GITA 3.30

GITA 3.30

We are at the sannidhi of Sri Parthasarathy. It is apt that the Gitacharya sannidhi is between the Lokacharya Swami Pillai Lokacharya sannidhi and Jagadacharya Swami Ramanuja sannidhi. We will see the 30th sloka from here. How come Sri Parthasarathy is in Srirangam? He was standing in Tiruvallikeni or driving chariot in Kurukshetra. How is it He is here? In Badarikashram(Badrinath), He, as Sriman Narayana, preached Tirumantram to, again, Himself, as the Disciple Sri Nara. In Kurukshetra, He as Sri Gitacharya, preached Gita, to Arjuna as the disciple. In Vishnu Loka, Sriman Narayana preached the great Dwayam mantra to Sri Mahalakshmi Thayar. Tradition records that Sri Ranganatha preached all the Three great mantras - Tirumantram, Dwayam and Charamasloka (of Gita), to Sri Ranganayaki Thayar, in Srirangam. Therefore, in a way, Charamasloka and so, the Gita, originated here! Thus, Sri Parthasarathy is gracing here, with Arjuna. In this sannidhi, the Lord as Sri Parthasarathy is standing and Arjuna, with his chariot, is attentively listening to the preaching, with folded hands! On the sides, the Lord of Badarikshram is gracing as Sri Nara and Sri Narayana. We will now have a view of Sri Utsava Moorthy.

 

Here, He is gracing with Four hands, with Lotus and Gada in the upper arms and with Conch and Discus, reversed, in the lower two arms. That is, He is holding the conch in the right hand and Discus in the left hand. If the discus were held in the right hand, it could be used for destruction; but, holding the Discus in the left hand, indicates that this Avatar is meant for preaching! 

Now, sloka 30: 

mayi sarvani karmani
sannyasyadhyatma-cetasa
nirasir nirmamo bhutva
yudhyasva vigata-jvarah

Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with mind intent on Me, and without desire for gain and free from egoism and lethargy, fight.

In this sloka, the Lord tells that abandoning everything, surrender all deeds unto Him. Arjuna should realize that he was not the doer, but the Lord. Arjuna does but he does, impelled. In this sloka a doubt is being clarified. How can the Three gunas impel anyone to act? Are they not inanimate entities? Jeevatma is the karta or doer. This has been clarified in Brahmasutras by Vyasa. But here, normally people think that the atman is responsible for the action. This is ahankaram or ego. That is, persons think that they are independent and so, independently perform actions. Sri Krishna is trying to remove that wrong assumption. 

We have already seen that all our actions are propelled by the three gunas which are associated with Prakrit or this world. But these are abstract and so, we also saw that the Lord induces these gunas to act on our actions. Thus, the Lord is the prime mover. Therefore, it is wise to surrender the rewards of all our actions at the feet of the Lord. This is the main point in this 3rd Chapter. While doing any karma, we should think we are not the doers and we should not desire for any benefits from that action. Adyatma-cetasa = understanding the true nature of atman, mayi = unto Me (Sri Krishna), sarvani karmani = actions impelled by the Three gunas and actions not impelled by them, sanyasya = surrender. After understanding the true nature of atman from shastras, relinquish all actions unto the Lord. That is, we should understand that He is the doer of all our actions. This is called kartrutva buddhi tyagam. That is we relinquish the notion that we are doers. Because, this action of ours is granted by the Lord. He is the Prime Mover. 

In Mahabharata it is recorded that after Sri Krishna left this earth, Arjuna could not even lift his bow, Gandeepa! Even small people could easily defeat Arjuna! Because, Sri Krishna was the Power, with which Arjuna could wield his bow! Nirasir = without desires (in the results of actions), nir mamah = relinquishing the feeling that we are doing the actions. Here Two things are to be sacrificed - one, result of the action, and two, feeling that we are the owners of the action. These are phala tyagam and mamakara tyagam. Thus, three tyagams or sacrifices are indicated:

1. Kartrutva tyagam = Action is not performed by me.

2. Phala tyagam = Not aspiring for lowly results but to please the Lord and to reach Him. 

3. Mamakara tyagam = relinquishing ownership of the action. 

All these can happen, if we do any action with the notion that it would please the Lord. Then no wrong doings can ever happen. Vigata-jwara = free from the fever of reactions of the papas, yudhyasya = fight. The fear that by fighting, Arjuna thought, he would incur papas, is the fever affecting Arjuna. Because, Arjuna assumed that he was the doer. Once he relinquished this thought and understood that the Lord was the doer, the fear of any papas would vanish. The bow and the arrows are the real killers of anyone in the battle. But at no time they think that they are responsible for the act, because it is Arjuna wielding them and so responsibility is of Arjuna and not of the bow! Similarly, if Arjuna decided that the Lord was the doer, he can act freely without any fear of incurring any papas! Sri Krishna emphasises this by the word mayi. We should dedicate all our actions to the Lord and be free from any punyas or papas. 

                                                                                     (continued)

the actions with detachment.