3.4 na karmaNAm anArambhAn

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

Chapter 3

<< Chapter 3 verse 3

SlOkam – Original

na karmaNAm anArambhAn naishkarmyam purushO’SnuthE |
na cha sanyasanAdhEva sidhdhim samadhigachchathi ||

word-by-word meaning

purusha: – any man (who lives in this world)
karmaNAm anArambhAn – due to not starting to engage in karma yOga
naishkarmyam – gyAna yOga
na aSnuthE – will not attain
sanyasanAth Eva – giving up (the karma yOga which was started)
sidhdhim – gyAna yOga which is the result (of karma yOga)
na cha samadhigachchathi – will not attain

Simple Translation

Any man (who lives in this world) will not attain gyAna yOga due to not starting to engage in karma yOga; nor will he attain gyAna yOga which is the result (of karma yOga) by giving up (the karma yOga which was started). (It is implied that for one whose mind is disturbed, only after executing karma yOga which is a type of worship of supreme lord will his mental disturbances  be eliminated and that he will be situated in proper knowledge).

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

‘None can attain the actionless (naishkarmya) state by cessation from action; not by cessation merely does he attain perfection.’

Neither by not performing the Śāstra-ordained works, nor by abandoning them after once begun, does one attain to the actionless state, i.e., the state of jñāna (naishkarmya=jñāna), in as much as action (karma) alone, when interpreted as the mode of worshipping the Supreme Spirit (Parama-Purusha), and performed with no expectation of reward, brings perfection, and without this course jñāna-fitness is not attainable.

Thus ātma-nishṭhā (or the bestowal of exclusive attention to the concerns of atma-the psychological training) -which is practicable only after the annulment of all sense-distractions- is impracticable by those who are deep in the untold sins of the long past, and who have not worshipped Govinda [1. The 189th and 543rd name of God. Its one etymology is ‘Nashṭāñca dharaṇīm pūrvam avindañca guhām gatam, Govinda iti ten-āham, etc.’], by acts, with no reward anticipated therefor.

Further exposition of this question is made:-

>> Chapter 3 verse 5

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