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And he who does not practise reflection has no calm. How can a man without calm obtain happiness ? When a man’s heart is disposed in accordance with his roaming senses, it snatches away his spiritual knowledge as the wind does a ship on the waves. Therefore, 0 great-armed one ! he is possessed of spiritual know- ledge whose senses arc entirely withheld from objects of sense. The self-governed man is awake in that which is night to all (other) beings ; that in which other beings are awake, is night to the self-governed. He into whom all desires enter in the same manner as rivers enter the ocean, which is (always) full, yet does not move its bed, can obtain tranquillity, but not he who loves desires. That man who, casting off all desires, acts without interest, free from egotism and selfishness, attains to tranquillity. This is the condition of the Supreme Being, O son of Prithd! Havings obtained this, one is not troubled; and re- maining in it, even at the time of death, he passes on to extinction in the Supreme Spirit.” Thus in the Upanishads, etc., (stands) the Second Chapter, by name “application to tiie sAnkhya doctrine.” COMMENTARY. reason. When a man has obtained a victory over passion, and is divested of all emotional obstructions, he is then said to be mentally per- fect. He is then what would be called a devotee, or a pious man ; where piety is, of course, to be understood of mental culture. He must draw in his senses from sensuous provocations, just as the tortoise drags its limbs under its shell in the times of danger. Sensuous objects will lose their charm when man has divested himself of sensual desires. A man in this state is mentally perfect. Attachment to objects of sense arises from the consideration of them. A man who does not regulate his mind in the province of correct thought can never enjoy true repose, nor consequently true happiness. lie may be said, in his conflict with Pas- 16 BHAGAVAD-ofT^. CHAPTER THE SECOND. sion, to be like a vessel driven by the winds in a storm. But the man who has entirely divested himself from sensuous considerations, enjoys day when other people are groping in darkness. Spiritual knowledge is dark and mysterious to the world, while worldly interests are dark and mysterious to the wise man. Desires must enter a man only as rivers enter the ocean, feeding it, but not causing it to overflow. CHATTER THE THIRD. TEXT. ARJUNA SrOKE. “ If thought be deemed by thee, 0 thou who art invoked by mortals ! superior to action, why then dost thou direct me to this dreadful deed ? Thou bewilderest my mind by thy ambiguous words. Tell me, there- fore, one only thing for certain, by which I may obtain happiness.” COMMENTARY. MIND. If contemplation of religion or intellectual tranquillity is better than interference with the popular creed, njid better than strife against Passion, why do you urge me to enter into the contest, and disregard the opinions of my friends and relatives ? TEXT. KRISHNA SPOKE. u I have already declared to thee, sinless one! that there were two modes of life in this world — that of the followers of the Sankhya (rational) school in devotion through spiritual knowledge, and that of the followers of the Yoga (devotional) school in devotion through works. Without undertaking actions, a man cannot enjoy freedom from action, nor does he arrive at perfection from renunciation (of actions) only. For one can never for a single moment even exist without doing some action. For every one is forced, even, against his will, to perform an action by the qualities which spring from nature. He who remains inert, restraining the organs of action, and pondering with his heart on objects of sense, is called a false pietist of bewildered soul. But he who, restraining his senses by his heart, and being free from interest (in acting), undertakes 18 biiagavad-gItA. chapter the third. active devotion through the organs of action, is praiseworthy. Bo thon perform the actions which are necessary. Action is better than inactivity. And if inactive, thou wilt not even acquire the necessary sustenance for the body. This world entails the bonds of action on any action but that which has worship for its object. Bo thou, O son of Kuntl ! being free from selfish interest, practise action which has that as its object. The creator, when of old he had created mortals, together with the rite of sacrifice, said to them, 6 By means of this (sacrifice) ye shall be pro- pagated. It shall be to you a cow of plenty. By means of it do ye support the gods, and let these gods support you. Supporting one another mutually, ye will obtain the highest felicity. For, being nourished by sacrifices, the gods will give you the desired food. He who eats the food given by them without first offering some to them, is a thief indeed.’ Good men who eat what remains after the sacri- fice, are liberated from all their sins ; but those bad men who cook for their own sakes only, eat sin. Beings are nourished by food. Food has its origin from rain. Bain is the fruit of sacrifice. Sacrifice is performed by action. Know that action proceeds from the Supreme Spirit. The Supreme Being is ’co-existent with the indivisible. There- fore this spirit, which is omnipresent, is always present in the sacrifice. He who in this life does not cause this cycle, thus already revolved, to continue revolving, lives to no purpose, a life of sin, O son of Pritha ! indulging his senses. But the man who only takes delight in himself, and is satisfied with himself, and is content in himself alone, has no selfish interest in action. He has no interest in what is done or what is not done in this world. Nor is there among all things which exist any object of use to him. Therefore do thou perform the work which should be done without interest. For a man who performs his duty without interest obtains the highest (region). For by actions Janaka and others arrived at perfection. Even if thou only considerest the good of man- kind, thou shouldst perform actions. Whatever the most excellent practise, other men practise likewise. The world follows whatever example they set. I, (for instance,) 0 son of Pritha! have nothing which 1 am obliged to do throughout the three worlds, nor does there remain unobtained by me anything which I might obtain, and yet I am constantly in action. For if I were not always to continue indefatigable BHAGAVAD-gItI. CHAPTER THE THIRD. 19 in activity — (mankind follow in my steps in everything, son of Pritha) — these people would perish if I were not to do actions. And I should be the author of confusion of the castes, and should destroy these mortals. As the unwise act, being self-interested in acting, so should the wise act, not being interested, from the wish to do good to mankind. And they should not allow a difference of opinions to spring up in the ignorant, who act with motives of self-interest. The wise man, acting with devotion, should fulfil all actions (which are prescribed to him). Actions are always effected solely and entirely by the qualities of nature. The man whose mind is befooled by ignorance thinks 1 1 am the doer of them.’ But he, O strong-armed one ! who knows the truth of the difference between the qualities and actions, believing that they revolve in the qualities, has no selfish interest (in acting). Those who are bewildered by the natural qualities, are interested in the actions of the qualities. He who understands the whole universe, should not cause these people, slow and ignorant of the universe, to relax from their duty. Do thou fight, reposing all thy actions on me, by means of meditation on the Adhyatma, free from hopes and from selfishness, and having put away this morbidness. Those men who ever follow this my doctrine, full of faith, and not reviling it, are finally emancipated even by actions. But those who, reviling this (doctrine), do not observe my decrees, are bewildered by all their knowledge, and perish, being without reason. Even the wise man inclines towards that which agrees with his own nature. All follow their own nature. What can coercion effect ? Love or hate exists towards the object of each sense. One should not fall into the power of these two passions, for they are one's adversaries. It is better to do one’s own duty, even though it be devoid of excellence, than to perform another’s duty well. Death is better in the performance of. one’s own duty. Another’s duty is productive of danger.” COMMENTARY. REASON. In philosophic and, therefore, the only salutary life, there are two sets of warriors. Knowledge is the watchword of the one, Action is the watchword of the other. By action must be understood action without worldly interest, and by knowledge must be understood an endeavour at c 2 20 bhagavad-gItA. chapter the third. a comprehension of the nature of the universe, and of the object of man’s existence. But knowledge cannot be obtained without effort of action, and, therefore, action and knowledge are related. Man cannot exist without action, for nature requires it. The three qualities — viz., the good and inactive, T*T, the bad and active, TP?, the bad and inactive — exist in every human mind, and they are invariably mingled together in greater or less proportions at all times, according to the germination, adaptability, and development of the different parts of the human system, also according to the circumstances in which man may be placed at different periods of his life. Is not this attested by daily experience ? He who endeavours to exert himself without such action and meditation on sensual objects is a sensual man; but he who restrains his senses and is interested in action, is praiseworthy. The Creator made sacrifice a condition of the prosperity of man.