Understanding the Absolute Truth About Work: Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 28 Explained
Hare Krishna. So today we will discuss about the 28th verse of third chapter from Bhagavad Gita. As it is the Sanskrit verse is as follows. Mahabhu guna Karamavi Bhagayo Guna Gunesh. The English translation is as forms one who is in knowledge of the Absolute truth. Almighty arm does not engage himself in the senses and sense gratification, knowing well the differences between work in devotion and work for fruitive results. So Krishna is saying about Tattovit, the person who is knower of the absolute truth. He understands that when I'm acting as a brahmana, I'm studying shastras or teaching shastras. I might become proud thinking I have so much knowledge, I know far more than the other people and see how nicely I give YouTube classes. If I act like this, then I'm misidentifying with my psycho physical nature and that sort of mentality will cause me bondage. But if I understand Guna Gunesh Uartanta, which means that the senses and the modes are interacting with each other and that actions in the material field are performed according to my nature, then I will not be bound. This is because I understand that this is my nature and this is how I will act Guna Gunesh Vartant. In this way we will be able to act and move forward in our life if we take things systematically. So, as Krishna is telling us here, the modes are acting. Neither should you surrender to the modes, nor should you completely resist to the modes of material nature. Neither is possible. The tattoo with knows that if I am not attached I will not be bound. ETI mattua nasajate. Nasajate means that the person says I will not become bound by this. All these concepts may seem abstract and philosophical to us because familiarising ourselves with the concept of three modes of material nature will take some time. Essentially, this means that when a conditioned soul becomes a sadhaka, he understands that he is trapped in a machine. This body as a machine, it has certain pushings and pullings by default, like a computer with certain default settings that are active as soon as the computer is switched on. Based on our past life, our body and mind have certain tendencies. All of these tendencies can be changed, but changing the default settings doesn't happen automatically. It requires continuous involvement and effort. Similarly, the body has certain default settings. When the soul acts, it has some settings. Although the soul is transcendental, when it is in the body and acting in the material realm, it will act according to the default settings of the body. The soul moves step by step towards spirituality, which means acting according to the default settings but keeping within the limits of Dharma. So if we have the nature of a Shudra and we want to act like a brahmana, there is no problem. A Shudra can also become a devotee of the Lord. They can practice their own Dharma and become elevated. Here Krishna is saying to Arjuna to recognize that the modes are the doers. Don't let the modes take you on a ride that is outside Dharma, but at the same time don't completely resist the modes either because it is not possible. We have to regulate it step by step. Thank you everyone. We will discuss the 29th shloka in the next episode, Hare Krishna.