Bhagavad Gita 3.2

[Paramananda das]

Chapter 3. Karma-yoga

TEXT 2

vyamisreneva vakyena buddhim mohayasiva me tad ekam vada niscitya yena sreyo 'ham apnuyam

SYNONYMS

vyamisrena--by equivocal; iva--as; vakyena--words; buddhim--intelligence; mohayasi--bewildering; iva--as; me--my; tat--therefore; ekam--only one; vada--please tell; niscitya--ascertaining; yena--by which; sreyah--real  benefit; aham--I; apnuyam--may have it.

TRANSLATION

My intelligence is bewildered  by Your equivocal instructions. Therefore, please tell me decisively what is  most beneficial for me.

PURPORT

In the previous chapter, as a prelude to  the Bhagavad-gita, many different paths were explained, such as sankhya-yoga, buddhi-yoga, control of the senses by intelligence, work  without fruitive desire, and the position of the neophyte. This was all  presented unsystematically. A more organized outline of the path would be  necessary for action and understanding. Arjuna, therefore, wanted to clear up  these apparently confusing matters so that any common man could accept them  without misinterpretation. Although Krsna had no intention of confusing Arjuna  by any jugglery of words, Arjuna could not follow the process of Krsna  consciousness--either by inertia or active service. In other words, by his  questions he is clearing the path of Krsna consciousness for all students who  seriously want to understand the mystery of the Bhagavad-gita

Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur

“O my friend Arjuna, it is true that bhakti, beyond the gunas is supreme.   But since that is obtained only by the mercy of my great pure devotees in an unexpected manner, it is not attained by the efforts of the individual. Therefore, I have given the blessing to you: be transcendental to the gunas (nistraigunya bhava): be transcendental to the gunas by transcendental bhakti. When this blessing matures, you will attain bhakti by such unexpected mercy of the pure devotee. As it is fitting to the present circumstances, directing you to engage in activity with the words karmany evadhikaras te is also valid.”

“Then why do you not clearly tell me to engage in activity? You throw me into an ocean of doubt. You bewilder my intelligence by those words which are mixture of many meanings (vyamisrena). Though you have mentioned about action (karmany evadhikaras te), you also speak of jnana using the word yoga in such statements as the following:

yogasthah kuru karmani sangam tyaktva dhananjaya siddhy-asiddhyoh samo bhutva samatvam yoga ucyate

Being situated in this niskama karma yoga, perform your duties, giving up attachment, being equal to success and failure, O conqueror of wealth! Such equal mindedness is called yoga. BG 2.48

buddhi-yukto jahatiha ubhe sukrta-duskrte tasmad yogaya yujyasva yogah karmasu kausalam

He who is engaged in niskama karma yoga gives up both pious and impious reactions. Therefore engage in this yoga. Among all types of action, this performance without attachment is a skill. BG 2.50

And you speak only of knowledge in such statements as yada te moha-kalilam buddhir vyatitarisyati: when your intelligence has  crossed the denseness of illusion… (Gita 2.52)

The word iva indicates that “Your words are not actually filled with many meanings, and it is not your desire to bewilder me, as you are merciful. Nor is it that I do not know the meaning, but you should speak this clearly.”

The deep sense is this: compared to karma in the mode of passion, karma in the mode of goodness is superior. Superior to that is jnana, which is also sattvika. And bhakti, beyond the modes, is superior to that. If you say that bhakti is not possible for me, then instruct me just on jnana alone. Then I should be free from the bondage of samsara and misery.

Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya: Visnuswami Sridhara Swami's Commentary We see Lord Krishna stating in chapter two, verse 31 that "There is no  greater good fortune for a ksatriya warrior then to engage in a war for . So the  superiority of actions has also being praised by Him. Due to the praising of  both jnana yoga and karma yoga in a seemingly equal manner some  conflict arises in Arjuna's mind and he became confused. But still he is clear  enough to understand that the Lord being compassionate is never really  perplexing to His devotees; but it may appear so because of a lack of clarity.  So Arjuna can perceive he is being seemingly bewildered and this is the  underlying meaning of the verse. So Arjuna is beseeching Lord Krishna to clarify  definitively which is the superior path of the two that gives blessedness and  leads to final beatitude being moksa or liberation.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya: Madhvacarya Madhvacarya's Commentary Hari Om! Previously it has been spoken that self-realisation of the soul is  the gained by the means of . Lord Krishna after substantiating the  cessation of activities with words of wisdom He now redirects Arjuna's attention  to the performance of actions. In chapter two, verse 49 the resplendent Lord  Krishna had endorsed that cultivation of spiritual knowledge is by far superior  to fruitive activities. So Arjuna is questioning why he is being urged to  perform savage activities in warfare which is bereft of righteousness, if the  attainment of wisdom is superior to performing actions. Now the summation begins. Hari Om! Wisdom and equanimity have been discussed. Now karma yoga the  yoga of actions is being specifically explained in this chapter. Far inferior is  action in the search of enquiry. Here the word yoga attached to karma-yoga is being utilised as a means of acquiring wisdom in the  performance of actions.

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya: Ramanuja Ramanuja's Commentary What Arjuna is trying to ascertain from Lord Krishna is if the cultivation of  spiritual knowledge is superior to performing physical activities for the  attainment of liberation and if so then why should one engage in horrendous  activities like war and killing. It is well known that jnana yoga  or the cultivation of spiritual knowledge is the means to accomplish  self-realisation of the soul. Karma yoga or performing physical  activities without attachment leads one gradually to jnana yoga. This  path of spiritual knowledge can be attained by with drawing all the senses along  with the mind from the objects of the senses. If this is the case then Arjuna is  wondering why he is not being instructed in the cessation of all physical  activities; but instead he is being encouraged to fully use his mind and senses  to engage in all of the violent and horrific activities that accompany warfare.  Feeling confused by the conflicting instructions of with drawing the senses and  the performance of actions, Arjuna now wants a , unequivocal instruction to determine  for certain exactly what course he should embark to achieve the highest good.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya: Nimbaditya Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary Although Arjuna was bewildered he could still understand that Lord Krishna  valued the cultivation of spiritual knowledge as being superior to activities  without attachment and he could also understand that if Lord Krishna was  ordering him to fight this must be also for his betterement as well, The Lord  did not specify which path Arjuna was qualified for as yet and thus Arjuna was  in a dilemna and needed a clear, definitive instruction that would end his  confusion. Arjuna is humbly requesting this with the underlying request that the  most merciful and compassionate Supreme Lord should not bewilder the mind of one  who is His surrenderd devotee.