SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
SlOkam – Original
sahajam karma kaunthEya sadhOsham api na thyajEth |
sarvArambhA hi dOshENa dhUmenAgnir ivAvruthA: ||
word-by-word meaning
kaunthEya – Oh son of kunthI!
sahajam karma – karma yOga which is naturally fitting [for the nature of individuals]
sa dhOsham api – even with blemishes
na thyajEth – cannot be given up
hi – because
dhUmEna – by smoke
agni: iva – like fire (which is surrounded)
sarvArambhA: – all actions such as karma yOga, gyAna yOga etc
dhOshENa AvruthA: – surrounded by blemishes
Simple Translation
Oh son of kunthI! karma yOga which is naturally fitting [for the nature of individuals], even with blemishes, cannot be given up; because, all actions such as karma yOga, gyAna yOga etc are surrounded by blemishes just like fire is surrounded by smoke.
Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam
‘Let natural duty, Kaunteya!, though faulty, be not forsaken. Verily all endeavours are in faults swathed, like fire in smoke.’
Hence as act comes natural, easy of execution, and is beset with no dangers, let it be done though it be faulty and painful. The import is: ‘Let even he who is competent for Jñāna-Yoga, follow the Path of Karma-Yoga. Endeavours, be they of Karma-Yoga or of Jñāna-Yoga, are all indeed surrounded with faults and pain. The difference however consists in that Karma-Yoga is easy and not beset with dangers, and Jñāna-Yoga is the reverse (in these respects).
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