In our previous post we talked about the importance of “hard work” and how years of painstaking work are required for success, which then becomes inevitable.
We also discussed that the yogi who has put in many years of effort in striving to reach liberation, will ultimately be able to achieve success and his efforts will not be in vain.
In today’s post, we now talk about the superiority of Selflessness over Selfishness and how Krishna urges Arjuna to become a Selfless Yogi.
Lord Krishna says
“This yogi who contemplates on God, is superior to an ascetic, to those who have mastered the scriptures and even those who are involved in actions, all of which are performed with a selfish interest. So Arjuna, you should become a yogi”
tapasvibhyo.adhiko yogii GYaanibhyo.api mato.adhikaH .
karmibhyashchaadhiko yogii tasmaadyogii bhavaarjuna .. 6.46..
yogii - the yogi : tapasvibhyaH – to the ascetics : adhikaH – is superior : GYaanibhyaH api – even to those who have mastered the scriptures : adhikaH mataH – are held superior : cha – and : kaarmibhyaH – those who perform actions with selfish motive : yogi – this yogi : adhikaH – is superior : tasmaat.h – therefore : arjuna – O Arjuna : yogii bhava – become a yogi.
In this Sloka, Krishna refers to tapasvis- people who renounce worldly objects and undergo rigorous penance but questions their motive as being selfish. They want to do this penance for a particular purpose and are subjecting themselves to such rigorous measures only for certain gains. The yogi is superior to such ascetics who perform penance with a selfish motive.
The GYaanis referred to here are those who have mastered the scriptures but have only bookish knowledge. That knowledge which is not applied only constitutes ego. We have no ego about simple things such as the fact that we can walk or open a door because these are examples of knowledge that we use in day to day life without even thinking about it. But, if we have read even a little of Gita or other scriptures and do not have any desire or intent to put it in practice, then this knowledge just becomes ego – we feel we know so much, only because we are not applying this knowledge.
The GYaanis who are referred to in this Sloka belong to this category. While knowing the scriptures is something that is very important, more important is applying the knowledge that is gained from the scriptures. So the lord says that a yogi is more superior to such GYaanis as well.
The last category that is taken up is a kaarmi. These are people who do noble actions, but with a selfish motive. People who might donate to charities, just for name and fame – or seeing their pictures in the newspapers or TV, who will donate blood only in front of a camera etc belong to this category. They do noble acts but with selfish motives and a yogi is far superior to such kaarmis.
The Lord here stresses that however noble any act is, if it is done with a selfish motive then it does not have any value. This is the first time, that the Lord openly tells Arjuna that he should become a yogi and that yoga is the best way to go close to God. Renouncing all objects and practising rigorous penance, learning and mastering all the scriptures, doing noble acts are all steps to the final stage. All these have to be practiced to give a grounding, a base for reaching the final stage. But practicing yoga with full concentration on God and God alone, with no desire other than wanting to reach God is the only way that a person can reach God.
Who is the best yogi? The Lord answers in the next sloka.
