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Gita Chapter -3
(Karma Yoga)
Essence of Chapter-3 - Continued from last page.
What is Ego?
Freedom that
Krishna talks is the freedom from the limitations feeling imposed by the
Ego. What is really
Ego?.
To identify as the "Doer" of action, instead of being the witnessor of
action is Ego or Ahamkara? Like the movie example given in the previous
page, to enjoy and suffer the actions in the movie story and get affected by
it , instead of being the observer /witnessor of the movie is
Ego.
Since Ego identifies itself as the doer of actions it is also bound to the results of any action
and suffer from it. Therefore Krishna says be detached and not expect the
fruits of actions.
The moment you expect the fruits of an action then you identify yourself to
be the doer of the action, which means you lose awareness of your real
nature. This loss of awareness (ignorance)
about our True Self is the cause of all pain and suffering.
This understanding is the highest truth of this Universe. This understanding
alone gives you Moksha (freedom from the cycle of birth and death). It is
the identification (Ego) that perpetuates actions that gives temporary
pleasures but long lasting pain and suffering.
Ego based actions are based on personal hatred, jealously, pride, delusion,
likes and dislikes, lust and greed. Actions done in such a manner generates
stress in an individual. You would have read in health section how actions
done with expectations can trigger anger and stress if the results are not
favorable.
Ego is
attached to the results which means it expects results to happen the
way it wishes. No one can perform an action without wishing for an expected
result. The problem comes when we do not accept the fact that the results of
any action abides by the laws of nature. Since the Ego does not know and
wish to know the laws of nature, it stresses the mind and body when results
are unfavorable or unexpected. The conclusion is that we have only choice of
performing any action but the results come out based on the laws of nature.
We love to eat fatty
foods and expect to have the body to be "fat free". The Ego is attached to
the result of a fat free body. So detachment means to accept the results on
action that abides by laws of nature. In other words, detachment is avoiding
Ego to entertain its expectations of results based on it's likes and
dislikes. Through this detachment of accepting results of actions, one
understands that the "Ego" loses its claims of "doer-ship" of any actions.
How can we perform an action in a detached mode? Krishna
says “Beware of strong likes and dislikes (Raga-dvesha), the main
obstructer of the enquiring spiritual path. Overcoming strong likes and
dislikes, anger can be controlled. Through this anger management, Ego can be
mastered which eventually leads to the knowledge of the
Self.
Third day of war
On the third day Bhishma attacked like a hurricane. Entire Pandavas army was like clouds
before hurricane. There was major loss on the side of pandavas. There could
not have been any chance for the Pandavas if Arjuna failed. Krishna could sense Arjuna’s softness for Bhishma. He took
the chariot to face Bhishma. Arjuna and Bhishma became engaged in a
magnificent battle. But Arjuna was not achieving anything. It was obvious to Krishna that Arjuna was
still not fighting with his heart and soul.
Krishna feigned anger on Arjuna and said "if I do not take up arms in this
war, you Pandavas cannot win this war because you are fighting
with Bhisma and others softly due to your emotional attachment to them".
Instantly, Krishna took his powerful weapon, the Sudarshan Chakra in his index finger. He
jumped from the chariot and rushed towards Bhishma full of wrath.
Now Arjuna was at Krishna’s feet begging him not to break his oath. Krishna
had taken an oath that he will be a charioteer for Arjuna in the war and
will not
take any weapons and fight. Arjuna feared that Krishna should not break his
oath of not wielding the arms during the war for Arjuna's sake. Arjuna
promised Krishna that he will fight with full vigor and will not allow
Bhisma to defeat the Pandavas. He pleaded to krishna to withdraw his
weapon again and again and promised he would fight with his fullest
capability,
Arjuna proved himself true to his words. Now he joined the battle like a
meteor raining fire. He drew upon his arsenal of the divine astras (weapons)
and caused much death and destruction in Kauravas
army. Sun
was setting and the war stopped for the day. Kaurava monarch was downcast
and dismayed.
Exercise-3 for third chapter.
Please
click here to read exercise for chapter-3.
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