Dharmic Jeevan

मूल स्लोकः दूरेण ह्यवरं कर्म बुद्धियोगाद्धनञ्जय। बुद्धौ शरणमन्विच्छ कृपणाः फलहेतवः।।2.49।। English translation by Swami Sivananda 2.49 Far lower than the Yoga of wisdon is action, O Arjuna. Seek thou refuge in wisdom; wretched are they whose motive is the fruit. English commentary by Swami Sivananda 2.49 दूरेण by far, हि indeed, अवरम् inferior, कर्म action or work, बुद्धियोगात् than the Yoga of wisdom, धनञ्जय O Dhananjaya, बुद्धौ in wisdom, शरणम् refuge, अन्विच्छ seek, कृपणाः wretched, फलहेतवः seekers after fruits.Commentary: Action done with evenness of mind is Yoga of wisdom. The yogi who is established in the Yoga of widdom is not affected by success or failure. He does not seek fruits of his actions. He has poised reason. His reason is rooted in the Self. Action performed by one who expects fruits for his actions, is far inferior to the Yoga of wisdom wherein the seeker does not seek fruits; because the former leads to bondage and is the cause of birth and death. (Cf.VIII.18). Hi...

मूल स्लोकः योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय। सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते।।2.48।। English translation by Swami Sivananda 2.48 Perform action, O Arjuna, being steadfast in Yoga, abandoning attachment and balanced in success and failure. Evenness of mind is called Yoga. English commentary by Swami Sivananda 2.48 योगस्थः steadfast in Yoga, कुरु perform, कर्माणि actions, सङ्गम् attachment, त्यक्त्वा having abandoned, धनञ्जय O Dhananjaya, सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः in success and failure, समः the smae, भूत्वा having become, समत्वम् evenness of mind, योगः Yoga, उच्यते is called.Commentary: Dwelling in union with the Divine perform actions merely for God's sake with a balanced mind in success and failure. Equilibrium is Yoga. The attainment of the knowledge of the Self through purity of heart obtained by doing actions without expectation of fruits is success (Siddhi). Failure is the non-attainment of knowledge by doing actions with expectation of fruit. (Cf.III.9;IV.14;...

मूल स्लोकः कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि।।2.47।। English translation by Swami Sivananda 2.47 Thy right is to work only, but never with its fruits; let not the fruits of action be thy motive, nor let thy attachment be to inaction. English commentary by Swami Sivananda 2.47 कर्मणि in work, एव only, अधिकारः right, ते thy, मा not, फलेषु in the fruits, कदाचन at any time, मा not, कर्मफलहेतुः भूः let not the fruits of action be thy motive, मा not, ते thy, सङ्गः attachment, अस्तु let (there) be, अकर्मणि in inaction.Commentary: When you perform actions have no desire for the fruits thereof under any circumstances. If you thirst for the fruits of your actions, you will have to take birth again and again to enjoy them. Action done with expectation of fruits (rewards) brings bondage. If you do not thirst for them, you get purification of heart and you will get knowledge of the Self through purity of heart and through the knowledge of the Self you ...

मूल स्लोकः यावानर्थ उदपाने सर्वतः संप्लुतोदके। तावान्सर्वेषु वेदेषु ब्राह्मणस्य विजानतः।।2.46।। English translation by Swami Sivananda 2.46 To the Brahmana who has known the Self, all the Vedas are of as much as is a reservoir of water in a place where there is a flood. English commentary by Swami Sivananda 2.46 यावान् as much, अर्थः use, उदपाने in a reservoir, सर्वतः everywhere, संप्लुतोदके being flooded, तावान् so much (use), सर्वेषु in all, वेदेषु in the Vedas, ब्राह्मणस्य of the Brahmana, विजानतः of the knowing.Commentary: Only for a sage who has realised the Self, the Vedas are of no use, because he is in possession of the infinite knowledge of the Self. This does not, however, mean that the Vedas are useless. They are useful for the neophytes or the aspirants who have just started on the spiritual path.All the transient pleasures derivable from the proper performance of all actions enjoined in the Vedas are comprehended in the infinite bliss of Self-knowledge. Hindi translation...

मूल स्लोकः त्रैगुण्यविषया वेदा निस्त्रैगुण्यो भवार्जुन। निर्द्वन्द्वो नित्यसत्त्वस्थो निर्योगक्षेम आत्मवान्।।2.45।। English translation by Swami Sivananda 2.45 The Vedas deal with the three attributes (of Nature); be thou above these three attributes. O Arjuna, free yourself from the pairs of opposites, and ever remain in the quality of Sattva (goodness), freed from (the thought of) acquisition and preservation, and be established in the Self. English commentary by Swami Sivananda 2.45 त्रैगुण्यविषयाः deal with the three attributes, वेदाः the Vedas, निस्त्रैगुण्यः without these three attributes, भव be, अर्जुन O Arjuna निर्द्वन्द्वः free from the pairs of opposites, नित्यसत्त्वस्थः ever remaining in the Sattva (goodness), निर्योगक्षेमः free from (the thought of) acquisition and preservation, आत्मवान् established in the Self.Commentary: Guna means attribute or quality. It is substance as well as quality. Nature (Prakriti) is made up of three Gunas, viz., Sattva (purity, light or harmony...

मूल स्लोकः भोगैश्वर्यप्रसक्तानां तयापहृतचेतसाम्। व्यवसायात्मिका बुध्दिः समाधौ न विधीयते।।2.44।। English translation by Swami Sivananda 2.44 For those who are attached to pleasure and power, whose minds are drawn away by such teaching, that determinate reason is not formed which is steadily bent on meditation and Samadhi (superconscious state). English commentary by Swami Sivananda 2.44 भोगैश्वर्यप्रसक्तानाम् of the people deeply attached to pleasure and lordship, तया by that, अपहृतचेतसाम् whose minds are drawn away, व्यवसायात्मिका determinate, बुद्धिः reason, समाधौ in Samadhi, न not, विधीयते is fixed.Commentary: Those who cling to pleasure and power cannot have steadiness of mind. They cannot concentrate or meditate. They are ever busy in planning projects for the acquisition of wealth and power. Their minds are ever restless. They have no poised understanding. Hindi translation by Swami Ram Sukhdas उस पुष्पित वाणीसे जिसका अन्तःकरण हर लिया गया है अर्थात् भोगोंकी तरफ खिंच गया है और जो...

मूल स्लोकः कामात्मानः स्वर्गपरा जन्मकर्मफलप्रदाम्। क्रियाविशेषबहुलां भोगैश्वर्यगतिं प्रति।।2.43।। English translation by Swami Sivananda 2.43 Full of desires, having heaven as their goal, (they utter speech which is directed to ends) leading to new births as the result of their works, and prescribe various methods abounding in specific actions, for the attainment of pleasure and power. English commentary by Swami Sivananda 2.43 कामात्मानः full of desires, स्वर्गपराः with heaven as their highest goal, जन्मकर्मफलप्रदाम् leading to (new) births as the result of their works, क्रियाविशेषबहुलाम् exuberant with various specifi actions, भोगैश्वर्यगतिम् प्रति for the attainment of pleasure and lordship.No commentary. Hindi translation by Swami Ram Sukhdas हे पृथानन्दन! जो कामनाओंमें तन्मय हो रहे हैं, स्वर्गको ही श्रेष्ठ माननेवाले हैं, वेदोंमें कहे हुए सकाम कर्मोंमें प्रीति रखनेवाले हैं, भोगोंके सिवाय और कुछ है ही नहीं - ऐसा कहनेवाले हैं, वे अविवेकी मनुष्य इस प्रकारकी जिस पुष्पित (दिखाऊ शोभायु...

मूल स्लोकः यामिमां पुष्पितां वाचं प्रवदन्त्यविपश्चितः। वेदवादरताः पार्थ नान्यदस्तीति वादिनः।।2.42।। English translation by Swami Sivananda 2.42 Flowery speech is uttered by the unwise, taking pleasure in the eulogising words of the Vedas, O Arjuna, saying, "There is nothing else." English commentary by Swami Sivananda 2.42 याम which, इमाम् this, पुष्पिताम् flowery, वाचम् speech, प्रवदन्ति utter, अविपश्चितः the unwise, वेदवादरताः takign pleasure in the eulogising words of the Vedas, पार्थ O Partha, न not, अन्यत् other, अस्ति is, इति thus, वादिनः saying.Commentary: Unwise people who are lacking in discrimination lay great stress upon the Karma Kanda or the ritualistic portion of the Vedas, which lays down specific rules for specific actions for the attainment of specific fruits and ectol these actions and rewards unduly. They are highly enamoured of such Vedic passages which prescribe ways for the attainment of heavenly enjoyments. They say that there is nothing else beyond th...