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तृतीयोऽध्यायः
अर्जुन उवाच। $ज्यायसी चेत्कर्मणस्ते मता बुद्धिर्जनार्दन।
तत्किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव ॥१॥ व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे। तदेकं वद निश्चित्य येन श्रेयोऽहमाप्नुयाम् ॥२॥
CHAPTER III. [After the Blessed Lord had proved to Arjuna that the dread which he had felt about killing Bhisma, Drona, and others was foolish, having regard to the immortality and the non-lamentability of the Ātman according to Samkhya philosophy, and made to Arjuna a short exposition of his own duty, the principal subject matter of the Gitā, namely, the exposition of the Karma-Yoga, was started in the Second Chapter ; and, after stating that the only skilful way, or Yoga, by which it was possible to perform Action without incurring either merit or sin, was to perform it with a disinterested frame of mind, there is given a description, at the end, of the Karma-Yogin Sthitaprajña, whose Reason has thus become Equable. But, that does not exhaust the exposition of the Karma-Yoga. It is true that if any act is performed with an equable frame of mind, one does not incur sin But, if it cannot be disputed that Equability of Reason is superior to Action (GI. 2. 49), then it would be quite enough if one makes one's Reason equable like that of a Sthitaprajña; and it does not follow that it is necessary to perform Action. Therefore, when this doubt has been raised by Arjuna in the shape of a question, the Blessed Lord lays down in this and in the next chapter, that' Action must be performed'.)
Arjuna said :-(1) O Janārdana ! if it is Your opinion that the (Equable--) Reason is superior to Action, then, O Keśava ! why are you engaging me in a terrible Action (of war) ? (2) By this seemingly mixed (that is, double-meaninged) advice, You are, so to say, confusing my understanding ;
