In Gita 3.1 what does intelligence and fruitive work refer to?

Transcript

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So, in the Bhagavad Gita 3.1, what does intelligence and fruity work refer to? It’s best if you want to understand the technicalities of the Bhagavad Gita to look at the Sanskrit. So, If you think it is better, better than karma is better. Buddhi is better.
Therefore, why are you engaging me in horrible karma? So, Arjuna’s question is, Krishna, if you say buddhi is better than karma, then why are you engaging me in karma, and that too bad karma? So, now, these two exact words come specifically in 2.49. Keep far away. Inauspicious work. Vara is blessing.
Avara is not blessed. It is opposite of blessing. Keep abominable work far away.
And buddhi yoga. How? By practicing buddhi yoga. And with the shelter of intelligence, those who chase after fruits are Kripanas.
So, essentially, Arjuna’s 3.1 is referring to the hierarchy taught by Krishna in 2.49. Give up undesirable work and act in buddhi. That is, So, therefore, Arjuna’s question is, if you say buddhi is better than karma, then why are you asking me to do horrible karma? So, now, the specific correlation between the Bhagavad Gita is of 3.1 to 2.49. But conceptually, what does it mean? That Arjuna basically envisions two courses of action, or two courses before him. One is action, the other is renunciation.
And he thinks action will be binding. Action will be binding, renunciation will be non-binding, at least non-binding, liberating. Now, in response, Krishna actually talks about correlations, which Arjuna is not able to understand.
So, Krishna talks about, so Arjuna sees action or inaction as two options. But Krishna says that in inaction, there can be three kinds of actions. So, inaction, there can be weak karma, which is bad karma, which will bring bad reaction.
Then there can be karma, which refers to karmakanda, which is good karma, good karma. Then there can be akarma. Akarma is detached action, which is not binding.
And this is what actually Krishna recommends to Arjuna. And then beyond that is inaction. So, Krishna gives this four, analysis of these four things and tells Arjuna that you should work with detachment, do detached action.
And Krishna is telling in 2.49, when Krishna is comparing two things, Krishna is saying that detached action is the action which is done with buddhi, and attached action, which is karma, karmakanda. It is action done without buddhi and that is binding. So, when Krishna says keep away in auspicious work and act in knowledge, act with buddhi.
So, he is telling give up karmakanda and do akarma. And akarma also involves action. But, not understanding that there are four levels over here, Arjuna equates this with this.
That means he equates karma with weak karma. And he equates akarma, which involves buddhi, with another path, with the path of gyan yoga, which involves inaction. So, he basically mixes these two levels.
And then he says Krishna, if you are going to work, if you are going to, if you are already told that buddhi is better than karma, then he is thinking that to act in buddhi is to give up action. And to act will be to bind, to compound, and that is our act. That’s why he says why are you telling that this is higher, that buddhi is higher than karma, but then you are telling me to do karma.
But Krishna, Arjuna’s point is that there can be karma which can be done with buddhi. You can do karma with intelligence. And that’s why if you understand the four levels, then what is Krishna’s question is clear.
And then Arjuna’s answer, what is Arjuna’s question is clear. And then if you see Krishna’s answer, Krishna in the next verses will tell that inaction is not possible. You have to act.
And how to act? Act with detachment. So that’s how that verse can be understood. Thank you.