Guest guest Posted May 25, 2002 Report Share Posted May 25, 2002 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. - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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