Verse-48
Chapter 18 — Moksha Sanyasa Yoga
Verse 48
🕉 Original Sanskrit Shloka
sahajam karma kaunteya sadoṣamapi na tyajet
sarvārambhā hi doṣeṇa dhūmenāgnirivāvṛtāḥ
🕉 English Translation
Ho apne karma mein agar dosh bhi,
Phir bhi na chodo tum usko kabhi.
Sabhi karmon mein dosh aise hee hon,
Agni ke sang dhunyan rehta ho jo.
📜 Translation
English
O Son of Kunti! One should not abandon actions born of one's nature though defective, as like the smoke in fire all actions are enveloped by one or the other evil.
Not to permit the human being at any cost, to leave the actions ordained, sanctioned in accordance with the scriptures, to establish him on the path of duty is the priority of the inspiration from the Gita right from the very beginning. For the sermon, Arjun is standing in front and the battlefield is the place! Being a Kshatriya fighting the war is the duty of Arjun at that point of time. But at this time he finds his duty to be full of defects and due to this he even becomes ready to abstain from the war and to become an ascetic! The Blessed Lord is giving a warning.
The matter does not just pertain to Arjun. For Arjun in any case at that time this clarification was necessary; invariably in most persons, this kind of feeling develops somewhere or the other. They feel that their assigned duties carry defects. The Blessed Lord says that you may do anything from the worldly angle; even in the best of actions somewhere or the other some defect lurks. If fire rituals and sacrifice are to be performed then there is harm caused to the invisible micro-organisms which are in the atmosphere. Sometimes in performing virtuous deeds, there is adversity met with and one undergoes mental suffering–this also is a defect associated with action. The example of fire and smoke has been given. Fire even if it may be burning bright it will be accompanied by smoke always. This experiment you can clearly see yourself. Where the fire is burning under a roof, or some other cover–the soot of the smoke can be clearly seen to be collecting there.
Towards action keep a truthful attitude and aim high. Deliberately do not create a state which will vitiate your action, and also do not think ill of anyone! If one's intention is good then even if unintentionally something wrong is done then it will not have an adverse or sinful effect on oneself. The vision of the soldier stationed on the border is on the protection of the nation. His intention is good. With this intention if he engages in warfare and kills the soldiers on the opposite side then there will be no ill-effect of this action on him. If the doctor performs an operation to cure the patient of an ailment, if he amputates any part of the body then no blame will lie with him for that action, if he is doing so not only for monetary purpose but with the spirit of providing service!