Srimad BhagavadGita

Q: In earlier ślokas like sukha-duḥkhe same kṛtvā lābhālābhau jayājayau B.G 2.38 and vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ B.G 2.41, when Kṛṣṇa has already instructed about this buddhi yoga (action with intelligence) why is HE emphasising on it and this samatva buddhi (equipoised mind) again over here?

A: By this repeated assertion, Kṛṣṇa is making the point that the greatness of this buddhi is such that any amount of repetition about it cannot be considered as a flaw. In this way Kṛṣṇa is emphasising on Arjuna to develop this buddhi. 

Kṛṣṇa says, "Actions driven by desire for rewards are indeed far too inferior to actions performed with this intelligence. O Arjuna! Therefore take the shelter of this intelligence talked about earlier because one who performs actions with attachment to their results is a saṃsāri"

dhanañjaya By addressing Arjuna as Dhanañjaya, Kṛṣṇa is reminding Arjuna that he earned this name for having conquered and acquired all kinds of exquisite opulences and to keep up the name he must acquire this buddhi which is a great wealth.

buddhi yogāt karma dūreṇa avaraṃ hi (In comparison to karmas performed with the buddhi discussed earlier (karma yoga), performing karmas (mere actions) without this buddhi is far too inferior)

buddhi yogāt Buddhi yoga means to perform karmas without attachment towards their chief rewards like

heaven, etc, treating alike the intermediate rewards of these karmas like victory and defeat i.e maintaining

the same state of mind irrespective of whether they are achieved or not. With the words 'avaraṃ karma' a

specific type of action is referred to which is compared to 'buddhi yoga'. Therefore it is understood that

'buddhi yoga' is the performance of karma yoga i.e performance of karmas with the kind of buddhi discussed

earlier.

dūreṇa avaraṃ (are far too inferior) Karmas performed with the buddhi discussed earlier, remove all the

sufferings of saṃsāra and lead to mokṣa which is the highest object of human pursuit. Karmas performed

without this buddhi push us further into this endless cycle of saṃsāra which gives misery. Therefore these

two kinds of karmas are very different from each other. It is to be noted that only karmas without this

buddhi are condemned but not all the karmas.

hi (Indeed) The term 'hi' used here asserts that the same meaning for dūreṇa avaraṃ is propounded in the

śāstras too.

With the first part of the śloka, the clause was stated and now the inference is stated in the latter part of the śloka as buddhau śaranamanviccha (Therefore resort to performing karmas with this buddhi). upāye gruharakṣitroḥ śabdaḥ śaraṇamityayam vartate Ahirbudhnya Saṃhitā 36-34 (There are three meanings for the word śaraṇa namely 1) upāyaṃ (means) 2) gṛham (abode) and 3) rakṣita (protector)). The meaning gṛham- abode is apt for this context. Therefore the meaning conveyed is that karmas must be performed abiding in this buddhi yoga. One must establish steadily in this buddhi.

kṛpaṇāḥ phala-hetavaḥ (Those men who become the reason (hetu) for the rewards of their actions by initiating them with a desire for their rewards are miserable)

In order to fortify the point that one must be endowed with buddhi yoga, the inferior state of one who is not endowed with buddhi yoga is described.

   phala-hetavaḥ Here the words phala-hetavaḥ do not refer to all the 5 factors responsible for the rewards

of actions as stated in BG 2.47. Here they specifically refer to only those men who become reasons for the

rewards of the actions initiated by them (by placing expectation on the rewards of their actions). This is

because,

   1. In the earlier śloka 2.47, with the words mā karma phala hetur bhūḥ, only the men who become the

reason for the rewards are referred to.

   2. In the next śloka 2.50 which begins with the word 'buddhiyuktaḥ', the man endowed with this buddhi is

being hailed and that leads us to the conclusion that the man without this buddhi is being criticised here in

this śloka.

   3. As per the Sanskṛt thesaurus Amarakośa 3 vi 49 kadarye kṛpaṇ kṣudra kimpacāna mitaṃpacāḥ (The

words kṛpaṇa, kṣudra, kimpacāna and mitaṃpacāna are all synonyms for a miserable person) The word

kṛpaṇa refers to a person. As the performer of karmas which give rewards, having a strong desire for

the rewards, that man becomes the reason for the reward.

kṛpaṇāḥ (Miserable people) The category of men opposed to the category 'kṛpaṇāḥ' are the performers of

karmas abiding in buddhi yoga. They are talked about in the ślokas that follow buddhi-yukto jahātīha ubhe

sukṛta duṣkṛte B.G 2.50, buddhiyuktāḥ- janmabandhavinirmuktāḥ padaṃ gacchantyanāmayam B.G

2.51. They are described to be free from puṇya and pāpa (the experience of results of good and bad deeds)

and accomplished in mokṣa. Therefore those belonging to the opposite category (kṛpaṇāḥ) are the ones who

are devoid of the wealth of mokṣa, bound in the eternal inferior cycle of saṃsāra. 

dhanañjaya- kṛpaṇāḥ The address in this context conveys the meaning that, 'O Arjuna! Should you who has earned repute as a conqueror of wealth become a miserable person?