Verse-31
Chapter 4 — Gyan Karma Sannayasa Yoga
Verse 31
🕉 Original Sanskrit Shloka
yajñaśiṣṭāmṛtabhujo yānti brahma sanātanam
nāyaṁ loko'styayajñasya kuto'nyaḥ kurusattama
🕉 English Translation
Amrit bachaa yagya se khate hain jo,
Kar lete prapta wahi brahmn ko.
Jo karte nahin yagya Arjun wahi,
Rahe lok parlok mein dukhi.
📜 Translation
English
O best of the Kurus, Arjun! The yogis who experience the nectar left over after a sacrifice attain the Eternal Brahmn. For those who do not perform sacrifice even this world is not pleasure-giving, then how can the world beyond be pleasure-giving.
In our timeless and eternal tradition the meaningfulness of human life is by doing actions leading to elevation in this world and the world beyond. This world means the lifetime here till life lasts. The world beyond means the life after death. Life is not what it is appearing to be and just till the time we are alive. One has also to keep in mind the life after death, that too now, during this lifetime only. After death the embodied being is incapable doing anything. For performing actions this body is the only means. That is why making or breaking of the world is related to this body and this world.
The human body is action-dominated and birth is for performing actions. Actions should be performed in the spirit of sacrifice not for selfish ends. This is the cardinal inspiration of the yoga of action of the Gita. The actions performed in the spirit of sacrifice purifies the inner-self. The purified inner-self experiences peace of mind naturally; this in symbolic form is 'yago shishta' and this is the nectar of sacrifice too. Sacrificial action brings calmness and purity to the mind. In the purified inner-self, divine power and supreme consciousness is experienced as being clearly reflected, just as a tub of water kept under sunshine. If the water is muddy, the reflection of the sun will not be visible in it. If the water is unstable or in motion then too the reflection will not be clear. If water is clear and stable instantaneously the reflection of the sun can be clearly visible.
The actions sans sacrificial spirit create the defects of impurity and agitation in the inner-self. Impurity is the dirt and agitation is the instability of the inner-self. There is no peace in life, if the actions pertaining to one's duty are not performed skilfully, then it is natural that the present world is damaged. If this world is spoilt then how can the improvement of the world beyond be imagined? Perform sacrifice. Make every action a sacrifice. In fact, make your life itself a sacrifice.