Summary:

Disciplined life relaxes and frees the mind

The Seventeenth Chapter is the second annexure. It can be said to contain karyakram yoga (the yoga of daily programme). In this Chapter, the Gita has suggested a daily routine. This Chapter deals with the programme for the seeker.

If we want our mind to feel relaxed and happy, we should have discipline in life.Let us keep the example of the jnani before our eyes. The Sun is the preceptor of the jnanis. The Lord has said in the Gita that he taught karma yoga first to the Sun and Manu—the thinking man—learnt it from the Sun. The Sun is free and independent. The secret of its freedom lies in its regularity. It is our everyday experience that if we regularly take a particular route, we are able to think while walking, without paying any attention to the road. But if we walk on different roads everyday, our attention would be focused on the road and the mind would not be able to think. Thus, we should have discipline in life to have a free and joyful, and not burdensome, life.

For this purpose, the Lord has suggested a programme in this Chapter. We are born with three institutions or orders. The Gita is suggesting here a programme whereby they can operate in an efficient manner to make life happy. The first of these is the body that wraps us. The vast world, the whole creation around us, of which we are a part, is the second one. The third one is the society into which we are born. It includes our parents, brothers and sisters and neighbors. Everyday we use these three and wear them out. The Gita wants us to endeavor continually to replenish what is lost through us, and thereby make our life fruitful. We should selflessly discharge our inborn duties towards these three orders. These duties are to be discharged. But how? Through yajna (sacrifice), dana (charity) and tapas (penance and austerities)—these three together comprise the scheme for the purpose. We are familiar with these terms, but we do not comprehend them clearly. If we could comprehend them and bring them into our lives, the body, the creation and the society—all would fulfill their purpose and our lives would also be free and happy.

Triple endeavor for this purpose 

Let us first see what yajna means. Yajna is intended to reimburse, to put back what we have taken from nature.To make good the loss is one purpose of the yajna. Another purpose is to purify the things we use. We use a well and make the place all around it dirty and slushy. The harm thus caused should be undone; so we should clean its surroundings. Production of something new is the third aspect of yajna. We wear clothes; so we should spin regularly to produce them. Growing cotton or foodgrains, spinning—all these are forms of yajna.There is no altruism ( परोपकार ) in it; it is the repayment of what we already owe. In fact, we are born with debt. What we produce for repayment of that debt is a form of service; we are not obliging anybody thereby. 

Human society is the second institution. Our parents, teachers, friends—all of them toil for us. Dana has been prescribed to discharge our debt to the society. Dana too is no altruism. We are already highly obliged to society.The service that is rendered to repay that debt is dana. Dana means contributing to the progress of mankind. While yajna means working for the replenishment of nature’s loss, repayment of the debt to society through exerting oneself physically or through money or some other means is dana. 

The third institution is the body. It too gets worn out daily by our use. We daily use our mind, intellect and organs. Tapas has been prescribed to remove the defects and distortions that arise in the body and to purify it.Thus it is our duty to act in such a way that these three institutions—nature, society and the body—function smoothly and efficiently. 

Here we have regarded yajna, dana and tapas as if they were different entities; but in fact, they are not so. Nature, society and the body are not completely distinct entities. Society is not something outside nature, nor is the body outside it. Therefore, productive labor (yajna), dana, tapas — all these can be called yajna in a broad sense. It is in this spirit that the Gita has referred to dravya yajna (sacrifice with material gifts) and tapo yajna (sacrifice with austerities) in the Fourth Chapter. The Gita has broadened the meaning of yajna.

Whatever service we render to these three institutions is bound to be a form of yajna. This should of course be without any desire or expectation for reward.

To enable us to serve in this manner, we have to consume something. That too is a part of yajna. The Gita calls it aahaara (food). Just as an engine needs fuel, the body needs food. The food is not yajna in itself, but it is necessary for it. That is why we say before starting the meals, ‘उदरभरण नोहे जाणिजे यज्ञ कर्म ‘ (‘This is not for filling the belly; understand that it is an act of yajna.’) Just as offering flowers to the Lord is worship, toiling in the garden to produce the flowers is also worship. Anything done for the performance of yajna is a form of worship.  

Again, all these actions should have faith at their foundation. One should always have in mind the idea that all the service is to be ultimately dedicated to God. This is extremely important. Life cannot be full of service if such a spirit is not there. Dedication to the Lord is the key that must never be overlooked.

Making sadhana sattvic

But, when could we dedicate our actions to the Lord? Only when they become sattvic. Yajna-dana-tapas—all must be sattvic.Two things are necessary to make the yajna sattvic. There should not be any desire for the fruit, but the actions must result in some fruit. If there is desire for the fruit, the yajna will be rajasic; if it is fruitless, it will be tamasic.

In this way, when desirelessness gets ingrained in the mind and systematic and fruitful actions begin to take place, only then the purification of mind will ensue. What is the test for the purification of mind? We should examine our outward actions for this purpose. If they are not pure and well-done, we may take it that the mind too is impure.All our actions are images of our mind. If the mind is pure, the actions too will turn out to be beautiful. We should judge the purity of outward actions by the purity of mind and the purity of mind by the purity of outward actions. 

In this connection, one more important point is not to be missed. It is that all the actions should be charged with mantra—with the spirit, with the understanding of their true purport. Actions without a mantra are meaningless. While spinning, one should always have the feeling of establishing a bond with the poor. If we spin for hours on end, but without this mantra in our heart, it is all wasted.

Purity in food 

To enable us to render such service, we must be vigilant about the purity of our diet. The state of our mind depends on the diet. We should take food in regulated and measured quantities.

It is not enough that we somehow manage to exist. That is easy; even animals live likewise. Are we like them? No, there is a difference. Cultural development lies in increasing this difference. Our country carried out the great experiment of giving up flesh-eating. Let us continue it. At least we should not slip below what has already been achieved. 

The Gita’s scheme for harmonious living 

The Gita is showing a simple and beautiful way to have perfect cooperation between the individual and the society.

Take the matter of food. Is there any opposition between the mouth and the stomach, the two organs involved in eating? Mouth should provide to the stomach only as much food as it really needs. It should stop the moment the stomach signals it to do so. Both the stomach and the mouth are our organs. We are the master of both of them. There is perfect unity between their interests. Why do you create any wretched opposition? The organs in the body are not opposed to each other; there is cooperation between them. This is true for society as well. To promote cooperation within the society, the Gita prescribes yajna-dana-tapas, to be performed with pure heart. Such karma will lead to the welfare of both the individual and the society.

The mantra of dedication

The Gita further says that after infusing( samarpan) life with the spirit of yajna, it should be totally dedicated to the Lord.

We should, therefore, wish that our service should become more and more selfless and desireless. If there is a wish to do increasingly purer service, then you must dedicate all the actions to the Lord.

The Name of the Lord effaces sins

All Names of the Lord can lead us from untruth to Truth, from sin to innocence. You must purify your life gradually. The Lord will then certainly help you. He will support you in your moments of weakness.

Vanity about the purity of life is a greater sin.

 Tukaram has said, ‘बहू भितो जाणपणा ,आड न यो नारायणा ‘ (‘Oh Lord! I am afraid of being learned; let it not separate me from You.’) Let us not have such greatness. It is better to be a sinner and grieve. ‘जाणते लेकरू ,माता लागे दूर धरू’ (‘A mother separates from herself a grown-up child.’) But she would hold to her bosom her innocent child.

I do not want to be virtuous and independent; rather let me be a sinner dependent on the Lord. His holiness is more than enough to wash away my sins. We should try to avoid sins; if we fail in our efforts, our heart will cry out for His help. He is always there, watching fondly. Tell Him, ‘I am a sinner and that is why I have come to your door.’ A virtuous man has the right to think of the Lord and seek refuge in Him because he is virtuous; a sinner has the right to do so because he is a sinner.

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