Verse-20
Chapter 3 — Karma Yoga
Verse 20
🕉 Original Sanskrit Shloka
karmaṇaiva hi saṁsiddhimāsthitā janakādayaḥ
lokasaṁgrahamevāpi sampaśyankartumarhasi
🕉 English Translation
📜 Translation
English
Janak and other knowledgeable persons have through unattached actions attained perfection. For this reason as well for the maintenance of world it is right for you to perform action.
Towards this inspiration to remain vigilant towards work to be done and doing action in a proper manner, saving oneself from the bondage of works and making actions as means for attaining the Supreme, the deliverer of the Gita sermon seems bound. One after the other the inspirations are given and that in an absolutely intimate tone. To prevent the being from using any excuse, for complaining and using doubt to escape from this path, from this viewpoint, Lord Krishna by pointing to the examples of Janak and others 'janakadayah' is putting forth His words in very clear terms.
Not only Janak but like Janak several others have attained the Supreme status through actions. Janak has been named specifically. While conducting oneself in the world, discharging the royal duties skilfully, Janak remained the synonym of detachment. For establishing the state of the perfection of great sage Shukdeva, of being absolutely beyond all attachments the great sage Vyas sent him to Janak and several other similar examples illustrate the attainment of perfection by Janak, through the performance of action in detached manner.
'Lokasangraha' is a very unique word of the Gita. The actions should be ideal and life should also be an ideal. As a matter of fact, the actions on becoming ideal, life will automatically become ideal. 'Lokasangraha' is the name of the state where the actions are done in the superb spirit of serving others, which can become an inspiration for others as well. Such actions will be possible when detachment becomes the basis for actions. Attachment causes the action to have a limited effect, limited to one's body and family, etc. Detachment brings about large-heartedness in the inner feelings and this magnanimity becomes an ideal by using it for the common good. It is a necessity of life to have a good and high ideal.