अर्जुन उवाच
ज्यायसी चेत्कर्मणस्ते मता बुद्धिर्जनार्दन ।
तत्किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव ॥१॥
Chapter’s Name: Karma Yoga
In this chapter, the necessity of performing prescribed duties has been proved for various reasons and how each person should perform the prescribed duties for his varna and ashram, why should he do them, what is the harm in not doing them, what is the benefit in doing them, which tasks are the cause of bondage and which ones are helpful in liberation – etc. have been well understood.
Thus, in this chapter, the subject of Karmayoga has been described more in detail than in other chapters and other topics have been included very little. Whatever has been done, that too has been done briefly; hence this chapter has been named “Karma Yoga”.
Duty as Devotion: Walking the Path of Karma Yoga
In this world, everyone should perform their duties diligently without any selfish motive, whether he is a learned person, an ignorant person, or even an incarnation of God! Because the cycle of creation moves forward only by performing one’s duties.
Man neither attains success without starting work nor achieves success by abandoning work. Brahmaji told the people at the time of creation that you all should help each other through your respective duties, and uplift each other, and then you all will achieve the ultimate benefit.
The life of one who does not perform his duty according to the limits of the cycle of creation is useless in this world. Although there is no duty for God incarnated in human form in this material world, he still performs his duty diligently for the welfare of the people.
A wise great man should also perform his duty diligently for the welfare of the people. Even if a man dies while performing his duty selflessly, it is for his welfare.
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 Summary Verse Wise
Verses 1-2: Not understanding the intention of the Lord, Arjuna has, as it were, taunted the Lord and requested Him to tell him the means of his exclusive liberation.
Verse 3: While answering this, the Lord has described two faiths.
Verse 4: It has been proved that in any faith, it is not necessary to renounce actions.
Verse 5: It has been said that complete renunciation of actions even for a moment is impossible.
Verse 6: A person whose mind is attached to material enjoyment and who does not perform the actions of the senses only superficially is called a hypocrite.
Verse 7: He has praised the person who controls the senses with the mind and performs actions with the senses without attachment.
Verse 8-9: It has been said that performing actions (karma) is better than not performing actions and, by stating that survival of the body without actions is impossible, he has instructed to perform the prescribed actions with a selfless and detached attitude.
Verses 10-12: Due to the command of Prajapati, the non-doableness of actions has been proved.
Verse 13: All sins are destroyed by the food left over from yajna and those who do not perform yajna are declared sinners.
Verse 14-15: By describing the world cycle, the omnipresent God is declared to be eternally established in the form of yajna.
Verse 16: Those who do not behave according to that world cycle are condemned.
Verse 17-18: By stating the lack of duty for a self-centered knowledgeable great personality, their lack of purpose in doing or not doing karma is stated.
Verse 19: By proving the necessity of performing karma for the above reasons and by stating that the result of selfless karma is the attainment of God, Arjuna is ordered to perform karma without attachment.
Verse 20: By giving the proof of Janaka and others attaining success by performing karmas and by stating that it is necessary to perform karma for the welfare of the people, the significance of the welfare of the people is proved.
Verse 21: It has been said that people follow the conduct and teachings of a great person.
Verse 22-24: Giving his example, Lord Krishna has told the benefits of doing karma and the harm caused by not doing it.
Verses 25-26: It has been said that it is appropriate for a wise man to do karma himself and get others to do it for the welfare of the people.
Verses 27-28: The excellence of Sankhyayogi has been propounded as compared to the people who are engrossed in karma.
Verse 29: It has been said that a wise man should not disturb an ordinary man.
Verse 30: Arjun has been ordered to give up all hope, affection, and sorrow and fight with his intellect fixed on Lord.
Verse 31: It has been said that the devotees who follow that principle will be liberated.
Verse 32: It has been said that the downfall of the fault-finders who do not follow it will be revealed.
Verse 33: It has proved that all human beings are incapable of not acting according to their nature.
Verse 34: It has inspired people not to be under the influence of attachment and hatred.
Verse 35: One’s own prescribed duties have been described as beneficial and other’s prescribed duties as dreadful.
Verse 36: On Arjuna asking ‘Who makes a man commit sins’,
Verse 37: The enemy in the form of lust has been described as the root cause of all sinful acts.
Verses 38-41: It has been described as lust as intractable like fire and a great enemy covering knowledge and by describing its abode, it has been asked to destroy it with sensory control.
Verse 42: It has been described as the soul to be far superior to the senses, mind and intellect.
Verse 43: It has ended the chapter by giving orders to kill lust by controlling the mind with the intellect.
एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना ।
जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम् ॥४३॥
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