This chapter of the Holy Geeta discusses renunciation of action and karma yoga. Arjuna asks Krishna to clarify which path is better - renunciation of action or karma yoga. Krishna explains that both can lead to the highest bliss, but that karma yoga is superior for purification of the mind before taking up renunciation. He describes how a sage can perform daily actions without being attached to the fruits of actions or feeling that they are the doer. The chapter emphasizes developing detachment from action through surrender and seeing all actions as offerings to Brahman.

1. THE HOLY GEETA
COMMENTARY by
swami Chinmayananda
T K G NAMBOODHIRI
THIRUVALLA, KERALA, INDIA
Presentation adapted from
THE HOLY GEETA, Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, July 2013
Mumbai

2. THE Holy GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
CHAPTER 5
KARMA SANNYASA YOGA
TRUE RENUNCIATION

3. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
INTRODUCTION- Chapter 5
In the last two Chapters Lord Krishna explained Karma Yoga. Here He talks how one
should intelligently renounce Karma & enter a nobler spiritual technique for
completing the pilgrimage to perfection. Chapter 5 named the “Yoga of renunciation
of Action” describes the spirit of renunciation & how the Yoga of renunciation of
Action can be practised. What would be the result of practising it with the special
mental attitude described, & how far that could contribute to the inward
development & growth of the human personality? This chapter stands as a bridge
between Karma Yoga & Pure Meditation. In many places, the Lord has advised
renunciation of all actions & at the close of the last chapter, He advised Arjuna to
engage in Yoga in the ‘performance of actions’. This led to some confusion in the
mind of Arjuna, & he askes for clarification. Lord Krishna clears his doubts in this
Chapter.

4. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
ARJUNA’S DOUBT: SANNYASA OR YOGA?
5.1 Arjuna said: Renunciation of actions, O Krishna, You praise &, again Yoga-
performance of actions. Tell me conclusively that which is better of the two.
It is clear that, by now Arjuna has unconsciously walked out of his neurotic confusions,
& is taking lively interest in the discourse. Action being in line with his own nature,
Arjuna happily accepts the path-of-Action indicated in the last two chapters. So he is
confused when Krishna praises the path of renunciation over the path-of-Action. Hence
this question. The Pandava prince, in his confusion, thinks that Krishna is giving him a
free choice between two independent ways of living; selfless-action & renunciation of
action. He therefore requests Krishna to indicate to one definite path following which he
can achieve spiritual fulfilment. This chapter indicates to the seeker that these two are
not two independent, identical paths to be chosen from, nor are they a complimentary
pair of equal importance. They are two different exercises to be practised serially & not
simultaneously.

5. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
RENUNCIATION OF ACTION & KARMA-YOGA
The Blessed Lord Said:
5.2 Renunciation-of-Action & Yoga-of-Action, both lead to the highest bliss; but of the
two, Yoga-of-Action is superior to the renunciation-of-action.
Arjuna’s question revealed to the Lord that he was ignorant about both these processes, & thought that they are two
distinct paths, leading to two different goals. Man is essentially lazy. So the first stage of one’s growth is his being
awakened to activity, This is done easily by whipping up the desires in his bosom. So the first stage of his evolution,
desire-prompted activity takes man out of his mental & intellectual inertia to vigorous activity. The second stage of
his growth comes when he spends at least a few hours in a noble activity, with a spirit of dedication & service. When
one works with ego subdued, in a spirit of devotion & dedication, he comes to exhaust his Vasanas. His mind &
intellect develop liking for meditation & subtle realms of joy & peace. The third stage of evolution is accomplished
through meditation. The first aspect has already been discussed in the earlier chapters. Here the discussion is on the
technique of renouncing the ego-motivated activities & learning to do selfless, dedicated work.
Here, Krishna says that both activity & the renunciation of activity can take one to the highest goal. Of the two,
participation in action is superior to the renunciation of action. Here, Arjuna is full of Vasanas & for their exhaustion,
he has to act in the battlefield. It should not be construed that Krishna is placing action over renunciation for all
people, all the time. In the context of Geeta, Arjuna has to go through the second stage of selfless, dedicated action-
Karma Yoga, before he can launch into the field of renunciation & meditation.

6. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
PERPETUAL SANNYASI
5.3 He should be known as a perpetual Sannyasi who neither hates nor desires; for, free
from the pairs-of-opposites, O Mighty-armed, he is easily set free from bondage.
Why doing work is easier for a beginner than renunciation of action is explained here. Here, Krishna’s
revolutionary definition of a Sannyasi clears renunciation of all its external embellishments, but gives all
importance to the internal mental condition. A Sannyasi is one who ‘neither likes nor dislikes’.
Likes & dislikes, success & failure, joy & sorrow , & all such pairs-of-opposites are the wheels on which the
mind rolls forward earning the experiences of life. We see a condition or situation only with reference to
the comparative estimate of its opposite. One can understand light only with reference to his knowledge
of darkness. If there is no contrast for a thing, we cannot gain knowledge of that thing. If comparison &
contrast are the methods of ‘knowing’ for the mind & intellect instrument, then to renounce them is to
remove the instrument itself. Here, a true Sannyasi is defined as one who has gone beyond the
perception of contrast, which means that he has transcended the inner instrument of mind-and-intellect.
This is no easy task . To free oneself from the pairs-of-opposites is to be free from all the limitations of
mortal existence among finite objects. This is not an easy method for a beginner , like Arjuna. The Lord
wants to keep him away from Sannyasa & engage in selfless action to purify his mind first.

7. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
SANKHYA & YOGA NOT DISTINCT
5.4 Children, not the wise, speak of Sankhya(Knowledge) & Yoga(Yoga-of-Action) as
distinct; he who is truly established even in one, obtains the fruits of both.
Two methods are given here for turning an ordinary action into a divine act of dedication &
worship: A) Renunciation of the concept of agency in every action(Sankhya), & B) Action
without attachment to the fruits of action(Karma Yoga). The Sankhya technique of renunciation
of agency is not easy unless the seeker is highly intellectual & has in himself the capacity to see
the collective universe in action. He must recognise the insignificance of the individual ego in all
our achievements & in our success.
Here, the Lord says that only undeveloped, childish minds can find contradiction between these
two methods. Wise men who have lived either of the paths will vouchsafe for the equal
effectiveness of both of them. Whether the seeker practises the renunciation of agency or live a
life of detachment from the fruits of actions, if consistently pursued the chosen path, shall
achieve the same Goal.

8. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
WISE SEE SANKHYA & YOGA AS ONE
5.5 That place which is reached by the Sankhyas (Jnanis) is also reached by the
Yogins (Karma-Yogins). He ‘sees’ who ‘sees’ Sankhya & Yoga as one.
Categorically, Lord Krishna states herein that the goal reached by the Sankhya-
method is also reached by the Karma-Yoga. He who experiences this common Goal
of both paths, is the one who really understands the Truth of the Vedas. Here
‘seeing’ is used in the scriptural sense of ‘experiencing’ ourselves.
In thus synthesizing both Sankhya & Karma, it is not meant that they together form
an alloy; they both must be practised serially. We can consider them one & the same
inasmuch as Karma Yoga purifies the intellect & gives a greater poise for meditation
(Sankhya) through which alone is the final experience achieved. Thus a combination
of these two is possible serially & not simultaneously.

9. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
RENUNCIATION DIFFICULT WITHOUT YOGA
5.6 But renunciation, O mighty armed, is hard to attain without Yoga; the Yoga-
harmonised man of (steady) contemplation quickly goes to Brahman.
Here the Lord declares loudly that without performance of action, the renunciation of action is
impossible; without having a thing we cannot renounce it. The polishing of the mind is possible
only with right action, through which the mind gets purified from its Vasanas. With such a
purified mind alone can we, during deeper meditation, come to renounce all activities.
Extrovertedness of the mind creates impurities in the mind, & should be curbed. Sri Krishna
assures here that performance of right action with the right mental attitude produces the right
mental quality to pursue meditation. One well established in the path of selfless & unattached
activities, soon develops poise & single-pointedness of mind. Such a person, either through the
renunciation of the sense of agency or through detachment from the fruits of action, attains
quickly the Supreme experience of the Self in himself. No time limit is given here, but only ‘ere-
long’ is mentioned.

10. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
ACTIONS DO NOT TAINT A KARMA YOGI
5.7 He who is devoted to the path-of-action, whose mind is quite pure, who has
conquered the self, who has subdued his senses, who realises his Self as the Self in all
beings, though acting, is not tainted.
With scientific thoroughness & logical precision, Sri Krishna enumerates all the different stages of inner
development & change that take place through Karma Yoga. He who is well established in Karma Yoga,
accomplishes purification of his intellect & a better state of quietude within. Through selfless & detached
actions, he exhausts his Vasanas. Once the intellect is purified of desire-disturbances, the mind cannot
have any disturbances & he attains equanimity. It becomes easy for him to control & guide his sense-
organs from their objects. A Yogi who has thus controlled his body, mind & intellect is best fitted for the
highest meditation, wherein the rediscovery of the Self must be instantaneous & complete. To the
realised, Divinity or the Self is Infinite & All-pervading. He realises nothing but Divinity everywhere, in
everyone, at all times.
The actions of such a Realised Karma Yogi cannot leave any reactions upon him. As there is no ego in him,
his actions cannot leave any impressions on his ego.

11. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
ATTITUDE TO LIFE OF A REALIZED SAGE
5.8 “I do nothing at all”, thus would the harmonised Knower of Truth think seeing,
hearing, touching, smelling, eating, going, sleeping, breathing…..
5.9 Speaking, letting go, seizing, opening & closing the eyes, convinced that the senses
move among the sense-objects.
A perfect Sage lives, acting diligently, like any one else in the world. A long list of his activities is given
here. In all these essential activities of life, the Sage will not have any egoistic vanity. We are not
conscious of our body activities during deep sleep, as our ego is not functioning then. Similarly, when the
ego has ended, all the Sage’s activities take place instinctively. In deep sleep we are unconscious, but the
Sage is ever conscious during his activities of life.
Only a Perfect Master can have this attitude of total surrender of agency. He is ‘Self-centered’ & comes to
live vitally, at every moment, the experience of the Self. The last line of these verses indicates that a man
of perfection, living in unison with the Truth, is ever an observer of the varieties of his own actions in the
world-of-objects. From the infinite depth of his own personality, the Master watches the actions
performed by his body, mind & intellect, in perfect detachment born of his realized Knowledge. He is ever
confident that “ I do nothing at all”

12. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
HOW TO PERFORM ACTIONS
5.10 He who does actions, offering them to Brahman, abandoning attachment, is not
tainted by sin, just as a lotus leaf remains unaffected by the water on it.
A seeker is unable to renounce completely the sense of agency, as a Realised Master does. How such
persons can train themselves for renunciation of agency, is described here. Detachment from the false can
be successful only when we attach ourselves to the Real. Hence Sri Krishna advises us to surrender all our
attachments to Brahman & continue striving. For this, we have to remember Brahman constantly, instead
of our limited ego. Today we are Ego-realized Souls. Geeta’s call to man is to become Soul-realized Egos.
Once we have realised our Real Nature, the actions of the body, mind & intellect can no more leave their
impressions upon the Self. Having realised the Self, we should remain ever perfectly detached ‘as the
lotus leaf in the water’. Though born & living in the water, the lotus leaf never get wet by the surrounding
water. Similarly, a Saint lives in the world-of-objects, but remains perfectly detached from his own likes &
dislikes, merits & demerits in the outside world.
Here we have the technique of renouncing one’s sense of agency in one’s actions in order to be a Karma-
Yogi. If a man were to act as a representative of the Infinite & the Eternal, he will be more effective, which
is prevented by his misconception of the finite-ego as himself.

13. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
ACTIONS OF A KARMA-YOGI
5.11 Yogis, having abandoned attachment, perform actions merely by the body, mind,
intellect & senses, for the purification of the self(ego).
A Karma-Yogi tries to keep himself within himself- as a detached but interested observer
of all that is happening around & within himself. Then it becomes easy for him to see
that all actions belong to the instruments of action, like body, mind etc., & not to the
detached OBSERVER in him. Even while thus observing ourselves in action, we are ever
conscious of the very Observer in ourselves. The Upanishads declare that “ The
Consciousness that illumines the very Observer, is the spiritual-centre, the Self”. Though
the Spiritual-centre itself is different from the ‘Observer’, the Karma-Yogi practises the
self-observation ‘ for the purification of the ego’. By such a practice, the seeker enter
into a field of activity without the self-arrogating ego, thereby causing an easy &
effective purgation of existing Vasanas, leading to a purification of his inner-equipment.

14. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
ACTIONS, WITH & WITHOUT ATTACHMENT
5.12 The united one (the well-poised or the harmonised), having abandoned the fruit of
action, attains Eternal Peace; the non-united (the unsteady or the unbalanced), impelled
by desire & attached to the fruit, is bound.
Through right actions, undertaken without any self-dissipating anxiety for the fruits of
those actions, a Karma-Yogi can reach Eternal Peace, arising out of the sense of
steadfastness within him. Peace is an unbroken sense of joy & it is the fragrance of an
integrated personality. This can be brought about through selfless actions undertaken in
a spirit of Yajna. This is the revolutionary theory of the Geeta.
When one is not established in the renunciation of ‘agency’ & because of his desires,
gets himself tied down to some expected results of his actions. He gets bound &
persecuted by the reactions of his own actions. Due to desires for specific fruits, we are
mentally attached to those wished for patterns to be fulfilled in future. This compels our
life to be extended till we enjoy the fruits of action. The mortal man thus orders for
himself a rebirth to enjoy the future reactions to his current actions.

15. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
ACTIONLESS EMBEDDED-SOUL
5.13 Mentally renouncing all actions & fully self-controlled, the ‘embedded’ one rests
happily in the nine-gate city, neither acting nor causing others (body & senses) to act.
He who is a self-controlled individual & who has brought all his sense-appetites under perfect control, &
renounced all his egocentric & desire-prompted actions, comes to experience & live in a nameless joy,
contentment & peace. He thus remains contented & happy, in the ‘city of nine gates’.
Upanishads use the metaphor of ‘city of nine gates’ to indicate the physical body. Our body is considered
a fortress, having nine main gates, the nine apertures in the body. Two eyes, two nostrils, two ears & one
mouth in the face, & two apertures down, the genital & excretory organs, constitute these 9 gates. Just
like a king ruling his country, through his ministers & officers, encouraging them by his mere presence, the
Atman, within our physical body, though Itself doing nothing, by Its mere presence, vitalises the various
instruments of cognition & action, governs the LIFE in them all.
Here Sri Krishna says that the self-controlled man lives within the physical body, a nameless joy of pure
Divine life, ever watching over the activities of the matter-envelopments around him. Such a person, ever
identifying with the Self, continues to observe, unaffected, unattached & without agitations, all the
activities, ‘but neither does he act nor does he cause others to act’.

16. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
NEITHER AGENCY NOR ACTION PERTAIN TO LORD
5.14 Neither agency nor actions does the Lord create for the world, nor union with the
fruits of actions. But it is Nature that acts.
The Supreme Self neither creates any sense of agency nor does It sanction any action. Neither does It
marry every action to its correct fruits. Here Krishna clearly indicates the function & nature of the Self &
Its relationship with the three bodies: the physical, the mental & the causal. If the Reality, the Self has
nothing to do with agency or fruits, our life, which is nothing without them, must have no relationship
with the Self. Yet, where the Self is not, existence & activities are not possible. So there must be some
relationship between the Self & the non-Self, & here this strange ‘Contactless Contact’ is explained. The
Self or the Atman has neither activities nor agency, yet, the conditioned Self, the ego, gathers unto itself
these peculiarities of agency, actions & anxieties for their fruits. When the Self, pregnant with all
potentialities (like electricity) functions through the matter-conditionings (light bulb), It assumes to Itself
the egocentric attitudes of agency, action, fruits, etc.(dynamic current, light, heat, etc.).
The Enjoyer of the fruits & the Performer of actions in us are the ego & not the Atman. The Atman
becomes the performer, etc., only when It gets conditioned by Swabhava-Nature-or Maya, The Divine
Maya made up of the three Gunas.

17. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
THE LORD TAKES NEITHER DEMERITS NOR MERITS
5.15 The Lord takes neither the demerit nor even the merit of any; knowledge is
enveloped by ignorance, thereby beings are deluded.
The Supreme & All-pervading Lord, contrary to popular Puranic concepts, does not consider the
merits or demerits of the living creatures. The concept of a God, sitting above the clouds, taking
account of the merits & demerits of creatures, & dispensing justice accordingly, after their
death, is believed only by the most ignorant. The Eternal-Principle underlying life’s activities
cannot be conceived of as taking any active interest in the created or in the finite. The Self
passing through Knowledge emerges as Self, but when passed through ignorance, i.e.. The body,
mind & intellect, splits up into the endless world of plurality, just like a beam of white light
passing through a prism splitting into the 7 colours. The relationship between Knowledge &
Ignorance is very beautifully explained here. Where Ignorance is, there Knowledge cannot be.
But here we are told that “ Knowledge is enveloped by Ignorance”. This relationship & the
method of stripping Knowledge of Ignorance is explained in detail in the next verse.

18. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
KNOWLEDGE REVEALS THE SUPREME BRAHMAN
5.16 But to those whose ignorance is destroyed by the Knowledge of the Self, like the
Sun, to them Knowledge reveals the Supreme (Brahman).
In finite mortals, the Self is screened off by walls of ignorance. But in the man-of-Realization, the
Knowledge has lifted this veil of ignorance. Light instantaneously destroys all the darkness, however old
or thick it may be. Similarly, in one who has Knowledge of the Self, the beginningless ignorance is lifted
within a flash. With the end of ignorance, the ego too ends. Sri Krishna, here, explains how, when the ego
has ended, Knowledge becomes self-evident, with the practical example of the Sun. During the rainy
season, the Sun may not be visible for days together, because of the ‘cloud cover’. On reflection we can
see that the tiny bit of cloud, far away from the mighty Sun, cannot cover the Sun. Similarly, the ego (Jiva)
looking up to the Atman finds that ignorance is enveloping the Infinite. This ignorance is not in Truth, just
as the clouds are never in the Sun. Yet, the mist of Self-forgetfulness gives the ego the false notion that
the Spiritual Reality is enveloped by ignorance. When this ignorance is removed, the Self becomes
manifest, just as when the cloud has moved away, the Sun becomes manifest. As one needs no other light
to see the Sun, to experience the Self we need no other experience. The Self is Awareness, It is
Consciousness. When the ego rediscovers the Self, it becomes the Self. As the dreamer becomes the
waker, when one gets up from sleep, the ego becomes the Self, after the rediscovery.

19. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
LIBERATION OF A KNOWER OF SELF
5.17 Intellect absorbed in That, their Self being That, established in That, with That for
their Supreme Goal, they go whence there is no return, their sins dispelled by
Knowledge.
With a deep study of the Reality, the seeker in all his various personal identities thereafter comes to live
in unison with that understanding of the Divinity. His intellect gets absorbed in That Knowledge & his
mind displays only emotions of Goodness. He becomes ever intent upon the Infinite Bliss he has come to
recognise as the essence in him. To such an individual the very Goal becomes the illimitable & unlimited
Self. His full Participation in the studies, then active Involvement in living what is understood from the
studies & finally the complete Commitment to that Goal leave him with no time for entanglement in the
world of likes & dislikes. As his “ Impurities have been shaken off by Knowledge”, the ego will not rise
again in him. With the rise of the Knowledge of Spiritual Bliss, the darkness of ignorance ends & the ego
too comes to a total extinction.
Here we have the most optimistic philosophy of the world, declaring courageously that, Self-Realization is
the final experience in the pilgrimage of evolution. God-realisation is the last stage of growth, &
thereafter, to be the Supreme is the goal of all evolutionary struggles, which the ego had undertaken.

20. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
EQUANIMITY OF THE WISE
5.18 Sages look with an equal eye upon a Brahmana, endowed with learning & humility,
on a cow, on an elephant, & even on a dog & the outcaste(eater of dog).
The wise cannot but see & recognise the same presence of Divinity everywhere. The
ocean has no difference in feeling of different waves. Gold cannot recognise itself as
different in different ornaments. Similarly, an egoless man, having recognised himself to
be God, can find any distinction in the outer world of names & forms. Forms may be
different, but as far as Life is concerned, it is the same everywhere, at all times. Hence,
it is said here, that the Self-realized cast an equal eye on a Brahmana endowed with
scholarship, coupled with humility, on a cow, on an elephant, on a dog or on a pariah.
Equal vision is the hallmark of Realisation. In & through all forms & situations, he sees
the expressions of the same dynamic Truth, which he experiences as his own Self.

21. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
MAN CAN ATTAIN GODLINESS IN THIS VERY BIRTH
5.19 Even here (in this world), birth (everything) is overcome by those whose mind rest
in equality; Brahman is spotless indeed & equal; therefore they are established in
Brahman.
In this verse, almost a full scripture, Lord Krishna reveals that the Perfection, described in the previous
verses, is not a mere idealism to be experienced after death, but is attainable in this very birth. The
relative existence as a limited ego- centre can be ended, & the imperfect man realize himself to be the
Infinite Godhead. This goal can be reached not only at a future life, but also in this very same life, in this
very body, & one can live in the Consciousness of God. Who can achieve this? Here it states that ‘ the one
whose mind rests in evenness’ gains the Divine tranquillity of a God-man.
Such an individual who has conquered his mind & has come to live in perfect equanimity, in all conditions
of life, in all its relationships, “He indeed rests in Brahman”, because “ Brahman is even & Ever-Perfect”.
Brahman is homogeneous & All-pervading. Everything happens IN IT, & yet, nothing happens TO IT. The
Truth remains changeless & ever the same, just as the river bed remains ever motionless. Krishna declares
here that a mortal among us who can maintain his equanimity under all conditions, as explained in
previous verses, is indeed one who has contacted the Divine & the Eternal in Himself. “He indeed rests in
BRAHMAN”

22. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
THE KNOWER OF BRAHMAN NEITHER REJOICES NOR GRIEVES
5.20 Resting in Brahman, with steady intellect & undeluded, the knower of Brahman
neither rejoices on obtaining what is pleasant, nor grieves on obtaining what is
unpleasant.
Here Lord Krishna adds some more details on the mental life of a man of equipoise & perfection. Ordinary
man gets excited or becomes despondent, not because of the happenings in the outer world, but because
of his individual contact with them. Thus the death of a relative affects you, but not the death of any
person. The man-of-Perfection who has won over his mind & has come to experience the Infinite Self, can
no more feel any joy on receiving what is pleasant, nor grieve on receiving what is unpleasant. It does not
mean that he is a wooden idol, incapable of reacting to the external change, but that he discovers in
himself a balance & an equipoise, which cannot be shattered easily. No condition or circumstances in the
outer world can ever gain an entry into the inner precincts of his personality. In the absence of egocentric
misconceptions, his intellect becomes steady. This verse beautifully brings out the sequence: one who is
unaffected by outside things, good or bad, is the one whose Intellect is Steady, & the one whose intellect
is steady is the one in whom all delusions have ended. A steady intellect, with no delusions becomes the
instrument for Knowing Brahman. One who Knows Brahman becomes Brahman, & so comes to live “
Established in the Brahmic Consciousness of Infinite Beatitude”.

23. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
BLISS OF THE SELF-REALISED
5.21 With the Self unattached to external contacts, he finds happiness in the Self; with
the Self engaged in the meditation of Brahman, he attains endless happiness.
One, who has gained complete detachment from the external objects, realises the Bliss
that is the nature of the Self. Through a process of detachment, when we have negated
all that is false, we come to experience & live a total positivity. When the dreamer
comes out of his dream world, he becomes the waker. Similarly, whenever contact with
the external world through the body, mind & intellect is clipped off clean, we are
awakened to God-Consciousness & come to live the joy that is the eternal nature of the
Self. A seeker, having thus redeemed his own mind & intellect from their preoccupations
with the external world, when he keeps his heart(inner instruments) devoted to the
meditation of Brahman, attains imperishable happiness.

24. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
SENSUAL PLEASURES- GENERATORS OF PAIN
5.22 The enjoyments that are born of contacts are only generators of pain,
for they have a beginning & an end. O son of Kunti, the wise do not rejoice
in them.
Joy hunting among the finite objects of the world is not a profitable endeavour. The
‘law of diminishing utility’ works in all our experiences & the very thing that gave a
certain unit of joy in the beginning, itself soon becomes a thing of sorrow. Sensuous
joys are doomed to become pains. They all have a beginning & an end. Sens-objects
& their joys, being finite in nature, do not enchant a wise man. Finite things can only
torture us with wain hopes of getting more joy. So wise men are satisfied only with
the Infinite. The fuller, Diviner joy is gained only from the experience of the Self
within.

25. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
CONQUER DESIRE & ANGER, TO BE HAPPY
5.23 He who is able, while still here (in this world) to withstand, before the liberation
from the body (death), the impulse born out of desire & anger, he is a Yogi, he is a happy
man.
Krishna here gives the assurance that man is capable of living that perfect joy in this Very World, if only he
makes the necessary adjustments in himself. Our mind & intellect, the instruments for attaining
Perfection, neglected from beginningless time, need a lot of readjustments before they can experience joy.
The technique of readjusting is beautifully summarised here. Lord Krishna says “withstand the impulse of
desire & anger” to become a Yogi, even while here, before his death, & a happy man. Desire produces
anger, when obstructed. The grater the desire, the greater the anger against obstacles. He who has
gained mastery over these two impulses, is he who can afford to live in this world of multiplicity &
imperfections as an independent man of true & steady happiness.
In this verse, Krishna assures mankind that man can live perfectly happy even while in this form, among
these very objects, in this very world, during this very life, if only he, in his spiritual evolution, learns to
renounce his impulses of desire & hatred.

26. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
LIBERATION OF A SELF-REALISED YOGI
5.24 He who is happy within, who rejoices within, who is illuminated within, that Yogi
attains Absolute Freedom or MOKSHA, himself becoming Brahman.
Neither the warmth of the flesh, nor the thrills of emotions nor the ecstasies of thought
attract a Yogi. Renouncing them all, & conquering both love & hatred, the Yogi, in sheer
transcendence, attains a realm of bliss. When the ego rediscovers itself to be the Self as
it renounces all its delusory preoccupations with worldly things, the Self experiences a
substantial & solid bliss in the Self, as the Self. This inward joy is not a rare flickering
flash, but a constantly experienced factor. To such a well-developed Yogi, his entire
‘within’ is flooded with the Light of Pure Consciousness. His heart is thereafter alit with
the Glow Divine.
Such a Yogi, who has withdrawn himself completely within, is the one who has come to
Know Brahman. In his realization of the Infinite, he has come to experience the Bliss of
Brahman.

27. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
ABSOLUTE FREEDOM FOR THE RISHIS
5.25 Those RISHIS obtain Absolute Freedom or MOKSHA, whose sins have been
destroyed, whose dualities are torn asunder, who are self-controlled & intent on the
welfare of all beings.
When a man-of-meditation, striving diligently, with his senses well under his control,
washes off all his sinful mental impressions, he gains the joy of the Self. When his
ignorance has been removed, Knowledge of his Real Nature dawns & he rediscovers
himself as the Self.
Self-realisation is a joyous ride to the palace-of-Truth from which man has wandered
away in his own ignorance & confusion. Such a person lives consumed in a fire of love.
He ceaselessly strives to bring out the Self from the non-Self in all other forms around &
about him. This is given here as ‘engaged in the good of all beings’. His body, mind &
intellect are offered as oblation into the sacred fires of activity & while remaining at rest
within himself, the Saint lives on, in an unbroken Consciousness of the Divine, the
Eternal.

28. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
BRAHMIC BLISS FOR THE SELF-REALISED
5.26 Absolute freedom (Brahmic Bliss) exists on all sides for those self-
controlled ascetics, who are free from desire & anger, who have controlled
their thoughts & who have realised the Self.
By the work of serving mankind, the Master is not reducing his chances
to live as a God of gods, even in this world, here & now. He is not tainted
by the nature of the people he is working for & with. He has conquered
the instincts of lust & anger in him and controlled his thoughts, & thus
mastered all threats arising from within him & those that come to him
from outside. Such a sincere pursuer of the Life Divine, when he has
known the Self, gains the Bliss of Perfection Both Here & Hereafter.

29. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
A GIST OF DHYANA YOGA
5.27 Shutting out (all) external contacts & fixing the gaze(as though) between the eyebrows, equalising the outgoing
& incoming breath moving within the nostrils;
5.28 With senses, mind & intellect (ever) controlled, having liberation as his Supreme Goal, free from desire, fear &
anger- the Sage is verily liberated for ever.
In these two aphoristic verses, the Lord has given a summary of the technique of meditation, described in detail in the
next chapter. They give a complete picture of the man-of-Perfection & his purposeful life.
Krishna is giving here, as a summary, the scheme of practice, by which a diligent pursuer can gain a complete
integration. The external world, when we are in contact with it, causes various agitations in our mind. If we,
therefore, shut out the external objects by a discrete intellectual detachment from our mental reactions to the
external world, we shall attain the necessary tranquillity to start meditation.
A Yogi should sit with his gaze, as it were, fixed between the two eyebrows, i.e.. his face turned upward at about 45
degrees to the vertical, so that his mind is held uplifted, suitable for higher contemplation. The flow of breath in us
influences our mental thought-conditions. The Yogi controls his breath-flow to make it even within the nostrils, which
controls the mind to a quieter existence. In the next verse, instructions to create a conducive mental atmosphere, are
given. The seeker is asked to control his sense appetites, mental oscillations & intellectual storms by dedicating all his
outer & inner activities to the goal of reaching Perfection; realising the Self. He should renounce ‘desires, fears &
anger’. By this he controls all the mad impulses of the intellect. He should then remain in the contemplation of Truth,
without contact with the external world. Krishna says, “such a man-of-Meditation is verily free for ever”. He will
gradually attain the freedom of Godhood.

30. THE HOLY GEETA
T K G Namboodhiri
THE YOGI ATTAINS PEACE BY KNOWING ME
5.29 Knowing Me as Enjoyer of sacrifices & austerities, the Great Lord of all worlds, the
friend of all beings, he attains peace.
In this last verse of the chapter, Lord Krishna tells that by knowing the Self properly, the Yogi attains
peace. The Self is the real vitality behind the ego (Jiva) which functions in identification with matter-
envelopments, & feels that it is the doer & enjoyer. The Self is the Lord of all lords, the God of all gods.
Each of our sense organs is presided over by a Deva, or ‘illuminator’. The Deva of seeing illumines the field
of the eyes & thus gives the knowledge about forms & colours. Similar Devas exist for other senses. The
Self is the Lord of all these individual lords, governing, controlling & ruling over the various fields. So
Krishna calls the Self as Sarva-Loka-Maheswara. Unlike kings & emperors, very inaccessible, the Lord is
stated here to be a ‘Friend of all living creatures’. Here knowing is used in the sense of ‘realising’. Spiritual
experience is the realisation of the Self to be the one great ruler within, who presides over all the
activities within the body. The Perfection-seeking ego surrenders all its spiritual activities to Him & attains
liberation. END OF CHAPTER 5, KARMA-SANNYASA-YOGA