senses under its control as an instsument of the intelli- gent will and then the organs of action must be msed for their proper office, for action, but for action done as Yoga. But what is the essence of this self-control, what is meant by action done as Yoga, Karmayoga ? It is non-attachment, it is to do works without clinging with the mind to the objects of sense and the fruit of the works. Not complete inaction, which is an error, a confusion, a self-delusion, an impossibility, but action full and free done without subjection to sense and pas- sion, desireless and unattached works, are the first secret of perfection. Do action thus self-controlled, says Krishna, niyatam kurn karma twam : 1 havesaid that knowledge, the intelligence, is greater than works, jyd- yasi karmano buddhih, but I did not mean that inaction is greater than action; the contrary is the truth, karma jydyo akarmanah. For knowledge does not mean repunciation of works, it means equality and non-attachment to desire and the objects of sense;and it means the poise of the intelligent ‘will in the Soul free and high-uplifted above the lower instrumentation of Prakriti *and controlling the works of the mind and the senses and body in the power of self-knowledge and the pure objectless
- ↑ Again, I cannot accept the current interpretation of niyatam karma as if it meant fixed and formal works and were equivalent to the Vedic karma, the regular works of sacrifice, ceremonial and the daily rule of Vedic living, Surely, niyata simply takes up the niyamya of the last verse. Krishna makes a statement, * he who controlling the senses by the mind engages with the organs of action in Yoga of action, he excels,” manasd niyamya drabhate karmayogam, and he immediately goes on to draw from the statement an in- junction, to sum it up and convertit into a rule. “Do thou do controlled action, '’ niyatam kurs karma twam . niyatam takes up the niyamya, kuru karma takes up the drabhate karmayogam. Not formal works fixed by an external rule, but desireless works controlled by the liberated buddhi, is the Gita's teaching.
