CHAPTER 5

Bhagavad-gita Notes 1Chapter 5CHAPTER 5KARMA YOGA — ACTION IN KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESSConnection between Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 Chapter 2 gives Preliminary knowledge of soul and its entanglement in the material body Buddhi-yoga as the process to get out of this entanglement Chapter 3 explains that a person on the platform of knowledge no longer has any duties to perform Chapter 4 presents The Lord telling Arjuna that all kind of sacrificial work culminates in knowledge Also Krishna glorifies jnana and speaks of action in inaction and inaction in action (4.16 – 4.18) In Text 4.41 also He glorifies jnana and renunciation But in Text 4.42, He orders Arjuna to fight Arjuna ‘s understanding up until this point He thinks renunciation in knowledge involves cessation of all kinds of work performed as senseactivities But if one performs work in devotional service, as Krishna suggests – then how is work stopped? Work and renunciation appears to be incompatible to Arjuna at this point of time. Understanding what Arjuna lacks – Work in full knowledge is non-reactive and is therefore the same asinaction Therefore Chapter 5 opens with Arjuna’s question similar to Text 3.1, “Which is better: ‘Work indevotion’ or ‘Renunciation of work’?” Krishna will answer Arjuna’s question and will explain the processof achieving liberation through Karma-yoga in greater depth than Chapter 3Page 1 of 19

Bhagavad-gita Notes 2Chapter 5BREAKDOWN OF CHAPTER 5SECTION I (5.1 – 5.6) — NISKAMA-KARMA-YOGA – EASIER THAN RENOUNCING WORK Arjuna again asks whether renouncing work is superior to working with detachmentKrishna replieso Both are equal in the sense that both are means to the same goalo Emphasizes working with detachment as easier and superiorSECTION II (5.7 – 5.12) — HOW TO PERFORM NISKAMA-KARMA-YOGA One performing Niskama-karma-yoga identifieso Neither with his bodyo Nor the activities that his body performsBy his detached actions, he is freed from the reactions of his activitiesSECTION III (5.13 – 5.16) — PLATFORM OF KNOWLEDGE – KNOWING THE THREE DOERS The living being (Doer No. 1) who knows that all bodily activities are automatically carried outby the modes of material nature (Doer No. 2), after those activities are sanctioned by theSupersoul (Doer No. 3), attains enlightenment thorough that knowledgeSECTION IV (5.17 – 5.26) — LIBERATION BY FOCUSSING ON THE SUPERSOUL One who, in knowledge, devotionally fixes his consciousness on the Supersoul and remainsmaterially equipoised, attains liberation in the near futureSECTION V (5.27 – 5.28) — LIBERATION THROUGH ASTANGA YOGA: A PREVIEW Practice of Astanga-yoga gives the same liberationSECTION VI (5.29) — PEACE ON THE PLATFORM OF LIBERATION A person in full consciousness of Krishna attains liberation from the pangs of material miseriesSECTION I (5.1 – 5.6)NISKAMA-KARMA-YOGA – EASIER THAN RENOUNCING WORKText 1-3: Karma yoga is same as sannyasa, but betterText 4-6: Why Karma Yoga is better?Text 5.1*THEME: Arjuna asks question, “What is better and more beneficial?” ‘Work’ and ‘renunciation’ appearsincompatible Text 5.1 purport mentions that ‘work in devotion’ is easier than ‘dry mental speculation’. Because It is transcendental in nature and thus, It frees one from all reactions PLEASE NOTE: The remaining points of the purport are mentioned in the Connection between Chapter 4 and 5abovePage 2 of 19

Bhagavad-gita Notes 3Chapter 5Text 5.2THEME: Answers the question asked in Text 5.1 Both good for liberation But work in devotion (karma-yoga) is better than renunciation of work (sannyasa)FOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 5.2(a) Path of action: Krishna conscious action vs Fruitive action – Devotional Service / Action in KrishnaConsciousness is the only way to get rid of material bondage (Ref. SB 5.5.4-6) On the other hand fruitive action creates bondageo To act for sense gratification – not good because fruitive acts cause material bondageand transmigration; each body is temporary and miserable.o Failure of life – if no inquiry about real identityo Suggestion to “get out” of bondage – Develop love for Devotional service to Vasudeva(b) Path of renouncing all action: Process of Jnana (of spiritual identity) / dry renunciation One may think that action causes bondage, therefore we should renounce action altogethero but one should know that Jnana (of spiritual identity) or dry renunciation is notsufficient for liberation from bondage,o but one must act on the level of status of spirit soul Action in Krishna Consciousness is different from action on fruitive platformo Action in full knowledge strengthens one’s advancement in real knowledgeo Mere renunciation of fruitive action without Krishna Consciousness does not purifythe heart(c) Srila Rupa Goswami on ‘renunciation’ (Ref. Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu) Incomplete Renunciation (Phalgu-vairagya) — to renounce things related to SupremePersonality of Godhead thinking them material, with desire for liberation Complete renunciation (Yukta-vairagya) — implies to knowo Everything belongs to the Lordo Use everything in His serviceo Do not claim proprietorshipText 5.3THEME: One who works in devotion is a true sannyasi and easily achieves liberation Definition of true sannyasi – neither hates nor desires fruits and is free from all dualitiesFOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORT 5.3(a) Krishna Conscious person is a true sannyasi – How? He has perfect transcendental knowledge i.e. soul and Krishna are one in quality butdifferent in quantityo Incorrect transcendental knowledge – oneness in quantity with Krishna, because apart can never be equal to whole Result of perfect knowledge – one becomes full in himself Full in himself – implies no desire/hatred/lamentation for the results of action No duality in mind – because whatever he does is for Krishna Thus liberated even in material worldPage 3 of 19

Bhagavad-gita Notes 4Chapter 5Texts 5.4* – 5.5COMMON THEME: Karma-yoga and Sannyasa are same, because both lead to spiritual realization and havesame conclusionFOCUS OF LEARNING: PURPORTS 5.4 – 5.5 – (Only a few concepts are enlisted below from the purports.Most of the points are covered in the Summarized Theme 5A table below)(a) How Sankhya and Karma-yoga / Devotional Service are the same – Because the common aim is“Vishnu” (5.4 purport)(b) Who sees things as they are – One who sees Sankhya (analytical study) and devotional service onthe same level in terms of aim (5.5)(c) Aim of analytical study of material world – find the soul of existence Soul of material world—Vishnu / Devotional service entails service to the Supersoul Analogy: One is to find the root of tree (Sankhya), other is to water the root (DevotionalService).(d) Real purpose of philosophical research is to find the ‘Ultimate Goal of Life’, which is ‘selfrealization’. This proves there is no difference between the conclusion of the two processes (5.5)BETWEEN TEXTS 5.5 & 5.6: It is important to understand that Krishna is not speaking about a LINKvariety of paths leading to a variety of inferior or superior destinations. Rather, He is describing twoaspects of a path—one easy and one difficult—with the same goal. (These verses are applicable toanyone trying to attain Brahman, Paramatma or Bhagavan realization, but Srila Prabhupada translated yoga as“devotional service” to highlight Krishna’s actual desire and purpose.)If we renounce activities before our hearts are clean, we will be forced by our unclean hearts to engage inimproper activities. The senses will demand engagement, but the jnana-yoga process forbids sense activity.Unless the senses are engaged in good work, it will be difficult to stop improper work. Krishna thereforerecommends keeping the senses always engaged, while simultaneously purifying the heart by working withdetachment. This is the more practical and, therefore, superior path. The comparison between the two pathscontinues in the following verse.Text 5.6THEME: Dry Renunciation (Jnana-marg) is too difficult and distressful Karma-yoga is better because Process is easier Result quickly gives liberation PLEASE NOTE: Points from purport of Text 5.6 and some points of purports of Texts 5.2 - 5.5 are mentioned in thetable belowPage 4 of 19

Bhagavad-gita Notes 5Chapter 5SUMMARISED THEME 5ACONCLUSION: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RENUNCIATION AND WORK IN DEVOTIONS.No Verse13.3235.25.2Renunciation / Mayavadi sannyasisNeeds prior purification by prescribeddutiesSimply Jnana insufficient for liberationRisk of fall down45.2Incomplete renunciation56785.45.55.65.695.6Find the root, VishnuProcess is to detach from matterNo happinessSenses restricted, cannot relishtranscendental devotional serviceTake many births10115.65.6125.6Study Sankhya philosophySariraka bhasya on Vedanta Sutra bySankaracaryaMay fall down to philanthropic andaltruistic activitiesWork in devotion/ Vaisnava sannyasisProcess itself purifiesAction is must – Must act in status of soulSuccess guaranteed - Entrance into God’sKingdomComplete renunciation / To use everythingfor KrishnaWater the rootBecome attached to KrishnaBrings happinessSenses engaged, perform multipledevotional activitiesQuickly achieves Supreme Personality ofGodheadStudy Srimad BhagavatamStudy Srimad Bhagavatam, naturalcommentary on Vedanta SutraHave multiple engagements in devotionalservice, according to PancharatrikiregulationsSECTION II (5.7 – 5.12)HOW TO PERFORM NISKAMA-KARMA-YOGAPRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION IIOne in knowledge understands his incompatibility with materialnature and thus acts only for purification, unattached to material resultsBETWEEN SECTION I & SECTION II: By describing the consciousness of one who works in LINKtranscendental knowledge, now Krishna illustrates how Karma-yoga and Sankhya-yoga arecomplimentary but Karma-yoga is preferable.Texts 5.7 – 5.12 may depict any of the three levels of God realisation, since Bhagavan is the highest realisationand clearly the goal of Gita, Srila Prabhupada expresses these verses from that angle. PLEASE NOTE: Translations and Purports of Texts 5.7 – 5.12 has been covered below under Summarized Theme 5B.Ther Remaining points of the purports are covered together in the ‘Focus of Learning’ section thereafterPage 5 of 19