Chapter 3 verse 4-7
“Not by non-performance of action does man reach ‘actionlessness’;
nor by mere renunciation does he attain perfection. Verily, none can ever
remain, even for a moment, without performing action; for, everyone is made to
act helplessly, indeed, by the qualities born of Prakriti (nature).He who
restraining the organs of action, sits thinking in his mind of the sense
objects, he, of deluded understanding, is called a hypocrite. But whosoever,
controlling the senses by the mind, O Arjuna, engages his organs of action in
Karma-yoga, without attachment, he excels”
Krishna says that a person cannot achieve peace, happiness
and excellence in living by non-performance of action or renunciation of one’s
assigned duties but only by restraining the mind and engaging in action without
attachment to a particular outcome of that action. Laws of karma goad us to act
per our Prakriti or inherent nature or otherwise called Vasanas (tendencies). Action
is not our prerogative. Desire less action is the only ‘free will’ we possess.
We have to perform action to exhaust our ripened karma (Praarabdha Karma) but
how we perform that action determines whether we accumulate even more Vasanas
or start exhausting our Vasanas by desire less action. It is as if we want to
drain a water tank but keep filling it from another side. How will we ever
exhaust the tank of water? This body-mind-intellect complex which is called
Prakriti needs to be emptied of all its Vasanas for it to reveal the divine
entity in itself. We don’t need to go anywhere to experience bliss. “Just be
and act” is enough!
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