| 1. Arjuna said:
If it be thought by Thee that knowledge is superior to action, O Janardana,
why then dost thou, O Kesava direct me to this terrible action If it had
been meant that knowledge and action should be conjoined, then the means
of salvation would be one only ; and, in that case, a broundless separation
of knowledge from action would have been made by Arjuna declaring knowledge
to be superior to action. If the two be regarded as constituting together
a single means to a single end, they cannot at the same time be regarded
to be distinct as producing distinct effects. Neither could we account for
what Arjuna said Why then dost Thou direct me to this terrible action ?
as if meaning to censure the Lord, on finding that Hefor what reason Arjuna
could not see clearlyhad exhorted him to follow the unwholesome course of
action after declaring that knowledge was superior to action.Now, if a conjunction
of knowledge with the smartakarma only were intended for all by the Lord
and understood by Arjuna as so intended, how could we then justify the words
of Arjuna why dost Thou direct me to this terrible action ? |
| 1. In the previous chapter,
after instructing about the two approaches or aspects namely, Sankhya approach
and Yoga approach, Bhagavan stated that Sankhyas, that is, Jnanis, will
attain liberation by Jnana Nishtha through Karma Sanyasa. He advised Arjuna
to perform Karma only. |
