Chapter 5: Summary: Lessons learnt through this chapter are: 1. One's genuine doubts in spiritual pursuits should be got cleared through a Guru and also one's own efforts. The doubt whether one is to act or contemplate is clarified in that the pursuit comprises both.. One need not have any apprehensions if the efforts would be crowned with success because he dedicates all actions to Brahman. One's curiosity as to how to conduct oneself is satisfied in the realisation that peace is not isolated from activity. The difference in spiritual evolution between man and man need not deter one God is absolutely impartial. 2. Karma yoga and Samadhi yoga mark stages in spiritual development. One should practise them without being affected by the vicissitudes of life. 3. The catch words which enthuse are: a)Nara- involves eternal vigilance ; b) Budha - leads to proper discrimination: c) Yogi, Muni -mark the regularisation of the entry into the pursuit; d)Rishi - implies one endowed with knowledge; e) Yathi- means one who strives with pertinacity of purpose. 4. A perfect saint develops equanimity of outlook. 5. Man should practise swadharma assiduously. Explanations: Chapter 5 of the Githa helps to remove some oft-occurring doubts. Doubts are bound to rise for more reasons than one. Firstly the subject is subtle. Secondly each individual seeker has his own limitations. One should not keep valid doubts under his hat. Doubts should be perforce got cleared with guru's help and one's own self-efforts. Doubts however should never be negative or perverse. The raison d'être for chapter 5 can be traced to Bhagavan's statement in slokha 4| 40 "Samsayaathma vinasyathi" - a doubting Thomas comes to grief. Frank and free discussions with the guru would greatly help. With his motto "work is worship" -Arjuna an out and out kshatriya to the core had no time or inclination to acquire knowledge. At Bhagavan' s exhortation about dharma, he hastily decides to make himself scarce from the battle field. Arjuna's attitude is a reflection of our own namely a reality-avoiding culture. Though Arjuna, Bhagavan teaches us all a valuable object-lesson. The emphasis here is on manana reflection of what is being advocated. One who is steeped in karma yoga and thereafter through purification of the mind attains knowledge develops an overwhelming identity between himself and Brahman. The crux of Bhagavan's teaching in this chapter is that karma yoga and samadhi yoga are the obverse and reverse of the same coin - liberation. They represent stages in evolution leading to knowledge. The true concept of sanyasa is brought out by Bhagavan when He says -- "manasaa sanyasya" - mental renunciation. Karma yoga ie work without attachment and with no eye for results is as much productive of release as sanyasa. Sanyasa is neither sack-clothes and ashes, nor kamandalu and kaupin. It is purely of the mind and who renounces mentally is a nithya sanyasi - a sanyasi ever. It is the mind which determines if one is held in bondage or liberated. King Janaka (as mentioned in the Githa) and of course Lord Krishna were great karma yogins. Yajnavalkya and Suka were no less renowned sanyasis. Suka was the disciple of Janaka who in turn was the pupil of Yajnavalkya. It all goes to show that in the ultimate analysis karma yoga means sanyasa and sanyasa implies karma yoga Yet karma yoga is preferable Bhagavan advises Arjuna. This is because - inaction in action - is possible for a siddha - the perfect one - and not for a saadhaka - a seeker - to which category Arjuna and the rank and file of humanity belong. It may be mentioned karmayoga is both the means and the end wears sanyasa is the end only. In conclusion, when culmination is attained either way the equation of equality can be expressed as Jnana plus karma is jnana plus akarma. In vedic terminology karma yoga comprises of saadhana and nishta while sanyasa is nishta only. The idea is further elaborated by Bhagavan when He says slokha 5 Yath saankyaii praapyathe sthanam tad yogaiirapi gamyathe. The straight forward meaning is that what is attained by karma is also reached by saankya. But the words praapyathe and gamyathe are very significant. The former implies some difficulty, while the latter involves comparative ease. It is pertinent to note that the chapter itself is named Jnana karma sanyasa yoga - renunciation of action by and through knowledge. The wise man is he who sees action-lessness though action, by virtue of knowledge. Some common doubts confronting all are enumerated here and elucidated by Bhagavan thus: Bhava karma samsaya - The fundamental doubt if a seeker is to act or contemplate. The pursuit is neither one of total activity nor contemplation in it's entirety. The initial stage is marked by dedicated activity to be followed by reflection - contemplation. Yoga bishta samsaya - The apprehension as to what will follow if one's efforts do not succeed. Bhagavan answer is contained in slokha 10-which states "when a person in a detached frame of mind dedicates all actions to Brahman the question of sin does not arise. He is unaffected like a lotus leaf unwetted by water." Sthith prajna samsaya - Doubt of curiosity - How should a sincere seeker conduct himself? The discovery of intrinsic peace is not isolated from activity. Dedicated action yields satisfaction in the self since he is untouched by the world and uninfluenced by external factors. Saanthi samsaya - doubt relating to peace - Desire prompted karma may afford temporary peace. What is momentarily gained in time is also lost soon after. Real everlasting peace is attained only through dedication - to Him- and detachment from results. Vaishmya samsaya - doubt of inequality - There is disparity in spiritual evolution between man and man.We should remember God is absolutely impartial and moreover He is not only the bestower of benefits but also the dispenser of punishments. He does not appropriate either the merit of the good or the demerit of the bad. We should seek inner strength to wage the battle of life drawing inspiration from slokha - 17 - which enjoins we should have our intellect absorbed in Him, identifying our personality layers with the over self, and having the supreme goal of attaining Him ever focussed in our minds. Some catch words whose importance is the back bone of the pursuit, may be stated. Nara - The status of Nara involves constant alertness and eternal vigilance. Budha - wise- the term involves proper discrimination with intellect in the driver's seat. Yogi, Muni - these represent the regularisation of the entry into the pursuit. Yogi typifies the karma status and Muni the samaadhi stage. Rishi - the word is derived from the root - rish, to know. Rishi is one who has acquired knowledge with which he cuts asunder the concept of duality. Yathi - the word means one who strives hard. Having controlled his mind he attains Brahman as mentioned in slokha - 26. Living liberation comes to one who surrenders to Brahman in toto, who is disciplined in the steadiness of the pursuit and who cares for nothing else but Brahman and Brahman only. He lives mechanically to exhaust the prarabdha karma, but all the time supremely oblivious to the external world. In fine man is nothing if not his own swadharma - swabhava i.e. nature. It can be cultivated by resorting to good habits and countering negative tendencies. One should always remember that prakrithi is activated in the proximity of purusha. The Jivatman associated with prakrithi is bound. Detached from prakrithi, he is emancipated. The pursuit is thus for everlasting peace. This can said to be the alpha and omega of the teaching. In concluding the chapter Bhagavan in slokhas 27 and 28 avers that contacts between sense organs and external sense objects should be kept at a distance. This is an advance presentation of Dhyana yoga the topic in chapter 6. cont...