BUT THE ENLIGHTENED MAN FEELS DIFFERENTLY
tattwavittu mahaabaaho gunakarma vibhaagayoh
gunaa guneshu vartanta iti matwaa na sajjate // 3.28 //
But he who has true insight into the respective spheres of Gunas and their actions, holding that it is the Gunas ( in the form of senses, mind etc.) that move among the Gunas (objects of perception) does not get attached to them, O Mighty Arjuna.
As a contrast to the attitude of the ignorant man explained in the previous verse, Sri Krishna here explains the attitude of the wise man who knows that the Self is entirely distinct from the Gunas, their classification and functions.
The enlightened man who has obtained insight into the categories of the gunas and actions, attributes every action of the mind, intellect, senses and the body to the fact that it is the product of these gunas in the shape of all instruments of perception such as the mind, intellect and senses that are moving within the sphere of their respective objects, which are also products of the gunas and that he has no relation with either. Therefore, he does not get attached to either any action or to their fruits in the shape of agreeable or disagreeable experiences.
The difference between the active enlightened man and the active ignorant man is that the former is beyond the influence of the gunas and considers himself as a non-doer while the latter is controlled by the gunas and feels that everything is being done by him.
prakriter gunasammoodhaah sajjante gunakarmasu
taan akritsnavido mandaan kritsnavin na vichaalayet // 3.29 //
The man of perfect knowledge should not unsettle (the understanding of) the foolish who is of imperfect knowledge, who deluded by the Gunas of nature, attach themselves to the functions of the Gunas.
Ignorant people perform actions with the expectation of results. The wise, who have knowledge of the Self, should not disturb the conviction of such ignorant persons (people of insufficient knowledge, or men of meager intelligence) because if their minds are unsettled they will give up actions themselves and plunge themselves into inertia.
Therefore, in the beginning they should be encouraged to perform actions irrespective of their attachment to its fruits and gradually they should be taught the goal of selfless activities for the attainment of Self-realization.
HOW SUCH PERSONS OF IMPERFECT UNDERSTANDING SHOULD PERFORM ACTIONS?
mayi sarvaani karmaani sannyasyaadhyaatma chetasaa
niraasheer nirmamo bhootwaa yudhyaswa vigatajwarah // 3.30 //
Surrendering all actions to Me, with the mind intent on the Self, freeing yourself from the longing and selfishness, fight unperturbed by grief.
THIS VERSE IS THE HEART OF THIS CHAPTER CONVEYING ITS CENTRAL THEME. THE LORD REVEALS TO ARJUNA THE DEFINITE DISCIPLINE THAT WOULD LEAD HIM TO HIS HIGHEST GOAL.
Here the word `me' means not Sri Krishna, the person but the Supreme Self, the Divine Being, the Supreme Lord, the Eternal and the Omniscient, the Self of all. The Lord asks Arjuna to fight on surrendering all activities unto Him, with the mind always concentrated on the Self. Surrendering all actions does not mean inactivity but acting without attachment and the sense of possession with regard to them. Actions performed with egocentric and selfish motives become a bondage. Actions performed without attachment and desires are not actions at all in as much as they are not capable of producing any painful reactions.
It also means giving up of wrong motives behind actions. Purification of motives is possible only when the mind is made to concentrate on the Self and the Divine glory. Actions performed with such mind cannot be ordinary actions but they will be activities performed for the sake of The Lord and are the expressions of the Supreme Will through an individual.
The Lord further advises action without longing, ego and mental perturbance. Longing is an expectation of a happening at a future point of time. Ego is one's own self-estimation based on his past. To act without ego and longing thus means acting without the memories of the past or the anxieties about the future but to live in the present. Even in the present there is a chance for the man of action to waste his time and energy in unnecessarily worrying about his activities through his inborn nature. This anxiety and worry is what is called here as mental fever or perturbance.
The idea is that we must engage in work by self-surrender to the Lord who presides over cosmic existence and activity. “Thy will be done” should be our attitude in all work. We must do the work with the sense that we are the servants of The Lord. The word `fight' indicates individual's confrontation with circumstances and situations in daily life.
RESULT OF SUCH ACTION BASED ON SURRENDERING IT TO THE SUPREME
ye me matam idam nityam anutishthanti maanavaah
shraddhaavanto'nasooyanto muchyante te'pi karmabhih // 3.31 //
Those men who constantly practice this teaching of mine with faith and without finding fault are also freed from the bondage of all actions.
Shraddha -faith- is a mental attitude. It is faith in one's own Self, in the Scriptures and in the teachings of the spiritual preceptor. It is a combination of the higher emotions of reverence and humility. It is the sincerity of purpose.
Sri Krishna advocates Karma Yoga as a path that takes one ultimately to the Supreme because through desire less activity alone when performed with full faith and without criticism and questioning we will be able to bring about Vasana-exhaustion and thus make the mind purer for its meditative purposes.
The words ‘they too are freed from the bondage of all actions’ are intended to show that when by pursuing this discipline it is possible even for an ordinary person to get over the binding effects of action by surrendering the results of action to the Supreme, it should be much easier for Arjuna to attain that state.