1. Road to Liberation according to the Gita (Introduction)

The Gita occupies a unique place in the history of Indian literature and thought in that it reconciles dharma and moksa. On the one hand the Gita adheres to dharma by enjoining the following of one’s duty in accordance with the varna dharma, thereby supporting the moral and social order. At the same time, it supports the Upanisadic ideal of renouncing the world altogether in favour of self-realization and the attainment of liberation, but propounds the unique and groundbreaking idea of an internal relinquishment, rather than an external one.

In other words, as opposed to an external relinquishment, where one leaves home and social responsibility in favour of becoming a wandering mendicant or a forest-dweller, the Gita furthers an internal relinquishment, by which one adheres to dharma, but makes an internal progress along the path of renunciation, by gradually learning to renounce the fruits of action, and then devote to the supreme. In this regard the Gita says:

tasmad asaktah satatam karyam karma samacara
asakto hy acaran karma param apnoti purusah (iii, 19).

“Therefore, without attachment, perform always the work that has to be done, for man attains to the highest by doing work without attachment”.

This interesting reconciliation of the two otherwise contradictory ideals, offers a system which intertwines social responsibility and action in the world, with a deep sense of spirituality and relinquishment of worldly attachments. Dharma is situated in the worldly and finite level, whereas moksa is situated in a completely different and higher level which is infinite and absolute. Besides this two tiers underlying the Gita-which could be considered the finite and the infinite, or alternatively, dharma and moksa-there is a third tier, serving as an intermediate one connecting the two tiers, which would otherwise be unrelated to each other due to an insurmountable gap separating the two. The first tier represents dharma, and furthers proper human life. The second tier represents yoga, and further attempts to escape the viscous state of samsara while gradually seeking hold of the state of moksa, and the third tier represents the state of moksa itself. As a practical scripture, the Gita offers the means of crossing over the gap between the first tier, that of dharma, and the third tier, that of moksa. Mere following dharma while avoiding dharma is not sufficient to attain to the stage of moksa, but a different type of endeavour or path is needed. This process or enterprise is sometimes called self-realization and it involves a transformational path by which one progresses step by step, thus making advancement from lower tiers to the higher ones. The question may now be raised, as to what means does the Gita offer the practitioner who desires to make progress in the process of self-realization. In other words, if the gap between dharma and is insurmountable, how is one expected to cross it, leaving behind the world of samsara, and attaining the liberated realm of moksa? What practical means or system does the Gita offer the individual or the community who aspires to practice this transformative path? The Gita aims at God realization or self-realization as the ultimate destiny of human life. The ethics of the Gita is not an end in itself. It is means to the metaphysical or spiritual goal. But how to realize the goal? The Gita refers to three kinds of margas to reach to the goal or union with God.

Yoga means joining or union. Secondarily, it has various shades of meaning such as equilibrium, balance, synthesis, or integration and regulation and control of bodily and mental faculties. In the sentence where Yoga is called samatvam (ii, 48), it means balance or equilibrium, secured by mental discipline. It is also used in the sense of art or device as in ‘yoga’ is proficiency in doing karma (II, 50). Yoga is hard to be attained by one of uncontrolled self (vi, 36).A word of frequent occurrence and considerable significance found in the Gita is yoga. It has been used in a variety of meanings. It means not only meditation (dhyana), but also ‘discipline’ and ‘union’. Yoga is thus the supreme art of creating synthesis, integration or harmonious adjustment between the various springs of action. The whole superstructure of the Gita is raised on the foundation of the art of producing peace and tranquility of mind amidst the surging waves of mental states and creating unity out of variety in the inner life of man. It is for achieving this result that the Gita leads us into psychological, physical and metaphysical principles of life, its knowledge being very useful for a successful application of this art. The performance of actions without desire for their fruits, and acquiring a sense of detachment of mind in the worldly life are the two great lessons which the Gita teaches us and it lays constant stress on the fact that we cannot succeed in imbibing these difficult lessons unless we practice the unique art of yoga in living our daily lives. According to Tilak ‘yoga’ means control of mental impulses by breath control or mental absorption or meditation. It is well described in the Gita itself as “yogah karmasu kausalam” (ii, 50), yoga is skill in works.

This word is also used in the sense of path (marga) as in:

1. jnana-yoga or the way of knowledge,
2. karmayoga or the way of action,
3. bhaktiyoga or the path of devotion.

There are three paths determined by what pre-dominates one’s temperament.

To those who are temperamentally active (in whom willing predominates) it is taught that one must perform his duties for the sacrifice alone (iii, 9). The word sacrifice should not be taken in the limited sense of rituals. It means in the Gita all those actions in which the guiding principle of the agent is not the exclusive benefit of his own. In short, all those actions which are done for the sacrifice.

For those in whom feeling predominates, who are devotional temperamentally, it is taught that one must offer all his actions to God to remain untouched by the sins of his actions (v, 10). One must think that he is simply an instrument of the Lord. He must constantly remember that the Lord could have equally selected anybody else for doing that action. He must think that he is not doing any action but only the Lord is acting through him. One must also surrender all the fruits of the actions to the Lord. It is taught to the devotees that they should surrender all their actions to the Lord and should take refuse only in Him (xviii, 66). The devotee should think that, “All his work is worship”^[1]

For those in whom thinking predominates, it is taught that while doing actions such person should free himself from the notion of agency. He must constantly think that it is only gunas which are acting upon the gunas. (iii,28). He should realize that in all his actions it is only prakriti which is acting upon prakrti. He should realize that it is the gunas in the form of senses, mind etc. That are acting upon in the gunas in the form of the object of perception (v, 8-9). When we have such an attitude towards actions, actions do not bind us. We should try to see that inaction (of thee soul) in the actions (of the prakrti) i.e., in all the activities we should realize that the activity belongs to prakrti and the soul is merely a passive observer. (iv, 18).

Road to Liberation according to the Gita:

As has been pointed out above, the Gita expounds several pathways to liberation. Liberation is understood in terms of God-realization. The three paths taught in the Upanisads are discussed in some details and an attempt is made to harmonize them all. The author of the Gita is aware of the differences in the nature and equipment of the individual seekers. He does not dogmatically insist on one path only. He offers different paths and even makes a synthesis of all the paths. This shows that he was sensitive to individual preferences. At one place we read the following: “Try to know Me. If you cannot contemplate Me, practice yoga. If you are not equal to this, try to serve Me by dedicating all your work to Me. If even this is found hard, do your duty regardless of consequences giving up all desire for fruits”. (xii, 9-11). Elsewhere we are told the following: “Some by concentration see the self in the self by the self; others by the samkhyayoga; and others still by the karmayoga, others yet, not knowing this practice concentration, after hearing from others. They, too, being (thus) devoted on hearing (instruction) cross beyond death (xiii, 24-25).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Jadunath Sinha: Indian Philosophy, P-187.