Bhagvad Geeta for Children 8

Chapter 3 (contd): Karma Yog

To re-cap:
Bhagwan says Gyan and Karma are not different, they are two sides of the same coin. But knowledge is not one or the other, it is both Gyan and Karma together. Karma is an activity where there is a doer involved, there is also the result involved. The problem is that when I am the doer, ego comes into play, and that binds us. The ego that gets in the way is Ahankar.

But even after knowing all this, Arjun is still not convinced. He asks Bhagwan, “You gave me the gyan, but now tell me, why should I fight? Since I am not the body, I am the Atman, why should I fight? I can just sit on the mountain and meditate.”

Shloke 36:
atha kena prayukto ’yam papam charati purushah
anichchhann api varshneya balad iva niyojitah

Arjun said, now impelled by what, Krishna, dos this man commit sin even involuntarily, as though driven by force?

Shloke 37:
kama esha krodha esha rajo-guna-samudbhavah
mahashano maha-papma viddhyenam iha vairinam

It is desire begotten of the element of Rajas, which appears as wrath; nay, it is insatiable and grossly wicked. Know this to be the enemy in this case.
Arjun said, now I understand Karma, I understand Gyan, but what compels me to do the wrong action (adharma?)

Bhagwan says the problem is Kama (desire). That is the enemy sitting inside me, which forces me to do things.

Arjun was running away because he had a desire inside him. Out of love and respect and for his grandfather, his Guru, his relatives, he didn’t want to fight with them, even though he knew they were wrong, they were siding with Adharma.

Just to illustrate: The teacher gives all the students in her class a piece of candy. She asks them to go to any corner of school. If there is nobody sitting there, she says they can eat the candy. When the students come back, all the students ate the candy, but one boy came back with the candy. Teacher asked why he didn’t eat his candy, could he not find a quiet corner? He said, “there were plenty of corners, but in all the corners, Myself was watching me.”

Even when you think there is nobody watching, you are never alone. Your conscience is always with you.
Try this experiment at home: Keep your favorite candy in your room, look at it every day, but don’t eat it. See how strong your desire is.