In the previous episode, we had witnessed Bhagawan Krishna giving an important explanation as to how our “Karma Yoga” and “Gnyaana Yoga” are intertwined with each other. With every action that we perform, if we do it with absolute awareness, it automatically becomes “Gnyaana Yoga” within “Karma Yoga”. We’ve witnessed this with an example too in the last episode, which highlights this point. Thus, the point here is very simple – Whatever actions that we perform, should not be mere physical actions. We should have the awareness that Bhagawan is always with us and it is He who is enabling and facilitating us to perform whatever actions that we’re performing.
Moving on further, Bhagawan Krishna goes a step further to explain thus, “Oh Arjuna! Please understand this point very clearly – You have to meticulously perform the “Dharma” that is assigned to you. You should not look at what others are doing. You should not feel jealous of what others are performing. If the “Dharma” assigned to you is fighting the war, you should be meticulous in doing that without any deviation. If a Brahmana Rishi’s “Dharma” is performing penance by sitting in the forest, it is his “Dharma” that he is executing. You should not go behind the Brahmana Rishi to perform “Tapas”. Rather, he also should not come to the battlefield and pick up a weapon to fight! Thus, all “Jeevatmas” in this world have their own “Dharma” assigned to each of them and they have to meticulously focus on their “Dharma” alone!” Bhagawan says thus,
“Shreyaan dhravamayaath yagnyaath gnyaana yagnyaah paranthapa!
Sarvam karmaakilam paartha gnyaane parisamaapyathe!!”
Now this is a very important shloka and readers should note this down very clearly. Here, Bhagawan explains thus, “Oh Arjuna! There are two types of “Yagnyas” (Divine offerings) – One is the “Yagnya” that is offered with a lot of physical elements which are of very high quality (“Shreyaan”) such as milk, ghee, “Vastrams”, etc. and also with a lot of “Dhravyas”. The second one is the “Yagnya” that is offered to me through one’s “Gnyaanam” (Knowledge and awareness). Among these two, if you ask me which “Yagnya” type is more significant, I would always vouch for the second type. This is because, “Gnyaanam” is more significant than everything. This is where we always keep stressing time and again that whatever we’re performing, should be done with complete awareness and knowledge of what we’re doing. In a way, Bhagawan is concluding this shloka by indirectly pointing out that the “Gnyaana Yoga” is of a higher state as compared to the “Karma Yoga”!
Of course, Bhagawan is not openly declaring it because, Arjuna might immediately pounce and say that he is more comfortable in going to the forest, rather than fighting the war! We should always remember the place from which the entire Bhagawad Gita has commenced – Making Arjuna fight the war again! This is the ultimate agenda behind all of Bhagawan’s explanations that we’ve seen till now. However, readers like us might get confused – In the second “Adhyaaya”, Bhagawan clearly explains that “Karma Yoga” is the ultimate way to attain “Atma-Saakshaakaaram”. In the third “Adhyaaya”, Bhagawan introduces the “Gnyaana Yoga” and with this, the narrative changed in a way that “Gnyaana Yoga” is more significant than the “Karma Yoga”. However, towards the end of the third “Adhyaaya”, Bhagawan clarifies that both “Karma Yoga” and “Gnyaana Yoga” are important for attaining “Atma-Saakshaakaaram”. Now, as we moved into the fourth “Adhyaaya”, Bhagawan started off by saying that we should be able to see “Gnyaana Yoga” within the “Karma Yoga” that we’re performing, and now towards end of it, Bhagawan is once again emphasizing through the above shloka that the “Gnyaana Yoga” is more significant than anything else!
Now as we read through, aren’t we getting confused? Which is more significant than the other? Which is the one that we should follow? This is where Bhagwan Krishna is extremely smart and tricky! So for today, let us keep reflecting on this shloka and in the next episode, we shall witness how Bhagawan clarifies this confusion! Stay tuned for an interesting accord! 🙂
The Indian Dharma 