Verse-19
Chapter 4 — Gyan Karma Sannayasa Yoga
Verse 19
🕉 Original Sanskrit Shloka
yasya sarve samārambhāḥ kāmasaṅkalpavarjitāḥ
jñānāgnidagdhakarmāṇaṁ tamāhuḥ paṇḍitaṁ budhāḥ
🕉 English Translation
Karmo main jisko na iccha koyee,
Nahin kamnayo ka sankalp bhi.
Jo kar de bhasm karm agni se,
Pandit hai weh jnani ki nazar mein.
📜 Translation
English
Whose all actions are free from the desire and will, and whose actions have been burnt by the fire of knowledge, that great person is called a man of learning even by the wise.
The word 'pandit' is a word indicating honour in the Gita. Thrice this word has been used. In the 11th verse of chapter two, here and then in the 18th verse of chapter five. Nowhere has it been used in the narrow sense of caste and class. The one who is in any situation free from grief or sorrow is a 'pandit'. One who views all equally is a 'pandit' and here the one whose all undertakings are without desire and will, and due to the fire of knowledge all his actions have been burnt up, he is a 'pandit'. Here there is one more specialty that even the men of wisdom call him a 'pandit'. If some ordinary person says so, it may be that he is saying just for the sake of saying.
That actions should be there but without desires. This is such an inspiration from the Gita which has been insisted upon several times in several forms. The reason is obvious that desire itself is stress, peacelessness, anger, and the fulfilment of desire results in attachment and egoism. Desire is the bondage of action and the reason for birth and death. The spiritual goal cannot fructify without the renunciation of desire. Here the reason for desire also has been rooted out. 'Kama sankalpa varjitah' there should be no will to have desires. It often happens that apparently there is no desire, but some impressions innately related to it are accumulated.
There may be no desire for an object but there may be an enchantment for it. The object is good, beautiful and pleasant; this attitude is maintained which after a lapse of time emerges as desire. For this reason the Krishna of Gita is going to the bottom of the bondage of action in order to root out its very possibility-'kamasankalpavarjitah'. Undertakings from the very beginning should be free from will and desire. Not just this but also the knowledge pertaining to reality and Essential Truth should also exist in such a person. The Supreme is the substratum. Without his power and force how can action take place? To perform action is one's right and also duty; what will one gain, what is proper? That is in the hands of the Lord; He only knows what is proper. This knowledge also delivers us from worldly desires, and also burns out impressions accumulated previously. In truth, this is the sublime state of life, and along with it is an extremely encouraging viewpoint of the Gita regarding the greatness of life.