Bg 3.20
karmaṇaiva hi saṁsiddhim āsthitā janakādayaḥ
loka-saṅgraham evāpi sampaśyan kartum arhasi
Bg 3.21
yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ
sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute lokas tad anuvartate
Translation:
20. Janaka and others attained Perfection verily by action only; even with a view to protecting the masses you should perform action.
21. Whatever a great man does, that other men also do (imitate) ; whatever he sets up as the standard, that the world (people) follows.
Commentary Excerpts:
Thus, the wise Kings of yore, such as Janaka and Ashwapati, had tried to attain Perfection, (Samsiddhi), by the 'Path-of-Action.' They were men of right understanding as they tried to liberate themselves through right actions performed in a spirit of detachment and self-dedication. They had set an example to the world by their achievement through an immaculate life of service.
Krishna means that Arjuna too, a prince by birth, and one who has taken upon himself the entire responsibility of mobilising and fighting the war, should respect his Prarabdha and act diligently without running away from the battle-field as he had earlier intended to do. This is the only method by which he can gain a complete vasana-exhaustion in himself. Born as a king, he had a greater responsibility towards the community, than any other member. Therefore, it was his duty that he should keep to his post and work diligently.
A creeper will never grow in a desert. It is nature's law that every living creature finds itself in the most conducive outer world conditions. Thus viewed, because of the very fact that he had manifested himself as a son of his father in the family of kings, nature had judged that the most conducive circumstance in life for Arjuna was the life of a prince, daring dangers, fighting enemies, and generally ordering peaceful and progressive growth for the society.
Man is essentially an imitating animal. This is a psychological truth. The moral rejuvenation of a society in any period of history can take place only because of the example set up by the leaders of that nation. Students can be disciplined only when teachers are well-behaved; the minor officials cannot be kind and honest when the rulers of the country are corrupt tyrants. Children's behaviour depends entirely upon, and is ever controlled by, the standard of purity and culture of their parents.
With this Krishna raises his next argument on why Arjuna should act in the world. Unless he diligently acts, the chances are that the entire community will follow the low standard of retreat from action set up by him and thus they will ultimately invite a general decadence of culture in life.
Sources: Vedabase.com; The Holy Geeta
karmaṇaiva hi saṁsiddhim āsthitā janakādayaḥ
loka-saṅgraham evāpi sampaśyan kartum arhasi
Bg 3.21
yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ
sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute lokas tad anuvartate
Translation:
20. Janaka and others attained Perfection verily by action only; even with a view to protecting the masses you should perform action.
21. Whatever a great man does, that other men also do (imitate) ; whatever he sets up as the standard, that the world (people) follows.
Commentary Excerpts:
Thus, the wise Kings of yore, such as Janaka and Ashwapati, had tried to attain Perfection, (Samsiddhi), by the 'Path-of-Action.' They were men of right understanding as they tried to liberate themselves through right actions performed in a spirit of detachment and self-dedication. They had set an example to the world by their achievement through an immaculate life of service.
Krishna means that Arjuna too, a prince by birth, and one who has taken upon himself the entire responsibility of mobilising and fighting the war, should respect his Prarabdha and act diligently without running away from the battle-field as he had earlier intended to do. This is the only method by which he can gain a complete vasana-exhaustion in himself. Born as a king, he had a greater responsibility towards the community, than any other member. Therefore, it was his duty that he should keep to his post and work diligently.
A creeper will never grow in a desert. It is nature's law that every living creature finds itself in the most conducive outer world conditions. Thus viewed, because of the very fact that he had manifested himself as a son of his father in the family of kings, nature had judged that the most conducive circumstance in life for Arjuna was the life of a prince, daring dangers, fighting enemies, and generally ordering peaceful and progressive growth for the society.
Man is essentially an imitating animal. This is a psychological truth. The moral rejuvenation of a society in any period of history can take place only because of the example set up by the leaders of that nation. Students can be disciplined only when teachers are well-behaved; the minor officials cannot be kind and honest when the rulers of the country are corrupt tyrants. Children's behaviour depends entirely upon, and is ever controlled by, the standard of purity and culture of their parents.
With this Krishna raises his next argument on why Arjuna should act in the world. Unless he diligently acts, the chances are that the entire community will follow the low standard of retreat from action set up by him and thus they will ultimately invite a general decadence of culture in life.
Sources: Vedabase.com; The Holy Geeta
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