Bhagvad Gita Rahasya or Karmayoga Shastra VOL 02

SR No.: 011090
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bhalchandra S Sukhtankar
Publisher: R B Tilak Puna
Publication Year: 1936
Total Pages: 767
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 74 MB

Page 68

638
GITA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
ultimately obtained by gradual degrees; and He has at the end of this chapter, again given to Arjuna a clear and definite advice, that as the Path of Karma-Yoga is in this way the most superior path, and one which is gradually accessible, Arjuna should eschew the various paths of performing Action as such (ie., without giving up the Hope of Fruit), or the practice of austerities, or the abandonment of Action after Acquisition of Knowledge, and become a Yogin, that is, one who follows the Desireless Karma-Yoga.
Some persons are of the opinion that the exposition of Karma-Yoga has come to an end here, that is, at the end of the sixth chapter ; that thereafter, the Blessed Lord has described the Path of Knowledge and the Path of Devotion as two 'independent' paths, that is to say, as paths which are mutually independent, or are the same in importance as the Karma-Yoga, but different from it, and as such, proper to be followed as alternatives for the Path of Karma-Yoga; that the Path of Devotion has been described from the seventh to the twelfth chapters and the Path of Knowledge in the remaining six chapters, and that if the eighteen chapters of the Gitä are divided up in this way, six chapters each can be allocated to Action ( karma), Devotion (bhakti) and Knowledge (jñana), and the Gitā becomes equally divided. amongst the three paths. But this opinion is wrong. It becomes clear from the opening stanzas of chapter V, that the question of Arjuna was (i) whether he should give up the fight having regard to the principles of the Sāmkhya philosophy, or take part in it though he saw the terrible consequences of it in front of his eyes; and, (ii) if so, how the sin of it could be obviated; and this doubt was not going to be satisfied by giving an ambiguous and childish reply like : “Release can be obtained both by Knowledge and by Karma-Yoga", or, “if you want it, there is also the third path of Devotion". Besides, when Arjuna was asking for definite guidance about one particular course of Action, it would be incorrect to imagine that, omniscient and clever Sri Krsna avoided the issue and showed him three independent and alternative courses of Action. Really speaking, the Gītā.