Third
Discourse – Yoga of Action
In
order to remove attachment which was the sole cause of Arjuna's delusion, Lord
Krishna taught him the imperishable nature of the Atman, the realisation of
which would grant him the freedom of the Eternal. A doubt therefore arises in
Arjuna's mind as to the necessity of engaging in action, even after one has
attained this state.
Lord
Krishna clears this doubt by telling him that although one has realised oneness
with the Eternal, one has to perform action through the force of Nature. He
emphasises that perfection is attained not by ceasing to engage in action, but
by doing all actions as a Divine offering, imbued with a spirit of
non-attachment and sacrifice. Action is necessary not only for one who has
attained perfection, but also for the one who is striving for perfection. One
needs to perform all action for the good of the world and education of the
masses, even though the man of God-vision has attained everything and is
continually ever absorbed in the Self.
Nature
of man is made up of three Gunas/qualities:
Sattwa
- Purity
Rajas- Passion
Tamas- Ignorance
The
Atman is beyond these three qualities and their functions. Only when knowledge
of this fact dawns on Man, does he attain perfection. The Lord tells Arjuna
that each one should do his duty according to his nature or temperament, in the
right spirit of detachment and devotion and then only will lead to perfection
and freedom.
Lord
Krishna explains that desire impels man to lose his discrimination and
understanding and thus commits wrong actions. Desire is the root cause of all
evil actions. If desire is removed, the “Divine Power” manifests in its full
glory and one can then enjoy peace, bliss, light and freedom.
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