Gita shloka 3.9, WORK WILL CAUSE BONDAGE UNLESS MEANT FOR KRSNA,15th June

Gita shloka 3.9, 15th June

TRANSLATION

WORK DONE AS A SACRIFICE FOR VISNU HAS TO BE PERFORMED, OTHERWISE WORK BINDS ONE TO THIS MATERIAL WORLD. THEREFORE, O SON OF KUNTI, PERFORM YOUR PRESCRIBED DUTIES FOR HIS SATISFACTION, AND IN THAT WAY YOU WILL ALWAYS REMAIN UNATTACHED AND FREE FROM BONDAGE.

PURPORT

SINCE ONE HAS TO WORK EVEN FOR THE SIMPLE MAINTENANCE OF THE BODY, THE PRESCRIBED DUTIES FOR A PARTICULAR SOCIAL POSITION AND QUALITY ARE SO MADE THAT THAT PURPOSE CAN BE FULFILLED.

YAJNA MEANS LORD VISNU, OR SACRIFICIAL PERFORMANCES.

ALL SACRIFICIAL PERFORMANCES ALSO ARE MEANT FOR THE SATISFACTION OF LORD VISNU.

The Vedas enjoin: yajno vai visnuh.

IN OTHER WORDS, THE SAME PURPOSE IS SERVED WHETHER ONE PERFORMS PRESCRIBED YAJNAS OR DIRECTLY SERVES LORD VISNU.

KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS IS THEREFORE PERFORMANCE OF YAJNA AS IT IS PRESCRIBED IN THIS VERSE.

THE VARNASRAMA INSTITUTION ALSO AIMS AT THIS FOR SATISFYING LORD VISNU.

"Varnasramacara-vata purusena parah puman/visnur aradhyate..." (Visnu Purana 3.8.8) THEREFORE ONE HAS TO WORK FOR THE SATISFACTION OF VISNU.

ANY OTHER WORK DONE IN THIS MATERIAL WORLD WILL BE A CAUSE OF BONDAGE, FOR BOTH GOOD AND EVIL WORK HAVE THEIR REACTIONS, AND ANY REACTION BINDS THE PERFORMER.

THEREFORE, ONE HAS TO WORK IN KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS TO SATISFY KRSNA (OR VISNU); AND WHILE PERFORMING SUCH ACTIVITIES ONE IS IN A LIBERATED STAGE.

THIS IS THE GREAT ART OF DOING WORK, AND IN THE BEGINNING THIS PROCESS REQUIRES VERY EXPERT GUIDANCE.

ONE SHOULD THEREFORE ACT VERY DILIGENTLY, UNDER THE EXPERT GUIDANCE OF A DEVOTEE OF LORD KRSNA, OR UNDER THE DIRECT INSTRUCTION OF LORD KRSNA HIMSELF (UNDER WHOM ARJUNA HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK).

NOTHING SHOULD BE PERFORMED FOR SENSE GRATIFICATION, BUT EVERYTHING SHOULD BE DONE FOR THE SATISFACTION OF KRSNA.

THIS PRACTICE WILL NOT ONLY SAVE ONE FROM THE REACTION OF WORK, BUT WILL ALSO GRADUALLY ELEVATE ONE TO TRANSCENDENTAL LOVING SERVICE OF THE LORD, WHICH ALONE CAN RAISE ONE TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

 

Gita shloka 3.8, ONE MUST DO ONE'S PRESCRIBED DUTY, 14th June

Gita shloka 3.8

TRANSLATION

PERFORM YOUR PRESCRIBED DUTY, FOR ACTION IS BETTER THAN INACTION. A MAN CANNOT EVEN MAINTAIN HIS PHYSICAL BODY WITHOUT WORK.

PURPORT

There are many pseudo-meditators who misrepresent themselves as belonging to high parentage, and great professional men who falsely pose that they have sacrificed everything for the sake of advancement in spiritual life.

Lord Krsna did not want Arjuna to become a pretender, but that he perform his prescribed duties as set forth for ksatriyas.

Arjuna was a householder and a military general, and therefore it was better for him to remain as such and perform his religious duties as prescribed for the householder ksatriya.

Such activities gradually cleanse the heart of a mundane man and free him from material contamination.

SO-CALLED RENUNCIATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAINTENANCE IS NEVER APPROVED BY THE LORD, NOR BY ANY RELIGIOUS SCRIPTURE.

AFTER ALL, ONE HAS TO MAINTAIN ONE'S BODY AND SOUL TOGETHER BY SOME WORK.

WORK SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN UP CAPRICIOUSLY, WITHOUT PURIFICATION OF MATERIALISTIC PROPENSITIES.

ANYONE WHO IS IN THE MATERIAL WORLD IS CERTAINLY POSSESSED OF THE IMPURE PROPENSITY FOR LORDING IT OVER MATERIAL NATURE, OR, IN OTHER WORDS, FOR SENSE GRATIFICATION.

SUCH POLLUTED PROPENSITIES HAVE TO BE CLEARED.

WITHOUT DOING SO, THROUGH PRESCRIBED DUTIES, ONE SHOULD NEVER ATTEMPT TO BECOME A SO-CALLED TRANSCENDENTALIST, RENOUNCING WORK AND LIVING AT THE COST OF OTHERS.

 

Gita shloka 3.7, WHO ENGAGES IN WORKS OF DEVOTION, WITHOUT ATTACHMENT, IS SUPERIOR, 13th June

Gita shloka 3.7

TRANSLATION

ON THE OTHER HAND, HE WHO CONTROLS THE SENSES BY THE MIND AND ENGAGES HIS ACTIVE ORGANS IN WORKS OF DEVOTION, WITHOUT ATTACHMENT, IS BY FAR SUPERIOR.

PURPORT

Instead of becoming a pseudo-transcendentalist for the sake of wanton living and sense enjoyment, IT IS FAR BETTER TO REMAIN IN ONE'S OWN BUSINESS AND EXECUTE THE PURPOSE OF LIFE, WHICH IS TO GET FREE FROM MATERIAL BONDAGE AND ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

The prime svartha-gati, or GOAL OF SELF-INTEREST, IS TO REACH VISNU.

The whole institution of varna and asrama is designed to help us reach this goal of life.

A householder can also reach this destination by regulated service in Krsna consciousness.

For self-realization, one can live a controlled life, as prescribed in the sastras, and continue carrying out his business without attachment, and in that way make progress.

Such a sincere person who follows this method is far better situated than the false pretender who adopts show-bottle spiritualism to cheat the innocent public.

A sincere sweeper in the street is far better than the charlatan meditator who meditates only for the sake of making a living.