BG2.57

Alwars appeared in this world to spread Bhakthi tradition. Nammalwar is the head of these Alwars. He composed the wonderful Tiruvaimozhi. It consists of 1102 hymns. Acharya Nampillai made an excellent commentary on this. Vadakku Thiruveedhi Pillai was the disciple of Nampillai. Vadakku Thiruveedhi Pillai had two sons. Elder son was Pillai Lokacharya and younger one was Azhagiya Manavala Perumal Nayanar. ‘Nithyam nampillai nenjil vaithon vazhiye; neel vachanabhushanathan niyamithanvazhiye’-thus goes the pallandu [long live] on Pillai Lokacharya. He was always thinking of the lotus feet of Nampillai and wrote Sri Vachana Bhushanam. He is remembered as the person who gave us this nectar in Tamil. We are at the Thiruvarasu of that great Acharya. On the dome is the image of Sri Namperumal. His idol was preserved here by Pillai Lokacharya. At the same instance sruthaprakasika- a work on the Lord in palm leaves- was preserved by Swami Vedantha Desikan, who also lived in the same period, by fleeing in the western direction [of Sri Rangam, to escape invaders]. Pillai Lokacharya fled in the south direction carrying the idol of Sri Namperumal. On the dome [of Thiruvarasu] also are the images of Swami Ramanuja and Pillai Lokacharya. We have to thank the Anaimalai hills. Let us now see what Sri Krishna tells in the 49^th sloka. Earlier He told that we have right only to do our duty. But when we perform a duty, it should not be mere an action. That is it should not be a mere ritual. Our intellect should also be associated with that karma. What type of intellect should be there? We are not doing this karma for trivial rewards but for a supreme purpose of Moksham. We should be having an equitable approach on the results arising out of the action. With such a mind the duty will be performed well. Without this thought in mind if the karma is done it will be mere ritual. So, our intellect forms an important part in karma. Sri Krishna shows the difference in a karma one does with this intellect and without. With such noble mind the karma is also noble. Without this sublime thought any action performed is regarded as very low. This will result in rebirths.

durena hy avaram karma
buddhi-yogad dhananjaya
buddhau saranam anviccha
kripanah phala-hetavah

"O Dhananjaya, keep all abominable activities far distant by devotional service, and in that consciousness surrender unto the Lord. Those who want to enjoy the fruits of their work are underprivilleged."

A person who thinks he is responsible for swarga or victory/loss in karma, is a krupana or underprivileged and he is going to have rebirths. Whereas with the intellect that he is not responsible for the rewards, the karma is noble. An action performed without involving the intellect – a mere ritual- is considered very inferior. So, Arjuna is advised that applying his intellect in the action that he is not aspiring for trivial rewards like swarga, he should do his duty. He should resort to this type of understanding. The person who thinks he is responsible for rewards will have rebirth. So do the duty with the understanding that he is not responsible for the result and perform the duty. We have right only to do the karma and we should not aspire for results. Do the duty with the conscience that ‘ I am not doing this karma’.The karma is to be done by Arjuna only and the rewards also will be for Arjuna. But while doing the karma he should do the duty with total detachment to the results. We can also see what happens if we do a work with conscience and without. We will see an example and we should remember what for this example is quoted. The purpose of an example is to make clear the subject and so we should remember the subject only. Sri Krishna was born in Mathura and grew up in Gokulam. He was born to Vasudeva and Devaki but grew up secretly as son of Nandagopa and Yasodha. Though Mathura yielded, it lost the significance and Gokulam got the prominence. We enjoy all his child plays and boisterous behavior. This Gita also is Sri Krishna’s only but it was much later, when he was more than 60 years old. We enjoy more the young Sri Krishna’s actions. To have a glimpse of all the places like Gokulam, Brindavanam and Mathura, a pilgrimage is planned starting on 6th Sptember, 2007. All are preparing for this never again great trip. In those selected places there will be lectures and ceremonial reading of Srimad Bhagavatham. When Sri Krishna was in Gokulam, one midday, all children including Sri Krishna and Sri Balarama felt hungry. They were aware that in the nearby village Brahmins were performing a great yagna and so they thought that lots of food would have been cooked and so they could get some and eat. Sri Krishna deputed some of His friends to go to that spot and ask the Brahmins to give some food to feed Sri Krishna, as He was hungry. The Brahmins there were learned. When the children demanded food for Sri Krishna, the Brahmins refused saying that the yagna ceremony was not over. They asked them to come afterwards as the cooked food was yet to be offered to God. They forgot what their learning was and Who Sri Krishna was. The children returned to Sri Krishna disappointed. Hearing what happened, Sri Krishna asked them to go again but this time to ask the ladies there for food for Sri Krishna. Hearing that Sri Krishna was hungry, the women immediately took varieties of food and rushed to the spot where Sri Krishna was and offered all they brought. Though the Brahmins were learned and knew Sri Krishna as the God, they never applied their mind as to what for they were performing the yagna and who was to be appeased in the yagna. Thus they were doing karma without applying their intellect. The uneducated ladies on the other hand were so much devoted to Sri Krishna that they could not bear the feeling He was hungry and rushed. These women did not perform great yagnas but had the greatest devotion. Whereas the Brahmins daily performed yagna to invoke God. But they became mere ritual and so they never received His blessings. This was because the intellect that the yagna was being performed to please God and He Himself as Sri Krishna was asking for food, was missing. So mere learning is of no use and similarly, mere ritual also is waste. We also while chanting Sri Rama, Sri Krishna and Sri Govinda, should be conscious that these are His names and by uttering these we are pleasing Him and Namasankeerthanam [singing God’s names] is our duty. This will elevate the mere uttering to a noble karma.