Bhagavad Gita Verse 23, Chapter 3

yadi hyaham na varteyam jaatu karmanyatandritaha |
mama vartamaanuvartante manushyaaha paartha sarvashaha || 23 ||
 
For, if I were not to perform my duties alertly, people from everywhere will follow my path, O Paartha.
 
yadi : of
hi : for
aham : I
na : do not
varteyam : perform
jaatu : when
karmani : duties
atandritaha: alertness
mama : my
vartama : path
anuvartante : follow
manushyaaha : people
paartha : O Paartha
sarvashaha : from everywhere
 
To better understand this shloka, and make it more relatable, let us examine the life of a individual from our time who dedicated his life to the service of others - Baba Amte.
 
In his early years, he acted as a defense lawyer for freedom fighters imprisoned by British authorities in the 1942 Quit India movement. Later, Amte founded three ashrams for treatment and rehabilitation of leprosy patients, disabled people, and people from marginalized sections of the society in India. Today, the largest ashram named Anandwan has a university, an orphanage, and schools for the blind and the deaf, housing over 5,000 residents.
 
Now, imagine if someone like Baba Amte were to one day say "I think I am going to stop all my work and take it easy". What would be the impact on the general population? People would start saying "If even Baba Amte does not work, why should I do so?"
 
Therefore, Shri Krishna urged Arjuna to always perform action and not give in to the tendency of the human body to become lazy. If not for Arjuna's own sake, at least for the sake of others who considered him as a role model. And similarly, he urges us also to become role models by continually performing selfless actions, with complete attention and alertness.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 22, Chapter 3

na me paarthasti kartavyam trishu lokeshu kinchana |
naanavaaptamavaaptavyam varta eva cha karmani || 22 ||
 
Neither do I have the least bit of duty in the three worlds, O Paartha, nor is there anything for me to gain or lose (through action), yet, I engage in action.
 
na : neither
me : I
paartha : O Paartha
asti : have
kartavyam : duties
trishu : three
lokeshu : in worlds
kinchana : even a little
na : nor
anavaaptam : not to be obtained
avaaptavyam : to be obtained
varte : engaged
eva : yet
cha : and
karmani : action
 
As we saw earlier, Shri Krishna wanted to provide concrete examples of individuals who had attained the eternal essence, yet continued to act selflessly in the world. Having given the example of king Janaka, Shri Krishna now spoke about himself as an example of an ideal karma yogi. He had attained a state of supreme independence where he no longer needed to act, yet, he continued to act spontaneously and joyfully in the service of humanity.
 
The Srimad Bhaagvatam is filled with stories describing the life of Shri Krishna, where we find that he worked tirelessly from the start to the end of his life. There was no duty that he did not perform. He became a charioteer upon Arjuna's request. After the Mahabhaarata war, Arjuna's brother Yudhishthira performed a yajna. There, Shri Krishna even washed the feet of guests who attended. While performing any action, his attitude was that of equanimity, and he found great joy in the work while not expecting any reward.
 
Shri Krishna's attitude towards life was like that of a perfect actor in a play. In fact, his stories are also known as "leelas" or divine plays. An actor in a play will perform any role - big or small - without the slightest attachment to it, and move to the next role effortlessly. Whether it was a mischievous boy who stole butter from people's homes, or the ruler of Dwarakaa city, Shri Krishna played his part perfectly with the attitude of a karma yogi.
 

Bhagavad Gita Verse 21, Chapter 3

yadyadaacharati shreshthastattadevetaro janaha |
sa yatpramaanam kurute lokastadanuvartate || 21 ||
 
Whatever an ideal person does, so do other people (imitate him). Whatever standard he sets, other people follow.
 
yat yat  : just as
aacharati : a person does
shreshthaha : ideal
tat tat : in that manner
eva : only
itarah : other
janaha : people
sah : he
yat : whatever
pramaanam : standard
kurute : does
lokah : other people
tat : like him
anuvartate : they behave
 
In the previous verse, Shri Krishna provided the example of king Janaka who, though being a warrior king, achieved self-realization through performance of karma yoga. Here Shri Krishna puts forth yet another argument to Arjuna, knowing very well that Arjuna always put others first before himself. Shri Krishna said that whosoever looked up to Arjuna as a role model would also take to this path if Arjuna followed it.
 
Now, an extremely important but subtle point made by Shri Krishna is hidden in the phrase "ideal person does". He wants us to realize that actions speak louder than words. For instance, we cannot expect our children to not drink alcohol or smoke if we preach to them, but drink and smoke ourselves. Not just children, but most people watch what we do and not what we say. Therefore, Shri Krishna urges us to practice karmayoga, and not to simply tell people that we are learning it and so on.
 
So in addition to urging us and Arjuna to perform karmayoga, Shri Krishna also reveals an important leadership lesson. The best way to lead is to lead by example, and not by making flowery speeches or hiring motivational speakers. This point is not just echoed in the management texts of today, but also in spiritual masterpieces such as the Dasbodh by Samarth Ramdas Swami.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 20, Chapter 3

karmanaiva hi samsiddhimaasthitaa janakaadayaha |
lokasangrahamevaapi sampashyankartumarhasi || 20 ||
 
Only through action did many like king Janaka attain perfection. So, even from the viewpoint of societal welfare should you perform action.
 
karmanaa : through action
eva : only
hi : also
samsiddhim : perfection
aasthitaaha : attained
janakaadayaha : many like king Janaka
lokasangraham : welfare of society
eva : only
api : even
sampashyan : with a view
kartum : action
arhasi : perform
 
Having provided the rationale for karmayoga, Shri Krishna began to provide examples of individuals who gained liberation through karmayoga. He wanted to demonstrate that it indeed was the right path to follow. Providing an example would also eliminate any doubt in Arjuna's mind that karmayoga was a proven methodology, not a new invention.
 
The first example that Shri Krishna provided was that of king Janaka, an apt example since he was a warrior just like Arjuna. Many of us familiar with the Ramayana epic would recognize the name Janaka as the father of Sita, and the king of the Videha kingdom. But the word Janaka here is a post or a title. It refers to any king that was appointed to the throne because of his non-attachment to all material objects, even to his body. This is apparent in the word meaning of Videha which is "one who has given up identification with his body".
 
Why would a kingdom appoint a king that has given up attachments? It is because someone without any attachment would make the most fair, rational and unbiased decisions in favour of the kingdom. He would not come under the sway of emotion or prejudice of any kind. Such kings were known to be excellent administrators. In addition, they were also perfect karmayogis, i.e. they were "sthitha-prajna" or men of perfect wisdom.
 
With this example, Shri Krishna also assured Arjuna that it was perfectly possible to attain the ultimate goal of realization, yet be working in this world. Arjuna did not need to run away from the war or his responsibilities at all.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 19, Chapter 3

tasmaadasaktah satatam kaaryam karma samaachara |
asakto hyaacharan karma paramaapnoti purushaha || 19 ||
 
Therefore, always perform prescribed actions diligently without attachment; for, by performing action without attachment, an individual attains the supreme.
 
tasmaat : therefore
asaktah : without attachment
satatam : always
kaaryam : prescribed
karma : actions
samaachara : diligently
asaktah : without attachment
hi : because
aacharan : perform
karma : action
param : highest
aapnoti : attain
purushaha : an individual
 
In this shloka, Shri Krishna concludes his answer to Arjuna's question from the first verse in this chapter. Arjuna had asked Shri Krishna as to why he should commit the act of war, which in his opinion was a ghastly act. Let us recap Shri Krishna's answer.
 
Shri Krishna replied by explaining that no one can flee from action, that one should perform selfless rather than selfish actions, that selfless actions in the service of a higher ideal do not create bondage, and that performance of selfless action or yajna is the key to participating in the evolution of oneself and of the universe.
 
Another point emphasized in this shloka is that karmayoga should not be something that is restricted to only a few aspects of life. The karmayoga mindset should eventually become second nature, in other words, it should be embedded in each and every action that we perform. So therefore, in each and every action that we perform, from writing an email to eating our meals, we should remember to derive joy from the action itself rather than in the result. Only then will we begin to drop attachment to the action and to the result.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 18, Chapter 3

naiva tasya krutenaartho naakruteneha kashchana |
na chaasya sarvabhooteshu kashchidarthavyapaashrayah || 18 ||
 
For that (realized individual), there is nothing to be gained by action or inaction here. Also, he does not have even the slightest dependency on anyone for any object.
 
na : not
eva : only
tasya : that realized individual
kruten : from action
arthaha : gained
na : not
akruten : from inaction
iha : here
kashchana: any
na : not
cha : also
asya : for him
sarvabhooteshu : with anyone
kashchit : slight/even a little
arthavya : object
apaashrayah : dependency
 
In the last shloka, Shri Krishna explained that one who has found delight solely in the eternal essence loses all sense of doership. In other words, all his actions become selfless and spontaneous, like an artist who cares only about creating paintings without any expectation (art for art's sake).
 
Shri Krishna further elaborates that point in this shloka. He says that for such a person, the concept of gain or loss does not exist, nor does the notion of dependency or support from anyone or anything.
 
To better understand this shloka, let us imagine a situation where one is at the end of a critical chapter in one's life, e.g. imagine that a person has submitted his resignation and is in the last week of his job. What will be his mindset? He will suddenly become the nicest guy in the office, and the most fun guy to hang out with. Why is that? Everyone knows that he has no agenda with anyone anymore, since it does not really matter. And he can surf the web all day long, because it does not really matter whether he works or doesn't work.
 
Another example could be a person who at age 65 has just retired. He has made a decent fortune with his savings, and can live comfortably till his last day. In addition, he is quite healthy and can still work if needed. But just like in the earlier example, it does not matter whether he performs any action or doesn't. Moreover, since he does not have any dependency on anyone, his savings make him self sufficient. Therefore, for the individual that has realized the worth of the eternal essence "treasure", any other material gain or loss does not hold any meaning.
 
Ultimately, these 2 shlokas reveal the state of a realized person, who by losing all sense of doership, renounces all action. Renouncing doership is renouncing action. The topic of renunciation is covered in detail in the forthcoming chapters.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 17, Chapter 3

yastvaatmaratireva syaadaatmatruptashcya maanavaha |
aatmanyeva cha santushtastasya kaaryam na vidyate || 17 ||
 
But, one who revels only in the eternal essence, and is content and satisfied in the eternal essence, no duty exists for him.
 
yah : one who
tu : but
aatma-ratih : revels in the eternal essence
eva : only
syaat : remains
aatma-truptah : content in the eternal essence
cha : and
maanavaha : individual
aatmani : in the eternal essence
eva cha : and
santushtah : satisfied
tasya : for him
kaaryam :duty
na vidyate : do not exist
 
While hearing Shri Krishna extol the need to act in this world, many of us - whether we admit it or not - may want to know whether there is an exception to this instruction. In other words, are there any circumstances where do not need to perform actions anymore? Shri Krishna gives the answer in this shloka and the next.
 
If we examine ourselves, we realize that we derive pleasure and satisfaction from external sources: material objects, people, relationships and so on. Pleasant memories, which can be considered internal to us, do give us joy but were generated from some external source in the past. But, in reality, the source of happiness is the absence of desires experienced when we finally attain a material object.
 
For instance, if we want to buy a new shirt, a desire is created in the mind. Till such time that we get the shirt, we will be unhappy because of that desire. But once the desire is fulfilled, we experience happiness for a brief period of time. Is that happiness caused by the shirt, or by the temporary absence of desires? The wise person knows that it is the latter.
 
So in this shloka Shri Krishna makes a bold statement. He says that till we derive pleasure and satisfaction from things external to us, we have to act in this world. Conversely, one who no longer derives pleasure and satisfaction from external sources does not need to act in this world. He "revels" in the eternal essence which he has learned to recognize within himself. He no longer has to look outside for happiness.
 
Is there a contradiction here? Earlier it was mentioned that if one is human, one has to act. But here, it is mentioned that the realized individual does not need to act? The answer is that once that individual has understood the true source of happiness, he loses the sense of doership. In other words, the notion that "I am doing this action" goes away, and all his actions become natural and spontaneous.
 
As an example, if you truly love painting, and have mastered all the skills, then your painting becomes effortless and spontaneous. You experience a feeling that some people call "being in the zone". In fact, there may come a stage where you will feel that the hand is moving by itself, and the painting is happening on its own.
 
Similarly, all the actions of this wise individual become like that spontaneous painting.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 16, Chapter 3

evam pravartitam chakram naanuvartayateeha yaha |
aghaayurindriyaaraamo mogham paartha sa jeevati || 16 ||
 
In this manner, one who does not follow this system of evolution, that malicious individual who dwells in sense pleasures, wastes his life.
 
evam : in this manner
pravartitam : evolution
chakram : system
na : does not
anuvartayati : follow
iha : this
yah : one who
aghaayu : malicious
indriyaaraamah : dwells in senses
mogham : waste
paartha : O Paartha
sah : that one
jeevati : lives
 
In the two preceding shlokas, Shri Krishna illustrated how several beings acting in the spirit of yajna brought forth the potential for serving each other. Now he takes the illustration one step further. He says that yajna is a "system of evolution". Which means, it is a method to move from a lower plane of existence to a higher plane of existence.
 
Darwin's theory of evolution describes how life evolved from simple single-celled organisms into plants, then into animals, then into primates, and culminated in our species, the humans. What comes next? Shri Krishna explains that humans, being the only species capable of rational analysis and thinking, have a choice: to remain at the current state and give in to their "lower nature", or evolve into a higher state of existence.
 
What is the "lower nature"? When one continually harbours selfish desires, and lives for the sake of sense pleasure, that person generates guilt, fear, anger, hatred, pride and other such emotions that strengthen the ego. Such an individual is termed "malicious" by Shri Krishna. That individual is said to have lived in vain, because he did not use the wonderful opportunity of being born as a human to access the higher nature.
 
And so, who is the individual of "higher nature"? It is the individual who has begun identifying with a higher ideal, and in doing so, has slowly eroded his ego in the selfless service of that higher ideal. A detailed description of such an individual was provided by Shri Krishna in the latter part of the second chapter in the "sthita-prajna-lakshana" or the signs of a wise individual. Karmayoga is the first step to participate in this system of evolution.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 15, Chapter 3

karma brahmodbhavam viddhi brahmaaksharasamudhbhavam |
tasmaatsarvagatam brahma nityam yajne pratishthitam || 15 ||
 
Know that actions arise out of the Vedas, and that the Vedas arise out of the imperishable (eternal essence). Therefore, yajna is always established in that all-pervading eternal essence.
 
karma : actions
brahmodbhavam : arise out of the Vedas
viddhi : know
brahma : Vedas
aksharasamudhbhavam : arise out of the imperishable
tasmaat : therefore
sarvagatam : all-pervading
brahma : eternal essence
nityam : always
yajne : yajna
pratishthitam : established
 
Shri Krishna reveals the connection between yajna and the eternal essence in this shloka. Here he says that yajna is an integral part of the eternal essence, because it is born out of the Vedas. Symbolically, the Vedas represent the "rule-book" of the universe, and so yajna becomes an essential law embedded in the universe.
 
In the second chapter, which was an overview of the entire Gita, Shri Krishna pointed Arjuna to the ultimate goal of life - realization of the eternal essence. In this chapter, Shri Krishna connect karmayoga to the eternal essence. He explains that karmayoga is a means, a technique, to realize the eternal essence, because the eternal essence created the rules of the universe.
 
So in summary, the teaching of karmayoga so far is : Actions are of two types,  selfless and selfish. Selfish actions bind us to wordly objects, and selfless actions do not. Therefore, Shri Krishna urges us to move gradually from the level of inaction to selfish action first, and then from selfish action to selfless action or yajna. Only through acting in the spirit of yajna will we move forward on the path to realizing the eternal essence.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 14, Chapter 3

annaadbhavanti bhootaani parjanyaadannasambhavaha |
yajnaadbhavati parjanyo yajnah karmasamudhbhavaha || 14 ||
 
From food are all beings created, from rain, food is created. Yajna gives birth to rain, and rain is born out of action.
 
annaat : from food
bhavanti : is created
bhootaani : all beings
parjanyaat : from rain
anna : food
sambhavaha : is created
yajnaad : from yajna
bhavati : is created
parjanyah : rain
yajnah : yajna
karmasamudhbhavaha : is created from action
 
Shri Krishna illustrates how yajna is embedded within the fabric of the entire universe. If we interpret this shloka literally, it refers to Vedic rituals that were used to invoke the rain-gods. But if we want to go deeper, we have to interpret this shloka symbolically.
 
We have seen that action is an integral tendency of any object in the universe. Even a tiny atom is always acting. So when any group of organisms - plants, animals, humans - collectively work for the sake of a higher ideal, that is called yajna. The output of this yajna is an environment that is charged with the potential to create almost anything. This environment is symbolically called "rain" in this shloka. Finally, this rain or productive potential creates all kinds of objects that are useful to organisms. The shloka refers to these objects as "food".
 
For instance, take a largely unknown area in northern California during World War II. Many scientists, lawyers, professors, business people came to this area with a higher ideal : to further the frontier of technology. Through their collective efforts, they created an environment which became conducive to technological innovation, which we now know as silicon valley. And silicon valley, even to this day, produces cutting edge products that benefit people around the world.
 
There are several such examples of environments born out of yajna: India's freedom struggle, the economic success of Singapore, the entertainment industry in Bombay and so on.
 
So the message here is that if people come together to work towards a higher ideal, it is a guarantee that their efforts will be successful.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 13, Chapter 3

yajnashishtaashinah santo muchyante sarvakilbishaih |
bhunjate te tvagham paapaa ye pachantyaatmakaaranaat || 13 ||
 
Those wise individuals who consume the remains of yajna, they are liberated from all sins. But those sinful ones who cook only for themselves, they consume only sin.
 
yajnashishtaashinah : remains of yajna
santah : wise individuals
muchyante : are liberated
sarva : from all
kilbishaih : sins
bhunjate : consume
te : they
tu : but
agham : sin
paapaah : sinful ones
ye : those
pachanti : cook
aatmakaaranaat : for themselves
 
In the previous shloka, Shri Krishna began the topic of the three levels of action. We saw that in the first level, the individual does not perform any action and only consumes. In this shloka, Shri Krishna explains the second and third levels of action.
 
Selfish action is the second level of action. In this level, the individual only thinks about himself. His vision is very narrow and limited. When this individual works in a team, his only thought is : how much of the result can be kept for myself? He also treats everyone he works with as his competitors. For him to win, they have to lose. Shri Krishna says that such individuals "cook only for themselves" and "consume only sin".
 
The third level and highest level of action is that of selfless action. The individual who works selflessly seldom thinks about himself. His vision is broad : he is always thinking about how to act such that his family will benefit, his employer will benefit, his nation will benefit and so on. He always treats others with respect, and as partners in collectively achieving the highest possible goal. Shri Krishna says that by working in this highest level of action, such "wise individuals" are "liberated from all sins".
 
Another mark of this individual that he treats everything that he possesses as materials to be used in a yajna. Which means that he does not consider anything as "mine" - everything belongs to the higher ideal (family, company, nation etc). So therefore, he is more than happy to partake in what's left after everyone else has consumed their share of the fruits of the yagna. Our natural tendency is to make a grab for our share and then let others worry about theirs. But this individual, keeping sight of the higher ideal at all times, ensures that others are taken care of before taking care of himself.
 
So what does this mean for us? When we perform any action every day, let us make an attempt to gauge the level of the action being performed by us. Is it selfish? selfless? or are we so lazy that we are not acting at all?

Bhagavad Gita Verse 12, Chapter 3

ishtaanbhogaanhi vo devaa daasyante yajnabhaavitaah |
tairdattaanapradaayaibhyo yo bhumgte stena eva sah || 12 ||

The deities, nourished by yajna, will also provide you the objects you desire. One who consumes these objects without offering them to others, he is a thief.

ishtaan : desired
bhogaan : objects
hi : also
vah : your
devaah : deities
daasyante : give you
yajna-bhaavitaah : nourished by yajna
taih : they
dattaan : objects
apradaaya : without offering to them
ebhyah : to others
yah : one who
bhumgte : consumes
stenah : thief
eva : is
sah : he

So far, Shri Krishna spoke about the need for karmayoga, the actions to perform under karmayoga, and the attitude with which those actions should be performed. He also emphasized the notion of yajna or selfless dedication. Now Shri Krishna gives three levels of action that a person can operate under.

In this shloka, Shri Krishna points out the lowest level of action. This is when an individual consumes objects without making any contribution whatsoever. Shri Krishna uses a strong word to describe such an individual : a "thief". Such a selfish person does not care about anyone but himself due to his large ego.

An obvious example is someone who is part of a project team. He does not do any work in team but claims all the credit. In today's language we would call such a person a freeloader. Such people are never held in good standing by anyone.

In traditions all over the world, we see evidence that we are encouraged to give back something each time we take something. In Indian culture, it is customary that before one eats a meal, one offers it to the less fortunate, the wise and learned, and to animals. In most cultures, when you cut down a tree, you are encouraged to plant few more. Even in the corporate world, when a company earns profits, it invests a portion back into the business before handing out the dividends.

Therefore, taking without giving back is the lowest level of action. The next shloka illustrates the two higher levels of action. We need to gauge which level we belong to, so that we can start moving to the highest level of selflessness.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 11, Chapter 3

devaanbhaavayataanena te devaa bhaavayantu vaha |
parasparam bhaavayantah shreyah paramavaapsyatha || 11 ||
 
You will make the deities prosper through this (yajna), and the deities will make you prosper. By mutually making each other prosperous, you will attain the highest good.
 
devaan : deities
bhaavayata : make them prosper
anena: through this
te devaah : those deities
bhaavayantu : prosper
vaha : you
parasparam : mutual
bhaavayantah : making them prosper
shreyah : good
param : highest
avaapsyatha : attain
 
In this shloka, Shri Krishna emphasizes that the definition yajna includes all beings, not just the one individual who is following this technique.
 
Modern management practices agree that when two parties negotiate, the best outcome is one where both parties benefit, rather than one gaining and one losing. This outcome is known as a "win-win" situation. Shri Krishna reinforces this very same principle. He urges us to act in a spirit of harmony and cooperation with others whenever we undertake any action.
 
An interesting word is used here : "devataa" or deity. What does it represent? It represents each and every factor that is responsible for our action. In a narrow sense, it represents other individuals who collectively represent the higher ideal that we are working for, e.g. members in our family, colleagues in our company, citizens in our nation and so on.
 
But in a broad sense, it includes all humans, animals, plants and all of nature that we share this earth with. It is a recognition that there is a higher ideal operating at all times when we perform even a trivial action like eating our lunch. Shri Krishna urges us to not forget this point.
 
In essence, if we serve a higher ideal, that higher ideal will serve us. This is the message.
 
Conversely, Shri Krishna reminds us to not treat any individual, plant or animal with disrespect, since they are collectively serving us in some way or another.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 10, Chapter 3

sahayajnah prajaah srishtvaa purovaacha prajaapatih |
anena prasavishyadhvamesha vostvishtakaamadhuk || 10 ||
 
In ancient times, Prajaapati created humanity along with yajna. He said "through this (yajna) let everyone prosper,  and may it become your fulfiller of wishes".
 
sahayajnah : with yajna
prajaah : humanity
srishtvaa : created
puraa : in ancient times
uvaacha : said
prajaapatih: prajaapati
anena : through this
prasavishyadhvam : may you prosper
eshah : this
vah : for you
astu : become
ishtakaamadhuk : fulfiller of wishes
 
A common question for many of us is: "I understand the concept of selfless dedication. However, how do I know that I will be able to fulfill my material needs if I give up caring for the fruits of action altogether?" Shri Krishna has the answer : perform actions with selfless dedication or yajna, and your material needs will be provided for automatically.
 
If we work for a corporation, we do several different things everyday to fulfill our job responsibilities: respond to emails, attend meetings, draft project plans, make excel documents and so on. Do we ever think : "how much money will I get paid for opening this email? how much money do I get for attending this meeting?" If we have done our job right, the results will automatically come to us in the form of a monthly salary.
 
Shri Krishna explains that yajna is embedded within the fabric of humanity since time immemorial. It is a universal law. Once invoked, that law provides us with all that we need in this world. It becomes the "fulfiller of wishes". And the key to invoke that universal law is to perform selfless action dedicated to a higher ideal.
 
This is the essence of karmayoga.
 
Footnotes
1. Some commentators interpret the word "isthakaamadhuk" to mean "kaamadhenu", the mythological cow that grants any wish asked of her. But even with this interpretation, the essence of this shloka remains unchanged.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 9, Chapter 3

yajnyaarthaarkarmanonyatra lokoyam karmabandhanaha |
tadartham karma kaunteya muktasangah samaachara || 9 ||
 
Other than those actions performed for yajna, this world gets bound by action. Therefore, O Kaunteya, perform actions in that regard, without attachment.
 
yajnyaarthaat : done for yajna
karmanah : actions
anyatra : except
lokah : world
ayam : this
karmabandhanaha: gets bound by action
tadartham : for that purpose
karma : actions
kaunteya : O Kaunteya
muktasangah : without attachment
samaachara : observing
 
So far, Shri Krishna spoke about why performing action is essential, as well as what kind of action to perform. With this shloka, he begins the main topic of this chapter, which deals with how to perform actions. The second chapter mentioned it briefly, but this chapter goes deeper into it.
 
Shri Krishna uses the beautiful metaphor of a "yajna" to convey this teaching. In Indian culture, a yajna is a formal ritual of worship. Firstly, we fix a higher ideal before commencing a yajna, and dedicate the entire yajna to that ideal. Typically, that ideal is a "devataa" or a deity. Secondly, we perform actions such as chanting mantras and pouring oblations into the sacrificial fire, but do so with absolutely no trace of selfishness. Some mantras even include the words "naa mama" or "not me" to make unselfishness explicit.
 
So how does that ancient ritual apply to us? Let's look at a practical example. An accountant working for a corporation can be successful if she acts in the spirit of a yajna. She should set a higher ideal, e.g. "I dedicate myself to the success of this corporation". Then, she should perform her job responsibilities in the service of that goal. She will, for instance, frequently sign large cheques where there are opportunities to play games for selfish profit. But she will not even think about such things because her focus is on the company's well being, not hers.
 
Now let's see what happens when her goal becomes becomes selfish. She will begin to do things that generate "conflict of interest" in corporate-speak. She may slowly divert some of the company money to a shell company owned by a friend and so on. From a wordly perspective, she will get kicked out of the company sooner or later. From a spiritual perspective, each selfish action will bind her, propelling her into further selfish desires, and away from self-realization.
 

Bhagavad Gita Verse 8, Chapter 3

niyatam kuru karma tvam karma jyaayo hyakarmanaha |
shareerayaatraapi cha te na prasiddhyedakarmanaha || 8 ||
 
You should perform prescribed actions, since action is superior to inaction. Also, even the journey of the body cannot be accomplished through inaction.
 
niyatam : prescribed
kuru : perform
karma : actions
tvam : you
karma : action
jyaayah : superior
hi : since
akarmanaha : inaction
shareera-yaatraa : journey of the body
api : even
cha : also
te : your
na prasiddhyet :  not accomplished by
akarmanaha : inaction
 
Having covered the topic of why one should perform action, Shri Krishna now speaks about what kind of action should be performed. He urges Arjuna to only perform "niyatam" or prescribed actions. What does this term mean?
 
Scriptures classify actions into several categories. Let us look at the two main ones: "niyatam" or prescribed actions, and "nishiddha" or forbidden actions . Prescribed actions are those that are enjoined in the Vedas. But in today's context, we can interpret this as one's duties. These include performing one's svadharma, serving one's parents, family, and nation etc. Forbidden actions are the "thou shalt not" actions such as killing another being, stealing, cheating and so on. So here, Shri Krishna urges Arjuna to perform prescribed actions, but without any trace of attachment to the action or to the fruit.
 
Now one may say "I like to watch a movie and enjoy a good meal. Those do not seem like prescribed duties. How should we think about those?". Shri Krishna does not advocate repressing anything, as we saw earlier. But we should to define boundaries to any action, as well as minimize attachment or selfish motive. The best way to do so is to share.
 
If you want to watch TV, watch it collectively with your family and friends. Or share your meal with them. Doing so will ensure that our previously self-serving actions lose any trace of selfishness or ego. The best example here is a mom that always cooks what the family members like, and puts her preferences on a lower priority.
 
In addition, Shri Krishna reiterates the notion that one should never resort to inaction, He says that if one does not act, one cannot even perform maintenance of one's body.
 
Our body is an important tool in our spiritual journey. Nowhere in the Gita has Shri Krishna asked us to neglect it. In fact, here he is saying that one should absolutely perform action to maintain the body, including bathing it, feeding it, keeping it strong and fit, and going to the doctor if it is not working properly. It is an extremely practical teaching.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 7, Chapter 3

yastvindriyaani manasaa niyamyaarabhaterjuna |
karmendriyaih karmayogamasaktah sa vishishyate || 7 ||
 
But one who controls his senses by his mind, O Arjuna, and performs karmayoga with his organs-of-action without attachment - that individual is superior.
 
yah : that
tu : but
indriyaani : senses
manasaa : by mind
niyamya : controls
aarabhate : follows
arjuna : O Arjuna
karmendriyaih : through organs-of-action
karmayogam : karma yoga
asaktah : without attachment
sa : that individual
vishishyate : is superior
 
In the previous shloka, we saw that repressing our urges and giving up actions does not work. A different approach is needed to clean our vasanaas and selfish desires. In this shloka, Shri Krishna says that we should not give up actions - instead, we should give up attachment.
 
Giving up attachment is a technique unto itself, and this chapter goes into a lot of detail on that topic. To begin with, this shloka informs us that we need to arm ourselves with two weapons: discrimination or "viveka", and dispassion or "vairagya".
 
Let first look at discrimination. If we have followed the teaching so far, we know that material objects are are temporary and are not the true sources of happiness. But it is extremely easy to forget this teaching, especially if we have strong vasanaas and desires.
 
Therefore, we have to constantly arm ourselves with the weapon of discrimination by being always aware and alert about our thoughts and emotions. And we have to be especially alert when we are around objects that we are attached to. For a simple example take food: it could be chocolates for the sweet tooth person, fried food for the obese person etc.
 
Next comes dispassion. If we constantly practice discrimination, dispassion will happen automatically. Objects, people and situations will begin to lose their hold on us. Dispassion will prevent our energy from rushing out into the world of material objects through our senses. This is what the shloka means by the phrase "one who controls his senses by his mind."
 
Finally, once the mind has gained back control over the senses, then the energy that once rushed out through our senses can be channeled into performing karmayoga. The next shloka will go deeper into what Shri Krishna means by karmayoga.
 
Footnotes
1. Verse 375 of Shankarachaarya's Vivekachoodamani speaks of dispassion and discrimination as "two wings of a bird" that lift the seeker into realization.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 6, Chapter 3

karmendriyaani saiyamya ya aaste manasaa smaran |
indriyaarthaanvimoodhaatmaa mithyaachaarah sa ucchchyate || 6 ||
 
One who sits, forcibly restraining his organs of action, yet keeps thinking about objects, that foolish individual is known as a hypocrite.
 
karmendriyaani : (sense and action oriented) organs
saiyamya : forcibly restrain
yah : one who
aaste : sits
manasaa : in the mind
smaran : thinks
indriyaarthaan : (sense) objects
vimoodhaatmaa : foolish individual
mithyaachaarah : hypocrite
sah : that
ucchchyate : known as
 
The second chapter of the Gita informed us that the way to achieve the ultimate spiritual goal is by eliminating our vaasanaas, because they are the source of selfish desires. But this message has the potential to be dangerous if it is misinterpreted.
 
Under the banner of becoming more spiritual, some people put their bodies through extreme fasting, while some forcibly repress their urges. We see a milder version of this behaviour when individuals are trying to rid themselves of addictions by simply cutting off the supply or going "cold-turkey".
 
For example, if one has an addiction to alcohol, one tries not to keep alcohol in the house to avoid temptation. That may work in the short term, but an addiction is not in the body, it is in the mind. It is like any other vasanaa and will come up as a desire when one sees alcohol the next time.
 
So in this shloka, Shri Krishna issues a strong warning to anyone who thinks that they can advance on the spiritual path through extreme repression of the body or of the mind. He uses a strong term to admonish such individuals by calling them hypocrites.
 
Let's connect this shloka to the previous one. It informed us that the body, mind and intellect comprise the three gunaas. These gunaas born of prakriti will always compel us to perform actions. But the current shloka tells us that repression of action will not lead to elimination of desires. We have no choice but to perform action, yet we need clear up our desires and vasanaas.
 
So what's the conclusion? We have to find a way to eliminate vasanaas WHILE we are performing actions. That technique is karma yoga.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 5, Chapter 3

na hi kaschitkshanamapi jaatu tishthatyakarmakrita |
kaaryate hyaavashah karma sarvah prakritijairgunaih || 5 ||
 
For no one can stay without performing action, even for a moment. All beings, helplessly, are compelled to act by the gunaas born of prakriti.
 
na : not
hi : for
kaschit : anyone
kshanamapi : for even a moment
jaatu : in any state
tishthati : stay
akarmakrita : without performing action
kaaryate : compels to act
avashah : helplessly
karma : action
sarvah : all beings
prakritijaih : born of prakriti
gunaih : gunaas
 
Imagine a huge forest untouched by man, like we see on the National Geographic channel. If we look at it superficially, we could conclude that there is nothing going on there. But if we pay close attention, we will begin to hear the chirping of the crickets, the babble of a brook, the fluttering of wings and so on.
 
Watching all the actions going on in the forest reminds us of a simple fact. It is the tendency of nature or "prakriti" to act continuously. It never stays action-less even for a moment. Even a rock that seems action-less is undergoing geological change that is visible only after thousands or millions of years.
 
Now let us shift our attention to the human body. It too, is constructed by nature. It is composed of substances derived from the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe, all products of nature. If our body is made of components born out of nature, wouldn't it also follow the tendency of nature towards continuous action?
 
Therefore, Shri Krishna informs us that all beings have no choice but to act, because all beings are made up of prakriti. He explains that prakriti is nothing but three gunaas - energies or forces that make up this entire universe. These three energies are: rajas which causes movement, tamas which causes inertia, and sattva which maintains harmony between movement and inertia. This topic is taken up in great detail in later chapters.
 
In this way, Shri Krishna addresses the question raised earlier: "Why can't I retire to the forest and cease all action?" We cannot, because the gunaas that we are made up are born out of nature, and nature never ceases to act continuously.
 
If this answer still does not satisfy us, let's try to sit still for three hours. Even if we somehow manage to physically sit still, our minds will be racing with thoughts. And even the act of thinking is an action.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 4, Chapter 3

na karmanaamanaarmbhaannaishkarmyam purushoshrute |
na cha sannyasanaadeva siddhim samadhigacchati || 4 ||
 
Neither does an individual attain actionlessness by not initiating action, nor by mere renunciation does he attain perfection.
 
na : neither
karmanaam : action
anaarmbhaat : not initiating
naishkarmyam : actionlessness
purushah : individual
ashrute : attains
na : nor
cha : and
sannyasanaat : renunciation of action
eva : mere
siddhim : perfection
samadhigacchati : attain
 
In the prior shloka, Shri Krishna dispelled Arjuna's notion that the yoga of knowledge was superior to the yoga of wisdom. But there was another aspect to Arjuna's question. He still was not convinced that he should fight the war, and was searching for pointers in Shri Krishna's teaching that supported his desire to give up all action and flee the war. We saw this in the first chapter where he went to the extent of suggesting that he become a monk. Shri Krishna wanted to address that issue in this shloka.
 
First, let us understand what is meant by the word "actionlessness" in this shloka. Like many words in scriptures, it is not meant to be taken literally. The word "actionlessness" points to the ultimate state of the "sthithaprajnya" from the previous chapter. In this state, the vaasanaas have been so thoroughly eliminated that all action becomes completely selfless. There is absolutely no trace of selfishness. The word "Siddhim" or the state of perfection in the second half of the shloka, also refers to this state.
 
So therefore, Shri Krishna warned Arjuna that "actionlessness" cannot be attained by not starting a new action, nor by giving up actions that have already started. It would be similar to cutting off a plant without plucking its roots. Until our vaasanaas have been completely eradicated, they will keep generating desires which will lead us to selfish actions. But once vasanaas have been eradicated, only selfless actions will remain.
 
Now, some of us who are not fully convinced by this argument could still say: "I will renounce all actions right now and move to a quiet solitary place. If I just sit still for a long time, my desires will automatically melt away". Shri Krishna addresses this point in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 3, Chapter 3

Shree Bhagavaan uvaacha:
lokesmindvividhaa nishthaa puraa proktaa mayaanagha |
jnyaanayogena saankhyaanaam karmayogena yoginaam || 3 ||
 
Shri Bhagavaan said:
In this world, since time immemorial, I have created a two-fold path, O sinless one; the yoga of knowledge for contemplative individuals, and the yoga of action for yogis.
 
loke : world
asmin : this
dvividhaa : two-fold
nishthaa : path
puraa : since time immemorial
proktaa : spoken
mayaa : by me
anagha : O sinless one
jnyaanayogena : the yoga of knowledge
saankhyaanaam : for contemplative individuals
karmayogena : the yoga of action
yoginaam : for yogis
 
Earlier, we saw that Arjuna wanted to know which of the two paths, i.e. the yoga of action and the yoga of knowledge, is superior. Shri Krishna addresses that question here. According to him, none of the two is either superior or inferior.
 
Sant Jnyaneshwar provides an example to show that none of these paths are superior or inferior: like a west-flowing river and an east-flowing river that both meet the same ocean, both paths are same.
 
Now, even thought the paths are complementary, there is a subtle difference between them. Let us explore this difference. Consider a child who is in the first grade. Even if he wants to, he cannot jump straight to a masters degree. He would have to finish high school, then college, and only then will he be ready for his masters degree.
 
In the same way, most of us are at a stage in life where we are active and want to make a contribution to the world. For such yogis or active individuals, the path of action is the most appropriate. Once we reach a stage where we exhaust all of our desires, we can transcend the path of action to pursue the path of knowledge, just like we transcend college education to pursue our masters degree.
 
I used to know a classmate from school that was a math prodigy. He could solve advanced calculus equations in sixth grade. The teachers used to check with him whether they were teaching sixth grade math correctly, such was his prowess. He did not need to go through elementary math, he was ready for his math PhD even at that young age.
 
Similarly, there are a few rare individuals who are at an advanced stage of their spiritual journey. They have eliminated most of their desires. Only such rare contemplative individuals can directly pursue the path of knowledge. For most of us, the path of action is the way to go. And karmayoga, or the path of action, is the main subject covered in this chapter.
 
On a different note, we see that Shri Krishna is hinting that he is something more that the cowherd son of Vasudeva here. We know this because he mentions that he himself has created this two-fold path for realizing the eternal essence. This has not slipped past Arjuna, he will ask this question at the right time.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 2, Chapter 3

vyaamishreneva vaakyen buddhim mohayaseeva me |
tadekam vada nishchitya yena shreyohamaapnuyaam || 2 ||
 
You are confusing my intellect with these mixed-up statements. Therefore, be certain and tell me that one statement by which I will attain the highest good. 
 
vyaamishrena : mixed-up
iva : these
vaakyen : statements
buddhim : intellect
mohayasi : confusing
me : my
tat : that
ekam : one
vada : tell
nishchitya : having ascertained
yena : which will
shreyah : highest good
aham : me
aapnuyaam : attain
 
Arjuna concludes his question to Shri Krishna in this shloka. As we saw last time, Arjuna did not fully comprehend the teaching from the second chapter. Being a military man, one who is trained in issuing and receiving terse orders in battlefield, he needed clear and simple instructions. Shri Krishna's covered the entire essence of the Gita in the second chapter. So therefore, Arjuna asked Shri Krishna to reveal what was most appropriate for him at this point in time.
 
Let's refer to the student of music from the prior example. A student who starts his formal training in classical music usually attends a "classical music 101" course which covers topics such as the types of classical music, renowned composers and their compositions, the evolution of music through several centuries and so on. But, the teaching that is most beneficial to the beginner student is simple concepts like how to locate a note on the piano and so on.
 
The second chapter of the Gita is just like the classical music 101 course that covers lot of topics and techniques. With his mind bewildered by all that was heard, Arjuna asked Shri Krishna to provide the one technique that was most appropriate for Arjuna at this stage in his spiritual journey.
 
Shri Krishna understood Arjuna's situation and provided an answer in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 1, Chapter 3

jyaayasee chetkarmanaste mataa buddhirjanaardana |
tatkim karmani ghore maam niyojayasi keshava || 1 ||
 
If knowledge is superior to action in your opinion, O Janaardana, why do you want me to perform this horrible action, O Keshava?
 
jyaayasee : superior
chet : if
karmanaha : action
te : you
mataa : opinion
buddhih : knowledge
janaardana : O Janaardana
tat : then
kim : why
karmani : action
ghore : horrible
maam : me
niyojayasi : perform
keshava : O Keshava
 
We begin the third chapter with a question from Arjuna. It is wonderful to see the give-and-take between a student and a disciple come up several times in the Gita, making it more accessible and human. Let us dig deeper into Arjuna's question.
 
In the last chapter, Shri Krishna introduced the topic of karma yoga, where one performs selfless action. But later, he spoke about the knowledge of the eternal essence. Arjuna interpreted this as a statement that knowledge is superior to wisdom, and wanted to clarify whether it was so.
 
As an analogy, I remember the experience of learning music. In most cases, new students of music gave more importance to performing a popular song on stage, than to endure the rigour and discipline of daily finger drills that could get repetitive and boring. Similarly, Arjuna thought that knowledge was superior in action.
 
Arjuna also referred to his fighting in the war as a "horrible" action. This word speaks a lot about his mental state. Shri Krishna had taught him that one should maintain equanimity in pleasant and unpleasant situations. But Arjuna had not internalized and assimilated the teaching.
 
This is not uncommon. Our experience will usually indicate that a one-time hearing or "shravana" of any teaching will not be enough. We also need to reflect on the teaching, which is also known as "manana". And finally, we have to internalize it so that it becomes part of our personality - "nidhidhyaasana".
 
In the next shloka, Arjuna completes his question to Shri Krishna.

Summary Of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2

Since the second chapter is said to contain the essence of the entire Gita, let's try to recap the main points before we move to the third chapter:
 
1. Shri Krishna points out the error in Arjuna's thinking, in that Arjuna's personality was shaken by grief and delusion towards his kinsmen
2. He advises Arjuna to correct the error by learning the knowledge of the eternal essence
3. He describes the means to attain the eternal essence
4. He also describes the characteristics of the individual who has realized the eternal essence.
 
We can summarize the technique to attain the eternal essence into 3 stages:
1. Attain steadfastness in selfless action by pursuing one's svadharma
2. Attain steadfastness in devotion to a higher ideal
3. Attain steadfastness in the knowledge of the eternal essence or tattva-jnyana
 
We also saw that many shlokas in this chapter form the seeds of all other chapters of the Gita:
* "yogasthaha kuru karmaani" (2.48) -> chapters 3,4 on purification of mind through karma yoga
* "vihaaya kaamanyah sarvaan" (2.71) -> chapters 5,6 on renunciation of actions and meditation
* "taani sarvaani samyamya" (2.61) -> chapters 7,8,9,10,11,12 on devotion
* "vedaavinaashinam nityam" (2.21) -> chapter 13 on knowledge
* "traigunyavishayaa vedaa" (2.45) -> chapters 14,17 on the three gunaas and faith
* "yada te mohakalilam" (2.52) -> chapter 15 on dispassion
* "duhkeshvanudvignamanaah" (2.56) -> chapter 16 on divine wealth
* "yaaimaam pushpitaam" (2.42) -> chapter 16 on demonic wealth


Footnotes
1. Most commentators agree that the chapters of the Gita map to the Upanishadic statement "Tat tvam asi" or "You are that". The first 6 chapters cover the "tvam" or the "you" aspect, the next 6 cover the "tat" or the "That" aspect", and the final 6 chapters cover the "asi" or the "are" aspect.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 72, Chapter 2

eshaa braahmee sthitih paartha nainaam praapya vimuhyati |
sthitvaasyaamantakaalepi brahmanirvaanamrichchati || 72 ||
 
Having attained this state of brahman, O Paartha, one never gets deluded. If one gets established in this state even at the time of death, he attains oneness with brahman.
 
eshaa : this
braahmee :brahman
sthitih : state
paartha : O Paartha
enam : this
praapya : having obtained
vimuhyati : deluded
na : not
sthitvaa : established
asyaam : in this
antakaale : at the time of death
api : even
brahmanirvaanam : oneness with brahman
richchati : attains
 
We encounter the word "brahman" in this shloka, which is the concluding shloka in the second chapter of the Gita. As a side note, this word is pronounced as "bruh-mun" and not "brah-mun".  
 
So what exactly is this brahman? It is nothing but the eternal essence that Shri Krishna described in the earlier shlokas of this chapter. It is eternal, timeless, changeless, and pervades the entire universe. And when this abstract notion of the eternal essence takes a name and a form, it is known as Ishvara or God.
 
Therefore, if one follows the technique of karma yoga and attains the state of a person of steady wisdom or "stithaprajnya", that person attains oneness with brahman, or in other words, attains God. Also, even if we only attain this state at the time of death, we will still achieve oneness with brahman.
 
Shri Krishna concludes the second chapter of the Gita with this shloka. As we saw before, the second chapter contains the essence of the entire Gita. So, why should we read the next 16 chapters? Let us take up this question.
 
Shri Krishna has packed several lifetimes worth of instruction into the second chapter. Most of us will never get it just by reading the second chapter. So Shri Krishna has taken up each point in the second chapter and elaborated it further in the remainder of the Gita. He clarifies key points in the teaching, resolves seemingly conflicting statements, and makes everything practical and accessible to all kinds of readers.
 
Now, some of us would have approached the Gita to further our spiritual quest, and some of us with a very practical bent. We should not assume that the remainder of the Gita will only go deeper into the spiritual aspects. There are tons of practical lessons that will improve our daily lives and make us better human beings, even if we choose to disregard the spiritual aspects of the Gita. 
 
Having concluded the second chapter in our journey, we will summarize the main points of the second chapter and get a sense of what's coming ahead next.
 
om tatsatiti shreematbhagavatgitasupanishadsu brahmavidyaayaam yogashaastre shreekrishnaarjunsamvade saankhyayogo naama dvitiyodhyaayaha || 2 ||

Bhagavad Gita Verse 71 Chapter 2

vihaaya kaamanyah sarvaanpumaanshcharati nihspruha |
nirmamo nirahankaarah sa shaantimadhigachchati || 71 ||
 
That individual who walks having abandoned all desires, cravings, mine-ness and ego, he attains peace.
 
vihaaya : abandon
kaaman : desires
yah : who
sarvaan : all
pumaan : individual
charati : walks
nihspruha : without cravings
nirmamah : without mine-ness
nirahankaarah : without ego
sah : he
shaantim : peace
adhigachchati: attains
 
Earlier in the chapter, Arjuna asked Shri Krishna to point out the signs of a person of steady wisdom. To that end, he asked Shri Krishna to answer the following questions: how does he sit, speak and walk. In this shloka, hence the use of the word "charati" meaning "walks" is used to denote the conclusion of the answer to the question, "how does a person of steady intellect walk?".
 
Shri Krishna summarizes the entire topic of the signs of a wise person in four points. He first asks us to give up selfish desires using the technique of karma yoga. Next, he asks us to give up cravings for things we already possess, which is the second point here. And to eliminate even the slightest trace of selfishness, he finally asks us to give up the sense of "I-ness" and "mine-ness" which we had seen in the first chapter, also known as "ahankaara"' and "mamataa". The goal attained by giving up these four things is also repeated here for emphasis: it is everlasting peace.
 
As a point of clarification, let us remember that for most of us, abandoning these four things will not happen overnight. We have to follow a disciplined technique to do so, and only after having applied this technique for a period of time will be begin to see the desires, cravings, ego and mine-ness slowly lose their grip.
 
With this shloka, Shri Krishna concludes the final topic of the second chapter, that of the signs of a wise person. The next shloka will be the last shloka in the second chapter, a wonderful milestone in our journey. This shloka is the seed of the fifth and sixth chapters of the Gita that cover the topic of renunciation of actions.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 70, Chapter 2

aapuryamaanamachalapratishtham
samudraamaapah pravishanti yadvat |
tadvatkaamaa yam pravishanti sarve
sa shaantimaapnoti na kaamakaamee || 70 ||
 
Just like the ocean remains unmoved though water enters it from all sides, so does that (tranquil) individual attain peace in whom all desires enter, but not the "desirer of desires".
 
aapuryamaanam : filled with water from all sides
achalapratishtham : unmoved
samudram : ocean
aapah : water
pravishanti : enters
yadvat : just like
tadvat : so does
kaamaah : desires
yam : in that individual
pravishanti: enter
sah : that individual
shaantim : peace
aapnoti : attains
na : not
kaamakaamee : desirer of desires
 
Here Shri Krishna provides another pictorial description of the individual of steady wisdom : a deep, large ocean that has many streams of water entering it. No matter how many streams enter the ocean, regardless of how gently or how forcefully they enter it, the ocean always remains calm and undisturbed.
 
In the same way, an individual of steady wisdom does not get impacted by any number of material objects or desires that he experiences. They fail to disturb his state of equanimity. Furthermore, even if the individual has to get angry in order to perform his svadharma in the material world, he is rooted in tranquility. And that is just like the ocean surface could experience stormy weather, but remain tranquil underneath the surface.
 
On the other hand, the person who is steeped in ignorance and does not possess wisdom will never attain peace. Here he is called the "desirer of desires". In other words, this person still thinks that harbouring and fulfilling desires will lead to peace and happiness. The fundamental shift from selfish desire oriented work to svadharma prompted work has not happened for him.
 
Note the change in meter to emphasize the point made in this shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 69, Chapter 2

yaa nishaa sarvabhootaanaam tasyaam jaagarti samyami |
yasyaam jaagrati bhootaani saa nishaa pashyato muneh || 69 ||
 
That which is night for all beings, the balanced individual is awake in that. And that in which all beings are awake, the person of contemplation views as night.
 
yaa : that
nishaa : night
sarvabhootaanaam : for all beings
tasyaam : in that
jaagarti : is awake
samyami : balanced individual
yasyaam : and that
jaagrati : are awake
bhootaani : all beings
saa : that
nishaa : night
pashyato : views
muneh : person of contemplation
 
Here we encounter one of the most poetic shlokas in the second chapter, again, having several layers of meaning. Let us try to understand it to the best of our ability. First, let's consider an example that will make the understanding of this shloka easier.
 
When a lay person and a professional artist enter a museum, both of them find joy in appreciating the works of art. The lay person may get excited about seeing how accurately an artist has painted a portrait. But the professional artist may find joy in more subtler aspects of the very same painting, e.g. what brush strokes were used, which time period was the painting commissioned in, what were the influences and so on - aspects that the lay person is probably totally oblivious to. 
 
So therefore, in this shloka, Shri Krishna is speaking about two groups of individuals: ones who maintain the state of equanimity and ones who don't. Both groups have to live in this world of material objects, and both of them have to face ups and downs in life. The key difference in both groups is their vision.
 
For most individuals, the world of material objects is their end goal, they are "awake" to it, and the eternal essence is like night to them. But for the individuals of equanimity, the world of material objects loses importance - that world is like night to them. They are awake to the timeless, changeless eternal essence.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 68, Chapter 2

tasmaadyasya mahaabaaho nigriheetaani sarvashaha |
indriyaaneendriyaarthebhyastasya prajnya pratishthitaa || 68 ||
 
Therefore, O mighty armed warrior, one who always restrains his senses from objects, his wisdom his steady.
 
tasmaad : therefore
yasya : that individual
mahaabaaho : O mighty armed warrior
nigriheetaani : under control
sarvashaha : everywhere
 
indriyaani : senses
indriyaarthebhyaha : objects
tasya : that individual
prajya : wisdom
pratishthitaa : steady
 
With this shloka, Shri Krishna concludes the topic of sense restraint. Let us summarize the main points of this topic.
 
The senses have the power to destabilize the mind, and consequently, destroy the intellect's capability to make proper judgements. The best way to control the senses is to practice one's svadharma with devotion to a higher ideal. If we don't, then even a stray thought about a material object will escalate into a chain of events that will bring about our downfall.
 
Changing the quality and direction of thoughts towards a higher ideal will result in a tranquil psyche, enabling us to move in the world of material objects without attachment or revulsion. And ultimately, this will result in peace and happiness.
 
A pictorial description of this topic was provided in the form of a rudderless ship at sea, that is blown here and there by wind. The wind represents the senses, the ship our mind, and the direction, our wisdom.
 
In the next shloka, Shri Krishna begins to conclude the second chapter of the Gita.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 67, Chapter 2

indriyaanaam hi charataam yanmanuvidheeyate |
tadasya harati prajnyaam vaayurnaavamivaambhasi || 67 ||
 
For, even one of the wandering senses overpowers the mind and steals away wisdom, like wind affects a ship in water.
 
indriyaanaam : among the senses
hi : for
charataam : wandering
yat : the one that
manah : mind
anuvidheeyate : submitted
tat : that
asya : this
harati : steals
prajnyaam : wisdom
vaayuh : wind
naavam : ship
iva : like
ambhasi : water
 
A picture is worth a thousand words. So here, just like Shri Krishna painted a picture of the tortoise earlier, he uses another picture to portay an important point - that just one sense organ has the ability to destroy us. He gives us the example of a rudderless ship at sea. It will go wherever the wind takes it, and in time, eventually be destroyed.
 
In the same way, just one sense organ - the eye seeing something tempting, the ear hearing some gossip, the tongue tasting alcohol -  one sense organ can bring the mind under submission. In doing so, it can take away the intellect's capacity to function. And worse still, this whole chain of events can happen in a fraction of a second, and we won't even know it has happened unless we are eternally aware and alert.
 
We are nearing the end of the section on the signs of the individual of steady wisdom, and are a few shlokas away from concluding the second chapter.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 66, Chapter 2

naasti buddhiryuktasya na chaayuktasya bhaavana |
na chaabhaavayataha shaantirashaantasya kutaha sukham || 66 ||
 
The individual whose mind and senses are not controlled cannot have a focused intellect, without a focused intellect he cannot meditate, and without meditation there is no peace. How can there be happiness without peace?
 
na : not
asti : happen
buddhih : focused intellect
ayuktasya : one whose mind and senses are not controlled
na : not
cha : and
ayuktasya : that individual
bhaavana : meditation
na : not
cha : and
abhaavayataha : without meditation
shaantih : peace
ashaantasya : individual without peace
kutaha : where
sukham : happy
 
Shri Krishna so far extolled the virtues of controlling the senses and the mind. In this shloka, he echoes the same point, but uses negative inference to drive it home.
 
Here, he says that if the mind and senses constantly wander, our psyche is agitated. An agitated psyche will never allow an intellect to focus. And we have already seen in earlier shlokas the disadvantages of not having focused intellect or "vyavasaayaatmika buddhi".  One cannot hold on to a single thought, in other words - meditate, if the mind is turbulent.
 
We may feel that there is some repetition here - why is he asking us to control the mind and senses over and over again? But consider this: reading about it and putting it into practice are two different things. If we check the daily list of thoughts that we maintain in our diary, we realize that even if we read the Gita backwards and forwards, it takes lot of time and effort to change the quality and quantity of our thoughts. This message needs to be seared into our brain for us to take it seriously, hence the refrain of this point.
 
Very simply put: there is no happiness without control of mind and senses.