Latest / Sacred Texts Archive / 03 - Virtue in Work - Bhagavad Gita
Transcript
- Chapter three, virtue in work, Arjuna, though whom all models praise Janardana. If meditation be a nobler thing than action, wherefore then great Kishawva, dost thou impel me to this dreadful fight. Now am I, by the doubtful speech disturbed? Tell me one thing, And tell me certainly by what road shall I find the better end? Christna, I told thee blameless Lord. There be too path shown to this world. Two schools of wisdom. First the shonkies, which doth save in way of works, prescribe by reason. Next the yoke, which bits attained by meditation spiritually. Yet these are one. No man shall escape from act by shunning action, nay, and none shall come by mere renouncements unto perfectness nay. And no jot of time at any time rests any actionless his nature's law compels him, even unwilling, into act. For thought is act and fancy. He who sits suppressing all the instruments of flesh, yet in his idle heart thinking on them, plays the inept and guilty hypocrite. But he who, with strong body serving mind, gives up its mortal powers to worthy work, not seeking gain, Arjuna, such an one is honorable. Do thine allotted task. Work is more excellent than idleness. The body's life proceeds not lacking work. There is a task of holiness to do, unlike world binding toil, which bindeth not the faithful soul, such earthly duty. Do free from desire, and thou shall welp perform thy heavenly purpose. Spake Prajapati. In the beginning, when all men were made, and with mankind the sacrifice, do this work, sacrifice, increase and multiply with sacrifice. This shall be kamaduk, your cow of plenty, giving back her milk of all abundance. Worship the gods. Thereby the gods shall yield their grace those meats they crave. The gods will grant to labor when it pays tides in the altar flame. But if one eat fruits of the earth, rendering to kindly heaven, no gift of toil that thief steals from his world. Who eat of food after their sacrifice are quit of fault. But they that spread a feast all for themselves, eat sink and drink of sin. Buy food. The living. Live food comes of rain, and rain comes by the pious sacrifice, and sacrifice is paid with tithes of toil. Thus action is of Brahma, who is one, the only all pervading, at all times present in sacrifice. He that abstains to help the rolling wheels of this great world, glutting his idle sense, lives a lost life, shameful and vain, existing for himself, self concentrated, serving self alone. No part hath he in aught, nothing achieved, no wrote or unroad toucheth him. No hope of help for all the living things of earth depends from him. Therefore thy tasks prescribed which spirit, unattached gladly perform. Since in performance of plain duty, man mounts to his highest bliss by works alone, Janak and ancient saints reached blestness. Moreover, for the upholding of thy kind action, thou shouldst embrace what the wise choose, the unwise people take what best men do. The multitude will follow. Look on me, though, son of Pritha, in the three White worlds, I am not bound to any toil. No height awaits to scale, no gift remains to gain. Yet I act here, And if I acted not, earnest and watchful those that look to me for guidance, sinking back to sloth again, because I slumbered would decline from good, and I should break Earth's order and commit her off spring sand to ruin Parada. Even as the unknowing toil weddeth to sends. So let the enlightened toil sense freed, but said to bring the world deliverance and its bliss, not sowing in those simple, busy hearts seeds of despair. YEA, let each play his part in all he finds to do with unyoked soul. All things are everywhere by nature wrote in interaction of the qualities, the fool cheated by self things this I did, and that I wrote. But ah, those strong armed prints better less in mind, knowing the play of visible things within the world of sense, and how the qualities must qualify, standeth a loof even from his acts. The untaught live mixed with them, knowing not Nature's way of highest aims. Unwitting, slow and dull, those make though not to stumble, having the light. But all thy due is discharging for my sake, with meditation centered inwardly seeking no profit, satisfied, serene, heedless of issue, fight they who shall keep my ordinance. Thus the wise and willing hearts have quittance from all issue of their acts. But those who disregard my ordinance, thinking they know, know not, and faull to loss, confused and foolish. Sooth the instructed wonder of his kind, following what fits him most, and lower creatures of their kind in vain contending against the law needs must it be. The objects of the sense will stir the sense to like and dislike. Yet the enlightened man yields not to these, knowing them enemies. Finally, this is better that one do his own task as he may, even though he fail, than take tasks not his own, though they seem good. To die performing duty is no ill. But who seeks other roads shall wander still Arjuna. Yet, tell me, teacher, by what force doth man go to his ill unwilling as if one pushed him? That evil part Krishna calmitis passion. It is born of the darknesses which pusheth him mighty of appetite, sinful and strong. This is man's enemy. As smoke bloats the white fire, as clinging rust masks the bright mirror, as the womb surrounds the babe unborn. So is the world of things foiled, soiled, enclosed in the desire of flesh, the wise fall caught in it, the unresting foe. It is of wisdom, wearing countless forms, fair but deceitful, subtle as a flame sense, mind, and reason. These O Kunti's Sun are booty for it. In its play with these, it maddens man, beguiling, blinding him. Therefore, though noblest child of Parata govern thy heart constrained, the entangled sense rests the false soft sinfulness, which SAPs knowledge and judgment. Here the world is strong, but what disserts its stronger, and the mind'strong, longest and high over all the ruling soul. Wherefore, perceiving him who reigns supreme, put forth full force of soul in thy own soul, fight vanquish fores and doubts. Dear hero slaver thornts thee in fawned shapes, and would betray. Here ended Chapter three of the Pakawakida