Verses 4.13–4.17
चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागश: | तस्य कर्तारमपि मां विद्ध्यकर्तारमव्ययम्
cāturvarṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇakarma vibhāgaśaḥ / tasya kartāram api māṁ viddhyakartāramavyayam / / 4.13
Depending upon the distribution of the three attributes or guṇas and action, I have created the four castes. Yet, I am to be known as the non-doer, the unchangeable.
न मां कर्माणि लिम्पन्ति न मे कर्मफले स्पृहा | इति मां योऽभिजानाति कर्मभिर्न स बध्यते
na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti na me karmaphale spṛhā / iti māṁ yo’bhijānāti karmabhirna sa badhyate / / 4.14
I am not affected by any work; nor do I long for the outcome of such work. One who understands this truth about me also does not get caught in the bondage of work.
एवं ज्ञात्वा कृतं कर्म पूर्वैरपि मुमुक्षुभि: | कुरु कर्मैव तस्मात्त्वं पूर्वै: पूर्वतरं कृतम्
evaṁ jñātvā kṛtaṁ karma pūrvairapi mumukṣubhiḥ / kuru karmaiva tasmāttvaṁ pūrvaiḥ pūrvataraṁ kṛtam / / 4.15
All the wise and liberated souls of ancient times have acted with this understanding and thus attained liberation. Just as the ancients did, perform your duty with this understanding.
किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिता: | तत्ते कर्म प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात्
kiṁ karma kimakarmeti kavayo’pyatra mohitāḥ / tat te karma pravakṣyāmi yaj jñātvā mokṣyase’śubhāt / / 4.16
What is action and what is inaction, even the wise are con- fused. Let me explain to you what action is, knowing which you shall be liberated from all ills.
कर्मणो ह्यपि बोद्धव्यं बोद्धव्यं च विकर्मण: | अकर्मणश्च बोद्धव्यं गहना कर्मणो गति:
karmaṇo hyapi boddhavyaṁ boddhavyaṁ ca vikarmaṇaḥ / akarmaṇaśca boddhavyaṁ gahanā karmaṇo gatiḥ / / 4.17
The complexities of action are very difficult to understand. Understand fully the nature of proper action by understanding the nature of wrong action and inaction.
Now we come to the controversial topic of the caste system. Kṛṣṇa says, ‘I have created the four castes depending upon the distribution of the three guṇas or attributes.’ Guṇa means ‘attribute’ or ‘quality’ that we are born with. It is a reflection of the prārabdha karma, the vāsana, and the mindset with which we are born. There are three basic guṇas: satva or purity, rajas or activity and tamas or inactivity. People quote this verse whenever they want the support of religion for making the caste system more solid. They say, ‘Kṛṣṇa Himself has sanctioned it’ or, ‘This system has been given by the Incarnation Himself.’ Listen, Kṛṣṇa uses the words, ‘depending upon the distribution of the three guṇas.’
He does not say, ‘depending upon birth.’ Jñānakarmasannyāsa Yogaḥ The Path Of Knowledge 301 No two persons on this planet can be the same. Every person is unique and possesses a unique ratio of the three guṇas. There are basically four kinds of people; based on the more dominant guṇa in them. He says, ‘Based on the guṇa one is born with, I decide his varṇa, his caste.’ The varṇa system was four-fold. Brāhmaṇas were the scholars and priests, intellectually inclined. Kṣatriyas were the soldiers and kings, ambitious and physically strong. Vaiṣyas were the business community with strong commercial acumen. Śudras were the workers, physically able and skillful. Based on their guṇas, their skill sets and not birth, the children in ancient Gurukul were trained into their vocations, their varṇa or caste.
Over time, this system was manipulated. Those who believed that they had a better varṇa, caste, decided to make it a hereditary right. Earlier, the son of a brāhmaṇa could not to be a priest, if he was unsuitable or the son of a kṣatriya to be a warrior if he was inadequate. Kṛṣṇa states very clearly that only the one who transcends these three guṇas can reach His state, can reach the higher levels of consciousness. To reach Kṛṣṇa one has to be a triguṇa rahita, beyond the three guṇas. Then, one becomes a non-doer, a no-caste, no-attribute person. When a desire is fulfilled, it no longer creates ripples in the mind.
Desires that get fulfilled are the basic needs one is born with, which are the result of the carry-over vāsanā, the prārabdha karma. We acquire all other desires by comparing ourselves with others. These are wants, not needs. Existence has no way of fulfilling such wants. When one works out of basic need, he acquires no karma. These possessions born out of our wants can never be fulfilled or enjoyed. Once acquired, we seek the next acquisition. The cycle goes on. Have you ever seen a rich man enjoying his meal in the same manner as a hard working laborer eating his simple home cooked meal? The rich man is more worried about his illnesses than the quality of the food.
Only a person who has taken a conscious birth is aware of his prārabdha karma. Only he can extinguish his karma by fulfilling this list of needs. These needs carry an energy of their own that gets them fulfilled. Once fulfilled, they leave no karma trace. Kṛṣṇa, the ultimate Master, is always conscious and complete. He has no karma, no unfulfilled desires, no incompletion, and no attachment. So it is with every enlightened Master. His so-called desires get fulfilled as they arise. When I desire food, it appears. When I feel the need to sleep, I rest. There is no gap between my desire and its fulfillment. There is no trace of that desire after it is fulfilled.
The fulfillment is complete. The attachment is zero. Therefore, there is no karma. This is the lesson every Master teaches his disciples. Work from your needs, not from your wants. Act without attachment. You shall attract no karma and you will be liberated. Action In Inaction And Inaction In Action 4. 17 The complexities of action are very difficult to understand. Understand fully the nature of proper action by understanding the nature of wrong action and inaction.