Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 Verse 43 — Sankhya Yoga
Sanskrit
कामात्मानः स्वर्गपरा जन्मकर्मफलप्रदाम् | क्रियाविशेषबहुलां भोगैश्वर्यगतिं प्रति ||२-४३||
Transliteration
kāmātmānaḥ svargaparā janmakarmaphalapradām . kriyāviśeṣabahulāṃ bhogaiśvaryagatiṃ prati ||2-43||
Hindi Meaning
।।2.43।। कामनाओं से युक्त? स्वर्ग को ही श्रेष्ठ मानने वाले लोग भोग और ऐश्वर्य को प्राप्त कराने वाली अनेक क्रियाओं को बताते हैं जो (वास्तव में) जन्मरूप कर्मफल को देने वाली होती हैं।।
English Meaning
Being desirous of sense gratification and opulent life, they say that there is nothing more than this.
Commentary
People in general are not very intelligent, and due to their ignorance they are most attached to the fruitive activities recommended in the karma-kāṇḍa portions of the Vedas. They do not want anything more than sense gratificatory proposals for enjoying life in heaven, where wine and women are available and material opulence is very common. In the Vedas many sacrifices are recommended for elevation to the heavenly planets, especially the Jyotiṣṭoma sacrifices. In fact, it is stated that anyone desiring elevation to heavenly planets must perform these sacrifices, and men with a poor fund of knowledge think that this is the whole purpose of Vedic wisdom. It is very difficult for such inexperienced persons to be situated in the determined action of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As fools are attached to the flowers of poisonous trees without knowing the results of such attractions, unenlightened men are similarly attracted by such heavenly opulence and the sense enjoyment thereof. In the karma-kāṇḍa section of the Vedas it is said, apāma somam amṛtā abhūma and akṣayyaṁ ha vai cāturmāsya-yājinaḥ sukṛtaṁ bhavati. In other words, those who perform the four-month penances become eligible to drink the soma-rasa beverages to become immortal and happy forever. Even on this earth some are very eager to have soma-rasa to become strong and fit to enjoy sense gratifications. Such persons have no faith in liberation from material bondage, and they are very much attached to the pompous ceremonies of Vedic sacrifices. They are generally sensual, and they do not want anything other than the heavenly pleasures of life. It is understood that there are gardens called Nandana-kānana in which there is good opportunity for association with angelic, beautiful women and having a profuse supply of soma-rasa wine. Such bodily happiness is certainly sensual; therefore there are those who are purely attached to such material, temporary happiness, as lords of the material world.
Hinglish Commentary
Log aam taur par itne samajhdar nahi hote, aur apni ignorance ki wajah se wo karma-kāṇḍa ke Vedic hisson mein diye gaye fal-pradhan karyo se zyada jud jaate hain. Unhe sirf un cheezon ki talash hoti hai jo unhe swarg mein sukh dene wali hain, jahan sharab aur auratein asani se milti hain aur bhoutik samriddhi aam hoti hai. Vedas mein kai yajnaon ka zikr hai jo swarg ki taraf uthane ke liye kiye jaate hain, khaas karke Jyotiṣṭoma yajna. Yeh kaha gaya hai ki jo koi swarg mein uthane ki ichha rakhta hai, usse ye yajna karna zaroori hai, aur jinke paas gyaan ki kami hai, wo samajhte hain ki isi mein Vedic gyaan ka poora maqsad hai. Aise anubhavi logon ke liye Krishna consciousness ki sachchi action mein rehna mushkil hota hai. Jaise buddhu log zehrile pedon ke phoolon se jud jaate hain bina unke parinaamon ko samjhe, waise hi aparaadhik log swarg ki bhoutik samriddhi aur usse milne wale sukhon ki taraf akarshit hote hain. Karma-kāṇḍa ke Vedas mein kaha gaya hai, apāma somam amṛtā abhūma aur akṣayyaṁ ha vai cāturmāsya-yājinaḥ sukṛtaṁ bhavati. Iska matlab hai ki jo log chaar mahine ke tapasya karte hain, wo soma-rasa peene ke layak ho jaate hain, jo unhe amar aur sada sukh dene wala hota hai. Yahan tak ki dharti par bhi kuch log soma-rasa ke liye bechain hote hain taaki wo mazboot aur fit ban sakein aur indriya sukh ka anand le sakein. Aise logon ko bhoutik bandhan se mukti ka koi vishwas nahi hota, aur wo Vedic yajnaon ki shaan-shaukat se bohot jud jaate hain. Wo aam taur par indriya sukh ki talash mein hote hain aur unhe sirf swarg ki khushiyon ki chinta hoti hai. Yeh samjha jaata hai ki Nandana-kānana naam ke baagh hain jahan sundar aur sukhad auraton ke sath milne ka achha mauka hota hai aur jahan soma-rasa ka bharpur prabandh hota hai. Aisi sharirik khushiyan nishchit roop se indriya sukh ki hoti hain; isliye kuch log aise bhoutik, sthayi khushiyon ke liye poori tarah se jud jaate hain, jaise ye bhoutik duniya ke maalik hain.
Chinmaya Commentary
उससे वाणी से जिनका चित्त हर लिया गया है ऐसे भोग और ऐश्वर्य में आसक्ति रखने वाले पुरुषों के अन्तकरण में निश्चयात्मक बुद्धि नहीं होती अर्थात् वे ध्यान का अभ्यास करने योग्य नहीं