BhG 3.4

na karmaṇām anārambhān naiṣkarmyaṃ puruṣo śnute
na ca saṃnyasanād eva siddhiṃ samadhigacchati

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syntax


puruṣaḥ (a person) karmaṇāṁ (of activities) anārambhāt (from not beginning) naiṣkarmyaṁ (freedom from activity and its results) na aśnute (he does not attain),
sannyasanāt ca eva (and certainly from renunciation) siddhiṁ (perfection) na samadhigacchati (he does not attain).

 

grammar

na av.not;
karmaṇām karman 6n.3 n.of activities (from: kṛ – to do);
anārambhāt an-ārambha 5n.1 m.from not beginning (from: ā-rabh – to reach, to undertake, to begin);
naiṣkarmyam naiṣ-karmya 2n.1 n.freedom from activity and its results (from: niḥ – out of, away from, without; kṛ – to do, karman – activity and its result; niṣ-karman – freedom from activity and its results);
puruṣaḥ puruṣa 1n.1 m.a person (from: pur – to precede, to lead or pṝ – to fill, to nourish, puru – abundance, pūru – people);
aśnute (to reach, to eat, to enjoy) Praes. Ā 1v.1he attains;
na av.not;
ca av.and;
saṁnyasanād saṁnyasana 5n.1 n.from giving up, from renunciation  (from: sam-ni-as – to lay aside, to renounce, to give up);
eva av.certainly, just, merely;
siddhim siddhi 2n.1 f.accomplishment, fulfilment, perfection, success (from: sidh – to succeed, to become perfect);
sam-adhi-gacchati sam-adhi-gam  (to go together, to attain) Praes. P 1v.1he attains, he goes;

 

textual variants


na ca → naiva (indeed not);
siddhiṁ samadhigacchati → saṁsiddhi-adhigacchati (complete perfection he obtains);

 
 



Śāṃkara

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

Now seeing that Arjuna, afflicted as he was at heart on the ground that the Lord had urged him to action which caused bondage, was resolved not to perform action, the Lord proceeds with 3.4.

māṃ ca bandha-kāraṇe karmaṇy eva niyojayasi iti viṣaṇṇa-manasam arjunaṃ karma nārabhe ity evaṃ manvānam ālakṣya āha bhagavān – na karmaṇāman ārambhād iti |

Or, the connection of what has gone before with the sequel may be thus stated: As devotion to knowledge and devotion to action are mutually opposed, it is impossible for one man to resort to both of them at one and the same time. From this it may follow that each leads to the goal quite independently of the other. But the truth is this: Devotion to action is a means to the end, not directly, but only as leading to devotion to knowledge; whereas the latter, which is attained by means of devotion to action, leads to the goal directly, without extraneous help. To show this, the Lord says:

athavā – jñāna-karma-niṣṭhayoḥ paraspara-virodhād ekena puruṣeṇa yugapad anuṣṭhātum aśakyatve sati itaretarānapekṣayor eva puruṣārtha-hetutve prāpte karma-niṣṭhāyā jñāna-niṣṭhā-prāpti-hetutvena puruṣārtha-hetutvam, na svātantryeṇa | jñāna-niṣṭhā tu karma-niṣṭhopāya-labdhātmikā satī svātantryeṇa puruṣārtha-hetuḥ anyānapekṣā, ity etam arthaṃ pradarśayiṣyan āha bhagavān –

Not by abstaining from action does man win actionlessness,
nor by mere renunciation does he attain perfection.

na karmaṇām anārambhān naiṣkarmyaṃ puruṣo ’śnute |
na ca saṃnyasanād eva siddhiṃ samadhigacchati || 3.4 ||

Action refers to the acts of worship (Yajña) which, performed in this or a previous birth, conduce to the destruction of sins committed in the past and cause purity of mind (sattva, antah-karaṇa); and by thus purifying mind, they cause knowledge to spring up and lead to the path of devotion to knowledge. It is said in the Mahabharata:

na karmaṇāṁ anārambhād aprārambhāt karmaṇāṁ kriyāṇāṃ yajñādīnām iha janmani janmāntare vā anuṣṭhitānām upātta-durita-kṣaya-hetutvena sattva-śuddhi-kāraṇānāṃ tat-kāraṇatvena ca jñānotpatti-dvāreṇa jñāna-niṣṭhā-hetūnām,

Knowledge springs in men on the destruction of sinful karma,
when the Self is seen in self as in a clean mirror.” (MBh 12.197.8)

jñānam utpadyate puṃsāṃ kṣayāt pāpasya karmaṇaḥ |
yathādarśatala-prakhye paśyaty ātmānam ātmani || (MBh 12.197.8)
ity ādi smaraṇāt |

By abstaining from action man cannot attain to actionlessness (naishkarmya), freedom from activity, i.e., devotion in the path of knowledge, the condition of the actionless Self.

anārambhād ananuṣṭhānāt naiṣkarmyaṃ niṣkarma-bhāvaṃ karma-śūnyatāṃ jñāna-yogena niṣṭhāṃ niṣkriyātma-svarūpeṇaivāvasthānam iti yāvat | puruṣo nāśnute na prāpnotīty arthaḥ |

From the statement that man wins not freedom from activity by abstaining from action, it is understood that by the opposite course, i.e., by performing action, man attains freedom from activity. For what reason, then, does he not attain freedom from activity by abstaining from action?

karmaṇām anārambhān naiṣkarmyaṃ nāśnuta iti vacanāt tad-viparyayāt teṣām ārambhān naiṣkarmyam aśnuta iti gamyate | kasmāt punaḥ kāraṇāt karmaṇām anārambhān naiṣkarmyaṃ nāśnute iti?

The answer follows: For, performance of action is a means of attaining freedom from activity. Certainly there is no attaining of an end except by proper means. Devotion to action is the means of attaining freedom from activity, i.e., devotion to knowledge, – as taught in the sruti as well as here.

ucyate, karmārambhasyaiva naiṣkarmyopāyatvāt | na hy upāyam antareṇa upeya-prāptir asti | karma-yogopāyatvaṃ ca naiṣkarmya-lakṣaṇasya jñāna-yogasya, śrutau iha ca pratipādanāt |

In the śruti, for instance, karma-yoga is declared to be a means to jñāna-yoga in the following passage:
The Brahmanas seek to know this (the Self) by the study of the Vedas, by yajña or worship.” (Bṛh-up 4.4.22) – In this passage, karma-yoga is pointed out as a means of realizing the Self that is sought after.

śrutau tāvat prakṛtasyātma-lokasya vedyasya vedanopāyatvena tam etaṃ vedānuvacanena brāhmaṇā vividiṣanti yajñena (Bṛh-up 4.4.22) ity ādinā karma-yogasya jñāna-yogopāyatvaṃ pratipāditam |

Here (in the Bhagavad-Gita) the following passages point to the same view:
But without Yoga, O mighty-armed, renunciation is hard to attain.” (BhG 5.6)
Having abandoned attachment, Yogins perform action for the purification of the Self.” (BhG 5.11)
Sacrifice, gift and also austerity are the purifiers of the wise.” (BhG 18.5)

ihāpi ca –
saṃnyāsas tu mahābāho duḥkham āptum ayogataḥ
(BhG 5.6),
yoginaḥ karma kurvanti saṅgaṃ tyaktvātmaśuddhaye (BhG 5.11),
yajño dānaṃ tapaś caiva pāvanāni manīṣiṇāṃ (BhG 18.5), ity ādi pratipādayiṣyati |

Now, the following objection may be raised: A passagein the smṛti, „Having promised immunity from fear to all beings, one should resort to freedom from activity (naishkarmya),” shows that actionlessness can be attained by renouncing the prescribed duties. Our experience also favours the idea that freedom from activity can be attained by abstaining from action.

nanu cābhayaṃ sarva-bhūtebhyo dattvā naiṣkarmyam ācaret ity ādau kartavya-karma-saṃnyāsād api naiṣkarmya-prāptiṃ darśayati | loke ca karmaṇām anārambhān naiṣkarmyam iti prasiddhataram |

Of what use then is the performance of action to one who seeks for freedom from action? In reply the Lord says: Nobody can attain perfection, – i.e., freedom from activity, or devotion in the path of knowledge – by mere renunciation, by merely abandoning action, without possessing knowledge.

ataś ca naiṣkarmyārthinaḥ kiṃ karmārambheṇa? iti prāptam | ata āha – na ca saṃnyasanād eveti | nāpi saṃnyasanād eva kevalāt karma-parityāga-mātrād eva jñāna-rahitāt siddhiṃ naiṣkarmya-lakṣaṇāṃ jñāna-yogena niṣṭhāṃ samadhigacchati na prāpnoti ||3.4||

 

Rāmānuja


sarvasya laukikasya puruṣasya mokṣecchāyāṃ jātāyāṃ sahasaiva jñānayogo duṣkara ity āha

na śāstrīyāṇāṃ karmaṇām anārambhād eva, puruṣo naiṣkarmyaṃ jñānaniṣṭhāṃ prāpnoti / na cārabdhasya śāstrīyasya tyāgāt; yato ‚nabhisaṃhitaphalasya paramapuruṣārādhanaveṣasya karmaṇaḥ siddhiḥ sā / atas tena vinā tāṃ na prāpnoti / anabhisaṃhitaphalaiḥ karmabhir anārādhitagovindair avinaṣṭānādikālapravṛttānantapāpasañcayair avyākulendriyatāpūrvikā ātmaniṣṭhā dussaṃpādā

 

Śrīdhara


ataḥ samyak-citta-śuddhyā jñānotpatti-paryantaṃ varṇāśramocitāni karmāṇi kartavyāni | anyathā citta-śuddhy-abhāvena jñānānutpatter ity āha na karmaṇām iti | karmaṇām anārambhād ananuṣṭhānān naiṣkarmyaṃ jñānaṃ nāśnute na prāpnoti | nanu caitam eva pravrājino lokam icchantaḥ pravrajantīti śrutyā saṃnyāsasya mokṣād aṅgatva-śruteḥ saṃnyasanād eva mokṣo bhaviṣyati | kiṃ karmabhiḥ ? ity āśaṅkyoktaṃ na ceti | citta-śuddhiṃ vinā kṛtāt saṃnyasanād eva jñāna-śūnyāt siddhiṃ mokṣaṃ na samadhigacchati na prāpnoti

 

Madhusūdana


tatra kāraṇābhāve kāryānupapatter āha na karmaṇām iti | karmaṇā tam etaṃ vedānuvacanena brāhmaṇā vividiṣanti yajñena dānena tapasānāśakena iti śrutyātma-jñāne viniyuktānām anārambhād ananuṣṭhānāc citta-śuddhy-abhāvena jñānāyogyo bahirmukhaḥ puruṣo naiṣkarmyaṃ sarva-karma-śūnyatvaṃ jñāna-yogena niṣṭhām iti yāvat nāśnute na prāpnoti |

nanu etam eva pravrājino lokam icchantaḥ pravrajanti iti śruteḥ sarva-karma-saṃnyāsād eva jñāna-niṣṭhopapatteḥ kṛtaṃ karmabhir ity ata āha na ca saṃnyasanād eva citta-śuddhiṃ vinā kṛtāt siddhiṃ jñāna-niṣṭhā-lakṣaṇāṃ samyak-phala-paryavasāyitvenādhigacchati naiva prāpnotīty arthaḥ | karma-janyāṃ citta-śuddhim antareṇa saṃnyāsa eva na sambhavati | yathā-kathaṃcid autsukya-mātreṇa kṛto ‚pi na phala-paryavasāyīti bhāvaḥ

 

Viśvanātha


citta-śuddhy-abhāve jñānānutpattim āha neti | śāstrīya-karmaṇām anārambhād ananuṣṭhānān naiṣkarmyaṃ jñānaṃ na prāpnoti na cāśuddha-cittaḥ | saṃnyasanāc chāstrīya-karma-tyāgāt

 

Baladeva


ato ‚śuddha-cittena citta-śuddheḥ sva-vihitāni karmāṇy evānuṣṭheyānīty āha na karmaṇām ity ādibhis trayodaśabhiḥ | karmaṇāṃ tam etam iti vākyena jñānāṅgatayā vihitānām anārambhād ananuṣṭhānād aviśuddha-cittaḥ puruṣo naiṣkarmyaṃ nikhilendriya-vyāpāra-rūpa-karma-viratiṃ jñāna-niṣṭhām iti yāvat nāśnute na labhate | na ca sa teṣāṃ karmaṇāṃ saṃnyāsāt parityāgāt siddhiṃ muktiṃ samadhigacchati

 
 



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