Bhagvad Gita - Chapter: 2 Sankhya Yogah

Sankhya Yogah - Such people are full of desires, attached to wealth and enjoyment. Their minds are captivated by these desires and they cannot understand the higher truths.

कामात्मान: स्वर्गपरा जन्मकर्मफलप्रदाम् |
क्रियाविशेषबहुलां भोगैश्वर्यगतिं प्रति ||43||

Such people are full of desires, attached to wealth and enjoyment. Their minds are captivated by these desires and they cannot understand the higher truths.

Kamatmanah: Full of desires.
Svarga-para: Aimed at heaven.
Janma-phala-pradam: Resulting in birth.

Krishna elaborates on how such individuals are driven by desires for heaven and the fruits of their actions, leading them to indulge in elaborate rituals. Their attachment to sensory pleasures and wealth distracts them from true self-realization. This verse serves as a critique of superficial religiosity that prioritizes rituals over spiritual growth.

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Sankhya Yogah - Those who are attached to wealth and power, whose minds are stolen by these desires, lack the determination for steady meditation and self-realization.

भोगैश्वर्यप्रसक्तानां तयापहृतचेतसाम् |
व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धि: समाधौ न विधीयते ||44||

Those who are attached to wealth and power, whose minds are stolen by these desires, lack the determination for steady meditation and self-realization.

Bhogaisvarya: Enjoyment and opulence.
Prasaktanam: Engaged in or attached to.
Samadhau: Concentration or meditation.

Krishna states that those whose minds are deluded by the desire for pleasure and wealth lack the determination needed for steady meditation. Their attachment to material gains obstructs their ability to focus on the ultimate goal of self-realization. This teaching underscores the need to rise above material desires to achieve inner peace and clarity.

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Sankhya Yogah - The Vedas deal with the three modes of material nature. O Arjuna, transcend these modes, free yourself from dualities, and be established in the self.

त्रैगुण्यविषया वेदा निस्त्रैगुण्यो भवार्जुन |
निर्द्वन्द्वो नित्यसत्त्वस्थो निर्योगक्षेम आत्मवान् ||45||

The Vedas deal with the three modes of material nature. O Arjuna, transcend these modes, free yourself from dualities, and be established in the self.

Trai-gunya: Three modes of nature.
Nitya-sattva-sthah: Always situated in goodness.
Nirdvandva: Free from dualities.

Krishna advises Arjuna to transcend the three modes of material nature (goodness, passion, and ignorance) that bind individuals. He encourages Arjuna to remain steadfast, free from the dualities of life, and focus on the self. This is an appeal to move beyond worldly influences and distractions to attain spiritual equanimity and self-mastery.

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यावानर्थ उदपाने सर्वत: सम्प्लुतोदके |
तावान्सर्वेषु वेदेषु ब्राह्मणस्य विजानत: ||46||

For a person who has realized the ultimate truth, the Vedas are as useful as a small well when water is available everywhere.

Udapane: Well or water reservoir.
Samplutodake: In a flooded place.
Vijanatah: For the one who knows.

Krishna uses the analogy of a small well to describe how the wisdom of the Vedas is limited compared to the vastness of true spiritual knowledge. For one who has attained higher understanding, the Vedas, which primarily deal with material desires, are no longer of utmost importance. This teaching encourages Arjuna to look beyond ritualistic knowledge.

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कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन |
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ||47||

You have a right to perform your duties, but not to the fruits of your actions. Never be attached to not doing your duty.

Karma-phala: Result of actions.
Adhikarah: Right or responsibility.
Karma: Action or duty.

Krishna instructs Arjuna to perform his duty without attachment to the results. One should never act with the desire for reward, nor should one avoid action out of fear of failure. This principle of Karma Yoga—performing action without attachment to the fruits—emphasizes the purity and selflessness that should accompany every action.

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योगस्थ: कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय |
सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्यो: समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते ||48||

Perform your duties with a balanced mind, giving up attachment to success and failure. Such balance is called Yoga.

Yoga: Balance or equanimity.
Siddhy-asiddhyoh: Success and failure.
Samatvam: Evenness or balance.

Krishna advises Arjuna to act with equanimity, without being swayed by success or failure. This state of even-mindedness is the essence of Yoga, leading to liberation from the bondage of actions. Krishna’s guidance promotes self-mastery and detachment, encouraging Arjuna to engage in action with a steady and calm mind.

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दूरेण ह्यवरं कर्म बुद्धियोगाद्धनञ्जय |
बुद्धौ शरणमन्विच्छ कृपणा: फलहेतव: ||49||

O Arjuna, action is far inferior to the Yoga of wisdom. Seek refuge in wisdom. Those driven by results are pitiable.

Buddhi-yogah: Yoga of intelligence.
Saranam: Refuge or shelter.
Phala-hetavah: Motivated by results.

Krishna advocates for the superiority of wisdom over mere ritualistic actions. He urges Arjuna to seek refuge in this wisdom, as those motivated by results are miserly in their understanding. This teaching shifts the focus from outward rituals to the inner wisdom and intention behind one’s actions, emphasizing the need for conscious awareness.

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