Verse 3.9

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 3.9:

यज्ञार्थात् कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्म-बन्धनः ।
तद्-अर्थं कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्त-सङ्गः समाचर ॥ ९ ॥

yajñārthāt karmaṇo'nyatra loko'yaṃ karma-bandhanaḥ |
tad-arthaṃ karma kaunteya mukta-saṅgaḥ samācara || 9 ||

yajña-arthāt–for the sake of Śrī Viṣṇu; karmaṇah–than (the selfless performance of) karma; anyatra–other; lokaḥ–humanity; ayam–this; karma-bandhanaḥ–bondage through their work; tad-artham–for His (Viṣṇu’s) sake; karma–work; kaunteya–O son of Kuntī; mukta-saṅgaḥ–free from attachment (to the fruit of work); samācara–perform nicely.

For humanity, all actions other than those selflessly offered to Śrī Viṣṇu are a cause of bondage to this world, O son of Kuntī. Therefore, become free from all desires for the fruits of your actions and perform appropriate action solely for His satisfaction.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

Śrī Bhagavān says, “O Arjuna, if you quote karmaṇā badhyate jantuḥ from the Smṛtis as evidence that by performing action a soul is bound, and if you think that by performing action you will also become bound, then listen carefully: this is not always the case. Work (karma) offered to Parameśvara, the Supreme Lord, is not a cause of bondage.” The present verse beginning with yajñārthāt is spoken to explain this.

Performance of one’s prescribed duties wherein the fruits are offered to Śrī Viṣṇu is called sacrifice, or yajña. All action (karma) binds a person to the material world, but that action performed for the satisfaction of Viṣṇu does not. Therefore, to attain perfection in one’s religious occupational duty (dharma), one must perform such duty properly for the satisfaction of Śrī Viṣṇu. Arjuna may again ask, “Will it be a cause of bondage to make a materially motivated offering, even though I am offering the results of my prescribed duties to Śrī Viṣṇu?” Śrī Kṛṣṇa thus says mukta-saṅgaḥ. “Perform action without any desire for the results.”

Śrī Kṛṣṇa instructed Uddhava in the same way:

sva-dharma-stho yajan yajñair anāśīḥ-kāma uddhava
na yāti svarga-narakau yady anyan na samācaret
asmiḹ loke vartamānaḥ sva-dharma-stho’naghaḥ śuciḥ
jñānaṃ viśuddham āpnoti mad-bhaktiṃ vā yadṛcchayā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.20.10–11)

O Uddhava, a person who performs his occupational duties without desiring the fruits and who worships Śrī Bhagavān by sacrifice, not engaging in the pursuit of any desirable sense object or any forbidden activity, attains neither heaven nor hell. Such a person, who is situated in his own religious occupational duty, who has given up all forbidden activities and who is free from all attachment and envy, attains pure knowledge, even in his present condition in this world.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

The Vedas say, “yajño vai viṣṇu– yajña, or sacrifice, is indeed Viṣṇu.” Śrī Kṛṣṇa also tells Uddhava in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.19.39): “yajño’ham bhagavattamaḥ–I, the son of Vasudeva, am yajña.”

The Tantra-sāra also states sacrifice to be Śrī Hari Himself:

yajño yajña-pumāṃś caiva yajñaśo yajña-bhāvanaḥ
yajña-bhuk ceti pañcātmā yajñeṣv ijyo hariḥ svayam

In the two verses of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.20.10–11), which Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has cited in his commentary on the present verse, the word sva-dharma-stha (situated in one’s prescribed duties) has been used twice. While commenting on these two verses, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says:

(1) A person does not go to hell if he is situated in his occupational position (sva-dharma) and does not transgress the activities prescribed in scripture to engage in forbidden activities. And since he has no desire for the fruits of his activities, he does not go to the heavenly planets, either.

(2) A person who engages in selflessly offering the fruits of his prescribed duty to the Supreme (niṣkāma-karma-yoga) is called sva-dharma-stha, or truly situated in his prescribed religious occupation.

When one’s occupational duties (karma) are performed in accordance with scripture, without any selfish motive and for the pleasure of Śrī Viṣṇu, they purify the heart. Associating with saintly persons then causes knowledge of bhagavat-tattva, the fundamental truth in relation to the Supreme Lord (Bhagavān), to appear in the heart. This allows one to enter the path of devotion to Him that is beyond the modes of material nature (nirguṇā-bhakti).

The great saint Śrī Nārada has spoken the same in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.32):

etat saṃsūcitaṃ brahmaṃs tāpa-traya-cikitsitam
yad īśvare bhagavati karma brahmaṇi bhāvitam

O knower of the Absolute Truth, that work which is dedicated to the lotus feet of Śrī Bhagavān, the controller and master of everyone, removes the three types of miseries.

Śrī Bhagavān also told the Pracetās:

gṛheṣv āviśatāṃ cāpi puṃsāṃ kuśala-karmaṇām
mad-vārtā yāta-yāmānāṃ na bandhāya gṛhā matāḥ

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (4.30.19)3

Those who know Me to be the enjoyer of the fruits of all activities offer all of their activities to Me alone. Such expert performers of action, as well as those who spend their time hearing of and reciting My pastimes, do not become bound by their actions, even though remaining in household life.