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Bhagavad Gita - November 21, 2008 Chapter 3, Verses: 5-9 Swami Yogatmananda Vedanta Society of Providence     Please click the 'Play' button to start. It may take a minute.   Launch in external player   To download the lecture, please right-click here and then click "Save Target As..."     III.5: Because no one ever remains even for a moment without doing work. For all mode to woork under compulsion by the gunas (qualities) born of Nature. III.6: One who, after withdrawing the organs of action, sits mentally recollecting the objects of the senses, the one, of deluded mmind, is called a hypocrite. III.7: But O Arjuna! One who engages in Karma-Yoga with the organs of action, controlling the organs with mind and becoming unattached - that one excels. III.8: You perform the obligatory duties, for action is superior to inaction. And through inaction even the maintenance of your body will not be possible. III.9: This man becomes bound by actions other than that action meant for God. Without being attached, O son of Kunti, you perform actions for Him.   The above image is from Gita Darshan by courtesy of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Hyderabad.   To Order Audio/ Video CDs : bookstore@vedantaprov.org   List of Audio/ Video CDs, DVDs

Summary of this lecture: If one forcibly tries to shut the external expression of work, then the mind, still full of desires, keeps on working. One thus keeps on working to 'cover up', essentially becomes a hypocrite. The proper thing to do is to work in the spirit of 'yoga', bringing the sensory and motor organs under control through mental exercise. 'Here is the special person, who is neither shunning the work, nor is doing it wrongly' - Lord Krishna says. We need to dot the work that we have got. Even the body cannot be maintained without working. Now, it is not possible to be completely detached in a day - it is a process that needs to be learned gradually; it is a graded course that one has to take up. This will be discussed in the coming verses.