Bhagavad-gita As It Is - Macmillan 1972 Edition -- Prabhupada Books (117 page)

naiva tyāga-phalaṁ labhet

SYNONYMS

duḥkham-
unhappy;
iti
-thus;
eva-
certainly;
yat
-that which;
karma
-work;
kāya
-body;
kleśa-
troublesome;
bhayāt
-out of;
tyajet
-fear;
saḥ-
that;
kṛtvā
-after doing;
rājasam
-in the mode of passion;
tyāgam
-renunciation;
na
eva
-certainly not;
tyāga
-renounced;
phalam
-results;
labhet-
gain.

TRANSLATION

Anyone who gives up prescribed duties as troublesome, or out of fear, is said to be in the mode of passion. Such action never leads to the elevation of renunciation.

PURPORT

One who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness should not give up earning money out of fear that he is performing fruitive activities. If by working one can engage his money in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or if by rising early in the morning one can advance his transcendental Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one should not desist out of fear or because such activities are considered troublesome. Such renunciation is in the mode of passion. The result of passionate work is always miserable. Even if a person renounces work in that spirit, he never gets the result of renunciation.

Bg 18.9

TEXT 9

TEXT

kāryam ity eva yat karma

niyataṁ kriyate 'rjuna

saṅgaṁ tyaktvā phalaṁ caiva

sa tyāgaḥ sāttviko mataḥ

SYNONYMS

kāryam-
must be done;
iti-
thus;
eva-
thus;
yat-
that which;
karma-
work;
niyatam-
prescribed;
kriyate-
performed;
arjuna
-O Arjuna;
saṅgam-
association;
tyaktvā-
giving up;
phalam-
result;
ca-
also;
eva-
certainly;
saḥ-
that;
tyāgaḥ-
renunciation;
sāttvikaḥ-
in the mode of goodness;
mataḥ-
in My opinion.

TRANSLATION

But he who performs his prescribed duty only because it ought to be done, and renounces all attachment to the fruit-his renunciation is of the nature of goodness, O Arjuna.

PURPORT

Prescribed duties must be performed with this mentality. One should act without attachment for the result; he should be disassociated from the modes of work. A man working in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in a factory does not associate himself with the work of the factory, nor with the workers of the factory. He simply works for Kṛṣṇa. And when he gives up the result for Kṛṣṇa, he is acting transcendentally.

Bg 18.10

TEXT 10

TEXT

na dveṣṭy akuśalaṁ karma

kuśale nānuṣajjate

tyāgī sattva-samāviṣṭo

medhāvī chinna-saṁśayaḥ

SYNONYMS

na-
never;
dveṣṭi-
hates;
akuśalam-
inauspicious;
karma-
work;
kuśale-
in auspicious;
na-
nor;
anuṣajjate-
becomes attached;
tyāgī-
the renouncer;
sattva-
goodness;
samāviṣṭaḥ-
absorbed in;
medhāvī-
intelligent;
chinna-
cut up;
saṁśayaḥ-
all doubts.

TRANSLATION

Those who are situated in the mode of goodness, who neither hate inauspicious work nor are attached to auspicious work, have no doubts about work.

PURPORT

It is said in
Bhagavad-gītā
that one can never give up work at any time. Therefore he who works for Kṛṣṇa and does not enjoy the fruitive results, who offers everything to Kṛṣṇa, is actually a renouncer. There are many members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness who work very hard in their office or in the factory or some other place, and whatever they earn they give to the Society. Such highly elevated souls are actually
sannyāsīs
and are situated in the renounced order of life. It is clearly outlined here how to renounce the fruits of work and for what purpose fruits should be renounced.

Bg 18.11

TEXT 11

TEXT

na hi deha-bhṛtā śakyaṁ

tyaktuṁ karmāṇy aśeṣataḥ

yas tu karma-phala-tyāgī

sa tyāgīty abhidhīyate

SYNONYMS

na
-never;
hi-
certainly;
deha-bhṛtā-
of the embodied;
śakyam-
possible;
tyaktum-
to renounce;
karmāṇi-
activities of;
aśeṣataḥ-
altogether;
yaḥ tu-
anyone who;
karma-
work;
phala-
result;
tyāgī-
renouncer;
saḥ-
he;
tyāgī-
the renouncer;
iti-
thus;
abhidhīyate-
it is said.

TRANSLATION

It is indeed impossible for an embodied being to give up all activities. Therefore it is said that he who renounces the fruits of action is one who has truly renounced.

PURPORT

A person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness acting in knowledge of his relationship with Kṛṣṇa is always liberated. Therefore he does not have to enjoy or suffer the results of his acts after death.

Bg 18.12

TEXT 12

TEXT

aniṣṭam iṣṭaṁ miśraṁ ca

tri-vidhaṁ karmaṇaḥ phalam

bhavaty atyāgināṁ pretya

na tu sannyāsināṁ kvacit

SYNONYMS

aniṣṭam
-leading to hell;
iṣṭam
-leading to heaven;
miśram ca
-or mixture;
tri-vidham-
three kinds;
karmaṇaḥ-
work;
phalam-
result;
bhavati-
becomes;
atyāginām
-of the renouncer;
pretya
-after death;
na tu
-but not;
sannyāsinām
-of the renounced order;
kvacit
-at any time.

TRANSLATION

For one who is not renounced, the threefold fruits of action-desirable, undesirable and mixed-accrue after death. But those who are in the renounced order of life have no such results to suffer or enjoy.

PURPORT

A person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or in the mode of goodness does not hate anyone or anything which troubles his body. He does work in the proper place and at the proper time without fearing the troublesome effects of his duty. Such a person situated in transcendence should be understood to be most intelligent and beyond all doubts in his activities.

Bg 18.13, Bg 18.14, Bg 18.13-14

TEXTS 13-14

TEXT

pañcaitāni mahā-bāho

kāraṇāni nibodha me

sāṅkhye kṛtānte proktāni

siddhaye sarva-karmaṇām

adhiṣṭhānaṁ tathā kartā

karaṇaṁ ca pṛthag-vidham

vividhāś ca pṛthak ceṣṭā

daivaṁ caivātra pañcamam

pañca-
five;
etāni-
all these;
mahā-bāho
-O mighty-armed one;
kāraṇāni-
cause;
nibodha-
just understand;
me-
from Me;
sāṅkhye-
in the
Vedas; kṛtānte-
after performance;
proktāni-
said;
siddhaye-
perfection;
sarva-
all;
karmaṇām-
actuated;
adhiṣṭhānam-
place;
tathā-
also;
kartā
-worker;
karaṇam ca
-and instruments;
pṛthak-vidham-
different kinds;
vividhāḥ ca-
varieties;
pṛthak-
separately;
ceṣṭāḥ-
endeavor;
daivam-
the Supreme;
ca-
also;
eva-
certainly;
atra-
here;
pañcamam
-five.

TRANSLATION

O mighty-armed Arjuna, learn from Me of the five factors which bring about the accomplishment of all action. These are declared in sāṅkhya philosophy to be the place of action, the performer, the senses, the endeavor, and ultimately the Supersoul.

PURPORT

A question may be raised that since any activity performed must have some reaction, how is it that the person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not suffer or enjoy the reactions of work? The Lord is citing
Vedānta
philosophy to show how this is possible. He says that there are five causes for all activities and for success in all activity, and one should know these five causes.
Sāṅkhya
means the stalk of knowledge, and
Vedānta
is the final stalk of knowledge accepted by all leading
ācāryas.
Even Śaṅkara accepts
Vedānta-sūtra
as such. Therefore such authority should be consulted.

The ultimate will is invested in the Supersoul, as it is stated in the
Gītā, "sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi."
He is engaging everyone in certain activities. Acts done under His direction from within yield no reaction, either in this life or in the life after death.

The instruments of action are the senses, and by senses the soul acts in various ways, and for each and every action there is a different endeavor. But all one's activities depend on the will of the Supersoul, who is seated within the heart as a friend. The Supreme Lord is the super cause. Under these circumstances, he who is acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness under the direction of the Supersoul situated within the heart is naturally not bound by any activity. Those in complete Kṛṣṇa consciousness are not ultimately responsible for their actions. Everything is dependant on the supreme will, the Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Bg 18.15

TEXT 15

TEXT

śarīra-vāṅ-manobhir yat

karma prārabhate naraḥ

nyāyyaṁ vā viparītaṁ vā

pañcaite tasya hetavaḥ

SYNONYMS

śarīra-
body;
vāk-
speech;
manobhiḥ-
by the mind;
yat
-anything;
karma
-work;
prārabhate-
begins;
naraḥ-
a person;
nyāyyam
-right;
vā
-or;
viparītam-
the opposite;
vā
-or;
pañca-
five;
ete-
all these;
tasya-
its;
hetavaḥ-
causes.

TRANSLATION

Whatever right or wrong action a man performs by body, mind or speech is caused by these five factors.

PURPORT

The words "right" and "wrong" are very significant in this verse. Right work is work done in terms of the prescribed directions in the scriptures, and wrong work is work done against the principles of the scriptural injunctions. But whatever is done requires these five factors for its complete performance.

Bg 18.16

TEXT 16

TEXT

tatraivaṁ sati kartāram

ātmānaṁ kevalaṁ tu yaḥ

paśyaty akṛta-buddhitvān

na sa paśyati durmatiḥ

SYNONYMS

tatra-
there;
evam-
certainly;
sati-
being thus;
kartāram-
of the worker;
ātmānam-
the soul;
kevalam-
only;
tu-
but;
yaḥ-
anyone;
paśyati-
sees;
akṛta-buddhitvāt-
due to unintelligence;
na-
never;
saḥ-
he;
paśyati-
sees;
durmatiḥ-
foolish.

TRANSLATION

Therefore one who thinks himself the only doer, not considering the five factors, is certainly not very intelligent and cannot see things as they are.

PURPORT

A foolish person cannot understand that the Supersoul is sitting as a friend within and conducting his actions. Although the material causes are the place, the worker, the endeavor and the senses, the final cause is the Supreme, the Personality of Godhead. Therefore, one should see not only the four material causes, but the supreme efficient cause as well. One who does not see the Supreme thinks himself to be the instrument.

Bg 18.17

TEXT 17

TEXT

yasya nāhaṅkṛto bhāvo

buddhir yasya na lipyate

hatvāpi sa imāḹ lokān

na hanti na nibadhyate

SYNONYMS

yasya-
of one who;
na-
never;
ahaṅkṛtaḥ-
false ego;
bhāvaḥ-
nature;
buddhiḥ-
intelligence;
yasya-
one who;
na-
never;
lipyate-
is attached;
hatvā api-
even killing;
saḥ-
he;
imān-
this;
lokān-
world;
na-
never;
hanti-
kills;
na-
never;
nibadhyate-
becomes entangled.

TRANSLATION

One who is not motivated by false ego, whose intelligence is not entangled, though he kills men in this world, is not the slayer. Nor is he bound by his actions.

PURPORT

In this verse the Lord informs Arjuna that the desire not to fight arises from false ego. Arjuna thought himself to be the doer of action, but he did not consider the Supreme sanction within and without. If one does not know that a super sanction is there, why should he act? But one who knows the instrument of work, himself as the worker, and the Supreme Lord as the supreme sanctioner, is perfect in doing everything. Such a person is never in illusion. Personal activity and responsibility arise from false ego and godlessness, or a lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Anyone who is acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness under the direction of the Supersoul or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, even though killing, does not kill. Nor is he ever affected with the reaction of such killing. When a soldier kills under the command of a superior officer, he is not subject to be judged. But if a soldier kills on his own personal account, then he is certainly judged by a court of law.