नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थो नाकृतेनेह कश्चन |
न चास्य सर्वभूतेषु कश्चिदर्थव्यपाश्रय: || 18||
naiva tasya kṛitenārtho nākṛiteneha kaśhchana
na chāsya sarva-bhūteṣhu kaśhchid artha-vyapāśhrayaḥ
na—not; eva—indeed; tasya—his; kṛitena—by discharge of duty; arthaḥ—gain; na—not; akṛitena—without discharge of duty; iha—here; kaśhchana—whatsoever; na—never; cha—and; asya—of that person; sarva-bhūteṣhu—among all living beings; kaśhchit—any; artha—necessity; vyapāśhrayaḥ—to depend upon
Translation:
For him, there is in this world no interest whatsoever by work done or not done. He does not depend upon any being for any object.
Commentary:
It is said that the Jivanmukta may work or may not work. In both, he has nothing to gain or lose. He is constantly rooted in the Self and is perfectly satisfied in the Self. And so. with work done or not done he has no concern whatsoever. There is nothing for him to achieve beyond the realisation of Self. So the law of Karma Yoga does not apply to him. But we find that some of the realised sages engage themselves in work to illuminate mankind with true knowledge.
The jivanmukta has nothing to seek from any being in the world. All pleasures, delights, and joys are in the Self, and he lives and moves and has his being in the Self. So, what would he need and to which of the Devas should he offer sacrifice? Why and what for? He has arrived at the central station of all Bliss and blessedness, the source from which all joy emanates expressing itself through the mind, the senses, and the body. All material benefits are included in Brahmananda according to the law – Satey Panchasat (Fifty is included in hundred). They have nothing to gain from anyone.
It should be understood that the Lord has spoken of the Jivanmukta. But the ordinary seeker has still to go a long way before reaching the goal. He should perform work with detachment and devotion to God. Of course, we see that men having completed their period of service qualify themselves for pension and live a free life. This does not apply to young men who are still students and workers. They should do their work and complete the term of work, and then only they qualify themselves to gain pension and be free from work. Otherwise, they lose their job and their livelihood. So the seeker should work with devotion and detachment, till by the grace of God, he is emancipated from the cycle of birth and death. This is the law for all common men.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 3 🔻 (43 Verses)
