Arjuna’s last question 

In the Fourteenth Chapter, life or karma was divided into three categories : sattvic, rajasic and tamasic. We learnt that what is rajasic or tamasic should be given up and what is sattvic should be cultivated. The Seventeenth Chapter taught the same thing in a different way. The essence of life is yajna-dana-tapas; or to use a single word, yajna. Actions like eating which are necessary for the performance of yajna should also be made sattvic and turned into a kind of yajna.

That is why Arjuna asks, at the beginning of the Eighteenth Chapter, “On the one hand, it is said that whatever action we do, it should be followed by renunciation of its fruit (falatyaga) and on the other hand, it also appears that some actions must be strictly abjured while some actions should be done. How to reconcile these two positions?” This question has been asked to understand clearly the direction in which life should proceed and to have an insight into the true meaning of the renunciation of the fruit of actions.

In the falatyaga there is renunciation of the fruit of actions. Does renunciation of the fruit of actions as enjoined by the Gita need renunciation of the actions themselves? This is the crux of the matter. With reference to the criterion of the renunciation of the fruit, is there any role for sannyasa? What are the limits of sannyasa and falatyaga? This is what Arjuna asks.

Renunciation of fruit : The universal test

The Lord has made one thing absolutely clear while answering this question.Renunciation of the fruit is the universal test. It can be applied everywhere. There is no contradiction between renunciation of the fruit of all the actions and the renunciation of rajasic and tamasic actions. The nature of some actions is such that they automatically fall off when the test of renunciation of the fruit is applied. When it is said that renunciation of the fruit should be associated with the performance of actions, it invariably implies that some actions will have to be given up. When we act in conjunction with renunciation of the fruit of actions, it naturally involves abjuration of certain actions. 

Let us think over it in depth. When we say that whatever actions we do, we should renounce their fruit, actions prompted by desire for the fruit, actions prompted by selfish motives cease immediately.Such actions, as well as actions which are forbidden, being immoral and unrighteous, are ruled out when it is said that the fruit of actions is to be renounced.

In fact, when we apply this test, it becomes clear which actions are worthy of doing and which are not so.When it is said that one should act and renounce the fruit of actions, it becomes clear which actions should be done and which should not be done. Actions intended to harm others, actions full of falsehood, actions like stealing can never be done if their fruit is to be renounced. 

When we intend to do something, we should see whether it is possible for us to do it without any attachment and expectation of returns. Renunciation of the fruit is the only unfailing test for actions. When this test is applied, actions with desire or selfish motives show themselves up as fit to be rejected. They must be renounced. Then pure and sattvic actions remain. They should be done with detachment, selflessness and humility. Renunciation of selfish actions is also an action and it should also be subjected to this universal test. Renunciation of selfish actions should not require any efforts.

Further on deeper observation, one finds that sattvic actions too are flawed. In fact, every action has some or other defect in it. The swadharma of farming comes to mind as a pure and sattvic occupation. But even in such work, which is of the nature of yajna, some violence is involved. Ploughing and other operations destroy a number of living beings. When we open the door in the morning, the sun’s rays enter the house and kill a number of germs. What we call purification turns out to be a killing operation. Even sattvic work is thus flawed. What is then to be done?

The right way to extricate oneself from activity

If we drive away the cat because it kills the rats, we shall have to suffer violence by the rats. If snakes are killed because they are violent, a lot of pests will multiply and destroy the crops, resulting in the starvation of thousands of people. Renunciation must, therefore, be accompanied with wise discrimination.

Action and activity are different things. Even grammatically, these two terms are different from each other. This must be clearly understood. A man may express his anger either by shouting or by keeping silent. He may thus resort to different activities for the sake of one and the same action. A jnani does no activity, but his action is infinite. His very existence induces innumerable people to take to the right path. Even if he is just sitting still, he does infinite action. As activity goes on becoming subtler and subtler, action goes on growing. Thus, one can infer that when the mind is completely purified, activity will cease altogether and action will become infinite. Action cannot be got rid of by rejecting it superficially. It is possible only gradually through selfless, desireless work.

An insight into swadharma 

In short, all rajasic and tamasic actions are to be renounced and sattvic actions, coming to us in the natural course should be done, even when flawed. Let them be defective. If you try to avoid their defects, other defects will overtake you.Even if sattvic action is found tempting, one should keep away from that temptation. If you try to pursue a variety of sattvic actions, rajas and tamas will creep into them. You must therefore restrict yourself to the sattvic actions which come to you as your natural swadharma.

Fulfillment is nothing but the culmination of sadhana

Now let us consider something different. Should the spiritual seeker have his attention riveted on the ultimate state marked by the complete cessation of activities? A jnani continues to act without doing any activity. Should a seeker have this aim in mind?

No. Here too, the principle of renunciation of the fruit should be applied. Our life is so wonderfully fashioned that we would get what we want even without paying any attention to it. Moksha (the state of oneness with the Supreme) is the highest fulfillment of life. But one must not covet even moksha, or the state of akarma. That state would be reached without one being aware of it.

A bhakta always says to the Lord, “Bhakti is enough for me. I do not have a desire for moksha, the ultimate fruit of sadhana.” After all, moksha too is a kind of fruit— something that is to be enjoyed—and it too must be renounced. But when we renounce moksha, it will not move away from us; rather, it will be more surely ours. Only when you give up the desire for moksha, you will advance towards it without your being aware of it. Let sadhana be done with such single-minded dedication that there is no thought of moksha in the mind; then moksha itself will seek you on its own. Let the seeker be totally immersed in his sadhana. The Lord had already said, ‘ मा ते संगोस्त्व कर्मणि  ‘(‘You should not covet the state of akarma, or moksha’). Now He is again saying in the end, ‘अहं त्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः ‘ (‘I shall release you from all sins; be not grieved.’).      ‘I am here to accord you moksha; forget about moksha and be concerned about your sadhana.’ Sadhana will attain perfection when you forget moksha, and then moksha will itself be attracted to you. Moksha-Lakshmi garlands him who is not concerned about her and is fully absorbed in his sadhana without any thought of moksha in his mind. 

When one is struggling for life in a flooded river, will it do if he thinks of the pleasures awaiting him on the other bank? At that time, all the attention should be riveted on swimming, all the strength should be applied to inch towards the other bank. Sadhana should be carried to the end; the ocean should be crossed, and you will find moksha there waiting for you.

The triple state of the realized one

The final state of moksha is the zenith of sadhana. In this state, sadhana becomes natural and effortless. Then there is not even the thought that ‘I am doing something.’ This final state of realization (Siddhavastha) is not a state of morality. 

This final state is three-dimensional. A jnani becomes completely egoless. He loses any sense of identification with the body. His activities cease. Then he attains a particular state of consciousness. In this state he is no more confined to a single body. This state is not a state of activity. It is a state marked with intense and pervasive emotions and feelings.

Besides the state of consciousness and the state of activity, the jnani has a third state too. That is the state of jnana, the state of knowledge. In this state, he can neither bear with sin nor virtue and flings aside everything quickly. He is ready to set fire to the whole universe. He is not prepared to undertake any action. It’s very tough to repel him. In the final stage of sadhana or in the state of moksha, these three states are conceivable for the jnani.

In the state of activity, wholly pure and perfect activities will be done at the hands of the jnani. In the state of consciousness, he will have the feeling that he is the doer of all the sinful and virtuous deeds in the universe; yet he will remain untouched by them. In the third state of jnana, he will not let any action touch him and will burn down all the actions. A jnani can be described in terms of all these three dimensions of the final state.

‘Thou alone – – Thou alone’ 

Having said all this, the Lord then asks Arjuna, “Have you listened to all this carefully? Now ponder over it fully and then do what you think is right.” The Lord thus magnanimously gave complete freedom to Arjuna. This is a unique feature of the Gita. But then compassion welled up in Him and He took back that freedom. He told Arjuna, “Give up your will, your sadhana; give up everything and come to Me; take refuge in Me.”

What this means is that you should not have any independent self-will; you should do what He wills you to do. Let His will prevail. With full freedom, you should feel that you need to have no freedom. Reduce yourself to zero. Let there be the Lord, and the Lord alone, in the universe.  Now there is nothing but ‘Thou alone – – – Thou alone – – -’.

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