Page:Essays On The Gita - Ghose - 1922.djvu/181

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THE PRINCIPLE OF DIVINE WORKS
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the mighty ancient Yoga attained to perfection, by equal and desireless works done as a sacrifice, without the least egoistic aim or attachment, — karmanaiva h samsiddhun dsthitd janakadayah. So too and with the same desirelessnoss, after liberation and perfection, works can and have to be continued by us in a large divine spirit, with the calm high natuie of a spirttual royalty. “Thou shouldst do works regarding also the holding together of the peoples, lokasangraham cvap: sampagyan kavtwin arhasi, Whatsoever the Best doeth, that the lower kind of man puts into practice ; the standard he creates, the people follows. O son of Pritha, I have no work that I need to do in all the three worlds, I have nothing that I have not gained and’ have yet to guin, and 1 abide verily in the paths of action,” varta eva cha kavmani,— eva implying, I abide in it and do not leave it as the Sannyasin thinks him- self bound to abandon works, “For if I did not abide sleeplessly in the paths of action, men follow in every way my path, these peoples would sink to destruction if I did not works and I should be the creator of confusion and slay these. creatures. As those who know not act with attachment to the action, e who knows should act without atiachment, having for his motive to hold to- gether the peoples. He should not create & division of their understanding in the ignorant who are attached to their works ; he should set them to all actions, doing them bimself with knowledge and in Yoga.” There are fcw more important passages in the Gita than these seven striking couplets.

But let us clearly understand that they must not be interpreted, as the modern pragmatic tendency