Commentary on the Srimad Bhagavad Gita- Discourse 7.3. - Swami Krishnananda.

 

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Saturday,March  13, 2021. 09:16. AM.
Chapter-7. The Third Chapter Concludes: The Knower of Reality.-3.
Post-14.

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Srimad Bhagavad-Gita :
Chapter-3. ( Karma-yogam )
Slokam-17.

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"yas tvātma-ratir eva syād ātma-tṛiptaśh cha mānavaḥ
ātmanyeva cha santuṣhṭas tasya kāryaṁ na vidyate." 3.17

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yah  manavah  tu  =  but  a  man,  one  who;

atmaratih  eve  =  experience  joy / pleasure, in his  atma;

atmatraptah   ca   =   experience   satisfaction,  in  his  atma;

atmani   eve  ca  =   in     his   atma  only;

santushtah  syat tasya  =  perfectly  remain  happy, to him;

karyam   na  vidyate  =  there  is  nothing  ( duty )  exist to  perform.

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Who is a tattvavit? 

A knower of Reality, he knows the ways of the gunas of prakriti and their relation to the activities of people. How does he behave? This interesting attitude and behaviour of the jnanin, or the knower of Truth, is placed before us in two verses in the Third Chapter. It may look strange that these two verses, which do not fit in with the subject of the Third Chapter, are placed there. Only the Lord knows why He has put them there. Suddenly, He takes our minds to some height, which is actually not the theme of the Third Chapter.

Yastvatmaratireva     syat     atmatrptasca    manavah,

Atmanyeva    ca    santushtah    tasya    karyam    na    vidyate.e (3.17) : 

There is no duty to be performed by that person who is satisfied with the Self. ?tmany eva ca sa?tu??as tasya k?rya? na vidyate: There is no necessity for that person to come in contact with any external atmosphere in the form of activity, because he is rejoicing in his own Self. ?tmarati is one who is rejoicing, delighting in his own Self. He plays by himself, he delights with himself. He is in company with his own Self. The Upanishad also says that his friend is himself. His company is himself. His food is himself. He rejoices within himself. Such a person is called ?tmarati—one who does not want anything because he is everything.

Yas tvatmaratir eva syad atmatrptasca : 

He is one who is satisfied with what he is, and does not try to possess anything further. We generally try to be satisfied with our possessions, with what we have. So much land, so much money, so much reputation—on that basis we judge the quantity and quality of our happiness. But here, the joy of this ?tmarati, tattvavit, is not dependent on these external factors of land, money, reputation, etc. 

It is rooted in himself. Atmatriptasca : I am satisfied with what I am and not necessarily with what I have. This is a tattvavit. 

Atmatriptas ca manavah, atmanyeva ca santushtah : He is satisfied with himself.  

tasya    karyam    na    vidyate : He has no duty to perform.

He does not have to depend on anything else in this world for his sustenance :

"naiva tasya kṛitenārtho nākṛiteneha kaśhchana
na chāsya sarva-bhūteṣhu kaśhchid artha-vyapāśhrayaḥ"{ - Gita-3.18. }

Such is the glorious ideal that the sage reaches, on having an insight into the structure of this world of prakriti and its relation to human activity.

To be continued ...

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