CH 3, Verse 5

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Chapter 3

Verse 5

 

Na hi kashchit kshaNam api jaatu tishhThaty

akarma-kRit /

kaaryate hy avashaH karma sarvaH prakRitijair guNaiH

//

 

Verily, no one remains, even for a moment, without

doing actions. For, all are made to work, helplessly

indeed, by the Gunas (constituents) of Prakruti

(nature).

 

LESSONS FROM BHAGAVAD GITA – 17

As taught by Parama Pujya Sri Swamiji

Compiled by: Swami Dattananda

Bhakti Mala, September 1993

 

“Verily, no one remains, even for a moment, without

doing actions. For, all are made to work, helplessly

indeed, by the Gunas (constituents) of Prakruti

(nature)” (Chapter 3, Verse 5).

 

In the previous verse it is said that by abstaining

from work, no one can attain perfection. But is it

possible to give up work? No, is the answer. A man

may not work physically, but he may do tremendous work

through his mind. He may think of establishing a big

factory or business firm, or becoming a minister or a

doctor. He may plan to marry a rich man’s daughter

and become a cinema producer. So a lazy man may sit

in a corner of his room but thinking so many things in

his mind. Mental work is also a physical work.

 

The tendencies (Vasanas) formed in the mind of a man

by his prior life’s good as well as bad actions,

become his nature of Prakruti and he has no control

over it. In fact, he is a slave of it. Goaded by the

quality of those tendencies, which is his Prakruti, he

works. He is helpless, which means he has no choice

over his work. Even if he exercises his choice with

regard to his work, what he has chosen will be

according to his nature and capacity.

 

By merely giving up physical actions, no one can

attain the spiritual aim. When a man stops physical

actions his mental and intellectual actions continue.

His physical actions are in fact the grosser

expressions of the subtle actions of his mind. First,

the subtle actions of the mind begin and then these

subtle forms of action manifest themselves on the

physical level. So the idea that a man remains quiet

by mere external renunciation is wrong.

 

One’s Prakruti (Nature) is constituted of three Gunas

(Qualities.) They are Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas.

Sattva is the state of purity and strength, Rajas of

selfishness and actions, and Tamas of sloth and

inertia. One’s nature is determined by the

combination of these three constituents. In some

persons, Sattva may be dominating, in others Rajas

predominates and in some others Tamas. The man in

whom Sattva is predominant will be pious and selfless.

But that does not make him keep quiet. He may go on

giving advice to others. He may quote scriptures in

support of his ideas. He may also undertake some good

work. If he is a scholar, he will go on reading the

scriptural texts and explaining their meaning to

others. The other man, in whom Rajas predominates, is

full of selfish motives. He will be restless under

the impact of his desires. It will be impossible for

him to remain without doing work. He may do business.

He may run schools, colleges, and hospitals or some

industries. He may become a politician and try to

become a minister. He may also perform rituals and

pleasures or to get a name and fame and the man who is

full of Tamas is pleased with his aimless wanderings,

visiting gambling houses and other acts of similar

nature. This power of Prakruti makes man helpless and

compels him to do some kind of work or other. So

action cannot be avoided at all. The Lord, therefore,

says no one ever remains even for a moment without

action.

 

 

 

 

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