Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3

Introduction – In Holy Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 Arjun seeks clarification about the knowledge given by Shri Krishna in Chapter 2 regarding knowledge and action. There are a few terms which readers need to understand in order to grasp the 3rd chapter of Bhagavad Gita. 

• Yagya - religious acts.
• Dharm - meritorious acts.
• Yogi - A devotee (yogi in these gita verses does not mean someone doing physical yoga. Yogi here pertains to a devotee).

Holy Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 | Verses 1 - 15

Verse 1 – 2: In these verses, Arjun asks Shri Krishna that if you consider knowledge superior to actions, then please give me the right advice as I am finding your statements misleading.

Verse 3 – 9: In these verses, Shri Krishna says the following to Arjun,

• The learned think highly of knowledge.
• A Yogi (devotee) thinks highly of karmyog (related to actions).
• The three gunas (Rajgun-Brahma, Satgun-Vishnu, Tamgun-Shiv) born of Maya i.e. Durga (Prakriti), out of their nature, forcefully make the living beings perform actions.
• Those foolish devotees who forcefully control their senses of actions and sit in meditation, their mind continues to be overwhelmed by the influence of the senses of knowledge. Because of pretensions, those people appear to be in meditation. They are frauds.
• One should keep performing desirable actions, and by knowledge, keep one’s mind and senses engrossed in good deeds.
• The actions which are performed in accordance with the scriptures are best and if you will not perform worldly actions, then how will you earn bread?
• Religious acts (yagya), which are performed in accordance with the scriptures and without any desire, are beneficial.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3, Verse 10 – 13

In these verses knowledge about yagyas (religious meritorious acts) and their significance has been given.

Verse 10: Prajapati (Lord of all beings) had said in the beginning of kalp (at the time of creation) that all beings should perform yagya (religious acts). By this, you will attain worldly pleasures.

Verse 11: may the gods after being fostered by the yagya, foster you i.e. they will make you wealthy. Thus, you should support each other.

Verse 12: gods fostered by yagya provide you with worldly comforts (wealth) on the basis of the fruits of your actions. Those, who do not contribute a part of it in dharm (meritorious acts) i.e. who do not perform yagyas are sinful and thieves.

Verse 13: Sages, who eat the Prasaad after having it offered to the God situated in the yagya i.e to the Supreme God, are saved from all the sins resulting from not doing yagyas etc, and those sinful people who cook food only to nourish their bodies, they certainly eat sin only.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 Verse 14 – 15: living beings arise from food grains. Food grains arise from rain; rain from yagya; yagya arise from auspicious actions and actions arise from Brahm (Kaal); and Brahm (Kaal) originated from the Immortal God. That Omnipresent, Immortal God only is always situated in yagya i.e. He (Supreme God) only provides the benefits of the yagyas.

Verse 16: one who does not perform yagya is wasting his life. One who does not follow the rules of worship {to do bhajan (remember/worship God), yagya, charity, compassion} of this universe, keeps enjoying oneself without any restraints, that sinful soul has come to this world in vain.

Gist of Holy Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 Verse 9-16

The gist of Chapter 3 Verse 9-16 is that

• by performing yagya, one solely gets worldly comforts but not liberation.
• Besides, it has also been proved that all these comforts also are provided by Supreme God, who Himself is Kabir Sahib (KavirDev). 

Except Sant Rampal Ji Maharaj, all the translators of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita have written the meaning of Brahm both as Ved and God. This is an evidence of their limited knowledge; the meaning of Brahm is God and not Ved.

Holy Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 Verse 17-18: one who meditates (dhyaan), he does not even need to perform other yagyas because meditation (dhyaan) itself is a yagya and only that person meditates a lot who becomes a hermit (one who leaves home and lives in forest). Then he/she can not perform other yagyas. But after becoming aware of ‘tatvagyan’ (the true knowledge) neither a devotee does baseless (arbitrary way of worship) worship, nor selfishly makes anyone else do it. His/her aim is no more to selfishly earn money. Therefore, it has been said that there is no work left i.e. he/she is always engrossed in the thought of God.

Verse 19-20:  the yagya, performed as a duty of a human being, helps in attainment of God and delivers the fruit of yagya as well.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 Verse 21-24

Verse 21-24: O’ Arjun! The knowledgeable sadhus-saints should perform good deeds in accordance with the scriptures because, the rest of the society follows them (saints). Although, I do not need to perform any action in the three loks because I can obtain all the comforts of the three loks without doing anything, even then, I perform good deeds so that other people should follow me; otherwise, I will prove to be the destroyer of the society, the producer of mixed caste (an offspring of a woman and a man of two different castes).

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 Verse 25-30

Verse 25-26 and 29 that those foolish people who are doing wrong worship, they will not listen when told; rather, will become annoyed. Therefore, the knowledgeable persons should worship according to the injunctions of the scriptures and also make them follow it.

Verse 27-28: foolish person, by nature, takes false pride by considering himself the doer. Wise men do not come under the influence of ‘gunas’.

Verse 30:  Kaal says that Arjun, by being dependent on me through knowledge, free from desires, free from possessiveness and abandoning grief, you may fight.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 Verse 31-35

Verse 31-32: Those who follow the above-mentioned opinion of mine, they are saved from evil actions. Those who do not follow it are foolish and ignorant. Their decline (84-lakh births) is certain.

Verse 33-34: one does not have love-hatred. 

Verse 35: it is said that other’s incorrect worship (lacking quality) which is not based on scriptures, no matter how good it appears and no matter how much those ignorant people scare you, should not be accepted under fear.

Purport of Holy Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3

• Instead of worshipping gods-goddesses, ghosts and manes (pitras), one should only worship God.
• One should only perform yagyas, chant ‘Om’ naam, that too without any desire, considering it one’s duty as a human being and one should acquire a complete Guru and do it in accordance with the scriptures.
• One should adhere to the sermon given by Guru Ji (Tatvadarshi Sant), which is according to the scriptures, with full faith. One must not get confused.
• One should follow one’s true way of worship unto the last breath and even dying for one’s true way of worship is beneficial.

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