Bhagavad Gita 3.5

[Paramananda das]

na hi kascit ksanam api
jatu tisthaty akarma-krt
karyate hy avasah karma
sarvah prakrti-jair gunaih 

SYNONYMS

na--nor; hi--certainly; kascit--anyone; ksanam--even a moment; api--also; jatu--even; tisthati--stands; akarma-krt--without doing something; karyate--forced to work; hi--certainly; avasah--helplessly; karma--work; sarvah--everything; prakrti-jaih--out of the modes of material nature; gunaih--by the qualities.

TRANSLATION

All men are forced to act helplessly according to the impulses born of the modes of material nature; therefore no one can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment.

PURPORT

It is not a question of embodied life, but it is the nature of the soul to be always active. Without the presence of the spirit soul, the material body cannot move. The body is only a dead vehicle to be worked by the spirit soul, which is always active and cannot stop even for a moment. As such, the spirit soul has to be engaged in the good work of Krsna consciousness, otherwise it will be engaged in occupations dictated by illusory energy. In contact with material energy, the spirit soul acquires material modes, and to purify the soul from such affinities it is necessary to engage in the prescribed duties enjoined in the sastras. But if the soul is engaged in his natural function of Krsna consciousness, whatever he is able to do is good for him. The Srimad-Bhagavatam affirms this:

tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi yatra kva vabhadram abhud amusya kim ko vartha apto 'bhajatam sva-dharmatah

"If someone takes to Krsna consciousness, even though he may not follow the prescribed duties in the sastras nor execute the devotional service properly, and even though he may fall down from the standard, there is no loss or evil for him. But if he carries out all the injunctions for purification in the sastras, what does it avail him if he is not Krsna conscious?" (Bhag. 1.5.17) So the purificatory process is necessary for reaching this point of Krsna consciousness. Therefore, sannyasa, or any purificatory process, is to help reach the ultimate goal of becoming Krsna conscious, without which everything is considered a failure.

Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya: Visnuswami Sridhara Swami's Commentary The renunciation of actions factually means not being attached to  them.  It does not mean actually giving  them  up,  as  that  is  impossible.   Nobody neither a wise man or a  fool  under  any  circumstances  can  refrain  from actions for a moment. The reason Lord Krishna is stating  is  that  all  are compelled to act forced by one's likes  and  dislikes  influenced  by  one's attachments and aversions arising  out  of  prakriti,  material  nature  and designated by one's past life activities.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya: Madhvacarya Madhvacarya's Commentary That it is impossible to renounce every single action one  makes  is  what's being clarified here Now begins the summation. Actions are spoken of as two-fold in the Paingi scripture. Actions that  are dependent upon a cause and and actions which  are independent of any  cause. The actions that are dependent upon a cause are  due  to  the  influence  of prakriti, material nature. Independent actions  are  only  manifesting  from the Supreme Lord. Therefore the words karyate he  avasah  means  to  perform activities fully dependent, this dependence is on the Supreme Lord  Krishna. The scriptures  also  further  clarify  that  ah  means  the  all  pervasive Brahman.

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya: Ramanuja Ramanuja's Commentary No living being in the material existence can remain  inactive  even  for  a moment without initiating or pursuing  some  activity  or  another.  If  one should steadfastly determine to perform absolutely nothing, still one  would be compelled into action by the qualities of   the  the  three  gunas  being sattva or goodness, rajas or  passion  and  tamas  or  ignorance,  all  from prakriti, material nature. The effects of these have sprung  into  existence from one's past life activities. Thus by adhering to karma yoga the yoga  of actions without desires one's accumulated sins will gradually  dissolve  and then mastery over the gunas and prakriti  is  achieved.  At  this  time  the mind has become pure and one becomes qualified for jnana yoga. Otherwise  as Lord Krishna states anyone attempting  to pursue jnana yoga in lieu of  this is a charlatan and all their attempts is merely a charade.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya: Nimbaditya Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary It should not be speculated that one is entitled to the fruits of one’s actions simply  because  it  is  impossibe  to  fully renounce all actions. To  empasise  this  point  Lord  Krishna states vimudh-atma meaning one ignorant of the soul. A fool or a wise person can appear inactive without engaging in  worldly affairs or  Vedic  activities.  So  the  sense  here  is  that prakriti, material nature is propelling one to  act  based  on the effects of one’s past actions which are  attached  to  the root of the physical and subtle body. Therefore the conclusion is that one should first purify themselves by performing karma yoga which is actions without desires  as  prescribed  in  the Vedas which destroys sins which hinder  spiritual  development before embarking on the path of jnana yoga the cultivation  of spiritual knowledge.

[Paramananda das]

Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur

Rather, the person of impure heart who gives up scriptural activities becomes engrossed in material actions. That is explained in this verse.

“But sannyasa, renunciation of activities, means a negation of all tendencies for both Vedic and material activities, does it not?”

“Beyond one’s will (avasah), one will engage in action anyway.”

[Paramananda das]

Obaisences to Krsna and Arjuna that travels in Universe after Universe in the material world to broadcast the teachings of Bhagavad Gita, thus these teachings are not only universal but multiuniversal.Let us first look at BBT changes done to Srila Prabhupadas original text to 3.5

[Paramananda das]

this is the changed version done by the BBT:

 56 Bg 3.5

 57 

 58 TEXT 5

 59 

 60 TRANSLATION

 61 

 62 Everyone is forced to act helplessly according to the 

  > qualities he has acquired from the modes of material nature;

  >  therefore no one can refrain from doing something, not 

  > even for a moment.

 63 

 64 PURPORT

 65 

 66 It is not a question of embodied life, but it is the nature 

  > of the soul to be always active. Without the presence of 

  > the spirit soul, the material body cannot move. The body is 

  > only a dead vehicle to be worked by the spirit soul, which 

  > is always active and cannot stop even for a moment. As such,

  >  the spirit soul has to be engaged in the good work of 

  > Krsna consciousness, otherwise it will be engaged in 

  > occupations dictated by illusory energy. In contact with 

  > material energy, the spirit soul acquires material modes, 

  > and to purify the soul from such affinities it is necessary 

  > to engage in the prescribed duties enjoined in the sastras. 

  > But if the soul is engaged in his natural function of Krsna 

  > consciousness, whatever he is able to do is good for him. 

  > The Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.5.17) affirms this:

 67 

 68 tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer bhajann apakvo 'tha 

  > patet tato yadi yatra kva vabhadram abhud amusya kim ko 

  > vartha apto 'bhajatam sva-dharmatah

 69 

 70 "If someone takes to Krsna consciousness, even though he 

  > may not 

  > service properly, and even though he 

  > may fall down from the standard, there is no loss or evil 

  > for him. But if he carries out all the injunctions for 

  > purification in the sastras, what does it avail him if he 

  > is not Krsna conscious?" So the purificatory 

  > process is necessary for reaching this point of Krsna 

  > consciousness. Therefore, sannyasa, or any purificatory 

  > process, is to help reach the ultimate goal of becoming 

  > Krsna conscious, without which everything is considered a 

  > failure.

[Paramananda das]

"All men" to "everyone" is a needless change second change is : I "impulses born of the modes of material nature" to "qualities he has acquired from the modes of material nature" Srila Prabhupadas translation is better than Jayadvaita/Dravidas  because first of all it is Srila Prabhupadas own words and secondly the socalled qualities one may take on due to the modes of nature are not actually qualities of the soul but "impulses" .

[Paramananda das]

the third major change is

 67 "If someone takes to Krsna consciousness, even though he 

  > may not follow the prescribed duties in the sastras nor 

  > execute the devotional service properly, and even though he 

  > may fall down from the standard to JAS/DRAV changes that is very weak: If someone takes to Krsna consciousness, even though he 

  > may not 

  > service properly, and even though he 

  > may fall down from the standard, there is no loss or evil 

  > for him.

[Paramananda das]

The BBT has also removed Srila Prabhupadas reference to Srimad Bhagavatam. 1.5.17 from his purport

[Paramananda das]

comments by Paramananda das: Jaiva Dharma has described Naimitika dharma and Nitya Dharma thus in order to properly understand this 3th chapter of Bhagavad Gita, a proper understand of Jaiva dharma by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura will help one understand Karma yoga and bhakti yoga in it proper perspective

[Paramananda das]

Srila Sridhara Swami commentary are also very clear  Srila Madhavacarya mentiones Paingi scriptures he has also done so in his commentary to Bhagavad Gita 2.47 ,but I have not been abel to find out that the Paingi scriptures are .Also the last sentence in his commentary  is not clear to me: The scriptures  also  further  clarify  that  ah  means  the  all  pervasive Brahman.

[Paramananda das]

in Bhagavad Gita 10.41  Srila Madhavacarya  also refers to  Paningi scripture: http://www.bhagavad-gita.org/Gita/verse-10-39.html

[Paramananda das]

Kesava Kasmiris Purport is very interesting: he writes, To  empasise  this  point  Lord  Krishna states vimudh-atma meaning one ignorant of the soul. ?