Chapter 5. Action in Krsna Consciousness Text 1-2 Arjun’s confusion. Fruitive activities. Inquiry about real self. Renunciation without Krsna Consciousness is incomplete. AS IT IS Chapter 5. Action in Krsna Consciousness

Text 1 – Arjun’s confusion. arjuna uväca sannyäsaà karmaëäà kåñëa punar yogaà ca çaàsasi yac chreya etayor ekaà tan me brühi su-niçcitam Arjuna said: O Kåñëa, first of all You ask me to renounce work, and then again You recommend work with devotion. Now will You kindly tell me definitely which of the two is more beneficial?

Arjun’s misunderstanding – common. Second Chapter text 11-30 Knowledge of soul described by Krsna. Text 31-37 prescribed duty explained. Text 42-45 entaglement of soul due to fruitive activities. Text 46-53 explaining the process of disentanglement by devotional service. Third chapter Text 17-18 explained no duty for a person in Knowledge. Chapter four Text 33 explained all kinds of sacrificial work culminates in Knowledge. And in last verse of 4th Chapter Krsna again told Arjun to get up and fight, thus confusing Arjuna – renounce or work (fight)

Text 2 – Clearing the doubt çré-bhagavän uväca sannyäsaù karma-yogaç ca niùçreyasa-karäv ubhau tayos tu karma-sannyäsät karma-yogo viçiñyate The Personality of Godhead replied: The renunciation of work and work in devotion are both good for liberation. But, of the two, work in devotional service is better than renunciation of work.

Fruitive Activities :- Activities to improve the standard of bodily comforts. Sense gratification is prime goal. Causes one to perform further fruitive activities. People in general are mad for sense gratification and thus engage in fruitive activities. It causes bondage in cycle of birth and death and thus miseries.

Inquiry about real self :- One’s life is failure, if does not inquire about real identity. Ignorance of real self causes one to act for sense gratification thus fruitive activities. Trai vidya mam… Result is, one continues in cycle of birth and death. Gata-agatam kama kama labante… Example of King Nrga…

Nrga’s falldown due to fuitive activities. Dissatisfying two brahmanas and inquiring sinful result to become lizard for very long time. Delivered by Krsna King Nrga confessing the futility of fruitive activities. Therefore devotional service is only auspicious activity for soul. King Nrga found of performing fruitive activities – sacrifices and charity. One mistake

Renunciation without KC – incomplete. Jnana – not sufficient for liberation. Mayavadis again fall down though knowledge of spiritual identity. Complete knowledge of soul, God and their relation and more important acting as per that relation. Impure mind forces one to engage in fruitive activities, but devotional service though activity but no binding to fruitive results.

Proper understanding of renunciation:- präpaïcikatayä buddhyä hari-sambandhi-vastunaù mumukñubhiù parityägo vairägyaà phalgu kathyate "When persons eager to achieve liberation renounce things related to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, thinking them to be material, their renunciation is called incomplete." Factually nothing belongs to anyone, but Krsna. Then where is question of renunciation? Since everything belongs to Krsna, it should be employed in His service. This is complete knowledge and renunciation. Although the mind may be engrossed in fruitive activities and influenced by ignorance, one must develop a love for devotional service to Väsudeva. Action in this consciousness is better than any artificial form of renunciation.