have been any such harmonisation in the-
original Gita; that (ii) the original Gita was not full of
conflicting statements like the present Gita, and that
(iii) Vedantists or the protagonists of Samkhya doctrines
interpolated statements in favour of their respective doctrines
into the original Gita. For instance, Prof. Garbe says that
760 GITA-RAHASYA OK KARMA-YOGA
the original Gita contained a harmonisation of Devotion
with only Samkhya and Yoga; and the harmonisation of
Devotion with Vedanta and with the Karma-marga of the
Mlmarhsa School was brought about by somebody afterwards ;
and he has even appended to his German translation of the
Gita, a list of those stanzas, which according to him had been
subsequently interpolated into the original Gita! These
theories are entirely wrong in my opinion. These people
have conceived these wrong ideas as a result of their having
failed to understand the historical tradition of the various
aspects of the Vedie religion, and the real meanings of the
words 'samkhya' and 'yoga 'used in the Gita, and especially
because these people had before their eyes the history of the
unphilosophical, that is, purely devotional Christian religion.
The Christian religion was originally purely devotional ; and
the attempt to harmonise it with the philosophical doctrines
of the Greeks, or with other philosophies, was made afterwards.
But that is not the case with us. The Ritualist path of the
Mimamsa school, the Knowledge preached by the writers
of the Upanisads, and Samkhya and Yoga, had all reached
their highest development before the Path of Devotion arose
in India. Therefore, it was impossible from the very
beginning that our people should countenance an independent
Path of Devotion, which would be independent of all these
sciences, and especially independent of the Knowledge of
the Brahman preached in the Upanisads; and when this
impossibility is taken into account, one is forced to come
to the conclusion, that the form of the preaching of the
Glta-religion must, from the very beginning, have been more
or less similar to the exposition contained in the present Gita.
The exposition of the Gita in the Glta-Rahasya has been made
by me on this basis ; yet, as this is a very important question, I
shall here briefly state what results are arrived at, according to
me, regarding the original form and the tradition of the Glta-
religion, from the historical point of view.
I have shown in the tenth chapter of the Glta-Rahasya
that the most pristine form of the Vedic religion was not
pre-eminently Devotional, or Realisational, or Yogio, but was
ritualistic, that is, Actional ; and that the Veda-Sarhhitas, and
Ill - THE BHAGAVATA RELIGION AND THE GITA 761
the Brahmanas have principally enunciated this Aotivistic
religion of sacrificial Yajaas. As this religion was later on
systematically expounded in the Mlmahsa-Sutras of Jaimini,
it acquired the name 'Mlmamsaka-marga'. But although the
name 'Mlmamsa' was new, yet, the sacrificial religion was
undoubtedly ancient, and was probably the first stage of the
Vedie religion from the historical point of view. Before
acquiring the name 'Mlmamsaka-marga', it used to be known
as 'Trayl-dharma', that is, 'the religion supported by the three
Vedas'; and the same name is to be found in the Glta (See
Gl. 9. 20 and %l). When this ritualistic Trayl-dharma was
being rigorously observed, how was it possible to Realise the
Paramesvara by this Karma, that is, this external para-
phernalia of Yajfias and sacrificial rites ? There then gradually
arose the doubts and objections, that as Realisation was a
mental process, it would be impossible to acquire Realisation,
unless one contemplated on the form of the Paramesvara etc.;
and this Trayi-dharma gradually came to include the
Knowledge contained in the Upanisads, as is evident from the
introductory passages at the commencement of the Chandogya
and other Upanisads. This Knowledge of the Brahman
■contained in the Upanisads has subsequently acquired the name
'Vedanta'. But although this word 'Vedanta' has come into
•existence subsequently like the word 'Mlmamsa.', yet, the
Knowledge of the Brahman, or the Path of Knowledge, does
not, on that account, become something new. It is true that
the Jnana-kanda came to be formulated after the Karma-kanda ;
yet, one must not forget that both of them were ancient. The
Kapila-Samkhya philosophy is another and an independent
branch of this Path of Knowledge. I have stated in the
■Gita-Rabasya, that whereas Vedanta was Non-Dualistic,
Samkhya philosophy was Dualistic, and that the Samkhya
doctrines regarding the genesis of the Cosmos are fundamentally
■different. But although the Non-Dualistio Knowledge of the
Brahman mentioned in the Upanisads is fundamentally
■different from the Dualistic Samkhya philosophy, yet, from the
point of view of Knowledge, both these paths were equally
antagonistic to the prior ritualistic Path of Action (kartna-
.marga). This naturally gave rise to the problem of the
763 . GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
harmonisation of Karma with Knowledge; and there had'
arisen two sects in this matter already in the times of the-
Upanisads. The Brhadaranyaka and other Upanisads and the
Samkhya philosophers began to say that on account of the
perpetual conflict between Karma and Jnana, it was not only
proper but even necessary to give up Karma after the-
Acquisition of Knowledge ; and on the other hand, the Isavasya
and other Upanisads began to say, that one cannot give up
Karma even after the Acquisition of Knowledge, and that a
Jnanin must oontinue performing Action for the purpose of
carrying on the affairs of the world, after making his Reason,
desireless, by cultivating apathy towards the world. An
attempt has been made in the commentaries on these Upanisads-
to do away with this conflict. But, these doctrine-supporting
interpretations in the Sarhkarabhasya are stretched; and they
cannot be accepted if one considers the Upanisads independently,,
as has been stated by me at the end of the eleventh chapter of
the Glta-Rahasya. It becomes clear from the exposition in
the Maitryupanisad that this attempt was not restricted only
to the harmonisation of Karma in the form of ritualistic-
performances with the Knowledge of the Brahman ; but that,
about this time, attempts were also made to harmonise, as far
as possible, the Science of the Mutable and the Immutable, which
had arisen independently in the Samkhya philosophy, with
the Knowledge of the Brahman in the Upanisads. The
Brhadaranyaka and other ancient Upanisads do not attach much
importance to the Kapila Samkhya philosophy. But, the
Maitryupanisad wholly adopts the Samkhya terminology, and
propounds the theory that the 24 Elementary Principles of the
Sarhkhyas have originally sprung from one Parabrahman..
But even the Kapila Samkhya philosophy is in support of
Renunciation, that is to say, contrary to Energism {karma).
Therefore, it is seen that from very ancient times there were
already three schools of VedSnta philosophy, namely, (1) the
path of merely performing ritual in the shape of Sacrifice etc. ;,
(2) the path of abandoning Action, by means of Knowledge
and. Apathy to the world, that is to say, the Path of Knowledge
or the Samkhya Path; and (3) the Knowledge-Action (jfiana-
karma-samuccaya) path of continually performing Action,.
IV - THE BHAGAVATA EELIGION AND THE GITA 763
with Knowledge, and with, an apathetic frame of mind. From
the Path of Knowledge, out of these three paths, the two-
subsidiary branches of Yoga and Devotion have subsequently
come into existence. It is stated in the Chandogya and other
ancient Upanisads, that it is necessary to meditate on the
Brahman in order to acquire the Knowledge of the Para-
brahman ; and that it is necessary to concentrate the Mind, and
for that purpose, to place before the eyes, in the first place,
some qualityful symbol of the Parabrahman, in order
to succeed in this thought, contemplation, or meditation.
As the Concentration of the Mind acquired in worshipping
the Brahman thus acquired a special importance later on,
Yoga, in the shape of the ' Concentration of the Mind ', became
an independent path by itself; and, by a tangible human-
formed Paramesvara being taken for worship, instead of
a qualityful symbol, the Path of Devotion gradually came
into existence. This idea of Devotion in the Path of Devotion
has not come into existence independently, at some intermediate
period of time, and inconsistently with the Spiritual Know-
ledge contained in the Upanisads; nor has it been imported
into India from some other country. When one considers
seriatim all the various Upanisads, one comes to the conclusion
that, in the beginning, the various parts of the Yajfia, or
the OM-kara, and later on, Vedic deities like Eudra, Visnu, etc.,
or qualityful perceptible symbols of the Brahman like Ether
etc., came to be worshipped for the purpose of the meditation
on the Brahman ; and that with the same end in view, that
is, with the idea of reaching the Brahman, the Davotion to,
that is, a kind of worship of, Bama, Nrsirhha, Sri Krsna,
Vasudeva, etc., came to be started thereafter. Out of these,
the Yoga-tattva and other Upanisads on the Yoga, or the
Nrsiihha-tapanl, Rama-tapanI, and other Upanisads, which
are devotional, are clearly seen to be more ancient than the
Chandogya and other Upanisads, when one considers their
language. Therefore, it becomes necessary to say from the
historical point of view, that the Paths of Yoga and' of
Devotion, acquired importance only after the three paths of
(i) Karma, (ii) Jiana, or Samnyasa, and (iii) Jfiana-Karma-
samuccaya, described in the Chandogya and other ancient
19—20
764 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
Upanisads had come into existence. But, although the paths
of Yoga and of Devotion acquired importance later on, the
importance of the previous Knowledge of the Brahman was
not thereby diminished; and it was not possible that it should
be iu diminished ; and therefore, even in those Upanisads, which
support Yoga or Devotion, we find statements that the
Knowledge of the Brahman is the ultimate ideal of Devotion
and of Yoga; and that Rudra, Visnu, Acyuta, Narayana, or
Vasudeva and ether objects of worship, are only forms of the
Paramatman or of the Parabrahman (See Maitryu. 7. 7 ; Ramapu.
16 ; Amrtabindu. 22 etc.). In short, the various sub-divisions of
religion, which have from time to time been promulgated by
various Self-Realised {atma-jnanin) sages into the Vedio religion,
at different times, have arisen from the aspects of religion
which were then already in vogue ; and it has been the principal
tendency of the growth of the Vedic religion, from the very
beginning, to harmonise new aspects of religion with the older
aspects ; and the writers of the Smrtis have later on expounded
the arrangement of the various stages of life, by adhering to
this tendency of harmonising various aspects of religion.
When one considers this ancient Indian tendency of harmonising
various aspects of religion, it is not proper to say that the G its-
religion was the only exception to this previous and subsequent
tendency.
I have mentioned above the general history of the growth
of the principal aspects of the Vedic religion, namely, the
ritualistic Karma mentioned in the Brahmanas, the Spiritual
Knowledge in the Upanisads, the Kapila-Samkhya philosophy,
Yoga in the shape of Concentration of the Mind, and
Devotion. Let us now consider the origin of the consideration
of all these various aspects of religion which has been made in
the Gita — that is, whether it has been taken into the Gita
directly from various distinct Upanisads, or there is any
intermediate stage. Where the Knowledge of the Brahman
alone is being considered in the Gita, stanzas from the Katha
and other Upanisads have been adopted word for word into the
Gita; and where the Jnana-Karma (Knowledge-Action)
combination path is being dealt with, illustrations have been
Ijakenfrom the Upanisads of persons like Janaka etc. From
IV - THE BHAGAVATA RELIGION and the GITA 765
these facts, one would think that the Gita must have been
based on the Upanisads themselves. But, if we consider the
genesis of the Glta-religion, which has been given in the Gita
itself, we find that the Upanisads are nowhere mentioned in it.
Just as Sacrifice included in Knowledge is considered superior in
the Gits to the sacrifice of wealth (Gl. 4. 33), so also does the
Chandogyopanisad say that human life is a kind of Yajna
(sacrifice), (Chan. 3. 16, 17); and in describing the worth of such a
sacrifice, it says that, "the Cult of this Yajna was taught by a
Rsi named Ghora Angirasa to Devakiputra Krsna". There is no
authority for looking upon this Devakiputra Krsna as the same as
the Krsna of the Gita. But, even if it is assumed for a moment that
both of them were one and the same, yet, it must still be borne
in mind that Ghora Angirasa has nowhere been mentioned jn
the Gita as an authority for considering the Sacrifice included
in Spiritual Knowledge as superior. Besides, although the path
followed by Janaka was a combination of Jfiana and Karma,
yet, Devotion had not been incorporated into that path in
his times, as is quite clear from the Brhadaranyakopanisad ;
and, therefore, Janaka does not appear in the traditional history
of the path, which combines Jfiana and Karma with Devotion ;
nor has the Glta so included him. It is stated at the beginning
of the fourth chapter of the Gita (Gl. 4. 1-3) that the religion of
the Glta was first taught by the Blessed Lord to Vivasvan in
the beginning of the Yuga, then by Vivasvan to Manu, and
then by Manu to Iksvaku ; but that, as it got lost in course of
time, it had sprain to be preached to Arjuna. Although these
stanzas are of utmost importance for understanding the
growth of the Glta-religion, commentators have not gone beyond
giving their literary meaning, in order to elucidate them ; and
it would appear that doing so would even not have been in
their interests. Because, if it were admitted that the Glta-religion
was originally of a particular cult, other religious cults could
not but to that extent suffer in importance. But, I have
shown with authorities in the commencement of the
Gita-Rahasya, as also in my commentary on the first and second
stanzas of the fourth chapter of the Gita, that the tradition of
the Gita is consistent with the tradition of the Bhagavata
religion in the Tretayuga, that is, the last Yuga, which has
766 GlTA-RAHASXA OR KARMA-YOGA
been mentioned in the Narayamya Upakhyana of the Maha-
bharata. Considering this similarity between the tradition of
the Bhagavata doctrine and of the Gita-religion, one is forced
to admit that the Glta is a book which supports the Bhagavata
religion; and if there is any doubt about it, that is fully
removed by the statement of Vaisarhpayana in the Mahabharata
(Ma. Bha. San. 346. 10), that: "in the Glta, only the Bhagavata
religion has been mentioned". When it has been thus proved,
that the Gita, is not an independent treatise dealing with
Vedanta, that is to say, with the Spiritual Knowledge of the
Upanisads, but that it supports the Bhagavata religion, it
need not be said that any criticism on the Glta, which does
not take into account the Bhagavata religion, must be
incomplete and confusing. I will, therefore, give here in short.
all the available information regarding the date when the
Bhagavata religion was first promulgated, and as to what
its original form was. I have stated above in the Gita-Eahasya
that this Bhagavata religion was also known as the ' STaraya-
nlya ', the ' Satvata ', or the ' Panearatra ' religion.
As, many of the Vedic religious treatises written after
the date of the Upanisads and before the date of Buddha, have
been lost, the only available principal works relating to the
Bhagavata religion, in addition to the Glta, are the Narayanlya
Upakhyana mentioned in the 18th chapter of the Santiparva
of the Mahabharata (Ma. Bha. San. 334-351), the Sandilya-
Sfitras, the Bhagavata-Purana, the Narada-Paficaratra, the
ISTarada-Sutras, and the works of Ramanujacarya and others.
Out of these, the works of Ramanujacarya have been avowedly
written in about the twelfth century of the Salivahana era
for supporting a doctrine, that is to say, in order to harmonise
the Glta with the Qualified-Monistic ( visiMadvctita ) Vedanta
of the Bhagavata religion. Therefore, one cannot rely on
these books for determining the original form of the Bhagavata
religion; and the same is the case with the books written by
Madhvacarya and other followers of the Vaisnava doctrine.
The Srlmad Bhagavata-Purana is earlier in point of time than
these. But, it is stated in the very beginning of this Purana
(Bhag. Skan. 1. Ch. 4 and 5 ) that, because the exposition of
the Renunciatory Bhagavata religion contained in the Maha-
IV - The BHAQAVATA RELIGION ahd the GITA. 767
bharata, and necessarily also in the Glta, had not been made as
it ought to have been made, and as Vyasa on that account felt
sorry, since "Desireless Action {naiskwmya) by itself was useless
without Devotion", he, at the instance of Narada, and in order to
put an end to his mental anguish, wrote the Bhagavata-Puranai
which maintained the worth of Devotion. If this story is
considered from the historical point of view, it will be seen
that when the doctrine of Desireless Action to which importance
had been given in the original Bhagavata religion of the Bharata,
lost its influence in course of time, and Devotion acquired
importance instead, the Bhagavata-Purana came to be written
in order to expound this second Bhagavata religion (that is,
in which Devotion was predominant). The Narada-Pancaratra
is also of the same kind ; that is, it deals purely with Devotion,
and contains a specific reference by name to the Bhagavata-
Purana of 12 sltandhas, the Brahma-Vaivarta-Purana,, the
Visnu-Purana, the Glta, and the Mahabharata ( see Na. Pan. 2.
7. 28-32 ; 3. 14 73 and 4. 3. 154). It, therefore, follows that
this work is less important than the Bhagavata-Purana for
determining the original form of the Bhagavata religion. It
is possible that the Narada-Sutras and the Sandilya-Sutras
are earlier in date than the Narada-Paficaratra. Still, as the
Narada-Sutras contain a reference to Vyasa and to Suka
( Na. Su. 83 ), there is no doubt that they are later in point
of time than the Bharata and the Bhagavata; and as the
Sandilya-Sutras contain stanzas taken from the Bhagavadglta
(San. Su. 9. 15 and 83), they must be later in point of time
than, the Glta and the Mahabharata, though earlier than the
Narada-Sutras (Na. Su. 83). Therefore, in order to determine the ■
original and the ancient ' form of the Bhagavata religion, one
has ultimately to rely on the Narayanlya Upakhyana of the
Mahabharata. Both in the Bhagavata-Purana (1. 3. 24) and in
the Narada-Pancaratra (4. 3. 156-159 ; 4. 8. 81), Buddha has been
referred to as an incarnation of Vismi. But the ten incarna-
tions mentioned in the NarSyanlyakhyana do not include
Buddha ; and Harhsa is stated to be the first incarnation, whereas
the incarnation of Kalki is mentioned immediately after that
of Krsna (Ma. Bha. San. 339. 100). This fact also proves that
the Narayaniyakhyana is earlier in point of time than the
768 GlTA-R.AaA.SYA OR KARMA-YOGA
Bhagavata-Purana and the Narada-PaScaratra. In the
Narayaniyakhyana, there is a statement that the Bhagavata
religion, that is, the Narayaniya religion, was originally founded
by the two Rsis Nara and Narayana, who were the incarnations
of the Parabrahman ; and that when the Rsi Narada went at
their direction to the Svetadvlpa, the Blessed Lord Himself first
preached this religion to him there; the statement in the
Narayaniyakhyana that the Svetadvlpa, where the Blesoed
Lord resided, was in the Kslra-samudra, which was stated to be
to the north of the Mountain Meru, is consistent with the ancient
description of the Cosmos given in the Puranas ; and no one on
our side attaches much importance to it. But the Western
Sanskritist Webber has perverted this very story, and started the
argument that the Philosophy of Devotion mentioned in the
Bhagavata religion was imported into India from the Svetadvlpa,
that is to say, from some country outside India ; and that in
as much as this Philosophy of Devotion was in those days not
in vogue in any religion except the Christian religion, the idea
of Devotion was picked up by the followers of the Bhagavata
religion from Christian countries. But, there is proof that
Panini knew the doctrine of Devotion to Vasudeva, and there
are references to the Bhagavata religion or to the Philosophy of
Devotion both in the Buddhistic and Jain religious treatises ;
and there is no doubt that both Panini and Buddha lived before
Christ. Therefore, even Western philosophers have now pro-
nounced this argument of Webber to be without foundation.
I have stated above that Devotion, as a part of religion, came
into existence in India after the date of the Upanisad:; which
contain Spiritual Knowledge. It is, therefore, beyond doubt
that the Bhagavata religion, which consisted of Devotion to
Vasudeva, came into existence after the Upanisads, which
preached Spiritual Knowledge, and before Buddha. The only
question is how many centuries * before Buddha that religion
* The word 'bhahirwn' ( in Pali, 'bhattmta' ) appears in the
Ther Gatha (stanza 370) ; and one JStaka even contains a reference
to Devotion. Besides this, the -well-known French Pali scholar
Senarfc, delivered a lecture on the subject of 'The Origin of the
Buddhistic religion' in 1909, in which he has clearly said that the
Bhagavata religion existed before the Buddhistic religion, cf:
IV - The BHAGAVATA BELIGION and the GITA 769
came into existence ; and although it is not possible to answer
that question with absolute precision, yet, as will appear from
what follows, it is not at all impossible to get a rough idea of
its date.
It has been stated in the GitS that the Bhagavata religion
preached by Sri Krsna to Vivasvan was lost before that date
(Gl. 4. 2) ; and the philosophy of this religion gives the name
'Vasudeva' to the Paramesvara, 'Samkarsana' to JIva,
'Pradyumna' to Manas, and 'Aniruddha' to Aharhkara. Out of
these, Vasudeva is the name of Sri Krsna himself ; Samkarsana
is the nani3 of his elder brother Balarama ; and Pradyumna and
Aniruddha are names of his son and grandson. Besides, the
word 'Satvata', which is another name for this religion, is also
the name of the community, namely, the Yadava community
in which Sri Krsna was born. From this it is clear, that this
religion was promulgated in the family and the community
in which Sri Krsna was born, and that it was preached by
Sri Krsna to his dear friend, Arjuna ; and the story in
the Puranas is the same. Besides, as there is also a tradition
that the Satvata community came to an end with the death of
Sri Krsna, it was impossible that this religion could have been
further promulgated even in the Satvata community after the
death of Sri Krsna. It is possible to historically explain the
"No one will claim to derive from Buddhism, Vishnuism or the
Yoga. Assuredly Buddhism is the borrower" "To sum up, if
there had not previously existed a religion made up of the doctrines
of Toga, or Vishnuifce legends, of devotion to Vishnu-Krishna,
worshipped under the title of Bhagavata, Buddhism would not have
come to birth at all ". This essay of Senart has been published in
the form of a translation in the issues of the Indian Interpreter, a
Missionary quarterly published at Poona, for the months of October
1909 and Jan. 1910 ; the passages quoted above will be found at
pages 177 & 178 "of the January issue. Dr. Buhler also has said
that "the ancient Bhagavata, Satvata or Paiicaratra sect, devoted to
the worship of Narayana and his deified teacher Krislina-Devaki-
putra, dated from a period long anterior to the rise of the Jainas in
the 8th Century"— Indian Antiquary, Vol. XXXII (1894), p. 248.
A further detailed exposition of this matter has been made in the.
sixth part of this Appendix below, to which the reader is referred.
770 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
various names of this religion, by saying that this religion,
which was thus promulgated by Sri Krsna, may have been in
existence before His time to some extent or other under the
name of the 'Narayarnya' or 'Pancaratra' religion ; and that it
later on acquired the name of 'Satvata', after it was spread in
the Satvata community ; and that it came to be called the
' Bhagavata ' religion in the belief that the Blessed Lord Sri
Krsna and Arjuna were respectively the incarnations of Nara
and Narayana. Thus, it is not necessary to imagine that there
were three or four different Sri Krsiias, and that each of them
added a little to the religion ; and there is in fact no evidence
for coming to such a conclusion. This idea has gained ground
on account of the good or bad changes which have taken place
in the original religion. But if, though Buddha, Christ, or
Mahomed were each one individual by themselves, there came
about many good or bad changes in their religions, then there
is no occasion in my opinion for believing that there must have
been several Sri Krsnas, on the ground that the original
Bhagavata religion later on acquired different forms, or -that
different ideas later on gained ground regarding Sri Krsna.
Whichever religion is taken, it is quite easy and natural that it
should change its form in the course of time ; and it is not neces-
sary on that account to believe that there were several Krsnas, or
Buddhas, or Cbrists, or Mahomeds. * Some people — especially
* The life of Sri Krsna includes amorous passages with Gopi3
(cowherdesses) side by side with prowess, devotion and philosophy •
and these things are mutually inconsistent. On this ground, many
learned people maintain now-a-days that the Sri Krsna of the
Mahabharata was a different person from the Sri Krsna of the Glta
or of Gokul ; and this opinion has been accepted by Dr. Bhandarkar
in his book 'Vaisnavism, Saivism, and other sects". But, according
to me, such an opinion is incorrect. It may be that the amorous
descriptions which we read in ths stories about G&pis may have been
added afterwards ; and it is not necessary on that account to believe
that there were various persons bearing the name of Sri Krsna ; and
there is no authority except imagination for doing so. Besides, it is
not that stories about Gopis came into vogue for the first time in
the days of the Bhagavata ; for, Gopis are referred to in the
BuAdha-carila (4. 14) written by Asvaghosa in the beginning of the
IV - The BHAGAVATA RELIGION and the GITA 771
Western imaginative people— have raised a doubt that Sri Krsna,
the Tadavas, the Pandavas, or the Bharati war, were not historical
facts at all, but are mere imaginary personages or stories; and
in the opinion of some other persons, the Mahabharata is nothing
but a tremendous metaphysical allegory dealing with the
Absolute Self. But, any impartial man will have to come to
the conclusion that all such doubts are without any basis, if
he considers the evidence of ancient works. There is no doubt
that there is historical authority at the root of these stories. In
short, in my opinion, there were not four or five Sri Krsnas, but
there was only one historical personage of that name. Now, in
considering the date of this Sri Krsna, Rao Bahadur Chintamanrao
Vaidya has expressed an opinion that Sri Krsna, the Yadavas,
the Pandavas, and the Bharati war, were all synchronous, that
is to say, they all existed at the commencement of the Kaliyuga;
that according to the method of calculation of time mentioned
in the Puranas, a period of five thousand years or more has'
elapsed since then ; and that, this is the true date of Sri Krsna. *
But if one considers the generations of various kings from the
Pandavas upto the Salivahana era, which have been described
in the Puranas, this date is inconsistent with that calculation.
Therefore, on the authority of the statement in the Bhagavata,
or in the Visnu-Purana, that "there are 1115 (or 1015) years
from the birth of the king Pariksita upto the coronation of
Nanda" ( Bhag. 13. 2. 26; and Visnu. 4. 24. 32), historical
scholars have now come to the conclusion that the Pandavas
and the Bharati war must have been at least 1400 years before
the Christian era. Necessarily, this will also be the date of
Sri Krsna ; and if this date is accepted, it follows that Sri Krsna
promulgated the Bhagavata religion at least 1400 years before
Christ, and about 800 years before Buddha. Some persons have
Saka era, as also in the Balacarita (3. 2) written by Bhasa. I,
therefore, consider the opinion of Chintamanrao Vaidya more to
the point than that of Dr. Bhandarkar.
* This opinion of Bao Bahadur Chinatamanrao Vaidya has
ben expressed in his English criticism on the Mahabharata; and
ho a'so made the same statement in the lecture delivered by him on
on the same subject in Poona in 1914 on the occasion of the
anniversary of the Deccan College.
772 GlT5.-RAHA.SYA OR KARMA-YOGA
raised an objection to this argument, that although Sri Krsna
andthePandavas may bs historical personages, yet, a considerable
time must have elapsed between the death Sri Krsna and the time
when Brahmins gave to a Ksatriya warrior like Him the position,
first of a superman, then of Visnu, and ultimately of the
Parabrahman ; and that on that account the date of the rise of
the BhSgavata religion cannot be looked upon as the same as
the date of the BharatI war. But, this opinion seems to be
worthless. There is a world of difference between the ideas of
the modern critics as to who should be deiSsd and who not, and
similar ideas of people living three or four thousand years ago
( Gl. 10. 41 ) ; and there are statements in Upanisads, which
existed prior to the date of Sri Krsna, that a Jnanin himself
becomes merged in the Brahman (Br. 4. 4. 6); and it is clearly
stated in the Maitryupanisad that Rudra, Visnu, Acyuta and
Narayana are all Brahman (Maitryu. 7.7). Then, why should there
have been delay in the matter of Sri Krsna acquiring the Para-
brahman status ? If we consider history, Buddha used to call
himself 'bmhmabhuta' (See Selasutta, 14; Theragatha, 831); and he
was worshipped as a god in his life-time ; and it appears from
reliable Buddhistic works that shortly after his death, he had
acquired the position of ' dtwadliidem ', or of the Parabrahman
according to Vedic religion; and the same is the case with
Christ. It is true that Sri Krsna was not an ascetic like Buddha
or Christ, and that the Bhagavata religion does not support
Renunciation. But, there could have been no difficulty on that
account in the promulgator of the Bhagavata religion acquiring
the form of a god or of the Brahman from the very beginning,
as was acquired by the promulgators of the Buddhist and
Christian religions.
Though the date of Sri Krsna has been defined in this way,
and , although it is proper and logical to look upon that date
as the date of the rise of the BhSgavata religion, Western
scholars are, for quite a different reason, unwilling to do so.
Many of these scholars are still of opinion that the Rg-Veda
is not more ancient than 1500 or perhaps 2000 years before
Christ, and therefore, they think it improbable that the
devotional Bhagavata religion could have come into existence
about 1400 years before Christ; because the Vedic religious
IV - THE BHAGAVATA RELIGION AJSTD THE GITA 773
literature itself establishes the order that the Rg.-Veda was
followed by the Yajurveda and the Brahmana treatises, and
that the Upanisads dealing with Spiritual Knowledge and
the Samkhya philosophy came afterwards, and that the devo-
tional philosophical books came into existence last of all;
and if one considers the treatises on the Bhagavata religion
themselves, one also clearly sees that the Spiritual Knowledge
of the Upanisads, the Samkhya philosophy, Toga in the form
of " Concentration of the Mind ', and other aspects of religion
were current long before the advent of the Bhagavata religion.
Even if we economise time considerably, we have to admit that
a period of at least ten to twelve hundred years must have
elapsed between the date of the Rg-Veda and the advent of the
Bhagavata religion, in order to give sufficient time for these
various aspects of religion to have come into existence and fully
developed themselves; and if it is believed that the Bhagavata
religion was promulgated by Sri Krsna in His own time, that
is to say, about 1400 years before Christ, then a sufficient period
of time is not allowed for the growth of these various aspects
of religion according to the opinion of these scholars ; because,
these scholars place the Rg-Veda itself at 1500 to 2000 years
before Christ ; and on that computation, one has to say that the
Bhagavata religion came into existence about 100 years or
at most 500 to 600 years after that date ; and therefore, some
Western scholars have even come forward to dissociate Sri
Krsna from the Bhagavata religion on this or on some other
meaningless excuse, and to say that the Bhagavata religion
must have come into existence after the date of Buddha. But,
the references to the Bhagavata religion, which the Jain and
Buddhistic treatises themselves contain, clearly show that
that religion must have been in existence before the date of
Buddha ; and therefore, Dr. Biihler has said that instead of
placing the date of the advent of the Bhagavata religion after
the date of Buddha, the date of the Rg-Veda itself must be pushed
back, as has been stated by me in my book called Orion. *
The dates fixed by Western scholars for our Vedic literature on
* See the Eeview made by Dr. BShler of my book Orion in
the issue of the Indian Antiquary for September 1894 ( Vol.
XXIII, pp. 238-249).
774 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
some insufficiently sound grounds, are wrong ; and the date of
the starting-point of the Vedic era cannot be taken at less than
4500 years before Ohrist, as has been proved in my book Orion
on the strength of the phrases in the Vedas, which show the then
existing Udagayana ( i.e., period during which the Sun seems
to travel towards the North— Trans. ); and this conclusion has
now been accepted by many Western scholars. When in this
way, the date of the Rg-Veda has been taken back, a sufficient
period of time can be allowed for the growth of all the
various aspects of the Yedic religion, and there is no more any
necessity for pushing forward the date of the rise of the
Bhagavata religion. As the BiShmana treatises written after
the Rg-Veda contain the astronomical calculation of the year
starting with the Sun in the Krttika constellation, their date
has to be fixed at about 2500 years before Christ, as has been
shown by the late Shankara Balkrishna Dikshit in his History
of the Indian Astronomical Science ( bharatiya-jyotih-iastra )
written in the Marathi language. But, I do not see this method
of fixing the dates of ancient books by considering how the
Udagayana was then started being applied to the Upanisads.
Some scholars have come to the conclusion that none of the
Upanisads can be more than 400 to 500 years before Buddha, on
the ground that the language and construction of devotional
Upanisads like the RamatapanI, or Yogic Upanisads like the
Yogatattva, is not archaic. But, if one considers the matter
according to the abovementioned method of calculation of time,
it will be seen that such a conclusion is wrong. It is true
that the dates of all the Upanisads cannot be fixed according to
the astronomical method of calculation ; yet, this method is very
useful for fixing the date of the principal Upanisads. Prof. Max
Miiller* has said that, from the linguistic point of view, the
Maitryupanisad is more ancient than Panini, because, we find
in this Upanisad, many compounds of words, used in a ckanda,
which had gone out of vogue at the date of Panini, but
which are to be found in the Maitrayani Sarhhita. But the
Maitrayanyupanisad is not the very first nor a very ancient
Upanisad. Not only has harmony been established between
See Sacred Books of the East Series Vol. XV Intro pp.
xWii-lU.
IV - The bhagavata RELIGION asd the GITA 775
Knowledge of the Brahman and Samkhya philosophy in the
Maitrayanyupanisad, but in many places, phrases or even
stanzas from the Chandogya, Brhadaranyaka, Taittiriya, Katha,
and Isavasya are seen being taken as authorities. The actual
names of these Upanisads are not mentioned in the Maitryu-
panisad ; but as, in quoting these phrases, words implying
quotation such as ' evam hyaha ' or ' uktam ca ' ( i. e., 'so it is
said' ) are placed before the quotations, there is no doubt that these
quotations are taken from some other book, and are not written
by the writer of the Maitryupanisad; and one can easily
determine which Upanisad has been quoted from, by a reference to
these other Upanisads. Now, where the description of the
Brahman in the shape of 'kala' (Time) or 'samvaisard (Year) is
made in the Maitryupanisad (Maitryu. 6. 14), it is stated that :
"the Daksinayana ( i. e., when the Sun seems to travel towards
the South — Trans. ) lasts from the day when the Sun enters to
Magha constellation until it reaches the centre-point of the
Sravistha, that is, the Dhanistha constellation (cf. "maghadyam
sravistKardhaih" ) ; and that the Uttarayana ( or Udagayana,
during which the Sun seems to travel towards the North —
Trans. ) used to be from the beginning of the Sarpa, that is, the
Aslesa constellation, in an inverse order upto the centre-point
of the Dhanistha constellation, that is, counting backwards as
Aslesa, Pusya, etc.". It is quite clear that these expressions,
which show the method of calculation of the Udagayana
must have been used with reference to the period of the
Udagayana which was then in vogue ; and in this way, the date
of that Upanisad can easily be mathematically calculated. But
no one seems to have considered the matter from this point of
view. This state of the Udagayana, referred to in the
Maitryupanisad, is earlier than the state of the Udagayana
referred to in the Vedafiga-Jyotisa ; because, it is clearly stated
in the Vedanga-Jyotisa that the commencement of the
Udagayana is from the beginning of the Dhanistha constella-
tion, whereas in the Maitryupanisad, the commencement is from
the middle of the Dhanistha. There is a difference of opinion as
to whether the term 'ardhafn' in the phrase 'sravisthardham' is
to be interpreted as meaning 'exactly half or 'somewhere
between Dhanistha and Satataraka'. Whatever may be the
776 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
case, there is no doubt about the fact that the state of the
Udagayana mentioned in the Maitryupanisad is earlier in point
of time than that mentioned in the Vedfihga-Jyotisa. Therefore,
it must be said that the Udagayana at the date of the VedSnga-
Jyotisa was about half a constellation behind the Udagayana at
the date of the Maitryupanisad. It is proved by astronomical
calculations that the state of the Udagayana mentioned in the
Vedanga-Jyotisa existed about 1200 to 1400 years before Christ;*
and in as much as the Udagayana takes about 480 years
to recede by half a constellation, it follows by mathematical
calculation that the Maitryupanisad must have been written
somewhere between 1880 to 1680 years before Christ. At
any rate, there is no doubt that this Upanisad was previous
in point of time than the Vedanga-Jyotisa. It need not,
therefore, be said that the ChSndogya and other Upanisads,
from which quotations have been taken into the Maitryu-
panisad, are still earlier in point of time. The date of
the Tig- Veda being in this way fixed at 4500 years before
Christ, that of the Brahmanas, dealing with sacrificial
ritual, being fixed at about 2500 years before Christ, and that
of the ChSndogya and other Upanisads dealing with Spiritual
Knowledge being fixed at about 1600 years before Christ, the
reason for which Western scholars bring forward the date of
the Bhagavata religion ceases to exist, and there is no more
any difficulty in the way of Sri Krsna and the Bhagavata
religion being tied together by the cord of synchrony, like a cow
and a calf; and then, this date also becomes consistent with
the state of things mentioned in Buddhistic treatises, or
established by other historical evidence. The Vedic age comes
to an end, and the Sutras and the Smrtis begin, at about
this time.
The above-mentioned calculation of time proves beyond
doubt that the BhSgavata religion came into existence about
* I have discussed the date of the Vedanga-Jyotisa in my work
Orion in English ; the late Shankara Balkrishna Diksifc has also
done so in his book called 'Historical Survey of iht Bharattya-
Jyotih folstm (pp. 87 to 94 and 127 to 139). The date of Vedic
treatises according to the Udagayana, has been considered in the
slke'^acft. .... ...
IV- THE BHAGAVATA RELIGION AND the GITA 777
1400 years before Christ, that is to say, about 700 to 800 years
before Buddha. This age is very ancient ; yet, the Path of Action
mentioned in theBrahmana-treatisss is still more ancient, and, as
has been stated above, the Spiritual Knowledge contained in the
(Jpinisads and in Samkhya philosophy was fully in vogue
long before the promulgation of the Bhagavata religion. It is
in my opinion, entirely wrong to imagine that a clever Jfiauin
like Sri Krsna would have promulgated His religion at such
a. time without reference to this Spiritual Knowledge or these
aspects of Religion ; and that, even if He had done so, it
would have become acceptable to the Rajarsis and Brahmaisis
of those days or found circulation among the people. As
the Jews to whom Christ first preached His religion, were
not acquainted with religious philosophy at the time. He
had no need to harmonise His own religion with any religious
philosophy. It was enough for Him to show that His
Philosophy of Devotion was only a continuation of the
"Ritualistic religion described in the Old Testament of the
Bible ; and that was all He attempted to do. But, when one
compares this history of the Christian religion with the
Bhagavata religion from the historical point of view, one must
not forget that the people to whom the Bhagavata religion was
preached were, at the time at which it was preached, fully
conversant, not only with the Path of Action, but also with the
Vedantic Knowledge of the Brahman and the Kapila Samkhya
philosophy, and that they had by that time also learnt to
harmonise those three religion:-. It would have been most
unreasonable to ask such people to put on the shelf their
Ritualistic religion, or the Spiritual Knowledge derived from the
■IJpanisads, or Samkhya philosophy, and to accept the Bhagavata
religion merely by faith. Unless the Bhagavata religion
satisfactorily answered such questions as, 'what is the result of
the sacrificial ritual described in the Vedic treatises and in
vogue at the time' ?, 'whether the Spiritual Knowledge mentioned
in the Upanisads or in Samkhya philosophy is futile? '. or,
'whether the Philosophy of Devotion can be harmonised with
Yoga in the shape of Concentration of the Mind?', which
questions would naturally arise, it would have been impossible
for that religion to gain any ground at alL It, therefore, follows
778 GlTA-RAHASYA OK KARMA-YOGA
logically that, it was necessary to discuss all these matters, ;to-
start with, in dealing with theBhagavata religion; and the same
conclusion is emphasised, if one considers the Narayanl-
yopakhyana included in the Mahabharata. In this Akhyana,
the Spiritual Knowledge of the Upanisads and the Samkhya
theory of the Perishable and the Imperishable have both been
harmonised with the Bhagavata religion; and it is clearly stated
that : " it is called the 'Paiicaratra' religion because the four
Vedas and Samkhya and Yoga are all included in it" (Ma.
Bha. San. 339. 107); and that "all these (philosophies) including the
Vedas and the Aranyakas (naturally also, including the Upanisads)
are all parts of each other" (San. 348. 82). Although this expla-
nation of the meaning of the -word 'Paficaratra' may not be
grammatically correct, yet, it clearly shows that the Bhagavata
religion had, already to start with, harmonised all kinds of philo-
sophies. Still, harmonising the Philosophy of Devotion with other
aspects of religion is also not any important part of the Bhagavata
religion. It is not that the religious principle of Devotion was-
first enunciated in the Bhagavata religion. Worship of Rudra
or of Visnu in some form or other had bsen started before the
advent of theBhagavata religion; audit becomes clear from
the phrases quoted above from the Maitryupanisad (Maitryu. 7. 7),
that the idea that any object of worship whatsoever is a symbol,
or some kind of form of the Brahman, had also previously come
into existence. It is true that the Bhagavata religion has
taken Vasudeva as an object of worship instead of Rudra etc. ;
but at the same time, it is admitted both in the Glta and also
in the Narayanlyopakhyana, that whatever may be the object
of worship, the worship reaches one and the same Bhagavanta, and
that Rudra and Bhagavana are not two. (Gl. 9. 23 ; Ma. Bha. San.
341. 20-26). Therefore, one cannot consider the worship of
Vasudeva as the principal aspect of the Bhagavata rel igion. The
Satvata community by which the Bhagavata religion was ob-
served, produced Satyaki and other warriors, as also devotees of
the Blessed Lord like Bhlsma and Arjuna, and also Sri Krsna, who
engaged and caused others to be engaged in numerous activities,
involving personal prowess. Therefore, the most important
teaching of the original Bhagavata religion was, that the
illustration of these persons should be copied by other devotees
IV - THE BHAGAVATA RELIGION AMD the GlTA 779
of the Blessed Lord, who should perform worldly aotivities'like
warfare, etc., which were then in vogue, according to the
arrangement of the four castes. It is not that those times did
not produce persons with a renounced frame of mind, who had
adopted the principle of Devotion as a result of intense renun-
ciation, and given up worldly life; but that was not the
principal element of the Bhagavata religion of the Satvatas or
of Sri Krsna. The sum and substance of the advice of Sri Krsna
is, that after the Devotee of the Blessed Lord has acquired the.
Knowledge of the Paramesvara, by means of Devotion, he must,
like the Paramesvara, exert himself for the maintenance,
and upkeep of the world. Already at the time of the.
TJpanisads, Janaka and others had laid it down that even,
those people, who had Realised the Brahman, might with-
out any difficulty take part in Desireless Action. But
in those days, the Philosophy of Devotion had not entered
their doctrine ; and whether or not to perform worldly
Action after the Acquisition of Knowledge was in those days,
considered a matter of personal volition only (Ve. Su. 3. 4. 15).
The Bhagavata religion went beyond this and laid down' that
Desireless Energism (rmskarmya) was better than Total Renun-
ciation ; and it brought about a proper fusion of Energism, not
only with Spiritual Knowledge, but also with Devotion. This
is the most important achievement of the Bhagavata religion
in the history of the Vedic religion, and is something which is.
different from what was done by the Smarta religion. The.
original promulgators of this religion, namely the Nara and
Narayana Rsis, also engaged in Desireless Energism in this,
way ; and- it is stated in one place in the MahabhSrata that
every one must do what was done by them (Ma. Bha. TJdyo. 48.
21, 22) ; and in the Narayaniyakhyana, the characteristic-
feature of this religion is clearly defined as_ "pravrtti laksa-yai
caiva dharmo narayamatmakah" (Ma. Bha. San. 347. 81), i. e.,
"the Narayana or Bhagavata religion is Energistic or
Aotivistic". This principle of Desireless Action of the.
Narayamya or the Bhagavata religion is known as 'naiskarmya' ;.
and this was the most important aspect of the original Bhagavata
religion. But later on in course of time, this principle lost
importance, and Devotion to Vasudeva combined with apathy
21—22
778 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA- YOGA
logically that, it was necessary to- discuss all these matters, -to-
start with, in dealing with the Bhagavata religion ; and the same
conclusion is emphasised, if one considers the Narayanl-
yopakhyana included in the Mahabharata. In this AkhySna,
the Spiritual Knowledge of the Upanisads and the Sarhkhya
theory of the Perishable and the Imperishable have both been
harmonised with the Bhagavata religion; and it is clearly stated
that: "it is called the 'Pancaratra' religion because the four
Vedas and Sarhkhya and Yoga are all included in it" (Ma,
Bha. San. 339. 107); and that "all these (philosophies) includingthe
Vedas and the Aranyakas (naturally also, including the Upanisads)
are all parts of each other" (San. 348. 82). Although this expla-
nation of the meaning of the word 'Pancaratra' may not be
grammatically correct, yet, it clearly shows that the Bhagavata
religion had, already to start with, harmonised all kinds of philo-
sophies. Still, harmonising the Philosophy of Devotion with other
aspects of religion is also not any important part of the Bhagavata
religion. It is not that the religious principle of Devotion was
first enunciated in the Bhagavata religion. Worship of Rudra
or of Visnu in some form or other had been started before the
advent of the Bhagavata religion ; and it becomes clear from
the phrases quoted above from the Maitryupanisad (Maitryu. 7. 7),
that the idea that any object of worship whatsoever is a symbol,
or some kind of f oral of the Brahman, had also previously come
into existence. It is true that the Bhagavata religion has
taken Vasudeva as an object of worship instead of Rudra etc. ;
but at the same time, it is admitted both in the Gita and also
in the Narayanlyopakhyana, that whatever may be the object
of worship, the worship reaches one and the same Bhagavanta, and
that Rudra and Bhagavana are not two. (Gi. 9. 23 ; Ma. Bha. San,
341. 20-26). Therefore, one cannot consider the worship of
Vasudeva as the principal aspect of the Bhagavata religion. The
Satvata community by which the Bhagavata religion was ob-
served, produced Satyaki and other warriors, as also devotees of
the Blessed Lord likeBhlsma and Arjuna, and also SrlKrsna, who
engaged and caused others to be engaged in numerous activities,
involving personal prowess. Therefore, the most important
teaching of the original Bhagavata religion was, that the
illustration of these persons should be copied by other devotees
IV - THE BHAGAVATA RELIGION AND THE GlTA 77£
of tlie Blessed Lord, who should perform worldly aetivitiesjlike.
warfare, etc., which were then in vogue, according to the
arrangement of the four castes. It is not that those times did
not produce persons with a renounced frame of mind, who had
adopted the principle of Devotion as a result of intense renun-
ciation, and given up worldly life; but that was not the
principal element of the Bhagavata religion of the Satvatas or
of Sri Krsna. The sum and substance of the advice of Sri Krsna.
is, that after the Devotee of the Blessed Lord has acquired the.
Knowledge of the Paramesvara, by means of Devotion, he must,
like the Paramesvara, exert himself for the maintenance,
and upkeep of the world. Already at the time of the.
Upanisads, Janaka and others had laid it down that even
those people, who had Realised the Brahman, might with-
out any difficulty take part in Desireless Action. But
in those days, the Philosophy of Devotion had not entered
their doctrine ; and whether or not to perform worldly
Action after the Acquisition of Knowledge was in those days,
considered a matter of personal volition only (Ve. SQ. 3. 4. 15).
The Bhagavata religion went beyond this and laid down' that
Desireless Energism (rutiskarmya) was better than Total Renun-
ciation ; and it brought about a proper fusion of Energism, not-
only with Spiritual Knowledge, but also with Devotion. This,
is the most important achievement of the Bhagavata religion
in the history of the Vedic religion, and is something which is.
different from what was done by the Smarta religion. The
original promulgators of this religion, namely the Nara and
Narayana Rsis, also engaged in Desireless Energism in this
way ; and it is stated in one place in the Mahabharata that
every one must do what was done by them (Ma. Bha. Udyo. 48.
21, 22) ; and in the NarSyanlyakhyana, the characteristic-
feature of this religion is clearly defined as_ "pravrtti laksqnjai
cairn dharmo nardLyaruilmakah'' (Ma. Bha. San. 347. 81), i. a,
"the Narayana or Bhagavata religion is Energistic or
Activistic". This principle of Desireless Action of tha
Narayanlya or the Bhagavata religion is known as 'naiskarmya' ;
and this was the most important aspect of the original Bhagavata
religion. But later on in course of time, this principle lost
importance, and Devotion to Vasudeva combined with apathy
21—22
780 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
towards the world came to be looked upon as the important part
of this religion, as is apparent from the Bhagavata ; and in the
Narada-Panearatra, mantras and tantras are included in the
Bhagavata religion along with the Philosophy of Devotion.
Yet, it is patent from the Bhagavata itself, that these are not
the fundamental aspects of this religion ; because, wherever
there has been occasion in the Bhagavata to refer to the Satvata
or the Narayaniya religion, it is stated that the religion of the
Satvatas or of Narayana Rsi (that is, the Bhagavata religion)
is ' of the nature of naiskarmya ' (Bhag. 1. 3. 8 and 11. 4. 6 ) ;
arid it is stated that it had become necessary to preach the
Devotional Bhagavata-Purana ( Bhag. 1. 5. 1% ), because
due importance had not been given to Devotion in the
* naiskarmya' religion. This proves beyond any doubt that
the original Bhagavata religion was based on naiskarmya
or Desireless Action, and that later on its form was changed in
the course of time, and Devotion became the principal factor in it.
I have already dealt above in the Glta-Rahasya with the other
various historical questions, namely, (i) what was the difference
between the original Bhagavata religion, which maintained
a permanent fusion between Spiritual Knowledge, Devotion,
and Prowess, and the path prescribed by the Smrtis in the
shape of the arrangement of the various stages of life; (ii) how,
as a result of the growth of the purely ascetic Jain and Buddhist
religions, the Karma-Yoga in the Energistic Bhagavata religion
lost ground, and it ( the Bhagavata religion ) acquired its new
form of Renunciation with Devotion ; and (iii) how the Vedic
sects which came into existence after the fall of Buddhism
gave to the Bhagavadglta itself either a renunciatory, or a
purely Devotional, or a Qualified-Monistic [visi.stadvaita) form.
I "shall, therefore, not repeat the same subject-matter here.
Prom the short dissertation made above, my readers will
have seen (i) when, the Bhagavata religion first came into
prominence in the ancient course of the "Vedic religion, (ii) how,
although it was Energistic in the beginning, it later on became
devotional; and (iii) how, still later on, in the time of Ramg-
nujScarya, it acquired the form of Qualified-Monism. The most
ancient of these various forms of the Bhagavata religion, that
is to say, the Dasireless Activistic form, is the form of the Gita-
IV - THE BHAGAVATA RELIGION AND THE GlTA 781
■religion. I shall now briefly explain what inferences can be
•drawn about the date of this original Gits. Although the time
of Sri Krsna and of the BharatI war may be the same, that is
to say, about 1400 years before the Christian era, yet, it cannot
be said that the original Gita and the original Bharata, which
are the two principal treatises dealing with the Bhagavata
religion, were also written at the same time. Whatever
religious sect may come into existence, literature on it does
not come into existence immediately; and the same argument
■ applies to the Bharata and to the Gita. There is a story
Teeited at the commencement of the present Mahabharata,
that after the BharatI war was over, Janamejaya, the great-
grandson of the Pandavas made a sacrifice of serpents ; that,
Vaisarhpayana recited to him for the first time the whole
of the Bharata including the Gita; and that, when it had
been recited by Sauti to Saunaka, the Bharata was thereafter
promulgated. It is quite clear that some period of time
must have elapsed between the date when the Bharata came
to be preached by Sauti and other preachers, and the date when
it acquired its present tangible literary form ; but there is now
no means by which to definitely decide what that period of time
■was. Still, if one draws the conclusion that the archaic original
-epic-formed Bharata came to be written within 500 years after
the BharatI war, that will not be too daring a surmise ; because,
Buddhistic treatises were written in even a shorter period of time
.after the death of Buddha. In writing an archaic epic, it is not
enough to merely describe in it the feats of the principal hero;
but it is necessary to say whether or not what was done by the
hero was right. Nay, that this is possibly one of the most
important parts of an archaic epic, appears from other such
epics, in literatures other than the Sanskrit literature. Irom the
modern point of view, this justification of the deeds of the heroes
must be made on the pure basis of Ethics. But, in ancient
times, there was no difference between Religion and Ethics ; and,
therefore, there was no way in which to make this justification
■ other than from the point of view of Religion; and then, as need
not be said, it was necessary to justify their deeds on the basis
of that very Bhagavata religion, which had been promulgated
'.by the heroes in the Bharata, or which was acceptable to them.
782 GITA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
But another reason for doing so was that, it was not possible to-
fully justify the deeds or prowess of the heroes of the Mahabharata
on the basis of the religious principles of other religious paths,
as all the other Vedio religious paths, besides the Bhagavata reli-
gion, which were then in vogue, were more or less renunciatory.
Therefore, it became necessary to expound the Energistio Bhaga-
vata religion in the original epic Bharata. This was done in
the original Glta; and although it might not have been the first-
treatise to categorically expound the original form of the
Bhagavata religion, yet, it is one of the principal books on that
religion ; and there seems to be no reason why its date should not
be roughly fixed at about 900 years before Christ. Since the Glta
is, at any rate, the most important, if not the first treatise on the
Bhagavata religion, it was necessary to show that the Desireless
Karma-Yoga promulgated by it was not inconsistent with the
other religious paths then in vogue, namely, the Karma-kanda,
the Spiritual Knowledge in the Upanisads, the Samkhya
philosophy, the Yoga philosophy dealing with ' Ooncentration-
of the Mind', and the Philosophy of Devotion; and I may
even say that that was the principal object of this book. Some
persons raise the doubt that, the systematic sciences of Vedanta
and MImamsa could not have been dealt with in the original Glta.
as they came into existence only at a later date; and that,
therefore, Vedanta must have been subsequently interpolated,
into the Glta. But, although the systematic sciences of
Vedanta and MlmSmsa may have come into existence later on,,
yet, as has been stated above, the subject-matter dealt with by
them was very ancient. Therefore, there is no difficulty, from
the point of view of time, in the way of these subjects having
appeared in the original Glta, Nevertheless, I do not say that
no change was made in the original Gits, when the original
Bharata became the Mahabharata. History shows us that
whatever religion is taken, sub-sects come into existence in it in
course of time, as a result of differences of opinion; and the same.
law applies to the Bhagavata religion. It is clearly stated in-
'the Naxayaniyopakhyana itself, that the Bhagavata religion
was considered by some as four-folded (cafur-vyulia), that is,,
made up of the four aspects of Vasudeva, Samkarsana,
Bradyumna, and Aniruddha; and that it was considered by
IV - THE BHAGAVATA RELIGION AND THE GtTJL 783
others as thiee-f olded, and by others as two-folded, and by others
again as single-folded (Ma. Bha. San. 348. 57); and some such
other differences may also have arisen later on. At the same
time, the Spiritual Knowledge contained in the Upanisads and the
Samkhya philosophy were being further developed. Therefore, if
there was any dis-arrangement in the original Gita, it would
not have been unnatural, or inconsistent with the purpose of
the original Gita, for the writer of the new Bharata to see that
iihat defect was removed, and that the Bhagavata religion was
made consistent with the growing knowledge of the Pinda and
the Brahmanda ; and I have, therefore, shown in the Part of this
Appendix headed 'the Gita and the Brahma-Sutras' above, that
the present Gita contains, on that account, a reference to the
Brahma-Satras. There might also have been other similar
differences in the original Gita. Still, it was not possible that
.many such changes should be made in the original Gita. It
does not appear that the authority of the Gits was acquired
-by it after the date of the Mahabharata. I have stated above
.that the Brahma-Sutras themselves have taken the Gita as
authoritative by using the word ' Smrti '. If a material change
iad been made in the original Gita, when the original Bharata
was changed into the Mahabharata, this authoritativeness
■of the Gita would certainly have suffered. But instead of that,
its authority has, on the other hand, increased. We have,
therefore, to draw the inference that whatever changes were
made in the original Gita, they were not material, and that
■ihe changes which were made, were made in such a way as
<to promote and carry out its original import. It is clear from
the various Gltas which have been mentioned in the different
PurSnas on the basis of the present Bhagavadglta, that the
form which it then acquired was a permanent form, and that
ihere were no further changes in it. Because, if the Gita had
not become fully authoritative, that is to say, invariable, at least
•some centuries before the date of the most ancient of these
Puranas, it would not have been possible to conceive the idea
of including . other Gltas on the basis of this Gita
in those PurSnas. And the attempts made by various
doctrine-supporting commentators to stretch the mean-
ings of the words in one and the same Gita in order to show
784 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
that the purport of the Gits was consistent with their own
doctrines, would also in that case not have become necessary.
A doubt is raised by some scholars that many changes must
have been made from time to time in the Glta in the present
Mahabharata, on the ground that the present Glta contains
many mutually contradictory doctrines. But, I have shown
above that these inconsistencies are not substantial, and that
this mental confusion is due to people not having properly
understood the previous aud subsequent Vedic methods of
expounding religion. In short, it will be seen from the above
exposition that (i) the original Bharata and the original
Gits, which propounded the original Bhagavata religion, were
written about 500 years after the rise of the Bhagavata religion,
which harmonised the various ancient Vedic aspects of religion,
and specially supported the Path of Energism, that is to say,
about 900 years before Christ ; that (ii) though, when the Bharata
was changed into the Mahabharata, there might have been some
minor improvements in the original Glta, which would be
promotive of its purport, yet, the form of the original Glta was
not then substantially changed ; and that (iii) after the present
Glta had been included in the present Mahabharata, there was
no subsequent change in it, nor was it possible that any such
change should take place. The fixing of the form and the
date of the original Glta and the original Bharata have been
made by me approximately and in a liberal way, because that
amount of information which would be necessary for fixing those
matters definitely is not now available. But, the same is not
the case with the present Mahabharata and the present Gita ;
and there are ways available for fixing their respective dates.
I have, therefore, discussed that matter separately in the next
part of this Appendix. My readers must, however, bear it in
mind that the present Glta and the present Mahabharata, that
is to say, the forms in which the Glta and the Mahabharata are
now found by us, after changes have taken place in their
respective forms in course of time, are not the original forms
of those respective books.
V - The DATE of the PRESENT GlTA 785
PART V— THE DATE OF THE PRESENT GITA.
I have proved above in a general way that the Bhagavadgita.
is the most important work dealing with the Bhagavata religion;
that this Bhagavata religion came into existence about 1400
years before Christ ; and that the original Gita must have
come into existence some centuries after that ; and I have also
said that though the original Bhagavata religion favoured
Desireless Action, it gradually assumed a Devotional form, and
ultimately came to include the principles of Qualified-Monism
(oisistadvaita). More information about the original Gita or
the original Bhagavata religion is not available, at least at the
present day ; and the same was the case with the present
Mahabharata and the present Gita about 50 years ago. But, as
a result of the efforts of Dr. Bhandarkar, the late Mr. Eashinath-
pant Telang, the late Mr. Shankar Balkrishna Dikshit, and
Rao Bahadur Chintamanrao Vaidya, many proofs have now.
become available for fixing the data of the present Bharata and
the present Gita ; and very recently, the late Mr. Tryambak
Gurunath Kale has also adduced some more proofs. This part
of the Appendix has been briefly made up by me by putting
together all these matters and adding to them whatever
addition was necessary in my opinion. In the beginning of
this Appendix I have shown with proofs that the present
Mahabharata and the present Gita must have been written by
one and the same hand. When these two treatises are accepted
as being written by the same hand, and therefore necessarily
contemporaneous, one can easily fix the date of the Gita by
fixing the date of the Mahabharata. I have, therefore, in this-
part of the Appendix mentioned first the various important
proofs which are now available for fixing the date of the present.
Mahabharata, and then shown independently those proofs, which
are useful for fixing the date of the present Gita. I have
followed this course in order that the fixing of the date of the
Gita should not suffer, if some one finds the proofs adduced by
me for fixing the date of the Mahabharata not sufficiently
definite. _
THE FIXING OB' THE DATE OF THE MAHABHARATA—
The Mahabharata is an extremely extensive work; and it
is stated in that book itself, that it consists of one hundred
786 GITA-BAHASYA. OR KARMA-YOGA
thousand stanzas. But Eao Bahadur Vaidya has shown
in the first Appendix to his criticism in English on the
Mahabharata, that the present edition of the Mahabharata
consists of less than that number of stanzas, and that we do not
arrive at that total, even by adding the Harivamsa to it. *
Nevertheless, there is no reason for not accepting the position
that the larger book, which came into existence when the
Bharata became the Mahabharata, must have been more or less
ifche same as the present edition of the Mahabharata. I have
■stated above that this Mahabharata makes a mention of the
Nirakta of Yaska and of Manu-Samhita, and that the Gita even
mentions the Brahma-Sutras. The other proofs which are avail-
able for fixing the date of the Mahabharata are as follows :-
(1) This book of eighteen parms and the Harivamsa, found
*heir way into the Java and Bali Islands before Saka 400 to
500 ; and it has been translated into the ancient language of
those places known as ' Kavi ' ; and the following eight paruas
of that translation, namely, the Adi, Virata, Udyoga, Bhlsma,
Asramavasi, Musala, Prasthanika, and Svargarohana parvas
are now available ; and some of them have been printed. But,
although the translation has been made into the Kavi language,
the original Sanskrit stanzas from the Mahabharata have
been retained in many places. I have considered some of the
stanzas from the Udyogaparva. All these stanzas can be found
here and there in the chapters of the Udyogaparva of the
Calcutta edition of the present Mahabharata. This proves that
the Mahabharata of a hundred thousand stanzas had become
authoritative in India at least 200 years before Saka 400;
because, it would otherwise not have been necessary at all
to take it into the Java and Bali Islands. The Mahabharata
has also been translated into the Tibetan language, but, that is
later in point of time than this, t
* " The Mahabharata, a Criticism " p. 185. Wherever this
criticism of Eao Bahadur Vaidya on the Mahabharata has been
referred to, this book is meant.
t See the reference to the Mahabharata of the Java Island at
pp. 32-38 of the issue of the Sfodern Review for July 1914. A
reference to the Mahabharata in the Tibetan language has been
made in Eockhill's Life of the Buddha, p. 228, Note I.
V - THE DATE OF THE PRESENT GITA 787
(2) There is now available a stone inscription of the
■Gupta kings made in Cedi Sarhvat 197, that is to say, the
•367th year of the Saka era, which contains a clear reference
that the Mahabharata was a book of a hundred thousand verses ;
and this reference clearly proves that the Mahabharata must
have been in existence at least 100 to 200 years before
Saka 367. *
(3) Many of the dramas of Bhasa, which have now been
published, have been written on the basis of certain chapters of
the Mahabharata. It, therefore, follows that the Mahabharata
was then available and was looked upon as authoritative. The
•drama, Balacarita of Bhasa contains a reference to the incidents
■of the youth of Sri Krsna and to Gopis. Therefore, we have to
say that the Harivamsa must also then have been in existence.
There is no doubt that Bhasa lived before KalidSsa. Tanjore
Ganapati Sbastri, who has edited the dramas of Bhasa, has stated
in his preface to the drama Svapnavasavadatla that Bhasa lived
■even before Canakya ; because, a stanza found in the dramas of
Bhasa, is to be found in the Artha-Sastra of Canakya ; and it is
•clearly stated in that place that that stanza is a quotation.
Bat although this period of time is not definite, yet, Bhasa can
•certainly not be placed in my opinion later than the second or
third century A. D.
(4) It is established from Buddhistic treatises, that a
Buddhist poet named Asvaghosa lived at the beginning of the
.Salivahana era. This Asvaghosa wrote two epics in Sanskrit on
4he Buddhistic religion, called Buddhacarita and Saundarancmda-
In both these epics, stories from the Bharata have been referred
tfco. There is besides a book in the shape of a lecture on the
Vajrasucikopanisad which is attributed to Asvaghosa ; or it may
even be said that this Vajrasuci Upanisad was written by him.
Prof. Webber published this book in Germany in 1860, and it
contains the stanzas " saptavySdka da&arnem" etc. from the
.Sraddha-Mahatmya, in the Harivarhia (Hari. 24. 20 and 21) ; and
some other stanzas from the Mahabharata itself (such as, Ma.
* This stone inscription has been fully reproduced at page
134 of the third part of the book called Imcriptionum Indicarum, and
it has been referred to by the late Mr. Shanker Balkrishna Dikshit
in his Bharatiya JyoUh-Sastra at page 108.
788 GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
Bha. San. 261. 17). This clearly proves that the present
Mahabharata of a hundred thousand stanzas including the
Harivamsa was in existence before the commencement of the
Saka era.
(5) The Bharata and the Mahabharata have been inde-
pendently referred to in the Asvalayana-Grhya-Sutra (3. 4. 4),
and a stanza from the Yayati TJpakhyana of the Mahabharata
( Ma. Bha. A. 78. 10 ) appears in one place in the Baudhayana-
Dharma-Sutra (2. 2. 26). Biihier says that this one stanza is
not sufficient proof for saying that the Mahabharata existed
before Baudhayana * ; but this objection is groundless, because
the Grhyasesa-Siitra of Baudhayana contains a reference to the
Visnu-Sahasranama (Bau. Gr. Se. 1. 22. 8); and further on, in the
same Sutra (2. 22. 9), the stanza "patram puspath phalam toyan"
etc. from the Glta ( Gl. 9. 26 ) has been mentioned. These
references in the Baudhayana-Sutra were first pointed out by the
late Mr. Tryambak Gurunath Kale f ; and they prove that the
objection raised by Prof. Biihier is groundless, and that both
Asvalayana and Baudhayana were conversant with the
Mahabharata. Biihier has established on other evidence that
Baudhayana must have lived about 400 years before Christ.
(6) Where the incarnations of Visnu have been mentioned
in the Mahabharata itself, there is no reference to Buddha; and
where the ten incarnations are mentioned in the Narayaniyo-
pakhyana (Ma. Bha. San. 339. 100), the Hamsa is taken as the
first incarnation, and Kalki is placed immediately after Krsna
to make up the total of ten. Yet, where the future state of the
Kali-Yuga is referred to in the Vanaparva, it is stated that : —
" edukacinhu prthivliia demgrha-bhusita", i. e., "on the earth,,
there will be L eduka' instead of temples of gods" (Ma. Bha,
Vana. 190. 68). An eduka is a pillar, tower, and other edifice,,
erected as a memorial over some buried hair, tooth etc. of
Buddha ; and it is now-a-days known as 'dagdba'. 'dagdba' is a
corruption from the Sanskrit wor&'dhdtu-garbha' (in Pali, dagaha),
* Sacred Books of the East. Vol. XIV. Intro, p. xli
t The whole of the essay of the late Mr. Tryambak Gurunath Kale
'has been published in The Vedic Magazine and Guruiul Samachar
Vol. VII Nos. 6,7, pp. 528-532. There the name of the writer is.
wrongly mentioned as 'Prof. Kale'.
V - The DATE of the PRESENT GlTA 789
and 'dhatu' means the 'memento which is buried'. In Ceylon and
in Burma there is many a dagoba, in numerous places. This shows
that the Mahabharata must have been written after the date of
Buddha, but before he was looked upon as an incarnation.
The words 'Buddha' and 'Prati-Buddha' occur in various places in
the Mahabharata (San. 194.58; 307. 47 ; 343. 52). But there the
words only mean a Jnanin, a Knower, or a Sthitaprajna. That
word does not seem to have been taken from the Buddhist
religion ; nay, there is good reason for believing that the Buddhists
themselves have taken these words from the Vedio religion.
(7) In the Mahabharata, the enumeration of constellations
does not start with Asvini, but with Krttika. (Ma. Bha. Anu. 64
and 89) ; and the zodiacal signs Mesa, Vrsabha, etc are nowhere
mentioned. This is a matter of very great importance from the
point of view of the date of the Mahabharata ; because, one can
easily draw the inference from this fact that the Mahabharata
must have been written before the zodiacal signs Mesa, Vrsabha
etc. were known in India as a result of contact with the Greeks,
that is to say, before the date of Alexander. But a still
more important fact is the enumeration of the constellations
starting with Sravana. It is stated in the Anuglta that
yisvamitra started the enumeration of the constellations with
Sravana ( Ma. Bha. Asva. 44. 2, and Adi 71. 34 ). That has been
interpreted by commentators as showing that the Uttarayana
then started with the Sravana constellation, and no other
interpretation is proper. At the date of the Vedahga-Jyotisa,
the Uttarayana used to start with the Sun in the Dhanistha.
constellation. According to astronomical calculations, the date
when the Uttarayana should start with the Sun in the
Dhanistha constellation comes to about 1500 years before the
Saka era ; and according to astronomical calculations, it takes
about a thousand years for the Uttarayana to start one
constellation earlier.. According to this calculation, the date
when the Uttarayana ought to start with the Sun in the Sravana
constellation comes to about 500 years before the Saka era.
Therefore, it can be proved mathematically that the present
Mahabharata must have been written about 500 years before
the Saka era. The late Mr. Shankar Balkrishna Dikshit has
drawn the same conclusion in his Bharatiya Jyotih-Sastra.
790 GlTA-BAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
(Bha. Jyo. pp. 87-90, 111 and 147). The important feature of this
evidence is that the date of the present Mahabharata cannot be
.taken to much more than 500 years before the Saka era.
(8) Rao Bahadur Vaidya has in his criticism in English on
(the Mahabharata shown that the Greek ambassador named
Megasthenes, at the Court of Ohandragupta (320 B. O.), knew
some of the stories in the Mahabharata. The works of
Megasthenes are not now available in their entirety. But
extracts made from them by other persons have been collected
together, and were first published in German ; and they have
been translated into English by M'Crindle. It is stated in this
book, (pp. 200-205), that the Heracles mentioned by Megasthenes
was none but Sri Krsna ; and that at the date of Megasthenes, this
■Sri Krsna, used to be worshipped by the Sauraseni people, and
that these Sauraseni people used to live in Muttra. * It is
also stated there that Heracles was the fifteenth in line of
■descent from Dionisus ; and there is a statement even in the
Mahabharata ( Ma. Bha. Anu. 147. 25-33 ) that Sri Krsna was
fifteenth in line of descent from Daksa Prajapati. Also the
descriptions given by Megasthenes (p. 94) of the hirw-pravarana,
■ekapada (one-footed — Trans.), lalataksa (cyclops, with one eye
* See M'Orindle's Ancient India — Megasthenes and Arrian pp. 200-
■205. This statement of Megasthenes has been fortified in a very
•curious way by a recent discovery. The Progress Eeport of the
Archaeological Department of the Bombay Government for the year
1914 has been recently published. It reproduces the inscription on
a garuAadhvaja ( eagle monolith ) known as ' KhSmbababa ' at
J3esanaga^near Bhilsa in the Gwalior State In that inscription^ it
is stated that a Greek or ywana named Heliodoras who had been
■converted to Hinduism, had constructed a temple to Yasudeva in
front of that monolith ; and that this Heliodoras was the ambassador
sent by the Greek king Antiocledes who ruled at Taksasila, to the
Court of the king Bhagabhadra ruling at BhUsa. It has now been
-established from the coins of the king Antiocledes, that he was
ruling in 140 B. O. This, therefore, clearly establishes not only
that the worship of Vasudeva was already in vogne at this time, but
•also that yavanas had started building temples to Vasudeva. 1 have
stated above that not only Megasthenes, but also Panini knew of the
worship of Yasudeva.
V - THE DATE OF THE PRESENT GlTA 791
only in the forehead— Trans.) and other strange people, and of
ants (pipllilca ) who bring up gold are also to be found in the
Mahabharata (Ma, Bha. Sabha. 51 and 52). These and other-
facts clearly prove that not only the Mahabharata but also the
history of Sri Krsna and the worship of Sri Krsna were in Vogue*
already at the date of Megasthenes.
When it is remembered that all the proofs mentioned above
are not mutually inter-dependent but are independent, it becomes
clear beyond doubt that the present Mahabharata was in vogue at
least about 500 years before the Saka era. It is quite likely that
some stanzas have been interpolated into or deleted from the
Mahabharata after that date. But we are now dealing with the
question not of any particular stanzas but of the principal book
itself; and it is quite clear that this book must have been
written at least 500 years before the Saka era. I have shown
at the commencement of this Appendix that the Glta is a part
of the Mahabharata, and has not been interpolated into it.
subsequently ; therefore, the Glta must be considered to be of
the same date. The original Glta may have been earlier -
than this ; because, as has been shown in the fourth part of
this Appendix, the tradition of the original Glta has to be-
taken much further back. But, whatever may be said, it is
absolutely clear that its date cannot be placed after the date
of the Mahabharata. This fact is established not merely by
the evidence mentioned above; for, there is also independent
evidence about it, which I shall now place before_my readers.
THE FIXING OF THE DATE OF THE GITA— The evidence
mentioned above does not contain a clear reference by name ■
to the Gits. Its date has been fixed there by reference
to the Mahabharata. I shall now set out the evidence which
contains a clear reference to the Glta. But before I do so, it
must be mentioned that the late Mr. Telang has fixed the date of
the Glta as being before Apastariiba, that is to say, at least ■
300 years before Christ; and Dr. Bhandarkar has in his book
in English named Vaismvism, Activism, and other sects accepted -
the same opinion. * Prof. Garbe is of the opinion that the date
* See Telang's Bhagamdfita, S. B. E. Vol. VIII Intro pp. 21
and 34; Dr. Bhandarkar's Vaibmvim, Saivism, and other seels, p. 13 ;;
Dr. Garbe's Die Bhagavadglta p. 64.
792 GiTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
fixed by Mr. Telang is not correct, and that the original Glta
must have bsen written about 200 years before Christ, and
that it was revised in the second century after Christ. But it
will be seen that the opinion of Dr. Garbe is incorrect for
the following reasons :-
(1) The Samkarabhasya is the most ancient among the
criticisms and commentaries on the Glta which are now avail-
able. Sri Sarhkaracarya has also written a commentary on
the Sanatsujatiya chapter of the Mahabharata; and he has
in many places in his works taken the statements from the
Anuglta, the Manu-Brhaspati conversation, and the Sukanuprasna
in the Mahabharata as authoritative. It is, therefore, clear
that in his times, the Mahabharata and the Glta, used to be
looked upon as authoritative. The birth of Sri Sarhkaracarya
is fixed at Saka 710 on the authority of a sectarian stanza,
.as has been proved by Prof. Kashinath Bapu Phatak. But
in my opinion this date must be taken back by another hundred
years ; because, it is stated in the book named Darsana-Prakasa,
which belongs to the Mahanubhava sect, that Sri Sarhkaracarya
entered the cave in the year "yugma payodhi rasanvita sake",
that is, in Saka 643 * ; and at that time, the Acarya was only
32 years old. Therefore, the date of his birth is proved to be
Saka 610. In my opinion, this date is more correct than the
date fixed by Prof. Phatak % But I cannot deal with that question
in detail here. In the Samkarabhasya on the Glta, many
previous commentators are referred to ; and Samkaraearya has
in the very beginning of that commentary stated that he has
refuted the opinions of all the previous commentators and
written a new commentary on the Glta. Therefore, whether one
takes the date of the birth of the Acarya as Saka 610 or Saka 710,
the Glta must undoubtedly have been in vogue at least 200 to
300 years before that time. Let us now see in what way and
to what extent we can go further back than that date, for fixing
the date of the Glta.
* This is a peculiar Sanskrit way of describing dates ; yugma
means tim ; payodhi means 'ocean', of which there were believed to
"be four; and rata means 'taste', of which there are six kinds ; and
• those digits are to be read from right to left ; thus we get the Saka
year 642 — Trans.
V - The DATE of the PRESENT GlTA 793
(2) The lata Mr. Telang Las shown that Kalidasa and
Banabhatta both knew of the Glta. The stanza "anavaptam
avaptamjam na te Hmeana vidyate" in the Visnu-Stuti in the
Raghuvaihsa (10. 31) of Kalidasa, is similar to the stanza
" nan avaptam avaptavyam " etc., in the Glta (Gl. 3. 22) ; and in
the paranomastic ( sleqa-pradhana ) sentence " mahabharatam
.ivananta glta karnan ananditataram" in the Kadambarl of
Banabhatta, there is a clear reference to the Glta. Kalidasa
and Bharavi are clearly referred to in a stone inscription
■dated Saka 556; and it is now definitely proved, as shown
by the late Mr. Pandurang Govind Shastri Parakhi, in his
essay in Marathi on Banabhatta, that Banabhatta was in the
service of the king Sri Harsa, in about Saka 528.
(3) In the Bhlsma-parva of the MahabhSrata, which has
'found its way into Java, there i3 a chapter called the ' Glta ' ;
.and in it, we find word for word 100 to 125 stanzas from various
chapters in the Gita. But there are no stanzas in it from the
12th, 15th, 16th, and 17th chapters. Yet, there is no objection,
-on that account, to saying that- the Glta was then as in its
present form; because, the Gita" has been translated there
into the Kavi language, and the Sanskrit stanzas found in it
.are taken by way of extracts or illustrations here and there.
'Therefore, it would not be proper to draw the conclusion that
the Glta then contained only as many stanzas as are found
in this translation. Dr. Narhar Gopal Sardesai got this infor-
mation in Java when he went there ; and he has published it
in the issue of the Modern Bedew for July 1914 as also in
the Magazine called Chitramaija Jagat. It is clear from this,
that the Bhisniaparva of the MahabhSrata contained the Glta
:at least 200 years before Saka 400 to 500, and that the stanzas
in it were in the same sequence as in the present Glta.
(4) In the first chapter of this book, I have given some
information about the references to the Glta or the other
Gitas written on the basis of the Bhagavadgita, which
are found in the Visnu-Purana, the Padma-Purana etc. In
order that the Glta should have been adopted in this way,
it must have become authoritative and an object of
raspect even in those days. It is clear that nobody would
•otherwise think of imitating it. It is, therefore, also clear that
794 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
the Glta must be at least 100 to 200 years earlier in point of
time than the earliest of these Puranas. One cannot take the
commencement of the age of the Puranas at later than the
second century A. D. ; and therefore, the date of the Glta is
taken back at any rate to somewhere about the beginning of the-
Saka era.
(5) It has been stated above that both Kalidasa and Bana.
knew about the Glta. The dramas of Bhasa, who lived before-
Kalidasa, have been recently published. In the drama called
Karnabhara, out of these dramas, we find the following as the-
twelfth stanza :-
hccto 'pi lahhaie svargam jitva tu labhate yasah I
nbhe bahumate loke nasti nisphalala rwge »
This stanza is exactly the same as the stanza : " liato vce-
prapsyasi svargam " etc. (Gl. 2. 37) ; and, as it is proved from the
other dramas of Bhasa that he was fully acquainted with the
Mahabharata, one can safely draw the conclusion that in-
writing the stanza mentioned above, he had in mind the stanza
in the Glta referred to above. It, therefore, follows that the
Mahabharata and the Glta existed before the date of Bhasa.
Pandit Ganapati Shastri has proved that Bhasa must have lived
200 to 300 years before the Saka era. Bufc,_some are of the opinion-
that he lived 100 to 200 years after the Saka era. Even if this
latter opinion is correct, the Mahabharata and the Glta must have
become commonly accepted books at least 100 to 200 years-
before the date of Bhasa, that is to say, about the beginning of
the Saka era.
(6) But, the late Mr. Tryambak Guranath Kale has-
published in the English magazine issued by the Gurukul and
called the Vedic Magazine, a forcible proof about old writers--
having adopted stanzas from the Glta ("Vol. 7, Kog. 6 and
7 pp. 528-532, Margasirsa and Pausa Sarhvat 1970). Before
this publication, Western Sanskritists were of opinion that the;
Glta was not found referred to in any books more ancient than-
the Sanskrit dramas or the Puranas, e. g., in the Sutra treatises
etc.; and that therefore, the Glta must have been written
shortly after the age of the Sutras, that is to say, in about
the second century of the Christian era. But the late Mr. Kale
V-The DATE of the PRESENT GITA 795
has shown that this surmise is wrong. In the Baudhayana-
Grhyasesa-Sutra (2.22.9), the stanza, "patram puxpam" etc.
(Gl. 9. 26) has been taken 'verbatim with the opening remark
"tadaha bhagavan" in the following words : —
desabhave dravyabhave sadharane kuryan manasa varcayed
iti I tadaha bhagavan —
patram puspaih phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchaU t
tad aham bhakty upahrtam asnami prayatafmanah II iti ;
and it is stated further on, that one should become meek-minded
by Devotion and then recite these incantations, of. "bhaktinamrah
etan mantr an adhiyita" ; and it is stated at the end of the third
prasna of this Grhyasesa-Sutra, that by reciting the twelve-
lettered incantation " om namo bhagavate vusudevaya" , one
acquired the same merit as that of performing an Asvamedha-
Yajfia. Prom this it is clear that the Glta, as also the worship
of Vaaudeva, was fully in vogue before the date of Bau'dha-
yana. Besides this, there is the following sentence in the
Pitrmedha-Sutra of Baudhayana, in the beginning of the third
prasna, namely,
jatasya vai manusyasya dhruvam maranam iti vijaniyat
tasmaj jate na prahrsyen mrte ca na visidet. I ,
which can clearly be seen to have been inspired by the following
stanza in the Glta : —
jatasya hi dhruvo mrtyuh dhruvam janma mriasya ca I
tasrnadapariharye 'rthe na tvam socitum arhasi II
(Gl. 2. 27);
and when, in addition to this, you take the stanza "patram
puspam" etc., there remains no doubt whatsoever about the
matter. It has been stated above that we find in the
Baudhayana-Sutra, one stanza from the Mahabbarata itself.
The date of Baudhayana is about 100 to 200 years before
Apastaihba ; and Prof. Biihler has come to the conclusion .
that the date of Apastamba cannot be more than 300 years
before Christ. * But, in my oninion, that date must be taken.
* See Sacred Books of the East Series, Vol. II. Intro, p. xliii ;
and also the same Series Vol. XIV. Intro, p, xliii.
23—24
796 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
slightly forward; because, there is no mention in the Maha-
bharata of the zodiacal signs Mesa, Vrsabha etc.; and the sentence
"minamesayor mesaursabhayor vavasantah" of Baudhayana has
been quoted in the Kala-MadMva, and has also been taken
in the B/mratiya-JyoHh-Sastra ( p. 102 ) written by the late
Shankar Balkrishna Dikshit. 'From this also, one can draw the
definite inferences, that the Mahabharata is earlier in point
of time than Baudhayana; that Baudhayana lived at least
400 years before the Saka era; and that the Mahabharata and
the Gita were written at least 500 years before the Saka era-
The late Mr. Kale has placed the date of Baudhayana at 700 to
800 years before Christ, but that is not correct. He has
evidently lost sight of the statement of Baudhayana regarding
the zodiacal signs.
(7) It will be clearly seen by anybody from the above
evidence that the present Gita was in existence at least 500 years
before the Saka era ; that it was known both to Baudhayana
and Asvalayana; and that one can trace the gradual history
of it uninterruptedly right down to the date of Sri Samkaracarya.
But all this evidence is from Vedic religious treatises; the
evidence which I am now going to mention is from literature
other than Vedic literature, that is to say, from Buddhistic
literature; and the above-mentioned ancientness of the Gita is
more forcibly and independently established, in an unambi-
guous way, by that evidence. I have stated above the opinions
of Buhler and of the celebrated French scholar Senart that the
Bhagavata religion had come into existence before Buddhism ;
and I have dealt with the question of the growth of Buddhism
and of its relation to the Hindu religion etc., independently, in
the next part of this Appendix. I am giving here in short only
such references as are necessary for fixing the date of the
Gita. From the sole fact that the Bhagavata religion was
previous to Buddhism, one cannot draw the definite conclusion
that the Gita was also prior in point of time to Buddha; because,
there is no defiaits evidencs for saying that the Bhagavata
religion came into existence simultaneously with the Gita.
It is, therefore, necessary to see whether or not Buddhist
writers refer anywhere specifically to the Gita. It is clearly
stated even in the ancient Buddhistic treatises, that the four
V - THE "DATE OF THE PRESENT GITA 797
Vedas, the Vedaiigas, the Vyakarana, Astronomy, Itihasa,
Nighantu and other hooks relating to the Vedic religion existed
■at the time of Buddha. There is, therefore, no doubt that the
Vedic religion had reached its perfection before the date of
Buddha. Although the new religious sect which was formed
■after that date by Buddha, was, from the Metaphysical point
of view, un-Atmic (denying the existence of the Atman — Trans.),
yet, from the point of view of conduct in life, it followed the
Path of Renunciation preached in the Upanisads, as will be
•shown in the next part. But at the date of Asoka, this state
■of Buddhism had changed and Buddhist mendicants had given
Tip living in the woods, and are seen to have gone as far as
•China towards the East, and as far as Alexandria and Greece
towards the West, for the propagation of religion, and on
other philanthropic missions. Why Buddhist mendicants gave
up living in the woods and started doing philanthropic works
Is a question of immense importance in the history of Buddhism.
If one considers the ancient Buddhistic treatises, it is stated
in the Khaggavisana-Sutta in the Sutta-nipata that the
'bhikm' (mendicant), who reached the state of an arhata
(Perfect) should live in the woods like a rhinoceros, without
doing anything ; and it is stated in the Mahavagga (5. 1. 27)
in the story of Sonakollvisa, the personal disciple of Buddha
ithat : " for the mendicant who has reached the state of
nirvana (Annihilation) — " kalassa paticayo natthi karanlyam na
lijjali" — "nothing remains to be done, and nothing of what
has been done remains to be suffered for". This is Pure
Renunciation, similar to the Path of Renunciation of our
Upanisads. Not only is the sentence " hxranvy'afn. na mjjati "
•similar in meaning to the words " tasya karyam na vidyate "
in the Glta, but it is word for word the same. But when this
original renunciatory mode of life* of Buddhist mendi-
cants changed, and they began to perform philanthropic
works, there arose a conflict between the old thought and the
new thought, and those who belonged to the former began to call
themselves 'theravada' (older sect), and the new school of thought
■called their sect 'mahayana' (superior path) and began to refer
to the older sect as 'hinayana' (inferior path). Asvaghosa
belonged to the Mahayana sect, and was of the opinion that,
798 GlTA-RAHASYA OE EARMA-YOGA
Buddhist yatins should take part in philanthropic works-.
Therefore, in the advice which Buddha is shown to have given',
to Nanda, at the end of the poem Saundarananda, whenNanda.
had reached the state of an arhata, he first says : —
avaptakaryo 'si param gafim gatah
na te 'sli kimcit karaniyam anvapi I
(Sau. 18. 54)
that is, "your duty in life is over, you have acquired the
highest state ; now there does not remain for you even the least
duty (of your own)". And then, he goes on to say : —
vihaya iasmad iha karyam atmanah
hu.ru sthiratman parakaryam apy atho I
(Sau. 18. 57)
that is, "therefore, give up Action for yourself, hut become
perfectly equable in Reason, and perform Action for others";
There is a world of difference between the preaching of Buddha
in the ancient books, which advocated Abandonment of Action,
and the words put by Asvaghosa into the mouth of Buddha in
the Saundaram?ida-kavya ; and it will be seen that this argument
of Asvaghosa, is similar not only in meaning but also literally
and word for word to what is stated in the third chapter of the
Gita, namely, "fasya karyam na vidyate" (I. e., "for him no duty
(for his own benefit) has remained' ' — Trans,) . . . and ' 'tasniad asaktali
safatam karyam karma samacara", i. e., "therefore, perform
desirelessly that duty which has befallen you" (Gi. 3. 17, 19).
From this, one can draw the inference that this argument has been ;
borrowed by Asvaghosa from the Gita ; because, as has been shown
above, the Mahabharata existed before Asvaghosa. But this fact
does not remain only in inference. It is stated in the book called,
Taranatha, which is a history of ( Buddhism written in the
Tibetan language, that the "Jfianin Sri Krsna and Ganesa" were,
responsible for Rahulabhactra, the preceptor of Nagarjuna, who ■
was the principal protagonist of the Mahayana sect, getting the
idea of this Activistic improvement in the original renunciatory
path of the Buddhists. This book (Taranatto) was translated'
into German from the Russian, but not into English I have-
V - THE DATE OF THE PRESENT QlTA 799
taken an extract from it (TSrSriatha) from the book written by
Dr. Kern in 1896 on the Buddhist religion. * Even Dr. Kern
.is of opinion that there is a reference to the Bhagavadgita,
by the word ' Sri Krsna '. There are some stanzas in the book
named Saddhartiia-Pundarlka out of the Buddhist religious
itraatises of the Mahayana sect, which are quite similar to the
.stanzas in the Bhagavadgita. But, this and all other matters
>will be considered by me in the next part of this Appendix. All
'that 1 have to say at present is that Buddhist writers themselves
admit that though the original Buddhistic religion advocated
Asceticism, the Bhagavadgita was responsible for the coming
.into existence of the Mahayana sect, which advocated Action and
Devotion; and the similarity shown above between the
writings of Asvaghosa and the Gita only strengthens this
• conclusion. Western scholars have come to the conclusion that
Nagarjuna, the first promulgator of the Mahayana sect, lived
100 to 150 years before the Saka era ; and it is quite clear that
the Mahayana doctrine must have been initiated during the
reign of the king Asoka. Therefore, it is proved independently
from Buddhistic books and from the histories of Buddhism
written by Buddhist writers themselves, that the Bhagavadgita
•was in existence before the rise of the Mahayana sect, and
possibly even before the date of Asoka — that is, at least 300 years
before the Christian era.
When one considers all the proofs mentioned above, there
doss not remain the slightest doubt that the present Bhagavad-
gita was in existence at least 500 years before the Saka era.
The opinions of Dr. Bhandarkar, the late Mr. Telang, Rao
Bahadur Ohintamanrao Vaidya, and the late Mr. Dikshit were
more or less the same, and they must be taken as correct on
this point. The opinion of Prof , Garbe is different; and he has
taken the words "yogo nastah" — i. e., " in whom Toga has been
■destroyed", from the stanzas relating to the tradition of the Gita
doctrine in the fourth chapter of the Gita, as an authority for his
opinion; and he has interpreted the word 'yogo' there to mean
'Patafijala-Yoga'. But I have shown above with authorities
* See Dr. Kern's Manual of Indian Buddhism, Orundriss HE.
■8, p. 122. The principal book of the Mahayana sect called
Amiiayu-Sutta was translated into Chinese about 148 A. D,
800 GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
that the word 'yogo' in this place does not mean 'Patafi jala-Yoga""
but means Karma-Yoga. Therefore, the opinion of Prof . Gaibe
is wrong and unacceptable. It, therefore, follows beyond!
doubt that the date of the present Gita must be taken as
not later than 500 years before the Saka era. I have shown
in Part IV above that the original Glta must have been some
centuries older.
PART VI— THE GIT A AND BUDDHISTIC LITERATURE.
In order to fully realise the importance of the evidence of
Buddhistic works adduced by mo above for fixing the date of
the present Gita, it is necessary to consider here shortly the
general similarities and dissimilarities between the Gita on the
one hand and the Buddhistic treatises or Buddhistic religion
on the other hand. I have mentioned above in any number
of places that the Sthitaprajiia of the Glta belongs to Path of
Energism ; and that that is the most important feature of the
(ritfi-doctrine. But, if one keeps aside for a moment this special 1
feature of the Sthitaprajiia, and considers only his mental and
moral qualities, one sacs a very strange similarity between
the character ietic'H of the Sthitaprajiia (Gi. 2. 55-72), the Brahma-
nistha(4. l!>-33; 5. 18-28), and the Bhakti-yogin (12. 13-19),
mentioned in the Gita, and the characteristics mentioned
in various Buddhistic works of au urhaJa who has become
fit for Nirvana, that is to say, of a Buddhist i/atiu, who has reached'
the state of perfection (Dhammapada stanzas 360-423 and
Muni-.Sulta and Dhammika-Sutta out of the Sutta-nipata).
In tlh'Si 1 descriptions, wo also find similarity of words where,,
liko thi> Sthitupi'ujfW, or tho '!>ha!dimUu\ the true mendicant
(bhikml is tltiwriU'd us hoini? ' peaceful ' (suntti), 'desireless'
imxktitm), ' minc-lrxx' (iiinmwm), 'desireless' (mrfisi), or (mrissita),
"equal in rutin or huppinu.ss' (nimti-tltthkhti-sukha), ' non-
OOtiiijmiK'ing ' {iiiriirntiibhit), 'homeless' {ruiiMam or amvesana),
*«iunl tuwaniw ]>ruit«> or diwparagcnient* (xamu-niiidUntuti), and-
'ono who cunuiik'M nwju«t or disrespect, profit or loss, as the-
uanio' (Stif Wmumiapada 40, 41 and 91 ; Sutta-nipata, Muni-sutta-
1. 7 and 14, Dvayattmipussuna-sutta 21-23; and Vinaya-pitaka,
Culla-vagga 7. 4. 7). The idea that what is light to the
Jftinin is darkness to the AjnSnin (Ignorant) conveyed by the
wards "u&mia mrtabhulanum tasi.fi>'" J'Hiurti Knihyamt " (Gi. 2. 69)'
V - The- DATE of the PBESENT GlTA. 802
is to be seen in the 40th. stanza of the Dvayatanupassana-sutta.
and the words "arosaneyyo na roseti" — i. e., "one who is himself
not worried, and who does not worry others", in the 10th stanza
of the Muni-sutta, is similar to the description in the Gita in the
words "yasman no'dvijate loko lokan nodvijale ca yah" (Gt 12. 15)-
Similarly, we find in the Salla-sutta, with slight verbal
differences, the following ideas of the Gita, namely, 'that which
has come to birth, is sure to die', or, 'in as much as the beginning,
or the end of created things is imperceptible (avyakta), it is futile
to lament over them' (See Salla-sutta, 1 and 9 ; and Gl. 2. 27 and
28); and the description to be found in the tenth chapter of the
Gita and in the Anuglta (Ma. Bha. Asva. 43, 44) in the words
"the Sun out of the luminaries, the Moon out of the constellations,
Gayatri out of the Vedic incantations" etc. is repeated just as it
is in the Sela-sutta (21, 22) and Mahavagga (6. 35. 8). There
are besides numerous other similarities of ideas which have
been shown in the notes appended by the late Mr. Telang to his
English translation of the Gita. But, on account of the
insufficiency of the means then available for determining how
these similarities came to be, or* whether these ideas were
originally from the Buddhistic literature or from the Vedie
religious literature, and what inferences can be drawn from
these facts, the late- Mr. Telang has not written anything in.
this matter beyond merely showing this strange similarity
of words and meaning. But much more information
about the Buddhistic religion has now become available; and as
these questions are solved by that information, I will now
briefly mention that information about the Buddhistic religion
here. The English translation of the Gita, made by the late
Mr. Telang, has been published in the Sacred Books of the East
Series. English translations of Buddhistic religious treatises,
have been published further on in the same Series. This;
information has been principally taken from those translations ;
and the references to these Buddhistic treatises, as authorities,,
are to the translations in this Series; and the Pali words or
sentences quoted in some places have been taken from the
original Pali books.
The Buddhistic religion is, like the Jain religion, somewhat
like a son who has separated from his, father after taking from,
802 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
him as much of his wealth as he wanted. Therefore, it is not a
stranger religion, but is only a branch, which has come into
existence in India, out of the previous Brahmin religion. This
position has now been established beyond doubt. In the old
Pali treatises to be found in Ceylon, such as, the Mahavarhsa or
the Dipavarhsa, there is a description about the kings who ruled
after Buddha, as also the historical tradition of the various
Buddhistic preceptors. Calculating time by reference to these
hooks, one comes to the conclusion that Gautama Buddha
reached the age of 80 years and died 543 years before Christ.
But some of the stories ia these books are inconsistent with
each other. Therefore, Prof. Max Miiller has made a critical
examination of this calculation of time, and laid down the
proposition that the true date of the death of Buddha must
have been 473 years before the Christian era; and Dr. Buhler
has shown that the name date is arrived at from the
stone inscriptions of Asoka. But some critics like
Prof. Rhys-Davids or Dr. Kern say, that this date must be
•pushed forward by between 65 to 100 years; and Prof. Geiger
has very recently examined all these opinions, and drawn the
conclusion that the true date of death of the Buddha must
have been 483 years before the Christian era.* Whichever
date is accepted, this much at least is beyond doubt, that the
Vedic religion had reached its fullest expansion before the
birth of Buddha ; and that, not only the Upanisads but also
other religious works like the Dharma-Sutras, were in existence
before that date ; because, there are statements in the ancient
Buddhistic religious treatises in the Pali language, that
Gautama Buddha had personal discussions and conversations
with some highly moral Brahmins, and bearded ascetics, who
were well-versed in "the four Vedas, the Vedahgas, Vyakarana,
• ' * Some information about the date of the death of Gautama
Buddha will be found in the Introduction to the English translation
of the Dhammapada made by Prof. Max MHller (8. B. B. Vol. 2,
Intro, pp. xxxv-xlv) ) and that matter has been examined by
Dr. Geiger in his Introduction to the translation of the Mahavamsa,
published in 1912 (The Mahavamsa, by Dr. Geiger, Pali Text
.Society, Intro, p. xxii et seq.).
V- THE DATE OF THE PRESENT GITA 803
Astronomy, Itihasa (history), Nighantu (medicine) etc., and
had converted them to his own religion. (See the description
■of Sela in the Sela-sutta out of the Sutta-nipata and Vaththu-
gatha 30-45). And just as ritualistic srauta sacrifices have
.been deprecated in the Katha and other Upanisads (Eatha. 1.
18; Munda. 1. 2. 10), or in the Gita, consistently with those
Upanisads (2. 40-45 ; 9. 20 and 21), so also, and to a certain extent
in the same wor&o, has Buddha proved in the Tevijja-sutta
■(Traividya-Sutra), that "yajnas, yagas, etc. are useless and
•discardable"; and he has explained how that state, which is
described by .Brahmins ao ' brahmasahavyatuya' (brahma-
.sahavyatyaya=brahma-suyujyaia) can, according to him, be
attained. From this it is clear, that the Buddhistic religion
has come into existence by bringing about an improvement
in the two branches of the Brahmin religion, namely,
the Karma-kanda and Jnana-kanda — that is, the state of a
householder and the state of an ascetic, or in other words,
Activism ( pravrtti ) and Renunciation ( nivrtli ) — after those two
branches had become fully established. The ordinary rule of
every reform is that some of the former matters remain and
•others change ; and let us now consider, according to this rule,
which things out of the Vedic religion remain in Buddhism and
'which have besn given up. This question must be considered
from the point of view of the state of the householder and of
Asceticism. But as Buddhism was originally renunciatory
or purely Inactivistic, we will first consider the aspect of
Renunciation in both the religions, and then consider the state
.of the householder in both.
If one considers the Vedic Path of Renunciation, the
■principal element in it, will be seen to be the belief that all the
activities in the world of Action are productive of Desire, that is
to say, full of unhappiness; and that, in order to enable the
Atman to permanently escape from it, that is, from the cycle of
births and deaths, (i) the Mind has to be made desireless and
renounced, and must be fixed on the eternal Parabrahman in
■the form of the Atman, which forms the foundation of the entire
visible universe, and (ii) one has to totally abandon the duties
.of family life and remain perpetually steeped in this Atmified
state. Out of these, the visible world is defined by Name and
804 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
Form, and is perishable ; and its unobstructed activity
continues as a result of Causality (karma-vipaka).
kammana vattati loko kammana vattati paja (praja ) l
karmnanibandhami satta (satvam)mthassa 'ifiva yayato II
(Suttani. Vasethasutta, 61).
that is; "the world, as also its inhabitants, continue in life as-
a result of Karma ; just as the course of the moving chariot is-
regulated by its axis, so also is every created being bound by
Karma". This principle of the Jnana-kanda of the Vedic
religion, or perhaps even the idea of the cycle of birth and death,
as also the Vedic deities, Brahma, Indra, Mahesvara, Isvara,.
Yama etc., and their various spheres, such as, svarga, (heaven)
patala (antipodes) etc., described in the Brahmin religion, were-
accepted by Buddha; and on that account, such technical
words of Vedanta and Samkhya philosophy, as 'nama-rUpa'
' karma-vipaka ', ' avidya ', ' upadana ' , ' prakrti' etc., as also the tra-
ditions about Brahma and other Vedic deities (maintaining
always the superiority of Buddha) are always to be found with
some difference or other in Buddhistic literature. But, although
the doctrines of the Vedic religion, regarding the world of
Action, that the visible world is perishable and non-permanent,
and that its activities are going on as a result of Causality,,
were accepted by Buddha, yet, the doctrine of the Vedic religion
or of the Upanisads, that there is some eternal, all-pervasive,,
element like Parabrahman, which is uniform with the Atman,,
and is undefined by Name and Form, and which is the founda-
tion of the perishable universe defined by Name and Form,,
was not accepted by Buddha. This is the crucial difference
between the two religions. Gautama Buddha has clearly said.
(Sabbasava-sutta 9-13), that the Atman or the Brahman does.
not exist in reality, but is a mere illusion ; and that, therefore,
no one should waste his time in thinking about the Atman
and the Non- Atman, or on the meditation of, the Brahman.
That Buddha did not admit any theory about the Atman, is
patent from the Brahmajala-sutta out of the Digghanikaya. *
* The Brahmajala antta has not been translated into English ;
but a summary of it has been given by Prof. Bhys-Davids in the.
Sacred Books of the East Series Vol. XXVI. Intro, pp. xxiii-xxv,.
to which the reader is referred.
V- The DATE of the PRESENT GITS. 805-
In this sutta after mentioning 62 different ideas about the
Atman, as to -whether the Atman and the Brahman are one
or two, it is stated that they are all illusory 'visions' {drsti);
and even in the Milinda-prasna, it is clearly stated by Nagasena
to the Greek Milinda (Minander), that according to Buddhism,
"the Atman is not something which really exists" (Mi,
Pra. 2. 3. 6 and 2. 7. 15). When one accepts the position
that both the Atman and the Brahman are illusions, and not
real, the very foundation of religion is really speaking des-
troyed; because, in that case, all that remains is non-
permanent things; and permanent happiness, as also some
one who can realise that permanent happiness, ceases to exist ;
and it is on this account that Srimad Sarhkaracarya has
condemned that opinion as unacceptable even on logical,
grounds. But, as we have now to considtr only what the-
original Buddhistic religion was, we will not enter into that
discussion here, but will see how Buddha has further justified
his own religion. Although Buddha did not accept the existence
of the Atman, yet, he has fully accepted the two positions that
(1) as a result of Causality, the Body which is defined by Name
and Form (and not the Atman) has to take birth over and over
again in this perishable world ; and that (2) this cycle of
re-incarnation or worldly life itself, is full of unhappiness, and
it is necessary to acquire permanent peace or happiness by
escaping from it. When in this way, the unhappiness of
worldly life, and the necessity of overcoming such unhappiness
have been admitted, the Vedic question about the way in which
that unphappiness can be removed, and how the highest happi-
ness can be reached, still remains; and it becomes necessary to-
give some satisfactory answer to that question. The writers of
the Upanisads themselves have said that one cannot escape the
Cycle of Worldly Life (bhava-cakra) by performing sacrificial
ritual ; and Buddha has gone even further than that, and said
that all these sacrificial Actions involved destruction of life,
and were on that account totally prohibited and unacceptable..
Also, if the Brahman itself is considered to be a stupendous
'Illusion', then the Knowledge of the Brahman also becomes,
an illusory and impossible path for destroying unhappiness..
Then, in what way can one escape from this unhappy Cycle of
806 GlTA-BAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
Worldly Life ? The reply of Buddha to this question is that
.a good doctor first determines the root cause of any disease, and
then removes that cause in order to cure the disease. In the
same way, in order to cure the disease of worldly unhappiness,
a wise man must (3) understand what the cause of that unhappi-
ness is, and (4) follow that path by which that cause can be
totally destroyed. Now, when one considers the question of
the cause of this unhappiness, one sees that Thirst or Desire
is the root of all the unhappiness in the world; and that when
once the Name-d and Form-ed Body has been destroyed, other
Name-d and Form-ad Bodies come into existence one after the
.other from this seed of Desire, which survives the destruction
of the Name-d and Form-sd body. And Buddha has come to
the conclusion that (i) in order to escape the painful cycle of
birth and death, the path of becoming a Samnyasin or a bhikm,
after having destroyed Desire by control of the organs, by
meditation, and by asceticism, becomes the only true path;
and that (ii) eternal peace and happiness can be reached only
by this Renunciation based on indifference to worldly life-
In short, Buddhism does not attach any importance to sacrificial
ritual etc., nor to the meditation on the Atman and the Non-
Atman ; but rests on the four visible factors, (i) the fact of the
existence of worldly unhappiness, (ii) the cause of such unhappi-
ness, (iii) the necessity of controlling or removing it, and
>(iv) the means in the shape of Renunciation, for totally doing
away with it; or, in Buddhistic terminology, on 'unhappiness'
(duhkha), 'origin of unhappiness' (samudaya), 'control of un-
happiness ' ( rirodha ), and ' the path of destroying it ' ( niarya ) ;
and Buddha has called these four fundamental elements of his
religion, the 'Sublime Verities' (arya-satya). Although the
Buddhistic religion is in this way founded on the visible
foundation of the four 'Sublime Verities', instead of on the
Upanisadic Knowledge of the Atman, yet, as the Path (the
fourth Verity ) preached by Buddha for acquiring eternal peace
■or happiness, namely, the path of making the Mind desireless
by destroying Thirst or Desire, is the same as the path mentioned
in the Upanisads for obtaining Release, it becomes quite
■clear that Desirelessness of the Mind is .the ultimate visible
.Meal according to both these religions. But the writers of
V - THE DATE OF THE PRESENT GITA 807'
the Upanisads, who look upon the Brahman as identical,
with the Atman, refer to this Desirelessness of the Mind
as'atmanistha', 'brahma-samstha'/brahrna-bhutata', or 'brahma-
rtirvana' (Gl. 5. 17-25; Chan. 2. 23. 1), that is to say, the
merging the Atman into the Brahman, all which words
are denotative of the Ultimate Root ; whereas, Buddha refers
to that state as merely ' nirvaya', which means 'obtaining
Rest ', or ' the destruction of Desire in the same way as a lamp*
goes out ', which definition merely denotes some Action. This*
is the difference between the two religions. Because, when you
say that the Brahman or the Atman is an illusion, the questions
' who acquires the rest ? ', and, ' in what does he rest ? ', do not
any more remain, (c/.- Ratana-sutta, 14, and Vaiiglsa-sutta 12'
and 13, out of the Sutta-nipata); and Buddha has clearly said,
that a wise man should not waste time in thinking about
'these moot questions (Sabbasava-sutta 9-13, and Milinda
Prasna 4. 2.4 and 5). As there is no re-birth after
this state has been reached, the word ' death ', which is applied'
to the ordinary phenomenon of one body being destroyed
and another body being acquired, cannot be applied to ' nirvana ',
even according to Buddhism. ' nirvana 'is the ' death of death',
or, as is stated in the Upanisads, it is ' the path of overcoming
death ', and not merely ' death '. When any man has reached
this state, he does not any more care for his body, just as the
serpent does not care for the slough which it has thrown away..
This illustration which has been given in the Brhadaranya-
kopanisad (4. 4. 7) has been given in each stanza in the Uraga-
sutta in the Sutta-nipata in describing the true Buddhist
mendicant (bhksu). And, as the Atman is always free from sin as
also from merit (Br. 4. 4. 23), he the bhiksu does not suffer from such
sins as matricide, patricide etc. This principle of the Vedic
religion (Kausi. 3. 1) has also been adopted just as it is in the
Dhammapada (Dhamma. 294 and 295, and Milinda-Prasna, 4. 5.
7). In short, although Buddha did not accept the existence of
the Brahman and of the Atman, yet, as that very path which has
been mentioned in the Upanisads as leading to Release, namely,
the path of making the Mind peaceful, apathetic, and desireless,
is also the path for the acquisition of Nirvana according to
Buddhism, the descriptions of the Buddhist monk and of the
808 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
Vedic Sarhnyasin are exactly similar to each other from the
point of view of their mental condition. And, therefore, the
doctrines regarding the responsibility for sinful or meritorious
actions, or regarding the escape from the cycle of birth and
■death, are the same in the Vedic Paths of Renunciation as in
Buddhism. But, as the Vedic religion was prior in point of time
to Gautama Buddha, there is not the slightest doubt that these
ideas were originally from the Vedic religion.
I have so far pointed out the differences and the similarities
"between the Vedic and the Buddhistic Paths of Renunciation.
Let us now see what Buddha had to say regarding the state
of a householder. Although Buddhism is based on four
visible foundations, namely, the existence of unhappiness in
worldly life, etc., and does not attach any importance to the
Philosophy of the Atman and the Non-Atman, yet, it must
be borne in mind that Buddhism was not fundamentally
Energistic, like the purely Materialistic religion of modern
philosophers like Comte, or even like the Glta-religion. It is
true that Buddha does not accept the philosophical 'vision'
(drsti) of the Knowledge of the Atman described in the
Upanisads. But, as Buddhism has adopted in toto the doctrine
enunciated by Yajnavalkya in the Brhadaranyakopanisad (Br. 4.
4. 6), that it is the highest duty of every man in this world to
give up worldly life altogether, and to make the Mind desireless
and free from slavery to the objects of pleasure, that religion
has fundamentally become a religion of Renunciation purely.
The sum and substance of the whole advice of Buddha is,
that it is impossible to acquire the highest happiness,
or the position of an arhafa, if one remains in the state of a
householder. Still, it is not that Buddhism does not at all deal
with the state of a householder. Buddhistic treatises have
given the name 'upasakn' to those persons who, without becoming
monks, put faith in BUDDHA, in his RELIGION, and in the
SOCIETIES of MONKS, and who surrender themselves to these
three, by reciting the incantation 'buddham iarayam gacchami',
'dharmaih saranam gacchami', 'suhgliaih saranaiti gacchami', i. a,
'I surrender myself to Buddha, to his religion, and to the
religious societies'. These Upasakas may be taken to be the
householders of Buddhism; and Buddha himself has in some
V - THE DATE OF THE PRESENT Q-ITA 809
places preached how these Upasakas should live in the state of
householders, when he had occasion to give this advice
i( Mahaparinibbana-sutta, 1. 24). Buddha did not accept either
the Srauta religious sacrifices pertaining to the state of a
householder, which involved the slaughter of animals, or the
■division of society into the four castes. When these things are
•eliminated, all that remain out of the duties of a householder,
■are the five Mahayajnas of the Smrtis, philanthrophy and other
■charitable duties, and leading a moral life ; and in describing
;the state of a householder, these are the only things which are
/referred to in Buddhistic religious treatises. Buddha has said
that every householder, or Upasaka, must perform the five
Mahayajnas ; and he has also clearly laid down that the Buddhist
Upasaka must observe such rules of Morality as, Non- Violence
iahimsa), Veracity (salyam), NotrStealing (asteyam), Sympathy
towards all created things (sarmbhutanukampa), Self -Identification
({although he did not accept the existence of the Atman), Purity,
■or mental chastity, and especially, making charitable gifts of
food, raiment etc. to Buddhist monks or Buddhist monastaries.
This is technically known in Buddhism as 'sila' (Morality);
And these rules of Morality have, like the five Mahayajnas, been
adopted by Buddha from the Dharma-Sutras or the ancient
.Smrti treatises (Manu. 6. 92 and 10. 63) of the Brahmin religion,
as becomes quite clear when one compares both *. Nay, Buddha
himself has praised the old Brahmin race with reference to this
mode of life ; n the Brahmana-Dhammika-sutta ; and some of
the stan? .. .om the Manu-Smrti have been adopted word for
word into the Dhammapada (See Manu. 2. 121, and 5. 45 ; and
Dhammapada, 109 and 131). But, it is not that Buddhism has
.adopted only the five Mahayajnas and the principles of Morality
from our Vedie treatises. Buddha had also accepted the opinion
■expressed in some of the earlier Upanisads, that Release is
.never attained according to the Vedic religion by remaining in
4he state of a householder. For instance, while comparing the
Upasaka with a Bhiksu in the Dhammika-sutta in the
.Suttanipata, Buddha has clearly stated that a householder may.
by living a pure life, at most reach the sphere of the
""self -illumined' (svayamprakam) gods; but that in order to escape
* See Dr. Kern's Manual of Buddhism (Grandrisa, III. 8) p. 68.
810 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
the cycle of births and deaths, he must give up his wife and
children, and ultimately take up the life of a monk. (See
Dhammika-sutta, 17. 29; and Br. 4. 4. 6; Ma. Bha. Vana. 2. 63)..
There is a statement in the Tevijjasutta that in arguing with
ritualising Vedic Brahmins, Buddha used to adopt the following
argument in order to justify his advocacy of Renunciation,
namely, "if your Brahman does not have any wife or children
or any mental emotions, how will you reach that Brahman
by remaining with your wife and children and performing
ritualistic sacrifices (Te. Su. 1. 35; 3.5); and it is well
known that Buddha himself acquired the state of Release
after having given up his wife and son in the bloom of youth ,
and lived the life of a monk for six years. The same is the
teaching of the Jain saint Mahavlra, who lived at the same
time as Buddha, but who entombed himself (became samadkistha)'
before Buddha. But the important difference between these
two religions is that Mahavlra did not deny the existence
of the Atman like Buddha, and that Jain monks followed— and
even to this day follow— the rules of abandoning clothes and
other worldly pleasures, and the 'creed of Non- Violence (ahima),,
even more rigorously than Buddhist monks. Buddha himself
used to eat the flesh known as ' pavatta '( in Sanskrit, pravrtta),.
i. e., ' flesh which is already there ', of animals which had not .
been killed for eating, except the flesh of elephants, lions, and
some other animals; and he had also permitted Buddhist monks
to eat ' pawtta' flesh and fish; and according to Buddhism, going,
about naked without clothes, is a crime (Mahavagga. 6. 31. 14;
and 8. 28. 1 ). In short, although the definite advice of Buddha to.
his disciples was that one should become a monk, denying,
the existence of the Atman, yet, he was not in favour of severe
religious austerities entailing bodily pain (Mahavagga. 5. 1. 16,.
and Gl. 6. 16); and the normal arrangement in the monasteries.
{vihara) built for the residence of Buddhist monks was such,,
that they could perform the Yogic practices of prariayama etc.,,
without suffering bodily pain. Nevertheless, as it is a fixed
principle of Buddhism that the state of a householder must be
given up in order to acquire the bliss of Nirvana, or the state
of an arhata (Perfect), that mode of life does not contravene
the. statement that Buddhism supports Renunciation (samnyasa\
VI -THE GITA AND BUDDHISTIC LITERATURE 811
Although Buddha was firmly of opinion that the Knowledge
of the Brahman, or the meditation on the Atman and the
Non-Atman, was a great net' of confusion, yet, he had accepted
the Upanisadic procedure of making the Mind ' free from the.
slavery to objects of pleasure' (virvisaya) by cultivating:
indifference towards worldly life, which (procedure) pertained
to the Path of Renunciation, in order to achieve the visible
object of escaping from the painful cycle of birth and death,.
and obtaining perpetual Peace ( santi) ; and when it has once
been proved that Buddhism accepts all the Vedic moral precepts,
relating to the state of a householder, with only slight modi-
fications here and there, except those relating to the division
of society into four castes and to the slaughter of animals for
ritualistic sacrifice into the fire, there is no wonder that the
descriptions of Vedic Samnyasins given in the Upanisads or in
the Manu-Smrti etc., and the descriptions of Buddhist monke
or of an arhata, or such rules of Morality as Non-Violence
etc., should .be the same — nay, sometimes word for word the
same— in both the religions. All these things are originally
from the Vedic religion ; but, these are not the only things which
have been taken by Buddhists from the Vedic religion.
Bufidhistic Jataka-treatises like the DaSaratha-Jataka, are
in the same way only transformations of ancient Vedic stories.
from the Puranas, which have been made consistent with
Buddhism. Not only Buddhists, but even Jains, have in this
way transformed Vedic stories in their Abhinava-Purana; and
the Mahomedan religion, which came into existence after the
death of Christ, has similarly perverted one story from the life
of Christ, as has been stated by Prof. Sale*; and it has been
established by recent researches, that Jews in the same way
transformed the religious stories of the ancient Chaldeans, for
describing the creation of the Universe, the Deluge, or the
Arc of Noah, in their Old Testament. If we see that the
Buddhistic religious treatises have thus adopted — and that too,
sometimes absolutely literally — the descriptions, stories, or
ideas to be found in the Upanisads, the ancient Dharma-Satras,
* See Sale's Koran " To the Reader ", (Preface), p. X; and
the Preliminary Discourse, Sec. IV, p. 58, (Ohandos Classics
Edition).
25—26
812 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
■or in the Manu-Smrti, then, one can naturally draw the
inference that the stanzas ' enmity is increased hy victory ',
and ' enmity does not destroy enmity ', from the Udyogaparva
(Ma. Bha. Udyo. 71. 59 and 63), or the stanza, 'the anger of
another should be conquered by peacefulness ' from the
Viduraniti (Ma. Bha. Udyo. 38. 63), or the statement of Janafca
that, " if you annoint one of my hands with sandalwood-paste
and cut off the other hand, it will be all the same to me" (Ma.
Bha. San. 320. 36), as also the several other stanzas from the
Mahabharata, which are seen to be word for word the same in
Buddhistic treatises (Dhammapada 5 and 223, and Milinda-Prasna
7. 3. 5), must have been originally in the Mahabharata, from where
they were adopted by Buddhists. But, though one can, without
fear of contradiction, say that the stanzas or ideas from the
Vedic Upanisads, Brahma-Sutras, or the Manu-Smrti, which
■one comes across in the Buddhistic treatises, were copied by
them from those Vedic treatises, since those treatises were
undoubtedly more ancient than Buddha, one cannot say the
same thing about the MahabhSrata. As the Mahabharata
contains a reference to Buddhistic JDsgobas, it is quite clear
that the last edition of that work must have been made after
the date of Buddha ; but one cannot merely on the ground of
similarity of stanzas, draw the conclusion that the present
Mahabharata must have been prior in point of time to the
Buddhistic treatises ; and as the Glta is a part of the Maha-
bharata, the same argument may be applied to the Glta.
Besides, as has been stated above, the Glta contains a reference
to the Brahma-Sutras and the Brahma-Sutras contain a
refutation of Buddhistic opinions. Therefore, we will now
consider whether or not we can find some other evidence
in Buddhistic treatises, in addition to the similarity
between the descriptions of tha Sthitaprajna etc., in the Glta
and the Buddhistic treatises, which will remove such a doubt,
and establish beyond question the fact that the Glta was
earlier in point of time than the Buddhistic treatises.
I have stated above that the original form of Buddhism
totally denied the existence of the Atman, and was in favour of
Renunciation ; but it did not retain this its form for long.
Not only did several sub-sects come into existence after the
VI -THE GlTA AND BUDDHISTIC LITERATURE 813
death of Buddha, as a result of differences of opinion about
the rules of conduct to be followed by monks, but such
differences of opinion came into existence also as regards the
-philosophy of Buddhism. And now-a-days there are even
people, who assert that Buddha, by saying that there was no
Atman, intended only to say that, "instead of wasting your
time in dry discussions about the Knowledge of the
unimaginable Atman, make the Mind desireless by practising
indifference to worldly life ; let there be an Atman, or no
Atman; concentration of the Mind is of primary importance,
and you must first make an effort to acquire that concentra-
tion". And these critics say that Buddha did not intend to
deny the existence of the Brahman or of the Atman, because,
in the Tevijja-Sutta, Buddha himself has described the state of
* brahma-sahavyataya '; and in the Sela-sutta and the Theragatha,
he has described his own state by saying : " I am Brahmabhuta "
(Sela. Su. 14 ; Ther. Ga. 831). But, whatever the original
intention of Buddha may have been, yet, there is no doubt
that various philosophical opinions, arguments, or doctrinal
sects, saying "neither the Atman nor the Brahman, nor
any other Eternal Substance is the fundament Of the universe ;
all that we see is transient and non-existent ", or, "whatever
can be seen is only Knowledge", came into existence later
on out of his doctrines (Ve. Su. Sam. Bh5. %. 2. 18-26). This
atheistic or un-Atmic Buddhistic doctrine is also known
as ' ksanikavada ' (Theory of Transience), 'sunyavada' (Theory
of Non-Existence), or ' vijfiana-vada' (Theory of Know-
ledge). But it is not necessary for us to deal with all these
various sects here. We have to deal with the historical
aspect of the matter; and I shall, therefore, mention
here only as much as is necessary for solving that historical
question, namely, the history of only the Mahayana sect.
As the existence of the Atman or the Brahman (and necessarily
also of the Paramatman, or the Paramesvara), had been denied or
considered of minor importance in the religion originally
preached by Buddha, it was hardly possible that he could have
personally preached in his lifetime the path of reaching the
Paramesvara by means of Devotion; and so long as his
imposing figure and his course of life were before the eyes of
814 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
the people, there was no necessity for that religious path. But the
path of devotion gradually came into favour with ordinary people,
and it became necessary to show them some easier and more
practical course than the atheistic renunciatory path of giving up
worldly life, becoming a monk, and ( without knowing in what,
to become annihilated) attaining Annihilation (nirvava), where-
one was. Nay, it is even possible that the ordinary devotees of
Buddha, followed the Vedic Path of Devotion, which 'was then
in vogue, and started the worship of Buddha of their own accord.
Therefore, shortly after the Annihilation (nirvana) of Buddha,
some Buddhist philosophers gave to Buddha himself the form of
a " self-created (svayambhu), and eternal (anadyanta), Highest
Spirit (purusottama)" ; and preached that attaining 'Annihilation'
(nirvam) was only his pastime, and that " the true Buddha can
never be destroyed and is always eternal ". And it also came
to be preached in Buddhistic treatises, that as " the true Buddha
is the father of the world and the people are his children ", he is
" equable towards everybody, and loves none and hates none";
and that, " when the state of religion gets disrupted, he takes
incarnations from time to time, for ' propagating religion ' in
the shape of Buddha" ; and that "by worshipping this devatideva
(god of gods) Buddha, by worshipping his religious books, and by
preaching before his Dagoba ", nay, " by devoutly offering to
him a few lotus-buds or even a single flower ", man attains the
highest of states (See Saddhaima-Pundarika %. 77-98; 5. %%;
15. 5-S2 ; and Milinda-Prasna 3. 7. "). * It is even stated in the
Milinda-Prasna that " although the whole of the life of a man
may have been spent in <avil actions, yet, if he surrenders
himself to Buddha at the moment of death, he will without
doubt reach heaven " (ML Pra. 3. 7. %) ; and it is stated in detail
in the second and third chapters of the Saddharma-PundaxJka,
that " as the spiritual status, inherent nature, and spiritual
knowledge of all persons is not the same, Buddha, out of
kindness and by his skill (upayakausalya), created this path
(yana) of Devotion, in addition to the Renunciatory un-Atmic
* The work Suddharma-Ptmiarilta has been translated in
Volnme XXI of the Sacred Books of the Bast Series. This book is
originally in the Sanskrit language ; and the original Sanskrit text
ias also now been published.
VI -THE GETS. AND BUDDHISTIC L1TERATUBE 815
jiath". It was not possible at any time to entirely discard the
doctrine preached by Buddha himself that one must take up the
state of a monk in order to reach 'Annihilation' (nirvana);
because, doing so would have amounted to cutting at the very
•foundation of the original preaching of Buddha. But there was
no objection to saying that it was the duty of Buddhist monks
•to; -perform philanthrophioal and charitable acts like the
propagation of religion with a desireless (niriseita) frame of
mind, instead of living alone and in dejection in the forest
dike a ' rhinoceros ', though they might be monks. * This
■opinion has been advocated in the Saddharma-Pundarika and
•other treatises of the Mahayana sect, and jNagasena has told
Milinda (Mi. Pra. 6. %. i), that, " it is not impossible to attain
Annihilation (nirvana) t by remaining in the -state of a house-
holder, and that many such cases are to be seen ". Anybody
will easily realise that these ideas are not from the original
un-Atmic and renunciatory Buddhistic religion, and that they
•cannot be supported on the basis of the Theory of Non-Existence
•(svmya-vada), or the Theory of Knowledge (vijnSna-vada) ; and
.many Buddhists at first thought that these ideas were
inconsistent with the original preaching of Buddha. But
-this new opinion naturally became more and more popular
later on, and the Path followed by; those who adhered
"to the original preaching of Buddha acquired the name
of ' Hlnayana ' ( inferior path ), and the new path came
to be known as ' Mahayana ' ( supe rior path ) f ■ The
* The refrain (dhruva-pada) of the 41 stanzas of the
Khaggavisana-sutta out of the Sutta-nipata is '' eh> care JshaggavisaKa
Aappo", ' Jchaggavisana' means ' rhinoceros ', and the refrain means
;that the Buddhist monk should Eve alone in the woods like a
.rhinoceros.
f In describing the difference between the Hlnayana and the
Mahayana sects, Dr. Kern says as follows: — "Not the Arhat,
who has shaken off all human feeling, but the generous, self-
sacrificing, active Bodhisattva is the ideal of the Mahayanists, and
4his attractive side of the creed has, more perhaps than anything
■else, contributed to their wide conquests, whereas Southern
Buddhism has not been able to make converts, expect where the soil
jbxu been prepared by Hinduism and Mahayanism " — Manual of
816 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
Buddhistic religion now in vogue in China, Japan, Tibet etc.,.
is of the Mahayana sect ; and the societies of monks belonging;
to the Mahayana sect •were principally responsible for the
vigorous expansion of Buddhism after the Annihilation
(nirvar/a) of Buddha. Dr. Kern has come to the conclusion that
this reform in Buddhism must have taken place about 300 years-
before the Salivahana Saka,* because, there was a big conference
of Buddhist monks in the reign of the Saka king Kaniska.
We find statements in Buddhistic works that monks of the
Mahayana sect were present at that conference ; and the Chinese
translation of the most important sffira-book of this Mahayana
sect called Amitayu-sutta, made in about 148 A D., is now
available. But in my opinion, this date must be taken still
further back; because, the stone inscriptions made by Asoka
about 230 B. C. do not contain any reference to the atheistic
Buddhistic religion, but to the humanitarian and Activistic-
Buddhistic religion. It is, therefore, clear that the Mahayana
doctrine of Buddhism had begun to acquire the Activistic form,
before that date. The Buddhist monk Nagarjuna was the
principal protagonist and not the originator of this sect.
As it was not possible that the original atheistic Buddhistic
religion, which denied the existence of the Brahman and the
Atman, and accepted only the Renunciatory path of the
TJpanisads which (path) aimed at freeing the mind from the
slavery to objects of pleasure, should gradually and naturally
Indian Buddhism, p. 69. ' Southern Buddhism ' means Hlnayana ;
the Philosophy of Devotion has found a place in the Mahayana
creed. '' Mahayanism lays great stress on devotion, in this respect
as in many others, harmonising with the current of feeling in
India which led to the growing importance of BhaUi" (Ibid. p. 124).
* See Dr. Kern's Manual of Indian Buddhism pp. 6, 69 and 119.
Milinda (the Greek king named Minander) ruled in the eonntry
called Bactria, in the north-west of India about 140 or 150 B. C. ;
and it is stated in the Milinda- Prasna that Nagasena then con-
verted him to Buddhism. As this work of proselytising, was
carried on only by the Buddhists belonging to the Mahayana path,,
it is quite clear that the Mahayana path was in existence at that-
time.
VI -THE GITA AND BUDDHISTIC LITERATURE 817'
give rise to the Activistie path of Devotion, it is quite clear that
there must have been some other contemporary cause outside
the Buddhist religion which -was responsible for giving to the
Buddhist religion this Activistie devotional form, which it.
acquired soon after the death of Buddha; and when one considers.
what that cause must have been, one cannot but think of the.
Bhagavadglta. Because, out of the other religions which were
then in force in India, the Jain and the Upanisadic religions,
were wholly renunciatory ; and although the Pasupata or Saiva
or other sects of the Vedic religion advocated Devotion, yet, as
has been clearly shown by me in the eleventh chapter of the
Glta-Rahasya, Activism has not been harmonised with Devo-
tion, anywhere except in the Bhagavadglta. In the Glta, the
Blessed Lord has called Himself 'the Most excellent Spirit'
(puruqottama) ; and there are such statements in the Glta as "I am
the Purusottama, Who is the ' father ' and ' grand-father '
(9. 17) of all " ; or, " I am ' equable ' towards all, for, to Me none
is dear, nor inimical" (9. 39); or, "though I am unborn and
inexhaustible, yet, I have to take incarnations from time to time
for the protection of the religion " (4. 6-8) ; or, " however sinful
a man may be, he becomes a saint by beginning to worship Me "
(9. 30); or, "if any flower, leaf, or even a little water, is.
offered to me with Devotion, I accept it with pleasure'"
(9. 26); or, "Devotion is a very easy path for persons
who have not acquired Knowledge" etc.; and the doctrine
that the Brahman-devoted {brahmanistha) must accept the
Path of Activism has not been expounded in detail any-
where except in the Glta. Therefore, one is forced to draw the.
conclusion that, just as the purely renunciatory path of the.
Destruction of Desire has been taken into the original Buddhistic
religion from the Upanisads, so also has the principle of
Activistie Devotion been adopted into the Mahayana sect from
the Bhagavadglta. But, this fact does not rest only in inference ;
for, it is clearly stated in the book written by the Buddhist,
Taranatha in the Tibetan language, which deals with the
history of the Buddhistic religion, that " Rahulabhadra, the
preceptor of Nagarjuna, was a Brahmin converted to Buddhism;,
and the Jnanin Sri Krsna and Ganesa were responsible for this
Rahulabhadra getting these ideas (of the Mahayana sect)" ; and
818 GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
there is a similar statement in another Tibetan book* It is
true that this book of Tara.na.tha is not very ancient;
but, I need not say that the statements in it have
not been made without the authority of ancient works ;
because, it is not likely that any Buddhist writer will,
without any reason, make a reference in this way to saints
from another religion in explaining the principles of
his own religion. Therefore, the fact that a Buddhist writer
has himself, clearly and by name, referred to Sri Krsna,
is a matter of very great importance ; because, as there is
no other book in Vedic religion dealing with the path
of Activistic Devotion except the Bhagavadglta written by
Sri Krsna, this reference clearly shows that not only the
Bhagavata religion but also the Bhagavadglta written by Sri
Krsna for expounding the Bhagavata religion, were already
is existence before the Mahayana sect ; and Dr. Kern is of the
same opinion. When it is proved that the Glta existed before
the date of the Mahayana sect, one can immediately draw the
inference that the Mahabharata must also have then been in
existence. It is true that it is stated in Buddhistic treatises
that the doctrines expounded by Buddha were collected together
immediately after his death. But from that it does not follow
that the very ancient Buddhistic treatises which are now
available had also been written at that date. The Mahaparini-
bbana-sutta is considered to be a very ancient treatise out of
the now available Buddhistic treatises. But Prof. Rhys-Davids
has shown that this book could not have been written for at
least a 100 years after the death of Buddha, having regard to
* See Dr. Kern's Manual of Indian Buddhism p. 122 " He
(Nagarjuna) was a pupil of the Brahmana Rahulabhadra, who
himself was a Mahayanist. This Brahmana was much indebted to
the sage Krishna and still more to Ganesha. This quasi-historical
notice, reduced to its less allegorical expression, means that
Kahayanism is much indebted to the Bhagavadglta, and more
«ven to Shaivism". It would seem that Dr. Kern understands the
word l ganeha' as indicating Saivism. Dr. Kern has translated
the hook Saddharma-Pundarika in the Sacred Books of the East
Series; and this opinion has been advocated by him in the
Introduction to that book (S. B. E. Vol. XXI. Intro, pp. xxv-xxviii).
VI - THE GlTA and BUDDHISTIC LITERATURE 819
i reference made in it to the city of Pataliputra ; and it is
stated in the Vinayapitaka, at the end of the Cullavagga, that
there had been a second conference of Buddhistic monks a 100
years after the death of Buddha. Trom this it follows, that
the Vinayapitaka and other Buddhistic Pali works found in
Ceylon, had been written after the date of this conference. * It
is stated by Buddhist writers themselves that these works were
taken there by Mahendra, the son of Asoka, when he started the
preaching of the Buddhistic religion in the Sirhhaladvlpa
{Ceylon) about 341 B. C. ; and that they must first have
appeared in book-form about 100 to 150 years after that date.
It was usual in those times to learn these books by heart, and
therefore, even if one assumes that there was no change in
them on that account after the date of Mahendra, yet, one
cannot say that nothing was added to these treatises from the
ihen available Vedic treatises when they were first prepared,
after the death of Buddha, or after that, upto the date of
Mahendra or Asoka. Therefore, as it is proved by other
evidence also, that the Mahabharata was certainly in existence
at any rate before King Alexander, that is to say, 325 B. C.»
though it may have been written after the date of Buddha, it
is not impossible to find some stanzas from the Mahabharata
in the books taken into Ceylon by Mahendra, as other stanzas
are found taken into them from the Manu-Smrti. It is seen,
in short, that seeing that the Buddhistic religion was being
propagated after the death of Buddha, ancient Vedic Gathas
and traditions came to be collected together in the Mahabharata;
that the stanzas from that work which appear in Buddhistic
treatises have been taken by the Buddhist writers from the
Mahabharata; and that the writer of the Mahabharata did not
take those stanzas from Buddhistic works. But even if one
assumes for the sake of argument that (a) these stanzas were
not taken by the Buddhist writers from the Mahabharata,
but were taken from some other Vedic treatises, which were
the basis of the Mahabharata, but which are not now to be
found, and that, (6) on that account, the date of the Mahabharata
■cannot be fixed from this similarity of stanzas, yet, the following
four facts, namely, (1) principles of Activism . and Devotion
* See 8. B. E. Vol. SI. Intro, pp. sv-xx, and p. 58.
830 GlTA-RAHASyA OK KARMA-YOGA
cannot gradually and naturally be evolved from the un-Atmic and
renunciatory original Buddhistic religion, (2) the specific reference
by name to Sri Krsna made by Buddhist writers themselves-
in connection with the origin of the Mahayana sect, (3) the
similarity in meaning and terminology between the Activistic
and Devotional doctrines in the Gita and the doctrines of the
Mahayana sect, and (4) the absence of Activistic devotional
principles in the other Jain or Vedic schools of thought, which
were then in existence, prove beyond the slightest doubt,
that (i) the Bhagavata religion was in vogue before the growth
of the Mahayana sect of Buddhism ; that, (ii) the Bhagavadglta
had then become an accepted work on all hands ; that, (iii) the
Mahayana sect has been formed on the authority of this Gita;.
and that (iv) the doctrines enunciated by Sri Krsna in the Gita
were not borrowed by Him from Buddhism. The date of the
present Gita which has been fixed by me by reference to the other-
pieces of evidence mentioned above is fully consistent with this.
PART VII— THE GITA AND THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE.
When it has in this way been definitely established, as-
mentioned above, that the devotional Bhagavata religion came
into existence in India about 1400 years bafora Christ, and that
the Glti. written by Sri Krsna was, according to the opinion
of Buddhist writers themselves, responsible for Activistic
Devotional doctrines entering the original renunciatory
Buddhistic religion promulgated before the date of Christ, the-
the argument advanced in certain Christian Missionary treatises*
that, because many of the doctrines of the Gita are to be found
in the Christian Bible, that is, in the New Testament, these
doctrines must have been taken into the Gita from the Christian
religion, and especially the statements made by Dr. Laurincer
in his German translation of the Gita, published in 1869, will
necessarily be seen to be absolutely false. Dr, Laurincer has-
shown at the end of his book (that is, of his German translation
of the Gita) more than a hundred cases of similarity of words
between the Bhagavadglta and the Bible, and principally the
New Testament For instance, the sentence "At that day, ye
shall know that I am in my father, and ye in me, and I in
you" (John. 14. Z0), is not only similar in meaning but also-
almost word for word the same as the following sentences from
VII -THE GlTi AND THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE 821
the Glta, namely, " yena bhutany asesena draksyasy atmany atho
mayi" (i. e.. "by this Knowledge, you will realise that all beings
are in you, and also in Me "—Trans.), (Gi. 4 35), and "yo mam
paiyati sarvatra sarvam ca mayi pasyati", (i. e., "he who sees that
I, the Paramesvara Paramatman am everywhere, and sees all
beings in Me "—Trans.). Similarly, the sentence ' ' he that loreth
me, shall be loved of my Father and will ]ove him" (John 14. 21)
is in every way similar to the sentence "priyo hi jftfinino
'bjartham aham sa ca mama priyah" (i. e., " I am much beloved of
the Jnanin, and Itoo love (much) the Jfianin" — Trans.), (Gi. 7. 87).
Prom this and many other similar sentences, Dr. Laurincer has
drawn the conclusion that the writer of the Glta knew about
the Bible ; and he has said that the Glta must have been written
about 500 years after the Bible. An English translation of
this portion of the work of Dr. Laurincer had been published in
Vol. II. of the Indian Antiquary; and the late Mr. Telang has,
in the introduction to his versified translation of the Bhagavad-
glta, fully refuted that argument *. Dr. Laurincer is not
looked upon as a Western Sanskritist, and his knowledge and
pride of the Christian religion was more than his knowledge of
the Glta. Therefore, his opinions have not been accepted not
only by the late Mr. Telang, but also by important Western
Sanskritists like Max Miiller and others. That all the state-
ments made by him, showing hundreds of similarities of ideas
and words between the Glta and the Bible, would turn round on
him like ghosts, when once it was proved that the Glta was
earlier than Christ, had possibly never entered the head of poor
Laurincer ! But the saying that, things which one does not
see even in one's dreams, sometimes actually happen, is true,;
and, really speaking, it is not even necessary now to give any
reply to the arguments of Dr. Laurincer. Yet, as these false
opinions of Dr. Laurincer are seen being repeated in authorita-
tive English works, it is necessary to mention here in short
what has now been found, after modern researches in this
matter. It must first be borne in mind that from the mere fact
* See Bhagavadglta translated into English blank verse, with
notes etc. by K. T. Telang 1875 (Bombay). This book is diflerent
from the translation in the Sacred Books of the East Series by the
same author.
822 GITA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
"that there are similar doctrines in two different books, one cannot
definitely determine which' book was written first and which
afterwards. Because, there arise the two possibilities that
(1) the ideas in the first book may have been taken from the
second book, or (2) the ideas; in the second book may have been
taken from tbe first book. Therefore, after one has first
independently determined the dates of two books, one has to
subsequently decide who has taken from whom. Besides, as it
is not impossible that similar thoughts should strike two writers
in two different countries independently of each other, whether
at the same time or at different times, one has, in considering
the similarity between the two books also to consider whether
or not that similarity could have arisen in an independent way;
and whether or not there was any mutual intercourse between
the two countries in which these two books were written, and, on
that account, a chance of these ideas having gone from one
country to the other. When once the matter has been considered
from all points of view, it is not only impossible that anything
should have been taken into the Gita from the Bible, but on the
other hand, it will be seen to be perfectly possible that such of
the doctrines enunciated in the Christian Bible as are similar
to those in the Gita, must have been taken into the Bible from
Buddhism — that is, ultimately from the Gita, or from the Vedic
religion— by Christ or by His disciples ; and some Western
scholars have now begun even to openly say so. When in this
way, orthodox Christians saw that the scales were turned
against them, it is no wonder that they were greatly surprised
about the matter, and felt inclined to flatly deny this fact.
But all that I have to say to such persons is that, as this
question is not religious, but historical, the only logical and
honest thing which every one — and especially those who have
themselves raised the question of the similarity of ideas — can
do, is to joyfully and impartially accept all the inferences which
can be drawn according to ordinary : historical methods from the
material which has now become available to us.
The New Testament has been written as an improvement
on the Jewish religion propounded in the Jewish Bible, that is
to say, in the Old Testament of the Bible. God is known in
the Jewish language as ' Iloha ' (Ilaha, in Arabic) ; but accord-
VII - THE GITA AND THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE 823
ing to the rules made by Moses, the principal deity of worship in.
the Jewish religion has been given the special name of 'Jehovah'.
Western scholars themselves have now proved that the word
'Jehovah' is not an original Jewish word, but has come from
the Chaldean word 'yavhe' (in Sanskrit, yavha). Jews are not
idolaters. The principal observance of their religion consists in
pleasing the Jehovah by sacrificing animals or other things into
the fire, and following the code of religion and morality
laid down by God, and thereby obtaining the happiness
of themselves and of their community in this world. To-
mention the matter in short, the Jewish religion is Activistic-
and ritualistic like the Vedic Karma-kanda. Christ has, on
the other hand, preached in numerous places that, "I will have
mercy, and not sacrifice" (Matthew 9. 13); "Ye cannot serve-
God and Mammon" (Matthew 6. 24); "If thou wilt be perfect,
go and sell that thou hast and come and follow me"'
(Matthew 19. 21) ; and when He sent His disciples to different,
countries for propagating His religion, He told them : " Provide-
neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, nor scrip for
your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves"
etc., (Matthew 10. 9-13), and asked them to follow other similar
rules of Renunciation. It is true that the modern Christian
countries have coolly shelved this preaching of Christ. But,,
just as the cult of Samkaracarya does not become a cult of
royal pleasure, because, the present Samkaracarya owns-
elephants and horses, so also can we not, on account of this-
behaviour of the Western Christian countries, say that the
original Christian religion supported Activism. Just as,,
though the original Vedic religion was based on ritualistic-
performances (Karma-kanda), the Path of Knowledge (Jfiana-
kanda) later on sprang out of it, so also are the Jewish and the
Christian religions mutually inter-related. But, the Christian,
religion did not gradually come out of the Jewish religion,
as the Jfiana-kanda, and later on, the Devotional Bhagavata
religion, came out of the original ritualistic Karma-kanda in
hundreds of years. History tells us that a sect of ascetics
- called ESI or ESES suddenly came from somewhere into
the Jewish countries about 200; years at most before Christ.
Although these Esis belonged to the Jewish religion, yet
824 GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
they had given up sacrifical ritual, and used to spend their
lives in a peaceful place in contemplation of the Almighty,
and they used at most to take part in harmless occupations
like agriculture etc. for maintaining themselves. The most
prominent principles of this sect were to remain celibates, to
eschew meat and liquor, not to kill animals, not to take oaths,
and to live together socially in monasteries; and, if any one of
them acquired any property, to look upon that property as the
common property of the society ; and if any one had a desire
to enter their sect, it was necessary for him to serve as an
apprentice for at least three years, and after that to consent
to observe certain rules. Their monastery was at Endgi on the
western coast of the Dead Sea, and they used to live there
peacefully and as ascetics. The respectful references made by
Christ Himself and His disciples in the New Testament to the
opinions of the Esi sect (Matthew 5. 34 ; 19. 12 ; James 5. 12 ;
The Acts 4. 32-35), clearly show that Jesus Christ was a follower
of this sect, and He has to a great extent furthered the
renunciatory religion of this sect. But though the renuncia-
tory devotional path of Christ is in this way traced to the Esi
■sect, still it is necessary to give some satisfactory explanation
from the historical point of view, as to how the renunciatory
Esi path suddenly came into existence out of the original
Activistic Jewish religion. Some answer this question by
saying that Christ did not belong to the Esi sect. But though
this statement is taken as correct, one cannot in that way
escape the questions, (i) what was the origin of the renunciatory
religion preached in the New Testament of the Bible, and
■(ii) how such a religion suddenly entered the Activistic Jewish
religion ; for, the only difference is, that instead of having to
explain the origin of the Esi sect, one has to answer these
two questions ; because, nothing comes into existence anywhere
suddenly. It grows gradually, and the growth starts from a
much earlier period; and it is a well-established rule of
Sociology, that where such a growth is not noticed, the matter is
usually found to have been adopted from a foreign country or
from a foreign people. It is not that the former Christian
writers had not realised this difficulty ; but before Europeans had
come to know about Buddhism, that is to say, upto the 18th cen-
VII - THE GlTA AND THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE 825
tury of the Christian era, Christian research scholars were of the
•opinion, that the renunciatory doctrines of the Esi sect must
have entered the Activistic Jewish religion, as a result of the
■philosophy of the Greeks, and especially of Pythagoras, after
■an intimate relationship had been established between the Greeks
.and the Jews. Recent researches prove this inference to be false.
Yet, this shows that the idea, that it was not naturally possible
for the Esi or Christian renunciatory religion to have come
out of the ritualistic Jewish religion, and that there must have
i>een some reason for it which was outside the Jewish religion,
is not a new idea ; and that this idea had been accepted as
•correct by Christian scholars before the 18th century.
Colebrooke has said that there is a great deal of similarity
.between the philosophy of Pythagoras and that of Buddhism * ; "
.and therefore, if the above theory is accepted, the parentage of
the Esi sect naturally comes to be traced to India ; but it is also
not now necessary to mince matters about this question. It will
.be seen by a comparison of the Buddhistic religious works with
the New Testament of the Bible that the similarity between
not only the Esi religion but also the life of Christ and the
preachings of Christ on the one hand and the Buddhism on the
■other hand, is a hundred times greater than the similarity
■between the Esi or the Christian religion and Pythagorian
philosophers. Just as the Devil tried to tempt Christ, and just
as Christ fasted for forty days when He acquired the state of
a Siddha (perfect man), so also did Mara tempt Buddha, and
Buddha on that occasion fasted for forty-nine days (seven weeks)
&s has been stated in the biography of Buddha. In the same
way, performing by the force of Faith alone such things as
walking on water, making one's face or body suddenly appear
brilliant like the Sun, or redeeming even thieves or prostitutes,
who had surrendered themselves, are similar in the case of
Buddha and of Christ; and the principal moral precepts of
■Christ, such as, "Love thy neighbour", or "Love thy enemies"
■ .etc. will sometimes be found to have been given word for word,
before the date of Christ, in the Buddhistic religion. The
philosophy of Devotion did not originally form part of
Buddhism. But, as has been stated above, that principle had
* See Colebrooke's Miscellaneous Essays, Vol. I. pp. 399, 400;
826 GlTA-BAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
been adopted by the Mahayana Buddhist sect at least 200>
to 300 years before Christ, from the Bhagavadgita. But
Mr. Arthur Lilly has authoritatively shown in his books that
this similarity does not exist only as regards these things,,
but that there are hundreds of other small and big incidents,,
in which there is a similar similarity between the Christian
and the Buddhist religions. Nay, the symbol of the Cross,
which has become sacred to Christians on account of the. fact
that Christ was crucified on a Cross, had also become a holy
symbol in the Vedic and Buddhistic religions in the shape
of a 'svastika', hundreds of years before Christ; and modern
research scholars have proved that not only in Egypt and other
countries in the ancient continents of the earth, but even in
Peru and Mexico in America, the svastika was looked upon as
an auspicious sign many centuries before Columbus'''. From
this one has to draw the conclusion, that the svastika sign,
which had become a matter of regard and reverence long,
before the date of Christ, was made use of in one particular
way by the devotees of Christ. There is also a great deal
of similarity between the Buddhist monks and the old Christian
missionaries (specially the earliest preachers) so far as their
dress and religious observances are concerned. For instance,
the ceremony of initiation after a bath, that is to say ' baptism ',
was in vogue long before the date of Christ; and it has now
been proved that Buddhist monks had wholly adopted the
procedure of sending religious preachers to different countries
and thus propagating their religion, long before the date of
Christian missionaries.
It is quite natural for a thinking person to ask himself why-
there should be such a strange and comprehensive similarity
between the lives and the moral preachings of Buddha and Christ,,
and also between the religious observances of both these religionst.
• Sea The Secret of the Pacific by 0. Beginald Enoch, 1912,.
pp. 248-252.
f Mr. Arthur Lily has written a separate book on this subject
called Buddhism in Christendom ; and he has also briefly expressed
Us opinion in the last four chapters of Ms book, Buddha and'
Buddhism. The exposition made by me in this part of the Appendix,
has bee» made principally on the authority of this book. The.
VII - The GITi. and THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE 827
this similarity first came to the notice of Western
scholars by the study of Buddhistic treatises, some Christian
scholars began to say that Buddhists must have adopted these
principles from the Asiatic Christian sect known as the
'Nestorian' sect. But such a thing is absolutely impossible;
because, the founder of the Nestorian sect himself came into
existence about 425 years after Christ, whereas Buddha was
born about 500 years before Christ, that is to say, nearly 900
years before Nestor ; and it has now been established beyond
doubt from the stone inscriptions of Asoka that in his times,
that is to say, at least 250 years before the Christian era,
Buddism was followed to a very large extent in India and in
the surrounding countries, and works containing the life of
Buddha etc. had also been written. The ancientness of
of the Buddhistic religion being in this way undoubtable, there
remain only two possible conclusions regarding the similarity
to be seen between the Christian and the Buddhistic religions,
namely, that (1) this similarity must have arisen in the two
places independently of each other, or that (2) these principles
must have been taken by Christ or His disciples from Buddhism.
Prof. Ehys-Davids says that this similarity has arisen as a
result of the similarity between the circumstances of both
Christ and Buddha, and that it has arisen in both the places
naturally and independently *. But any one will realise after
a little consideration that this solution is not satisfactory ;
because, when anything comes into existence anywhere
independently, it grows very gradually, and we can also
see the course of the growth. For instance, we can logically
show the gradual growth of the Jnana-k3nda out of the
Karma-kanda, and also how the philosophy of Devotion,
the PataSjala-Yoga, and ultimately 'the Buddhistic religion
grew gradually out of the Jnana-kanda, that is, from the
Upanisads. But the renunciatory Bsi or Christian religions
have not grown in the same way from the Activistic Jewish
book Buddha and Buddhism was published in 1900 in The World's
Epoch Makers Series ; and in the tenth part of that book, about
SO similarities between the Buddhist and the Christian religions
have been shown.
* See Buddhist Sottas, S. B. E. Series, YoL XI, p. 163.
27—28
328 GlTA-RAHASYA OH KARMA-YOGA
Teligion. And I have stated above that modern Christian
•scholars have now admitted the position that the Christian
religion came into existence suddenly, and that there was some
•cause outside the Jewish religion which was responsible for its
having done so. Besides, the similarity between the Christian
and the Buddhistic religions is so strange and so complete, that
it is impossible for such a similarity to arise in an independent
way. It would be. different if it could be proved that it was
totally impossible for Jewish people to have come to know
anything about Buddhism. But history clearly proves that
after the date of Alexander — and certainly at the date of Asoka
<that is, at least 250 years before Christ)— Buddhist monks had
found their way to Alexandria in Egypt, and Greece, in the east
of Europe. It is stated in one Asokan stone inscription itself that
Asoka had entered into a treaty with Antiochus, who was a
Greek king ruling over the Jewish and the surrounding countries.
In the same way, there is a statement in the Bible itself, that
learned persons had travelled into Jerusalem from the East when
•Christ was born (Matthew 2. 1). Christians say that these sages
were Magis, belonging to the Iranian religion, and not from
India. But whatever is said, the meaning is the same. Because,
history clearly tells us that long before this date, Buddhism had
spread to Kashmir and Kabul, and that it had travelled to the East
of Europe as far as Iran and Turkey. Besides, Plutarch himself
has clearly recorded * that a monk from India used to come every
* See Plutarch's Morals — Theosophical Essays, translated by
0. N. King (George Bell & Sons), pp. 96 and 97. There is a
reference in tie MahSvarhsa written in the Pah language (29. 39) to
a Greek, that is, yavana town named Alasanda ( yona-nagara 'lasanda) ;
and it is stated there that some years before the Christian era, while the
work of building a temple was going on in Ceylon, many Buddhist
monks had gone from that place to Oeylon for the celebration. Tne
English translator of the MahavamSa says that a town named
Alasanda established by Alexander in Kabul is meant in this
place, and not Alexandria in Egypt. But this is not correct ;
because, this small place would not have been referred to by anybody
as a city of yavanaa. Besides, the stone inscription of Asoka
mentioned above, itself contains a clear reference to Buddhist monks
having been sent to the, kingdom of the yavanaa.
VII - THE GlTi'AHD THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE 829
year to the shore of the Bed Sea, that is to say, somewhere near
Alexandria during the life of Christ. In short, there is now no
doubt whatsoever that Buddhist monks had started entering
Jewish countries two or three hundred years before Christ; and
•onoe the fact of this intercourse is admitted, it naturally
follows that Buddhism was principally responsible for the
renunciatory Esi religion, and later on, for the renunciatory
and devotional Christian religion finding entry into the
Jewish countries. The English writer Lilly has drawn this
■very inference ; and he has mentioned in his book the similar
opinions of the French scholars E'mile Bournouff and Bosni in
•support of his opinion * ; and Prof. Sedan, who was the
Professor of Philosophy at Leipzig University in Germany,
has also expressed the same opinion in his books on this subject.
The German Professor Schroeder has said in one of his Essays
that the Christian religion is not exactly similar to Buddhism ;
*that, though there may be a similarity between the two in some
matters, there is a great deal of dissimilarity in other matters ;
and that, therefore, the opinion that the Christian religion was
derived from the Buddhistic religion cannot be accepted. But,
as this statement is irrelevant, it does not carry any weight
whatsoever. It is nobody's case that the Christian and
Buddhistic religions are similar to each other in all respects ;
because, if such were the case, nobody would have said that
tthese two religions are, different from each other. The principal
'question is, what was the reason for the renunciatory devotional
Christian religion being promulgated as an improvement on
the fundamentally purely Activistic Jewish religion; and
when one thinks of the history of the Buddhist religion, which
•was undoubtedly more ancient than the Christian religion, it
does not appear .historically logical to say that the renunciatory
principles of Ethics and Devotion in Christianity were
discovered by Christ independently. There is no information
to be found in the Bible as to what Christ was doing from the
12th to the 30th year of His life, or where He was during that
period. And it is quite clear that He must have spent this
time in the acquisition- of knowledge, in religious meditation,
a nd in travel. Therefore, it is impossible to say definitely
* See Lilly'B Buddha and Buddhism pp. 158 ff.
830 GlTA-RAHASYA OK KARMA-YOGA.
that He could not have come into contact, directly or indirectly,
with Buddhist monks during this period of His. life; because,
the activities of Buddhist monks had at that date gone as far
as Greece. There is a clear statement in a book to be found
in a Buddhist monastary in Nepal that Jesus Christ had at
that time come to India, and that He there acquired the.
knowledge of Buddhism. This book was found by a Russian
named Nicholas Notovisch, and he published a translation of
it into the French language in 1894. Many Christian scholars
say, that though the translation of Notovisch may be correct,,
the original book itself is a fraud written by some one; and I
too am not very emphatic on the position that these scholars
should accept that book as authentic. Whether the book found,
by Notovisch was reliable or not, it will be quite clear from
the dissertation made by me above that, from the purely historical:
point of view, it was not impossible, at least for the
disciples of Christ who wrote His life in the New Testament,,
if not for Christ Himself, to have become acquainted with
Buddhism; and if this position is not improbable, it does not
appear logical to say that the strange similarity to be found
between the lives or the preachings of Christ and Buddha, was-
something which came into existence independently*. In short,,
the purely ritualistic path of the Mlmamsakas, the Knowledge-
Action (nmskarmya) path of Janaka and others, the Path of
Knowledge and Renunciation of the writers of the Upanisads
and the Samkhya philosophers, the Patafljala Yoga in the shape
of 'Concentration of the Mind', and the Panearatra or the
Bhagavata religion, that is, the Philosophy of Devotion, are all
religious paths which grew originally from the ancient Vedic-
religion. Leaving aside, out of these, the Path of the Knowledge of
the Brahman, the Path of Energism, and the Path of Devotion,.
Buddha has preached his renunciatory religion to the four castes,
on the basis of the philosophy of (i) Yoga in the form
of 'Concentration of the Mind', and (ii) Karma-Samnyasa
* The same is the opinion of Mr. Rameshehaadra Dufct, and
he has expressed it in detail in his book. . See Rameshehandra
Butt's SUtory of Cwilidalion in Ancient India Vol, II, Chapter XX
pp. 828-340.
VII - THE GlTA AND THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE 831
"(Abandonment of Action); but the supporters and followers of
Buddha, later on added to his religion the principles of Devotion
and of Desireless Action, and spread this reformed Buddhistic
religion on all sides. After the Buddhistic religion had in this
way spread everywhere at the date of Asoka, the principles of
Renunciation began to find a way into the purely Aotivistie
Jewish religion; and Christ ultimately added to it the Philosophy
of Devotion, and established His own religion. When one gives
proper weight to this gradual growth, which is established by
historical facts, one comes to the definite conclusion that far
from the Glta having taken something from the Christian
religion, as suggested by Dr. Laurincer, there is a very strong
.probability, and almoBt a certainty, that the principles of Self-
Identification, Renunciation, Non-Enmity, and Devotion, to be
found in the New Testament of the Bible, must have been taken
.into the Christian religion from Buddhism, and therefore,
indirectly from the Vedic religion; and that, Indians had no
need to look to other people for finding these religious principles-
I have in this way considered the seven questions mentioned
by me at the beginning of this Appendix. Other important
•questions such as, what was the effect of the Bhagavadglta on the
Rath of Devotion now followed in India etc., arise in the train
of these questions. But, instead of saying that these questions
have a bearing on the Glta, one must say that they deal with the
ancient history of the Hindu religion. Eor this reason, and
principally because this Appendix has been lengthened out
beyond my expectations, although I have attempted to make it
as short as possible, I shall now finish this External Examination
.of the Glta.
THE ORIGINAL STANZAS
OF THE
GITH
■WITH
TRANSLATION AND COMMENTARY.
AUTHOR'S PREFACE.
I have explained in detail in the various chapters of the
Gita-Rahasya, that (i) the highest benefit of every human being
in this world and in the next, lies in first acquiring as much
Equability of Reason ( buddhi ) as possible by Knowledge and
Faith, but withal and principally, by the easy and royal road
of Devotion, and thereafter doing his duties till death, desire-
lessly, according to his own religion, in the interests of
universal welfare; that (ii) it is not necessary, to give up
Action or to practise any religious austerities for attaining
Release; and that (iii) this is the sum and substance of the
Gita-Religion. In the same way, I have shown in the fourteenth
■chapter of this book the clear continuity of the eighteen
chapters of the Glta from this point of view, as also which
parts of the other methods of attaining Release have been
included in the Activistic religion of the Glta, and how. When
the whole matter has been thrashed out in this way, there
remains really nothing to be done beyond giving the plain
translation of the stanzas in the Glta, according to my
rendering of them, in their proper order, in the Marathi
vernacular. But, it was not possible for me to show in the
general Exposition in the Glt5-Rahasya how the subject-matter
of each chapter of the Glta has been divided, or how commen-
tators have stretched the meanings of certain words in the
stanzas for supporting their particular doctrine. Therefore,
taking both these matters into consideration, I have thought it
necessary to give some notes, in the shape of a commentary,
immediately after the translation of each stanza, in order that
the prior and subsequent context should be understood on the
.spot. Nevertheless, in these commentaries, I have only touched
in passing on those matters, which have been fully dealt with
in the GltS-Rahasya, and I have given the reference to the parti-
cular chapter of the Gita-Rahasya in which that . particular
subject-matter has been dealt with. In order to enable the
reader to distinguish these commentaries from the original
matter, I have enclosed them within square brackets, thus, [ },
836 GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
and put a dotted line by the side. * I have translated the stanzas
as far as possible literally, and in several places I have retained
the original word in the translation, and given after it its
meaning in Marathi, saying 'that is, so and so'; t and I have
thus included in the translation itself, what would otherwise
have to be given as small foot-notes. Even though this has been
done, it has also become necessary to add some words here and
there in the translation, in ordeT to give the complete meaning of
the original Sanskrit stanza in Marathi, on account of the differ-
ence between the Sanskrit and the Marathi idiom ; and very often,
the word used in the original has also to be given in the translation
by way of reference. In order to distinguish these additional
words, I have placed them within round brackets, thus, ( ).
In Sanskrit books, the number of the stanza is always given at
the end. But, in the translation I have given it in the beginning.
So that, if some one wants to find out the translation of aparticular
stanza, he must refer to what follows the figure showing the
number of the stanza. I have arranged the translation in such
a way that, if one reads only the translation, omitting the
commentaries, there is no break in the sense. Similarily, where a
sentence has been finished in the original in more than one-
stanza, I have completed its purport in the translation of the
same number of stanzas. Therefore, the translation of some of
the stanzas has to be read in continuity. Where such stanzas
occur, I have not placed a full stop at the end of the translation
of the stanza. Still, it must not be forgotten that a translation
will be a translation in any case. It is true that I have attempted
to bring out the plain, broad, and principal meaning of the Glta
in the translation; yet, it is impossible to transport into the
translation, by means of other words, and just as it is, the power
of metaphorically creating numerous figurative meanings, which
exists in Sanskrit words, and especially in the loving, sweet, and
* Instead of using a dotted margin for distinguishing the
©Momentary, as was done by the author, I have made the distinction
by putting the commentary within square brackets, and using a
diBerent type — Translator.
t This, too, hns been placed by me within round brackets,
$hus, ( ), though in the original author's text, it is not within
brackets— -Trans.
AUTHOR'S PEEFACE 837
exhaustive speech of the Blessed Lord, "giving new pleasures
at every .step". Evidently,' one who merely reads the
Marathx translation cannot mate a metaphorical use of the
stanzas in the . Glta on various occasions, as can he done by
a person who understands the Sanskrit language. Nay, there
is very often a chance of such a person making mistakes. It
is, therefore, my earnest entreaty to everybody that, whoever
can do so, should not fail to study the original Glta in Sanskrit;
and that is one of the reasons why I have given the
original stanza side by side with the translation. In order
that it should be convenient to grasp the subject-matter of each
ohapter of the Glta, I have given separately, in the beginning,
the contents showing all these subjects, according to stanzas,
and in the order of the chapters, on the basis of the groups
of sections adopted in the Vedanta-Sutras. If one does not
read each stanza separately, but reads the groups of stanzas
as a whole by reference to this index, the present misunderstand-
ing about the import of the Gits will to a considerable extent
be reduced; because, the different meanings of some stanzas
which have been given by doctrine-supporting commentators^
who have stretched the meaning of the stanzas for proving
their doctrines, have been usually given, disregarding this
previous and subsequent context. ( For example, see my com-
mentary on Gl. 3. 19 ; 6. 3 ; and 18. 2). Considering the matter
from this point of view, it may well be said that this translation
of the Giti. and the Gita-Rahasya are mutually complementary..
And he who wishes to fully understand what I want to say,
must read both these parts. As it is usual to learn by heart
the whole of the Glta, one does not come across important
variant readings in it. Nevertheless, I must state here that
I have accepted as genuine the text of the Glta as given in the
Sarhkarabhasya, which is the most ancient of Bhasyas on the
Glta now available.
Detailed contents showing the subjects mentioned
in the various chapters of the Gita, according
to the stanzas.
Note ;— The divisions of the various subjects in the different
chapters of the Gita, which have been made in these contents
according to the stanzas, have been shown in the, original
stanzas printed further on by the sign §§ printed at the begin-
ning of the stanza ; and, in the translation, a separate paragraph
has been started from that stanza.
CHAPTER I— ARJUNA-VISAJDA YOGA
(The Toga of the Dejection of Arjuna).
1. The question of Dhrtarastra to Sanjaya. 2-11. The
description given by Duryodhana to Dronacarya of the armies
on either side. 12—19. The blowing of conches by way of
greetings to each other in the beginning of the war. 20-27.
The survey of the army after the chariot of Arjuna has been
brought forward. 28-37. The dejection of Arjuna at seeing his
own relatives in both the armies, and realising that the
generation will become extinct by their being killed. 38-44.
The results of sins like extinction of the hda (family). 45-47.
The decision of Arjuna not to fight, and his throwing away his
bow and arrows.
CHAPTER II-SAMKHYA YOGA
(The Yoga according to the Samkhya system).
1-3. The encouragement given by Sri Krsna. 4-10. The
reply of Arjuna, his doubt as to his own duty, and his surrender-
ing himself to Sri Krsna for an elucidation of what his dharma
(duty) was. 11-13. The non-lamentability of the Atman. 14-15.
The inconstancy of the Body ; and, of pain and happiness. 16-25.
The discernment between the Real (sat) and the Unreal (asat), and
the justification of the non-lamentability of the Atman by the
description of the immortality, and other features, of the Atman.
26, 27. The reply, on the basis of the immortality of the
Atman. 28. The inconstancy and non-lamentability of the
perceptible creation according to the Samkhya system. 29, 30.
it is true that the Atman is difficult to Realise, but you should
CONTENTS OF THE SUBJECTS IN THE GITA 839
acquire true Knowledge, and give up lamentation. 31-38,
The necessity of warfare according to the religion of the
Ksatriyas. 39. The conclusion of the argument on the basis
of the Samkhya system, and the beginning of the argument
on the basis of Karma-Yoga. 40. Even a little observance
of Karma-Yoga is beneficial. 41. The steadying of the
Discerning (vyavasayatmika) Eeason. 42-44. A description
of the unsteadiness of Mind of the followers of the Mimarhsa
school, who are engrossed in the Karma-kanda (ritual). 45, 46-
The advice to perform Action with a steady and concentrated
(yogastha) Reason. 47. The four canons ( catuhsutri) of the
Karma- Yoga. 48-50. The nature of Karma-Yoga, and the
superiority of the Eeason of the Doer ( hxrta) over the Action
( karma ). 51-53. Release, by following the Karma-Yoga. 54-70
A description of the qualities of the Sthitaprajna in reply to
the question of Arjuna, including, as occasion arises, a des-
cription of the growth of Desire ( kama ), Anger ( krodha ), and
other emotions, as a result of Attachment ( asakti ) to the objects
of pleasure. 71, 72. The Brahmi state.
CHAPTER III— KARMA-YOGA
( The Yoga of Right Action ).
,1, 2. "Should Action (ritual) be abandoned or performed;
what is the truth,?", being the question asked by Arjuna. 3-8. The
definite advice to Arjuna that, although there are the two paths
( nistha ), (i) Samkhya ( karrm-samnyasa or Abandonment of
Action ) and (ii) Karma-Yoga, yet, as nobody can escape Karma
( Action ), Karma-Yoga is superior, and the path to be followed.
9-16. The advice to perform even the sacrificial ritual of the
MlmarhsS school after abandoning Attachment; the antiquity of
the Yajfia-cakra (cycle of sacrificial ritual), and the necessity of
it, for the continuance and maintenance of the world. 17-19. In
as much as the Jnanin (one who has acquired Knowledge) has
no more any self-interest left, he must perform all Action,
which befalls him, with a disinterested, that is, desireless frame
of mind ; because, no one can escape Karma (action or ritual).
20-24. The illustration of Janaka and others ; the importance
of universal welfare [lokasamgraha), and the illustration of the
Blessed Lord Himself. 25-29. The difference between th§
840 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
Actions of the Jfianin and the Ajnanin (one who is ignorant); and,
the necessity for one, who has acquired Knowledge, to give an
illustration of righteous action, to the one who has not acquired
Knowledge, by his own conduct in performing Action desire-
■lessly. 30. The advice to Arjuna to perform warfare like a
Jfianin, that is, with the intention of dedicating it to the
Paramesvara. 31,32. The result of performing Action, by Faith,
according to this advice of the Blessed Lord, and of not
doing so. 33, 34. The overpowering influence of Prakrti, and
the control of the organs. 35. The Desireless Action to be
performed, should be according to the duty prescribed for the
doer, even if one meets his death in the performance of such
Action. 36-41. Desire (kama) compels a man to commit sin
in spite of his "Will ; and, the destruction of that Desire by the
control of the organs. 42, 43. The order of superiority among
the organs; and, the control of the organs by means of the
Knowledge of the Atman.
CHAPTER IV— JSaNA-KARMA-SAMNYASA YOGA
I The Yoga of Jfiana, and Abandonment of Action ).
1-3. The doctrinal tradition of Karma-Yoga. 4-8. An
explanation of why, when, and how the Paramesvara, Who is
free from birth, takes transcendental births or incarnations by
Maya. 9, 10. Reincarnation is escaped from, and the Blessed
Lord is reached, by understanding the principle underlying these
transcendental births and Karma. 11, 12. If the worship is
performed in some other way, the Fruit obtained, is relative
to the worship ;e. g. worship of deities for obtaining Fruit
relating to this life. 13-15. The unbinding (rtirlepa) Action of
the Blessed Lord relating to the four castes ; the destruction
of the bond of Action by understanding the underlying
principle ; and the advice to perform Action (karma) accordingly.
16-23. The difference between ' karma ' (Action), ' akarma '
.(Non-Action), and 'vikarma' (Wrong Action); akarma means
unattached-Action ; that, is the correct Karma ; and, the bond
of Karma is destroyed only by such Aotion. 24-33. Description
of various kinds of Metaphorical Yajfias (sacrifices); and the
superiority of the Sacrifice performed with the ' brahma-buddhi ' ;
that is, .of the Jfiana-Yajna '. 34-37. Advice about Knowledge
CONTENTS OF THE SUBJECTS IN THE GZT1 841
from one who has acquired Knowledge ; Self-Identification ; and,
the annihilation of sin or merit by Knowledge. 38-40. The
means of acquiring Knowledge; buddhi (-Toga) and sraddha
'(Faith) ; ruin, in the absence of these. 41, 42. A description of
the individual uses of (Karma-) Yoga and Jfiana (Knowledge),
'and the advice to engage in warfare with the help of both.
CHAPTER V— SAMNYiSA-YOGA
(The Yoga of Renunciation).
The direct question of Arjuna whether Samnyasa (Renun-
ciation) or Karma-Yoga is superior. The definite answer of the
Blessed Lord, that though both lead to Release, Karma-Yoga is
superior. 3-6. By giving up Desire, the Karma-Yogin becomes
•a nitya-samnyasin (a perpetual ascetic) ; and Samnyasa (renun-
ciation) itself is not successful without Karma (Action);
therefore, both are the same in principle. 7-13. As the mind
of the Karma-Yogin is always in a state of Renunciation and
his Actions are only the actions of the organs, he is always
unattached, peaceful, and Released. 14, 15. The real Activity,
.and Enjoyment is of Matter (prakrti), but as a result of
ignorance, it is supposed to be that of the Atman or of the
Paramesvara. 16, 17. Release from re-birth as a result of the
annihilation of this ignorance. 18-23. A description of the
Equability of vision, the steadiness of the Reason, and the
indifference towards pain or happiness, resulting from
brahmajnana (Knowledge of the Brahman). 24-28. The
Karma-Yogin is always brahma-bhuta (merged in the Brahman),
sarmdhiitha (mentally absorbed) and mukta (Released) in this
■very life, though he may be performing Action for the benefit
of the entire creation. 29. The result of Realising that the
Paramesvara is the recipient of all Yajfia (sacrificial ritual) and
.tapa (austerities), (though He does not take on Himself the
Doership), and that He is the friend of the whole creation.
CHAPTER VI— DHYANA-YOGA
( The Yoga of Meditation ).
1, 2. The one who performs Action without entertaining
any Hope of Fruit (pkdasa) is the true Samnyasin or Yogin;
842 GITA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
'Samnyasin' does not mean one who is niragrd (one -who does
not perform Fire-Worship, or other ritualistic Action), and akriya
(one who performs no Aotion at all). 3,4. The mutual interchange
of of karya (Result), and kararia (Cause) of soma (Abandonment)
and karma (Action) in the ' siddKavastha' (perfect state), and
the sadhanavastha (preparatory stage) of the Karma-Yogin ; and>
the characteristic feature of the Yogarudha (one who is
installed in Yoga). 5, 6. The freedom of the Atman to success-
fully acquire Yoga. 7-9. Even among the jUatman-yogayukta
(those who have conquered Self and are steeped in Yoga), the
one who has attained Equability of Reason is the best. 10-17.
A description of the bodily postures (asana), and food, and
recreation, necessary for yoga-sadham (the successful practice
of Yoga). 18-23. A description of the Yogin, and of tha beatific
.happiness of the yoga-samadhi (mental absorption resulting
from Yoga). 24-26. How to gradually make the Mind, Absorbed
(samadKstha), Peaceful (santa), and Self -devoted (atmanistha).
27, 28. The Yogin alone is 'Merged in the Brahman' (brahmabhuta)
and intensely happy. 29-32. The Self-Identification of the
Yogin with the entire creation. 33-36. The control of the restless
Mind by Practice (abhyasa), and by Indifference to worldly affairs
(vcdragya). 37-45. A description of how the yoga-bhrasta (one
who has abandoned the practice of Karma-Yoga), or the jijitam
(one who has got the desire to understand what the Karma-
Yoga is) acquires growing merit, birth after birth, and ultimately
complete Release, given in reply to the question of Arjuna. 46, 47.
The Karma-Yogins, and among them those who are Devout,
are better than the tapamns (those who perform religious
austerities), the Jnanins (the scients), and mere Karmins (those
who merely perform Action or Ritual) ; and, the advice to Arjuna
to become a (Karma-) Yogin.
CHAPTER VII-jSaKA-VIJNANA YOGA
' (The Yoga of Spiritual and Worldly Knowledge).
1 — 3. The beginning of the disquisition on Jfiana (Spiritual
Knowledge) and Vijfiana (worldly knowledge), for the attainment
of Karma-Yoga; the rarity of persons who make an effort to
'•attain Karma-Yoga. 4-7. Consideration of the ksara
(SS&ishableO and- the aksard (imperishable); the eight-fold
CONTENTS OF THE SUBJECTS IN THE GITA 843-
aparcHprakrti (inferior material manifestation), and the ( para-
prakrti (superior material manifestation), in the shape of Jlva, of
the Blessed Lord; and the further development of everything
out of it. 8-12. A brief survey of the form of the Paramesvara,.
which pervades the sattvika (equable) and other divisions of that
development. 13-15. This is the qualityful {gwnamayi) and
insuperable (dustara) Maya (Illusion) of the Paramesvara ; and
the overcoming of that Maya by surrendering oneself to the
Paramesvara. 16-19. Devotees are of four kinds; and the.
Jnanin is the most superior among them. The completion of
JfiSna (Knowledge) after innumerable births, and the permanent
fruit in the shape of assimilation with the Blessed Lord.
20-23. The worship of deities in the hope of obtaining non-
permanent objects of Desire ; but even there, the Blessed Lord
wields the power to give fruit or benefit according to one's Faith
in the Blessed Lord. 24-28. The real form of the Blessed Lord
is imperceptible (avyakta); but that form becomes difficult of
Eealisation on account of 'Maya' (Illusion): the mental
confusion about the couples of opposites (dvamdva); and the
Eealisation of the true form of the Paramesvara by the
destruction of the confusion created by Maya. 29, 30. Ultimate
Acquisition of Knowledge by Eealising that the Brahman, the
adhyatma (Absolute Self), karma (Action), the adhi-bhuta
(absolute Matter), adM-daiva (the highest Deity), and adK-yajfia.
(the highest sacrifice) are all Paramesvara.
CHAPTEE VIII— A.KSABA-BBAHMA YOGA
(The Yoga of the Imperishable Brahman) ' ■'
' 1-4. The definitions of the terms 'brahrna', ' adhyatma',"
'Mhi-Vhuta', 'adM-ddiva','adhi-yajna\ and 'adK-deha', in reply to the.
question of Arjuna; all of these contain the same Isvara. 5-8..
Eelease by thinking of the Blessed Lord at the moment of '
death; but, that which is always in the mind, is also in the mind
at the moment of death; therefore, the advice to always think
of , the Blessed Lord';' and,' to fight. 9-13. The concentrated,
meditation on the Om-kara, that is, on the Paramesvara at, the .
moment of death; and the result of it. 14-16. '.The ' annihilation
of re-"biri;h as a result' of constant thinking of .the Blessed Lord,
the states of Brahma-loka etc., are not permanent. 17-19. ' The
" '29—30 ' " " -
844 GlTA-EAHASYA OS KAEMA-YOGA
day and night of Brahmadeva, the creation of the Cosmos from
the Imperceptible in the beginning of his day, and the merging
of it, in that same Imperceptible, in the beginning of his night.
20-33. The Imperceptible (avyakta) and Imperishable (ak^ara)
Spirit ( puru$a ) is even beyond that Imperceptible ; the possibility
of attaining the Ultimate Imperceptible, by means of Devotion ;
and, the end of re-birth as a result of such attainment. 23-26.
The paths of Devayana and Pitry5na; the first puts an end to
re-birth, the second is just the opposite. 27-28. The result which
Is obtained by the Yogin who understands the principle
underlying these two paths is the highest, and therefore, the
advice to act accordingly.
CHAPTEE IX— EUAVIDYA-EUAGUHYA YOGA
(The Yoga of the 'King of Cults' and the 'King of Mysticisms'),
1-3. The Path of Devotion, which, includes Spiritual
Knowledge (jflana) and Worldly Knowledge (vijnam), : is
productive, of Eelease and is nevertheless easy and realisable ;
therefore, it is the King of Paths (raja-marga). 4-6. The
unintelligible Yogic activity of the ParameS vara; being in the
entire creation, He is nevertheless, not in it ; and the entire
creation being in Him, is yet not in Him. 7-10. He makes use
of the illusory Prakrti for the construction and destruction of
the Cosmos, and the creation and destruction of created beings
(bhuta); and in spite of all this, He is untouched by Desire, that
is to say, Unattached (alipta). 11, 12. Those who do not realise
this, and defy the Paramesvara, Who has taken a human form,
are fools, and asuri (ungodly). 13-15. On the other hand, those
who go in for. various otter devotional practices by means of .
the Jaana-yajna are daivi (godly). 16-19. The Isvara is Allr
pervading, and He is the parent, the owner, and the maintainer
of the universe, and the doer of whatever is good or bad. 20-22.
Although the paraphernalia of Yajnas and Yagas according to
the Srutis may be productive of heaven, yet, that fruit is
non-permanent; if it is said that the same is necessary for
' tJoga-k$ema' (maintenance and protection), then, that can be
obtained' even by Devotion. 23-25. Devotion to other
•teiiieB is indirectly Devotion to the Paramesvara, but the
fiik'istconsiste&t with the deity and the mental belief. 26. If
CONTENTS OF THE SUBJECTS IN THE GITA 845
there is Devotion, the Paramesvara is satisfied even by the
•offering of a petal of a flower. 27, 28. The advice to dedicate all
acts to the Isvara; escape from the bonds of Karma, and Release
by doing so. 29-33. The Paramesvara is equal to all; whether
one is a, sinner, or born in a low caste, or a woman, a Vaisya,
■or a Sudra, all attain the same end, if they become unlimited
Devotees. 34. The advice to Arjuna to adopt this path.
CHAPTER X VEBHfJTI-YOGA,
(The Yoga of Manifestations)
1-3. The destruction of sin by realising that the unborn
Paramesvara is prior to the gods and the Rsis. 4-6. Manifesta-
tions of the Isvara, and Yoga; the origin of Reason (bvMhi),
and other qualities (bhava), the origin of the seven Rsis and of
Manu, and of everything in order of succession from the Isvara.
17-11. The Acquisition of Knowledge by the Devotees of the
Blessed Lord, who have Realised this; but to these too, 'buddM-
■siddW (the success of buddhi) is given by the Blessed Lord.
12-18. The request of Arjuna to the Blessed Lord to describe to
him, His manifestations and Yoga. 19-40. A description of the
most important out of the innumerable manifestations of the
Blessed Lord. 41, 42. All that which is 'vibhutimat' (manifested),
'sri-mat' (illustrious) and' urjita' (elevated) is the effulgence of
the Paramesvara, but only in part.
CHAPTER XI— VISVA-RUPA-DARSANA YOGA.
(The Yoga of the Showing of the Cosmic Form )
1-4. The request of Arjuna to the Blessed Lord to show to
him His Isvaric form, as described in the previous chapter. 5-8.
The giving to Arjuna of transcendental vision to enable him to
.see this wonderful and transcendental form. 9-14. The
description of the Cosmic Form (msva-vupa) by Sanjaya. 15-31.
'The praise of the Cosmic Porm by Arjuna, who had' become
humble as a result of surprise and terror; ' and, his request to the
'Cosmic Form-ed Lord to become propitious and explain who He
■was. 32-34. The reply that : "I am 'Time' or 'Death' (Ma)";
•and the encouraging advice to Arjuna to become the instrument
ior killing those warriors, who had already become engulf 6& in
846 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
that 'Time' or 'Death'. The praise, the beseeching for for-
giveness, and the request to resume the former form made by
Arjunato the Cosmic Form-ed Lord. 47-51. Impossibility of
visualising the Cosmic Form otherwise than by exclusive
worship; resuming by the Blessed, Lord of His former form.
52-54. A vision of the Cosmic Form impossible even to gods in
the absence of Devotion. 55. Therefore, the final advice, in the
form of a general summary, to Arjuna to perform Action after
becoming ' nihsanga' (unattached) and 'nirvaira' (non-inimical),.
with the intention of dedicating everything to the Paramesvara.
CHAPTER XII— BHAKTI-YOGA.
(The Yoga of Devotion)
1. The question of Arjuna, with reference to the summari-
sing advice given at the end of the last chapter, as to whether
the ' worship of the Perceptible ' (waktopascma), or, the ' worship,
of the Imperceptible' (avyaktopasam) was superior. 2-8. The
end of both is the same ; but, the worship of the Imperceptible is
arduous, whereas, the worship' of the Perceptible is easy and
speedily successful; the advice, therefore, to worship the
Perceptible -with a desireless frame of mind. 9-12. The various
devices, such as, Practice (abhyasa), Knowledge (jnama).
Meditation {dhyana) etc, for concentrating one's attention
on the Blessed Lord; and the best path, in any case, is the"
'Abandonment of the Fruit. of Action' (karma-phala-tyUga).
13-19. A description of the mental condition of the Devotee
and the love of the Blessed Lord for him. 20. Those believing.
Devotees, who live according to this religion, are most; beloved
of the Blessed Lord.
CHAPTER XIH-KSETRA-KSETRAJS-A-VIBH&GA YOGA-
1 - ■ ' (The Yoga of the Division of the Cosmos into the
Body and the Atman)
', 1,2. Definitions of the terms 'ksetra' and- ' ksetrajfia' ;
acquaintance with them, ' means < . acquaintance with the
Paramesvara. 3, 4. The consideration of the Body (ksetra) and,
the Atinan (ksetrajfia) according to the Upanisads, and according.
to 'the Brahma-Sutras. 5, 6.' The nature of the form of the Body.
fty. , .-Jhe nature of the form of Knowledge (jnana);
CONTENTS OP THE SUBJECTS IN THE GTTA 847
opposite of it, that is, Ignorance (ajnana). 12-17. The nature
of the form of the Knowable (jneija). 18. The result of Realising
all this. 19-21. The consideration of Matter (prakrti) and
Spirit (purusa). Prakrti is the active agent, and Purusa is
inactive, but is the one who derives the benefit, -sees, etc.
22, 23. The Purusa is the ParamStman within the Body;
the end of re-birth as a result of the Realisation of
this Prakrti and Purusa. 24, 25. The ways of acquiring the
Knowledge of the Atman, namely, meditation (dhyana), the
Samkhya-Yoga, the Karma- Yoga, and Devotion by hearing
sermons with a believing frame of mind. 26-28. The birth of
the moveable and immoveable creation from the union between
the Body and the Atman; that which is imperishable in it, is
the Paramesvara ; reaching the Paramesvara by one"s own
efforts. 29, 30. Prakrti is the active agent, the Atman is
inactive ; all created things are contained in One, and they all
spring from One ; attainment of the Brahman by Realising this,
31-33. The Atman is eternal and qualityless, that is to say,
though it enlightens the Body, it is unattached (nirlepa). 34
The highest Perfection as a result of Realising this difference
between the Body and the Atman. '
CHAPTER XrV— GUNATRAYA-VIBHAGA YOGA.
(The Yoga of the division of Matter into three constituents.)
1, 2. A consideration of the diversity of created beings
included in Spiritual Knowledge and Worldly Knowledge,
having regard to the different constituents ; this too is productive
of Release. 3, 4. The Paramesvara is the father of all created
beings ; and, Prakrti, which is dependent on the Paramesvara,
is their mother. 5-9. The influence of the sattva, rajas, and
tamos constituents on the created universa 10-13. Impossibility
of there being only one constituent; the growth of the third
constituent by the defeat of the other two ; and, the nature of
the growth of each. 14-18. The result of Action, according to
the predominance of any particular constituent, and the state
which is obtained after death. 19-20. The attainment of
Release by going beyond the three constituents. 21-25. A
description of the nature and the mode of living of the
Trigunatlta (one who has gone beyond the three constituents)
848 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
given in answer to the question of Arjuna. 26, 27. The acquiring-
of the Trigunatita state by solitudinal (ekantika) Devotion, and.
the attainment thereafter of the Paramesvsra, Who is the
ultimate resolution of all Release, all religion, and all
happiness.
CHAPTER XV— PURUSOTTAMA-YOGA.
(The Yoga of the most Excellent Spirit).
1, 2. The similarity between the Vedic and the Samkhya
descriptions of the Cosmic Tree (brahma-vrksa) in the form of
the ' asvattha ' (pippala) tree. 3-6. The cutting of that tree by
' asanga' (unattachment) is the only way for the attainment of
the Immutable State (avyaya-pada), which is beyond it; a
description of this Immutable State. 7-11. The forms of the
'jiva' and the ' ' tinga-sarira' (Subtle Body), and their mutual,
relationship, which can be realised by scients. 12-15. The
all-pervasiveness of the Paramesvara. 16-18. The nature of the
ksara (perishable) and the dksara (imperishable); the Purusottama
is beyond both. 19, 20. By the Relisation of this mystic
Purusottama, one acquires All-Knowledge (sarvajftata) and
Accomplishment (krtakrtyata).
CHAPTER XVI— DAIVASURA-SAMPAT-VIBHAGA YOGA.
(The Yoga of the division into godly and ungodly endowment).
1-3. The 26 qualities of godly (daivi) endowment. 4. The
nature of ungodly (asuri) endowment. 5. Godly endowment is
productive of Release, and ungodly endowment is productive of
bondage. 6-20. A detailed description of the ungodly; they
are destined to perdition, birth after birth. 21, 22. The three-
folded door of Hell— Desire (kama), Anger (krodha), and Avarice
(ld>ha)— bliss, as a result of giving these, up. 23, 24. The advice
to. Arjuna to decide about the Doable and the Not-Doable
consistently with the Sastras, and to act accordingly.
^'CHAPTER XYH— SRADDHA-TRAYA-VIBHAGA YOGA.
(The Yoga of the Division into three kinds of Faith)
J-, %*L. A. description of three kinds of Faith, such as, the
«|jfc^jet&,;;;aceQrding to the inherent nature of Frakrti, in
wfe*58%3W^J9%f«| Afjana;astheFaith,.so the man. 5,6-
CONTENTS OF THE SUBJECTS IN THE GlTA 849
The asura is different from this. 7-10. The sattvika, rajasa, and
_ tamasa kinds of food. 11-13. The three kinds of Yajfia. 14-16.
The .three divisions of Austerity {tapa) namely, sarira (bodily),
vacika (vocal) and manasa (mental). 17-19. Each of these is
again of three kinds, by a division according as it is sattvika
etc. 20-22. The three kinds of gifts, namely, sattvika etc. 23-
The 'brahma-nirdesa' (symbol of the Brahman) 'OM-TAT-SAT'
24-27. Out of these, the word OM is indicative of the beginning
of Action, the word TAT refers to Desireless Action, and the
■word SAT reftrs to Proper Action. 28. That -which remains,
namely, the Unreal (asat), is fruitless, whether in this life or in
the next.
CHAPTER XVIII-MOKSA-SAMNYASA YOGA.
( The Yoga of Release by Renunciation ).
1, 2. The definitions of Samnyasa (Renunciation) and
Tyaga (Abandonment) according to the doctrine of Karma-Yoga
in reply to the question of Arjuna. 3-6. The explanation about
the eligibility and non-eligibility of Action; even actions
(or ritual) like Yajfias and Yagas must be performed, with a
Desireless frame of mind, just like other Actions. 7-9.
The sattvika, rajasa, and tamasa varieties of Abandonment
of Action; out of these, performing one's duty, abandoning
the Hope of Fruit (phalasa) is the only sattmka-tyaga
(equable Abandonment). 10, 11. The one who abandons-
the Fruit of Action is the ' sattvika-tyagin ' ; because, no.
one escapes mere Action. 12. The three-fold Fruit of Action
does not become a source of bondage to the 'sattvika tyagin*.
13-15. There are five reasons for any Action taking place;
man is not the only reason. 16, 17. Therefore, when a man
has got rid of the egotistical feeling (ahamkara-buddhi) that 'I
am the doer', he remains unattached, though he performs
Action. 18-19. The three-fold nature of, and the Samkhya form
of ' karma-codana' (the inspiration to perform Action), and
' karma-samgraha' (the performance of Action). 20-22. The
three kinds of Jfiana according to the three qualities sattvika
etc.; the Realisation that 'avibhaktaim vibhaktem' is sattvika'
23-25. The three kinds of Karma (Action) ; of these, that in
■which the Hope for Fruit is absent is sattvika. 26-28. The three
850 GlTA-RAHASYA OK KARMA-YOGA
kinds of Doers (karta); the Unattached (nihsanga) Doer is
mtvika. 29-32. The three kinds of Reason (buddhi). 33-35.
The three kinds of Perseverance (dhrti). 36-39. The three kinds
of Happiness; that which arises out of Self -Identification is
sattrika. 40. The three divisions of the entire universe according
'to different constituents. 41-44. The justification of the four
castes on the basis of the three different constituents; the
inherent Actions of Ksatriyas, Vaisyas, and Sfidras. 45, 46.
Ultimate Perfection by doing one's own duties, as prescribed for
the four castes. 47-49. Living according to another's religion
is fraught with danger; Action according to one's own religion,
though faulty, ought not to be abandoned; and when all Actions
are done according to one's own religion (dharma), with a
desireless frame of mind, one attains the 'naiskarmya-siddhi'
(The Perfection of Desireless Action). 50-56. An explanation
of how this Perfection ( siddM ) is obtained, even after performing
all Actions. 57, 58. The advice to Arjuna to follow this Path.
59-63. Individuation ( akmkara ) is helpless before the inherent
nature of Prakrti ; one must surrender oneself to the Isvara ; the
advice to Arjuna that he should realise this mystic secret, and
then do whatever he wants. 64-66. The final promise of the
Blessed Lord that if Arjuna surrendered himself to Him, giving
up all other Paths of Religion, He would redeem him from all
sins. 67-69. The benefit to be derived by maintaining the
tradition of the Path of Karma-Yoga. 70, 71. A description of
the results thereof. 72, 73. Arjuna becomes ready to fight,
after the clearing of his doubts as to what he ought to do. 74-78.
The summing up by Saujaya after he had told this story to
DhrtarSstra.
STtlMAD BHAGAVADGITA
^%t ^^% WHdl 13^TEr: I
CHAPTER I.
[In the present Mahabharata, the tradition as to how the
■Gita preached to Arjuna by Sri Krsna in the beginning of
•the BharatI war, was subsequently promulgated, has been
described as follows : In the beginning of the war, Vyasa
went to Dhrtarastra and said to him, " If you desire to see
the war, I will give you your eye-sight ". * But, Dhrtarastra
said that he did not wish to see the destruction of his own
clan (lada). Thereupon, Vyasa gave to a bard (suta) named
Safijaya such spiritual eye-sight as would enable him to
actually see everything that was taking place on the
"battle-field, while sitting where he as, and made arrange-
ments that he should relate to Dhrtarastra what was
happening in the war, and then went away. (Ma. Bha.
Bhlsma. 2). When, according to this arrangement, Safijaya
first went to give to Dhrtarastra the news of the fall of
Bhlsma in the war, Dhrtarastra lamented the death of
Bhlsma and commanded Safijayato relate to him the entire
history of the war. Safijaya has first described the armies
on both sides, and then started to recite the Gita in answer
to the question of Dhrtarastra. The same history was later
on related by Vyasa to his disciples, and thereafter, by
Vaisampayana, one of those disciples, to Janamejaya, and
finally by Sauti toSaunaka; and the Gita is comprised in
all the printed editions of the Mahabharata, from the 25th
to the 42nd chapters of the Bhlsmaparva. According to
this tradition — ]
Dhrtarastra said : (1) O Safijaya, what did my sons
* Dhrtarastra was totally blind, having lost both his eyes— Trang.
852 GITA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
T#af TT^prruimi-sira mat ^^ i
*W P^"* ^ Tttstar nffUHT » 3 »
and the sons of Pandu, desirous of war, do, when they
assembled together, on the sacred field, the Kuruksetra ?
[The Kuruksetra is an open space of ground surrounding
the city of Hastinapura. The present city of Delhi stands on
this field. Kuru, the common ancestor of the Kauravas and
the Pandavas, was ploughing this field laboriously by his
own hands. That is why it is called 'ksetra' (or, field). It
is said in the Bharata, that, when Indra thereafter gave
to Kuru the blessing that all those who would die on that
field in war or while performing religious austerities,
would obtain Heaven, Kuru stopped ploughing the field.
(Ma. Bha. Salya. 53). As a result of this blessing, this field
came to be called ' dharmakseira' or 'sacred ground'. There
is also a story that Parasurama killed all the Ksatriyas on
twenty-one successive occasions on this field, and in that
way offered a pious oblation to the manes of his deceased
ancestors (made a pttr-tarparia); and there have been big
wars, even in modern times, on this field.]
Safijaya said : *(2) Thereupon, seeing that the army of
the Pandavas was (standing) drawn up in battle-array, the-
prince Duryodhana went to the Preceptor (Drona), and said-
fit is stated in the chapters of the MahSbharata before
the Glta that when Bhisma had first arranged the
array of the Kaurava army, the PSndavas, in accordance
with the rules of war, arranged their army in an array
{v0ha) called the ' Vajra'. (Ma. Bha. BhI. 19. 4-7 ; Manu.
7. 191). During the course of the war, these military arrays
used to be changed every day. ]
(3) C) Acarya ! behold this mighty host of the sons of
Fan&u, of which the array has been arranged by your
,,., * The words ' Dhrtarasfra said ', ' Safijaya said ' etc. have been
unSarEned by ine, for distinction, though in the author's text they
,h«^|^h6e^ ; Bp^nde|^ned— Trans. ' . . "
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP, I 853
igstRt ■RTresj IT?sr *HR«j: 11 8 11
fS%gS%cfTH: *|RkT3T3J cfiw^ I
g5r%flcro'T3r5I #?ra 5R5^: n H 11
*=fNifi f rq^ra ^r csr mrem « 5 «
a^n% 1 Rffisr ^ snfsrafa %srrem 1
talented pupil, the son of Drupada (Dhistadyumna) . (4) In
it there are heroes, mighty bowmen, the equals of Bhlma
and Arjuna in battle, ( namely ) Yuyudhana ( Satyaki )
Virata, and the maharathl Drupada, (5) and Dhrstaketu,
Cekitana, and the valiant king of Kasi, Purujit Kuntibhoja,
and that eminent man named Saibya, (6) as also the
heroic Yudhamanyu, and the valiant Uttamauja, and the
son of Subhadra (Abhimanyu), and the (five) sons of
Draupadi all of whom are holders of great chariots.
[That warrior who could fight single-handed with ten
thousand archers was known as 'maharathl', that is,
' holder of a great chariot '. A description has been
given in the 8 chapters (164th to 171st) of the Udyoga-
parva, stating which warrior in both the armies was
a ' raihl ', or a ' maharathl ', or an ' atirathi '. There it is stated
that Dhrstaketu was the son of Sisupala ; similarly, Purujit
Kuntibhoja are not the names of two persons. It is
stated there that Purujit was the legitimate son of the
king Kuntibhoja, to whom Kunti had been given in
adoption ; that, Kuntibhoja was his family-name ; and that,
he was the maternal uncle of Dharma, Bhlma, and Arjuna
( Ma. BhS. TJ. 171. % ). Yudhamanyu and Uttamauja were
both from the Pancala country, and Cekitana was a
Yadava. Yudhamanyu and Uttamauja were the protectors
of the wheels of Arjuna's chariot. Saibya was. the king of
the Sibi country. ]
(7) O best of the twice-born ! I shall now mention to
you the names of the most distinguished on our side,
S54 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
who are the leaders of my army, for your information ; learn,
who they are. (8) They are yourself and Bhisma, and Karna,
and Krpa, the victorious in battle, Asvatthama, and Vikarpa
(one of the hundred brothers of Duryodhana), as also the
son of Somadatta (Bhurisrava) ; (9) and there are besides
several other valiant men, who are ready to to sacrifice their
lives for me, and all of them can fight with various weapons,
and are proficient in the art of war. (10) This our army,
which is protected by Bhisma is aparyapta,* (that is,
unlimited or boundless), whereas that their army, protected
by Bhima, is paryapta, (that is, parimita, or limited).
[There is a difference of. opinion as to how the words
'paryapta' and 'aparyapta' are to be understood, 'paryapta'
ordinarily means 'sufficient'. Therefore, some interpret
this stanza as meaning, " the army of the Pandavas is
sufficient, and our army is insufficient (aparyapta) ". But,
•this interpretation is not correct. In the foregoing chapters
of the Udyogaparva, Duryodhana, while describing their
army to Phrtarastra has given the names of the above-
mentioned commanders of his army, and has said : "As my
army is very large and well-trained, I am bound to win the
war " (U. 54. 60-70) ; similarly, when Duryodhana again
describes his army to Dronacarya, further on in the
Bhismaparva, he has uttered the words of the above stanzas
* Di. Annie Besant translates 'aparyapta' as 'insufficient' (See
The JBhagmadgiB translated by Annie Besant and Bhagvandas.
Theo. Fab. Honee, 1926 p. 5). Bnt Telang translates it as
Wlmited' (See. S. B. B. Series Vol. Vlttp. 88)*-Trans. ■ •
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. I 855.
of the Glta (Bhlsma. 51. 4-6) ; and as this description has
been given in a joyful frame of mind, in order to encourage
the whole army, the word 'aparyapta', cannot possibly be
interpreted otherwise than as meaning 'unlimited', 'bound-
less', or ' innumerable '. The root meaning of the word
' paryapta ' is 'that which is capable of being surrounded,
(apa = to occupy), on all sides (pari)'. But, when the word'
'paryapta', is used after some word in the fourth (dative)
case, as in 'for a particular purpose, paryapta', or 'to some
person (or thing), paryapta', then the word 'paryapta', means
'that which is sufficient for, or capable of performing that
particular purpose' ; and if there is no word before the word
'paryapta', it, by itself, means 'sufficient', 'limited', or
'countable'. For instance, take the words 'grasun takanya
sarakhem' (that which is capable of over-whelming) in the
Marathi language, which are synonymous with the Sanskrit,
word 'paryapta'. "When you say 'amakyala grasun takavya
sarakhem', (that which is capable of overwhelming some
• thing or some one), it means that it is 'sufficient for him or
it', and remains over; but, if you simply say 'grasun
takanya sarakhem ', it means that 'some one else can over-
whelm it'. In the present stanza, as there is no word
before the word 'paryapta', this latter meaning is the
correct meaning ; and the Brahmanandagirl commentary
gives illustrations of the word being used in that sense in
books other than the Bharata. The explanation given by '
some, that Duryodhana, getting frightened, says that his
army is 'aparyapta', that is, 'insufficient', is not correct ;
because, there is no description anywhere of Duryodhana
having got frightened ; on the other hand, it is stated that
the Pandavas arranged their army in the military array
known as Vajravyuha, because the army of Duryodhana
was large ; and that, Yudhisthira was dejected at seeing the
huge army of the Kauravas (Ma.' Bha. Bhlsma. 19. 5 and
21). The reason for saying that the Panda va army was''
■ 'protected by Bhima', .'although, Dhrstadyumna was.' the
; gerw»;aKsswno, isfthat Bhima had been posted in the front of
of the Vajravyuha, in which the Pandavas had arranged
their army- on the first day of the war, for protecting it;
856 GlTA-BAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
^msnfSrcsrsg ^c^f- w£ ^ ft « ?* «
and because he was the only person whom Duryodhana
could see in the forefront as the protector of the army.
{Ma. Bha. Bhlsma. 19. 4-11, 33 and 34) ; and that is why
these two armies have been respectively described as
'bhimanetra' (of which, BhSma is the eye) and 'bhismanetra'
( of which, Bhlsma is the eye ) in the chapters of the
Mahabharata prior to the Gita (Ma. Bha. Bhlsma. 20. 1).]
(11) (And therefore) Do you all respectively stand in all
the various 'ayanas', (that is, 'openings in the army'), as you
have been directed to do, and do you all protect Bhlsma
on all sides.
[Duryodhana has elsewhere (Ma. Bha. BhI. 15. 1-30 ; 99.
40, 41) given his reasons for directing that Bhlsma, who was
himself a powerful warrior, and who could not be defeated
by anybody, should be protected on all sides, by saying
tthat it was necessary for all to be careful, because Bhlsma
had resolved not to fight with Sikhandi, and was liable to
be killed by him.
■araksyiwiaffam hi who hanyat simham mahSbcdam l
ma simham jambukeneva ghaiayethah sikhatrfinfi It
that 13, " If the extremely powerful Lion is not protected,
even a wolf will kill him; therefore, do not allow the ■ Lion
to be destroyed by a fox like Sikhandi". Bhlsma was
•capable of dealing single-handed with any person whosoever
except Sikhandi ; and, he did not look for help from anybody
else.]
(12) (At this moment), The oldest of the Kauravas, the
(powerful) grand-sire (the generalissmo Bhlsma) roared
■aloud like a lion in order to engladden him (Duryodhana),
au^'btew' bis conch (as a sign of readiness for battled.
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. I 857
era*. 9 ^t%3% n^f?t : w^ n«r^ i
^faf ?aft irfRTf >fw*n! f#?C5 ii V< ii
srf^*. ^«iaj ^gtworgE^ it ?^ u
is*pft %reai fficgt%^ratrf%cf s a ?« ii
fW ft^ira h^p im3t<ra i
€ra^ n^i^irii ^jfRC WW S^ S«JW » ^ «
<(13) Thereupon, conches, kettle-drums, tabors, drums,
•cowhorns, these ( martial musical instruments ) suddenly
blared forth; and that sound was tumultuous, (that is to
■say, saturating all the four sides). (14) Thereupon,
Madhava ( Sri Kxsna ), and the son of Pandu (Arjuna), who
were seated in a large chariot, to which pure white horses
were yoked, also blew their divine conches (in order to
say by way of reply that their side was also ready ).
<15) Hrsikesa, (that is, Sri Krsna), (blew) the (conch called)
Pancajanya; Arjuna (blew) the Devadatta; Vrkodara, the
doer of terrible deeds (that is, Bhimasena) blew the mighty
conch named Paundra ; (1 6) king Yudhisthira, the son of
Kunti, blew the Anantavijaya ; and Nakula and Sahadeva blew
the Sughosa and the Manipuspaka. (17) Similarly, Kasiraja,
•holder of an excellent bow, Sikhandi, the mighty car-warrior,
and Dhrstadyumna, Virata, and Satyaki, the unconquered,
(18) Drupada, and the (five) sons of Draupadi, and the mighty-
armed Saubhadra (Abhimanyu), all these, O King (Dhrta-
rastra ) ! blew severally their 'respective conches on all sides.
GUTi-BAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
3^T3?R I
<a<fonfaei 3tet ^^rwrw^ gtm^ •
%nNn 'ai ^wwflm ; ^araisr% u ss «
yi«S<is^r ii^t (W^ftfe u ^ ii
#3TT 3^M I
m^t^i fft^ft 5^ra^tsr wca 1
%TT^I^W^' ^*imRMl VSCtrPfH II S8 II
(19) That tumultuous din, which shook the earth and the-,
firmament, rent the hearts of Kauravas.
, . (20) Then, seeing that the Kauravas were properly 1
arrayed, and when the attack by weapons was about to
start, the Pandava, on whose. standard is depicted MarutiV
(that is to say, Arjuna), took up his bow, and spoke thus, '
(21) O king Dhrtarastra, to Sri Krsna, — Arjuna said ;—■
(Please)' station my chariot between the two armies, '
(22) so that I will, in the meantime, observe these people-
who stand here desirous to engage" in battle; and T shall'
also see those persons with whom I have to fight in this*
war, and (23) gaze on those fighters who have collected
here' with the intention of helping the cause of the evil-'
minded' Duryodhana. SaBjaya said :— (24) O Dhrtarastra f
when Gudakesa, (that is, the coriquerer of idleness, namely,
Arjuna), had spoken thus to* Him, Hrsikesa, (that is, the
Conqueror of the' organs, namely, Sri Krsna), drove and'.
GlTA, TBANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. I 85£>
placed the splendid chariot (of Aijuna) between the two
armies; and —
[The meanings given by me above to the two words
'hrsikesa' and ' gudakesa' are consistent with the inter-
pretations of the commentators. In the Narada-Paficaratra,
the etymology of 'Hrsikesa' has been given as: 'hrsika'
means 'the organs', and their 'isa', that is, 'the Lord',
is the 'hrsikesa'. (Na. Pafica. 5.8.17). And it is stated
in Kshirasvami's commentary on the Amarakosa that
the word 'hrsika', that is, 'the organs', is derived from the
root 'hrs' — 'to give pleasure'; and that the organs are
called 'hrstka', because they give pleasure to the human
being. Nevertheless, there is a doubt whether the meanings-
of the words 'hrsikesa' and ' gudakesa' given above are
correct; because, the word 'hrsika' as meaning 'the organs',
and the word ' gudaka', as meaning 'idleness' or 'sleep' are
not in common use ; and the words ' hrsikesa ' and 'gudakesa"
can be etymologically derived, in another way. Instead of
breaking up the word 'hrsikesa' into 'hrsika' + 'isa', and
the word 'gud-akesa' into ' guduka' + 'isa', they -can-
respectively be broken up as, hrsi + kesa, and, guda + kesa;
and then 'hrsikesa' will mean "one whose hair {kesa) are
standing up 'as a result of joy' (hrsi) ", and are flowing, that
is to say, SrlKrsna ; and 'gudakesa' will mean, "one whose hair'
(kesa) are guda or gudha, that is, closely growing or matted",. '
that is to say, Arjuna. Nilakantha, who has written a com-
mentary on the Bharata, has suggested this alternative-;
meaning of the word ' gudakesa ' in his commentary on Glta , ...
10. 20 ; and having regard to the name Bomaharsana, of the
father of Suta, this second interpretation of the word
' hrsikesa ' can also not be said to b& improbable. Nay, in
the Narayanopakhyana in the Santipaxva of the Maha-
bharata, in giving the etymological meanings of the '_,
principal names of Visnu, 'hrsi' has been interpreted as
meaning 'joy-giving' and 'kesa' has been interpreted as
meaning 'rays'; and the word 'hrsikesa' has been interpreted
as meaning "One who fills the world with joy by means, of
the rays of His incarnations, the Sun and the Moon"; and
31-32
860 GITA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
sFsfr 3gr^ i
it is stated that He is on that account called ' hrsikeia'
{San. 345. 47 and 342. 64, 65; Udyo. 69. 9). And it is
similarly stated in the previous stanzas that the word
'kesava' is derived from 'kesa\ i.e., 'rays' (San. 341. 47).
Whichever of these meanings is taken, it is impossible to
give.a fully satisfactory reason as to why Sri Krsna and
Arjuna got these names. But this is not the fault of the
etymologists. When it comes to defining proper names
which have become very common, these kindsof difficulties
or differences of opinion are quite likely to arise. ]
(25) HE said, in the presence of Bhlsma and Drona, and
all other Icings: "O Arjuna! look at these Kauravas
assembled (here)". (26) Then Arjuna noticed that all who
were assembled there, were (his own) elders, ancestors,
preceptors, maternal-uncles, brothers, sons, grand-sons, and
friends, (27) and fathers-in-law, and dear ones in both the
armies; (and, in this way) when he had seen that all who
had assembled there were his kinsmem, Arjuna, the son of
Kunti, (28) being filled with intense pity and despair,
began to say as follows :'
At juna said ; "O Krsna ! seeing these my kinsmen,
assembled (here) desirous of engaging in battle, (29) my
]&£&'' droop down, my mouth is parched up, my body
GITA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. I 861
IToiH ^t?f I^cTT^ r^F%eT "jR^d I
ik $\ Trs^sr nfft? $> lifi^r^f^fT ^r » 3* »
w sfe^asrr g^t sTTirf^rJi^rr wf% ^r « 33 »
jrrg^r: 'W^st: fart: w&p ^srfSsrc^ar n 38 h
arffi %<Bi4iKi ^ ^r %at: f§> 3 T^tf>% h 3^ «
Tr^rrer%?^m'3: i^rmraaTf^r: n 35 «
shivers, and my hairs stand on end, (30) the Gandiva (bow)
slips from my hand, and the whole of my body is hot ; I
•cannot also stand, and my mind is awhirl; (31) similarly,
O Kesava I all omens appear adverse (to me), and I do not
perceive (that) any good will come from killing my own
feinsmen in war. (32) O Krsna ! I have no desire for victory,
nor for sovereignty, nor for pleasures. O Govinda ! of what
use is having sovereignty or enjoyment or life itself to us?
(33) (Even) those for whose sake we desire kingdom, or
■enjoyments and pleasures, are standing here for battle,
having given up (the hope of) life or wealth ; (34) though
preceptors, fathers, sons, as well as grand-fathers, maternal-
uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law, as also
relatives (35) have all uprisen to kill (us), yet, I do not
wish to kill (them), Madhusiidana, even for obtaining the
kingdom of the three worlds ; then, why (talk) of the earth ?
(36) Janardana ! what pleasure may be ours by killing
these Kauravas ? Although they are felons, yet, by killing
them, sin will but attach (itself) to us.
862- GlTA-RAHASYA OE KABMA-YOGA
[agnicfo garadai caiva sastrapaviir dhanapahah l
ksetradaraharas caiva fad ete atatayinah n
( Vasistha-Smr. 3. 16 ),
that is, "lie who has come to burn one's house, he who
administers poison, he who comes to kill with a weapon in
his hand, he who robs one of one's money, or of one's wife,
or of one's field, these six are 'felons' (atatayinah)". Even
Manu has said that such felons should be killed without
any qualm of conscience, and that there is no sin in doing
so (Manu. 8. 350, 351).]
(37) Therefore, it is not proper that we ourselves should kill
the Kauravas, who are our kinsmen ; for how, O Madhava !
can we become happy by killing our own kinsmen ?
(38) Although these, whose minds have been over-
powered by greed, do not see the guilt resulting from the
extinction of a family, and the sin of treachery towards a
friend, (39) yet, O Janardana ! when we clearly see the guilt
of the extinction of a family, how can it not enter - our minds
to turn away from this sin ?
" [See my disquisition in the first, and again in the ■
fourteenth chapters of the Gita-Rahasya, on the questions :
. (i) what is the import of the fact that Arjuna became doubt-
ful , regarding his own duty to fight, when he saw in
advance with his own eyes that the war would ■ entail the-
killing of elders, the death of relatives, and the
, extinction of .families ; (ii) what is the relation between
,, that fact and the subsequent argument in the Gita, and
(iii) what is the importance of the first ^chapter of the Gita
jfrora this point of view,'etc. To what extent the argument
that, those' who are wise should follow the doc'trine : "?ia pape ,
pratipapah syul" (i. e., 'Do not commit a sin in retaliation of
GITS, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. I 863
^§T% i|U|ijijpd f^snfr *HkHI '•
another's sin' — Trans.), and should remain inactive, but
should not become wicked for punishing the evil-minded,
though the latter might not realise their own wickedness as
a result of their minds having been over-powered by avarice,
and the other common arguments mentioned in this place,
are applicable or should be made applicable to the present
-circumstances, is a question as important as the ones
mentioned above ; and I have explained in the Chapter XII
of the Gita-Rahasya at pages 544 to 554 what, in my
opinion, is the answer of the Glta to these questions. If -
one bears in mind the fact that the exposition to be found"
in 'the subsequent chapters of the Gita has been made in ,
order to solve the doubt which had arisen in the mind of
■ Arjuna as shown in the first chapter, one can no more have
any doubt about the import of ■ the- Glta. These doubts
. arose in the mind of Arjuna, because the Bharatl war was a
■civil war, due to a split between persons belonging to the
same kingdom and the same religion, who had come-
forward to kill each other. Whenever similar circumstances
have arisen in modern history, similar doubts have also .
arisen. Arjuna now clearly specifies the evils which flow
' . from the extinction of a family.]
(40) On the extinction of a family; the eternal rites of families
are destroyed ; and when these rites (of the family) have
perished, lawlessness predominates over the whole family.
<41) When lawlessness prevails, O Krsna, the women of the
family become corrupt ; and when they have become corrupt,
then, O Varsneya! ('descendant of Vrsni'— Trans.), there fol-
lows caste-confusion. (42) And when there is caste-confusion,
864 GlTi-RAHASYA OR KABMA-YOGA.
sk% f^RRf gr^r *H c fi pi< a& gPT » 88 n
^TT 35RI
f^sar i=n?rc: ^ ^<*><jf^ti(*{M<j : n 8* n
it (necessarily) leads the destroyer of the family and the
(entire) family to hell ; and as a result of the cessation of the
ritual of offering rice-balls and water, their ancestors also fall
down (to hell — Trans.). (43) By these sins of the destroyers
of families, which result in caste-confusion, the eternal caste-
rites and family-rites are abolished ; (44) and O JanSrdana !
we have heard that persons whose family rites are abolished,
must necessarily undergo residence in hell.
(45) Alas 1 we are engaged in committing a heinous sin
in that we have uprisen to kill our own kinsmen out of
greed of the pleasures of sovereignty. (46) If, rather
than this, (these) Kauravas, bearing arms slay me in the
battle, I having become unarmed and having given up
retaliation in return, that would be happier for me.
Safijaya said : (47) Having spoken thus on the battle-field,
Arjuna, whose mind was agitated by grief, casting aside the
bow and arrows (in Ms hands), sat down (quiet) on his seat
in the chariot.
' {As it was customary to fight standing in the chariot, the
words "sat down on his seat in the chariot" more clearly
bring out the idea that he had no desire to fight, as a result
.«&£ %is dejection. It would appear from the descriptions of
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. I 865
5tut xra^Rwrnr: » ? u
chariots given in some places in the Mahabharata that in
the times of the Mahabharata these chariots were ordinarily
two-wheeled, and that larger chariots were sometimes drawn
by four horses, and that both the master of the chariot
(the rathi) and the charioteer (xiralhi) used to sit in the
anterior part of the chariot, side by side. In order that it
should be possible to find out whose the chariot was, they
used to erect a particular ensign (dhvaja) on the chariot.
It is a well-known tradition that Maruti himself used to sit
on the ensign of Arjuna.]
Thus ends the first chapter entitled The Dejection of
Arjuna in the dialogue between Sri Krsna and Arjuna ort
the Yoga included in the Science of the Brahman that is>
on the Karma-Yoga, in the Upanisad sung, (that is, told) by
the Blessed Lord.
[I have interpreted these concluding lines as showing that
the Gita does not deal only with the Science of the Brahman
(brahnwrvidya), but contains an exposition of the Karma-
Yoga consistently with the Science of the Brahman. See
Chap. I (page 4), Chapt. Ill (page 82) and Chap. XI (page
489) of the Glta-Rahasya. Although these concluding lines-
are not to be found in the Mahabharata, yet, they must have
come into existence before the date of the commentaries in.
support of Eenunciation (samnj/asa); because, no scholar,
who is a follower of the doctrine of Renunciation, will give
the concluding lines as above. This clearly shows that the
G!ta does not support the doctrine of Renunciation, but
contains an exposition of Karma-Yoga, as a science, in the ■
form of a conversation. I have shown the difference between
the scientific method and the catechismal method in the
beginning of Chap. XIV of the Glta-Rahasya. ]
. CHAPTER II.
Safijaya said : (1) To him r (Arjuna, who Was), thus' /filled
with pity, and whose eyes were filled withtearsahd turbid, and
who was dejected, Madhusudana'(SfiKrsria) spoke these words:
The' Blessed Lord .said : (2) O : Arjuna ! how has this
infamous conduct (kasmalam) not practised (at anytime)
by, the Aryas, (that is, by good men), 'which leads to hell, and
which- brings one into disrepute, entered your mind, in this
time of peril ? (3) O Pattha ! be not effeminate (like this) :
this is not worthy of you. . O, (thou) harasser of foes, casting
off this base weakness of heart, stand up (to fight).
[It is true that I have in this • place given the literal
meaning of the word ' parantapa ' as 'harasser of foes'. But
I do not consider logical, 1 the theory of most of the conrmeht-
stars, that thesfr oft-recurring adjectival epithets,-or names of
Krsna and Arjuna, have been used in the GIta in a hidden
meaning, or with a particular intention. In my opinion, these
names have been used as : was convenient for prosody, and do
not convey any intentional meaning ; and, therefore, I have
on many occasions not reproduced in the translation, the
name used in the stanza, hut have generally translated
ihem as ' Arjuna ' or ' Sri Krsna '. ]
, TRANSLATION ^COMMENTARY, CHAP. II
jS'^H^rcji fit 5Ritg*ngrq; ^ft w?i%^raqrf ^ra> i. .
Arjuna said : (4) O Madhusudana I how shall I counter-
attack in battle with arrows, Bhlsraa and Drona, who, O
Destroyer of enemies, are entitled to (high) reverence ?
(5) It is meritorious to live in this world even by begging,
without killing one's reverend elders ; for by killing such
elders, (though they might be) abashed by monetary consi
derations* I shall have to enjoy in this world blood-tainted
enjoyments.
[ The plural word 'gurun' must be taken here as meaning
' elders ' and not as ' preceptors ' ; for there was no precep-
tor in the army other than Dronacarya, who taught the
martial arts. When, before the commencement of the
war, Yudhisthira took off his shield on the battle-field,
and went in all humility, to such 'elders', that is, to
Bhlsma, Drona, and Salya in order to place his head on
. their feet, and to beseech their blessings, they gave due
praise to him, who had followed the course of conduct laid
down by propriety, and they all explained to him their
reason for fighting on the side of Duryodhana as follows: — ■'
■ arthasya puruso daso dasastv artho no, Jcasyacit I
■Hi satyam maharaja baddho 'snvy arthena kauravaih li . : ■ •
that is, " Man is the slave of wealth, wealth is the slave of
nobody; this being the true state of things, O Maharaja
Tudhisthira, the Kauravas have tied me by the bonds of
wealth" (Ma. Bha. BhI. 43. 35, 50 and 76). The words
'abashed by monetary considerations ' used above signify
the meaning conveyed in this stanza.]
(6) Nor do we know which of the two is more meritorious
* Dr. Besant & Bhagvandas translate ' arthctSamm ' as ' well-
wishers ' ( see footnote on p. 2i, The £hagvadglfa, 1926)— Trans.
GlTi-BAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
3T=rRT ^WWtif^' TFHT g t TOWT^ ^lf^r4 « £ »
, 3^g^c=IT fft%^f HJ5T%5T: I^cTT I
dJfeTM 4«Tt^i: Jnprrera *mc?r i
for us, whether we should vanquish, or that we should be
vanquished (by them). To live by killing whom, we have
no desire, those very Kauravas are standing here in front,
(to fight).
[This stanza refers to a test of the respective merits of
Action or Inaction, which is similar to the theory of ' the
greatest good of the greatest number ' ; and its net import
is that it is impossible to decide by that test whose victory
is better (See Glta-Rahasya, p. 115 and 116).
(7) As, on account of my natural temperament having been.
destroyed by adverse circumstances, my mind is in doubt as
to (my) 'dharma' (that is, my duty), I am asking You. Tell
me that which is assuredly meritorious. I am your disciple,,
instruct me, who have surrendered myself to You.
(8) For, though I might win a prosperous kingdom on the
earth free from foes, or even the sovereignty of the gods,
(of heaven), yet, I do not see aught (any means) which will
remove this my grief, which is drying up my organs.
Sanjaya said : (9) After Gudakesa, the harasser of enemies,.
(that is, Arjuna), had spoken thus to Hrsikesa (Sri Krsna), he
became quiet after saying to Govinda : " I shall not fight ".
(10) ( Thereafter ) O Bharata ( Dhrtarastra ) !, Sri Krsna,
smiling as it were, spoke thus to Arjuna, who was sitting
deje$edj)etween the two armies.
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. II 869
[The Blessed Lord is now going to give advice on the
question of one's duty in this world, to Arjuna, who
was pulled on one side by the inherent duty of the
Ksatriyas, and on the other side by the fear of the sin of
killing one's elders, and causing the extinction of families;
and who was engulfed in the doubt whether he should 'kill
or be killed ', and was prepared to give up the fight and
live the life of a mendicant. Arjuna's objection was that
his Atman would not be benefited by a terrible act like
war. Therefore, the advice in the Gits starts by showing
how those great men, who have attained the fullest bliss of
their Atmans by Realising the Parabrahman, live in this
world. The Blessed Lord says that if one scrutinises the
affairs of the world, one sees that from times immemorial
there are two ways in which persons, who have acquired
the Knowledge of the Brahman, have been leading
their lives. (See GltS, 3. 3 ; and Glta-Rahasya, Chap. XI).
.After acquiring the Knowledge of the Self, men like Suka r
gave up worldly life and led the lives of mendicants,.
whereas, other men like Janaka, who had also acquired the
Knowledge of the Self, spent their time in numerous
worldly activities according to their own dharma, even
after the Acquisition of Knowledge, for the universal good.
The first mode of life is known as the 'Saihkhya', or the
Samkhya-nistha, and the other is known as 'Karma-Toga'
or 'Yoga' (cf. stanza 39). But the Gits has laid down the
doctrine that though both these modes of life were in vogue,,
the Karma- Yoga was the superior mode, as will be shown
later on (Gl. 5. 2). Out of these two NisthSs, the mind of
Arjuna was inclined towards the Samnyasa (Renunciation)
-Nistha. Therefore, the Blessed Lord has first brought home to
him his mistake, on the basis of the philosophy relating to-
that path of life; and then, from the 39th stanza onwards,
He has started the exposition of Karma-Yoga. Though the
followers of the Saihkhya path do not take part in Action
after the Acquisition of Knowledge, yet, there is no
difference between the Knowledge of the Brahman according
to the Samkhya path and according to Karma-Yoga. There-
fore, the Blessed Lord has first explained to Arjuna in a
870 . GXTA-RAHASYA OR KARJVEA-YOGA
§§ a^u-^ Harare ? qfTRi^ra *n*r% i
Tm^nTcm^ HigtfNfsar tt%3t: n \\ >»
sr ^m mg nm * <$ %t srsnf^rr: i
ridiculing way that, if the Atmap is indestructible and
permanent, even according to the Saihkhya system, then
his question, "Sow shall I kill so and so" was mere worth-
less talk.]
The Blessed Lord- said : - (11) Vou are lamenting for
those, for whom you should not lament, and yet talk about
Kndwledge-'.'Knawers do not lament (whether) the dead or
the not-dead. , •'.,■•■
[-In this stanza it is stated that one should not lament
whether life continues or has become extinct. , Out of these,
lamenting over one who is dead, ' is only natural ;' and
■it is proper to give advice not to do so. But a doubt having
arisen as to why and in what manner it is possible to lament
the fact of some one not being dead, commentators have
indulged in a considerable amount of discussion on : this
point ; and many have said that it is a matter of lamenta-
tion that the lives of fools and ignorant people should be
spared. But, instead- of hair-splitting in this way, we
should interpret the word ' lament ' in a broad way, as
meaning 'to feel happy or unhappy', or ' to mind'. All that
is intended here is, that the JnSnin looks upon both these
matters as one and the same.']
(12)- Just realise that not only is it not that I was not (in
the past), but it is not that you and these kings were not
<in the past); nor is it that all of us will not be again in
the future.
[In commenting on this stanza, it is stated in the
Ramanujabhasya-that, if. both 'I', that is, the Supreme Being,
and- 'you and these kings',' that is, the otheT Atmans,
existed in the past and will be born again in the future,
then, according to this stanza, the Supreme Being, and -the
GlTl, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. II 871
Atman both become separate, independent, and permanent
entities. But, this argument is not correct. It is a
partisan argument in support of a particular doctrine ;
because, this stanza is intended to explain only that both
are permanent ; and their mutual inter-relation is not stated
here, nor was there any occasion for doing so. When that
occasion arose later on, we find stated in clear terms in the
Gits itself, the Non-Dualistic (advaita) doctrine that the
Paramesvara, that is, the Blessed Lord, is the embodied
Atman in the bodies of all created beings (Gl. 8. 4 ; 13. 31).]
(13) Just as, for the One Which assumes a corporeal form,
there is (acquired) infancy, youth, and old age, in this Body,
so also, is another Body (later on) acquired ; (therefore) those
who have acquired Knowledge, do not suffer from any
ignorance in this matter.
[The great ignorance or fear in the mind of Arjuna was
" How shall I kill a particular person ? " Therefore, in
order to dispel that ignorance, the Blessed Lord first
philosophically examines the questions 'what is death', and
'what is killing' (Stanzas 11 to 30). Man is not merely some-
thing encased in a body, but an aggregate of the Body and the
Atman. Out of these, the Atman, which becomes percepti-
ble as T, as a result of Individuation (aJwmkara), is
permanent and immortal. It is to-day, it was yesterday,
and it will also be to-morrow. Therefore, the words 'to kill' or
'to die' cannot be properly applied to the Atman, and there
is no room for lamentation in that matter. Then remains
the Body. That, of course, is admittedly non-permanent
and destructible, and will come to an end, if not to-day or to-
morrow, at least after a 100 years. Of. "adya m 'bdasatante va
mrtrur vai praqinam dhruvah ( that is, "Death is certain for
living beings, whether to day, or after a hundred years" —
Trans.), ( Bhag. 10. 1. 38 ) ; and as the Atman definitely
acquires later on another body in accordance with the
previous Action {karma), though it gets out of one body, it is
also not proper to lament over the loss of that body. In short,
872 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
4 ft t 5^r«ra??ts s^ g^nf*t i
it is definitely proved, that whether one looks at the matter
from the point of view of the Body or of the Atman,
lamentation on account of death is foolish. But, though
this fact is thus proved, yet, it is necessary to explain why
•one should not lament, on account of the suffering which
one goes through while the existing life is being destroyed.
Therefore, the Blessed Lord now deals with the form of this
bodily happiness and unhappiness, and shows that it is not
proper to lament on account of that suffering. ]
(14) O Son of Kunti ! these contacts (with bodily organs)
of 'maira', (that is, of things in the external world), which
produce cold and heat, or happiness and unhappiness, come
into existence and die out ; (therefore) they are non-per-
manent (that is, destructible). O Bharata ! do you bear these
■(without lamentation) ; (15) because, O, pre-eminent among
men ! it is the Jfianin alone, (who is) equal towards happiness
and unhappiness, who (on that account) is not affected by
them, that becomes capable of attaining immortality, (that is
to say, the state of the Immortal Brahman).
[The man who has not Realised that the Name-d and
Bbrm-ed Cosmos is illusory, by Realising the identity of the
Brahman and the Atman, looks upon as real, the happiness
and unhappiness or the cold and heat arising from the
contact of the physical organs with the external world, and
wrongly attributes those properties to the Atman ; and, on
that account, suffers grief. But the man who has realised
that all the emotions are of the Prakrti, and that the
Atman (Self) is a Non-doer and Unattached, looks upon
happjnesss and unhappiness as alike ; and the Blessed
Lord is now telling Arjuna,„tha.t he (Arjuna) should bear
unhappiness and happiness with such an equable frame of
3^Jj aiid th^ same, import has been explained in a more
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. II 873
§§ Tra^t merit weft ^rnvft raerct *ep »
•exhaustive manner in the subsequent chapters. The word
* mafra ' has been interpreted in the Samkarabhasya as
meaning 'the organs, by which external things can be
measured or known', Of., ' miyate ebltiriti matra '.
But, some commentators interpret 'iriatra' as meaning
'the external objects, such as, sound, touch, etc., which
■can be measured by means of the physical organs' ; and
*hey interpret 'mStrasparsa' as meaning 'the contact of those
■external objects with the physical organs' ; and that is the
interpretation which has been accepted by me ; because,
.where the ideas appearing in this stanza, appear again
later on in the Glta (Gi. 5. 21, 23), the word ' bahya-sparsa '
:has been used ; and if the word ' matrarsparsa ' is interpreted
in the way in which I have interpreted it, both these words
become consistent with each other. But, though these two
words can be made consistent with each other in this way,
the word ' matrasparsa ' seems to be the more ancient of
■the two ; because, the word ' matra-sanga ' has been used in
the Manu-smrti in the same sense (6. 57) ; and it is stated
in the Brhadaranyakopanisad, that the Atman of a Jfianin
becomes ' asamsarga' (Of. iriatra 'samsargah), that is, de-
tached from the Matras, that is to say, that he becomes free;
and there is no connotation (samjna) for him after his death
<Br. Madhyan. 4. 5. 14 ; Ve. SQ. Sam. Bha,. 1. 4. 22). The
words ' heat and cold ', or, ' happiness and unhappiness * are
synecdochial, and include the opposite couples {dvamdm)
•of ' love and hostility ', ' real and unreal ', ' death and im-
mortality' etc. As these opposite couples belong to the
Maya-world and the true Parabrahman is, as described in
the Nasadlya-Sukta, beyond this duality, one cannot attain
the Brahman, otherwise than by peacefully bearing these
■opposite couples and releasing the Reason from the grip of
these couples (Gl.2. 45; 7. 28 and Gi Ra. Oh. IX p. 314 and
351). The same meaning is now made clear from the
point of view of the Philosophy of the Absolute Self — ].
(1 6) That which is not (asai), cannot be as if it is ; and
874 GlTA.-RAHA.SYA OR KARMA-YOGA
that -which is (sat), cannot be as if it is not ; in this way, the
see-ers of the Essence of things have perceived the truth
about 'is' and 'is not' (sat and asaf), (that is to say, they
have denned their connotation, after having perceived the
truth).
[The word ' anta ' in this stanza has the same meaning as
in the compounds ' raddhanta ', ' siddhmita ', or ' krtanta ',
(Gl. 18, 13) ; and the Sasvatakosa defines the various mean-
ings of the word'aMfa' as "svarupaprantayor antam anilhe
'pi prayujyate" (Sa. 381) (that is," the border of a form
(.body ), or of a region, as also Death — Trans.XAecording
to this stanza 'sat' means the 'Brahman', and, 'asat' means
the Name-d and Form-ed visible world (See Gl. Ra. Oh. IX,
p. 307 and pp. 335 to 339). Although the doctrine "that
which is, cannot cease to be", looks like the Satkaryavada
theory, (See Gita-Rahasya Oh. VII, p. 310 and Ch. IX. pp. 325
and 335 — Trans.), one must bear in mind that its meaning
is slightly different. Where one thing is produced out of
another thing, e. g., the tree from the seed, the only
principle which can be applied is that of the Satkaryavada.
That is not the idea to be conveyed in the present stanza ;
and, all that is being said is that, the existence (astitm or
bhava) of 'sat', that is, of 'that which exists', and the 'non-
existence' (abhava) of 'asaf, that is, of 'that which does not
exist', are both permanent, that is, ever-lasting. When we
thus look upon the respective existence and non-existence
of these two as permanent, it follows as a matter of course
that 'asat' is not the result of the destruction of that which
was 'sat'. But this doctrine is not the same as the
Satkaryavada doctrine, which initially takes for granted the
coming into existence of one thing from another thing, as
an effect from a cause (Gl.Ra. Oh. VII, p. 211). The Madhva-
bhasya reads the words "wdyate bhavah" out of "nasato
vidyate bhavah", which is the first quarter of this stanza, as
'■eidyate + abhavah'; and it has interpreted these words as
meaning that "there is no 'abhava' that is, 'destruction' of
f (unreal), that is, 'avyalcta' (imperceptible) Prakrti ;
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. II 875
and, as it has been stated in the second quarter of the
stanza that the 'sat' too is not destroyed, Madh.v5ca.rya has,
according to his Dualistic doctrine, interpreted the entire
stanza as meaning that both the 'asat' and the 'tat' are
permanent. But, this meaning is not the straight-forward
meaning of the stanza. It is a stretched meaning ; for, it
can be seen that the two mutually opposite words 'abhava'
and 'bhava' have been used in this place in the same way as
the mutually opposite words, 'asat' and 'sat'; and if the word.
'abhava' has beed used in the second line of the stanza, name-
ly, in the phrase, "riftbhavo vi-dyate satah", it is quite clear that
the word intended to be used in the first line of the stanza
must have been ' bhava ' and not ' abhava ' ; besides, it was
not necessary at all to use the words ' abhava ' and ' ■lidyate *
twice, in order to say that both ' asat ' and ' sat ' are per-
manent. But, even if this repetition is looked upon
as a respectful repetition, as suggested by Madhvacarya,
it has been clearly stated later on in the 18th
stanza, that the human body to be seen in the percepti-
ble or visible world is destructible, that is to say, non-
permanent. It, therefore, clearly follows that according to
the Bhagavadglta, the Body cannot be looked upon as.
permanent, in the same way as the Atman. Whereas the
latter is permanent, the former is non-permanent. Never-
theless, I have given here the meaning of this stanza
according to Madhvacarya, by way of example, in order
to show my readers how the meanings of words are
stretched by doctrine-supporting commentators with the-
intention of supporting their own doctrine. However, as that
which is ' serf ' can never cease to exist, it is no use lament-
ing over the sarf-formed (satsmmpa) Atman; and as the
Name-d and Form-ed Body etc., as also the emotions of
pleasure or displeasure, are essentially destructible from
the philosophical point of view, it is also not proper to
lament their loss. This justifies the words " you are lament-
ing that over which you should not lament " used in speak-
ing to Arjuna. The Blessed Lord now further explains the
meanings of the words ' sal ' and ' asat ', in the next
stanzas — ]
33—34
876 GIT5.-RAHAS5TA OE KARMA-YOGA
sr^rcrrftr i crft% %h *i3faf Hera; i
Hri|i|i|a«y^^R!!T H ^iffej; *|*^ki II ?*9 'I
^ "^ %% ^dK ^HNr irj% ^rq; I
3# & sr t%5rrsfRTt Jrre ^i sj %*& ii t^ u
(1 7) Know that That (fundamental Atman-formed Brahman)
Which has pervaded or occupied this whole (world) is
indestructible. The destruction of this Inexhaustible
(Principle), none can bring about.
[This is the description of what has been referred to as
' sat' in the last stanza. Now, the Blessed Lord says, that
the Atman, which is the Owner of the Body, falls into this
category of the Permanent, and He goes on to explain what
is to be called 'Non-permanent' or 'asai' — ]
(18) These bodies acquired by the eternal, indestructible,
and unimaginable Owner of the Body (Atman) are said to
be perishable, (that is non-eternal). Therefore, fight ! O
Bharata !
[In short, if one thus discriminates between what is
eternal and what non-eternal, the idea that 'I am killing a
particular person' is proved to be false; and the reason
given by Arjuna for not fighting falls to the ground. This
conclusion is now made more clear — ]
(19) He who thinks that It (the Owner of the Body or the
Atman) is the killer, or, who thinks that It is slain, both
these do not possess true Knowledge ; (because) this (Atman)
does not kill, and is not killed.
[Because, the Atman is permanent and itself a Non-Doer,
and the whole activity is of Prakrti. This and the •
nest stanza appear in the Kathopanisad ( Katha. 2.
18, 19). It is also stated in several places in the Maha-
bhSrafca that everything is swallowed up by 'kala' (Time,
or Death) ; and that 'kills' or 'is killed' are worldly names
for this pastime of Death (San. 25. 15). The Blessed Lord
lias again explained to Arjuna later on (11. 33) thia very
GlTA. TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY. ORAP. TT £
«rratf% Profit*! ^t»jt f%it?r T^Tf% y$iiti H<ts<rofur t
principle in terms of the Philosophy of Devotion when He
says that He himself has already killed Bhlsma, Droria,
and the others in His form of Death, and that Arjuna should
now become only the nominal implement (nimtta).]
(20) This (Atman) is never born nor does It ever die j noi
is it that It, having (once) existed, will not be again; It is
unborn, ever-lasting, immutable, and primeval ; and it is
not killed, though the Body is killed. (21) O Partha!
that man who has Realised that It is indestructible,
ever-lasting, unborn, and inexhaustible, how and whom can
he cause to be killed, and how and whom can he kill ?
(22) Just as a man, casting off old clothes puts on others
and new ones, so the dehi, (that is to say, the Atman, which
owns the Body), casting off old bodies, becomes united with
others and new bodies.
[This simile of olothes is in ordinary use. In another
place in the Matebharata, the illustration has been given
of leaving one house (sala), and going to another house
(San. 15. 56) ; and one American writer has expressed the
same idea by giving the illustration of putting on a new
cover on a book. The same argument is here applied to the
Body, which was applied above in the 13fch stanza to the
states of infancy, youth, and old age. ]
(23) Weapons do not cut It (that is, the Atman) ; fire does
not burn It ; so also does water not moisten It : the wind
878 GlTA-BAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
3^§tsfis?nT?rafts?riT|^Trs^frRT «33 ^ i
d^HW f^^sf STT3^frf^irr^l% ii ^ n
does not dry It up. (24) This (Atman), which is uncleave-
able, uncombustible, not-to-be-moistened, and not-to-be-
dried up, is permanent, all-pervading, stable, immoveable,
and, eternal (that is, everlasting). (25) This (Atman) is
said to be imperceptible (that is, not perceptible by the
organs), unthinkable (that is, impossible of being under-
stood even by the Mind), and immutable (that is, such as is
not subject to the attribute of any modification). Therefore,
knowing this (Atman) to be such, it is not proper that you
should grieve over It.
[This description has been taken from the Upanisads, and
is of the qualityless Atman, and not of a qualityful Atman ;
because, the adjectives 'aukarya' (immutable), ov'acintya'
(unthinkable) cannot be applied to the Qualityful. This
reason for not grieving has been given on the authority of
that description. Now, some one may advanee the argu-
ment that, as he does not accept the Atman as eternal, this
argument is not acceptable to him. Therefore, the Blessed
Lord' first mentions this assumptive proposition (pwrva-
paksa) and replies to it as follows — ]
(26) Or, even if you believe that this Atman, (is not
permanent, but with the Body) is constantly born, and
constantly dies, even then, O Mahabaho ! (mighty-armed —
Trans.), it is not proper that you should grieve over It;
(27) because, to one that is born, death is certain, and to
one that dies, birth is certain ; therefore, about an (this)
GITA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. II 879
unavoidable (according to your abovementioned opinion)
matter, you ought not to grieve.
[The argument, mentioned in the two above stanzas 26 and
27, is not for supporting the doctrine of the Gits. It must be
remembered that this is a reply to the assumptive proposition,
raised by the words ' atha ca ' = ' or '. The only thing to be
shown is : whether one looks upon the Atman as permanent,
or as non-permanent, there is no room for lamentation in
either case. I have already mentioned above that the doctrine
advanced by the Glta is, that the Atman is existent (sat),
unborn, immutable, and un-imaginable, or qualityless. The
Blessed Lord now gives another argument, on the basis of the
Samkhya system, in support of the theory that there should
be no lamentation over the Body, as it is non-permanent — ].
(28) All created beings are imperceptible in the beginn-
ing, perceptible in the middle, and imperceptible again in
death ; (if this is the case with every being) then, O Bharata !
■where is ( there room for) lamentation ?
[The word ' avyakta ' means ' that which is not perceiva-
ble by the organs ' ; the argument advanced in this stanza,
is based on the Samkhya doctrine that the entire percep-
tible universe has come out of One original imperceptible
Substance by gradual degrees, and that in the end, that is,
at the time of the final Dissolution (pralccya), the entire
perceptible universe is again dissolved into the same Im-
perceptible (GL 8. 18). See the explanation of this Samkhya
doctrine in the seventh and the eighth chapters of the
Glta-Rahasya. If the perceptible form of anything soever
is, in this way, going to be destroyed sometime or other,
■there remains no cause at all for lamenting over some-
thing, which, by its very nature, is liable to destruction.
This same stanza appears in the Strlparva of the MahS-
barata (Ma. Bh5. Strt 2. 6), where the word ' dbMva ' (non-
■existent) has been used instead of ' avyaMa '. Also, later on,
the word ' adariana ', i. e., '. to go out of sight *, has been
880 GTTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGi
f$ ftrtimwfuaf^i writer wear i
awsr ^sfifar mr&i * &t 5Trf%raJttr% n 3° u
used with reference to death in the stanza: "adarsariad
apatitah. punas cadarsatmm gatah l na te tava na teiam team
tatra ka parideoana II " (Strl. 2. 13), (that is, "emerged from
the Invisible, and returning into the (same) Invisible,
these are not thine, nor art thou theirs ; wherefore, then
(any) lamentation (for them)?" — Trans.). If lamentation
is futile both according to the Sarhkhya and the Vedanta-
philosophies, and if the same conclusion is reached, even
looking upon the Atman as non-permanent, why do people
lament over death 1 The reply is : this is due to ignorance
of the nature of the Atman, because — ]
(29) Some look at this (Atman— Trans.) as a wonder
(wonderful thing), others speak of It as a wonder, and some
others (than them) hear (of It — Trans.) as a wonder ; but
even after (seeing and describing in this way, and) hearing*
no one (out of these) Knows It (really).
r [Though learned people enter into discussions about the
Atman, as a wonder, yet, as very few persons ever realise
the true nature of It, many people lament over death. Do
not you do" likewise, but Realise the true nature of the
Atman after mature deliberation, and cease to lament ; that
is what this stanza means. The Atman has been described
in the same way in the Kathopanisad (Eatha. 3. 7).]
(30) The Owner of the Body, (that is, the Atman), (which is)
in every Body, is always unkillable, (that is, never liable
to destruction); therefore, O Bharata (Arjuna) ! it is not
proper that you should lament about all (i. e., any) created
things.
"'fit has thus far been proved that there" is no reason to
' lament ' if some one kills or is killed, because according
^toSaibihya philosophy, or the philosophy of the Path
i <PtKunc!ati6n, the Atman is immortal, and the Body
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. II 882
is inherently mortal, But if, on that account, some one
draws the conclusion that there is no ' sin ' in somebody
killing someone else, that will be a very serious mistake.
Only the meaning of the words 'dying' and 'killing*
has been analysed here, and this explanation has been
given only for the purpose of first removing the fear
attendant on death or on killing. Man is a combination
of the Body and the Atman. As the Atman, out of these,
is immortal, the words ' dying ' or ' killing ' do not apply
to it. Then remains the Body; but as the Body is
naturally mortal, there is no reason for lamentation if it is
destroyed. But, even accepting the position that one
should not lament over death, or become happy or unhappy
if some one dies or is killed accidentally or in course of
time, one does not thereby solve the question, why a person,
should enter upon such a terrible act as war and destroy
the bodies of others. Because, although the Body is mortal,
yet, as the Body is the only means by which one can
attain the permanent benefit of the Atman or obtain.
Release, both suicide and the unjustified killing of another
person are looked upon as grave sins by religion. There-
fore, though it is not proper to lament over death, yet, it is .
necessary to give some other satisfactory reason why one
person should kill another. This is known as the discri-
mination between 'dharma' (Right) and 'adharma' (Wrong) ;
and this is the subject-matter really propounded in the
Glta. The Blessed Lord, therefore, first tells Arjuna that
as fighting is the duty of all Ksatriyas according to the
arrangement of four castes accepted even in the Sarhkhya
philosophy, not only should he not lament over the fact of
death or of killing, but that both dying or being killed in
war were things which were his lot according to the religion
of Ksatriyas— ]
(31) Besides, even if you consider your own duty, you
ought not. to .falter (on this occasion) ; because, there is
882 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
era: ^nrf 3>nt =gr %gr q i mw i c ^ ri% » 33 »
^srmrcr^ =^fer4rorp?f3fTr^ »i 38 »
nothing more meritorious to a Ksatriya than warfare enjoined
by duty.
[This argument about "one's own duty" (svadharma)
appears twice later on (Gi. 3. 35 and 18. 47). This and the
subsequent stanza say, that although the fourth stage
(asrama) in the shape of Renunciation of Action (karma-
samnyasa), is the last step according to the Path of
Renunciation or the Sarhkhya philosophy, yet, as it had
been enjoined hy Manu and other writers of the Smrtis that
before reaching that stage, Brahmins had to follow the
duties of Brahmins, and Ksatriyas, the duties of Ksatriyas,
and in that way to complete the state of a householder
(grhasthasrama), it was the duty of Arjuna, who was in the
state of a householder, to fight.]
(32) And O Partha ! this war, which is indeed a door of
Heaven, found open without effort, falls to the lot of only
those Ksatriyas, who are fortunate. (33) But, if you will
not carry on this (for you) righteous warfare, then you will
bare abandoned your duty and lost your honour, and
incurred sin ; (34) (not only that, but) also (all) men will
tell of your everlasting infamy ! And to one who has been
honoured, infamy is (a) greater (death) than death.
[This same principle has been explained by Sri Krsna to
Yudhisthira in the Udyogaparva (Ma. Bha. U. 72. 24). The
stanza there is as follows : "kuiinasya ca ya tmidii vadho
tea 'mitrakarsana\ mdhaguwo vadho rajan na tu ninda
htjlvikS' ( that is, 'ill-fame of a well born ( person ) is ( his )
murder; it is not only an ill-fame which spoils life, but
indeed the highest' form of murder' — Trans.). But, as this
idea has been conveyed in the Glta in a shorter form, and
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OHAP. II 883
ij-qf ^ ;g «rf*r?fr ygm tr?t% <s4t=j«im ii ^h ii
M^?dwy ^rm«^ cicft %-wit 5 1%^ ii 35 ii
left ^t srn^rr% i ^»f l%f^i ^t ^w# jt#j; i
cUjWiWS #'^T 5^TO l«cTf%^r S II 3® II
5Trft 3^1*1 3^1^ %^ mmni , -wf% II 3< II
•also as the Glta is more in rogue, the line, "sainbhavitasya"
■etc., from, the Glta gets .easily fixed in the memory, and
people use it as a proverb. Many other stanzas from the
Glta are similarly to be heard quoted everywhere. The
Blessed Lord now explains -what the form of the infamy is,
on the present occasion — ]
(35) (All i Masters of great chariots will think that you with-
■drew from the battle on account of fear ; and those by whom
you are highly thought of ( to-day ), will hold you in less
•esteem. (36) Also, your enemies, decrying your power, will
speak much (about you) that should not be spoken; and
what indeed more painful than that ? (37) Killed, you will
go to heaven ; victorious, you will enjoy the earth ; therefore,
Arise, O Arjuna ! determined on battle.
[Though the above exposition has shown that, according
to the Saihkhya philosophy, not only should one not lament
the fact of death or of killing, but that fighting according
to the rules laid down for one's own caste is a duty, yet,
the Blessed Lord now answers the doubt whether the killer
is responsible for the 'sin' of the deaths caused in
warfare. Strictly speaking, the argument in reply to this
question pertains to the Path of Karma-Yoga, and the
introduction to that doctrine starts here.]
(38i Looking upon happiness and unhappiness, gain and
loss, victory and defeat, as alike, then start the battle ; acting
thus you will not incur (any) sin.
[There are two paths of leading one's life in the world ;
the one is the Samkhya, and the other is the Yoga. Out of
884 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
Tr gm *nrr w£ ^few ir%rer f% " ^% »
these two, it is not proper to lament over the Atman or the
Body according to the philosophy of that .very Sarhkhya
Bath, or the Path of Renunciation, by considering the-
doctrines of which, Arjuna had come to the point of giving,
up warfare and starting begging. The Blessed Lord has.
proved to Arjuna, that happiness and pain have to be borne*
with an equable frame of mind ; that, warfare was the only
proper thing to do for Ksatriyas having regard to the rules
of conduct applying to them; and that, if warfare was;
carried on with an equable frame of mind, a man incurs no.
sin whatsoever. But as Sarhkhya philosophy is of the
opinion that it is the highest duty of everyone in this,
world, under any circumstances, to give up worldly life
and take up Samnyasa (Renunciation), that philosophy
does not solve the questions : (i) why Arjuna should not.
take up Samnyasa at that very moment, giving up warfare;
or, (ii) why he should follow the rules of conduct laid down
for his own caste ; and then, the original objection of
Arjuna may be said to remain unanswered. Therefore, the
.Blessed Lord now says as follows—]
(39) This buddhi (that is, Knowlege, or argument)
stated to you is according to the Sarhkhya (that is, the
Saihnyasa>Nistha. Now hear that buddhi (that is, Knowledge)
according to the (Karma-) Yoga, (which I am describing to
you), being possessed of which, O Partha, you will (even
without giving up Action) cast off the bonds of Action.
[This stanza is of very great importance in order to
understand the import of the Bhagavadglta. The word
^ Sarhkhya' is not to be understood here as meaning
' Kapila-Samkhya ', or only 'VedSnta', nor is the word
''Yoga' to be understood as meaning ' Patanjala-Yoga ' ;
•but, 'Sarhkhya' must be taken here as meaning the
'Samnyasa-marga' (Path of Renunciation) and ' Yoga ' as
meaning the '.' Karma-Yoga ' (Path of Proper Action), as is
4: 1"- 'These two paths are independent of
GlTi, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. II 885
^f&swzwi ^i^r srract »r^?ff srcrra; h so u
each other, and the followers of these paths are known respect-
ively as ' Saihkhya'='Sarimy5sa-m5rgm' and 'Yoga'=
' Karma-Yoga-margin ' (Gl. 5. 5). As the followers of the
Samkhya-nistha out of these consider it more meritorious to
give up Action in the end completely some time or other, the
philosophy of this path does not completely answer
Arjuna's question : " Why should I fight ?". Therefore, the
Blessed Lord now starts to impart the Knowledge pertain-
ing to the Nistha of Karma-Yoga, or shortly Yoga,
according to which true manhood consists in continuing to
perform Action lifelong, with a disinterested frame of
mind, and without adopting Samnyasa, even after the
acquisition of true Knowledge ; and this Path of Action has
been emphasised from now on right to the last chapter of
the Gits, by showing many reasons for following that path
and by giving satisfactory explanations of many doubts.
When one bears in mind this explanation of the exposition
of the subject-matter of the Glta, given by the Blessed Lord
Himself, there remains no doubt any more that the Glta
supports the path of Karma-Yoga. The Blessed Lord first
states the most important propositions of Karma-Yoga-]
(40) Here, (that is, in this path of Karma- Yoga), Action.
(once) commenced is not destroyed, (and afterwards)-
obstacles do not arise ; even a little (practice) of this-
religion protects (one) from great danger.
[The importance of this doctrine has been shown in
Chapter X of the Glta-Rahasya (p. 392, bottom) ; and a
fuller explanation is also given later on in the Glta
(Gl. 6. 40-46). This stanza means that according to the
path of Karma-Yoga, even if perfection is not reached in
one life, the Action performed is not wasted, but comes in
useful in the subsequent births, and the merit being thus
accumulated from birth to birth, true Release is reached
ultimately, sometime or other. The Blessed Lord now
propounds the second important doctrine of Karma-Yoga — 1
S86 GETA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
(41) O Kurunandana, ( that is, descendant of Kuru, or
Arjuna— Trans. ), in this (path) the ( mental organ in the
shape of) Reason, which performs the vyavasaya, (that is, the
■discernment between the Doable and the Not-Doable), has
got to be one, (that is, concentrated); but, the buddhayah (that
is, the Desires) of those whose Reason is not (in this way)
-concentrated, are many-branched and (of) endless (.kinds).
fThe word ' buddhi ' has many meanings in Sanskrit Of
these, it has been used in the meaning of ' Knowledge ' in
the 39th stanza ; and later on in the 49th stanza, ' buddhi ' is
to he interpreted as meaning ' understanding ', ' desire ',
"* wish ', or ' motive '. But as the adjective ' vyavasayatmika '
precedes the word ' buddhi ' in the first line of this stanza,
it there means the " organ of Reason which performs
' vyavasaya ', that is, which discerns between the Doable and
•the Not-Doable" (Gita-Raha. Oh. VI, pp. 179 to 187).
When this organ of Reason has first decided whether any
matter is good or evil, the Mind conceives the desire or
wish to act accordingly ; therefore, this Desire or wish is
.also called ' buddhi ', But the adjective ' vyavasayatmika '
does not in the latter case precede that word. If it becomes
necessary to show the difference, the phrase ' vasanatmaka '
buddld is used. In the second line of this stanza, the word
* buddhi ' has been used by itself. It is not preceded by the
adjective ' vyavasayatmika '. Therefore, the word ' buddhayah '
in the plural form means ' desires ' or ' flights of imagina-
tion ' ; and the second line of this stanza means : " Those
whose ' vyavasayatmika buddhi', that is to say, the discerning
mental organ of Reason, is not steady, (that is, the
avyavasayimh — Trans. ) conceive ever new waves of imagi-
nation or desires every moment". Unless one keeps in
mind these two meanings of the word ' buddhi ', namely,
(i) the discerning and deciding mental organ, and
(ii) Desire, it will not be possible to clearly understand the
i of the exposition of the word 'buddhi' in the
GUI, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. II 887
doctrine of Karma- Yoga. The Blessed Lord now shows.
how when the Discerning Reason is not steady or con-
centrated, the Mind is continually disintegrated by
different desires, and the man runs after different pursuits,,
wishing to-day to do something for getting a son, and
to-morrow something else for attaining heaven, etc. — ]
(42) O Partha ! (those) fools who rejoice in the words-
(showing the gain to be made) appearing in the Yedas
(Karma-kanda), and who say that nothing else is of
importance, say in a flowery way that : (43) " By means of
many Actions (such as, Yajnas, Yagas, etc.), one obtains the
fruit of (re-)birth, and (birth after birth) pleasures and-
prosperity are obtained " ; and these (people) with a desire-
filled Mind, who run after heaven, (i4) are attracted by
those words, and become immersed in pleasures and
prosperity, and thereby their vyavastiyatmika buddhi (that
is, their Reason which decides between the Doable and the
Not-Doable) cannot (ever) be concentrated (that is, fixed on :
one point).
[The above three stanzas make up only one sentence, and
contain a description of Jnana-less ritualists following;
the Mlmamsa path, who are continually engrossed in the
performance of sacrificial rites in the shape of Yajnas or
Yagas solely for the selfish purposes of attaining one object ■
to-day and another object to-morrow according to the
Karma-kanda prescribed by the Srutis and the Smrtis ; and'
this description has been made on the basis of the-
GlTAVBAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
ITpanisads. For instance, it is stated in the Mundako-
panisad that :
iatapurtam manyamana varistham nanyac chreyo vedayante
pramudhah I
nakasya prsthe te sukrte 'nubhutvernam lokam hinataram
vavisanti n
(Mun. 1. 2. 10).
that is, "these fools, who believe that only the 'performance
of sacrificial ritual' (istapurtam) is meritorious and that
nothing else is meritorious, come hack to this mortal
-world after having enjoyed happiness in heaven " ;
and similar statements, derogative of Jfiana-less Karma
{ritual) are also to be found in the Isavasya and Katha
Upanisads (Katha. 2. 5 ; Isa. 9. 12). It is true that these
people, who, without acquiring the Knowledge of the
Paramesvara, are steeped in the performance of Karma
(ritual), obtain the fruits of their respective ritual in the
shape of heaven etc. But, as their Desire is entangled to-day
in this ritual and the next day in some other ritual, and is
straying about in all directions, they never attain Eelease,
how many soever times they may have gone to heaven. In
■order to obtain Release, the organ of Reason must be
steady or concentrated on a single point. For the present,
the Blessed Lord says only as follows — ]
(45) O Arjuna 1 as the Vedas (consisting of the Karma-
tanda) deal (in this way) only with the subject-matter of the
three constituents, do you become 'nistraigunya' (that is,
trigumtita), (that is, 'beyond the reach of the three consti-
tuents' — Trans.\ 'nitya-sattoasthd (that is, abiding in eternal
Truth — Trans.*), and free from the Opposites fof happiness and
trahappiness etc.); and without being steeped in the selfish
interests of 'yogaksema' etc., become Self-devoted (JUmavan).
*)The author has retained in his Marathi translation, the word
'mtyasattvastM' from the original, and in the commentary he has
^PJiSS 8 ^ i' as being synonymous with 'mstratemya ' or 'trigumtita' ;
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. II 889
['traigum/a' means the 'worldly life (samsara) ofPrakrti
made up of the three constituents sattva, rajas, and tamos';
and it has been clearly shown in the Glfca-Rahasya (p. 314
and 353) that the true Brahmana is beyond that, and that
■worldly life is made up of the perishable Opposites of happi-
ness and unhappiness, life and death etc. It has been
stated in the 43rd stanza of this very chapter, that people,
who follow the Mlmariisa doctrine, perform the Tajnas etc.
prescribed by the Srutis, fc order to obtain the happiness
pertaining to this worldly life of Prakrti or Maya, and that
they are entirely steeped in these practices ; some perform a
sacrificial ritual in order to obtain a son, whereas others
perform some other sacrificial rite in order that rain should
fall. All this ritual is necessary for 'the maintenance of
worldly life', that is, for 'yogaksema'. It is, therefore, clear
that onewho wishes to attain Release, must go beyond these
ritualistic practices, which are the result of the sattva, rajas
and tamos constituents, and which bring about only yoga-
ksema, and must concentrate his attention on the Parabrah-
man, Which is beyond all this. And the words 'mrdvamdva'
{beyond the Opposit9s— Trans.) and 'nir yogaksema,' (beyond
the anxiety for new acquisitions and the protection of old
acquisitions — Trans.) have been used above to convey this
idea. In this place, a doubt is likely to arise as to how yoga-
ksema will be carried on, if these desire-prompted fkamya)
but this is difficult to understand, as there seems no reason for
repeating the idea. The late Mr. Telang, therefore, translates 'sattva'
here as 'courage' ; and Dr. Besant as 'purity'. As 'sattva' is one of the
three constituents, and as the Blessed Lord has just asfced Arjuna
to be 'beyond the three constituents', 'nityasattvastha' cannot be
understood as referring to the 'mttva' constituent. Therefore,
Prof. W. D. P. Hill (Bhtgavailfita : Ox. Univ. Press, 1928, p. 120)
has translated the word 'sattva' in its more general sense of 'Truth',
which has been adopted by me. Sadashiva Shastri Bhide has got
over the difficulty by explaining 'mstraiguaya' as 'free from the
desires to enjoy pleasures arising from the three constituents', and
t>y then explaining 'mtyasatttcstha' as meaning 'possessing the
sattvika qualities of equability, perseverance, enthusiasm' etc.—
Translator.
890 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
ritualistic performances prescribed in the Karma-kanda are
not carried on (Gl. Ra. pages 405 and 535). The reply to-
that question is not given here ; but when this subject
comes again later on in Chapter IX, it is stated that the
Blessed Lord looks after this yogaksema (i. e., 'bestows the
things wanted and preserves the security of the things'
possessed' — Trans.) ; and it is only in these two places that
the word 'yogaksema' appears in the Glta (See Gl. 9. 22, and
my commentary thereon). The word 'nityamttvastha! means
the same as 'trigunalita' (beyond the three constituents);-
because, it is stated later on that by the continual growth
of the scUtua constituent, one acquires the 'trigunStitarastha '
(the state of being beyond the three constituents — Trans.),,
and that that is the true ' siddhavasiha' (the state of Perfec-
tion—Trans.), (Gl. 14 14 and 20, Gl. Ra. pp. 226 and 227). In-
short, the advice given here is that one should give up the
desire-prompted ritual prescribed by the Mimarhsa school for
obtaining yogaksema, which is based on the three consti-
tuents, and go beyond the Opposites of happiness and
unhappiness etc., and become brahma-nistha (devoted to the
Brahman) or atma-nistha (devoted to the Atman). But, it
must be borne in mind at the same time that the injunction
to become atma-nistha does not mean that all this ritual
should totally and for all intents and purposes be given up.
The adverse criticism made in the above stanza of the
desire-prompted ritual prescribed by the Vedas, or the-
inferiority which is shown of that ritual, is not the
inferiority of the ritual itself, but of the desire-prompted
Reason behind it. If this desire-prompted Reason does not
govern the Mind, mere sacrificial ritual does not in any-
way close the door to Release (Gl. Ra. pp. 404 to 408). That
is why the Blessed Lord has given it as His definite and
most valuable opinion later on in the beginning of the 18tb
chapter (Gl. 18. 6), that these very ritualistic performances-
prescribed by the Mimarhsa writers should certainly be
performed, for the purification of the Mind (cittasuddhi), and
for public welfare (lokasamgraha), giving up the Hope for
Bruit ( phalaia ) and Attachment [sanga). When you take-
together these two statements made in two different places-
GlTA , TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OHAP. II 891
in the Glta, it becomes quite clear that the inferiority of
the Mlmarhsaka Karma-kanda shown in the stanzas in this
chapter has reference to the desire-prompted Reason, and
not only to the ritual. With this object in mind, it has
been stated in the Bhagavata that :
vedoktam eva hurw.no nihsango 'rpitam isvare I
naiskarmyam lahhate siddhim rocanSrtha phalairutih 11
(Bhag. 11. 3. 46),
that is, " the 'recital of fruits ( phalasruti )' to be
obtained by the performance of Vedic ritual, which has
been given in the Vedas, has been given ' rocanariha ',
that is, only in order that {he person who performs
the ritual should find it agreeable ; and therefore, that
man who, instead of performing such ritual for obtain-
ing the promised fruit, performs it unattachedly (with a
nihsahga Reason), that is to say, after giving up the Hope-
for Fruit and with the sole intention of dedicating it to the
Isvara, attains the 'naiskarmyasiddhi' (the Perfection
of Desireless Action)". In short, the summary of the advice
in the Glta is, that although it has been stated in the Vedas
that a particular sacrificial ritual should be performed for
a particular purpose, yet, one should not be taken in by
that Desire, but should perform the ritual because it is
' yastawja ', that is, because the performance of the ritual is a
duty; that, one should give up the desire-promptedness
of one's Reason, but not the ritualistic sacrifices (Gl. 17. 11) ;
and that the other rites should also be performed in the.
same way. And the same meaning has been expressed in
the subsequent stanzas. ]
(46) To that extent to which there is a use (that is,
necessity) for a well when there 13 a flood of water every-
where (clearly, there ia no necessity whatsoever), to the
same extent is there any necessity of the Vedas (containing
the ritualistic Karma-kanda) for the enlightened Brahmana
(that is to say, for him, there is no more any necessity of the
Vedic Karma-kanda which describes desire-fulfilling ritual).
35—36
m-2 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
[ There is no difference of opinion as to the broad meaning
{ phalitartha) of this stanza; but, commentators have entered
into a useless hair-splitting discussion about the terms used
in it. " mirrtitahminplutodake" is a compound phrase in the
seventh oawo (locative case) ; but if it is looked upon not
merely as the locative case, nor as an adjectival phrase
tiualil'ying the word ' uclapcim', but as the ' sati saptami '
(locative absolute), one can syntactically work out the
sentence, in a simple w;iy as : " sarvatalisathptutodake sati
itiliiiitiiir yitriin artluih (ita xnt/pam api prayojanam vidyate)
fi'iran rijtinatah hruhma.msya ttarcesu vedesu arthah ",
without taking any outside words as implied ; and this also
gives the following clear and simple meaning: — "Just as
no one cares for wells when there is water everywhere,
(bsicause drinking-water can be had anywhere without
difficulty and sumptuously), so has the man, who has
attained Knowledge, no more any use for mere 'Vedic'
ritual liko sacrificial Yajnas etc ". The Vedic ritual has
to Ins performed for obtaining the final Release-giving
Knowledge, and not merely for obtaining heaven ; and that
man who has already obtained this Knowledge, has nothing
new to learn by performing Vedic ritual. That is why it is
stated later on in the 3rd chapter of the Gita (3. 17) that "to
him who has acquired Knowledge, there is no more any duty
loft in the world". When one can without difficulty obtain
ax much pure water as desired from a large lake or from
a river who will even look at a well? In such eweum-
Htan«.v, no one attaches the slightest importance to a well.
in the last chapter of the Sanatsujatlya (Ma. Bha
Udyo 45 26), this very stanza occurs again with a slight
verbal difference; and the meaning of it has been given m
the commentary on it by Madhvacarya in the .nm* way
as above; and in the Sakarmprasna, where the relative
^orth of Jfiana (Knowledge) and Karma is being described,
ttteolearlv stated that «« /• UnZninaU karma prasam-
tmmplnacmrH^nn^", that is "**««• ^
gets watof rom the river, does not attach any importance to
I "ell, bo do '<key\ that is, the Jnanins, ^^btte
^ ^ fS*S to Karma" (Ma. Bh&. Sam 340. 10).
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. II 893
In the same way, in. the 17th stanza of the Pandavaglta,
the simile of a well is used for saying that the
man who, ignoring "Vasudeva, worships other gods, is
like a fool who, "trsito jahnaviiire knpam vancchati
durmatih", that is, "being thirsty, and being able to get
drinking-water on the banks of the Bhaglrathl (Ganges),
still craves for a well ". It is not that this simile
appears only in the Vedio Sanskrit texts ; but it has
been adopted even in the Pali Buddhistic books. The
■dictum that the man who has destroyed Thirst does
not have anything further to acquire, is acceptable also
to Buddhism ; and in referring to it, it is called a
' drstanta ', and appears in the Pali text called Vdana
{U. 7. 9) in the form of the stanza " kirn kayira udapadena
.apa ce sabbada siyum", which means, ' what is the use of a
well after water can be had in all places '. We experience
it even now-a-days in big towns, that when a person has
taken a water-pipe in the house, he does not any more care
for a well. Prom these facts, and especially from the
exposition in the Sukanuprasxia, the reader will realise the
appropriateness of the simile used in the Gita, and see that
the meaning of this stanza as given by me above is straight-
forward and correct. But commentators on the Gits
analyse the sentence in this stanza in a slightly different
way, whether because by accepting this interpretation
some inferiority becomes attached to the Vedas, or because
they wish to keep intact the doctrinal proposition, that ' a
Jnanin need no more perform Action, because Knowledge
includes the performance of Action '. They take the word
J tavan ' as implied in the first, and the word ' yavan ' as
implied in the second part of the stanza, and analyse the
stanza as follows : " udapane yavan arthuh tavan eva sarvatah- .
samplutodake yatM sampadyate tatha yavan sarvesu vede&u
artha\ tavan vijanatah bi-ahmanasya sampadyate", that is to
say, " to that extent to which wells can be put to use for
the purpose of bathing and of drinking water, to the same
•extent can use be made of large lakes (sarvatahsampluto-
•dake) for the same purpose ; in the same way, Jnanins can,
by means of their Knowledge, obtain from the Vedas as
894 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KABMA-YOGA
much benefit as it is possible to obtain ". But as, accord-
ing to this interpretation, the word ' tavan ' has to be taken
as implied in the first part of the stanza, and the word
' yavan ' in the second part of the stanza, I have not
accepted it. The interpretation and working out (anvaya)
of the stanza adopted by me is arrived at -without taking
any words as implied ; and, as is quite clear from the
previous stanzas, this stanza is intended to give expression
to the inferiority of the pure (that is, JIana-less) Karma-
kanda in the Vedas. But, the inference that because a
person who has attained Knowledge has no use for the
ritual of Yajnas or Yagas, he need not perform them, and
may give them up altogether, is not borne out by the Glta ;
because, although a Jfianin does not care for the fruit to be
obtained by this ritual, yet, he must go on performing the
ritual, if not for the fruit, at least because the performance of
Yajnas and Yagas is his duty as laid down in the Sastras ;.
and, therefore, he oan never give up the ritual. The Blessed
Lord has given it as His definite opinion in unmistakeable
terms in the 18th chapter, that though a Jfianin may have
no Hope for Fruit, yet,he must desirelessly perform Yajnas
and Yagas in the same way as he desirelessly performs
other acts (See my commentary on the previous stanza and
on Gi.6. 19); and the Blessed Lord now further clearly
states this version about Desireless Action in the next
stanza—]*
* Annie Besant and Bhagvaudas (SAagavadglta, Theo.
House, 1926, p 42) translate this stanza as : " All the Vedas are
as usef al to an enlightened Brahmana as is a tank in a place covered
all over with water", which is similar to the interpretation-.
of the author. Telang translates it as : "To the instructed
Brahmana, there is in oil the Vedas as much utility as in a reservoiir
of -water into which waters flow from all sides " (S. B. E. Series,
Vol VIII, p. 48); and W. D. JP. Hill's translation is practically
tie same (the Bkagamdgtt% Oxf. Univ. Press, 1928, p. 121). Both.
these - klter authors have attached, explanatory notes, to which the-
reader is referred. The divergence is baaed on the interpretation of
'qwpatdl} tutiifyiiite' , -which is translated by some as " filled from all
L byipthe-TijjaSji^when there is a flood on all sides".— Trans..
GITS, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. II 895
(47) Your authority extends only to the performance of
Action; (obtaining or not obtaining) the Fruit, is never
within your authority (that is, never within your control) ;
■(therefore,) do not be one who performs Action with the
(avaricious) motive (in the mind) that a particular fruit should
be obtained (of his Action) ; nor do you also insist on not-
performing Action.
[The four quarters of this stanza are mutually comple-
mentary; and, therefore, without their overlapping each
other, the entire import of the Karma-Yoga is given in a
short and beautiful form; nay, one may even safely say
that these four parts of the stanza are the catuh-sutri of the
Karma- Yoga. It is stated to begin with, that "your
authority extends only to the performance of Action". But
as the Fruit of an Action is inseparable from the Action,
there is room for the doubt that, 'he who has the authority
to perform the Action, has also the authority to take the
fruit, since he who owns the tree, also owns the fruit ';
therefore, in order to solve that difficulty, the Blessed Lord
has pronounced in a clear way in the 2nd quarter of the
stanza that, " your authority does not extend to the Fruit " ;
and then He has pronounced the 3rd proposition, which arises
from that dictum, namely, "do not be one who performs
Action having in mind the Hope for Fruit", (karmapkda-
hetuY, is a Bahuvrlhi-samasa , thus, 'karmaphale hetur
yagyasakarmaphalahetuh'), (that is, 'he is a karmaphcda-
hetuh, whose motive is in the Fruit of the Action' — Trans.).
But someone may advance the argument that because
an Action and the fruit of it are mutually interlinked, one
must give up the fruit ( Action ?— Trans. ) at the same time
as giving up the Hope for Fruit. In order to make it clear
that such an inference would not be correct, the clear advice
has been given, that one should give up the Hope for Fruit
but, at the same time, " one should not insist on not doing
Aotion, that is, on giving up Action". In short, saying
that one should perform Action, does not amount to saying
896 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
that one should entertain the Hope for Fruit; and con-
versely, saying that one should give up the Hope for Fruit,
does not amount to saying that one should eschew Action.
The meaning of this stanza is, that one should necessarily
perform one's duty, having given up the ' Hope for Fruit ';
and that, one should not be attached to the Action, and
at the same time should not give up the Action — " tyago
na yukta ilia karmasu tuipi ragah" (Yoga. 5. 5, 54);
and the meaning has been emphasised again in the
18th chapter, where it is stated that the obtaining of
Fruit is not a matter -within one's own control, and that it
is necessary to have the co-operation of many other things
for that purpose ( Gl. 18. 14-16 and Rahasya, Chapter V.
p. 154 and Ch. XII ). The Blessed Lord now clearly defines
the characteristics of Karma-Yoga by saying that, such
Action means ' Yoga ' or ' Karma-Yoga ' — ]
(48) O Dhananjaya I casting off Attachment and looking
upon as alike the being fruitful and unfruitful ( of Action ),
perform Action being 'yogastha' (that is, 'steadfast in
the path of Karma-Yoga'— Trans.); the (mental) state
of being Equable (towards the Action being fruitful
or unfruitful ) is known as (Karma-) Yoga. (49) For,
(external) Karma is by far inferior to the Yoga (of the
Equability ) of Reason; (therefore) surrender yourself
to (this equable) Reason; the • phalahetavah' (that is,
those, who perform Action only with an eye to the Fruit)
are -'Mpana' (that is, low, or on a lower level). (50) He,
who' is steeped in the (equable) Reason remains untouched
both by sin or merit in this (world) ; therefore, take shelter
ttt'Sfega*... ..Th©«leverness (skilfulness or trick) of performing
QlTK, TBANSLATION & COMMENTABY, CHAP. II 897
Action (without acquiring merit or sin ) is known as (Karma-)
Yoga.
t The description of the nature of Karma-Yoga given in
these stanzas is very important, and I have to refer the
reader to the discussion of that subject in Chapter III
of the Gita-Bahasya (pp. 76 to 87). But, the proposition
of Karma-Yoga mentioned in the 49th stanza, namely that,
'the Beason is superior to the Action', is of utmost
importance. As the word ' buddhi' (Beason) in these
stanzas is not preceded by the adjective ' vyavasayatmika', it
must be understood in this stanza as meaning ' desire ' or
'understanding'. Some persons try to interpret the word
'buddhi' here as meaning 'Jnana', and to interpret the
stanza as meaning that ' Karma is of less importance than
Jnana'; but this interpretation is not correct. Because, as
the description of Equability given in the 48th stanza
is continued in the 49th and the subsequent stanzas, the
word ' buddhi ' must be interpreted as meaning an ' equabi-
lising buddhi '. The goodness or badness of an act does not
depend on the act itself, and though the act may be one and
the same, it becomes good or bad according to the good or
evil intention of the doer; therefore, the Beason is superior
to the Action. As this and other principles of morality
have been dealt with in Chapters TV, XII, and XV
of the GM-Bahasya (p. 119; p. 530; and pp. 668 to 675),
I do not propose to deal with them here in a more ex-
haustive way. It has been stated above in the 41st
stanza that in order that the Desiring Beason (vasanat-
maka buddhi) should remain equable and pure, the Discerning
Beason (■vyavasayatmaha buddhi), which decides about the
Doable and the Not-Doable must in the first instance become
steady. This has been already stated above in the 41st
stanza. Therefore, the word ' samyabuddhi' (Equable Beason)
means and includes both the steady Discerning Beason
(vyavasayatmakabuddki) andPureDesire (vasariMmdkabuddhi)\
as this Equable. Beason is the basic structure on which
whether Pure Conduct or Karma-Yoga is based, the Blessed
Lord has, with reference to His statement in the 39th stanza
(that He would explain to Arjuna the ' device' or 'Yoga' by
G-lTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
§§ 5S#5f gl^prr ft <k^ f^sFrgr Jpfifw: i
?r?r JT?aTf% R^f sfttfssresr $^n ^ u ^ n
means of which Arjuna would not ba affected by Action,
though he might perform it), explained to Arjuna in this
stanza that, that 'device' or 'skill' consists in 'keeping
one's Reason, steady, holy, equable, and untainted', and
that it is known as 'Yoga'; and He has in this way defined
the word 'Yoga' twice over. Although the words "yogah
karnw.su kausalam" appearing in the 50th stanza are thus
capable of being interpreted in a straightforward way,
some commentators have attempted to stretch the words,
and to interpret them to mean that, 'karmasn yogah
kausalam', that is to say, "kausala or skill, means the
Yoga in the performance of Action". But, as there was
no occasion here to give a definition of the word 'kausala',
and the matter in point was to show the meaning of the
word 'Yoga', this interpretation cannot be looked upon as
correct. Besides, when it is possible to inter-relate the
words in a simple and straightforward way as 'karmasu
kausalam', it is not proper to transpose the words so as to
inter-relate them as 'karmasu yogah'. The Blessed Lord now
says that when a man performs A.ction in this way with an
■equable Reason, there is no neglect of worldly activities,
and at the same time, one cannot but achieve complete
Perfection or Release — ]
(51) The Jnanins, when acting in union with (Equable)
Reason, having abandoned the Fruit of Action, and becoming
free from the shackles of births, reach the state (of the
Paramesvara) where there is no unhappiness. (52) When
your Reason shall have crossed the turgid enclosure of
Ignorance, you will become indifferent towards whatever you
may have heard or have to hear.
BWtistosay, yon will not desire to hear anything more;
because, you will have already obtained the Fruit which
cUTj be obtained by hearing these things. The word ' mrveda '
By used/to signify * being tired of worldly life ', or,
GlTA'TRANSLATION&COMMENTARY, CHAP. II 899
4 Renunciation '. In this stanza, it ordinarily means
'tiredness' or 'not wanting'. It will be seen from the
subsequent stanzas that this 'tiredness' is only with
reference to the ritual prescribed in the Srutis, which
relates to the objects of the three constituents.]
(53) When your Reason, confused by ( all kinds of )
sentences from the Vedas, will become fixed and irnmoveale
in the state of mental absorption, then will you attain this
Yoga (in the shape of an Equable Reason).
[In short, as has been stated above in %. 44, when a
person, being taken in by the description of obtainable
fruits given in Vedic hymns, falls into the turmoil of
performing a particular act for obtaining a particular fruit,
his Reason gets all the more confused instead of becoming
steady. Therefore, Arjuna is advised to give up paying
attention to- such statements of advice, and to attain a fixed
■concentration of the Mind, so that he would attain the
Karma-Yoga consisting of Equability of Reason, and be
able to perform Action without incurring any sin, and
without being in need of any further advice. It is stated
that the Karma-yogin, whose Reason or prajna has become
steady ( i. e., sthita ) in this way, is called a ' Sthitaprajfia ' ;
and Arjuna now asks how such a person acts or behaves.]
Arjuna said : (54) O Kesava ! who should be called a
* saniadhislha sthitaprajna ' ( that is, the Steady-in-Reasonj
steeped in Mental Absorption— Trans. ) ? How does such a'
Sthitaprajfia, speak, sit or walk ?.(tell me that).
[In this stanza, the word ' bhaqa ' has been used in the
meaning of ' laksaw ' (characteristics) ; and I have trans-
lated it as meaning ' who should be called ', having regard
to the root, ' bhas ', of the word ' bham '. It has been made
900 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KABMA-YOGA
starrer ?r? r OTtP); ^r^N; vm Jrsfrr?rre; >
I^-iisi'fl'+Mr' ^5 fgircresi: 1
srrra^flT h tfg n^r w srfrrfifrr 11 <w n
*r?r #g<?r =5(4 iKteffffta ?=HNt: 1
^Rst^M r gftf^nqW^TCT srtrr srrafscrr 11 hc h
xm$ 'raiscg^i trt ?ft for&t 11 h^ 11
clear in Chapter XII of the Gita-Bahasya (p. 510
to 527) that the mode of life of the Sthitaprajfia is the
basis of the doctrine of Karma-Yoga, and from, this fact
' the importance of the description which follows will
become apparent.]
The Blessed Lord said : (SS) Partha ! when (a person)
abandons all desires (that is, vasam) of his heart, and is
pleased by himself in his own self, then he is called a
Sthitapiajfia. (56) He, whose heart is not agitated in the
midst of calamities, who is void of longing in pleasures, and
from whom affection, fear, and wrath have departed, is
called a Steady-in-Reason sage (sthitaprajfia muni — Trans.)
(57) His Reason is (said to be) steady whose Mind is without
Attachment in all things, and who feels no exultation
or aversion about the agreeable or disagreeable which
befalls him. (58) When a person draws in (his) senses from
the objects (such as, sound, touch etc.) of the senses, as the
tortoise draws in its limbs (such as, hands, feet, etc.) from
all sides, then his Reason is (said to be) steady. (59) The
objects of sense leave the foodless person, yet, the relish
(that is, .the sweetness) in them, does not leave him ; but
after he has experienced the Parabrahman, (all the objects
together with) the relish also (in them), (that is, the objects
<>f : s^e as alsotlie relish, in them) leaves him.
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENT A.RY, CHAP, II 901
[The senses are fed by food. Therefore, when a person
does not take food, or fasts, the senses become weak, and
incapable of enjoying their respective objects. But getting
rid in this way of the enjoyment of objects of sense, is the
external action of enforced weakness. The desire (relish.)
for the objects of sense is not thereby redueed ; therefore,
one should acquire that Knowledge of the Brahman, by
which such. Desire will be destroyed ; when a person has thus
experienced the Brahman, his Mind, and at the same time,
his senses also come automatically under control ; and it is
not necessary to fast or do anything else in order to obtain
control over the senses. That is what this stanza means.
And the same meaning is clearly conveyed later on in
the stanzas in Chapter VI ( See Gl. 6. 16, 17 ; as
also 3. 6, 7), where it is stated that the Yogin should eat
moderately, and that he should not give up food or pastime
altogether. In short, it must be borne in mind that the
Glta looks upon fasting and other practices, which weaken
the body, as one-sided, and therefore, eschewable ; and lays
down the doctrine that, moderate food and pastime, and
the Knowledge of the Brahman, are the best means of
controlling the senses. Some commentators interpret the
word ' rasa ' in the stanza as meaning ' the sweet, bitter,
and other tastes experienced by the tongue ', and interpret
the stanza to mean that though one can overcome the
objects of the other senses by fasting, the relish of the
tongue, that is, the desire for food and drink, is intensified,.
instead of being destroyed, by fasting for many days ; and,
there is also a stanza to the same effect in the Bhagavata
(Bhag. 11. 8. 20). But in my opinion, -it is not correct to
interpret this stanza in the Glta in that way ; because, that
meaning becomes inconsistent with the second part of the
stanza. Besides, the word used in the Bhagavata is not
' rasa ' but ' rasanam ' ; and we also do not find there the
second part of the stanza in the Glt5. It is, therefore, not
proper to consider the stanza in the Glta, as meaning the
same thing as the stanza in the Bhagavata. The Blessed
Lord now says in more explicit terms, in the two following
stanzas, that it is not possible to obtain complete control
902 GIM.-RAHASYA OR KAKMA.-YOGA
g^t fir g^f^rm aw stitt srraficTT « ^? «
oTer the senses, except by the ^Realisation of the
Brahman — ]
(60) Because, O son of Kunti, these boisterous senses forcibly
carry away in an improper direction, the Mind of even the
intelligent person, who makes efforts merely (for controlling
the senses). (61) (Therefore), one should control all these
senses and become 'yukta' (that is, yoga-yukta) and solely
devoted to Me. His Reason is (said to have become)
steady, whose senses are thus subject to his control.
[In this stanza, it is stated that one should obtain control
over the senses by moderate eating, and should at the same
time, become ' matparayam ', that is, should fix his mind on
the tsvara, in order to obtain the Knowledge of the
Brahman ; and the reason for that will be clear from my
interpretation of the 59th stanza. Even Manu has given
a warning to the man who merely controls his senses, when
he says : " balavan indriyagramo vidvamsam api karsati "
{Manu. 2. 2-15), (that is, " the powerful group of the senses
drags about even the wise man " — Trans.); and the same
meaning is conveyed by the 60th stanza above. In short,
the implied import of these three stanzas (that is, 59, 60,
and 61 — Trans. ) is as follows; namely that, one who
has to become a 'Sthitaprajma' must moderate his food
and pastimes, and acquire the Knowledge of the Brah-
man; that, the Mind becomes free from the slavery of
"the senses only when one acquires the Knowledge of
the Brahman; and that, the device of mortifying the
body is only external and not efficacious ; and the words
* rnafparayctya ' also give the first indication of 4he Path of
BeVotion (See Gl. 9. 34). The word ' yukta ', which has been
used in the above stanza, means ' one who has been perfected
by means of Toga '. ' In Gita 6. 17, the word ' yukta ' means
'■ 'JiiodeWate '. , But this word is used in the Gita mostly to
GITS., TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. II 903
tailed) fg^n^S^T' ^Tf^^'SIl^ I
^fro^TTf f%?n^ft gf%TRTT3Pn^n% M3 h
mean ' the person who has become an adept in bearing both
pain and pleasure with a placid mind, by practising the
Yoga of Equable Reason, which has been prescribed in the
Gita '. (See Qi. 5. 23). A person who has become an adept
in this way is known as a ' sthitaprajfia ', and his state is
known as the ' siddhavastha ' (the state of Perfection) ; that
state has been described at the end of this chapter,
and also again at the end of Chapter V and of Chapter XII.
The Blessed Lord has so far explained what is
necessary for becoming a Sthitaprajiia, after having lost
pleasure in the objects of the senses. HE now first explains
in the following stanza how pleasure arises in the objects
of the senses, how this pleasure gives rise to the emotions of
terna (Desire), krodha (Anger), etc., how man is thereby ulti-
mately ruined, as also how it is possible to overcome them.}
(62) The sanga (that is, intimacy) of the man, who contem-
plates on the objects of the senses, with these objects
of sense, continually grows. From this intimacy, there
grows later on kama (that is, the Desire to possess those,
objects of the senses) ; (and when there is an obstruction in.
the matter of ths satisfaction of this Desire) from this Desire
there arises Anger; (63) from Anger, there arises sammoha
(that is, Indiscrimination); from Indiscrimination, confused
memory ; from confusion of memory, destruction of
Reason; and from destruction of Reason, there arises
the total destruction (of the man). (64) But he (the man),
whose Atman'(that is, whose internal sense) is within his
control, is satisfied (in his Mind), though he moves about
among the objects of the senses, with senses which have
escaped from love and hate, and which are perfectly within
904 GITi-EAHASTA OE KARMA-YOGA .
sn=rer%crar ®rg 1% : t4mi38cI » ^ »
his control. (65) When the Mind is satisfied, all his un-
happiness is destroyed, because the Reason of the man,
whose Mind is satisfied, is also immediately steadied.
[It nrust be borne in mind that these two stanzas
( that is, 64 and 65 — Trans. ) clearly lay down the
following propositions, namely, (i) the Sthitaprajna does
not give up either Action or the objects of sense, but
merely the 'aafiga' (intimacy), and moves about among
the objects of the senses with an unattaohed frame of mind ;
and that (ii) the peace of mind which he obtains is not the
result of giving up Action, but of giving up the Desire for
Fruit of Action; because, except for this, there is no
difference between this Sthitaprajna and the Sthitaprajna
who follows the Path of Renunciation. Both of them need
the qualities of absence of Desire and peace of Mind; but
the Sthitaprajna of the Glta does not renounce Action, but
- desirelessly performs every kind of Action for universal
good, and the other Sthitaprajna does not do so : this is
the important difference between the two (See Gl, 3. 25).
But the commentators on the Glta, who favour the Path of
Renunciation, look upon this difference as a minor difference,
and for supporting their own doctrine, insist that the
description of a Sthitaprajna given here is of the Sthita-
. prajfia according to the Path of Renunciation. The Blessed
- Lord now describes those whose mind is not at peace, thereby
more fully describing the nature of the Sthitaprajna — ]
t (66) The man, who is not 'yukta', (that is, who has not
become yoga-yukla as mentioned above), possesses neither
. (steady) Reason, nor bhavanfl (that is, Nistha, or fixedness,
in the shape of a firm Reason) ; who has not fixedness, can
xiase/ np tranquility ; and how can he who is not tranqpjl,
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. II 905
tf?3*TPJif ft; ^t?rt ^-jpffsgr^fterH i
rr^rru^T mrar§r fa^auSt fr^t * i
acquire happiness ? (67) The Mind which follows in the
wake of the senses, which roam about (that is, move), (among
the objects of sense), enslaves the Reason of a man, just as
the wind (enslaves) a boat in the water. (68) Therefore,
O Arjuna ! his Reason is (said to have become) steady, whose
senses (are) controlled on all sides from the objects of sense.
[In short, control of the senses by means of the control of
the Mind is at the root of all means of reaching Perfection.
When the senses have become disintegrated on account of
the objects of sense and run in all directions, it is not
possible for a man even to get the desire of obtaining Self-
knowledge. As the desire is wanting, there is no resolute
endeavour in that direction, and then there is neither
tranquility nor happiness. Though this is what is meant,
control of the senses does not mean totally destroying the
senses and giving up all Action altogether; and, as is stated
in the 64th stanza, the message of the Glta is that
one should perform all Action desirelessly, as has been
shown in Chapter IV of the Glta-Rahasya.]
(69) The Sthitaprajna is awake in that which is night for
everyone else ; and such a Jfianin looks upon that as night in
which every other living being is awake.
[This paradoxical description is metaphorical. Ingnorance
means 'darkness' and Knowledge means 'light' (GI.T4. 11).
That which the Ignorant dislike, that is, what to them is
darkness, is desired by the Jfianin ; and that in which the
Ignorant are engrossed — that is, what for them is light — ■
is ' darkness ' for the Jfianin, that is to say, he
does not want it. This is what is meant. For instance,
GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
a Jnanin looks upon desire-prompted Action as con-
temptible, whereas ordinary people are steeped in such
Action; and that Desireless Action, which the Jnanin
likes, is disliked by others.]
-(70) Just as all water enters, from all sides, the sea, of which
the shores are not transgressed, though it is being filled on
-all sides, so is (true) tranquility obtained only by that person,
who is entered by all objects of sense (without disturbing
his tranquility) ; not by one, who desires the objects of sense
(is it possible that this tranquility is acquired.)
[This stanza does not mean that one should abandon
Action in order to attain tranquility ; what is meant is that
the minds of ordinary people axe confused by the Hope of
Fruit, or by Desire, and their peace of mind is destroyed by
the Action they perform ; but the Mind of the man who has-
reached the Siddhavastha (the state of Perfection) is not
distressed by Hope of Fruit. Whatever the number of
Actions he has to perform, his peace of Mind is not
disturbed, and he performs them remaining as peaceful as
the sea ; and he does not, therefore, suffer from pain or
happiness. (See stanza 64 above and Gl. 4. 19). The
Blessed Lord now summarises this subject, and tells Arjuna
what this state of the Sthitaprajna is called — ]
(71) He alone acquires tranquility, who performs Action
having given up all Desire (that is, all Attachment) and.
become desireless, and who has not got mine-ness and
egoism.
[The word ' carati' (performs Action) has been interpreted
! % commentators who support the doctrine of Renunciation
"" ek meaning ' goes about begging*; but, that interpretation
is wrong. The meaning which has been given to the words
tAtartW* a,nd' dOKttam' in the 64th and the 67th stanzas-
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP II 90?
,<£ *..
tm srrsrr t^jrt- <mr ^rsrr sn^r ragsrm i
above must also be taken here. The Glta has nowhere
preached that the Sthitaprajna should become a mendicant
On the other hand, it has been clearly stated in the 64th
stanza, that he should freely ' move about among the objects
of sense', keeping his senses under control. Therefore, the
■word ' carcdi ' must be interpreted here as ' performs Action "
or ' takes part in worldly affairs '. Sri Samartha (Ramadasa)
has given, in the latter half of the Dasabodha, an excellent
description of how the 'desireless scient' (Sthitaprajna)
takes part in worldly affairs ; and the same is the subject-
matter of Chapter XIV of the Glta-Rahasya. ]
(72) O Partha ! this is (called) that Brahmic state ; having
attained this, the man does not remain in ignorance ; and
remaining in this state even at the end (that is, at the
moment of death), he attains Release in the shape of
' brahmanirvana ' (that is, of merger in the Brahman).
[The Brahmic stats is the ultimate and the best state in
Karma-yoga (See Gl. Ra. Ch. IX pp. 319 and 344) ; and the
important point about it is, that when this state has been
reached, there is no more any Ignorance. This important
point is particularly mentioned here, because, even if a.
man on any particular day experiences the Brahmic state
for a short time, he does not thereby get any permanent
benefit. Because, if that man is not in that state of mind
at the moment of death, he cannot escaps re-birth according
to the desire which may be in his mind at the moment of
death (See Gi. Ra. p. 398). Therefore, in describing the
Brahmic state in this stanza, it is particularly mentioned
that the Sthitaprajna maintains this state of mind even at
the moment of death (cf. "antakale 'pi ", that is, ' even at the
moment of death'). The importance of the Mind being
pure at the moment of death has been described in the
Upanisads (Chan. 3. 14. 1 ; Prasna. 3. 10.), and later on in
the Glta itself (Gl. 8. 5-10). As desire-prompted Action
is the reason for being re-born several times, it is clear
37—38
908 GtTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
that Desire should be annihilated at least at the moment
of death. And it naturally follows that in order that
Dasire .should be annihilated at the moment of death, one
must have practised the annihilation of Desire before one
reaches the point of death ; because, the act of destroying
Desire is extremely difficult, and it is not only difficult but
absolutely impossible for any one to be easily able to
annihilate Desire, except by 'special divine blessing'.
(viseMnuiirahd). The doctrine that Desire should be pure
at the moment of death has been accepted not only in the
Vedic religion but also in other religions ( See Glta Ra.
p. 614.]
Thus ends, the Second Chapter entitled Sam'khya-
Yoga in the dialogue, between Sri Krsna and Arjuna on the
Yoga included in the Science of the Brahman, (that is, on
the Karma- Yoga) in the Upanisad sung, (that is, told) by the
Blessed Lord.
[As there is a description of the Sarhkhya or the
Saranyasa doctrine in the beginning of this Chapter, it is
called ' Samkhya-Yoga '. But one must not, on that
account, think that the whole of the chapter contains no
other subject. There are usually many subjects in one and
the same chapter ; but the chapter is named by reference
to the subject which is in the beginning, or is the most
important one in the chapter (See Glta-Rahasya Ch. XIV,
p. 625.]
■§§ «^P5r# ■5c*4°r*si *rar ff%^mf »r i
?rf&> ^f^r wft *rf #rat^Rrf% %^r it ? ii
CHAPTER m.
[After the Blessed Lord had proved to Arjuna that the
dread which he had felt about killing Bhisma, Drona, and
others was foolish, having regard to the immortality and
the non-lamentability of the Atman according to Samkhya
philosophy, and made to Arjuna a short exposition of his
own duty, the principal subject-matter of the Gita, namely,
the exposition of the Karma-Yoga, was started in the
Second Chapter ; and, after stating that the only skilful
way, or Yoga, by which it was possible to perform Action
without incurring either merit or sin, was to perform it
with a disinterested frame of mind, there is given a
•description, at the end, of the Karma-Yogin Sthitaprajfia,
whose Reason has thus become Equable. But, that does not
exhaust the exposition of the Karma- Yoga. It is true that
if any act is performed with an equable frame of mind, one
does not incur sin. But, if it cannot be disputed that
Equability of Beason is superior to Action (G). 2. 49), then
it would be quite enough if one makes one's Beason .equable
like that of a Sthitaprajfia ; and it does not follow that it
is necessary to perform Action. Therefore, when this
■doubt has been raised by Arjuna in the shape of a question,
the Blessed Lord lays down in this and in the next chapter,
that ' Action must be performed '.]
Arjuna said : — (1) O Janardana ! if it is Your opinion that
■the (Equable-) Reason is superior to Action; then, O Kesava !
why are You engaging me in a terrible Action (of war) ?
{2) By this seemingly mixed (that is, double-meaninged)
advice, You are, so to say, confusing my understanding;
910 GlTA-RAHASYA OK KARMA-TOGA
§§ #%sfttrc ftfsrar f%sr g*r stTtrt m\sm i
ttw#W ^r^^TRt ^srrito sfrnRra; « 3 «
therefore, tell me definitely only that thing by which I shall
attain ireya (that is, bliss).
The Blessed Lord said :— (3) O sinless Arjuna 1 I have
said before (that is, in the Second Chapter) that in this world,,
the path is of two kinds : that of the Sarhkhyas, by the
Jfiana-Yoga, and that of the Yogins, by the Karma- Yoga.
[Ihave translated the word 'pura'=' before', as meaning,,
' in the Second Chapter ', and that is the straightforward
meaning; because, the Blessed Lord has, in the Second
Chapter, first described the Sarhkhya philosophy, and then
the Karma-Yoga philosophy. : But, the word ' pura' can
also be interpreted to mean ' from the beginning of the
world ' ; because, where the Narayanlya or Bhagavata.
religion has been described in the Mahabharata, it is stated
that the Blessed Lord created the two independent paths of
Sarhkhya and Yoga [mmtti (Renunciation) and _ pravrtti
(Action)], in the beginning of the world (See San. 340
and 347). As I have shown in great detail in Chapter XI of
the Glta-Rahasya (pp. 420 to 437) that (i) the word ' moksa *
(Release) is to be taken as understood behind the word
'mftha', that (ii) ' nistha' means 'that path by following
which one ultimately attains Release ', and that (iii) there
are only two such paths, according to the Glta, which are.
independent of each other, and are not parts of each other,
I shall not repeat the same subject-matter here. The
difference between these two paths has also been shown by
me in the form of a tabular statement at the end of
Chapter XI of the Glta-Rahasya (p. 491). The Blessed Lord
has thus mentioned the two paths of attaining Release.
Now He clearly defines the nature of that imiskarmyasiddM
(Perfection by Desireless Action) which is incidental to
them—]
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP, in 911
ST ^ #RTCRT%3 f%f% ^WT%FE3T3 It 8 II
•{4) (But) It is not that a man attains naiskarmya (that is, per-
forming Action after destroying its binding force — Trans.)
by not commencing Action ; nor does one attain Perfection by
merely making a Renunciation (tyaga) of Action ; (5) because,
whoever he may be, he does not remain even for a moment
without performing (some or other) Action. The constituents
of Prakrti compel every being, that has become dependent, to
(always) perform (some or other) Action.
[Commentators, who support the Path of Renunciation,
have interpreted the word ' naiskarmya ' occurring in the
first part of this stanza, as meaning ' Jfiana '; and in order
to support their own doctrine, they have interpreted the
stanza as meaning, " Knowledge is not acquired by not
starting Action, that is to say, Knowledge can be acquired
•only by performing Action, in as much as Action is the
instrument by means of which Knowledge can be
acquired". But this interpretation is neither straight-
forward nor correct. The word ' naiskarmya ' occurs any
number of times both in the Vedanta and the Mimarhsa
philosophies, and Suresvaracarya has even written a book
entitled NaisharmyasiddU. But these principles of
Naiskarmya are not new, but have been in vogue from
before the time not only of Suresvaracarya but even of the
Sutras on the Mimarhsa and the Vedanta. It need not be
said that Karma (Action) is necessarily binding. Therefore,
it is necessary to devise some means whereby the binding-
force or faults of Karma or Action can be destroyed,
in the same way as Doctors purify mercury by ' killing '
it before it is used ; and the state of performing Action
by this device is known as ' Naiskarmya ' . As Action,
thus crippled, does not become an obstruction to Release,
how to acquire this state is an important question in
the science of Release. The Mimarhsa school answers
»n GITA.-B AHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA.
this question by saying that if one performs the ' Daily '
(rritya) ritual, daily, and the 'Occasional' (naimittika)
ritual, when there is occasion for it, and eschews the
' Desire-prompted ' (kamya) and ' Prohibited ' (nisiddha) acts,
one will escape the bond of Action, and can without
difficulty obtain the ' naiskarmyavastha' (the state of Absten-
tion from Action). But Vedanta science has proved that.
this device of the Mlmamsa school is wrong ; and this
matter has been discussed in Chapter X of the Glta-Rahasya.
(pp. 378, 379). There are others who maintain, that Action
(' Karma ') will not bind a person, if he does not perf orm it,
and that therefore, one should abandon all Action, is order to
attain the state of Inaction (naiskarmyctvastha). In their opi-
nion 'liaiskarmya' means 'Absence of Action' (karma-sunyata).
But it has been stated in the fourth stanza that this is not
correct, and that Perfection (mddhi), that is, Release (moksa}
cannot be attained in that way ; and the reason for saying
so has been given in the fifth stanza. Even if one contem-
plates giving up of Action, yet, in as much as Action, like
sitting, sleeping etc., does not stop so long as the Body
exists (Gi 5. 9 and 18. 11), no man whosoever can at any
time totally abstain from Action. Therefore, Naiskarmya
in the shape of total Abstention from Action is impossible.
In short, the scorpion of ' Karma ' never dies. Therefore,.
one must devise some means whereby that scorpion will
become poisonless. The doctrine of the Glta is that this
device consists in destroying the Attachment which ties a
person to the Action, and this device has been later on
described several times in an exhaustive manner. But
even to this position an objection may be raised that :
though ETaiskarmya may not mean ' total Abstention from
Action ' , yet, in as much as, those who follow the Path of
Renunciation, obtain Release by giving up all Action, the
giving up of all Action is necessary for obtaining Release.
But to this line of reasoning the reply of the Glta is that,
though the followers of the Path of Renunciation attain
Release, that is not because they have given up Action;
for, their attaining Release is the result of their Jfiana.
(Knowledge). If Release were to be obtained merely by
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. Ill 915
^f^rfor #q-Rr q 3rref jt^tt ^pcj; <
cf^rsfa; f^Trirr foaTFsnr: *T 3^ II % n
abstaining from Action, even a stone ought to obtain it.
Therefore, the following three facts stand proved, namely,
(1) Naiskarmya does not mean total Abstention from
Action ; (2) no one can possibly give up Action even if he
says that he will do so ; and (3) giving up Action is not a
means for obtaining Siddhi (Perfection) ; and this is what
has been stated in the above stanza. When these three
conclusions have been arrived at, the only way in which
Naiskarmya-siddhi (Perfection by Desireless Action) can
be attained is, by not giving up Action, but continually
performing Action after destroying the 'asakti' (Attach-
ment) by means of Jfiana (Knowledge). Because, though
Jnana alone does not give Eelease, yet, in as much as it is
impossible to totally abstain from Action, it is necessary
to perform Action, after having destroyed one's Attach-
ment (asakti) to Action, in order to get rid of the Bond
of Action. This is what is known as ' KABMA-YOGA ' ;
and the Blessed Lord now says that this method, which
combines Jfiana (Knowledge) with Karma (Action) is of
higher importance, that is, superior — ]
(6) That fool, who merely controls the Action (of the hands
and feet etc.), but continually thinks by his Mind of the objects
of the senses, is called mithyacara (that is, a hypocrite).
(7) But the worth of that man, who controls his senses by
means of his Mind, and starts the Karma-Yoga by means
(solely) of the organs of Action, with an unattached Reason
is, O Arjuna ! very great.
[ These two stanzas amplify the statement in the pre-
vious chapter that: 'in the Karma-Yoga, the Reason is
superior to Action' (Gl. 3. 49). This stanza clearly says
that the man, whose Mind is not pure, but who restrains
the activities of his organs of Action only out of fear of
others, or in order that other persons should call him good,.
914 GlTA-RAHASYA OS KARMA-YOGA
is not really a virtuous man, but a hypocrite. Those who
point to the dictum: "kalau Icarta ca tipyate" , that is,
■"in the Kaliyuga, fault is found not with Reason, hut with
the Action " , and who say that, whatever the state of one's
Reason, one's Action should not be had, should carefully
note the principle laid down in the above stanza of the
Glta. It becomes clear from the 7th stanza, that the name
* Karma-Yoga ' has been-given in the Glta only the ' Yoga
■of performing Action desirelessly '. Some supporters of
the Path of Renunciation interpret this stanza as meaning
that though this Karma-Yoga may be superior to the Path
■of Hypocrisy described in the 6th stanza, yet, it is not
superior to the Path of Renunciation.- But this argument
is only a doctrine-supporting argument; because, the
doctrine that Karma-Yoga is more worthy than, or superior
to, the Path of Renunciation has been laid down not only
in this stanza, but again in the beginning of Chapter V,
as also in several other places (Glta-Ra. p. 425 and 436).
As the Karma- Yoga is, in this way, proved to be superior,
the Blessed Lord now advises Arjuna to follow that Path
only—]
(8) Perform the Action which has been niyata (that is,
prescribed), (according to your dliarmd) ; because, it is better
to perform Action than not to perform Action ; (see) besides,
(that), if you do not perform Action, (you will not get even
food to eat and) even the Body will not be maintained.
[By the words ' besides ' and 'even' (cf. : " api ca ") it has
been shown that ' keeping alive the body (sanra-yatra) is a
very secondary object. Now the Blessed Lord starts the
subject of Sacrificial Ritual (yajna-karma) in order to show
what Action is ' niyala ' that is, ' prescribed ', and for what
other important reasons that Action has to be performed.
As the Sruti religion of sacrificial ritual has now become
extinct, readers do not now-a-days attach much importance
to this subject But, as these Yajfias and Yagas (that is,
GIT!, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. Ill 915
sacrificial ritual) were in full swing in the days of the
Gits, those were the things which were principally under-
stood by the word ' Karma ' ; and it was, therefore, neces-
sary to expound in the Gita whether this religious ritual
should be performed or not, and, if so, in what way.
Besides, it must be borne in mind, that the word ' Yajna '
does not mean only 'the Jyotistoma and other Yajfias
prescribed by the Srutis ' or, ' sacrificing something or other
into the Fire (agni)', (Gl. 4. 32). The word 'Yajna'
embraces all Action, which was enjoined by Brahma-
■deva on all created beings, in accordance with the four
different castes, after he had created the Cosmos, in order to
achieve the smooth running of the Cosmos, that is to say,
for 'lokasaihgraha' (universal welfare), (Ma. Bha. Anu. 48, 3;
and Gl. Ra. pp. 400-408) ; and these very rites have been
•described in our religious texts (dharma-sastra), and are
what are here meant by the word ' niyata ' (prescribed rites).
Therefore, though the sacrificial ritual of the Srutis is
now extinct, this exposition of the cycle of Yajfias cannot
be said to be meaningless in these days. From the point
of view of religion, all this ritual has been prescribed
because, it is ' kamya ', that is, in order that man should
thereby derive benefit and become happy. But in the second
chapter above (Gl. 2. 41-44) is stated the doctrine that these
purposeful or desire-prompted rites of the Mlmamsakas
obstruct Release, that is to say, are inferior in worth. And
here it is shown that it is necessary to perform that very
ritual. Therefore, the Blessed Lord has explained in an
exhaustive manner in the following stanzas how the good
■or evil contact or binding effect of these Actions can be
made to disappear, and how the Naiskarmyavastha (state
of Desireless Activity) is reached while performing Action ;
and all this is consistent with the Harayaniya or
Bhagavata religion described in the Bharata.]
(9) This world is bound by Action other than that which
is performed for the Yajna ; perform (even) the Action (to be
916 GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
performed) for it, (that is, for the Yajfia), abandoning the
Attachment or Hope of Fruit.
[ In the first half of this stanza is given the doctrine of
the Mrmarhsa school, and in the other half, the doctrine of
the Glta. The Mlmarhsa school says that in as much as the
ritual of Yajfias and Yagas has been placed on everybody's
shoulders by the Vedas themselves, and in as much as
this cycle of Yajfias is necessary in order that the affairs
of the world created by the Isvara should go on smoothly,
nobody can give up Action (ritual) ; and that if he does so,
he is to be looked upon as lost to the religion of the Srutis.
But it is a doctrine of the Law of Causality {karmavipaka-
prakriya) that, man has to suffer the consequences of each
one of his acts ; and according to this doctrine, it follows
that man has to suffer the good or bad consequences of even
the Action performed by him for the Yajfia. To this the
reply of the Mlmarhsa school is that, in as much as the
Vedas themselves have enjoined the performance of the
'Yajfias', and in as much as all Action which has to be
done for the purpose of the Yajfia must consequently be
deemed to be acceptable to the Isvara, such Action cannot
be a source of bondage to the doer ; but any other Action,
performed for any purpose except for a YajHa, e. g., for
one's own living, is an act not for the purpose of a Yajna,,
but merely for the benefit of oneself. Therefore, the'
Mlmarhsa school refers to such Action as ' purusartha-
karma' (Action performed for oneself); and it has laid down
that every person must suffer the consequences, good or
evil, of all such Action, that is, of Action other than that
performed for the purposes of a Yajfia, or in other words, of
Purusartha-karma ; and this is the proposition referred to
in the first line of the above stanza (Gi. Ra. Ch. Ill, pp. 72
to 75). The meaning, which some commentators arrive
at, by taking 'Yajna' to mean 'Visnu' (which is a secondary
interpretation) so as to explain 'Yajfiartha' as meaning,
'for the sake of Visnu', or 'in order to dedicate it to the
Paramesvara', is, according to me, a stretched and uncouth
meaning. But here a question arises, namely: if a man
GIT A, TRANSLATION & COMMENT ARY, CHAP. Ill 917
does no other Action except what is necessary for the
performance of a Yajfia, does he escape the bondage of
Action 1 For, Yajfia is also an Action, and one cannot
escape the fruit of it in the shape of obtaining heaven,
mentioned in the Sastras. And it has been clearly stated
in Chapter II of the Gits ( GL 2. 40-44 and 9. 20, 21 ),
that this Fruit in the shape of obtaining Heaven is
obstructive to Eelease. Therefore, in the second part of
the above stanza, it has been again emphasised that even
the prescribed (myata) ritual, which a man has to perform
for the purposes of a Yajfia, should be performed by him
without entertaining the Hope of Fruit, that is to say,
merely as a duty ; and the same doctrine has been
propounded later on when the 'sattvika sacrifice' has been
defined ( Gl. 17. 11 and 18. 6 ). When in this way all
Actions are performed for the purposes of a Yajfia, and that
too without entertaining the Hope of Fruit, (1) they cannot
affect a person adversely in any other way, according to
the Mlmarhsa doctrine, because they have been performed
for the purpose of a Yajna, and (2) one does not thereby
obtain the Sastric, yet non-permanent, Fruit in the shape
of heaven, as they have been performed 'without enter-
taining the Hope of Fruit', but attains Release. Such is
,' the import of this stanza ; and the same meaning has been
again emphasised later on in the 19th stanza, as also in the
23rd stanza of Chapter IV. In short, the doctrine of the
Mlmarhsa school that "one should perform Action for the
purposes of the Yajfia, as it has not a binding effect", has
been amended and amplified by the Bhagavadgita as :
"even the Action to be performed for the purposes of the
Yajfia, should be performed without entertaining the Hope
of Fruit". But even to this position an objection is raised,
by asking whether it is not better, for obtaining Release by
escaping the bond of Karma, that one should take
Sarhnyasa (renounce the world) and give up all ritual,
rather than go through the useless effort of amending this
doctrine of the MImamsa school, and keeping alive the duty
of a householder to perform Yajnas and Yagas. The clear
answer of the Bhagavadgita to this is in the negative ;
918 GlTA-BAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
ar^?r jnafgisrsq^ gtsre^rg^fflspp » to «
tfWfk 'ZV&FS: mi: m iW tFVW n ?t »
l^rtsrstff^t *fr 3§; ^r «3^ w h \r ii
"because, but for the cycle of Yajfias, the affairs of the
world will not go on. Nay ; this cycle has been created
by Brahmadeva in the beginning of the world in order to
maintain the world ; and in as much as the well-being or
the welfare of the world is what is desired by the Blessed
Lord, no one can escape the performance of this Yajfia-
ritual. And this very import is embodied in the next
stanza. In reading this chapter, my readers must bear in
mind that the word Yajfia' has not been used in the narrow
meaning of the Yajfia prescribed by the Srutis, but that it
includes the Yajfias prescribed by the Smrtis as also all
worldly Action prescribed for the four castes, according to
their respective authority, j
(10) In ancient days, Brahmadeva created living beings
( praja ) together with the YajSa and said (to them): 'By-
means of this (Yajfia), may you grow ; may this be to you a
Mma-dhenu (that is, something which fulfils all desires).
(11) By this Yajfia, do you give pleasure (that is, prosperity)
to the gods ; (and) may those gods (in return) give you
pleasure (that is, prosperity) ; pleasing each other (in this
ay), may you (both) attain the highest kreya (that is,
benefit) ; (12) because, the gods, being satisfied by the
Yajfia, will give you (all) desired enjoyments. He who
«njoys ( by himself atone ) what has been given by them, not
giving it (back) to them, is indeed a thief.
[After Brahmadeva created this Universe that is, the
world of the gods and all the other worlds, he was filled with
anxiety as to how all these worlds would be maintained.
He, therefore, performed austere religious practices for a
thousand years ; and having thereby pleased the Blessed
LorjL He (the Blessed Lord) created the Activistic cycle
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OHAP. Ill 919
of Yajfias for the maintenance of all these worlds, and
directed both the gods and the men to follow that arrange-
ment and thereby protect each other: such is the
description given in the Narayaniya doctrine mentioned in
• the MahSbharata ( Ma. Bha. San. 340. 38 to 63 ) ; and the
same has been repeated in the above stanza, slightly
differently and with minor verbal alterations. This fort-
ifies the proposition that the doctrine enunciated in the
A.ctivistic Bhagavata religion is propounded in the Gits.
But, as the Bhagavata religion considered the slaughter of
animals included in the Yajfias as objectionable (Ma Bha.
San. 336 and 337), Yajfias by sacrifice of wealth took the
place of the sacrifice of animals; and ultimately, the
opinion that the Yajna by means of prayer (japayajfia), or
by means of Knowledge ( jnana-yajfta ) was the most
superior Yajna, came into vogue (Qi. 4. 23-33). It is clear
that the word Yajna' means, all the Action (duties) prescri-
bed for the four castes ; and that this Yajna-ritual or Yajfia-
cakra (cycle of Yajfias) has to be kept going without a.
hitch in the interests of the maintenance of society (Manu.
1. 87). Nay, the Yajna-cafo-o' (cycle of Yajnas) mentioned
later on in the 28th stanza is a kind of universal service
(lokasamgraha), (See Gl. Ra. Oh. XI). It is, therefore, stated
even in the Smrtis that the Action productive of universal
welfare, which the Blessed Lord thus created in the
beginning of the world for the welfare both of the world of
men and of the world of gods, should necessarily be kept
going ; and the same meaning has been made perfectly
clear in the next stanza. ]
(13) Those good men, who partake of what remains after the-
performance of the Yajna, are redeemed from all sin. But
those, who (without performing the Yajna) cook (food) for
themselves (only), such sinful persons eat only sin.
[ In the Rg-Veda hymn 10. 117. 6, the same meaning is
conveyed ; and it is stated that : "narymavam pusyati no
sakhayam kevalUgho bhavati kevaladC, that is, "he who does-
.820 GlTA-RAHASYA OB. KARMA-YOGA
not feed the 'aryama', that is, the friend, but eats alone,
•should be looked upon as a sinner". Similarly, there are
to be found such stanzas in the Manu-Smrti, as : "ogham, sa
keualam bhunkte yah. paoatyatrmkaravM I yajHasistaianam hy
etat satam annam vidhhjate" II (3. 118), that is, "He who cooks
{food) only for himself, eats only sin ; what remains over
after the performance of the Yajfia is called amrt and what
remains over after everybody else has eaten (blmkta-sesa)
is called vidhas" (Manu. 3. 285) ; and that food alone is the
proper food for respectable people ( see, Gl. 4. 31 ). The
Blessed Lord now gives a more detailed explanation of how
the Yajna is necessary for the maintenance of the world, or
how the world depends on the performance of Yajfias,
instead of the Yajfia and other ritual being merely for the
purpose of burning rice and sesamum into the fire, or
merely for the purpose of obtaining heaven — ]
■(14) Living beings come into existence from food; food
xesults from rain ; rain results from the Yajfia ; and the Yajfia
results from Karma (that is, ritual — Trans.).
[ Even the Manu-Smrti describes the origin of man, and
of the food necessary for his sustenance, in the same way.
The stanza in the Manu-Smrti is : "the oblation made into the
Fire in a Yajna reaches the Sun, and then rain results from
the Sun, that is, ultimately from the Yajfia ; food results
from the rain, and life, from food" (Manu. 3. 76) ; and the
same stanza appears in the MahabhSrata (Ma. Bha. San.
•262. 11). In the Taittiriya Upanisad (2. 1), this evolution
is taken even further back, and the order of evolution is
.. given as : "from the ParamStman was first born ether ; and
;: afterwards, air, fire, water, and earth came into existence,
. «ne after the other ; and from the earth spring the vegeta-
bles, and from the vegetables, man". Therefore, the
Blessed Lord, consistently, with that order of creation, takes
the. evolution of created 'beings, which, in the last stanza
nas.been brought as far as Karma, still further back to
GET!., TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. Ill 921
*frf srgfrspf f%f% wsrr^^rg^cT'j; i
Prakrti (Nature or Matter), and behind Prakrti, right upto
the Imperishable (ak$ara) Brahman ]
(1 5) Know (that) the origin of Action (is) from the Brahman
{that is, from Prakrti', and this Brahman has sprung out of
the aksara * (that is to say, from the Paramesvara) ; there-
fore, ( know that ) the AH-pervading Brahman is always
"primarily worshipped' (adhisthita — Trans.) in the Yajfia.
[Some commentators interpret the word 'Brahman' in this
. stanza, not as Prakrti, but as "Veda. Although this inter-
pretation would be correct in the meaning that "the Brah-
man, that is, the Vedas, originate from the Paramesvara",
yet, the words "the All-pervading Brahman is in the
Yajfia", do not become intelligible according to that
interpretation. Therefore, the meaning of the word ' Brah-
man', given in the Ramanujabhasya, consistently with its
meaning in the stanza, "mama yonir mahat brahma"
Gl. 14 3), (where it means Prakrti), namely, 'Prakrti, which
is the Fundamental Substance of the world * appeals to me
as better. Besides, the description, " anuyajnam jagat sarvam
yajflas canujagat sada", that is, "the Yajfia is followed
by the world, and the world is followed by the Yajfia",
which appears in the Santiparva of the Mahabharata,
where the chapter of Yajfias is going on (San. 267. 34),
also becomes consistent with the present stanza, if the word
is taken to mean Prakrti. For, I have explained at con-
siderable length in Chapters VII and VIII of the Gita-
Rahasya, that the world is nothing but Prakrti, as also
how Prakrti springs from the Paramesvara, and how the
entire activity of the world springs from the three-con-
stituented Prakrti. Besides, there is a description even
■ in the PurusasQkta that the Gods created the world by first
performing a Yajfia. ]
* 'al^ara 1 , means 'the Imperishable' — Trans. • :
922 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
(16) The life of that man who does not move the cycle;
(that is, the cycle (pakrd), whether of Action, or of sacrificial
ritual), which has thus been started (for the maintenance of
the world), is sinful; and the existence, O Partha ! of this
slave of the senses (that is, of the person, who enjoys ail-
by himself, without giving anything to ths gods) is worthless.
[ It has thus been proved that sacrificial Action, or the
respective duties of the four castes, have been created by
Brahmadeva — and not by man — and that these duties are
necessary both for keeping the world going on (stanza 14),
as also for maintaining oneself (stanza 8); and that,
therefore, the Cycle of Sacrifice (yajna-cakra) has got to be
continually kept going on in this world, unattachedly,
That is to say, I have shown how the Karma-kanda in the
Mlmamsa philosophy, or in the ' trayi dharma ' has been
left untouched in the Glta-religion by the device of the
Unattached Reason ( See Glta-Rahasya, Ch. XI, pp. 478
to 482). But some commentators belonging to the School
of Renunciation take exception to this by saying that,
as the Self-Knower (atma-jflardn) obtains Release in this
world, and as he has already acquired here all that is to be
acquired, it is not necessary for him to perform any Action
whatsoever in the world, nor should he perform Action.
Therefore, the Blessed Lord now gives in the three following
stanzas the answer of the Gits to that objection — ]
(17) But, for the man who is merged only in the Atman,
content in the Atman, and pleased with the Atman, nothing
(as of his own) remains (in balance). (18) Similarly, here
(that is, in this world) he has nothing to gain whether by
doJM or by not doing (any particular thing) ; and there is
GIT1, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. Ill 923
no purpose (as of his own) which, is mixed up with all created
beings; (19) tasmat, (that is, because the Jflanin does not
in .this way set store by anything in this world), you too
do not have any Attachment (to the Fruit), but perform (your)
duty ; because, the man who performs Action, having given
up Attachment, attains the highest (state).
[As commentators have very much distorted the meaning
of these three stanzas (17 to 19), I -will first explain their
plain meaning. These three stanzas form really speaking
only one sentence, in the shape of a reason and an inference.
Out of these, the 17th and 18th stanzas first show the
reasons generally given for the JnSnin not performing
Action; and the inference drawn by the Glta is stated
in the 19th stanza, which starts with the word 'tasrrwt'
(that is, ' therefore '), which shows the inference. It has been
clearly stated in the 4th and 5th stanzas in the beginning
of this chapter, that the Actions of sleeping, sitting, getting
up, nay, of existing itself etc., cannot be given up in this
world, even if one wants to do so; and that, therefore,
'ncdskarmya ' is not achieved by giving up Action, nor is
such Renunciation of Action any means for attaining
Perfection (siddhi). But the argument advanced against
this point of view by the School of Renunciation is: "It
is not that we give up Action in order to obtain Perfection.
Whatever anybody does in this world, he does it either
for his own gain or for the gain of another. But the
highest ideal of every man, namely, the Siddhavastha.
(State of Perfection), or Moksa (Release), is attained by
a Jnanin as a result of Knowledge ; and therefore, as there
does not remain anymore anything else, which" he has to
acquire (stanza 17), it is all the same to him. whether he
performs a particular Action or does not perform it. Very'
well, if it is said that he must perform such Action for the
benefit of other people, then he has nothing to do with
other people (stanza 18). Then, why should he perform
39—40
926 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
in the same words as the Gits ; and it is stated in the
second line that, "why should I insist on not performing
Action ? I am performing whatever befalls me according
to the Sastras". Also, a little higher up, the Yoga-Vasistha
has borrowed verbatim from the Glta the stanza: "naiva
; tasya krteriartho" etc., and in the next stanza, it says:
yad yatha nama sampannam tat tathastv itareoa Jam ", that
is, "therefore, (the jivan-mukta) performs whatever befalls
him, and does not pay attention to anything else". (Yo.
6 U. 125. 49, 50). Not only in the Yoga-Vasistha, but
also in the GanesagltS, where the same meaning is to be
conveyed, the stanza is :
kimcid asya na sadhyam syat sarvajantu$u sarvada I
afo 'saktataya bhupa kartavyaih karma jantiibhih u
(GanesagltS 2. 18),
that is, " there is nothing left for him to earn from other
living beings ; for this reason (atdh), O Raja! everybody
has to perform his duties with an unattached Reason"!
From this it will be clear that the mutual relation between
the three stanzas as showing respectively the reason and
the inference, as stated by me, is correct As the" Yoga-
Vasistha gives in one stanza what is shown in three-
stanzas in the Glta, there remains no room for doubting
the relation of reason and inference in that stanza. This
line of reasoning of the Glta has been later on adopted
by the Buddhist writers of the Mahaytna sect (Gl. Ra.
pp. 798 and 816). The Blessed Lord now gives an
illustration for emphasising the statement made above
that, there no more remains any self-interest for the person
who has attained Knowledge ; that, he must perform his
duties with a desireless Reason ; and that, Desireless Action
'of this kind ends in Release, instead of obstructing it — ]
(30) Janaka and others thus attained Release by
performing Action. In the same way, it is proper that you
,; ; sha$d : £erform, Action, keeping an eye to universal welfare.
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. Ill 927
[ The first part of this stanza contains an illustration of
how Release is attained by means of Desireless Action ;
and a different subject-matter has been started from the
second part of this stanza. It has been proved that
although a Jnanin has nothing to do -with other people,
yet, as such a person cannot escape the performance of
Aotion, he must perform Action desirelessly. Although
the argument that, ' since one cannot escape the perform-
ance of Action, one must perform it ', may be perfectly
logical, yet, it does not satisfy ordinary persons as much
as it should. They are afraid in their minds that Action
is to be performed merely because it is unavoidable, and
that nothing else is to be gained thereby. Therefore, the
Blessed Lord starts the second part of the stanza in order
to show that securing universal welfare by one's Action is
a real ideal to be reached in this world by the Jnanin.
This is the reason for the words 'evapi' in the phrase
' lokasamgraham evapi' ; and these words clearly show that
a different subject has now been commenced. The word
'loka' in the phrase ' lokasamgraha' has a comprehensive
meaning, and includes the putting, not only mankind, but
the entire world, on a proper path, and making a
' samgraha ' of it, that is, maintaining, feeding, protecting,
and defending it in a proper way, without allowing it to
be ■ destroyed. As these and other matters have been
dealt with by me in an exhaustive manner, in Chapter XI
of the Glta-Rahasya (pp. 455 to 467), I shall not deal with
them again here. The Blessed Lord now first explains why
this duty or right of achieving 'lokasamgraha'
(universal welfare) falls to the lot of the Jnanin — ]
(21) Ordinary people do what is done by the Exalted
(that is, by the Self-Realised Karma- Yogin). That thing
which is accepted by him as correct is followed by people.
[ The Taittiriya TJpanisad, after first giving the advice,
'satyam vada' (speak the truth), ' dharmam eara' (act
righteously) says : " if you are in doubt how to act in any
928 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YCGA
st ^ qT«rff%r ^rfef rag; t^f^'s i%-=h >
particular contingency of life, act as the knowing, Yoga-
practising, religious Brahmin acts in that matter"
(Tai. 1. 11. 4) ; and a stanza to the same effect also appears
in the Narayanlya-dharma (Ma. Bha. San. 341. 25). The
Marathi stanza of Sri Samartha, ' jasa vartato lokakalyaya-
kari I jagtmvartatisarvahityaprakarim", (that is, "as the
public benefactor acts, so also do all act in the -world" —
Trans.), is nothing but a translation of this stanza. This-
'lokakalyanakari' person (i. e., 'public benefactor' — Trans.)
of Sri Samartha is the ' irestha ' Karma- Yogin of the Glta.
The word ' srestha ' does not mean a Self -Realised Ascetic
(atma-jnartin sa.fn.ny asm), (See Gl. 5. 2). The Blessed Lord
now points to Himself as an illustration, for further
emphasising the proposition that although a Self -Realised
person may have got over his selfishness, he does not escape
the performance of Actions for public welfare—]
(22) O Partial (see this that,) there is left no duty
(of mine) in the three worlds for Me ; nor is there any not.
acquired (thing left) to acquire; yet, I am performing Action;
(23) because, if I, giving up idleness, do not take part
in Action, then, O Partha ! all men will follow in all respects
the path followed by Me. (24) If I do not perform Action,
these worlds will become utscmna (that is, extinct); I shall
be the cause of samkara (that is, caste-confusion — Trans.) j
and these created beings will be destroyed by my hands.
[The Blessed Lord has made clear in this stanza in a very
njce way that ' lokasamgraha ' ( universal welfare ) is not
some humbug. So also does the illustration of Himself
given by the Blessed Lord fully bear out the inter-
pretation put by me on stanzas 17 to 19 above, namely, that,
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENT ARY, CHAP. Ill 929
§§ *ra>T! ^wrarftgMf ^«IT fulfil STFRT I
though, no duty remains to be performed for the Jfianin
(for himself), after he has acquired Knowledge, yet, he must
perform all Action desirelessly. Nay, otherwise this illus-
tration will be out of place and meaningless (See GL
Ra. pp. 446-7). The important difference between the
Samkhya path and the Karma-Yoga path is that the
Jnanins following the Samkhya path do not attach the
slightest importance to what will become of the world if
the cycle of Yajnas come to an end, and they give up all
Action, whereas the Jnanins following the Karma- Yoga
path keep performing all their various Actions, according
to their respective religion (dharma), for the purpose "of
universal welfare ( lokasamgraha ), looking upon it as
an objective of the utmost importance and necessity, and
though they may not need to perform such Actions for
their own benefit. (See Glta Rahasya, Chapter XI, p. 491).
The Blessed Lord has thus toldArjuna what He Himself
does. HE now shows in the following stanzas the difference
between the Actions of the Jnanin (scient) and the Aj&anin
(ignorant), and explains what a Jnanin has to do in order
to reform the AjnSnin— ]
(25) O Arjuna ! (therefore) the .Jnanin who desires
to achieve universal welfare must behave in the same way as
Ajnanins, who are attached to (worldly) Action, but having
given up Attachment. (26) The Jnanin should not unsettle
the buddhi (that is, Faith — Trans.) of Ajnanins attached to
Action, but should (himself) become yukla (that is, yoga-
yuhta), and a performer of all Actions, and make others
perform them willingly.
[This stanza means that one should not unsettle the
faith, or conviction of the Ajnanins (ignorant), and the same
direction is again given in the 29th stanza. But, this does
not mean that people are to be kept in ignorance. In the
930 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
25th stanza, it has been stated that the Jnanin must achieve
universal welfare ( lokasamgraha ) ; and 'universal welfare'
means enlightening people. But to this an objection may-
be raised that though 'lolcasamgraha' may be a duty, yet, it
is not necessary on that account that a Jnanin should
personally perform Action ; and it will be quite enough if
he imparts wisdom to people. To this objection, the Blessed
Lord replies that : 'if knowledge is merely orally imparted
to those persons, who have not got into the firm habit of
righteous Action, (and ordinary people belong to this
category), we see that they make use of that Knowledge of
the Brahman for supporting their own misdeeds ; and they
talk nonsense, saying, "such and such a Jnanin says so" '.
Besides, if a Jnanin absolutely gives up all Action, that
becomes an illustration for the Ajfianin to become idle.
"When people thus become wicked in thought, or mischievous,
or idlers, a 'buddhi-bheda' is said to have taken place ; and
it is not proper that a Jnanin should in this way unsettle
(make a bheda of) the conviction (buddhi) of other people.
Therefore, the Glta has laid down the important doctrine
that, it is an important duty of a man who has become a
Jnanin, to remain himself in worldly life, for the purpose
of 'lokasamgraha' ', that is, in order to make people wise, and
put them on the righteous path, and thus to give a living
example to others of performing righteous, that is, Desireless
Action, and make them act righteously. (See Glta-Rahasya
pp. 561-2). But some commentators disregard this import of
the Glta, and put a perverse interpretation on this stanza to
mean: "the Jnanin should hypocritically perform the same
acts which are performed by the Ajnanins, in order that the
Ajnanins should remain Ajnanins, and perform Actions " !
As if the Glta has been written in order to teach people
hypocrisy, and in order to keep people in ignorance and
make them perform Actions like beasts ! Those persons,
who firmly believe that Jfianins should not perform Action
will naturally look upon ' lokasamgraha' as hypocritical.
But, that is not the true message of the Glta. The Blessed
Lord says that .' lokasamgraha' is one of the important
duties of a Jnanin, and that; a Jfianin must perform Action
GlTA, ANSLATION& COMMENTARY, CHAP. HI 931
^mr gotg cr^i fit Hc^t * m£i 11 *< n
not for keeping people in ignorance, but in order to place
before them an excellent example, and to thereby improve
them, (See GIta-Rahasya, Chapters XI and XII). To
proceed further ; there is the likelihood of a doubt that if a
Self-Realised Jnanin begins to -do all worldly Actions in
this way for universal welfare, he too will become an
Ajfianin. Therefore, the Blessed Lord now shows the
difference between the conduct of a Jnanin and an Ajfianin,
though both 'may take part in worldly life, as also what the
Ajfianin has to learn from the Jnanin — ]
(27) Though all Actions take placets a result of the consti-
tuents (sattva, rajas, and tatnas) of Prakrti, the (Ajfianin per-
son) befooled by egoism looks upon himself as the doer. (28)
But, O mighty-armed Arjuna ! he (the Jfianin), who realises
the principle that, the constituents, as also Actions, are both
different , from himself, ' and that all this is nothing but the
mutual inter-play of the constituents, does not become'
attached to it. (29) People befooled by the constituents of
Prakrti become attached to the constituents and to Actions ;
such non-scient and dull-mi aded people should not be spoiled'
by the Jnanins (by putting them on a wrong path by
abandoning Action themselves).
[This stanza repeats the exposition made in the 26th
stanza. The propositions laid down in the above stanzas,
namely : Prakrti and the Atman are different from each
other; Prakrti or Maya does everything, the Atman does
nothing; and he, who has Realised this, is the true 'buddlia'
or 'jfianin' etc., form part of the Kapila-Samkhya philosophy ;
and the reader is referred to -the .exhaustive exposition of
this subject made in the seventh chapter of the GIta-Rahasya
(pp. 222 to 226). Many persons interpret the 28th stanza as .
932 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
§§ % $ iiwmz f%^ragf3sf?cf m*m"< i
■M^HUIH^Kdlffen^ «<aH^ri^ : n 3* II
meaning that the 'gwnaK, that is, the 'senses', rove about in
the 'gunah'i that is, the 'objects of the senses'. This interpreta-
tion is not incorrect ; because, the eleven organs of sense and
the five 'objects of the senses' (that is, visaya), such as, 'sabda'
(sound), ' sparia ' (touch) etc. form part of the 23 qualities of
the original Prakrti according to Sarhkhya philosophy ; but 1
think that, the statement, " gurcja guqesu vartante", has been.
made with reference to all the twenty-four qualities (Gi. 13.
19-22 ; and 14. 23). I have translated those words literally
and in an exhaustive way. And saying that, although the-
JIanin and the Ajnanin may both perform the same act, .
yet, there is a great difference between them from the point
of view of Eeason (See Gita-Eahasya, pp. 430 and 450), the
Blessed Lord now advises as follows, by way of summarising
all this exposition — ]
(30) (For this reason, O Arjuna ! ) making a ' samnyasa '"
(that is, dedication) of all Actions to Me ' with a mind fixed,
on the Highest Self (that is, with an adhyatmabuddhi —
Trans.), and giving up Hope (for the Fruit) as also Mine-ness,
fight, without any mental perturbation.
[ The Blessed Lord now explains the result of acting
• according to this advice and of not so acting — ]
(31) Those devout (persons), who always act according
to this advice of Mine, without finding fault with it, they too
become free from Karma, (that is, from the bonds of Karma).
(32) But, know that those, who do not act according to this
My teaching, finding fault with it with a fault-finding vision,
such ' sarvajnana-vimudha' (that is, utter fools), thoughtless.
persons, are utterly ruined.
[The description of the consequences of following or not
following Karma-Yoga, given above to prove that the
GUI, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY.CHAP.nl 933
srf^ ^rn^r »prR r?h: f% ^ftmia u ^ »
Kaama-Yoga, which prescribes Desireless Action, is the
best, clearly shows what, the doctrine propounded by the
Gits is. In order to supplement this disquisition on the
Karma-Yoga, the Blessed Lord now describes the strength
of Prakrti (inherent nature), and the control of the senses
necessary for resisting that power — ]
(33) Even the Jfianin acts according to the natural
tendency of his Prakrti ; all created beings act according to
the inclination of (their respective) Prakrtis ; (in these
circumstances) what can restraint (that is, pressure) do ?
(34) The liking and repulsion between the senses and
the objects of sense (such as, sound, touch, etc.) are both
vyavasthita (that is, fundamentally fixed). One should not
become subject to this affection and repulsion, because, they
are the (highway-robbing) enemies of men.
[ The word ' m'graha ' in the 33rd stanza does not mean
mere ' control ', but means ' coercion ', or ' insistence '. The
Glta favours the proper control of the senses. What is
meant here is that it is not possible to totally destroy the
natural tendencies of the senses by self-coercion or
persistence. For instance, so long as the body exists, a
man leaves his home to go and beg when he is hungry,
however much he may be a Jnanin or wise, because hunger,
thirst, etc. are natural tendencies. Therefore, this stanza
means that the duty of a wise man lies, not in uselessly
determining to totally kill the senses by force, but in
keeping them within his control by ' samyamana '
(concentration), and turning his natural tendencies to
universal welfare. Similarly, it is quite clear from the
word 'vyavasthita' in the 34th stanza that pain and
happiness are two independent emotions, and that tbe one
is not the absence of the other" (Gl. Ra. Ch. IV pp. 136 and
182). In the incessant activity of Prakrti, that is, of the
934 GlTA-RAHASYA OH KARMA-YOGA
creation, it very often happens that we have to do things,
■which we do not want to do (Gl. 18. 39). It is impossible
for us to refuse to perform them. On these occasions, the
Jfianin performs these acts with a desireless frame of mind
and purely as a matter of duty, and remains untouched by
the sin or the merit of the Action, whereas, the Ajfianin
becomes Attached to these things and thereby suffers pain.
This is the great difference between the two from the
point of Reason, as has been stated by the poet Bhasa. But
now the following difficulty arises : even taking it for
granted that one should not forcibly kill the senses, nor
give up Action, but should perform all Actions with an
unattached Reason, yet, is it not more proper for the Jfianin
to take to agriculture, commerce, mendicancy, cr other
similar mild and harmless Action, rather than to terrible
and destructive acts like warfare? To this the Blessed
Lord replies as follows—]
(35) Even if it may be easier to follow the religion of
another, yet, one's own religion (that is, according to the
religion of the four castes) is more meritorious, though it
might be ' vigima' (that is, full of faults); though death results
(while acting) according to one's own religion, there is bliss
in that ; (but) the religion of another is risky !
['One's own religion' means the ' code of duties prescribed
for every one by the Sastras according to the arrangement
of the four castes laid down by the writers of the Smrtis ';
it does not mean the science of Release (moksa-dharma).
As the arrangement of the four castes, made by the writers
of the Sastras by allocating activities consistently with the
special qualities of each, is for the benefit of everybody
{Gl. 18. 41), the welfare of Brahmins and Ksatriyas and the
welfare of the entire society, lies in their respectively
performing their own duties, notwithstanding that they
become Jaanins (sages) ; and it is not proper for them to
meddle with that arrangement every now and then. This
is what the Blessed Lord says (Gl. Ra.. pp. 464 and 697).
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. Ill 935
§§ saw %h sig^s* qrf ^tf?t <£^ni
There is a Gujarati proverb in vogue which has the same
meaning namely, "jerium kama temthi thaya I bijo hare io-
gotham Khaya ". Anybody will admit that, even where the
four-caste arrangement is not in vogue, it is in the best
interests of everybody, that the man who has spent the
whole of his life in the army should, when the occasion
arises, do the business of a fighting-soldier, rather than that
of a tailor ; and the same argument applies to the four-
caste arrangement. The question whether the four-caste
arrangement is good or bad, is a different question
altogether, and does not arise here. It is an unquestionable
fact that other forms of activity are as necessary for the
proper maintenance and protection of society as agriculture '
or other similarly harmless and gentle occupations. This
stanza means that whatever occupation one may have once
adopted, whether according to the four-caste arrangement, -
or of one's own free will, it becomes one's '.religion ', and it
is not proper to find fault with it when occasion arises
and to forsake one's duty; and if necessary, one must
die in the performance of one's own duty in life.
Whatever occupation is considered, some fault or other
can certainly be found with it (Gl. 18. 48). But it is not
proper that one should, on that account, give up one's pres-
cribed (niyata) duty. This very principle has been enun-
ciated in the Brahmana-Hunter dialogue and Tuladhara-
Jajali dialogue in the Mahabharata; and the first half
of the 35th stanza is to be found in the Manu-Smrti
(Manu. 10. 97), and also later on again in the Gita (18. 47).
With reference to the statement, "one cannot carry out
one's determination to kill the senses " in the 33rd stanza,
Arjuna. "now asks why that should be so, and why a man
is pulled towards evil deeds, against his will.]
• Arjuna said : (36) -Varsneya ! (that is, Sri Krsna\
now tell me by what inspiration. does -a man commit sin, not
GITA-RA.HASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
4frtJttlg4H 1
3rp|3 fITSWcH UTRsft Mc^Ruil I
H^|-vdRlPsim u m<tt f^TWf WTO I
■himself desiring it, as though coerced ? The Blessed Lord
said: (37) Know that in this matter, the enemy is that
Desire, which is most greedy and most sinful, born out of
the rajas constituent, and that Anger; (38) just as fire
is covered by smoke, or a mirror by dust, or as the embryo
is enveloped by the amnion, so has everything been
enveloped by it; (39) O Kaunteya! that which is an
insatiable fire, that constant enemy of Jfianins in the shape
of Desire, has enveloped all Knowledge.
[ This is a repetition of the statement of Manu that :
najatu kamah kamanam upabhogena samyati I
havisa krsnaoartTiiewi bhuya evabhivardhale II
(Manu. 2. 94);
that is, "Desire is never satisfied by the enjoyment of the
objects of Desire; it grows more and mors as does the fire
to which fuel is added " ( See GL Ra. Ch. V, p. 143 ) ].
(40) The Senses, the Mind and the Reason are said to
be the adhisthana (that is, the house, or fortress) of it; by
the support of these, it puts aside Knowledge and throws
the man into confusion. (41) Therefore, O most excellent
Bharata! first control the senses and destroy this sinner,
who is the destroyer of Jfiana ( Spiritual Knowledge ) and
Vijfiana (specified Knowledge). "
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. Ill 937
srit srf *ku«hsCi ^ra^w ^iwjh » 83 n
(42) It is said that the senses (which know material
•external objects as they experience them) are 'para ' (that is,
beyond) ; the Mind is beyond the senses, the vyavasayfitmika
(that is, discerning — Trans.) Reason is beyond the Mind;
and It (the Atman) is beyond the Reason. (43) O Migbty-
.armed Arjuna ! thus Realising that, which is beyond the
Reason, and controlling yourself by yourself, destroy this
■enemy, which is difficult to conquer, in the shape of Desire.
[In order that a person should be able to perform all
Actions according to his own religion, and for universal
•welfare, having got rid of Attachment (asakti) in the shape
of Desire, one must have perfect control over his senses : and
that is the only control over the senses, which is meant
here. The Glta does not say that one should forcibly kill
-the senses, and give up all Action (see Gl. Ra. Ch. V, p. 153).
The stanza " indriyayi pararpyahuh etc." above (3.42) is from
-the Kathopanisad, and I have shown in the Glta-Rahasya
that four or five other stanzas have been taken into the
Glta (see Appendix p. 741) from the Kathopanisad. The
purpose of the senses is to collect the impressions of the
external world ; and after the Mind has co-ordinated them,
the Reason distinguishes between them ; and the Atman
■(Self) is beyond all these, and different from all these.
'This is, in short, the summary of the Science of the Body
.and the Atman (See the exhaustive consideration of
this subject-matter at the end of Chapter VI of the Glta-
Rahasya pp. 179 to 201). As I have exhaustively
■considered in the tenth chapter of the Glta-Rahasya (pp. 383
to 395) the moot questions relating to the doctrine of
•Causality (karma-vipaka), such as, how a man is incited
to a particular act as a result of the emotions of Desire,
Anger etc., notwithstanding that he may not wish tc
perform it, or how a man finds out a way even out of this
938 GlTS.-EAHA.SYA OR KAKMA-YOGA
fi% 5fl<+*^NsfraTg 3cn%csg %®f&xm ?fr»T^T#
situation by means of sense-control, as lie has Freedom of
Will, I shall not take up space by repeating the same
subject-matter here. The question of the. control of the
senses has been considered later in Chapter VI of the GitaJ
Thus ends the third chapter, entitled Karma- Yoga
in the dialogue between Sri Krsna and Arjuna on the Yoga
included in the Science of the Brahman (that is, on the
Karma- Yoga) in the Upanisad suug (that is told) by the
Blessed Lord.
fgcr^n^TWg 5TTf Tr«JK&HlT5fi%SsCT3 II ? it
*s=f q<M<miHi*i*i Tra&ft rafs i
*r ts=rra t*tt rrsir sfrr: imp: g^icm*. i
*r>r?rsf% it gfw ^m *m? miMH H « 3 »
CHAPTER IY.
[This chapter further emphasises the -principles of
Karma-Yoga which have been explained so far, namely, (i)
as nobody can escape Karma (Action), Action must be
performed, though the Reason may have become desireless ;
(ii) ' Karma ' means, such karma as Yajnas and Yagas etc.;
(iii) but, as this Karma (ritual) of the Mlma.rb.sa school is.
productive of heaven, and consequently to a certain extent
binding, it must be performed having given up Attachment.
(asakti) ; (iv) even though selfishness disappears as a result
of Knowledge, Action does not cease to be necessary ; and,
therefore, even a Jfianin must perform Desireless Action,
as such Action is essential in the interests of universal
welfare. In order that Arjuna should not suspect that this
course of conduct, or Nistha was something new, which had
been prescribed for him, the Blessed Lord now first explains.
the ancient tradition of this teaching which has been.
handed down from preceptor to disciple. ]
^ (1) I expounded this avyaya (that is, inexhaustible, or
which is not touched by past, present, or future, and is.
permanent) (Karma-) Yoga to Vivasvat (that is, the Sun);
Vivasvat expounded it to (his son) Manu ,- and Mann
expounded it to (his son) Iksvaku. (2) This Yoga, come
into existence by this tradition, came to be known to the
Royal Sages ; but, O Satrutapana ! (Arjuna), after the
lapse of considerable time, it ceased to exist on this world.
(3) That same ancient Yoga (Karma-Yoga-marga) has been
41—42
'940 GTTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
expounded by Me to you to-day, as being the most supreme
mystery (of all mysteries), bscause you are My disciple, and
and are beloved of Me.
[ I have proved in Chapter III of the Glta-Rahasya
(pp. 76-88) that the single word ' Yoga ' used in these three
stanzas has been used in the meaning of 'Karma-Yoga',
that is, ' the method of performing Action with an Equable
Reason ', out of the two paths of life, namely, the Sarbkhya
and the Yoga. Although the tradition of this path of life
-which has been stated in these stanzas is of the utmost
importance for understanding its origin, commentators do
not seem to have paid much attention to the matter. In
the description of the Bhagavata religion given in the
Narayaniya Upakhyana of the Mahabharata, Vaisarhpayana
says to Janamejaya that in the Svetadvlpa, this religion
•was, from the Blessed Lord,
naradenct fu saftipraptah sarahasyah sasamgrahah I
em dharmo jagannathat saksan narayanan nrpa II
euamesa mihan dharmah sa te purmni nrpottama I
kathito harigttasu sim'isavidhikalpitdh tt
(Ma. Bha. San. 346. 9, 10)
that is, " acquired by Narada ; and O Raja ! the same
illustrious religion has been imparted to you in the Hari-
■glta, that is, in the BhagavadgitS, together with the briefly
stated ritual (xanwsaudhikalpitah)'" '. Later on, it is again
stated (Ma. Bha. San. 348. 8) that, " this religion was
•expounded to Arjuna, who had become despondent in the
war". This clearly shows that the Karma-Yoga in the
Glta has arisen out of the Bhagavata doctrine (Ql. Ra. pp. 12
to 16). The tradition of this doctrine from the beginning of
the universe has not been given in the Glta out of fear of its
taking up too much space ; and reference has been made
, only to Vivasvan, Ma'nu, and Iksvaku ; but the real mean-
ing of this statement becomes clear when one considers the
•entire tradition of the Narayaniya doctrine. Brahmadeva
had seven lives. After the description of the tradition of
the Narayaniya religion given in the first six of these lives
Is over, Yaisampayana has again said to Janamejaya in ,
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. IV 941
the course of the further description of the Narayanlya
doctrine as follows : — When the Krta-Yuga of the seventh,
that is to say, the present life of Brahmadeva was over,
tretayugadau ca tato vivasvan rnanave dadau I
manus ca lokabhrtyartham sutayeksvakave dadau II
iksuakuna ca kathito vyapya lokan acasthitah l
gamisyati ksayante ca punar narayanam nrpa I
yatinam capi yo dharmah sa te purvam nrpottama I
kathito harigitasu samasavidhikalpitah n
that is, "this doctrine was propounded by Vivasvan to
Manu in the beginning of the Treta-yuga ; Manu gave
it to his son Iksvaku for universal welfare, and
Iksvaku then propounded it to the world; O Raja:
when the world has been destroyed, (this doctrine) will
go back to Narayana. This doctrine, and side by side
with it, "yatinam capi", that is, 'the Samnyasa doctrine
also ', has been explained to you before in the Bhagavad-
glta" (Ma. Bha. San. 348. 51-53). From this, it becomes
clear, that the tradition of the Bhagavata doctrine given
here relates only to the Tretayuga, which came before the
Dvapara-yuga at the end of which the Bharatiya war took
place ; and that more has not been described out of fear for
the amount of space which the description would take up.
This Bhagavata doctrine is nothing else but ' Yoga ' or
* Karma-Yoga ' ; and this tradition of the Karma-Yoga
having been propounded to Manu, appears not only in the
Glta, but has also been referred to in the Bhagavata-purSna
(BhSg. 8. 24. 55) ; and the importance of the Karma-Yoga
propounded to Manu has also been described in the 52nd
chapter of the Matsyapurana. But the subject-matter
stated in any of these places is not as exhaustive and
complete as in the Narayanlya Upakhyana. When one
realises that the tradition of 'Vivasvan to Manu to
Iksvaku * does not at all apply to the Sarhkhya doctrine ;
and that no third Nistha in addition to the Samkhya and
the Yoga doctrines has been propounded in the Gits, the
fact that this tradition is of the Karma- Yoga comes to be
proved in a second way (01. %. 39). But, although the
tradition of the Samkhya and the Yoga doctrines may not
943 GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
§§ smt ■mm sntf <re *&n fi N ^ a = i
be the same, yet, as the exposition of the Samkhya or
Samnyasa doctrine is inoidentally included in the
exposition of Karma-Yoga (Gl. Ra. Ch. XIV, p. 660)
Vaisampayana has said that the yati-dharma, or the
Samnyasa doctrine, has been described in the Bhagavad-
glta. In the description of the duties applicable to the four
stages of life, given in the Manu-Smrti, there is at the end
of the sixth chapter a description of the Yati-dharma
(religion of Ascetics), which is followed by a description
as of an alternative path, of the Karma-Yoga described in
the Gits or in the Bhagavata doctrine, under the name of
the ' Karma- Yoga of Vedic Sarhnyasins '; and it is clearly
stated there, that "the highest Release is ultimately
obtained by continually doing one's duties desirelessly "
(Manu. 6. 96) ; and this clearly shows that the Karma- Yoga
was acceptable to Manu. And I have quoted authorities
at the end of Chapter XI of the Gita-Rahasya (pp. 505 to
509) to show that it was also acceptable to the other Smrti-
writers. Arjuna now raises the following doubt as to this
tradition — ].
Arjuna said : (4) Your birth is subsequent, and that
of Vivasvat was beyond (that is, earlier) ; (that being so)
how can I realise that You expounded (this Yoga) ' adau '
(that is, before — Trans.) ?
[In replying to this question of Arjuna, the Blessed Lord
describes the work done by Him in His various
incarnations and again emphasises the Attachment-less
KarmarYoga or the Bhagavata doctrine, saying " I too have
been performing Actions in this fashion"—].
The Blessed Lord said: (5) O Arjuna ! both yourself and
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMBN TARY, CHAP. TV 943
Myself have lived through many lives. I know all this ; (and)
O Parantapa ! you do not (this is the difference). (6) Being
the Lord of (all) created beings, and free from births, (and)
though the form of My Atman never suffers ' vyaya' (that is,
modification), yet, governing My own Prakrti, I come to
birth by My own Maya.
[ In the Spiritual Knowledge contained in this stanza, a
fusion has been made of the Kapila-Samkhya with the
Vedanta philosophy. The Samkhya doctrine is that the
Prakrti creates the world of its own accord; but the
Vedantins look upon Prakrti as a form of the Paramesvara,
and believe that the world is created as a result of
the Paramesvara governing (becoming adMsthita in)
His own Prakrti. This unimaginable power of the
Paramesvara to create the entire cosmos from His Imper-
ceptible form is called ' Maya ' in the Glta ; and there are
similarly such statements in the Svetasvataropanisad as
" mayam tu prakrtim vidyan ?nayinam tu ymliesvaram" (Sve.
4. 10), that is, "Prakrti is nothing else but Maya, and the
Paramesvara is the Lord of that Maya", and "asman rriayi
srjate visvam etat" (Sve. 4. 9), that is, "from it, the Lord of
Maya, creates this world". See the exhaustive discussion
made by me in Chapter IX of the Glta-Rahasya on the
questions, (i) why is Prakrti called 'Maya'? (ii) what is
the form of this Mays ? (iii) what is meant by saying that
the world is created as a result of Maya? etc. Having thus
explained how the Imperceptible (avyakta) Paramesvara
becomes Perceptible (vyakta), that is to say, how Karma
. is seen to have come into existence, the Blessed Lord now
explains when and why He does so — ■ ].
(7) O Bharatal whenever Righteousness declines and
Unrighteousness becomes powerful, then I Myself come to
944 GtTA-RAHASYA OK KARMA-YOGA
«r§€ir §warror <jm u^rrarmrart u to n
birth. (8) I take birth in different Yugas for protecting the
Righteous and destroying the Unrighteous, and for establi-
shing Righteousness.
[ In both these stanzas, the word ' Dharma ' does not mean
' the Vedic religion relating to life in the other world'. The
word principally means and includes the duties of the four
castes, justice, morality, and other similar things. The
import of this stanza is that when injustice, imm orality,
cruelty, and tyranny begin to rule in the world and the
righteous are harassed and the unrighteous predominate, the
Blessed Lord becomes incarnated in the shape of a brilliant
and powerful human being, in order that proper order
should rule in the world which He created, and that
the world should derive happiness (Gi. 10. 41) ; and He thus
re-establishes the disorganised condition of the world. It
has been stated in the previous chapter that ' lokasamgraha '
(Universal welfare) is only another name for the work
which the Blessed Lord does by becoming incarnated in this
manner; and that the Self-Realised ( atma-jfianins ) must do
the same work as far as their power or authority extends.
(GL 3. 20). It has thus been stated when and for what
reason the Paramesvara becomes incarnated. The Blessed
Lord now explains what state is attained by those persons
who realise this principle and act according to it — ]
(9) He, who understands the principle underlying these
transcendental births and Actions, he, O Arjuna !, after
shedding the Body, conies and joins Me, without being
re-bom. (10) Many people, whose love, anger, and fear
have gone, who are devoted to Me, and seek shelter in Me,
GITA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. IV 945
becoming (thus) pure by the austerity in the shape of
Knowledge, have come and become merged in My Form.
[ In order to understand the transcendental births of the
Blessed Lord, it is necessary to understand how the Para-
mesvara becomes qualityful as a result of M5y5 ; and when
one understands that, one acquires Spiritual Knowledge;
and when one fully understands the transcendental Karma
or Action of the Blessed Lord, one becomes acquainted with
the principle of remaining unattached to Karma even
after performing it. In short, when one has fully under-
stood the transcendental births and the transcendental
Karma of the Paramesvara, one becomes fully acquainted
with both Spiritual Knowledge and Karma- Yoga; and, as
that is all which is necessary for obtaining Release, such
a person cannot but ultimately obtain union with the Blessed
Lord. Therefore, when a man has Realised the transcen-
dental births and the transcendental Karma of the Blessed
Lord, that is all he need Realise ; and it is not necessary to
separately study Spiritual Knowledge or the Desireless
Karma-Yoga. Therefore, the Blessed Lord asks you to
contemplate on His births and deeds, and understand
the principle underlying them, and act accordingly ; and
says that, having done this, nothing else is required to be
done for obtaining union with the Blessed Lord. This is
indeed the true worship of the Blessed Lord. The Blessed
Lord now mentions the fruit and the usefulness of inferior
kinds of worship — ]
(11) In that way in which they worship Me, I give them
Fruit accordingly. O Partha ! whichever path is followed,
a man ultimately comes and joins into My path.
[The latter portion of this stanza, namely, "mama
wrtmanuvartante" etc., has come above (3.23) in a some-
what different meaning; and that will show how the
meaning of words differs in the Gita aocording to anterior
and posterior contexts. The Blessed Lord now explains why
'946 GlTA-RAHASYA oe KARMA-YOGA
^T|?cf : WIT T%f% ^T^cT SI %5f?fT: I
%sf ft *TT3% ^1% f%f%ifora 3OT3TT II t* II
§§ =gi^o^ W gi JJtJTEOTfl*JpT=>T: |
different persons reach Him by different paths, if it is true
that by whichever way one goes, one ultimately reaches
the Paramesvara — ]
(12) People, who desire (only) the Fruit of Action
(and not the destruction of the bonds of Karma), worship
deities in this world,- because, (that) Fruit of Action is soon
obtained in this world of human beings.
[These very ideas have appeared again later on in
Chapter VII (See Gi, 7. 21, 22). The true fruit of the
worship of the Paramesvara is Release, and it is obtained
only after the bond of Action has been fully destroyed,
after a considerable length of time and by deep and solitary
worship; but, very few persons are so far-sighted or
industrious. This stanza means that almost all people
want to have something or other in this world, as the Fruit
of their Action; and that such people run after deities
(Ql. Ra. Oh. XIII p. 589). But the Gita says that this is
in the end a kind of worship of the Paramesvara, and that
when this Yoga grows.it ultimately culminates in Desireless
"Worship, and eventually Release is obtained (Gi. 7. 19).
The Blessed Lord has explained before that the Paramesvara
becomes incarnated for the re-establishment of Righteous-
ness. HE now explains in short what is necessary to.be done
for the re-establishment of Righteousness. — ]
(13) I Myself have created the arrangement of the
four castes (into Brahmins, Ksatriyas, Vaisyas, and Sudras),
consistently with the differences in their qualities and
Actions. It is I, Who am the Maker of it, and (I am) also an
ctkartU (that is, One Who has not made that arrangement),
and avyaya (that is, inexhaustible— Trans.).
[This stanza means that although the Paramesvara is the
Doer (karta), yet, as He. is. always unattached (nihsanga) as.
GIT A, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. IV 947
fi% iff msf^r^ cRifra^ *3 ^413 ii ?8 ii
1^ ?F^r rTOTTriJ *%$ • *gfat fTcf* II \1 II
described in the next stanza, He is necessarily a Non-Doer
{akarta), (See Glta. 5. 14). There are also other apparently
inconsistent descriptions later on of the form of the
Paramesvara, e.g., " sarvendriyaguyabhasam sarvendriyaw-
varjitam " (Gl. 13. 14). See the description of the difference
between the qualities of the four different castes later on in
Chapter XVIII (18. 4149). The Blessed Lord now explains
the hidden meaning of the words, ' One Who does, and at
the same time, does not do ', which the Blessed Lord has
used with reference to Himself — ]
(14) I am not touched by the lepa, (that is, the adverse
■effect) of Karma, because, My Desire is not in the Fruit of
Action. He who Knows Me in that way, is not affected by
Karma.
[It has been stated above in the 9th stanza that " he who
understands My birth and My Aotion attains Release ".
This stanza contains an elucidation of the principle of
* Action ' mentioned in that stanza. The word ' under-
stands ' means and includes ' understands and acts
accordingly '. This stanza means that the Blessed Lord is
not affected by the Action which He performs, because He
does not perform the Action, entertaining the Hope of
Fruit ; and he who understands this principle and acts
accordingly cannot be affected by Action. The Blessed
Lord now fortifies the proposition laid down in this stanza
by an actual example — ]
(15) Knowing this, those who strove after Emancipation
in ancient times, also performed Action ; therefore, do you
also perform the Action (Karma) performed by the ancients
in the past,
[A definite advice has been given to Arjuna to perform
Action, as there is no antagonism between Action and Release.
But this gives rise to a doubt as to what is essentially
948 GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
waft giFT ^t^=4 #Fg=?i ^ f2i**f<Ji! i
meant by the opinion of the School of Renunciation that
' Release is attained by Abandonment of Action, that is,
by Inaction (akarma) '. Therefore, the Blessed Lord now
starts a disquisition on what Action is ; and He ultimately
lays down in the 23rd stanza the proposition that Non-
Action (akarma) does not consist in giving up Action ; and
that, Desireless Action is to be called Non-Action (alcarma),]
(1 6) Even the Wise are confused as to what is karma
(Action — Trans.)? and what is akarma (Abandonment of
Action — Trans.) ; (therefore,) I shall explain to you that kind
of Karma, by knowing which, you will be free from sin.
[•' akarma ' is a ' nan-samasa ' ; and the ' a '=' nan ', in it,
grammatically means both ' absence of ' (abhava), or
' impropriety of ' (aprasastya) ; and it cannot be said that
both these meanings may not be meant here. Nevertheless,
as a third division of Action called ' vikarma ' has been
mentioned in the next stanza, the word ' akarma *
in this stanza must be taken to mean particularly,
that ' Abandonment of Action ' which the School
of Renunciation called ' the literal abandonment of
Action '. Nay, it will be seen from my commentary on the
18th stanza, that it is not necessary to totally abandon
Action, as prescribed by the School of Renunciation ; that,
such Abandonment of Action is not true ' akarma ' ; and
that, the true meaning of the word 'akarma' is quite
different.]
(17) The path (gatih — Trans.) of Karma is moot;
(therefore,) it is necessary to understand what is karma,.
(that is, Action— Trans.) and it is necessary to understand
what is vikarma (vipanta karma), (that is, Wrong Action —
Trans.) j and it is also necessary to understand what is-
GTTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. IV 949
akarma (not performing Action). (18) That man, who
sees Inaction in Action, and Action in Inaction, is the
Jnanin (sage — Trans.) among men; he is 'yukta', (that is,-
'yoga-yukta '), (that is, steeped in the Karma- Yoga— Trans.),
and one who performs all Actions.
[This and the following five stanzas contain a
description of ' karma ', and 'akarma' and 'vikarma'; and
whatever has been left over here has been made up later on
in Chapter XVIII, where the three kinds of Abandonment
of Action (karma-tyaga), the three kinds of Action (karmi)
and the three kinds of Doers (karta) have been explained
(Ql. 18. 4-9 ; 23-25 ; and 26-28), It is necessary to explain
here in short and clearly what the doctrines of the Gita are
about karma, akarma, and vikarma, having regard to the
disquisitions on Karma in these two places; because, the
commentators have created a considerable amount of
confusion about these things. The followers of the School
of Renunciation favour the ' literal ' abandonment of
Action ; and, therefore, they try to stretch the meaning of
the term ' akarma ' here in support of their own doctrine ;
and the followers of the Mlmamsa school favour desire-
prompted Action like Yajfias and Yagas ; and look upon
everything else as ' vikarma '. There are besides, the
differences of the Mlmamsa school between the Daily {nitya)
and the Occasional (naimittika) Action ; and the supporters
of the Sastras try at the same time to push forward their
own doctrine. In short, as a result of this stretching in all
directions, it ultimately becomes very difficult to understand
what the Gita understands as ' akarma ' and what as
' vikarma '. Therefore, it must be borne in mind in the first
instance, that the scientific basis on which this point has been
considered in the Gita is the path of the Karma-Yogin, who
performs Action desirelessly ; and not of the Mimamsakas,
who perform Desire-prompted Action, nor of the followers of
the School of Renunciation, who abandon Action. "When
one accepts this basis of the Gita, it follows first of all that
■950 GlTA-EAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
' akarma ' cannot possibly mean ' karmasunyata ' (total
absence of Action); and that no man can under any circum-
stances be Inactive (Gl. 2. 5; 18.11); because, nobody can
escape sleeping, sitting, or at any rate, being alive ; and
if it is impossible to be totally Inactive (karma-iunya),
one has to decide what is meant by 'akarma'. To this
the reply of the Gits is : Do not look upon ' Karma' as 'the
mere performing of Action'; but decide as to whether an
Action is ' karma ' or ' akarma ' by considering the good or
bad results which flow from it. If the Cosmos itself is
karma, man cannot escape karma, so long as he exists in
the Cosmos. Therefore, the consideration of what a man
-should do or not do, must be from the point of view of to
what extent such Action will prejudicially affect him.
That Action, which being performed, does not prejudicially
affect the Doer, must be deemed to have lost its nature of
being a ' karma ' (that is, its ' karmatva ' ), or its binding
force (bandhakafva) ; and if in this way, any Karma loses its
'karmatva' ox 'bandhakatva', then necessarily that 'karma'
becomes an 'akarma'. It is true that the ordinary meaning
•of the word 'akarma' is' total absence of Action' (karma-
sunyata); but considering the matter scientifically, that
meaning is not appropriate here, because even 'sitting
■quiet', that is, 'not doing anything', is very often an
Action in itself. For instance, if one sits quiet, when
someone is hammering one's parents, and does not do
anything to protect them, that is 'Inaction' (akarma),
that is, 'total absence of Action' ( karmaiunyatva ), according
to the ordinary meaning of the word. It is nevertheless
an ' Action ' ( karma ), nay, even a Wrong Action ( vikarma );
and, according to the doctrine of Causality, one cannot
escape the evil results of this kind of Action. Therefore,
the Glta says paradoxically and very skilfully in this
stanza that he who understands that even 'akarma'
amounts to ' karma ' ( sometimes, even very terrible karma ) ;
and also that even in performing Action, such Action
is ' dead action ' or ' akarma ' from the point of view of
Causality, is the real JfiSnin; and this meaning has been
explained in different ways in the subsequent stanzas.
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. IV 951.
According to the Gita science, the only true means by which
one escapes the bondage of Action is by performing Action
unattachedly, that is, 'giving up the Hope of Fruit' (See
Gl. Ra. Ch. V. pp. 148 to 156 and Ch. X. p. 394). Therefore,
that Action alone, which is performed in this way, that is,,
unattachedly, is the proper, that is, the sattuka Action,
according to the Gita (Gl. 18. 9). That is the true
' Non- Action ' (akarma) according to the Gita ; because, its
' karmatva ' (that is, its nature of being a ' karma '), or its-
binding force (bandhakatoa) according to the law of
Causality (karma-vipaka-prakriya) is lost. When, from all
that men do, (and even sitting idle is included in the word
'do'), Action of the above kind, that is, sattvika Action, or,
''akarma' according to the Gita, is deducted, all that
remain's can be divided into two parts, namely, (i) rajasa
Action and (ii) tamasa Action. Out of this, tamasa Action-
is the result of Ignorance {moha), and therefore, it falls into
the category of Wrong Action ( vilcarma ). Thus, if Action
is abandoned as a result of Ignorance, it is still a 'vikarma',.
not an 'akarma' (Gl. 18. 7). Then remains the rajasa
Action. This Action is not of the first class, that is, sattuka ;.
nor is it what the Gita describes as true 'akarma'. The Gita
calls this ' rajasa Action ' ; but if any one wants to do so,,
he may use the single word ' karma ' to mean this kind of
rajasa Action. In short, whether a particular Action is a-
'karma ' or an 'akarma' is to be decided according' to the
binding force of the Action, and not from its nature of
being an act, nor also according to what may be laid down-
in barren religious treatises. The Astavakra-Gita supports
the Path of Renunciation. Yet, even in it, it is said that :
nivrttir api mu<],hasya pravriiir upajayate I
pravrttir api dhlrasya nivrttiphalabhagini n
(Asta. 18. 61);
that is: "the 'nivrtti' of fools, that is, their turning away
from Action, as a result of perversity or of Ignorance, in
itself amounts to ' pravrtti ' or ' Karma ' ; and the 'pravrtti' of
the wise, that is to say, their Desireless Action, gives the
same benefit as nivrtti (i.e., Renunciation) or karmatyaga
953 . GlTA-BAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
(that is, Abandonment of Action)". This very meaning has
been very skilfully, paradoxically, and metaphorically set
out in the above stanza ; and unless one carefully bears
in mind this definition of ' akartna ', he cannot fully
understand the argument about ' karma ' and ' akarrna'
in the Glta. The Blessed Lord now explains this very
meaning more explicitly in the following stanzas ]
(19) He, whose samarambhah (that is, Actions) are devoid
of the Desire for Fruit, is referred to by Jfianins, as the
learned man, whose Actions aie reduced to ashes in the
Fire of Knowledge.
[This clearly shows that, "karma (Action) is reduced
to ashes by jnana", is not to be understood as direc-
ting Abandonment of Action, but the performance of
Action, having abandoned the Desire for Fruit. (Gi. Ea.
Ch. 2. pp. 394-400). Similarly, the meaning of the words
* sarvarambha-parityagi ', — that is, ' one who gives up all
arambha or activity', — which appear later on in the
description of the devotee of the Blessed Lord (GI. 12. 16 ;
14. 25), is also made clear by this. Now the Blessed Lord
makes the same meaning more explicit as follows — ]
(20) ( The man ) Who, having given up the Attachment
for the Fruit of Action, is always happy and nirakraya [ that
is, one who does not possess a Reason, which has taken
'shelter' (asrqya — Trans.) in the means of obtaining the
Fruit of Action, by wishing to do a particular Action, for a
particular result] is (said to be) doing nothing whatsoever,
though he may be engrossed in performing Actions. (21)
When a person, who gives up the aklh (that is, the Desire for
Fruit), who regulates his Mind, and who has become free
GlTl, TRANSLATION &COMMENTAEY,CHAP. IV 953
from all Attachments, performs Actions, which are merely
sarira (that is, performed by the Body, or only by the organs
of Action), he does not incur sin.
[Some commentators interpret the word ' nirasraya ' in the
20th stanza as ' one who has no home ', that is, a
Sarhnyasin ; but that is not correct. The word ' airaya ' may
be interpreted to mean 'house' or 'home' ; but what is meant
in the present place is not the ' home ' of the person who does
the act, but the ' home ' in the shape of ' a motive for the act
which he performs ' ; and what is meant is, that there
should be no such ' home ' ; and the same meaning has been
made clear in the words ' anasritah karmaphalam ' (Gl. 6. 1) ;
and the same meaning has also been adopted by Waman
Pandit in his Marathi commentary on the Glta known as the
Yatharthadipika. Similarly, the word ' sarira ' in the 21st
stanza does not mean the Action of begging alms sufficient
for the maintenance of the body, etc. The true meaning of
the words ' kevalam sariram karma ' is consistent with the
description contained later on in Chapter V (5. 11) that,
" Yogins, that is, Karma- Yogins perform all Actions merely
by their organs of Action, without entertaining any Attach-
ment or Desire in their minds ". It is true that the organs
of Action perform the Action, but as the Mind is equable,
the person who performs the Aetion, does not incur either
sin or merit]
<22) The man, who is satisfied with whatever falls to his lot
.according to fortuitous circumstance, who is free from the
pairs of Opposites (such as, happiness and unhappiness etc.),
•who is devoid of jealousy, and who considers it the same,
whether there is success for the Action or not, is not bound
by the merit or the sin of Actions, even though he performs
(Actions). (23) (He) Who is without Attachment, free (from
love and hate), whose Mind is concentrated on Knowledge
954 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
(in the shape of an Equable Reason), and who performs-
Actions (merely) for the purpose of a Yajna, his entire Karma-
is destroyed.
[The doctrine explained in Chapter III above (3. 9), that
Action or ritual performed for the sake of a Yajna does
not become binding according to the Mimamsa school, and
that when the same Action is performed with Attachment,
it becomes productive of Release instead of leading
to heaven, is again referred to in this stanza. The word
' sarnagram ' in the phrase ' samagratii prauiliyate ' is very
important. The Mimarhsa school looks upon the happiness-
of heaven as the highest ideal, or the summum bonum;
and in their opinion, Action which leads to heaven is
not binding; but the Gits aims beyond heaven, that
is, at Release ; and from this point of view, even that
Action which leads to heaven, is binding. Therefore, it is
said that if Action is performed, even for the purpose of a
Yajna, but with an unattached Reason, it is ' totally *
(samagra) destroyed, that is to say, it does not become
productive even of heaven but leads to Release. But,
nevertheless, there is an important distinction to be borne-
in mind in the portion of this Chapter which deals with the-
Yajfias. In Chapter III, it has been stated that these same-
Yajfias, that is, the immemorial Yajna-ca&ra or the
paraphernalia of ritualistic performances, prescribed by
the Srutis and the Smrtis, must be kept going ; but the
Blessed Lord now says that the word ' Yajna ' is not
to be taken in the limited meaning of ' offering til (sesamum)
or rice or animals into the fire ', as offerings to deities, or as-
meaning the performance of the duties relative to the four
castes, in accordance with their respective religion, though
, desirefully. The words ' Ham m mama ' uttered at the end
of the hymn, while throwing the offering into the fire, which
mean ' this is not mine ', contain a selfless, non-egotisticaL
principle, which is the most important part of the Yajna ;.
and, performing in this way all the Actions of one's life,
saying ' na mama ' (that is, ' this is not mine '), that is,
giving up mine-ness and performing them merely with the
idea of dedicating them to the Brahman, is in itself a
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. IV" 955
§§ w§n4"f air ira^rt#r anorr f^ «
stupendous Yajna, or ' homa ' ; and by means of this Yajna,
an offering of oblation (yajana) is made to the deity of all
deities, that is, to the Paramesvara, or the Brahman.
Needless to say, the doctrines of the MImamsa school
relating to the sacrifice of wealth apply equally well to this
stupendous sacrifice; and the person who performs every
Action in the world unattachedly, and for the sake of
Universal Welfare ( lokasaingralia ) becomes liberated from
the 'entire' (samagra) consequence of the Action, and
ultimately attains Release (Gi. Ra. Ch. XI, pp. 478 to 483).
This stupendous Yajna in the form of dedicating everything
to the Brahman is described in the beginning of the next
stanza ; and the Blessed Lo^-d after describing thereafter the
form of other specific Yajiias of lesser importance, sums up
the whole thing in the 33rd stanza by saying that, "such a
'Jfiana-yajna' (sacrifice of Knowledge) is the best of all". ]
(24) He, whose belief is that the arpana (that is, the act
of offering) is Brahman ; that, the havi (that is, the oblation.
which is to be offered) is Brahman ; that, the Brahman offered
a sacrifice into the Brahman-fire ; and that, (all) Karma is
(in this way") Brahman, attains the Brahman.
[In the Sarhkara-bhasya, the word 'arpaya' has been
interpreted as "the means by which the "offering'
( arpaya ) is made, such as a ladle etc."; but that inter-
pretation is rather far-fetched. It is more to the point to
take the word ' arpaya ', as meaning the ' act of offering ' or
' the act of offering into the fire '. Thus far, there has been
a description of persons who perform the yajna desirelessly,
that is, in order to dedicate it to the Brahman (that is, make
a ' brahmarpaya ' of it). The Blessed Lord now describes the
desire-prompted Yajna addressed to particular deities — ]
(25) Some (Karma-) Yogins perform sacrifice addressed to
deities (instead of for dedicating it to the Brahman) ; and
43—44
956 GtTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
^gTltrfn^T^nfnT gr ui^nffui =grq^ i
others make ;i sacrifice of a Yajfia, by a Yajfia, into the
Brahman-fire.
[The latter portion of this stanza refers to the description
in the Purusa-Kukfa that the gods . offered a sacrifice to the
Virata-formed Yajna-pt/rasu, cf., " yajnena yajuam ayajanta
demh " (Rg. 10. 90. 16) ; and the words, " yajrlam ijajn&mv-
epujuhoati" in this stanza are synonymous with the words
"yajflena yajrlam ayajanta" in the Rg-Veda, and seem to
be used accordingly. It is evident that the Virata-formed
animal, which was sacrificed into the Yajiia performed in
the beginning of the world, and the god, for propitiating
whom the sacrifice was made, must both have been of the
form of the Brahman. In short, as the Brahman con-
tinually pervades all things in the world, the statement
in the 24th stanza that, in performing all Actions desire-
lessly, the Brahman is always sacrificed by the Brahman,
is scientifically correct; all that is wanted is that one's
Mind has been formed accordingly. This is not the only
stanaa in the Gita which refers to the Purusa-Sukta, but
later on, the description in Chapter X, is also consistent
with that Sukta. The Blessed Lord has now described the .
Yajfias performed for propitiating particular deities. HE
now explains how the Yogie performance of Breath Control
( prawyama) etc., prescribed in the Patanjala-Yoga, or even
the performance of religious austerities, is a kind of Yajfia,
if the words 'agm' (fire), 'kavi' (sacrificial offering) etc.,
are taken in their symbolical meanings—' ]
(26) Others sacrifice the srotradi (that is, ears, eyes, etc.)
organs into the Fire (agni) in ■ the shape of a Limit
(scahyamana)-, and others again, sacrifice the objects of sense,
such as, sound etc, into the Fire in the shape of the senses.
(27) Others still, sacrifice all the Actions (that is, functions) of
the various organs, and vital forces (pram) into the Fire of
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. IV 957
Yoga in the shape of Mental control, which has been lit by-
Knowledge (jfiana).
[ In the above stanza, are described two or three different
kinds of symbolical Yajiias e. g., (1) controlling the senses,
that is, allowing them to perform their respective functions
within proper limits; (2) totally destroying the senses, by
wholly giving up the objects of sense, which go to feed
the senses ; (3) putting an end to the Actions, not only of the
senses, but even of the vital forces (praija ) themselves,
by entering into a complete mental absorption { smriadH ),
and remaining steeped in the joy of the Atman. Now,
if these are compared with a Yajna, then, in the first
kind of Yajna, the limit (samyamaiia) which is placed
■on the senses becomes the Fire (agiii); because, by
■ -working out the simile, all that enters the limit may
be said to have been offered into the Fire. Similarly, in
the second kind of Yajna, the organs themselves, and
in the third kind of Yajna, both the organs and the
prana (vital forces) are compared with the material
offered up as a sacrifice-offering, and the Control of the
Atman ( atmasamyamana ) becomes the Fire. There are,
besides, others, who only perform the Pranayama (i. e.,
•control of the Prana (life) in the shape, of the breath-
Trans. ); and these are described further on in the 29th
stanza. This idea of symbolically extending the original
meaning of the wOTd 'yajna', namely, 'a sacrifice of
various materials', and making it include religious
austerities (tapa), Renunciation (samnyasa), Mental
absorption (sarriadhi), control of the prana or breath
(pranayama), and other means of getting merged into the
Blessed Lord, has not been mentioned for the first time
"intheGlta. In the 4th chapter of the Manu-Smrti, where
the state of the house-holder is being described, after
" stating that no house-holder should give up the five
* principal sacrifices (maha-yajna) prescribed by the Smrtis,
namely, the Rsi-yajna, the Deva-yajna, the Bhuta-yajfia,
the Manusya-yajfia, and the Pitr-yajna, it is stated that
many persons "sacrifice the speech into the organs, or the
Prana (life) into the speech, or ultimately even propitiate
958 GITI.-RAHA.SYA OR KARMA-YOGA
3wr% iffir snnf m^TH crarsqr i
sfmrTfTnaT ^sm srpm3rnT<rcraatr. n s^ n
the Paramesvara by a Jfiana-yajna (that is, the sacrifice by-
Knowledge, or sacrificing everything into the sacrificial
fire of Knowledge— Trans.)", (Manu. 4. 21-24). Considering-
the matter from the historical point of view, it can be seen
that when the sacrifice of wealth of various kinds
prescribed in the Sruti-texts for propitiating Indra, Varuna,.
and other deities fell into disuse, and the devices of
attaining the state of the Paramesvara by Patanjala-yoga,
Sarhnyasa, or Metaphysical Knowledge came more and
more into vogue, the meaning of the word 'Yajna' was
widened, and it was made to symbolically include all
the various devices of obtaining Release. The principle
at the root of this is the tendency to indicate subsequent
religious methods by the same technical terms as had
come to be formerly accepted in the religion. Whatever
may be the case, it is clear from this exposition in
the Manu-Smrti, that this idea had acquired general
acceptance before, or at any rate at the same' time as,
the Glta.]
(28) In this way, some Yatins observing severe vows (that
is, persons who have acquired mental control) perform the
sacrifice of wealth ; others perform the sacrifice by austerity,
others by Yogic practices, others by svMhyaya (that is, by
observing the ritual prescribed for one's own caste), and
others by Jfiana (i.e., Knowledge — Trans.). (29) Others taking
to pramyama, and controlling the movements of the prana
(outgoing breath — Trans.) and the apana (incoming breath —
Trans.) breaths, sacrifice the /?-3»a-breath into the apana-
breath, while others sacrifice the «/5na-breath into the prana-
breath.
[The idea conveyed by this stanza is that performing
the Pranayama (breath-control) according to the PataSjala
Yoga is a kind of Yajna. As this Yajfia in the form of .
GlTA, TRANSITION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. IV 959
the PataSjala-Yoga has been mentioned in the 29th
stanza, the words ' saorifloe by Yogio practices ' (' yoga-
yajfla') in the 28th stanza must be taken to mean
the Yajna according to Karma-Yoga, The word
'prana' in the term ' pranayama' usually indicates
both the svasa ( inhaling ) and the ticchvasa (exhaling)
of the breath; but when a distinction is made
between ' prana ' and 'apana ', the word 'prana ' means the
' out-going ' breath, that is to say, the ' ucehuasa ' breath ;
and the word ' apana ' means the ' incoming * breath (Ve.
SQ. Sam. Bha. 2. 4. 12 ; and Chandogya Sam. Bha. 1. 3. 3).
It must be borne in mind that these meanings of the words
' prana ' and ' apana ' are different from their ordinary
meanings. Taking these meanings, when the prana, that
is, the exhaled breath or the ' ucchvasa ' has been sacrificed
into the apana, that is, the intaken breath, the pranayama
which is performed, is known as the ' puraka' ; and
conversely, when the apana has been sacrificed into the prana,
the pranayama which is performed is named ' recaka '.
When both the prana and the apana axe controlled or stopped,
the pranayama which is performed is named ' kumbkaka ' ;
now there remain besides these, the three breaths named
vyana, udana, and samana. Out of these, the breath ' vyana ' is
located at the meeting point between the prana and the
apana, and comes to be used when one has to perform
actions requiring force, when one partially controls the
breath, such as, in drawing a bow or lifting up weights
etc. (Chan. 1. 3. 5), The udana breath is the one whieh
leaves the body at the moment of death (Prasna. 3. 7) and
the samana breath is the breath which continually takes
food-juices to every part of the body (Prasna. 3. 7). These
are the ordinary meanings of these various kinds of breath
according to the Vedanta-Sastra ; but in some places even
■quite different meanings are intended ; for example, in the
212th Chapter of the Vana-parva of the Mahsbharata, quite
■different characteristics are mentioned of the prana and
other breaths; and 'prana' is explained as meaning the
breath in the head, and the apana is described as meaning
the breath which escapes downwards from the body
960 , GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
(Prasna. 3-5 and Maitryu. 2-6). According to the above
stanza, the breath which is controlled is said to be
' sacrificed ' into the other kinds of breath]
(30) Others still moderating their food, sacrifice the prana
(vital airs) into prana itself. All these being sin-diminished
as a result of sacrifice, and (being) well-versed in sacrifice,
(31) and partaking of the amrta (food), which remains over
after the sacrifice, attain the eternal Brahman. The non-
performers ot sacrifice have not (success even in) this world ;.
how then, O Kurusrestha, (can they obtain) the next world I
{ In short, although the performance of Yajmas is the duty
of every human being, according to the directions of the
Yedas, yet, it is not that this Yajfia is only of one kind.
Whether one performs Pranayania, or religious austerities,
or the reading of the Yedas, or the Agnistoma-yajfia, or the
Pasu-yajna (sacrificing animals), or throws til, rice, or
clarified butter into the fire, or performs worship, or
performs the five domestic sacrifices ( grha-yajiia ), such as,
naivedya ( food offered to household gods ), vaisvadeva (food
offered into the fire), etc., if one has destroyed the Attach-
ment for the JJruit of Action, all these become YajSas in-
the wider meaning of the word ; and then, all the doctrines
of the Mlmamsa school relating to the partaking of what
remains after the performance of the Yajfia, become-
applicable to each of them. The first of these rules is that
' no Action performed for the purpose of a Yajfia has a
binding effect '; and that rule has been mentioned above in
the 23rd stanza (See commentary on Gl. 3. 9). The second'
rule is, that every householder should partake of food in the
company of his wife, after he has performed the five
principal sacrifices, and given food to guests, beggars etc.,
and that when a person lives in this manner, the house-
GlTA, TRANSLATIONS COMMENTARY, OHAP. IV 961
holder-state becomes profitable, and leads to a happy state
after death. It has been stated in the Manu-Smrti, and in
other Smrtis, that every house-holder should always become
a vighasasV (i. e., one who eats the vighasa — Trans.), and
' amrtasV (i. e., one who eats the amrta — Trans.), after the word
' vighasa ' has been defined as meaning 'whatever remains,
over after the guests have eaten', and the word ' amrta ' has-
been defined as meaning ' that which remains over after the
performance of the Yajna'; cf., vighasam bhuktasesam tu
yajnasesam athSmrtam" — Manu, 2. 285 (See Gl 3. 13 and
Gita. Ra. p. 403). The Blessed Lord now says that this rule
which applies to the ordinary domestic sacrifices also applies
to all the various Yajnas mentioned above. Not only is
any act performed for the purpose of a Yajna not binding,,
but if any portion of these acts, which remains over after
the performance of the Yajna, is utilised by one for his own
use, even that is not prejudicial. (See Gita Ra. Chapter XII
p. 535 bottom). The last sentence in this stanza, namely,
"the non-performers of sacrifice have not (success even in)-
this world", is fraught with deep meaning and is important.
It does not mean only that in the absence of the Yajnas
there is no rain, and that in the absence of rain, the course
of life on this world cannot go on ; but, taking the word
'Yajna' in its wider meaning, the social principle, that
unless every one sacrifices something or other dear to him,
the ordinary course of the world cannot go on, by all
getting equal opportunities, is necessarily included in it.
For instance, the Western socialistic doctrine that
unless every one controls his own freedom of action,
all others cannot enjoy equal freedom of action,
is an example of this principle ; and if the same meaning,
is to be conveyed in the terminology of the Gits, one will
have to speak here in terms of a Yajna, by saying that
' unless every one to some extent performs a Yajna of his
Freedom of Action, the course of life on this world cannot
go on '. When the Yajna has thus been made the founda-
tion of the entire social structure by thus giving it an
extended and wide meaning, it need not be said in so many
words that the social arrangement will not continue;
S62 GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
properly, unless every human being learns to perform these
Yajfias as pure duties. ]
(32) In this way, various kinds of Yajfias, are always taking
place in the mouth of the Brahmaa ; know that all these
arise from Karma ; when you have acquired this Knowledge,
you will obtain Release.
[The Yajfias of physical materials prescribed by the
Srutis, such as, the ' jyotistoma' etc., are performed by
throwing oblations into the Fire; and as the sacrificial
fee is supposed to be the mouth of the gods, these sacrifices
are stated by the Sastras to reach the various deities. But,
some one may raise the doubt that since the symbolical
Yajfias mentioned above are not performed in Fire,
•which is the mouth of the gods, how can merit be acquired
by performing them ? Therefore, in order to remove this
doubt, the Blessed Lord now says that these Yajnas are
performed into the mouth of the Brahman itself. The
purport of the second part of the stanza is that he who
understands this extended meaning of the performance of
a Yajna, and does not understand that word in the narrow
meaning given to it by the Mlmarhsa school, does not
remain narrow-minded, but is enabled to understand the
form of the Brahman. The Blessed Lord now explains
which is the most superior of all these kinds of Yajnas — ]
(33) O Parantapa! the jnana-maya yajna (that is, the
Yajiia peformed by sacrificing everything into the Fire of
Realisation — Trans.) is better than the dravya-maya
yajna (that is, the Yajfia, performed by sacrificing materials —
Trans.) ; because, O Partha ! all Actions of all kinds
are ultimately merged in Jnana.
[The word' Jfiana-yajna' has occurred twice later on in
the Gits (Gl. 9. 15 and 18. 70). The Yajfia'of materials
GlTA, TRANSLATION &COMMEimRY, CHAP. IV 963
grq^riSa & frr* frri^ H^dTci ^R: ii ^g ii
performed by men, is performed by them fo±" attaining
the Paramesvara. But one cannot attain the Paramesvara,
unless one is acquainted with His form. Therefore, the
method of acquiring the Knowledge of the form of the
Paramesvara and of attaining the Paramesvara by leading
a course of life which is consistent with that Knowledge,
is known as the ' Jnana-yajlia '. This Yajfia is mental,
and is performed with the help of the Reason, and it is
naturally considered more worthy than the YajSa of
wealth. This Jfiana included in the Jfiana-yajna is of
supreme importance in the Science of Release ; and it is
the firm doctrine of the Glta that (i) all Karma is destroyed
by means of this Jnana ; that, (ii) in any case the
Jfiana of the Paramesvara must ultimately be obtained;
and that, (iii) there is no Release except by the Acquisition
•of Jfiana. Nevertheless, I have proved in detail in
Chapters X and XI of the Gita-Rahasya that the words
'" all Actions of all kinds are ultimately merged in Jfiana"
in this stanza are not to be understood as meaning that
' after a man has acquired Jnana, he may give up Karma'.
The Glta preaches to everybody that (i) all Actions must
be performed as a matter of duty for universal welfare,
though they may not be needed for one's own self; that,
(ii) as all these Actions are performed with Jnana, that is,
with an equable Reason, the person, who performs them, is
, not affected by the merit or sin of that Action (see, stanza
37 later) ; and that (iii) as this Jnana-yajna leads to Release,
one must perform the Yajfia, but with Jfiana, and with a
desireiess frame of mind. ]
(34) Remember that, philosopher- Jfianms will, by your
■offering obeisance (to them — Trans.), and questioning and
service, teach you that Jnana, (35) by having acquired which,
O Pandava ! you will not again be overcome by mental
964 GlTA-RAEASYA OB KABMA-YOGA
srfq %?T% TI^P «#RT: "TnTfrW I
§§ *r ft m%f ^t iRMftti: fgeift i
?i?j^ ^rw%g". ^n%5n?srf% f^f?r " \< ii
confusion in this fashion, and by means of which Knowledge,,
you will come to see everything created as located in your-
self and ultimately in Me.
[ There is a reference here to the Knowledge of the iden-
tity of the Atman with all created beings, that is, to seeing
the entire creation embodied in oneself, and seeing oneself
embodied in the entire creation, which has been dealt with
later on (Gi. 6. 29). As the Atman (Self) and the Bhagavan
(Blessed Lord) are fundamentally uniform, the entire
creation is comprehended in the Atman, that is, ultimately,,
also naturally in the Bhagavan, or the Blessed Lord; and the-
three-fold distinction between the Atman (one's Self), the
rest of the creation, and the Blessed Lord, naturally dis-
appears. It is, therefore, said in the Bhagavata-purana, in
describing the Bhagavad-bhakta (the devotee of the Blessed
Lord) that " that man is the best Bhagavata or devotee of
the Blessed Lord, who sees the entire creation in the Blessed
Lord and in himself (Bhag. 11. 2. 45). See the further
explanation of this important principle of the Glta in
Chapter XII of the Glta-Rahasya (pp. 543 to 555) ; and also
in Chapter XIII, from the point of view of Devotion
(pp. 600-601).]
(36) Even if you are a sinner, greater than any other sinner,
you will sail over the whole sin by (this) ship of Jnana.
(37) Just as the kindled fire reduces to ashes (all) fuel, in the
same way, O Arjuna ! (this) Jnana- formed Fire reduces to
ashes (the prejudicial or unprejudicial binding force of) all
Action.
[ The Blessed Lord has described the worth of Jnana. HE
now explains how this Jnana can be acquired ]
(38) There is nothing indeed in this world so holy as
GITA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. IV 965>
SRfPTlgffl?* fTH ism.: *Hldl«W I
34lr*H-d *T *fijftfdr HgST^cT SW^RT II 8? II
Jfiana. That Jfiana is automatically acquired in course of
time by the person who has mastered the Yoga (that is,,
the Karma- Yoga).
[The word ' Action ' in the 37th stanza means ' the
binding force or effect of Karma or Action ' (Gl. 4. 19).
Acquiring Knowledge by means of desireless Actions,
which one has started by one's Reason, is the principal
means of acquiring Knowledge, or the means accessible
to Reason (buddhi) ; but, for those who cannot acquire Know-
ledge in this way by their own Reason, the Blessed Lord
now prescribes the other path, namely, the Path of Faith — ]
(39) That person having Faith, who, having acquired control
over the senses, pursues this Knowledge, (also) acquires it ;
and when he has acquired Knowledge, he immediately after-
wards experiences the highest peace.
[In short, that Knowledge ( Jfiana ), and the tranquility
(santi) which is acquired by means of the Reason (buddhi),
is also acquired by Faith (sraddha). But he who has
neither Reason nor Faith — ]
(40) But (he) who has himself neither Knowledge nor Faith,
such a doubter is utterly destroyed. For the doubter, there
is neither this world, nor the next, nor any happiness
whatsoever.
[The Blessed Lord has shown two ways of acquiring
Knowledge, namely, (i) one's own Reason and (ii) Faith.
HE now explains the respective uses of the Jnana-Yoga and
the Karma-Yoga, and summarises the whole subject-
matter — ] '
(41) O Dhanarljaya ! Actions cannot bind the atma-jmnin
(Self-Realiser— Trans.) who has cast off Karma (that is, the
GlTA-EAHASYA OR KABMA-YOGA
im =£i?re!*R?fraTi ^tfw?i guram^r %jrit# s^otix-
bondage of Karma) by taking shelter in the (Karma-) Yoga,
■and whose doubts have been annulled by means of Jfiana.
(42) Therefore, cutting off with the sword of Knowledge,
this doubt, which has arisen in your heart as a result of
Ignorance, take shelter, in the (Karma-) Yoga, (and)
■O BbSrata ! stand up (and fight).
[ Just as in the Isavasyopanisad ( Isa. 11 ; Gl. Ba. Ch. VI,
p. 501 ), after shortly showing the respective uses of vidya
and avidya, a direction has been given to act without
giving up either vidya or avidya, so in the Glta, in these
two stanzas, after shortly showing the respective uses of
Jfiana and (Karma-) Yoga, the advice has been given
to Arjuna to perform Action with the joint help of Jfiana
.and Yoga. The respective uses of these two are that when
a man performs Action by the Desireless Jnana-Yoga,
the binding effect of Karma (Action) is destroyed, and
it does not obstruct Eelease ; and as a result of Jfiana, all
doubt or mental confusion is annihilated and one attains
Belease. Therefore, the ultimate and final advice to
Arjuna is, that he should not seek the protection of either
Karma alone, or of Jfiana alone, but should make use of
both, and fight. It has been shown in the Gita-Bahasya
■(Ch. Ill, p. 80) that because Arjuna has to stand up and
fight here by taking shelter or protection from Yoga, the
word 'Yoga' must here be interpreted as meaning the
Karma- Yoga. This fusion of Jfiana and Yoga, is also
again referred to later on in the Glta (GL 16. 1), in de-
scribing the characteristics of 'godly endowment' (daw
sampatti), by the words "jnana-yogavyavasthitih". ]
Thus ends the fourth chapter entitled the Jnana-Kakma-
SAMNYASA Yoga in the dialogue between Sri Krsna and
GITA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. IV 967
Arjuna on the Yoga included in the Science of the Brahman
(that is, on the Karma- Yoga), in the Upanisad sung (that
is, told) by the Blessed Lord.
[ It must be borne in mind that the word ' sarimyasa ' in
the phrase ' jnana-karma-samnyasa ' is not literal karma-
tyaga (Abandonment of Action), but is the Desireless
' samnyasa' or the 'Dedication' of all Action to the
Parame&vara; and the same explanation has been given
later on in the beginning of Chapter XVIII. ]
CHAPTER Y.
[In this chapter, has been given the clear answer of the
Blessed Lord to the doubts likely to be raised by the
followers of the Path of Renunciation to the doctrines laid
down in Chapter IV, after expressing those doubts through
the mouth of Arjuna. If Jfiana is the ultimate resolution
of all Action (4. 33); if allActionis destroyed by Knowledge
■(4. 37); and if the sacrifice into Knowledge is superior to the
sacrifice of wealth (4. 43), then, why has the Blessed Lord,
after saying in the second chapter that "it is most
meritorious for a Ksatriya to fight the battle prescribed by
his religion" (2. 31), summarised the fourth chapter by
paying " therefore, stand up to fight, taking shelter in the
Karma-Yoga" (4. 42)? To this the reply of theGltais
that what is needed is the fusion of (i) Knowledge, which is
necessary for Release, by removing all mental confusion
.and of (ii). Karma, which cannot be escaped from, and
which though not necessary for Release, is yet necessary
for Universal Welfare (4. 41). But, even to this an
■objection may be raised to the effect that, if both the
Karma-Yoga and the Sarhkhya-Yoga are proper according
to the Sastras, why should not a person adopt the Sarhkhya-
Yoga and abandon Action, if that pleases one better?
Needless to say, there must be made a clear decision as to
which of these two paths is the better one ; and as Arjuna
was seized with the same doubt, he now raises the
following question, in the same way as he had raised the
-question in the beginning of the third chapter—]
(1) Arjuna said : — O Krsna 1 once you say that the Path
of Renunciation is superior, and again that Karma- Yoga
(that is, the path of continuing to perform Action) is
superior ; therefore, tell me definitely that one, of these
GtTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. V 969
two, which is really sreya, (that is, more praiseworthy).
(2) The Bles sed Lord said : — Karma-sarimyasa and Karma-
Yoga, both these (paths or Nisthas) are nihkreyasakara (that
is, producing Release) ; but, (that is, though both may be of
the same value from the point of view of Release), the worth
■(that is, the efficacy) of Karma- Yoga, out of these two, is
greater than that of Karma-Sarhnyasa.
[This question and answer are both unambiguous and
clear. The word ' sreya ' in the first stanza means ' more
praise-worthy ', or, better ; and, to the question of Arjuna
about the relative value of the two courses, the reply of the
Blessed Lord is, " harrna-yogo visisyate", that is "the
Karma-Yoga is the better (path) ". Nevertheless, as this
doctrine is not consistent with the Samkhya theory, that
a man must abandon or make a literal Saihnyasa
{Renunciation) of Action, after he has acquired Knowledge,
soma commentators, have taken hold of the word
* ■visisyate ', and contented themselves with saying that that
was a mere hollow praise of the Karma- Yoga by way of
an arthavada, after they had ineffectually struggled to
twist this plain-meaninged question and answer; and
•saying, that the true intention of the Blessed Lord was
not to praise the Karma-Yoga ! If it was the opinion of
the Blessed Lord that there should be no Action after the
acquisition of Knowledge, could He not have replied
to Arjuna that: "out of these two paths, the Path of
Renunciation is the better one " ? But, as instead of
■doing so, the Blessed Lord, after saying in the first
part of the second stanza that, " the paths of perform-
ing Action and abandoning Action, are both equally
productive of Release ", uses the word ' tu ', that
is, ' but' , in the second part of the stanza and
unambiguously lays down the doctrine that, ' taydh ', that
.is, 'out of these two paths', "the path of Performing
970 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
Action is more praise-worthy (sreya) than the path
Abandoning Action ", it is clearly proved that He -was of
the opinion that in the siddhavastha (state of Perfection),
the Jnanin must still go on performing desirelessly, till
death, as a duty, and for Universal Welfare, the same-
selfless Action, which he was performing in the
' sadhanavastha' (the state of Perfecting) for acquiring-
Knowledge. The same meaning has been made clear in.
Glta 3. 7, and the term ' visisyate ' has also been used there ;
and in the next stanza, that is, in Glta 3. 8, the woids.
"Action is superior to Inaction" were again clearly
repeated. Now, it is true, that there are descriptions in
several places in the Upanisads (Br. 4. 4. 22) to the effect,
that Jfianins (those, who have acquired Knowledge) roam,
about begging, without having any ' lokaisaw ' (desire for
society), or ' putraisana' (desire for children). But, it has.
not been stated in the Upanisads that this is the only path,,
which can be followed after a man has acquired.
Knowledge, and that there is no other path. Therefore, it.
is not proper to attempt to harmonise the GifcS with the-
above-mentioned sentences from the Upanisads. The Glta.
does not say that this Path of Renunciation described in
the Upanisads is not productive of Release. But, the firm
doctrine of the Glta is, that though the Karma-Yoga and
Renunciation are both equally productive of Release,,
that is to say, though, from the point of view of Release, the
effect of both is the same, yet, considering the course of
life in the world, the better or more praise-worthy path is-
to continue to desirelessly perform Action even after one-
has acquired Knowledge. This interpretation of mine is-
not the one which has been accepted by the majority of
commentators ; and, they have treated the Karma-Yoga as.
secondary ; but, in my opinion, these interpretations of the.-
commentators are not plain and straight-forward ; and, as
I have given -a detailed statement of my reasons for my
interpretation in Chapter XI of the Gita-Rahasya (pp. 420
to 431), I shall not take up space here by saying more-
about it. After the Blessed Lord had thus given His clear
decision as to which of the two paths is more praise-worthy,.
(JlTl, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. V 971
w^'sfi ft q&wi£i W ^wifny^^ ii ^ u
^*^wii%rp ^rssr*frfsr*??r *m<{ h 8 n
gg; ^rN% ^r^m ^str cr£r%ror n*q% i
HE now proves that though these two paths might appear
different to people in ordinary life, yet, they are not
essentially different—]
(3) He, who does not hate (anything) and who does not
desire (anything), that man should be looked upon as
a 'permanent ascetic' (though he might be performing
Action) ; because, O Mighty-armed Arjuna ! he, who has.
been liberated from the pairs of Opposites (such as, pain and
happiness, etc.), is, without effort, liberated from (all) the
bonds (of Karma). (4) Fools say that Sarhkhya (Karma-
Sarhnyasa) and Yoga (Karma-Yoga) are different ; the learned
do not say so ; if any one path is properly followed, the
result of both is achieved. (5) That (Released-) state, which
is reached by the (followers of the) Sarhkhya (Path), there
too do the Yogins (that is, the Karma-Yogins) go ; he who
sees that the (two paths of) Sarhkhya and Yoga are (in this
way) the same, may be said to have seen (the true principle).
(6) Even Renunciation, O Mahabaho ! is difficult to achieve,
in the absence of Yoga, (that is, in the absence of Karma).
That sage who has become steeped in the Karma- Yoga, is
not long in attaining the Brahman.
[A clear and exhaustive explanation has been given later
on from the seventh to the seventeenth chapter of the Gita
as to how the same Release can be obtained by Karma-Yoga,
that is, by not abandoning Action, as can be obtained
by the Sarhkhya-Yoga. All that is intended to be said for
45—46
•973 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
§§ %rgrtfr f^j^rarr fgrf^rar? m fsrfrf^F <
the present is, that as there is no difference between the two
paths from the point of view of Release, it is not proper to
magnify the difference between these two paths, which
liave been in vogue from times immemorial, and to quarrel
about it ; and the same logical argument has been repeated
over and over again later on (See Ql. 6. 2 and 18.1, 2;
and my commentary on it). The stanza " ekam samkhyam
■ca yogam ca yah pasyati sa pasyati" has appeared twice
with slight alterations in the Mahabharata (San. 305.
19 ; 316. 4). Though Jfiana is considered of supreme
importance in the Path of Renunciation, that JHana is
not perfected unless Action is performed; and though in
the Karma-Yoga, Action is performed, yet, one does not
fail to reach the Brahman by it, since such Action is
performed with the help of Jnana (Gl. 6. 2) ; then, where
is the sense of raising a cry that these two paths are
different? If it is said that the performance of Action
has in itself a binding-effect, the Blessed Lord says that
such objection does not apply to Action performed
desirelessly — ]
(7) (He,1 Who has become steeped in the (Karma-)
Yoga, whose conscience is pure, who has conquered his Mind
and his senses, and whose Atman has become the Atman of
all created beings, remains untouched (by the merit or sin of
Action), though he performs (all Actions). (8) (He,) Who
has understood the basic principles, and is steeped in
the Yoga, should realise that : " I do not do anything "; (and)
in seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, walking, sleep-
ing, breathing, (9) speaking, excreting, taking, opening the
eye-lids, and closing them, (should act) believing that (merely)
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTAKY, CHAP. V 973
s&rar iptot f^rr *=i§RP^tii'M i
the senses are acting with reference to their respective
•objects.
[The last two stanzas form one sentence ; and the -various
Actions described in them are the Actions of the different
•organs of the body; for instance, excretion is the action of
the anus ; taking, that of the hand ; moving the eye-lids,
"that of the Vital Airs ; seeing, that of the eyes, etc. " I do
not do anything " does not mean that one should allow
■one's senses to do what they want. What is meant is that
-when once one has lost the egotistical sense of ' I ', the
unprompted senses are not capable of performing any evil
action of their own accord, and remain under the control of
the Atman. In short, even if a man becomes a Jnanin, the
organs of breathing etc., will continue to perform their
•respective functions. Nay, even remaining alive for a
■fraction of a second is in itself an Action; then, where
•remains the difference that the Jnanin, who follows the
Path of Benunciation, gives up Action, and that the
Karma-Yogin performs Action ? Both are bound to perform
Action. But, as the same acts cease to have a binding
effect when the Attachment based on Egoism has been
discarded, giving up the Attachment remains the only
basic principle ; and the Blessed Lord now further amplifies
the same idea—]
(10) He, who performs Actions, dedicating them to the
Brahman and unattachedly, to him sin does not adhere
(touch), just as water does not adhere to the leaves of a lotus-
plant. (11) Therefore, the Karma-Yogin performs all
Actions (without entertaining the egotistical notion that he is
performing them) for Self-purification, unattachedly, by the
body (merely), or by the Mind (merely), or by the Reason
(merely), and even by the senses merely
974 / . GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
Itp gntes &vmr ^rrffffrmftfa %%-* c f^ i
{The words ' Body ', ' Mind ', and ' Reason ' in this stanza
have been used with reference to the bodily (kayika), vocal.
(vodka) and mental (manasika) divisions of Action.
Although the adjective 'kevalaih' (merely) is placed, in the
original, behind the word ' indriymh ' alone, it also applies to-
the words ' Body ', ' Mind ', and ' Reason * (Gl. 4. 21). There-
fore, in my translation, I have placed it behind all the
other words, as behind the word ' Body '. The meaning is,
as explained in the 8th stanza above, that if a man
performs any act, which is merely bodily (kayika), or merely
vocal (vodka), or merely mental (nianasika), giving up-
egoism, and without any Attachment to the Fruit of
Action, he does not incur any sin (See Glta 3. 27 ; 13. 29 ;.
and 18. 16). When there is no egoism, all the Action which
is performed is merely the Action of the organs ; and as the
Mind and the other organs are only the evolutes (vikara)
of Prakrti, the doer does not incur the binding effect of
such Action. The Blessed Lord now proves this doctrine
according to the Sastras — ]
(12) He, who has become 'yuktd (that is, Yoga-_y«^to), (that
is, steeped in Yoga — Trans.) gives up the Fruit of Action and
attains the final complete tranquility; and the 'ayuktd (that
is, one who is not Yoga-yukla), becoming attached to the
Fruit, as a result of Mma (that is, of desire ), becomes bound
(by- the merit or the sin). (13) The embodied (man), who
has controlled the senses, renouncing all Actions mentally
(not literally), inhabits happily this (body-) city with its nine,
entrances, doing nothing and causing nothing to be done.
[That is to say, he realises that the Atman is a non-doer,,
and that the entire activity is of Prakrti ; and therefore,,
he lives quietly, or in a state of indifference (See Gits 13. 20
and 18. 59). The two eyes, the two ears, the two nostrils,.
• GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. V 975
§§ t ?$&( n *m\iw ^vw isrfar srg: i
n grfesw'f ^rm^Rg sre3% <i ?8 h
the mouth, the opening for urinating, and the anus are
looked upon as nine openings or doors of the body. The
Blessed Lord now gives a metaphysical explanation of the
fact that the Karma-Yogin remains 'yukta', though he is
performing Actions—]
(14) The prabhu (that is, the Atman or the Paramesvara)
does not create either the capacity of men for Action, nor
their Actions, nor the attendant Fruit of Action (accruing to the
doers). Inherent nature, (that is, Prakrti) performs (every-
thing). (1 5) The vibhu (that is, the all-pervading Atman or
Paramesvara) does not acquire either the merit or the sin of
anybody. As Knowledge is covered by the covering of
ignorance (that is to say, as a result of Maya), all created
■beings are confused.
[The principle involved in both these stanzas is
originally from the Samkhya philosophy (See Glta-Rahasya
pp. 222 to 224). But, as according to Vedantists, the
Atman = the Paramesvara, they extend the principle that
'the Atman is a non-doer' to the Paramesvara. The
Samkhyas look upon Prakrti (Matter) and Purusa (Spirit)
as the two fundamental principles, and look upon the
Prakrti as the active agent and the Atman as inactive;
but the Vedantists go even beyond that, and say that the
root of both Purusa and Prakrti is a quality-less Parame-
svara, who is a Non-Boer (udasin) like the Atman of the
Samkhyas ; and that the entire activity is of Maya or of
Prakrti (Gi. Ra. p. 369). The Blessed Lord now explains
that the ordinary man does not understand these things
on account of Ignoranoe; and that, as the Karma-Yogin
understands the difference between the Doer and the
Non-Doer, he remains unscathed, notwithstanding that
he performs Action— ]
976 GlTA-RAHASYA OK KARMA-YOGA
SO
faffa ft <m snr cremiufw 3 resmp 11 1% 11
(16) But those, whose own such Ignorance has been,
destroyed by Knowledge, their Knowledge throws light on
the Highest Principle like the Sun; (17) and those, whose
Reason has become engrossed in this Highest Principle,,
whose Internal Sense (antahkarana) has found happiness in.
It, and become fixed on It, and devoted to It, their sin is-
entirely washed away by Knowledge ; and they do not come,
to birth again.
[The Blessed Lord now gives a further description of the
state of the ' brahma-bhuta ' (merged in the Brahman) or
'jivanmuJda (Released in this life) state of these Karma-
Yogins (not Sarimyasins), whose Ignorance has thus been
destroyed — ]
(18) Those who have become Pandits (that is, Jfianins),
their vision is the same towards the Brahmin endowed with.
Knowledge and humility, as towards a cow, or an elephant,,
or a dog, or a candala. (19) Those, whose Mind, has thus
become steady in a state of Equability, conquer the mortal,
world, wherever they are (that is, without having to wait for
death) ; because, the Brahman is faultless and equable j,
therefore, these persons (with an equable Reason) are-
(always) merged in the Brahman (that is, they have become:
brahma-bhUta already in this world).
[ This is a repetition of the statement in the Upanisads
that he, who has Realised that the Atman-formed
Paramesvara is a Non-Doer, and that the entire activity is
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. V 977
of Prakrti, has 'become steeped in the Brahman' ( brahrna-
samstha); and he attains Release, cf. " brahmasamstha
'mrtatvam eti " (Chan. 2. 23. 1). Yet, it is clear from stanzas
1 to 12 above that, according to the Gita, a man does not
escape Action even though he has reached this state. This
sentence from the Chandogyopanisad has been interpreted
by Saihkaracarya so as to support the Path of Renunciation;,
but, if one considers the anterior and posterior contest in
the original Upanisad, it will be seen that the greater
possibility is of this statement having been made -with
reference to the person who performs Actions appropriate to
the three stages of life, even after having become brahma-
samstha ; and this same import has been very clearly set
out at the end of the "Upanisad ( See Chan. 8. 15. 1 ). As
this state is reached during life after a man has attained
the Knowledge of the Brahma ( brahma-jnana ), it is called
the ' jivan-muktavastha' (state of being Released in life),
(See Gl. Ra. Ch. X, pp. 413 to 415). This is the highest
pinnacle of Metaphysics, and the Yoga devices, such as,
the control of the mental tendencies ( citta-vrtti-mrodha) etc.,
by which this state can be reached, are explained at length
in the next chapter. This chapter contains only a further
description of this state. ]■
(20) One should not become glad because one has got the?
priya(tha,t is, the desired thing); nor should one become-,
dejected, if something undesirable happens. One whose mind
has (thus) become steady, and who does not suffer from
mental confusion, such a Knower of the Brahman is (said to
have become) 'steady in the Brahman'. (21) He (alone),
whose mind is not attached to the contacts (with the senses)
of external objects, (that is, to the enjoyment of objects of
sense), obtains (whatever) the happiness, which pertains to
the Atman ; and such a person, who has become yukla as a
978 • , .. GlTA-RAHASYA OK EABMA-YOGA
^ ^fr 3fTf%cfinT =?Sn?ciTSi%PseJT% n ?8 II
fa^t^T ^TSItITR: ^^?ff^ T3T> II *H II
result of union with the Brahman, enjoys inexhaustible
happiness. (22) As enjoyments, born of contacts (with ex-
ternal objects), have a beginning and an eud, they become
the cause of unhappiness. The wise man, O Kaunteya !
■does not find happiness in them. (23) He, who has become
•capable (by control of the senses) of bearing in this world,
before leaving this body (that is, till death), such pain as is
born of Desire and Anger, is the liberated and the (truly)
happy man.
[This is an expansion and elucidation of the advice of the
Blessed Lord to Arjuna in the second chapter that he must
bear pain as well as happiness (Ql. 2. 14). In Glta %. 14,
the adjective " agamapayinah " ( i. e., ' coming and going ' )
has been applied to pain and happiness ; whereas, here in
the 22nd stanza, the word used is "adyantavantah" (i. a,
* with a beginning and an end ' ) ; and here the word
' bahya ' has been used instead of the word ' matra ' used
there ; this stanza ( i. e., stanza 21) also defines who is to be
called ' yukta '. Bearing pain and happiness equably, and
not avoiding them, is the true characteristic of yukta-ness.
See my commentary on Glta 2. 61. ]
(24) He who has thus become internally (that is, in his
•conscience) happy (without laying any store by external happi-
ness or unhappiness), who has found tranquility within
himself, and similarly, who has acquired (this) internal light,
such a (Karma-) Yogin has become Brahman-formed, and
attains the brahma-nirvana . Release (that is, the Release of
being merged in and unified, with the Brahman), (25) Those'
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. V 979
3rf*rat 3§rf?raH n^i NRdirHH i ^, ii ^ ii
Hl<»ll<«*ft ^T f**TT qT^rT *^«-d<^lRafi II *S II
Rsis, who have lost the sense of duality (that is, who have
realised the principle that there is only one Paramesvara in
all places), whose sins have been dissolved, and who have
."become engrossed in achieving the welfare of the entire
creation by means of Self-control, attain Release in the shape
of brahma-nirvma. (26) The yatins who are free from Desire
and Anger, who are self-sontrolled and possessed of Self-
Knowledge, attain the brahma-niroana Release 'abhitah' (that
is, as if it is placed all round them, or in front of them ; that
is to say, wherever they are). (27) That Release-desiring
Muni, who keeps outside the (painful or pleasing) contacts
■ (of the organs) with external objects; who, having fixed his
gaze between the two eye-brows, and equalised the prana
.and the apana breaths passing through his nostrils, (28) has
• obtained control over the senses, the Mind, and the Reason ;
.and, who has become free from Desire, Fear, and Anger, may
.be said to be ' perpetually Released '.
[It will he seen from Chapter IX (pp. 320 and 344) and
Chapter X (p. 414) of the Glta-Rahasya, that this
description is of the Jlvan-muktavastha (state of being
Released, while alive). But, the assertion of some
commentators that it is a description of a man who follows
the Path of Renunciation is not correct in my opinion.
"Whether in the Path of Renunciation, or in the Path of
Karma-Yoga, ' tranquility' (santi ) is one and the same ; and
to that extent, this description might apply to the Path of
Renunciation; this cannot be denied; but, as in the
beginning of this chapter, the Karma-Yoga has been
mentioned as the superior path, and again in the 25th
stanza, it is stated that Jnanins (sages) are engrossed in
SSO GITA-RAHASYA. OR KARMA-YOGA
iff* 9Tw^Ji#raT^ -JMNMcy, snrf^rrof sini^i^
achieving Universal Welfare, it is clear that this description
is of the Karma-Yogin Jlvan-mukta (Released-in-life) and
not of the Sarhnyasin (See Gl. Ra. p. 520). To proceed;
since, Realising the Paramesvara, Who pervades the entire
creation, is the highest ideal even according to the Path of
Action (karma-marga), the Blessed Lord finally says that — ]
(29) Realising, (in this way), Me, Who am the Recipient,
of (all) sacrifice and austerities, the Overlord of all spheres-
(such as heaven, etc.) and the Friend of the entire creation, .
he attains tranquility.
Thus ends the fifth chapter entitled Samnyasa-Yoga in,
the dialogue between Sri Krsna and Arjuna on the Yoga in-
cluded in the science of the Brahman (that is, on the Karma-
Yoga) in the Upanisad sung (that is, told) by the Blessed;,
Lord.
CHAPTER ¥1.
[Thus far it has been proved that, (i) though nothing
except Knowledge is necessary for attaining Release, the
Jfi§nin must continue to perform Actions even after the-
Acquisition of Jnana, for universal welfare; but that, (ii) he
must perform these with an Equable Reason, and having
given up the Desire for Fruit, so that they may not have
any binding effect ; that, (iii) this is known as the Karma-
Toga ; and that, (iv) this path of life is more praise-worthy
than the path of Renunciation of Action {Ixirma-samnyasa).
Nevertheless, the justification of Karma-Yoga is not
thereby finished. Already in Chapter III, in describing
Desire, Anger, etc., the Blessed Lord has explained to-
Arjuna, that these enemies make their home in the organs,
the Mind, and the Reason of humans, and destroy their
Spiritual Knowledge (jnana) as also their Specified
Knowledge (vijnana), (3. 40); and advised him that
he should, therefore, first conquer these enemies by con-
trolling his senses. In order that this advice should be
complete, it was necessary to explain (1) how to acquire
control over the senses, and (2) what is Spiritual Knowledge
and what Specified Knowledge ; but, in the meantime, the
Blessed Lord, in reply to the question of Arjuna,.
(i) explained to him which path of life, out of the paths of
Karma-Yoga and Karma-Samnyasa, was the better one r
(ii) harmonised these two paths of life as far as possible ; and
(iii) showedhow the Brahma-nirvana Release could be obtain-
ed without giving up Action, and by performing Action
with an unattached Reason. The Blessed Lord now starts
in this chapter a description of the means by which it is
possible to acquire this unattached (nihsanga), or Brahman-
devoted (brahma-nistha) state, which is necessary even in
Karma-Yoga. Nevertheless, in order that it should be
clear that this explanation has not been given for
preaching the Patanjala-Yoga independently, the Blessed
Lord, to start with, repeats here what has been expounded
GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
^ #s3Traf*n% inform h %% qiogg i
?r ®#?5r?a^OT ^ftifT irarar ^am « * »
in the previous chapters, namely that, the true Samnyasin
is the person, who performs Actions, having given up the
Hope for Fruit of Action, and not the one, who abandons
Action (5. 3)— J
The Blessed Lord said : —
(I) That man is to be called a Samnyasin and a Karma-
Yogin, who performs (his Sastra-enjoined) duties, without
taking shelter in the Fruit of Action (that is, not having in
his Mind a 'home' in the shape of Hope of Fruit). The
niragni (that is, one who has given up Fire-ritual, "such as,
agnikotra etc.), or the akriya (that is, one who sits abso-
lutely quiet, without performing any Action whatsoever),
such a man is not (the true Samn5'asin, or the true Yogin).
(2) O Pandava, understand that what is known as Samnyasa
is (Karma-) Yoga, because no one can become a (Karma-)
Yogin unless he makes a Samnyasa (i. e., Renunciation —
Trans.) of the samkalpa (that is, of the Hope of Fruit in
-the shape of a Desireful Reason).
[ This is only a repetition of the statements made in the
previous chapters, such as, " ekam samkhyam ea yogam ca"
(5. 5) ; or, " there is no Samnyasa except by Yoga " (5. 6) ;
■or, "jfteydh sa tdtya-samnyasi" (5. 3); and later on, where
the whole subject-matter has been summarised in Chapter
XVIII, the very same import is again repeated. In the
■ state of a house-holder, one has to maintain an agmhatra
(a perpetual sacrificial fire), and perform Yajfias, Yagas
etc. But, as it was not necessary for a person, who had
become an ascetic, to thus maintain a perpetual fire, it is stated
in the Manu-Smrti, that he should become niragid (i. e., free
from Eire-ritual), and live in the forest, and maintain
.himself by begging, and not take part in worldly affairs
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP, VI 983-
( Manu. 6. 25 etc. ). This dictum of Manu has been referred
to in the first stanza above, and with reference to it, the
Blessed Lord says that, " becoming ' mragrti * or 'niskriya' is
not a feature of true SamnySsa". True SamnySsa
consists in giving up a Desireful Reason, or the Hope of
Fruit. Samnyasa consists in the frame of the Mind, and
not in the external act of giving up the maintenance of the
sacrificial fire, or ritual. Therefore, that man alone, who
gives up the Hope of Fruit, or the samkalpa, and thus
performs his duties, can be called the true Saiimyasin.
This doctrine of the Glta is different from the doctrine of
the Smrti-writers ; and I have to refer the reader to
Chapter XI of the Ulta-Rahasya (pp. 480-496), where I have
clearly shown how the Glta harmonises it with the doctrine
of the Smrtis. Having in this way explained what
true Samnyasa is, the Blessed Lord now explains the
difference between the Actions to be performed in the
mdhanavasths, that is, in the state before Knowledge has
been acquired, and those to be performed in the siddhavastha
that is, after the Acquisition of Knowledge, giving up the
Hope of Fruit — ]
(3) To the Muni who desires to become (Karma-)
yogarudha (that is, enthroned on the Karma-Yoga— Trans.),
Karma is said to be the Mra%a, (that is the means) ; and
when that same man has become yogarudha (that is, has
become a complete Yogin), the soma (that is serenity —
Trans.) is said to become later on the karana (for the
Karma).
[Commentators have utterly misinterpreted the meaning
of this stanza. The wOTd ' yoga ' used in the first part of
the stanza means Karma-Yoga ; and it is accepted by every-
body that, for acquiring that Yoga, Karma is the karaya,
or the means; but commentators have interpreted the
words, " after having become ' yogarudha ', sama becomes
the Jcarava for him ", as supporting the Path of Renuncia-
tion. What they say is : ' sama ' means ' upasama ' (that
984 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-TOGA
is, ' cessation ' — Trans.) of Karma; and he who has acquired
Yoga must, therefore, give up Karma ! Because, according
to them, the Karma-Yoga is a part (anga), that is, a
preliminary accomplishment, of Samnyasa. But, this
interpretation is only a doctrine-supporting interpretation,
and not the correct interpretation. For, (1) if the Blessed
Lord has stated already in the first stanza of this chapter,
that that man alone is a true Yogin, or yogarudha, who
" performs his duty " without taking shelter in the Fruit
of Action, and that the person who does not perform
Action (who is an akriya) is not a true Yogin, it would be
totally illogical to imagine, that the Blessed Lord could
have in the third stanza advised the Yogin, or the yoga-
rudha, to make the sama of Karma, that is, to give up Karma.
Although it may be the opinion of the Samnyasa school,
that the yogarudha should not perform Action, after having
attained tranquility, yet, that opinion is not acceptable to
the Glta ; and there is clear advice in several places in the
Glta to the effect that the Karma-Yogin should, even in the
State of Perfection (siddhavastha) continue to perform all
Actions, desirelessly, and merely as duties, and so long as
he is alive, in the same manner as the Blessed Lord. (Cf.
Gi. 2. 71 ; 3. 7 and 19 ; 4. 19-21 ; 5. 7-12 ; 12. 12 ; 18. 56
and 57 ; and Gi. Ra. Ch. XI and XII). (2) The second
reason is : How is it possible to interprete ' sama ' as mean-
ing the ' sama ' of Karma ? The word ' sama ' appears three
or four times in the Bhagavadglta ( Gi. 10.4 ; 18.42 ) ; and in
those places, as also in common parlance, it means ' peace
of Mind'. Then, why should it be interpreted to mean the
' peace or the ending of Karma ' ? In order to get over this
difficulty, commentators have, in the Paisacya-bhasya on
the Glta, treated -'tasya' as being the sixth (possessive)
■case of the neuter gender, and read the line as:
' tasyaiva karmartah. samah ', ( that is, ' the sama, which is
tasya, namely, of the Karma, referred to in the first half of
the stanza ), instead of referring the demonstrative pronoun
' tasyaiva ' in the phrase ' yogarudhasya tasyaiva ' to the word
"' yogarudhasya ' ! But, this syntax of the sentence is also
mot plain ; because, undoubtedly, the second part of the
GETA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OHAP. VI 985
stanza has been started in order to show the state reached
afterwards, that is, after he has completed his training, by
the man studying the Yoga, who has been described in the
first part of the stanza ; therefore, the word 'tasyaiva ' cannot
be interpreted as meaning ' karmanah eva ' ; and even if that
interpretation is taken, then, that word should be joined to
the words ' koranam ucyate ', instead of to the word ' sama '.
'Then, the syntax of the sentence will run as follows,
namely, ' samah yogarudhasya tasyaiva karmanah karanam
ucyate', which means, "the 'sama' now becomes the kararia
for the Karma of the yogarudha'. (3) The third reason for
rejecting the interpretation of the commentators is as
follows : according to the Path of Samnyasa, nothing
remains to be done for the yogarudha. and all his Karma
ends in ' sama ' ; and if this is true, the word * karaya' in the
sentence, "the 'sama' becomes the 'karana' for the
yogurudha", becomes totally meaningless. The word
' karana ' is always a relative ( sapeksa ) term. As soon as
you say ' karana ' (means), there must be some ' karya '
'(effect) of it. But, according to the Samnyasa doctrine,
there is no more any karya left for the yogarudha.
If 'sama' is taken as the 'karana', or the means for
Release, even that interpretation is not proper. Well ; if
it is said that ' sama ' is the ' karana ', that is, the means,
for the Acquisition of Knowledge, then, this being a
description of the yogarudha, that is, of one, who has
already reached the state of complete perfection, he has
already acquired Knowledge by means of Karma.
'Then, of what is this 'sama', the 'karana' ? The commenta-
tors of the Samnyasa school cannot give any satisfactory
solution of this question. But, if one considers the matter,
disregarding the interpretation of the commentators, then,
in interpreting the second part of the stanza, the word
'karma' in the first part of the stanza comes before the mind
by reason of its proximity ; and then, one gets the
interpretation that: as the yogarudJia cannot escape Action
for Universal Welfare (lokasamgraha), though he has no
self-interest left (Gi. 3. 17-19), 'sama' now becomes the
"karana' or the means, for him to perform that Action.
986 GlTA-BAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
The same interpretation is arrived at, if one considers the
statement in the previous chapter that, "yuktah karma-
phalam tyaktva santim apnoti naisthiklm" (Gl. 5. 12), that is,
"the Yogin attains complete tranquility by abandoning the
Fruit of Action" ; because, in that stanza, 'tranquility' is-
related not to the 'Abandonment of Action', but to the
'Abandonment of the Hope of Fruit' ; and it has been
clearly stated in that place, that the karma-samnyasa,
which the Yogin has to perform, has to be performed
'manasa', that is, by the Mind (Gl. 5. 13) ; and that, by the
Body, that is, by the organs of Action, such a Yogin must
perform all the various Actions. In my opinion, the
present stanza is an example of what is known in the
aZamtera-sasfra (science of Figures of Speech) as the 'anyonya-
lamkara', as it embodies some strangeness of meaning, or
sweetness of sentiment as is produced by that alamkara ; for,
after stating, in the first part of the stanza, when Karma,
becomes the 'karana' of 'sama', the latter part of the stanza,
states conversely, when 'sama' becomes the 'karana' of the
Karma. The Blessed Lord says that in the beginning, that
is, in the preparatory stage (sadhanavastha), Action (Karma).
' becomes the means (karana) of tranquility (sama), that is,,
of Yoga-siddhi ; that is to say, when a person goes on
performing, as far as possible, all Actions with a Desireless.
Mind, his Mind becomes peaceful, and he thereby
ultimately attains complete perfection of Yoga (yoga-
siddhi). But, when the Yogin has become yogarudha
( steeped " in Yoga ), that is to say, when he has
reached the state of perfection, ( siddhavasths. ), this
relation of cause and effect between Karma and
'sama' is reversed; and instead of Karma being the means
of obtaining 'sama', or its 'karana', the 'sama' itself
becomes the means for the Karma; that is to say, the
yogarudha, thereafter performs all his Actions merely as
duties, and without entertaining any Hope of Fruit, and
with a peaceful Mind. In short, this stanza does not mean
that a man becomes free from Karma in the state of
Perfection; and all that the Gita says is that, the
jelation of cause and effect between Karma and ' sama'
GrTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. VI 987:
in the preparatory stage (sadhariavastha) becomes changed
or inverted in the State of Perfection (siddhavasthfi), (GL
Ra. Ch. XI, pp. 449 to 451). It is nowhere stated in the
Glta that the Karma-Yogin must ultimately give up>
Action ; nor is it intended to say so. It is, therefore, not
proper to take some stanza or other from the Glta,
wherever there is a chance of doing so, and hy some
stratagem or other to give it a renunciatory meaning, That
is why the Gits has become so difficult to understand for
many in these days. The proposition, that the yogarudha
must continue to perform Actions, is also borne out by
the definition given in the next stanza. ; That stanza is as
follows — ]
(4) Because, when a man does not become attached to>
these objects of sense (such as, speech, touch etc.), nor
to Karma, and when he makes a Renunciation of all saihkalpa
(that is, of the Hope of Fruit in the shape of a Desireful
Reason, and not of Action, literally), he is called a
'yogarudha' .
[This stanza may be said to be a continuation of the
last stanza or perhaps even of the last three stanzas.
This clearly shows that the Gita advises the Yogarudha
to give up not Action, but the Hope of Fruit, or the
Desireful Reason, and to perform Action desirelessly,
and with a peaceful frame of mind. The words
' samnyasa of samlsalpa'' appear in the second stanza above;
and they must be given the same meaning here, as in that
stanza. Karma-Yoga includes Samnyasa in the shape of
the Abandonment of the Hope of Fruit, and that man alone
is the true Samnyasin, or Yogin, or the true Yogarudha who
performs all Actions, having abandoned the Hope of Fruit.
The Blessed' Lord now says that succeeding in such a
■ Desireless Karma-Yoga, or Renunciation of Hope of Fruit,
is a matter within the control of every man ; and if he- ;
47—48
S88 GlTA-BAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
§§ ftrmrnsp srtfh^t q^twr buttict: i
liimself makes the effort, -it -is [not impossible for him to
achieve it — ]
(5) (Man) should himself bring about his own emanci-
pation;' one should not (at any time) discourage oneself:
because, (every man) himself is (said to be ) his own bandhu
{ that is, helper), or his own enemy. (6) Who has himseli
conquered himself, becomes his own helper ; but who does
not understand himself, acts towards himself as his own
enemy.
[ These two stanzas contain a description of the doctrine
of Free Will (atmasvatamtrya), and propound the principle
that every one must bring about his own emancipation;.,
and that, however powerful Prakrti (Nature) may be, it' is
within one's own hands to conquer it and to bring about
one's own betterment (Gl. Ba. Ch. X, pp. 383 to 391). In
order that this principle should be firmly impressed on the
mind, it has beenstated (i) positively, that is, by showing, when
the Atman becomes one's friend; and again (ii) negatively,
by showing when the Atman may be said tobe one's enemy;
and this very principle is again referred to in 13. 28. As
the word ' atma ' has three meanings in Sanskrit, namely,
(1) the ' antaratman ', (2) one's self, and (3) the Internal Sense,
or the Mind, this word, ' atma ' appears several times in this
and the following stanzas. The Blessed Lord now explains
what result is obtained by bringing the Atman under
control — ]
(7) Who has conquered the Atman (that is, his Internal
Sense), and who has attained tranquility, his ' paramatrnan'
becomes samahita (that is, equal and- steady)' towards heat
and cold, pain and happiness^ .hortouc .and .dishonours f
* .V
GITA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. VI 989
frfi i^f^r^.%# ^^^laiW+i^HS it c II
[ In this stanza, the word ' paramatman ' has been used
■with reference to the Atman itself. The Atman within the
•body is ordinarily engrossed in the turmoil of pain and
happiness ; but, when this turmoil has been conquered by
means of control of the senses, the same Atman acquires
the form of a ' paramatman ', or of the ' paramesvara '. It is
stated further on in the Gita itself ( Gl. 13. 22 and 31- ) that
the Paramatman is not some substance, different in nature
from the Atman, but that the Atman within the body of a
man is essentially the PaTamatman; and even in the
-Mahabharata, there is a statement that —
atma ksetrajfia ity uktah samyuktah prakrtair guyaih I
tair eva tu vinirmuktah. paramatmety. udahrtah n '
(Ma. BhS. San. 187: 24 ),
that is, " when the Atman isprakrta, that is, bound by the
constituents of Prakrti ( by emotions, such as, happiness,
pain etc.), it is called the ' ksetrajfia ' or the ' jivatman',
within the body; and when it has become free, from
-these constituents, the same Atman is called the
Paramatman ". It will be seen from Chapter IX of the
<Jlt3-Kahasya, that the same is the doctrine of the Non-
Dualistic ."Vedanta. Those who are of opinion that the
'Gita does not support Non-Dualism, but supports Qualified
Monism (visistadvaita), or pure Dualism, do not take the word
' paramatma ' here as a single word, but break it up into
' parafii ' and ' atma ', and look upon the word ' param ' as an
adverb qualifying the verb ' samahitah'. This, interpreta-
tion is far-fetched; but it will show how commentators,,
who want to establish a particular doctrine, stretch the
meaning of the Gita to support their own point of view.]
(8) He, whose Atman has become satisfied by jmna (that is, ;
Spiritual: Knowledge— Trans. ) and by vijnana, [that -is, by
specified (vividha) Jfiana], who 1 has conquered his senses,,
who has become 'kutastha' (that is, who has reached the
origin), and has begun to look upon the earth, . stone, and
gold as one and the same, such a (Karma-) Yogin (alone)
990 GlTS.-RAHA.SYA OR KARMA-YOGA
is said to be 'yukta' (that is, to have reached the siddha-
vastha). (9) That man, whose Reason has become equal
towards dear persons, friends, enemies, udasinas, madhya-
sthas, persons fit to be hated, and brethren, as also towards
saints, and evil-minded persons, may be said to be of special
worth.
[' suhrd ' means a friend, who helps without expecting a;
return ; ' ttdasina ' is a person, who, where there are two*
factions, does not desire the good or the evil of either party ; .
' madhyastha ' is a person, who wishes well by both sides ;
and ' bandhu ' is a relation. Such are the meanings given
by commentators to these words. But it will do, if
slightly different meanings are taken instead of taking these-
meanings ; because, these words have not been used with
the intention of showing a different meaning in each case y
and several words are sometimes used in this way in
order that an exhaustive meaning may be conveyed by
the combination, and that nothing should be left
over. In this way, after having briefly explained who-
may be called a 'yogi', or a ' yukta', or a ' yogarudha''
(Gi. 2. 61 ; 4. 18 ; and 5. 23), the Blessed Lord has also said'
that every man is free to achieve this Karma-Yoga for:
himself ; and that it is not necessary for him to depend
for assistance on anybody else for that purpose. The
Blessed Lord now explains the means for achieving this;
Karma-Yoga — ]
(10) He, who is a Yogin (that is, a Karma- Yogin) should,
remaining alone in solitude ; controlling his Mind, and his-
Atman ; not entertaining any desire whatsoever ; and giving
up parigraha (that is, bonds), take constantly to his Yoga-
practice.
[ It becomes clear from the next stanza that the word
'yw&jita' refers to the Yoga described in the Patafijala--
■ GITA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. VI 991
^TR^raq' l^itliTuWIr^N^^ II \% II
sutras. But, this does not mean that the man, who wishes
to achieve the Karma-Yoga must spend his entire life in
the practice of the Patafijala-Yoga. The Patafijala-Yoga
has been described in this chapter as a means for acquiring
that Equable Reason, which is necessary in the Karma-
Yoga ; and solitude is necessary only to that extent. As a
result of Prakrti, many persons are not able to acquire in
one life the Mental Absorption (samadhi) described in the
Patafijala-Yoga ; and the Blessed Lord has said at the end
of this very chapter, that such persons should practise the
Karma-Yoga by steadying their Reason, as far as possible,
instead of wasting their whole life in the practice of
Patanjala-Yoga ; and that by doing so, they will ultimately
attain Perfection (siddhi) after many births (Gl. Ea. Oh. X,
pp. 389 to 390)— ]
<(11) Having unchangeably fixed one's ' asana ' (that is, place
of sitting — Trans.) on dried grass, covered by a deer-skin,
■over which too has been placed a piece of cloth, neither too
high nor too low, in a pure place, (12) and controlling in
that place the activities of the * Mental Vision (i. e., citta —
Trans.) and of the senses, and concentrating the Mind,
one should practice Yoga, sitting on that seat, for self-
purification. (13) Becoming steady, holding the kaya (that
is, the back), the head, and the neck fixedly in a vertical
straight line, not looking towards the cardinal directions
<(that is, around oneself), and fixing the, gaze on the tip of
* See, Apte, Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary, 1924, p. 435 —
T.rans.
992 GlTA-BAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
^rrfS?r -RraWrorf rtr#5«imf%TEsfra- u V*. m
one's nose, (14) not entertaining any fear, keeping a
peaceful frame of mind, observing Irahmacarya (that is,.
celibacy— Trans.), controlling the Mind, fixing one's Mental
Vision on Me, becoming devoted to Me, one should become
yukta (i. e., ' steeped in Yoga ' — Trans.)
[The words " in a pure place " and "holding the back,
neck, and the head fixedly in a vertical straight line " are
from the Svetasvataropanisad ( see Sve. 2. 8 and 10 ) ; and'
the whole of the description given above is not from the
Hatha-Yoga, but is more consistent with the description of
Yoga given in the ancient Upanisads. In the Hatha-
Yoga, there is a coercive control of the senses ; but it is
stated later on in the 24th stanza of this very chapter, that
" the senses should be controlled by the Mind " Of.
"manasaiva indriyagramam nniyamya". This clearly shows
that the Glta does not countenance the Hatha-Yoga.
Similarly, it has been stated at the end of this chapter,,
that this description is not to be understood as directing a
person to spend his whole life in the practice of Yoga. The
Blessed Lord now further expounds the concrete results of
this Yoga-practice — ]
(15) By thus continually practising the Yoga, the Mind!
comes under control; and the (Karma-) Yogin attains the.
tranquility, to be found in Me, and which is ultimately
productive of 'nirvana' (that is, which causes assimilation,
into Me).
[The word 'continually' in this stanza is not to be taken
. ,as meaning for twenty-four hours a day. All that is
, meant is, that one should perform this practice, for a few
hours every day (see commentary on stanza 10). The
— '•reason for saying: "become 'macdtta' and 'matparayaya'
■while thus practising Yoga", is that the Patafijala-Yoga fc
G-lTS, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. VI 993
~. -s .^-v ^3.
T ^iid^njtfi^^ msmt %sr =srt^sr u \§ it
^K^tsrra^r^r : ?TPft *ra% %:ma » ?« »
only one of the devices or processes for controlling the
Mind. When the Mind has been controlled by this
practice, it is possible to fix it on other things instead of on
the Blessed Lord. Therefore, the Glta says that, (i) one.
should not thus misapply the concentrated Mind, but
should' utilise this concentration or ' samadhi ' of the Mind,
for acquiring the Knowledge of the form of the
Paramesvara ; chat, (ii) it is only when this is done that
Yoga becomes beneficial ; and that, (iii) otherwise, the
practice is only productive of useless trouble ; and the same
meaning is conveyed later on in the 29th and 30th stanzas,
and again in the 47th stanza at the end of the chapter.
Those, who have only practised the physical control of, or
acquired the Yoga of, the organs, without being devoted to
the Paramesvara, only become adept in such practices, as
' jaraya' (incantations to produce impotency, diseases, or
infirmities), ' maram ' ( incantations to destroy or kill ),
'vaiikarana' (incantations for fascinating or enchanting
and subduing), which are harmful to others. This state of
'things is not desirable either for the Glta or for any other
path of Release. The Blessed Lord now gives again a
further elucidation of this Yoga-practice — ]
(16) O Arjuna! he who eats too much, or who eats nothing;
at all, and he who sleeps too much, or who keeps awake
too much cannot succeed in (this) Yoga. (17) Whose food
and pastime are moderate, whose Action is just sufficient,
and whose sleep and keeping awake are measured, to him,
(this) Yoga becomes a destroyer of pain (that is, a producer
of happiness).
■ [In this stanza, the word 'yoga' means the practice of
the Patafijala-Yoga ; and the word 'yukta' means, moderate,
enough, or measuj/ed ; and further on also, in one or two
places the word ' yoga ' has been used to mean
S94 GlTA-BAHASYA OB KABMA-YOGA
Patafijala-Yoga. Nevertheless, it does not, on that account,
follow that this chapter deals independently .with the
Patafijala-Yoga. It has been clearly stated in the forego-
ing lines that one's most important duty in life is to
successfully practise the Karma-Yoga ; and that this
description of the Patafijala-Yoga has been given as being
■a means for attaining that Karma- Yoga, and for that
purpose only ; and it becomes clear from the words "whose
Action is just sufficient ", that this Yoga-practice has to be
carried on, without giving up other Action. The Blessed
Lord now first gives a short description of a Yogin, and
describes the nature of the happiness of mental absorption
(sarnadhi) — ]
(18) When the controlled Mind becomes fixed on the
Atman, and when there does not remain the desire for any
•enjoyment, the man is said to have become 'yukta'. (19)
Just as a lamp (that is, the flame of a lamp) kept in a breeze-
less place, remains unflickering, that same simile is applied to
the Yogin, who practices Yoga, having controlled the Mind.
[Besides this simile, there are other similes in the
Mahabharata, such as, " the mind of a Yogin becomes
' yukta ', just as a man becomes ' yukta ' (concentrated) when
taking a utensil filled with oil down a stair-case, or when
protecting a boat in a storm (Santi. 300. 31, 34). The
simile in the Kathopanisad of the charioteer and the horses
-of the chariot, is well-known ; and although that simile has
not been clearly used in the Gita, yet, the 67th and 68th
stanzas of the second chapter, and the 25th stanza of this
chapter, have clearly been written with that simile in mind.
Although the word ' yoga ' has the technical meaning of
''■Karma-Yoga ' in the Gita, yet, that word has been used in
.< various other meanings in the Gita ; for instance, in 9. 5
0. 7, the word 'yoga' has been used, to mean "the
GlTl, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. VI 995
— ^. , f ~^ . , *„ ^i-.
.-power to do something supernatural, or whatever is
desired ". Nay, as the word ' yoga ' has several meanings,
the supporters of the Patafijala-Yoga, or of the Samkhya-
Yoga, have found an opportunity of making use of that
fact for saying that the Gita supports their respective
doctrines. The Blessed Lord now desoribes in a more
exhaustive manner the ' samadhi' in the shape of 'total
control of the Mental Vision ' prescribed by the Patanjala-
Yoga — ]
• (20) That state in which the Mind remains entranced after
at has become controlled by Yoga-practice, and seeing one's
Atman in which, one remains contented in the Atman itself j
■ (21 j in which It experiences that summit of happiness, which
is only Mind-Realised c, buddhigamya ) and imperceptible to
the senses ; and, having (once) become steady in which, It
• does not swerve from the ' tattva' (that is, principle — Trans.);
- (22) similarly, having acquired which state, It does not con-
sider any other attainment as greater, and having become
steady in which, no pain, however big can move (It) there-
from; (23) that state is known as the "myoga (i.e., disunion-
Trans.) from the contact of pain ", that is, as ' yoga ' ; and
this ' Yoga ' must be practised determinedly, without
.allowing the Mind to get tired.
[These four stanzas make one sentence. The demonstra-
tive pronoun " to him " (' tani '), used at the beginning of
the 23rd stanza, refers to the description given in the first
three stanzas; and the four stanzas complete the
996 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
TT?Tfl%ff^mm RTRSPRT W&tKP II *8 II
3TTF3R^«T JT^^rcTT * xm^n f^cft^ II *H l»
description of the 'samadhi'. The words used in the
beginning of the 20th stanza are similar to the description
of 'Yoga' as, "yogas tittavrttinirodhah", that is,
"Yoga means the control of the activities of the Mental
Vision (eitta) " given in the Patafijala-Yoga-Sfitras. The
'sam&dhi' is the culmination of this control of the activities
of the Mental vision ; and that is called Yoga' : this is the
new definition of the word 'yoga', which has now been inten-
tionally given. It has been stated in the Upanisads and in
the Mahabharata, that a determined and industrious man
can accomplish this Yoga in six months (Maitryu. 6. 28 ;
Amrtanada. 29 ; Ma. Bha. Asva. Anuglta, 19. 66)- Never-
theless, it has been stated above in the 20th stanza, and
later on also in the 28th stanza, that this happiness, arising
out of the samadhi of the Patanjala-Yoga, is not the result .
merely of the control of the activities of the Mind, but
arises after one has become acquainted with the nature of
the Atman, after having controlled the activities of the
Mind. This painless condition is known as ' brahmananda "
(the Brahmie bliss ), or, ' Stmaprasadaja happiness ' (the •
happiness resulting from the Realisation of the Atman), or,
'mmananda' (the Atmic bliss), (Gi. 18. 37, and Gl. Ra. Oh. IX,
p. 320). It is not that this Equability of the Mind,
, necessary for acquiring the Knowledge of the Atman, can
be acquired only by the Patanjala-Yoga ; and it is stated
in the following chapters that the same result, namely, the
purification of the Mind, can also be achieved by means of
Knowledge ( jnana ) and Devotion (bhaktij ; and, that course
' is usually considered more proper and easier. The Blessed
Lord has thus given a description of the samadhi ; He now
explains how that samadhi is to be brought about — ] .
(24) Abandoning all the Mma (that is, wishes) arising
out of satiikalpa (that is, imagination — Trans.), and controlling.
the senses on all sides by the Mind, (25) you should gradually
GTTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. VI 997
§§
become tranquil, with a courageful Mind ; and steadying the-
Mind on the Atman, you should allow no thought to enter
the Mind. (26) (while you are concentrating the Mental
Vision in this fashion) Controlling the volatile and unsteady
Mind in every direction, from which it may seek to escape^
you should bring it within the control of the Atman.
[The description of this proeess of attaining the samadhi
(absorption) of the Mind is well-exemplified by the
illustration of a chariot given in the Kathopanisad
(Katha. 1. 3. 3). Just as the skilful charioteer takes the
horses along a straight road, without allowing them to rush
- in this direction or that, the same kind of effort has a man to-
make in order to attain samadhi. He, who is accustomed to
concentrate his mind on any particular subject, will easily
understand the meaning underlying this stanza. When
the Mind is controlled in one direction, it breaks out in
•another direction; and unless this is stopped, it is not
possible to attain samadki. The Blessed Lord now describes
the result which can be obtained by controlling the Mind
in this way— ]
(27) The (Karma-)Yogin, who is thus peaceful-minded,
devoid of the rajas quality, sinless, and brahma-bMUa, attains
the highest kind of bliss. (28) The (Karma-) Yogin, who
continually practises Yoga in this fashion, becomes liberated
from all sins, and happily enjoys the beatific happiness-
arising from brahma-samyoga (i. e., union with the Brahman —
Trans.).
[I have interpreted the word ' yogi ', in these two stanzas,
as meaning ' Karma-Yogin ' ; because, as the Patafijala-
- Yoga has been mentioned as one of the means for attaining.
GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
§§
r.u
n ^0 u
the Karma-Yoga, such a man who practises the Patanjala-
Yoga must be a Karma-Yogin. Nevertheless, it will do if
. -the word ' yogi ' is taken to mean a person, who is in
samadhi. It must not, however, be forgotten that the
■course of conduct advocated by the Gita is beyond this.
The same argument is advanced in the next two or three
.stanzas. The Blessed Lord now describes the Self-
Identifying (atmaupamya) vision towards the entire
creation, acquired after a man has in this way experienced
the happiness of the nirvana (Absolute) Brahman — j
(29) Whose Atman has (thus) become yoga-yukta (i. e.,
rsteeped in Yoga — Trans.), his vision becomes equalised in all
directions, and he sees himself in all things, and sees (that)
all created things (are) within himself. (30) Who : sees Me
(the Paramesvara, Paramatman), (to be) everywhere, and
who sees everything, within Me, him, I never abandon ; nor
does he ever abandon Me.
[ The description in the first out of these two stanzas,
■where the word 'atman' has been used, is from the impercept-
ible, that is, the metaphysical point of view ; and the second
description, where the first personal pronoun ' I ' has been
used, is from the perceptible, that is, the devotional point
.of view. But both these things mean the same (GL Ra.
•Oh. XIII, pp. 598 to 605). This vision of the identification
of the Brahman with the Atman, is the foundation both of
Release and of Karma-Yoga. The first part of the 29th
•stanza has appeared with a slight difference in the Mami-
Smrti (Manu. 12. 91), in the Mahabharata (San. 238. 21 and
268. 22), and also in the Upanisads (Kaiva. 1. 10 ; and
Isa. 6). Nay, the realisation of the identity of the entire
creation with the Atman is the origin of all Metaphysics
and of Karma-Yoga, as has been shown by me at great
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CHAP. VI 999-
length in Chapter XII of the Glta-Rahasya (see p. 537 etc.).
Although a man may have obtained control over the
senses, such control is useless in the absence of this Jnana ;
and therefore, the Blessed Lord starts from the nest chapter
to speak about the Knowledge of the Paramesvara. ]
(31) He, who worships Me (the Paramesvara), Who pervade
every created thing, keeping in mind the idea of Unity, (that:
is, of the Identity of the Atman with all created things), that .
Karma-Yogin, though he may be acting in all manner, is in.
Me. (32) O Arjuna ! that (Karma-) Yogin, who has begun to
look everywhere with a (Self-Identifying-) Vision according to*
which, others are the same as himself, such a man is .
considered parama (that is, most superior).
t The idea, that there is only one Atman in the entire
creation, is common to the Samkhya-marga as also to the
Yoga-marga ; in the same way, even according to the
Patanjala-Yoga, this Equability is attained after a
man has Realised the Paramesvara. But as both the
Samkhya-Yogins and the Patafijala-Yogins support the:
Abandonment of Action, they never make occasion for
utilising in actual life this feeling of Equability ; and the
Karma-Yogin of the Gits, on the contrary, continually -
utilises in every day life this Equability of Reason, acquired
by Metaphysical Realisation, and goes on performing all
the different affairs of the world for Universal Welfare : this
is the great difference between the two ; and, that is why it
is stated at the end of this chapter, that the Karma-Yogin is .
superior to the 'tapamiin', (that is, the Patafijala- Yogin) on
the one hand, and the ' jnanin ' (that is, the Samkhya-Yogin)
on the other hand (stanza 46). Having heard this-
description of the Yoga of Equability, Arjuna now raises .
the following doubt—]
1000 , GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
^93^ 1% ipr. f 15 ^ srmfsr ^^rs: sot; i
awri f^srt **% srnfrfer ^«%<h » 38 «
srKsrrerc 1 #;%*? %tp%it <% *p% n 3h n
a^rmrrpn ^ft issm 1 fa if ?n%: 1
Arjuna said •.'—(33), O Madhusudana, I do not think that
this Yoga (that is, Karma -Yoga), acquired by samya (that is,
by Equability of Reason), which You have preached will
last permanently, having regard to the inconstancy (of the
Mind); (34) because, Krsna! the Mind is volatile,
-rebellious, powerful, and dr $ha (that is, difficult to mould) ;
I think that the control of it is as difficult as of the wind,
(that is, as trying to bind the wind in an envelope)..
[The word * yoga ' in the 33rd stanza mustbe taken as
■meaning ' Kaima-Yoga ' ; because, it is qualified by the
^adjective 'by means of sarnya', that is, 'by means of
Equability of Eeason '.- Although the samSdM according to
-the Patafijala-Yoga has been described in the foregoing
lines, yet, the Patafijala-Yoga is not meant by the word
'' yoga ' in these stanzas ; because, in Chapter II, the'Blessed
Lord has Himself defined Earma-Yoga as : "samatvam yoga
zeccyate" (2.48), that is, ''Equalijess of Season, or Equability,
is known- as 'Yoga"\ The Blessed Lord admits the
correctness df the doubt' of Arjttna and says — j ;
The Blessed Lord said :— (35) O Mighty-armed Arjuna, there
is not the slightest doubt that the Mind is volatile, and' that
controlling it,, is difficult; but, Q Kaunteya, itcanbeke.pt
under control by aS^qsa ({hat is,, by practice — Trans.), and
by vairagya (that, is, absence of Desire — Trans.). ([36) That
man whose Inner Sense (antahharamy is not within control,
GlTA, TBANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. VI 1001
:for him, it will be difficult in My opinion to achieve this
Yoga (of Equable Reason) ; but, if one makes the effort,
rafter controlling the Inner Sense, it is possible to acquire
•this Yoga.
[ In short, that which appears difficult in the beginning-
can ultimately he achieved by practice and by industry.
' abhyasa ' means 'doing any particular thing over and
•over again' ; and 'vairagya' means "absence of 'ragd or of
'love'", that is to say, "absence of desire". In the
PStafijala-Yoga-Sutras, after first describing the nature of
Yoga, as "yogas cittavrttinirodhah", that is, "controlling the
■ activities of the Mental Vision is Yoga", (see the 20th stanza
of this Chapter), it is stated in the next sutra that "abhyasa
vairagyabkyam tan nirodhah", that is, "Mental Vision is
■controlled by practice and by indifference to the world".
' The same words have been used in the G-Ita, and the meaning -
is the same ; but it cannot be stated, on that account, that,
these words have been taken from the Patanjala-Sutras
■(See Ql. Ea. pp. 746-747). Although it is thus possible to
attain eamadhi (mental absorption) in this way, by
■ controlling the Mind, and although it might be possible for
some determined persons to acquire it by practice in six
months, yet, another difficulty now arises, to the following
■effect, namely, this highest stage of the Karma-Yoga cannot
be acquired by many people even after several births, as a
.result of their inherent nature. How are such people to
.attain this Perfection? Because, even if such a person
begins to practise Karma-Yoga, in one life, after having
practised the control of the senses as far as possible, yet,
that practice is bound to remain incomplete at the moment
■of his death; and if in the, next birth, he is to start over
again from the beginning, the same thing will be repeated
in his next birth. Therefore, the • next' ■ question : of Ar juna
is as to what such'persons should dcH-.]\. -< ■■'<• i u'
Arjuna said :— (37.) O Krsna^whatiState^is^attained by
1002 GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
3wr%5r itmtii %?r w§ron 4& « \t »
nzFW #^ fi«or ^^TT^aitracn i
a man, instead of acquiring success in Yoga, who has. Faith r
but whose Mind, on account of his being ayati (that is r
wanting in sufficient effort, or sufficient control, as a result
of his natural proclivities), has moved from the (.Karma-)
Yoga, (consisting of an Equable Reason) ? (3^) O Mighty--
armed Krsna! is such a man, who, being encompassed by
Ignorance, and not having become steady in the path of
attaining the Brahman, has become bhratta (that is, alienated)*
from both sides, ruined (in the middle) like a broken cloud ?"
(39) O Krsna ! You it is, Who must remove this doubt in.
my mind; because, no one other than You will begot for
removing this doubt.
[Though in the nan-samasa, the prefixed nan (i.e., a) is
commonly taken to mean 'absence of, yet, as it is very,
often also used to denote dimunity, the word ' ayati ' in the.
37th stanza has to he interpreted as meaning, ' one who
makes little, that is, insufficient effort or control \ The
words " alienated from both sides" that is, "ito bhmstas
taio bhrastah" used in the 38th stanza must be taken to.
refer to the Karma-Yoga. K Action is performed accord-
ing to the directions of the Sastras, though desirefully, one
obtains heaven ; and if it is performed with a Desireless-
Keason, one , obtains Release, without being bound by the
Action; these are the two results of Karma; but, this man,,
who is neither here nor there, does not get the Desire-borne
Fruit in the shape of heaven, etc., because, that has not
been his motive ; and cannot also attain Release, as he has.
not acquired Equability of Reason. Arjuna's question is=
whether, in this way, heaven is lost and Release is also lost-
to him; whether, ghee is. lost to him, as also the oil, and'
GITA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. VI 1003
its? %%^ spg^STRT^ci^r f%^rw i
t f| *<>yi^t>^*i*if^ ?rra *r5grf% ii so ii
U^f sfirraf 5t% ^rerstefSisrnTa; u 8? »
arsrar wrwht f§ "*^rm f marra; t
u.dl^' jp?*T*H 55f% ^TfT ^te^HJC II 83 II
there remains in his hands the empty vessel*, like a person-
abandoned by both sides. It is not that this question
applies only to the means, for the aoquision of the Karma-
Yoga in the shape of the practice of Patafijala-Yoga. It
has been stated in the following chapters, that the
Equability of Reason necessary for Karma- Yoga can be-
acquired either by the Patafijala-Yoga, or by Devotion, or
by Knowledge; and just as the means in the shape of
Patafijala-Yoga are likely to remain incomplete in one
life, so also are the means in the shape of Devotion, or
of Knowledge, — if those paths are followed, — also likely to
remain incomplete in one life. Therefore, the reply given
by the Blessed Lord to this question of Arjuna may be said
to apply equally to all the various means in the path of
Karma-Yoga.]
The Blessed Lord said : — (40) O Partha ! such a man does not
come to grief, whether in this world or in the next ;
because, my friend, no man, who performs beneficial
Actions, ever reaches an unhappy end. (41) This Yoga-
bhrasta (that is, this man, who has fallen from the Path of
Karma-Yoga), takes (re-) birth in the family of pure-minded
rich people, after reaching the spheres (like heaven, etc.),
which are attained by people, who perform good Actions, and
(after) having remained there for many years ; (42) or, he is
* Ttis is a reference to the story of a foul, •who -went to buy
clarified butter, as also oil, with a vessel (usually used for burning
incense), which has openings on b >th sides and a partition in the
middle s and who, putting the clarified batter on one side inverted
the vessel to put the oil in on tbe other side, and thus lost the
clarified butter : and then lost the oil also, in inverting the vessel-
again, to see what had beeome of the clarified butter Trans.:
49—50
1004 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
vtf% *r mft ^i?r- *#%# i^t^ » 8^ h
iH Hi a c w rar^ graft ^f%f|g«r: i
torn in the family of intelligent (Karma-) Yogins ; such (re-)
births are very rare in (this) world. (43) The spiritual
impressions acquired in the previous births, come to him
again here (that is, in the birth which he has thus acquired) ;
and, O Kurunandana ! he attempts to acquire success (in
Yoga), -which is ' bhuyah ' (that is, even higher). (44) As a
result of that practice, made by him in the previous births,
he is necessarily (that is, though he may not wish it) drawn
(towards complete siddhi). He, who has experienced
the jijndsa (that is, the desire to possess the knowledge) of
(Karma-) Yoga, such a man also goes beyond the sabda-brahma
(that is, the desire-prompted ritual, such as, YajHas, Yagas,
etc., prescribed by the Vedas — Trans.). (45) Becoming
absolved of sin, while (thus) practising industriously, the
(Karma-) Yogin, acquires success, after many births, and
reaches a most superior state.
[The words 'yoga', ' yoga-bhrasta' and 'yogi' in these
stanzas have been used as meaning ' Karma-Yoga ', ' one
who has fallen from the Karma-Yoga ' and ' Karma-Yogin ',
respectively ; because, being born in a rich family cannot
be proper for anyone else. The Blessed Lord says that one
should start the practice of the Karma-Yoga with as much
pure-mindedness as possible in the beginning. Whatever
Action is performed in this way, however little it be, that
will gradually bring more and more of success ; and in the
next life, if not in this life, it will ultimately lead to
Release. The stanzas, "if this 'course of conduct'
(* dharma ') is observed even to a small extent, it saves a
person from the great danger " (Gl. 2. 40), and " one
reaches .Vasudeva after many births" (GI. 7. 19) further
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. VI 1005
support this proposition. For further discussion on this
subject, see pp. 389-395 of Chapter X of the Gita-Rahasya.
The word ' sabda-brahrna ' used in the 44th stanza means
'desire-prompted ritual, such as, Yajnas and Yagas,
prescribed by the Vedas'; because, that ritual is enjoined by the
Vedas ; and it is performed, keeping faith in the Vedas ; and
the 'Veda' is the ' sabda ' (word), that is, the ' sabda-brahrna',
which was in existence before the entire creation came into
existence. Any person whosoever performs all Actions with
.some desire in the first instance; but, as the Mind is
gradually purified by the performance of such Action, he
gradually acquires the inspiration of performing Action
desirelessly. That is why it is stated in the Upanisads, as
.also in the Mahabharata that :
dve brahmant veditavye sabda-brahrna param ca yat I
sabda-brahmani nisriatah param brahmadhigacchati 1 1
that is, "it must be understood that the Brahman is of
two kinds, namely, the sabda-brahrna, and the other (that is,
nirgwna-brahma) beyond it ; when a person has become well-
versed in the sabda-brahrna, he reaches the mrgwna-brahma,
which is beyond it" ( Maitryu. 6. 22 ; Amrtabindu, 17 ;
Ma. Bha. San. 231. 63 ; 269. 1). Getting tired of the desire-
prompted ritual prescribed by the sabda-brahrna (that is, the
Vedas), the man gets the desire to practise the Karma-Yoga,
which prescribes the same Actions, but for Universal
Welfare ; and in this way, this Desireless Karma-Yoga is
for the first time practised to a certain extent. Later on,
according to the rule " svalparambhah ksemakarak ", this
little practice slowly drags the man more and more forward
by gradual degrees; and, ultimately gives him complete
Release, This is the meaning of the words, "who has
■experienced the desire to possess the knowledge of Karma-
Yoga, such a man also goes beyond the sabda-brahrna",
■which appear in the 44th stanza ; because, such a desire, or
' jijnasa ', is the mouth of the grinding-mill in the shape of
Karma-Yoga ; and once one gets into this mill, then, either
in this life or in the next, and sometime or other, one
■cannot but get complete success, and reach the (nirgurta)
IBrahman, which is beyond the sabda-brahrna. It would
1008 GITA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
becomes the most beloved of the Blessed Lord, as when
sugar is added to milk. It does not mean that Devotion is
better than the Desireless Karma- Yoga ; because, later on in
Chapter XII, the Blessed Lord has Himself clearly stated ■
that Renunciation of the Fruit of Action is better than.
Meditation ( dhyana ), (Gi. 12. 22). It is one thing to say
that the mixture of Devotion and of Desireless Action is-
valuable, and it is quite another thing to say that tie .
Desireless Karma-Yoga is useless, and that Devotion is-
superior to it. The doctrine laid down by the Gits, is of the
first kind; and that laid down by the Bhagavata-purana is .
of the second kind. It has been stated in the first, and.
again in the last chapter of the Bhagavata, after declaring ..
that all kinds of kriyayoga (ritual) are destructive of Spiri-
tual Knowledge (see Bhag. 1. 5. 34), that,
rmisJcarmyam apy acyuta bkamvarjitam
■na sdbhate jUanamalam niranjanarn I
( Bhag. 1. 5. 12 and 12. 12. 52 ),
that is, "even ncriskarmya, i. e., ' Desireless Action *"
(Bhag. 11. 3. 46), does not seem good, is useless, without
devotion to the Blessed Lord". This will show that as the
entire bias of the writer of the Bhagavata is on Devotion, .
he even goes beyond the Bhagavadglta, when occasion
arises. This Pur3na came to be written in the belief that
due stress was not laid on Devotion in the Mahabharata,
and necessarily, in the Glta. Therefore, it is not a matter
of surprise, if one finds in it statements similar to those
above. But, what we have to see is the summary or the
import of the Glta, and not what the Bhagavata says. The:
occasion for writing, as also the time of writing, was
different in each case ; and, therefore, it is not possible to*
fully harmonise them with each other. This chapter has-
described the devices from the PataEjala-Yoga, which are.
part of the devices necessary for cultivating the Equability
of Reason required in Karma-Yoga. Knowledge, and
Devotion, are other such devices; and their description starts-
from the next chapter. ]
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. VI 1009
Thus ends, the sixth chapter entitled Dhyana-Yoga ia
the dialogue between Sri Krsna and Arjuna on the Yoga
included in the Science of the Brahman (that is, on the
Karma- Yoga), in the Upanisad sung (that is, told) by the
Blessed Lord.
TOPfts«irc:
CHAPTER ¥11.
[After having proved that the Karma- Yoga is as much
productive of Release as the Sariikhya-marga, and yet,
independent and superior to it; and that even a little
practice of this Yoga is not useless, the Blessed Lord has
explained how to acquire the control of the senses necessary
in that path of life. But, the control of the senses is a
purely external Action, and the purpose for which this
exercise of the senses is necessary, has not yet been
■considered. The Blessed Lord had already explained to
Arjuna in the third chapter that, enemies like Desire, Anger
■etc. fix their abode in the senses, and destroy both Spiritual
Knowledge (jnana) and Specified Knowledge (vijuana), and
that he should, therefore, first control the senses and
destroy these enemies; and He had thus shown the necessity
for the control of the senses ; and He has also described the
Yoga-2/uA/a person in the last chapter as one who, after
having controlled the senses, "has become satisfied by
Jfiana and Vijfiana" (6. 8), and "sees the Paramesvara
in all created beings, and all created beings in the Parame-
svara " (6. 29). Therefore, as He has explained to Arjuna
what is meant by the control of the senses, it has become
necessary for Him, as a matter of course, to also explain to
him what is 'Jfiana' and what is 'Vijfiana', as also the
methods (vidhi) of the Karma-Yoga, by which one can
acquire the complete Knowledge of the Paramesvara,
without abandoning Action, and ultimately attain Release
with certainty ; and this same subject has been explained
in the eleven chapters of the Gita from the seventh chapter
to the end of the seventeenth chapter ; and in the last, that
is, in the 18th chapter of the Gita, a summary of the
Karma-Yoga has been made. Realising that there is only
One Indestructible Paramesvara, Who pervades all the
various perishable things which fill the world, is known as
* Jfiana*; and understanding in what way the various
perishable tilings eome into existence out of one permanent
GITA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. VII 1011
Paramesvara, is known as 'Vijnana' (Gl. 13. 30); and this
is also known as ' ksaraksara-viccira ' (the Consideration of
the Mutable and the Immutable). But, in addition to this,
one can also acquire the Knowledge of the form of the
Paramesvara by understanding what is the nature of the
Atman or Self , to be found within the body or ' kqetra' of
every person. This method of consideration is called
' ksefra-k§etrajna-vicara ' that is, the, Consideration of the
Body ( ksetra) and the Atman ( ksetrajna ). Out of these,
the Blessed Lord has first started the Consideration of the
Mutable and the Immutable; and taken in hand the
• Consideration of the Body and the Atman in Chapter
- XIII. But, although the Paramesvara may be One, He
has two aspects from the point of view of Worship, namely,
the Imperceptible (amjakta) one, which is realisable only
by the Reason ; and the Perceptible ( vyakta) one, which is
empirical, that is, which can be actually experienced. It
is, therefore, necessary to explain, as a part of this subject-
matter, how one can Realise the Paramesvara by means
- of Reason, as also how it is possible to Realise the
Imperceptible, by worshipping the perceptible form, in the
first instance, with Faith or Devotion. One should not,
- therefore, be surprised if this subject-matter has taken up
eleven chapters. Besides, as both these paths of life
. automatically produce the control of the senses, simultane-
ously with the Knowledge of Paramesvara, the Path of
Knowledge and the Path of Devotion are both considered
, to be of greater value in the science of Release, than the
Patanjala-Yoga path. Nevertheless, it must be borne in
mind that all this exposition is a part of the justification
of the Path of Karma-Yoga, and is not something
independent. Therefore, the division of the Glta into three
parts, according to which the first six chapters deal with
Karma, the next six chapters deal with Devotion and last
. six chapters deal with Knowledge, is not a scientifically
■ correct division. Broadly speaking, all these three subjects
have been dealt with in the Glta; but they are not
. independent, and have been dealt with as being parts of
. the Karma-Yoga, as has been explained by me in chapter
1012 alTA-BAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
^|[V|J|c||^c|M |
SIV of the GitS-Rahasya (pp. 638 to 644). Therefore,
instead of repeating the same subject-matter here, let us
see how the Blessed Lord starts the 7th chapter—]
The Blessed Lord said :— (1) O Partha ! hear yatha (that
is, in which manner or by what method) you will acquire
complete and unquestionable knowledge of Me, while you
are practising the Karma- Yoga, keeping your mind on Me,-
and taking shelter in Me. (2) Leaving nothing in balance*
I am explaining to you this ' Jnana ' together with ' Vijnana '•
by knowing which, there remains no other thing in this,
world to know.
[ From the words "taking shelter in Me" and specially the
word ' Yoga ' used in the first stanza, it becomes quite clear
that the ' Jnana ' and ' Vijnana ' explained further on, has
been explained, not independently, but as a means for
perfecting the Karma- Yoga, which has been described in
the previous chapters (Gl. Ra. Ch. XIV, p. 641). Not only
in this stanza, but also in other places in the Gits, the-
words "mad yogam asritah" (Gl 12. 11) "mat parah""
(Gl. 18. 57 and 11. 55) have been used with reference to the
Karma-Yoga ; and therefore, there remains no doubt that
the Yoga which the Glta ordains for practice, after one has
taken shelter in the Paramesvara, is the Karma-Yoga,,
which has been dealt with in the last six chapters. Some.
persons interpret the word ' vijnana ' as meaning the.
' brahmajMna ( Knowledge of the Brahman ), which is-
acquired by experience', or the ' brahmasaksatkara '. But,
as the knowledge of the Paramesvara is divided into-
synthetic (samastirupa ) Knowledge, (that is, Jnana), and.
analytical ( vyastirupa ) Knowledge, (that is, Vijnana), I
. think those are the two meanings, which are here conveyed
GtTi, TRANSLATION & COMMENTAEY, CH. YII 1013-
qftftmfi T%?Rf grf^irf gf% m^-- n 3 u
by the words 'jnana' and 'vijnana' (See Gl. 13. 30 and 18. 20).
The words "there remains no other thing in this world to
know" in the second stanza, have been stated on the-
authority of the Upanisads. In the Chandogyopanisad, the
father of Svetaketu, after asking him: "yena
awjnaiam vijflatam bhavati", that is, "what is That, by
knowing Which, one can know everything", has explained
to him that problem by saying : " yaiha somyaikena mrt~
pindena sarvam mrnmayam vijnatam syad vacarambhanam
vikaro narnadheyam mrftilcety eva satyam " (Chan. 6. 1. 4). that
is, " just as, after once knowing what is contained in a ball
of clay, one knows that all earthenware articles are only
different evolutes of clay, bearing different Names and
Forms, and nothing else, so also after knowing the
Brahman, nothing else remains to be known" ; and evert
in the Mundakopanisad ( Mun. 1. 1. 3 ), the first question is :
" kasmin nu bhagavo vijnate sarvam idam -vijUaiam bhavati",
that is, "by knowing what, is knowledge of all other things
acquired ? ". From this, it is clear that what is meant here
is the Non-Dualistic Vedanta doctrine that, (i) when one
has acquired the Jnana and the Vijnana of the Paramesvara,
nothing else remains to be learnt in this world; because,,
the Fundamental Element of this world is only one ; that,
(ii) this Fundamental Element pervades everything in
different Names and Forms ; and that, (iii) there is no other
thing besides it in the world. Otherwise, the statement
made in the second stanza does not become intelligible. ]
(3) Only some persons out of thousands make an attempt to--
attain Perfection; and out of these (numerous) Perfect
Beings, who make the attempt, only some gain true Know-
ledge of Me.
[ Though the persons who are making the attempt, are
referred to as ' siddha-purusa' (Perfect Beings) in this
place, yet, it must be borne in mind that they attain 'siddhi'
(Perfection) only after having acquired the Knowledge of
1014 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
z*%mK fcfH % ftrarr ^fcRg^r u 8 »
sfNnijrf iTfT^TCr *rq? •enzfa sma; » ^ u
art fJcsre^ mz- sra*r: sr^i^«n n 5 u
the Paramesvara. The Blessed Lord now starts the
Consideration of the Mutable and the Immutable, being one
of the two sub-divisions of this Knowledge of the
Paramesvara, namely, (i) the Consideration of the Mutable
and the Immutable and (ii) the Consideration of the Body
and the Atman — ]
•(4) The earth, water, fire, air, and ether (these five subtle
elements), the Mind, the Reason, and Individuation, this is
My Prakrti divided into- eight-divisions. (5) This Prakrti is
' apara ' (tnat is, of an inferior order). O MahSbaho, Arjuna,
know that there is besides this, yet another Prakrti of Mine,
in the form, of Jiva, which is para (that is superior), by which
this world is maintained. (6) Bear in mind that from both
these, all created beings are created. I am the ' prabhava'
( that is, the origin ) and the ' pralaya ' ( that is, the end ) of
the entire Cosmos. (7) Beyond Me, O Dhananjaya, there is
nothing else. Just as several beads are strung on a string,
so is all this strung on Me.
[These four stanzas contain a summary of the science of
the Mutable and the Immutable ; and the same has been
dealt with in extenso in the subsequent stanzas. The
S&mkhya system says that (i) there are two independent
Elements of the universe, namely, (a) the acetana
(inanimate) or jada (gross) Prakrti (Matter) and (b) the
•' sacetana ' (conscious) Purusa (Spirit) ; and that, (ii) every-
thing is created out of these two Elements. But, as the
Gita does not admit this Duality, it looks upon Prakrti and
Puiru§a, as two manifestations (vibhuti) of one and the same
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. VII 1015-
Paramesvara, of which Gross Matter (jada prakrti) is an
inferior manifestation, and the ' Jlva ' or ' Purusa ' (that is,
Spirit) is the superior one (See the 4th and 5th stanzas) ;
and it further states that all moveable and immoveable
creation is created out of these two (Gl. 13. 28). Out of
these, the superior Prakrti in the form of Jlva, considered
as the Atman {k^etrajna), has been fully considered later on
in the Chapter XIII. Then remains Gross Matter (jada
prakrti). The Glta does not look upon this as independent,
but considers that the entire creation is created out of this
Gross Matter, under the supervision of the Paramesvara
(Gl. 9. 10). Nevertheless, though the Glta does not look
upon Prakrti as independent, yet, the divisions of Prakrti
according to the Samkhya system have been accepted with
minor differences by the Glta (Gl. Ra. Chapter VIII,
p. 244-250) ; and the Glta also accepts the Samkhya theory
of gunotkarsa regarding the subsequent creation of all
things out of Prakrti (Gl. Ea. Ch. IX, p. 334-335), after
Gross Matter has come into existence out of the
Paramesvara (Gl. 7. 14) as a result of Maya. According to
the Samkhyas, Prakrti and Purusa make up 25 Elements ;
out of these, Prakrti gives rise to 23 Elements. Out of
these twenty-three, the five Gross Elements, the ten senses,
and the Mind, these 16, arise out of the remaining seven,
that is, are Evolutes (vikara) of those seven. Therefore, in
considering the Fundamental Elements, these sixteen ele-
ments are left out of account ; and when that is done, there
remain only seven Elements as Fundamental Elements, .
namely, the Reason (mahtin), Individuation (ahamkara) and
the five Fine Elements {tanmntra). These seven have been
named ' prakrti-vikrti ' in the Samkhya system, and these
seven prakrti-vikrti and the Fundamental Prakrti, now
make up what is known as the ' Eight-fold Prakrti ' ; and
this known as the ' astadha prakrti ' (that is, Eight-fold
Prakrti) in the Mahabharata (San. 310. 10-15). But the
Glta has not considered it proper to place the original
Prakrti in the same grade' as the seven prakrti-vikrti;
because, if that is done, the distinction that there is one
Fundamental Prakrti and that the remaining seven are its ■
1016 GlTA-BAHASYA OK EARMA-YOGA
qoTci: ^^s ^: % "fm IS U < l<
sftctf ^£^3 crwrm crrfers n % H
Involutes (vikara) is not shown. Therefore, there is a
■difference between the classification in the Mahabharata
and the classification in the Gita, according to which
latter, the seven prakTti-vikrti and the Mind make up
the fundamental eight-fold Prakrti (Gl. Ea. p. 249). In
short, it must be borne in mind that although the Gita
■does not accept the independent Prakrti of Sarhkhya
philosophy, the description of the further growth of Prakrti
is essentially the same in both places. As in the Gita, so
also in the Upanisads, there is a statement that,
etasmaj jayate prayo manah sarvendriyara ca I
kham vayur jyotir apah prthivi visvasya dharirfi II
that is, "from this {para-purusa), Prana (Vitality), the Mind,
all the senses, ether, air, fire, water, and the earth, which
supports the Universe, these (all) are created " (Munda
.2.1.3 ; Kai. 1. 15 ; Prasna. 6. 4). For further details, see
Chapter VIII of the Gita-Rahasya. It has been stated by
the Blessed Lord in the 4th stanza that He Himself is the
.five Elements, namely, the Earth, "Water, etc. Now, saying
that He is also the qualities which are to be found in these
Elements, the Blessed Lord makes clear what is meant by
the statement made above, that all these things are strung
on a string like beads—]
(8) I am the Liquidity, of water, O Kaunteya ; I am the
Effulgence, of the Sun and the Moon; I am the ' pra-aava'
(that is, the Om-kara), in all the Vedas ; I am the Sound, of
Ether ; and I am also the Manhood, in all men. (9) And I
am the puTbvagandha (that is, the smell), of the earth ; and
also, the Lustre, of fire ; I am the Life-Force, in all created
"beings ; and 1 am the Austerity, in those who perform
austere practices. (10) O Fartha ! know that I am the
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OB. VII 1017
vi nl wf t s?i gfnfrsfsrr *rccr<?*r « l\ n
ft %r gTfrER>T *rrar tT^^rerwHra % i
"Eternal Seed, of all created beings ; I am the Intelligence, of
.all intelligent people; and the Brilliance, of those who are
bright. (11) I am the Strength, of all the strong, but not
their kama (that is, Desire) or raga (that is, Attachment to
■objects of sense); and O Bharatasrestha ! I am also the
kama, which dwells in all created beings, which is not
antagonistical to Morality. (12) And know also that the
sattvika, rdjasa, and tamasa ' Bhava' (that is, objects) are all
•sprung out of Me ; but they are in Me, and I am not
in them.
[The meaning of the words " they are in Me and I am not
in them" is very deep. The first, that is, the broad
meaning, is that, all things have sprung from the
ParameSvara, and that though the Paramesvara is the
■substratum in the shape of the qualities in all things, like
the string round which the beads are strung, yet, the
pervasiveness of the Paramesvara does not end there ; and
that, the Paramesvara pervades all these things and is
also beyond ; and the same meaning is brought out later
on in the words, " I have occupied the whole of this
universe by only a part of Myself " in Gl. 10. 42 ; but,
there is another meaning, which is always implied, namely,
" though the diversity in the three-constituented universe
seems to have sprung from Me, yet, that diversity does not
exist in My qualityless (rdrguna) form"; and there are
descriptions of the supernatural powers of the Paramesvara
later on (Gi. 13. 14-16), which have been made on the basis
of this second meaning; such as, "bhutabhrt na ca
■bhutasthah" (Gl. 9. 4 and 5) etc. If the pervasiveness of the
Paramesvara is thus more than that of the universe itself,
-then it is clear that one must go beyond the Mayic
-.universe in order to_fully understand the true form of the
1018 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
Hrnra sTTfSrsTTsrrfa- ura*^: T^g^ « \\ «
Paramesvara ; and this meaning is now plainly brought
out by the Blessed Lord — ]
(13) This entire universe, being confused by the three
'bhavct (that is, objects), which are the embodiment of the
three ( sattva, rajas and tamas ) constituents, does not
realise Me, the Inexhaustible ( Paramesvara ), Who Am
beyond them (that is, necessarily qualityless).
[ Maya, or ignorance is the inherent quality of the senses
and of the Body, in which the three-constituents are embodied ;
it is not the quality of the Atman : the Atman is Jnana-
formed, and is permanent ; and It is thrown into confusion,
by the senses : this Non-Dualistic proposition, which has
been mentioned in Chapter IX of the Glta-Rahasya with
reference to Maya, has been stated in the above stanza.
(See Gi. 7. '24 and Gl. Ra. Oh. IX, pp. 325-341. ]
(14) This My divine Maya, which is the embodiment of the
constituents, is difficult to understand ; and therefore, they
alone, who surrender themselves to Me, can swim through,
this Maya.
[ This clearly shows that the Blessed Lord refers to the
three-constituented Prakrti of the Sarhkhya system as His
Maya. It has been stated in the Narayanlyopakhyana of
the Mahabharata that, the Blessed Lord, after showing His.
Cosmio Form to Narada, said in the end :—
niaya hyesa maya srsta yan mam pasyasi narada I
sarvabhutagunairyuktam naiva tvam jnatum arhasi If
( San. 339. 44 )
that is, "O Narada, that which you see, is the Maya,,
which has been created by Me. Do not think that I possess
the qualities, which are to be found in the created world".
The same proposition has now been stated here. For a
description of the nature of Maya, please refer to Gl. Ra.
CklXandX.]
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH, VII 1019'
3TTftsr?P 1-T ft ^RIcHT UT^TT3rI1Tf ifc^t » ?<S II
(15) Those fools and evil-doers, whose Jfiana has been,
annihilated by Maya, they, being inspired by an ungodly-
Reason, do not surrender themselves to Me.
[The Blessed Lord has explained that those, who are
engulfed in Maya, forget the Paramesvara and are
destroyed. HE now describes what happens to those, who
do not do so, but surrender themselves to the Paramesvara,
and worship Him — ]
(16) O Bharata-srestha Arjuna ! four kinds of virtuous
people worship Me, namely, the ' arta ' (that is, those who
are affected by disease), the 'jijnasu'-s (that is, those who
desire to acquire Knowledge), the 'artharthi'-s (that is, those
who entertain the desire for money or other desirable
things), and the 'jfianin '-s (that is, those who, although
they are Accomplished (krtakrtya), as they have acquired the
Knowledge of the Paramesvara, and have nothing more to
gain, yet, worship Me desirelessly). (17) Out of these, that
Jnanin, who is an ' ekabhakti ' (that is, one, who, believing
that there is no other, worships Me alone), and who always
behaves like a ' yukta' (that is, with a desireless frame of
mind), is the highest in worth. I am most beloved of the
Jfianin, and the Jfianin is (most) beloved of Me. (18) All
these Devotees are ' udara ' (that is, good) ; but, (among all
of them) 1 hold the Jfianin as equal to Myself; because,,
having become yukta-citta (that is, having his Mind united
(to Me)— Trans.) he has become steady in Me, Who Am the
51—52
1020 GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
highest Goal (of every one). (1 9) After many births, the
Jfianin, having come to the empirical conclusion that
'whatever is, is Vasudeva', comes and reaches Me. Such a
' mahatma ' (that is, noble soul — Trans.) is rare.
[One must thoroughly understand the import of the
statement, made by the Blessed Lord, that by worshipping
His form, a man acquires the Knowledge of the Parame-
svara, after He had described that form, from the point of
view of the Mutable and the Immutable, by saying that,
(i) both Matter and Spirit are His forms, and that, (ii) He
pervades everything on all sides homogeneously. Every
one needs to perform worship, whether it is of the
Perceptible, or of the Imperceptible ; but, as, out of these
two, the worship of the Perceptible is easier, that kind of
worship has been described here ; and that is known as
'bhakti' (Devotion). Nevertheless, that kind of Devotion, in
which a man entertains some kind of desire in his heart,
and worships the Paramesvara for some particular object,
is inferior ; and, even those 'Knowledge-seekers' (jijfiasus),
who are devoted with the intention of acquiring the Know-
ledge of the Paramesvara, must be considered as imperfect ;
"because, their knowledge is not yet complete, as is apparent
from their state of being 'Knowledge-seekers'. But, as all
these are worshippers, they have all been referred to as 'udara'
(that is, 'going by a good path'), (stanza 18). But, the
import of the first three stanzas is that, the worship desire-
lessly offered (Bhag. 1. 7. 10) by those Jnanins, who have
gone further, that is, who have become Accomplished as a
lesult of the Acquisition of Knowledge and for whom, there
is nothing more left in this world to do or to acquire
<GL 3. 17-19), is the highest kind of Devotion, The
Devotion of devotees like Prahlada and Narada falls into
this excellent category ; and that is why the 'Yoga of
Devotion' (bhakti-yoga) has been denned in the Bhagavata
as the 'desireless and endless worship of the Paramesvara'
<Bhag. 3. 39. 12 ; and Gl. Ra. Ch. Kill, p. 572). It may
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. VII 1021
3^1 SW^reif SPgf m%g f^U**ls|^ II *? II
safely be said that the words 'ekabhakti', and 'vasudeva' in
the 17th and 19th stanzas aie from the Bhagavata religion;
nay, even that the above description of devotees is from the
Bhagavata religion. Because, in the Mahabharata, while
-the description of this religion is being given, and after
the four kinds of devotees have been first described, we find
it stated that :
caturvidha mama jana bhakta evam hi me srutam i
tesam ekantinah srestha ye caivananyadevatah II
aham eva gatis tesam nirasih karmakarixiam u
ye ca sistas trayo bhakfah phalakania hi te matah I
sarve cyavana-dharmus te pratibuddhas tu, sresthabhak li
( Ma. Bha. San. 341. 33-35 ).
that is, " the other three kinds of devotees do not perform
Actions like the 'amnyadaivata' ( 'no-other-deity' ) and the
'ekantin' (solitudinal) devotee, but perform Action with some
.desire or other ; and therefore, they are 'cyavanslld ', whereas,
■the 'ekantin'-s are 'pratihv,ddhr£ ( that is, scients )> and su-
perior. And later on the word 'Vasudeva' has been given a
metaphysical etymology by saying " sarvabhutadhivasas ca
vasudevas tato hy aham ", that is, " I am called ' Vasudeva ',
because I reside (have my vasa) in everything which is
created" (San. 341. 40). The Blessed Lord now explains
why different people worship different deities, though there
is only one Paramesvara everywhere — ] ,
.(20) Various persons, being befooled by their respective
■desires, (such as, fruit in the shape of heaven etc.), according
to their respective natures, follow those respective rules (of
-worship), and take to the worship of other (various) deities .
(2)) Whatever form or deity any devotee may desire to
-worship with Faith, I steady such his Faith therein.
1022 GlTi-BAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
^4i«3<H4«ri ^nf^cr ifgm snfScr nmft u ^ u
(22) Then, being full of that Faith, he becomes engaged in"
the 'radhand (that is, the worship) of that deity ; and then
he obtains those very desired fruits, which have been
created by Me Myself. (23) But, this fruit, which (these)
short-sighted people obtain, is perishable (and not permanent
like Release) ; those, who worship deities, reach the deities ;
and those who worship Me, come to Me.
[It is the common belief that though the Paramesvara is
the One, Who gives Release, yet, the power to give the-
various things, which are necessary for the ordinary worldly-
life, can be given only by deities ; and that, it is necessary
to worship the deities for that purpose. How various people
run after various deities ( Gl. 17. 1-6. ), after it has thus-
become necessary, according to them, to worship deities,
some running after Mhasoba, others observing Saturday,
after the deity Saturn, etc., has been very nicely described in
the above stanzas. But, what must be borne in mind here is.
that, though the fruit to be obtained by worshipping various
deities, may be looked upon as having been given by those
respective deities, yec, ultimately that worship amounts to<
a worship of the Paramesvara (Gl. 9. 23) ; and, that fruit
also is essentially given by the Paramesvara ( stanza 22 ).
Not only is this so, but even this idea of worshipping the
various deities is given by the Paramesvara, according to
the previous destiny of a particular person (stanza 21) ;
because, in this world, there is nothing else but the
Paramesvara. The same doctrine has been laid down in
the Vedanta-Sutras (3. 2. 38-41), and in the Upanisads
(Kausl. 3. 8). The utility of these diverse kinds of worship
is, that after worshipping various deities, the Mind becomes
steady and pure, and one ultimately acquires the-
Knowledge of the One, and Permanent, Paramesvara. But,
■ fruit obtained before the acquisition of that Knowledge is-
GlTA,TRANSLATION& COMMENTARY, CH. VII 1083
non-permanent. Therefore, the advice of the Blessed Lord
to every one is, that he should not he enmeshed in this
Hope of Fruit, but should aspire to become a ' Jfianin '
devotee. As the Blessed Lord gives reward to every one
according to his own Actions, (Gl. 1 11), although He does
everything, and gives all kinds of rewards, it is also said,
that He essentially does nothing whatsoever Himself
(Gi. 5. 14). The reader is referred to the further elucidation
of this matter at page 369 in Chapter X and at pages 595-6
in Chapter XIII of the Glta-Rahasya. The Blessed Lord
now further explains what is meant above by saying that
people run after deities according to their own natural
inclinations, forgetting that the fruit of the worship of the
deities is given by the Paramesvara Himself — ]
(24) The 'abuddhf (that is, fools), not recognising my
'para' (that is, superior), best of all, and imperceptible form,
look upon Me, Who am imperceptible, as having become
perceptible. (25) As I am enveloped in My Yoga-formed
Illusion (that is, Maya — Trans.), I do not (clearly) appear
to all (in My own Form). Fools do not Realise, that I am
Unborn, and Inexhaustible.
[The device of giving up the Yoga-form, that is, imper-
ceptible form, and taking up the perceptible form (GL 4. 6 ;
7. 15 ; 9. 7), is called " Maya ", by "Vedantists ; and when
the Paramesvara becomes enveloped in this Yoga- Maya,
He begins to possess a perceptible appearance. In short,
the import of this stanza is, that the perceptible universe is
Mayic, or non-permanent ; and that, the Paramesvara is
Real, and Permanent. But the word ' rnaya ' in this place,
and also in other places, is taken by some as meaning
J a super-natural or wonderful power ' ; and these say that
ithis Maya is not Unreal, but is as permanent as the
Paramesvara Himself. As the form of Maya has been
1034 GiTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
considered by me at great length in Chapter IX of the
Glta-Rahasya, I will here only say that the proposition
that Maya is some wonderful and eternal pastime of the
Paramesvara is acceptable even to the Non-Dualistie
Vedanta, because, although Maya is an ' Appearance ',
created by the senses, yet, as this is done by the senses at
the direction of the Paramesvara, Maya, must be ultimately
said to be the pastime of the Paramesvara. The only point
at issue is, whether this Maya is essentially Real, or
Unreal ; and on this point the doctrine of the Gita, clearly
appears from the above stanzas to be the same as that of the-
Non-Dualistic Vedanta, namely that, that Maya expressed
by Name and Form, by which the Imperceptible
Paramesvara is considered to have become perceptible —
whether it is called a super-natural power or anything
else — is merely an ' Appearance ', or ' moha ', created by
'ajfiana' or Ignorance; and that the true essential
Paramesvara is different from it. Otherwise, there seems
to be no reason for using the words ' abuddhi ' or ' mudha ' '
in this place. -In short, Maya is not Real, and the-
Paramesvara alone is Real, and the Gita says that, being
confused by this Maya, people run after various deities-
. In the Brhadaranyakopanisad (Br. 1. 4. 10), there is a
similar statement ; and it is stated there that those persons,
who, not recognising that the Atman and the Brahman are
one and the same thing, run after various deities,
with a distinguishing mind are the ' animals of the
gods ', that is to say, just as men benefit from cows-
and other animals, so do these deities benefit from these
ignorant devotees, and that these devotees do not obtain
Release. So far, the Blessed Lord has given a description.
of those, who being fooled by Maya, worship diverse deities,
with a distinguishing mind. HE now explains how one
esoapes from this Maya — ]
(26) I know all bhuta-s (that is, created beings), (who-
existed, or exist, or will be) in the past, present, and future ;
GlTl , TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. VII 1025
mf ccpfcRcf tt<7 ^jtht go?reiJ?orra; i
?r =r§r cffsi: fprewwn?4 3>4 ^tt%?r n S<?, u
but, O Arjuna, none know Me; (27) because, O Bharata, all
created beings are steeped in ignorance in this world, as a
result of the confusion created by the pairs of Opposites
(such as, pain and happiness etc.) arising, O Parantapa, from
Desire and Hate. (28) But, the virtuous people, whose sin
is exhausted, become fixed in purpose, escaping from the
ignorance created by the pairs of Opposites (of pain and
happiness etc.), and worship Me.
[The Blessed Lord now describes the state of these people
after they have thus become free from Maya—]
(29) All those, who (thus) taking shelter in Me, attemp
to escape from jaramarana (that is from the cycle of re-births)
Realise what (all) Brahman, (all) Absolute Self, and all Karma
(is). (30) Those, who know Me, along with the adhibhuta, the
adhidaiva, and the adhiyajila (that is, who know that I am all
that), such (being) yukta-citta (that is, Mind-united with
Me — Trans.), Know Me, even at the time of death.
[See the explanation given in the next chapter of- the
words adhyatma, adhibhuta, adhidaiva, and adhiyajna. The
words " even at the time of death " in the_ last stanza have
reference to the doctrine of the Dharma-Sastra and of the
TJpanisads that a man has his next birth according to the
desire which is most prominent in his mind at the moment
of his death. Nevertheless, the word " even " clearly shows
that, unless a man has acquired complete Knowledge of the
Paramesvara in his lifetime, he cannot acquire that
1026 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
fl% sJw^MsOdl^J ^uplNc^, s|^M4Mflf ^IH^II^
Knowledge light at the moment of death (See Gl. 2. 72).
A further explanation has been given in the next chapter.
It may be said that the next chapter has been introduced by
the words ' adhibhuta ', etc., in this stanza.]
Thus ends the seventh chapter entitled Jnana-Vijnana
Yoga in the dialogue between Sri Krsna and Arjuna on the
Yoga included in the Science of the Brahman (that is, the
Karma- Yoga) in the Upanisad sung (that is, told) by the
Blessed Lord.
CHAPTER YIH.
[ The explanation of the Jfiana and Vijnana included in
"the Karma-Yoga is continued in this chapter, and after first
explaining the meaning of the various forms of the
Paramesvara, such as, Brahman, adhyatma, karma, adhi-
bhuta, adhidaiva, and adhiyajna, mentioned at the end of the
last chapter, the inner import thereof is explained. But,
as this explanation has been given merely by defining
those several worlds, that is to say, in an extremely concise
way, it is necessary to give a somewhat exhaustive ex-
planation of this subject in this annotation. Different
people form different ideas in different ways about the
creator of the universe, on looking at the external universe.
Some say that all things, which exist in the world, are only
evolutes of the five primordial Elements (mahabhuta), and
that there is no other Original Principle, except these five
primordial Elements. There are others, who maintain that
all this world has been created from a Yajna as stated in
the fourth chapter of the Glta ; and that, therefore, the
Paramesvara is of the form of a yajna-narayaiia ; and that
He can be worshipped only by a Yajna. A third class say
that the various activities of the world are not carried out
by the material objects by themselves ; but that, in each of
them, there is some active (sacetana) deity (or purusa), and
that these deities carry on all these activities ; and that,
therefore, we must worship these deities. Pot example, the
act of giving light is performed by the 'purusa' called Sun,
embodied in the globe, made up of the five primordial
Elements, which is known as 'the Sun' ; and this purusa is
the subject-matter of worship. A fourth class says, that it is
not proper to imagine that there exists in everything, some
■ deity, other than the thing itself. Just as the Atman
exists in the body of a man, so does there also exist in
everything, some subtle form of that very thing, that is to
say, some subtle force, like the Atman ; and that thing is
the original and true form of it. For instance, they say
that the five gross primordial Elements have, at their core,
1038 GlTA-EAHASYA OR KARMA-TOGA
the five Fine Elements (tanmatra-a) ; and that in the
material organs, such as, the hand or the foot, there are
similar fundamental subtle organs. The Samkhya doctrine
that each person has a different Atman, and that there are
innumerable such Atmans, is based " on this fourth theory.
But in this stanza, the Samkhya doctrine seems to be
included in the adhideha class. These four schools of
thought are respectively called the adhibhuta, the adhiyajna,,
the adhidaivata, and the adhyatmaka. Whenever the prefix.
'adhi' is placed behind any word, it conveys the meaning of
'tamadhikrtya', 'tadvisayaka', that is, 'in that matter', or,
'embodied in it'. According to this interpretation, 'adhidai-
vata' means 'the Principle existing in many deities'.
'adhyatma' ordinarily means 'the science which maintains
that there is only one Atman pervading everything' ; but
this is the interpretation by way of 'conclusion drawn'
(siddhanta-paksa) ; that is to say, this is the conclusion
(siddhanta) arrived at by the Vedanta-sastra, after con-
sidering the pros and cons of the theory that there are
numerous Atmans in numerous human beings or things,
which is the hypothetical position (purvapaksa). So,,
when the hypothetical position has to be considered, it.
is assumed that the subtle form of the Atman in every-
thing is different, and this is the meaning conveyed by the
word 'adhyatma' in the present stanza. How one and the
same exposition becomes diversified into different classes .
from the adhyatma, the adhidaivata and the adhibhuta points .
of view, has been made clear in the Mahabharata, by
giving an example of the organs of a man (See Ma. Bh5.
San. 313 and A6va. 41). The writer of the Mahabharata.
says, that the question of the organs of human beings can
be considered from three points of view, namely, the*
'adhibhuta', the 'adhyatmaka' and the 'adhidaivata'. AIL
those things, which are perceivable by these organs, namely,,
that which has to be taken by the hands, that which has to*
be heard by the ears, that which has to be seen by the eyes,,
or that which has to be contemplated by the Mind, all this -
is the 'adhibhuta' ; and the subtle capacities of these organs,.
namely, the hands, feet, etc., (according to the Samkhya.
GITA, TRANSITIONS; COMMENTARY, OH. VIII 1029-
system), that is to say, the subtle senses are the 'adhyatma's
of those organs ; hut when one keeps aside both these points
of view, and considers the matter from the 'adhidaivata'
point of view, Indra is said to be the deity of the hands,
Visnu, of the feet ; Mitra, of the anus ; Prajapati, of the
organ of generation ; Agni, of the speech ; Surya (Sun), of
the eyes ; the eight cardinal points or Ether, of the ears ;
water, of the tongue ; the earth, of the nose ; the wind, of
the skin ; the Moon, of the mind ; buddhi (Reason), of
Individuation, and purusa (Spirit), of the Reason ; and these
various deities are said to be performing the various
functions of these organs. Among the symbols of the form
of the Brahman, which have been described in the
TJpanisads for purposes of worship, the Mind is described as
the adhyatma symbol, and the Sun or the firmament as the
'adhidaivata' symbol ( Ohan. 3. 18. 1 ). It is not that the
distinction between the 'adhyatma' and the 'adhidaivata' has
been made only for the purpose of worship. But, in con-
sidering the respective superiority of the organs of speech,
or of seeing, or of hearing, etc., and of Vitality ( prana ),
the -matter is considered once from the Metaphysical
(adhyatma) point of -view by taking the subtle form of the
organs of the voice, the eyes, and the ears, and again from
the Intuitionist {adhidaivata) point of view, taking the
Agni, the Sun, and Ether, as the deities of those organs
(Br. 1. 5. 31-23 ; Ohan. 1. 2, 3 ; Kausl. 4. 12, 13). In short,
the distinction between 'adMdaivaia', 'adhibhuta', 'adhyatma'
etc. has been in vogue since very old times ; and the
question as to which of these various ideas regarding the
form of the Paramesvara is the correct idea, or as to the
inner import of such ideas, having arisen in those times,
Yajnavalkya has told Uddalaka Arum in the Brhadaranya-
kopanisad (Br. 3. 4), that there is only one PararnStman,
Which subsists at the core of all created things, all deities,
all adhyatma, all spheres, all Yajfias, and all bodies what-
soever, and Which makes them unwittingly perform their
respective functions. This doctrine of the Upanisads has
been accepted in the Antaryamyadhikarana of the Vedanta-
Satras (Ve. Su. 1. 2. 18-20), where it has been proved that
1030 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
srfSrajjf ^ t§> qtrpfrf^ fag-are ii \ h
3ft*r»rarf=fH' i
^^rrat^r^tt ra^fr wl^flRT: n 3 ii
this Principle, which, exists at the inner core of everything,
is not the Prakrti or the Jivatman of the Sarhkhya system,
but the Paramatman. The Blessed Lord now tells Arjuna,
with reference to this proposition, that there is only one
Paramesvara, Who pervades every human body, all created
beings (as adhibhuta), all Yajnas (as adhiyajna), all deities
(asadhidaivata), all Karma, and all the subtle (that is,
Metaphysical) forms of everything ; andthat the diversity,
or the various kinds of Knowledge of deities, Yajnas etc.
is not true Knowledge. The words 'adhibhuta' etc., used
by the Blessed Lord at the end of the seventh chapter,
create in Arjuna a desire to learn their meaning, and he
•first asks as follows — ]
Arjuna said : — (1 ) O Purusottama, what is that Brahman ?;
what is adhyatma ? ; what is iarma 1 ; what is to be called
■adhibhuta ?; and what is called adhidaivata? ; (2) of what
kind is the adhiyajna ? and O Madhusudana, Who is (the
adhideha) in this Body (that is, deha — Trans.) ? ; and how
do those, who control their senses, Realise You, at the
moment of their death ? (Tell me this).
[The words ' brahma ', ' adhyatma ', ' karma ', ' adhibhuta ',
and ' adhiyajna ' are to be found in the last chapter; but, in
addition to these, Arjuna has asked something new, namely,
" who is the ' adhideha ' ?". If this is borne in mind, it will
not be difficult to understand the meaning of the following
answer.]
The Blessed Lord said : — (3) That Element, which is
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. VIII 1031
parama ( that is, higher — Trans. ), ( than anything else ),
and aksara ( this is, immutable ), is Brahman ; (and) the
fundamental quality of each and every object itself
( that is, its ssriirbhava ) is called ' Adhyatma ', That
' visarga ' or ' creative activity ' which creates ( the move-
able and immoveable) created things (from the im-
mutable Brahman) is called Karma. (4) The ksara (that
is, ' conditioned by Name and Form ', or ' perishable ') state
(of all things which have come into existence) is the
' adhibhuta ' ; and the purusa (that is, the conscious
(sacetana) Overlord (adhisthata), Who exists in all things) is
the ' adhidaivata '. HE, who is called the adhiyajna
[that is, the Lord (adhipati) of all Yajnas] is Myself, Who
am (adhideha), (that is, am the Installed — Trans.), in this
Body, O Most Superior among all embodied beings !
[The word 'parama' in the third stanza is not an
adjective of Brahma, hut of 'aksara'. In Samkhya
philosophy, the imperceptible Prakrti is also called
' aksara ' (immutable), (Gi. 15. 16). But, the Brahman of the
Vedantists is beyond this imperceptible and immutable
Prakrti ( see stanzas 20 and 31 of this chapter ) ; and
therefore, although the word ' aksara ' alone is used, it may
mean either the Samkhya Prakrti, or the Brahman. In
order that such a doubt should not arise, the adjective
'parama' has been placed before the word 'aksara' in
defining the word Brahman (Gi. Ra. Chap. IX, pp. 274-277).
I have explained the word ' svabhava ' as " ' the subtle form '
{suksma-svarupa) of any and every object ", following the
example given above from the Mahabharata. In the
Nasadiyasukta, the visible world is called the ' visrsti '
{visarga), that is, 'growth' of the Parabrahman (Gi. Ra.
p. 351) ; and the word ' visarga ' must be understood here in
the same meaning. It is not necessary to interpret the
word ' visarga ' as meaning the ' havirutsarga of the Yajnas '.
Why this visible world is itself called ' Karma ' has been-
1032 GITA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
explained at p. 362 of Chapter X of the Gita-Rahasya.
' ksara ' is the mutable Name-d and Form-ed ' Appearance '
of everything created; and, the Immutable Principle
beyond it, is to be understood as the Brahman. The word
' purusa' includes the ' purusa' in the Sun, the Varuna-
purusa or the deity in water, and other conscious (sacetana)
subtle-formed deities, as also the Golden Embryo {Mrawa-
garbha). The word ' adhiyajna ' has not been defined here by
the Blessed Lord; because a detailed description of the
Yajfia has been given above in the 3rd and 4th chapters, and
the Blessed Lord has again later on stated (Gl. 9. 24 ; 5. 29 ;
.and Ma. Bha. San. 340), that " I am the Lord and the
recipient of all Yajnas ". After having in this way des-
cribed the characteristic features of the ' adhyatma ' etc., the
Blessed Lord has ultimately said shortly that " (that which
is called) the ' adhiyajna ' is Myself, Who Am in this deha ",
that is to say, that He is the adhideha as also the adhiyajna
in the human body. The Samkhyas believe that every
body has a different Atman (purusa), and these Atmans are
innumerable; but this doctrine is not acceptable to
Vedanta Philosophy, which holds that although there may
"be innumerable bodies, there is only one Atman in all of
■them (Gl Ra. Ch. VII, p. 225). This very proposition is
boine out by the sentence " I am the adhideha". Neverthe-
less, the words " I am " in this sentence have not been said
only with reference to the ' adhiyajna ' or the ' adhideha ' ; and
•their reference to the previous words adhyatma, etc., is
■patent. Therefore, the sum and substance of the whole
■seems to be : — take the various Yajnas, take the various
■deities in various things, take the five perishable elemental
principles, take the subtle forms of substance, take the
■diversity of Atmans, take Brahman, take Karma, or
■take the various bodies of different human beings, I am
everywhere, that is, there is only one Paramesvara-
.principle in all things. According to some, there is no
independent description here of the 'adhideha' form; and
-the ' adhideha ' has been mentioned by implication in
giving a definition of the ' adhiyajna ' ; but, I do not
.consider this interpretation as correct. Wherever this
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. VIII 1033
??• sprit's «=j T^rt ^rrfcr sn^ra w^ m h h
3J ^ gift W^flTO r^T^'S «h«gcKH I
subject-matter has been referred to, not only in the Gita,
but also in the Upanisads and in the Vedanta-Sutras,
■(Br. 3. 7 ; Vs. Su. 1. 2. 20), the embodied Atman has been
considered side by side with the adhibhuta and the other
forms of the Paramesvara ; and the doctrine has been laid
down, that everywhere there is only one Paramatman.
Besides, as there has been previously asked a question
about the adhideha, it is logical to conclude that that aspect
"has been mentioned here distinctly and not by implication.
One is likely to think at first sight that if all that which
is, is the Parabrahman, then, in describing the various
forms of the Parabrahman, such as, the adhibhuta etc., it
was not necessary to consider the Parabrahman also. But,
as this description of diversity has been addressed to
people, who are engrossed in the different kinds of worship
on the basis that the Brahman, the Atman, the deities, the
Yajfianarayana, etc., are all different from each other, the
declaration that "I am all this", has been made after
explaining the characteristics of the differences arising on
.account of the different beliefs of different people. When
■one looks at it from this point of view, no such doubt can
arise. The Blessed Lord has thus explained this diversity by
saying that although various distinctions may be made for
purposes of worship, such as, the adhibhuta, the adhldaivata,
the adhyatma, the adhiyajna, the adhideha, etc., yet, this
diversity is not real ; and that, as a matter of fact, there is
only one Paramesvara, Who pervades everything. HE
now gives His reply to the last question of Arjuna, namely,
how the All-pervading Paramesvara is Realised at the
moment of death — ]
■(5) And there is no doubt that he who leaves his body,
thinking of Me at the moment of death, is merged in My
form. (6) O, Kaunteya, thinking of whatever form (bkava —
cTrans.) a man ultimately leaves his body, because, he has
1034 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
sada, (that is, for the whole of his life) been engrossed in
thinking of that form, that is the form (bhava) in which he is
(later on) merged.
[In the fifth stanza, the Blessed Lord has explained the
necessity and the result of thinking of the Paramesvara at
the moment of death ; but, that is likely to give rise to the
misunderstanding, that it will be enough if a person thinks
of the Paramesvara only at the moment of death. There-
fore, it is stated in the sixth stanza, that whatever is in
the mind throughout life, does not leave the mind at the
moment of death ; and, the necessity of remembering and
worshipping the Paramesvara throughout life, and not only
at the moment of death, is made clear (GI. Ra. Ch. X,.
p. 398). "When one accepts this proposition, it naturally
follows that those, who worship the Paramesvara at the
moment of death are merged in the Paramesvara ; and that
those, who worship other deities at that moment, are
merged in the other deities (Gl. 7. 23 ; 8. 13 ; and 9. 25) ;
because, as has been stated in the Chandogyopanisad,
"yatha kratur asmiM lake puruso bJiavati taihelah pretya
bhavati" (Chan. 3. 14. 1), that is, " a man gets a state after
death, which is consistent with his ' kratu ' or samkalpa,
that is, his resolution". There are similar sentences in
other Upanisads as in the Chandogya (Prasna. 3. 10 ;
Maitryu. 4. 6). But the Glta now says that unless the
Mind is steeped in one particular aspiration throughout,
life, it is not possible to have that aspiration during the
throes of the passing away of life. Therefore, consistently
with the doctrine that it is necessary to meditate on the-
Paramesvara ' amarananta ' that is, throughout life'
(Ve. Su. 4. 1. 12), the Blessed Lord now tells Arjuna that — )
(7) Therefore, think of Me at all times (that is, always), and
fight ; when you have dedicated your Mind and your
Reason to Me, you will, (notwithstanding that you have
fought), undoubtedly come and be merged in Me,
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. Till 1035
"TOT 5^ T&Q mf% WlSJMSd^ u c II
mi m i cs JTirerts : g^T *t=r2jt gsmr ^Fra#^ %g i
(8) O Partha ! when a man, with the help of practice, steadies
his Mind, without letting it stray elsewhere, and meditates
on the Highest Spirit, he goes and is merged in that Spirit.
[Those ,who maintain that according the Bhagavadglta,
one must give up worldly life and take to Devotion, should
pay attention to the proposition laid down in the seventh
stanza. It is unquestionable that Release is obtained by
Devotion combined with the Knowledge of the:
Paramesvara ; and that, in order to possess that frame of
mind at the moment of death, it is necessary to have that
practice throughout life. But, it is not necessary, accord-
ing to the Glta, for this purpose, to give up Action. On
the other hand, it is the proposition of the GitS-science,
that even the Devotee of the Blessed Lord must desirelessly
perform all Actions, which fall to his lot, according to the
duties allocated to him ; and the same meaning has been
conveyed by the words " continually meditate on Me, and
fight ". The Blessed Lord now describes how the Karma-
Yogin, who desirelessly performs Action throughout life,
with the idea of dedicating it to the Paramesvara,
meditates on the effulgent Highest Spirit at the moment of
death — ]
(9) That (man), who meditates on the Purusa, Who is the
kavi (that is, omniscient), Who is the Ancient, the All-ruler,
the Minuter-than-the-atom, the dhata (that is, the supporter,
or the doer) of everything, Whose form is unimaginable, and
Who is as brilliant as the Sun beyond the darkness,
(10) after steadying his Mind by force of Yoga (in the shape
of control of the senses), and being imbued with Devotion,
and properly keeping the prana (that is, the Vital breath —
53—54
1038 GM.-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
of the Brahman has ceased to exist ; therefore, all these
states are of a lower order ; and as there is no re-birth after
the Realisation of the Paramesvara, that state is the
highest : such is the import of the 16th stanza ( See
Gl. 9. 20, 21). In support of the statement that even the
sphere of the Brahman is non-permanent, the Blessed Lord
now explains how the entire cosmos, including the sphere
of the Brahman, is created and destroyed over and over
again — ]
(17) Those persons, who (essentially) understand what
is meant by 'day' and 'night', realise that the day of
Brahmadeva is made up of a thousand {mafia-) Yugas (each
mahayuga being made up of the four Yuga periods called
Krta, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali respectively), and that one
thousand (similar) Yugas make one night (of his).
[ This stanza has appeared in the Gita without there being
a previous explanation of the calculation of a Yuga;
and it has to be understood by reference to such a table,
which is to be found elsewhere. This table, as also this
stanza from the Gita, are to be found in the BhSrata (San.
231. 31), and in the Manu-Smrti (Manu. 1. 73) ; and the
same description has been given in the Nirufcta of Yaska
(Nirukta, 14. 9). The day of Brahmadeva is also known
as a 'kalpa'. The word 'avyakta', used in the next stanza,
means the avyakta (that is, imperceptible) Prakrti of
Samkhya philosophy, and not the Parabrahman ; because,
it is clearly stated later on in the 20th stanza, that the
Imperceptible in the form of the Brahman, is something
beyond the 'avyakta' described in this stanza. How the
Perceptible {vyakta) universe springs from the Imperceptible,
as also the method showing how the 'kalpa' has to be compu-
ted, has been given at p. 264 in Chapter VIII of the Glta-
Rahasya, to which the reader is referred. ]
(IS) When this day (of Brahmadeva) starts, all perceptible
GITS, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. VIII 1039
*ijT5nrr. ^ *&kq ijsrr ^fi v^SUid" i
n- *t *a% i|s *mm t fawfy « *o u
srsrjts^ ic^thWJHi^: qw nicre: i
tf srro T facial ?i^m <rc*f u* u *? n
^■Hfisd ^qrf? icm% %t ^tfiTf crara; n ^'J it
(objects) are created out of the Imperceptible ; and when
(his) night starts, (they) become dissolved into the above-
mentioned Imperceptible. (19) This collection of beings,
coming (thus) to birth again and again, is dissolved when the
night starts (as though put into a machine), being 'avasa'
(that is, whether they personally wish it or not) ; and O
Partha I (it) comes to birth (again) when the day starts.
[ That is to say, although a man may have acquired a
permanent residence in the sphere of the Brahman, as a
result of his meritorious Actions, yet, as even the Brahma-
loka is destroyed when Destruction (pralaya) starts, created
beings cannot escape coming to birth again at the begin-
ning of a new Kalpa. The Blessed Lord now explains the
only way in which this can be avoided — ]
(20) But, the other eternal Imperceptible, which is
fceyond the Imperceptible mentioned above, which does not
come to an end even if all created things come to an end,
(21) that Imperceptible, which is (also) called ' aksara ' which
is said to be the parama (that is, the most excellent or the
ultimate) state, (and) having reached which, there is no return
(to birth), that, indeed is My super-excellent sphere. (22) O
Partha 1 that para (that is, highest) Spirit, within Which all
created beings are contained, and by Which all this has been
enclosed or pervaded, can be reached only by Devotion,
-which is ananya (that is, to-none-other — Trans.).
[The 20th and 21st stanzas make together only one
sentence. The word ' avyakta ' in the 20th stanza, has first
been applied to the Samkhya Prakrti, that is, to the
1040 GITA.-BAHASYA OE KAEMA-YOGA
Imperceptible mentioned in the 18th stanza ; and later on,,
the same word has been applied to the Parabrahman,
Which is beyond the Samkhya Prakrti ; and it has been
stated in the 21st stanza that this second Imperceptible is
also called ' aksara ' (that is, the Immutable) ; similarly, in
the beginning of this chapter, there is the phrase " aksaram
brahma paramarn", (that is, "the immutable highest
Brahman " ; c/., 8. 3 — Trans.). In short, the word ' aksara '
(Immutable) like the word ' avyakta ' ( Imperceptible )•
has been used in two meanings in the Glta ; it is not
that the Samkhya Prakrti alone is imperceptible and.
immutable, but the Paramesvara or the Brahman, Which
"is not destroyed, even when all created things are
destroyed" is also immutable and imperceptible. This
clearly shows that the word ' aksara ', used in giving the
characteristics of the " Purusottama " in Chapter XV,,
where it is stated that He, is beyond the ksara (mutable)
and the aksara (immutable), has been used with reference
to the Samkhya Prakrti (see, Gl. 15. 16-18). In short, it
must be borne in mind that, both the adjectives ' avyakta '
and ' aksara ' have been used in the Gits, sometimes with
reference to the Samkhya Prakrti, and sometimes with
reference to the Parabrahman beyond this Prakrti (Gi. Pa.
pp. 275-277). The form of the Parabrahman, which is beyond
the Perceptible and the Imperceptible has been referred
to in the ninth chapter of the Glta-Rahasya, to which the
reader is referred. So far, there has been a description of
the ' aksara brdhma ' (Immutable Brahman), that is, of the
goal, having reached which, a man escapes from the
necessity of re-birth. The Blessed Lord now describes the
difference, from the point of view of time of death and goal
reached, between those for whom there is no 'ariavrtti ', that
is, no coming back after death, and those for whom there
is 'avrtti', that is, those who have to come back from
heaven and take birth again — ]
(23) I shall now mention to you, O Bharatasrestha ! the
GUI., TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. VIII 1041
?rar wm w^si^ %® srgrfoff *w. u *8 n
lift ttt^wtt fEir: ^mrar ^ uu^hh i
IfSfwT i?ft ifa sura: STr»sr?f *H* i
time of death, having died when, the (Karma-) Yogins do not
come back (to birth in this world); and (the time of death,
having died) when, they come again. (24) The Fire, jyotih
(that is, flames), daytime, the bright half (of the month), and.
the six months of the ultarayana (that is, northern solstice —
Trans.), those men, knowers of Brahman, who die in these,,
attain the Brahman after death (and do not come back)..
(25) (Fire), smoke, night, the dark half (of the month), and
the six months of the daksinayana (that is, the southern
solstice— Trans.), the (Karma-) Yogin (who dies) in these,.
going to the light of the Moon, (that is, the sphere of the
Moon), returns (after his acquired merit is over). (26) In this
way, the white and the black (that is, the light and the dark),
have been considered the two 'sasoate gali' (that is, the
eternal paths) of the world ; going by one path, one does not
return ; and by the other path, one returns.
[These two paths are known in the TJpanisads by the
names - devayam ' (bright half) and ' pitryarta ' (dark half),
or the ' arciradi-marga' and the ' dhumradi-marga' ; and
these paths have been described even in the Rg-Veda.
When fire is set to the dead body of a man, that is, from
fire itself, both these paths commence ; therefore, the word
' Fire ' must be taken as implied from the previous stanza
into the 25th stanza. As the only object of the 25th stanza
is to show the difference between the path described in the
previous stanza and the second path, the word ' Mre ' has
not been repeated in it. A further explanation about this
matter has been given towards the end of Chapter X of the
1042 GlTA-RAHASYA OK KARMA-YOGA
§§ ^r ^cft ir«J ^n^i; qtfft gsricT gjaw i
%?5 WS ?W1 % ?T#f *fc«i ,w «*«* %f?m. i
Gita-Rahasya (pp. 408 to 412), to which the reader is
referred, and which will clearly explain the import of this
stanza. The Blessed Lord now explains the benefit of
realising the principle underlying these two paths — ]
(27) O Partha ! no (Karma-) Yogin, who (essentially)
understands these two sr tl-s (that is, paths) is overcome by
Ignorance ; therefore, O Arjuna ! become (Karma-) Yoga-
yukta at all times. (28) Understanding this (principle*
which has been explained above), the (Karma-) Yogin
transcends the fruit in the shape of merit mentioned in the
Vedas, in the Yajiias, for austerity, and for charity, and
reaches the highest state, which lies beyond.
lit is clear that the man, who has understood the
principle underlying these two paths, namely, the devayana
and the pitrySija, that is, who has understood that, by going
by the devayana path, he does not incur re-birth, and that
the ptryana path, though productive of heaven, is, yet, not
productive of Release, will, of course, choose that path out
of the two, which is truly beneficial to him ; and will not
ignorantly follow the path, which is of a lower order ; and
it is to convey this idea that the words, " one who
(essentially) understands these two arfi-s, that is, paths "
have been used in the former stanza. These stanzas mean
that the Karma-Yogin understands which path, out of the
devayana and the pitpjana leads where; and that he,
therefore, naturally goes along that path, which is the
better one, and acquires Release, avoiding the trips to and
from heaven ; and in the 27th stanza, the Blessed Lord has
advised Arjuna to act accordingly.]
GITS, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. VIII 1043
ira 9ft»re?*ra#a'n 3Tn%tff^ smrfgsrrcf *ff*RTr#
Thus ends the eighth chapter entitled Akshara-Brahma
Yoga in the dialogue between Sri Krsna and Arjuna on the
Yoga included in the Science of the Brahman, (that is, on the
Karma- Yoga) in the Upanisad sung (that is, told) by the
.Blessed Lord.
CHAPTER IX.
[In order to show how a man, by practising the Karma-
Yoga, acquires peace of mind or Eelease as a result of his
acquiring full Knowledge of the Paramesvara, an
exposition of Jfiana (Spiritual Knowledge) and Vijnana
(empirical Knowledge) has been started in Chapter VII ; and
the form of the immutable and imperceptible Spirit has
been described ; and the Blessed Lord has explained in the
last chapter how the worship of the OM-kara (omlmropasam)
should be performed at the moment of the close of life, after
entering into mental absorption acoording to the
Patafijala-Yoga, in order that that form of the Paramesvara
should remain fixed in the mind even at the moment of
death. But, acquiring the Knowledge of the immutable
Brahman is in itself difficult ; and if, in addition to that,
mental absorption is prescribed as an essential, this path of
life will have to be given up by ordinary people ! Bearing
this difficulty in mind, the Blessed Lord now explains a
royal road, by following which the Knowledge of the
Paramesvara will become easy for everybody. This path is
called the Path of Devotion (bhaktimurga) ; and I have fully
discussed that path in Chapter XIII of the Gita-Eahasya.
In this path, the form of the Paramesvara can be realised
by means of love, and is vyakta, that is, actually perceptible ;
and the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th chapters contain an
exhaustive description of that perceptible form. Neverthe-
less, it must not be forgotten that this Path of Devotion is
not something independent, but a part of the Jfiana and
Vijnana necessary for acquiring the Karma-Yoga, of which
a description was started in Chapter VII ; and this
chapter has been opened as being a part of the previous
exposition of Jfiana and Vi jnana].
The Blessed Lord s ai d : — (1) Now, as you are not
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. IX 1045-
fault-finder, I will expound to you the most mysterious-
Spiritual Knowledge, coupled with empirical Knowledge, by
knowing which, you will become free from sin (to which,
listen). (2) This (Knowledge) is the king, (that is, the
most superior ) of all mysteries, it is a rajavidya [that is, the
most superior science {vidya) of all], it is holy, excellent,
actually realisable, easy to observe, consistent with religion, .
and inexhaustible. (3) Those persons, O Parantapa ! who
do not put faith in this religion, return to the path of worldly
life, circumscribed by death, instead of coming to Me ( that,
is, they do not attain Release).
[The meanings of the words ' rajavidya ', ' rajaguhya ' and
' pratyakmvagama' in the second stanza, have been fully-
considered in Chapter XIII of the Gita-Rahasya, at pp. 574
to 582, to which the reader is referred. The means of
attaining to the Paramesvara are referred to as ' vidya ' in
the Upanisads ; and it was usual to keep these VidySs
clothed in mystery. It is said here that the bhaktimarga
(that is, the Path of Devotion, or the worship of the
Perceptible) is a Vidya, which is the king or the most
superior of these mysterious Vidyas, and also that this
religion, being something which is actually visible to the
eyes, is easy to follow. Nevertheless, as this Yoga has
come into vogue by the tradition of Iksvaku and the other
kings (Gi. 4. 2), it may also he said to he the path followed
by Rajas or eminent persons, and to be a ' rajavidya ' also
in that sense. Whichever meaning is taken, it is quite
clear that this stanza does not refer to the Knowledge of
the immutable or the imperceptible Brahman ; and that the
word ' rajavidya ' indicates in this place the Path of
Devotion. Having in this way praised this path of life, to
start with, the Blessed Lord now describes it at length — ]
1046 GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
§§ *&Tt craft? i&t WF?ZFf>*$R\ I
_g>L,.. *v
^«nss^RTR«raT ra<*r ^3: msp ' ti *r£R; 1
(4) 1 have occupied or pervaded this universe by My
imperceptible form. All created beings are in Me, I am not
in them ; (5) and at the same time, all created beings are
not in Me ! See this My divine Action or power of Yoga !
My Atman, which created (these) created things, although
it is embodied in the created things, (yet,) is not in them ; (6)
just as, the great vayu (atmosphere), which reaches every-
where, is perpetually in space, so are all created things in
Me, this believe.
[This apparent contradiction in terms results from the
Paramesvara being qualityless as also qualityful (see my
commentary on stanza 12 of Chapter VII of the Glta, as also
Glta-Rahasya, Chapter IX, pp. 281, 285, 286, and 287). Hav-
ing in this way excited the curiosity of Arjuna, by giving
him a surprising description of His own form, the Blessed
Lord now again describes here how the universe is created
from Him, and which His perceptible forms are, which
(descriptions) are slightly different from those given above
in Chapters VII and VIII of the Glta (Gl. 7. 4-18 ; 8. 17-20).
Although the word ' yoga ' is interpreted as meaning some
supernatural power or device, yet, this Yoga or device for
transforming the Imperceptible into the Perceptible is
nothing but Maya, as has been proved in my commentary
on Glta 7. 25, and in Chapter IX of the Glta-Rahasya
(pp. 325 to 330). As this Yoga is very easy for the
Paramesvara, nay even His slave, He is referred to as the
' Lord of Yoga " (yogesvara), (Gl. 18. 75). The Blessed Lord
now explains how the transformations of the universe are
carried on by the power of this Yoga — ]
GlTl, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. IX 1047
§§ ^ijnf?r ^t«#sr srfif^ snrsci wftfo'iq i
3>5W% gi*cnf% spjcrrft ra^fTKn^; « « h
Hyww i +w* p^trert srfieNNrra; it < «
^n^sr^reffaira^ as wf§ n % n
(7) At the end of a kalpa, O Kaunteya ! all created beings-
are merged into My Prakrti ; and in the beginning of a kalpa,
(that is, at the beginning of the day of Brahmadeva), I
Myself create them again. (8) Taking in hand My own Prakrti,.
I create again and again all this collection of created beings,
which has become avasa (that is, dependent, or, in other
words, bound by its respective Karma) as a result of its
having become subject to (that) Prakrti. (9) (But) O
Dhanafijaya! as I am not attached to this My Action (of
creating the universe), and as I live like an 'udasin' (that
is, apathetically — Trans.), these Actions do not bind Me.
(10) Becoming the adhyaksa (that is, Superintendent-
Trans.), I cause Prakrti to give birth to the moveable and
immoveable universe. By reason of this, O Kaunteya ! the.
make and break of this world is going on.
[It has been stated in the previous chapter that the
perceptible universe begins to come to birth out of the im-
perceptible Prakrti, when the day of Brahmadeva (that is,
the halpa) starts (8. 18) ; but, as the Pararnesvara gives to>
every one a good or bad birth according to his own Karma,
the Blessed Lord has explained here that He Himself is
untouched by (that is, is not responsible for) this Karma.
In a scientific exposition, all these principles are stated in
one and the same place ; but as the catechismal system has
been adopted in the Gita, the same subject has been dealt
with partly in one place and partly in another place, as
occasion arose. Some commentators have raised a point
1048 GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
qt W^lT3TR;cft *m VT tf H&H H, II \\ II
ifmRn Ht^^noff jttstht ; tt macron i
^srefRTiff %r JTfj ra jtft^t tsrit: » ^ «
^rr gfmVrfr *rf srarrrar ggarar ; i
that the words "jagad viparivartate" used in the 10th stanza
have reference to the Vivartavada (See p. 331 in Chap. IX
of the Glta-Rahasya— Trans.). But I do not think that
the word ' viparivartate ' means anything more than that
"the make and break of this world is going on "or, that
"the Perceptible is transformed into the Imperceptible, and
the Imperceptible re-transformed into the Perceptible";
and even the Samkarabhasya does not say that anything
more is meant. How a man becomes ' avasa ' ( that is,
dependent), as a result of Karma, has been explained in
Chapter X of the Glta-Rahasya, to which the reader is
referred — ]
(11) Those foolish people, who do not realise my parama
(that is, super-excellent — Trans.) form, namely, that I am the
Highest Isvara of all created beings, do not pay respect to
Me, Who hare taken a human form, (considering Me to be
human-formed). (12) Their hopes are futile; (their)
Actions, useless; (their) Knowledge, barren; (their)
Mind misguided ; and they have given shelter to a devilish
.and ungodly temperament, based on Ignorance.
I This is the description of the ungodly person ; now the
Blessed Lord describes the godly (daivi) nature — ]
(13) But, OPartha! those mahatma-s (that is, noble
■souls— Trans.), who have taken shelter in a godly nature
{prakrti), realise and recognise (that) Me, Who am the supreme
inexhaustible source of all created beings ; and believing that
there is no one else, worship Me ; (14) and being industrious,
GTTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. IX 1049
'fixed of purpose, and continually steeped in Yoga, they
•continually praise Me and bow to Me, and -worship Me with
devotion. (IS) Similarly, others worship Me, Who am
saroatomukha (Hast is, all-facing — Trans.), looking at Me on
the basis of 'ekatvd (that is, synthetically), or, on the basis of
'prthaktva' (that is, analytically), or in many other ways, by
means of a Jfiana-yajfia (that is, sacrifice by Knowledge —
Trans.)
[The brief description given here of people of godly and
ungodly natures has been amplified in Chapter XVI. As
has been explained before, a Jfiana-yajfia means, ' compre-
hending the form of the Paramesvara by Jfiana
(Knowledge), and thereby acquiring Release '. (See my
commentary of Gl. 4, 33). But, this Knowledge of the
Paramesvara can also be of different kinds, such as dualistic,
non-dualistic, etc. ; and therefore, the Jfiana-yajfia, may
Also he of many kinds ; and stanza 15 says that,
although the Jfiana-yajfia may thus be of many kinds,
yet, in as much as the Paramesvara is All-facing
(msvatomukha), He becomes the recipient of all these
Yajnas. It is clear from the words "on the basis of ekatva",
and "on the basis of prthaktva", that these ideas were
ancient, though the dvaita (Dualistic), advaita (non-dualis-
tic), and visistadvaita ( qualified monistic ) systems are
modern. The Blessed Lord now further exhaustively deals
with the one-ness and diversity of the Paramesvara referred
to in this stanza, and also explains how the one-ness exists
in the diversity—]
(1 6) kratu (that is, the Yajfia according to the Srutis) is
Myself; Yajfia (that is, the Yajfia according to the Smrtis)
is Myself; svadha (that is, the food offered to one's ancestors
1050 GfTA-RAHASYA OK KARMA-YOGA
sra^f : sr^r: *=?rre f^nn sfl^wsm » ?<£ «
in the death-anniversary ceremony) is Myself; ausadha
(that is, the food prepared from vegetables for the purposes
of a Yajna) is Myself; the hymns (chanted while offering
sacrifice into the Yajna) are Myself; I (am) the clarified
butter, I (am) the Fire ; and, the offering, which is thrown
into the Fire, is also Myself.
[The words 'kratu' and 'yajna' were originally synony-
mous ; but, though the word 'yajna' acquired later on a
wider significance, by being applied to the worship of the
household deities, the worship of the household Fire, the
feeding of guests, breath-control, reciting prayers, and
performing other ritual, the meaning of the word ' kratu *
has not been extended. The Yajnas, such as the asvamedha,
etc., to which this word had been applied according to the
Sruti religion, were the only Yajnas, which were even
later on signified by it. It is, therefore, stated in the
Sarhkarabhasya that the word * kratu ' in this place should
be taken to mean the Yajna according to the Srutis, and
that the word ' Yajna ' should be taken to mean the Yajnas
according to the Smrtis ; and the same meaning has been
given by me above ; because, if this distinction is not made,
the words ' kratu ' and ' yajna ' will become synonymous,
and the stanza will become liable to the fault of containing
a meaningless repetition of the two words.]
(17) I (am) the father, mother, supporter (support), grand-
father of this world ; I am also all that which is holy, or which
is kndwable ; and 1 am the OM-kara, the Rg-Veda, the Sama-
Veda and the Yajur-Veda; (18) I (am) the Ultimate State
(of all), the Maintainor (of all), the Overlord, the Witness, the
Rest, the Refuge, the Friend, the Origin, the Destruction, the
Existence, the Repository, and the Imperishable Seed.
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. IS 1051
(1 9) I cause the Sun to shine, I restrain and let loose the-
rein; (and) O Arjuna ! I am Immortality as also Death ; and
the Imperishable as also the Perishable.
[A description of the form of the Paramesvara similar to
this description has again appeared in detail in,
Chapters X, XI, and XII.- But the difference between the-
two descriptions is, that in this ' place instead of merely-
mentioning the manifestations of the Paramesvara, there is-
a specific statement, that the relationship of the Param-
esvara to all created beings in the world is like that of a.
father, a mother, a friend, etc. It must be borne in mind
that though causing the rain to fall or preventing the rain
from , falling, is either profitable or unprofitable from the
human point of view, yet, scientifically speaking and
essentially, both the acts are the acts of the Paramesvara.
With this idea in mind, the Blessed Lord has said before
(Gi. 7. 12) that He Himself creates all the things which are-
sattvika, rajasa or tamasa ; and later on in Chapter XIV",.
there is an exhaustive description of how diversity is
created in this world as a result of the difference between
the three constituents of Prakiti. Looking at the matter
from this point of view, the words ' sat ' and ' asat ' in the
19th stanza can also be translated as meaning 'good' or
' bad ' ; and later on in the Gits (Gl. 17. 26-28), such a-
meaning has once been given to those words. But the
ordinary meaning of those words namely, 'sat' meaning;
' imperishable ' and ' asat ' meaning ' perishable ' (Gl. 2. 16)
must have been meant here ; and it would appear that this
pair of opposites, namely, ' sat ' and ' asat ' must have been,
inspired by the Nasadiya-Sukta in the same manner as the.
words ' mrtyu ' and ' amrta \ Nevertheless, whereas in the
Nasadlya-Sukta, the word ' sat ' has been applied to the-
visible world, the Glta applies the word 'sat' to the
Parabrahman, and the word ' asat ' to the visible world ;
this is the difference (See Gl. Ra. Oh. IX, pp. 336-339). But
although there may be this terminological difference, yet,
55—56
1052 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
§§ %%n w ittww- -<gmm si%ftfT ^rnr% sn«hn$ i
% So^nrrerm #«*<8i<wrsn% film's?® ^4mik n *o it
*m snfr'WfigipTsn icmra grmsJTJTT 3ra??f n ^ ti
when the two words ' sat ' and ' asat ' are used together, they
clearly include both the visible world and the Para-
brahman. Therefore, in order to show that both the sat and
the asat are the forms of the Paramesvara, although people
might call this ' sat ' and that ' asat ', as a result of termino-
logical difference, one may interpret this description by
saying that a vague definition has been given of the words
* sat- ' and ' asat ' in the expression ' I am both the sat and
the asat ', instead of defining those words (Gi. 11. 37 and
13. 12). The Blessed Lord now shows the difference
between worshipping the forms of the Paramesvara looking
upon Him as One, and worshipping such forms looking
upon Him as Diverse, though the forms of the Paramesrara
may thus be numerous — ]
(20) The sinless ( persons ) and the somapl-s (that is,
performers of the Soma-ynjiia), who are traividya (that is, who
perform the ritual prescribed in the three Vedas, namely,
the S.g, Yajuh, and Sama); who, worshipping Me by means
of a Yajna, entertain a desire to obtain heaven, reach the
holy sphere of Indra, and enjoy the numerous divine
enjoyments of the gods, in heaven. (21) And when they
have exhausted their merit, by enjoying that expansive
heaven, they take birth again and come to the mortal world.
In this way, those people, who observe the trayl-dharma (that
is, the Sruti religion, consisting of Yajnas aad Yagas
prescribed in the three Vedas ), and who entertain a desire
for desirable enjoyments, have to go backwards and forwards
(from heaven).
[The proposition that, although residence in heaven for
some time becomes possible by worshipping various deities,
and by performing such religious observances as Yajnas
qa^ ITSgas, one has to take birth again and eome back to
GTTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. IX 1053
the mortal world when the acquired merit is over, has been
mentioned several times before (Gl. 2. 42-44; 4.34 ; 6. 41; 7. 23;
8. 16 and 25). Release is not like that, but is permanent ;
that is to say, when once a person has reached the Param-
esvara, the. cycle of birth and death does not any more exist
for him. The description of the happiness of heaven given
in the Mahabharata (Vana. 260) is similar. But a doubt
may arise as to how the ' yoga-ksema' (that is, security
and prosperity in life — Trans. ), in the world will go on, if
Yajfias and Yagas are given up, seeing that the Yajnas
and Yagas are responsible for rain, etc., (see my com-
mentary on Gl. 2. 45 and Gl. Ra. pp. 404-405). Therefore,
the Blessed Lord gives a reply to that doubt, immediately
after the above stanza — ]
(22) Those none-other-worshipping persons, who, meditating
(only) on Me, worship Me, of those perpetually steeped-in-
Yoga persons, I carry on the yoga-ksema (that is, security
and prosperity — Trans.).
[Even the Sasvatakosa defines ' yoga-ksema ' by saying
that 'getting the things one has not got' is 'yoga'; and
'protection of the things one has got' is ' ksema' (see
stanzas 100 and 292); the sum and substance of the
expression is 'daily maintenance in worldly life'. The
reader is referred to the explanation of what this means
in the path of Karma-Yoga, given in Chapter XII of the
Gita-Rahasya (see pp. 535 to 537). It has been similarly
stated in the Narayanlya doctrine that : —
manlsino hi ye kecit yatayo moksadliarmvnaK I
tesam vicchinnatrsnanam yogaksemavaho harih it
(Ma. Bha. San. 348. 72).
And it is also stated there that such persons, though they
may be ' ekanta-bhakta-s ', (that is, worshippers in solitude —
Trans. ) belong, nevertheless, to the Path of Action, that is,
they perform Action with a desireless frame of mind. The
Blessed Lord now explains what happens to those persons
1054 ; GlTA-BAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
art ft ^g-frRt *Tre>r ^ srg^i ^ i
who worship the Paramesvara, looking upon Him as diverse
(that is, analytically — Trans. )
(23) Even those, who, becoming faith-filled, and
(becoming) devotees of other deities, perform sacrifice, they
too, O Kaunteya ! (indirectly) sacrifice to Me, though not in,
the prescribed way ; (24) because, I am the recipient and
the Lord of all Yajfias; but, as they do not understand-
Me essentially, they slip.
[See the explanation given by me in Chapter XIII of
the GIta-Eahasya (pp. 586 to 591) of the importance of the
proposition laid down in these two stanzas. The principle
that, whatever deity is taken, it is a kind of form of the
Paramesvara, has been in vogue from very ancient times
in the Vedic religion. For instance, it has been stated
in the Rg-Veda that " ekam sadvipra bahudha vadanty agnim
yamccfn mutaris oanamahuh " ( Rg. 1. 164, 46 ), that is, " though
the Paramesvara is only One, sages give Him such
different names as, Agni, Yama, Matarisva ( Wind ) ". And
consistently with that doctrine, there is a description of
the various manifestations of the Paramesvara in the
next chapter though He is only One. So also in the
N&rayanlyopakhyana of the Mahabharata, after stating
that the devotee, who performs Actions in solitude, is
the most excellent one out of the four kinds of devotees,
(see my commentary on Gi. 7. 19), it is stated as follows.—
brahimvam Icsitikaytham ca yascanya devatah smrtah I
prabkuddhamryah sevaTtto mameucdsyanii yat param II
(Ma. Bha. San. 347.35.) •
that is, "even those saints, who worship Brahmadeva or
Siva or the other deities, also ultimately come and reach
Me"; and the ideas in the above stanzas in the Glta have
also been adopted in the Bhagavata-Purana (Bhag. 10,-
GTTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. IX 1 055
*m% ^setst ?3rra; fq*pni?cr ft-pm: i < ,
^Jcttr ^m% iflw Trf??f nsrri^fisft *m. » ^ »
pp. 408-10 ). In the same way, it is again stated later on
in the Narayanlyopakhyana, that : —
ye yajanti pitrun devan guruns caivatithims tatka I
gas caiua dvijamukhyams ca prthivlm mataram tatha li
karmaya manasa vaea visnum eva yajanti te I
(Ma. Bha. San. 345 ; 26,27).
that is, " those who worship deities, ancestors, preceptors,
.guests, Brahmins, cows, etc., indirectly worship only Visnu."
It is surprising that even the followers of the Bhagavata
religion should quarrel with the followers of Saivism,
though the Bhagavata religion itself thus clearly states
that Devotion should be taken as the principle factor,
and that the symbol in the form of a deity is a matter
of minor importance, or that though there may be a
difference in the form of worship, yet, the worship is only
of the One Paramesvara. To proceed: the Blessed Lord
now explains how though the proposition, that whatever
deity is worshipped, the worship is ultimately received
by the Bhagavanta, is true, worshippers miss the Path of
Release, as they do not realise that the deity is one and
the same; and ths Blessed Lord Himself gives different
Fruits of Action to different persons according to their
respective faith — ]
.(25) Those, who worship deities go to and are merged in the
■deities; those, who worship ancestors, in the ancestors?
those, who worship (different) past beings, in (those
^respective) past beings; and those who worship Me, in Me.
[In short, although one Paramesvara alone pervades
everything, yet, the fruit of the worship is of a higher or
lower grade to every one according to his respective faith.
Nevertheless, it must not be forgotten, that the act of giving
the reward is not performed by the deity, but by the Para-
mesvara, as has been stated above ( Gl. 7. 20-23 ). The
•statement made above by the Blessed Lord, in the 24th
stanza that, "I am the recipient of all Yajflas" means the
1056 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
§§ ire gW "K^ cfN % n fl^Bjr sprssra i
same thing. Even in the Mahsbharata, it is stated as
follows : — ■
yasmin yasmins en visage yo yo yati viniscayam I
sa tarn eoabhijanati nanyani bharatasattama II
(San. 352. 3);
that is, " on whatever form ( bhava ) any man is fixed, he gets
a fruit, which is conformable to that form"; and there is a
Sruti text that "yam yatha yatliopasate tad eva bliavati"
( see my commentary on Gl. 8. 6 ). After having described
the state obtained by those, who worship the Paramesvara.
analytically, in the first part of the stanza, the second
part states that those, who worship the Blessed Lord with
the faith that there is none other, are really merged in
the Blessed Lord. The Blessed Lord now enunciates the
important principle in the Path of Devotion, that He does
not pay any attention to what His Devotee offers to Him,
but merely takes into account his faith or devotion — ]
(26) Whoever with devotion, offers Me a leaf, or a flower;,
or a fruit, or (according to his means) even a little water,
that devotional offering of that ' prayatatma' (that is, person.
with a regulated Mind ), I accept (gladly).
[The above stanza enunciates the devotional trans-
formation of the principle of Karma-Yoga, that "the
Reason is superior to the Action" (See Gl. Ea. Chap. XV,
pp. 668 to 672 ). In this connection, the tradition of the
boiled rice offered by Sudama to Sri Krsna is well-known;
and in the Bhagavata-Puxana, this stanza has appeared
in the Sudamacaritopakhyana itself (Bhag. 10. U. 81. A).
Having a large or a small quantity of the material for
worship, is not subject to the control of a person, under all
oircumstances, and at all times. It is, therefore, said in the
Sastras, that the Blessed Lord is satisfied, not only with
whatever little material for worship may be available
according to one's means, but even by the mental material'
of worship offered with a pure mind. The Blessed Lordi
GlTA" , TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. IX 1057
§§ ic*<iiM ; 5rrsnf% QFrs&m «f?u% wi, i
: ^TfT^i% ^3T cif^ 1 ?^ Tf^onj; ii ?a »
does not crave for materials of worship, but is concerned
only with Devotion. This is the most important difference
between the Mlmamsa Path and the Path of Devotion. For
performing Tajaas and Yagas, it is necessary to spend
a lot of money, and also many other things have got to be
done; but the devotional sacrifice can be performed even
with a single leaf of the tulsi plant. There is an incident
described in the Mahabharata of DraupadI having performed
this kind of Yajna when DurvSsa had come as a guest to
her place, and having thereby pleased the Blessed Lord.
To proceed : the Blessed Lord now advises Arjuna to perform
various Actions in the way, in which the devotee of the
Blessed Lord performs them ; and explains to him what is
obtained by doing so—]
(27) O Kaunteya ! whatever you do, whatever you eat,
whatever you offer as sacrifice, whatever you give, whatever
austerity you perform, dedicate all that to Me. (28) Acting
thus, (even performing Actions), you will be free from the
bonds of Action, in the shape of a good or evil result ; and,
becoming a 'yuktatma' (that is, pure-hearted), and
(becoming) Released, by means of this Yoga of Renunciation,
(of the Fruit of Action), you will come and reach Me.
[Prom this it becomes quite clear, that even the Devotee
of the Blessed Lord (the bhagavadbhakta) has to perform
all Actions, with the idea of dedicating them to Sri Krsna,
and that he cannot give up Action; and from this point
of view, these two stanzas are important. The principle
of the Jnana-Yajna, namely, " bmhmarpayam brahma havih"
(Gl. 4. 24), has now been enunciated in the 27th stanza
in the terminology of Devotion. ( See Gl. Ra. Ch. XIII,
pp. 602 to 604). The Blessed Lord has advised Arjuna
already in Chapter III that: "mayi sarvaijd karmani
1058 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
§§ ^mrsi sr&ipS t % |<arfsfef * fsw i
sift %S5 *rercr ^3Tcr nTJRwparr^ >
^tt^st *r ^cTcg: ^r*s!rcri%cft ft w- » 3° »
sanmyasya" (Gi. 3. 30), that is, " making a Renunciation
■of all Action in Me— fight"; and in Chapter V, the
Blessed Lord has again said, that the person, who performs
Actions unattachedly, dedicating them to the Brahman,
is not affected by the Action ( 5. 10 ). This is true
Renunciation according to the Glta ( Gl. 18. 2 ) ; and, one who
performs all Actions, in this way, giving up (samnyasya)
the Hope for Fruit of Action, is a ' nitya-samnyasin'
< perpetual ascetic), (Gi. 5. 3). The Glta does not approve
■of Renunciation in shape of the Abandonment of Action.
It has been stated in various places before, that performing
Actions in this way, is not obstructive of Release (Gi. 2. 64;
3. ■ 19; 4. 23 ; 5. 12 ; 6. 1 ; 8. 7 ) j and, the same thing has been
repeated here in the 28th stanza. In the Bhagavata-
Purana, the Nrsimha-formed Lord has advised Prahlada
as follows namely, " mayyavesya manastat kuru Isarmayi
matparah", that is, "perform all Actions, fixing your mind
on Me " ( BhSg. 7. 10. 23 ) ; and later on, in the 11th skandha,
the principle of Yoga by Devotion has been enunciated
by saying, that the Devotee of the Blessed Lord should
' dedicate all Actions to Narayana ( See Bhag. 11. %. 36 and
11. 11. 24 ). To proceed : it has been stated in the beginning
of this chapter that the. Path of Devotion is pleasant and
■easy. The Blessed Lord now describes the other great
special quality of that Path, namely, Equability, as
follows: — ] .. i
(29) I am the same towards all created beings; to Me
(there) is not (some one, who is) dvesya (that is, un-liked),
nor (some one, who is) priya (that is, dear). But, those who
worship Me with devotion, I am embodied in them, and they
are embodied in Me. (30) Be he a great evil-doer, yet, if
he worships Me with the faith that there is no one else, then
he must be considered a saint; because, the determination of
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. IX 1059
*rf f| ITS? &mx%<Q $sfa ^: Trnfrnp I
his Reasoa is proper. (31) He soon becomes a 'dharmatma'
■ (that is, ' a pious soul' — Trans.); and attains eternal tran-
quility. O Kaunteya! know this to be certain, that no
devotee of mine is (ever) destroyed.
[The third stanza is not to be understood as meaning that
the Blessed Lord loves his devotee, even if he is an evil-
doer. All that the Blessed Lord says is that, even if a man
is an evil-doer in the beginning, yet, when his mind has
become definitely directed towards the Paramesvara, he
cannot afterwards perform any evil Action; and, that he
gradually becomes a pious soul ( dharmatma ), and attains
Perfection; and by such Perfection, his sin is ultimately
fully destroyed. In short, the proposition stated in
Chapter VI, that even if a man is merely inspired by the
desire to know what Karma-Yoga is, he becomes helpless, as
if he was put into a grinding-mill, and gradually goes
beyond the fruit-promising ritualism ( subda-brahma), is now
made applicable to the Path of Devotion. The Blessed
Lord now explains more clearly how He is equable towards
all created beings — ]
• (32) Because, O Partha ! taking shelter in Me, women,
Vaisyas/Sudras, and others born in a sinful class (such as
the lowest classes, etc. ) obtain the highest state ; ( 33 )
then, all the more so, those, who are holy Brahmins and also
King-Sages (i. e., ' rajarsi-s ' — Trans.), (Ksatriyas), who are
My devotees. As you are living in this transient and
unhappy (that is, painful) mortal world, do you be devoted
■•to Me.
[Some commentators have said that the word ' papayom'
in the 32nd stanza is not independent, but applies equally to
1060 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
women, Vaisyas, and Sudras, because no one is born as
a woman, or a Vaisya, or a Sudra, unless be has committed
some sin in previous births. According to them, the word
'papayoni ' is a common word, and women, Vaisyas, and
Sudras, are specific divisions of such papayoni, given by
way of illustration. But this interpretation is not correct
according to me. Tbe word 'papayoni' indicates such
tribes as are referred to as 'criminal tribes' in present
legislation ; and, the doctrine laid down in these stanzas is,
that people belonging to even these classes obtain Perfection
by means of Devotion to the Blessed Lord. Women,
Vaisyas, and Sudras do not come under these tribes, and
their difficulty in obtaining Release, is that they are not
authorised to hear the Vedas ; and it is, therefore, stated
in the Bhagavata-Purana that : —
stri sudra duija-bandhunam trayi na srufigocara I
karmasreyasi mudhanam sreya evam bliaved iha l
iti bharatam akhyanam krpaya mumria kriam II
( Bhag. 1. 4. 25 )
that is, "in order that women, Sudras, and the nominal
Brahmins of the Kali-Yuga ( i. e., the present age ), who do-
not get a chance of hearing the Vedas, should not remain
ignorant, the sage Vyasa has benevolently and intentionally
written the MahabhSrata, — and necessarily also the
Glta — for their benefit". The above stanzas from the
Bhagavadgita have, with minor alterations of reading,,
also appeared in the Anuglta (Ma. Bha. Asva. 19.
61, 62). The true worth of this royal road of Devotion
to the Blessed Lord, which gives a good final state to all,,
without considering the difference between castes, or
between classes, or between women and men, or between
persons of black or white colour., will become fully
intelligible to any one who considers the history of the
Maharastra saints. A fuller explanation of the above
stanza has been given in Chapter XIII of the Glta-Rahasya
at pp. 613 to 618, to which the reader is referred. The advice
given to Arjuna in the latter part of the 33rd stanza,
to follow this religion of Devotion, is continued in the
34th stanza. 1
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. IX 1061
(34) Keep your mind fixed on Me, become My devotee,
worship Me, offer sacrifice to Me, and bow down before Me.
When, becoming thus devoted to Me, you perform your
Yoga, you will come and reach Me.
[Strictly speaking, this advice has been started in the
33rd stanza. The word 'arutya', in the 33rd stanza, has
been used consistently with the Metaphysical doctrine,
that the expansion of Prakrti, or the Name-d and Form-ed
visible world, is non-permanent; and, that the Atman, or
the Paramatman alone is permanent; and the word
' asukha ' echoes the proposition, that there is more of unhappi-
ness than of happiness in this life. Yet, this description does
not pertain to the Philosophy of the Absolute Self, but to the
Path of Devotion ; and, that is why, instead of using the
words ' ' parabrahman'' or 'paramatman', the Blessed Lord
has used words indicative of the first person, with reference
to His perceptible form, and said "Worship Me, keep your
Mind concentrated on Me, and bow down before Me"; and
advised Arjuna, that, if he thus performed this Yoga or
Karma- Yoga, with Devotion, and becoming attached to
Him, (Gl. 7. 1), he would be free from the bonds of Action,
and ultimately come and be merged in Him; and that is-
the final admonition of the Blessed Lord. And the same
advice has been repeated later on at the end of Chapter XL
This is, indeed, the mystic import of the whole of the-
Glta. The only difference is, that it has once been
expressed from the Metaphysical point of view, and at
another time, from the Devotional point of view. ]
Thus ends the ninth chapter named Rajvidya-Raja-
guhya Yoga in the dialogue between Sri Kysna and Arjuna,
on the Yoga included in the Science of the Brahman, (that is,
the Karma- Yoga) in the Upanisad sung (that is, told) by the
Blessed Lord.
'§§ *$sr asr st^ff ^g 3r q^f ^r: i
su^nritil ?=jTHi J^orf ^ ^j: u * 11
3T#>p: *f *#5 ^rfrriq: Sfg^ u ■% ||
CHAPTER X.
[The description of the royal road in the shape of the
-worship of the Perceptible, prescribed by the Blessed Lord
for acquiring Karma-Yoga in the last chapter, is continued
in this chapter ; and in reply to the question of Arjuna, He
gives in the end a description of the various perceptible
forms or manifestations {ribhuti) of the Paramesvara ; and
hearing this description, Arjuna is filled with the desire of
seeing the Form of the Paramesvara with his own eyes ;
therefore, in the next, that is, the eleventh chapter, the
Blessed Lord has shown him His Cosmic Form, and satisfied
his ambition.]
The Blessed Lord said :— (1) Mahabaho ! to you, who
.are gratified ( by My speech ), I am once more describing
( one ) excellent thing, for your benefit, to which listen.
.(2) My origin is not understood even by the multitude of
gods, or by great Rsis; because, I am, indeed, in every way,
the Fundamental cause of the gods and the great Rsis. (3) He,
who realises that I am the Great Isvara of all spheres, ( such
as, the earth, etc. ), and that there is no birth or origin for
Me, he alone, among all men, becoming free from Ignorance,
becomes free from all sins.
[The idea that the Parabrahman, or the Blessed Lord, was
in existence even before the gods, and that the gods came
afterwards, is to be found in the Nasadiya-Sukta in the
P,g-Yeda (See Gl. Ea. Ob. IX, p. 351). To proceed : this
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. X
§§ l^HTTT^lfti: $P7T W% ?T: Wf- >
' i# i*^ *rats*trat *rs ^wr&r ^ n 8 n
is, so far, the introduction; the Blessed Lord now explains
how He is the Great Isvara of all — ]
(4) Reason, Knowledge, Non-delusion, forgiveness, Truthy.
sensual restraint, tranquility, happiness, unhappiness, 'bhava
( that is, coming to life ), ' abhava ' ( that is, death ), as also*
fear and fearlessness, (5) harmlessness, equability, ' tusti '
(satisfaction), austerity, charity, 'yasa' ( that is, glory— -
Trans.), 'ayaka ' (that is, disgrace — Trans.), and other similar
' bhava '-a ( that is, temperaments ) of all living beings, .
are born from Me alone.
[The word 'bhava' means 'condition', 'state', or
' temperament ' ; and Samkbya philosophy makes a
distinction between the bhavas of Reason, and the bhavas
of the Body. As the Spirit is non-aetive, and Reason is
an evolute of Prakrti according to the Samkhyas, they
say that the various conditions or bhavas of the Reason,
existing in the Subtle Body (linga-sarira) are responsible for
the various births, as a bird or a beast, which the Subtle
Body assumes (see Gl. Ra. Ch. VIII. p. 261, and Sam. Ka.
40 to 55) ; and most probably, these are the bhavas which
have been referred to in the above two stanzas. But, as
Vedanta says that there is only One Permanent Principle,-
in the shape of the Paramatman, Which is beyond both
Matter and Spirit, and that the entire visible universe
comes to birth as a result of the desire to create ther
universe, which arises in the mind of that Paramatman, as
described in the Nasadlya-Sukta, even Vedantists say, that
all the created things in the world, which are embodied in
in Maya, are the Mental bhavas of the Parabrahman (see -
the next stanza). The words ' austerity ', ' charity
1064 GfTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA.-YOGA
H«?HT flTRTT ; 3tTm ^rf o?t3I SUT : ST3TT : II | II
' Yajna '* etc. are to be understood as the frames of mind
indicating faith in those things. To proceed : the Blessed
Lord now says that — •]
(6) The seven Great Rsis, the former Four, as also the
Manu-s from whom this generation was created in this ' loka '
( that is, world-Trans. ), are My mental ( that is, ' created by
the Mind ' ) ' bliava '-s ( that is, ' states '-Trans. ).
[Although the words used in this stanza are easy, yet,
there is great difference of opinion between the commentators
about the legendary personages to whom this stanza refers.
Especially the explanation as to the terms to which the
words " the former " and the word " Four " are to be
applied, has been given by different commentators in
different ways. The seven Maharsis ( i. e., " Great Rsis " )
are well-known ; but one kalpa of Brahmadeva consists of 14
Manvantaras (See Gl. Ra. p. 264) ; and for each of these
Manvantaras, the Manu, the deity, and the seven Rsis were
different (See Harivarhsa 1. 7; Visnu. 3. 1, and Matsya.
9). Therefore, some commentators have taken the words
" the former " as an adjective qualifying the ' Seven
Maharsis " ; and have explained the stanza by saying that
the seven Maharsis of the Caksusa Manvantara, that is, of
the Manvantara previous to the present Vaivasvata
Manvantara, are indicated here. These seven Rsis were
Bhrgu and others, namely, Bhrgu, Nabha, VivasvSn,
Sudhama, Viraja, Atinama, and Sahismi. But according to
me, this interpretation is not correct ; because, there seems
no reason to say anything in this context about the seven
Great Rsis in the Manvantara, previous to the present one,
that is, Vaivasvata Manvantara, in which the Gita. was told.
Therefore, one must take the seven Rsis to be those of the
present Manvantara. Their names have been mentioned in
* The word ' YajBa ' appears in the author's text ; but I think
' yola ' is meant, as that is the word nsed in this stanza oi the
Gita —Trims
GTTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. X 1065
the Narayanlyopakhyana of the Santiparva of the Maha-
bhSrata as : Marioi, Angirasa, Atri, Pulastya, Pulaha,
Kratu, and Vasistha (Ma. Bha. San. 335. 28, 29 ; 340. 64
. and 65) ; and in my opinion those are the seven Rsis who are
indicated here ; because, it is the Narayaniya or Bhagavata
religion, with its relative ritual, which has been supported
in the Glta (See Gl. Ra. pp. 12 and 13). However, it must
be mentioned here that the names of the seven Rsis
mentioned above, namely, Marlci, etc., are sometimes
found started from Bhrgu instead of from Angirasa ; and
in some places, there is even a description that the
seven Rsis of the present Yuga are Kasyapa, Atri,
Bharadvaja, Visvamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni, and Vasistha
{Visnu. 3. 1. 32 and 33 ; Matsya. 9. 27 and 28 ; Ma. Bh§.
Anu. 93. 21). In the Visnu-Purana, Bhrgu and Daksa
have been added to these seven Rsis, namely, Marlci and
the others, so as to make out nine (Visnu, 1. 7. 5. 6) ; and
one more, namely, Narada has again been added to those
nine in the Manu-Smrti in describing the ten Mind-born
sons (manasa-putra) of Brahmadeva (Manu. 1. 34, 35) ; and
the etymology of the words Marlci, etc., has been given in
Bharata (Ma. Bha. Anu. 85). But, as we have to see for
.the present only which these seven Great Rsis were, it is
not necessary to consider here those nine or ten Mind-
born sons or the etymological significance of their names.
It is quite clear that the words " the Former " cannot be
interpreted as meaning the seven Rsis of the previous
Manvantara. Let us now see to what extent the inter-
pretation of some commentators, who have taken the words
"the former Four" as referring to the word 'Manu-'sis
correct. There are in all fourteen Manvantaras, of which
there are fourteen Manus ; and these are sub-divided into
two classes of seven each. The first seven are called
Svayarhbhuva, Svarocisa, Auttami, Tamasa, Raivata,
Caksusa, and Vaivasvata ; and they are referred to as
' Svayarhbhuva and others ' (Manu. 1. 62 and 63). Of these,
the first six Manus are over ; and the seventh, that is to say,
the Vaivasvata Manu, is now going on, When this Manu
is over, the seven subsequent Manus (Bhag, 8. 13. 7) are
1066 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-TOGA
called the Savarni Matms. Their names are, Savarni,
Daksa-Savarni, Brahma-Savarni, Dharma-Savarni, Rudra-
Savarni, Deva-Savarni, and Indra-Savarni (Visnu. 3. 2 ;
BhSgavata. 8. 13 ; Harivarhsa, 1. 7). Considering that there
are seven Manus in each class, it cannot be explained why
the Glta should have referred only to " the former Four ",.
that is to say, the " first four " only from either class. On
account of the tradition in the Brahmanda-Purana, that out
of the Savarni Manus, the four after the first one, namely,,
the Daksa-, Brahma- Dharma- and Rudra-Savarni
Manus, were all created at the same time, some commenta-
tors say that the Glta refers to these four Savarni Manus.
But to this suggestion, an objection is taken by others that
as the Savarni Manus are all to come in the future, the/
words " from whom this generation was created in this
world ", which are indicative of the past tense, cannot be
applied to the Savarni Manus, which are to come in the'
future. In short, the words " the former Four " cannot be •
taken to refer to the word " Manus ". Therefore, the words
" the former Four " must be taken to have independent,
reference to some former four Rsis, or four personages ; and-
if you say so, the question who these " former Four " were,
naturally arises. Those commentators, who have inter-
preted this stanza in that way, say that these " former Four "
were the four Rsis named Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana, and
Sanatkumara (Bhag. 3. 12, 4). But, to this interpretation,,
there is the objection that although these four Rsis were
the Mind-born sons of Brahmadeva, yet, as they were
Sarhnyasins from birth, they refused to raise progeny ; and,,
on that account, Brahmadeva had got angry with them
(Bhag. 3. 12 ; Visnu. 1. 7) ; and, therefore, the sentence
" from whom this generation was created in this world —
" yesam loka imah prajah" — cannot under any eircum--
stances be applied to the Rsis. Besides, although it is
stated in the Puranas, that these Rsis were four, yet, in the
Bharata, in the Narayanlya, that is, the Bhagavata
doctrine, Sana, Kapila, and Sanatsujata have been added
to these four, and these seven Rsis are said to be the Mind-
born sons of Brahmadeva; and it is stated that they
GITS., TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. X 106r
followed the Path of Renunciation from birth (Ma.
Bha. 340. 67. 68). Besides, even if the Rsis are thus taken
to be sevan, that is, Sanaka and others, yet, there seems to
be no reason why only four of these should have been
referred to here. Then, who are these " former Four " ? In,
my opinion, the answer to this question must be given from,
the legendary stories pertaining to the Narayanlya, or, the-
Bhagavata religion; because, in my opinion, it is-
unquestionable that the Bhagavata doctrine alone is-
supported in the Gita. Now, if one considers the Bhagavata.
conception of the creation of the universe, the four entities
Vasudeva (Atman), Samkarsana (Jlva), Pradyumna (Mind)>
and Aniruddha (Individuation) had come into existence-
before the seven Rsis ; and, it is there stated that, from the-
last of them, namely, from Aniruddha, that is, from
Brahmadeva, the Mind-born sons Marici, etc., came to be born
(Ma. Bha. San. 339. 34 to 40 and 60 to 72 ; 340. 27 to 31).
The four entities, Vasudeva, Samkarsana, Pradyumna, and.
Aniruddha, are collectively known as the ' Caturvyuha ' j.
and whereas one sect of the Bhagavata doctrine says that
these four entities were all independent of each other, other
sects look upon two or three, out of these four, as the more
important ones. But, these conceptions are not acceptable
to the Bhagavadglta, which pertains to the ' Ekavyuha *
school, that is, which is of the opinion that the four
Vyuhas and everything else was created from ' eka ' or
One, Paramesvara, as has been shown by me in the Gita-
Rahasya (Gl. Ra. p. 266 and 756). It is, therefore, stated
in this stanza, that the four entities, Vasudeva, etc.,
forming the ' Caturvyuha ' are not independent of each
other, and that all these four "Vyuhas are the bhavas or
' states ' of One Paramesvara, that is, of the All-pervading.
Vasudeva (GI. 7. 19). Looking at the matter from this
point of view, it will be seen that the words " the former
Four " have reference to the Caturvyuha of Vasudeva and
the others, who had come into existence before the Seven
Rsis according to the Bhagavata religion. It has been
stated in the Bharata itself, that the distinction between
the four Vyuhas according to the Bhagavata religion was
57—58
1068 G-lTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
st£ srt^ spsrefir ittti ^r sr^§cr i
sksijjtctsj iff R?^ gEgfT3 =g ^prfS^r ^ ii ^ n
OTf ^cJH^TBTSff •srsrcTf sfrm'p^ I
In vogue from former times (Ma. Bha. San. 348. 57) ; this
idea is not something new invented by me. In short, on
the authority of the Narayanlyopakhyana of the Bharata,
I interpret " the seven Maharsis ", to mean, Marlci and
others ; " the former Four ", to mean, Vasudeva and others
forming the CaturvyQha ; and ' Manu-s ', to mean, the six
previous Manus, and the seventh Manu then current,
making up the Svayambhuva group of Manus. The idea
of looking upon the four entities, namely, Aniruddha, ( that
is, Individuation ), and the others, as the sons of the
Paramesvara is also to be found in another place in the
Bharata (Ma. Bha. San. 311. 7, 8). The bhava-s or mental
states of the Paramesvara have thus been mentioned. The
Blessed Lord now explains the Tesult of worshipping Him,
after one has realised this fact — ]
(7) He, who understands the principle of this my 'vibhuti'
(that is, manifestation) and this my Yoga (that is, device or
power by which I cause this manifestation), undoubtedly
attains the permanent (Karma-) Yoga. (8) Wise men, realising
that I am the Origin of everything, and that all things spring
from Me, become imbued with My bhava-s ( that is, states
— Trans. ) and thus worship Me. (9) Concentrating their
minds on Me, fixing their life on Me, giving counsel to each
other and telling each other legends about Me, they are
always happy and engrossed (in doing that ). (10) To those,
who thus always remaining 'yukta' (that is, content),
worship Me, I give the Yoga of the ( Equable ) Reason,
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. X 1069
arfttcfr |srat surras ^rt t*r snftfa 3r « ?^ «
■which enables them to come and reach Me. (11) And in
order to bestow favour on them, I enter their ' atmabhaoa '
(that is, their Inner Sense); and by the brilliant Lamp of
Knowledge, destroy the darkness born of Ignorance ( in
their Minds ).
[It has been stated above in. Chapter VII that it is the
Paramesvara Himself, Who creates the faith towards
various deities (7. .21) ; in the same way, it is now stated in
the 10th stanza that the act of increasing Equability of
Reason in persons, who have taken to the Path of
Devotion, is performed by the Paramesvara Himself ; and
■this proposition in the Path of Devotion is similar in
.meaning to the statement made above (Gti. 6. 44) that once
.a man is inspired by a desire for Karma-Yoga, he is
dragged towards complete perfection, as if he had been put
into a grinding-mill. It is said that this capacity arises
from Free Will according to the doctrine of Causality.
But, even the Atman is the Paramesvara ; therefore, it is
.stated in the Doctrine of Devotion, that this Fruit or this
Frame of Mind is given by the Paramesvara to each one
according to his actions in previous births (Gl. 7. 20 and
<GI. Ra. Oh. XIII, p. 596). After the Blessed Lord has in
this way explained the principle underlying the Path of
Devotion — ]
Arjuna said : — (12) That You (are) the Highest Brahman,
■the most Exalted State, the most Sacred Thing, the Brilliant
and the Permanent Spirit, the Highest Deity, the Unborn,
the sarva-vibhu (that is, the All-pervading), (13) is said
with reference to You by all E.sis, as also by the Devarsi
1070 GlTA-RAHASYA OK KARMA-YOGA
^%aicf n*% ^nw s?f% ^m i
!T f| & SR^C S?rf% f%#TT 5T ^TSTcTT: « ?8 II
^icJ^I^R ^?T %#T STO^S II ?H II
mfvrfi'ijm^f^Timf ^ 5?rr'^r "rtst% » \5 »
^1 %5 "ar *rras fas?«ftsi% sprasjnsrr h ?« h
ijjr. ^«ra iJ?rf| ^inrefi ?m% irsf <t>3; u ?<j ii
Narada, by Asita, Devala, and even by Vyasa; and You
also tell me the same thing. (14) Kesava ! all this which
You tell me, I look upon as true. O Blessed Lord ! Your
'vyaM' (that is, Your origin) is known neither to the gods
nor to the demons. (15) O Bhutesa, "Who have created'
all these created beings ! O God of gods, and Lord o£
the Universe 1 You alone are the one, O Purusottama ! Who
know Yourself! (16) Therefore, those your divine mani-
festations, by which You have pervaded all these spheres,
(please) describe all those in detail to me. (17) O Yogin t
how shall I Realise You, by continually meditating on You ?
and O Blessed Lord ! in what different objects should I
meditate on You? (Tell me that). (18) O Janardana !'
tell nie again in full detail Your vibhuti-s (that is, mani-
festations) and Your Yoga, because, I cannot hear enough,
of this (Your) nectar-like (conversation).
[The words ' vibhUti' and 'yoga' have appeared in the?
7th stanza of this chapter, and Arjuna has repeated them,
here. See the meaning of the word 'Yoga' which has.
been given before (Gi. 7. 25). It must be borne in mind, as
has been stated in the 17th. stanza, that Arjuna's reason
for asking about the different manifestations of the Blessed
Lord was not in order to meditate on those different
manifestations as deities, but in order to look upon all
those different manifestations as being the All-Pervasive-
GITA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. X 1071
Paramesvara. Because, the Blessed Lord has already
explained before that there is a world of difference, from
the point of view of the Path of Devotion, between believing
that there is only one Paramesvara in all places, and
looking upon the different manifestations of the Param-
esvara as different deities ( Gl. 7. 20 to 25, 9-32 to 28 ). ]
Ths Blessed Lord said : — (1 9) Very well ! Kurusrestha I
I shall now describe to you the most important of My divine
manifestations, because, there is no end to My expansion.
[ There are descriptions of the form of the Paramesvara
in the Anusasanaparva ( 14, 311-321 ). and in the
Anu-glta ( Asva. 43-44 ), which are similar to the
description of manifestations given here. But, as the
description in the Gita is sweeter than those given else-
where, it seems to have been copied in the other places.
For instance, a similar description of manifestations has
been made in the 15th chapter of the eleventh skandha of
the Bh&gavata-Purana by the Blessed Lord to TJddhava ;
and it has been stated there (Bhag. 11. 16. 6-8), that the
description is similar to the description given in this
chapter. ]
(20) O Gudakesa! I am the 'atma' (that is, Self— Trans.),
which exists in the heart of all created beings; and I am
also the origin, the middle, and the end of (all) created
beings. (21) I am the Visnu among the (twelve) aditya-s
(that is, Suns— Trans.) ; I am the radiating Sun, among the
brilliant bodies; I am Marici out of the (seven or forty-nine *)
* In the 1W15 edition of the text, these are stated to be
•thirty-nine — Trans.
1072 GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-TOGA
ii^norf sR3jn%r ^a w u r fcr ^m h ** "
Maruta-s; I (am) the Moon, among the lunar asterisms.
(22) I am the Sama-veda, among the Vedas; (I) am Indra,
among the gods; (I) am the Mind, among the senses; (1) am.
the cetcma, (that is, the movement of vitality) in created'
beings.
[Just as it is stated here, that "I am the Sama-Veda
among the Vedas " that is to say, that the Sama-Veda is the
principal Veda, so also is it stated in the AnusSsanaparva
of the MahabhSrata (14. 317) that " samauedas ca vedanafii
yajusUm satarudriyam". But in the Anu-glta, supreme
importance among the Vedas is given to the Om-kara by
the words " Om-kardh sarva-vedanam, etc." (Asva. 44. 6); and
it has been stated in the Glta itself, in a previous chapter
(Gl. 7. 8), that "pranavah sarvavedem " (that is, " I am the
pravava (Om-kara) in all the Vedas — Trans.). So also in
the Gits (9. 17) a higher place has been given to the •
Rg-Veda than to the Sama-Veda by the words " rk-sama-
yajur eva ca " ; and the ordinary belief is the same. As
these statements have been looked upon as mutually
contradictory, several persons have come out with different
explanations about them. In the Ohandogyopanisad, the
Om-kara is given the name ' udgitha ': and it is stated there,
that this ' udgitha ' is the summary of the Sama-Veda, and
that the Sama-Veda is the summary of the Rg-Veda
(Chan. 1. 1. %). This statement in the Chandogya harmo-
nises the various statements regarding which is the most ■
superior among the Vedas; because, even in the Sama-
Veda, the hymns have been taken from the Rg-Veda. But,
some persons are not satisfied with that ; and say that there
must be some deep reason for giving prominence to the
Sama-Veda in the Glta in this plaoe. Although the Sama-
Veda has been given prominence in the Ohandogyopanisad,
yet, Manu has said "the voice of the Sama-Veda is
; impure " (Manu. 4. 124). From this fact, one critic has
drawn the inference that the Glta, which gives prominence
to the Sama-Veda, must be anterior in point of time to
GlTA, TRANSLATION- & COMMENTARY, CH. X 107S
wtf 5nnrt(s%T ^rw»rf fffrrgrq". « sh ii
Manu ; and another critic says that the writer of the Gita.
was possibly a Sama-Vedl; and that he has, on that-
account, given prominence to the Sama-Veda. But, in my
opinion, it is not necessary to go so far for giving a
satisfactory explanation of the words "lam the Sama-Veda
among the Vedas". The worship or praise of the
Paramesvara in the form of a song is always given
prominence in the Path of Devotion. For instance, in the
Narayanlya-dharma, Narada has described the Blessed
Lord as " vedesu so, purayesu, sang opart gesu giyase" (Ma.
Bha. San. 334. 23); Vasuraja has been described as 'singing'
the 'japya' : cf., " japyam jagau" (San. 337. 27 ; and 342.
70 and 81 ), by making use of the root ' gai ' (to sing).
There is, therefore, nothing to be surprised at in prominence
being given in a devotional religion to the musical Sama-
Veda over the ritualistic Veda consisting of Yajnas
and Yagas ; and in my opinion, this is the simple reason for
saying " I am the Sama-Veda among the Vedas ".]
(23) And, among the (eleven) Rudras, I am Samkara*
Kubera, among the Yaksa-raksasa-s; I am the Pavaka, among
the (eight) Vasu-s ; I, the Mem among the ( seven) mountains ;
(24) O PSrtha ! and understand that among the preceptors*
I am the principal one, namely, Brhaspati; I (am) Skanda
(Kartikeya) among the commanders of armies; I am the
Samudra (the ocean), among collections of water. (25) I>-
Bhrgu, among the great Rsis ; I am the one-syllabled sound
'om-kara' in speech; I am the japa-yajna, among Yajfias; and
from among the immoveable (that is, steady) things, I am
the Himalaya ;
1074 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
3T»gr«j: /•ertf^Fnrf ^spriM ^ ?m3 : i
*t?sr«rfarf f*mm- T%^rjrf g?fqc?r sr%t u ^ »
fqfamr&Tr ^TTCR W ^TOfmTi H. II ^ II
[ The sentence " I am the japa-ijajiia amort? the Yajfias "
is of importance. In the Anu-gita, it is stated that
" yajnariam hiitamuttamam'' that is, "out of the Yajfias,
that Yajna, which consists of offering ' liavi ' (into the fire)
is the most important " (Ma. Bha. Asva. 44. 8) ; and the
same is the opinion of Vedic ritualists ; hut, as the nama-
yajila or the japa-yajna is of greater importance than the
havir-yajila in the Path of Devotion, the words " yajftariam
japa-yajnosmi " have appeared in the Glta. Manu has
stated in one place (2.87) that : — ■" whatever else the
Brahmin may do or not do, he attains Release by japa
(silent meditation) alone. The reading in the Bh&gavata
is " yajfianam brahmayajnoliafn " — ]
{26) among ths trees, the asvattha (that is, the pippal) tree;
Narada, among the god-Rsis; Citraratha, among the Gandhar-
vas; Kapila Muni, among the Siddhas; (27) and the
Uccaisravas horse, which came into existence at the time
of the churning for nectar, among horses ; know that I am
.all these ; the airavata, among the excellent elephants ; and
the king, among men. (28) I, the sword, among instruments
.of war-fare; lam the kama-dhenu among cows; and I am
Kama, which is responsible for the creation of progeny;
I am Vasuki among the serpents; (29) I am Ananta
among the riaga-s; I, Varuna, among the yadas, (that is,
the aquatic creatures); and 1 am the aryarm among the
ancestors ; I am Yama, among those, who regulate.
[ The meanings of Vasuki as the ' king of serpents ' and
of Ananta as ' Sesa ' axe to he found in the Amarakosa,
GITA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. X 1075
input -^ i*r«frsi: tr^ra Tf^orr^ « ^o n
«rw T3rrmi%r tut : sr^frmfj; i
aregffrUfelT ft^H) STlf! Mcl4dm^ H 33 I"
as also in the Mahabharata (Ma. Bha. Adi. 35-39). But
one cannot definitely say what the difference between
nagas and serpents, is. In the Astikopakhyana of the
Mahabharata, these words have been used as synonymous ;
but the use of the words ' sarpa ' and ' naga ' in this place,
shows that two different kinds of the common class of
serpents are intended. It is stated in Sridhara's com-
mentary that the ' serpent ' is poisonous, and the ' naga ',
non-poisonous ; and in the Ramanujabhasya, the distinction
is made by saying that serpents have only one head, and
nagas have many heads ; but, both these distinctions do
not seem to me correct ; because, in some places, in
mentioning the important families among the nagas,
Ananta and Vasuki are both mentioned in the beginning ;
and both are described as being many-headed and
poisonous, but Ananta is described as fire-coloured and
Vasuki as yellow-coloured. The reading in the Bhagavata
is the same as in the Glta. ]
'(30) And I am Prahlada, among the demons; I, Kala, among
the swallowers-up ; and I, the 'mrgendra' (that is, the lion)
among the animals ; and the eagle, among birds. (31) lam
the wind, among the speeders. I (am) Rama, among
arms-bearers; I am the alligator, among fishes; and the
Bhagirathi, among the rivers. (32) O Arjuna ! I am the
origin, the middle and the end of the entire creation;
Metaphysics, among all sciences; I, the logic of all
■controversialists.
[It has been stated in the 20th stanza above, that the
Blessed Lord is the origin of all activated (sacetana) things;
and He now says, that He is the beginning, middle, and
1076 GlTA-RAHA$YA OR KARMA-YOGA
Ejnffn sfrefN. ^ JTifrorf ^ifcm*^r f fin ^mr t< 38 11
rrrsrrHf JTrfafhTfs^fjsTf f^rar- « 3H 11
ead of the entire moveable and immoveable creation ; this
is the distinction. ]
(33) I am the aMra (the letter 'a'), among the letters?.
and amoug compounds, lam the (ubhaya-pada-pradhana'),.
(that is, copulative — Trans.) ' dvamdva ' ; I am the in-
exhaustible Time (such as, nimesa-muhurtct etc.); lam the
' saraatomukha' (that is, having mouths or faces on all the
four sides) 'dhatW (creator — Trans.) or Brahmadeva. (34) 1-
am death, the destroyer of all ; and I am the origin of all
to be born in the future; among females, I am fame>-
fortune, speech, 'smrti' (that is, memory — Trans.), 'media
(that is, intellect— Trans.), 'dhrti' (that is, courage— Trans. ) ■
and 'ksama' (that is, forgiveness — Trans.).
[The words *ldrti\ 'srV, 'vak', etc., indicate the several
respective deities. The five out of these, excepting speech
and forgiveness, and the other five ( pu$ti, sraddha, kriya,
lajja, and mati, (that is, sound-bodiadness, faith, action,
shame, and understanding), these ten are the daughters
of Daksa; and, as they had been given in marriage
to Dharma, they are all described as " dharma-patnis "
in the MahSbharata (Adi. 66. 13, 14).]
(35) Similarly, among the Sanaa, (that is, those Vedic-
hymns, which are to be sung ) I am the Brhatsama ; and
among the metres, I am the Gayatrl-metre ; I am MSrga--
sirsa among the months, and the Spring, among the six
seasons.
[The first place has been given to the month of Marga-
alrsa among the months, because, it was usual in those days
to start with the month of Margasirsa in counting the
months (Ma. Bb.3. Ami. 106 and 109 ; Valmlki Ramayana
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. X 1077
^ro^t «m^dWl**( «flidiftH MJUNdlH i
#4 "t«JTf%ff ii^lHI fTR f|M<4dl*I^H II "\C II
sperrfq Hitisraf sftsr d^^r i
T a^feT T3TCT <(t^M<ll let ^tr«R^ II \\ II
waisRa *ra f^rnf t^sfttf "K^tt i
*w dj^tid : sfr^r fir^dEkdCl *r*n h so »
3. 16). There is a similar reference in the Bhagavata (11.
16, 27). I have pointed out in my book called 'Orion ' that
the Mrgasirsa constellation is called the agrahayayi, or,
' the constellation at the commencement of the year '; that,
the Mrga constellation must have got the first place, when
the computation starting with the Mrga constellation was
in vogue, and that the Margasirsa month must also
have acquired importance later on, on that account ; and
I have to refer the reader to that book. I am not going
into the matter here for fear of taking up space.]
(36) I am the gambling, of those, who deceive; I, the
brilliance of the brilliant ; I am the victory (of the victorious)}
and I, the determination (of those who are determined);
and I, the faithfulness of the faithful. (37) Among the
Yadavas, I am Vasudeva ; among the Pandavas, Dhanafijaya j
among the sages too, I am VySsa; and among the learned,
I am Sukracarya. (38) I am the rod (of authority) of those,
who punish; lam the niti ( that is, the diplomacy) of those,
who desire success; and among (all) mysteries, I am silence.
I am the knowledge of the knowers. (39) Similarly,
O Arjuna ! I am the seed of all created beings ; and there
is not a single moveable or immoveable being, which can
exist without Me. (40) O Parantapa ! there is no end
to My divine manifestations; I have mentioned this expanse
of My emanations merely directionally.
1078 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
3T«jcrr ^i^r fir srra^ ?raT#T i
fggsamftf fr^sfffar f%SefT snra[ H 8* II
sf?r «fora?*ra#Tmg ^rf q ^g s§n%iw gtwr#
[ Having thus mentioned His principal emanations, the
Blessed Lord now summarises the chapter — ]
(41) Anything whatever, which is invested with power,
glory, or splendour, has come into existence out of a portion
of My brilliance. (42) Or, O Arjuna ! what use have you
for knowing all this emanation? (To tell you the whole,
in short) by (only) one portion of Myself, have I pervaded
the whole of this Cosmos.
[The last stanza is based on the rcu "padosya visva
bhutard tripSdasyS 'mrtarh dim" ( Rg. 10. 90. 3) from
the Purusa-Sukta ; and this hymn has also appeared in the
Ghandogyopanisad (Chan. 3. 12. 6). The meaning of the
word ' amsa' has been explained at the end of Chapter IX
•of the Gita-Bahasya (see pp. 338 to 343), to which the
reader is referred. If the Blessed Lord has pervaded the
whole of this universe with only a portion of Himself, it
is quite clear that the entire emanation of the Blessed
Lord must be still greater ; and this last stanza has been
added only to make that clear. In the Purusa-Sukta, it is
stated that " etavan asya mahimu 'to jyayams ca pUrusah ",
that is, " this is only a description of His greatness, the
' Purusa Himself is much greater than this". ]
Thus ends the tenth chapter entitled Vibhuti-Yoga in
the dialogue between Sri Krsna and Arjuna on the Yoga
included in the Science of the Brahman, (that is, the
Karma- Yoga) in the Upanisad sung (that is, told) by the
Blessed Lord.
^tewl* g^^cfa JTtltS^ fgtcit m II ? »
?|wsi?FTH ^ ^rat 5 ^ gwrnr » 3 ii
CHAPTER XI.
[After the Blessed Lord had described His own mani-i-
testations in the last chapter, Arjuna was filled with the
desire of seeing this Cosmic Form (visvarupa); and the
description given in this chapter of the Cosmic Form,
shown by the Blessed Lord to Arjuna, at his request, is so
entrancing that it is looked upon as an excellent part of
the Glta; and those who have written the other Gltas,
have copied it. To begin with, Arjuna asks as follows — ]
A rjuna said: — (1) That greatest mysticism known as
'Adhyatma' (that is, Metaphysics — Trans.), which You
explained to me in order to show favour to me, has destroyed
my ignorance. (2) In the same way, O Thou with eyes
like lotus-leaves ! I have heard from You in detail about
the origin and the end of all created beings and about (Your)
inexhaustible greatness. (3) (Now) O Paramesvara ! as You
have thus described Yourself, in that way, O Purusottama !
I wish to see ( actually ) Your divine form. (4) O Lord !
if you think that it is possible for me to see such a form,
then, O Yogesvara ! show me Your imperishable form.
[Arjuna has, in the first stanza, signified by the word
'adhyatma', the Knowledge of the imperishable or the
imperceptible form of the Paramesvara, which was
described by the Blessed Lord in Chapters VII and VIII
1080 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
and the Knowledge of the various perceptible forms
mentioned in Chap. IX and X, after He had started
explaining Jfiana and Vijfiana in Chap. VII; and the
words " the origin and the end of all created beings " in
stanza 2, refer to the description of how numerous
perceptible objects come out of one Imperceptible, which
has been given in Chap. VII (7. 4-15), Chap. VIII (8. 16-21)
and Chap. IX (9. 4-8). Some commentators consider the
two halves of the third stanza as two independent sentences
and interpret them as follows : " O Paramesvara 1 that
■ description of Yourself, which You have given (of
Your form) is true (that is, I have understood it). Now,
■ O Purusottama, I desire to see Your divine form" (see Gl.
10. 14). But, it is better to consider the two halves as
making up one sentence ; and that has been done in the
Paramarthaprapa commentary. The word " yogesvara "
in the 4th stanza means " the Isvara or Lord of Yoga,
(not of Yogins), (Gl. 18. 75). The interpretation of the
word 'Yoga' as the power or device of creating the
perceptible universe from the Imperceptible has appeared
before (Gl. 7. 25 and 9. 5) ; and as the Blessed Lord is now
going to show His Cosmic Form by the use of that power,
the appellation ' Yogesvara ' seems to have been used
here intentionally. ]
The Blessed Lord said : — (5) O Partha ! look at these
thousands and thousands of My forms> of various kinds,
of various colours, and of various sizes. (6) See these
(twelve) Suns, (eight) Vasus, (eleven) Rudras, (two)
Aivinikumaras, as also (forty-nine) Marudganas. O Bharata!
=see these wonders which you have never before seen.
GITS., TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. X 1081
•\ *
[ The description of the Cosmic Form ( visvarupa) shown
-to Narada in the Narayanlya doctrine is more specific;
and says that the twelve Suns were on the left side ;
the eight Vasus, in the front ; the eleven Rudras, on the
right side ; and the Asvinlfcumaras, at the back (San. 339.
50-52). But this description does not seem to have been
accepted everywhere (See Ma. Bha. U. 130). The Adityas,
Vasus, Rudras, Asvinlkumaras, and Marudganas are Vedic
deities, and a division into four classes among them has
been made in the MahSbharata by saying that the Adityas
were Ksatriyas ; _ the Marudganas, Vaisyas ; and the
Asvinikumaras, Sudras (San. 208. 23, 24). See also
Satapatha-brahmana, 14. 4. 2. 23. ]
<(7) O Gudakesa ! the entire moveable and immoveable
universe, which has been collected here to-day, and whatever
else you may desire to see, see that in ( this ) My Form 1
■(8) But, with this vision of yours, you will not be able
to see Me. Therefore, I am giving to you a supernatural
vision; (by it) see this My divine Yoga (that is, Yogic
Power).
Safijaya said: — (9) Having spoken thus, Dhrtarastra !
the great Lord of Yoga, namely, Hari, showed to Arjuna
{His) excellent divine form (that is, the Cosmic Form or
visvarupa). (10) To that (that is, to that Cosmic Form),
there were innumerable mouths and eyes, and many
wonderful sights were to be seen in it; (and) on it there
1082 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
girl *n; ^ssft ht ^rr^rascres Tr$m* » ^* »■'
acn ^ nwin'Mr is^n ■^h^t* i
srgiT ssre i
srrer *r itk?t t gsT^cmrfl tresrrftr rp%»^ t^psc^t h ^ »
were shining ornaments of numerous kinds and there were-
erected (shining) in it numerous instruments of warfare.
(11) To that, endless, all-facing and wonderful deity was
applied an unguent of celestial smell, and it wore celestial
flowers and clothes. (12) If the effulgence of a thousand
suns arose at once in the firmament, it would be somewhat
like the brilliance of this great Atman. (13) Arjuna then
saw that in this Body of the God of gods, the world, divided
into numerous divisions, was to be seen synthesised.
(14) Then, being filled with surprise, the hairs on his body
rose ; and joining his hands and lifting them to his forehead,
Arjuna said to the God—]
Arj una said: — (15) O Lord ! in this Your body, I can:
see all the gods, and collections of various kinds of created
beings, as also Brahmadeva, the lord (of all gods) seated
on a lotus-seat, all Esis, and also all brilliant serpents
( including Vgsuki and others ). (1 6) I see, on all sides, You
of endless form, Who have innumerable arms, innumerable
stomachs, innumerable mouths, and innumerable eyes.
GlT A, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XI 1085
r^ir^R i<jt 3f?as*r tgrt^r <%»gssr it f^srRw; i
<re*rrrar csrf frnjtfisiR^ ^Sarar f%^w? chrp* » 1% i»
srRTff«i=?frR?J7'fcrt ft =?rrH r^t^T %rar ^gfc i
sfi^a- ^qgtf a%? ^farstf arssrrSrcf Jr?r?*w; ii?oii
O Lord of the Cosmos 1 O Cosmic-formed ! I do not see
(anywhere) either Your end, or Your middle, or Your
beginning. (17) I see everywhere, You, Who are wearing
a diadem, and holding a mace, and a discus, Whose effulgence
is spread out in all directions, Who are a mountain of
brilliance, unbearably hot, effulgent like Fire and the Sun,
impossible to look at by the eyes, and boundless (-ly per-
vading). (18) I think that You are the ultimate Kuowable,
the imperishable Brahman, the ultimate support of this
Cosmos ; that You are imperishable, and the protector of
the permanent religion, and the eternal Spirit. (1 9) I see
that You, Who have no beginning, middle, or end, Who have
innumerable arms, Whose eyes are the Sun and the Moon,
Whose mouth is burning Fire, and Who possess in-
exhaustible strength, are giving warmth to this world by
Your own shine. (20) Because, the (entire) distance
between the earth and the firmament, as also all the cardinal
points, have been pervaded by You alone ; and, seeing this
Your wonderful and terrible Form, O Great Atman ! the
three spheres are. confused (by terror). (21) See! these
multitudes of gods are entering Your body; (and) some,
being frightened, are praying to You with folded arms ; and
multitudes of great Rsis and Perfect beings are praising
59— fiO
1084 GlTA-RAHASYA Oft KARMA-YOGA
^f r ft ?2ff srsirf«rar?af^TfHr ifef t f%??rftc sni ^ i%sofr >^8»
You, uttering such words as 'svasli' ' svasii'l (22) Similarly,
the Rudras, the Adityas, and the. Vasus, as also the Sadhya-
ganas, the Visvedeva-s, (both) the AsviuIkumSras, the Marud-
ganas, and the Uamapa-s (that is, the ancestors ) and groups
of Gandharvas, Yaksas, Raksasas, and Siddhas, being
astonished, arc everywhere, looking at you.
[The food offered to the ancestors in the performance of
the death-anniversary ceremony is accepted by them only
while it is hot; that is why they are called " umapa-s"
(Manu. 3. 237); and the Manu-Smrti enumerates seven
groups of ancestors, such as, somasad, agmsvul/a, barfiisad,
somapa, havismun, ajyapa, and sukulin (3. 194-200). Aditya-s
and others are Vedic deities. See stanza 6 above. It is
stated in the Brhadaranyakopanisad that the eight Vasus,
eleven Rudras, twelve Adityas, Indra, and Prajapati make
in all thirty-three gods ; and their names and etymology
have been stated in the Mahabharata, Adi-parva, Oh. 65
and 66 and Santi-parva Oh. 208.]
(23) O Mahabaho ! by seeing this Your immense, many-
mouthed, many-eyed, many-armed, many-thighed, many-
footed, many-stomached, and many-toothed— and conse-
quently terrible — Form, everybody and I myself are
frightened. (24) Seeing You, heaven-reaching, brilliant,
many-hued, open-mouthed, and with tremendous and shining
eyes, my heart has become restless ; and, on that account,
O Visnu ! I have lost both courage and peace. (25) And
seeing these mouths of Yours, which are terrible on account
-of rows of teeth, and are like the Destructional Fire, I cannot
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENXAEY, OH. XI 1085
?f«rr mrnfr s^ri^kr fgrerfer vmmft^fa&t&fa » *< «
*ror srfra sctsjjt T?ff r f^rer sTr^TT^r ^ti^tp i
?f%=r Tremr fWf^ar sTr^re^n^ grfsrrfor sa^^rrs u ?t «
imake out the cardinal directions, and I have become
discomposed. O God of gods ! O Cosmos-Pervader 1 be
appeased I (26) See how all these sons of Dhrtarastra, with
multitudes of kings, this Bhisma, Drona, and also this Suta-
putra (Kama), together also with the most prominent
warriors on our side, (27) are rapidly entering into these
many terrible mouths of Yours, with frightful rows of teeth ;
and the heads of some of them are seen being crushed, as a
result of having come between Your teeth. (2 8) Just as the
many waves of the waters of a river rush towards the sea,
so are these warriors from the world of humans entering
Your several burning mouth9. (29) Just as butterflies jump
with great speed into the ignited fire, only to be killed,
•so also are all {these) people entering Your numerous
mouths, with great velocity, only to be killed. (30) O
Visnu ! You are licking Your tongues, while swallowing
all persons around You, through Your fUme-filled
mouths ! and, pervading the entire universe, Your fiery
effulgence is shining (in all directions). (31) Tell me Who
You are, Who have assumed this frightful form ! O Super-
■excellent God of gods ! I bow down to You ! be appeased !
I am desirous of knowing what Fundamental Spirit You are,
hecause I do not (at all) understand this doing of Yours !
1086 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KAKMA-YOGA
*rHt f^HcTP 1^5 f%T%gjrra *ra ^reif^; u 33 u
*nn frrt^g sift ti sgraar g^arer %cttt% tor ^<t?tr »38»i
The Blessed Lord said: : — (32) I am the destroyer of all
peoples; I am immensified "Mia" (that is, 'death'— Trans.) ;
and I have come here for destroying everyone. Even if
you are not there, (that is, even if you do not do anything),
all these different warriors, standing in the various armies,
are all going to be no more (going to die). (33) 'tasmat'
(that is,' therefore' — Trans. ), arise! win success ! and
conquering your enemies enjoy opulent kingdoms ! I have
already killed these in advance. (Therefore) O Savyasacin
(Arjuna) ! do you (come forward to ) become the nominal
cause. (34) Drona and Bhlsma and Jayadratha and Kama,
and also other warriors have been killed by Me (long ago);
kill them ! do not be afraid ! fight ! you are going to conquer
your enemies in the fight !
[In short, Sri Krsna has actually shown to Arjuna, the
vision of what Bhlsma had said merely by words to Him,
in the TJdyoga-parva, when He had gone to the Kauravas to
bring about a compromise, and Duryodhana would not listen
. to any talk of compromise, namely, "kulapalcvam ida/h manye
'sarvam ksatram janardana" (Ma. Bha. TJ. 127.32), that is,
"0 janardana ! all these Ksatriyas hare already become
'■-' ripe for death (kalapakva)". (See stanzas 26 to 31 above).
'The' 33rd stanza enunciates the doctrine of Causality that,
- • all wicked persons die as a result of their own acts ; that, the
■ one,, who kills them, is only a nominal cause; and that,
therefore, the one who kills is not to blame.]
GTTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XI 1087
SaSjaya said: — (35) Hearing this speech of Kesava,
Arjuna, getting extremely frightened, having a choking
sensation in his throat, and trembling, and folding his
hands, bowed down low again, and said to Sri Krsna.
Arjuna said:— (36) O Hrslkesa ! the (whole) world is en-
gladdened by singing (Your qualities), and is happy (in
that) ; demons becoming frightened of You, run away in the
(ten) cardinal directions, and concerts of Perfect beings
are bowing down before you. (All) This is only proper.
{37) O Noble Soul ! You are the origin even of Brahmadeva,
are even superior to him ; why will they not worship
You ? Ananta ! O God of gods ! O Pervader of the
Cosmos ! You are the sat (that is, ' immutable ' — Trans.)
and asat (that is, ' mutable ' — Trans.) ; You are also the
'aksara' (that is, immutable — Trans.), Which is beyond both.
[It will appear from Gita 7. 24 ; 8. 20 ; or 15. 16 that the
words ' sat ' and ' asat ' in this place mean respectively
perceptible and imperceptible, (vyakla and avydkta), or
mutable and immutable (ksara and aksara) ; that Principle,
which is beyond both sat and asat, has been described in the
Gita, as the Immutable Brahman (aksara-brahma) in the
-words " I am neither sat nor asat " (Gita 13. 12). The word
' aksara ' is applied in the Gita sometimes to Prakrti and
sometimes to the Parabrahman. See my commentary on
Gita 9. 19; 13.12; and 15. 16.]
1088 GlTA-RAHASYA OS KARMA-YOGA
trnra' %5f ^ it ^ ■srm ^rar ere? fepgiFWsN » 3<: »
SH^rat^TTraFcTl^^JT^ *3$ •WWSOfa cTcftSf% ^& II 80 II
(38) You are the Fundamental God; (You are) the
primordial Spirit ; You are the supreme Support of this
.universe ; You are the Knower and the Knowable ; You are
the Exalted State ; and You, O Endless-formed ! have
entirely pervaded or occupied (this) Cosmos. (39) You are
Vayu, Yama, Agni, Varuna, Prajapati (that is, Brahmadeva),
and also the Great-grand-father ! I bow down before You
a thousand times I and once more again do I bow down,
before You !
[Seven mind-born sons, named Marlci and others, were
bom from Brahmadeva ; from Marici, was born Kasyapa ;
and from Kasyapa, all other progeny. (Ma. Bha.
Adi. 65. 11); and therefore these MarSci and others, are
known as ' Prajapatis ' (the lords of progeny), (San. 340. 65):
Therefore, the word ' Prajapati ' is interpreted by some as-
' Kasyapa and other Prajapatis '. But, as the word ' Praja-
pati' has been used here in the singular number, the inter-
pretation of ' Prajapati ' as ' Brahmadeva ' seems more accept-
able. Besides, as Brahmadeva is the father of Marici
and others, that is, the grand-father (pitamaha) of all, the
subsequent expression ' great-grand-f ather ' ( prapitamaha)
follows as a matter of course ; and its propriety becomes
olearj
(40) I prostrate myself before You ; and behind You ; and on
all sides, O Soul of everything ! do I prostrate myself to
You. Your procreativeness is inexhaustible. Your prowess
is incomparable, and as You overcome everyone, You are
' satva ' (that is, ' all-in-all ' — Trans.).
[The words "I prostrate myself before you, and behind
you" show the all-pervasiveness of the Paramesvara. This
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XI 1089
^r#f?t Hr^T *rer4 *if#r t Wi t ^T?=r t ^r%r?r '
qsi tewim^a Hr^w^i Hf^rw^ whwmJIsr 'I 8* II
fqaTsf% ^r^t ^ra^i *3fp& i^Taj ii^lCNK I
ft<rg gsr^ *r#gr ^w v& : ftwrrifRf %3 ^rg^ « 88 h
praise in the form of prostrations in the Path of Devotion-
is consistent with the descriptions of the Brahman given
in the Upanisads ; e. g., " brahmaivedam amrtam purastat
brahma pascat brahma daksinatas cottareria I adhas cardhvam
ca prasrtam brahmaivedam visvam idafn varistham u " (Mun.
2. 2. ll'; Chan. 7. 25).]
(41) Whatever I may have said disrespectfully to You, by
mistake or by familiarity, considering you as my friend, not-
recognising this Your greatness, in addressing you as-
' O Krsna ! ' ' O Yadava !' or ' O Friend !', (42) and what-
ever insult I may have offered to You in joke, when alone
with You, or in the presence of others, while eating or
sporting-, or while sleeping or sitting, O Acyuta, for that
forgive me, such is my prayer to You, O Immeasurable 1
(43) You, being the father of this moveable and immoveable
world, are worshippable, and the Preceptor of preceptors. In
the three spheres, there is none, who is Your equal ; then,
O One of immeasurable prowess 1 how can there be any one
greater ? (44) Therefore, to You, Who are praiseworthy, and
powerful, I pray : " Be appeased", bending my body and
bowing down to You. As a father (forgives the faults) of his
son, or a friend (forgives the faults) of bis friend, in the same
way O God I the ' priyah ' (that is, Yourself) should
forgive 'priyaya' (that is, to me or on account of me, who
am priya or beloved of You), (all my) faults.
[ Some persons interpret the words "priyah priyayarhasi"
as " as the lover, in the case of a woman, beloved by him ".
1090 GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
But according to me that interpretation is not correct ;
because, the words ' priyayarhasi ' cannot grammatically
be broken up into priyayah + arhasi or priyayai + arhasi ; and
the word ' iva ', which is indicative of a comparison, has ap-
peared only twice in this stanza. Therefore, it is more proper
to consider 'priyah priyayarhasi' as the subject-matter of
comparison ( upameya ) instead of looking upon it as a third
comparison. It would have been much better if there had
been a word in the possessive case, such as, ' priyasya' (of
the ' priya ') in the subject-matter of comparison ( upameya ),
like the two comparisonal ( upanianatmaka ) words ' of the
son ' ( puirasya ), ' of the friend ' ( sakhyuh ), which are in the
possessive case. But we must here follow the rule
" sthitasya gads' cintaniya". Imagining an ungrammatical
feminine possessive case word like ' priyayah', because the
masculine-gender-sixth-cased word ' priyasya ' is not to be
found in the text, and imagining the word ' iva ' as implied,
because that description does not apply to Arjuna , and
inventing a third comparison as, " priyah priyayah ", that
, is, ' as the lover in the case of a woman beloved by him '
— which moreover is amorous, and totally out of place — is,
according to - me, not proper. Besides, if all the three
words ' putrasya ', ' sakhyuh ' and ' priyayah ' go into the
■class of the standards of comparison ( upamana }, then there
remains no word in the possessive case in the subject-matter
of comparison ( upameya ) ; and we have again to take ' me '
or ' mama ' (that is, ' to me-' ) as implied ; and if, with all
"this trouble, one brings about a similarity of inflections
or case-terminations between the subject-matter of com-
parison and the standard of comparison, a new mistake
•of difference of gender between the two again arises. On
the other hand, if one breaks up the sentence, plainly and
grammatically, as priyaya + arhasi, the only objection which
remains, is that, instead of having the possessive case
. 'priyasya ', we have the dative case ' priyaya ' in the subject-
matter of comparison ; and that too is not a very serious
fault. Because, in this place the dative case conveys the
same meaning as the possessive case, and such use is to
be seen in other places also. This stanza has been
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. XI 1091
trg^ip ^m art W% ?ks ?=r<F^T fWfl* U 8<£ II
53jfa*ft: sftcjiHT: gjT^g a%3 * m\*\i wm II 8^ II
interpreted in the Paramarthaprapa commentary in the
same way as I have done.]
■(45) Having seen that which no one has ever seen, I am
glad; and my mind is strained by fear, O Pervader of the
■Cosmos I O God of gods! be appeased! and O God! show me
Your previous form. (46) I desire to see You wearing the
•* kirlta ' (that is, diadem — Trans.) and the mace, with a discus
in Your hand, as before ; and therefore, O Cosmic-Formed,
thousand-armed Lord, appear again in that Your lour-armed
:form.
The Blessed Lord said : — (47) O Arjuna! having become
pleased (with you), exercising my power of Yoga, I have
shown you this brilliant, beginning-less, endless, primeval,
•and super-excellent Cosmic Form, which no one else before
you has seen. (48) O highest among the Kuru warriors !
no other than you can have a chance of seeing, whether by
the Vedas, or by Yajtias, or by silent meditation, or by
•charity, or by ritual, or by severe austerity, this such My-
Form, in this human world. (49) Do not allow your mind
to suffer pain by seeing this My terrible form ! and do not
also become confused by fear. Giving up fear, and with
-a pleased frame of mind, see again that same form of Mine.
1092 GtTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
g^r#rfe r ^f?r- ^f%frr: sip^ nfr: » Ht »
^tlt Sf^TCT Wf&t TOST W*i*llg , iP II ^ ii
Sanjaya said :— (50) Speaking thus, Vasudeva again showed:
to Arjuna His (former) form ; and assuming again His-
peaeeful form, that Noble Soul gave encouragement to the
frightened Arjuna.
[ The metre of these 36 stanzas, is the same as that of
stanzas 5 to 8, 20, 22, 29, and 70 of Chapter II, stanzas
9,10,11 and 28 of Chapter VIII, stanzas 20 and 21 of
Chapter IX, and stanzas 2 to 5 and 15 of Chapter XV,.
namely, of eleven letters in each quarter ( corona ). But,,
as they are not governed by one and the same rule about
the feet (gava), these stanzas cannot be recited in the;
same way as can stanzas in the indra-vajra, upendm-vajra
upajati, dodhaka, sWni and other metres used in the poetical 1
compositions of Kalidasa and others. Needless to say,,
this metrical arrangement is archaic (arsa), that is, on
the basis of the ' tristup ' metre used in the Veda-Sarhhitas.
This fortifies the proposition that the Glta must be very
' ancient indeed (see p. 726 of the Appendix to the Glta-
Rahasya.]
Arjuna said :— (51) O Janardana ! seeing this Your mild
and human-bodied form, my mind is again in its proper place,.
and I have become conscious, as before.
The Blessed Lord said :— (52) This My form, which you.
have seen, is very difficult to see. Even the gods always
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XI 1093
*i<*WI fcMWWI %(&f S^+N'NMiS^H I
f^%:s ^^as *r« ^r *n^f?r imsg <i «« »
desire to see this form. (53) It is not possible for any one
to see Me, as you have seen Me, whether by Vedas, or by
austerity, or by charity, or by Yajfias. (54) O Arjuna ! only
by exclusive devotion, is it possible to thus acquire
knowledge of Me, and O Parantapa ! to enter Me essentially.
[The proposition that by Devotion one first acquires the
Knowledge of the Paramesvara, and ultimately the devotee
is merged into the Paramesvara has appeared before in
Gita 4. 9 and later on in 18. 55 ; and the reader is referred
to the explanation given by -me in Chapter XIII of the
Gita-Rahasya at pp. 595 to 599. Now, the Blessed Lord
briefly explains to Arjuna the summary of the entire Gita— ]
(55) Who performs Action with the conviction that all.
Actions are Mine (that is, of the Paramesvara), who is
devoted to Me ; who is attachment-less , non-inimical towards
all beings, such My devotee, O Pandava, comes an&
reaches Me !
[The above stanza means that (i) the devotee of the
Blessed Lord should perforin all worldly Actions with the idea
of dedicating them to the Paramesvara, that is to say, with a
prideless frame of mind, thinking that, the entire activity
in the world is of the Paramesvara, who is the true Doer, and
the One, "Who truly causes to be done ; but that, He gets
these actions done through us, by making us the nominal
causes ; and that, (ii) thereby, all acts, which are done, do
not obstruct tranquillity or Release (see stanza 33) ; and it is
stated even in the Saihkarabhasya that this stanza contains
the summary of the entire philosophy of the Gita. This
clearly shows that the Path of Devotion prescribed in the
1094 GtTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
ifar sTm ^rasfcng ^m^^m mtf&tvw ^tprttw sft^wrr-
Gita does not advise one to sit down doing nothing, and
only saying ' Hari " Hari ' (taking the name of God); but
directs one to do all acts desirelessly, and enthusiastically,
side by side with possessing an ardent devotion. In order to
make it clear that the word 'nirvaira' (non-inimical), does
not here mean ' niskriya ' (actionless) as interpreted by those
who follow the Path of Renunciation, the adjective ' mat-
karmakrt ' (that is, doing all acts with the idea of dedicating
them to the Paramesvara, and believing that the acts are
of the Paramesvara, and not one's own) has been added ;
' but as this matter has been extensively considered by me
in Chap. XII of the Glta-Rahasya (pp. 545 to 556), I am
not going to discuss it further here.
Thus ends the eleventh chapter entitled Vis'varufa-
Dars'ana Yoga in the dialogue between Sri Krsna and
Arjuna on the Yoga, included in the Science of the Brahman
(that is, on the Karma- Yoga) in the Upanisad sung (that is,
.told) by the Blessed Lord.
CHAPTER XII.
[In Chap. VII, the Blessed Lord has started an
explanation of the Empirical and Spiritual Knowledge
required for acquiring Perfection in Karma- Yoga ; and in
Chap. VIII, He has explained the form of the Immutable,
Unshowable, and Imperceptible Brahman; and thereafter,
He has started an explanation of the visible royal road in
the shape of the Path of Devotion ; and after having finished
the Description of Manifestations ( vibhuti-varnana ) and
the showing of the Cosmic Form (visvarupa-darsana),
incidental to that path, in Chapters X and XI, He has, at
the end of Chapter XI, advised Arjuna to perform all
Actions with Devotion and unattachedly, as the ultimate
summary of everything. Now Arjuna says: "After
proving to me in Chapters VII and VIII that the Impercept-
ible form of the Paramesvara is the most superior one
. to be worshipped, from the point of view of the Mutable
and the" Immutable, for success in Karma-Yoga, You have
prescribed to me the worship of the Imperceptible or the
Immutable (7. 19 and 24 ; 8. 21) ; and You have advised
me to fight (8. 7) with a mind steeped in Yoga (yukta-citta);
and afterwards in Chap. IX, after explaining to me the
visible path of the worship of the Perceptible, You have-
asked me to perform all Actions with the idea of dedicating
them to the. Paramesvara (9. 27 and 34; and 11.55). Now
which of these two paths is the better, one?" In this
question the ' worship of the Perceptible ' means ' Devotion '.
But, what is meant here is not Devotion to different objects
of worship ; and it is explained that the true worship of
the Perceptible is the Devotion, according to which, there
is only one. All-Pervasive Paramesvara in all symbols or
objects of worship, whatever symbol or Object is taken for
' 'worship; and that is 'the kind of Devotion advocated in
'fttis chapter. ] •,-•••''
1096 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
% ^T=5?^RS^I% M % ^TPTrarWn « \ II
ST^OT M-WNdkd ^ *jTbd*ll JRn*. II * H
1 3 *ranw ^nffor m% ^g^r uftrcn i
apTJ^f ^tr nt w^ri srrat ii ^ «
Arjuna ssid : — (1) Who are the better knowers of
(Karma-) Yoga, those devotees who, always becoming
yukta (that is, Yog&-yukta) worship You, or those, who
worship the aksara (that is, Brahman) ?
The Blessed Lord said : — (2) In My opinion, those who,
■keeping their minds on Me, and becoming yukta-citta
{that is, mind-united— Trans. ) worship Me, with the highest
Devotion, are the best 'yukta' (that is, Yogins). (3) But
those, who worship the aksara (that is, the Brahman)
Which is 'anirdesya' (that is, Which cannot be actually
■shown), Imperceptible, All-pervading, Unimaginable, 'hutastha'
(that is, Which is at the root of everything ), Unmoving and
Non-transient, (4) after having controlled their senses and
lecome equable-minded towards everything, such (persons
too), who are engrossed in the welfare of all beings, also
come and reach Me. (5) Nevertheless, as their mind is
attached to the Imperceptible, their task is more arduous •
because (to men, who dwell in a perceptible body) the path
■of worship of the Imperceptible becomes successful with
■difficulty. (6) But those, who worship Me, making a
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. XII 1097
sawzjyasa (that is, dedication) of all Actions to Me, becoming
■devoted to Me, and meditating on Me with a Yoga (that is,
union— Trans.) with no one else, (7) such persons who
have become 'maccitta' (that is, mind-united with Me —
Trans.), O Partha ! I redeem, from this death-bound ocean of
worldly life without delay. (8) (Therefore) keep your
mind fixed on Me, concentrate your Reason on Me, so that,
.afterwards you will undoubtedly dwell in Me.
[The superiority of the Path of Devotion has been ex-
pounded in this paragraph. After first stating the proposi-
tion, in stanza 2, that the devotees of the Blessed Lord are
the best Yogins, the conjunction "tu", which shows an
alternative aspect, has been used in stanza 3 ; and in that
and in the 4th stanza, it is stated that those, who worship
the Imperceptible also come and are merged in Him. It is
stated in stanza 5, that chough this may be true, the path
of those who worship the Imperceptible, is more difficult ;
and after explaining in the 6th and 7th stanzas the
•comparative facility of the worship of the Perceptible,
the advice has besn given to Arjuna ultimately in the
•8th stanza to act accordingly. In short, the advice given
at the end of Chap. XI (11. 55) has further been emphasised
here in reply to the question of Arjuna. As the facility of
the Path of Devotion has been considered by me in full
detail in Chapter XIII of the Glta-Rahasya, I shall not
repeat the same subject-matter here. I shall only say
here that though the worship of the Imperceptible may be
difficult, yet, it is productive of Eelease; that, even in
the Path of Devotion, one cannot give up Actions, but has
necessarily to perform them, dedicating them to the Param-
■esvara ; and that, the followers of the Path of Devotion
should bear this in mind. And that is why the words
■"making a samnyasa (that is, dedication) of all Actions to
1098 GlTA-BAIIASYA OK KARMA-YOGA
3P--?n^mtH rTrft im'ipEgT'g *&*&( h % «
3r¥?n%scgnOT«ifsf% Tf^Ttirr wt i
3re ^uwTh Tsf% ^S J^nwnsra: i
Me" have been used in the sixth stanza. These words
clearly mean that inthePathof Devotion, Actions have not
to he literally given up, but one has to dedicate them, that
is, their fruit, to theParamesvara. And, this also makes it
perfectly cleaT that the Devotee, whom the Blessed Lord
has referred to at the end of this Chapter as being dear to
Him, is to be understood as one, who follows this path,
that is, the Path of the Desireless Karma- Yoga, and not
one, who makes a literal samnyasa or Abandonment of
Action. To proceed: having in this way shown the
facility and the superiority of the Path of Devotion, the
Blessed Lord now explains the means or devices to be used
for acquiring such Devotion to the Paramesvara, and
ultimately gives the differential characteristics of these
various means — ]
(9) Now, if it is not possible for you to concentrate?
your mind well on Me (in this way), then, O Dhanafijaya !.
keep hope of attaining to Me, with the help of austere
practice, by trying again and again. (10) If it is not possible
for you even to perform practice, then perform (the) Actions-
(such as, Spiritual Knowledge, Meditation, Hymn-singings
Worship etc., which have been mentioned in the Sastras)-
for Me, (that is, for attaining to Me); by performing (these)
Actions for Me, you will also have success. (11) But, if
it is impossible for You even to perform this ritual, then,
take shelter in 'madyoga' (that is, in the Yoga of dedicating
everything to Me, .namely, the Karma-Yoga);- and becoming
a 'yatatmp' (that is, .gradually controlling your mind),
thereafter '.(ultimately) abandon the Fruit of all Actions;;
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XII 1099
sftfi- ft frfWHTrsTSffHT?; ^tr f%f^w& i
«5TRi^#^^^w^^rm^s?rf?cT^T5rR»3; »?*n
(12) because, Knowledge is superior to Practice; Meditation
is superior to Knowledge; and Abandoning the Fruit of
Action (is superior) to Meditation; and by (this) Abandon-
ment (of the Fruit of Action), there is (acquired) tranquillity
immediately afterwards.
[These stanzas are very important from the point of view
of Karma-Toga; and in them, after mentioning austere
practice, Knowledge, prayer, and other ritual as means for
successfully acquiring the Devotional Karma-Yoga, a
differential consideration of the worth of the various
means has been made ; and in stanza 12, the superiority of
the Abandonment of the Bruit of Action, that is to say, of
the Desireless Karma- Yoga has been established. It is not
that this superiority of the Desireless Karma-Yoga has
been mentioned only in this place ; but, the same doctrine
has been clearly repeated previously in the third (3. 8),
fifth (5. 2) and sixth (6. 46) chapters ; and Arjuna has been
advised in various places to practise Karma-Yoga in
the shape of Abandonment of the Fruit of Action (See
Glta-Rahasya pp. 425 to 427). But those, who support a
doctrine different from the Glta-religion, find this theory
inconsistent with themselves; and they have, therefore,
attempted to twist the meaning of the above stanzas, and
especially of the words in the 12th stanza. Those com-
mentators, who support the pure Path of Knowledge, that
is to say, the Sarhkhya commentators, do not like that
Abandonment of the Fruit of Action should be given a
higher place than Spiritual Knowledge. They have, therefore,
said that either the word ' jnana' must be interpreted
as - meaning ' mere bookish knowledge ', or, that this-
praise of Abandonment of the Fruit of Action is
merely an ' arthavada' (See Vol. I p. 31 — Trans.), that,
is, ' fallow praise '. In the same way, those who support
the Path of Patanjala-Yoga, do not like that Abandonment,
of the Fruit of Action should be given a higher place
than continued austere practice ( dbhyasa ). And those, ■.
61—62
1100 GlTA-RAHASYA OK KARMA-YOGA •
who support solely the Path of Devotion, that is, those, who
say that no Karma or Action other than Devotion should
he performed, cannot tolerate Abandonment of the Fruit
of Action being considered superior to Meditation, that is,
Devotion. The practice of Karma-Yoga, which includes
Devotion, which (path) is advocated by the Glta,, and which
is different from the Patanjala-Yoga, the Jnana-Yoga, and
the Path of Devotion, is at present practically non-existent ;
and therefore, there is no more any commentator available
supporting that doctrine. Therefore, in the now extant com-
mentaries on the Glta, the praise of Abandonment of the
Fruit of Action has been stated to be mere "fallow praise".
But, in my opinion, that is wrong. If one accedes that the
Glta advocates the Desireless Karma-Yoga, no difficulty
remains about the meaning of this stanza. When once
it is admitted that one cannot give up Action, and that
Desireless Action must be performed, the Path of Know-
ledge (jnam-marga ), which advocates the ' literal ' Abandon-
ment of Action, the Patanjala-Yoga, which advocates only
the acrobatics of the organs, and the Path of Devotion, which
gives the go-bye to all Actions, all naturally become
inferior to Karma- Yoga. When the Desireless Karma-
Yoga has thus been proved to be superior, the only question
which remains is : what are the means for acquiring the
Equability which is necessary in that path. These means are
three in number, namely, continued practice (abhyasa), Spiri-
tual Knowledge (jnana) and Meditation (dhyana). Out of
-these, if some one cannot perform continued practice,
he should adopt either of the two other means, namely.
jnana. and dhyana ( Knowledge, and Meditation ). The Glta
says that these means are easy of acquiring in the order
in which they have been mentioned. But, if the man
cannot do even this, then stanza 12 says that he should
begin the practice of Karma-Yoga at once. Now, here
a question arises, namely, how can a man, who cannot
either perform continued practice or acquire Spiritual Know-
ledge or Meditation, carry on the Karma- Yoga ? Therefore,
some commentators have considered calling Karma- Yoga
the easiest path as meaningless. But, if, one considers
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XII 1101
the matter a little, it will be seen that there is no sense
in this objection. Stanza 12 does not preach that the
Abandonment of the Fruit of Action should be carried
out 'at a stroke'. But, one has first to adopt the Karma-
Yoga preached by the Blessed Lord; and, ' tatah', that
is, 'thereafter', that practice has to be gradually made
successful. And when this interpretation is accepted, no
inconsistency remains. It has been stated in the previous
chapters that not only a little practice (Gl. 2. 40) of the
Fruit of Action* (this is a mistake for ' Karma-
Yoga' — Trans.), but even the desire to perform it (See Gi. 6. 44
and my commentary on it), drags a man towards ultimate
perfection, as if he had been put into a grinding-mill.
Therefore, taking shelter in the Karma- Yoga, that is,
getting into one's mind the desire to follow that path, is
the first means or step towards acquiring success in that
path ; and who will say that this means is not easier than
continued practice, or Spiritual Knowledge, or Meditation?
And the same is the import of stanza 12. Not only in the
Bhagavadglta, but even in the Suryaglta, it is stated that : —
jftariad upastir utkrsta karmotkrstam upasunat I
iti yo veda vedantcdh sa eva purusotlama.hu
(Surya-Gl. 4. 7?)
"that is, "'upasana' i. e., Meditation or Devotion is better
than Spiritual Knowledge, and Karma, that is, necessarily
Desireless Action, is better than ' upasana ' ; one who
realises this principle of Vedanta should be looked upon
as the best man ( purusottama ) ". In short, it is the firm
doctrine of the Bhagavadglta that the Yoga in the form of
Abandonment of the Fruit of Action, that is to say,
the Desireless Karma-Yoga, which includes both Spiritual
Knowledge and Devotion, is the most superior path of all ;
and the argument in stanza 12 is not only consistent with
that opinion, but is in support of it. If persons belonging
to a particular school of thought do not find this conclusion
palatable or acceptable, they should give it up ; but, they
* The word used here in all editions of the author's text is
i iarma-phala '. (that is, Fruit of Actio a) ; but evidently 'Karnia-
Xoga' or 'karma-phala-tyTiga' and not 'karma-phala' is meant — Trans,,
1103 . GlTA-RAHASYA OE KAKMA-YOGA
§§ SliSI 'S^^THf IpP gj^OT trg ^1
MtlW ft<4*T^5 ^WfJiN^y: §flft H ?3 II
;?fgS: HcTK ^Wr ^ ' dlc*U g^fsra^: I
^'JIMd+Hl^Pgiqf % KRB*. ST *T f^P II *8 II
iq^H^nt^sMt ^r- *t t *J f$RP « ?^ ii
sr^p SJt%#$t -a<fufl*il iraHr«p i
^ r k* wwrn m *repr. * % wr n ?^ 11
?ft T ie^tcT si gfg si ^rrgr% h ^rf ra i
should not indulge in a useless stretching of meanings.
To proceed : the Blessed Lord, having thus proved
Abandonment of the Fruit of Action to he superior, now
proceeds to describe the equable and peaceable frame of
mind, which is obtained by one who practises it (and not by
one, who ' literally ' gives up Action) ; and He ultimately
says that a devotee of this kind is exceedingly dear to
Him— J
(1 3) One, who hates no one ; who behaves in a friendly
way towards all created beings ; similarly, who is kind, and
from whom possessiveness and Individuation have departed ;
to whom pain and happiness are the same; and who is
forgiving, (14) always contented, controlled, determined,
and who has dedicated his_Mind and his Reason to Me, such
a (Karma-) Yogin devotee of Mine, is beloved of Me.
(15) One, of (or with) whom others are not tired (or
disgusted), and who is not tired of others ; similarly, who
is untouched by joy, anger, fear, and discomfiture, is beloved
of Me. (16) One, who is unexpecting, pure, industrious
(that is, who performs any Action, giving up idleness),
indifferent (about the Fruit of Action); whom no emotion
can upset; and who has given up all commencements (that
is, activity for desirable fruit ), such My devotee is very
dear to Me. (17) One, who experiences no joy (about
anything), does not hate (anythiiag — Trans. ), does not
tegret, and does not even entertain any desire; who has
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. XII 1103
abandoned the good or bad (Fruit of Action), such a devoted
man is dear to Me. (18) One, to whom enemies and friends,
also honour and dishonour, heat and cold, pain and happiness,
are the same; and who is not attached (to anything),
(1 9) to whom praise and disparagement are both the same,
■who speaks little, and is contented with whatever he can
;get, whose mind is steady, and who is 'aniketa' (that is,
who has no abode in the form of a Desire for the Fruit of
Action), such a devoted person is dear to Me.
[The word ' aniketa ' is also very often used in describing
ascetics, who give up the state of a householder, renounce
-the world, and roam about begging in forests (Manu. 6. 25);
and its root meaning is ' one who has no abode '. There-
fore, commentators, who belong to the School of Renuncia-
tion say that, the words ' mrmama ', ' sarvarambha-parityagi '
.and ' aniketa ' used in this chapter, and other such words as
' tyakta-sarmparigrahah', (4. 21), or ' viviktasevi' (18. 52),
prove that the doctrine preached by the Glta is, ' giving
up home, and spending the rest of one's life desirelessly in
a forest ', which is, indeed, the highest ideal of the Path of
Renunciation ; and in support of this they point to many
stanzas from the chapters on Eenunciation in Smrti texts. But,
.although these renunciatory interpretations of these words
from the Glta may be important from the point of view
of the Path of Renunciation, yet, they are not correct.
Because, as has been stated by me several times before,
becoming 'mragrd' (i. a, not performing Fire-ritual), or
' niskriya' ( i. e., Actionless), does not amount to true
Renunciation according to the Glta; and the firm doctrine
•of the Gita is, that one must renounce only the Desire for
Fruit, and never Aetion ( See Gl. 5. 2 and 6. 1, 2 ). There-
fore, the word 'aniketa' cannot be interpreted as meaning
""giving up home '; and, it must be given a meaning, which is
1104 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KAKMA-YOQA
consistent with the Karma-Toga of the Glta. In Gl. 4. 20,
the adjective ' mrasraya' has been applied to the man, who
does not entertain the hope for the Fruit of Action ; and
in Gl. 6. 1, the words " anasritah karmaphedam " have been
used in the same sense. The words ' asraya ' and ' niketa '
are synonymous. Therefore, ' aniketa ' should not be inter-
preted as meaning ' one, who gives up his home and family',
but as ' one, whose mind is not engrossed with his home and
family'.. Similarly, the word ' sarvurambha-parityagl' in
stanza 16 is not to be interpreted as meaning ' one, who
gives up all Action or activity ', but as meaning ' one, who
gives up desireful commencements of Actions ', consistently
with the stanza : " He, whose samarambha-B (that is, Actions)
are devoid of Desire for Fruit, his actions are reduced to
ashes by Knowledge" (Gl. 4. 19), as is apparent from
Gl. 18. 3 and 18. 48 and 49. In short, all that the Glta
says is that, one, whose Mind is engrossed with household
affairs, or with his wife and children, or with the other
affairs of the world, experiences pain on that account later
on; and that therefore, one should not allow one's Mind
to be engrossed in these things ; and the words ' aniketa '
and ' sarvarambha-parityagt ', etc., have been used in the
Glta in the descriptions of the Steady-in-Reason
{sthitaprajHa) for describing the renounced state of his
Reason. It is true that these very words : ,have been used intha
Smrti texts in the descriptions given there of Yatins, that
is, of ascetics who abandon Action ; but, on that account
it cannot be said that the Glta supports Renunciation in
the shape of the Abandonment of Action ; because, there is,
side by side, another definite proposition of the Glta, that
even the Jfianin, whose mind is saturated with this
Renunciation, should, with this renunciatory frame of
mind, give up the Fruit of Action, and perform all Actions,
which befall him according to the Sastras ; and it would,
not be correct to assert that the Glta supports the Path of
Renunciation of Action, relying on words like ' aniketa \
etc., suggesting Renunciation, which one comes across in
some places in the Glta, without taking into account the
posterior and anterior contexts.!
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XII 1105
(20) Those devotees of mine, who follow this nectar-
like doctrine mentioned above, becoming engrossed in Me,
are extremely beloved of Me.
[The Blessed Lord has in this stanza given a description
of that devotee of His, who is most beloved of Him, that is,
of the excellent devotee of the Blessed Lord, who is a
Karma- Yogin, consistently with His previous statement
that the Devotee, who is also a Jnanin, is the most
excellent of all. (Gi. 6. 47 ; 7. 18). But, in Glta 9. 29, the
Blessed Lord has Himself said that : " all are the same to
Me ; such a one is not dear, and such a one is not hateful ".
Apparently, this would seem to be a contradiction-in-terms.
But, when one remembers that the one statement has been
made with reference to the worship of the Perceptible, or
relates to the Path of Devotion, whereas the other state-
ment is from the point of view of Metaphysics or from the
point of view "of the Doctrine of Causality, this seeming,
inconsistency disappears. The reader is referred to the
exposition of this matter made at the end (pp. 598 to 601)'
of Chapter XIII of the Glta-Rahasya.]
Thus ends the twelfth Chapter entitled Bhakti-Yoga
in the dialogue between Sri Krsna and Arjuna, on the Yoga
included in the Science of the Brahman (that is, on the
Karma-Yoga) in the Upanisad sung (that is, told) by
the Blessed Lord.
CHAPTER XIII.
[ It has been proved in the last chapter that though it is
true that Release can be achieved by meditating on the
Unshowable (anirdesya) and Imperceptible (avyakta) Para-
mesvara, yet the same Eelease can be obtained in an
easier way by devoting onesslf to the visible and per-
ceptible form of the Paramesvara with religious faith,
and by performing all Actions with the intention of
■dedicating them to Him. But, the explanation about
Spiritual and Empirical Knowledge, which was started
in Chapter VII is not finished with that. In order to
acquire complete Knowledge of the Paramesvara, it is
necessary to consider the Body and the Atman of man,
(that is, the ' k§elra' and the ' ksetrajfla') at the same time
as considering the mutable and immutable external
universe. Similarly, although one may, in a general way,
know that all perceptible objects are created from Gross
Matter, yet the subject-matter of Spiritual and Empirical
Knowledge is not exhausted unless one has explained by
what quality of Nature this extensive development takes
place and what the order of that development is. Therefore,
the subject-matter of the Body and the Atman has first
been considered in Ohap. XIII; and alter describing
the division of the three constituents in the next four
chapters, the whole subject-matter has been summed up
in Chapter XVIII. In short, the third ' saijadhyayl ' (group
of six chapters ) is not independent ; and the description of
Spiritual and Empirical Knowledge, requisite for success-
fully acquiring the Karma-Yoga, which was started
in Chap. VII has been completed in this group of six
chapters. (See GltS-Rahasya Ch. XIV pp. 457 to 459).
In every edition of the Gita, the following stanza is to be
found in the beginning of Chapter XIII, namely, : —
Arjuna uvaca:
prahrtim puru$am caiva ksetraih Jc^etrajnam eva ca I
etad veditum icchami jnanam jHeyam ca keiava U
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. XIII 1107
f^raff %ri ?t snf: %m f ft aft*? » \ »
which means: — "Arjuna said: I wish to know what
prakrh, purusa, ksetra, kselrajfia, jnUna and /ra«|/a are.
Therefore, tell me that". But, it is quite clear that some
■ one, who has not understood how the Consideration of the
Body and the Atman has found a place in the Glta, has
subsequently interpolated this stanza into the Glta.
Commentators look upon this stanza as an interpolation ;
and if that is not done, the number of stanzas in the Glta
also exceeds seven hundred. Therefore, I too have looked
upon this stanza as an interpolation and started this
chapter as in the SamkarabhSsya. ]
The Blessed Lord said -: — (1) O Kaunteya! this Body
•' itself is called the ' ksetra'. He, who understands this (Body),
is called the ' ksetrajna ' by the ' tadvida-s ' (that is, by those
■ persons who understand this science ). (2) O Bharata I know
that in all Bodies, I am the ksetrajm (that is, the Self or the
Atman — Trans.). The Knowledge of the 'ksetra' and the
'ksetrajm' has been considered the Knowledge of Me
■ ( the Paramesvara ).
I In the first stanza, the meanings of the two words ksetra
and kselrajfia have been defined ; and in the second stanza,
the ksetrajna has been defined by saying that "the kselrajfia
means Myself, i. e., the Paramesvara"; or that, "that
which is in the Body, the same thing is in the Cosmos".
The word 'copj="also" in the second stanza indicates
that He is not only the Atman ( kselrajfia ), but also the
Body (ksetra); because, it has been stated already in
Chapters VII and VIII that the ksetra, or the Body,
..originates from the five primordial elements, which in turn
1108 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
^r =*r gr «r?ir¥r^ra 3r^m%*r h ^s » ^ »
have come out of Prakrti (Matter)'; and that, Prakrti is
only a minor manifestation of the Paramesvara ( 7. 4 ; 8. 4 ;
9.8). As the ksetra or the Body has thus been made up
of the five primordial elements, it is included in what is
known as the Mutable (ksara), in the Considsration of
the Mutable {ksara) and the Immutable (aksara); and the
ksetrajfta is nothing but the Paramesvara. Therefore, the
Consideration of the Body and the Atman becomes a part
of the Knowledge of the Paramesvara in the same way
as the Consideration of the Mutable and the Immutable
( See Gi. Ra. pp. 193 to 201 ) ; and that is why it is stated
at the end of stanza 2, that " the Knowledge of the Body
and the Atman is the Knowledge of Myself or of the
Paramesvara ". Those, who do not accept the Non-dualistic
Vedanta, have got to stretch the meaning of the words
"I am also the Ksetrajna "; and they have to maintain
that these words do not prove the absence of difference
between the " ksetrajfta" and "I, the Paramesvara"; and
others take the word ' my ' ( mama ) as relating to ' matafa ',
that is, 'has been understood', instead of referring it to
"jfiam"; and interpret the sentence as meaning, "Hook
upon the knowledge of these as Jfiana ''; but these inter-
pretations are not straightforward. It has been clearly
stated in the beginning of Chapter VIII that " the Atman
(adhideva )*, which resides in the Body, is Myself"; or that
whatever is in the Body, the same thing is in the Cosmos";
and it has also been stated in Chapter VII (7. 5) that
"the Jlva ( the Personal Self ) is my inferior Prakrti " ; and
there are statements to the same effect further on in this
Chapter in stanzas 22 and 31. The Blessed Lord now
explains where and by whom the Consideration of the Body
and the Atman has been made — ]
(3) What the ksetra is, what its nature is, what its
modifications are, and withal what comes out of what; as-
also Who the ksetrajfta is and what His prowess is, I shall
* The Author possibly means 'adhideha'; see p. 1031 supra — Tram.
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. XIII 1109
explain all this in brief, to which listen. (4) In many ways,
in different metres, by (many) g.sis. individually, as also
by the words in the Brahma-Sutras, which have been made
perfectly definite by showing the motive (in the shape of
cause and effect) has this (that is, this subject-matter)
been sung.
[The word 'Brahma-Sutra' in this stanza refers to the
present Vedanta-Sutras, as has been explained by me
in detail in the Appendices to the Glta-Rahasya (See
Q-I. Ra. pp. 748 to 758 ). The Upanisads are not one treatise
written by one Rsi ; and the various metaphysical ideas,
which inspired the minds of various Rsis at different times
or at different places, have been described in the various
Upanisads, without considering their mutual inter-relation.
Therefore, the Upanisads seem miscellaneous, and in
several places mutually contradictory. The words ' vividha '
and 'prthak' which appear in the first part of this stanza
have been used with reference to this miscellaneous nature
of the Upanisads. As these Upanisads are miscellaneous
and mutually contradictory, BadarayanScSrya wrote the
Brahma-Sutras or the Vedanta-Sutras, in order to make
them mutually consistent; and considering all the subjects
in the Upanisads, he has conclusively proved in these
Sutras, by showing the why and wherefore, how it is
possible to evolve one single doctrine from the various
Upanisads. It is dear that a study of the Vedanta-Sutras
is always essential in order to understand the esoteric
import of the Upanisads; and therefore, both have been
referred to in this stanza. The ksetra has been considered
in the first sixteen Sutras of the 3rd division ( pada ) of the
2nd Chapter ( adhyaya ) of the Brahma-Sutras ; and there-
after the 'ksetrajna' has been considered upto the end of
the division. As this consideration has been made in the
BrahmarSutras, they are also called "the Sarlraka-Sutras",
that is to say, the canons ( sutras ), which deal with the
'Isarira' ( ksetra ). To proceed : the Blessed Lord has thus
1110 GlTA-RAHASYA. OR KARMA-YOGA
ff?^yu5t ?ft^ ^ tra %T5^nfip^TT' ii h ii
r^ |r. i# %-m ^mai^m ff^ i
explained where and by whom the subject-matter of the
Body and the Atman has been considered; He now explains
what the Body ( ksetra ) is—]
(5) The (five gross) primordial elements (such as, the
earth etc.), Individuality (aliamkara), Reason (mahan), and
the Imperceptible ( Prakrti ), as also the ten ( subtle ) senses
and one (Mind); and the five (subtle) objects (such as,
sound, touch, colour, taste and smell) of the five senses,
(6) Desire, Hate, Happiness, Unhappiness, 'samghata'
(that is, the group — Trans.), 'cetana', (that is, the visible
activity of the Vital airs etc.), and ' dhrti' (that is, courage) >
this collection (of 31 elements) is known as the organised
(saviMra) Body.
This is a definition of the ksetra and of its vikara-s. In
Stanza 5 have been mentioned 24 out of the 25 elements of
the Sarhkhyas except the Spirit (purusa). As the Mind
is included in these 24 elements, it was not necessary
to enumerate separately the qualities of the Mind, such as,
Desire, Hate etc. These are the qualities of the Atman
according to the Kanadas; and if this idea is accepted,
a doubt arises as to whether or not these qualities are
included in the ksetra. Therefore, in order to make the
the definition of the word k§etra perfectly unambiguous,
the pairs of Opposites such as, Desire, Hate etc., have been
■clearly included here in the definition of the ksetra itself ;
and these pairs include the other pairs such as, fear and
fearlessness, etc., by implication. In order to show that
the samghata or the ' collection ', of all these, is not an agent,
independent of the Body, it has been included in the definition
-of the Body itself. The word 'cetana' is sometimes under-
stood as Consciousness {caitanya); but in the present context,
the word 'cetana' means only the 'activity of the Vital
airs etc., to be seen in the Gross Body'; or 'the activity
GITI, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XIII 1111
resulting from being alive'; and it has been stated in
stanza 2 above, that the cicchakti (power of consciousness)
or caitanya, which is responsible for the existence of this
activity in gross bodies, is in the form of the ksetrajna,
which is different from the ksetra. The word ' dhrti ' has been
defined later on in the Glta itself ( 18. 33 ), to which the
reader is referred. The word ' samasena ' in the sixth stanza
means "group made up of all these". A further explana-
tion has been given at the end of Chapter VI of the Glta-
Rahasya ( pp. 193 to 195 ), to which the reader is referred.
After first stating that the ksetrajiia is the Paramesvara,
the Blessed Lord has given an explanation of what the
ksetra is. Now an explanation is given of what Jflana
is, by stating what influence this Jfiana ( Knowledge ) has
on the temperament of a man ; and later on the nature of
the Knowable (jneya) has been explained. These two
subjects seem to be different from each other ; but practically
speaking, these are the two divisions of the Consideration
of the Body and the Atman ; because, it has been stated
already in the beginning that the ksetrajna is the Parames-
vara. Therefore, the Knowledge of the ksetrajna is the
Knowledge of the Paramesvara; and the nature of this
Knowledge has been described in the following stanzas.
It is not that some totally different subject-matter has
been pushed in here in the middle. ]
(J) Not having vanity, not having hypocrisy ; harmless-
ness, forgiveness, straightforwardness, service of preceptors,
purity, steadiness, concentration of the Mind; (8) indifference
towards the objects of the senses; also, absence of
Individuation; and the feeling that life, death, old age,
illness, and unhappiness are evils (which pursue one);
1112 GlTA-RAHASYA OE KAEMA-YOGA
sra wre?sr*n%;r w%wwR:affr i
(9) non-attachment ( towards Action ) ; not being engrossed
with one's wife and children, and one's home etc., having
an equable frame of Mind, whether something good or
something evil happens; (10) having an unswerving mono-
focussed Devotion to Me; and remaining in a 'vivikta'
(that is, a chosen, or a solitary place); not liking the meeting-
place of ordinary people; (11) beginning to realise that
Metaphysical Knowledge is permanent ; and meditation on
propositions of philosophy, all this has been called 'jfiana '
(Knowledge), and all rest is 'ajfiana' (Ignorance).
[ According to Samkhya philosophy, the Knowledge of
the Body and the Atman is the knowledge of the distinction
between Spirit and Matter ; and that has been explained
later on in this chapter (13. 19-23 ; 14.19); similarly an
exhaustive definition of the nature of Knowledge has been
given in Chapter XVIII (18. 20) in the words " avibhaktam
vibhakte§u ". But, according to the science of Eelease, Know-
ledge of the ksetra and ksetrajUa does not only mean, under-
standing by the Mind that a particular thing is of a parti-
■ cular kind. It is a proposition of Metaphysics that, Know-
ledge must create an effect on the mental temperament in
the shape of Equability of Reason; and that otherwise, that
Knowledge is incomplete or immature. Therefore, ' Jfiana '
has been described in the above stanzas by saying' that a
man may be said to have ' Jfiana ' when absence of vanity,
hypoorisy, non-violence, non-attachment, equability etc.
and the other twenty qualities mentioned in the above five
stanzas are seen in him, instead of defining Jfiana as the
■ understanding by the mind of particular things (see Gl. Ea.
■ Chap. IX pp. 341 to 344). The description of one feature of
"•- Jfiana contained in the words, " remaining in a solitary
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. XIII 1113
^?T. mftrqTf drW<5dlST%f|roi^3[ I
place and not liking a common meeting place ", appearing
in stanza 10, has been taken hold of by some commentators
for proving that the Path of Renunciation is supported by
the Gita ; but I have already stated before that such an
interpretation is not correct, and that it is not even proper
to put such an interpretation on these words (See note on
Gi. 12. 19, and Gi. Ra. p. 391). The only thing which has
been considered in this place is what Jfiana is ; and there
is no dispute about the fact that Jfiana means ' absence of
Attachment for one's wife and children, for one's home, and
for the common meeting-place of people '. Whether after
the acquisition of this Jfiana, a man should remain in the
world or among his wife and children with this Desireless
Mind, and perform worldly Action for the benefit of the
world, is the next question ; and it is not proper to decide
that question by merely considering the definition of the
word ' Jfiana '. Because, the Blessed Lord has stated in
many places in the Gita itself that a JnSnin must continue
to perform all Actions with an unattached frame of mind,
'without becoming engrossed in the Actions, and for
universal welfare ; and He has, in support of that proposi-
.-tion, mentioned the illustrations of the life of Janaka and
■of Himself (Gi. 3. 19-25 ; 4. 14). The life of Sri Samartha
Ramadasa clearly shows how it is possible for a man to
take part in the affairs in the world as a duty, without
having a desire to live in the town (See Dasa-bodha 19. 6.
29 and 19. 9. 11). So far a description has been given of
the nature of Jfiana. The Blessed Lord now gives a
description of the Knowable — ]
(12) (Now) I will tell (you) That, by knowing -which,
one attains to amrta (that is, Release). (It is) eternal,
(It is) the Brahman, Which is beyond (everything); It is
not called 'sat'; not is It called 'asat'; (13) It has arms
1114 GlTA-BAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
Hjptff ^ ?r#!T srrasij imfgsoj ^ n ^ tl
and fset on all sides; eyes, heads, and mouths on all sides;
and It pervades everything in this world; (14) It creates
an impression that It has the qualities of all the senses; and
It has no senses at all; though It is asakta (that is, untouched
by anything), It, at the same time, supports everything;
and being qualityless, It yet enjoys all the qualities',
(15) (It) is in all things and outside all things; (It) is-
immoveable and at the same time moveable ; being subtle,
It is incapable of being known; and being for away, It is.
yet near. (16) (Though) It is (essentially) 'avi'bhaktd
(that is, unbroken), It is, so to say, divided among all
beings (by diversity); and It must bs looked upon as That
Which supports, swallows up, and also creates (all) beings;
(17) It is called the Brilliance of all brilliance, and Something.
beyond darkness; It is 'Jfiana'; It is the 'Jfleya' (that is,
that which is to be known) and 'Jfiana-gamya' (that is,.
capable of being understood only by Jfiana) ; and It is,
installed in the heart of everybody.
[The above description of the Inconceivable and
Imperishable Parabrahman, which is also known as the
ksetrajila or the PararnStman (Gl. 13. 22 ), has been made,
on the authority of the Upanisads, in the same way as that.
of the Imperishable Brahman in Chapter VIII ( Gl. 8. 9-11).
The -whole of stanza 13 (Sive. 3. 16) and the subsequent,
• demi-stanza: "It. creates an impression that it possesses-
the senses, and it has no senses at all" have been taken
literally, from the Svetasvataropanisad (Sve. 3. 17); and
GITA,TRANSLATION&COMMENTAKY,CH. XIII 1115
the words "being far away, It is yet near" are to be found
in the IsavSsya (5), and the Mundaka ( 13. 1. 7 ) Upanisads.
Similarly, the words "the Brilliance of all brilliance"
are from the Brhadaranyaka (Br. 4. 4. 16 ) ; and "something
beyond darkness" are from the Svetasvatara (3. 8). The
description "It is not called sat, nor is It called asat" is
according to the well-known Sutra on the Brahman, namely,
nasadasit no saclasU" from the Kg- Veda. The meaning
of the two words 'sat' and 'asat' has been exhaustively
considered in Chapter IX of the Glta-Bahasya (Oh. IX
pp. 336 to 338 ), as also in the commentary on Gita 9. 19,
to which the reader is referred. In Gita 9. 19, it was stated
that He is the 'sat' as also the 'asat'; and it is now stated
that the true Brahman is neither 'sat' nor 'asat', which
would seem to be a contradiction-in-terms : but this con-
tradiction is not real; because, the proposition that, "though
the vyakfa (ksara) and avyakta (aksara) universe are
both forms of the Paramesvara, yet, the true Paramesvara-.
Element is beyond both these, that is, totally incognisable ",
has been clearly enunciated before in the Gita in the stanza
"bhutabhrn na ca bhutastho" (Gl. 9. 5), and also again
where the description of the Purusottama has been given
(Gl. 15. 16, 17). As the questions, 'what is called the
mrgv/na Brahman', 'how that nirguija Brahman is outside
the world, while being in the world ', and ' how, though It
might appear diverse or divided (vibhakta), It is funda-
mentally undivided (avibhakta), or only One' have already
been considered in Chapter IX of fhe Glta-Rahasya
( p. 285 et seq. ), I shall not repeat the same subject-matter
here. The words " It is so to say divided among all beings "
in stanza 16, are a translation of the words "vibhaklam iva";
and this word 'iva' has been used several times in the
Upanisads in this sense, that is to say, in the sense that
the diversity in the world is illusory and that unity is
the only truth. For example, see " dvaitam iva bhavati",
" yaiha naneva paiyati" etc., (Br. 2.4.14; 4.4.19; 4.3.7).
It is, therefore, quite clear that the Gita supports the Non-
Dualistio proposition that Maya, embodied in various
Names and Forms is illusory, and that the Brahman which
63—64
1116 GlTA-BAHASYA. OK KABMA-YOGA
ira In? nm inf m ^fifr *wre?r : i
indivisibly permeates that Illusion is alone Beal. In
Glta 18. 20, later on, it is again stated that, "avibhaktafo
c-ibhaktesu" ', that is to say, 'seeing Unity in Diversity ', is
a sign of sattvika Knowledge. That this sattvika Knowledge
is the Brahman, and other similar topics have been discussed
by me in the chapter of the Glta-Bahasya, which deals with
the Absolute Self (See Gl. Ba. Ch. IX, pp. 293 to 295 and
Ch. VI. pp. 178 to 180).]
(18) I have thus briefly explained to you what the
' ksetra', ' jmna' and the 'jneya' are. Knowing this, My
devotee is merged into My form.
[The ksetra, jilana, and the jneya have so far been
considered with the help of the Science of the Absolute Self
or of the Vedanta-Sastra. As the jneya out of these is the
ksetrajria or the Parabrahman, and Jiiana is the Knowledge
of the Body (ksetra) and the Atman (ksetrajfia), mentioned in
stanza 2, this becomes a short description of all Knowledge
of the Paramesvara ; and since the Knowledge of the ksetra
and the ksetrajfia is the Knowledge of the Paramesvara, it
follows, as a matter of course, that the fruit of it must be
Belease ; and that proposition has been laid down in stanza
18. The Consideration of the Body and the JLtman accord-
ing to the Vedanta-Sastra ends here. But, since the
organised (savikara) Body, composed of the primordial
elements, has sprung out of Prakrti, and since what the
Samkhyas call ' purusa ' (Spirit) is the Atman according to
Vedanta, the Consideration of the Body and the Atman
"becomes the Consideration of Prakrti and Purusa according
to the Samkhyas. The Glta does not look upon Prakrti and
Purusa as two independent elements, as is done by the
Samkhyas; and it has been stated in Chapter VII of the Glta
that they are respectively the inferior and superior forms of
one and the same Paramesvara (7. i, 5).- But when once one
accepts this Non-Dualism or Monism, instead of the Dualism
of the Samkhyas, then what the Samkhyas say about the
mutual relation between Prakrti and Purusa is not un-
GITA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XIII 1117
5^ f5|W *i)*JrS 1^*1% II 3 II
acceptable to the Glta. Nay, the Consideration of Prakrti
and Purusa is nothing but the Consideration of the Body and
the Atman in another form. (See Gi. Ra. Ch. VII). There-
fore, the Blessed Lord, haying expounded the Knowledge
of the Body and the Atman on the authority of the
Upanisads, now again explains the same Knowledge in the
terminology of Ssmkhya philosophy, but without accepting
the Dualism of the Sarhkhyas, in the shape of a dis-
crimination between the Prakrti and Purusa — ]
(19) Know that both Prakrti and Purusa are eternal.
Know that the evolutes (vikara) and the constituents (guna),
all spring out of Prakrti.
t According to Sarhkhya philosophy, Prakrti and Purusa
are not only eternal but also independent of each other and
self-created. According to Vedanta philosophy, Prakrti
originates from the Paramesvara and is, therefore, neither
self-created nor independent (Gi. 4. 5, 6). But, as it cannot
be said when Prakrti originated from the Paramesvara, and
as the Purusa (Jlva) is a part of the Paramesvara (Gi. 15.
7), Vedantists admit that both are eternal. A further
elucidation of this subject-matter has been made in
Chap. VII of the Gita-Rahasya, specially at pp. 219 to 226
and in Chapter X at pp. 362 to 366, to which the reader
. is referred.]
(20) Prakrti is said to be the cause for the activity of
the karya (that is, the Body) and of the karana (that is, the
senses) ; and (without being a Doer) the Purusa (Ksetrajfia)
is said to be the cause for experiencing pain or pleasure.
[In this stanza, the reading ' karyakararia' is found in
some texts instead of the reading ' karyakaraya' ; with
that reading the stanza means, that the 23 elements of
Sarhkhya philosophy, namely, Mahat and the others.
spring One out of the other, the one being the cause for
Ill** GlTA-RAHASYA OK KARMA-YOGA
Wit ^ORTflS^ ■Hi'W^rrH^l'H^ It *% II
*P(??W?T ^I^tM ^CSf!^ 3^r: T^ » 33 II
5j n^f %f% s^t sr^fi =g g§r*. ^ 1
the one which follows, and that the entire perceptible
universe comes into existence out of Prakrti. Such an
interpretation would not be improper. But in the Con-
sideration of the Body and the Atman, a Consideration of
the origin of the Body, is out of place. How the world has
sprung out of Prakrti has been explained before in
Chapters VII and IX. Therefore, the reading ' karyakaraya '
seems more appropriate in this place. The Sarhkarabhasya
adopts the reading ' karyakaraya ', ]
(21} Because, when Prakrti is superintended over by
Purusa, It enjoys the constituents born of Prakrti ; and this
union with the constituents (of Prakrti) becomes the cause
for the Purusa to take birth in a good or bad species.
[This description of the difference and the mutual
relation between Prakrti and Purusa is from Sarhkhya
philosophy (see G-i. Ra. pp. 219 to 221). The Blessed Lord
now explains that the 'Purusa' of Sarhkhya philosophy
is called the ' Paramatman ' by Vedantists ; He thus links
the Sarhkhya with the Vedanta philosophy ; and when that
is done, the Consideration of the Prakrti and Purusa is
harmonised with the Consideration of the Body and the
Atman. ]
(22) This ' upadrasta ', (that is, One, Who sits near and
sees the constituents of Prakrti), Who gives the consent,
Who is the ' bharta ' (that is, One, Who adds to the consti-
tuents of Prakrti), and the Enjoyer, is known as the
parapurusa (that is, the Highest Purusa — Trans.), the
mahesvara (that is, the Highest Isvara — Trans.) and the
Paramatman, Who lesides in the Body. (23) Who thus
knows the Purusa (as quality less) and (that) Prakrti (alone
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XIII 1119
is) full of qualities, however he may be acting, does not get
xe-birth.
[When it has been proved in stanza 22, that the Furusa
is the Paramatman within the Body, the inactivity and
apathy, which are the qualities of the Purusa according to
■Samkhya philosophy now become the inactivity of the
Atman ; and a harmony Is established between the arguments
of the Sarhkhyas and Vedanta. Some writers on Vedanta
imagine that Samkhya philosophy is inimical to Vedanta
philosophy; and many Vedantists look upon the Samkhya
arguments as entirely negligible. But instead of doing so,
the Gita has expounded the question of the Body and the
Atman, once from the point of view of Vedanta, and again
from the point of view of Samkhya philosophy ( without,
however, abandoning the Non-Dualism of Vedanta ). This
shows the equability of the Gita-science. Nay, this may
be said to ba an important difference between the expositions
in the Upanisads and in the Gita respectively ( See Gl. Ra.
App. pp. 756 to 757). This clearly shows that though
the Gita does not accept the Dualism of Samkhya phi-
losophy, it does not fail to accept as much as is acceptable
out of Samkhya philosophy. It has been stated in stanza 2,
that the Knowledge of the Body and the Atman is nothing
but the Knowledge of the Paramesvara. The Blessed Lord
now incidentally explains in short the various means of
acquiring Release, by acquiring this Knowledge of the Body
( pvnda ) and of the Paramesvara within the Body — ]
(24) Some persons of their own accord see the Atman
within themselves by means of meditation ; some by the
Samkhya- Yoga and some by the Karma- Yoga ; (25) but those;
who do not thus acquire the Knowledge (by themselves), many
such worship (the Paramesvara, with religious faith) by
hearing the advice of others. These persons, who act,
1120 GlTA-BAHASYA ok KABMA-YOGA
§§ SrT3c#3TR?f 1%!%^ ^.m^^Cfm, I
T fi^'CT'tfifmssrin^ ?rat nm to *rf?re; » ^« »
accepting as correct what they have heard, also overconii.
death and go beyond.
[ These two stanzas mention the various paths of Self-
Realisation, namely, (i) Meditation, according to the
Patanjala-Yoga ; (ii) Abandonment of Action after the
acquisition of Knowledge, according to the Samkhyas ; (iii)
(a) performing all Actions desirelessly and with the
intention of dedicating them to the Paramesvara, and (6)
placing confidence with faith, in the statements of trust-
worthy persons and becoming devoted to the Paramesvara,
(Gi. 4. 39), according to Karma- Yoga. Whichever path one
follows, one ultimately gains the Knowledge of the
Paramesvara and attains Release. Therefore, the proposi-
tion laid down in the earlier chapters, that the Path
of Karma-Yoga is the best, from the point of view of
Universal "Welfare, is not thereby affected in the least.
Having in this way stated the various means of Self-
Realisation, the entire subject has been summarised in the
next stanzas in a general way ; and even in doing that, a
unanimity has been established between the Kapila
Sariifchya philosophy and Vedanta. ]
(26) O Bharatasrestha ! remember that whatever move-
able or imoveable thing is created, comes into existence as a
result of the union between the Body and the Atman.
(27) He, who has seen the Paramesvara, Who is equally in
all created things, and Who is not destroyed, even when all
beings are destroyed, he may be said to have understood (the
real principle). (28) Realising that the Paramesvara equally
pervades everywhere, that man, who, by such Knowledge
GITS, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. XIII 1121
escapes self-destruction (that is, who, of his own accord,
takes to the path of virtue) attains thereby an excellent state.
[ The description of the Paramesvara given in stanza 2?
has appeared before in Gl. 8. 20 ; and this subject has been
explained in Chapter IX of the Glta-Rahasya (See Gl. Ra.
pp. 299 and 353). In the same way, the statement made
before, that the Atman is everybody's friend as also his
enemy (Gl. 6. 5-7) has been repeated again in stanza 28.
Having given a description of the feeling of equability
towards all beings in stanzas 26, 27, and 28, the Blessed
Lord now explains what happens as a result of this Know-
ledge — ]
(29) He, who has understood that (all) Actions are in
every way got performed by means of Prakrti, and that the
Atman is Itself inactive (that is, One, who does nothing), may
be said to have understood (the true principle). (30) When,
the diversity ("that is, manifoldness) in various beings is seen
as a unity ; and when (all this) extension is seen (to have
taken place) from this (unity), the Brahman is attained to.
[The Blessed Lord now explains how the Atman is
quality less, untouched, and inactive — ]
(31) Being eternal and qualityless, this inexhaustible
Paramatman, Kaunteya ! does not perform anything, though
remaining within the Body ; and to Him, the contact (that is,
bondage) of no Action attaches itself. (32) As ether,
pervading everything, is not affected (by anything), being
subtle, so the Atman, pervading the Body everywhere, is not
1122 GITA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
%z #r^ir mn fr# srensnw t*tot u 33 »
■affected (by anything). (33) As the Sun alone illuminates
this entire Cosmos, so also, O Bharata ! the Atman
illuminates the entire Body.
(34) Those, who thus, by spiritual eyes (that is, by eyes
in the shape of Knowledge), understand the difference
between the Body and the Atman, and the Release of the
(fundamental) Prakrti of all beings, reach the Parabrahman.
[ This is the summary of the entire chapter. I have inter-
preted the word " bhutaprakrtimoksa" according to the
Samkhya doctrine. According to this doctrine, getting
Release or not, are not states of the Atman; because, It is
•always a Non-doer and unattached; but as It arrogates
Activity to Itself, as a result of Its union with Prakrti,
the Prakrti with which It is united, is liberated when
"this ignorance is destroyed; that is to say, the Prakrti is
Released; and then it gives up its dance in front of the
Purusa. Therefore, the SSrhkhyas maintain that the two
states of being bound and being released are essentially
states of Prakrti (See Samkhya-Karika 62, and Gl. Ra.
Ch. VII p. 223). I think that the words "the Release of
the Prakrti "have been used in this stanza with reference
■to this Sarhkhya doctrine. But some interpret this
■expression as meaning "bhutebhyah prakrtes ca moksah",
that is, " the Atman is Released from the five primordial
elements and Prakrti", that is to say, from Illusory Action.
To proceed : this discrimination between the Body and
the Atman is made by means of the sight of Knowledge
(Gl. 13. 34), whereas the king of Vidyas (raja-vidya)
mentioned in Chapter IX is to be realised by the physical
eyes (Gi. 9. 2); and the vision of the Cosmic Form is to
he had, even by the highest devotee of the Blessed Lord,
Jjy divine eyes (Gl. 11. 8). This distinction between the
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XIII 1123
51% sfflWrasfrcTTU STM^t^ wiri^Rf 4N$IU=al sfr^swT-
explanations of Jfiana and Vijnana given in the 9th, 11th,
and 13th chapters should be borne in mind. ]
Thus ends the thirteenth chapter entitled Ksetra-
Ksetrajna-Vibhaga Yoga in the dialogue between
Sri Krsna and Arjuna on the Yoga included in the Science of
the Brahman (that is, on the Karma- Yoga) in the Upanisad
sung (that is, told) by the Blessed Lord.
' I
?r3fft^tr %*isr- *$ to raf^faffr Tern a ?. u
CHAPTER XIV.
[ In Chapter XIII, the doctrine of the Body and the Atman- ■
has been expounded, onoe from the point of view of Vedanta-
and again from the point of view of Samkhya philosophy ;
and it has been stated there that the entire activity is of
the Prakrti, and that the Purusa, that is, the ksetrajna is
apathetic. But, it has not been explained in what way this
activity of Prakrti continues going. Therefore, the Blessed
Lord explains in this chapter how diverse forms of creation,
and especially of the living creation, are created from one
and the same Prakrti. If one considers only the human
creation, then, as this subject deals with the ksetra, that is
to say, with the Body, it can be easily included in the
Consideration of the Body and the Atman. But, as the
immoveable world is also an expansion of the three-consti-
tuented Prakrti, the exposition of the difference in the
constituents of Prakrti can also form part of the Considera-
tion of the Mutable and the Immutable. The Blessed Lord
has, therefore, given up a restricted description as ' Consi-
deration of the Body and the Atman ', and started this
chapter saying that He would explain to Arjuna in further
detail the Jfiana ( Spiritual Knowledge ) and Vijfiana
(Empirical Knowledge) which He had commenced to explain
in Chapter "VII. The reader is referred to the exhaustive
explanation of this subject-matter, which has been given in
Chapter VIII of the Gita-Rahasya, This description of the
diffusion or spreading-out of the three constituents of
Prakrti has also been given in the Anugita and in
Chapter Xn of the Mami-Smrti.]
The Blessed Lord said : — (1) Once more am I going
to tell you the best knowledge of all Knowledge, by knowing
which all sages have reached the highest state from this ■
GfTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENT ARY, OH. XIV U2»
§§ ^4 tsrew ? i% gam sr^fM*rap <
world. (2) Those who, taking shelter in this Knowledge,
have become merged in Me, do not come to birth when
the Cosmos is created, nor do they die when the- Cosmos
is destroyed; (that is to say, they become entirely free
from the cycle of birth and death).
[This is an introduction. Now the Blessed Lord says
in the first instance that Prakrti is only one form of
Himself; and having thereby got rid of the Sarhkbya
Dualism, He now explains — without clashing with Vedanta —
how the various perceptible objects come into existence
in the world as a result of the three constituents of Prakrti.]
(3) O Bharata! the maliadbrahma (that is, Prakrti) is My
womb, and I lay in it the embryo of life ; then all beings
begin to come to life therefrom. (4) All beings, which come
to birth in the various species (such as beasts or birds etc.),
of them, O Kaunteya ! the mahadbrahma is the place of
generation, and I am the Father, Who impregnates it with
the seed.
(5) O Mahabaho ! the sattva, rajas and tamas con-
stituents, which spring from Prakrti, keep tied within the
Body, the 'avyaya' [that is, the unmodifiable (nirvikaray
Atman], which resides m the Body. (6) Out of these,
the sailva constituent, which illumines because it is pure,
and which is faultless, O sinless Arjuna ! keeps (beings )-
in bondage by the Attachment for happiness and Knowledge*
1126 GITA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
^t^ g# ^gft ^= war *nr?r i
(7) The characteristic of the rajas constituent is to
keep one engrossed; and know, that Desire and Attach-
ment arise from this constituent. O Kaunteya ! it keeps
beings in bondage by the (Energistic) Attachment for
performing Actions. (8) But the tamas constituent springs
from Ignorance; and know, that it confuses all beings.
OBharata! it keeps (them) in bondage by ignorance of
duty, idleness, and sleep. (9) The sattva constituent creates
an Attachment for happiness, and the rajas constituent, for
Action; but O Bharata ! the tamas constituent throws a cloak
on Knowledge, and creates an Attachment for ' pramada'
(that is, ignorance of duty or forgetfulness of duty.)
[The individual natures of the three constituents have
thus heen explained. But these three constituents never
exist individually, independent of each other; and they
are always together. For example, although it is the
nature of the sattva constituent to make a man do any good
aotion, yet, as the inclination to do the good action results
from the rajas constituent, there must also be some mixture
of the rajas constituent with the sattvika temperament.
That is why the sattva constituent is mentioned as the pair
of the tamas constituent, and the rajas constituent as the
pair of the sattva constituent in the Anugita, which gives
a pairing description of these constituents (Ma. Bha.
Asva. 36); and it is stated there, that all things in the
world are created by the mutual support or mutual inter-
relations of these constituents. (See Sam. Ka. 12 and
Gl. Ea. pp. 213 to 215 ). This very principle is now first
enunciated, and then the characteristics of the sattva, rajas
and tamas constituents are described. ]
GITA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XIV 1127
1R 3T?r <r?T %n1|f^ ^r^mrifr n ?? »
^^T^cfTR ^TJT?3 f%|^ ?TC<T<fo II ?* "
3mrefrs5T=[fTr5j smr?r tfn: ^r g- 1
§§ ^ ^tt| srft 3 sr^4 ^rrfar ?f ^ i
cifTrmf^ <ai«hM*w ra; Jrfcr<rsi?r » * 8 «
Ksrf^r sr^rq- t?3t safs'ftg sn^a i
ct«tt sr#faremr% is?ftfsrs ^rnm II ?H II
(10) Defeating the rajas and lamas constituents, the
saliva becomes (preponderant) ; (then, he is said to be
sattvikd); and by defeating the sattva and lamas constituents,
the rajas constituent becomes (preponderant) ; and by
defeating the sattva and rajas constituents, the tamas
becomes (preponderant). (11) When in this body, in all its
apertures (senses), light (that is, spotless Knowledge) comes
into existence, the sattva constituent may be understood to
have grown. (12) O Bharatasrestha ! when the rajas
constituent increases, avarice, inclination towards Action,
and the commencement of Actions, dissatisfaction, and Desire
come into existence ; (1 3) and O Kurunandana ! when the
tamas constituent increases, darkness, a desire not to do
anything, and pramada (that is, forgetfulness of one's
duties) and confusion, even these, come into existence.
[ The Blessed Lord has explained what differences take
place in the nature of a man, while he is alive, as a result
of tbe three constituents. HE now explains what goal is
reacted by these three kinds of persons — ]
(14) If a being dies when there is a preponderance of the
sattva constituent, it goes to the pure spheres (such as,
heaven, etc.) of those, who understand the exalted principles
(that is, of gods, etc.). (15) If it dies when the rajas
1128 GITA-RAHASYA OS KARMA-YOGA
gnfim $$ jnsnfs ^rrfrg^ firm t^ i
3W;5J5npffrre:srT STW Tr5f#H rIFTOr.«?«in
•constituent is preponderant, it takes birth among those, who
are engrossed in Action ; and dying when there is
preponderance of the tamas constituent, it takes birth in
ignorant species, (such as, birds, beasts, etc.). (16) It is
said that the result of virtuous Action is sinless and sattvika;
but the result of rajasa Action is pain, and the result of
tamasa Action is ignorance. (17) Whereas Knowledge
arises from the sattva constituent, avarice springs from the
rajas constituent, and not only forgetfulness of duty and
confusion, but even Ignorance arises from the tamas con-
stituent. (18) The sattvika beings reach superior spheres,
(that is, heaven, etc.), the rajasa beings remain in the
middle (that is, human spheres), and the tamasa, who have
inferior qualities and inclinations, go to lower spheres.
I It has been stated- even in the Samkhya Karika, that the
person actuated by the sattva constituent obtains heaven,
because he is religious-minded and performs good actions;
and that the one actuated by the tamas constituent goes to
lower spheres, because he performs unrighteous actions.
( Sam. Ka. 44). Similarly, the 18th stanza appears literally
in the Anuglta in the description of the three constituents
<Ma. Bha. Asva. 39, 10 ; and Manu. 12. 40). But, even if a
man may attain heaven by sattvika Action, yet, he does
not thereby attain the highest goal of manhood, since
heaven is not permanent. In order to obtain this highest
•goal of manhood, or Release, the man must, according to
the Samkhya doetrine, not only have a completely sattvika
nature, but also acquire the Knowledge that Prakrti is a
different thing' from the Purusa. This is what the
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XIV 1129
§§ tt?4 gntwn wni w ggrg q wf % i
Sarhkhyas call the "triguriatitavastha", that is, 'the state
of being beyond and untouched by the three constituents ' ;
and although this state is beyond the saftva, rajas, and
tamas constituents, yet, in as much as it is the highest peak
of the sattvika state, it is ordinarily included in the sattvika
class ; and it is not looked upon as a fourth class, as has
been stated by me at the end of Chapter VII at pp. 227-8 of
the Glta-Rahasya. Yet, as the Glta does not accept the
Sarhkhya Dualism of Prakrti and Purusa, it alters the form
of the above Sarhkhya doctrine by saying that he who
realises the one Atman-formed Paramesvara or
Parabrahman, Who is beyond both Prakrti and Purusa, to
be the Qualityless Brahman, is to be called the ' triguyafita '
( one beyond the three constituents ) ; and that is what is
described in the next stanza — ]
(19) When the ' d rasta ' (that is, the apathetic looker-on
Purusa) realises that there is no other active agent except
the constituents (of Prakrti), and realises (the Principle)
beyond (all) the (three) constituents, then he reaches My
form. (20) The embodied man, transcending these three
-constituents, which are the cause of the birth of the Body,
and becoming free from the pain of birth, death, and old age
experiences immortality (that is, Release).
[In as much as that which is 'Maya', according to
Vedanta, is ' trigurtatmaka prakrti' ( three-constituented
Prakrti) according to Sarhkhya philosophy, becoming
■ triguijatita ' means ' casting off Maya or Illusion, and
recognising the Parabrahman' (Gl. 2. 45); and this is
what is known as 'the Brahmi state' (Gl. 2. 72 ; 18. 53).
Hearing these characteristics of the ' trigwyfitita' according
to the philosophy of the Absolute Self, Arjuna becomes
inspired with the desire of learning more about it ; and as
1130 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
§§ %f%t*jrfc; gwrtd M dTm ^rra spat i
T lit ^TfTTTR ST mfTTrf% 5RT§f% « *«? «
gorr g&cT fc^r %s=tf?rgm %f ?r u 13 i>
p^qrfM ■#*£#•*> ^f?Tf»W^I% li 18 II
he has in Chapter II asked a question about the Steady-in-
Reason (stithaprajria), (2. 54), so also he now asks—]
Arjuna said : — (21) O Lord ! by what characteristic may
a man (be said to) go beyond the three constituents ? What
is the behaviour of that (trigunatitd) person ? and how does
he go beyond these three constituents ? (tell me that).
The Blessed Lord said : — (22) O Pandava ! that man, who,
when Enlightenment, Progression, and Ignorance (that is,
respectively the products or the effects of the sattva, rajas
and tamas constituents) overcome him, does not hate them ;
and, who does not desire to possess them, if he does not
obtain them; (23) who remains like an Apathetic towards
the Fruit of Action ; whom the {sattva, rajas, and tamas}
constituents cannot unsettle ; who remains steady, only
realising that the constituents are performing (their
respective) functions, and does not move (that is, does not
experience any emotion) ; (24) to whom pain and happiness-
are the same ; who has become ' svastkah ' (that is, steady in
Ms own place) ; to whom earth, stone, and gold are just the
same; to whom what is beloved and what is disliked,
disaparagement and praise, are just the same ; who is always
GITA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XIV 1131
courageful ; (25) to whom, honour and dishonour are ' tulya '
(that is, alike), and a friend's party, or an enemy's side are
both alike ; whose (desireful) activities have come to an end,
(because he has realised that it is Prakrti, which is doing
everything), such a man is known as a ' trigunatita ' (that is,,
one who has transcended the three constituents — Trans.).
[ This is the reply to the two questions : (i) what are the
characteristics and (ii) the conduct of the person, who is a
' tngunatita ' (that is, who has transcended the three consti-
tuents) ? These characteristics are. the same as those of the
Steady-in-Reason (stithaprajna) described in Chapter II, and
of the Devotee (bhaktirndn) described in Chapter XII. Nay,
some of the adjectives (namely, " sarvaramblm-parityagi" y
" tulya-ninda-stutih ", " udasinah" etc.) are the same in two of
the three or even in all the three places. From this it
becomes clear, that whichever path, out of the four paths-
mentioned in the last chapter (13. 24, 25), is followed, the
characteristics and the conduct of the man, who has reached
Perfection (siddhi), are the same in all paths. Nevertheless,
as the doctrine firmly established in the 3rd, 4th, 5th and
other chapters, namely, that ' no one can escape the
performance of Desireless Action ', remains unaffected
throughout, one must remember that all these persons,
whether called ' stithaprajna ' or ' bhagavadrifiakfa ' or
' tngunatita ', all belong to the Path of Karma-Yoga. The
reader is referred to the explanation of the word ' sarvaram-
bha-parityagi ' given in the commentary on Gl. 12. 19.
Commentators subscribing to the Path of Renunciation
imagine that these descriptions of the person, who has
reached the State of Perfection (siddhavastha) are independ-
ent of each other ; and maintain that the Gita supports.
their own doctrine. But, I have explained at great length
in Chapters XI and XII of the GItS-Rahasya, that such an
interpretation is inconsistent with the anterior and
posterior contexts, and not the correct interpretation (See
65—66
1132 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
w?^ ^ ^?5 mre#gm??T5srej ^ ii *« ii
p. 450 and pp. 519-520). To proceed: the Blessed Lord
has thus answered the two questions of Axjuna. He now
gives the answer to the question, how such persons
transcend the three constituents — ]
(26) And he, who serves Me with the avyabhicdra (that
is, single-aimed) Yoga of Devotion, dedicating all Actions
solely to Me, goes beyond these three constituents, and
becomes capable of attaining the brahmabhutavastha (that is,
the state of being ' brahmabhuta' , or 'merged in the
Brahman ' — Trans. ) ;
[ A doubt is likely to arise about this stanza, namely, how
the state of being a triguwtlta ( that is, of transcending
the three constituents), which pertains to the Sarhkhya path,
can be obtained by the Bhakti-Yoga, which includes Action.
So the Blessed Lord now says — ]
(27) because, 1 am the ultimate seat of the immortal
and inexhaustible Brahman, of the Perpetual Religion, and
of the 'eMntika' (that is, the highest) intense bliss.
[This stanza means, that as soon as one has given up
the Samkhya Dualism, there remains only one Paramesvara ;
and the state of being a 'triguriatita' is reached by
worshipping that one Paramesvara. Nevertheless, when
once it is admitted that there is only one Paramesvara,
the Gita does not have any dogmatic insistence about the
means of attaining to Him (see Gi. 13. 24 and 25). It is
true that the Gita has stated that the Path of Devotion
is the easiest path, and therefore, most acceptable to
everybody. But, it has nowhere stated that the other
paths ought not to be followed, That the Gita supports
only the Path of Devotion, or only the Path of Knowledge,
or only the Path of Yoga are opinions, which are fathered
on the Gita by the supporters of those respective doctrines.
GITA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XIV 1133
fief ^iw^wsOcn^ ^#^1 g g rfcOT if $t*m&
The doctrine really established by the Glta is something
quite different. Whether, after a person has acquired the
Knowledge of the Parameavara — whatever the means he
may hare employed for the purpose — he should or should
not continue to perform the various Actions of -worldly
life, for universal welfare, is the chief question in the Glta;
and the reply to that question has already been given
before in clear and unmistakable terms to the effect that
the Karma- Yoga is the most superior. ]
Thus ends the fourteenth Chapter entitled Gunatraya-
Vibhaga Yoga in the dialogue between Sri Krsna and
Arjuna on the Yoga included in the Science of the Brahman
(that is, on the Karma- Yoga) in the Upanisad sung (that is,
told) by the Blessed Lord.
q^sfrpajFi:
CHAPTER XY.
[ In Chapter XIII, the Blessed Lord has considered the-
philosophy of the Body and the Atman together with the
similar Samkhya discrimination between Prakrti and
Purusa; and in Chapter XIV, after explaining the
differences which arise between the natures of different
persons, as a result of the three constituents, and how on
that account different final states are obtained by the
sattvika and other persons, He has explained what is meant
by being a trigwnatlta, what is the Brahml state according
to Vedanta philosophy, and in what way that state can be
reached. It is true that all this exposition has been made
in Samkhya terminology ; yet, it has been made without
accepting the Samkhya Dualism ; and, as being the
Spiritual and Empirical Knowledge of that one Para-
mesvara, of whom Prakrti and Purusa are both manifesta-
tions. In addition to this description of the form of the
Paramesvara, the Blessed Lord has shown in Chapter VIII
the differences between the adhiyajrla, the adhyatma, the-
adhidaivata etc; and He has also stated, that there is only-
one Paramesvara, Who pervades everything, and that He
is also the Atman (ksetrajna) within the Body {ksetra).
The Blessed Lord now explains why the expansion of the
Universe created by the Paramesvara, or the Name-d
and Form-ed diffusion-out of the Paramesvara, is sometimes
described by comparing it to a tree or a forest; and He
then describes the Purusottama-svarupa, which is the most-
excellent of the forms of the Paramesvara. ]
The Blessed Lord said : — (.1) Having its root (one)
above and branches ^manifold) below, and (which is) avyaya
(that is, which will never perish) ; of which the ' chandamsi '
(that is, the Vedas) are the leaves, that man, who has
GITS., TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XV 1335
■understood the asvattha-ttee, which is described thus, is the
.(true) veda-veiia (that is, one who has understood the Vedas —
Trans.),
[The above description is of the ' Brahma- vrksa ' (the
Brahmic-Tree), or of the sainsara-vrksa (the tree of the
Cosmos). The word ' samsara ' is understood in the MarathI
vernacular as meaning ' remaining in the midst of one's
wife and children, and performing one's daily duties.' But,
this narrow meaning is not intended in the present context;
and samsara means "the entire world, which can be seen
by the eyes, or the visible Cosmos", which is known
in Samkhya philosophy as "the diffusion of Prakrti",
and in Vedanta philosophy as " the spreading-out of the
Maya (Illusion) of the Blessed Lord"; and the same thing
has been described in the Anugita aa the "Brahma- vrksa
and the Brahma-vana" {brahniarayya), (See Ma. Bha,
Asva. 35 and it). The idea or the simile that the colossal
visible universe has sprung from the One and Imperceptible
Parame£vara, just as a sky-high tree springs from a minute
seed, is to be found not only in the Vedic religion, but also
in other ancient religions; and in modern European
languages, it is described as the Cosmic-Tree (jagat-vrksa).
There is a description in the Rg-Veda (1. 24. 7) of a tree
in the sphere of Varuna, the root of the rays of which
is uppermost, the rays themselves extending downwards
■(nicinah) ; and in the Visnu-Sahasranama (thousand names
of Visnu), ' varunovrksah ' (the Tree of Varuna) is mentioned
as one of the thousand names of the Paiamesvara. It
would seem that the ' supalasa-vrksa ', sitting under which
Yama and the ancestors eat and drink together (Rg. 10.
135. 1); or at the "top of which is a sweet pippala, on which
two suparna birds live" (Rg. 1. 164. 22); or " that pippala
tree, which is shaken by the ayu deities (the Marudganas)",
(Rg. 5. 54. 12), is the same as this tree; and the description
in the Atharva-Veda, namely, "the as-vattha tree, being
the home of the gods, is in trie third svarga sphere (in the
Varuna-loka)", (Atharva. 5. 4. 3 and 19. 39. 6), would also
seem to be with reference to this tree. The etymology
of the word 'asvattha' has been given in the Taittiriya
L1S6 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
Brahmana (3. 8. 12. 2) as follows, namely r— "This tree is
called 'asvattha', because Agni or Yajna-Prajapati fell
from the sphere of gods (deva-loka) during the pitryana*
and taking the form of a horse (asva), remained invisible in
it for a year" (See Ma. Bha. Anu. 85). And many etymo-
logists axe of opinion that this tree is called 'asvattha',
(i. e., horse-stable), because the horses of the Sun take
rest under it in the Yama-loka (sphere of Yama), during
the night of the pitryuna. The etymology of that word,
given in Vedanta philosophy as : — ' a ' means ' not ' ; ' sva ',.
means ' to-morrow ' ; and ' ttlia ' means ' remaining '
(asvattha = not remaining to-morrow), has been imagined
afterwards. It is true that the form of Maya can be
described as " not remaining to-morrow ", since the form of
Name-d and Form-ed Maya is perishable, mutable, and
changing every moment ; but, it is clear from the adjective
' avyaya ' (that is, " that which never suffers ' vyaya ' or is
imperishable"), which is used here, that that meaning is not
intended. The pippala tree was originally known as the
asvattha tree ; and the Brahmic immortal asvattha tree,
which has been described in the Kathopanisad in the
following words, namely,
urdhvamulo' vaksakha efe 'svatthah sanatanah I
tad eva sukraih tad brahrna tad e-uamrtam ucyate ll
is the same 'aivattha' tree; and the description in the
Bhagavadgita must have been adopted from the description
in the Kathopanisad, as will become quite clear from the
similarity of the words " urdhvamulam adhahsakham ". As
the Paramesvara is in heaven above and the jagad-vrksa
(the Cosmic-Tree), which has grown out of Him, has come
down to the human sphere, that tree has been described as
having its root, that is, the Paramesvara above, and having
its innumerable branches in the shape of the diffused
Cosmos spread downwards. But, as the descending shoots
of the' rata' tree (banian or fig-tree) also grow downwards
from above, we come across another idea in ancient
religious works that this Cosmic-Tree mus t be the ' vata ' or
: meaning of fUr^V- a > $ ee Yol. I pp. 408-412 — Trans.
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XV 1137
the banian tree, and not the pippala tree. For instance,
there is a description 4hat the as vattha (pippala) tree is the
tree of the Sun, and that, " nyagrodho varuno vrksah ", that
is, "the 'nyagrodha' (nyag = downwards ; and rodha=
growing) vata tree is the tree of Varuna " (See Gobhilagrhya-
4.7.24). There is a description in the Mahabharata (Ma.
Bha. Vana. 188-91), that Markandeya Rsi saw the
Paramesvara in the form of an infant on the branch of
an avyaya (that is, imperishable, even at the time of
general destruction), 'nyagrodha' (that is, downwards-
growing) vata-vrksa ( fig-tree ) at the time of the pralaya
(Cosmic destruction). Also, the illustration which has been
given in the Chandogyopanisad for showing how this
tremendous visible Cosmos has been created from the
Imperceptible Paramesvara is also of the seed of the
'nyagrodha' (Chan. 6. 12. 1). The Cosmic-Tree ( visva-vrksa)
has also been described in the SvetSsvataropanisad
(Sve. 6. 6); but, what that tree is has not been clearly
stated there ; and there is a description in the Mundako-
panisad that on this tree there are seated two birds,
namely, the Sentient or Personal Self (jivatman ) and the
Highest Self (pararriatman); and that one of them is
eating the pippala tree, that is, the fruits of the pippala
tree, which is a description borrowed from the Rg-Veda.
The third idea about the form of the Cosmic-Tree in
addition to the two ideas, namely, of the pippala and the
vata trees, is of the ' audumbara' tree; and this tree has
been ascribed to Dattatreya in the Puranas. In short,
the three ideas of the world created by the Maya ( Illusion )
of the Paramesvara being either a pippala or a vata or an
aud.um.bara tree are to be come across in ancient treatises.
And, on this account, the three names, in terms of a tree,
namely, "nyagrodho 'dumbaro 'svatlhah" (See Ma. Bbs.
Ami. 149. 101), have been mentioned in the Visrm-Sahasra-
nama ; and these three trees have been considered deities
and worshippable in common usage. Besides, the
Visnu-Sahasranama and the Gita are both parts of the
Mahabharata ; and if the Sahasranama mentions the three
different names, 'audumbara' 'vata' (nyagrodha), and.
1138 GlTA-RAHASYA OR- KARMA-YOGA
'asmitka', then the word ' asvatha' used in the Gita must
be taken as meaning the pippala (asvattha), and not the
audui'nbara or the xata trees : and that too is the original
meaning of that word. The word ' chandarnsi' in the
sentence : " of which the leaves are the chandarnsi, that is,
the Vedas " is understood as being derived from the root
' chad' =to cover (see, Chan. 1. 4. 2); and the similarity of
the Vedas with the leaves which cover the tree has thus
been described ; and it has been stated at the end that, as
all this description is according to the Vedic tradition, one
who knows all this is a ' vedavetta '. This is the description
■according to the Vedas. The same tree is now described in
•another way, that is, according to Samkhya philosophy — ]
(2) Its branches, which are fed by the (three) satlva and
other constituents, and from which, shoots of objects of sense
(in the shape of sound, touch, colour, taste, and smell) have
sprung, have spread out downwards as also upwards ; and
ultimately, its root-lings, in the shape of Actions, are also
grown downwards to a great distance in the human sphere.
[ According to Samkhya philosophy, there are only two
fundamental elements, namely, Prakrti and Purusa ; and I
have explained in great detail at p. 243 of Chap. VIII of
the Glta-Rahasya how the 23 elements, namely, makat and
others, come into existence, and how the Cosmic-Tree is
formed, when the three-constituented Prakrti (Nature)
spreads out its diffusion before the Purusa (Spirit). But, as
Prakrti is not independent, but is only a part of the Parame-
svara, according to Vedanta philosophy, the doctrine of that
philosophy is, that this diffusion of the three-constituented
Prakrti cannot be looked upon as an independent tree, but
should be taken merely as the branches of an ' urdhvamula '
(upwards-rooted) pippala tree. Consistently with this
doctrine, there is now a slightly different description to the
effect that the branches, fed by the three constituents, of the
Vedic adhdlysakha (downwards-branched) tree, described in
GITS-, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. XV 1139
spgrFsrw gf^regngsmf^i^gi sin ftjrwr » 3 n
era*, q? rfi?qR*)ii"rd3g gf^ff^^rr ^ M*3f5?r ^r- 1
cT^r ^rra s^ spra *ra= sp§f?r. sj^tt gtpjft u 8 «
the first stanza, have speard out not only ' downwards ' but
also ' upwards ' : and thus the thread of the doctrine of
Causality {karma-vipaka-prakriya) has ultimately been
interwoven into the texture. In the description of the
BrShmic-Tree (brahma-vrksa) given in the Anuglta, no
attempt has been made to harmonise the Vedic and the
Samkhya descriptions; and the brahma-vrksa described
there is of only the 24 Elements of Samkhya philosophy
■(See Ma. BhS. Asva. 35. 22, 23; and Gi. Ba. Ch. VIII, p. 243).
But that has not been done in the Gita; and an attempt
has been made in these two stanzas to harmonise the Vedic
description of the Paramesvara, as a tree in the form of this
visible world, with the Samkhya description of the Cosmic
Tree (brakmanda-vrksa) or the diffusion-out of Prakrti. In
order to obtain Belease, one must be get rid of this develop-
ment of the three-constituented upwards-rooted tree; but
this tree is so tremendous, that it is impossible to find out its
origin. Therefore, the Blessed Lord now shows the way
how this universe-comprehending tree can be destroyed, and
how the Immortal Principle at the root of it can be
Realised — ]
(3) But, in this world, one cannot ascertain the form of
it (as has been described above) ; nor does one find its end,
• or commencement or support ; cutting this asvattha (tree), of
which the roots have gone incalculably deep, with a powerful
sword in the shape of Non-Attachment, (4) one should,
thereafter, (saying) " I am now going to that primordial
Purusa (Spirit — Trans.) from Which (this) ancient (creative)
Pravrtti (Activity — Trans.) arose ", find out that seat, having
gone where, there is no return.
[ The ' samsara ' (extensive development) of the universe
is the Name-d and Porm-ed Karma (Action), and this
1140 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
Karma is eternal ; destroying this Karma means giving up
the feeling of Attachment to it: it is not possible to destroy
it in any other way ; because, by its very nature, it is
eternal and inexhaustible. All this subject-matter has
been discussed in Chap. X of the Gita-Bahasya at pp. 394 to
401, to which the reader is referred. The doctrine that
Karma is eternal has been expressed in the words, " one
cannot ascertain the true form of it ; nor does one find its
end, or commencement ", in stanza 2 ; and it has been stated
later on that Non-Attachment is the only means for
destroying the Tree of Karma. Besides, a man gets results
according to the conviction of his mind at the time of
worshipping (Gi. 8. 6). Therefore, stanza 4 describes the
conviction (bhavaria) one should have in one's mind while
this process of cutting this Karma-Tree is going on. This-
interpretation has to be put on this stanza, because, in the
reading adopted in the Sarhkarabhasya, namely, " lam eva
cadyam purusam prapadye", the verb " prapadge " in the
first person singular present tense has been used ; and some
such word as 'iti ' has to be taken as implied. If one accepts
the reading mentioned in the Ramanuja-bhasya, namely,.
"tarn eva cadyam purusam prapadyed yatali pravrttih etc.", in.
order to get over this difficulty, it is possible to translate the
stanza as: "one should find out the Seat, having gone
where, there is no return; (and) one should go and reach -
That, from which this Cosmos was created". But, as the
root 'prapad' is an atmanepada root, it cannot get the
vidhyartlu third person form ' prapadyet '. ' prapadyet ' is
a parasmaipada form, which is grammatically incorrect;,
and that is why this reading has not been adopted in
the Sarhkarabhasya ; and that was the right thing to do..
The word 'prapadye' has been used in some hymns in.
the Chandogyopanisad in this way, implying 'iti' (Sea
Chan. 8. 14. 1 ). I need not point out that though the.
verb 'prapadye' is in the first person, it cannot be taken
to refer to the speaker, namely, to Sri Krsna, Who is giving
the advice. The Blessed Lord now explains what beneficial'
result is to be obtained by acting in this manner — ]
GlTi, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XV 1141
ft«i«i*iki fsierafftaT sn ^mnftcm feTfro mr- 1
§§ uffafw ; sffos?r#> sffcpjci: ^wrasr: i
(5) Who are free from vanity and ignorance, who have
conquered the fault of being attached; who are steadily-
engrossed in Metaphysical Knowledge ; who are desireless,
and liberated from the pairs of Opposites like pain and
happiness etc., such Scients go and reach this inexhaustible
Seat. (6) That is my super-excellent Seat, having gone
where, there is no return. It is not illuminated, whether
by the Sun, or by the Moon, or by Fire.
[Out of these, the sixth stanza has appeared in the
Svetasvatara (6. 14), the Mundaka (2. 2. 10), and the
Katha (5. 15) Upanisads. The Sun, the Moon, and the
stars all fall into the class of Name-d and Form-ed things ;
and, as the Parabrahman is beyond Name and Form, it is
quite clear that the Sun, the Moon etc., all derive their
light from the Parabrahman, and that nothing else is needed
for illuminating the Parabrahman. The word "parama-
stkana" (super-excellent Seat) in the above stanza means
the Parabrahman ; and being merged in this Brahman is
the state of Release known as the ' Brahma-nirvSna '.
The exposition of the Metaphysical Knowledge of the
Parabrahman, taking the simile of a tree, is now over. It
now remains to describe the form of the Purusottama
(purusottama-suarupa) ; but the Blessed Lord first explains
the evolution of the Jlva, and the appurtenant description
of the f OTm of the Jiva, which is suggested by His last
words, " having gone where, there is no return ". ]
(7) My primordial amsa (particle — Trans.) takes the-
form of Jiva in the Jiva- world (in the land of Karma), and
draws (to itself), the 'six' including the Mind, (that is to say,.
the Mind and the five (subtle) senses; this is known as-
1142 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
ssi^sm sraiaw ra^m^v^H II 1 II
the ' linga-sarira' ). (8) When (this) Isvara (that is, Jlva)
acquires a (gross) Body, and when it leaves the (gross)
Body, then, just as the wind takes away the smell from
the shelter (of the smell, such as, the flowers etc.), so also
does this (Jlva) take away with itself the above-mentioned
(Mind and five subtle senses). (9) Making its abode in
the ears, the eyes, the skin, the tongue, and the nose,
as also in the Mind, this (Jiva) thereby enjoys the objects
of sense.
[ In the first of these three stanzas has been described the
Subtle or liiiga-Boij ; and then there is a description of how
this Subtle Body (linga-sarira) enters the Gross Body, how
it leaves the Gross Body, and how remaining in' the Gross
Body, it enjoys the objects of sense. According to Sarhkhya
philosophy, this Subtle Body is made up of the 18 elements
starting from Mahan upto the five snhtle tanmatra-s ; and
it is stated in the Vedanta-Sutras (3. 1. 1), that the five
snhtle elements and prmia (life) are also included in it (see
Oh. VIII of the Glta-Rahasya, pp. 855 to 262). Similarly,
it is stated in the Maitryupanisad (9. 10), that the Subtle
Body is made up of 18 elements. Therefore, one has to
conclude that the words " Mind and five organs " point to
the collection of the other elements, which are in the Subtle
Body. The doctrine that the Jlvatman does not come into
existence over and over again each time from the Para-
mesvara, but that it is an ' eternal amsa' or particle of the
Paramesvara (Gi. 2. 24) has also heen enunciated in the
Vedanta-Sutras by using the two words ' nitya ' and ' amha '
(Ve. SQ. 2. 3. 17 and 43) ; and this fact fortifies the state-
ment in Chap. XIII (13. 4), that the consideration of the
Body and the Atman has been adopted into the Gita from
the Brahma-Sutras. (See Gi. Ra. App. pp. 756 to 758). The
word ' amsa ' has to he taken as meaning " just as space
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XV 1143
<i|d5-dl sfTPFT&ii W«rA| I rilrcMcT^SJcrij; I
g?Pfatscyfiair«i5if %sf q^oii-%d€ i » \l n
§§ ■qvn&prz cpstt ^m^T^r^slw^ i
g^nrra «m# cr%5ftf§ri%tfw^ 11 ^ h
gsarrm ^r«fts ^ ^fnfr *^it ^larcr. n ?3 h
(akasa) is part of the receptacle (ghata), which contains it "'
(i. e., ghatahasadivat amsa) ; and not as an ' amsa '
(particle), which has been cut out, as has been shown in
Chapter IX of the Gltl-Rahasya (pp. 338-339). When in
this way, the Actions of taking birth in a Body, leaving the
Body, and enjoying the objects of sense are going on — ]
(10) Fools do not realise That, Which leaves the body, or
remains, or enjoys (not by Itself, but) as a result of being
united with the constituents. People, who see with the
jnana-caksu (that is, eyes of Knowledge — Trans.) realise
(It). (11) Similarly, those Yogins who strive, realise this
Atman installed in themselves; but, those, whose Atman
(that is, Reason) is not evolved, such ignorant people cannot
realise It even by striving.
[ After stating in the 10th and 11th stanzas, that Self-
Realisation results by following the path of Karma- Yoga,
by means of the " eyes of Knowledge ", the description of
the evolution of the Jlva (the Personal Self) has been
completed. Now, some further description is given here of
the all-pervasiveness of the Atman, by way of introduction,
as had been done previously in Chapter VII (see, 7. 8-19) ;
and then from stanza 16 onwards, a description of the form
of the Purusottama is given.]
(12) That brilliance, which being in the Sun, illumines -
the whole world; that brilliance, which is in the Moon and',
in Fire, know that that brilliance is Mine, (i 5) Similarly
entering the earth, I maintain (all) created beings by My
1144 GITA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
brilliance ; and, becoming the fluid Soma ( Moon), I maintain
.all ausadhl (that is, all vegetable life).
[ The word ' soma ' has the double meaning ' sama-valli ',
and also ' Moon ' ; and as the Moon is fluid, radiant
(amsuman), and white, so also is the soma-mlli, according to
the Vedas; and both have been called "the Lord of
Vegetables". But, having regard to the anterior and
posterior contexts, the Moon is clearly meant here. After
having stated in this stanza, that He is the brilliance in the
Moon, it is stated in this very stanza that He is also the
property of the Moon to maintain vegetation. There are
descriptions elsewhere also, that, as the Moon is fluid, it
contains this quality, which causes the growth of vegeta-
tion. ]
(14) Becoming the Vaisvanara-formed Fire, I inhabit the
the bodies of created beings; and being united with the
prima and the apana* breaths, I digest the four kinds of
food (namely, that which is to be eaten, to be sucked, to be
licked, and to be drunk). (15) Similarly, I am installed
in the heart of everybody; and Memory, Knowledge and
their apohanam\ (that is, destruction) are My doing; and
I am also That, Which is to be known by means of all
the Vedas; I am the author of Vedanta; and I am also
the Knower of the Vedas.
[The 2nd part of this stanza has appeared in the
Kaivalyopanisad (Kai. 2. 3) ; and the only difference of
reading there is " vedair anelarih " instead of " vedais ca
sarvcrih ". Therefore, the inferences drawn by some critics,
' * For meaning of pram and apana, see p. 939 supra — Trans.
-_ t "apohanam", is also translated as "Riasoning faculty"
(See.Ajite, Practical Sans&rit-English Dictionary, 1924, p. 109— Trans.).
GITA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XV 1145
on the assumption that the word 'Vedanta' was not in
existence at the time of the Glta, that either this stanza
must be looked upon as an interpolation, or the word
' Vedanta ' must he taken as meaning something else, are
wrong. The word ' Vedanta ' has appeared in the Mundaka
(3. %. 6), and in the Svetasvatara (6. 22) Upanisads ; and
some of the hymns from the Svetasvatara are to be found
literally in the Glta. Now, the Blessed Lord gives a
description of the characteristics of the Purusottama, based
on the etymology of that word—]
(16) la this sphere, there are two Purusa-s (that is,
•entities— Trans.), namely, the 'ksara' and the 'aksara'.
The 'ksara' means all (perishable) beings, and That
(Imperceptible Principle in the form of Prakrti), Which is
■' kutastha' (that is, at the root ( kuta) of all these beings) is
called the 'aksara'. (17) But that super-excellent purusa
■( purusottama) is different (from both these). It is known
as the 'Paramatman'. That inexhaustible Isvara pervades
the three spheres and maintains (the three spheres).
{18) As I am beyond the 'ksara', and am (a Purusa), even
more excellent {uttama) than the 'aksara', therefore, in
ordinary parlance and also in Vedanta, I am known as the
■'Purusottama' {purusa + uttama).
[ The words ' ksara ' ( Mutable ) and ' aksara ' ( Immutable )
used in stanza 16 are respectively synonymous with the words
' vyakta. ' ( Perceptible ) and ' avyakta ' ( Imperceptible )— or the
perceptible universe and the imperceptible Prakrti— used
in Sarhkhya philosophy. Out of these, the meaning of
'ksara' as "a perceptible perishable substance made up
1146 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA.- YOGA
of the five primordial Elements" is patent. But, as the
adjective 'aksara' has several times before been also
applied to the Parabrahman (See Gl. 8. 3; 8. 21; 11. 37 and
12. 3 ), one must bear in mind that the word 'aksara' used
in defining the ' Purusottama ' does not mean the ' aksara
Parabrahman ' but means the ' aksara Prakrti ' of Sarhkhya
philosophy. And in order that such a confusion should
not arise, the word ' aksara ' has been intentionally defined
in stanza 16 as meaning the "kutastha Prakrti" (SeeGl.
Ra. Chap. IX pp. 275 to 280). In short, the AKSARA.
BRAHMAN, which is beyond both the perceptible Cosmos
and the imperceptible Prakrti (see my commentary on
Gi. 8. 20-22) is essentially the same as the PURTJSOTTAMA,
Who is beyond the 'ksara' (visible Cosmos) and the
'aksara' (Prakrti). Both these are known as the-
PARAMATMAN; and it has been stated in Chapter XIII
that this Paramatman resides in the Body in the form'
of the ksetrajna (Gl. 13. 31). Prom this it follows, that,
the Original Principle arrived at by the Consideration of
the Mutable and the Immutable, namely, the 'aksara
Brahman' is also the ultimate resultant arrived at by
the Consideration of the Body and the Atman : or, in other-
words, that there is only one Purusottama both in the
Body (piriija ) and in the Cosmos (brahman<j,a). It has also-
been stated that the same Principle is to be found in the
Adhibhuta, the Adhiyajna, etc., or in the (symbolical)
ancient pippala tree. That man, who has Realised this-
Unity in the Cosmos, and continues to Realise till death
that "there is only one Atman in all beings", attains,
the Paramesvara, while he is practising the Karma- Yoga :
such is the ultimate summary of this exposition of
Spiritual and Empirical Knowledge. It is not that one
cannot attain Release solely by Devotion to the Para-
mesvara, and without performing Actions. But, that is-
not the import of the exposition of Spiritual and Empirical
Knowledge in the Glta; for it has been stated already
in the beginning of Chap. VII of the Glta, that the
exposition of Spiritual and Empirical Knowledge in
the Gita has been made solely (i) for showing that one=
GITA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XV 1147
§§ «J*t JTracm^^t ; 5TRTf?f «ftj<f|TWH '
ifcrsftflvfWsOmi 3q-m?g snn%iraT ^itstt^
q=gqi^itsi<mr: u ?h ii
should perform all worldly affairs with a Desireless Mind,
which, has been purified, whether by Knowledge . or by
Devotion; and (ii) for showing how Release can thereby
be. obtained. To proceed: the Blessed Lord now explains
what beneficial result is obtained by knowing this — ]
(19) Who thus Realises, without being engrossed by
Ignorance, that I am the Purusottama, he, O Bharata'!-
becomes omniscient, and worships Me in all ways.
(20) O sinless Bharata ! I have thus explained, this science,
which, is a mystery of mysteries; by understanding. this>
(a man) will become 'buddhinidn' (that is, buddka or
a Knower) and 'krtakrtya' (that is, 'one, who has done
all that ought to be done,' — Trans. )
[The word ' buddhiman ' here means ' buddha ' or a Jfiata '
(Sciemy- Knower); because, the words 'buddha' and
'krtakrtya' have been used in the same sense in the. .
Bharata ( San. 248. 11). The ordinary meaning of the
word 'buddha' namely, 'the Buddha incarnation' Has .
not appeared anywhere in the Mahabharata ( See Gl. Ra.
App. pp. 788-789;]. '
Thus ends the fifteenth chapter entitled .furusottaih
Yoga in the dialogue between Sri Krsna and Arjuna;On- ;
the. Yoga included in the Science of the Brahman ( that. is, .
on the. Karma-Yoga) in the Upanisad sung (that is, t;old)
by the Blessed Lord.
67—68
^ 5Jp^=R5i^?# jrpfcj gi<-^IM<*H « S II
CHAPTER XYI.
I The Purusottama-Yoga is the climax of the Knowledge
■of the Mutable and the Immutable ; and really speaking,
iihe exposition of Jflana and Vijnana, which was started in
Chapter VII, for showing how a man can attain Release by
Realising the Paramesvara, while he is following the Path
of Karma-Yoga, should have been finished here, and the
summary started. But in Chapter IX (9. 12), the Blessed
Lord has merely briefly stated that the ungodly person does
not realise His imperceptible and excellent form ; and He,
therefore, now commences this chapter for describing the
character of such an ungodly person ; and after explaining
in the next chapter why such differences arise between men
and men, the entire Glta has been summarised in Chapter
XVIII.]
The Blessed Lord said : — (1) Fearlessness, a pure and
sattvika temperament, ' jnana-yoga-vyavasthiti ' [that is, the
well-calculated proportionment of jnSna (-marga) and
(Karma-) Yoga], generosity, endurance, sacrifice, ' svadhyUya '
(that is, following the religion prescribed for one's status-in-
life), performing austerities, straight-forwardness, (2) harm-
lessness, veracity, not getting angry, ' tyaga ' (that is,
Renunciation of the Fruit of Action), tranquility, ' apaisunya',
(that is, overgrowing one's narrow-mindedness, and acquiring
a generous frame of mind), kindness towards all beings,
absence of avarice, mildness, feeling ashamed (of evil
action), '-acSpala' (that is, giving up useless activity),
GlTA, TRANSLATIONS COMMENTARY, OH. XVI 1149
^3T5 3TCT ff^S #Wflii HlfdWftdl I
{3) brilliance, forgiveness, steadiness, purity, non-hatred, not
being over-dignified, these (qualities), OBharatal are acquired
by persons, who are born to godlike endowments.
[ These 26 qualities of godlike endowment are practically
the same as the characteristics of 'jnana ' given in Chapter
XIII (Gl. 13. 7-11); and that is why ' ajfiana' has been
included in the ungodlike characteristics in the next stanza.
It is not possible to define the meaning of each word in the
list of these 26 qualities in such a way that it will be
different from the definitions of the other words ; and such
was not even the intention of the Blessed Lord. For
instance, Harmlessness (ahimsa) is divided by some persons
into ' kayika ' (bodily), ' vacika ' (vocal), and ' manasika '
(mental) ; and, they look upon angrily hurting the mind of
another person as a kind of harmfulness (himsa). If one,
.similarly, considers the three aspects of ' purity ', not being
angry, not hating any one, and other qualities can be
included in ' mental purity '. There is a detailed descrip-
tion of self-restraint, austerities, veracity, and avarice in
■Chapters 160 to 163 of the Santiparva of the MahabhSrata.
■Out of these, the word ' dama ' (self-restraint) has there been
taken in an extensive meaning, so as to include forgiveness,
steadiness, harmlessness, truth, pleading, and other several
25 or 30 qualities (San. 160) ; and in exposition of ' satya ',
{veracity), that quality is said to include by itself the
-following thirteen qualities, namely, truthfulness,
equability, self-restraint, absence of jealousy, forgiveness,
shame, patience, want of envy, sacrifice {yaga), meditation
(dkyana), ' aryaia ' (desire to benefit others), endurance, and
kindness ; and these various words have also been defined
in the same place. Grouping together many qualities in
this way under one heading is a matter of learning : and if
each quality is considered in this way, it will be necessary
■to write a treatise on every one quality. All these
•qualities have been enumerated in the above stanza with
ihe sole intention that one should thereby get a complete
1150 GlT A-BAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
idea of the sattvika form of godlike endowment ; and that,,
if some meaning' is' not conveyed by any one word, it
should be included in another word. I have interpreted the
word " jnanayoga-vyavastliiti" in the above list, in
accordance with Gi. 4. 41 and 42, so as to support the
Karma-Yoga. The words tyaga and dhrti have been
defined by the Blessed Lord Himself in Chapter XVIII, to
which the reader is referred (18. 4 and 29). Having thus
mentioned the qualities included in godlike endowment,
the Blessed Lord now describes the opposite, namely, the
ungodlike endowment — ]
(4) Hypocrisy, pride, ,over-dignity, and also, Partha 1
anger, 'parusya' (that is, cruelty), and ignorance are
(acquired) by those who are born in the ungodlike endow-
ment.
lln the 164th and 165th chapters of the Santiparva of the
Mababharata, some of these qualities have been desoribed-
and in the end, it is ' also stated who is to be called'
a 'nrsamsa', As'ajnam' (Ignorance) has been described
in this stanza as one of the characteristics of the ungodlike
endowment, it is clear that 'jfCana' (Knowledge) is
a characteristic of the godlike endowment., Having in
this way desoribed the two kinds of natures one .comes
aceross in the world — ]
(5) (Out of these) The godlike endowment is considered
(ultimately) productive of Release-; and the ungodlike-
(endowment), productive of bondage. O PSndava ! you are;
born in the 'godlike endowment ! Do- not lament'! ' ■*"
|The Blessed Lord has thus shortly explained the fate of
persons, possessing these two kinds of nature. He now.
describes, in detail the ungodlike lasuri ) person—]
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XVI 1151
iff Hywff <$i*sRfl»!ci strip: ^ ^ i
f^f 'RRcr^P sftrf? 3TT^t ttst % ^ i) 3 «
Tff% =5 fqff% ^ ^rt ^ fa$<ng>cis i
(6) In this world, two kinds o'f beings come into existence,
(one) godlike, and (the other) ungodlike. (Out of these)
I have described to you in detail the godlike (variety);
(now) O Partha ! I am describing to you the ungodlike
(variety), to which listen.
[As the description given by the Blessed Lord in the
previous chapters of how a Karma-Yogin. should behave,
what the Brahml state is, who is to.be called a 'stithaprajfia'
or a ' bhagamdbhakta' or a ' trigunatita' ', and what Jnana is
etc., as also the description of the godlike endowment
given in the first three stanzas is the same as the
description of a person having a 'daiva' (godlike) nature,
the Blessed Lord has here said that the ' daiva ' variety
has been described by Him in detail before. There is some
reference in Chapter IX to the ungodlike endowment
(9.11 and 12); but as that description is incomplete, it is
completed in this chapter.]
(7) Ungodlike persons do not understand what pravrtti is,
{that is, what should be done), nor what nivrtti is, (that is,
■what should not be done); and, purity, good behaviour,
or veracity have no place in them. (8) These (ungodlike
persons ) say : " the whole world is unreal, '' apratistha '
(that is, without any support), 'anisvara' (that is, existing
•without a Parmes vara) and ' a-paraspara-sambhuta' (that is >
not created one from the other); (in short) what can be
the object -of it, if not- enjoying the~objects .. of sense by
ihuman beings f "
[Although the meaning of this stanza is clear, 'there is
a great deal of difference of opinion about the inter-
pretation of the words used iri if. In my opinion, this is
1152 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
a description of the opinions of atheists like CarvSka and
others, who disputed both the Vedanta and Samkhya
doctrines relating to the construction of the world; andi
therefore, the words used in these stanzas refer to a doctrine
contrary to both the Samkhya and the Vedanta doctrines. The
Vedantist looks upon this world as perishable, and looks for
the Imperishable Reality— " satyasya satyam" (Br. 2. 3. 6) —
in it; and looks upon that Real Element as the fundamental
support or 'pratistha '—"brahmapvxcam pratistha" (Tai. 2. 5.)-
of it. But the demoniac persons believe that this world is
'a-satyam', that is, not containing ' satya ' (Reality) ; and that
it is, therefore, 'a-pratistham', that is, not having a pratistha
or support. But, a doubt may be raised that although the
Imperceptible Parabrahman of the Vedantists may in this;
way be not acceptable to demoniac persons, they may be
accepting the Perceptible Isvara, Who is worshipped in
the Path of Devotion. Therefore, the third word ' aniivara '
{ana+ Isvara) has been used in this stanza, in order to
make it perfectly clear that such demoniac persons do not
even accept the existence of an Isvara in the world.
When once the fundamental foundation of the world
hag thus been denied, one is also compelled to deny
the explanation of the order of creation of the world
contained (i) in the Upanisadic words : " atrnan akaiah
sambhutah I aKasad vayuh I vaycr agnih I agner apa\ l
adbhyah prthivi I prtMvya osadhayah I osadhibhyah annam i
annat purusah I " * (Tai. 2. 1) ; as also (ii) in the Samkhya
doctrine, which looks upon Prakrti and Purusa as two
independent Fundamental Elements, and looks upon all
perceptible objects as being the result of the mutual support
(annycnxya's'raya), that is, of the intermixture, of the sattva,
rajas,, and tamas constituents. Because, if this chain or
order of succession is accepted, then, going backwards from
ill the objects in the visible world, one will have to admit
* This quotation, which has not been translated into Marathi by
the author, means : «* Ether (or space), is born from the Self ; the
air, from Ether (or space) ; Fire, from the Ait ; Water, from Fire ;
Earth, from' Water ? vegetables, from the Earth ; food, from the
vegetables; and man from food "—Trans,
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. XVI 115*
that there is some origin for the world. Therefore, the
demoniac people do not admit that the various objects in
the world are parasparasambhuta, that is, created one from
the other in a particular order. "When once such a belief
about the creation of the world is fixed in the mind of any
person, the human being itself becomes the most important
object ; and it necessarily follows, as a natural conclusion,
that all the things in the world have been created only for
satisfying the Desire (kama-vasaria) of that human being,
and have no other purpose ; and this meaning is conveyed
by the words " Mmanyai kamahaitukam" that is "what
other object can it have except to satisfy Desire?", used
at the end of the stanza, and also by the subsequent stanzas.
Some commentators refer the words " aparaspara~
satnbhutam" to the words ' Jdmanyam ' ; and interpret the
stanza in the following way, namely, " does one see any-
thing, which is not created by the ' paraspara ' that is, thfr
union between the male and the female ? No ; and if no>
such thing is to be found, then this world is certainly
' kamahefuka ' that is, come into existence as a result of
the Desire (kameccha) of the male for the female " : and
some others break up ' aparaspara ' in a very strange way
as " aparas ca paras ca =aparasparau" ; and they interpret
the stanza as meaning: — "aparaspara itself means 'male and
female '; and the whole world being created from these two,
the mutual desire of the male for the female is the only
object for it; and there is no other objeot". But, this-
interpretation is not straight-forward. ' aparas ca paras ca '
will give rise to the compound " apara -para"; and there
will not be the consonant V, (the Sahara), in the middle, as
is to be found in 'aparaspara'. Besides, if one considers the
previous words ' a-satya ', ' a-pratistha ' etc., it is clear that
' a-paraspara-sambhuta ' must be a rw^-compound ; and then
one has "to admit that the word ' paraspara-safiibhuta ' means
"the mutual creation (anyonya-janana) at guna.-® (constituents)
out of gw^as " described in Samkhya philosophy (Gl. Ra.
p. 213 to 215). The two words ^amyemya ' and ' paraspara'
are synonymous with each other ; and both these words are
used in Samkhya philosophy in describing the mutual
1154 GlTA-RAHASYA. OB KABMA-YOGA
=hi*il'-r*ri'*m<-ni uc<i<iQ{h fallen: » ?? h
■effects of the constituents on each other ( see Ma. Bha. San.
305 ; and Sam. Ka. 12. 13). The Msdhvabhasya on the
Glta accepts this meaning ; and in explaining how the
■various things in the world spring one out of the other, it
gives the same stanza as in the Glta, namely, " annad
bhdvanti bhutani " etc., that is, " rain-showers spring out of
the sacrifice (because, the oblations thrown into the fire
reach the Sun), food springs from rain-showers, and living
beings spring from food " (Gl. 3; 14 ; Manu. 3-79). But, as
the statement- in the Taittirlya ITpanisad is more ancient
and more exhaustive than this, I have quoted it above as
an authority. Nevertheless, the words ' a-paraspara-
saihbhuta ' in the Glta are, in my opinion, indicative • of the
Samkhya theory, rather than the TJpanisadic theory, of the
creation of the universe. The Blessed Lord now explains
what effect this opinion of these demoniac persons,
regarding .the creation of the universe, has on their
behaviour. The expression ' kamahaituka' used at the end
of the above stanza is now made further clear. ]
(9) Accepting this view, these feeble-minded, soul-less, and
malevolent persons perform cruel Actions, and come into
existence only to destroy the world; (10) and sheltering
themselves behind 'Kama' (that is, the desire to enjoy
the objects of sense )', which can never be fully satisfied,
these (demonic persons), saturated with hypocrisy, false
dignity, and pride, entertain (in their mind) false con-
clusions, (that .is, unreasonable ideas), and engage in
dirty .Actions, i(ll) Similarly,, being engrossed lifelong
with immeasurable anxiety (to enjoy happiness), being
steepeddn enjoying the objects of sense, and firmly believing
GtTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XVI 1155
3I# inn IrP STftfts^ "mTOTft i
snOTtsRraqgnrflu *)s«Rsfei ^as^r jrtt i
that that is everything; (12) being bound by hundreds
of bonds of hope, and being subject to Desire and Anger,
(these demoniac persons) entertain the ambition of amassing
huge wealth, by injustice, in order to enjoy pleasure. (13)
(They say:) "To-day I have acquired this; (to-morrow) I shall
get that desire satisfied; this wealth is (with me); and
again that (wealth) also will become mine; (14) I have killed
this enemy; and I shall also destroy others; I am the
Isvara, I (alone) am the enjoyer; I am perfect, powerful
and happy; (15) I am wealthy, born in a good family;
who other is there like me? I will perform sacrifices ;
I will give in charity, I will enjoy myself. Being misguidedj
as a result of Ignorance, as described in these words;
(1 6) being mis-directed by all sorts of ideas, being entangled
in the cob-webs of mental' confusion, and steeped in the
enjoyment of the objects of sense, these (demoniac persons)
fall into a filthy hell! (17) (Who are) Self-praisers, who
behave over-bearingly, and who are fall of the pride of
wealth and dignity, these (demoniac persons), abandon
Sastfic admonitions, and hypocritically perform only nominal
1156 GlTA-BAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
riwt fsro: ^cra; 's^ks towi: <
3ti*n #^?i«n #*rea^i%s?5?if f<^ si *? «
sacrifices. (18) Who, being bloated up by egoism, poweiy.
pride, desire, and anger, hate Me (the Paramesvara ), Who am/
in their body as also in the bodies of others; (and who are)<
maligners, (19) (these) haters, who commit unholy Actions,,
and (these) cruel, and lowest of men, are always thrown
by Me into demoniac (that is, sinful) births in this worldly
life. (20) O Kaunteya ! these foolish persons, thus taking?:
birth in demoniac wombs, never come to me, and ultimately
reach the lowest of low conditions.
[The Blessed Lord has so far described demoniac persons
and the state they reach. HE now explains how one can
escape from it — ]
(21) The gate-way of hell is of three folds, namely,..
Desire, Anger and Avarice ; and it is destructive of one's ■
Self; therefore, these three should be given up. (22) O
Kaunteya ! when a man has escaped from these tamodvara-s
(that is, doors of darkness — Trans.), he begins to act in a
way which is beneficial to himself, and ultimately reaches-
the highest state.
t It is clear that when the three gates of hell are escaped
from, a good state must be obtained. But, it has not so-
far been stated by what kind of conduct this can be done.
Therefore, the Blessed Lord now explains what that path.
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XVI 1157
?irT»TO5»rargtcn5 ■dfMM^j wsrrafrrarr srnnsrrer siifwii-
(23) (He) who has given up SSstric directions, and begun to-
do what he likes, does not attain Perfection ; nor does he
reach an excellent state. (24) * tasttiat ' (that is, therefore —
Trans.), in order to decide the " Mryakarya-vyavastkiti" r
(that is, what ought to be done and what ought not
to be done), you must accept the Scriptures (Sastras)
as authoritative; and after finding out what has beeir
directed by the Scriptures, it is proper that you should act-
accordingly.
[ The word ' l&ryatarya-vyavasthiti ' used in this stanza
clearly shows that the Gits has been told, keeping before the
mind the idea of Ethics ; and it has been shown clearly in
the Gita-Bahasya (pp. 66 to 69) that this is known as the
Karma- Yoga-Sastra. ]
Thus ends the sixteenth chapter entitled Daivasura—
Sampad-Vibhaga Yoga, in the dialogue between Sri Krsna.
and Arjuna, on the Yoga included in the Science of the-
Brahman (that is on the Karma- Yoga) in the Upanisad sung:
(that is, told) by the Blessed Lord.
OTT firm § s&T fjeor ■gP rtW i ii <*HsW II ? II
CHAPTER XYII.
[When a description has thus been made of persons, who
inaintain and protect the world by following the Karma-
Yoga-Sastra, as also of those, who, on the other- hand,
• destroy the world, the question why these differences arise
between men and .men, naturally springs up. The ordinary
. -answer to that question, namely, "prakrtya niyatah scaya".
. that is, "that is according to everybody's nature", has .
been given in Chapter VII above (7.20). • But, as a full
exposition about the three constituents namely, sattva,
rajas, and tamas, has not been made in that chapter, it was
not possible to give there a detailed explanation of these
differences, which arise from Prakrti. Therefore, these
three constituents have been described in Chapter XIV;
and after explaining in this Chapter how diverse kinds of
faith etc., arise on account of these constituents, the entire
subject-matter of Jnana and Vijnana has been concluded
in' this chapter. In the same way, the reason for-.the
, differences in the Path of Devotion, mentioned in the
Chapter IX (see 9.23 and 24), becomes clear by the
explanation given in this chapter. Arjuna first asks — ]
Arjuna said : — (1) O Krsnalthose who, notwithstanding
that they are filled with Faith, yet perform sacrifice without
observing the Scriptural methods, what should their 'nistha"
'(that is, mental condition) be supposed to be? Is it
sattvika, or rajasa, or iamascs ?
[This is the doubt raised by Arjuna on the admonition
given at the end of the last chapter that Scriptural methods
should be followed. It sometimes happens that even
having faith in the Scriptures, a man commits mistakes
as a result of ignorance. For instance, instead of
GlTA, TRANSLATION &CmMEFTARY,CH. XVII 1159
fiftw *rai% si^t %f|?rf ^t ^^nira^iT i
worshipping the All^peryading Paramesvara, as has been
enjoined by the Sastras, he may run after deities
( Gl. 9. 23 ). And the question of Arjuna is, what is the
' mstha ' or state, or mental condition of such a person.
This question does not relate to persons, who despise the
Sastras and religion for want of faith in them, that is, to
demoniac persons. Nevertheless, wherever there is occasion,
the Actions of these people also have been described in
this Chapter. ]
The Blessed Lord said : — (2) This faith of living beings-
is naturalh" of three kinds, sattvika, rajasa, and iamasa. Hear
(how) that (is so). (3) The faith of every person,
O Bharata ! conforms to his 'sattva' ( that is, to his inherent
nature). Man is imbued with faith. In whatever -matter
(he puts) his faith, so is he (formed).
[The word l sattva' in stanza 2* means ' natural tempera- ,
ment', 'Reason' or 'conscience'. This word 'sattva' has
been used in that sense in the Kathopanisad (Katha. 6. 7) ;
and in the Samkarabhasya on the Vedanta-Siitras also, the
term ' sattva-ksetrajHa ' has been used in stead of ksetra-
ksetrajna ' (Ve.-Su. Sam. Bha. 1. 2. 12). In short, the word
'svabhava' in stanza 2, and the word ' sattva ' in stanza 3 are
synonymous ; because, the doctrine that nature is nothing
but Prakrti, and that Reason, and later on, Conscience,
spring from Prakrti, is accepted both in Vedtata and in
Samkhya philosophy. The principle, " in whatever matter
(he puis) his faith, so is he (formed) " is only a repetition' of
of the theories, "those' who worship deities, go to the
deities" etc., which have appeared before (Gl 7. 20, 23 ; 9. 25);
and' I have discussed this subject in Chapter XIII of the
G-Ita-Rahasya (see Glta. Ra. pp. 589 to 598). When it is
This ought to be stanza 3 and not stanza 2- -Trans.
1160 GITA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
admittsd that every person reaps a reward according to
his desires, and that having or not having a particular
inclination or desire depends on his Prakrti (that is, nature),
the question, how this nature should be improved, naturally
arises. The answer to this question is: as the Atman
<Self) is independent, this bodily temperament can
gradually be changed by practice and by renunciation;
and this subject has been discussed in Chapter X of
the Glta-Rahasya, to which the reader is referred.
(see pp. 382 to 390). All that has to be considered for the
moment is why and how these differences in faith arise.
Therefore, after having stated that the faith changes
according to a man's nature, the Blessed Lord now explains
(i) what three kinds of faith are to be found in different men
as a result of Prakrti itself being composed of the three
constituents sattm, rajas and tamas, and (ii) what the results
of this difference are. ]
■(4) Persons, who are 'sattvika', that is, in whom the sattva
(benevolent) constituent predominates, sacrifice to the
deities; the rSjasa (passionate), to gnomes (yaksas ) and to
demons (raksasa-s) ; and other remaining tamasa (ignorant
^persons) offer sacrifice to dead bodies and ghosts ( bhuta-s).
I The Blessed Lord has now explained the three classes
into which men having faith in the Sastras fall as a result
of the difference of their Prakrti, and He has also explained
their characteristics. HE now describes the class of the
lustful and hypocritical persons, who are such, as a result
■of not having faith in the Sastras. It is clear that these
persons are not sattvika ; but one cannot on that account
simply call them ' tamasa ' ; because, although their actions
are contrary to the Sastras, yet they have a tendency to
perform these Actions ; and, tendency to Action is a feature
•of the rajas constituent. In short, the adjectives sattvika,
rajasa, or tamasa cannot be simply applied to such people.
That is why men are divided into the two classes ' daim '
GlTA, TRANSLATION &COMMENTARY, OH. XVII 1161
an %n^i(k<;4 crr fci-eMi&iftjtHH ii 5 ii
3ii^i«r3fa ■y^ f§rf%sfr *rarar f^r- 1
q wrere n ?r ?frf StrfjflT sas « o ii
(godlike) and ' asuri ' (demoniac) ; and these evil-minded
persons are put into the ' asuri ' class ; the same idea has
been conveyed in the two following stanzas. ]
((5) But, those persons who, being imbued with hypocrisy and
•egoism, perform intense austerities contrary to the Sastras,
•on the strength of Desire and Attachment, (6) and oppress
not only the group of the five primordial elements etc.,
in their body, but also Me, Who saturate that body,
such undiscriminating (persons) may be understood to
possess a demoniac temperament.
[All the .questions of Arjuna have now been answered. The
faith of different persons may be saftvika, rajasa or tamasa
according to their nature ; and there being a consequent
•difference in their Actions, they will attain various goals
■according to their respective Actions ; but, from that alone
it cannot be said that a particular person will fall into
ithe demoniac class. It is the duty of everybody to
gradually improve his nature by making use of Freedom
of Will ( atmasvatamtrya ) and acting according to the
Scriptures ( sastras ). These stanzas mean that those,
who, instead of doing so, pride themselves on their own evil
inherent nature, and flout the Sastras are to be called
" asuri ' (demoniac). The Blessed Lord now explains the
•different kinds of food (ahara), sacrifice (yajna), religious
austerity (tapas) and charitable gifts {dana), which are the
result of the sattva, rajas and tamas constituents of Prakrti,
just as there are different kinds of Faith; and He also
explains how in consequence of diversity in nature, there
is also diversity in Actions — ]
<7) Now, the food which each person likes is also divided
into three classes ; and the same is the case with Sacrifice,
1162 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
arnnr ^stcr%t f^fsffamw 5 " ^ ".
Austerity and Knowledge. I will explain to you this
difference, to which listen. (8) The food liked by, a sattvika-
person is such as increases life, the sattvika temperament,,
strength, health, happiness, and love ; it is savoury, viscous,.
and such as will be absorbed into the body, and will remain.
in it for a long time, and is enjoyable to the mind. (9) The
food liked by the rajasa ■ persons is 'katu' (that is, hot),.
pungent, saltish, very warm, irritating, dry, exciting;, and
such as creates pain, lamentation, and disease.
[In Sanskrit 'katu ' means 'burning'; and ^ tikta' means,
'bitter'; and accordingly, in Sanskrit medical treatises,
mustard is described as ' katu ', and lemon or lime as tikta
(See VSgbhata-Sutra, Oh. 10). The words 'kadu' and
'tiklwt' in' the Marathi language are corruptions of the '
words ' katu ' and ' tikta ' in Sanskrit ; but the meanings of
those two words in the Marathi language have got.
interchanged. The Sanskrit and Marathi meanings of the
word 'aparoksa' are similarly interchanged; and this thing
is important from the point of view of etymology.]
(10) A tamasa person likes food, which has remained'
standing, (that is, which has become cold), is, tasteless,,
bad-smelling, which has become stale (for one day), , has
been tasted (by other people), and. is also impure.
[Not only does the sattvika person like sattvika food; the-
rajasa person, rajasa food; and the tamasa person, tamasa
food; but conversely, by eating sattvika food, the inherent
nature of a person also gradually becomes pure or sattvika,
as -has been stated 'in the Upanisads: d."aMrasuddMm
sattva iuddhih" ; (Chan. 7» '26. %), Because, as the";Mind and 1 .
GlTA, TRANSLATION'S COMMENTARY, OH. XVII 116*
?^m *It?r£s If W f%l% iM^H ll t* ll
y^lRKftd m <TT3TO "TR^^W « ?3 II
the Reason are only evolutes of Prakrti, if the food is
saitvika, the inherent nature also becomes sattvika in
consequence. These are the different kinds of food. The
Blessed Lord now explains how there are three different
kinds of sacrifices. ]
(11) The Sacrifice performed without entertaining any
desire for the fruit, and looking upon the performance of
Sacrifice as a duty, and with a peaceful mind, and according to
the Sastric rites, is sattvika ; (1 2) but the Sacrifice performed
with a desire for fruit, or only hypocritically (that is, for
making an exhibition of one's riches), know that, such
a sacrifice, O Bharata-srestha ! is a rajasa. sacrifice; (13) and,
the Sacrifice performed without Scriptural ceremony, without
the sacrifice of food, without the recitation of hymns
without giving charitable gifts, and without faith, such
a sacrifice is tamasa.
[ Just as there are three kinds of food and sacrifice, so
also are there three kinds of austerities. But austerities have
first been divided into ' kayika' (bodily), 'vodka' (vocal), and
' manasika ' (mental) ; and then the three sub-divisions of
each of these as a result of the sattva, rajas and tamos con-
stituents have been explained. The word 'tapa' in this place
is -not to be taken, in the narrow meaning of ' going into a
forest and mortifying the body according to the Patanjala-
Toga ', but means ' Yajna, Yaga, study of the Vedas, or
whatever anybody's duty may be according to that one of
the four classes to which he belongs ; e. g. fighting for the
Ksatriya, trade for the Vaisya, etc, which is the austerity
(tapa) or penance for that particular person'. This com-^
prehensive meaning of the word ' tapa ' (religious austerities
69—70
•1164 GlTA-RAHASYA OK KARMA-YOGA
wif^gsrfl?rT =sr sttck era ^^ra » ?8 «
or Penance), given by Manu (Manu. 11. 236) is intended
in the following stanzas of the Glta. ]
(14) Worshipping deities and Brahmins, as also those
-who are learned; cleanliness, straight-forwardness, celibacy,
-and harmlessness is called ' karira' (that is, kayika or bodily)
penance. (15) Speech, which does not cause pain (to the
mind), which is true, likeable, and beneficial and also,
the practice of 'svadhyaya' (that is, one's own duties)
is called ' vangmaya ' ( vacika or vocal ) penance. (16) Keeping
.one's mind pleased, gentleness, and maintaining 'mauna'
'(that is, silence, like a muni), mental control, and .pure
feelings is called 'mamsa' (mental) penance.
[ The words, satya, priya, and hita used in stanza 15 seem '
to refer to the dictum of Manu : " satyam brwyat priyam
bruyan na bruyat satyam apriyam I priyam ca rianrtam
bruyad esa dharmah sanatanah u " (Manu. 4. 138), that is,
"" one should speak what is true ; one should speak what is
•sweet; one should not speak what is true, if it is not
sweet; *this is the ancient religion". But Vidura has
told Duryodhana in the Mahabharata itself (Sabha. 63. 17)
that " apriyasya ca pathyasya vakta, srota hi durlabhah "
(that is, " of what is disagreeable and beneficial, the speaker
as also the hearer are hard to find " — Trans.). Each of the
• The words " priyam oananrtam Iruyat " in the above quotation,
which mean: " ior what is aweet, if it is false " are not
included in. the author's Jtarathi translation of the Sanskrit
quotation — Trans.
GITA.TEANSLATION &;COMMENTARY,CH. XVII 1165
Jj£*»ftuiM«fi 33 qNifl W»^d WF t
M -M:j"l HH I <H 1 4 ^f d-dl+fflii l iid^ tl \% »
$§ 4lci=i)|1lkl ST^R <fWdS;J4*lftot l
%$t 3»T5J ^T Tl% "9 rT^TST yiftcj* ^d*J, It ?o II
#3?!' W Tft%a cfWfl TTST^I ^R[ » *? II
three divisions of Penance, namely, kayika, vacika and
mamsika falls into the following sub-divisions — ]
(1 7) If each of these three kinds of religious austerities
•{ or penance ) is performed without entertaining the Desire for
Fruit, and with excellent Devotion, and with a mind steeped
in Yoga, it is called slttmka; (18) and when the austerities
-are performed with the intention that one should be
: appreciated, or held in dignity, or worshipped, or hypo-
•critically, then those unsteady and fleeting austerities are
here (that is, in the Scriptures) known as rdjasa; (19) those
austerities, which, being self-injurious, are performed out
of a foolish persistence, or with the idea of harming others
[ by incantations for propitiation {jarana), or causing death
<(marana) etc.], are called tamasa.
[Having thus described the divisions of Penance, the
Blessed Lord now explains the three divisions of charitable
gifts (dona). ]
(20) That gift, which is made with the conviction that
it is one's duty to make the gift, after considering (the
■propriety of) the place, the time, and the (receiving) person,
.-and to a person, who has not obliged the giver, is called
sattvika; (21) but the gift, which is made unwillingly, as a re-
turn for some obligation (received), or with the idea of getting
1166 . GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
same reward for it in future, is called 'rajasa'; (22) and that
gift, which is made at an improper place, or at an improper
time, or to an improper person, unappreciatingly, or
disrespectfully is called tamasa.
[The three divisions into which Knowledge, Action, Do-
ers, Reason, Perseverance, and Happiness fall, similar to the
divisions of food, sacrifice, penance, and gifts, are explained
in the next chapter (Gi. 18. 20-39 ). The differentiation
between the constituents given in this chapter is here over..
The Blessed Lord now refers to the definition of the
Brahman ( the brahnia-nirdesa ); and proves the superiority
and adoptability of sattvika Action mentioned above..
Because, a doubt is likely to be raised to the exposition
• made above, that, whether an Action is sattvika, rajasa,.
or tamasa, it is still faulty and pain-causing; that,
therefore, it is not possible to attain to the Brahman, unless-
■ all these Actions are given up ; and that, if this is true,,
.there is no sense in pointing out the difference, that a
.particular act is sattvika, and a particular act rajasa. The
answer of the Gita to this objection is that these divisions,
of Action into sattvika, rajasa, and tamasa are not.
inconsistent with the Parabrahruan. The canon (safnkalpa),.
which defines the Brahman, includes sattvika Actions or
good Actions ; and therefore, it is proved beyond doubt that-
these Actions are not metaphysically eschewable ( see.
Gi., Ra. p. .338). All the Knowledge acquired by man
regarding the nature of the Parabrahman is concentrated,
in the definition composed of the three words "Om, Tat, Sat".
Out of these 'Om' is the aksara-brahman, and that has been
described in different ways in different Upanisads
(Prasna. 5 ; Katha. 2. 15-17; Tai. 1. 8 ; Chan. 1. 1 ; Maitryu.
• 6. 3, 4 ; Mi.nd.ukya. 1. 12). And as this Brahman in the
form of a consonant ( varnaksara-rupi ) was the only thing
■ - in existence at the commencement of the universe, all.
Action (or ritual)' commences with that letter. 'Tat'='that" !
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. XVII 13 67
means ' something beyond the ordinary Action', that is to
say, the sattvika Action performed desirelessly, and having
given up the Hope of Fruit; and 'Sat' means pure Actions,
performed according to Scriptural directions, notwith-
standing that they may have been performed with a Hope
if or Emit. Such is the meaning of this canon ; and if this
meaning is accepted, not only sattvika, Actions, performed
■with a 'desireless frame of mind, but also good Actions
performed according to Scriptural directions are included
an the ordinary and commonly accepted definition of the
Parabrahman. Therefore, it is wrong to say that these
Actions are eschewable. Besides the 'tat' and 'sat'
Actions, there remain the ' asat' Actions, that is, evil
Actions. Bwt, as such Actions are harmful both in this '
life and the next, they are not included in the definition,
as has been stated in the last stanza. The Blessed Lord
:says— ]
■ (23) The Parabrahman is defined (in the Scriptures) in
three ways, as "Om-Tat-Sat". By this (very) definition*
were the Brahmins, the Vedas, and the Sacrifices created
formerly.
fit has been stated before that in the beginning of the
■world, the first Brahmin in the form of Brahmadeva, the
■gods, and Tajnas were first created (Qi 3. 10). But, the
form of that Parabrahman, from which all this has been
created, is contained in the three words ' Om', ' Tat ' and
'Sat'. Therefore, this stanza means that the canon
•' Om-Tat-Sat ' is the root of the entire universe. The Blessed
Lord now gives the respective connotations of the three
words' 'Om', 'Tat', and 'Safin this canon, from the
Karma-Yogic point of view — ]
* It is difficult to understand how anything can be created by_
a definition 1 (mrdeba). Sridhara explains the word 'this' as mean-
ing 'Parabrahman' Trans.
• 1168 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
§§ cre*nftft?sfnHf <w4t<wntfiMn i
q% cT<Tf% ?I% ^ RSff&s ^rf%fcf *<*K<Md I
giir %r a^iW ^Titrgmft^hrH ii R« i!
(24) "tasmat" (that is, 'since the world starts with this-
canon'), Brahmists* (brahma-vadinah) start their Sacrifice,.
Charity, Penance, and all other Scriptural Actions first
uttering the word 'OM'. (25) By using the word 'TAT',,
people perform Actions, such as, Sacrifice, Penance,
Charity etc., without entertaining the Hope of Fruit,,
in order to obtain Release. (26) Reality (astitva) and:
saintliness (sadhutva) are signified by the use of the word
'SAT'; and OPartha! the word 'SAT' is also applied to'
proper (that is, good) Actions. (27) Fixity (that is, having'
an unswerving faith in Sacrifices, Austerities, and Charity )•
is also known as ' SAT '; and the Action performed for that.
purpose is also known as 'SAT'.
[Sacrifices, Austerities, and Charity are the important
religious Actions; and the Actions performed for this
purpose have been given the generic name ' yajfiartha-
lairtnd' (Action for the purpose of a Saorifioe) by the-
Mlmarhsakas. Though a man may entertain the Hope for
Fruit in performing these Actions, yet, as that Hope is*
consistent with Morality, these Actions fall into the
category of.' Sat'; and all Desireless Action falls into the-
class of ' Tat '= ' that ', that is to say, ' that which is beyond
this'. As both these kinds of Actions are thus included
* This word ' Brahmist ' has been coined by. me on the analogy
of ' theist ', ' atheist ' etc., — Trans. .
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. XVII
in the Brahma-sarhkalpa " Om-Tat-Sat ", which is uttered
at the commencement of every ritualistic Action, both of
them must be said to be consistent with the attainment to
the Brahman (see Gl. Ra. p. 338). Now there remains only
the ' asat '. The Blessed now explains what the result of
that Action is — ]
(28) That oblation, which is thrown into the fire, or that,
(gift), which is given, or that penance, which is performed,
or any whatsoever ( Action ), which is done, without faith
is called 'asat'. O Partha ! that (Action) is not beneficial.
whether after death (in the next life), or in this life.
[ In short, the commonly accepted canon, indicative of
the form of the Brahman, includes all Actions performed
with a desireless frame of mind, and merely as duties, and
which are either sattvika or are proper Actions, or good
Actions, performed with a pure intention, and according to
Scriptural directions. All other Actions are futile. This
proves that it is not proper to ask any one to give up
Action, which is included in the definition of the Brahman,
which came into existence with Brahmadeva (Gl. 3. 10),
and which no body can escape from. And that is why
the above Karma- Yogic interpretation of the canon.
' Om-Tat-Sat ' has been given in this chapter immediately
after the disquisition on Karma. Because, a [mere descrip-
tion of the form of the Brahman has been given before
in Chap. XIII, as also before that chapter. What the
words ' Om ', ' Tat ', and ' Sat ' must have originally meant
has been explained at the end of Chapter IX of the Glta-
Rahasya (p. 338). The description of the Brahman as.
" SaccidSnanda" is now in vogue. But, as the definition
of Brahman as ' Om-Tat-Sat ' has been taken here, instead
of the definition ' Saccidananda ', it is possible to draw an
inference that the definition of the Brahman as "Sacci--
dananda ", as a generally accepted definition, must have
come into vogue after the date of the Glta. ]
1170 GlTA-BAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
snt «ftfl3?»ra#?n^ gq^Trig sr^firaraf *<Urh#i 'sftfjwrr-
Thus ends the seventeenth chapter entitled Sraddha-
TBaya-Vibhaga Yoga in the dialogue between Sri Krsna
and Arjuaa on the Yoga included in the Science of the
Brahman (that is, on the Karma- Yoga) in the Upanisad
•sung, (that is, told) by the Blessed Lord. '
CHAPTER XYIII.
[The eighteenth chapter is the summary of the entire
'Glta-science. I shall, therefore, make a review (literally,
' cast a lion-glance ') of all that has been stated so far
■(for greater details, see Chapter XIV of the GHta-Rahasya).
It is clear from Chapter ONE that the Glta has-been
told -in order to induce Ar juna to do his own duty, when he
was on the point of giving up the warfare, which was his
lot according to his own-status (svadharma), and of starting
to beg. Arjuna was filled with the doubt that if he
performed such evil actions as killing his own preceptors
etc., his Self would not be benefitted, Therefore, in the
beginning of Chapter TWO are mentioned the two ways of
living one's life, which are accepted by Jnanins (i. e.,
Sages) ; namely, Samkhya (samnyasa or Renunciation), and
Karma-Yoga (Yoga); and the ultimate conclusion has been
arrived at, that though both these paths are equally produc-
tive of Release, yet the path of Karma-Yoga is the superior
of the two (GH. 5. 2). According to the Path of Karma- Yoga,
• out of these two, the Reason is supposed to be superior ; if
the Reason is steady and equable, Karma (Action) does not
prejudicially affect anybody ; no one has escaped Karma,
and no one should give up Karma; it is quite enough if one
gives up the Hope of Fruit; it is necessary to perform
Karma at any rate for universal welfare, if not, for one's
: self ; if one's Reason is pure, Jfiana doss not conflict with
Karma ; and if one considers tradition, then Janaka and
- others behaved in the same way. These and other logical
arguments have been advanced from Chapter THREE to
'Chapter FIVE. The next subject-matter is how to acquire
this Equability of Reason, which is necessary for making
Karma-Yoga successful, and how one ultimately attains
Release, while following the Path of Karma-Yoga. In
■order to acquire this Equability of Reason, one must
acquire sense-control (indriya-rugraha), and thereby fully
jealise that there is only one Paramesvara pervading the
1172 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
entire creation : there is no other way. Out of these, sense-
control has been dealt with in Chapter SIX; and from
Chapter VII to Chapter XVII, is given the explanation of
(i) how the Knowledge of the Paramesvara is acquired
while practising the Karma-Yoga, and (ii) what that
Knowledge is. Out of these, Chapter SEVEN and
Chapter EIGHT deal with the Spiritual and the Empirical
Knowledge {jflmia-vijnana) of (i) the Mutable and the
Immutable and (ii) the Perceptible and . the Imperceptible ;.
and Chapters NINE to TWELVE deal with the doctrine
that though the Imperceptible form of the Paramesvara is
superior to the Perceptible form, yet, worshipping the-
Perceptible, without losing sight of the fact that there is.
only one Paramesvara, is a path which is easy for
everybody, because it is a matter which is capable of
practical realisation. Then in Chapter THIRTEEN, the
theory of the Body and the Atman (ksetra-ksetrajfla-vicara)'
has been explained by saying that, that which is known as
the 'avyakta' (Imperceptible) in the Consideration of the
Mutable and the Immutable, is, indeed, the Atman within,
the body of a man ; and thereafter, there has been a detailed
consideration from Chapter FOURTEEN to Chapter
SEVENTEEN of the way in which persons of diverse
natures in the world, as also the other diversified expansion,
of the world, came into existence, as a result of the consti-
tuents of Prakrti — which subject-matter, is really an off-
shoot of the Consideration of the Mutable and the-
Immutable ; and in this way, the exposition of Spiritual,
and Empirical Knowledge has been completed. But every-
where, the only advice given to Arjuna is that he should.
perform Action ; and the definite doctrine has been enun-
ciated, that the Karma-Yogic way of living one's life„
namely, the path of "worshipping the Paramesvara, and
doing all Actions with a pure mind, according to one's
status, till death, and with the idea of dedicating every-
thing to the Paramesvara" is, indeed the best path of life.
When, in this way, the Karma-Yoga, based on Knowledge,
and in which Devotion is the supreme factor, has been
explained in all its bearings, that very religion
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. XVIII 117*
rums ^ fft%3T sq^'^iPl^ u ? »
been summarised in Chapter EIGHTEEN; and Arjuna.
has been induced to fight of his own free will. In this path,
which has been pronounced to be the best of all by the
Glta, Arjuna has not been advised to take up the fourth
state of life or Renunciation; but, it has been stated
that the man, who lives according to this path of
life is a ' mtyasamnyasin ' (perpetual ascetic), (Gi. 5. 3).
Therefore, the next question of Arjuna is whether the
principle of (i) taking sometime or other to the fourth
state of life, namely, the state of an ascetic, and (ii>
literally abandoning all kinds of Action, is or is not
included in the Path of Karma-Toga ; and if not, then,
what the meaning of the two words ' samnyasa' and 'tyaga'
is ( see Gita-Rahasya pp. 481 to 487. ]
Arjuna said : — (1) O Mighty-armed Rhslkesa ! the
principle of Renunciation (samnyasa), and O Kesidaityani-
sudana ! the principle of Abandonment (tyaga), I wish to.
know these severally.
[This question has not been asked with the intention of
merely knowing the dictionary meanings of the words
' samnyasa ' and 'tyaga ', or the difference between them.
The root-meaning of both is " to give up " ; and it is not
that Arjuna did not know this. But, the Blessed Lord
has nowhere advised the giving up of Action ; and wherever
Renunciation has been dealt with in the 4th, 5th, or 6th
chapters (4. 41 ; 5. 13 ; 6. 1), or in other places, He has
directed that one should only make a ' tyaga ' (abandon-
ment) of the Hope of Fruit (Gi. 12. 11), and should make
the ' samnyasa ' of, that is, ' dedicate ', all Actions to the
Paramesvara, (3. 30 ; 12. 6) ; whereas, if one considers the-
Upanisads, one comes across statements describing the-
Path of Renunciation, which are indicative of the-
Abandonment of Action, such as, " na harmana na prajaya ,
1174 ■ .; . . GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
dhaaeiia tyagen aike amrtatvam anasuh ", that is, " many
parsons have obtained Release by abandoning, or making
a literal ' tyaga ' of all Actions " (Kai. 1. 2 ; Narayana 12.
-3); or, " vedanta-vijflana suniscitarthahl samnyasayogad
.yatayah suddhaialvV.hu ", that is, "yatins (ascetics), who have
■become pure by the Yoga of ' samnyasa', in the shape of the
Abandonment of all Actions " (Mundaka. 3. 3. 6) ; or,
'' Mm prajaya karisyamah " that is, " what have we got to do
•with sans, grandsons, or other progeny " (Br. 4. 4. 22). It
is quite clear that Arjuna had seen that the Blessed Lord
~was using the two words ' samnyasa ' and ' tyaga ' in some,
■other meaning, instead of applying them to the state of
Renunciation, in the shape of the Abandonment of Action,
■out of the four states of human life, prescribed by the
iSmrti texts, and he has asked this question in order to clear
up that point. See the detailed elucidation of this subject-
matter, which has been made by me in Chapter XI (pp. 481
to 487) of the Glta-Rahasya. ]
The Blessed Lord said :— (2) Making a 'nyasct ( that is,
giving up) of (all whatsoever) Desire-prompted Actions, is
known by wise people as 'Samnyasa' ; (and) making an
Abandonment of the Fruit of all Actions is known by the
learned as 'Tyaga'.
[This verse clearly explains what is meant by the words
* samnyasa ' and ' tyaga ' according to the Path of Karma-
Yoga. But, as this opinion was not acceptable to the
commentators, who belonged to the Path of Renunciation,
they have stretched the meaning of this stanza to a
considerable extent In this stanza, the word ' kamya '
appears in the very beginning. Therefore, these
commentators say, that the divisions of Actions into nitya*
* ; For definitions di'mlya', ete., ; see Vol. I, p. 74, et seq.—
'Translator.
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. XVIII 1175 •
naimittika, kamya, and nisiddha, according to the Mlmarhsa
school are indicated here; and that according to the' advice
of the Blessed Lord, only 'kamya' (desire-prompted)
"Actions should be given up". But, the followers of the
Path of Renunciation have to declare that the ' nitya ' and
' naimittika ' Actions have also been included in the ' kamya ' '
Actions. Even doing so, the statement in the second
half of the stanza that the Hope of Fruit should be given
up, and that Actions should not be given up, (see stanza 6,
later on) does not become consistent -with their mode of
life. Therefore, these commentators have satisfied them-
selves by passing a remark, on their own authority, that the
Blessed Lord has here only showered empty praise on the
Path of Karma-Yoga ; and that His real intention was that
all Actions should be given up. It is quite clear that this
stanza cannot be satisfactorily explained from the doctrin-
al point of view of the School of Renunciation or other
schools. It can be rightly interpreted only so as to
support the Karma-Yoga, that is to say, so as to support
the principle enunciated on numerous occasions in the-
Gita, that one must continue to perform Actions, till death, .
giving up the Hope of Fruit ; and such a meaning indeed,
is the straight and plain meaning. One must bear in
mind, in the first place, that the word ' kamya ' does not
indicate the division of Actions into nitya, naimittika,
kamya and nisiddha, made by the Mlmamsa school.
According to the doctrine of Karma-Yoga, all Actions
fall ■ into only two divisions, namely, ' kamya ' that is, .
' performed with Hope of Fruit ' and ' niskama ', that is,
'performed giving up the Hope of Fruit'; and these two .
are respectively called " praortta Karma", and " nivrtta
Karma " in the Manu-Smrti (See Manu. 12. 88 and 89).
"Whether the Actions are Daily (nitya), or Occasional :
(•naimittika) or Bodily (kayika), or Vocal (vacika), or Mental
(manasika) or any other kind, according to the division into
sattvika, etc., they must fall into one of the two divisions,
' kamya ' (Desire-prompted) and ' niskama ' (Desireless) ;
because, besides the two divisions,- (i) ' having harm ', .
is, Hope of Fruit, and (ii) 'not having kdma ',■ no i
1176 GlTA-RAHASYA OK KARMA-YOGA
division is possible from the point of view of kama (' Hope
•of Fruit'). If a particular Action is done for a particular
purpose, having regard to the purpose for which it. is
prescribed by the Sastras, e.g., the ' putresti ' sacrifice for
obtaining a son, then it becomes ' kamya ' ; and if the same
thing is done merely as a matter of duty, that is to say,
without entertaining the Hope of Fruit, it becomes
' niskama '. When all Actions are thus divided into
J kamya ' and ' niskama ' (or ' pravrtta ' and ' nivrtta ' accord-
ing to the terminology of Manu), the Xarma-Yogin gives
up all Actions which are ' kamya ' or inspired by Desire.
It, therefore, follows that even in the Karma-Yoga, it is
necessary to perform a ' samnyasa ' (Renunciation) of all
'kamya' (desired-prompted) Actions. Now, let us turn to the
second out of the two divisions of Karma, namely, the
division of ' nisltama ' (desireless) Aotions. It is true that
the Glta definitely enjoins the performance of these
niskama Actions on the Karma- Yogin ; but even in
them, one has to perform the total ' tyaga ' (abandonment)
>of the Hope of Fruit (GL 6. 2). Therefore, even the
principle of' tyaga' remains constant in the Glta-religion.
In short, in order to impress on the mind of Arjuna that
the principles of 'samnyasa' and of 'tyaga' both remain
constant in Karma-Yoga, the Blessed Lord has in this
stanza given these two definitions, namely, "'samnyasa'
means the total samnyasa (Renunciation) of kamya (desire-
prompted) Action"; and "'tyaga' means the tyaga, or the
Abandonment, of Hope of Fruit, in all Desireless Aotions
-which are to be performed". In an earlier chapter, in showing
that Samnyasa ( or Sarhkhya ) and Yoga are essentially the
same, the word ' samnyasin' (Gl. 5. 3-6 and 6. 1, 2), and
later on in this chapter, the word ' tyagin ', have been defined
; in the same way ; and the same is the proper meaning in
the present stanza. The doctrine of the Smrtis that, unless
-one follows the order of the brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha
;and samnyasa states, and " ultimately takes up the
■samnyasa state or the fourth state of life, in the shape of
Renunciation of all Actions, Release is not possible", is
•not meant here. This clearly proves that even though the
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XVIII 1177
§§ r^T^ fmf%r^#> ^ i|IJ*Wi(t(U|: I
r^lNti fir g^o^ITir ftf%^P ■HiJ*ilddl U 8 tl
si^t ^ HqiNr whir rpftfqwra; h K 11
Karma-Yogin may not take up the saffron-coloured robes
of an ascetic and abandon all Actions, yet, since be is
■ essentially following the same principles as a samnyasin,
there is no conflict between Karma- Yoga and the Smrti
texts. The Blessed Lord now summarises the dispute about
Karma between the supporters of the Samnyasa School and
the supporters of the Mlmarhsa school, and gives the
ultimate decision of the Karma-Yoga-Science in the
matter — ]
(3) Some learned men say that as Karma is faulty, it must
:be given up (altogether) ; and others say that Sacrifice,
Oharity, Austerities, and Karma should never be abandoned.
■ (4) Therefore, O Bharatasrestha ! listen to My decision on
the question of 'tyaga'. O Purusasrestha ! 'tyaga' is said to
be of three kinds. (5) Sacrifice, Charity, Austerities, and
Karma should not be abandoned under any circumstances.
Those (Actions) must be performed. Sacrifice, Charity and
Austerities are 'pavand ( that is, mind-purifiers ), for (even)
•the wise. (6) Therefore, even these Actions (such as,
■Sacrifice, Charity etc.) must be performed, without Attach-
ment, and having abandoned the Fruit (like other desireless
Actions, and for universal welfare). This, O Partha, is My
■definite (and correct) opinion.
This is a summary of the doctrine of Karma-Yoga
enunciated before on numerous occasions, that the fault
or the defect of Karma iB not in the Karma itself,
.but is in the Hope of Fruit; and that all Actions
1178 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
should, therefore, be performed desirelessly, and
having given up the Hope of Fruit. The Glta does not
countenance the doctrine of the Samnyasa school, that all
Action is faulty and, therefore, such as ought not to be
performed (See Glta. 18. 48 and 49). The Glta advocates
the samnyasa (Renunciation) of only kamya (desire-
prompted) Actions. But, from this it would follow that
since all the ritual and rites laid down by the Scriptures
are ' kamya ' or ' based on desire ' (Gi. 2. 42-44), one must
necessarily renounce them : and if that is done, the Cycle
of Yajnas (yajnacakra) will come to an end (Gi. 13. 16), .
and the world will run the risk of being devastated. Then,
what is to be done ? The Glta answers this question by
saying that although the Scriptures have prescribed the
performance of Yajnas, Charity etc. for obtaining heaven,
it is not that these very Actions cannot be performed desire-
lessly, and for universal welfare, with the idea, that
performing sacrifices, or giving gifts, or performing austeri-
ties is one's duty in this life. {See Gi. 17. 11, 17, and 20).
Therefore, just as other Desireless Actions are to be
performed according to one's status in life, so also should.
Sacrifices, .Charity and other Actions be performed,
giving up ' the Hope of Fruit, and without Attachment ,\
because,'' such actions are always "pavana", that is,
purifiers of the mind, and increase one's generosity. The
words " etany-api" =" even these", used in the original.
text mean . — •" yajna, dana, and other acts also; in the same
way as other desireless actions". When, in this way, these -
Actions are performed, giving up the Hope of Fruit — or from
the devotional point of view> only with the idea of dedi-
cating them to the, Paramesvara — the wheel of the world
continues to roll ; and, as there is.no more any Hope- of
Fruit in the mind of the doer, these Actions do not obstruct-
Release ; and all matters are properly settled. And this is,
indeed, the final and definite doctrine of the Karma-Yoga-
. Science with reference to 'Actions. ( see my commentary
on Glta. 2. 45). As this difference between i the Path of
Karma of the MimSmsa.' school and the Path of Karma-
Yoga of the Glta has teen' clearly expounded by me in the--
GITS, TRANSITION & COMMENTARY, OH. XVIII 1179-
*r f^rr ^r^ra c?nn %?r ^W4>^ ^%a; n < u
GltS-Rahasya (see pp. 403 to 409 and pp. 478 to 482), I
shall not further labour the point here. To proceed : after
the Blessed Lord has thus defined the meanings of the words
' sammyasa ' and ' tyaga ' according to the Karma-Yoga-
Science, in reply to the question of Arjuna, He further
emphasises what He has said by showing the different ways
of performing Karma, e. g., sattrika etc, — ]
(7) That Action which is 'niyata' (that is, 'prescribed*"
according to one's religion) must not be abandoned. The-
Abandonment {tyaga) of such: Actions, as a result of Ignorance,.
is called 'tamasa'. (8) If Action is abandoned, fearing that it
will produce bodily hardship, (that is, for the sole reason that
it is painful), such Abandonment becomes rajasa; and he will
not obtain (that which is) the result of tyaga. (9) O Arjuna I
when Action, which is 'niyata' ( that is, 'prescribed' ) is.
performed as a 'karya' (that is, only 'as a duty'), and having
abandoned the Attachment as also the Fruit, such Abandon-
ment is looked upon as a sattvika abandonment.
[The interpretation by some commentators of the word
' niyata ' as the ' mtya ' variety of Actions, out of the ' nitya',
' naimittika ' etc., is not correct. The word ' niyata ' must be
taken here in the same sense as in the sentence ' myataih
kuru karma tvam ' (Gl. 3. 8). As has been already stated
above, the Mlmamsa terminology is not intended here.
In GL 3. 19, the word ' karya ' has been used instead of
' rdyata ' ; and in stanza 9 above, the words ' karya ' and
' rdyata ' have both appeared in one and the same stanza.
' This stanza is a justification of the statement in stanza 2 at
the commencement of the Chapter, that performing 1
71-72
1180 GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
§§ H tg^J^W ^ pit HI^M«id I
§§ ariSrgms wst ^ flrraw g^r: i?^; i
Actions, which have fallen to one's lot according to the
Sastras, looking upon such Actions as a ' duty ' (see
Gi. 3 19), is known as a sattvika Abandonment ; and that
this is, indeed, what is known as ' samnyasa ' (Renunciation)
or 'tyaga' (abandonment) in the Karma- Yoga-Science.
The words ' tyaga ' and ' samnyasa ' have thus been
explained. Now, the Blessed Lord explains who the true
' tyagin ' or ' samnyasin ' is, according to this principle — ]
(10) Who does not dislike a particular Action, because it
is 'ahusala' (that is, not beneficial), and who is not attached to
another Action, because it is profitable or beneficial, he is to
be called a tyagin or samnyasin, endowed with the sattvc-
quality, intelligent, and free from doubt; (11) because,
-whosoever is embodied, for him it is not possible to totally
:give up Action. Therefore, that man, who (without
abandoning Action) has abandoned only the Fruit of Action,
be alone is said to be a (real) tyagin (that is, samnyasin).
[The Blessed Lord now says that a person, who has
become a tyagin in this way, that is, by giving up merely
the Hope of Fruit of Action, without giving up Action
itself, is not affected by the bondage of any Action
whatsoever — ]
(12) The 'a-tyagin', (that is, one, who does not abandon
the Hope of Fruit), obtains after his death three kinds of
Fruit of Action, namely, evil (anista), good (i?ta) and mixed
(mUra), (that is, partly good and partly evil) ; but the
.samnyasin (that is, one who performs all Actions, having
given up the Hope of Fruit) never gets (this Fruit), (that isi
Actions can never bind him).
•GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XVIII 1181
§§ T§cHI% HslNI^I =hl<uilfw f^P* $[ I
m^f^ cnsjt JTtrKTi% %£& ^*hoi!h >' V% "
arf^R craT g>?if ^ot =5r s«ri^n^ i
[These ideas about 'tyaga', 'tyagin', and 'samnyasir. '
liave appeared before in the Gita, in many placet
•(Gl. 3. 4-7 ; 5. 2-10 ; 6. 1) ; and they have been summarised
■here. The literal Abandonment (samnyasa) of all kind of
Action has never been accepted by the Gita. According tc
rthe Gita, the true or the nitya (perpetual) samnyasin, is the
.person who abandons only the Fruit of Action (Gl. 5. 3). ■
The real tyaga (Abandonment) is the Abandonment of the
Hope of Fruit, which (Hope) is imbued with selfishness,
•that is to say, the Abandonment of Egoism. In order to
further emphasise this proposition, further reasons are now-
given — ]
(13) O Mighty-armed! I will mention (to you ) the five
•essentials, which have been mentioned in Samkhys
•philosophy, as causes for anything to happen, to which
listen. (14) These are 'adhisthand (place), as alsoadoei,
•various kinds of 'karamd (that is, sadhana, implements),
"various kinds of diverse 'cesta' (that is, Actions on the part
of the doer), and along with these, the fifth, namely,
Destiny. (IS) Whatever Action is commenced by man,
•whether by his body, or speech, or mind, whether that
Action is 'nyayya' (that is, justifiable) or 'mparita' (that is,
unjustifiable), these are the five causes of it.
(16) When this is the (true) state of things, that
■'durmati' (evil-minded person — Trans.) who, as a result of
-an undeveloped Reason, thinks that he alone is the Doer,
1182 GTri-BAHASrA OR KARMA-YOGA
does not (it must be said) understand anything. (17) Wha>
does not possess the belief that "I am the doer", and whose-
Reason is unattached, such a person, even destroying other
persons, cannot be said to have killed them; and that.
(Action) does not bind him.
[The word ' samkhya ' in stanza 1 3 has been interpreted
by some commentators as meaning the Vedanta-Sastra ; but
as the next, that is, the fourteenth stanza, has appeared
literally in the Narayanlya doctrine, and as there is a
previous reference in that treatise to the two Kapila
Samkhya elements, namely, Prakrfci and Purusa, the word
' s&fkkhya ', in my opinion, must be taken in this place to
meaii the ' Kapila Samkhya philosophy '. The proposition
that a man should not entertain the Hope for the Fruit of '
Action, nor the egotistical idea that he will do any
particular thing, has often before appeared in the Gita
(Gl. 2. 19 ; 2. 47 ; 3. 27 ; 5. 8-11 ; 13. 29) ; and that very
proposition has been further emphasised here by saying, .
that "roan is not the only reason for the effect of any
Action coming into existence (see Gl. Ra. Ch. XI). Stanza
14,means, that whether human beings exist in this world or
dot,, the uninterrupted activity of the world will go on.
according to the natural course of Prakrti ; and that, things,
which a man believes to have been done by him, are not '
the ! result merely of his efforts, but have been brought '
abotft' by his efforts combined with the other activ- •
ibies 'in the wotH. For instance, agriculture does not '■'
jdapend merely on the efforts of a man, but the natural' ■
Qualities or the activities of other things like land,. '
se,ed, rain, manure, oxen etc. are necessary, in order that •„■
agriculture should be successful. Some of the various actiy- - *
ities in the world which are thus necessary to make ,
human efforts successful, are partly known to us ; and man
takes an effort after considering the favourableness or-
aftshfirwise of these factors. But, there are also several other
activities in the world, of which man are not aware, and* ■
' GITA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OR XVIII 11S3
■which are either favourable or unfavourable to the efforts
he makes; and these are known as DESTINY; and this is
; said to be the fifth reason for any particular result coming
about. If all these things are necessary in order that
■human effort should be successful; and if many of these
i things are not within one's control or even not known,
then, (i) proudly saying that one will do a particular thing
• or (ii) entertaining a Hope of Fruit that a particular result
.should follow the particular Action which one does, is
(dearly a sign of folly (Gl. Ra. pp. 452 to 455). But,
stanza 17. is not to be understood as authorising that one,
■who has conquered the Hope of Fruit, may do any evil
.Action he; likes. As that which ordinary persons do, is
''done by them with the idea of satisfying selfish purposes,
'they perform wrong actions. But, the man, whose
•selfishness, avarice, or Hope of Fruit, have been fully '
annihilated, and to whom all created beings are the same,
.is not capable of injury to another; because, the sin. is
.in the Reason and not in the Action. It, therefore,
.necessarily follows, that, even if a man, (whose Reason
has first been proved to be pure and clean), does something,
which may appear improper from the worldly point of
view, yet, the seed of that Action must be pure; and
• stanza 17 says that such a pure-minded person cannot be
.held responsible for such Action. The • principle • of the
! sinlessness of the Stithaprajaa, that is, of the person, whose
Reason has become pure, has also been enunciated in the
TJpanisads (See Kausl. 3. 1 and Pafica-dasi, 14. 16 and 17).
,But, as this subject-matter has been fully thrashed out by
me in Chapter XII of the Glta-Rahasya, I will not further
ilabour the point here. As the Blessed Lord has, in this
way, fully analysed the meaning of the words 'samnyasa'
and 'tyaga', which (analysis) was made necessary by the
•question of Arjuna; and proved that (i) true or
sativika Abandonment (tyaga) consists of performing
. all Actions, which befall a person on account of Scriptural
. directions proper for his status in life, after he has given
sup egoism and the Hope of Fruit ; and that (ii) giving up
.Action, is not true Abandonment, He now completes.
1184 GITS.-RA.HASY A OR KARMA-YOGA
§§ ursf w$ Tfwrar i%fgrsn ^Nt^it i
fFf ^ *% s^r? *% fsrlcr gainer. I
from the Karma-Yogie point of view, the consideration
of the divisions of Karma into sattvika, etc., started in
Chap. XVII.]
(18) jfiana, jneya. and jmta is the three-fold division- of
'karma-codana ; and karana, karma and harta is the three-
fold division of karma-samgraha. ( 1 9) jfiana, karma, and
karta each falls into three sub-divisions by reason of the
difference in the three (satlva, rajas, and tamas) constituents,
as has been stated in the gunasamkhyana-sastra (that is, in
the Kapila-Samkhya-Sastra). Hear those (sub-divisions) just
as they have been mentioned (which I am describing, to
you).
[ The words ' karma-codana ' and ' karma-samgraha ' are
technical expressions. Before any act is performed by
the organs, that Action has to be decided upon by the
Mind. Therefore, this mental operation is called ' karma-
codana ', that is ' the first inspiration to do the act '; and'
that has naturally three aspects, namely, the 'jfiana', the-
'jneya' and the ' j fiats'. For instance, before actually
manufacturing an earthen pot, the potter (jnaW) says in
his own mind : "I have to do this particular thing (jfieya),
and it can be done in a particular way (jfiana)". This is
the 'karma-codana'. When in this way, a decision has-
been arrived at in the Mind, the potter ( karta ) gets
together implements ( karana ) like earth, wheel etc., andi
actually manufactures the earthen pot (karma). This is.
the karma-samgraha. Though the earthen pot is the-
'karma' (Action) of the potter, it is also referred to as;
the ' kUrya ' of the earth. To proceed : it will be seen that
the word ' karma-codana ' indicates the Action which
takes place in the Mind or in the ' internal sense ' ; andi
the word ' karmasafngraha ' indicates the external Actions,.
which correspond with that mental Aotion. In order to fully
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. XVIII 1185
srf%^r# flw%s crifTR' fgf% wfig^u *o n
%% *l% ^5 cf*^H f^ <I'3*«M « ** "
consider any Action, one must take into account both;
the ' codaria ' as well as the ' samgraha '. Out of these, the
characteristics of jfiana, jneya, and jna(3 (ksetrajna) from
the Metaphysical point of view have been considered before
in Chapter XIII of the Gits (13. 18). Yet, as the charac-
teristics of jfiana in the shape of Action are somewhat
different, the word ' jndna ' out of the former triad, and the
words ' karma ' and ' karta ' out of the latter triad are
now defined by the Blessed Lord — ]
(20) That jmna, by which one realises that in all
'vibhakta' (that is, diverse beings) there is only One
' avibhakta ' (that is, undivided — Trans.) and Inexhaustible
'bhava' (that is, Principle), is called sattvika Knowledge ;
(21) that jftana (Knowledge), which creates an impression:
that there are diverse bhava-s (Principles) in the various
created things, is rajasa jfiana ; (22) but that insignificant
Knowledge, which unreasonably and without understanding
elementary principles, confines itself to only one thing,,
looking upon it as the all-in all, is tamasa jftana.
[These characteristics of the various kinds of jnana are
very comprehensive. The idea that one's wife and children is
the entire 'samara' is tamasa Knowledge. When one rises a
little above this frame of mind, one's vision becomes more-
comprehensive ; and a man begins to look upon a fellow-
townsman or a fellow-countryman as his own. Nevertheless,
the idea that men from different places or different countries
are different from each other is still there. This Knowledge
is rajasa ; but, when one rises even above this stage and
realises that there is only one Atman in all created beings,
that Knowledge is complete and sctltvika. In short, seeing'
1136 ; GITA-KAHASYA OE KAEMA-YOGA
-the Indivisible (avihhakta) in that which seems divided
(vibhakta), or seeing unity in diversity, is the true
■characteristic of Knowlege ; and he who has thus under-
stood that " neha nanasti kifncana ", that is, " there is no
manifoldness in this universe", is really Released; and,
'" mftyoh sa mrtyum apnoti ya iha naneva pasyati "
>(Br. 4. 4. 10), that is. " one who sees diversity in this
world, falls into the cycle of birth and death ", as has been
stated in the Brhadaranyaka and in the Kathopanisad
.(see Katha. 4. 11). This is all that is to be Realised in the
world (Gl 13. 16) ; and this is the climax of Knowledge ;
because, when all things are looked upon as one, the mental
process of synthesis has no further field to operate (Gl.
Ra. pp. 320-1). How this synthesising mental process
, .goes on, has been described in Chapter IX of the Gita-
Rahasya (pp. 295 to 297), to which the reader is referred.
The effect of this sattvika Knowledge on one's bodily
nature, when it is indelibly impressed on the mind, has
been described under the name of ' the qualities of godlike
endowment' in the beginning of Chapter XVI; and in
■Chapter XIII, this kind of bodily nature has been
; -called 'j'nana' (13. 7-11). This clearly shows that (1) the
perfection of the synthesising mental process and (2) the'
change in one's bodily nature as a result of such perfection,
Are both included by the Glta in the connotation of the
term 'jiiBna' (Knowledge). Therefore, although the
characteristics of Knowledge, as mentioned in stanza 20,
may appear to be the description of a mental process, yet,
that description includes the description of its effect, on
the bodily nature, as has been mads clear at the end of
Chap. IX of the Glta-Rahasya. To proceed : the Blessed
Lord having thus described the various kinds of JSana,
now describes the various kinds of Karma — ]
(23) That Action, which is performed by a man, without
•entertaining the desire for obtaining the Fruit, without
entertaining love or hate (in the mind), without being attached,
GITA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. XVIII 1187
W^ 4§fAW\*& d^wy^i^dfl; II 38 u
stggpj ^nj ^mwq^r 'g #5^ 1
*ft?li<fK«r& grf srararrai^ n ^ ii
:and as being 'niyata' (that is, prescribed) for him, according to
■his own dkarma (religion), is called sattvika Action; (24) but
that Action, which is performed with much labour (by a man),
•entertaining 'kamd (that is, the desire for reward), or having
■an egotistical feeling, is called rajasa; (25) and that Action,
■which is ignorantly commenced, without considering the
J 'anubandha' ( that is, 'what its result will be' ), or one's
'pautusa' (that is, what one's strength is), and whether (from
it) there will or will not result destruction or 'hirnsa' (that
is, 'harm' — Trans.), is called tamasa.
\ [These three kinds of Action embrace all Action. Why
' Desireless Action has been called the sattvika, or the best
.Action has been explained in Chapter XI of the GitS-
' Rahasya, to which the reader is referred. This is also the
, true ' akarma ' or Non- Action (see my commentary on
GI. 4 16). As the doctrine of the Gita is, that the ReasoE ,
,(buddM) is superior to the Action (karma), the Reason
.{frame of mind) of the Doer has each time been mentioned
.in giving the above characteristics of Karma. It must be
.borne in mind that whether an Action is sattvi-ka or tamasa
has not been determined by reference to the external effects
■of the Action (see Gi. Ra. Oh. XII, pp. 530-531). Similarly,
■ one is not to understand the Gita as preaching that when
one has abandoned the Hope of Fruit, one may do what one
likes, without considering the pros and cons, and
indiscriminately, as will appear from stanza 25 ; because,
.stanza 25 emphatically says that, Action performed without
seeing the ' anubandha ' or considering the Fruit, is tamasa
.and not sattvika (see Gi. Ra. pp. 530-531). The Blessed
Lord now explains the divisions into which all Doers fall,
^according to the same principle — ]
1188 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
ajgrfT. irrfrT. ^KT*. ^T3t %*f f^tS^T- I
i%mfr fra^r <w ?raf crura areafcr u ^ n
(26) Who is not Attached ; who does not say : '1' or
"mine" ; who is not (mentally) moved, (both) when the-,
work is successful and when it is not successful ; (and) who
(nevertheless) performs Action, being embued with,
enthusiasm and perseverence, he is called (a) sattvika (Doer);;
(27) who is attached to objects of sense, (and) avaricious ;,
who is filled with joy or sorrow (on the success or failure
respectively of Action) ; who entertains the desire for obtain-
ing the Fruit of Action ; who is harmful and impure, such a-
Doer is called rajasa; (28) who is 'ayuktd (that is, with an >
unsteady Reason), ignorant, proud, a cheater, 'naiskrtiM"
(that is, one who deprives others of their goods) ; who is-
idle, 'dirgha-sutri' (that is, difficult to get rid of; or, who
takes a month to do what is ordinarily done in an hour),,
such a Doer is called tamctsa.
[The word ' miskrtika (ms + krt= to out) in stanza 28
means " one who cuts the work of others, or ruins it ".
But some commentators accept instead the reading
' ivxikrtika '. ' mkrta ' has been defined as a ' cheat ' in
the Amarako4a : but, as the adjective ' cheat ' has once'
appeared above, I have accepted the reading ' naiskrtika '.
Out of these three kinds of Doers, the sattvika Doer is
the true non-doer (akarta), the untouched-doer (alipta-karta),.
or the Karma-Yogin. This stanza clearly shows- that
though he has given up the Hope of Fruit, his
enthusiasm, ambition and discrimination do not cease to>
exist. The Blessed Lord now applies this description of
the three-fold development of the universe to Reason,
{buddM), Steadfastness (dhtti), and Happiness (sukha)..
The word ' buddhi ' in these stanzas has to be taken to mean.
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. XVIII 1183 <
STff% ^ f%ff% *r +wl*$ Wirat I
35** »itg ^ ^grT tf% !%• *rr its! «ht=i*'i n 3o it
the ' vyavasayatmika buddhih ' or the ' deciding mental .
organ ' described in Chapter II (2. 41) ; and this
subject has been fully explained in Chapter VI of the
Glta-Rahasya, pp. 187 to 192, to which the reader is
referred. ]
(29) O Dhanafijaya ! I am mentioning to you in their-
entirety the three divisions, arising as a result of the three -
constituents, into which Reason and Steadfastness fall, which-
hear. (30) pravrtii (that is, commencing to perform any;
particular Action), nivrtti (that is, not commencing any
particular Action), karya (that is, what should be done), and
akarya (that is, what should not be done), what should be
feared, and what should not be feared, what leads to bondage
and what to Release, that Reason, which understands all
this, is called sattvika ; (31) that Reason by which a proper
discrimination is not arrived at between the righteous and
the unrighteous, between the doable and the not-doable,
such a Reason, O Partha ! is r&jasa ; (32) that Reason,
which being steeped in ignorance, looks upon unrighteous-
ness, as righteousness, and causes a viparita (that is, wrong)
view to be taken about everything, such a Reason, 0-»
Partha ! is tamasa.
[ When Reason has been divided in this way, Conscience
{sadasadviveka-buddM) no more remains an independent
thing, but has to be included in the sattvika buddhil]., as has
been explained in the Gita-Rahasya (pp. 191, 192), to which.
the reader is referred.]
.1190. ' .GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
(.35) That ' a-vyabhican' (that is, not swerving this side
• or that side) Steadfastness, with which the various activities
of the Mind, life, and of the various senses are carried on by
' Yoga (in the shape of the Abandonment of the Fruit of
Action) is sattvika, (34) O Arjuna ! that Steadfastness by
which dharma, Mma and artha (these purusirtka-s) are
- carried on, and which entertains the desire for the fruit (of
that dharma, artha or kama) as occasion arises, that
Steadfastness, O Partha ! is rajasa ; (35) that Steadfastness,
by which a person becoming evil-minded, does not abandon
■ sleep, fear, lamentation, dislike, and pride, such a Steadfast-
ness or perseverance, O Partha 1 is iamasa.
[The word 'dhrti' literally means ' courage '; but, what
is meant here is not physical courage, but mental
determination. Coming to a decision is something to be
done by the Reason. But, even if the Reason has come to.
. a proper decision, such decision must remain steady,.
Giving, in this way, strength to the determination, is a
quality of the Mind. It is, therefore, said that Steadfast-
ness or moral courage is a quality, which arises by the
co-operation of Mind and Reason. But, the description of
, sattvika Steadfastness is not complete by merely saying
that a man must carry on the activities of the Mind, life, '
' and the organs by a ' courage ', which is ' a-vyabhteari' ', that
..is, which does not run here and there. One must also be '
told with reference to what these activities are to be
.; performed, or what the Karma of this activity is; and that
Karma has been described by the word 'Yoga'. Needless
i to say, it is not enough to define the word ' Yoga ' as
. meaning merely 'concentrated Mind'. Therefore, I have
GITA, TBANSLATION & COMMENT AEY, CH. XVIII 1191 '
^H<$ MMlljcl qR;o||HS<idiMHH I
cT?l^ •(Hlhrcl* lTlThHlr*t^Hyi4^H « 3» »
interpreted it as meaning, ' Yoga in the shape of
Abandonment of the Fruit of Action ', having regard to the
anterior and the posterior contexts. Just as in describing
the characteristics of the sattvika Karma or the sattvika
Doer, the quality of 'giving up the Attachment to the
Fruit ' has been considered important, so in considering
the characteristics of sattmlca Steadfastness, the same
quality must also be considered important. Besides, it is
stated in the next stanza that rajasa Steadfastness desires
the Fruit of Action. It, therefore, follows even from
the next stanza, that sattvika Steadfastness must be
the opposite, that is to say, must be indifferent to
the Fruit of Action. In short, strength of determination
is only a mental process ; and in order to decide
whether that determination is good or bad, one must-
take into account the Action to which that mental process
is applied. If the Steadfastness is only in the matter of
sleep, idleness, etc., then it is tamasa ; if it is in the matter
of performing the ordinary daily Actions 'with the Hope of
Fruit, it is rajasa ; and if it is in the Yoga, in the shape of
the Abandonment of Fruit of Action, then it is sattvika.
These are the sub-divisions of Steadfastness. Now, the
Blessed Lord explains bow happiness is sub-divided into
three kinds as a result of the difference in the three
constituents—]
(36) Now, O Bharata-srestha ! I will also explain the
three Kinds of happiness, which hear. That, in which a man
is engrossed by abhytisa (that is, by constantly having it),
and .in which, unhappiness comes to an end ; (37) that,
which is like poison in the beginning, , but nectar-like in its
effects ; that happiness, arising from the satisfaction of the
Self-engrossed Reason, (that is to say, Metaphysical happi-
1192 GtTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
^rftsra f^f^r tt^m *T*m ^i?r^ ii \< "
;ness) is satlvika. (38) That, which arises from the contact
of the senses with the objects of sense (that is to say,
Material happiness), which is nectar-like in the beginning,
"but poisonous in its effects, that happiness is said to be
rajasa. (39) And that, which in the beginning as also in
its anubandha, (that is, in the result) causes Ignorance, and
which springs from sleep, idleness, or 'pramada' (that is,
iorgetfulness of one's duties), that happiness is called
Jamasa.
[I have interpreted the word ' atma-buddfti' in the 37th
stanza, as ' atma-nistha-iuddhi (i. e., Self -engrossed Reason);
but, taking the word ' atma' to mean ' one's self ', the word
' atma-buddfti ' can also be explained to mean " one's own
Beason"; because, it has been stated above (6.21) that
'intense happiness ' is only ' buddhi-grahya (Mind-Realised)
. and ' atindriya ' (imperceptible to the senses). But,
whichever meaning is taken, the result is the=same. Even
,if it is said that real or permanent happiness does not lie
in the enjoyment of the objects of sense, but is 'buddhi-
grahya ' (Mind-Realised), yet, when one considers what is
necessary to be done, in order that one's Mind should
acquire this true and intense happiness, it becomes quite
clear from Chapter VI, that this intense happiness cannot
be acquired, unless one's;- Reason- 1 has .-become Self-
engrossed (GL 6. 21, 22). ' buddhi ' is sueh$ an organ, that,
.on the one hand, it casts a glance towards the diffusion-
out of the three-qualitied Prakrti, and on the other hand, it
•can also realise the Parabrahman in the shape of the
Atman, Which is at the root of that diffusion. Therefore,
when by controlling the senses, one removes the Reason
from the diffusion of Prakrti embodied in the three
•constituents, and makes it introspective and self-
engrossed— and that is all which can be acquired by the
GITA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. XVIII 1193
Patanjala-Yoga — it (the Reason) becomes happy (prasanm);
and man experiences true and intense happiness. For an
explanation about the superiority of Metaphysical
happiness, the reader is referred to the end of Chapter V of
the Gita-Rahasya (pp. 155 to 160). The Blessed Lord now
explains in a general way that this three-fold difference is
to be found everywhere in the world — ]
(40) There is nothing on this earth or in the firmament,
or in the gods (that is, in the abode of the gods), which is
•'tnukta' (that is, free) from these three constituents of
JPrakrti.
[From stanza 18 upto here, the Blessed Lord has
explained the different kinds oijUana, karma, karta, buddhi,
dhrti, and sukha ; and placed before the eyes of Arjuna, a
picture of how diversity arises in the entire world as a
■result of the diffarence between the three constituents of
Prakrti ; and He has thereby proved, that in the case of
■each of these various things, the sattvika variety is the
best and the most acceptable. The highest stage in even
these sattvika varieties, is known as the ' triyuriatitavastha '
»(the state of being beyond the three constituents). That,
' triguijatita ' or ' nirguria ' is not a fourth and independent
■division according to the Glta, has been explained by
me in Chapter VII of the Gita-Rahasya (pp. 227, 228) ;
and following the same argument, the sattvika condition
.is also sub-dividad in the Manu-Smrti into utfama
.(best), madhyama (medium) and kamstha (inferior) ; and
' uttama sattvika ', is said to bs productive of Release, and
"' madhyama sittoika ' is said to be productive of heaven
•(Manu. 12. 48-50 and 89-91). To proeaed : this finishes
the description of the diversity of Prakrti in the world.
The Blessad Lord now explains how the arrangement of the
four classes has baan mada on tha basis of this division of
-constituents. It has baen stated over and over again, that
■it is the duty of every one in this world to perform all the
1194 GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
' myata ' Action, that is, all Action which is prescribed for
aim, according to his own-status (soadharma), having given,
up the Hope of Fruit, and maintaining his steadiness,
enthusiasm, and determination (Gi. 18. 7-9, 23 and 3. 8) ;
but, the essential factor by which that particular Action
becomes ' niyata ' (ordained) in each case, has not so far
been explained anywhere. A succinct reference to the
arrangement of the four classes has appeared before (4. 13) ;
and it has been stated there that the discrimination
between the Doable and the Not-doable should be made by
reference to the Sastras (GI. 16. 24). But, the Scriptural
arrangement of the four classes, which has been arrived at.
on the basis of the division of Action according to the
constituents, in order that the various activities of the
world should go on in an orderly way, has not been
explained in that place (see, Gi. Ra. pp. 463-464 ; 555-556
and 697-898). For this reason, the Blessed Lord now
explains the institution by means of which the duty of
everybody in society becomes ' niyata ', that is, 'ordained',,
namely, the four-class-arrangement, on the basis of the
divisions of Prakrti into three constituents ; and He, at the'
same time, also explains what duties have been " niyata '
(ordained) for each of the four classes. ]
(41) O Parantapa ! the respective duties of Brahmins 1
(priests), Ksatriyas (warriors), Vaisyas (tradesman) and'
Sudras (menials) have been individually fixed with reference
to the qualities arising from their inherent natures, that is,,
from Pralqrti. (42) The inherently natural duties of a.
Brahmin are peace, self-restraint, religious austerities,
cleanliness, quietness, straight-forwardness ( humility ),.
Knowledge (that is, Spiritual Knowledge), Vijfiana (that is,
Emperial Knowledge), and astikya-buddhi (that is, belief in;
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XVIII 1195
fT^Ffpg^THra W* 5$ ^WRFSn* II 83 II
ffr%frc^iiiiui^4 ^Rv# ^mTg^? 1
TfrsrafrH* ?frf t&gkuiiy ^rara^ra; 11 88 u
a future world — Trans.). (43) The inherently natural duty
(Karma) of the Ksatriya is bravery, brilliance, courage,
intentness, not running away from the battle, generosity,
and exercising authority (over subject people). (44) 'krsi>
(that is, agriculture) 'goraksyd (that is, the business of
of keeping cattle), and mnijya (that is, trade) is the
inherently natural duty of the Vaisya ; and in the same way,
service is the inherently natural duty of the Sudra.
[The arrangement of the four classes has come into
existence as a result of the difference between the
inherently natural qualities : but, it is not that this
explanation has for the first time been given in the Gits.
This explanation about the difference between the qualities
has, with nominal differences, appeared (i) in the con-
versation between Nahusa and Yudhisthira, and in the
conversation between the Brahmin and the Hunter in the
Vanaparva of the Mahabharata (Vana. 180 and 211) ;
(ii) in the conversation between Bhrgu and Bharadvaja in the
Santi-parva (San. 188) ; and (iii) in the conversation between
Uma and Mahesvara in the Anusasanaparva (Asva. 39. 11).
It has been stated before that the various activities of the
world result from the differences in the constituents of
Prakrti ; and it has been proved that the four-elass-
arrangement, which determines what each of these classes
has to do, is itself the result of the difference in the
constituents of Prakrti. The Blessed Lord now says, that
(i) all these Actions must be carried on by everybody with
a desireless frame of mind, that is, with the idea of
dedicating them to the Paramesvara, as otherwise, the
world will not go on ; that (ii) a man acquires Perfection
when he conducts himself in this way ; and that (iii) it is
not necessary to perform any other austerity for obtaining
Perfection — ]
73—74
1196 GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
§§ ^% ?% ^o?jf5R?r. ^f%f% 55*!% JTT- 1
^ptfror. f%f% g«JT ra??ra crsf^ u 8^ u
^=OTWT rm«r^§ f%f% f3*ff?f JTURS II 8^ II
§§ ^ra; ^ra^r ragon qr^trk s^sfscrra; i
^raK%m $$ f ^g itfiid f%f^R: » 8« »
(45) That man, who is engrossed in the performance of
his own duties (which have befallen him as a result of in-
herently natural qualities) acquires (by that alone) ultimate
highest Perfection. Hear, how a man acquires Perfection by
adhering to his own duties. (46) When a man, (not merely
by speech or flowers, but) by performing the Actions which
befall him (according to his own religion), worships That,
from Which all created beings have sprung, and Which has
pervaded or occupied the whole of this Cosmos, he (merely
ihereby) attains Perfection.
[The Blessed Lord has explained that performing desire-
lessly, and with the idea of dedicating to the Paramesvara,
the various duties, which befall one as a result of the four-
class-arrangement, is a kind of worship of the Virata-
formed Paramesvara, and leads to Perfection (Gi. Ra. pp.
611-612). But this duty, which has befallen one as a result
of the division of Action according to divergent qualities,
may appear faulty, undesirable, difficult, or unlikeable
from another point of view. For instance, in the present
case, the religion of Ksatriyas may appear faulty, because
it entails killing. Therefore, the reply to the questions,
(i) whether, in these circumstances, a man should give up
his own religion and accept another religion (GL 3. 35) ; or
'(ii) should perform his own duties under any circumstances;
and (iii) if so, how he should perform them, is now given
by iising the same argument as was used in the beginning
of this Chapter in dealing with Actions likes Yajnas and
Yagas — ]
(47) Though another religion may be easy of observance,
and one's own Action according to the four-class-arrangement
GITA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. XVIII 1197
^rakwrr %f $w ^mMravgm'- n 8* n
%53?p^raf% *n?Ti *M<i*Miftw-Hjfel ii 8^ ii
•may be 'vigund (that is, faulty), yet, it is more proper ; when
■a person is performing his own inherently natural duty (that
is, the duty which has been ordained for him according to
■the four-class-arrangement, based on natural inherent
■qualities), he does not thereby incur (any) sin. (48) O Son
of Kunti ! that Action, which is naturally (that is, by result
of birth) 'niyata' ( that is, ordained — Trans. ), according
to the division of the qualities, such Action, even
if improper, should not (ever) be given up ; because, all
■arambha (that is, activities) are enveloped in (some) fault
(or other), as fire in smoke. (49) (Therefore), when a man
behaves, without being attached to anything, and having
■controlled his mind, and with a desireless heart, then, by
Renunciation (of the Fruit of Action), the highest Perfection
•"by Non-Action (naiskarmya-siddhi) is obtained.
[The ideas that "one's own religion is better than the
religion of another" (Gl. 3. 35), and that "in order to obtain
the naiskarmya-siddhi, it is not necessary to abandon Action"
(Gl. 3. 4), which had been mentioned before, have again
been made clear in this summarising Chapter. The
meaning of ' naiskarmya ', and what true ' naiskarmya-siddhi '
is, have been made clear by me in my commentary on
Gt 3. 4, to which the reader is referred. When one
remembers that persons following the Path of Renunciation
aim only at Release, whereas, the Blessed Lord aims
equally at Release and at Universal Welfare, the
importance of this principle becomes easily clear.
Universal Welfare, that is, 'the maintenance and sustenance
of society ', needs the man endowed with Spiritual and
Empirical Knowledge, as much as the brave warrior, who
wins success on the battle-field by his sword, the agricultur-
ist, the merchant, the labourer, the carpenter, the
1198 GlTA-RAHASYA OS KARMA-YOGA
ironsmith, the potter, or even the butcher, who sells flesh.
And, if it is said that Release cannot be obtained unless
Action is abandoned, then, all these people will have to
give up their respective business, and become ascetics !
People, who adhere to the Path of Abandonment of Action
(karma-samnyasa) do not attach much importance to this ;
but, the vision of the Glta is not narrow like that Therefore,
the Glta says that, it is not proper for a person to give up'
the profession which has befallen him as a result of his
status-in-life {adhikara), and take up the profession of
somebody else, on the ground that it is better. Whatever
profession is taken, there is bound to be some weak point
or other in it. For instance, that 'ksanti' (forgiveness),,
which is considered to be specially proper for. a Brahmin
(18. 42), has attached to it the great fault that "a person,
who is forgiving, is looked upon as weak" (Ma. Bha.
San. 160. 34) ; and it is a misfortune that one has to sell'
flesh, if he follows the business of a butcher (Ma. Bha..
Vana. 206) ; but it is not proper, on that account, to give
up these Actions. When once one has accepted a part-
icular Action as one's own, for whatever reason one
may have done so*, one must perform it, unattachedly,
however difficult or undesirable it might be ; because,
the greatness or smallness of a man does not
depend on the profession he follows ; and his worth, from
the spiritual point of view, depends on the frame of mind
with which he follows that profession or performs that
Action (Gl. 2. 49). Though a man, having a peaceful mind
and having realised the Unity, which underlies the entire
creation, may be a merchant or a butcher, whether by caste
or by profession, yet, if he follows his profession with a
desireless frame of mind, he is as much entitled to Release,
and is as great as the Brahmin, who is engaged in ablutions
and religious duties, or the brave warrior. Not only is this
so, but it is clearly stated in stanza 49, that the Release
* This is difficult to understand. There can be only one
reason for accepting the Action, namely, that it is ' Sastra-ordained?"
(»%«««) — Translator,
©Its., translation & com mentary, ch. xviii 1199
§§ f%r%srcar w ast crarsssrtfa fsrafa * 1
^frralte €f?=l^ fagr frraw ^rr to it Ho u
I^u f^i^n g^fv -fciTTSSoPrR few ^ 1
wrerfTO f^rf^ to*# ^ifer- 11 w n
fgg : ssi' f%4*r- ^Tr?cfr ag^ra ?®fa u h3 n
agilp** srcrenrm h #^fcf ?r ^JTf m 1
*w g% ^atf st^Rft w& tosc 11 H8 11
"to be obtained by abandoning Action is equally well
obtained by persons, who perform their various duties with
a desireless frame of mind. This is, indeed, the deep
principle which underlies the Bhagavata religion ; and it is
•clear from the history of Maharastrlya saints, that it is
not impossible to carry into effect this principle of
•modelling one's conduct accordingly (see Gl. Ra. Ch. XIII,
■pp. 614 and 615). The Blessed Lord now explains how a
.man ultimately obtains Release by restricting himself to
his own Actions — ]
(50) I will briefly explain to you, O Son of Kunti 1 how,
"when Perfection is thus obtained, the Brahman, which is
the highest state of Jnana, is gained (by that man); to which,
listen. (51) That man who, being inspired with a pure
Reason and courageously controlling himself, gives up the
•objects (of the senses) such as, sound etc., and eschews love
or hate ; (52) and stays in a 'viviktd (that is, a chosen, or
.a solitary) place ; who eats little, and whose body, speech,
and mind are under his control, and who is continually
meditative and apathetic; (53) who (similarly), having
:given up egoism, power, pride, desire, and anger and all
•'parigraM (that is, bonds), has become peaceful, or self-less,
such a man is fit to become Merged-in-Brahman {brahma-
bhula). (54) When he is merged in the Brahman, he
tkecomes happy in mind, and does not entertain a desire for
1202 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
^5 ^^gr^^jfnrj^iRsjT^Toi^ftsf^ era; » ^= »
cTflST ^at T^ 3=re*tR?F ^K^ I
expressed before in Chap. Ill (3. 20), and in Chap. V
(5.13)]
{58) Fixing your mind on Me, you will, by My favour,
conquer all difficulties in the shape of the beneficent or evil
results of Actions. But, if you egotistically do not listen to
Me, then (indeed) you will be lost.
[ The effect of Egoism, mentioned at the end- of stanza 58,
is now further explained. ]
(59) Your egotistical belief that: "I will not fight", is
futile. Prakrti (that is, inherent nature) will compel you to
do so. (60) O Son of Kunti ! being bound by the Action in-
herently natural to you, you will have to perform that, which,
by Ignorance you do not wish to perform, you having become
subject to another (that is, to your own Prakrti or inherent
nature). (61) O Arjuna 1 the Tsvara, remaining in the
hearts of all beings, agitates all beings by (His) Illusion, as
though they were put into a machine. (62) Therefore, O
Bharata 1 surrender yourself to Him whole-mindedly ! By
His favour, you will attain the highest tranquility and a
permanent place. (63) Thus have I explained to you this
Knowledge, which is a mystery of mysteries. Think over
all this fully, and do what you think best.
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XVIII 1203
[ The dependence or subjectivity in the matter of Action,
of which the mysterious principle has been explained in the
above stanzas, lias been fully dealt with in Chapter X of
the Gita-Rahasya, to which, the reader is referred.
Althpugh the Atman is independent by itself, yet, if one
•considers the ordinary affairs of the world, that is, of
Prakrti, it will be seen, that the Atman has no control over
the Wheel of Action, which has been moving from times
immemorial. Even if we may not wish them, nay, even if
we may wish otherwise, hundreds and thousands of things
are going on in the world ; and either the results of their
activity are felt by us, or we ourselves have to perform
some part of that activity, and cannot say no. In these
circumstances, the wise man performs these Actions,
keeping his mind pure, and looking upon pain and
happiness as alike : whereas, the fool gets entangled in the
bonds of those Actions : this is the important difference
between the behaviour of the two. The Blessed Lord has
mentioned already in Chap. Ill, that " all created beings
■conform to their inherent nature, no amount of determina-
tion is of any avail " (Gl. 3. 33). In these circumstances,
all that the Science of Release, or Ethics, can say is that
•one should not become attached to Action. Thus far,
I have considered the matter from the Metaphysical point
•of view. But, even from the point of view of Devotion,
Prakrti or Nature, is only a part of the Isvara, And,
therefore, the same proposition has been repeated in stanzas
SI and 63, by giving credit for all Action to the Isvara.
All the activities, which go on in the world, are got done
•by the Paramesvara, just as He wants them to be done. It
.is, therefore, proper that a wise man should abandon Egoism
•and surrender himself entirely to the Paramesvara. It is
true that in stanza 63, the Blessed Lord has said, " do what
■you think best " ; but, the meaning of that is very deep.
Since no evil desire remains when the mind reaches a state
of complete equability, whether by Knowledge or by
Devotion, the ' Freedom of Will ' of such a scient can never
prejudicially affect either him or the world. Therefore, the
true meaning of those words is : " when you have Realised
1204 GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
this Knowledge {vimrsya}, you will be self-enlightened ; and
thereafter (not before), whatever Action may be voluntarily
performed by you, will be consistent with morality, and.
correct ; and when you have thus reached the state of a
Sthitaprajfia, it will no more be necessary for you to
control your Desire". To proceed: I have shown at the
end of Chap. XIV of the GitS-Rahasya that Devotion has-
been given a higher place than Knowledge in the Glta.
Consistently with this proposition, the Blessed Lord now
summarises the entire doctrine of the Gita in terms of
Devotion — ]
(64) I shall once more give you a final admonition, whicb
is the mystery of all mysteries, to which listen. You are
extremely beloved of Me ; and therefore, I am going to tell
you something, which is to your advantage. (65) Keep your
mind fixed on Me, become My devotee, offer sacrifice or
worship to Me, and offer reverence to Me ; (thereby) you
will come and be merged in Me ; this truth I am imparting to
you as an absolute certainty, (because), you are my beloved
(devotee). (66) Give up all other religions, and surrender
yourself to Me alone ; I will redeem you from all sin ; do>
not be afraid !
[ Those commentators, who subscribe only to the Path of
Knowledge, do not appreciate this summing up, which, is in
favour of Devotion. They, therefore, include 'adharma'
(immorality) in ' dharma ' (morality), and say (i) that this
stanza conveys the same advice as that given in the
Kathopanisad in the words: "give up morality and'
immorality, that which is done and that which is not yet
done, the past and the future, and Eealise the Supreme
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, OH. XVIII 1205.
Brahman beyond all that " (Katha. 2. 14) ; and (ii) that it
advises " one to surrender oneself to the Quality less
Brahman. The stanza from the Kathopanisad is also to be
found in the description of the Qualityless Brahman in the
Mahabharata (San. 339. 40 ; 331. 44)\ But in both these-
places the two words ' morality ' and ' immorality ' have
been distinctly mentioned, which is not the case in the
Glta. It is true that the Glta accepts the Qualityless
Brahman, and also propounds the doctrine that the Quality-
less Brahman is the super-excellent form of the Param-
esvara (Gi. 7. 24). Yet, as the Glta also maintains that the
worship of the Perceptible is easy and excellent (12. 5), and
as the Blessed Lord is here referring to His own perceptible
form, I am firmly of opinion that this summing up
supports the Path of Devotion. Needless to say, the
Qualityless Brahman is not intended here ; and the word
' dharma ' used here must be understood to mean, the
religion of Harmlessness, the religion of Truth, the religion
of Service of one's parents, the religion of Service of one's-
preceptors, the religion of performing sacrificial ritual, the
religion of Charity, the religion of Benunciation, and other
ways of reaching the Paramesvara, which have been
mentioned in the Scriptures. And, where the subject-matter
has been discussed in the Santiparva (San. 344), and in the
Anu-Gita (Asva. 49), in the MahabhSrata, these ways of
obtaining Release have been referred to by the word
' dharma '. But, the Blessed Lord definitely says in this
place, with reference to the religion enunciated by the-
Glta, that Arjuna should not concern himself with these
various religions, but should " surrender yourself to Me
alone, I will redeem you, do not be afraid " (see Gi. Ra.
Oh. XIII, pp. 616-618). In short, the Blessed Lord, giving.
the advice nominally to Arjuna, but really to everybody,,
says that one should be deeply devoted to Him, and
becoming engrossed in Him, perform all Actions, which
become one's duties, according to one's own status, with a
Reason devoted to Him ; and that, thereby, one will-
acquire benefit not only in this life, but also in the nest.
This is what is known as KARMA-YOGA ; and this is the-
1206 GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
•*rf% j?# <rcf ffcarr m^sg^^ » ^ »
«ri%^T W ^ H cRiff??^ W3Tcf% 1^ ll ^ II
irf^W'T arnimg: wfJjfcf 3r srrar: 11 ao 11
sum. and substance of the Glta-religion. The Blessed Lord
now explains how to maintain and keep alive the tradition
of this Glta-religion, that is, of the Karma-Yoga based on
Knowledge, and in which Devotion is the most important
factor — ]
(67) Do you never mention this (mystery) to anybody,
■who does not perform austerities, who has no devotion, nor
a desire to hear it, nor to one who vilifies Me. (68) He, who
expounds this highest mystery to My devotees, will be
filled with intense devotion towards Me, and will come and
.reach Me ; about this, there is no doubt. (69) And no one
•can be found among all men, who does something more dear
to Me, than such a man ; and no one will be more beloved
■of Me than him in this universe.
[In continuation of this advice, given with the intention
of maintaining the tradition of the Glta, the Blessed Lord
now explains the beneficent effects of following the
Gita-religion — ]
(70) Whoever meditates on this conversation of us two
-on religion, will be considered by Me as having worshipped
Me by a Sacrifice of Knowledge. (71) In the same way, he
who follows this religion without carping, and with Faith,
he also will be redeemed from all sin, and reach the
Aiappiest spheres, which are in store for saintly people.
GlTA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. XVIII 1207
*Nt<jflfrWMW^a <i*^4um, II «8 II
[ In this way, the advice is over. Now, in order to find
out whether or not Arjuna has properly understood this
religion, the Blessed Lord asks him — ]
(72) O Partha ! have you listened to all this, with a con-
centrated mind ? (and) O Dhanafijaya ! has your confusion, in
the shape of Ignorance, now been totally destroyed ?
Arjuna said : — (73) O Unfallen One ! by Your favour has my
ignorance been destroyed ; and I have regained memory
(of my duties) ; I am (now) free from doubt ; I shall now do
(fight) as told by You !
[Those, who have got the traditional idea that the Glta-
religion advises the Abandonment of family life, have,
without the slightest justification, stretched the meaning
of the last, that is, of the 73rd stanza. If we consider of
what Arjuna had lost memory, we see that in Chapter II.
he has said: "my mind does not understand what my
'dharma' or my duty is" ( ef. " dharma sammudha cetah" );
and the plain meaning of the above stanza is, that he has
now remembered that duty. As the Glta has been told
in order to induce Arjuna to fight, and the Blessed Lord
has, in various places, said: "Do you, therefore, fight!"
(Gl. 2. 18; 2. 37; 3. 30; 8. 7; 11. 34), the words " I shall now
do as told by You", can only mean, "I shall fight".
To proceed: the conversation between Sri Krsna and Arjuna
is now over ; now, with reference to the narration in the
Mahabhaiata, Sanjaya, having narrated this story to
Dhrtarastra, summarises his own narration — ]
Safijaya said : — (74) In this way, I heard this wonderful and.
1208 GITA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
hair-raising conversation between Vasudeva and the noble-
souled Arjuna. (75) By the favour of Vyasa, I was enabled
to hear this mystery of mysteries, that is, Yoga, — (of course,
the Karma- Yoga), — when Sri Krsna, the Lord of all Yoga
Himself was personally expounding it.
[It has been stated in the beginning of the Glta, that as
Vyasa had given super-natural vision to Safijaya, he could,
•sitting in his own place, see in reality whatever was
happening in the battle-field ; and that he used to repeat
everything he saw to DhrtarSstra. The Yoga, expounded
by Sri Krsna was nothing but the Karma-Yoga (GI.4. 1-3);
and Arjuna himself has referred to it before (Gl 6. 33),
as 'Yoga' (the Yoga of Equability); and now, Sa&jaya
also refers to the conversation - between Sri Krsna and
Arjuna in this stanza as ' Yoga '. From this, it becomes
•clear that Karma-Yoga is the subject-matter of exposition
;in the Glta, according to the opinions of Sri Krsna and
.Arjuna, as also of Safijaya; and the expression ( samhdpa )
used to denote the end of the chapter at the end of every
• chapter also contains the word "yoga-sastra". But the
•word 'Yoga', in the phrase ' Yogesvara' is more comprehen-
sive. The ordinary meaning of the word ' Yoga ' is 'the
■device of, or the skill or proficiency in, performing any
Action'; and in this sense, the bahurupi (one who shows
-many appearances ) is said to perform his personifications
by Yoga, that is, by skill. But, if one considers what is
the best way in which Action can be performed, one has
•to say, that the way by which the Paramesvara, Who is
essentially Imperceptible and Qualityless, gives Himself
a perceptible appearance is the best ' Yoga ' or device. This
is referred to in the Glta as the 'Isvarl-Yoga' (Gl. 9. 5;
11.8); and this is what is known as 'Mays' or 'Illusion'
■in Vedanta ( Gl. 1. 25 ). For that man, who has success-
fully acquired this wonderful and unequalled Yoga, all
•other Yogas or devices are mere child's play. The
Paramesvara is the Over-Lord of all these Yogas, or
GITA, TRANSLATION &COMMENTARY, OH. XVIII 1209
f^jpjt *r jtih; ^rr; %c{|ift =g g;p gsp own
^ sfppg^ fjeaff 5T5T "TOT ^I«pfc: I
crar 3 TiRm4i irafsr 4iid4fd4*4 n ®c \\
devices: that is why He has been referred to as the
'Yogesvara ', or the 'Lord of Yogas'. The word 'Yoga' in the
phrase 'Yogesvara' does not indicate the Patanjala-Yoga.]
•(76) O King Dhrtarastra ! remembering this unprecedented
:and holy conversation between Kesava and Arjuna, I
experience joy over and over again. {77) And King !
thinking of that most wonderful Cosmic-Form of the
Blessed Lord, I am filled with astonishment, and again with
joy. (78) And, in my opinion, wherever there is Sri
Krsna, the Lord of all Yoga, and the bow-holder Arjuna,
•there also will be found Wealth, Victory, Eternal Prosperity,
.and Morality.
[ In short, the doctrine enunciated here is, that wherever
skill is combined with power, there do both rddhl (prosperity)
and siddhi (success) take up their permanent abode; and that,
mere skill, or mere power is not enough. When the ways
and means of killing Jarasamdha were being considered,
Yudhisthira said to Sri Krsna: "andham halam jadam
prahuh prayetavyam vicaksavtrih" (Sabha. 20. 16), that is,
" power is blind, and material ; the wise must show it the
way". Thereupon, the Blessed Lord, saying: "mayi nitir balaih
■blame", (Sabha. 20. 3), that is, " I am the store of diplomacy
andBhima, that of strength", has taken Bhima-sena with
Himself, and skilfully brought about the death of Jara-
samdha by his (Bhlma's) hands. The one, who merely gives the
diplomatic advice, may be looked upon as only half-wise*.
Therefore, the word' yogesvara' means the 'Lord of Yoga,
or skill ', and the word ' dhanurdhara ' means ' the fighter',
and both these adjectives have been used here intentionally.]
* This will be construed as a depreciatory reference to the
Blessed Lord (§rl Krsna, which is, indeed, unfortunate. — Trans.
1210 GITA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA.
?fir sfm^ra#?fT§ ^q-Pr^^ srgrrasrraf «jtt?tt#
Thus ends the eighteenth chapter named Moksa-Samnyasa
Yoga in the dialogue between Sri Krsna and Arjuna on the
Yoga included in the Science of the Brahman (that is, on the
Karma- Yoga) in the Upanisad sung (that is, told) by the
Blessed Lord.
[ It must be borne in mind that the word ' samnyasa ' in
the phrase ' moksa-samnyasa-yoga ', means the ' samnyasa or
Renunciation of Desire-prompted Action'; and not 'the
state of an ascetic ', which is the fourth stage of life. As
it has been propounded in this chapter that Release is
obtained by mentally making a Samnyasa or Renuncia-
tion of one's prescribed Actions, in favour of .the Param-
esvara, instead of by abandoning them, this chapter has
been named ' Moksa-Samnyasa-Yoga '. ]
IN THIS WAY
THE
RAHASYA-SANJTVANA
being the translation, into the MarathI vernacular, of the'
Srlmad Bhagavadglta, together with the commentary on
it, written by Bal Gangadhar Tilak, comes to an end.
In the Maharastra, in the town of Poona, there lives
one, who was born in a Brahmin family, and is devoted to the
Srutis, whose name is BAL, and who is the son of
GANGADHARA, and whose surname is TILAK; and he
has, by publishing the RAHASYA of the GlTA in the year
1837, of the Saka era, dedicated it to the LORD of SRI.*
OM TAT SAT BRAHMARPANAM ASTU
SANTJH PUSTIS TUSTIS CASTU.
SRI INDIRA'RPANAM ASTU t
. * The above dedication is in MarathI verse in the original —
Trans.
\ This is my dedication (see Vol. I p. xxsvii). — Translator.
An index of the stanzas of the
GITA
showing the first quarter of each stanza, by reference
to the chapter and the stanza.
Stanza-beginning
Ch.
st;
Stanza-beginning
Ch.
St.
stot ^4firfa it
?*
n
**asat^R[ h<?u
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m
stsraTf5r*i=!i<:^itui
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arasfct sraar:
?<<
',
sr
srf^fjjr ayC* *ra:
£
v
sr$fr% ^rfr sjjnfSf
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INDEX of STANZA-BEGINNINGS
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INDEX of STANZA-BEGINNINGS
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INDEX OF STANZA-BEGINNINGS
11
St.
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Stanza-beginning Ch.
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wfcrfwyfdwr ir
Snrrs^Hrof f^goi:
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An index of the words occurring in the
GITA
by reference to the chapter and the stanza.
( This index has been incorporated in this book as it is from,
the edition of the Bhagavadglta by Dr. Annie Besant and
Babu Bhagavandas, published by the Theosophical Publishing
House, Adyar, Madras, India, 1926, for which incorpora-
tion, both Babu Bhagavandas, and the Theosophical Publishing
House have very kindly granted permission to the Translator ).
Word
Ch.
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INDEX of WORDS in the GIT A
15
Word
Ch.
St.
Word
Ch.
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Word
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16
GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
Word
Oh.
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Word
Ob.
St-
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INDEX of WORDS in the GlTA
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Word
Ch.
St.
Word
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Word
Ch.
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s
1°
sfwr^
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spf^j^r^Jj;
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GITA-RAHASYA or KARMA-YOGA
\\ "
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to \
3 S.XS
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5 ^1>XX
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SRW|Wi ?< ^X
5> •*•
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1 etc. araftiraa^s \\ *■$
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X*
8 iv
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INDEX of WORDS in the GUI
19
Word Ch.
St.
Word
Ch.
St.
Word
Ch.
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sx
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Word ,
Oh.
St.
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Oh. St.
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Ch. St.
sRrfa:
N
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HAV
1,S. <s »l <> >!' , > <i *
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sierra;
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sremfa:
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*0
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sra^prii^
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INDEX of WORDS in the GITA
21
"Word
Oh.
St.
Word Oh.
St.
Word
CL
St.
sjifirs 8
1H
\s
vi
Wiswfd:
8
IV!
'3*%rr
VI
3
12
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S!K^I=tPl«4 :
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1
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1*
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Bifftittiqq:
<s
la
3 «,V^ e
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H
ii
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5
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11
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mam \
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8
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1H
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3
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1 V
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sturar:
8
1°
to
1H
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11
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3
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11
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11
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S xi
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5
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11
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22
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Word
Oh.
St.
Word
Ch.
St.
Word
Ch.
St.
am??*:
*
\t
8
11
strata
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11
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wrf^srag;
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1$
srrerTffit
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snggHis?, |o
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ix
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9
anf^rr^
\\
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11
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INDEX of WORDS in the GlTA
23
Word
WTf
3(1 gl<T:
Ch. St.
« «
% 11
\% V,1«.
?£ *1
1 13
< 11
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Word 'H Ch. St | Word Oh. St.
yssr ?^ S
I^sit^ag^a i«
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18 1
t 1^ etc.
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to vl
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^yr^fii 8 1« ?w^
gft ynfa g 8 IS
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8 IS
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^f^n^wi^ V,S'
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^ ii
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8 1,1
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t<i i«
24
GITA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
Word
Oh. St.
Word
Ch.
St.
Word
Ch.
St.
•gpm.
* 3%*X
fsfj
U
vs
•i^Ji^uHi,
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<:
fUT:
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^ s
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i<\ etc.
?o %
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3 YV
^8 *
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v\
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n
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3 xv
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8
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fHWT^ ^ 1°
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XX
18
1
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^93^
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f%3 ' ?> s
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: Jrwrar:
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5
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c
XV
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XV
V* x
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%
1%
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INDEX of WORDS IN THE GlTA
25
Word
Gh.
St
Word
Ch.
St.
Word
Ch.
St.
^rcffas
»
IV
sq^g;
*
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3
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5-s
|vs n,vi
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sraa^
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sqfreir
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?8
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3
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3S
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£
3^*W:
■34 1 *f*3 :
1«
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3
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3TVlfa*l<
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8
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3?^.
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sqgffir
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1
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GITA-RAHASYA OK KARMA-YOGA
Word Oh. • St.
?<: i°,<^
>£$: ?? vh
?3 x*
ijspr S *1
<jsfre^ ^ 1°
tj^rg^ £ IX
^rsn^ ^ it
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3 X,v
to iv
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t< SX^V 8 ^
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Word
?8
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^ <:
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X^.,X«*
V,H,X1/U
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? X
o iv
?o \»
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1X,1X,1X^\
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Word Ch. St..
8 x*
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<jtt^ * «1
«jftr: « IX
?<£ v.
i?wr: 3 It
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<£i t 1 etc
mH, \ iv etc..
1*§<r: ?? vi
<l4ftfa: ?t ^X ) ^v•
«T*:^ 1-,WV
to v°
t* <\V
* xvi
S iv
t v<*
c
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INDEX of WORDS in the GlT&
37
Word
Ch.
St.
Word
Ch. St.
Word
Ch. St.
W^
<.
13
*R<K?fsr
* «
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arferc:
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1\s
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\* 13
£ 1
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Ch.
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INDEX of WORDS in the GlTA
29
Word Oh. St,
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=fel+Hs-M u l
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30
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Ch
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INDEX of WORDS in the GITA
31
Word
Ch.
St.
Word
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St.
Word
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32
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Word
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INDEX of WORDS in the GlTA
33
Word ,
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Word
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srerra«ft ^ \c
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INDEX of WORDS in the GITI
35
Word
CL
St
Word CL St.
Word
Ch.
St.
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36
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d*t«tfl5tf:
8
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• INDEX of WORDS » the GlTA
37
Word
Ch. St.
% ? X etc.
w : t i\,n
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to ^
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V* ix,ix
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Word Gh. St.
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INDEX of WORDS in the GITa-
39
Word Oh- St.
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INDEX of WORDS ift the GITA
41
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St.
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Oh.
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INDEX of WORDS in the GlTA
43
Word Oh.
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INDEX of WORDS in the GITA
45
Word ,
Oh. St.
Word
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«
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INDEX of WORDS in the GlTA
47
Word
Ch.
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CL
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INDEX of WORDS in the GlTl
49
TMv' Oh. St.
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INDEX of WORDS in the GfTA
51
Word
Oh.
St.
Word
Ch. St.
Word
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sr?|i'j*rr*r
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Word Oh. St.
*t«tim4V ?? X
wft<rr \c \\
vfesmm, \o \*\
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wfiwrrfo VS xs
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wtl: a i\
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x,n
Word
Oh. St.
wrcwra
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INDEX of WORDS in the GITa
53
Word
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w* *
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Ch.
St.
u
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%
^
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3 1',
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54
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"Word
Ch.
St.
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Oh.
St.
Word
Oh.
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8
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W^T5T«rs
a
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INDEX of WORDS in the GlTA
55
Word
Oh. St.
Word .
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• Word
Ch.
St.
H i
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1,15.
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56
GITA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
Word
Ch.
St.
Word
Ch.
St.
Word
Ch.
St.
*TRm:
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S
%
«,Ml,l*,1v,
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8
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l>31
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1
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gfts
9
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31
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INDEX of WORDS in the GlTA-
57
Word Ch. St.
■^twiwofft^ x
% n
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Jr ? X%V^,X«,vS
^ VMl.X^
8 X,H,\lv,
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\\ *,V,1MV
\t i,1v,1\1$,
lw,n,X»
N: t° ^X
A.
fra: ?* ix
Word CL St.
?19 1"\
wtsm ?<S X°
aqtagRT: ^ 1 1 i
wtarot: ^ 11
far: ?3 i \
jftcm ?8 <:
?<: X^
wte*tfa 3 i
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?8 IX
^ v»X
»ftf§m: 8 1*
Word Ch. St.
*Mt ^ is
1%
%*ra ^ i°
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ii37$rarn ?o 1 X
»K# *5 1*1
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sni?& 8 ii
1 ^X
W ^
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8 3°
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igfltsifa'gsr:
8 XI
grg foa i Rn : 3 ix
mv. s i%i"i
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58
GlT^-RAHASYA or KARMA-YOGA
Word
Oh.
St.
Word
Oh.
St.
Word
Ck St.
H
1
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t<i Xl,XX,Xv,XH
^a «
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to K
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XX XX
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8
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T^f^I^
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8
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8
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q-a^%f^lfi5t:
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INDEX of WORDS in the GlTS.
59
Word Oh. St.
ga>r?rcfafrwr
g% I u
g»ra?^rr??rm
3* 8 <£,*
pre: ^ ^
pre. 5 il,v
pfter 3 io
pint * ^
p;r*r * ^,\<
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prwg: t %
p-*rer S i «
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Oh.
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ipsre:
X
1
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etc.
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60
GITA-RAHASYA or KARMA-YOGA
Word Ch St.
H X*
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XX *s
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star:
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vm%
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INDEX of WORDS in the GlTA
61
Word Ch. St.
wm&t: 8 H
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xmm: a it
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INDEX of WORDS in the GlTA
63
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INDEX of WORDS in the GlTA
69
Word
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INDEX of WORDS in the GITA'
73
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INDEX of WORDS in the GlT£,;
75
Word
Ch,
St.
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76
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Word
Oh.
St.
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Ch. St.
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INDEX to PERSONAGES' referred to.
( Ngt being Indian or Foreign Authors ).
(Note: — The original text of the author was not indexed
at all. The first index above ( of" .stanza-beginnings ), and
this and the three following indexes were first added to the
fourth Marathi edition of the text, published in 1923, after the
death of the author, as stated in the Publisher's foreword to
that edition. The references to the pages in this 1923 Marathi
edition, in this and the three following indices, have been
replaced by the corresponding references to the pages of the
present English edition, except such as I have not been able
to trace. Also, the words in the original indexes, which had
been arranged according to the Marathi alphabet, have been
re-arranged by me according to the English Alphabet, letters
with diacritical signs, being indexed as if there were no such
signs, (ii) in front of a figure, or row of figures, means
Vol. II— Translator. )
Abdul Beheman (II), 145.
Aghoraghanta, 322.
Agullmala, 616.
Ajlgarta, 55.
Alexander, (ii) 789, 819, 828.
Amrapall, 616.
Ahglrasa, 59.
Antiochus, (ii) 828.
Antiocledes, (ii) 790,
Asoka, (ii) 799, 819, 827, 828.
Asvapati Kaikeya, 434,
(ii) 739.
Bahva, 567.
Bali, 44.
Baskali, 567.
Bhaskaracarya, 571.
Bhrgu, 584.
Brhaspati, 160.
Buddha, (ii) 798, 802, 817, 825,
826.
Candrasekhara, (ii) 754.
Carudatta, 54.
Christ, 49, 117, 546, (ii) 777,
811, 820, 821, 824, 825,
826, 827, 828, 829.
Oitraratha, 584.
Confucius, 542. (See Khun-
Phu-Tse).
Columbus, (ii) 826.
Coriolanus, 41.
Dadhlci, 56.
Daksa Prajapati, 469.
Dara (Shahazada), (ii) 706.
Ekanatha, 546.
Ganapati Sastri, (ii) 787.
Gargi, 312.
Gargya Balski, 434.
Gautama Buddha, 134.
Hamlet, 40.
Hariscandra, 52.
Haryasva, 469.
Heliodorus, (ii) 790.
Hiranyagarbha, 424.
Iksvaku, 12, 14, 581, (ii) 634.
78
G-lTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
•Jabali, 105, 106.
Jaiglsavya, 478.
Janaka, 312, 383, 413, 434, 451,
485, 487, 499, 509, (ii) 660,
813, 830.
Janamejaya, 14, (ii) 643, 723
(ii) 781.
Jarasamdha, 76.
Jaratkaru, 404.
Jimu.tava.hana, 56.
. Jesus Christ, (See, Christ).
Kablr, (ii) 706.
Kalakhafija, 98.
Kanada, 204.
Kasiraja Ajatasatru, 434.
KhaninetTa, 62.
Khun-Phu-Tse, (See Confucius).
La-O-Tse, 546.
Laksmana, 438.
Lava, 98.
Mahavira, (ii) 624.
Mahendra, (ii) 819.
Mahomed, (ii) 770.
Maitreyi, 110,312.
Manu, 12, 14, 80, (ii) 634.
Mara, (ii) 825.
Marici, (ii) 660.
Markandeya, (ii) 674.
Megasthenes, (ii) 79].
Naoiketa, 126, 158, 159, 430.
Nagarjuna, (ii) 798, 817.
. Nagasena, (ii) 805.
Nanda, (ii) 798.
Napoleon, 175.
Narada, 284, 302, 303, 310, 469,
572, (ii) 674.
"Nestor, (ii) 827.
Newton, 571.
'.Nicholas (Notovisch), (ii) 830.
Paila, (ii) 738. .
Parasurama, 61.
Paul, (Saint), 49.
Pauloma, 98.
Prahlada, 14, 44, 45, 60, 61, 98,
161, 172, 584.
Pratardana, 98.
Priyavrata, 14.
Prthu, 14.
Rahulabhadra, (ii) 798.
Ramacandra (Rama, or Sri
Rama) 52, 58, 97, 105.
Rama Sastri, (ii) 697.
Havana, 608.
Sabalasva, 469.
Sanatkumara, 302, 310, (ii) 659.
Sardesai, (ii) 793.
Satan (Devil), 98, (ii) 825.
Saunaka, 439.
Sibi, 56, 99, 170, 563.
Sivaji, 591, 611, (ii) 706.
Skanda, 302.
Socrates, 117, 118.
Sonakolivisa, (ii) 797.
Sri Bhagavan, 12.
Sudama, 120.
Suka, 284, 434, 439, (ii) 659,
(ii) 754, 767.
Sukracarya 65, 95, 161.
Sulabha, 383.
Sumantu, (ii) 738, 754.
Svetaketu, 65, 95.
Syamarasmi, 470.
Tuladhara, 68.
Uddalaka, 434.
Usasti Cakrayana, 67,
Vaisampayana, 14, (ii) 643,
(ii) 660, 738, 754, 781.
Vamadeva, 55.
INDEX to FOREIGN AUTHORS
79
Varenya, 418.
"Vena, 62.
Vidula, 55.
"Visvamitra, 54, 55.
"Vivasvan, 12, 80, (ii) 634
Vrtra, 53.
Yajnavalkya, 110, 312, 413,
. 477, 499, (ii) 659.
INDEX to FOREIGN AUTHORS.
.Aristotle, 92, 99, 419, 420, 514,
(ii) 682.
Bain, 50, 123, 514.
Bentham, 115.
Bournoff (E'mile), (ii) 829.
Brooks, 532.
Biihler, (ii) 732, 769, 773, 788,
795, 802.
Butler, 109.
•Cams (Paul), 119, 147, (ii) 684,
687.
Colebrooke, 220, (ii) 825.
•Comte (Auguste), 85, 86, 87,
105, 210, 419, 420, 462,
(ii) 687, 708.
Dalton, 205.
Darwin, 139, 205, 206, 233, 241.
Davids (Rhys), (ii) 802, 804,
(ii) 818,827.
Deussen (Paul) 39, 260, (ii) 667,
(ii) 682.
"Diderot, 109.
Enoch (Reginald), (ii) 826.
Gadow(Dr. H.), 253.
Garbe, (ii) 759, 791, 799.
Geiger, (ii) 802.
•Gcethe, (ii) 694.
■Green, 48, 50, 93, 121, 165, 200,
299, 310, 311, (ii) 680, 682.
Eaeckel, 206, 218, 233, 235,
253, 270, 336, 369.
Haegel, 293, 309.
Hartman, 420.
Helvetius, 109.
Hobbes, 55, 95, 111, 113.
Hume, 110, 120.
James (William), 319.
Jowett, 419.
Kant, 87, 93, 120,165,199, 201,
293,295,297,305,309,310,
356, 365, 519, 532, 533,
(ii) 679, 682, 683.
Kern, (ii) 799, 802, 809, 816,
(ii) 818.
King, (ii) 828.
Lamarque, 205.
Laurinoer, (ii) 820.
Lily (Arthur), (ii) 826, 829.
Macmillian, 145.
M'o Orindle, (ii) 790.
Martineau (James), 169, 235.
Maudsley, 593.
Max Miiller, 184, 594, (ii) 683,
(ii) 774,802, 821.
Mill, 49, 55, 87, 105, 115, 121,
122, 156, 420, (ii) 687,
Millman, 49.
Morley, 109.
Neitzsehe, 367, 420, 519, 547,
(ii) 702.
Newton, 571.
80
GIT5.-BAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
Notovisoh (Nicholas), (ii) 830.
Paulsen, (ii) 695.
Plato, 157, 190, 462.
Plutarch, (ii) 828.
Pythagoras, (ii) 825.
Rockhill, 134, (ii) 786.
Rosni, (ii) 829.
Sale, (ii) 811.
Schopenhauer, 87, 144, 146, 308,
419, 420, (ii) 682, 694, 702,
Schiller, (ii) 672.
Schrceder, (ii) 892.
Senart, (ii) 768.
Shakespeare, 40.
Sidgwiek, 49, 50, 51, 114, 563.
Smith (Vincent), 208.
Socrates, 117, 118.
Spencer, 87, 105, 123, 292, 420,.
455, 513, 514, (ii) 687, 710.
Stephen, 50.
Sulley, 420, (ii) 695.
Takakasu, 208.
Thibaut, (ii) 758.
Thompson, (ii) 747.
Weber, (ii) 787.
Whewell, 50.
Wilson, 221.
AN INDEX of AUTHORS (not foreign) and of their WORKS,,
referred to in toe Gita-Bahasya.
Nate: — Even if this index is merely glanced at, readers will
get an idea of its arrangement. The names of authors and of
their works have been given according to the Marathi alphabet,
and works of the same nature have been grouped together,
as will be realised by the readers on the face of the index.
Those personages, who have been referred to in the course of the-
expositions of the various subjeot-matters, for expounding the
true import of the G-ita, have already been indexed separately
(see p. 77 to 79 above — Trans.) ; and the last. Index of Definitions
includes technical words. ( see p. 89 et. seq. — Trans.).
( The above is the heading of the Index added to the 1923
Marathi edition of the text, which was published after the death of
the author. The words in this index had been arranged according to
the Marathi alphabet, as stated above, and I have re-arranged them
according to the English alphabet, except such references as I have
been unable to trace in spite of due and diligent search.
Letters with diacritical signs have been indexed as if there were
no such signs; and the figure (ii) before a figure or row of figures-
means Volume II. — Translator. )
AdbyatmaRamayana, 5, 8, 438. Arjunamisra, 4.
Agnipurana, 5, 6. Arseya Brahmana, (ii) 717.
Aitareya Brahmana, 98. Astadasa PurSnadarsana, 5, 6.
Aitareyopanisad, 222, 231. Astavakragita, 5, (ii) 951.
Amarakosa, 76, 258. Asvagbosa, 81, (ii) 634, 770,
Amitayusutta (Pali), (ii) 799, (ii) 787, 798.
(ii) 816. Asvalayana Grhya-Sutras,
Amrtabindupanisad, 340, 396, (ii) 738, 788.
(ii) 764, 1005. Atharva-Veda, 355, (ii) 1135.
Anandagirl, 104, 110, 433. Avadhutaglta, 5, 133.
Anandatlrtha, ( See Madhva- fiadarayanacarya, 16, (ii) 749,
carya ). (ii) 750, 754, 1109.
Anantacarya, 506. Balacarita, ( See, Bhasa ).
Apararkadeva, 505. Banabhatta, (ii) 793.
Apastambiya Dharma-Sfitras, Baudhayana Grhyasesa Sutras,
488. (ii) 788.
11—12
82
GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
Baudhayana Sutras, 488.
Bhagavata, 6, 14, 15, 29, 55,
64, 227, 386, 414, 434, 469,
473, 497, 551, 572, 573, 578,
591,594,601,603,607,614,
(ii) 639, 766, 771, 780, 871,
(ii) 891,901, 941,964, 1008,
(ii) 1020, 1054-5, 1056, 1060,
(ii) 1065-6, 1077.
Bhandarkar (B. G. ), 23, 24,
(ii) 745, 770, 785, 791, 799.
Bhaiavi, (See, Kirata), 64, 552.
Bhartrhari, 52, 64, 113, 114,
124, 132, 148, 157.
Bhasa, (See, Balacarita), 7,
430, 456, (ii) 771, 787, 794.
Bhaskaracarya, 571.
Bhatfca Kumarlla, 258.
Bhavabhuti, 98, 594.
Bbiksuglta, 5, 6.
Bible, 33, 49, 517, 518, 542, 545.
Bodhyaglta, 4.
Brahmaglta, 5.
Brahmajalasutta,(Pali),(ii) 804.
Brahmanda Purana, 5.
Brabmanas, (see list).*
Brahma-Sutras, ( See, Vedanta-
Satras, and Sarlraka-
Siitras).
Brabmavaivartaka Purana
(ii) 767.
Brhadaranyakopaniaad, 44, 126,
133, 182, 197, 199, 231,
Brhadaranyakopanisad (eontd)
254, 258, 283, 284, 285,
292, 296, 298, 301, 307,
308, 312, 315, 317, 320,
322, 324, 336, 341, 344,
348, 354, 362, 365, 381,
400, 406, 410, 413, 433,
434, 444, 471, 483, 499,
502, 537, 598, (ii) 658, 693,
(ii) 712, 739, 742, 765, 772,
(ii) 807, 808, 810, 873, 970,
(ii) 1024, 1029, 1033, 1037,
(ii) 1084, 1115, 1115, 1152,
(ii) 1186.
Buddhacarita, 81.
Canakya, ( See, Kautilya ),
' (ii) 629, 787.
Carvaka, 105, 109.
Chandogyopanisad, 44, 171,
181, 210, 231, 234, 252,
254, 259, 283, 301, 310,
313, 318, 322, 324, 338,
348, 353, 354, 381, 397,
400, 406, 409, 413, 475,
500, 569, 574, 580, (ii) 739,
(ii) 742, 761, 763,765,776,
(ii) 807, 907, 959, 977,1013,
(ii) 1029, 1034, 1072, 1078,
(ii) 1089,, 1138, 1140, 1166.
Chandogya (Samkarabhasya),
475, (ii) 704.
Churikopanisad, (ii) 747.
Confucius, ( See, Khun-Phu-
Tse ), 542.
* The words " see list", used in this index, mean: "see this
index ". ' Brahmanas ' is the name of a class of treatises, just as
« Puranas,' or ' Gitas '; and the various Brabmanas are not indexed
under 'Brahmanas' but in their respective alphabetical order, as
* Arseya-Brahmana ', ' Aitareya-Brahmana ', etc.; or, in the case
•of the Gitas, as : Brahma-GItS, Siva-Gita etc. — Trass.
TNTTyrcX nw ATTTHOTtfUnot foretell) AWT) THTBTR WORTCS S3
Oullavagga, (Pali), (ii) 800
(ii) 819.
-Dasaratha Jataka, (Pali)
(ii) 811.
Devlbhagavata, 6.
.Devlglta, 5.
-Dhammapada, (Pali), 134, 144,
172, 389, 516, 517, 541, 545
(ii) 675, 676, 800, 803, 807
809, 812.
Dhammikasutta, (Pali), (ii)809
(ii) 810.
Dhyanabindupanisad, (ii) 747.
Dlksit, (S. B), 264,'(ii) 774,
(ii) 785, 789, 796, 799.
Dlpavaihsa, ( Pali), (ii) 802.
!Ekanatha, 546.
.Epicurus, 514.
Ganesagita, 5, 418.
■Ganesapurana, 5.
Garbhopanisad, 254.
Garudapurana, 6.
Gatha, ( S8e, Tukarama ).
•Gaudapada, 207, 221.
Gaudlya Padmottarapurana, .
Gautama-Sutras, 110.
Gitas, (See, list).
Glta (Madhvabhasya), 23.
Glta (Ramanujabhasya), 22.
tGlta (Samkarabhasya), 15, 4! '
483.
Gltarthaparamarsa, 38.
Gopalatapanyupanisad,(ii)74 .
Gurujaana vasistb.a-tatt'? -
sarayana, 5, 8, 509.
Harhsagita, 4, 6.
Hanumana Pandit, 21.
Haritaglta, 4.
Harivamsa Purana. (ii) 787.
Harsa, 56.
Tsavasyopanisad, 284, 317, 381,
432, 442, 490, 500, 501,
503, 504, 537, 543, 583,
603, (ii) 742, 748, 762, 888,
(ii) 998, 1115.
Isvaragita, 5.
Isvarakrsna, 207, 208, 220, 221,
258.
Jabala Samnyasopanisad, 133,
433, 470, 471, (ii) 626,' 629.
Jaimini (Mlmamsa-Sutras), 72,
401, 613, (ii) 738, 754, 761.
Jaimiai-SGtras, 31, 72, 94, 435.
Jfianesvara, 26, 345, 346, 449,
(ii) 705, 754.
Kaivalyopanisad, 324, 471, 538,
(ii) 998, 1016, 1144, 1174.
Kalahapurl, 218.
Kale, (ii) 785, 788, 794.
Kalidasa, 56, 99, 113, 139, 172,
441, 467, 469, 559, (ii) 726,
(ii) 787, 793.
Kamalakarabhatta, (ii) 705.
Eanada, 205.
Kapila, 208, (ii) 761, 762, 777.
Kapila-gita, 5, 6.
Kathasarit-sagara, 56.
Kathopanisad, 76, 126, 160,
190, 197, 216, 231, 245,
273, 284, 301, 312, 324
341, 343, 412, 413, 430
433, 503, 567, 602, 610
(ii) 740, 741, 747, 764, 803
(ii) 876, 880,888,997,1036
(ii) 1136, 1141, 1166, 1186
fii'i i9.ns
GlTA-RAHASYA OB '■• KARMA- YOGA
Kausltakyupanisad, 85, 98,
283, 368, 400, 409, 516,
(ii) 675, 1023, 1029, 1183.
Kautilya, (ii) 629, 787.
Kenopanisad, 284, 319, 434,
567, 587.
Kesari (lion), 356. ■
Ke^ava Kasmlri Bhattacarya,
25.
Khun-Phu-Tse, ( Sea Confu-
cius ).
Kirata, (See, Bharavi).
Krsnananda Svami, 38.
Kslrasvami, 258 ( foot-note ).
Kuran, ( See, Quran ), 33.
Kurma-purana, 5.
Liiiga-purana, 445.
MadhusQdana, 20.
Madhracarya, (See, Ananda-
tirtha), 23,25,428, (ii) 750,
(ii) 752, 766, 892.
Maghakavya, 607.
Mahabharata :—
Adiparva, 41, 42, 46, 47, 48,
51,52,61,65,106,143,266,
368, 404, 558, (ii) 626, 718,
(ii) 723, 724, 738, 788, 789.
Anu&asamasparva, 43, 44, 46,
52, 68, 94, 373, 404, 527,
538, 539, 541, (ii) 701, 755,
(ii) 789, 790, 1065, 1072,
(ii) 1076,1136,1137.
Asrainavasika-parva, (ii) 678.
Asvamedha-parva, 2, 4, 52,62,
80,214,244,392, 438,443,
465, 474, 614, 617, (ii) 663,
(ii) 669, 671,691,724,730,
(ii) 738, 740, 789, 801, 1028,
(ii) 1071, 1126, 1128, 1135,
(ii) 1195. .
Mahabharata — (contd.)
Bhismaparva, 68, 272, 410,.
(ii) 721, 727, 733.
Dronaparva, 52, 76, (ii) 727.
Karnaparva, 47, 53, 90, 141,
(ii) 718, 725, 727, 731.
Sdbhaparva, 147, 398, (ii) 791.
Adyaparva, 60.
tiantiparva, 4, 12, 13, 43, 44,
48, 51, 53, 54, 57, 58, 61,
62, 65, 66, 68, 72, 79, 90,
96, 129, 130, 132, 138, 144,
147, 149, 150, 152, 161, 162,
172,182,183,208,210,214,
223,224,229,231,254,262,
264, 266, 274, 275, 280, 286,
299, 303, 309, 316, 347, 359,
365, 366, 368, 379, 381, 383,
386,392,402,404,405,407,.
408, 420; 424, 433,434,436,
437, 439, 444, 451, 458, 468,
470,472,473,474,477,478,
485,486,510,513,527,538,
539, 540, 549, 552, 553, 587,
615, 617, (ii) 622, 660, 696,
(ii) 699, 700, 718, 723, 724,
(ii) 727, 728, 729, 730, 731,
(ii) 732, 733, 734, 735, 739,
(ii) 740, 750, 755, 758, 766,
(ii) 767, 778, 779, 783, 788,
(ii) 789, 812, 860, 877, 892,
(ii) 910, 919, 920, 921, 928,
(ii) 940, 972, 989, 994, 998,.
• (ii) 1005, 1015, 1018, 1021,
(ii) 1028, 1032, 1038, 1053,
(ii) 1055, 1056, 1065,1067,
(ii) 1068, 1073, 1081, 1084,
(ii) U3SS, 1147, 1149, 1150,
(ii) 1154, 1195, 1198, 1205.
INDEX OF AUTHORS (ndtforeign) AND THEIR WORKS 85
Mahabharata — (contd.)
Striparva 190, (ii) 727.
Svargarohana-parm, 52, 127,
(ii) 737.
Udyogaparva, 52, 55, 61, 62,
64, 127, 140, 147, 470, 473,
545, 552, 553, (ii) 629, 673,
(ii) 719, 728, 729, 730, 750,
(ii) 779, 786, 812.
Tanaparm 45, 48, 57, 58, 60,
68, 97, 100, 138, 146, 182,
190, 260, 380, 381, 406,
439, 443, 444, 478, 527,
547, 580, 615, (ii) 673, 700,
(ii) 718, 728, 740, 788, 810.
Virataparva, 529.
Mahanarayanopanisad, (ii) 744. ;
JVTahaparinibbana Sutta, (Pali),
(ii) 818.
Mahavagga (Pali), 545, (ii) 797,
(ii) 801, 810.
Mahavamsa, (Pali), (ii) 802.
Maitryupanisad, 182, 184, 231,
246, 259, 340, 348, 381, 390,
392, 396, 405, 503, (ii) 743,
(ii) 744, 762, 764, 772, 775,
(ii) 776, 778, 960, 1005,
(ii) 1034, 1142.
Mandukyopanisad, 309, 338.
Mankiglts, 4.
Manu-Smrfci. 43, 44, 46, 47, 49,
51, 55, 56, 58, 59, 60, 62,
63, 64, 65, 68, 90, 94, 95,
100, 140, 143, 145, 149,
162, 171, 172, 230, 246, 260,
263, 264, 266, 348, 365, 368,
373,374,384,393,403,405,
407, 456, 462, 467, 472, 484,
485,487,488,497,499,504,
Manu-Smrti-r-(co»i<i )
506,507,538,541,547,554,
(ii) 658, 676, 700, 755, 765,
(ii) 786, 809, 852, 862, 902,
(ii) 919, 920, 935, 936, 942,
(ii) 961, 983, 998, 1038,
(ii) 1065, 1072, 1103, 1128,
(ii) 1164, 1175, 1193.
Markandeya, (ii) 674.
Matsya-Purana, (ii) 1065.
Milindaprasna, (Pali), 81, 516,
615. (ii) 675, 805, 807, 812,
(ii) 814, 815.
Mimaihsa, (See, Jaimini).
Moropanta, 93.
Mrcchakatika, 56.
Mundakopanisad, 242, 273, 284,
285, 301, 318, 341, 343,
344, 353, 381, 413, 433,
479, (ii) 740, 803, 888, 1013,
(ii) 1016.
Murari-kavl, 11.
Nagananda, 56.
Narada-Paficaratra, (ii) 674,
(ii) 766, 767.
Naradapurana, 6.
Narada-Sutras, 573, (ii) 766,
(ii) 767.
Narayamya-dharma, 473, 512.
Narayanlyopanisad, 471.
Nflakantha, (ii) 721.
Nimbaikacarya, 24.
MT imayasindhu, 476.
Nltisataka, 113.
Nirakta, ( See, Taska ).
Nrsimba-Purana, 5, 506, 507.
Nrsimhottara-tapaniyopanisad ,
350, (ii) 745.
86
GlTA-RAHASYA OR KARMA- YOGA
Oka ( K. G. ), 258.
Orion, (ii) 773, 776, 1077.
Padmapuraria, 5, 6.
Paisacabhasya, 21.
Pali Works, ( See list ).
PaSeadasI, 289, 350, 516.
Pancaratra, (ii) 778, (See,
Narada-Sutias ).
Pancasikha, 209.
Paadavagita, 5.
Pandit Jvalaprasad, 5.
Panini-Sutras, 184, 372, (ii) 745,
' (ii) 768, 774.
Parakhi, (ii) 793.
Parasaraglta, 4.
Patanjala-Sutras, 321.
Pingalaglta, 4, 471.
Prasnopanisad, 254, 301, 338,
503.
Puranas, ( See, list ).
Purusa-Sukta, 339.
Quran, (See, Kuran), 33.
Raghuvamsa, 99.
Ramaglta, 5.
Ramamii&earya, 21, 22, 427,
(ii) 703, 750, 752, 758, 766,
(ii) 780.
Ramapurva tapinyupanisad,
575, 586, (ii) 745, 763, 774.
Ramayana : —
Aranyakanda, (ii) 1076-7
Ayodhyakanda, 61.
Balakanda, 59.
TFttarakarida, 99.
Yuddhakanda, 551.
Ramesa Candra Datta, (ii) 830.
Ranade, Samkara Moro (Saih-
kara-Kavi), 218, 372.
231,
307,
Rg-Veda, 45,
293, 302,
347, 349, 350,
354, 355, 363
401, 403,
552, 591,
245,
314,
351,
388,
478,
919,
284,
337,
353,
400,
502,
956,
410,
(3D
(ii) 1054, 1078, 1115, 1135.
Sabbasavasutta, (Pali),
(ii) 804, 807.
Saddharma Pundarika, ( Pali ),
(ii) 799, 814.'
Saivapurana, 7.
Sakuntala,' 113, 172.
Samartha ( Ramadasa, Dasa-
bodha), 57, 138, 197, 216,
251, 252, 388, 421, 443, 524,
536,543,552,554,611,612,
(ii) 658, 706.
Sarhhitas, ( See, list).
Saihkarabhasya, 16, 20, 110,
(ii) 792, 873.
SamkarScarya, 15, 20, 110,
133, 207, 228, 242, 305,
364, 428, 445, 475, (ii) 693,
(ii) 701, 703, 704, 720, 722,
(ii) 752, 792.
Saihkhya-Karika, 131, 181, 207,.
208, 213, 214, 216, 222,
223, 225, 244, 246, 257,.
261, 275, 377, (ii) 1063,,
(ii) 1126, 1128, 1154.
Sarhpakagita, 4.
Sandilya-Sutras, 572, (ii) 767.
Saptasloklglta, 7.
Sarlrika-Sfitras, ( See, Vedanta-
Sutras ).
Sarkara, Babu Kisorilal,
(ii) 691.
INDEX OF AUTHORS (not foreign) AND THEIR WOEKS 87
Sarvopanisad, 298.
Sastitantra, 208.
Satapatha Brahmana, 432,
(ii) 1081.
Saundarananda, (Pali), (ii) 787,
(ii) 798.
Selasutta, (Pali), (ii) 772, 801,
(ii) 813.
Sivadina Kesarl, 509.
Sivaglta, 5.
Skandapurana, 5.
Srldhara, 26, (ii) 750.
Subhasita, 52.
Suryaglta, 5.
Surya-Siddhanta, 263, 264.
Satagita, 5.
Sutasarhhita, 5.
Sutras, ( See, list ).
Suttanipata,(Pali), 541, (ii) 797.
(ii) 800, 803, 807, 809, 815.
Svetasvataropanisad, 221, 231,
253, 254, 280, 284, 289,
301, 307, 341, 381, 432,
490, 500, 580, (ii) 741, 742,
(ii) 744, 747, 943, 992,
(ii) 1036, 1114, 1137, 1145.
Taittiriya Brahmana, 231, 250,
347, 348, 363, (ii) 1135-6.
Taittiriya Samhita, 307, 403,
' 469, 488, (ii) 744.
Taittirlyopanisad, 46, 58, 61,
98, 171, 210, 231, 234, 250,
251, 254, 284, 285, 287,
308, 317, 322, 337,
338,
348, 354, 361, 381,
403,
413, 432, 490, 500,
504,
507, 512, 580, (ii)
928,
(ii) 1152, 1166.
akakasu, 151.
_ Taranatha, (Pali), (ii) 798, 818.
Tattvaprakasika, 25.
Telang, 21.
Tevijjasutta ( Trevijjasfitra) r
(Pali), (ii) 810, 813.
Theragatha, (Pali), (ii) 772, 813.
Tukarama, (See, G-atha), 25,
110, 115, 120, 144, 318,.
320, 343, 388, 461, 534,.
578, 580, 585, 590, 598,
600, 603, 605, 606, 609,,
610, 611, 615, 617.
Udana, (Pali), (ii) 893.
Upanisads, (See list).
tJrubhanga, 7.
trttaragita, 5.
Uttararamaearitra, 98.
Vagbhata, (ii) 1162.
Vaidya, Cintamana VinSyaka,.
(ii) 722, 738, 771, 785, 786,.
(ii) 790, 799.
Vajasansyi Samhita, 354, 505.
Vajrasueyupanisad, (ii) 787.
Vallabhacarya, 24, (ii) 752.
Vamana Pandit (See, Yathar-
thadlpika ).
Varahapurana, 7.
Vaththugatha, (Pali), (ii) 803.
Vayupurana, 7.
Vedas, (Sse, list).
Vedangajyotisa, (ii) 775, 776,
Vedantasara, 332.
Vedanta- (Sarlrika-, Brahma-)
Sutras, 10, 44, 133, 202,.
205, 210, 231, 244, 254,.
259, 262, 266, 285, 293,
304, 337, 339, 364, 365,
368, 372, 375, 377, 3S2,
GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA- YOGA
Vedanta-Sutras — (contd.)
388, 390, 397, 406, 410,
412, 414, 433, 435, 437,
464, 465, 470, 479, 483,.
490, 499.
Vedanta-Sutras, EamSnuja-
bhasya, (ii) 758.
Vedanta-Sutras, Sarhkara-
bhaaya, 110, 199, 210, 224,
228, 242, 270, 272, 304,
305, 364, 374, 378, 385,
388, 411, 445, 475, 483,
567, (ii) 703. 813.
Vieakhyuglta, 4.
Vidura, 127.
Yisnupurana, 5, 161, 265,
' (ii) 767, 771, 1065, 1066.
Vrtraglta, 4.
Vyasaglta, 5.
Yadavarav Varvlkar, 60,
YsjSavalkya, 49, 171, 487, 506,
'598.
Yamaglta, 5.
Yaska, ( Nirukta ), 251,
264, 409, 412, 488, (ii) 755,
(ii) 786, 1038.
Yatharthadlpika, (See Vamana
Pandit), 27.
Yogatattvopanisad, (ii) 747,
(ii) 774.
Yogavasistha, 3, 8, 394, 434,
449, 460, 508, (ii) 896, 925,
(ii) 926.
INDEX OF DEFINITIONS of Terminological Expressions
given in thefiita-Rahasya.
This Index was first added to the 1923 Marathi edition
of the text published after the death of the author. The
index, which is. of Sanskrit expressions, had been arranged in
.the original, according to the Sanskrit alphabet, and has been
re-arranged by me according to the English alphabet, letters
with diacritical signs being indexed, as if there were no such
signs. After each Sanskrit word, I have, wherever necessary,
added its English translation in brackets, as appearing in the
translation of the text. I have named this as Part I of the
Index of Definitions. In Part II, I have indexed the English
translation of the same words, according to alphabetical
arrangement, and placed within brackets after the English
word its Sanskrit equivalent as appearing in Part I of the Index.
Part II has been specially prepared by me for the convenience
of readers, who are unacquainted with the Sanskrit langu-
age. The figure (ii) before a figure or row of figures means
Vo] II. — Translator.
(N. B. This Index covers only pages 1 to 8S1 of the translation.)
PART I— SANSKRIT.
abhyasa, (repetition), 30, (ii) 656. adhibhautika-viveccma, (Materi-
acara-samgraha, (code of con- alistic Consideration), 84.
duct), (ii) 665. adttidaivata-paksa, (Intuitionist
acarcUartamya, (discrimination School), 167 to 176, (ii) 686.
in conduct), 64-5. adhidaivika-rriarga, (Intuitionist
adhibhautika-marga, (Materi- determination of Ethics)
alistic determination of 5 *°-
Ethics) 528 adhidaivika-paniha, (Intui-
Mhibhautika-pantha, (Materi- _ tionist school), 84, (ii) 686.
alistic School), 84, (ii) 686. adMdcdvika-sukha-duhkhaA.Qod.-
■adhibhautika-sasiradwita,
given Pain and Happi-
(Gross Non-Dualism), 219. _ ness > 13 °-
adftibhautika-sukha-duhkha, adhidawika-wvecam, (T^olo-
(Physical Pain and gicalConsideration),84,85.
Happiness) 130 adhikara, (Qualification), 464.
MMbteutika-mkhavada, (Ma- adhi ? thanam, (Superintendence)
terialistic theory of Hap- ^°- ,
piness), 104. adhyatma, (Metaphysics), 85.
GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA- YOGA
adhyatma-paksa, (Metaphysical
School), 85.
adhyalmika-marga, (Metaphy-
seal determination of
Ethics), 529.
adhyatmika-pantha, (Metaphy-
sical school), 85, (ii) 686.
adhyatmika-sukha-duhkha, (Me-
taphysical Pain and
Happiness), 131.
adhyatmika-uvecana, (Metaphy-
sical consideration), 85.
adhyavasaya, (or vyavasaya)
183.
adrsta, (invisible). 374.
advaitavada, (Non-Dualism),
19, 20, 21.
aghast, 403.
akamkara, (Individuation), 197,
199,236,237,243,246,249.
ahamkara-buddhi, (egoism), 151.
ahmsa-dharma, (Harmlessness)
42, 43.
ajnana, (Ignorance), 301, 327,
(ii) 742.
amrta (aiinasi brahman), (Imper-
ishable Brahman), 501.
amrta, (Brahman), 502, 504.
amrta, (food after sacrifice), 403.
amrta, (Fundamental Sub-
stance), 306.
amrta, (Eelease), 503, 506.
amrta, (sphere of deities), (ii) 503,
(ii) 504.
amrtasi, (sacrifice-remnant-
eater), 535.
amrtatva, ( Immortality ),
(ii) 682, 693.
ariadi, (of unknown beginning)
365.
ananda, -{beatitude), 317.
anandamaya, (beatific), 317.
anandamaya-kosa, (beatific en-
velope), 361.
ananta, (endless), 340.
anarabdha-karya, (uncommen-
ced Karma), 375, 376, 377.
aniruddha, ( Individuation ),
266.
annamaya-kosa, (food-envelope),
361.
anrta, (invisible), 336, 337.
antaranga-pariksana, (internal
examination), 9.
anubliavadvaita, 508.
anumana, (inference), 568.
apaddharma, (Moral conces-
sions), 67.
aparasvarupa, (inferior form),
247.
aparoksanubhava, 3 5.
aptavacana-pramuria, (credible
persons, belief in) 570.
apurva, (strange), 374.
apurvata, (newness), 31.
arabdha-karya, (or, prarabdha)
(Commenced Action), 374,
to 377, 601.
arambhavuda, (Theory of Com-
mencement), 204-5, 331.
arhat, (Perfect), (ii) 675.
artam, (Perishable), 307.
arthavada, (obiter dicta), 31,
32, (ii) 657.
arya-satya, (sublime verity),
(ii) 806.
asambhuti, (Ignorance), 501.
asat, (Brahman), 338.
asat, (unreal), 210, 337.
asavadi, (optimist), (ii) 695.
INDEX OF DEFINITIONS
91
astadha-prakrti, (eightfold Pra-
krti), 247, 248. :
asteya, (Not-stealing), 54.
asubhakarma, (evil action), 373.
asura-sampat, (ungodly endow-
ment), 148.
atrna, (self), 558.
atma-jnana (Self-knowledge),
386.
atmanistha-buddhi, (Self-devoted
Eeason), 191.
atma-nisthata, (Self-devotion),
386'i (ii) 807.
atmasamraksana, (self-protec-
tion), 56, 57.
atman, independent tendency
of, 385.
atman, ( Ksetrajfia, Self ), 199.
amdya, (Ignorance), 289, (ii)742.
amdya,, (Karma), 501, 502, 503,
504, 505.
avyakta, (Imperceptible), 215.
bahiranga pariksana, (external !
examination), 9, 10,
bhaga, (blessedness), 161, 162.
bhagavata, 475.
bhagavata-dharma, (Bhagavata
doctrine, or religion), 14,
473, 489, (ii) 700, 766, 770.
bhakti, (Devotion), 572, (ii) 744.
bhakii, (upasanaj, (Devotion),
572.
bhakti-marga, (Path of Devo-
tion), 89, 576, 577, 578,
595, (ii) 648, 649, 650, 744.
bhakti-yoga, (Yoga of Devotion)
(ii) 640.
bhasya, (commentary), 9, ] 6.
brahman, 308.
brahrrmnirvana-mok^a, 343.
brahmanistha, (devotee of Brah-
man), 315.
brdhrnarpana, (dedication to •
Brahman), 153.
brahmarpana - purvaka - karma,
(Action dedicated to Brah-
man) 603.
brahmatmaikya-sthiti, (State of '
identifying the Brahman,
with the Atman), 320.
brahma-sr$ti, (Brahman-world)
359.' '
brahma-sutras, 16.
brahma-vrksa, (Cosmic-Tree), .
243-5.
brahmi, (Brahmic), 344,414,515.
budd-ha, (wise, sage, or en-
lightened) 224, 522.
buddhl, (Eeason), 181 to 183,
(ii) 672, 679, 680, 681, 683.
atmanistha-, (Self-devoted), .
191. "
functions of, 186 to 190.
kinds of, 236.
rajasl-, (Active), 189.
sadasadviveka-, (Conscience),
168.
sama-, (Equable), 342.
sattviki-, (Placid), 189.
tamasi-, (Evil), 189.
vasanatmika-, ( Practical or
Desiring,) 186 to 188,
(ii) 683.
vyavasayatmika-, (Pure, or
discerning or discriminat-
ing) 186, (ii) 683.
buddhibheda, (causing difference
of vision), 458.
GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
buddhi-yoga, (Yoga of Equable
Reason), 531.
caitanyam, (Consciousness), 194,
335.
carvaka-dharma, (Carvaka's
Ethics), 105-7.
cciturvarnya-dharma (four-class-
arrangement), 89.
caturvidha purusarlha, (four-
fold ideal of manhood), 88.
caturvyuha, (fourfold genesis),
(ii) 757, 758.
cetana, (activity), 194.
cidrupi, (thought-formed), 335.
■ at, (Knowledge), 315, 335.
■ citta, (Consciousness), 183.
codana, (inspiration), 94-5.
codaria-dharma, (inspired mora-
lity), 94-95.
■daiva, (destiny), 370, 452.
■daim-maya, (divine Illusion),
329.
■datavya, (that, to give which,
is a duty), 548.
■devayana, (godly path), 408,
409, 410, 411, 413, 414.
■ dharma, (Buddhist), 800-803.
• dharma, (caturvartiya), 89.
• dharma, (deity), 170.
dharma, (ekantika), 13.
• dharma, ( garhasthya ), ( Bud-
dhist ), (ii) 808.
dharma, (general meaning), 93.
dharma, (Jain), (ii) 817.
• dharma, (Jewish), (ii) 822.
dharma, (next-world), 88.
dharma, (prakrt), 93.
"dharma, (social meaning),
90-91. .
dharma, (Upanisadic), (ii) 817.
dharma, (various meanings),
(ii) 657, 707.
dharmadharma-nirriaya, (right
and wrong, determination
of), 96-101.
dharma-pravacana, 89.
dhararia-dharma, 90-91.
dhaiu, (memorial), 89.
dhatu-garbha, (Dagoba), (ii) 789.
dhrti, (cohesion), 195.
duhkha, (Pain, or unhappiness)
' 130.
durjneyarathbha, (anadi), 366.
dvaitadvaita, (Dual-non-Dual-
ism), 25.
dvivyuha, (ii) 758.
eka.nlika-dlw.rma, 13.
ekavyuha, (ii) 758.
esana, (desire), 433, 444.
gandha-tanmatra, 240.
gati (or srti), (goal, or path),
410.
gita, meaning of, 4.
gita, (.smrti), (ii) 751, 752, 754,
(ii) 783.
gtta-dharma-caluhsutri, 154-5.
gita-tatparya, 12 to 15.
gi-ant.ha-pariksana, (examina-
tion of a book), 9.
grantha-tatparya-nirrtaya, (as-
certaining summary of a
book), 30.
guya, (quality or constituent),
' 278,330.
guvaparivamavada, (Develop-
ment of qualities, theory
of), 234, 331.
INDEX OF DEFINITIONS
guriotkarsa.j* -(Development* of
qualities), 234, 331.
hinayana, (inferior path), "" ° 1 =
iccha-svatamtrya, (Freedom of
will), 371.
indira, (i) xxxvii, (ii) 1210.
indriya, (sense, or organ), 238.
Uvari-sakti, (divine power), 364.
jadadvaita, (gross non-duaIism)>
219, 336.
jatiniatropajiri, 89.
jaya, 2, 42, (ii) 738.
jiva, (Personal Self), 247, 289.
jivan-mukta, (birth-released, or
released-in-life), 415, (ii) 640.
jivanmuktavastha, (Released-
in-life state) 463.
jivatman, (Personal Self), 368.
jfia, (Knower), 219.
jnana, (Knowledge) 275, 380-3.
jilana, true, 295, 342.
jnana-bliaktiyukta-karma - yoga,
(ii) 664.
jflana-kanda, 401.
jilana-karma-samiiccaya, 427-8,
603.
jnana-marga, (Path of know-
ledge), 576-7, 596, (ii) 649.
jnma-maya-kosa, (Knowledge-
envelope), 361.
jnana-wistha, 20, 420, 577,
(ii) 640.
jMna-purriavastha, 320.
jnana-wijiiana, (spiritual and
empirical knowledge), 431,
(ii) 649 to 651.
jiianendriya-vyapara, (activities
of organs of Perception)
178-9, 186.
! jftamn, (sage) 408, 414.
j kala, (Time), 410.
' kama, (Desire), 151, 452, 454.
! kamya, (Desire-prompted), 74,
484.
kapila-samkhya, 205, 209, 215.
karma, (Action), 72-76, 362-6.
karma, (dharmika-J, 73.
karma, (kamya-), 74, 484.
karma, (naimittika-), 74.
karma, fnisiddha-), 74.
karma, (nitya-J, 74.
karma tnivrtta-j 484, 497.
karma, (pravrtta), 484, 497.
karma, (pauranika-), 74.
karma (purusartha-) , 72.
karma, (smarta-j, 73.
karma, (srauta-). 73.
karma, (yajnariha-/, 72.
karma, yajna-yaga-, 72.
karma-bandlia, ( bondage of
Karma), 395-400.
karma-bhoga, (Karma-suffer-
ing), 376.
karma-jijnasa, (desire to know
Right Action), 40, 70.
karmakarma-vivecana, (the do-
I able and not-doable in
the QrM), (ii) 719.
karma-ksaya, (destruction of
Karma), 395-400.
karma-mukti, (or naiskarmya-
siddhi), (Release from
Karma), 378.
karma-rdstha (or yoga, or katma-
yoga, 420, (ii) 640.
karma-pravaha, (course of Des-
tiny), 369, 373.
94
GlTA-RAHASYA OK KARMA-YOGA
•karma-samnyasa, (Abandon-
ment of Action), 416, 417.
■karma-tyaga, (Abandonment of
Aotion), 441-444.
— (rajasa), 443.
— (sattvika), 443.
—(tamasa), 441.
karma-tyaga-nisedha, (depreca-
tion of Abandonment of
Action), 153-155.
karma-mpaka, (Causality), 366.
.karma-yoga, 80, 148, 417, 418,
420,512, 562, 607, (ii) 627,
(ii) 638, 639, 655, 660, 665,
(ii) 700,704, 747.
■ karma-yoga, (in the Gits), 422,
423.
. karma-yoga-sastra, 71, 83,
(ii) 665.
.karma-yogin sthitaprajna-, 521.
karmaiha, (ritualist), 408.
. karmendriyaoyapara, (Activity
of organs of Action), 178,
184-185.
kartavya-dharma-moha, (doubt
as to Duty) 33 to 39.
.kartavya-karma, (Duty), 88.
..kartavya-mudha, ( uncertain
whether to act or not to
act), 38-41.
iMryakarya^dryaya (determina-
tion of the doable and the
not-doable), 87-91.
kayagrti, (bodily-fire) 184-5. I
kramaimkti, (gradual Release),
412.
■kratu, (sacrifice), 72.
,72.
krlyama-na, ( To-be-suffered ),
375.
krsria-marga, (dark path), 409.
krsnarpana, (dedication to
Krsna), 153.
krsifirpana-purvaka-kai'ma (Ac-
tion dedicated to Krsna),
603, 604.
ksama, (Forgiveness), 44-45.
ksara and aksara, (Mutable and
Immutable), 193.
ksetra, (Body, or Meld), 195.
ksetra-ksetrajfla-vicara, 177, 193.
ksetrajna, (Atman), 199.
Unga-iarlra, (Subtle Body), 361.
lokasamgraha, (Universal wel-
fare), 456-8, 463, 502, 562.
mahabharata, 41, (ii) 737.
mahayana-pantha, (ii) 815.
manahputa, (Mind-sanctioned),
171.
manas, (Mind), 178-9; 180-186.
manas (vyalcaranatmaka), 182-5.
manavadharma, (religion of
humanity), (ii) 708.
manodevata, (mental deity, or
Conscience), 168.
manomaya-kosa, (mental-enve-
lope), 361.
marga, (krsi}a-),(&3,jk. path),409.
marga, (iukla-), (lighted path),
409.
niatra, (external world), 135.
matrasparsa, (contact with the
external world), 135.
maya, 217, 288, 301, 307, 362,
363, 364, (ii) 742.
maya, (daivi), (Divine Illusion),
329.
rsti, (Mayic world), 359.
INDEX OF DEFINITIONS
95
mirriarnsa, (purva-j, 401.
mima/iisa, (uttara), 401.
viirriamsaka-triarga, (-path), 401,
mlmdiksa-sutras, 401.
mithya, (Illusory), 298.
mala, (Ignorance), 301, 327.
mohsa (brahmarrirvaya), 343,
(ii) 657, 689.
moksa, (Samkhya), 223.
moksa-dharm/i, (Science of Re-
lease), 89.
mrtyu, (mortal world), 501.
mukta, (Released), 224.
mukti, (krama-), 412.
mukti, (videha-), 412,
mula-prakrti, (Fundamental
Prakrti), 245.
na-prakrti-na-vikrli, ( neither
Prakrti nor Evolute), 245.
nmmitUJca, (occasional), 74.
naiskarmya, 378, (ii) 779.
naiskarmya-laksana, (desire-
lessly Activistic), 473.
tmiskarmya-siddhi, (or karma-
mukti), (Release by abstin- [
ence from Karma), 378,
(ii) 779.
nama-4-upa, (Name and Form), |
296.
riariaiva, ( diversity ), 214.
narayaniya dhartna, (Narayanl-
ya doctrine), 473, (ii) 766,
(ii) 770.
nasadlya sukta, 347.
nirasavadi, (Pessimist), (ii) 695.
mrguna, (qualityless), 330.
nirguya-bhakii, (worship of the
Qualityless), 227.
mrgwoa-parabralvman, (Quality-
less Parabrahman), 331,570,
mrvaira, (Non-enmity), 547-
553.
nirvaria, (Release), (ii) 807.
nirvana, state of, 319.
nirvana, tranquility of, 159.
mrukalpa-sarnSdhi, 320
nisiddha, (prohibited), 74.
rtistha, (Final State), 435, 436.
" (ii) 640.
niti, (Ethics), 88.
niti-sastra, 68.
nitya, (daily), 74.
nitya-muktavastha, 345.
nitya-samnyasin, (Perpetual
ascetic), 485, 486.
nivrtta-karma, (Desireless Ac-
" tion), 484, 497.
nivrtti, (Abandonment of Ac-
' tion), 497.
mvrtti-rriarga, (Path of Inact-
' ivity), 19.
paUca-mahSbhuta-s, (five gross
primordial elements), 242,
249, 250.
paftca-nakha, 54.
pancaratra, (ii) 766, 770,
(ii) 778.
paflcikarana, 254-5.
parartha, (other's-interest), 114-
116, 563.
paramavMvada,( Atomic Theory )
204-206.
paramartha, (highest good),
564.
pararriatman, 274.
para prakrti, (superior form),
247.
pasupata-pantha, (ii) 817.
patanjala-yoga, (ii) 799.
GlTA-RAHAS?A OS KARMA-YOGA
paurariika-karma, 74.
pavatta, (ii) 810
phala, (effect), 31, (ii) 656.
phalasa, (Hope of Fruit), 151,
452.
phalasMyaga, (abandoning
Hope of Fruit), 603.
pirfda, (Body), 195.
pitryana, (ancestral path), 408,
409, 410, 411, 413, 414.
posava, (see, pusti), 24.
pradyumna, (ii) 756.
prakrti, apara-, 247.
prakrti, (eight-fold), 247, 248.
prakrti, (tnula-), 245.
prakrti, para-, 247.
prakrti, (rajasa-j, 213-216; 363-
364.
prakrti, (sattva-J, 213-216 ; 363-
364.
prakrti, (ffimasa-), 213-216 ; 363-
364.
prakrti, ( three-oonstituented ),
363.
prakrti-vikrti, 245.
pralaya, 262.
pram, (vital force), 242.
prarabdha, ( Commenced Ac-
tion), 374-377, 601
prarambha, ( commencement
of the Gita ), (ii) 656.
prasthana-trayi, 17.
pratika (symbol), 284, 584.
pratijndrpalana (vows, observ-
ance of, 52-53.
pravrtta-karma, ( desireful Ac-
tion), 484, 497. .
pravrtti-svatamtrya, (Freedom of
•Will), 371, 388.
preya, (desired), 126, 157-159.
prthaktva (individuality), 236.
pur-na-yoga, 345.
purusa, (Spirit), 219.
pumsarfha, ( objects of man-
hood), 72, 88. •
purusattama, 274.
purw-mimamsa, 401.
pusti, 24, 159-161.
pusti-marga, (Path of Divine
Dispensation), 24.
raga, (love or desire), 454.
raja-guhya, (king of mysteries),
581, 582-3, 591, (ii) 646,
648.
raja-vidya, (king of sciences),
581-583, 59 l,(ii) 646, 648.
rajas, 213.
rajasi-buddlii, (Active Reason),.
189.
rasa-tanmatra, 240.
rk-chanda, (ii) 726.
rupa-tanmatra, 240.
sabda-tanmatra, 240.
sadacarana, (Good conduct) 89.
sadasadviveka, 168-170.
sadasadviveka-iuddhi, ( Con-
science), 169.
iaiva, 474.
samata, ( Equality or equabi-
lity), 548.
samatva-Imddhi-yoga, (Yoga of
Equable Reason), 530-1.
sanibhuti, (Fundamental Cause),
501.
samtita, (Accumulated), 374.
sathga, (Desire), 151, 451, 454.
saihga (Hope of Fruit), 151, 452.
INDEX OF DEFINITIONS
97
sarhgfiata, (Collection), 197-198.
samgraha,, (Benefit), 457..
saihkalpa, 181* ' ■?"■
samkalpa-vikalpatrnaka, 181,
242.
samkhya, (-jfianin), 420, 489,
506, (ii) 627, 631, 640, 641.
(ii) 655, 661-2.
saAikhya, (root meaning), 207.
samkhya, (two meanings), S07.
samkhya-nistha, (ii) 640.
samnyasa (Renunciation), 420-
22, 454-5; 607, (ii) 626-7;
(ii) 638, 653-4, 704.
samnyasa-nistha, 20 429,
samnyasin, (ascetic), 420-21.
samnyasirtrgthitaprajfla, 521.
sampat, asuri, (Ungodly En-
dowment), 148.
samsara, (Cycle of birth and
death), 367.
samya, (Equability), (ii) 673.
santi, (Tranquility oi Peace),
159-60.
iarira-atman, ( Embodied Self ),
340.
saririka-sutras, 16.
sarvabhutaMta. (Universal
welfare), 115-7.
sarvabhuta-hita, (see, "greatest
good of greatest number"
in part II ).
sastra, (Science), 100.
sat, (Real), 315, 337-9, 347.
satkaryavada, 210-11, 326,335.
sattva, 213.
sattasamanya, 297.
sattamatratva, 315.
13—14
satvata-dharma, (Satvata
doctrine), 473, (ii) 766,
(ii) 770.
sattvikl, (buddhi),189.
satya, (Reality), 45, 297-298,
299, 307-8.
satyanrla-viveka, (Determina-
tion of Truth and False-
hood) 45-47.
satyasya-satyam, 306.
sesvara naiyyayika, 205.
siddhavastha, 345.
sistacara, (proper conduct), 94-
smarta, 471, 474-6.
smarta Actions , 73.
smartcpyajna, 73.
sparsartanrriaira, 240.
sraddha, (Faith), 594.
ireya, (Meritorious), 126,.
157-160.
srti, (or gati), (Path, or goal)
410.
sthitaprajna, 519, (ii) 652.
sthMa, (Gross), 215.
suddhadvaita, (Pure Non-
Dualism), 24.
suddha-vasana, ( Pure Desire ),
515.
sukha, (adkyatmka), 13L
sukha, ( adhidaivika ) 130.
sukha, ( adhibhautika ), 130.
sukhavada, ( Theory of Happi-
ness ), 103.
sukha-duhkha, 130.
suUa-marga, (Lighted Pathj) r
409.
suksma, ( Subtle ), 215.
suksma-sarira (Subtle Body,
361.
GMTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
svadharma, (Own-duty), (ii) 697.
■svartha, ( Selfishness ), 105-15.
(Pure, Oarvaka), 105,
106-107.
(Long-sighted, Hobbes ),
109-11.
(Enlightened), 112-115.
tamos, 213.
.tamasi-buddhi, ( Evil Reason ),
189.
tamffl!ra-s,(Fine Elements), 239.
gandha-, 240.
rupa-, 240.
sabda-, 240.
■tapas, (austerities or penance),
353, 404.
.tat, (That), 338.
Tat-Tvam-Asi, 20-21.
■tlka, (criticism), 9, 16.
trayi-dharma, 401.
irayl-vidya, 401.
tridana^a, 485.
irivyuha, (ii) 758.
.trigwnatUa, (Beyond the three
constituents), 226-7, 344,
519, (ii) 652, 690.
■trigwnatitavastha, 228.
trigwoarsamyavastha, 213.
triguijatmaka prakrti, 363.
■trivrtkaraqa, 253.
trsna, (Thirst or Desire), 134.
turiyavastha, 320.
ttisti, 159.
■tyaga, (Abandonment), 484,
(ii) 654.
.tyat, (That), 338.
udatta-gvartha, (Enlightened
Self-interest), 113-115.
utkmnii-tatva, (Evolution The-
ory), 209, 232.
upakrama, ■ ( Commencement ),
30.
upapadana, (Development), 32.
upapatti, (Development), 32,
(ii) 656.
upasamhara, (Conclusion), 30,
(ii) 656.
upasana, (vidya,) 503.
upasana, (bhakti), 572.
uttara-mimanisa, 401.
vaidika dharma, (ii) 817.
vaidika karma^yoga, 489.
vairagya (apathy), 153.
vaisnava-pantha, 23, 24.
varnasrama-dharma, (Four-class
arrangement), (ii) 718.
vasana, (Desire), 186.
vasana-svatamtrya, (Freedom of
Desire), 371.
vasanatmikSrbuddhi, (Desiring
Reason or Practical Rea-
son), 186, 187, 528, (ii) 630.
vastutatva, 297, 301, 311.
vasudeva paramatman, 286.
vedantin, 401.
(karma-yogin), 489.
(samnyUsin). 489.
videha-mukti, 412.
vidya (upasana), (worship), 503.
vidya, 283, 381, 501-6, 583.
vighas, (food, after sacrifice),
403.
vikalpa, 181.
vikrti, (evolute), 245.
vinasa (or asambhuti), (Ignor-
ance), 501.
vinasa, (See avidya), 501.
INDEX OF DEFINITIONS
■visesa, 242, 250.
•visistadvaita, ( Qualified Mon-
'"ism), 21 to 23'..'.'
mvarta-vada, 33 1 , 333, 356.
■vyakta, (Perceptible), 193, 215.
■vyavaharika dharma-niti, (Prac-
tical Morality), 93.
'Vyamsaya, 182.
■vyava&ayatmika buddhi, 182,
187, 528, (ii) 630.
yajfia, (Sacrifice), 404, (ii) 661.
yoga, 76-79.
yoga, (in the Glta), 79, 420, 455,
474, 489-90, (ii) 627, 630.
yogabhrasta, ( Fallen from
Yoga), 392.
yogaindhi, 160.
yogasastra, 82, (ii) 665.
PAET n— ENGLISH.
.Abandonment, (tyaga), 484,
(ii) 654.
Abandonment of Aetion, (see
Action).
Accumulated, (samcita), 374.
Action, (karma), .72-76,362-6
Action, desireful, {pravrtta),
484, 497.
desireless, (nivrita),
484, 497.
Action, evil, 373.
Action, abandonment of, (kar-
ma-samnyasa), 416, 417.
Action, abandonment of,
(karma-tyaga), 441-44.
deprecated, 153-55.
rajasa, 442.
sattiika, 443.
iamasa, 441.
Action, abandonment of, (niv-
rUi), 49.7.
Action, course of, (karma-pra-
vaha) 369, 373.
Action, dedicated to Brahman,
(brahmarpana-purvaka-kar-
ma), 603.
Action, organs of, activity of,
(karmendriya-vyapara),l^i,
184, 185.
Action, suffering for, 376.
Activity, (cetana), 194.
AdhyStma, (See Metaphysical;
and adhyatmika etc. in
Part I).
Adhyavasaya or Vyavasaya
182.
Amrta, (Pood), 403.
Amrta, (Eternal Brahman),501.
Ancestral path, (pitryama)
408-11; 413-4
Anubhavadvaita, 508.
Ascetic (samwyasin), 420, 421.
Ascetic, (perpetual), (niiya-
samnyasin), 485—6.
Austerity (or penance), (tapas),
353, 404.
Atomic theory, 204-206.
Beatific, (anandamaya), 317 .
Beatific envelope (anandamaya-
kosa), 361.
Beatitude, (ananda), 317.
Beginning, of, unknown
(ariadi), 365.
Belief, in credible persons,
(aptavacam-pmmana) , 570,
100
GlTA-RAHASYA OB EARMA-YOGA
Benefit, (samgraha), 457.
Bhagavata, 475.
Bhagavata doctrine, 14, 473
489, 509, (ii) 700, 766, 770.
Bhakti,572, (ii) 744.
Bhakti-mSrga, 89; 576-8; 595,
(ii) 648-50; 744.
Bhasya, (commentary), 9, 16.
Birth and Death, Cycle of,
(samsara), 367.
Birth-released, (jivanmukta),
415.
Blessedness, (bhaga), 161, 162.
Body, (ksetra), 195.
Body, subtle, (linga or suksma),
361.
Body, (piv4a), 105, 313.
Bondage of Karma, 395-400.
Book, ascertaining summary
of. 30.
Book, examination of, (grantha-
pariksaria), 9.
Brahman, 308, 338, 501, 502, 504.
Brahman, dedication to, 153.
Brahman, -devoted, (brahma-
rdstha), 315.
Brahma-sutras, 16.
Brahman -tree 243-245.
Brahman-world, (brahmasrsU),
359.
Brahmatmaikya state, 320.
Brahml state, 213, 344, 414,515.
Brahmanirvana-moksa, 343,
(ii) 657,689.
Canons of Gita Religion, 154-55
CarvSka's Ethics 105-107. '
Cause, fundamental, (swfo-
bhvti), 501.
Causality, {Tiarrm-vipaka), 366i
Cohesion; (dhrti), 195.
Collection, (samghata), 197-198..
Colour, subtle element of,
( rupa-tanmatra ), 240.
Commencement, of a book,
(upakrama), 30, (ii) 656.
Commencement of Glta r
(prarambha), (ii) 656.
Commencement, Theory of,
( arambha-vada ), 204-5 ;
331.
Commenced Action, (prarabdha,.
or arabdha-karya), 374-377,
601.
Commentary, (bhasya), 9, 16.
Concessions, moral, ( apad-
dharma), 67.
Conclusion, of a book, ( upa-
samhara), 30, (ii) 656.
Conduct, code of, ( acara-
samgraha), (ii) 665.
Conduct, good, ( sadacarana ),
89.
Conduct, proper, ( Hstacara ),.
94.
Confusion, (moka), 301, 327.
Conscience, (mdasadviveka-
buddhi, or manodevata, 168,.
Consciousness, 194, 335.
Consciousness, (attam), 183.
Constituents, equal state of,
(triguria-samyavasiha, 213.
Constituents, three, beyond the,.
( tiigmatita h 22fr-7, 344>.
519, (ii) 652, 690.
Constituents, development o ,
{gunotkarsa or gwQ.a~
parirmma), 234, 331.
INDEX OF DEFINITIONS
101
'Contact, with external world,
(matrasparsa), 135.
Contentedness, (tu$U), 159.
'Conviction, unsettling the,
(hiddhibheda), 458.
Cosmic Tree, (brahma-wksa),
243-52.
Cosmos, (brahmarida), 313,
(ii) 651.
Credible persons, belief in,
(aptavacam-pramarta), 570.
Criticism, (tlka), 9,16.
Dagoba, { dhatu-garbha) , (ii) 789.
Daily action, (nitya-karma), 74.
Dark path, (krsw-marga), 409.
Death's death, 321, (ii) 807.
Dedication to Brahman,
(brahmarpaya) , 153.
Dedication to Krsna,
((krsnarpaya), 153.
Deities, sphere of, (amrta), 503,
504.
Delusion, (moha), See Confusion.
Desire, (esaya), 433, 444.
Desire, freedom of, (vasaria-
/svatamtrya, or iccKasoS-
.tamtrya), 371.
Desire, (Kama), 151, 452.
Desire, (samga), 151.
Desire, (trsya), 134.
Desire, {vasaria), 186.
Desire, pure, (svMha-vasana),
515.
Desire, to know Eight Action,
40, .70.
Desired, (preya), 126, 158-159.
Desireful Action, (pravrtta
karma}, 484, 497.
Desireless Action, ( rdvrtta
karma), 484, 497.
Desireless activity, nature of,
(naiskarmya-laksaya), 473.
Desire-prompted, (kamya), 74,
484.
Desiring Reason, (vasanatmaka
buddhi), 186, 187, 528, (ii)630.
Destiny, (daiva), 370, 452.
Development, of an argument,
(upapatti, or upapadana),
32,(ii)656.
Development, of Constituents
( see guyatkarsa, and Con-
stituents).
Devotion, (upasana orbhakti),
572.
Devotion, (bhaM), 572, (ii) 744
Devotion, Path of, (bhakti-
marga), 89, 576, 577, 578,
595, (ii) 648, 649, 650, 744.
Devotion, Yoga of, {bhakti-
yoga), (ii) 640.
Dharma, (Buddhist), 800-803.
Dharma, ( deity), 170.
Dharma, Exposition of,
(dharma-pravacana), 89.
Dharma, (four-class-arrange-
ment ), 89.
Dharma, (general meaning),
93.
Dharma, householder's, (Bud-
dhist ), (ii) 808.
Dharma, (Jain) (ii) 817.
Dharma, (Jewish), (ii) 822.
Dharma, (maintenance), 90-
91.
Dharma, ( next-world ), 88.
Dharma, (prakrt), 93.
Dharma, ( social meaning ),
90-91.
102
GlTA-RABASYA OB KARMA- YOGA
Dharma, (Upanisadic), (ii) 817.
Dharma, (various meanings),
(ii) 657, 707.
Ding an sich, (Thing-in-itself ),
(vastutatva), 297, 301, 311.
Dharmadharma, ( Right and
Wrong ), determination of
96-101.
Discrimination, (adhyavasaya),
182.
Discrimination in conduct,
acaratartamya), 64-5.
Diversity, (nanatva), 214.
Divine dispensation, path of,
(pusti-marga), 24,159-161.
Divine Illusion, (daivi maya),
329.
Divine Power, ( isvari-sakH),
364.
Doable and Not-Doable,
determination of, 87-91.
intheGita, (ii) 719.
Doubt, as to duty, 33 to 39.
Doubt, whether to act or not,
38-41.
Dual-Non-Dualism, fdvaitor
dvctita ), 25.
Duty, doubt as to, 33 to 39.
Duty, gift which is a (datavya)
548.
Duty, (kartavya-karma), 88.
Effect, (phalah 31, (ii) 656.
Egoism, (ahatiikara-buddhi), ,151.
Eightfold, fastadha), 247, 248.
Ekantika-doctrine, 13.
Elements, Primordial, or ttisesa,
(rmhabhuta), 242, 249, 250.
Embodied Self, (sarira atrnan),
340.
Endless, '(ananta), 340.
Endowment,- ungodly, (asuri-
safnpatj, 148.
Enlightened Self-interest.
( udattasvartha ), 113-115.
Envelope,
Beatific- 361.
Food-, 361.
Knowledge- 361.
Mental- 361.
Equable Reason, (sama-buddhip
342.
Equable Reason, Yoga of,.
Equality (or Equability),
(samata), 548, (ii) 673.
(samya), (ii) 673.
Esin sect, (ii) 824.
Ethics, (see Dharma).
Ethics, (niti), 68, 88.
Ethics, CarvSka's, 105-7.
Ethics, Intuitionistic deter-
mination of, (adKdaivika'
marga), 528.
Ethics, Metaphysical deter-
mination of, {adhyatmika-
marga), 529.
Ethics, Materialistic, deter-
mination of, (.adltibhauUka-
marga), 528.
Ethics, Science of, (niti-sastra),.
68.
Evil action, (asubha-karrna),
373.
Evil Reason, (tamasi-buddhi),.
189.
Evolute, (aW), 245.
Evolution, Theory of, 209, 232..
Examination, internal, (anta-
rafiga-parik§a®a), 9.
INDEX OF DEFINITIONS
103-
Examination, "external, (bahi-
ranga-pariksaria), 9.
Existing, (or Real), (sat), 315,
337-339, 347.
External world, (mafra), "135.
Faith, (sraddha), 594.
Field, (ksetra), 195.
Pinal State, (nistha), 435, 436,
(ii) 640.
Fine elements, (tanmatra), 239.
Eire, bodily, ( kayagm ), 184-5.
Pood-envelope, ( annamaya-
kosa ), 361.
Pood, (after sacrifice), (amrta),
403.
Pood, (after eating), (vighas),
403.
Forgiveness, (ksama), 44-45.
Form of Isvara, inferior, (apa-
rasvarupa), 247.
Four-class-arrangement, (catur
varyya-dharma}, 89.
Four-olass-arrangement, (var-
nairama-dharma, (ii) 718.
Freedom of Desire, (icchasva-
tamtrya, or ■vasana-svatam-
trya), 371.
Freedom of Will, (pravrtti-
svataMrya), 371, 3S8.
Fruit, Hope of, (photos' a), 151,
452.
„ Abandonment of, (pkala-
iartyaga), 603.
Fundamental Cause, (sam-
bhvii), 501.
Fundamental Prakrti, (mvla-
prakfti), 245.
Fundamental Substance, (amr-
ta), 306.
Genesis, fourfold, (caturvyuha),.
(ii) 757-758.
„ three-fold, (trivyuha),
(ii) 758.
„ two-fold, (dvivyuha) r
(ii) 758.
,. one-fold, (ekavyuha),
(ii) 758.
Gift, which is duty, (datavya),
548.
Gita, meaning of, 4.
Glta, Karma-yoga in the,.
422-423.
Glta, summary of, 12 to 16.
Glta, (Smrti), (ii) 751, 752, 754,
(ii) 783.
Glta-Religion, four canons of,
155.
Goal, (gati), 410.
Godly path, (devayana), 408,
409, 410, 411, 413, 414.
Good conduct, (sadacarana), 89.
Gradual Release, (krama-
mukti), 412.
Greatest good of greatest
number, (sarva-bhuta-hitaj,
115, 116, 524, 527, 529,
534, 535, 536, 542, 543,
563, 564, (ii) 675, 678, 687,
(ii) 688.
Gross, (sthvia). 215.
Gross Non-Dualism, ( jada-
dvaita), 219.
Gunaparinama, 234, 331.
Gunotkarsa, 234, 331.
Happiness and Unhappiness,
(mkhorduhkha), 130.
(Intuitionist), 130.
(Materialistic), 130.
(Metaphysical), 131.
104
GlTA-BAHASYA OE KARMA-YOGA
Happiness, Materialistic
theory of, ( adhibhautika
sukhavada), 103, 104.
Harmlessness, ( aMmsa-
dharma ), 42, 43.
Highest good, ( paramartha ),
564.
Hlnayana, (ii) 815.
Hope of Fruit, ( phcilasa or
mnga), 151, 452.
Hope of Fruit, abandonment
of, (phalasa-tyaga), 603.
Humanness, 124.
Humanity, religion of, (ii) 708.
Ignorance, (ajnana), 301, 327,
(ii) 742.
Ignorance, ( asambhuti ), 501.
Ignorance, (aiidya), 289,
(iy 742.
Ignorance, (moha), 301, 327.
Ignorance, (iamas), 213.
Illusion, Divine, (daivtmdya),
329.
Illusory, (mithyaj, 298.
Immortal Brahman (atiriasi
brahma=amrta ), 501.
Immortality, (amrtatw),
(ii) 682, 693.
Imperceptible, (avyakta), 193,
215.
Immutable, (aksara), 193.
Inactivity, path of, (mwtti-
marga), 19.
Independence of Atman (see
self-independence).
Indira, (i) xxxvii, (ii) 1210.
Individuation, ( ahamkara ),
197-9; 236-7; 243, 246,
249.
Individuation, ( amruddha ),
266.
Individuation, (prthaktva), 236.
Inference, (anumanaj, 568.
Inferior form, (aparasvarupa),
247.
Inferior, path, ( Mnayana )
(ii) 815.
Inspiration, (codaria), 94-5.
Inspired Morality, 94-5.
Internal Examination, (cmta-
ranga-pariksavaJ, 9, 10.
Intuitional Pain and Happi-
ness, (adhidaivika sukha-
duhkha), 130.
Intuitionist determination of
Ethics, 528.
Intuitionist School, 84, 85, 167
to 176, (ii) 686.
Intuitionistic ( or theological )
consideration, f udludaivika
vivecanaj, 85.
Invisible, (adrsta), 374.
Invisible, (anrta), 336, 337.
Jaya, 3,42, (ii) 738. Jfiana, 275,
380-3.
Jfia, 219.
Jlana, 275. 380-3.
Jiana— Bhakti-yukta-Karma-
Yoga, (ii) 664.
JfiSna-Kanda, 401.
Jfiana-nistha, 20, 470, 577,
(ii) 640.
JIana-vijaana, 431, (ii) 649-51.
Jfianendriya, ( Organs of
Perception), 178-9, 186.
Jaanin, (sage), 408, 414.
Kapila-SSmkhya, 205, 209, 215.
INDEX OF DEFINITIONS
105
■•*■
Karma, ( Action ),' 72-76,
362-66.
Karma, (avidya), 501, 502, 503,
504, 505.
Karma,
(brahmarpana-purvaka), 603.
(krs%arpaya-purvaka), 604.
Karma, uncommenced, 375-77.
Karma, bondage of, 395-400.
Karma, commenced, (pro-
rabdha), 374-377, 601.
Karma, course of, (karma-
Karma, destruction, of 395-
400.
Karma, Pauranika, 74,
Karma, release from, (karma-
mukti), 378.
Karma, suffering for, (karma-
bhoga), 376.
Karma-Yoga, (or Yoga, or
Karma-nistha), 420, (ii) 640.
Karma-Yoga, 80, 148, 417, 418,
420, 497, 512, 562, 607,
(ii) 627, 638, 639, 655,
(ii) 660, 664, 665, 700, 704,
(ii) 747.
Karma-Yoga (in the Glta),
422-423.
Karma-Yoga, with Knowledge
and Devotion, (ii) 664.
Karma- Yoga, Vedic, 489.
Karma-Yoga-Sastra, 71, 83,
(ii) 665.
King,
of Mysteries, 581-3, 591,
(ii) 646, 648.
of sciences, 581-3, 591,
(ii) 646, 648.
Knower, (jnaj, 219.
Knowledge-envelope ( jnana-
maya-kosa ), 361.
Knowledge, Path of, (jnana-
marga), 576-596, (ii) 649.
Knowledge, Path of, ( jnana-
ni$M), 20, 420, 577,
(ii) 640.
Knowledge, Perfect state of,
(jnanarpuryjavastha), 320.
Knowledge, (cit), 315,
Knowledge, (jnana), 275, 380-3.
Knowledge, Spiritual and
Empirical, (jnana-vijnana)
431, (ii) 649, 650.
Knowledge, true, 295, 342.
Knowledge-Action, Combina-
tion of, fjflana-karmar
samucoaya), 428, 603.
Ksetra, (Body), 195.
Ksetrajma, (Atman), 199.
Lighted Path, (sukla-marga},
409.
Linga-body, 361.
Love (or, Desire), (raga), 454.
Mahabharata, 41, (ii) 737.
Mahayana, (ii) 815.
Manhood, fourfold ideal of, (ca-
turvidha-purusartha), 88.
Manhood, objects of, (purus-
artha), 72, 88.
Manifoldness, (prthaktm), 236'
Materialistic Consideration,
(adhi-bkautika-vivecana), 84.
Materialistic determination of
Ethics, 528.
Materialistic Pain and Happi-
ness (adhibhautika sukka-
dithkha), 130.
106
GlTA-RAHASYA OE KARMA- YOGA
Materialistic School, {adhibhau-
tika-pantha), 84, (ii) 686.
Materialistic Theory of Happi-
ness, 104
Mstrasparsa, 136.
Maya, 217, 288, 301, 307, 362,
363, 364, (ii) 742.
Maya, divine, 329.
Maya, (karma), 362-366.
Mayic world, (mayasrsti), 359.
Measure for measure, (retalia-
tion), 550, 556, 562.
Memorial (dhatu), 89.
Mental deity, (or Conscience),
(mano-devataj , 168,
Mental-envelope, ( manomaya-
kosa), 361.
Meritorious, (sreya), 126, 158-
160.
Metaphysical, (adhyatma), 85.
Metaphysical Consideration,
(adhyatmka-vivecana), 85.
Metaphysical determination of
Ethics, 529.
Metaphysical Pain and Happi-
ness, (adhyatmika sukha-
duhkha), 131.
Metaphysical School, (adleyat-
mika-pantha), (ii) 686.
Metaphysical School, (adhyat-
mika-paksa), 85.
Mlmamsa-Sutras, 401.
Mimamsaka path, (rmmamsaka-
rriarga), 401.
Mind (mams), 178-9 ; 180-6.
Mind, (developing), (vyakara-
rfiitmaka-manas), 182-5.
Mind-sanctioned {manah-puta),
171.
Moral Concessions, (apaddhar-
ma), 67.
Morality, (see Dharma),
Morality and Immorality,
90-91.
Mortal world, (mrtyu), 501.
Movement, (cetana), 194.
Mutable, (ksara), 193.
Mystery, or Mysticism, King
of, (raja-guhya), 581-3, 591,
(ii) 646, 648.
Naiskarmya- s i d d h i, 378,
(ii) 779.
Name and Form, (nama-rupa),
296.
Narayamya doctrine, 473,.
(ii) 766, 770.
Nasadlya-Sukta, 347.
Newness, (apurvata), 31.
Nirvana, (ii) 807.
Nirvana, state of, 319.
NirvSna, tranquility of, 159.
Nistha, (Pinal State), 435, 436,
(ii) 640.
Nityamuktavastha, 345.
Non-Dualism, (advaitavada), 19,
20, 21.
Non-Dualism, ( Gross ), fjada~
dvaita), 219.
Non-Dualism, pure, (sudd-ha-
dvaiia), 2i.
Non-enmity, (nirvaira), 547—
553.
Non-stealing, (asteya), 54.
Not-Doable, (see Doable),
Obiter dicta, (arthavada), 31,.
32, (ii) 657.
Occasional Action, (naimittika-
karma), 74
INDEX OF DEFINITIONS
107"
OM-TAT-SAT, 338.
Optimists, (asavadi), (ii) 695.
Organ, (indriya), 238.
Organs of Action, activities of,-
( karmendriya - vyap ara),
178,184-185.
Organs of Perception, activi-
ties of, (jnanedriya-vya-
para), 178-9, 186.
Other's-interest, ( parartha },
114-6, 563.
Own-duty, (svadharma), (ii)6§7.
Pain, (duhkha). 130.
Pain and Happiness, (sukha-
duhkha),
Material, 130.
Metaphysical, 131.
Intuitional, 130.
Paficaratra doctrine, 473, 509,
(ii) 766, 770.
Paficikarana, 254-255.
Paramatman, 274.
Paramesvara, inferior form of,
(aparasvarupa), 247.
Paramesvara, superior form of,
(para prakrti), 247.
Pasupata sect, (ii) 817.
Patafijala-Yoga, (ii) 799.
Path, (srti), 410.
Path of Action, ( see Karma-
yoga ).
Path of Action, with Devotion
and Knowledge, (ii) 664.
Path of Devotion, 89, 576-8,
595, (ii) 648-50 ; 744.
Path of Knowledge, 20, 420,
576, 577, (ii) 640, 649.
Peace, (or Tranquility), (santi),
159-60.
Penance, (or austerities)*
(tapas), 353, 404,
Perceptible, ( vyakta ), 193, 215..
Perception, Organs of, activi-
ties of, (jnanendriya--
vyapara), 178-9, 186.
Perfect, (arhatj, (ii) 675.
Perishable, (artam), 307.
Perpetual Ascetic, (nilya-
sairinyasin), 485-6.
Personal Self, (Jlva oijioatman), .
247, 289, 368.
Pessimists, ( nirasavadi ),.
(ii) 695.
Placid Eeason, (sattviki bud-
dhl), 189.
Practical Morality, (vyavaha-
rika dharma), 93.
Practical Eeason, (vasanatmika
buddhi), 186, 187, 528,.
(ii) 630, 683.
Pradyumna, (ii) 756.
Prakrti, 213-16, 248, 363-4.
Prakrti, Eightfold, (astadha);.
247-8.
Prakrti, (mvla), 245.
Prakrti, I para ), 247.
Prakrti, (sattva), 213-6, 363-4..
Prakrti, (rajas), 213-6, 363-4.
Prakrti, (tamas), 213-6, 363-4.
Prakrti, (three- constituented),.
363.
Prakrti-vikrti, 245.
Prasthanatrayl, 17.
Primordial Elements, (maha-
bhuta-s), 242, 249, 250.
Prohibited Action, (nisiddha-
karma), 74.
Proper Conduct, (sistacara), 94_
108
GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
(Pure Desire, (sudd?ux-vasanal,
515.
Pure Non-Dualism, 24.
Jure Reason, (vyavasayatmika
buddM),m, (ii) 683.
Purusottama, 274
Purva-MImariisa, 401.
Pusti, 24, 159-161.
Pusti-marga, 24.
•Qualification, (adfdkara), 464.
■Qualified Monism, ( visista-
dvaita), 21 to 23.
•Quality, (gwfa), 278, 330.
Qualities, envelopment of,
(guipiparinamavada), 234.
331.
•Qualities, development of,
(guijotkaryi), 234, 331.
Qualityless, (nirgwna), 330.
■Quality less Parabrahman, 331.
■Qualityless, -worship of the,
(rtirguna-bhakti), 227.
iRajas, etc., (see rajas, etc., in
Part I).
!Real, (or Existing), (sat), 315,
337-9, 347.
-Reality, (satya), 45, 297-99,
307-8.
iReason, (buddfrij,
Active, (rajasa), 189.
Equable, (sama), 342.
Equable, Yoga of,
(buddhi-yoga), 531.
■ Evil, (tamasa), 189.
functions of, 186-190.
kinds of, 236.
Placid, (aattviM)i 189.
Reason — ( contd ).
Practical, (vasamt-
mikaj, 186 to 188,
(ii) 683.
Pure, 186, (ii) 683.
Reason, (ii) 672, 679,683.
Release, (amrta), 503, 506.
Release, (brahma-nirvaw), 343,
(ii) 657, 689.
Release, (samkhya), 223.
Release, gradual, (krama-mukti)
412.
Release, Science of, (moksa-
dharma), 89.
Release, by abstinence from
Karma, (karmamukti, or
naiskarmya-siddhij, 378.
Released, (mukta), 224.
Released-in-life, (jivanmukta),
415, (ii) 640.
Released-in-life state, (jivan-
muktavastha), 463.
Renunciation, (samnyasa),
420-22, 454-5, (ii) 607;
(ii) 626-7, 638, 653-4, 704.
Repetition, (abhyasa), 30,
(ii) 656.
Retaliation, (measure for
measure), 550, 556, 562.
Right Action, desire to know,
(karma jijflma), 40, 70.
Right and Wrong, determina-
tion of, 96-101.
Ritualist, (karmatha), 408.
Rk-ehanda, (ii) 726.
Sacrifice, 72, 404 (ii) 661.
Sacrifice-remnant, (amrfa), 403.
Sacrifice-remnant-eater, (amrt-
aM), 535.
INDEX OF DEFINITIONS
109'
Sage, (jbuddhd), 224, 522.
Samkalpa, 181.
Saiva, 474. 475.
Sarhkhya, 207, 420, 489, 506,
(ii) 627, 631, 640, 641, 655,
(ii) 661-2.
Salhkhya-nistha, (ii) 640.
Santi, (See Tranquility).
Sarlrika-Sutras, 16.
Satkaryavada, 210-11, 326, 335.
Satvata-dharma, 137, 473.,
509, (ii) 766, 770.
School,
Intuitional, 84, (ii) 686.
167-176.
Materialistic, 84, (ii) 686.
Metaphysical,84,85,(ii)686.
Science, (sastra), 100.
Sciences, king of, (raja-vidya),
581-3, 591, (ii) 646, 648.
Self, {atma), 558.
Self, Embodied, 340.
Self, independent tendency of,
385.
Self, Personal, (jivatman), 368.
Self, Personal, <Jim), 247, 289.
Self-defence, (atma-samraksaija),
56, 57.
Self -devoted Reason, ( atma-
risthainiddhi), 191.
Self-devotion, (or devotion to
the itman), (Mma^tistha),
342,386, (ii) 807.
Self-enlightened, (buddha),
224, 522.
Self -independence (atma-
svatamtrya), 385.
Self-interest, enlightened, 113-5
Self-knowledge, 386.
Selfishness, 105-115.
(05rvaka) f 105-7.
(long-sighted. 109-11,)
(enlightned), 112-115..
Senses, (indriya), 238.
Senses, (prarta), 242.
Siddhavastha, 345>
Smarta, 471, 474-6.
Smarta Action, 73.
Smarta-Yajna, 73.
Smell, subtle element, 240,
Solitudinal (ekantikaJt 13.
Sphere of Deities, 503-4.
Spirit, (purusa), 219.
Spiritual and Empirical Know-
ledge jnana vijnaria),
421, (ii) 649, 656.
Steady,-in-Reason, (sthita-
prajna), 519, (ii) 652.
Steady-in-Reason,
Karma-yogin, 521.
Sarhnyasin, 521.
Strange, (apurva), 374.
Sublime verities {arya satya)
(ii) 806.
Substance, Fundamental.
{dmrto), 306.
Subtle, (suksma), 215.
Subtle Body, 361.
Suffering, for Karma, 376.
Superintendence 198.
Symbol, (pratika), 274, 584,.
586.
Tamas, 213.
Tamasi Reason, 189.
Tanmatras, (Fine Elements).'
239.
Tapa, 353.
110
GlTA-RAHASYA OB KABMA-YOGA
'Tat-Tvam-Asi, 20-21.
'THAT, (tat), 338.
Theistic logician, 205.
Theological, (or Intuitionistio)
Consideration, (Udhi-
dmmka-vivecana), 84, 85.
Thing-in-Itself, (ding an
sieh ), ( vastu-tatva ), 297,
301, 311.
Third Path, 412.
Thirst (or Desire), (trsi},a), 134.
Thotj-aet that, 20-21.
Thought-formed, (eidrupi), 335.
' Three-constituents, equal state
of, ( triguxia-samyavastha ),
213.
Three-Constituented, (triguna-
tmaka) Prakrti, 363.
'Time, (kola), 410.
To act or not to act, (kartavya-
mudha) 38-41.
'To-be-suffered, (kriyamaw),
375.
'Touch, subtle element of, 240.
Taste, do do , 240.
Tranquility, (or peace), (santi),
159-160.
Trayl-dharma, 401.
Trayl-vidya, 401.
"Tridanda, 485.
Trigunatlta, 226-7, 344, 519,
(ii) 652, 690.
' Trigunatlta vastha, 228.
Trivrtkaiana, 253.
'Trivyuha (ii) 758.
True Knowledge, 295, 342.
Turlyayastha, 320.
lUncommencsd Karma, ( aria-
rabdhx /c3rW,375,376, 377.
Ungodly endowment ( Usur I-
sampat) 148.
Unhappiness, (duhkha), 130.
Union of three (trivrtkaraija),
253.
Union of five, (paaclkarava),
254-5.
Universal Welfare, (lokasilm-
graha), 456-458, 463, 502,
562.
Universal welfare, (sarvabhuta-
Mta), 115-7.
Unknown, beginning of, (anadi),
365.
Unreal, {asat), &10, 337.
Uttara-Mimarhsa, 401.
Vaisnava sect, 23, 24, 475 .
Vastu-tatva, /Thing-in-Itself),
297, 301. 311.
Vasudeva Paramatma, 286.
Vedantin, 401.
(Karma-Yogin), 489.
(Samnyasin), 489.
Vedic Karma-Yoga, 489.
Vedic Eeligion, (ii) 817.
Verities, sublime, (aryasatya),
(ii) 806.
Yideha-mukti, 412.
Vidya, (Science), 283, 381, 501-
6, 583.
Vidya (upasana), 503.
Vighas, 403.
Vikalpa, 181.
Visesa, (Primordial Elements),
242,249, 250.
Vision, difference of (buddhi-
bheda), (ii) 658.
Visistadvaita, 21-23,
INDEX OF DEFINITIONS
111
"Vital force, (praya), 242.
Wivartavada, 331, 333, 356.
Vows, observance of, (pratijnar
palana), 52, 53. .._,
"Vyavasaya, 182.
What is in the Body, is in the
Cosmos, 313.
Will, freedom of, (pravrtti-
svatamtrya), 371, 388.
Wise, (buddha), 224, 522.
World, external, (matra), 135.
World, contact with the
external, 135.
Worship, (upasana=vidya), 503.
Yoga, ( see yoga, yogarbhrasta,
yoga-vidfii, yoga-sSstra,
tarma-yoga, in part I.)
Yajna, (sacrifice), 404, (ii) 661.
SOME GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT HINDU
RELIGIOUS TREATISES.
(N £■■■ — This note was not written by the author, but was--
first included in the 1923 edition of the Marathi text, which was
published after the death of the author in 1920.— Trans.).
Among the treatises, on which the Hindu Religion is based,
the Vedas are the most superior and the most ancient, from
the point of view of importance and chronology; and the
Samhitas, the Brahmanas, and the Upanisads are included
in them. The Karma-Kanda, consisting of Yajfias and Yagas-
(religious sacrifices), and the Jnana-Kanda, consisting of
Metaphysical conceptions, both spring from this triad.
Nevertheless, the TJpanisadio treatises form the basis of
the Jfiana-Kanda. The social relations, included in the Hindu
religion, are regulated according to the Smrti texts; but these
are based on the Grhya-Sutras. There are many Sutra-treatises
besides the Grhya-SStras; but they have nothing to do with
Ethics; and deal only with the various Metaphysical specu-
lations started in order to solve the Riddle of the Universe^
These Metaphysical speculations, are called tha Sad-Darsanas.
The Nyaya-Sutras of Gautama, the Vaisesika-Siitras, the Purva-
Mlmarhsa-Sutras of Jaimini, the Vedanta-Sutras or the Brahma-
Satras of Badarayana, the Yoga-Sutras of Patafijali etc., are
included in the Sad-Darsanas. But there are many Sfitra-
treatises, besides the Sad-Darsanas; and the Panini-SQtras,
the Sandilya-Sfitras, the Narada-Sutras etc., are included.
among them. The Puranas came into existence, when the
ancient Vedic religion, which did not contain idol-worship,
and which was purely Metaphysical in its aspect, was changed,
and the worshipping of deities came into vogue. The
Mahabharata and the Ramayana are not Puranas, but are-
historical treatises. The various Gltas are included in the
Puranas. This subject-matter has been discussed in the Glta-
Rahasya as oocasion arose; but this information has been
given below in the form of a list, in order that readers should
have complete information about them collected in one place .—
(1) THE YEDAS AETD THE SRUTI TREATISES :—
The Samhitas (i. e., the collection of \ Karma-Kanda
Reas or Mantras ) > or
The Brahmanas (Aranyakas) ... J Yajna-Kanda
The Upanisads ... ... ( JnSna-Kanda )..
HINDU RELIGIOUS TREATISES
113
(3) SASTRAS.—
(1) Scriptures: Grhya-Sutras, Snarti treatises ( Manu ;
Yajnavalkya, and Harlta. )
(2) Sutras : ( Sad-Darsanas ) , Jaimini-, ( Mimamsa- or
Purva-MlmariisS ) ; Brahma-, (VedSnta-,
Saririka-, or Uttara-MlmSmsa ); Nyaya-
( Gautama); Yoga- (Patafijala), Sathkhya-,
Vaisesika- ( SSmkhya-Karika ).
(3) OTHER SUTRAS:—
Vyakarana-Sutras ( Panini ) ; Treatises relating to the
Path of Devotion ( ITarada, Sandilya ).
(4) HISTORY:—
Ramayana, MahSbharata, ( Harivariisa ).
(5) PURANAS:—
MahSpuranas, UpapurSnas, and Gitas.
These include 18 MahSpuranas, 18 UpapurSnas, and
and the various Gitas.
The different Veda-,Smrti- and Purana-treatises, referred
to in the Glta-Rahasya are mentioned in the following list : —
VEDAS:—
Atharva.
SAMHITAS ?-
E
Taittiirlya.
Vsjasaneyi.
Manu.
BRAHMANAS:-
Siita.
Arseya.
Kausika.
Kausltakl.
Aitariya.-
Taittirlya.
UPANISADS :—
Satapatha.
Amrtabindu.
ChSndogya.
Mahanarayana.
Isa (Isavasya).
Ohurika.
Mandukya.
Aitareya.
Jabala-Samnyasa.
Mundaka (Manda)
Katha.
Taittirlya,
Maitri (Maitrayanl).
Kena.
Dhyana-bindu.
Yogataa.
Kaivalya.
Narayanlya.
RamapQrva (lapini)
Kausltakl
Nrsimhottara-
yajrasucl.
(Kau. Brahmana).
tapanlya.
Svetasvatara.
Garbha.
Prasna.
Sarva.
Gopalatapanl.
Brhadarariyaka.
15
114
HINDU RELIGIOUS -TREATISES
Marra.
Apastamba.
A&valayana.
Grhyasesa.
Gautama-Nyaya.
Taittiriya.
Narada.
Narada-Pancaratra.
SMRTIS :—
Yajfiavalkya.
SUTRAS :—
Panim". '
Patanjala-Yoga.
Baudhayana-
Dharma.
Baudhayana-Grhya.
Brahma-(Vedanta-,
Sarlrika-).
KARIKAS :—
Samkhya-Karika.
VYAKARANA :—
Paninl.
Harita.
Mlmamsa.
Vedanta (Brahma-,
Sarlrika-).
Sarlrika (Brahma-,
Vedanta-).
Sandilya.
Gobhilagrhya.
HISTORIES :-
Ramayana.
Mahabharata (Harivarhsa).
PURANAS :-
Agni.
Narada.
Markandeya.
Kfirma.
Nrsirhha.
Linga.
Ganesa.
Padma.
Varaha.
Garada.
Brahmarida.
Vismi.
Gaudlya-Padmottara. Bhagarata.
Skanda.
Devibhagavata.
Matsya.
GiTAS :—
Harivamsa.
Avadhuta.
Pingala.
Vrtra.
Aitavakra.
Brahma.
Siva.
Isvara.
Bodhya.
Sampaka.
Uttara.
Bhiksu.
Suta.
Kapila.
Maiki.
Surya.
Ganesa.
Yama.
Hart
Devi
Rama.
Harhsa.
Parasara.
Vioikbyu.
Harlta.
Pandava.
Vyasa.
HINDU RELIGIOUS TREATISES
115
Amit&yusutta.
Udana.
Oullavagga
Taranatlia.
Tevijja-sutta.
( Traividy a-Sutra).
Theragatha.
Dasaratha-jataka.
PALI TEXTS :—
Dipayamsa.
Dhammapada.
Brahmajala-sutta.
Brahmana-
dhamika.
Mahaparinibbana-
sutta.
Mahayamsa.
Milinda-Prasna.
Vatthugatha.
Saddharma-
pundarlka.
Suttanipata.
Sela-sutta.
Sabbasava-sutta.
Saundarananda.
GLOSSARY.
OF
Important Terminological Expressions.
abhyasa, repetition ; continued
practice.
acara, conduct.
acarasamgraha, code of con-
duct.
adhibhautika, Material; Mater-
ialistic.
adhidaimka, Intuitional.
adUkara, authority ; qualifica-
tion according to inherent
natural qualities.
adhyatma, Metaphysics ; the
Highest Atman.
adkyatmika, Metaphysical; re-
lating to the Absolute
Self.
adhyavasaya, discriminating
decision, (see, vyavasaya).
adrsta, Accumulated Action,
which is invisible (also
called, apurva).
advaita, Non-Dual.
advaitavada, Non-Dualism.
ahamkara. Individuation :
Egoism;
ahimsa, Harmlessness ; Non-
violence.
ajnama, Ignorance.
amrta, Release; sphere of dei-
ties ; immortality ; sacri-
fice-remnant food; Funda-
,. mental Substance; the
Brahman ;
amrtatva, Immortality.
cmadi; eternal,
ananttfl, Beatitude,
-maya, beatific.
-mayakosa, beatific envelope.
ananta, endless; eternal.
anarabdha, Uncommenced
(Action).
aniruddha, Individuation (same
as, aliamkara).
annamaya-kosa, fcod-envelope.
anubliavudvaita, combination of
Knowledge and Action,
based on Non-dualism :
this is more or less the
same as the Desireless
Karma-Yoga doctrine
(see p. 508). ;;,
anrta, invisible, or ii*bercep-
tible, (the opposite of,
satya, Real ).
aptavacana, advice of persons
in whom one puts faith.
apurva, (see, adrsta above).
Urabdha, Commenced (Action).
arambha, Commencement.
arambhavada, Theory of Com-
mencement, (see, pp. 204,
205, 331).
arliat, Perfect being (Buddhis-
tic ), ( same as, siddlia).
artarn, perishable (same as,
vinasi ).
arthavada, statements, which
are in the nature of cbiter
dicta ( see pp. 31-32. )
asimbhvM, ignorance, ( same
as, viriasa , avidya),
GLOSSARY
117
asat, unreal, ( same as, anrta ).
asi, art ( thou ), ( see, tat-tvam-
asi ).
asteya, non-stealing.
asuri, ungodly.
asuri-sampat, ungodly endow-
ment.
atman, the Self.
atma-svafamtrya, Freedom of
Will.
avidya, Illusion, (same as,
Maya).
avyakta, Imperceptible.
bhakti, devotion.
bhaktimarga, the Path of
Devotion.
bhakti-yoga, the Yoga of
Devotion.
bhasya, Commentary, (see, Uka:
see, p. 16. ).
Brahman, the ultimate Essen-
tial Principle, which is
the Root-Cause of the
Cosmos.
brahmarpava, dedication to the
Brahman.
brahma-vrksa, the Brahman-
buddha, sage ; wise man.
buddhi, Reason; the Mind;
Desire.
buddhibheda, destroying the
conviction of a person.
buddhi-yoga, the Yoga of the
Equable Reason.
caturvyuha, the four-fold
scheme of the genesis of
the world, from Vasudeva
caturvynhv — (contd.)
(Isvara) to Sarhkarsana
(jiva), to Pradyumna
(man as), to Aniruddha
(Individuation), (see,
pp. 756-758.
cetam, vital activity seen in
living beings (see p. 194).
cit, or citta, consciousness.
eaitanya, that thought-power,
which is responsible for
activity in gross bodies
(see, p. 194).
codana, inspiration.
datavya, that which it is
a duty to give.
damn, Destiny.
daim, Godly ( opposite of asuri,
ungodly ).
daivi-sampat, godly endowment,
day a, kindness; pity.
devata, deity.
devayana, the path along which
the subtle body of a
deceased person passes, if
the man has died at a
particular time, being
what is known as the
' lighted path ' (sukla-
marga), (see pp. 408-410).
dharrna, a deity ; morality ;
right ; duty ; religion, (see
references given under
' dharrna ' in Index of
Definitions, part I).
dharmadharma, right and
wrong.
dhrti, that principle of co-hesion
by which all the various
elements of the Body
remain steady (see p. 195).
118
GlTA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
duhkha, pain ; unhappiness.
dvaita, Duality.
dvaitadvaita, Dual-non-dualism
daitavada, Dualism.
ekantiJea, solitudinal.
esaya, desire, (same as, iccha,
vasaria, samga, and kama).
gati, goal ; path (same as, srti).
gtta, song.
guya, constituent ; strand ;
quality.
gurtaparinama, the unfolding of
the constituents of Prakrti.
guriotkarsa, (same as guija-
hinayana, (Buddhistic), the
inferior path.
iccha, Desire, (same as esaifi,
kama, vasaria, samga).
icchasvatamtrya, freedom of
desire or will (same as
atma-svatamtrya above).
indriya, senses, or organs.
gross.
jadadvaita, gross, or materiali-
stic non-dualism (see
p. 219).
jiva, the Personal Self ; (same
as the embodied Self, or
the sarira-atman).
jivatman, (same as, jiva).
jlvanmukta, Released-in-life ;
birth-released.
jivamuktavastha, the state of
being Released-in-life.
jna, the Knower.
jfffina. Knowledge; wisdom;
Realisation,
jftana-kartda, treatises which
maintain that the Know-
ledge of the Brahman is
superior to sacrificial
ritual.
jriana-nistha, the Path of
Knowledge.
jnam-rriarga, (same as, juana-
jilanin, Knowledgeful ; sage ;
wise.
jnata, Knower.
jneya, the Knowable.
haivalya, Isolation. -
kola, Time ; death.
harm, Desire (same as iccha,
e$aria, or vasaiia).
katnya, Desire-prompted.
karma, Action.
karma-bhoga, the suffering for
Action.
karma-jijfCasa, the desire to
know Right Action.
karmorkavda, ritualistic trea-
karma-mukti, Release from the
effects of Action.
tormn-mstha, the' Path of
Knowledge.
karma-phala, the Fruit of
Aotion.
kannaphala-tyaga, abandon-
ment of the Fruit of
Action.
karma-pravaha, the course of
Action.
karma-samnyasa, Abandonment
of Action,
GLOSSARY
119
karma4yaga, Abandonment of
Action.
Icartm-npaka, Causality.
karma-yoga, Union by Right
Action.
karma-yogm, one who follows
' the Path of Karma-Toga.
Icarrna-yogin-stMtaprajna, the
. ' ' Steady-in-Reason, follow-
ing the Path of Karma-
Yoga.
karya, duty; product; effect;
doable.
karyakarya, the doable and the
not-doable.
kosa, envelope.
karma-mukti, gradual release.
kriyamana, (Action) to-be-per-
formed.
krsya, dark; Sri Krsna.
krsrux-marga, the dark path
(same as pitryana, and opp.
of sukla-marga).
krsy,arpana, dedication to
Krsna.
kqama, forgiveness.
linga, subtle.
linga sarlra, subtle-body.
loka, world, sphere.
lokasamgraha, cosmic, or uni-
versal welfare.
the superior path
(Buddhistic), (the opp. of
hinayana).
manas, the Mind.
manahputa, mind-, or con-
scienoesanctioned.
manavadharma, the religion of
humanity.
manodevata, the mental deity,
of Conscience.
manomaya-kosa, the mental
envelope.
matra, the external world.
rnatra-sparia, contact with the
external world.
maya, Illusion.
mithya, unreal (same as asat).
moha, delusion ; confusion.
moksa, Release.
mrtyu, death ; mortal sphere.
mukta, Released.
mulcti, Release, (same as moksa).
naimittika, occasional (Action).
naiskarmya, abstinence from
Action ; desireless Action.
naiskarmya-siddhi, Release by
abstinence from Action, or
by Desireless Action.
nama-i-upa, Name and Form.
namarupatmaka, Name-d and
Form-ed.
■nanatva, diversity; manifold-
ness.
niragni, one who does not
maintain a sacrificial fire.
nirasa, freedom from hope ;
despair.
nirasavadi, Pessimist, (opp. of
nirguya, qualityless.
nirguna-bhakti, worship of the
Qualityless.
nirvaira, non-inimical.
nirvana, final emancipation ;
Release.
niskama, desireless.
nissamga, unattaehai
lao
GITA-RAHASYA OB KARMA-YOGA
nistha. the ultimate state.
nitya, daily (Action or ritual).
nitya-samnyasin, perpetual asce-
tic.
panca-mahabhuta, five Primor-
dial Elements.
pancihiraya, union of fire
primeval elements.
paramayuvada, theory of atoms ;
atomic theory.
paramartha, the highest in-
terest.
paramatman, the Highest Self
(same as the adhyatman).
parartha, other's-interest.
patanjala-yoga, the system of
Yoga enunciated by
Patanjali.
pkala, Fruit.
phalasa, Hope for Fruit (of
Action).
phalasa-tyaga, abandonment of
Hope for Fruit (of Action).
piqda, the Body.
pitryaya, the dark path, (see
p. 408 etc.)
posava, Divine dispensation, or
pleasure.
prakrta, vernacular ; with
, Prakrti.
prakrti, Nature ; Matter ; in-
herent quality or tempera-
ment.
praiaya, Cosmic destruction.
pramada, f orgetfulness of duty,
or heedlessness.
pramaya, measure.
prameya, measurable,
prwsa, life.
prarambha, commencement.
prarabdha, Commenced (Ac-
tion),
prasthana-trayl, the three funda-
mental treatises of the
Vedic religion, dealing
with the paths of Action
and of Inaction, namely
the Upanisads, the
Vedanta-Sutras, and the
BhagavadgltS.
pratijna, a vow.
pratijila-palana, observance of
a vow.
pratiha, a symbol.
pravrtli, Activity ; inclination.
pravrtU-mUrga, Path of Action.
pravrtti-svalamtrya, freedom of
activity (or Will), (same
as, atnta-svataintrya).
prthaktva, individuality ;
purusa, Spirit.
purusartha, ideals of manhood.
purusoUama, the Highest
• Spirit.
pusti, divine pleasure (same as
putiti-marga, the Path of Divine
Pleasure.
raga, liking ; love ; pleasure.
raja, king.
rajas, the passionate or active
constituent, out of the
three constituents of
Prakrti.
rajasa, passionate ; active ;
progressive.
ruja-guhya, the King of Mysti-
cisms.
GLOSSARY
121
raja-vidyu, the King of
Sciences.
sadsadviveka, discrimination
between right and wrong.
sadasadviveka-buddhi, the Rea-
son, which discriminates
between the right and the
wrong.
sadasadviveka-devata, the deity
which discriminates bet-
ween the right and the
wrong ; Conscience.
samata, equability.
samatva-buddhi, equable Reason.
samatva-buddhi-yoga, the Yoga
of the equable Reason.
sambhuti, Knowledge, which is
the fundamental cause of
the world ( see p. 501 ) ;
(opp. of asambhuti, above).
samcaya, accumulation.
samcita, Accumulated (Karma).
sa'mga. Desire, (same as, iccha^
esarta, or vasana) ; Attach-
ment.
samghata, collection ; aggregate
( same as, samuccaya
below ).
safngraha, collection ; protec-
tion ; maintenance ; regula
tion ; welfare, (see loka-
samgraha above).
samhara, destruction.
samkalpa, the mental decision
that a particular thing is
of a particular kind.
saftikhya, counters ; the follow-
ers of the Sarhkhya philo-
sophy.
16
samwjasa, Renunciation ; asce-
ticism ; the 'nyasa, or giv-
ing up of Desire-prompt-
ed Action (cf. Gl. 18. 2).
saihnyasin, an ascetic ; a re-
nouncer ; one who follows
the Path of Renunciation.
sampat. endowment (see davvi
sampat, and asuri sampat)
above).
samsara, worldly life ; worldly
activity.
samuccaya, collection (same as
samghata).
samya, (same as, samata
equability.
iTmti, tranquility.
sarlra. the Body (same as
pinda).
sarir a-a trnan, the embodied
Self.
sarvabhittahita, universal wel-
fare ; £ same as, loka-
samgrafia ).
sastra, science.
satkaryavada, ( see p. 210 ), the
doctrine that something
must come out of some
other thing, and that the
fundamental cause of an
evolute must possess the
qualities of the evolute
in some form or other.
sattasamanya, pervasiveness ;
existing in a constant
form in every thing.
sattasamanyatva, the theory of
constant pervasiveness.
122
GlTA-RAHASYA OK KARMA- YOGA
(tattva, the placid, equable, and
pure, out of the three
constituents of Prakrti.
sattvika, possessing the sattva
quality.
satya, reality; real; existence.
satyanrta, Reality, and Un-
reality.
satyunrtaviveka, the discrimina-
tion between what is eter-
nally existent, and what
is not.
siddha, perfect, released (same
as, muktal.
siddKauasthu, the state of per-
fection.
srtiarta, following the path laid
down by the Smrtis.
smarta-karma, ritual ordained
by the Smrtis.
smarta-yajria, sacrifice prescri-
bed by the Smrtis.
sneha, attachment (same as,
safnga).
sparsa, contact ( see matra-
sparsa).
srii, path, or goal (same as,
gati).
srii, that which was heard.
sthitaprajHa, Steady-in-Reason.
sthvla, gross (opp. of suksma
below).
suddha, pure.
suddhadvaita, pure non-dwalism.
Buddha vasaria, pure desire.
sukha, happiness (opp. of
duhkha).
mkhavada, the theory of happi-
sukla-marga, the lighted path
(opp. of kTSna-narga).
suksma, subtle (opp. of sthvla,
above).
suksma sarira, the subtle body.
svadharma, own-religion ; own-
duty.
svadhyaya, following the reli-
gion prescribed for one's
status in life (of. Gl. 16. 1).
svartlia, own-interest ( opp.
parartha).
tamas, ignorance; darkness,
the inert, out of the three
constituents of Prakrti.
tamasl, inert ; ignorant ; dark.
tanmatra, fine element.
tarns, religious austerity.
tat, THAT.
tatva, element.
t a t-t v a m-a s i, THOU ART
THAT.
trayi-dharma. the religious
sacrificial paths prescribed
by the three Vedas.
trayi-Mya, same as, trayi-
dharma, above.
trigmja, three constituents, or
strands.
triguqatmaka, three-consti-
tuented.
trigwatita, beyond the three
constituents.
trivrtkaraw, union of three
elements.
trsxia., Desire (same as Kama,
-vasaria).
tusti, contentedness.
tyaga, abandonment ; abandon-
ment of the Fruit of
Action (see Gl. 18. 2).
GLOSSARY
123
varnasrama-dharma, the Smrti
arrangement of four
classes, and four stages of
life.
vasana, Desire, (same as iccha;
trsna).
vasana- svatamtrya, freedom of
desire, ( same as atma-
svatamtrya).
vasanatmaka, based on desire ;
Practical ( Reason).
vastutatva, the Fundamental
Element, the Thing-in-it-
self ; ding an sich.
videha-mukti, the Release, after
death, by reaching the
sphere of the Brahman
(see p. 412).
vidya, science.
righa.8, food remaining over
after every body has eaten
(see p. 403).
nikalpa, the mental decision
that a particular thing is
not of a particular kind.
vikrii, evolute,(sameas likara).
vinasa, ignorance (same as
avidya or asarhbhuti, see
p. 501).
visesa, the five primeval ele-
ments.
wsistildmita, Qualified Monism
(see p. 21).
vyakla, perceptible.
vyavasaya, discrimination.
vyavasayatmaka, discriminat-
ing, and deciding; Pure
(Reason.).
yaga, sacrifice, minor than
yajria.
yajria, sacrifice.
yoga, union -, merger ; assimila-
tion ; the device of skilful
performance of Action
(see Gl. 2. 50).
yoga-bkrasta, one fallen from
Yoga.
yoga-sastra, the science of
Yoga.
yoga-sntras, the canons deal-
ing with Yoga.
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