Food grains or vegetables are factually eatables. The human being eats different kinds of food grains, vegetables, fruits, etc., and the animals eat the refuse of the food grains and vegetables, grass, plants, etc. Human beings who are accustomed to eating meat and flesh must also depend on the production of vegetation in order to eat the animals. Therefore, ultimately, we have to depend on the production of the field and not on the production of big factories. The field production is due to sufficient rain from the sky, and such rains are controlled by demigods like Indra, sun, moon, etc., and they are all servants of the Lord. The Lord can be satisfied by sacrifices; therefore, one who cannot perform them will find himself in scarcity-that is the law of nature.
Yajña,
specifically the
saṅkīrtana-yajña
prescribed for this age, must therefore be performed to save us at least from scarcity of food supply.
Bg 3.15
TEXT 15
TEXT
karma brahmodbhavaṁ viddhi
brahmākṣara-samudbhavam
tasmāt sarva-gataṁ brahma
nityaṁ yajñe pratiṣṭhitam
SYNONYMS
karma-
work;
brahma-Vedas; udbhavam-
produced from;
viddhi-
one should know;
brahma-
the
Vedas; akṣara-
the Supreme Brahman (Personality of Godhead);
samudbhavam;
directly manifested;
tasmāt-
therefore;
sarva-gatam-
all-pervading;
brahma-
Transcendence;
nityam-
eternally;
yajñe
-in sacrifice;
pratiṣṭhitam
-situated.
TRANSLATION
Regulated activities are prescribed in the Vedas, and the Vedas are directly manifested from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Consequently the all-pervading Transcendence is eternally situated in acts of sacrifice.
PURPORT
Yajñārtha karma
, or the necessity of work for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa only, is more expressly stated in this verse. If we have to work for the satisfaction of the
yajña-puruṣa
, Viṣṇu, then we must find out the direction of work in Brahman, or the transcendental
Vedas.
The
Vedas
are therefore codes of working directions. Anything performed without the direction of the
Vedas
is called
vikarma,
or unauthorized or sinful work. Therefore, one should always take direction from the
Vedas
to be saved from the reaction of work. As one has to work in ordinary life by the direction of the state, similarly, one has to work under direction of the supreme state of the Lord. Such directions in the
Vedas
are directly manifested from the breathing of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is said:
asya mahato bhūtasya naśvasitam etad yad ṛg-vedo yajur-vedaḥ sāma-vedo 'tharvāṅ girasaḥ.
"The four
Vedas-
namely the
Ṛg-veda, Yajur-veda, Sāma-veda
and
Atharva-veda
-are all emanations from the breathing of the great Personality of Godhead." The Lord, being omnipotent, can speak by breathing air, as it is confirmed in the
Brahma-saṁhitā,
for the Lord has the omnipotence to perform through each of His senses the actions of all other senses. In other words, the Lord can speak through His breathing, and He can impregnate by His eyes. In fact, it is said that He glanced over material nature and thus fathered all living entities. After creating or impregnating the conditioned souls into the womb of material nature, He gave His directions in the Vedic wisdom as to how such conditioned souls can return home, back to Godhead. We should always remember that the conditioned souls in material nature are all eager for material enjoyment. But the Vedic directions are so made that one can satisfy one's perverted desires, then return to Godhead, having finished his so-called enjoyment. It is a chance for the conditioned souls to attain liberation; therefore the conditioned souls must try to follow the process of
yajña
by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. Even those who cannot follow the Vedic injunctions may adopt the principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and that will take the place of performance of Vedic
yajñas,
or
karmas.
Bg 3.16
TEXT 16
TEXT
evaṁ pravartitaṁ cakraṁ
nānuvartayatīha yaḥ
aghāyur indriyārāmo
moghaṁ pārtha sa jīvati
SYNONYMS
evam-
thus prescribed;
pravartitam-
established by the
Vedas; cakram-
cycle;
na-
does not;
anuvartayati-
adopt;
iha-
in this life;
yaḥ-
one who;
aghāyuḥ-
life full of sins;
indriya-ārāmaḥ-
satisfied in sense gratification;
mogham-
useless;
pārtha
-O son of Pṛthā (Arjuna);
saḥ-
one who does so;
jīvati-
lives.
TRANSLATION
My dear Arjuna, a man who does not follow this prescribed Vedic system of sacrifice certainly leads a life of sin, for a person delighting only in the senses lives in vain.
PURPORT
The mammonist philosophy of work very hard and enjoy sense gratification is condemned herein by the Lord. Therefore, for those who want to enjoy this material world, the above-mentioned cycle of performing
yajñas
is absolutely necessary. One who does not follow such regulations is living a very risky life, being condemned more and more. By nature's law, this human form of life is specifically meant for self-realization, in either of the three ways-namely
karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga,
or
bhakti-yoga.
There is no necessity of rigidly following the performances of the prescribed
yajñas
for the transcendentalists who are above vice and virtue; but those who are engaged in sense gratification require purification by the above-mentioned cycle of
yajña
performances. There are different kinds of activities. Those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious are certainly engaged in sensory consciousness; therefore they need to execute pious work. The
yajña
system is planned in such a way that sensory conscious persons may satisfy their desires without becoming entangled in the reaction of sense-gratificatory work. The prosperity of the world depends not on our own efforts but on the background arrangement of the Supreme Lord, directly carried out by the demigods. Therefore, the
yajñas
are directly aimed at the particular demigod mentioned in the
Vedas.
Indirectly, it is the practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because when one masters the performance of
yajñas,
one is sure to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. But if by performing
yajñas
one does not become Kṛṣṇa conscious, such principles are counted as only moral codes. One should not, therefore, limit his progress only to the point of moral codes, but should transcend them, to attain Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Bg 3.17
TEXT 17
TEXT
yas tv ātma-ratir eva syād
ātma-tṛptaś ca mānavaḥ
ātmany eva ca santuṣṭas
tasya kāryaṁ na vidyate
SYNONYMS
yaḥ-
one who;
tu-
but;
ātma-ratiḥ-
takes pleasure;
eva-
certainly;
syāt-
remains;
ātma-tṛptaḥ-
self-illuminated;
ca-
and;
mānavaḥ-
a man;
ātmani-
in himself;
eva-
only;
ca-
and;
santuṣṭaḥ-
perfectly satiated;
tasya-
his;
kāryam-
duty;
na-
does not;
vidyate-
exist.
TRANSLATION
One who is, however, taking pleasure in the self, who is illumined in the self, who rejoices in and is satisfied with the self only, fully satiated-for him there is no duty.
PURPORT
A person who is
fully
Kṛṣṇa conscious, and is fully satisfied by his acts in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, no longer has any duty to perform. Due to his being Kṛṣṇa conscious, all impiety within is instantly cleansed, an effect of many, many thousands of
yajña
performances. By such clearing of consciousness, one becomes fully confident of his eternal position in relationship with the Supreme. His duty thus becomes self-illuminated by the grace of the Lord, and therefore he no longer has any obligations to the Vedic injunctions. Such a Kṛṣṇa conscious person is no longer interested in material activities and no longer takes pleasure in material arrangements like wine, women and similar infatuations.
Bg 3.18
TEXT 18
TEXT
naiva tasya kṛtenārtho
nākṛteneha kaścana
na cāsya sarva-bhūteṣu
kaścid artha-vyapāśrayaḥ
SYNONYMS
na-
never;
eva-
certainly;
tasya-
his;
kṛtena-
by discharge of duty;
arthaḥ-
purpose;
na-
nor;
akṛtena-
without discharge of duty;
iha-
in this world;
kaścana-
whatever;
na-
never;
ca-
and;
asya-
of him;
sarva-bhūteṣu
-in all living beings;
kaścit-
any;
artha-
purpose;
vyapa-āśrayaḥ-
taking shelter of.
TRANSLATION
A self-realized man has no purpose to fulfill in the discharge of his prescribed duties, nor has he any reason not to perform such work. Nor has he any need to depend on any other living being.
PURPORT
A self-realized man is no longer obliged to perform any prescribed duty, save and except activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not inactivity either, as will be explained in the following verses. A Kṛṣṇa conscious man does not take shelter of any person-man or demigod. Whatever he does in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is sufficient in the discharge of his obligation.
Bg 3.19
TEXT 19
TEXT
tasmād asaktaḥ satataṁ
kāryaṁ karma samācara
asakto hy ācaran karma
param āpnoti pūruṣaḥ
SYNONYMS
tasmāt-
therefore;
asaktaḥ-
without attachment;
satatam-
constantly;
kāryam-
as duty;
karma-
work;
samācara-
perform;
asaktaḥ-
nonattachment;
hi-
certainly;
ācaran-
performing;
karma-
work;
param-
the Supreme;
āpnoti-
achieves;
pūruṣaḥ-
a man.
TRANSLATION
Therefore, without being attached to the fruits of activities, one should act as a matter of duty; for by working without attachment, one attains the Supreme.
PURPORT
The Supreme is the Personality of Godhead for the devotees, and liberation for the impersonalist. A person, therefore, acting for Kṛṣṇa, or in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, under proper guidance and without attachment to the result of the work, is certainly making progress toward the supreme goal of life. Arjuna is told that he should fight in the Battle of Kurukṣetra for the interest of Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa wanted him to fight. To be a good man or a nonviolent man is a personal attachment, but to act on behalf of the Supreme is to act without attachment for the result. That is perfect action of the highest degree, recommended by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Vedic rituals, like prescribed sacrifices, are performed for purification of impious activities that were performed in the field of sense gratification. But action in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental to the reactions of good or evil work. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person has no attachment for the result but acts on behalf of Kṛṣṇa alone. He engages in all kinds of activities, but is completely nonattached.
Bg 3.20
TEXT 20
TEXT
karmaṇaiva hi saṁsiddhim
āsthitā janakādayaḥ
loka-saṅgraham evāpi
sampaśyan kartum arhasi
SYNONYMS
karmaṇā-
by work;
eva-
even;
hi-
certainly;
saṁsiddhim-
perfection;
āsthitāḥ-
situated;
janaka-ādayaḥ-
kings like Janaka and others;
loka-saṅgraham-
educating the people in general;
eva-
also;
api-
for the sake of;
sampaśyan-
by considering;
kartum-
to act;
arhasi-
deserve.
TRANSLATION
Even kings like Janaka and others attained the perfectional stage by performance of prescribed duties. Therefore, just for the sake of educating the people in general, you should perform your work.
PURPORT
Kings like Janaka and others were all self-realized souls; consequently they had no obligation to perform the prescribed duties in the
Vedas.
Nonetheless they performed all prescribed activities just to set examples for the people in general. Janaka was the father of Sītā, and father-in-law of Lord Śrī Rāma. Being a great devotee of the Lord, he was transcendentally situated, but because he was the King of Mithila (a subdivision of Behar province in India), he had to teach his subjects how to fight righteously in battle. He and his subjects fought to teach people in general that violence is also necessary in a situation where good arguments fail. Before the Battle of Kurukṣetra, every effort was made to avoid the war, even by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but the other party was determined to fight. So for such a right cause, there is a necessity for fighting. Although one who is situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness may not have any interest in the world, he still works to teach the public how to live and how to act. Experienced persons in Kṛṣṇa consciousness can act in such a way that others will follow, and this is explained in the following verse.