Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 Verse 24 — Karma Yoga
Sanskrit
उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां कर्म चेदहम् | सङ्करस्य च कर्ता स्यामुपहन्यामिमाः प्रजाः ||३-२४||
Transliteration
utsīdeyurime lokā na kuryāṃ karma cedaham . saṅkarasya ca kartā syāmupahanyāmimāḥ prajāḥ ||3-24||
Hindi Meaning
।।3.24।। यदि मैं कर्म न करूँ, तो ये समस्त लोक नष्ट हो जायेंगे; और मैं वर्णसंकर का कर्ता तथा इस प्रजा का हनन करने वाला होऊँगा।।
English Meaning
If I did not perform prescribed duties, all these worlds would be put to ruination. I would be the cause of creating unwanted population, and I would thereby destroy the peace of all living beings.
Commentary
Varṇa-saṅkara is unwanted population which disturbs the peace of the general society. In order to check this social disturbance, there are prescribed rules and regulations by which the population can automatically become peaceful and organized for spiritual progress in life. When Lord Kṛṣṇa descends, naturally He deals with such rules and regulations in order to maintain the prestige and necessity of such important performances. The Lord is the father of all living entities, and if the living entities are misguided, indirectly the responsibility goes to the Lord. Therefore, whenever there is general disregard of regulative principles, the Lord Himself descends and corrects the society. We should, however, note carefully that although we have to follow in the footsteps of the Lord, we still have to remember that we cannot imitate Him. Following and imitating are not on the same level. We cannot imitate the Lord by lifting Govardhana Hill, as the Lord did in His childhood. It is impossible for any human being. We have to follow His instructions, but we may not imitate Him at any time. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.33.30–31) affirms: naitat samācarej jātu manasāpi hy anīśvaraḥ vinaśyaty ācaran mauḍhyād yathārudro ’bdhi-jaṁ viṣam īśvarāṇāṁ vacaḥ satyaṁ tathaivācaritaṁ kvacit teṣāṁ yat sva-vaco-yuktaṁ buddhimāṁs tat samācaret “One should simply follow the instructions of the Lord and His empowered servants. Their instructions are all good for us, and any intelligent person will perform them as instructed. However, one should guard against trying to imitate their actions. One should not try to drink the ocean of poison in imitation of Lord Śiva.” We should always consider the position of the īśvaras, or those who can actually control the movements of the sun and moon, as superior. Without such power, one cannot imitate the īśvaras, who are superpowerful. Lord Śiva drank poison to the extent of swallowing an ocean, but if any common man tries to drink even a fragment of such poison, he will be killed. There are many pseudo devotees of Lord Śiva who want to indulge in smoking gañjā (marijuana) and similar intoxicating drugs, forgetting that by so imitating the acts of Lord Śiva they are calling death very near. Similarly, there are some pseudo devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa who prefer to imitate the Lord in His rāsa-līlā, or dance of love, forgetting their inability to lift Govardhana Hill. It is best, therefore, that one not try to imitate the powerful, but simply follow their instructions; nor should one try to occupy their posts without qualification. There are so many “incarnations” of God without the power of the Supreme Godhead.
Hinglish Commentary
Varṇa-saṅkara ka matlab hai wo unwanted population jo samaj ki shanti ko disturb karti hai. Is social disturbance ko rokne ke liye kuch rules aur regulations hain, jinke zariye log apne aap shant aur organized ho sakte hain, taaki wo spiritual progress kar sakein. Jab Bhagwan Kṛṣṇa is duniya mein aate hain, toh wo in rules aur regulations ka dhyaan rakhte hain, kyunki ye bahut zaroori hai. Bhagwan sabhi jeevon ke pita hain, aur agar jeevon ko galat raasta dikhaya jaata hai, toh iski zimmedari bhi Bhagwan par aati hai. Isliye, jab kabhi bhi log in niyamon ka palan nahi karte, toh Bhagwan khud aate hain aur samaj ko sahi karte hain. Lekin humein yaad rakhna chahiye ki humein Bhagwan ke kadmon par chalna hai, par unki nakal nahi karni. Bhagwan ko imitate karna aur unka palan karna alag baatein hain. Hum Govardhana Parvat ko nahi utha sakte jaise Bhagwan ne apne bachpan mein kiya tha, ye insaan ke liye impossible hai. Humein unki instructions ko follow karna hai, par kabhi bhi unki nakal nahi karni chahiye. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam mein yeh kaha gaya hai ki humein sirf Bhagwan aur unke empowered servants ki instructions ko follow karna chahiye, kyunki ye sab humare liye achhe hain. Lekin humein unki actions ko imitate karne se bachna chahiye, jaise ki koi insaan Bhagwan Śiva ki tarah poison ka samundar nahi pee sakta. Bhagwan Śiva ne itna poison piya tha, par agar koi aam aadmi us poison ka thoda bhi peeta hai, toh wo maar jaega. Bahut se pseudo devotees hain jo Bhagwan Śiva ko imitate karte hain, jaise ganja ya dusre drugs ka istemal karke, yeh bhool jaate hain ki aise karne se wo apne liye maut ko bulane ka kaam kar rahe hain. Waise hi, kuch log Bhagwan Kṛṣṇa ki rāsa-līlā ko imitate karne ki koshish karte hain, lekin wo yeh bhool jaate hain ki wo Govardhana Parvat nahi utha sakte. Isliye, sabse behtar hai ki hum powerful logon ki nakal na karein, bas unki instructions ko follow karein; aur unke posts par bina qualification ke nahi baithna chahiye. Aaj kal bahut se “incarnations” hain jo Supreme Godhead ki power ke bina hain.
Chinmaya Commentary
ईश्वर के रूप में यदि मैं शासन न करूँ तो विश्व में उन्नति नहीं होगी और नियमबद्ध सृष्टि भी नष्ट हो जायेगी। विश्व कोई क्रमहीन रचना नहीं वरन् नियमबद्ध सृष्टि है। प्रकृति के नियम पालन में कहीं भी मर्यादा का उल्लंघन होता नहीं दिखाई देता।प्राकृतिक घटनायेंे ग्रहों की गति ऋतुओं का लयबद्ध नृत्य और सृष्टि का संगीत ये सब किसी महान् नियम के अनुसार चलते रहते हैं इसी को कहतेैं हैं प्रकृति और उसके नियामक ईश्वर की प्रबल शक्ति। इस ईश्वररूप में भगवान् के निष्क्रिय हो जाने पर ये लोक नष्ट हो जायेंगे। श्रीकृष्ण का यह कथन तर्क के विपरीत नहीं है जो केवल अन्धविश्वासी लोगों को ही स्वीकार होगा। विज्ञान की दृष्टि से विचार करने वाले लोग भी इसको अस्वीकार नहीं कर सकते।भगवान् केवल बाह्य जगत् के पदार्थों का संचालन करने वाले नियमों के ही नियामक नहीं बल्कि भावना एवं विचार के आन्तरिक जगत् के भी नियन्ता हैं। हिन्दू ऋषिमुनियों ने मानव समाज का चार वर्णों में जो वर्गीकरण किया उसका आधार मनुष्य का मानसिक स्वभाव एवं बौद्धिक क्षमता थी। यदि आन्तरिक जगत् में कोई नियम सुचारु रूप से काम न करें तो मनुष्य के व्यवहार और चरित्र में विचित्रता और अस्थिरता उत्पन्न होगी जिससे भ्रांति की वृद्धि होगी। वर्तमान में प्रचलित वर्णसंकर का अर्थ शास्त्र के विपरीत है जिसके कारण आज का शिक्षित व्यक्ति गीता की आलोचना करते हुये कह सकता है कि इसमें उच्च वर्ण की वर्चस्वता को ही भगवान की स्वीकृत है। वर्ण संकर के विषय में प्रथम अध्याय के वें श्लोक में विवेचन किया जा चुका है।आत्मज्ञान प्राप्त कर लेने पर स्वयं को कर्म से कोई प्रयोजन न होने पर भी ज्ञानी पुरुष को कर्म करना चाहिये। कैसे