Verse-17
Chapter 18 — Moksha Sanyasa Yoga
Verse 17
🕉 Original Sanskrit Shloka
yasya nāhaṅkṛto bhāvo buddhiryasya na lipyate
hatvāpi sa imāṁllokānna hanti na nibadhyate
🕉 English Translation
'Mai karta hun'yeh bhav jisme nahin,
Buddhi na hon lipt jiski kahin.
Mare agar veh sabhi loko ko,
Na hai marta aur na bandhan hee ho.
📜 Translation
English
The inner state of the one who is free from the egoistic sense of being the doer and the one whose intelligence is unsullied by the worldly objects and actions, that one even when he slays these people, he in reality does not slay nor is he bound by the sin.
A unique and amazing divinity for the performance of action without attachment and involvement. To remain attached to action and detached from the fruit of action while performing it, is the outstanding feature of the Yoga of action of the Gita. Skilfulness in action is the sole solution to freedom from bondage of action. This verse is a wonderful ideal for this very skilfulness in action.
The context is of an impending war. Arjun being a mighty armed one is still refusing to fight. The war is not taking place for the cause of any selfishness, greed, aversion and pride. Righteousness and unrighteousness are the two sides involved. Arjun is aware of all this. If all of the soldiers guarding the borders develop such an attitude, think how can this be considered justified! The soldier has to give priority to the welfare of the nation and safeguarding of its borders. There is no personal selfishness or malice of any soldier or commander involved in it. In this state the attack by the soldier on the hostile army can never be in any case a cause for bondage for him.
Some persons are of the opinion that by giving such an indication the Gita has incited one towards violence. This is definitely not the case. Krishna who mesmerized and enchanted all with the divine sound of love emanating from the flute and Krishna who through His Divine speech repeatedly gave out a wonderful and magnanimous message for the harmony and well being of all beings, how could He possibly be imagined to be giving message for encouraging violence! In fact with the ending of the egoism and the sense of doership, the evil feelings of violence, aversion, enmity and resistance naturally start disappearing. When the intellect rises above narrow mindedness, then magnanimity and feeling of harmony adorn the inner-self.