Bhagavad Gita verses on guilt

The Blessed Lord said, "In this world, there is a twofold path, as I said before, O sinless one: the path of knowledge of the Sankhyas and the path of action of the Yogins."

The path of knowledge of the Sankhyas (Jnana Yoga) was described by Lord Krishna in chapter II, verses 11 to 38 the path of action (Karma Yoga) from 40 to 53.Pura Prokta may also mean In the beginning of creation the…

The righteous who eat the remnants of the sacrifice are freed from all sins; but those sinful ones who cook food solely for their own sake indeed consume sin.

Those who, after performing the five great sacrifices, eat the remnants of the food are freed from all the sins committed by these five agents of insect slaughter, viz., (1) the pestle and mortar, (2) the grinding stone,…

Better is one's own duty, even if it is destitute of merits, than the duty of another well performed. He who does the duty ordained by his own nature incurs no sin.

Just as a poisonous substance does not harm the worm born in that substance, so he who does his Svadharma (the duty ordained according to his own nature) does not incur any sin.What is poison to the whole world is sweet…

The Lord dwells in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, causing all beings, by His illusory power, to revolve as if mounted on a machine.

Isvara The Lord the Ruler of the universe Narayana.The Lord abides in the hearts of all beings. It is He Who has given a gift of this marvellous machine to you. It is by His power that all bodies move. The Lord is the…

With this seemingly perplexing speech, you seem to be confusing my understanding; therefore, tell me one certain way by which I may attain bliss.

Arjuna says to Lord Krishna, Tecah me one of the two, knowledge or action, by which I may attain to the highest good or bliss or Moksha. (Cf.V.I).

He who does not follow the wheel thus set in motion, who is of sinful life, rejoicing in the senses, lives in vain, O Arjuna.

This is the wheel of action set in motion by the Creator on the basis of the Veda and sacrifice.He who does not follow the wheel by studying the Vedas and performing the sacrifices prescribed therein but who indulges…

Arjuna said, "But what compels man to commit sin, even against his wishes, O Varshneya (Krishna), as if constrained by force?"

Varshneya is one born in the family of the Vrishnis, a name of Krishna.

Therefore, O best of the Bharatas, control your senses first and then kill this sinful thing, which destroys knowledge and realization.

Jnana is knowledge obtained through the study of scriptures. This is indirect knowledge or Paroksha Jnana. Vijnana is direct knowledge or personal experience or Anubhava through Selfrealisation or Aparoksha Jnana.…

For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked, and for the establishment of righteousness, I am born in every age.

Sadhunam The good who lead a life of righteousness, who utiles their bodies in the service of humanity, who are free from selfishness, lust and greed, and who devote their lives to divine contemplation.Dushkritam…

Even if the most sinful worships Me, with devotion to no one else, he should indeed be regarded as righteous, for he has rightly resolved.

Even if the most sinful worships Him with undivided heart, he too must indeed be deemed righteous for he has made the holy resolution to give up the evil ways of his life. Rogue Ratnakar became Valmiki by his holy…

But that which clings to one single effect as if it were the whole, without reason, without any foundation in Truth, and is trivial—that is declared to be Tamasic.

The knowledge which regards that each and every object or being exists by itself and is perfect by itself, is Tamasic.One single effect Such as the body, thinking it to be the Self, or an idol, taking it for God, and…

Abandon all duties and take refuge in Me alone; I will liberate you from all sins; do not grieve.

The Lord has described various kinds of knowledge and processes of religion – knowledge of the Supreme Brahman, knowledge of the Supersoul, knowledge of the different types of orders and statuses of social life,…

The wise, possessing knowledge, having abandoned the fruits of their actions, and being freed from the bonds of birth, go to the place which is beyond all evil.

Clinging to the fruits of actions is the cause of rirth. Man takes a body to enjoy them. If anyone performs actions for the sake of God in fulfilment of His purpose without desire for the fruits, he is released from the…

Even if thou art the most sinful of all sinners, yet thou shalt surely cross over all sins by the raft of knowledge.

You can cross the ocean of sin with the boat of the knowledge of the Self. (Cf.IX.30)

Arjuna said: If Thou thinkest that knowledge is superior to action, O Krishna, why then, O Kesava, doest Thou ask me to engage in this terrible action?

In verses 49, 50 and 51 of chapter II, Lord Krsihna has spoken very highly about Buddhi Yoga. He again asks Arjuna to fight. That is the reason why Arjuna is perplexed now.

Man does not reach actionlessness by not performing actions; nor does he attain perfection by mere renunciation.

Actionlessness (Naishkarmyam) and perfection (Siddhi) are synonymous. The sage who has attained to perfection or reached the state of actionlessness rests in his own essential nature as ExistenceKnowledgeBliss Absolute…

Verily, no one can remain for even a moment without performing action; for everyone is made to act helplessly, indeed, by the qualities born of Nature.

The Gunas (alities of Nature) are three, viz., Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Sattva is harmony or light or purity Rajas is passion or motion Tamas is inertia or darkness. Sattvic actions help a man to attain to Moksha.…

Perform your bounden duty, for action is superior to inaction, and even the maintenance of the body would not be possible for you through inaction.

Niyatam Karma is an obligatory duty which one is bound to perform. Thenonperformance of the bounden duties causes demerit. The performance of the obligatory duties is not a means for the attainment of a specific result.…

The world is bound by actions other than those performed for the sake of sacrifice; do thou, therefore, O son of Kunti (Arjuna), perform actions for that sake alone, free from attachment.

Yajna means sacrifice or religious rite or any unselfish action done with a pure motive. It means also Isvara. The Taittiriya Samhita (of the Veda) says Yajna verily is Vishnu (174). If anyone does actions for the sake…

The Creator, having in the beginning created mankind together with sacrifice, said, "By this shall you propagate; let this be the milch cow of your desires—the cow that yields all the desired objects."

Prajapati is the Creator or Brahma. Kamadhuk is another name for the cow Kamadhenu. Kamadhenu is the cow of Indra from which everyone can milk whatever one desires. (Cf.VIII.4IX.2427X.25).

With this, nourish the gods, and may the gods nourish you; thus, nourishing each other, you shall attain the highest good.

Deva literally means the shining one. By this sacrifice you nourish the gods such as Indra. The gods shall nourish you with rain, etc. the highest good is the attainment of the knowledge of the Self which frees one from…

From food come forth beings; from rain, food is produced; from sacrifice arises rain, and sacrifice is born of action.

Here Yajna means Apurva or the subtle principle or the unseen form which a sacrifice assumes between the time of its performance and the time when its fruits manifest themselves.

Know that action comes from Brahma, and Brahma comes from the Imperishable. Therefore, the all-pervasive Brahma ever rests in sacrifice.

Brahma may mean Veda. Just as the breath comes out of a man, so also the Veda is the breath of the Imperishable or the Omniscient. The Veda ever rests in the sacrifice, i.e., it deals chiefly with sacrifices and the ways…

For him, there is no interest whatsoever in what is done or not done; nor does he depend on any being for any purpose.

The sage who is thus rejoicing in the Self does not gain anything by doing any action. For him really no purpose is served by an action. No evil (Pratyavaya Dosha) can touch him from inaction. He does not lose anything…

Janaka and others attained perfection indeed through action alone; even with the intention of protecting the masses, you should perform action.

Samsiddhi is Moksha (perfection or liberation). Janaka, (Asvapati) and others had perfect knowledge of the Self, and yet they performed actions in order to set an example to the masses. They worked for the guidance of…

Whatever a great man does, others also do; whatever he establishes as the standard, the world follows.

Man is a social animal. He is an imitating animal too. He takes his ideas of right and wrong from those whom he regards as his moral superior. Whatever a great man follows, the same is considered as an authority by his…

There is nothing in the three worlds, O Arjuna, that needs to be done by Me, nor is there anything unattained that needs to be attained; yet I engage Myself in action.

I am the Lord of the universe and therefore I have no personal grounds to engage. Myself in action. I have nothing to achieve as I have all divine wealth, as the wealth of the universe is Mine, and yet I engage Myself in…

For, should I not ever engage myself in action, unwearied, people would in every way follow my path, O Arjuna.

If I remain inactive, people also will imitate Me and keep quiet. They will all become Tamasic and pass into a state of inertia.

These worlds would perish if I did not perform action; I would be the author of confusion of castes and destruction of these beings.

If I did not engage in action, people would also be inactive. They would not do their duties according to the Varnasrama Dharma (code of morals governing their own order and stage of life). Hence confusion of castes…

As the ignorant act out of attachment to action, O Bharata, so should the wise act without attachment, wishing for the welfare of the world.

The ignorant man works in expectation of fruits. He says, I will do such and such work and will get such and such fruit. But the wise man who knows the Self, serves not for his own end. He should so act that the world,…

Those deluded by the qualities of Nature are attached to the functions of the qualities. The man of perfect knowledge should not unsettle the foolish one who is of imperfect knowledge.

The ignorant people do action with the expectation of fruits. The wise people who have the knowledge of the Self should not distract the faith or conviction or belief of such ignorant persons. If they unsettle their…

Those who constantly practice this teaching of Mine with faith and without caviling, they too are freed from actions.

Sraddha is a mental attitude. It means faith. It is faith in ones own Self, in the scriptures and in the teachings of the spiritual preceptor. It is compund of the higher emotion of faith, reverence and humility.

But those who criticize My teaching and do not practice it, deprived of all knowledge and lacking discernment, know them to be doomed to destruction.

The pigheaded people who are obstinate, who find fault with the teachings of the Lord and who do not practise them are certainly doomed to destruction. They are incorrigible and senseless persons indeed.

Even a wise man acts in accordance with his own nature; beings will follow their nature; what can restraint do?

He who reads this verse will come to the conclusion that there is no scope for mans personal exertion. It is not so. Read the following verse. It clearly indicates that man can conquer Nature if he rises above the sway…

Attachment and aversion for the objects of the senses abide in the senses; let no one come under their sway; for, they are his enemies.

Each sense has got attraction for a pleasant object and aversion for a disagreeable object. If one can control these two currents, viz., attachment and aversion, he will not come under the sway of these two currents.…

As fire is enveloped by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, and as an embryo is surrounded by the amniotic sac, so is this enveloped by that.

This means the universe. This also means knowledge. That means desire.

O Arjuna, wisdom is enveloped by this constant enemy of the wise, in the form of desire, which is insatiable like fire.

Manu says, Desire can never be satiated or cooled down by the enjoyment ofobjects. But as fire blazes forth the more when fed with Ghee (melted butter) and wood, so it grows the more it feeds on the objects of enjoyment.…

Whenever there is a decline of righteousness and an increase of unrighteousness, O Arjuna, then I manifest Myself.

Dharma is that which sustains and holds together. There is no proper eivalen for this term in the English language. That which helps a man to attain to Moksha or salvation is Dharma. That which makes a man irreligious or…

The Blessed Lord said: He who performs his bounden duty without depending on the fruits of his actions—he is a sannyasi and a yogi, not he who is without fire and without action.

Actions such as Agnihotra, etc., performed without the expectation of their fruits purify the mind and become the means to Dhyana Yoga or the Yoga of Meditation.Karyam Karma bounden duty.Niragnih without fire. He who has…

That sacrifice which is offered by men without desire for reward, as enjoined by the ordinance (scripture), with a firm faith that doing so is their duty, is Sattvic or pure.