{"id":3183,"date":"2013-07-13T01:46:31","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:46:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=3183"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:46:31","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:46:31","slug":"16-the-gita-an-introduction-vol-writings-in-bengali-translation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/01-works-of-sri-aurobindo\/02-other-editions\/writings-in-bengali-translation\/16-the-gita-an-introduction-vol-writings-in-bengali-translation","title":{"rendered":"-16_The Gita An Introduction.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\n\n
\n

\nThe Gita: An Introduction <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n(These essays, originally written in Bengali, were
\npublished first in serial<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

\n formin the Weekly Review,
\n<\/i>Dharma, and later in a book entitled<\/i> Gitar <\/font><\/p>\n

\nBhumika. The book is divided into three sections. The
\nfirst of these sections<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

\n has been  translated here.The
\n<\/i>Dharma articles were published in 1909-10 <\/i> <\/font><\/p>\n

\nand
\nwere not revised since).<\/i> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nFOREWORD <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nThe Gita ranks first among the world’s scriptures. The
\nknowledge that has been briefly explained in the Gita is the
\nhighest and most secret knowledge. The law of right living,
\ndharma,,<\/i> propounded in the Gita includes within its scope
\nand is the basis of all other law of right living. The way of
\nworks shown in the Gita is the eternal path for the world’s
\nmarch to the heights. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThe Gita is as if the bottomless sea, the source of a myriad
\ngems. One may spend a whole life-time fathoming its depths
\nand still not touch the bottom or gauge how deep it is. One
\nmay search for a hundred years and still find it difficult to
\ngather even a hundredth part of the riches contained in this
\nendless store of gems. And yet, if one can recover one or
\ntwo of these gems, the poor man may become rich, the deep
\nthinker acquire wisdom, the hater of God become a devotee,
\nthe mighty and powerful hero of action come back to his field
\nof work fully equipped and ready for achieving his life’s
\npurpose. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-91<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nThe Gita is an inexhaustible mine of jewels. Even if the
\njewels are gathered from this mine for ages, the coming
\ngenerations will always be delighted and astonished by their
\nacquisitions of new and priceless ones. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nSuch is this Book, replete with deep and occult lore. And
\nyet the language is perfectly clear, the style is simple, the
\nsurface meaning easily grasped. By simply gliding along the
\nsurf of this bottomless\/sea without taking a deep plunge,
\nthere is a certain gain in strength and joy. By taking a walk
\naround the peripheries without entering the deep recesses of
\nthis mine illumined with jewels, there can be found strewn
\namong the grass bright jewels which will keep us rich
\nthroughout life. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThe Gita may well have a thousand commentaries, but a
\ntime will never come when a new one will not be needed.
\nThere can be no such world-renowned scholar or man of
\ndeep knowledge as can write a commentary on the Gita on
\nreading which we can say, this is enough, it will not now be
\nnecessary to add another commentary on the Gita, every-
\nthing has been grasped. After expending all our intellectual ^B ^
\npowers, we can hope to understand and explain only a few ¦H (l) facets of
\nthis knowledge. On being engrossed in Yoga or by 
\nrising from height to greater height on the way of desireless
\nworks, all we shall be able to say is that we have had
\nexperience of some of its truths, or have applied in the
\ncourse of this life one or two of the Gita’s teachings in actual
\npractice. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nWhatever little the present writer has realised in
\nexperience, whatever little he has practised in the way of works, the
\nmeaning he has found by reasoning and thought based on
\nthat experience and practice, to elucidate that as an aid to
\nothers will be the aim of these essays. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/font><\/p>\n

\nTHE SPEAKER<\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n In order to understand the meaning and object of the Gita,
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-92<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nit is at first necessary to consider the Speaker, the listener and the time and
\ncircumstance. The Speaker is Lord Sri Krishna; the listener is His friend Arjuna, the most heroic of "men; the circumstance is the prelude to the terrible slaughter of Kurukshetra. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThere are many who say that the Mahabharata is only a
\nsymbol; Sri Krishna is God, Arjuna the human soul, the sons
\nof Dhritarashtra the inner enemies of the soul’s progress, the
\nPandava army represents the forces that help towards liberation. This is to relegate the Mahabharata to a low position in
\nthe world of letters and at the same time to minimise and
\nbring to nought the deep seriousness of the Gita, its utility
\nfor the life of the man of action and its high teaching that
\nmakes for the progress of mankind. The war of Kurukshetra
\nis not simply a frame for the Gita picture; it is the prime
\nmotive and the best occasion for carrying out the law given in
\nthe Gita. To accept a symbolic meaning for the great war of
\nKurukshetra is to reduce the law of the Gita to a law of
\nascetic quietism inapplicable to life in this world, not a law of
\nthe heroic man, a law to be followed in life. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nSri Krishna is the speaker. The scriptures say that Sri
\nKrishna is God Himself. In the Gita too, Sri Krishna has
\nproclaimed Himself as God. It has there been declared, on
\nthe basis of the Avatara doctrine in the fourth chapter and
\nthe theory of the Vibhuti in the tenth, that God dwells
\nhidden in the bodies of all creatures, shows Himself to a
\ncertain extent through the manifestations of power in some
\nparticular beings, and is fully incarnated in the person of Sri
\nKrishna. According to many, Sri Krishna, Arjuna and
\nKurukshetra are mere metaphors, and in order to recover
\nthe true meaning of the Gita these metaphors are to be
\nignored. But we cannot reject this part of the teaching. If the
\nAvatara doctrine is there, why should Sri Krishna be
\nignored? Therefore, God Himself is the propounder of this
\nknowledge and the teaching. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-93<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nSri Krishna is an Avatara. He has accepted in human form
\nthe law of man’s body and mind and spirit and has played his
\ngame, \/f\/a, accordingly. If we can grasp the obvious and the
\noccult meaning of that play, we shall be able to grasp the
\nmeaning, the aim and the method of this world-game .The
\nmain feature of this great game was action impelled by total
\nknowledge. What was the knowledge underlying that action
\nand that play has been revealed in the Gita. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nSri Krishna of the Mahabharata is a hero of action, a great
\nyogin, a great man of the world, a founder of empire,
\nstatesman and warrior, a knower of brahman<\/i> in the body of a
\nKshatriya. In his life we see an incomparable manifestation
\nand mysterious play of the Supreme Power, mahdsakti.<\/i>
\n<\/b>of
\n<\/b>that mystery, the Gita is an explanation. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nSri Krishna is Lord of the worlds, universal Vasudeva; and
\nyet, by shrouding His greatness he has entered into play by
\nestablishing with men relations like those of father and son,
\nbrother and husband, intimate associate and friend and
\nenemy. In His life is implied the supreme secret of the Aryan
\nknowledge and the highest meaning of the way of devotion.
\nTheir essential principles are also part of the Gita’s teaching.
\nSri Krishna’s incarnation is at the juncture of the Dwapara
\nand the Kali age. In each of the evolutionary cycles, kalpa,
\n<\/i>God incarnates in full at such junctures. The Kali age is the
\nworst as well as the best among the four epochs. This age is
\nthe reign period of Kali, the impeller of sin and the principal
\nenemy of man’s progress; the utmost degradation and down-
\nfall of man occur during Kali’s reign. But there is a gain in
\nstrength by fighting against obstacles and new creation
\ncomes through destruction of the old; this process is seen in
\nthe Kali age too. The elements of evil that are going to be
\ndestroyed in the course of the world’s evolution are precisely
\nthe ones that are eliminated through an inordinate growth; <\/font><\/p>\n

\non the other hand, seeds of new creation are sown and <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-94<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nsprout, these seeds become trees in the Satya age that
\nfollows. Moreover, as in astrology all the planets enjoy their
\nsub-periods in the period of a particular planet, so, in the
\nperiod of Kali, each of the four ages, Satya, Treta, Dwapara
\nand Kali repeatedly enjoys its sub-period. Through this
\ncyclic movement, there is in the Kali age a great downfall
\nfollowed by an upward trend, another great downfall and
\nagain an upward surge; these serve the purposes of God. At
\nthe juncture of Dwapara and Kali, God through His incarnation allows an inordinate growth of evil. destroys the evil,
\nsows the seeds of good and prepares favourable conditions
\nfor their sprouting; then begins the period of Kali. Sri
\nKrishna has left in the Gita the secret knowledge and the
\nmethod of work that would be useful for bringing in the age
\nof Truth, satyayuga.<\/i> When the time comes for the Satya subperiod of Kali, the world-wide propagation of the law of the
\nGita is inevitable. That time is now come, that is why the
\nrecognition of the Gita, instead of being confined to a few men of wisdom and
\nlearning, is spreading among the generality of men and in foreign lands. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nTherefore it is not possible to distinguish Sri Krishna the
\nSpeaker from His Word, the Gita. Sri Krishna is implied in <\/font><\/p>\n

\nthe Gita, the Gita is Sri Krishna in His form of the Word. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nTHE LISTENER  <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nThe recipient of the knowledge given in the Gita is the
\nmighty hero, Arjuna, son of the great god Indra and the best
\nof the Pandavas. Just as it is difficult to discover the aim of
\nthe Gita and its hidden meaning by ignoring the Speaker,
\nsimilarly that meaning would suffer by ignoring the listener. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nArjuna is Sri Krishna’s intimate associate. Those who are
\nSri Krishna’s contemporaries and have come down to the
\nsame field of work establish various kinds of relations with <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-95<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nthe Supreme Purushottama in human form, in accordance
\nwith their respective capacity and previous acts. Uddhava is
\nSri Krishna’s devotee, Satyaki is a faithful follower and
\ncompanion, king Yudhisthira is a relative and friend who is
\nmoved by His counsel, but none could establish with Sri
\nKrishna a relation as intimate as Arjuna. All the close and
\nendearing relations possible between two men of the same
\nage were present in the case of Sri Krishna and Arjuna.
\nArjuna is Sri Krishna’s brother, His closest friend, and
\nhusband of His sister Subhadra dear to Him as His own
\nheart. In the fourth chapter the Lord has pointed to this
\nintimacy as the reason for choosing Arjuna as the one person
\nfit to hear the supreme secret of the Gita:<\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/font><\/p>\n

\nsa evāyam maya te’dya yogah proktah  purātanah <\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

\nbhakto’si me sakhā ceti rahasyam hyetaduttamam<\/i> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n"I have revealed this old and forgotten yoga to you this day,
\nbecause you are my intimate friend and devotee; for this
\nyoga is the best and the ultimate secret of the world." In
\nchapter eighteen too, there has been a repetition of this
\nstatement while explaining the keynote of Karmayoga which
\nis as if the pivotal point of the Gita: <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nsarva-guhyatamam bhūyah Srnu me paramam vacah<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

\n isto’si me drdhamiti tato vaksydmi te hitam<\/i> <\/font><\/p>\n

\n"Once again you listen to my supreme Word, the most secret
\nof all. You are extremely dear to me, therefore I shall speak
\nto you about this, the best of all paths." These two verses are
\nin their substance on the lines of the Vedic scriptures, as for
\nexample, the Katha Upanishad, which says: <\/font><\/p>\n

\nnāyamātma pravacanena labhyo<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

\n na medhayā na bahunā śrutena<\/i> <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-96<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nyameva esa vrnute tena labhyas\u2014
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\ntasyaisa ātmā vrnute tanum svam <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n"This Supreme Self is not to be won through the philosopher’s commentary, nor by brain-power, nor again through
\na wide knowledge of scripture. He alone can win Him who is
\nchosen by God; to him alone this Supreme Self reveals His
\nown body." Therefore, it is he who is capable of establishing
\nwith God sweet relations like those of friendship and the rest
\nthat is the fit recipient of the knowledge given in the Gita. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThis implies another thing of great importance. God chose
\nArjuna because he embodied in himself both devotee and
\nfriend. There are many kinds of devotees. Normally, a
\ndevotee brings to mind a teacher-disciple relationship. Love
\nis no doubt there behind such devotion, but ordinarily
\nobedience, respect and a blind devotedness are its special
\ncharacteristics. But friend does not show respect to friend.
\nThey joke and play and have fun together, use endearing
\nterms; for the sake of the play they may taunt and even show
\ndisrespect, use abusive language, make undue demands on
\neach other. Friend is not always obedient to friend; and even
\nthough one may act according to a friend’s advice out of
\nadmiration for his deep wisdom and sincere goodwill, that is
\nnot done blindly. One argues with him, expresses doubts, at
\ntimes even protests against his views. The first lesson in the
\nrelation of friends is the giving up of all fear; to give up all
\noutward show of respect is its second lesson; love is its first
\nand last word. He is the fit recipient of the knowledge given
\nin the Gita who understands this world-movement as a sweet
\nand mysterious game full of love and bliss, elects God as his
\nplaymate and can bind Him to himself in a tie of friendship.
\nHe is the fit recipient of the knowledge given in the Gita who
\nrealises the greatness and the power of God, the depth of His
\nawfulness and even His awfulness, and yet is not overwhelmed and plays with Him without fear and with a smiling face. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-97<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nThe relationship of friendship may include as part of the
\ngame all other kinds of relationship. The teacher-disciple
\nrelation\u2014if based on friendship becomes a very sweet one;<\/font><\/p>\n

such precisely was the relation which Arjuna established with
\nSri Krishna at the commencement of the Gita’s discourse.
\n"You are my best well-wisher and friend, in whom else shall
\nI take refuge? I have lost my power of thought, I am
\nfrightened by the weight of responsibility, I am swayed by
\ndoubts as to what I should do, overwhelmed by acute sorrow.
\nYou save me, give me advice. I leave in your hands all
\nresponsibility for my weal in this world and beyond." In this
\nspirit did Arjuna approach- the Friend and Helper of
\nmankind with the object of receiving knowledge. The relation of mother and child too becomes part of friendship. One
\nolder in age and superior in wisdom loves a younger and less
\nenlightened friend as a mother does, gives him protection
\nand care, always holds him in his lap and saves him from
\ndanger and evil. Sri Krishna manifests his side of motherly
\nlove as well to one who establishes friendship with Him.
\nFriendship may bring with it not only the depths of motherly
\nlove but also the keenness and acute joy of married love.
\nFriends crave each other’s companionship always, pine at
\nseparation, are delighted at the endearing touch, and feel a
\njoy in even giving up one’s life for the other’s sake. The
\nrelation of service too becomes very sweet when it forms part
\nof friendship. As has been said above, the more the endearing relationships one can establish with the Supreme God-
\nhead, the more docs the friendship blossom, the more does
\none gain in capacity to receive the knowledge of the Gita.<\/font><\/p>\n

\nArjuna, the friend of Krishna, is the principal actor in the
\nMahabharata; in the Gita the teaching about the yoga of
\nworks is the primary teaching. Knowledge, devotion and 
\nworks, these three paths are not mutually contradictory. In
\nthe path of works, to do works founded on knowledge and in<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-98<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nthe power given by devotion, to act for the purpose of God,
\nat His bidding and in union with Him, this is the teaching of
\nthe Gita. Those who are frightened by the sorrows of the
\nworld, tormented by the distaste for life, vairagya,<\/i> those who
\nhave lost interest in this play of God, are desirous of hiding
\nthemselves in the lap of Infinity and leave this play, theirs is a
\ndifferent path. No such feeling or desire was there in Arjuna,
\nthe mighty warrior and the bravest of heroic men. Sri
\nKrishna has not revealed this supreme secret to a quiet
\nascetic or wise philosopher, has not elected any Brahmin
\nvowed to non-violence as the recipient of this teaching; a
\nKshatriya warrior of tremendous might and prowess was
\nconsidered to be the fit receptacle for obtaining this incom-
\nparable knowledge. He alone is capable of entry into the
\ndeepest secrets of this teaching who can remain undisturbed
\nby victories or defeats in the battle of life. This Self is not to
\nbe won by one who lacks in strength: nāyam-ātmā bala-hīnena labhyah.<\/i> He alone who cherishes an aspiration to find
\nGod in preference to a desire for liberation, mumuksutva,
\n<\/i>can have a taste of the proximity of God, realise himself as
\neternally free in his true nature, and will be capable of
\nrejecting the desire for liberation as being the last resort of
\nthe Ignorance. He alone is capable of passing beyond the
\nmodes of Nature, gunātita,<\/i> who after rejecting the tamasic
\nand rajasic forms of egoism is unwilling to remain bound
\neven by an egoism of the sattwic type. Arjuna has fulfilled
\nhis rajasic propensities by following the law of the Kshatriya,
\nand has, at the same time, given the power of rajas<\/i> a turn
\ntowards sattva,<\/i> by accepting the sattwic ideal. Such a person
\nis an excellent receptacle for the Gita’s teaching.<\/font><\/p>\n

\nArjuna was not the best among his great contemporaries.
\nIn spiritual knowledge, Vyasa was the greatest; in all kinds of<\/font><\/p>\n

 worldly knowledge of that epoch, Bhishmawasthe best; in
\nthe thirst for knowledge king Dhritarashtra and Vidura led<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-99<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nthe rest; in saintliness and sattwic qualities Yudhishthira was
\nthe best; in devotion there was none equal to Uddhava and
\nAlaura,his eldest brother Kama, the mighty warrior led in
\ninborn strength and murage.. And yet, it was Arjuna whom
\nthe Lord of the worlds elected; it was in his hands that He
\nplaced divine weapons like the Gandiva bow and gave to him
\neternal victory; it was through him that thousands upon
\nthousands of India’s world-renowned fighters were made to
\nfall; and he founded for Yudhishthira his undisputed empire
\nas a gift of Arjuna’s prowess. Above all, it was Arjuna whom
\nHe decided as being the one fit recipient of the supreme
\nknowledge given in the Gita. It was Arjuna alone who is the-
\nhero and the principal actor in the Mahabharata, every
\nsection of that poem proclaims the fame and the glory of him
\nalone. This is no undue partiality on the part of the Supreme
\nDivine or of the great Vyasa, the author of the Mahabharata.
\nThis high position derives from complete faith and self-
\nsurrender. He who surrenders to the Supreme with complete
\nfaith and dependence and without making any claims, all
\nresponsibility for his own good or harm, weal or woe, virtue
\nor sin; he who wants to act according to His behests instead
\nof being attached to works dear to his own heart; who
\naccepts the impulsions received from Him instead of satisfying his own propensities; who puts to use in His work the
\nqualities and inspirations given by Him instead of eagerly
\nhugging at the qualities admired by himself\u2014it is that
\nselfless and faithful Karmayogin who becomes the Supreme’s
\ndearest friend and the best vehicle of His Power; through
\nhim is accomplished flawlessly a stupendous work for the
\nworld. Muhammad, the founder of Islam, was a supreme
\nyogin of this type. Arjuna too was ever on the alert to make
\nan effort at this self-surrender; this effort was the cause of Sri
\nKrishna’s love and satisfaction. He alone who makes a
\nserious effort at self-surrender is the best fitted to receive the<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-100<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nGita’s teaching. Sri Krishna becomes his Teacher and Friend
\nand takes over all responsibility for him in this world and in
\nthe next.<\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nTHE CIRCUMSTANCE <\/b><\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nIn order to understand fully the motives and causes of the
\nacts and words of a man, it is necessary to know under what
\ncircumstances the acts were done or the words spoken.
\nWhen at the start of the great war of Kurukshetra the
\nexchange of missiles had begun, pravrtte śastra-sampāte<\/i> ,it
\nwas at that moment that the Lord revealed the Gita. To
\nmany this has occasioned surprise and annoy annoyance; they say it
\nmust have been due to the author’s carelessness or faulty
\nintelligence. But in actual fact, Sri Krishna revealed the
\nknowledge contained in the Gita, at that particular moment
\nand in that situation to a person in that frame of mind, with
\nfull knowledge of the time, place and circumstance.<\/font><\/p>\n

\nThe time was at the commencement of the war. Those who
\nhave not developed or put to a test their heroic qualities or
\nstrength in a mighty flood of action can never be fit to receive
\nthe knowledge given in the Gita. Moreover those who have
\nembarked on a great and difficult endeavour, an endeavour
\nwhich automatically gives rise to many obstacles and obstructions, many enmities, fears of many setbacks, when in the
\ncourse of that great endeavour there is acquired a divide
\nstrength, to them at that moment in order to take the
\nendeavour to its final conclusion, for the successful carrying
\nout of the divine’s work is this knowledge revealed. The Gita
\nlays down in the Yoga of works the foundations of the path
\nto God. It is through works done with faith and devotion that (
\nknowledge is born. Therefore the traveller on the path 
\nindicated by the Gita does not leave the path and have the
\nvision of God in a remote and quiet hermitage or hill or in a<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-101<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nsecluded spot; that heavenly Light illumines the world for
\nhim, that sweet and powerful Word comes within his hear-
\ning, all of a sudden in midway, amidst the noise and bustle of
\nworks.<\/font><\/p>\n

\nThe place was a battlefield, between two armies where
\nmissiles were flying. To those who travel on this path, take
\nthe lead in works of this nature, often the realisation, yoga-
\nsiddhi,<\/i> comes and the supreme knowledge dawns, all of a
\nsudden at a critical and momentous hour which determines
\nthe march of destiny in this direction or that, depending on
\nthe nature of their acts. That knowledge is no bar to action , it
\nis intimately connected with action. It is no doubt true that \u00bb
\nknowledge also dawns in meditation, in loneliness, when one ‘
\nturns back on one’s self; that is why the sages love to be
\nalone. But the traveller on the path of the Gita’s Yoga can so
\ndivide his instruments of mind, life and body that he
\nexperiences loneliness in the midst of a crowd, peace amidst
\nnoise, supreme repose while engaged in a whirl of activities.
\nHe does not regulate the inner being by outward circum-
\nstances, he controls the outer by the inner state. The
\nordinary Yogin is afraid of life, he escapes from it and takes
\nto Yoga in the shelter and protection of an Ashram. Life
\nitself is the Ashram for the Karmayogin. The ordinary Yogin
\ndesires an outward peace and silence, a disturbance of the
\npeace impedes his inner askesis. The Karmayogin enjoys a
\nvast peace and silence within; this state becomes deeper in
\nthe midst of external noise; any external disturbance does
\nnot harm that inner askesis, it remains undisturbed. People
\nsay, how was the Sri Krishna-Arjuna dialogue possible in the
\nmiddle of armies going in for battle? The answer is, it was
\npossible through the power of Yoga. Through that power of
\nYoga, amidst the din of battle, at one particular spot, with
\nSri Krishna and Arjuna peace reigned within and without;<\/font><\/p>\n

the noise of war could not affect these two. In this is implied
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-102<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nanother spiritual teaching applicable to works. Those who
\npractise the Gita’s yoga are the most capable workers and yet
\nremain unattached to their work. Right in the midst of their
\nwork they may hear the inner call of the Self, desist from the
\nwork and plunge themselves in yoga and do the inner
\naskesis. They know that the work is God’s, the fruit is His,
\nwe are instruments; hence they have no anxiety about the
\nfruit of their work. They also know that the inner call comes
\nfor facilitating the yoga of works, for an improvement in the
\nworking, for the increase of knowledge and power. Therefore they do not fear to desist from their work; they know
\nthat in the spiritual effort there can never be an unnecessary
\nwaste of time.<\/font><\/p>\n

\nThe attitude of Arjuna comes from a rising of the last
\ndoubts of the Karmayogin. There are many who, perplexed
\nby world-problems, the problem of suffering and pleasure,
\nthe problem of sin and virtue, declare an escape or flight as
\nthe only pathway to the good, and proclaim the virtues of an
\nascetic withdrawal from life, vairava<\/i> and the renunciation
\nof works. Lord Buddha has taught that the world is impermanent and full of suffering, and has shown the way to
\nattaining Nirvana. Others like Jesus and Tolstoy have been
\nstaunchly opposed to war which has been the ancient law of
\nthe world and to the system of marriage which maintains the
\ncontinuity of humankind. The ascetics say, work itself is the
\nproduct of ignorance, reject ignorance, reject all work, be
\nquiet and actionless. The Advaitin says, the world is false,
\nutterly false, merge yourself in Brahman<\/i> Then why this
\nworld? Why this life? If God exists, then why does He
\nundertake this useless meaningless labour like that of an
\nimmature boy? Why did He start this arid joke? If the Self
\nalone exists, if the world is nothing but an illusion, why again
\ndoes this Self impose this ugly dream on its pure existence?
\nThe atheist says, there is neither God nor Self, there is only<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-103<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nthe blind action pf a blind force  But what kind of view is
\nthat? Whose is this force, from where is it born, and why
\nagain is it blind and insane ? No one has been able to give a
\nsatisfactory answer to these questions, neither the Christian 
\nnor the Buddhist, nor the Advaitin, the atheist or scientists
\nAll are silent on these points and are at the same time eager
\nto shirk the issue by evading the question. Only the Upanishads and the Gita following their line have been unwilling
\nto shirk the issue in this way. That is why the Gita has been
\nchanted during the war of Kurukshetra. Acts terribly worldly
\n\u2014the killing of one’s teachers and brothers and kin\u2014
\nthese were the objects of the war. At the commencement of
\nthat war which destroyed thousands of creatures, Arjurta
\nthrows away the divine bow from his hands knowing not
\nwhat to do, says in a pitiable tone:<\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\ntat kim karmani ghore māin niyojayasi Keśava <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n"Then why do you engage me in this terrible work?" In
\nanswer there arises, amidst the din of battle, in tones of
\nthunder, the mighty song uttered by the mouth of God: <\/font><\/p>\n

\nkuru karmaiva tasmāt tvam pūrvaih purvataram
\nkrtam <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nyogasthah kuru karmani sangam tyaktvā dhananjaya <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nbuddhiyukto jahātīha ubhe sukrtaduskrte<\/font><\/p>\n

\n tasmād yogāya yujyasva yogah karmasu kauśalam <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nasakto hyācaran karma param āpnoti pūrusah <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nmayi sarvāni karmāni samnyasyādhyātmacetasā<\/font><\/p>\n

\n nirāsśirnirmamo bhūtvā yuddhyasva vigatajvarah<\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nPage-104<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\ngatasangasya muktasya jnānāvasthitacetasah<\/font><\/p>\n

\n yajnāyācaratah karma samagram pravilīyate <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\najnānenā vrtam jnānam tena muhyanti jantavah<\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/font><\/p>\n

\nbhoktāram yajnatapasām sarvalokamaheśvaram <\/font><\/p>\n

\nsuhrdam sarvabhutdndm jndtvd mam sdntim rcchati <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nmayā hatdmstvam jahi mā vyathisthā<\/font><\/p>\n

\n yuddhyasva jetāsi rane sapatnān <\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nyasya nāhamkrto bhāvo buddhiryasya na lipyate<\/font><\/p>\n

\n hatvāpi sa imānlokān na hanti na nibadhyate<\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n  "Therefore you go on doing works; the kind of work your
\nancestors have been doing, that work you too have to
\nperform…. Do works in a state of union with the Divine, by
\ngiving up attachment…. He whose will and intelligence are
\nfixed in yoga passes beyond virtue and sin in the field of work
\nitself. Therefore strive for the yoga, yoga is the best means to
\nwork…. If a man works in a spirit of detachment, he will
\ncertainly find God…. With a heart filled with knowledge,
\nentrust to Me all your works; get rid of sorrow by giving up
\ndesire and by rejecting egoism; enter the fray…. He who has
\nno attachments left and is free, whose mind lives always in
\nknowledge, he who does works for the sake of sacrifice, all the
\nworks of such a man instead of being a cause of bondage at
\nonce get completely dissolved in Me…. The knowledge that
\nlies hidden within all creatures is covered up by ignorance.
\nThat is why they fall into delusion by creating the dualities like
\njoy and sorrow, sin and virtue…. A supreme peace can be
\nobtained by knowing Me as the Lord of all the worlds, the
\nenjoyer of all kinds of works like sacrifice and askesis, and the
\nfriend and beloved of all beings…. It is I who have killed your<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-105<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nenemies, you destroy them as a mere instrument, do not
\ngrieve; get into the fight, you will conquer the adversary in
\nwar…. He who has an inner being free from egoism, whose
\nwill and intelligence remain unattached even if he destroys
\nthe whole world, still he does not kill, does not undergo any
\nbondage of sin…"<\/font><\/p>\n

\nThere is no sign here of an evasion of the question, of
\nshirking the issue. The issue has been set forth in clear terms.
\nWhat is God, what is the world, what is life, what is the way
\nto right living? These questions have been answered by the
\nGita in brief. And yet the Gita’s aim is not to teach
\nascencism but to teach the way of works. Herein lies the
\nuniversal utility of the Gita.<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-106<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Gita: An Introduction   (These essays, originally written in Bengali, were published first in serial  formin the Weekly Review, Dharma, and later in a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-writings-in-bengali-translation","wpcat-64-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3183","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3183"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3183\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}