Have you ever felt stuck between two paths?
Let's say one path of you wants to step back,
Disconnect,
Simplify,
Just let go of everything.
And yet another path says no,
Act,
Create,
Achieve more,
Move forward.
Well,
This isn't just your confusion.
Even Arjuna standing on the battlefield asked pretty much the same question.
Should I act or should I just renounce?
Today's verse from Bhagavad Gita explores this exact dilemma.
And what it reveals might completely change how you see action,
Success and spirituality as a whole.
So,
Let's start with the verse.
Saññāsaṁ karmaṇāṁ kṛṣṇa punar yogam ca saṁśyati yacchreya ekaya ekaṁ tanme bhruhi suniścitaṁ Arjuna said,
You praise renunciation of action on one side and also the path of selfless action.
Can you tell me clearly which one is truly better?
This question if you see is not just Arjuna's,
It's yours,
Mine,
Everybody's.
So,
Let's deep dive into the deeper meaning by decoding phrase by phrase what each word means.
So,
It starts with saññāsaṁ karmaṇāṁ,
Renunciation of action.
So,
This is typically the path of withdrawal.
Let's say,
Letting go of worldly duties,
Roles,
Ambitions,
Running away into the forest.
There is a voice inside you which says,
I just want peace.
I just want to escape the noise.
Punar yogam na saṁśyati Yet you praise karma yoga,
The path of action,
Acting fully but without attachment.
The voice that says,
Well,
I want to create,
I want to continue for little more time.
I want to really contribute something to the world,
To the society.
I want to achieve something meaningful in this life.
Yat śreya ekayo retam Which of this is better?
This is the human dilemma.
Should I withdraw?
Should I engage?
Should I simplify?
Should I expand?
Should I renounce?
Should I act?
Should I achieve?
Or should I just give up?
Tanme bruhi suniścitaṁ Arjuna,
Tell me decisively.
Arjuna is asking for clarity,
Not philosophy,
But certainty.
So the confusion here is not about choosing a path.
It's about misunderstanding what these two paths truly mean.
Let's take an example.
In the personal life,
Say you are overwhelmed by any activity.
You just want to quit everything.
You want to escape your responsibility and let's say start afresh.
This is called the sannyas impulse.
Let's say another situation about ambition.
You are driven.
You want to build something.
You want to achieve more.
You want to improve your life and the lives of people around you.
This is karma yoga impulse.
So what's the conflict?
You keep on swinging between I want everything and I just want to give up everything.
The problem is not the path.
It's with your relationship with it.
So that's about a personal scenario.
Let's discuss a little bit about professional life.
So you want success in your career.
But you want peace of mind.
Feels like a trade-off.
Can you work without losing yourself?
Can you succeed without stress?
This verse invites you to the question,
Am I confused about action or am I confused myself?
Let's have a guided meditation on this one.
So simply close your eyes.
Take a deep breath and slowly exhale.
Let's feel one of the recent conflict that you had.
So bring to mind a situation in your life where you feel divided.
A part of you wants to act.
The part of you wants to withdraw.
And you are confused.
You are in a state of arjuna,
Like indecisiveness.
You cannot really decide whether you go forward,
Just stay where you are,
Or in fact go backwards.
So when you are feeling such questions or such dilemmas,
Notice both sides without choosing.
Understand the deep desire to renounce,
The sannyas.
Feel the part of you that wants peace,
Stillness,
Silence,
Simplicity.
Let yourself fully feel it.
Next is the desire to act,
Karmana.
Now feel the part of you that wants to act,
Create,
Express,
Achieve.
Let it be present.
Now the important step,
Notice.
Just notice that these both exist within you.
And neither is wrong.
Notice the mind trying to choose,
Trying to decide.
Now gently step back.
Observe the one who is aware of both.
Rest as that awareness that is not confused,
That is not divided.
Feel a quiet clarity.
Not from choosing,
But from witnessing.
Let's stay there for some time.
Gently return to your breath,
And slowly open your eyes.
So today's teaching is not giving you an answer.
It's just helping you ask the right question.
So,
Next time you feel in a state of conflict,
Don't rush to decide.
Observe both impulses.
Sit in awareness for about 60 seconds.
Let the clarity arise.
Don't force it.
The answer is not in choosing one path.
It is in transforming how you walk the path,
No matter which one you choose.
When you understand yourself,
The path becomes clear on its own.
Om Shanti.
