BhG 2.40

nehābhikrama-nāśo ‘sti pratyavāyo na vidyate
svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt

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analysis

syntax

iha (here) [yoge] (in yoga) abhikrama-nāśaḥ (the loss of endeavour) na asti (there is not),
pratyavāyaḥ (diminution) na vidyate (there is not).
asya (of this) dharmasya (of dharma) sv-alpam api (even very little) mahataḥ (from great) bhayāt (from fear) trāyate (it protects).

 

grammar

na – av. – not;
iha – av. – here (in yoga);
abhikrama-nāśaḥ – abhi-krama-nāśa 1n.1 m.; TP: abhikramasya karmaṇo nāśaḥ iti – the loss of undertaken activities (from: abhi-√kram – to go near, to attack, to undertake, abhikrama – approach, undertaking; √naś – to disappear, to be lost, nāśa – destruction, loss);
asti – √as (to be) Praes. P 1v.1 –there is;
pratyavāyaḥ – pratyavāya 1n.1 m. – diminution, reversal, opposite, offence, sin (from: prati-ava-√i – to go down again, to reverse);
na – av. – not;
vidyate – √vid (to be, to exist) Praes. Ā 1v.1 – there is;
svalpam – sv-alpa 1n.1 n. – very little;
api – av. – although, moreover, besides, even;
asya – idam sn. 6n.1 m. – of this;
dharmasya – dharma 6n.1 m. – of the law, of dharma (from: √dhṛ – to hold);
trāyate – √trai (to protect) Praes. Ā 1v.1 – it protects;
mahataḥ – mahant 5n.1 m. – from great (√mah – to magnify);
bhayāt – bhaya 5n.1 n. – from fear (from: √bhī – to scare);

 

textual variants


nehābhikrama-nāśo → nehātikrama-nāśo (not here the loss in overcoming);
vidyate → dṛśyate (is seen);

 
 


commentaries

Śāṃkara

The key:
an excerpt from the commented verse
quotes from the scriptures
starting polemic

Yoga, a safe course.
Moreover,

 kiṃ cānyat –

There is no loss of effort here, there is no harm.
Even a little of this devotion delivers one from great fear.

 nehābhikrama-nāśo ’sti pratyavāyo na vidyate |
svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt ||2.40||

Unlike agriculture, nothing that is attempted here – in this path to moksha, in this devotion by works – is entirely lost. That is, there is no uncertainty regarding the result of any effort in the path of Yoga.

 neha mokṣa-mārge karma-yoge abhikrama-nāśo ’bhikramaṇam abhikramaḥ prārambhas tasya nāśo nāsti yathā kṛṣyādeḥ | yoga-viṣaye prārambhasya na anaikāntika-phalatvam ity arthaḥ |

Neither is there any chance of harm resulting from it, as it may sometimes result from medical treatment. – What is the result? – Anything done, however little it be, in this Path of Yoga, saves one from great fear, from the fear of saṁsāra, of birth and death.

 kiṃ ca nāpi cikitsāvat pratyavāyo vidyate bhavati | kiṃ tu svalpam api asya dharmasya yoga-dharmasya anuṣṭhitaṃ trāyate rakṣati mahataḥ bhayāt saṃsāra-bhayāt janma-maraṇādi-lakṣaṇāt ||2.40||

 

Rāmānuja

vakṣyamāṇa-buddhi-yuktasya karmaṇo māhātmyam āha—neha iti | iha karma-yoge nābhikrama-nāśo’sti | abhikrama ārambhaḥ | nāśaḥ phala-sādhana-bhāva-nāśaḥ | ārabdhasyāsamāptasya vicchinnasyāpi na niṣphalatvam | ārabdhasya vicchede pratyavāyo’pi na vidyate | asya karma-yogākhyasya sva-dharmasya svalpāṃśo’pi mahato bhayāt saṃsāra-bhayāt trāyate | ayam arthaḥ—pārtha naiveha nāmutra vināśas tasya vidyate [gītā 6.40] ity uttaratra prapañcayiṣyate | anyāni hi laukikāni vaidikāni ca sādhanāni vicchinnāni na hi phala-prasavāya bhavanti pratyavāyāya ca bhavanti

 

Śrīdhara

nanu kṛṣyādivat karmaṇāṃ kadācid vighna-bāhulyena phale vyabhicārāt mantrādy-aṅga-vaiguṇyena ca pratyavāya-sambhavaāt kutaḥ karma-yogena karma-bandha-prahāṇam | tatrāha nehety ādi | iha niṣkāma-karma-yoge abhikramasya prārambhasya nāśo niṣphalatvaṃ nāsti | pratyavāyaś ca na vidyate | īśvaroddeśenaiva vighna-vaiguṇyādy-asambhavāt | kiṃ cāsya dharmasya īśvarārādhanārtha-karma-yogasya svalpam apy upakrama-mātram api kṛtaṃ mahato bhayāt saṃsāra-lakṣaṇāt trāyate rakṣati | na tu kāmya-karmavat kiñcid aṅga-vaikguṇyādinā naiṣphalyam asyety arthaḥ

 

Madhusūdana

nanu tam etaṃ vedānuvacanena brāhmaṇā vividiṣanti yajñena dānena tapasānāśakena [BAU 4.4.22] iti śrutyā vividiṣāṃ jñānaṃ coddiśya saṃyoga-pṛthaktva-nyāyena sarva-karmaṇāṃ viniyogāt tatra cāntaḥ-karaṇa-śuddher dvāratvān māṃ prati karmānuṣṭhānaṃ vidhīyate | tatra tad yatheha karma-jito lokaḥ kṣīyata evam evāmutra puṇya-jito lokaḥ kṣīyate [Chā 8.1.6] iti śruti-bodhitasya phala-nāśasya sambhāvāj jñānaṃ vividiṣāṃ coddiśya kriyamāṇasya yajñādeḥ kāmyatvāt sarvāṅgopasaṃhāreṇānuṣṭheyasya yat kiṃcid aṅgāsampattāv api vaiguṇyāpatter yajñenety ādi-vākya-vihitānāṃ ca sarveṣāṃ karmaṇām ekena puruṣāyuṣa-paryavasāne ‚pi kartum aśakyatvāt kutaḥ karma-bandhaṃ prahāsyasīti-phalaṃ pratyāśety ata āha bhagavān neheti |
abhikramyate karmaṇā prārabhyate yat phalaṃ so ‚bhikramas tasya nāśas tad yathehety ādinā pratipādita iha niṣkāma-karma-yoge nāsti | etat-phalasya śuddheḥ pāpa-kṣaya-rūpatvena loka-śabda-vācya-bhogyatvābhāvena ca kṣayāsambhavāt | vedana-paryantāyā eva vividiṣāyāḥ karma-phalatvād vedanasya cāvyavadhānenājñāna-nivṛtti-phala-janakasya phalam ajanayitvā nāśāsambhavād iha phala-nāśo nāstīti sādhūktam | tad uktaṃ –
tad yatheheti yā nindā sā phale na tu karmaṇi |
phalecchāṃ tu parityajya kṛtaṃ karma viśuddhi-kṛt || iti |
tathā pratyavāyo ‚ṅga-vaiguṇya-nibandhanaṃ vaiguṇyam iha na vidyate tam iti vākyena nityānām evopātta-durita-kṣaya-dvāreṇa vividiṣāyāṃ viniyogāt | tatra ca sarvāṅgopasaṃhāra-niyamābhāvāt | kāmyānām api saṃyoga-pṛthaktva-nyāyena viniyoga iti pakṣe ‚pi phalābhisandhi-rahitatvena teṣāṃ nitya-tulyatvāt | nahi kāmya-nityāgnihotrayoḥ svataḥ kaścid viśeṣo ‚sti | phalābhisandhi-tad-abhāṣābhyām eva tu kāmyatva-nityatva-vyapadeśaḥ | idaṃ ca pakṣa-dvayam uktaṃ vārtike –
vedānuvacanādīnām aikātmya-jñāna-janmane |
tam etam iti vākyena nityānāṃ vakṣyate vidhiḥ ||
yad vā vividiṣārthatvaṃ kāmyānām api karmaṇām |
tam etam iti vākyena saṃyogasya pṛthaktvataḥ || iti |
tathā ca phalābhisandhinā kriyamāṇa eva karmaṇi sarvāṅgopa-saṃhāra-niyamāt tad-vilakṣaṇe śuddhy-arthe karmaṇi pratinidhyādinā samāpti-sambhavān nāṅga-vaiguṇya-nimittaḥ pratyavāyo ‚stīty arthaḥ | tathāsya śuddhy-arthasya dharmasya tam etam ity ādi-vākya-vihitasya madhye svalpam api saṅkhyayetikartavyatayā vā yathā-śakti-bhagavad-ārādhanārthaṃ kiṃcid apy anuṣṭhitaṃ san mahataḥ saṃsāra-bhayāt trāyate bhagavat-prasāda-sampādanenānuṣṭhātāraṃ rakṣati |
sarva-pāpa-prasakto ‚pi dhyāyan nimiṣam acyutam |
bhūyas tapasvī bhavati paṅki-pāvana-pāvanaḥ || ity ādi smṛteḥ |
tam etam iti vākye samuccaya-vidhāyakābhāvāc cāśuddhi-tāratamyād evānuṣṭhāna-tāratamyopapatter yuktam uktaṃ karma-bandhaṃ prahāsyasi

 

Viśvanātha

atra yogo dvividhaḥ śravaṇa-kīrtanādi-bhakti-rūpaḥ, śrī-bhagavad-arpita-niṣkāma-karma-rūpaś ca | tatra karmaṇy evādhikāraḥ ity ataḥ prāg bhakti-yoga eva nirūpyate | nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna ity ukter bhakter eve triguṇātītatvāt tayaiva puruṣo nistraiguṇyo bhavatīty ekādaśa-skandhe prasiddheḥ | jñāna-karmaṇos tu sāttvikatva-rājasatvābhyāṃ nistraiguṇyatvānupapatter bhagavad-arpita-lakṣaṇā bhaktis tu karmaṇo vaiphalyābhāva-mātraṃ pratipādayati, na tu svasya bhakti-vyapadeśaṃ prādhānyābhāvād eva | yadi ca bhagavad-arpitaṃ karmāpi bhaktir eveti mataṃ, tadā karma kiṃ syāt ? yad-bhagavad-anarpita-karma, tad eva karmeti cen, na |
naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṃ
na śobhate jñānam alaṃ nirañjanam |
kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvare
na cārpitaṃ karma yad apy akāraṇam || [BhP 1.5.12]
iti nāradoktyā tasya vaiyarthya-pratipādanāt | tasmād atra bhagvac-caraṇa-mādhurya-prāpti-sādhanībhūtā kevala-śravaṇa-kīrtanādi-lakṣaṇaiva bhaktir nirūpyate, yathā niṣkāma-karma-yoga ‚pi nirūpayitavyaḥ | ubhāv apy etau buddhi-yoga-śabda-vācyau jñeyau – dadāmi buddhi-yogaṃ taṃ yena mām upayānti te [10.10], dūreṇa hy avaraṃ karma buddhi-yogād dhanañjaya [2.49] iti cokteḥ |
atha nirguṇa-śravaṇa-kīrtanādi-bhakti-yogasya māhātmyam āha neheti | iha bhakti-yoge ‚bhikrame ārambha-mātre kṛte ‚py asya bhaktiyogasya nāśo nāsti | tataḥ pratyavāyaś ca na syāt | yathā karma-yoge ārambhaṃ kṛtvā karmānuṣṭhitavataḥ karma-nāśa-pratyavāyau syātām iti bhāvaḥ |
nanu tarhi tasya bhakty-anuṣṭhātu-kāmasya samucita-bhakty-akaraṇāt bhakti-phalaṃ tu naiva syāt | tatrāha svalpam iti | asya dharmasya svalpam apy ārambha-samaye yā kiñcin-mātrī bhaktir abhūt | sāpīty arthaḥ | mahato bhayāt saṃsārāt trāyata eva | yan-nāma sakṛc-chravaṇāt pukkaśo ‚pi vimucyate saṃsārād ity [BhP 6.16.44] ādi-śravaṇāt | ajāmilādau tathā darśanāc ca |
na hy aṅgopakrame dhvaṃso
mad-dharmasyoddhavāṇv api |
mayā vyavasitaḥ samyaṅ
nirguṇatvād anāśiṣaḥ || [BhP 11.29.20]
iti bhagavato vākyena sahāsya-vākyasyaikārtham eva dṛśyate | kintu tatra nirguṇatvān na hi guṇātītaṃ vastu kadācid dhvastaṃ bhavatīti hetur upanyastaḥ | sa cehāpi draṣṭavyaḥ | na ca niṣkāma-karmaṇo ‚pi bhagavad-arpaṇa-mahimnā nirguṇatvam eveti vācyam – mad-arpaṇaṃ niṣphalaṃ vā sāttvikaṃ nija-karma tat [BhP 11.25.23]

 

Baladeva

vakṣyamāṇayā buddhyā yuktaṃ karma-yogaṃ stauti neheti | iha tam etam ity ādi vākyokteḥ niṣkāma-karma-yoge ‚bhikramasyārambhasya phalotpādakatva-nāśo nāsti | ārambhasyāsamāptasya vaiphalyaṃ na bhavatīty arthaḥ | mantrādy-aṅga-vaikalye ca pratyavāyo na vidyate | ātmoddeśa-mahimnā oṃ tat sat iti bhagavan-nāmnā ca tasya vināśāt | iha bhagavad-arpitasya niṣāma-karma-lakṣaṇa-dharmasya kiñcid apy anuṣṭhitaṃ san mahato bhayāt saṃsārāt trāyate anuṣṭhātāraṃ rakṣati | vakṣyati caivaṃ pārtha naiveha nāmutra [Gītā 6.40] ity ādinā | kāmya-karmāṇi sarvāṅgopasaṃhāreṇānuṣṭhitāny ukta-phalāya kalpante | mantrādy-aṅga-vaikalye tu pratyavāyaṃ janayantīti | niṣkāma-karmāṇi tu yathā-śakty-anuṣṭhitāni jñāna-niṣṭhā-lakṣaṇaṃ phalaṃ janayanty evokta-hetutaḥ pratyavāyaṃ noptādayantīti

 
 


translations

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