3.30 mayi sarvANi karmANi

SrI:  SrImathE SatakOpAya nama:  SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:  SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

Chapter 3

<< Chapter 3 verse 29

SlOkam – Original

mayi sarvANi karmANi sanyasyAdhyAthmachEthasA |
nirASIr nirmamO bhUthvA yudhyasva vigathajvara: ||

word-by-word meaning

adhyAthma chEthasA – with full knowledge about AthmA
sarvANi karmANi – all karmas (actions)
mayi – unto me who is the antharyAmi of all
sanyasya – offering them well
nirASI: – without attachment to the results of the actions
nirmama: – without thinking “this is my action”
bhUthvA – becoming
vigathajvara: – being carefree about the sins which have been accrued since time immemorial
yudhyasva – you fight

Simple Translation

With full knowledge about AthmA, offering all karmas (actions) well unto me who is the antharyAmi of all, becoming free from attachment to the results of the actions and the thinking of “this is my action”, being carefree about the sins which have been accrued since time immemorial, you fight.

Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam

‘With mind, ātmā-absorbed, rest all works in Me. Rid of desire and ‘my-ness’, and of (mental) fever, fight.’

In Me, the Inner-Soul of all living beings, place all your acts; with your mind ātmā-engrossed, desireless (of fruit for work done), destitute of the vanity of my-ness, and free from feverish (cankering) care, fight, i. e., discharge all Śāstrā-enjoined duties.

Adhyātma-chetasā=with the mind ātmā-absorbed i.e., all thought absorbed in the contemplation of the nature of ātmā as proclaimed by hundreds of Śruti-texts, such for example as:—

‘Penetrating the interior, the Ruler of all creatures, the all-Soul etc.'[1. ‘Antah pravishtaśśāstā janānām sarvātmā.’ Tait: Aran. III-11-2.]

‘Him, the Penetrator into the interior, the Author (or Actor) etc.'[2. ‘Antah pravishtam kartāram etam’. Tai: Aran. III-11-2]

‘He, Who is seated in ātmā, Who is interior to ātmā, Whom ātmā knows not, to Whom ātmā is body, Who rules in the interior of ātmā, (He) is thy Indwelling Governor (Guide), and Immortality (i.e., Giver of Immortality) etc’[3. ‘Ya ātmani tishtḥann ātmanontaro Yam-ātmā na veda, Yasy-ātmā śarīram, Ya ātmānam antaro yamayati Sa ta Ātmāntryāmy-Amṛitaḥ’. Bri: Up: V-7-22, Kāṇva-pātha.]; declaring that ātmā constitutes the body of the Supreme Spirit (Parama-purusha[4. Parama-Purusha = Synonym Purushottama…: Purusha means etymologically He who grants abundance; “puru=bahu, sanoti=dadāti.” Thus Parama-Purusha means the Supreme all-Giver. This name is synonymous with Param-ātmā.]), and is subject to His direction, He being the Director or Guide.

Likewise do the Smṛitis also declare, as for example:—

‘The Supreme Ruler of all’[5. ‘Praśāsitāram sarveshām’, etc. Manu: XIII-112.], etc.

The Gīta itself will be found further on to say :—

‘(Sarvasya chāham, etc.):—In the heart of all, indeed, I am enthroned, and from Me is memory (smṛiti) and reason (apohanam)’ (xv-15).

Īśvaras-sarva-bhūtānām, etc.):—Īśvara, Arjuna! dwells in the heart-region of all creatures, whirling them by His māyā (wonderful power), (as if they were) mounted on a machine.’ (xviii-61.)

As a necessary inference, therefore, from the consideration that ātmā constitutes My body, and derives all energies (or powers) from Me, do you surrender all acts to Me, the Supreme Spirit, imagining that they are all done by Myself. In other words, let all acts be done as acts of Worship paid to Me.

Also, be nirāśih, desireless, i.e., remaining without any expectancy of fruit for work done.

Nirmamaḥ=to be free from the idea of ‘my-ness’ or owning an act for oneself.

Your (mental) fever thus cured (vigata-jvaraḥ), do fighting and all the round of duties (that the sacred Edicts make binding on you).

Your reflections ought to run thus:— ‘My Soul (Ātmā) is the Supreme Spirit, and therefore, He, my Ātmā, is the Author (or Actor). The Lord of all, the Master of all, it is He, Who causes acts being done —acts of worship to Him— by me, who am His body, and therefore His instrument. And therefore no notion of ‘my-ness’ or ownership of acts done, I can entertain.’

Thus shall your fever leave you, —the fever or mental trouble evinced by your thoughts: ‘how am I going to escape from the enormous mass of sins committed in the immemorial past etc.?’

You may thus cheerfully enter on the duties prescribed for you, —Karma-Yoga—, reflecting that by them, you do but worship the Supreme Spirit; and He so worshipped delivers you from bondage.

That Paramapurusha[6. Parama-Purusha = Synonym Purushottama…: Purusha means etymologically He who grants abundance; “puru=bahu, sanoti=dadāti.” Thus Parama-Purusha means the Supreme all-Giver. This name is synonymous with Param-ātmā.] is the Supreme Lord (Sarveśvaraḥ[7. All-Lord (97th name).]), and the Supreme Master (Sarvaśeshi[8. The all-Disposer.]), is declared in such Śrutis as:—

‘Him, the Great Supreme Lord of Lords, —Him the Supreme Devata of the Devatas, etc.’[9. ‘Tamīśvarāṇām paramam Maheśvaram, tam daivatānām paramañcha Daivatam’. Svet: Up: VI-7.]

‘The Master of the universe’[10. Patim viśvasya etc.: Mahā Nārāyaṇa Up: XI-3.].

‘The Master of masters’[11. Patim patīnām etc. Svet: Up: VI-7] etc., etc.

Īśvaratva, Lordship: is Niyanṭritva, Kingship or Commandership

Patitva, Mastership: is the relationship between the Lord and the liege, or Master and the disposable right He has for His property (the liege).

That such is the actual quintessence of all Upanishad teachings is now shown:—

>> Chapter 3 verse 31

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