A New Phase in Our Work

Slokas quoted:

arjunaḥ—Arjuna; uvāca—said; jyāyasī—speaking very highly; cet—although; karmaṇaḥ—than fruitive action; te—your; matā—opinion; buddhiḥ—intelligence; janārdana—O Kṛṣṇa; tat—therefore; kim—why; karmaṇi—in action; ghore—ghastly; mām—me; niyojayasi—engaging me; keśava—O Kṛṣṇa.

Arjuna said: "O Janārdana, O Keśava, why do You urge me to engage in this ghastly warfare, if You think that intelligence is better than fruitive work?" [Bhagavad-gita 3.1]

vyāmiśreṇa—by equivocal; iva—as; vākyena—words; buddhim—intelligence; mohayasi—bewildering; iva—as; me—my; tat—therefore; ekam—only one; vada—please tell; niścitya—ascertaining; yena—by which; śreyaḥ—real benefit; aham—I; āpnuyām—may have it.

"My intelligence is bewildered by Your equivocal instructions. Therefore, please tell me decisively what is most beneficial for me." [Bhagavad-gita 3.2]

śrī bhagavān uvāca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; loke—in the world; asmin—this; dvi-vidhā—two kinds of; niṣṭhā—faith; purā—formerly; proktā—was said; mayā—by Me; anagha—O sinless one; jñāna-yogena—by the linking process of knowledge; sāṅkhyānām—of the empiric philosophers; karma-yogena—by the linking process of devotion; yoginām—of the devotees.

The Blessed Lord said: "O sinless Arjuna, I have already explained that there are two classes of men who realize the Self. Some are inclined to understand Him by empirical, philosophical speculation, and others are inclined to know Him by devotional work." [Bhagavad-gita 3.3]

na—without; karmaṇām—of the prescribed duties; anārambhāt—non-performance; naiṣkarmyam—freedom from reaction; puruṣah—man; aśnute—achieve; na—nor; ca—also; sannyasanāt—by renunciation; eva—simply; siddhim—success; samadhigacchati—attain.

"Not by merely abstaining from work can one achieve freedom from reaction, nor by renunciation alone can one attain perfection." [Bhagavad-gita 3.4]

na—nor; hi—certainly; kaścit—anyone; kṣaṇam—even a moment; api—also; jātu—even; tiṣṭhati—stands; akarma-kṛt—without doing something; kāryate—is forced to do; hi—certainly; avaśaḥ—helplessly; karma—work; sarvaḥ—everything; prakṛti-jaiḥ—out of the modes of material nature; guṇaiḥ—by the qualities.

"All men are forced to act helplessly according to the impulses born of the modes of material nature; therefore no one can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment." [Bhagavad-gita 3.5]