Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3, Verse 30 (BG 3.30) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

# BG 3.30 It was the clear conviction of the Lord that Arjun should engage in battle. The Pandava prince was not yet ready for the highest practices of meditation and contemplation. Desire tends to arise from action, and from that desire comes further action. According to Sri Krishna's teaching of karma yoga, when one performs action without attachment, the old desires fade away, yet new desires do not take root. The principle of performing action free from ego and self-interest is here explained in different words. When all actions are offered to the Supreme—as we have seen, the word "me" here refers to the pure, infinite Self. Sri Krishna's teaching is that Arjun should, with devotion and remembrance of the Supreme (with spiritual consciousness), surrender all actions to the Divine. The renunciation of actions should not be understood as a life of inaction. True renunciation of action means the abandonment of ego and self-interest from one's deeds. The danger of a serpent lies in its venom. If its fangs were removed, even the most fearsome serpent could harm no one. Similarly, it is only because of ego and self-interest that actions bind us; otherwise they do not. Here, the renunciation of actions means the abandonment of the selfish motives that drive them. Through constant remembrance and celebration of the Divine Self, one's intentions become purified. Such remembrance stirs the heart with divine sentiments. The actions of such a person should not be seen as ordinary—rather, the Divine Will itself flows through that person into the world. When the sense of limited individuality is replaced by the consciousness of wholeness, that person becomes the supreme instrument through which the Divine Will expresses itself. Merely renouncing forbidden actions is not enough. We must also cultivate those inner virtues through which the Divine Will can flow through us unobstructed. This is indicated here by the words "free from hope" and "free from possessiveness." A superficial reading of this verse might lead one to conclude that Hindu dharma teaches the abandonment of dynamic living for a life of despair. But deeper study reveals that Sri Krishna is pointing here to a higher psychological truth of life. **Free from hope:** Hope is the expectation of something that will manifest or be obtained in the future. Hope always concerns the future, never the present. **Free from possessiveness:** Ego-based attachment is nothing but a bundle of events and achievements that occurred in the past. Thus ego is merely the shadow of the past, and its existence depends entirely on reference to time that has gone. If hope is the child of an unborn future, then ego is the stubborn memory of the past. To live in hope and ego-sense means to live in the future and the past. The tragedy is that in doing so, we lose the powerful present—yet the present is the only opportunity we have been given to act, to advance, and to achieve our goals. Sri Krishna teaches Arjun to perform action free from hope and possessiveness. This verse contains vital guidance on how to make full use of the present without wasting energy in thoughts of past and future. This verse under consideration is complete in every respect. Even a modern psychologist would be astonished upon reading it. Though understanding the foregoing discussion helps us prevent the waste of energy in thoughts of past and future, there remains the possibility of depleting our capacity while acting in the present. This is due to our tendency to become unnecessarily anxious and agitated. This agitation is here called fever. Lord Sri Krishna teaches that Arjun should renounce all actions to the Supreme, remain free from hope and attachment, abandon mental agitation, and engage in battle. The completeness of this principle of the Gita becomes clear to all its sincere students. By "engaging in battle" is meant facing all circumstances that arise in life's struggles. Therefore, this teaching is not only for Arjun, but for all who wish to live their lives with wisdom and fullness. Those who have studied the Vedas with a limited understanding of karma yoga will find this teaching traditional. When this teaching is accepted by one's generation, the Lord speaks of its propagation.