Verse 18.8

Verse 18.8: “Merely on the ground that it is painful, whichever action one would relinquish, through fear of bodily suffering: (of that action,) he (thereby) makes a Rajas-dominated relinquishment, and would not by any means obtain the fruit of its (regular and proper) relinquishment. (184)

Commentary called Jnaneshwari by Jnaneshwar:

One entertains aversion (in regard to their performance) on account of the difficult nature of the actions, even though he knows fully well his compentence [competence?] to perform them (successfully) and also realizes his own duty in regard to them. (No doubt) for some time in the initial stage an action is felt difficult. One feels it a burden to carry on his person the pot containing food (for his own use) or the ‘nimb’ tastes bitter, or the Chebulic myrobalan tastes astringent (in the beginning): in that way an action in its initial stage is felt hard.

A naughty milch-cow has vicious horns, or a fragrant (thorny) ‘Shevanti’-flower has got a thorny base, or there is the bother of cooking before one gets the happiness of a meal. Like all these things an action imposes physical exertion on the doer and, therefore, he often feels it very difficult in its initial stage. He begins to perform it as his enjoined duty, but gets terrified if he feels (meanwhile) troubled a bit and then he drops (part-done) the action already started, as one would drop down a scorching hot thing. He argues that having, through great luck, secured a thing like the (human) body, why should he, as a sinner would, put it to hardship by performing actions? Why not enjoy today the luxuries already within his grasp, rather than do actions, and then wait anxiously for the enjoyments to come as the fruit of the actions? Such relinquishment of actions, for fear of bodily suffering, hear ye, Oh the best among Warriors, is Rajas-dominated relinquishment. This is also a (sort of) relinquishment, but it carries no fruit of (regular and proper) relinquishment.

The boiling over (and falling) into fire (of ghee) does not constitute an oblation, or if one (accidentally) loses his life by drowning, it does not amount to freeing oneself from the trouble of mundane life by the meritorious act of voluntary yogic self-immersion (aghodarkī nimāle) but it must be taken as an evil type of death. In that way one relinquishing enjoined actions for the love of his body-form, cannot attain the fruit of regular and proper relinquishment of actions. In short, just as the morning light gulps up the stars, in that way the dawn of the Knowledge of Supreme Self gulps up all actions together with Nescience: and that is a regular and proper relinquishment of actions, and that (alone) bears fruit in the form of emancipation. One relinquishing actions through Nescience does not attain such emancipation, Oh Arjuna. Therefore such Rajasic relinquishment should not be taken as a regular and proper one. Now I tell you and you do hear, as the occasion demands, by what kind of relinquishment emancipation comes (to your) home.