Shrimad Bhagavad-gita

by Narayana Gosvami | 2013 | 327,105 words

The Bhagavad-gita Verse 3.33, English translation, including the Vaishnava commentaries Sarartha-varsini-tika, Prakashika-vritti and Rasika-ranjana (excerpts). This is verse 33 from the chapter 3 called “Karma-yoga (Yoga through the Path of Action)”

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 3.33:

सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्याः प्रकृतेर् ज्ञानवान् अपि ।
प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि निग्रहः किं करिष्यति ॥ ३३ ॥

sadṛśaṃ ceṣṭate svasyāḥ prakṛter jñānavān api |
prakṛtiṃ yānti bhūtāni nigrahaḥ kiṃ kariṣyati || 33 ||

sadṛśam–in accordance; ceṣṭate–endeavours; svasyāḥ–with his own; prakṛteḥ–nature; jñāna-vān–a man of knowledge; api–even; prakṛtim–nature;yānti–follow; bhūtāni–all beings; nigrahaḥ–suppression; kim–what?; kariṣyati–can do.

Even a man of knowledge acts in accordance with his natural disposition, for all beings follow their nature. What can be achieved by repression of the senses?

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

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

One may raise the following question: “A person who does not obey the order of a king is punished, so if a person does not follow the order of Parameśvara, the Supreme Controller, is he not punished as well? Should he not fear punishment from Him?” In response, Śrī Bhagavān says, “Yes, this is true. However those who are engaged only in satisfying their senses are unable to follow the order of the king or of Parameśvara, even though they can discriminate. Their nature has become like this.” The present verse beginning with sadṛśam is spoken to explain this.

“People may know that sinful activity will lead to punishment from the royal court, or even going to hell, and they may even understand that this will bring infamy and criticism. Still, because of the nature that they have acquired over a prolonged period, they act according to the temperament resulting from their sinful deeds, which brings only misery. Such people only follow their own disposition. They can, however, be restrained by My discipline or that of a king. A person with an impure heart can receive purifying impressions (saṃskāras) by performing selfless action offered to Bhagavān (niṣkāma-karma-yoga), and a person with a pure heart can receive them through jñāna-yoga. Both types of people can be enlightened. It is true that neither process can help a person whose heart is extremely impure, but bhakti, which appears by My mercy, can easily deliver even such sinful people.”

As it is said in the Skanda Purāṇa:

aho dhanyo’si devarṣe kṛpayā yasya te kṣaṇāt
nīco’py utpulako lebhe lubdhako ratim acyute

O Nārada, all glories to you. Because of your mercy, this low-class hunter has, in just one moment, attained deep attachment, or rati, for the lotus feet of Śrī Bhagavān, and is manifesting the ecstatic symptom of pulaka in which one’s bodily hairs stand on end.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

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

A person with uncontrolled senses may be able to discriminate but cannot restrain his senses by knowledge of scripture:

stambhayann ātmanātmānaṃ yāvat sattvaṃ yathā-śrutam
na śaśāka samādhātuṃ mano madana-vepitam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.1.62)

After seeing the prostitute, the mind of Ajāmila became agitated. He tried hard to control his mind by fortitude and knowledge of scripture, but being agitated by Cupid, he was unable to do so.

All uncontrolled, degraded desires can be removed by the powerful influence of the association of saintly persons, or sādhu-saṅga.

tato duḥsaṅgam utsṛjya satsu sajjeta buddhimān
santa evāsya cchindanti mano-vyāsaṅgam uktibhiḥ

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.26.26)

By their powerful speech, saintly people can completely cut asunder all the unfavourable attachments of the mind.

Vyāsaṅga means ‘attachments that make one averse to Śrī Bhagavān’. Here, the word eva implies the powerful speech of saintly persons alone. Pious actions, holy places, demigods and knowledge of scripture are, in and of themselves, not able to destroy unbeneficial attachments. This should be understood.

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura quotes Kṛṣṇa as saying, “O Arjuna, do not think that a man of knowledge will attain auspiciousness (liberation from bondage) if he simply deliberates on spirit and matter and accepts the shelter of sannyāsa-dharma by impetuously giving up material nature (guṇa) and its related activities (karma). Even after the conditioned soul has become enriched with knowledge, he will still endeavour in accordance with his long-standing disposition. It is not true that one can give up one’s nature by suddenly restraining it. All bound souls will continue to endeavour according to the disposition they have naturally acquired over a prolonged period. The proper way to give up this nature is to carefully perform all karma (action) in accordance with that nature, while being situated in it. As long as the renunciation that accompanies the symptoms of bhakti-yoga does not appear in the heart, the only means to attain self-auspiciousness is niṣkāma-karma-yoga offered to Śrī Bhagavān. This is because in this practice, a person can perform his prescribed duties and also benefit from the purifying impressions generated by them. A person who renounces his prescribed duty will ultimately deviate from the path of perfection.

“When, by My mercy or by the mercy of My devotee, bhakti-yoga appears in the heart, there is no need to follow one’s prescribed duty, because this path of bhakti is superior to niṣkāma-karma-yoga. But if bhakti-yoga has not awakened, it is auspicious in all cases to follow niṣkāma-karma-yoga, which is offered to Me.”

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