Verses 2.39–2.46
एषा तेऽभिहिता साङ्ख्ये बुद्धिर्योगे त्विमां शृणु | बुद्ध्या युक्तो यया पार्थ कर्मबन्धं प्रहास्यसि
eṣā tebhihitā sānkhye buddhiryoge tvimāṁ śṛṇu / buddhyā yukto yayā pārtha karmabandhaṁ prahāsyasi / / 2.39
Thus far, what has been taught to you concerns the wisdom of Sāṅkhya. Now, listen to the wisdom of yoga [buddhiyoga]. Having known this, O Pārtha, you shall cast off the bonds of action.
नेहाभिक्रमनाशोऽस्ति प्रत्यवायो न विद्यते | स्वल्पमप्यस्य धर्मस्य त्रायते महतो भयात्
nehābhikrama-nāśo ’sti pratyavāyo na vidyate / svalpamapyasya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt / / 2.40
There is no wasted effort or dangerous effect in this path of yoga. Even a little knowledge of this, even a little practice of this dharma, protects and releases one from very great fear.
व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिरेकेह कुरुनन्दन | बहुशाखा ह्यनन्ताश्च बुद्धयोऽव्यवसायिनाम्
vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kurunandana / bahuśākhā hyanantāś ca buddhayovyavasāyinām / / 2.41
Joy of the Kurus, on this path (of yoga), the intelligence is resolute with a single-pointed determination. Thoughts of the irresolute are many, branched and endlsess.
यामिमां पुष्पितां वाचं प्रवदन्त्यविपश्चित: | वेदवादरता: पार्थ नान्यदस्तीति वादिन:
yāmimāṁ puṣpitāṁ vācaṁ pravadantyavipaścitaḥ / vedavādaratāḥ pārtha nānyadastīti vādinaḥ / / 2.42
Men of little knowledge, who are very much attached toeulogizing the flowery words of the Vedas, O Pārtha, argue that, ‘there is nothing else’; these advocates of Vedas (vādīna) look upon and recommend various fruitful actions for elevation to heavenly planets, resulting in high birth, power, and so forth.Thus being desirous of sense gratification and opulent life, they say that there is nothing more than this to living.
कामात्मान: स्वर्गपरा जन्मकर्मफलप्रदाम् | क्रियाविशेषबहुलां भोगैश्वर्यगतिं प्रति
kāmātmānaḥ svargaparā janmakarmaphalapradām / kriyā-viśeṣa-bahulāṁ bhogaiśvarya-gatiṁ prati / / 2.43
Men of little knowledge, who are very much attached toeulogizing the flowery words of the Vedas, O Pārtha, argue that, ‘there is nothing else’; these advocates of Vedas (vādīna) look upon and recommend various fruitful actions for elevation to heavenly planets, resulting in high birth, power, and so forth.Thus being desirous of sense gratification and opulent life, they say that there is nothing more than this to living.
भोगैश्वर्यप्रसक्तानां तयापहृतचेतसाम् | व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धि: समाधौ न विधीयते
bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ tayāpahṛtacetasām / vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ samādhau na vidhīyate / / 2.44
Those whose minds are attached to sense pleasures and lordship, who are diverted by such teachings, for them, the determination for steady meditation and samādhi, fixed intelligence does not happen.
त्रैगुण्यविषया वेदा निस्त्रैगुण्यो भवार्जुन | निर्द्वन्द्वो नित्यसत्वस्थो निर्योगक्षेम आत्मवान्
traiguṇyaviṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna / nirdvandvo nityas-attva-stho niryogakṣema ātmavān / / 2.45
O Arjuna! Be you above the three guṇas (attributes) that the Vedas deal in: free yourself from the pairs-of-opposites and be always in satva (goodness), free from all thoughts of acquisition (yoga) or preservation (kṣema), and be established in the Self.
यावानर्थ उदपाने सर्वत: सम्प्लुतोदके | तावान्सर्वेषु वेदेषु ब्राह्मणस्य विजानत:
yāvānartha udapāne sarvataḥ saṁplutodake / tāvānsarveṣu vedeṣu brāhmaṇasya vijānataḥ / / 2.46
The Brāhmaṇa (sage), who has known the Self, has little use for the vedic scriptures, as these are like a pool of water in a place that is already in flood, overflowing with a great water reservoir.
Kṛṣṇa begins His teachings of karma yoga to Arjuna in these verses. These verses should be read carefully by those who believe solely in scriptural authority, based on their superficial understanding of what has been said. Kṛṣṇa unequivocally says here, ‘Forget the Vedas.’ He says, ‘All the knowledge contained in the Vedas is of as much use as water in a flood to one who has realized himself. The Vedas are limiting; they concern the three attributes, satva, rajas and tamas, the attributes of calmness, aggressive action and lazy inaction. The time has come now to move beyond these attributes; at least move from rajas into the state of satva, calmness.’
‘Do not quote to Me what the scriptures say,’ Kṛṣṇa says. He continues, ‘Do not tell me about what you should do and should not do through rituals and practices that will please the deities and ancestors so that you will benefit materially in this life, and spiritually in some after-life. All this is for people with limited understanding of their own Self, who have not experienced the Truth, who still hanker for sensual pleasures and name and fame.’ ‘Move beyond them to the single-pointed determination of yoga that I shall teach you,’ Kṛṣṇa says, ‘and be established in a state where you are no longer concerned about creation, preservation and destruction.
You will be beyond these and reach the state of Parabrahman.’ Only the Master of the Universe, can say such things and get away with it! Kṛṣṇa’s authority as He speaks these words is compelling. He is casting away the divinely transmitted scriptures, the Vedas, to instill truth in the inner space of Arjuna. It is the truth as spoken by the Divine who Himself has all the knowledge contained in the Vedas. The Vedas, the collection of knowledge as directly experienced by the great sages, the Ṛṣis, was conveyed for generations by word of mouth and was referred to as Śruti meaning, ‘that which was heard internally, not as an external expression.’
The moment an experience is expressed, it is no longer the truth of that experience. All the great scriptures, Vedas, Upaniṣads and Gītā, exist at different levels of understanding, seven levels, to be precise, depending on the energy level that one dwells in. At the highest level one understands that all that there is, is INFINITE, each one infinitely powerful. There is no experiencer, experienced or experience as separate entities at the highest energy level; ALL is INFINITE. Kṛṣṇa refers to that truth here in these verses, the truth of the highest energy. ‘Do not be carried away by the apparent ritualistic approach of the Vedas as propounded by half learned scholars,’ the Master says, ‘go beyond; go beyond duality, nirdvando.
All these seem to bring joy but are transient; that joy is the brief intermission between periods of sorrow. Go beyond the three attributes, nistrai-guṇyo bhavārjuna and seek the firm truth of the Infinite, the Union, that is Yoga,’ He says to Arjuna. ‘There is something beyond the superficial understanding,’ Kṛṣṇa says, ‘that will take you beyond the three human attributes of satva (calmness), rajas (active action) and tamas (passive inaction) and into liberation arising out of true understanding. At that stage you will be beyond creation, preservation and destruction, as these would have no meaning in the understanding of the permanence of the Ultimate energy—nirdvando nitya-sattva-stho niryoga-kṣema ātmavān (2.45).’
Kṛṣṇa finally says, ‘Once you understand and realize Brahman, all the knowledge of the Vedas that you quote so passionately, will be of as much relevance to you as a lake in the midst of an ocean.’ Kṛṣṇa is leading Arjuna step by step as if teaching a baby to walk. One by one the Master demolishes Arjuna’s conflicting patterns, arguments and fears, dispelling his dilemma. These first baby steps address Arjuna’s intellect, for that’s all Arjuna has been using till now. Kṛṣṇa shows Arjuna how meaningless his intellectual knowledge is. It is all borrowed, with no experiential backing. He now leads him into experiential knowledge. Act Without Worry About Results