Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 Verse 40 — Sankhya Yoga
Sanskrit
नेहाभिक्रमनाशोऽस्ति प्रत्यवायो न विद्यते | स्वल्पमप्यस्य धर्मस्य त्रायते महतो भयात् ||२-४०||
Transliteration
nehābhikramanāśo.asti pratyavāyo na vidyate . svalpamapyasya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt ||2-40||
Hindi Meaning
।।2.40।। इसमें क्रमनाश और प्रत्यवाय दोष नहीं है। इस धर्म (योग) का अल्प अभ्यास भी महान् भय से रक्षण करता है।।
English Meaning
In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.
Commentary
Activity in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or acting for the benefit of Kṛṣṇa without expectation of sense gratification, is the highest transcendental quality of work. Even a small beginning of such activity finds no impediment, nor can that small beginning be lost at any stage. Any work begun on the material plane has to be completed, otherwise the whole attempt becomes a failure. But any work begun in Kṛṣṇa consciousness has a permanent effect, even though not finished. The performer of such work is therefore not at a loss even if his work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is incomplete. One percent done in Kṛṣṇa consciousness bears permanent results, so that the next beginning is from the point of two percent, whereas in material activity without a hundred percent success there is no profit. Ajāmila performed his duty in some percentage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but the result he enjoyed at the end was a hundred percent, by the grace of the Lord. There is a nice verse in this connection in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.17) : tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo ’tha patet tato yadi yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiṁ ko vārtha āpto ’bhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ “If someone gives up his occupational duties and works in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and then falls down on account of not completing his work, what loss is there on his part? And what can one gain if one performs his material activities perfectly?” Or, as the Christians say, “What profiteth a man if he gain the whole world yet suffer the loss of his eternal soul?” Material activities and their results end with the body. But work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness carries a person again to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even after the loss of the body. At least one is sure to have a chance in the next life of being born again as a human being, either in the family of a great cultured brāhmaṇa or in a rich aristocratic family that will give one a further chance for elevation. That is the unique quality of work done in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Hinglish Commentary
Kṛṣṇa consciousness mein kaam karna, yaani Kṛṣṇa ke liye bina kisi swarth ke kaam karna, sabse uncha aur transcendental kaam hai. Chahe choti si shuruaat hi kyun na ho, isme koi rukawat nahi aati, aur na hi yeh kabhi khatam hoti hai. Material duniya mein jo bhi kaam shuru hota hai, usse poora karna padta hai, warna sab kuch fail ho jata hai. Lekin Kṛṣṇa consciousness mein shuru kiya gaya kaam hamesha permanent hota hai, chahe woh poora na bhi ho. Is tarah ka kaam karne wale ko kabhi bhi nuksan nahi hota, kyunki agar woh sirf ek percent bhi Kṛṣṇa consciousness mein kaam kare, toh agla shuruaat do percent se hota hai. Material kaam mein bina poore success ke kuch bhi nahi milta, lekin Ajāmila ne bhi Kṛṣṇa consciousness ka thoda sa kaam kiya, aur uska jo result usne ant mein dekha, woh hundred percent tha, Kṛṣṇa ki kripa se. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam mein ek achha shlok hai jo kehata hai ki agar koi apne dharm ko chhod kar Kṛṣṇa consciousness mein kaam kare aur beech mein gir jaye, toh uska kya nuksan hai? Aur agar koi apne material duties ko perfect tareeke se kare, toh usse kya faida? Material kaam aur uske results sirf sharir ke saath khatam ho jate hain, lekin Kṛṣṇa consciousness ka kaam insaan ko agle janm mein bhi Kṛṣṇa consciousness ki taraf le jata hai, chahe sharir chhut jaye. Isse kam se kam agle janm mein insaan ki janm lene ki ummeed hoti hai, ya toh ek cultured brāhmaṇa ke ghar ya kisi amir parivaar mein, jo usse upar uthane ka mauka dega. Yeh hi Kṛṣṇa consciousness mein kaam karne ki khaas baat hai.
Chinmaya Commentary
क्रमनाश जिस प्रकार कृषि क्षेत्र में फसल पाने के लिये भूमि जोतना सींचना बीज बोना निराई सुरक्षा और कटाई आदि क्रम का पालन करना पड़ता है अन्यथा हानि उठानी पड़ती है उसी प्रकार वेदों के कर्मकाण्ड में वर्णित यज्ञयागादि के अनुष्ठान में भी क्रमानुसार क्रिया विधि न करने पर यज्ञ का फल नहीं मिलता। इतना ही नहीं यदि वेद प्रतिपादित कर्मों को न किया जाय तो वह प्रत्यवाय दोष कहलाता है जिसका अनिष्ट फल कर्त्ता जीव को भोगना पड़ता है। लौकिक फल प्राप्ति में यही बातें देखी जाती हैं। भौतिक जगत् में भी इसी प्रकार के अनेक उदाहरण हैं जैसे गलत औषधियों के प्रयोग से रोगी को अपने प्राणों से हाथ धोना पड़ता है।कर्म क्षेत्र में इन दोषों के होने से हमें इष्टफल नहीं मिल पाता। भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण यहां मानो इस ज्ञान का विज्ञापन करते हुये कर्मयोग का उपर्युक्त दोनों दोषों से सर्वथा मुक्त और सुरक्षित होने का आश्वासन देते हैं।अब इस ज्ञान का स्वरूप बताते हैं