[Advaita-l] Confused with Gita 5.10 & 5.11

praveen.r.bhat at exgate.tek.com praveen.r.bhat at exgate.tek.com
Tue Sep 13 03:42:22 CDT 2005


praNAm,

Could someone kindly help me understand the following two gItAshloka-s? 
5.10 One who acts by dedicating actions to brahmaN and by renouncing
attachment, he does not become polluted by sin, just as a lotus leaf is not
by water.
5.11 By giving up attachment, the yogis undertake work merely through the
body, mind, intellect and even the organs, for the purification of
themselves. 

I'm just using them as examples to clarify a long pending doubt. That is,
nirguNa brahmaN not acting, why does the Lord ask to dedicate actions to
brahmaN in 5.10? Is it not like telling yourself that I (BMI: body, mind,
intellect) don't act, but I (brahmaN) does? Then again in 5.11, He says that
by this submission, BMI purifies (to enable renunciation, as per Shankara
Bhashya). Abhinava Gupta, however, comments on 5.11 as the acts of BMI have
nothing to do with one's own self ('If the sense-organs like eyes etc.,
function on their respective objects, what does it matter for me?), in which
case, would it not be like saying that the BMI is acting without me (as
brahmaN) having nothing to do with it and let that BMI reap its own fruits?
I may be missing something concrete over here! Am I confused because of
bringing in nirguNa brahmaN with karma yoga? As in, does karma yoga anywhere
talk of nirguNa brahmaN? If so, why associate and dedicate actions to the
same?
Sorry if I sound a lot offbeat!

krishNArpaNamastu,
--praveen



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