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54
BHAGAVADGITA.
From food are born (all) creatures; from rain is the production of food ; rain is produced by sacrifices ; sacrifices are the result of action ; know that action has its source in the Vedas; the Vedas come from the Indestructible. Therefore the all-comprehending Vedas are always concerned with sacrifices!. He who in this world does not turn round the wheel revolving thus, is of sinful life, indulging his senses, and, O son of Pritha ! he lives in vain. But the man who is attached to his self only, who is contented in his self, and is pleased with his self?, has nothing to do. He has no interest at all in what is done, and none whatever in what is not done, in this world' ; nor is any interest of his dependent on any being. Therefore * always perform action, which must be performed, without attachment. For a man, performing action without attachment, attains the Supreme. By action alone, did Ganaka and the rest work for perfection. And having regard also to the keeping of people (to their duties) you should perform action. Whatever a great man does, that other men also do. And people follow whatever he receives as authority. There is nothing, O son of Prithà! for me to do in (all) the three worlds, -- - -- --- --
-------- The commentators explain this to mean that though the Vedas elucidate all matters, their principal subject is the sacrifice.
'The distinctions here are rather nice,-an ordinary man is "attached to worldly objects, is contented' with goous &c., and is 'pleased with special gains.
: No good or evil accrues to him from anything he does or omits to do.
Sridhara says that Arguna is here told to perform action, as frcedom from it is only for the man of true knowledge, which Arguna is not as yet.
• I.e. final emancipation; cf. p. 59 infra, and Isopanishad, p. 6.
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